Sowmya Rao

Dr. Sowmya Rao

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
14 July 2024 in The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
SRSowmya Rao
Sowmya Rao
SSSuprith Surya
Suprith Surya
PSPavan S.R
Pavan S.R
SASaheb Ali
Saheb Ali
APAshwini Prabhu
Ashwini Prabhu
NBNandish B.T
Nandish B.T

29 October 2026 in Chemistry Proceedings
Verified
Conference Paper
Open access
PDF file
VKVikesh Kumar
Vikesh Kumar
SRSowmya Rao
Sowmya Rao
BNB.T. Nandish
B.T. Nandish
Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive materials have attracted considerable attention for developing smart therapeutic systems capable of targeted drug delivery under oxidative stress. In the present study, two long-chain tertiary amino alcohols, N-Dodecyl-N-methylaminoethanol and N-Hexadecyl-N-methylaminoethanol, were synthesized and investigated as ROS-responsive organic molecules for incorporation into chitosan-based hydrogels. The chemical stability of the synthesized compounds was evaluated under physiological and mildly acidic conditions in the presence of hydrogen peroxide using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Both compounds exhibited characteristic absorption bands corresponding to tertiary amino alcohols, and only minor spectral variations were observed following oxidative treatment, primarily within the O–H stretching and fingerprint regions. Importantly, no carbonyl absorption bands indicative of oxidative degradation were detected within the sensitivity of ATR-FTIR, suggesting that the amino-alcohol backbone remained chemically intact under the conditions tested; as ATR-FTIR alone cannot definitively establish antioxidant or radical-scavenging activity, this finding is interpreted as evidence of chemical robustness rather than a proven antioxidant effect. The synthesized amine derivatives were subsequently incorporated into chitosan/β-glycerophosphate hydrogels, and FTIR analysis confirmed successful formulation without disrupting the polymeric network. The observed spectral changes suggest reversible protonation or limited oxidation of the tertiary amine functionality while preserving the long alkyl chains. The enhanced stability of the hexadecyl analogue further indicates the influence of alkyl chain length on oxidative resistance. These findings demonstrate that long-chain tertiary amino alcohols are promising organic building blocks for the design of ROS-responsive biomaterials and provide a foundation for developing smart hydrogel systems for controlled therapeutic delivery.