Date: July 31, 2025
Time: 9:30 AM onwards
Platform: Zoom (Online Mode)
Organized by: Department of Physics, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Ramapuram
The International Seminar on New Trends in Advanced Functional Materials – ISNTAFM 2025 was successfully conducted on July 31, 2025, via Zoom, hosted by the Department of Physics, SRM IST, Ramapuram. This academic gathering aimed to spotlight recent developments and future perspectives in the field of functional materials for energy, environmental, and photonic applications.
Plenary Talk – 9:30 AM
The event commenced with a warm welcome address by Dr. M.Prabu, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Convenor of ISNTAFM 2025.
He introduced the distinguished speaker Prof. Sathish Kumar Kamaraj, Professor at CICATA, Altamira, Mexico.Prof. Kamaraj delivered an enlightening talk on
“Empowering Sustainability: Clay and Wood-Derived Functional Materials for Innovative Biobattery Solutions.”
His presentation covered:
- Sustainable approaches to biobattery design
- Functionalization of clay and biomass-derived materials
- Low-cost, eco-friendly energy alternatives
- Real-world applications and future scope of bioenergy devices
Technical Session – 10:45 AM
Following this, Dr. M. Saravanan, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, introduced Dr. Senthilnathan K, Professor at the Department of Physics, VIT Vellore. He delivered a captivating talk on“Evolution of a Solitary Wave: Optical Soliton, Soliton Molecules and Soliton Crystals.”
Key highlights of his talk included:
- Fundamentals of solitons and their stability
- Generation and control of soliton molecules
- Photonic crystal applications
- Relevance to high-speed optical communication and photonics-based computing
Participation and Feedback
The seminar witnessed an active participation of over 296 attendees, including faculty members, scientists, research scholars, postgraduate and undergraduate students, and school educators from across the country and abroad.
The session concluded with a formal Vote of Thanks delivered by Dr. R.S. Priyadharshini, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, acknowledging the valuable contributions of speakers, organizers, and participants. Positive feedback was received appreciating the quality of the talks and the relevance of the topics to global sustainability challenges.
✅ Key Takeaways
- Green Energy Materials: Low-cost, natural-source biobatteries with high efficiency
- Eco-Conscious Innovation: Functional materials addressing sustainability and energy equity
- Nonlinear Optics Insight: Soliton-based photonics for future optical systems
- Cross-Disciplinary Impact: Integration of materials science, environmental science, and optical physics
- Global Collaboration: Networking platform for research exchange across international institutions
