Simons Dhara

Accomplished postdoctoral research fellow with a proven track record of success in material science. Approaches work with a self-directed and motivated mindset, ensuring high ethical standards and meticulous attention to detail. Expertise lies in working with diverse biomass materials for bioethanol, biochar production, lignin extraction, and their applications. Additionally, possesses experience in membrane development for water treatment.

Bioresource Technology

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Bioresource Technology Reports

The sugar and bioethanol yield from Saccharum ravennae grass biomass is enhanced through surfactant-mediated enzymatic hydrolysis.

Ph.D. Dissertation Research

· This study investigates the impact of cationic, anionic, and non-ionic surfactants on hydrothermally pretreated Saccharum ravennae grass biomass's enzymatic hydrolysis and subsequent fermentation-derived ethanol yield.

High purity alkaline lignin extraction from Saccharum ravennae grass and its characterization.

Ph.D. Dissertation Research

· This work explored potassium hydroxide to extract high-purity alkaline lignin from Saccharum ravennae grass. Total phenolic content was determined and compared with commercial lignin, and process parameters were optimized using Response surface methodology.

Application of Ravenna grass extracted alkaline lignin in Mixed matrix membrane preparation for Cr (VI) removal.

Ph.D. Dissertation Research

· This study incorporated Ravenna grass-extracted alkaline lignin to fabricate polysulfone-based mixed matrix membranes using the phase inversion technique for aqueous Cr (VI) removal.

Composite membrane modification using Ravenna grass extracted alkaline lignin and synthesized Graphene oxide (GO) for Pb2+ and Eosin Y dye removal.

Ph.D. Dissertation Research

· In this work, Ravenna grass extracted pure alkaline lignin, and lab-synthesized GO was incorporated in polysulfone membrane for Pb2+ and Eosin Y dye removal. Also, batch adsorption of Pb2+ on the membrane was studied.

Preparing Colloidal Lignin Particles from Coconut Husk for Water Splitting Electrodes.

Post-doctoral Research

· This project aims to develop a sustainable and cost-effective method for producing colloidal lignin particles from coconut husk. The lignin is extracted using a deep eutectic solvent (Choline chloride, glycerol) and then processed to obtain colloidal particles. These particles are incorporated into electrodes for water splitting to generate hydrogen.

Two-stage activation and modification of coconut husk-derived biochar for discoloration of dyeing water of textile industry effluent

Post-doctoral Research

· This study investigates the impact of potassium hydroxide activation followed by Nitric acid modification of coconut husk biochar on the adsorption of textile dyes. The biochar was derived from coconut husk using a muffle furnace. Kinetic study and adsorption isotherm study of individual dyes were also conducted.

Functionalized magnetic biochar preparation for short chain per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) removal from water.

Post-doctoral Research

· This project aims to develop a low-cost and effective adsorbent for removing short-chain PFAS from water. Coconut husk-derived biochar is functionalized with iron salt and a capping agent to enhance PFAS adsorption. The adsorption performance of the prepared biochar will be evaluated through batch experiments, and its properties will be characterized using various analytical techniques.

Fabrication of LD-slag-derived zeolite Y-coated polysulfone (PSf) membrane for groundwater decontamination.

Collaborative Research

· A novel zeolite-modified polysulfone membrane was fabricated for enhanced water purification. The membrane incorporated zeolite nanoparticles synthesized from steel slag, improving water flux, contaminant removal efficiency, and antifouling properties. The membrane significantly removed fluoride, chromium, and manganese from water, making it a promising candidate for water treatment applications.

Comparative Study of Surfactant Interaction with serum albumin and its subsequent effect on aggregation

M Tech. Dissertation Research

· This research work focused on studying the impact of CTAB, SDS, and Tween20 surfactants on the microenvironment of amino acid residues of BSA protein.

Dr. Mihir Kumar Purkait, 

Chair Professor National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM).

Department of Chemical Engineering,

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, 

Guwahati, Assam.781039.

Email Address: mihir@iitg.ac.in 

Mode of contact: Ph.D. Supervisor 

Contact No. +91 99542 48807 

Prof. Chandan Das

Department of Chemical Engineering,

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati,

Guwahati, Assam, India 781039.

Mode of contact: Doctoral committee member 

Email Address: cdas@iitg.ac.in 

Contact No. +91 361 258 2268 

Dr. Ramagopal V. S. Uppaluri 

Professor 

Department of Chemical Engineering, 

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, 

Guwahati, Assam. 781039. 

Email Address: ramgopalu@iitg.ac.in 

Mode of contact: Co-supervisor 

Contact No. + 91 99575 61840

1. Simons Dhara, R. Uppaluri, Mihir K. Purkait, Enhancing Bioethanol Yield from Ravenna Grass (Saccharum ravennae): Optimization of Pretreatment Strategies and Surfactant-Assisted Enzymatic Hydrolysis for Maximum Sugar Yield, ACS Agricultural Science & Technology, 2023, Volume 3, Issue 12, 1154-1168, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsagscitech.3c00321.

2. Simons Dhara, Niladri Shekhar Samanta, R. Uppaluri, M.K. Purkait, High-purity alkaline lignin extraction from Saccharum ravannae and optimization of lignin recovery through response surface methodology, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 234, 2023, 123594, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123594.

3. Simons Dhara, Ankush D. Sontakke, Niladri Shekhar Samanta, R. Uppaluri, Mihir K. Purkait, Biowaste-alkaline lignin and GO integrated polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane fabrication for Pb2+ and Eosin Y dye removal, Separation and Purification Technology, Volume 341, 2024,126894,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.126894.

4. Simons Dhara, Niladri Shekhar Samanta, Pranjal P. Das, R. Uppaluri, Mihir K. Purkait, Ravenna Grass-Extracted Alkaline Lignin-Based Polysulfone Mixed Matrix Membrane (MMM) for Aqueous Cr(VI) Removal, ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2023, Volume 5, Issue 8, 6399-6411

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.3c00999.

5. Simons Dhara, Niladri Shekhar Samanta, Pranjal P. Das, and Mihir Kumar Purkait, Potential of Biochar and Microalgae for Bioremediation of Emerging Contaminants, Bioremediation of Emerging Contaminants in Water, Volume 1, 71-92, ACS Symposium Series Vol. 1475,

DOI:10.1021/bk-2024-1475.ch004.

6. Simons Dhara, Pranjal P. Das, R. Uppaluri, Mihir K. Purkait, Chapter 3 - Phosphorus recovery from municipal wastewater treatment plants, Editor(s): Maulin P. Shah, Development in Wastewater Treatment Research and Processes, Elsevier, 2023, Pages 49-72, ISBN 9780323956840,

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95684-0.00014-2.

7. Simons Dhara, Pranjal P. Das, R. Uppaluri, Mihir K. Purkait, 12 - Biological approach for energy self-sufficiency of municipal wastewater treatment plants, Editor(s): Mika Sillanpää, Ali Khadir, Khum Gurung, Resource Recovery in Municipal Waste Waters, Elsevier, 2023, Pages 235-260,

ISBN 9780323993487, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-99348-7.00006-0.

8. Simons Dhara, Niladri S. Samanta, Pranjal P. Das, Mihir K. Purkait, Chapter 9 - Biological nitrogen removal and recovery from wastewater, Editor(s): Maulin P. Shah, Nidhi Shah, Development in Waste Water Treatment Research and Processes, Elsevier, 2024, Pages 159-179, ISBN 9780443136092, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-13609-2.00019-7.

9. Pranjal P. Das, Simons Dhara, Niladri S. Samanta, Mihir K. Purkait, Advancements on ozonation process for wastewater treatment: A comprehensive review, Chemical Engineering and Processing - Process Intensification, Volume 202, 2024, 109852, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cep.2024.109852.

10. Pranjal P. Das, Simons Dhara, Niladri S. Samanta, Mihir K. Purkait, Chapter 7 - Microbial fuel cell for wastewater treatment and energy recovery, Editor(s): Maulin P. Shah, Nidhi Shah, Development in Waste Water Treatment Research and Processes, Elsevier, 2024, Pages 125-143, ISBN 9780443136092, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-13609-2.00013-6.

11. Pranjal P. Das, Simons Dhara, Niladri Shekhar Samanta, and Mihir K. Purkait, Ozonation Process for the Treatment of Wastewater Contaminants, Bioremediation of Emerging Contaminants in Water, Volume 1, 93-109, ACS Symposium Series Vol. 1475, DOI:10.1021/bk-2024-1475.ch005.

12. Pranjal P. Das, Simons Dhara, Mihir K. Purkait, Chapter 13 - Ozone-based oxidation processes for the removal of pharmaceutical products from wastewater, Editor(s): Maulin P. Shah, Pooja Ghosh, Development in Wastewater Treatment Research and Processes, Elsevier, 2024, Pages 287-308, ISBN 9780443192074, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-19207-4.00003-3.

13. Pranjal P. Das, Simons Dhara, Mihir K. Purkait, Chapter 4: The Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation Process: Inhibition, Challenges and Opportunities, Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria Applications in Industrial Wastewater Treatment, ed. M. P. Shah, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2023, ch. 4, pp. 56-82. https://doi.org/10.1039/BK9781837671960-00056.

14. Pranjal P. Das, Simons Dhara, Mihir K. Purkait, (2023). Hybrid Electrocoagulation and Ozonation Techniques for Industrial Wastewater Treatment. In: Shah, M.P. (eds) Sustainable Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Pollution Control. Springer, Singapore.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-2560-5_6.

15. Niladri S. Samanta, Piyal Mondal, Simons Dhara, Utpal Bora, Mihir K. Purkait, Fabrication of LD-slag derived zeolite Y coated polysulfone (PSf) membrane for decontamination of groundwater, Chemical Engineering Journal, Volume 478, 2023, 147330, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.147330.

16. Niladri S. Samanta, Pranjal P. Das, Simons Dhara, Mihir K. Purkait, An Overview of Precious Metal Recovery from Steel Industry Slag: Recovery Strategy and Utilization, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2023, Volume 62, Issue 23, 9006-9031, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.3c00604.

17. Niladri Shekhar Samanta, Pranjal P. Das, Simons Dhara, and Mihir K. Purkait, Rejection of Harmful Contaminants from Wastewater by Hybrid Process, Bioremediation of Emerging Contaminants in Water, Volume 1, 149-161, ACS Symposium Series Vol. 1475, DOI:10.1021/bk-2024-1475.ch008

18. Anweshan, Pranjal P. Das, Simons Dhara, Mihir K. Purkait, Chapter 12 - Nanosensors in food science and technology, Editor(s): Azamal Husen, Khwaja Salahuddin Siddiqi, In Micro and Nano Technologies, Advances in Smart Nanomaterials and their Applications,

Elsevier, 2023, Pages 247-272, ISBN 9780323995467, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-99546-7.00015-X.

19. Pranjal P. Das, Niladri S. Samanta, Simons Dhara, Mihir Kumar Purkait, Chapter 13 - Biofuel production from algal biomass, Editor(s): Maulin P. Shah, Green Approach to Alternative Fuel for a Sustainable Future, Elsevier, 2023, Pages 167-179, ISBN 9780128243183,

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-824318-3.00009-6.

20. Deepti, Anweshan, Simons Dhara, Mihir K. Purkait, (2023). Membrane and Disinfection Technologies for Industrial Wastewater Treatment. In: Shah, M.P. (eds) Industrial Wastewater Reuse. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-2489-9_5.

21. Niladri S. Samanta, Pranjal P. Das, Simons Dhara, Mihir K. Purkait, Chapter 8 - Nanotechnology in microbial electrochemical cells, Editor(s): Maulin P. Shah, Nidhi Shah, Development in Waste Water Treatment Research and Processes, Elsevier, 2024, Pages 145-158, ISBN 9780443136092,

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-13609-2.00004-5.

22. Pranjal P Das, Mukesh Sharma, Simons Dhara, Mihir K Purkait, Application of Biochar in the Removal of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants from Wastewater- Mechanism, Operating Conditions, and Modifications, Editor(s): Thapar Kapoor, Maulin P. ShahDesigner Biochar Assisted Bioremediation of Industrial Effluents, CRC Press, 2022, Pages 173-198, https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003203438.