- Awards and Distinctions
Maria Dekermenjian’s article was chosen from among the organization’s annual publications.
Maria Dekermenjian, a Ph.D. graduate from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), is one of the winners of the Outstanding Student Paper Awards, which are presented annually by the UK Royal Society of Chemistry’s RSC Advances journal.
The former student was one of 11 international winners chosen from among 700 nominations received this year.
“I’m happy to see that the results of my research have caught the attention of my peers around the world.”
Maria Dekermenjian, INRS Ph.D. graduate in energy and materials science
Her paper, “Raman spectroscopy investigation of magnesium oxide nanoparticles,” deals with the Raman properties of magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles in physical chemistry.
According to theory, MgO cannot produce a Raman signature on its spectrum. However, spectroscopists have been observing Raman peaks on MgO nanoparticles for decades. The article explains and definitively resolves this contradiction by identifying surface contamination due to the presence of moisture and atmospheric carbon dioxide. Maria Dekermenjian’s doctoral work focused on this apparent contradiction in the scientific literature.
After completing a bachelor’s degree in physics at the Université de Montréal, Maria Dekermenjian pursued a master’s degree in physics in Professor Richard Martel’s group at the Université de Montréal. Her thesis focused on the far-infrared optical properties of carbon nanotube films.
Driven by the desire to further her knowledge of nanotechnologies and hone her research skills, Maria began her doctoral studies at INRS’s Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre in Andreas Ruediger’s group, co-supervised by Professor Alexandre Merlen from the University of Toulon.
“Thanks to my studies at INRS and the support of my research supervisors, I was able to push the boundaries of current knowledge in my field,” enthuses Maria, who successfully defended her thesis “Étude de nanoparticules d’oxyde de magnésium par spectroscopie Raman” in April 2024.
