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Physics student receives prestigious CV Raman International Fellowship

23 February 2024 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo SUPPLIED

Imagine a supercapacitor/battery made right here in South Africa that could change the way we store energy for the better. A product that can store energy in real time, thus solving energy problems as they happen, which makes a huge difference especially during power outages. A product that is not just good for the environment – transitioning away from lithium-ion batteries – but that can also create jobs and boost the local economy.

What we are talking about is a type of technology known as a sodium-ion supercapacitor/battery, which is the focus of Tebogo Motsei’s research. This technology serves as a power source for lighting, power plants, cars, and phones. Motsei, a PhD student in the Department of Physics on the Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), explains that – unlike lithium batteries, which have undergone extensive research and are expensive to produce – they are conducting experimental work and characterisations to determine if sodium-ion supercapacitor/batteries can perform as well or even better, using more affordable and eco-friendly materials.

“Our results, inspired by the urgent need for improved energy storage solutions in South Africa amid its energy challenges, have been very promising. We have successfully developed a sodium-ion supercapacitor/battery that stores as much energy as a lithium-ion battery. Moreover, it was crafted from recycled materials, making it a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly option,” states Motsei, adding that their battery is unique, as no one else in the world has created anything quite like it, despite numerous attempts.

She is also pleased with this supercapacitor/battery’s ability to repair itself. Motsei explains, “Imagine if your toy could fix itself whenever it got broken – that's kind of what our sodium-ion supercapacitor/battery does!”

Motsei is part of a group of scientists in the Department of Physics at the UFS who are working on this research and who have published a scientific article on their work, titled Composite super-capacitor/Na-ion battery with self-healing Fe–Cr alloy electrodes.

“We're proud of what we have accomplished,” she remarks.

Fellowship: a dream come true

Being part of this impactful research contributed to Motsei receiving the prestigious CV Raman International Fellowship for African Researchers (2023). The fellowship is for African researchers engaged in research at an African institution, providing opportunities for research collaboration in India. Motsei will be the only candidate from South Africa.

This award is merit-based. Motsei attributes her selection to factors such as her strong academic record, research accomplishments, and innovative approach to solving complex problems. She also believes her experience in research, collaboration, and publication reflects her potential to make meaningful contributions to the field during the fellowship period.

Another key factor contributing to her selection for this fellowship is her skill in fabricating actual devices/prototypes. “The hands-on nature of this research, allowing me to create devices from scratch, has always been my passion. Making my first device – the ‘Magnetron Sputtering Unit’ – during my master’s studies, was a turning point. It made me realise that I had made the best decision ever by choosing this research field. I'm truly passionate about my work,” says Motsei.

For her PhD studies, she is supervised by Prof Richard Ocaya, Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, and co-supervised by Dr Kamohelo Tshabalala, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics. Prof Ocaya, proud of Motsei’s achievements, believes that this fellowship not only serves as a great motivation for students – especially on the Qwaqwa Campus – but also highlights the global relevance of the UFS, particularly the Department of Physics.

Motsei says receiving this fellowship is a dream come true and a profound, life-changing moment for her. “I feel deeply honoured to be concluding this programme at the CSIR-Electrochemical Research Institute, the host institution in India, under the guidance of Prof Arul Manuel Stephan, whose invaluable assistance has been instrumental in my preparations.” Motsei also expressed her gratitude towards everyone who has supported her during this process, including Sudhir Kumar from the Indian Embassy in Pretoria.

“I am excited about how I can use this opportunity to make a difference. Whether it’s tackling significant global energy issues or finding new ways to solve everyday problems, I know this fellowship will give me the tools and support needed to make a real impact. Overall, I see this fellowship as a stepping stone to exciting new opportunities and adventures in the world of research,” she comments.

Making a meaningful impact

Motsei will be leaving for India on 23 February for a period of six months. She is excited about this new chapter in her research journey. “This fellowship will enhance my abilities as a scientist and leader in physics, providing me with essential skills, connections, and experience to make a meaningful impact in science and energy. I'm genuinely happy about this opportunity, which I thank God for.”

Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, after whom the fellowship is named, was a renowned Indian physicist who made great contributions to physics, winning many prizes and awards, including the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics. He was known for his work in the field of light scattering and was the first Asian and non-European to receive a Nobel prize in any branch of science.

News Archive

Research contributes to improving quality of life for cancer patients

2016-11-21

Description: Inorganic Chemistry supervisors Tags: Inorganic Chemistry supervisors

Inorganic Chemistry supervisors in the Radiopharmacy
Laboratory during the preparation of a typical complex
mixture to see how fast it reacts. Here are, from the left,
front: Dr Marietjie Schutte-Smith, Dr Alice Brink
(both scholars from the UFS Prestige
Scholar Programme), and Dr Truidie Venter (all three
are Thuthuka-funded researchers).
Back: Prof André Roodt and Dr Johan Venter.
Photo: Supplied

Imagine that you have been diagnosed with bone cancer and only have six months to live. You are in a wheelchair because the pain in your legs is so immense that you can’t walk anymore – similar to a mechanism eating your bones from the inside.

You are lucky though, since you could be injected with a drug to control the pain so effective that you will be able to get out of the wheelchair within a day-and-a-half and be able to walk again. Real-life incidents like these provide intense job satisfaction to Prof André Roodt, Head of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of the Free State (UFS). The research, which is conducted by the Inorganic Group at the UFS, contributes greatly to the availability of pain therapy that does not involve drugs, but improves the quality of life for cancer patients.

The research conducted by the Inorganic Group under the leadership of Prof Roodt, plays a major role in the clever design of model medicines to better detect and treat cancer.

The Department of Chemistry is one of approximately 10 institutions worldwide that conducts research on chemical mechanisms to identify and control cancer. “The fact that we are able to cooperate with the Departments of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Physics at the UFS, the Animal Research Centre, and other collaborators in South Africa and abroad, but especially the methodology we utilise to conduct research (studying the chemical manner in which drugs are absorbed in cancer as well as the time involved), enhances the possibility of making a contribution to cancer research,” says Prof Roodt.

Technique to detect cancer spots on bone
According to the professor, there are various ways of detecting cancer in the body. Cancer can, inter alia, be identified by analysing blood, X-rays (external) or through an internal technique where the patient is injected with a radioactive isotope.

Prof Roodt explains: “The doctor suspects that the patient has bone cancer and injects the person with a drug consisting of an isotope (only emits X-rays and does no damage to tissue) that is connected to a phosphonate (similar to those used for osteoporosis). Once the drug is injected, the isotope (Technetium-99m) moves to the spot on the bone where the cancer is located. The gamma rays in the isotope illuminate the area and the doctor can see exactly where treatment should be applied. The Technetium-99m has the same intensity gamma rays as normal X-rays and therefore operates the same as an internal X-ray supply.” With this technique, the doctor can see where the cancer spots are within a few hours.

The same technique can be used to identify inactive parts of the brain in Alzheimer patients, as well as areas of the heart where there is no blood supply or where the heart muscle is dead.

Therapeutic irradiation of cancer
For the treatment of pain connected with cancer, the isotope Rhenium-186 is injected. Similar to the manner in which the Technetium-99m phosphonate compound is ingested into the body, the Rhenium-186 phosphonate travels to the cancer spots. Patients thus receive therapeutic irradiation – a technique known as palliative therapy, which is excellent for treating pain. A dosage of this therapy usually lasts for about two months.

The therapy is, however, patient specific. The dosages should correspond with the occurrence and size of cancer spots in the patient’s body. First, the location of the cancer will be determined by means of a technetium scan. After that, the size of the area where the cancer occurs has to be determined. The dosage for addressing total pain distribution will be calculated according to these results.

Technique to detect cancer spots on soft tissue
Another technique to detect cancer as spots on bone or in soft tissue and organs throughout the body is by utilising a different type of irradiation, a so-called PET isotope. The Fluor-18 isotope is currently used widely, and in Pretoria a machine called a cyclotron was produced by Dr Gerdus Kemp, who is a former PhD graduate from the Inorganic Research Group. The F-18 is then hidden within a glucose molecule and a patient will be injected with the drug after being tranquillised and after the metabolism has been lowered considerably. The glucose, which is the ‘food' that cancer needs to grow, will then travel directly to the cancer area and the specific area where the cancer is located will thus be traced and ‘illuminated’ by the Fluor-18, which emits its own 'X-rays'.

In the late 80s, Prof Roodt did his own postdoctoral study on this research in the US. He started collaborating with the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the UFS in the early 90s, when he initiated testing for this research.

Through their research of more than 15 years, the Inorganic Group in the Department of Chemistry has made a major contribution to cancer research. Research on mechanisms for the detection of cancer, by designing new clever chemical agents, and the chemical ways in which these agents are taken up in the body, especially contributes to the development in terms of cancer therapy and imaging, and has been used by a number of hospitals in South Africa.

The future holds great promise
Prof Roodt and his team are already working on a bilateral study between the UFS and Kenya. It involves the linking of radio isotopes, as mentioned above, to known natural products (such as rooibos tea), which possess anti-cancer qualities.

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