UoH-IIT Hyderabad Researchers Secure Patent for Rapid Fabrication of 2D Nanomaterials
Hyderabad, June 30 (TNT): A collaborative research team from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) and Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) has been granted an Indian patent for a novel technique to fabricate atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) nanosheets, marking a significant advancement in nanotechnology and advanced materials research.
The patent, titled “Method for Fabricating One or More Layered TMDC Material Using Bessel Beam Femtosecond Laser Ablation” (Application No. 202541061247; Grant No. 593108), introduces a rapid, cost-effective and efficient method for producing single- and few-layer TMDC nanosheets, the University said in a release here on Tuesday.0
The inventors are Sai Santosh Kumar Raavi, Challa Rajendra Kumar, Moram Sree Satya Bharati and Soma Venugopal Rao.
Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are two-dimensional materials known for their unique optical, electronic and mechanical properties, making them promising candidates for next-generation electronic and photonic devices.
Conventional methods of producing atomically thin TMDC layers—including mechanical exfoliation, chemical exfoliation and chemical vapour deposition—are often time-consuming, expensive, chemically intensive or difficult to scale for industrial applications.
The newly patented technique overcomes these limitations by using a Bessel beam femtosecond laser, which delivers ultra-short, high-precision laser pulses onto a synthesised TMDC pellet.
The process precisely breaks the weak van der Waals forces between the material’s layers while preserving its chemical structure, enabling the rapid production of pristine single- or multi-layer TMDC nanosheets.
According to the researchers, the method offers a faster, cleaner and more scalable alternative for manufacturing advanced two-dimensional materials, with potential applications in electronics, optoelectronics, sensing and energy technologies.
The innovation is also being recognised as an example of successful collaboration between the University of Hyderabad and IIT Hyderabad. Prof. Soma Venugopal Rao is a faculty member at the School of Physics and the DIA-CoE (formerly ACRHEM) at the University of Hyderabad, while co-inventor Dr Moram Sree Satya Bharati completed her doctoral research at the University’s School of Physics before continuing her work in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad.
The patent is expected to strengthen India’s research capabilities in laser-based material processing and position the two institutions at the forefront of global research on two-dimensional materials and laser physics.
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