Wenxiu Cao | Chemical Engineering | Women Researcher Award

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Assoc Prof Dr. Wenxiu Cao | Chemical Engineering | Women Researcher Award

Hunan City University | China

Assoc prof. Wenxiu Cao is an emerging researcher at the Key Laboratory of Low Carbon and Environmental Functional Materials of Hunan Province, working within the College of Materials and Chemical Engineering at Hunan City University, Yiyang, China. His work aligns with some of the most rapidly advancing fields in materials science, environmental chemistry, and sustainable technology innovation. As part of a leading research group focused on low-carbon and environmentally functional materials, Wenxiu Cao contributes to addressing global challenges related to energy efficiency, pollution control, and ecological sustainability through advanced material design and chemical engineering approaches. At Hunan City University, his research environment supports interdisciplinary collaboration, allowing him to investigate the development, characterization, and application of innovative materials with environmental benefits. His work often intersects with cutting-edge themes such as low-carbon technologies, photocatalytic and electrocatalytic systems, adsorption-based purification processes, nanostructured functional materials, and green chemical engineering. Through these areas, he contributes to solving real-world environmental issues connected to industrial emissions, renewable energy conversion, wastewater treatment, and sustainable manufacturing. His role at the Key Laboratory also involves contributing to scientific initiatives dedicated to reducing environmental footprints and developing functional materials capable of improving air and water quality. As an active researcher, Wenxiu Cao participates in experimental design, synthesis and fabrication of advanced materials, performance optimization, and analytical characterization using modern instrumental techniques. His work supports the creation of environmentally friendly material systems with high stability, efficiency, and applicability across industrial and environmental sectors. He also engages in scientific writing, data analysis, and academic collaboration, contributing to publications, laboratory innovation, and the knowledge exchange within his department and the broader scientific community. Being part of a provincial-level key laboratory places him at the center of technological advancement in Hunan Province, where research outcomes are expected to support China’s broader goals in carbon neutrality, sustainable development, and green transformation. His contributions help advance the mission of the College of Materials and Chemical Engineering by fostering high-impact research, contributing to student training, and strengthening the university’s academic profile. Through his ongoing work, Wenxiu Cao continues to build a promising research career focused on sustainable materials, environmental protection technologies, and innovations that support a cleaner, greener, and more resilient future. His dedication to advancing low-carbon material science highlights his commitment to both academic excellence and societal benefit.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Chen, J., Cao, W., Xu, S., Liu, L., Tang, H., Hu, N., & Zhang, W. (2025). Disaccharide/UiO-66(Zr) composites for selective dye adsorption: Synergistic mechanisms. Journal of Chromatography A, 2025(11), Article 466568.

Fu, S., Wang, F., Chen, X., Cao, W., Wang, L., & Tang, Y. (2025). Mechanism of synergistic Ce–Mn catalysis for one-step highly selective cyclohexane oxidation to KA-oil. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2025(10-29).

Cao, W., Yuan, B., Zhuo, O., Li, Y., & Luo, W. (2022). Selective adsorption of CO₂/N₂ promoted by polar ligand functional groups of metal–organic frameworks. Journal of Porous Materials, 29(2), 1–12 (if page numbers unavailable, omit).

 

Qingguo Ma | Chemical Engineering | Excellence in Innovation Award

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Dr. Qingguo Ma | Chemical Engineering | Excellence in Innovation Award

Taiyuan Institute of Technology | China

Dr. Qingguo Ma, an accomplished Associate Professor at the Taiyuan Institute of Technology, is a distinguished researcher specializing in advanced wastewater treatment, particularly in the catalytic degradation of formaldehyde. With a doctoral degree obtained from the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology at Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Dr. Ma has established a focused research trajectory in the development of innovative and efficient oxidation-based solutions for industrial pollutant removal. His work emphasizes the use of advanced oxidation processes employing oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide and monopersulfate in conjunction with highly efficient catalytic systems, including transition metal oxides and lanthanum-based composite metal oxide catalysts. Through this research, Dr. Ma has successfully achieved remarkable improvements in formaldehyde degradation efficiency, notably demonstrating degradation rates exceeding 90% under ambient conditions without the need for acidic, alkaline, photochemical, or electrocatalytic environments. This breakthrough shortens the oxidative degradation time by up to 12 times compared to conventional heterogeneous catalysts and provides a scalable pathway toward cost-effective and energy-efficient wastewater treatment technologies. Dr. Ma’s academic contributions are supported by a robust research profile, including five completed or ongoing research projects, eleven patents published or under application, and thirteen peer-reviewed publications indexed in SCI databases. His work has attracted growing scholarly attention, reflected in a developing citation index and engagement in two consultancy or industry-linked research initiatives. As a member of the Shanxi Provincial Society for Inspection and Testing, he actively contributes to the advancement of environmental monitoring and chemical engineering practices within the professional community. His research further explores the mechanistic pathways of formaldehyde oxidation, identifying both radical-driven and non-radical catalytic routes, which enhances scientific understanding and offers new design concepts for catalytic materials used in environmental remediation. Dr. Ma continues to expand collaborations and strengthen knowledge transfer through academic platforms, contributing meaningfully to scientific and societal progress in pollution control. With demonstrated excellence, innovation, and commitment to advancing sustainable wastewater treatment technologies, he exemplifies the qualities recognized by the Excellence in Innovation Award. Dr. Ma affirms the authenticity and accuracy of all information included in this application and acknowledges the guidelines and terms set forth for this nomination.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Ma, Q. (2024). Preparation of perovskite-type LaMnO₃ and its catalytic degradation of formaldehyde in wastewater. Molecules, 29(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29163822

Ma, Q. (2023). Removal of formaldehyde in water with low concentration of hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by lanthanum–silicon oxide composite. Desalination and Water Treatment, 29734. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2023.29734

Ma, Q. (2023). The Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of cycloketones using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant. Catalysts, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13010021

Ma, Q. (2022). Removal of formaldehyde from aqueous solution by hydrogen peroxide. Journal of Water Chemistry and Technology, 44(4). https://doi.org/10.3103/S1063455X22040099

Ma, Q. (2021). Enhancing propene selectivity in methanol and/or butene conversion by regulating channel systems over ZSM-5/ZSM-48 composite zeolites. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micromeso.2020.110803

Ma, Q. (2015). Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of cyclic ketones with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by silica–VTMO–OSO₃H. Journal of Porous Materials, 22(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10934-015-9918-8

Ma, Q. (2015). Silica/A153-SO₃H: An efficient catalyst for the Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of cyclic ketones with hydrogen peroxide. Comptes Rendus Chimie, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crci.2014.09.002

Ma, Q. (2015). Sn-bentonite-induced Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of 2-heptylcyclopentanone to δ-dodecalactone with aqueous hydrogen peroxide. Research on Chemical Intermediates, 41(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11164-013-1342-6

Diya Agrawal | Chemical Engineering | Best Researcher Award

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Ms. Diya Agrawal | Chemical Engineering | Best Researcher Award 

Birla Institute of Technology and Science | India

Ms. Diya Agrawal is an exceptional dual-degree student pursuing M.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemistry and B.E. (Hons.) in Chemical Engineering at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (2021–2026), maintaining an outstanding CGPA of 9.4. With a strong interdisciplinary background bridging chemistry, chemical engineering, and data analytics, she exemplifies a new generation of researchers passionate about sustainable chemical technologies, carbon capture, and clean energy innovation. Her academic journey reflects a seamless integration of simulation-based process engineering, experimental chemistry, and techno-economic analysis — skills that have enabled her to contribute to advanced industrial and environmental research. Her technical proficiency encompasses Aspen Plus, Aspen HYSYS, Python, MATLAB, SQL, and visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, and Looker Studio. This versatile toolkit allows her to model complex processes, analyze large datasets, and develop digital solutions for chemical engineering systems. Her innovative approach to reactor and absorber design improved energy efficiency and conversion rates while ensuring process feasibility for sustainable fuel synthesis. In another project, she conducted a techno-economic analysis of biogas-to-bio-CNG conversion using Aspen Plus, where she optimized methane yield (>95%) and evaluated scale-up cost implications for industrial deployment. Her research on Novel Adsorbents for Direct Air Capture (DAC) further illustrates her ability to merge materials chemistry with process engineering. She synthesized amide-based Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) that demonstrated a 25% increase in CO₂ adsorption capacity, providing valuable insights into scalable carbon capture solutions. Complementing this experimental work, she also contributed to literature through her review on “Green Hydrogen Production Pathways for a Sustainable Future with Net Zero Emissions” published in Fuel (2023), where she analyzed over 400 studies to highlight advancements and challenges in the hydrogen economy. Her second publication, “Comparative Study of Modified Cu-BTC and ZIF-8 Adsorbents for CO₂ Capture” (Total Environment Engineering, 2025), has been recognized for its contribution to carbon capture research, garnering early citations in sustainability and materials science literature. To date, Ms. Agrawal has 2 peer-reviewed journal publications, accumulating over 35 citations and an h-index of 2, reflecting her growing research influence in the fields of carbon capture and green hydrogen production. Beyond research, Ms. Agrawal has demonstrated exemplary leadership and organizational acumen as the Vice-President of Alchemy, the BITS Chemistry Association, where she led a 25-member team to organize technical fests and academic outreach initiatives. Her excellence has been recognized through the Merit Scholarship (Top 2%) at BITS Pilani Hyderabad in 2025. Ms. Diya Agrawal stands out as a dedicated scholar and an emerging innovator, committed to advancing sustainable chemical processes through an integrated approach combining chemical engineering, environmental science, and data-driven analysis. Her strong research record, academic excellence, and leadership potential position her as a promising contributor to the global transition toward a sustainable and carbon-neutral future.

Profiles: Scopus | Linkedin

Featured Publications

Velagala, S. K. R., Aniruddha, R., Agrawal, D., Sabri, Y. M., Parthasarathy, R., & Sreedhar, I. (2025). Comparative study of modified Cu-BTC and ZIF-8 adsorbents for stable and enhanced direct air capture of CO₂. Total Environment Engineering.

 Agrawal, D., Mahajan, N., Singh, S. A., & Sreedhar, I. (2023). Green hydrogen production pathways for sustainable future with net zero emissions. Fuel.

Ashish Gome | Chemical Engineering | Best Academic Researcher Award | 13632

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Dr. Ashish Gome | Chemical Engineering | Best Academic Researcher Award 

Prashanti Group of Institutes |  India 

Dr. Ashish Gome, Associate Professor and Dean (Academics & Administration) at Prashanti Group of Institutes, Ujjain (M.P.), has over 16 years of rich academic and professional experience spanning roles as Head of Department, Dean of External Affairs, and Dean of Academics & Administration. He brings more than six years of industrial experience as an Environmental Consultant, guiding multiple UG and PG student projects. His research focuses on chemical engineering, wastewater treatment, and advanced oxidation processes, particularly the treatment of real pharmaceutical industry wastewater. Dr. Gome has published impactful research in indexed journals, including Springer’s International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology (IJEST), ISCA journals, International Journal of Advances in Research (IJAR), and Pollution Research. His work is highly cited, providing a strong contribution to the understanding of industrial wastewater treatment with practical relevance. According to citation databases, his publications have achieved Substantial citations, and his h-index reflects his growing influence in the field. He serves as an editorial member for the International Journal of Advances in Engineering & Scientific Research. He is a lifetime member of the International Society for Research & Development, highlighting his active engagement in professional communities. Dr. Gome’s research uniquely involves the careful collection and treatment of real wastewater samples from pharmaceutical industries, analyzed under stringent conditions at the MP Pollution Control Board Regional Office. This ensures authenticity and practical applicability of his findings. His studies demonstrate significant potential for pollution load reduction and sustainable industrial practices. While his research collaborations and patents are currently limited, his publications and editorial contributions illustrate a consistent commitment to advancing knowledge. His consultancy experience enriches his academic insight, connecting theoretical work with industrial practice. Dr. Gome’s work has been widely recognized for rigor, precision, and real-world relevance, making him a strong candidate for awards in environmental engineering and chemical process innovation. His mentorship of students ensures knowledge transfer and the cultivation of future researchers. His research outputs align with global sustainability goals and demonstrate notable societal impact. The combination of publications, citations, and h-index underscores his research credibility and thought leadership. He continues to innovate within advanced oxidation processes and wastewater treatment technologies. The practical implications of his studies extend to environmental management and policy implementation.

Profile: Orcid

 

Featured Publications

“Removal of persistent chemical oxygen demand from pharmaceutical wastewater by ozonation at different pH”.

“Simulation study of phenol degradation by Fenton process using ASPEN-Plus”.

“Chemical kinetics of ozonation and other processes used for the treatment of wastewater containing pharmaceuticals: A review”.

“Biodegradability Assessment of Pharmaceutical Wastewater Treated by Ozone”.