Nanomaterials that sense, store and clean.
The Green Nanomaterials and Electrochemistry Group makes carbon and metal-oxide nanomaterials for electrochemical sensors, flexible supercapacitors and water remediation.
Built at the nanoscale, tested at the electrode.
Synthesis, electrochemistry and DFT under one roof, in the Department of Chemistry at CUI Lahore.
We synthesise nanomaterials, particularly carbon materials and metal-oxide nanocomposites, and put them to work in sensors, energy storage and clean water.
Much of the work happens at an electrode: modified carbon cloth, graphitic pencil and screen-printed interfaces that detect pollutants and biomolecules, or store charge in flexible supercapacitors.
Dr. Sara Riaz
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus.
What we work on
Five lines of work, from making the material to measuring what it does.
Electrochemical sensing
Electrodes of carbon cloth, graphitic pencil and screen-printed interfaces, modified with MXene, MoS2, metal oxides and perylene, for detecting pollutants and biomolecules such as dopamine.
Key paper · Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology, 2025Optical probes
Nanoparticle and quantum-dot probes whose fluorescence changes in the presence of a target, from histamine in spoiled meat to uric acid and UV-induced DNA damage.
Key paper · Food Chemistry, 2025Energy storage
Carbon materials, MXenes and metal–organic frameworks as electrodes for supercapacitors and flexible supercapacitors, with hydrogel electrolytes.
Water remediation
Nanomaterials that break down dyes and capture heavy-metal ions, and sensors that measure them in water.
Key paper · Desalination and Water Treatment, 2021DFT and quantum capacitance
Density functional theory calculations of electrode materials and their quantum capacitance, alongside the experimental work.
The people behind the work
Dr. Sara Riaz leads one PhD and five MS scholars working on supercapacitors, sensors and DFT.
Dr. Sara Riaz
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry. Carbon nanomaterials, energy storage, sensing.
sarahasnain@cuilahore.edu.pk
Amna Ashfaq
Advanced functional materials for flexible supercapacitors
Ersa Nawaz
Modified MXene nanocomposites for flexible supercapacitors
Fatima Amjad
Molybdenum disulfide–metal organic framework electrode material for heavy metals
Amna Zafar
Hydrogen dissociation on a bimetallic half-sandwich organometallic complex: a DFT study
Aqsa Naz
N/S co-doped graphdiyne as a supercapacitor electrode: a computational study
Sunaina Ahmad
Hydrogel electrolytes for flexible supercapacitor electrodes
Alumni
Mudassar Jamil
Functionalised graphene oxide on carbon cloth for supercapacitors
Sania Sakhawat
Graphene oxide–MOF pencil electrode for detecting heavy-metal ions
Saman Rasheed
Functionalised graphitic pencil electrode for supercapacitors
Maryam Gull
MXene-coated carbon cloth as a flexible supercapacitor electrode
Instruments we use
Shared instruments at CUI Lahore for synthesis, characterisation and electrochemical testing.
Our papers
Journal articles by Dr. Sara Riaz and the group, newest first. Select a title to open the paper.
- 2025Ultrasensitive detection of histamine in spoiled meat employing silver nanoparticles decorated Perylene: An experimental-computational conjugationAshiq J, Hussain A, Gilani MA, Riaz S, Nawaz MH. Food Chemistry, 464, 141673
- 2025Enhanced electrochemical detection of dopamine using Nafion stabilized MXene coated carbon cloth SensorsSabar M, Faiza F, Nawaz MH, Ullah R, Ibrahim MA, Nishan U, Riaz S. Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology, 47(7), 1306-1313
- 2024ZnO nanoflakes decorated graphene oxide acting as an efficient platform for precise detection of uric acid via rhodamine fluorescence quenchingTariq S, Saeed U, Riaz S, Saqib A, Khurshid S, Nawaz MH. Materials Today Communications, 39, 108902
- 2024Development of eugenol loaded cellulose-chitosan based hydrogels; in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation for wound healingKhadim H, Zeeshan R, Riaz S, Tabassum S, Ansari AA, Zulfiqar S, Yar M, Asif A. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 693, 134033
- 2023Fabrication of Polydopamine Decorated Carbon Cloth as Support Material to Anchor CeO2 Nanoparticles for Electrochemical Detection of EthanolBatool R, Riaz S, Bano S, Hayat A, Nazir MS, Nasir M, Marty JL, Nawaz MH. Microchimica Acta, 190, 172
- 2023In-situ synthesized ZIF-67-graphene oxide (ZIF-67/GO) nanocomposite for efficient individual and simultaneous detection of heavy metal ionsGhafoor M, Khan ZU, Nawaz MH, Akhtar N, Rahim A, Riaz S. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 195, 423
- 2023Growth of diazonium-functionalized ZnO nanoflakes on flexible carbon cloth for electrochemical sensing of acetone in the liquid phaseAbbas A, Mansoor S, Nawaz MH, Chaudhry AA, Ijaz K, Riaz S, Hayat A. RSC Advances, 13(17), 11537-11545
- 2022N-Doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) as fluorescent probes for detection of UV induced DNA damageJabeen G, Ahmad MH, Aslam M, Riaz S, Hayat A, Nawaz MH. RSC Advances, 12, 22458-22464
- 2022Non-enzymatic electrochemical sensing of dopamine from COVID-19 quarantine personMasood T, Asad M, Riaz S, Akhtar N, Hayat A, Shenashen MA, Rahman MM. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 289, 126451
- 2022Fabrication of MoS2 enwrapped carbon cloth as electrochemical probe for non-enzymatic detection of dopamineSabar M, Amara U, Riaz S, Hayat A, Nasir M, Nawaz MH. Materials Letters, 308, 131233
- 2022Nickel-doped iron oxide nanoparticle-conjugated porphyrin interface (porphyrin/Fe2O3@Ni) for the non-enzymatic detection of dopamine from lacrimal fluidAmara U, Mahmood K, Awais M, Khalid M, Nasir M, Riaz S, Hayat A, Nawaz MH. Dalton Transactions, 51, 5098-5107
- 2022DNA-templated electrodeposition of silver nanoparticles for direct and label-free aptasensing of ochratoxin AMansoor S, Rhouati A, Riaz S, Badea M, Hayat A. Analytical Biochemistry, 639, 114540
- 2021Enhanced photodegradation activity of cuprous oxide nanoparticles towards Congo red for water purificationRasheed S, Batool Z, Intisar A, Riaz S, Shaheen M, Kousar R. Desalination and Water Treatment, 227, 330-337
- 2021Perylene diimide/MXene-modified graphitic pencil electrode-based electrochemical sensor for dopamine detectionAmara U, Mehran MT, Sarfaraz B, Mahmood K, Hayat A, Nasir M, Riaz S, Nawaz MH. Microchimica Acta, 188, 230
- 2021Copper oxide integrated perylene diimide self-assembled graphitic pencil for robust nonenzymatic dopamine detectionAmara U, Riaz S, Mahmood K, Akhtar N, Nasir M, Hayat A, Khalid M, Yaqub M, Nawaz MH. RSC Advances, 11, 25084
- 2021Self-assembled perylene-tetracarboxylic acid/multi-walled carbon nanotube adducts based modification of screen printed interface for efficient enzyme immobilization towards glucose biosensingAmara U, Mahmood K, Riaz S, Nasir M, Hayat A, Hanif M, Yaqub M, Han D, Niu L, Nawaz MH. Microchemical Journal, 165, 106109
- 2021Fabrication of electro-active nano-trans surfaces to design label free electrochemical aptasensor for ochratoxin A detectionLiaqat M, Riaz S, Nawaz MH, Badea M, Hayat A, Marty JL. Electrochimica Acta, 379, 138172
- 2019N-Doped Graphene Oxide Decorated with PtCo Nanoparticles for Immobilization of Double Stranded Deoxyribonucleic Acid and Investigation of Clenbuterol-Induced DNA DamageNawaz MH, Xu J, Song Z, Riaz S, Han D, Niu L. ACS Omega, 4(15), 16524-16530
- 2019Ultra-fast and highly sensitive enzyme-free glucose sensor based on 3D vertically aligned silver nanoplates on nickel foam-graphene substrateUsman M, Pan L, Farid A, Riaz S, Khan AS, Peng ZY, Khan MA. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 848, 113342
- 2019Functionalized graphene Oxide Bridging Between Enzyme and Au Sputtered Screen Printed Interface for Glucose DetectionAkhtar MA, Batool R, Hayat A, Han D, Riaz S, Khan SU, Nasir M, Nawaz MH, Niu L. ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2, 1589-1596
- 2018Dye degradation and electricity generation using microbial fuel cell with graphene oxide modified anodeKhalid S, Alvi F, Fatima M, Aslam M, Riaz S, Farooq R, Zhang Y. Materials Letters, 220, 272-276
- 2017Poly (ethylene oxide) tethered trans-porphyrin: synthesis, self-assembly with fullerene (C60) and DNA binding studiesAkhtar MA, Riaz S, Hayat A, Nasir M, Muhammad N, Rahim A, Nawaz MH. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 225, 235-239
- 2016Sonication-induced self-assembly of polymeric porphyrin–fullerene: Formation of nanoringsRiaz S, Feng W, Khan AF, Nawaz MH. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 133(24), 43537
- 2016Silver nanoparticles on cotton swabs for improved surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and its application to the detection of carbarylQu LL, Geng YY, Bao ZN, Riaz S, Li H. Microchimica Acta, 183, 1307-1313
- 2015Polystyrenic porphyrins as catalysts for alkane oxidationRiaz S, Nasir M, Iqbal J, Nawaz MH. Research on Chemical Intermediates, 41, 6283-6287
- 2014Thioanisole Induced Size-Selective Fragmentation of Gold NanoparticlesRiaz S, Qu LL, Fodjo EK, Ma W, Long YT. RSC Advances, 4, 14031-14034
- 2014Atomic Force Microscopic Investigations of Fibrils Formed by Complexation of Monochelic Polystyrenic Porphyrin and PEGylated Fullerene (C60)Nawaz MH, Riaz S, Liu F. Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology, 35, 753-756
- 2013Thiol-ubiquinone Assisted Fragmentation of Gold NanoparticlesRiaz S, Ma W, Jing C, Nawaz MH, Li DW, Long YT. Chemical Communications, 49, 1738-1740
- 2012Cu@Ag/β-AgVO3 as SERS Substrate for the Trace Level Detection of Carbamate PesticidesFodjo EK, Riaz S, Li DW, Qu LL, Niamien PM, Trokourey A, Long YT. Analytical Methods, 4, 3785-3791
- 2011Rapid Determination of Nitrophenol Isomers in Polluted Water Based on Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes Modified Screen-Printed ElectrodeFodjo EK, Li YT, Li DW, Riaz S, Long YT. Mediterranean Journal of Chemistry, 1, 19-29
- 2011Antimicrobial Efficacy of Metal-Barbiturate Conjugates Against Pathogenic Strains of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureusQureshi AM, Qadir M, Rauf A, Idrees M, Mumtaz S, Najam-ul-Haq M, Ismail M, Athar M, Khushal R, Riaz S, Bokhari H. Letters in Drug Design & Discovery, 8, 980-987
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