(4gy) Engineering Electrochemical Systems for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Solutions

Mitigating climate change is the paramount challenge of this century, requiring net zero carbon emissions by 2050 to reverse global warming. Industrial production of cement, steel, plastics, and fertilizers significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Decarbonizing feedstocks like ethylene, ammonia, urea, and hydrogen through renewable energy-based electrochemical synthesis is essential. However, the economic feasibility, influenced by the green premium, is critical; if it exceeds 20%, carbon capture becomes a viable alternative. My research will focus on developing carbon-neutral renewable energy technologies for sustainable chemical manufacturing. I aim to enhance societal sustainability and living standards by addressing these vital areas. I aim to become a faculty member at a research institution where I can lead my research group in these endeavors.

I am a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago, USA, where I am working with Prof. Meenesh R Singh on the development of electrochemical carbon capture and reduction to fuels and carbon-assisted water electrolysis to produce hydrogen. I completed my PhD in chemical engineering from IIT Roorkee, India. My doctoral research was directed towards the electrochemical denitrification of wastewater containing nitrogenous compounds. This study helped to understand the parametric, mechanistic, kinetic, and economic aspects of electrochemical nitrate reduction and oxidation of previously present and produced ammonium ions in industrial wastewater. Key highlights from my research:

• One granted Indian patent.
• 19 peer-reviewed publications in major journals, including CEJ, CES, I&EC, and ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng.; and 02 book chapters

Research Interests

My research vision focuses on developing efficient, economical electrochemical technologies for carbon capture and conversion and ammonia and hydrogen production from waste. By advancing these areas, My research aims to support a low-carbon economy and sustainable resource use through engineering innovations and fundamental understanding. In particular, my lab will be interested in exploring the following themes: (1) Electrochemical Carbon Capture and Utilization; (2) Green and Sustainable Electrochemical Synthesis of Chemicals and Materials like Ammonia, Urea, and Hydrogen from Waste Materials; and (3) Hybrid Electrochemical Techniques for Industrial Wastewater Remediation.

Electrochemical carbon capture and utilization offers a promising pathway to mitigate CO₂ emissions by converting them into value-added products. I have already worked in this area during my postdoctoral research. The electrochemical CO₂ reduction includes the direct CO₂ capture from the air and point source and its reduction into valuable products like formic acid, carbon monoxide, methane, ethylene, and ethanol. I will focus on engineering and catalysis aspects, including the design of the electrocatalysts and reactor designs for efficient CO₂ capture and conversion into high-value chemicals. Electrolyte screening plays a crucial role in the capture and release process of CO₂, and high throughput screening offers an invaluable means to efficiently assess numerous electrolyte combinations for this purpose. I will also focus on the kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of electrocatalysis reactions. The long-term goal is to develop an efficient and economically integrated CO₂ capture and conversion system.

Beyond carbon capture, electrochemical technology can also be expanded to produce ammonia from nitrate-contaminated wastewater through electrolysis. The Haber-Bosch process, contributing significantly to global CO₂ emissions and energy consumption, necessitates a sustainable alternative. Electrochemical synthesis of ammonia from industrial and agricultural wastewater nitrates, powered by renewable sources like solar energy, offers a solution. This method utilizes nitrogen species from wastewater and water as a hydrogen source, simultaneously addressing waste and energy issues. Additionally, H₂ holds promise as a clean energy carrier, and carbon-advanced water electrolysis (CAWE) employs carbon-based materials like waste biomasses (biochar) as catalysts, enhancing H₂ production. My research delves into CAWE's electrochemical mechanisms, optimizing materials, and reactor design for efficient and durable hydrogen production. Addressing electrolyzer design, catalyst, and biochar synthesis challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration, I aim to enable scalable and sustainable hydrogen production.

High concentrations of nitrogen and carbon-based pollutants can cause different human health problems like blue baby syndrome and gastrointestinal cancer, creating eutrophication problems in lakes, rivers, bays, and seas. The electrochemical treatment technology relates to the system and method of simultaneous reduction and oxidation of actual industrial wastewater in different industries. My research will address different pollutants in industrial wastewater through simultaneous reduction and oxidation processes. This involves developing solar-driven, hybrid electrochemical processes for effective wastewater treatment, aiming for scalable and sustainable solutions.

I aim to bridge the gap between scientific discoveries and real-world applications through collaborations with industry, policymakers, and academia, leveraging relationships from my Ph.D. and postdoctoral work. Potential funding agencies for my research include NSF, DOE, ARAMCO, Braskem, etc.

Postdoctoral and Ph.D. Research

In my postdoctoral research, I am working on carbon capture (i.e., Direct Air Capture-DAC) and its conversion into valuable products. This work utilizes electrochemical technology to capture carbon and its reduction into valuables. For this purpose, an automated high-throughput screening platform was developed to assess the ionic conductivity and CO₂ solubility of the electrolyte and mixtures. The optimized electrolyte, with improved conductivity, was used in the migration-assisted moisture gradient (MAMG) CO₂ capture process, resulting in a remarkable 50% reduction in energy consumption for CO₂ capture. The high-throughput measurements of CO₂ Solubility in ionic liquid reveal a synergistic role of ionic interactions and void fractions. I am also working on carbon-assisted water electrolysis (CAWE) to produce gaseous hydrogen as a fuel. This research centers on using agricultural and animal waste biomasses as biochar to enhance H₂ production in water electrolysis. It leverages solar energy for the process, achieving remarkable solar-to-hydrogen efficiency.

My PhD research focused on the electrochemical denitrification of synthetic and industrial wastewater. This study helped to understand the parametric, mechanistic, kinetic, and economic aspects of electrochemical nitrate reduction and oxidation of previously present and produced ammonium ions in industrial wastewater. Mechanistic kinetics analysis helped to understand the rate-limiting and divergent steps in the electrochemical denitrification process. The thermodynamic study through individual ions' activity coefficient and total minimum Gibb's energy helped to understand the ion-ion interaction (electrostatic effect) and ion-water interaction (solvation effect) in the aqueous solution.

Teaching Interest

My vision for teaching includes a classroom climate that fosters thoughtful and respectful consideration of alternative viewpoints and ideas, personal ownership of learning, and individual construction of personally meaningful knowledge. Using a Chalkboard is a more personal way of teaching, whereas computer presentations are beneficial in providing students with graphical knowledge of the theory. I will try to strike a balance between both methods to deliver my lectures efficiently. In addition, student engagement is paramount in effective teaching, with various methods available to achieve it, including brief Q&A sessions, team activities, and mini-projects.

During my Ph.D., I was involved in UG courses as a teaching assistant, and currently, I am actively teaching the "Climate Engineering for Global Warming" course in my post-doctorate.

In my opinion, teaching a course is an opportunity to learn that topic again from scratch. Therefore, I would be happy to teach all Chemical Engineering subjects, and I am particularly interested in courses like Chemical Reaction Engineering, Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, Electrochemical Engineering, Industrial Pollution and Control, Water Pollution Control Technology, and Solid Waste Management and Utilization. Moreover, I am also interested in taking all the labs and their development.

I believe that my teaching proposal will enrich the department's teaching program, offering a diverse and innovative approach to preparing the best chemical engineers for the future. Ultimately, I would like to say that I will do my job with utmost sincerity and honesty to the best of my abilities.