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

Ms. Xinxia He – Environmental Analytical Chemistry – Best Researcher Award – 

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Ms. Xinxia He – Environmental Analytical Chemistry – Best Researcher Award 

Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Author Profile

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🎓 Academic Background

Ms. Xinxia He is currently pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Environmental Science at the Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2021–present). Her research focuses on environmental sustainability, ecosystem health, and water resource management. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Hydraulic Engineering from Chongqing Jiaotong University (2017–2020), where she specialized in Engineering Hydrology and Sediment Transportation Mechanics. Her master’s dissertation, titled Ecosystem Health Assessment and Spatial Pattern Optimization of Lake Group in the Lixia River Area, contributed to ecological restoration studies. She received several prestigious awards, including the Graduate National Scholarship, First-Class Scholarship for Graduate Admission, and recognition as a “Three Good” Student and May Fourth Outstanding Communist Youth League Cadre. Ms. He completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Hydraulic and Hydropower Engineering at Chongqing Jiaotong University (2013–2017). Her undergraduate dissertation, Overall Design of Baiyangwo Hydropower Station Earth and Rock Dams, explored hydropower infrastructure. She was honored as an Excellent College Graduate for her academic achievements.

🏅 Professional Certifications

He has earned multiple professional certifications, which showcase her expertise in language proficiency and technical computing. She successfully completed the College English Test Band 6 (2019) and Band 4 (2014), issued by the Ministry of Education, Higher Education Division. Additionally, she holds a Chongqing Computer Visual Basic Level II Certification (2015) from the Chongqing Municipal Education Commission.

🏆 Awards and Recognitions

Her dedication to environmental sustainability has been widely recognized. She was honored with a Nomination Award for Chongqing’s Most Beautiful Environmental Volunteer, highlighting her commitment to ecological conservation and community-driven environmental projects.

🌱 Research Interests and Community Engagement

He is deeply passionate about scientific research exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration. She actively explores new literature and methodologies in environmental sustainability, hydrology, and climate change mitigation. Beyond academia, she engages in community-driven research projects at the Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, contributing to sustainable water management solutions and promoting eco-friendly initiatives.

Notable Publications📄

📄The “4 + 1” strategy fabrication of iron single-atom catalysts with selective high-valent iron-oxo species generation
  • Authors: C. Liu, J. Li, X. He, M. Chen, J.P. Chen, et al.

  • Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)

  • Year: 2024