Contact Professor Nilwala Kottegoda
Background
Manipulating matter at molecular level to uplift human well-being'
Nilwala Kottegoda has exhibited exceptional merit by obtaining her first class degree in Chemistry from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and her PhD in Materials Chemistry from the University of Cambridge. She is a Professor at the Department of Chemistry, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka and a visiting academic/ Fulbright scholar at Rice University, USA.
She has enormously contributed towards the advancement of the field of smart materials with a particular emphasis on uplifting human well-being using next generation drug/nutrient delivery systems based on natural products. She is a principal inventor of over 20 granted patents along many high-indexed journals. A couple of research projects carried out by her team have also resulted in commercial success and technology transfer.
She was denominated as one of the nine most inventive women scientists by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2018 as an honour to celebrate her revolutionary inventions in many fields of nanotechnology. As a result of her exceptional merits, she was awarded Fulbright fellowship in 2018 and the World Academy of Science Young Scientist Award.
Current activities
Project collaboration and research advice.
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Lakshani N, Wijerathne HS, Sandaruwan C, Kottegoda N & Karunarathne V. (2023). Release Kinetic Models and Release Mechanisms of Controlled-Release and Slow-Release Fertilizers. ACS Agricultural Science & Technology, 3(11)
- Kumarage S, Munaweera I, Sandaruwan C, Weerasinghe L & Kottegoda N. (2023). Electrospun amine-functionalized silica nanoparticles–cellulose acetate nanofiber membranes for effective removal of hardness and heavy metals (As(
v ), Cd(ii ),Pb(ii )) in drinking water sources. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 9(10) - Madhusha C, Jayasundara T, Munaweera I, Perera C, Wijesinghe G, .... (2023). Synthesis and structural characterization of copper nanoparticles doped activated carbon derived from coconut coir for drinking water purification. Materials Today Chemistry, 27
- Seneviratne KL, Munaweera I, Peiris SE, Kodithuwakku P, Peiris CN, .... (2023). Visible Light Active Silver Decorated Iron Titanate/Titanium Dioxide Nanohybrid for Sterilization of Explants Grown by In Vitro Technique. Advanced Materials Technologies, 8(6)
- Madhusha C, Weerasinghe K, Munaweera I, Perera C, Wijesinghe G, .... (2022). Phosphate functionalized activated carbon sachet filters for drinking water purification. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 9(1)
- Jayasinghe S, Pasan Siriwardena D, Munaweera I, Perera C & Kottegoda N. (2022). Sustainable Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Activated Carbon using Plasma Technology. ChemPlusChem, 87(10)
- Disanayake P, Madhusha C, Munaweera I, Wijesinghe G, Weerasekera M, .... (2022). Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of Cobalt‐Doped Rutile/Ilmenite Derived from Natural Sands as Visible‐Light‐Active Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Agents. ChemistrySelect, 7(33)
- Kodithuwakku P, Jayasundara DR, Munaweera I, Jayasinghe R, Thoradeniya T, .... (2022). A review on recent developments in structural modification of TiO2 for food packaging applications. Progress in Solid State Chemistry, 67
- Kumarage S, Munaweera I & Kottegoda N. (2022). Contemporary, Multidisciplinary Roles of Mesoporous Silica Nanohybrids/Nanocomposites. ChemistrySelect, 7(21)
- Amarasinghe T, Madhusha C, Munaweera I & Kottegoda N. (2022). Review on Mechanisms of Phosphate Solubilization in Rock Phosphate Fertilizer. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 53(8)
- Kumarage S, Munaweera I & Kottegoda N. (2022). A comprehensive review on electrospun nanohybrid membranes for wastewater treatment. Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, 13(1)
- Ekanayake BPK, Tharika HED, Perera ADLC & Kottegoda N. (2021). Fast and high adsorption of cadmium ions from aqueous solutions by acid-activated and pyrolyzed coconut coir. Desalination and Water Treatment, 236
- Fernando NL, Rathnayake DTN, Kottegoda N, Jayanetti JKDS, Karunaratne V, .... (2021). Mechanistic Insights into Interactions at Urea–Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticle Interface. Langmuir, 37(22)
- Gayani B, Dilhari A, Kottegoda N, Ratnaweera DR & Weerasekera MM. (2021). Reduced Crystalline Biofilm Formation on Superhydrophobic Silicone Urinary Catheter Materials. ACS Omega, 6(17)
- Abeywardana L, de Silva M, Sandaruwan C, Dahanayake D, Priyadarshana G, .... (2021). Zinc-Doped Hydroxyapatite–Urea Nanoseed Coating as an Efficient Macro–Micro Plant Nutrient Delivery Agent. ACS Agricultural Science & Technology, 1(3)
- Madhusha C, Rajapaksha K, Munaweera I, de Silva M, Perera C, .... (2021). A Novel Green Approach to Synthesize Curcuminoid-Layered Double Hydroxide Nanohybrids: Adroit Biomaterials for Future Antimicrobial Applications. ACS Omega, 6(14)
- Fernando N, Swaminathan J, Robles Hernandez FC, Priyadarshana G, Sandaruwan C, .... (2021). Pseudobrookite based heterostructures for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Materials Reports: Energy, 1(2)
- Liyanaarachchi S, Padumadasa C, Priyadarshana G, Hernandez FCR, Dilhari A, .... (2021). Magnetite-Functionalized Plumbagin for Therapeutic Applications. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 9(3)
- Gayani B, Senarathna D, Weerasekera MM, Kottegoda N & Ratnaweera DR. (2020). Improving superhydrophobicity of polydimethylsiloxanes using embedding fluorinated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes cages. SN Applied Sciences, 2(12)
- Madhusha C, Munaweera I, Karunaratne V & Kottegoda N. (2020). Facile Mechanochemical Approach To Synthesizing Edible Food Preservation Coatings Based On Alginate/Ascorbic Acid-Layered Double Hydroxide Bio-Nanohybrids. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 68(33)
- Raguraj S, Wijayathunga WMS, Gunaratne GP, Amali RKA, Priyadarshana G, .... (2020). Urea–hydroxyapatite nanohybrid as an efficient nutrient source inCamellia sinensis(L.) Kuntze (tea). Journal of Plant Nutrition, 43(15)
- Alwis GMC, Kottegoda N & Ratnayake UN. (2020). Facile exfoliation method for improving interfacial compatibility in montmorillonite-natural rubber nanocomposites: A novel charge inversion approach. Applied Clay Science, 191
- de Silva M, Siriwardena DP, Sandaruwan C, Priyadarshana G, Karunaratne V, .... (2020). Urea-silica nanohybrids with potential applications for slow and precise release of nitrogen. Materials Letters, 272
- Nissanka B, Kottegoda N & Jayasundara DR. (2020). Probing structural variations of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide using methylene blue adsorption method. Journal of Materials Science, 55(5)
- Wijesinghe G, Dilhari A, Gayani B, Kottegoda N, Samaranayake L, .... (2019). Influence of Laboratory Culture Media on in vitro Growth, Adhesion, and Biofilm Formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Medical Principles and Practice, 28(1)
- Gayani B, Dilhari A, Wijesinghe GK, Kumarage S, Abayaweera G, .... (2019). Effect of natural curcuminoids‐intercalated layered double hydroxide nanohybrid against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecalis: A bactericidal, antibiofilm, and mechanistic study. MicrobiologyOpen, 8(5)
- Fernando NL, Kottegoda N, Jayanetti S, Karunaratne V & Jayasundara DR. (2018). Stability of nano-hydroxyapatite thin coatings at liquid/solid interface. Surface and Coatings Technology, 349
- Weerasekera MM, Jayarathna TA, Wijesinghe GK, Gunasekara CP, Fernando N, .... (2017). The Effect of Nutritive and Non-Nutritive Sweeteners on the Growth, Adhesion, and Biofilm Formation of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. Medical Principles and Practice, 26(6)
- GUNARATNE GP, KOTTEGODA N, MADUSANKA N, MUNAWEERA I, SANDARUWAN C, .... Two new plant nutrient nanocomposites based on urea coated hydroxyapatite: Efficacy and plant uptake. The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 86(4)
- Kottegoda N. Ladder of Scientific Research to Develop the Developing Nations. Ceylon Journal of Science, 51(1)
- Balasuriya BMDS, Bandara SRWMIS, Kottegoda N & Perera ADLC. Magnetite nanoparticles impregnated pyrolysed coconut coir for water softening applications. Ceylon Journal of Science, 50(5)
- Hettiarachchi E, Kottegoda N & Chandani Perera ADL. Activated coconut coir for removal of water hardness. DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, 66
- Karunaratne V, Kottegoda N & De Alwis A. Nanotechnology in a world out of balance. Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, 40(1)
- Alwis GMC, Ratnayake UN & Kottegoda N. Reinforcement and curing characteristics of organoclay filled natural rubber nanocomposites. Journal of the Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka, 93(0)