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Dr. P. K. Adhihetty

Ph.D. (Louisville, KY, USA); M.S. (Louisville, KY, USA); B.S. (Kelaniya)

Senior Lecturer (G II)

Department of Chemistry
  • Colombo Regional Center, Room 304, 3rd floor, New Science and Technology Building
  • +94 11 285 3211
  • pkadh@ou.ac.lk

Dr. Adhihetty earned her B.S. (Special) Degree in Chemistry in 2014 from the University of Kelaniya (UOK), thesis on “Computational study of Bergman cyclization of cyclic enediynes” under the supervision of Prof. Dinesh Pandithavidana. She was a member of the first computational research group in the department of chemistry, and she was able to give her contribution to develop computationally based research in the department. In 2022, she graduated with her Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from the University of Louisville, KY,USA under the supervision of Professor Emeritus Michael H. Nantz. During her graduate program, she was able to develop surface-functionalized gold monolater protected chemiresistive film gas sensors to explore H-bonding, cation-pi, and metal halide interactions to detect carbonyl volatile organic compounds (VOCs), BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene) and TCE (trichloroethylene) respectively. After her graduation, she joined to the same research lab as a postdoctoral associate and engaged in indene chemistry and design and synthesis of novel boronic acid containing cationic ligands for stabilization of mRNA delivery formulations. She joined with the OUSL in January 2024, and she is a co-author of a pending patent application on boronic acid containing cationic lipids.

Synthetic Organic Chemistry
Synthesis of cationic ligands for gene delivery
Functionalized gold nanoparticles synthesis for gas sensor development
Aminooxy Chemistry
Boronic Acids for m-RNA delivery

Use of indene chemistry to synthesize fluorenes to create efficient organic optoelectronics in high performance semiconductors, Applications of boronic acid containing cationic ligands.

1. Senior Lecturer G II in Chemistry / OUSL (January 2024 – present)

2. Postdoctoral Associate / UofL, USA (August 2022 – December 2023)

3. Graduate Fellow / UofL, USA ( January 2022 – May 2022)

4. Graduate Research Assistant / UofL, USA (August 2019 – December 2021)

5. Undergraduate Research Mentor / UofL, USA (August 2019 – December 2022)

6. Graduate Teaching Assistant / UofL, USA (August 2017 – August 2019)

7. Teaching Assistant / OUSL (January 2016 – September 2016)

8. Teaching Assistant / UOK (February 2014 – December 2015)

9. Undergraduate Research Intern / Herbal-Technology Section, Industrial Technology Institute

(January 2013 – February 2013)

10. Undergraduate Research Intern / Bio-Technology Section, Industrial Technology Institute

(November 2011)

  • Adhihetty, P. K.; Halder, S.; Abu, U. O.; Fu, X.-A.; Nantz, M. H. (2023). Introducing a New Approach for Sensing Trichloroethylene (TCE) in Air. (Under Review/Talanta)
  •  Adhihetty, P. K.; Halder, S.; Jasinski, J. B.; Fu, X.-A.; Nantz, M. H. (2023). Harnessing the Cation-π Interactions of Metalated Gold Monolayer-Protected Clusters to Detect Aromatic Volatile Organic Compounds. Talanta 253, 123915.
  •  Xie, Z.; Raju, M. V. R.; Adhihetty, P. K.; Fu, X.; Nantz, M. H. (2020). Effect of Thiol Molecular Structure on the Sensitivity of Gold Nanoparticle-Based Chemiresistors toward Carbonyl Compounds. Sensors 20 (24), 7024.
  • Sibakoti, T. R.; Stinger, C. R.; Adhihetty, P. K.; Zamborini, F. P.; Nantz, M. H. (2019). Tunable Aminooxy‐Functionalized Monolayer‐Protected Gold Clusters for Nonpolar and Aqueous Oximation Reactions. Particle & Particle Systems Characterization 36 (7), 1900093.
  • Dharmadasa, R. M.; Samarasinghe, K.; Adhihetty, P. Hettiarachchi, P. L. (2013). Comparative Pharmacognostic Evaluation of Munronia Pinnata (Wall.) Theob. (Meliaceae) and Its Substitute Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. Ex Nees (Acanthaceae). World J. Agric. Res. 1 (5), 77-81.
  • Dharmadasa, R. M.; Siriwardana, A.; Samarasinghe, K.; Adhihetty, P. (2013). Standardization of Gyrinops Walla Gaertn. (Thymalaeaceae): Newly Discovered, Fragrant Industrial Potential, Endemic Plant from Sri Lanka. World J. Agric. Res. 1 (6), 101-103.
  • Adhihetty, P. K.; Halder, S.; Xie, Z.; Raju, M. V. R.; Fu, X.; Nantz, M. H. (2023, July 9-13) Surfacefunctionalized Au-MPCs chemiresistive films to exploit H-bonding, cation-p, and metal-halide interactions [Poster presentation]. ACS 48th National Organic Chemistry Symposium, Indiana, USA.
  • Adhihetty, P. K.; Halder, S.; Fu, X.; Nantz, M. H. (2022, March 20-23) Microfabricated gold-based cesium gas sensor to detect trace levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) [Poster presentation]. ACS Spring 2022 National Meeting & Exposition, San Diego, USA.
  • Adhihetty, P. K.; Halder, S.; Smith, D.; Fu, X.; Nantz, M. H. (2021, Oct. 20-22). BTEX detection:Merging MEMS technology with metal ion-functionalized Au MPCs to exploit cation-π interactions [Oral presentation]. Sensors 2021 International conference and exhibition, Milan, Italy.
  • Adhihetty, P. K.; Halder, S.; Fu, X.; Nantz, M. H. (2021, March 11-12). Employing cation-π interaction for aromatic VOCs sensing [Poster presentation]. 14th Annual Graduate Student Regional Research Conference, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
  • Adhihetty, P. K.; Halder, S.; Fu, X.; Nantz, M. H. (2020, Dec. 14-16). An alkali metal-based Au MPCs chemiresistor sensor array for sensing aromatic VOCs [Poster presentation]. Superfund Research Program 2020 Annual Meeting, Texas, USA.
  • Adhihetty, P. K.; Halder, S.; Fu, X.; Nantz, M. H. (2019, Nov. 18-20). Development of a gold nanoparticles chemiresistor microarray for benzene sensing [Oral presentation]. Superfund Research Program 2019 Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, USA.
  • Adhihetty, P.; Rathnayaka, M.; Pandithavidana, D. R. (2014, August 2-4). Computational investigation of design and synthesis of cyclic enediynes [Oral Presentation]. 70th Annual Sessions of the Sri Lankan Association for Advancement of Science (SLAAS), Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  • Adhihetty, P.; Dharmadasa R. M.; Samarasinghe, K.; Hettiarachchi, P. L. (2013, Aug. 7-9). Phytochemical, physicochemical and antioxidant activity of Munronia pinnata (Wall.) Theob. (Meliaceae) and Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. Ex Nees. (Acanthaceae) [Poster presentation]. 69th Annual Sessions of the Sri Lankan Assosiation for Advancement of Science (SLAAS), Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  • Halder, S.; Adhihetty, P. K.; Nantz, M. H.; Fu, X.; (2022, Dec. 14-16). Development of a Gas Sensor Array for Detecting Toxic VOCs Using Metalated Gold Monolayer Protected Clusters [Poster presentation]. Superfund Research Program 2022 Annual Meeting, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
  • Halder, S.; Adhihetty, P. K.; Xie, Z.; Fu, X.; Nantz, M. H. (2020, Dec. 14-16). Fabrication and characterization of a sensor array to detect volatile organic compounds in environmental air [Poster presentation]. Superfund Research Program 2020 Annual Meeting, Texas, USA.
  • Halder, S.; Adhihetty, P. K.; Xie, Z.; Fu, X.; Nantz, M. H. (2019, Nov. 18-20). A sensor array for detection of multiple volatile organic compounds in air [Poster presentation]. Superfund Research Program 2020 Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, USA.
  • Sibakoti, T.R.; Adhihetty, P.K.; Xie, Z.; Zamborini, F. P.; Fu, X.; Nantz, M. H. (2018, Nov. 28-30). Aminooxy-functionalized aminothiols as ligands for gold nanoparticle chemiresistors [Poster presentation]. Superfund Research Program 2020 Annual Meeting, Sacramento, California, USA.

M. H. Nantz, F. Ibrahim and P. K. Adhihetty, Boron compounds, related lipid particles, compositions, and methods of use; US provisional application 63/363, 716; Filed April 28, 2022.

  • ACS-NOS Travel Award by the American Chemical Society (ACS)/Division of Organic Chemistry – July 2023
  • Doctoral Dissertation Completion Award by the Graduate School, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA – January 2022
  • Graduate School Travel Award by the Graduate Student Council, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA -Spring 2022
  • Tox on the Clock Competition Participation Award by the 2020 OVSOT ( Ohio Valley Chapter of the Society of Toxicology ) fall meeting – November 2020
  • Member – American Chemical Society (ACS)/Division of Organic Chemistry
  • Full Member – Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD)

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