Photo: BSS

RAJSHAHI, April 8, 2026 (BSS)- A research project from the Research Division 
of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) has secured 
second place.

The university's three-member research team from the Department of Chemistry 
earned this honor by participating in the two-day Sixth Young Scientist 
Congress, organised by the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences.

The congress was held on Saturday and Sunday (April 4-5) at the National 
Science and Technology Complex in Agargaon, Dhaka.

During the event, young scientists from across the country presented 
research, innovations, and opportunities in the field of Artificial 
Intelligence (AI).

According to sources, representatives from various universities, research 
institutions and technology-related organisations participated in the 
congress.

The event featured multiple sessions, panel discussions, and technology 
exhibitions.

Among the participants, the research paper of RUET master's student Mosfiqur 
Rahman Maruf, under the guidance of Professor Al Amin Al Azadul Islam and 
supervision of Associate Prof Dr. Jewel Hossain, won second place in the 
poster presentation event under the category "Physical, Chemical, Natural 
Resource and Environmental Science".

His research focused on: "Computational Investigation of Anodic Chlorine 
Evolution Reaction over SiN4 Co-Doped Graphene Electrocatalyst".

The study employed Density Functional Theory (DFT) to analyze the anodic 
chlorine evolution reaction (CER) on a new-generation SiN4 co-doped Graphene-
based electrocatalysts.

Associate Professor Dr. Jewel Hossain, supervisor of the research team in 
RUET's Department of Chemistry, explained that chlorine is an essential 
industrial raw material used as a disinfectant in water treatment and in 
industries such as polymers, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and paper.

This research proposes a green, cost-effective, and metal-free carbon-based 
nanomaterial as a potential alternative to the current highly energy-
intensive, expensive, and noble-metal-dependent chlorine production methods.

This new approach enables high-efficiency chlorine production at lower 
overpotentials.

This research is particularly significant in the context of Bangladesh, where 
the demand for chlorine in manufacturing industries is continuously growing. 

Producing chlorine locally with an economical and efficient technology could 
reduce import dependence, promote self-reliance in the industrial sector, and 
accelerate economic development through energy savings.

RUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. S M Abdur Razzak congratulated the student 
on this achievement and wished him continued success in the future.