The Nano–Bio Engineering Group at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) is led by Prof. Suresh C. Pillai. The group focuses on the design, synthesis, and application of novel nanomaterials for a wide range of technological and environmental applications, spanning green hydrogen production to advanced wastewater treatment. The group is highly interdisciplinary, comprising researchers from diverse backgrounds including chemistry, materials science, environmental science, and engineering. Through several European Union–funded research projects, the team is actively involved in the large-scale production of nanomaterials for commercial, environmental, and biomedical applications.

The major research thrust of the group is the use of nanomaterials in sustainable energy and environmental remediation. This includes their application in green hydrogen generation, as well as the degradation of micropollutants in water using advanced treatment technologies such as photocatalysis and other nanotechnology-enabled advanced oxidation processes. Significant work is also being carried out on the disinfection and antimicrobial properties of nanomaterials, with a focus on improving water quality and public health outcomes. In addition to environmental applications, a dedicated subgroup is working on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) for wearable and flexible electronics, an emerging and rapidly growing research area. A key breakthrough from the team involves the fabrication of textile-based triboelectric nanogenerators (T-TENGs) capable of converting mechanical motion into usable electrical energy. Using a low-cost fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D-printing technique, polypropylene (PP), a triboactive thermoplastic, was successfully deposited onto conductive and flexible textile substrates.

Prof. Pillai’s research group has been working on antimicrobial nanomaterials for many years and is well recognised internationally for this work. With the contributions of many researchers over time, Prof. Pillai has helped lead and shape research in this area, moving it from basic studies to practical, real-world applications. Building on this strong foundation, the current doctoral research (DC14) focuses on elucidating the mechanisms of antimicrobial activity of nanomaterials in wastewater systems and evaluating their implications from a One Health perspective, linking environmental, human, and ecological health.