Nishith Verma

Chevron Corporation Chair Professor

  • Email

    nishith[AT]iitk.ac.in

  • Office Phone No.

    +91-512-259-6767 (Office)
    +91-512-259-6352 (Lab)

  • Office & Lab

    CESE-132 (Office)
    CESE-Lab 10 (Lab)

  • Group Home Page IRINS Profile

Research Interest

  • Synthesis and Applications of Carbon Nanofibres and Nanoparticles
  • Environmental Pollution Control Methods
  • Microbial Fuel Cells
  • Chemical Sensors
  • Carbon-based Electrodes
  • Catalysts; electrocatalysts; photocatalysts
  • CFD and LBM-based Models

Education

  • Ph.D. 1991-95, University of Arizona, Tuscon, USA
  • B. Tech. (Hons) 1982-86, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

Research Overview

We continue to synthesize micron-nanomaterials to address chemical engineering aspects of energy, environmental, and health problems. In particular, our research themes center on the development of carbon-based materials, especially carbon nanofibers and carbon nanoparticles in the adsorption and catalytic reaction applications including microbial fuel cells, chemical sensors, and photocatalytic reactors. The recent focus is on the advanced catalytic oxidation processes. On the theoretical side, a number of mathematical models based on computational fluid dynamics including lattice Boltzmann methods have been developed for packed bed adsorbers and reactors.

Awards

  • Chevron Corporation Chair, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (2022-)
  • Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Fellowship (2018-2019)
  • Raj and Neera Singh Chair, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (2015-18)
  • Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK (2015)
  • Raj and Neera Singh Chair, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (2011-14)
  • Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow (2004)
  • AICTE career award for the young teacher (1998)
  • S. K. Nandi Memorial merit Scholarship, IIT Kharagpur (1985-86)

Work Experience

  • Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Kanpur, 2007-present
  • Head, Chemical Engineering Department, IIT Kanpur, 2011-2014
  • Coordinator, Center for Environmental Science and Engineering, IIT Kanpur, 2011-2014
  • Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Kanpur, 2003-2007
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Kanpur, 1998-2003
  • Development Engineer, BOC Gases, New Jersey, USA, 1995-1997
  • Project Engineer, BOC India Ltd., Calcutta, 1986-1991

Courses developed

ChE - Triad e-Lecture Series (Transport Phenomena - Numerical Methods - Heterogeneous Chem Rexn Engg)
  Audio lectures can be downloaded from the following link (click) → Audio lectures
Mass Transfer for Chemical Engineers (https://nptel.ac.in/courses/103104046/)
Fluid Mechanics for Chemical Engineers (https://nptel.ac.in/courses/103104043/)

Books

  • ChE - Triad Lecture Series, authored by Nishith Verma. (2024) Ane Books Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, ISBN 9788119662920.
  • Aqueous Phase Adsorption: Theory, Simulations and Experiments, edited by Jayant K. Singh and Nishith Verma. (2018) Taylor & Francis/CRC Press.

Books Chapters

  • "Exploring Carbon Surface Using Electron Microscopy: Applications to Energy, Environment, and Health", edited by Krishanu Biswas, Sri Sivakumar, Nilesh Gurao in "Electron Microscopy in Science and Engineering" Springer, UK.
  • "Novel Carbon-based Nano-adsorbents for Water Purification", by Nishith Verma and Ashutosh Sharma in "Aquananotechnology: Global Prospects", edited by David Reisner and T. Pradeep. (2014) Taylor & Francis/CRC Press.
  • "Lattice-Boltzmann Modeling of Adsorption Breakthrough in Packed Beds" by Nishith Verma in "Aqueous Phase Adsorption: Theory, Simulations and Experiments", edited by Jayant K. Singh and Nishith Verma. (2018) Taylor & Francis/CRC Press.
  • "3D Graphene-Based Scaffolds with High Conductivity and Biocompatibility for Applications in Microbial Fuel Cells" by Ashish Yadav and Nishith Verma in "Graphene-Based 3D Macrostructures for Clean Energy and Environmental Applications", edited by Rajasekhar Bala and Shamik Chowdhury. (2020) Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

Recent Innovative Technologies/Products developed (patents filed/granted)

  • "Process for the treatment of wastewater" (US patent 11,851,354, granted (2024); Inventors: Ashish Yadav, Nishith Verma (IIT Kanpur), Kaushik Basak and Arin Von Mourik (Shell International Research Maatschappiz BV, The Netherlands))
  • "A packed bed chamber microbial fuel cell (SCMFC) system and methods for fabricating electrodes" (Indian patent No. 429748; granted (2023); Inventors: Komal Pandey, Priyanka Gupta Nishith Verma, Shiv Singh)
  • "A process for fabrication of a chemiresistive sensor and product thereof" (Indian patent No. 413302; granted (2022); Inventors: Nishith Verma, Haider Ali, Dhananjay Gupta)
  • "Electrode substrate for electrochemical sensing of biomolecules" (Indian patent No: 391276; granted (2022); Inventors: Nishith Verma, Haider Ali)
  • "Process for the treatment of wastewater" (US Patent 11,168,011; granted (2021); Nishith Verma (IIT Kanpur), Kaushik Basak and Arin Von Mourik (Shell International Research Maatschappiz BV, The Netherlands))
  • "Process for preparing a catalyst and use thereof" (US Patent 11,014,084; granted (2021); Inventors: Nishith Verma (IIT Kanpur), Kaushik Basak and Arin Von Mourik (Shell International Research Maatschappiz BV, The Netherlands))
  • "A multi-analyte electrochemical sensor (MAES) for simultaneous detection of glucose, creatinine and cholesterol" (Indian patent no. 392734; granted (2020); Inventors: Nishith Verma, Pallab Bairagi, Surabhi Shrivastava)
  • "Use of carbon fibers for removing soil toxic metals and increasing micronutrient supply to plants" (Indian patent No: 389453; granted (2020); Inventors: Nishith Verma, Arun Kumar)
  • "Preparation of graphitic carbon micro-nanofiber-based electrodes, asymmetrically dispersed with bimetal nanoparticles, and applications thereof in energy devices" (Indian patent No. 340306 (granted) 2020; Inventors: Nishith Verma, Shiv Singh)

Publications

  • R Gupta, H Ali, N Verma, Detection of vanillin in food products over Cu - laser induced graphene nanocomposite using the combined electrochemistry and UV-Vis spectroscopy principles, Microchemical Journal, 199, 109984 (2024).
  • A Gupta, U Alam, N Verma, Efficient spatial charge separation in the Ruddlesden-popper phase-based S-scheme Fe2SnO4-g-C3vN4, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, (2024).
  • SS Tomar, RA Omar, B Bhaduri, N Verma, KDP Nigam, Denitrification using a novel Ni-CNF/g-C3N4 catalyst and nitrate-enriched wastewater-resourced Achromobacter denitirificans, Chemical Engineering Science, 285, 119617 (2024).
  • R Gupta, U Alam, N Verma, Efficient photofixation of nitrogen to ammonia over an S-scheme-based NiSnO3-g-C3N4 heterojunction, Chemical Engineering Journal, 479, 147644 (2024).
  • A Pandey, A Gupta, U Alam, N Verma, Construction of a stable S-scheme NiSnO3/g-C3N4 heterojunction on activated carbon fibre for the degradation of glyphosate in water under flow condition, Chemosphere, 347, 140709 (2024).
  • A Pandey, U Alam, A Gupta, J-Jin Shim, N Verma, S-scheme heterojunction-mediated hydrogen production over the graphitic carbon nitride-anchored nickel stannate perovskite, Fuel, 355, 129538 (2024).
  • H Ali, R Gupta, N Verma, Selective Detection of Bilirubin in Blood Serum Using UV-Vis Spectroelectrochemistry Technique with CeO2-CNF/ITO Transparent Electrode, Electrochimica Acta, 468, 143159 (2023).
  • C Sharma, R Gupta, J K George, N Verma, Janus resorcinol-formaldehyde-based membrane with opposite wettability for efficient separation of oil and water emulsion, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 676, 132246 (2023).
  • J K George, A Bhagat, B Bhaduri, N Verma, Carbon Nanofiber-Bridged Carbon Nitride-Fe2O3 Photocatalyst: Hydrogen Generation and Degradation of Aqueous Organics, Catalysis Letters, 153 ,419–431 (2023).
  • SS Tomar, N Verma, K D P Nigam, Adsorptive Desulfurization of Thiophene using Cu-CNF Slurry in a Coiled Flow Inverter with Recycling, Chemical Engineering Science, 281, 119172 (2023).
  • B Bhaduri, R A Omar, N Verma, Synthesis of Internally Carbon-Sourced Carbon Nanofiber Forming Ni-Graphitic Carbon Nitride, Chemical Engineering Science, 274, 118655 (2023).
  • S Singh, K Pandey, N Verma, Degradation of phenolic compounds in wastewater using a conical packed bed microbial fuel cell in continuous flow with recycling, Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, 11, 3942-3948 (2023).
  • A Singha, U Alam, P Chakraborty, B Sundararaju, N Verma, A Sustainable Approach for the Production of Formate from CO2 using Microalgae as a Clean Biomass and Improvement using Potassium-Doped g-C3N4, Chemical Engineering Journal, 454, 14 (2023).
  • U Alam, A Pandey, N Verma, An anthraquinone-integrated S-scheme-based NiTiO3-g-C3N4 composite with enhanced hydrogen production activity, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 48 (7) (2023).
  • JK George, N Verma, "Super-hydrophobic/Super-oleophilic carbon nanofiber-embedded resorcinol-formaldehyde composite membrane for effective separation of water-in-oil emulsion", Journal of Membrane Science, 15, 654 (2022).
  • U Alam, K Pandey, N Verma, "Photocatalytic Oxidation of Glyphosate and Reduction of Cr(VI) in Water over ACF-supported CoNiWO4-gCN Composite under Batch and Flow Conditions", Chemosphere, 297, 134119 (2022).
  • RA Omar, N Verma, PK Arora, "Successive Bacterial Desulfurization and Regeneration of Liquid Fuel over Ni-doped Carbon Beads using a Single Enterococcus Faecium Strain Isolated from an Industrial Wastewater", Fuel, 309, 122209 (2022).
  • Gupta, P., Pandey, K., Verma, N., "Augmented Complete Mineralization of Glyphosate in Wastewater via Microbial Degradation post CWAO over Supported Fe-CNF", Chemical Engineering Journal, 428, 132008 (2022).
  • Alam, U, Verma, N., "Direct Z-scheme-based novel cobalt nickel tungstate/graphitic carbon nitride composite: Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and oxidation of benzyl alcohol", Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 630, 127606 (2021).
  • Pandey, K, Gupta, P, Verma, N, Singh, S. , "CeO2 Sprinkled Graphitic Novel Packed Bed Anode-Based Single-Chamber MFC for Treatment of High Organic-Loaded Industrial Effluent in Upflow Continuous Mode", Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 9, 23106-23116 (2021).
  • George, JK, Verma, N., Bhaduri, B., "Hydrophilic graphitic carbon nitride-supported Cu-CNFs: An efficient adsorbent for aqueous cationic dye molecules", Materials Letters, 1-5, 129762 (2021).
  • Singh, S, Pophali, A., Omar, RA, Kumar, R, Mondal, P., Pada, D, Pant, D., Verma, N. , "A nickel oxide-decorated in situ grown 3-D graphitic forest engrained carbon foam electrode for microbial fuel cells", Chemical Communications, 57, 879-82 (2021).
  • Gupta, P, Verma, N. , "Evaluation of degradation and mineralization of glyphosate pollutant in wastewater using catalytic wet air oxidation over Fe-dispersed carbon nanofibrous beads", Chemical Engineering Journal, 417, 1-14, (2021).
  • Pophali, A, Singh, S., Verma, N. , "A dual photoelectrode-based double-chambered microbial fuel cell applied for simultaneous COD and Cr (VI) reduction in wastewater", International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46 (4), 3160-70 (2021).
  • RA Omar, N Verma, PK Arora. , "Sequential desulfurization of thiol compounds containing liquid fuels: Adsorption over Ni-doped carbon beads followed by biodegradation using environmentally isolated Bacillus zhangzhouensis", Fuel, 277, 118208 (2020).
  • Shrivastava, S., Bairagi, P., Verma, N. , "Spermine biomarker of cancerous cells voltammetrically detected on a poly(β-cyclodextrin) - electropolymerized carbon film dispersed with Cu - CNFs", Sensors and Actuators, B: Chemical, 313, 128055 (2020).
  • Jejurkar, S., Khanna, A., Verma, N. , "Maldistribution Effects in an Industrial Scale Trickle Bed Reactor", Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 59, 16, 7405–7415 (2020).
  • Singh, S., Noori, MT., Verma, N. , "Efficient bio-electroreduction of CO2 to formate on a iron phthalocyanine-dispersed CDC in microbial electrolysis system", Electrochimica Acta, 1-9, 338, 135887 (2020).
  • Kumar, A., Gahoi, P., Verma, N. , "Simultaneous scavenging of Cr(VI) from soil and facilitation of nutrient uptake in plant using a mixture of carbon microfibers and nanofibers", Chemosphere, 239, 124760 (2020).