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Dr Archana R Deokar

Postdoc: Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel, 2014-2016

PhD: National Tsing Hua University, NTHU, Hsinchu, Taiwan, 2007-2013

M.Sc.: Department of Chemistry, Savitribai Phule Pune University, SPPU, Pune, Maharashtra, 2004-2006

B.Sc.: Savitribai Phule Pune University, SPPU, Pune, Maharashtra, 2001-2004

Email: archana.deokar@gsfcuniversity.ac.in

Dr. Archana R. Deokar is a dedicated academician and researcher, currently working as a Senior Assistant Professor of Chemistry at GSFC University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. She holds a strong interdisciplinary background in chemistry, nanotechnology, and microbiology, with over 12 years of teaching and 15 years of research experience across reputed national and international institutions.

She earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the prestigious National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), Taiwan (2007–2013), where her research focused on the antimicrobial properties and mechanisms of carbon-based nanomaterials. She then pursued postdoctoral research at Bar-Ilan University, Israel (2014–2016), under the guidance of Prof. Aharon Gedanken, working extensively on the synthesis of multifunctional nanomaterials and their biomedical applications, including antiviral and antibacterial therapies.

Before joining GSFC University, Dr. Deokar served as an Assistant Professor at Modern College, Shivajinagar, Pune, for six years, where she gained foundational experience in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. At GSFC University, she also functions as the Program Coordinator for M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs, actively contributing to curriculum design, student mentoring, and research supervision.

Her research interests lie in the synthesis, functionalization, and biomedical applications of graphene-based materials, carbon nanodots, and metal oxide nanocomposites, with applications ranging from antimicrobial coatings, photothermal/photodynamic therapy, biosensing, to wound healing. She has published several high-impact research papers, contributed book chapters, and holds a US patent for her work on photothermal antibacterial materials. Additionally, she is actively involved in government-funded research projects and international collaborations, including projects supported by the US Naval Research Laboratory and Cariplo Foundation, Italy.

Dr. Deokar has received numerous accolades, including the INSA-IAS-NASI Summer Research Fellowship, the Women in Space and Allied Science Leadership Award (DST, Govt. of India), and has been an invited speaker at the 90th Annual Meeting of the Indian Academy of Sciences.

With a passion for science education and innovation, Dr. Deokar continues to bridge the gap between research and teaching, fostering the next generation of scientists through her academic leadership and collaborative research endeavors.

Dr. Archana Deokar is currently working as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry with School of Science, at GSFC. She holds a strong academic background in the field of chemistry and nanotechnology. She pursued her postdoctoral research at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel, from 2014 to 2016, where she worked on advanced nanomaterials and their biomedical applications. Prior to this, she earned her Ph.D. from the National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), Hsinchu, Taiwan, during 2007-2013, focusing on interdisciplinary research at the interface of microbiology and nanoscience. She completed her Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Chemistry from the Department of Chemistry, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Pune, Maharashtra, in the period 2004-2006. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree from the same university, completed between 2001 and 2004.

Dr. Archana Deokar's research interests lie at the intersection of nanotechnology, chemistry, and microbiology, with a particular focus on the design, synthesis, and biomedical applications of advanced nanomaterials. Her work emphasizes the development of graphene-based and metal/metal oxide nanocomposites for applications in antimicrobial therapy, drug delivery, photothermal and photodynamic therapies, and biosensing. She is also deeply engaged in exploring the toxicological profiling, ROS generation mechanisms, and surface functionalization of nanomaterials for enhanced biocompatibility and therapeutic efficacy. Dr. Deokar’s interdisciplinary approach integrates principles from materials science, analytical chemistry, and life sciences to address pressing challenges in healthcare, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental remediation.

1. A.R. Deokar, I. Perelshtein, M. Saibene, N. Perkes,  P. Mantecca, Y. Nitzan, A. Gedanken, “Antibacterial and In vivo Studies of a Green, One-Pot Preparation of Copper/Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle-Coated Bandages”, Membranes 2021, 11, 462 SCI impact factor of Membranes : 4.106. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11070462P

2. Manteca, K. Kasemets, A. R. Deokar, I. Perelshtein, A. Gedanken, Y.K. Bahk, B. Kianfar, J. Wang “Airborne nanoparticle release and toxicological risk from metal oxide-coated textiles: toward a multi-scale safe-by-design approach” Environ. Sci. Technol., DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b02390, SCI impact factor of Environmental science and technology: 7.864, Citations: 29.

3. A. R. Deokar, A. Nagvenkar, I. Kalt, R. Sarid, A. Gedanken, “Graphene-based “Hotplate” for the Capturing and Destruction of the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1” Bar-Ilan University Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel. Bioconjugate Chem., 2017, 28 (4), pp 1115–1122, SCI impact factor of Bioconjugate Chemistry: 4.349, Citations: 29..

4. A. Nagvenkar, A. R. Deokar, I. Perelshtein, A. Gedanken, “One-pot Sonochemical synthesis of ZnO-PVA nanofluid as a potential biocidal agent”,Bar-Ilan University Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel J. Mater. Chem. B, 2016,4, 2124-2132, SCI impact factor of Journal of Material Chemistry B: 5.047, Citations: 48..

5. A. R. Deokar,¶Y.Shalom,I.Perelshtein,N. Perkas,E.Banin,and A. Gedanken, “A topical antibacterial ointment made of Zn-doped copper oxide nanocomposite”, Bar-Ilan University Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel, J Nanopart Res (2016) 18:218, SCI impact factor of Journal of Nanoparticle research : 2.009, Citations: 5..

6.  A. R. Deokar, †M. C. Wu,†J. H. Liao, P. Y. Shih , and Y. C. Ling “Graphene-Based Photothermal Agent for Rapid and Effective Killing of Bacteria”,  ACS Nano, 2013, 7, 1281–1290(† indicates equal contribution) ISSN no. 1936-0851, SCI impact factor of ACS Nano: 14.588, Citations: 371.

7. A. R. Deokar, L. Y. Lin, C. C. Chang, Y. C. Ling, “Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Coated Antibacterial Paper : Preparation and Mechanistic Study”, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013, 1, 2639-2646 SCI impact factor of Journal of Material Chemistry B: 5.047, Citations: 35.

8. Y. C. Ling, A. R. Deokar,G. Gollavelli, J. Y. Liu, M. C. Wu, Y. H. Hsiao, P. L. Lee. “Nanomaterials for Biomedical Imaging: Applications and Perspectives”, Instruments Today, 2011, 32, 18-27.

9. T. Udawant, P. Thorat, P. Thapa, M. Patel, S. Shekhawat, R. Patel, A. Sudhir, O. Hudka, I. N. Pulidindi, A. R. Deokar. Antibacterial Activity of Silver-Modified CuO Nanoparticle-Coated Masks, Bioengineering 2024, 11(12), 1234, SCI impact factor of bioengineering: 3.8 https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11121234.

10. D. Singh *, D. Choudhary, I. K. Gurjar, A. P. Menon, A. R. Deokar, R. Singh. Synthetic Approaches to Access Indolin-3-ones, Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry, Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2025, 14(5), e202500102. (SCI impact factor: 2.8, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajoc.202500102)

11. Development of an Analytical Method for Quantifying Nitrosamine Impurities in Metformin Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Microchemical Journal, Elsevier, Impaact factor: 5.1 Under revision.

12. HPLC Method Development and Validation for 3-[(1E)-2-(7-chloroquinolin-2-yl)ethenyl]benzaldehyde: An Intermediate in Montelukast Sodium Synthesis, Journal of Separation Science, Wiley, Impact factor: Under revision.

Patent 

1. “Graphene-Based Photothermal Antibacterial Material”, US 20150004055 A1, Y. C. Ling, A. R. Deokar, M. C. Wu, C. H. Liao, P. Y. Shih, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, 2015.

2. Graphene-based antibiofilm ointments and Preparation method thereof, Indian Patent (Provisional applied: Application number: 202321004923)

Contributions toward book and book chapters

1. I. Pulidindi, A. R. Deokar, “Catalytic Methods for the Synthesis of Carbon Nanodots and Their Applications”, MDPI, ISBN 978-3-0365-9225-1; ISBN 978-3-0365-9224-4 (https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/8192-catalytic-methods-for-the-synthesis-of-carbon-nanodots-and-their-applications).

2. Y. C. Ling, A.R. Deokar, “Microwave-Assisted Preparation of Carbon Nanotubes with Versatile Functionality” in Carbon Nanotubes Applications on Electron Devices, Intech:Rijeka, 2011.

3. A. R. Deokar, Ganesh G., Y. C. Ling, “The Antimicrobial Properties for Graphene-Based Materials”, in Handbook of Graphene Science, Taylor and Francis Group, 2016

Dr. Archana Deokar is currently serving as a Senior Assistant Professor of Chemistry at GSFC University, Gujarat. She has over 12 years of teaching experience, including a significant tenure of six years as Assistant Professor at Modern College, Shivajinagar, Pune. Her teaching expertise spans across Inorganic chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Nanotechnology, and interdisciplinary courses, with a strong emphasis on integrating advanced research into classroom learning. She has guided postgraduate students in research projects, coordinated curriculum development, and organized academic workshops and conferences. Her teaching philosophy encourages research-led education, hands-on training, and active student engagement.

Dr. Archana R. Deokar's research expertise lies at the confluence of nanotechnology, chemistry, and microbiology, with a strong focus on the design, synthesis, and biomedical application of advanced nanomaterials. Over the past 15 years, she has led and contributed to several internationally recognized research projects in collaboration with institutions such as the US Naval Research Laboratory and the Cariplo Foundation (Italy). Her research is dedicated to developing graphene-based materials, carbon quantum dots, and metal/metal oxide nanocomposites for applications in:

  • Antimicrobial and antibiofilm therapies

  • Photothermal and photodynamic cancer treatment

  • Wound healing and topical therapeutics

  • Environmental remediation and water purification

  • Toxicological risk assessment and ROS-related mechanistic studies

  • Sensing, drug delivery, and nano-enabled diagnostic platforms

She holds a US patent on graphene-based photothermal antibacterial materials and has authored high-impact publications in journals such as ACS Nano, Bioconjugate Chemistry, Membranes, and Journal of Materials Chemistry B.

Dr. Deokar also has extensive experience in consulting and collaborative applied research, including:

  • Nanomaterial-based product development (e.g., antibacterial bandages, coated masks, topical ointments)

  • Toxicological evaluation and risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials

  • HPLC-based method development for pharmaceutical and analytical applications (Sun Pharma SPARC Internship, 2025)

  • Workshop organization and capacity building in areas such as environmental nanotechnology, energy materials, and sustainable chemistry

As a mentor and consultant, she guides postgraduate and doctoral researchers, supports proposal writing and project design, and offers technical expertise in analytical instrumentation, including SEM, XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, flow cytometry, and fluorescence imaging.

  • IASc-INSA-NASI Summer Research Fellowship (2024)
    Awarded under the Focus Area Science Technology Summer Fellowship program by the Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, and National Academy of Sciences, India.

  • Invited Teacher at the 90th Annual Meeting of the Indian Academy of Sciences (2024)
    Invited to deliver a session at the prestigious annual meeting held at NISER and IIT Bhubaneswar from 8–10 November 2024.

  • Women in Space and Allied Science Leadership Award (2025)
    Selected for the 4-day leadership training program organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, in collaboration with the British Council (21st–25th January 2025).

  • Outstanding Poster Presentation Award (2010)
    Received during the JSPS-DST Asian Academic Seminar cum School on “Recent Advances in the Study of Clusters, Nanomaterials, and Surfaces,” held in Kolkata, India.

  • Taiwan Government Scholarship for Doctoral Studies (2007–2013)
    Awarded by the Ministry of Education, Taiwan, to pursue Ph.D. at National Tsing Hua University.

  • Chemaid-2003 Scholar
    Recognized by the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, for excellence in chemistry during undergraduate studies.