We welcome Prof. Dr.-Ing. Trinh Quang Thong from Hanoi University of Science & Technology (HUST), Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Thank the DAAD bilateral exchange program between Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden) and Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) Mr. Prof. Thong will investigate at our chair the improvement of the soil quality and fertility using nanosilica particles synthesized by rice husk.

The study is aimed at the application of nanotechnology using nanosilica from renewable resources in the field of agriculture in Vietnam. The main content is the synthesis and investigation of biocompatible silica nanoparticles (SNPs) made of rice husk which is one of the main agro-wastes comprising big quantities of silicate for soil quality and fertility. The characteristics of as-prepared silica nanoparticles will be investigated by using advanced physics techniques like FTIR, XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, and AAS. The obtained results enable to evaluate the important indicators of natural soil for assessing the fertility status including the optimum moisture content, the maximum dry density, chemical compositions such as organic carbon (OC), N, P, exchangeable cations of Ca, Mg, K, Na, pH value. Consequently, the optimal percentage of nanosilica to provide the highest increase in soil properties can be determined.

We wish Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thong successful and pleasant research stay in our chair and in Dresden.