Akash balakrishnan | Environmental Analytical Chemistry | Sustainable Chemistry Pioneer Award

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Mr. Akash balakrishnan | Environmental Analytical Chemistry | Sustainable Chemistry Pioneer Award

NIT Rourkela, India

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🎓 Educational Background

Mr. Akash Balakrishnan is currently pursuing his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chemical Engineering (2025) at the prestigious National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, Odisha, India. His doctoral research, supervised by Dr. Mahendra Chinthala, focuses on the development of surface-engineered g-C₃N₄-based hybrid catalysts for advanced oxidation processes, targeting energy and environmental remediation. Prior to this, he completed his Master of Technology (M.Tech) in Chemical Engineering from SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, in 2020 with an outstanding CGPA of 9.74/10, securing the first rank at the university level. His M.Tech thesis, guided by Dr. G. Keerthiga and Dr. A. Sowmya, explored photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid using catalyst impregnated chitosan. He earned his Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Chemical Engineering from Anna University, Chennai, in 2018 with a CGPA of 8.31/10, where he worked on the design of a benzene column in the aromatic refinery unit at Kochi Refinery under Prof. K. Rajasekaran.

🧪 Research Interests

Mr. Akash’s research is deeply rooted in heterogeneous catalysis for energy and environmental applications. His expertise spans across advanced oxidation processes, wastewater treatment, and photocatalysis, with emerging interest in edible food coatings and sustainable packaging technologies. His work aims at creating eco-efficient solutions to address pollution control and green engineering challenges.

🏅 Fellowships & Recognitions

Akash has been the recipient of several prestigious fellowships and accolades. Notably, he was awarded the AICTE-INAE travel grant to present his research at the 8th Asia-Pacific Catalysis Congress, held in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2019. He also received doctoral and master’s degree fellowships from the Ministry of Education, Government of India and SRM IST, respectively. His academic excellence has been further recognized with gold medals and first-place ranks, including the Best Research Project Award on Research Day 2020 at SRM IST.

🏆 Awards & Achievements

Akash has consistently demonstrated leadership and innovation. In 2025, he won both South Zone and National level awards in the National Green Earth Challenge, hosted by the Prem Jain Memorial Trust, New Delhi. He also earned the Third Prize under the Water Theme in the Ideas4Life competition, organized by the Department of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India. Additionally, he received the Best Presentation Award at INDACON 2025, co-hosted by Dalhousie University, Canada, and HBTU Kanpur.

✍️ Editorial and Reviewer Roles

Mr. Akash contributes to the academic community as a reviewer for numerous high-impact international journals, including Chemosphere, Chemical Engineering Journal, Carbohydrate Polymers, Applied Surface Science, Journal of Environmental Management, Environmental Pollution, Journal of Cleaner Production, Environmental Chemistry Letters, and more. His involvement reflects both expertise and scholarly commitment in the field of environmental and chemical engineering.

🌱 Leadership & Co-curricular Excellence

In his early academic years, Akash demonstrated leadership by serving as General Secretary of the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) at the college level in 2017. His consistent academic performance earned him the Best Student Award by ISTE in 2018 and a second-place rank in his B.Tech examinations at Anna University.

Notable Publications📝

📝Chitosan-based beads as sustainable adsorbents for wastewater remediation: a review

Authors: Balakrishnan, Akash; Appunni, Sowmya; Chinthala, Mahendra; Jacob, Meenu Mariam; Vo, Dai-Viet N.; Reddy, Soreddy Sainath; Kunnel, Emmanuel Sebastian

Journal: Environmental Chemistry Letters

Year: 2023

📝Global impact of COVID-19 on agriculture: role of sustainable agriculture and digital farming

Authors: Sridhar, Adithya; Balakrishnan, Akash; Jacob, Meenu Mariam; Sillanpaa, Mika; Dayanandan, Nanditha

Journal: Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Year: 2023

📝Heterojunction photocatalysts for the removal of nitrophenol: A systematic review

Authors: Balakrishnan, Akash; Gaware, Ghanghor Jayant; Chinthala, Mahendra

Journal: Chemosphere

Year: 2023

📝Photocatalytic degradation of nitro phenol: A continuous study in a TiO2 film coated photo reactor

Authors: G. Keerthiga; K. Avinash; Rishav Saha; Akash Balakrishnan; Ikshit Jain

Journal: INSTRUMENTATION ENGINEERING, ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS – 2021 (IEET-2021)

Year: 2023

📝Removal of tetracycline from wastewater using g-C3N4 based photocatalysts: A review

Authors: Balakrishnan, Akash; Chinthala, Mahendra; Polagani, Rajesh Kumar; Vo, Dai-Viet N.

Journal: Environmental Research

Year: 2023

📝3D black g-C3N4 isotype heterojunction hydrogels as a sustainable photocatalyst for tetracycline degradation and H2O2 production

Authors: Akash Balakrishnan; Emmanuel Sebastian Kunnel; Roshini Sasidharan; Mahendra Chinthala; Arvind Kumar

Journal: Chemical Engineering Journal

Year: 2023

Prof. Jean-Luc Veuthey – Supercritical fluid chroamtography – Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Jean-Luc Veuthey – Supercritical fluid chroamtography – Best Researcher Award

University Of Geneva – Switzerland

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🎓 Academic Background

Prof. Jean-Luc Veuthey obtained his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Geneva in 1987. He pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie in Paris (1988), where he also served as Professeur Joliot-bis in the same year.

👨‍🏫 Professional Experience

Prof. Veuthey has had an illustrious career spanning decades in analytical chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences. From 1990 to 1992, he served as the Head of the Analytical Laboratory at Bracco Research, Geneva. His longest tenure was at the University of Geneva, where he was a Full Professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences from 1992 to 2023. Currently, he holds the prestigious title of Honorary Professor at the University of Geneva (2023-Present). Beyond academia, he has played a significant role in anti-doping analysis, serving as a Member of the Anti-Doping Panel at UEFA since 2005. His leadership roles include serving as President of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (1998-2004, 2020-2022), Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Sciences (2004-2010), and Vice-Rector of the University of Geneva (2011-2015).

📚 Research Contributions

Prof. Veuthey’s research focuses on advanced separation techniques, including liquid and supercritical chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, particularly in pharmaceutical sciences. His work is pivotal in the analysis of drugs, drug abuse, and biopharmaceutics in biological matrices. Additionally, he has significantly contributed to doping control analysis and has been actively involved in various national and international scientific committees.

🏅 Prestigious Awards & Recognitions

Prof. Jean-Luc Veuthey’s remarkable contributions to analytical chemistry have been acknowledged through numerous prestigious awards. In 2010, he was honored with the International Prize of the Belgian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) for his outstanding research in pharmaceutical sciences. In 2012, he was recognized as a Fellow of the Swiss Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SGPhW), reflecting his significant impact on the field. His excellence in chromatographic techniques was further acknowledged in 2018 when he received the Martin Medal from the Chromatographic Society (UK), one of the most prestigious awards in separation science. In 2019, he was awarded the Csaba Horvath Memorial Award by the Hungarian Society of Separation Sciences and the Connecticut Separation Science Council (USA), a testament to his exceptional contributions to separation sciences and analytical methodologies. These accolades highlight his global influence and pioneering research, solidifying his reputation as a leading expert in pharmaceutical and analytical chemistry.

Notable Publications📄

📄Cloud-Enabled Handheld NIR Spectroscopy: A Transformative Approach for Real-Time Forensic Analysis of Cannabis Specimens
  • Authors: F. Coppey, C. Schelling, J.L. Veuthey, P. Esseiva

  • Journal: Helvetica Chimica Acta

  • Year: 2023
📄Decellularized Spinach Biomaterials Support Physiologically Relevant Mechanical Cyclic Strain and Prompt a Stretch-Induced Cellular Response
  • Authors: A.F. Harris, J. Lacombe, N.M. Sanchez-Ballester, I. Soulairol, F. Zenhausern

  • Journal: ACS Applied Bio Materials

  • Year: 2022
📄Application of Prediction Intervals to the Interpretation of the Robustness Study of a UHPLC Method for the Separation of Cannabinoids
  • Authors: J.M. Roussel, C. Schelling, M. Righezza, J.L. Veuthey

  • Journal: Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis

  • Year: 2022
📄Sub/Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Versus Liquid Chromatography for Peptide Analysis
  • Authors: R. Deidda, G.L. Losacco, C. Schelling, J.L. Veuthey, D. Guillarme

  • Journal: Journal of Chromatography A

  • Year: 2022
📄Interlaboratory Study of a Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Method for the Determination of Pharmaceutical Impurities: Evaluation of Multi-Systems Reproducibility
  • Authors: A. Dispas, A.M. Clarke, A. Grand-Guillaume-Perrenoud, D. Guillarme, P. Hubert

  • Journal: Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis

  • Year: 2021

 

Dr. Ruijuan Qu | Environmental Analytical Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Ruijuan Qu | Environmental Analytical Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Doctorate at Nanjing University | China

Dr. Ruijuan Qu, an Associate Professor at the School of Environment, Nanjing University, has emerged as a leader in environmental analytical chemistry. Her pioneering research on the environmental transformation of organic pollutants and the development of green degradation technologies has earned her recognition as one of the world’s top scientists. With a strong academic background and a robust publication record, Dr. Qu’s innovative contributions have had a significant impact on both environmental chemistry and sustainability.

Professional Profiles

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🎓Academic and Professional Background 

Ruijuan Qu serves as an Associate Professor at the School of Environment at Nanjing University, China. She earned her PhD in 2015 from the same institution and subsequently held positions as an assistant researcher (2015-2018) and associate researcher (2018-2019) before becoming an Associate Professor in December 2019. Her expertise centers on quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) studies, with a focus on the transformation mechanisms of organic pollutants and the development of green, efficient degradation technologies. Her remarkable impact in environmental science earned her a place on Stanford University’s 2023 World’s Top 2% Scientists List.

🔍 Research Focus

Dr. Qu specializes in quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) for studying the transformation mechanisms of organic pollutants. Her research is dedicated to the environmental transformation of pollutants and the development of green, efficient degradation technologies.

🧪 Key Research Areas

  • Environmental Transformation and Fate of Organic Pollutants
    Dr. Qu investigates how organic pollutants change and decompose in environmental contexts.
  • Chemical Oxidation Processes in Water and Wastewater Treatment
    She develops innovative oxidation technologies for cleaner water treatment.
  • Environmental Computational Chemistry
    Using computational tools, she models pollutant behavior to inform safer, effective treatments.

🌐 Collaborative Research and Breakthroughs

In collaboration with Prof. Virender K. Sharma of Texas A&M University, Dr. Qu explored the Ferrate (Fe(VI)) oxidation treatment of organic pollutants. Their work uncovered the dihydroxylation mechanism of phenols and highlighted the catalytic role of bismuth hydroxide through a Bi(III)-Bi(V) valence cycle.

🚀 Pioneering Innovations in Environmental Chemistry

Dr. Qu has introduced a novel method for pollutant transformation analysis: non-target mass spectrometry – preparative separation-characterization – simplified transition state calculation. This innovative approach enhances intermediate product identification. Key achievements include:

Addressing particle effects on photodegradation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in river systems.

Revealing polymerization occurrences in chemical oxidation of phenols and proposing strategies for low-carbon deep oxidation.

Modifying silica materials for enhanced catalytic activity under visible and infrared light, advancing adsorption-photocatalytic degradation of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons.

Publications Top Noted📝

Degradation of 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-di-tert-pentylphenol (UV328) in soil by FeS activated persulfate: Kinetics, mechanism, and theoretical calculations

Authors: Li, X.; Bu, Y.; Xu, J.; Wang, Z.; Qu, R.

Journal: Environmental Pollution

Year: 2024

Photodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on suspended particles from the Yellow River under sunlight irradiation: QSAR model and mechanism analysis

Authors: Xu, J.; Wei, J.; Wei, X.; Wang, Z.; Qu, R.

Journal: Water Research

Year: 2024

Adsorption and migration behaviors of heavy metals (As, Cd, and Cr) in single and binary systems in typical Chinese soils

Authors: Cao, W.; Qin, C.; Zhang, Y.; Xian, Q.; Wang, Z.

Journal: Science of the Total Environment

Year: 2024

Efficient degradation of benzalkonium chloride (BAC) by zero-valent iron activated persulfate: Kinetics, reaction mechanisms, theoretical calculations and toxicity evolution

Authors: Qi, Y.; Cao, W.; Zhang, Y.; Huo, Z.; Zhu, F.

Journal: Environmental Pollution

Year: 2024

Promoted electrochemical degradation of triclosan with persulfate on Fe-Ni oxide modified graphite felt cathode

Authors: Teng, X.; Wang, Z.; Abukhadra, M.R.; Khaled Mahmoud, R.; Qu, R.

Journal: Separation and Purification Technology

Year: 2024