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Dr.  Thusitha N. B. Etampawala

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Dr.  Thusitha N. B. Etampawala

Name : Thusitha Etampawala

Position : Senior Lecturer

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Contact information: Telephone (office): None  |  Telephone (personal): 0766911980  |  Email Address: tetampa@sjp.ac.lk

Office location: 1st Floor, Instrument Center, Faculty of Applied Sciences

Office hours: 8 am – 4.30 pm (12.30 – 1.30 Lunch break)

Teaching:

  • PSC 102 2.0 Fundamentals of Polymer Physics
  • PST 207 1.0 Solution Properties and Thermodynamics of Polymers
  • PST 212 1.0 Practical
  • PST 301 1.0 Polymer Blends and Composites
  • PCH 362 2.0 Polymer Blends and Composites
  • ASP 411 2.0 Polymer Blends and Nanocomposites
  • PST 371 2.0 Advance Concepts of Thermodynamics and Statistical Thermodynamics

Work experiences:

  • 2013-2015 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
  • 2015-2017 Senior Lecturer, Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Uva Wellassa University
  • 2017-2018 – Senior Lecturer, Instrument Center, Office of the Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura
  • 2018-to date – Senior Lecturer, Department of Polymer Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura
  • Director – 2020 to present
    Center for Advanced Material Research, University of Si Jayewardenepura, SL
  • Deputy Director – 2018 to present
    Center for Nano composite Research, University of Si Jayewardenepura, SL

Research interests :

  • Investigation of structure and property relationship of different materials such as polymer blends and polymer composites.
  • Extraction of silica from rice husk asks and optimize their characteristics comparable to that of commercially available silica used in rubber industries
  • Development polymer composite sensors for detection of small molecules in solutions
  • Development of rubber compounds with enhanced properties such as high thermal and electrical conductivity for different applications
  • Development of embedded systems such as pizeoresistive materials for polymer products

Selected Recent Research Publications:

Patents

Sandani A Ekanayake, Dharani T. Abeysinghe, Pamburage J. Fernando, Narayana S. Sirimuthu, Thusitha N. B. Etampawala, Laleen Karunanayake, Gamini Kumarasinghe, Buddhika A. Kumara, “A process to develop electrically conductive Carbon nanotube-Latex based composites by the application of an electric field” Local Patent No 20859

A.T. Sandaruwan, D.A.S. Amarasinghe, D. Attygalle, V.S.C.Weragoda, A.M.P.B. Samarasekara, P.E.J. Fernando, K.M.P.P.K. Pamunuwa, N.M.S. Sirimuthu, T.N.B. Etampawala, L. Karunanayake, A.R. Kumarasinghe, “A process to develop piezoresistive carbon nanotube-natural rubber composite for compressive stress measurement”, Application No: 21698 (patent was submitted-March 2021).

E.J. Fernando, K.M.P.P.K. Pamunuwa, N.M.S. Sirimuthu, T.N.B. Etampawala, L. Karunanayake, A.R. Kumarasinghe “A thermally conductive graphite loaded rubber composite and its preparation method thereof” Application No: 21513 (patent was submitted-March 2021)

Journal Articles

  1. Dipak Aryal, Thusitha Etampawala, Dvora Perahia, Gary S. Grest, “Phase Behavior of a Single Structured Ionomer Chain in Solution” Macromolecular Theory and Simulations, 2014, 23, 543-549.
  2. Thusitha Etampawala, Dilru Ratnaweera, Brian Morgan, Souleymane Diallo, Eugene Mamontov, Mark Dadmun, “Monitoring the Dynamics of P3HT:PCBM Blends: A Quasi Elastic Neutron Scattering Study of Organic Photovoltaic Active Layers”, Polymer, 2015, 61, 155-162
  3. Shiwang Cheng, Adam P. Holt, Huiqun Wang, Fei Fan, Vera Bocharova, Halie Martin, Thusitha Etampawala, B. Tyler White, Tomonori Saito, Nam-Goo Kang, Mark D. Dadmun, Jimmy W. Mays, and Alexei P. Sokolov “Unexpected Molecular Weight Effect in Polymer Nanocomposites” Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 3, 038302, 2016 (doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.038302)
  4. Thusitha Etampawala, Derek L. Mull, Jong K. Keum, David M. Jenkins, and Mark Dadmun “Insights into the Morphology and Kinetics of Growth of Silver Metal–Organic Nanotubes” Cryst. Growth Des. 2016, 16,3, 1395–1403 (doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.5b01509)
  5. Shiwang Cheng, Vera Bocharova, Alex Belianinov, Shaomin Xiong, Alexander Kisliuk, Suhas Somnath, Adam P. Holt, Olga S. Ovchinnikova, Stephen Jesse, Halie Martin, Thusitha Etampawala, Mark Dadmun, and Alexei P. Sokolov “Unraveling the Mechanism of Nanoscale Mechanical Reinforcement in Glassy Polymer Nanocomposites” Nano Lett. 2016, 16,6, 3630–3637 (doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b00766)
  6. Adam P. Holt, Vera Bocharova, Shiwang Cheng, Alexander M. Kisliuk, Tyler White,Tomonori Saito,  David Uhrig, J. P. Mahalik, Rajeev Kumar, Adam E. Imel, Thusitha Etampawala, Halie Martin, Nicole Sikes, Bobby G. Sumpter, Mark D. Dadmun, and Alexei P. Sokolov “Controlling Interfacial Dynamics: Covalent Bonding versus Physical Adsorption in Polymer Nanocomposites” ACS Nano 2016, 10,7, 6843–6852 (doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.6b02501)
  7. Thusitha N. Etampawala, Dipak Aryal, Naresh C. Osti, Lilin He, William T. Heller, Carl L. Willis,  Gary S. Grest, and Dvora Perahia, “Association of a multifunctional ionic block copolymer in a selective solvent” J. Chem. Phys. 145, 18, 184903 – 2016 (doi.org/10.1063/1.4967291)
  8. C. Osti, T. N. Etampawala, U. M. Shrestha, D. Aryal, M. Tyagi, S. O. Diallo, E. Mamontov, C. J. Cornelius, and D. Perahia “Water dynamics in rigid ionomer networks” J. Chem. Phys. 145, 22, 224901 –  2016 (doi.org/10.1063/1.4971209)
  9. Prasad Sirimanne, Thusitha Etampawala “An Enhancement of Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell by Minimizing Formation of Aggregation of Sq2 dye by Co-absorption of N719 dye”, International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science, 2016, 2(8), 168 – 173
  10. Mehran Tehrani, Thusitha Nanda Bandara Etampawala, Mark Dadmun, and Mohammad Abir Hossain “Resolving Hierarchical Structures in Carbon Nanotube Networks Using Small- and Ultrasmall-Angle Neutron Scattering” J. Phys. Chem. C. 2017, 121, 40, 22442–22451 (doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b06114)
  11. Thusitha Etampawala, MehranTehrani, Ali Nematollahi, Lilin He, and Mark Dadmun “The impact of solvent doping on the morphology and performance of spray-coated PEDOT:dPSS: A USANS and SANS study” Organic Electronics 2017, 51, 86 -93 (doi.org/10.1016/j.orgel.2017.08.030)
  12. G. Kondarage, H.M.J.C. Pitawala, T. Kirushanthi, D. Edirisinghe, Thusitha N. Etampawala “Ceramic Waste-Based Natural Rubber Composites: An Exciting Way for Improving Mechanical Properties” Journal of Advanced Chemical Sciences, 2018, 4,3, 576-582 (doi.org/10.30799/jacs.191.18040303)
  13. Kirushanthi, Thusitha N. Etampawala, Dilhara Edirisinghe, Jagath Pitawala, D.R. Ratnaweera “Development of Agro-Industrial Waste Reinforced Natural Rubber Composite: A Potential Formulation for Rubber Flooring Product” Journal of Advanced Chemical Sciences 2018, 4,3, 571-575 (doi.org/10.30799/jacs.190.18040302)
  14. A.R.W.M.M.C.G. Bandara, H.G.I.M. Wijesinghe, A.M.W.K. Senevirathna, Thusitha N.B. Etampawala “Cellulose Whiskers Derived from Banana Pseudo-Stem as Potential Reinforcement Filler for Tyre Tread Compounds” Journal of Advanced Chemical Sciences 2019, 5, 3, 652-655 (doi.org/10.30799/jacs.214.19050302)
  15. P. N. Gunawardhana, C. A. Gunathilake, K. E. D. Y. T. Dayananda, D. M. S. N. Dissanayake, M. M. M. G. P. G. Mantilaka, C. S. Kalpage, R. M. L. D. Rathnayake, R. M. G. Rajapakse, A. S. Manchanda, Thusitha N. B. Etampawala, B. G. N. D. Weerasekara, P. N. K. Fernando and Rohan S. Dassanayake “Synthesis of Hematite Nanodiscs from Natural Laterites and Investigating Their Adsorption Capability of Removing Ni2+ and Cd2+ Ions from Aqueous Solutions” J. Compos. Sci. 2020, 4(2), 57 (doi.org/10.3390/jcs4020057)
  16. Sammani Ramanayaka, Manish Kumar, Thusitha Etampawala, Meththika Vithanage “Macro, colloidal and nano biochar for oxytetracycline removal in synthetic hydrolyzed human urine” Environmental pollution 2020, 267, 115683 (doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115683)
  17. H.M.J.Subashi De Silva, S.Vishvalingam, T.Etampawala “Effect of waste rice husk ash from rice husk fuelled brick kilns on strength, durability and thermal performances of mortar” Construction and Building Materials 2021, 268, 121794 (doi.org/10.1016/j.conprbuildmat.2020.121794)

Awards :

  • President’s Award for Scientific Publications, 2017 (Awarded by the H.E. The President of Sri Lanka)

Industry Exposure:

  • R & D Consultant, ACL Plastics, 2017 to 2020

Academic and Professional Qualifications

  • Sc. (Honors) in Chemistry – 2006
    University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
  • D. in Physical Chemistry (Polymer Chemistry/Physics) 2013
    Clemson University, Clemson, USA
  • Post-doctoral Research Associate – January 2014 – August 2015
    The University of Tennessee affiliated with Chemical Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA

Research group:

  • Present : 5 MSc, 5 undergraduates and 3 Research Assistants Postgraduates
  • Past (2015 – 2022): 1 MPhil, 3 MSc & Over 10 Undergraduates
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