FMIPA UI Alumnus Wins Global Award in Nanoscience

A proud achievement comes from an alumnus of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FMIPA UI). Asmi Aris, a 2024 graduate of the Master’s Program in Chemistry at FMIPA UI, has successfully received an award Women in Nanoscience 2026 for his contribution to the development of nanomaterial-based sensors to detect pesticide residues on fruit.

This award was granted in recognition of Asmi Aris’s research conducted under the supervision of Munawar Khalil, S.Si., M.Eng.Sc., Ph.D. In his study, Asmi developed a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor based on a two-dimensional Ti₃C₂Tₓ/MWCNT–OH nanocomposite, capable of detecting the pesticide paraxon-ethyl on fruits, including green and red grapes.

The sensor demonstrates high sensitivity with a detection limit of up to 10 nanomolar and a detection range of 0.1–100 nanomolar. Its selectivity remains accurate even in the presence of interfering compounds such as diazinon, carbaryl, iron ions, nitrite, nitrate, ascorbic acid, and glucose. This performance is driven by the synergy between Ti₃C₂Tₓ nanosheets and functionalized carbon nanotubes, which enhances both conductivity and catalytic activity.

The continued high use of pesticides in the agricultural sector poses a risk of residue contamination in horticultural products. Conventional detection methods generally require high costs, long processing times, and specialized laboratory facilities. The sensor developed by Asmi Aris offers a faster, more sensitive, and cost-effective method, making it a promising solution for quality control at the industrial level as well as for direct monitoring in the field.

“The high use of pesticides makes residue risks in food difficult to avoid. Therefore, I developed a sensor that is not only sensitive, but also fast and easy to use, so that testing can be carried out more widely and not limited to laboratories,” said Asmi.

The award Women in Nanoscience 2026 was contested by around 160 female scientists from around the world. The announcement of the award recipients was shared through the official LinkedIn Nanoscience platform using the hashtag #RSCNano, which serves as one of the main publication channels of the global nanoscience community.

Currently, Asmi Aris is pursuing his doctoral studies at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. He is focusing on his coursework and research while remaining actively engaged in research collaborations with his supervisors at Universitas Indonesia (UI), IPB University, and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in producing scientific publications.

In his statement, Asmi expressed his gratitude for the achievement. “I feel very happy and grateful for this accomplishment. For me, this is not just a result, but also a motivation to keep learning and growing. This achievement reminds me that the learning process never stops, and there is always something new to explore,” he added.

He also expressed his hope to continue improving his capacity, both in academics and research, while making meaningful contributions to society. In addition, he hopes that his achievement can inspire younger generations to be bold in trying new things and stepping out of their comfort zones in pursuing their dreams.

Program International Women’s Day 2026 by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is part of a special collection in nanoscience journals—such as Nanoscale Horizons, Nanoscale, And Nanoscale Advances—which aims to celebrate and highlight the contributions of women scientists in the field of nanotechnology.

This achievement also highlights the important role of Indonesian women in nanotechnology and materials science, while reinforcing FMIPA UI’s position as a leading research center both nationally and internationally.