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Navid Saleh

Bio Sketch


Navid Saleh is an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Carolina. Before joining USC in January 2009, Dr. Saleh was a post-doctoral trainee at the Chemical Engineering Department, Yale University, New Haven, CT(since June 2007). Dr. Saleh received his Ph.D from Carnegie Mellon...

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Research Summary

Saleh Lab primarily focuses on environmental fate, transport, and effects of engineered nanomaterials. The other key focus of this lab is application of nanomaterials in water treatment, remediation, sensors, and composite materials. Some key areas of research include: Aggregation and deposition behavior of carbonaceous and metallic nanoparticles...

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Latest News


December 06, 2011
A recent journal article from Saleh group titled "Preparation and Characterization of Stable Aqueous Higher Order Fullerenes" has been accepted in Nanotechnology. [more..]


December 05, 2011
Saleh Group has recently received the Magellan Scholar Program grant from the University of South Carolina titled "MGS Modular Nano-Enabled Sorption Cartridge Design for Water Treatment". [more..]


November 10, 2011
Saleh Group has recently received a US Air Force grant from the Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The grant will focus on mechanistic understanding of nano-toxicity of metallic nanoparticles. [more..]


October 27, 2011
Nirupam Aich, a second year PhD student in the Saleh Group has been awarded the M. Bert Storey Endowed Graduate Fellowship, 2011-2012. [more..]


September 30, 2011
Saleh Group has published three journal papers in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Reprod Toxicol and .... [more..]


August 15, 2011
Dr. Saleh is co-organizing an Environmental Chemistry (ENVR) conference session at the 243rd ACS National Meeting-San Diego next March with Drs. John Fortner and Saber Hussain. [more..]


June 3, 2011
Saleh Group has presented two posters at the first Gordon Research Conference on Environmental Nanotechnology. [more..]

A recent journal article from Saleh group titled "Preparation and Characterization of Stable Aqueous Higher Order Fullerenes" has been accepted in Nanotechnology. 2nd year graduate student Nirupam Aich is the lead author of this paper. The paper discussed aqueous solubilization of higher fullerenes and presents their interaction energies at molecular level and physicochemical properties. This paper has been highlighted by the journal as an 'article of particular interest'.

Saleh Group has recently received the Magellan Scholar Program grant from the University of South Carolina titled "MGS Modular Nano-Enabled Sorption Cartridge Design for Water Treatment". This grant will also help Sam Rollings, an undergraduate student from this group to perform innovative research as a prestigious Magellan scholar to remediate water pollution issues. Potential application of carbonaceous nanoparticles to perform in advanced water treatmet processes will be the focus of this research.

Saleh Group has presented two posters at the first Gordon Research Conference on Environmental Nanotechnology. The posters were titled as: "Aggregation Kinetics and Fractal Structures of Chirally Separated Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Environmental and Biologically Relevant Systems" and "Removal of Micropollutants from Landfill Leachate, Seawater, and Brackish Water Using Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes". These studies were funded by NSF and GSEC, respectively.

Dr. Saleh has recently presented an invited lecture at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), Dayton, OH. Dr. Saleh's talk titled, "Aggregation and Surface Interaction of Carbonaceous and Metallic Nanomaterials: Environmental and Biologically Relevant Conditions". Saleh Lab has established a successful collaboration with WPAFB and will continue to work closely with the scientists there in nano-toxicological studies.

In the most recent ACS National Meeting held at Anaheim, CA from March 27-31, 2011, three members from Saleh Group, ARM Nabiul Afrooz, Nirupam Aich, and Iftheker A. Khan, presented five papers in the area of environmental fate, transport, and effects of engineered nanomaterials. These papers were presented in the environmental chemistry division that included topics of aggregation kinetics and aggregate structure studies of chiral single-walled carbon nanotubes (Khan et al.) aggregation behaviour of higher fullerenes and hybrid nanomaterials (Aich and Saleh), and aggregation kinetics of rod-like gold nanomaterials(Afrooz et al).

Saleh Group has recently received a US Air Force (USAF) grant from the Wright Patterson Air Force Base titled, "Developing Predicting Capability for Nanoparticle Aggregation and Aggregate Structure Evolution in Biologically Relevant Systems". The project will focus on mechanistic understanding of nano-toxicity of metallic nanoparticles. This project is a result of a successful collaboration between Dr. Saleh and an eminent toxicologist and scientist Dr. Saber Hussain of USAF.

Saleh Group has published three journal papers in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Reprod Toxicol and Water Res titled, "The effects of TiO2 and Ag nanoparticles on reproduction and development of Drosophila melanogaster and CD-1", "Investigating the effects of functionalized carbon nanotubes on reproduction and development in Drosophila melanogaster and CD-1 mice", and "Removal of bisphenol A and 17a-ethinyl estradiol from landfill leachate using single-walled carbon nanotubes", respectively. 2nd year graduate student ARM Nabiul Afrooz, 3rd year graduate student Iftheker A Khan, and Dr. Saleh are co-authors in these papers. The toxicology papers are a result of successful collaboration between the Saleh Group at USC and the Walker Group of Queens University, Canada. The third paper is published as an outcome of Dr. Saleh's research work on SWNT membranes with Dr. Yoon of USC.

Iftheker A Khan, a 3rd year PhD student in the Saleh Group has been awarded the prestigious American Chemical Society (ACS) Environmental Chemistry Graduate Student Award 2011. Iftheker competed nationally with the top environmental engineering graduate students to win this award. Award was based upon students' records in course work, evidence of research productivity and recommendations from graduate faculty advisor. Primary emphasis is given to Iftheker's potential for future contributions as professionals in environmental chemistry. The number of applications from qualified recipients exceeded previous years, which makes this award for 2011 highly competitive. Iftheker will receive a check from ACS Environmental Chemistry Division and Iftheker's, his Institution's, and advisor’s names will be posted on the ACS website for one full year. Congratulations Iftheker!

Dr. Saleh is co-organizing an Environmental Chemistry (ENVR) conference session at the 243rd ACS National Meeting-San Diego next March with Drs. John Fortner (University of Washington-St. Louis) and Saber Hussain (Wright Patterson Airforce Base and Wright State University). The title of session is "Nanomaterial Interaction on Biological Interfaces". All the organizers encourage authors to submit abstracts to this session. The abstract submission to PACS is now open thru October 17, 2011.

Nirupam Aich, a second year PhD student in the Saleh Group has been awarded the M. Bert Storey Endowed Graduate Fellowship, 2011-2012. This fellowship is awarded by Civil and Engineering Department of the College of Engineering and Computing in USC to the top Civil and Environmental graduate student. The fellowship is named after Mr. Bert Storey, a long time patron of the University. Nirupam will receive a $1,250 award as acknowledgement of his outstanding performance in study and research. Congratulations Nirupam! Iftheker A. Khan, another senior PhD student in the Saleh Group was awarded the same fellowship last year.

Iftheker A Khan, a 3rd year PhD student in the Saleh Group has been awarded the prestigious American Chemical Society (ACS) Environmental Chemistry Graduate Student Award 2011. Iftheker competed nationally with the top environmental engineering graduate students to win this award. Award was based upon students' records in course work, evidence of research productivity and recommendations from graduate faculty advisor. Primary emphasis is given to Iftheker's potential for future contributions as professionals in environmental chemistry. The number of applications from qualified recipients exceeded previous years, which makes this award for 2011 highly competitive. Iftheker will receive a check from ACS Environmental Chemistry Division and Iftheker's, his Institution's, and advisor’s names will be posted on the ACS website for one full year. Congratulations Iftheker!