Wednesday (24/4) FMIPA UI officially added 2 new permanent professors in the field of chemistry, namely Prof. Dr. Yoki Yulizar, M.Sc., and Prof. Dr. Ivandini Tribidasari Anggraningrum, S.Si., M.Si. Both were appointed as permanent professors of FMIPA UI through an inauguration ceremony led by the Chair of the UI Academic Senate Prof. Nachrowi Djalal Nachrowi, M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D. at the UI Convention Hall, Depok Campus.
Prof. Dr. Yoki Yulizar, in his inaugural speech entitled “Improving Nanomaterial Performance through Interface Chemical Modification,” explained that increasing human needs have resulted in increased industrial activity, which has resulted in increasing amounts of waste being produced. Some of this toxic and hazardous waste includes heavy metal ions, dyes, polymers, and detergents. Heavy metal ions are very dangerous because they can affect human health and pollute water at very low concentrations.
“If accumulated in large amounts, heavy metal ions can cause damage to the bodies of living things,” he explained.
He said that many methods have been used to reduce and eliminate waste, such as precipitation using chemicals, solvent extraction methods, electrochemical methods, ion exchange using microorganisms, conversion and degradation of compounds, and adsorption with biomaterials, zeolites and clays.
In this research, Prof. Yoki presented a method for modifying the surface of a support material using metal nanoparticles, metal oxides, ligands, polymers, surfactants, or other complex compounds to form nanocomposites.
Through the two modifier methods he studied, the results of the material modification were obtained in the form of nanocomposites with high performance, so that it becomes a solution for application in industry to reduce wastewater problems.
Next, Prof. Ivandini delivered an inaugural speech entitled “Electrically Conductive Diamond as a Superior Material in Health Monitoring, Environmental Management and Energy Supply”.
For centuries, natural diamonds have been known as a means of payment, cutting tools, and jewelry. This is due to their characteristics as a highly stable material, high hardness, and beauty. However, diamonds are known to be poor conductors of electricity, making them unsuitable for use as electrodes in electrochemical systems.
Advances in diamond synthesis technology have made it possible to modify diamonds with other particles to create electrically conductive diamonds. One of the most popular methods is boron doping.
The use of boron-doped diamond (BDD) as an electrode has become popular due to its superior properties, namely low background current, wide working potential and high stability. These properties allow BDD to be used as a sensor and detector that is sensitive, durable, and safe for living things. In addition to being a sensor, BDD is also suitable for use in waste management because electrolysis using BDD has been proven to effectively convert organic compounds into CO2 and H2O while minimizing the formation of intermediate compounds that are harmful to the environment. Furthermore, the potential of BDD in energy supply has also been reported through its application as a battery, supercapacitor and fuel cell.
