Channa R. De Silva

Associate Professor Western Carolina University

Cullowhee NC

Channa De Silva teaches chemistry and carries out research in the areas of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and computational chemistry.

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Biography

Channa De Silva is an associate professor of chemistry at Western Carolina University. He was born in Sri Lanka, an island in the Indian ocean. He completed his bachelor's degree in chemistry at University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka. De Silva completed his doctoral degree in chemistry at University of Arizona in 2007.

De Silva worked as a post-doctoral research associate at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington, Materials Science & Engineering Department at University of Arizona and Bio5 Institute at University of Arizona. He started working at Western Carolina University in August 2010. De Silva teaches chemistry and carries out research in the areas of nanotechnology, biotechnology and computational chemistry.

Industry Expertise

Research

Education/Learning

Chemicals

Areas of Expertise

General Chemistry

Computational Chemistry

Nanotechnology

Biotechnology

Inorganic Chemistry

Accomplishments

Board of Governors College of Arts and Sciences Teaching Award

2022

Western Carolina University

Education

University of Arizona

Ph.D.

Chemistry

2007

University of Kelaniya

B.S.

Chemistry

Languages

English

Media Appearances

WCU research takes aim at nuclear waste problem

Smoky Mountain News online

2022-05-25

“The big problem in the United States and all over the world, is what do we do with the nuclear waste after we produce the nuclear power?” said Western Carolina University associate professor Channa De Silva.

Associate professor, students look to chemistry for nuclear waste solutions

WCU Stories online

2022-05-04

Western Carolina University associate professor Channa De Silva and recent graduate Brandon Sanders have been exploring how chemistry can help with recycling America’s spent nuclear fuels.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission grant to fund Engineering scholarships

WCU Stories online

2022-03-25

Other NRC grant program leaders in the College of Engineering and Technology include Andy Ritenour, an assistant professor, and Chip Ferguson, a professor and interim dean, as well as Channa DeSilva, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Articles

Imparting antimicrobial properties to natural rubber latex foam via green synthesized silver nanoparticles

Journal of Applied Polymer Science

2013

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in centrifuged natural rubber latex (NRL) by in situ reduction of silver nitrate by NRL is described. The synthesis of AgNP within NRL was successfully carried out without the addition of any reducing agent or stabilizers. The modified AgNP incorporated with centrifuged NRL (GAgNP_NRL) was used to make NRL foam (NRLF) by the Dunlop production method.

Antibacterial effect of Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles incorporated natural rubber latex foam under visible light conditions

Iranian Polymer Journal

2015

Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (Ag-TiO2 NPs) incorporated into natural rubber latex foam (NRLF) showed enhanced antimicrobial activities under visible light. Synthesis of Ag-TiO2 NPs and their incorporation into NRLF are investigated in this paper.

Specific targeting of pancreatic β-cells for imaging and therapy using multivalent targeting of receptor combinations

The FASEB Journal

2012

Perturbations in pancreatic β-cell mass (BCM) and function underlie the development of Diabetes Mellitus. Current treatments and analysis of BCM are limited by inadequate specificity of β-cell targeting agents.

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