Ms. Anchal Sharma is a PhD candidate at CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO), Chandigarh, India. Her doctoral research focuses on the photocatalytic degradation of indoor air pollutants, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), using 2D material-based heterostructures. As an INSPIRE Fellow, she is driven to develop efficient, sustainable solutions to improve indoor air quality through innovative materials engineering.
Anchal completed her bachelor’s degree from Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla, followed by a master’s degree in physics from Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh. She was a recipient of the DST Scholarship for Higher Education during both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. During the master’s program, she worked on the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials for photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications. She received the university gold medal for outstanding performance.
As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Connecticut, USA, Anchal is investigating 2D material-based heterostructures for VOC degradation under varying operational conditions such as humidity, initial pollutant concentration, and catalyst loading. Her work further delves into mechanistic insights using advanced characterization techniques, including in-situ DRIFTS and EPR spectroscopy, to identify reaction intermediates and elucidate the role of reactive species.
Anchal’s work aims to address critical challenges in indoor air quality through advanced materials design and sustainable remediation strategies for real-world applications, including self-cleaning coatings, photocatalytic air filtration systems, and portable air purification technologies.