Department of Chemical Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) is a premier institute of science and technology established in 2008. IITH has been consistently ranked in the&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/reports/" rel="noopener noreferrer">top 10 institutes</a>&nbsp;in India for Engineering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nirfindia.org/2021/EngineeringRanking.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">according to NIRF</a>&nbsp;making it one of the most coveted schools for science and technology in the country.

IITH offers&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/academics/under-graduate/">undergraduate programs</a>&nbsp;in all the classical engineering disciplines, applied sciences, design, as well as several modern interdisciplinary areas. Students are given a flexibility to explore a broad set of areas, and potentially pursue a minor or double major in a discipline that is not their own. Students who wish to seek a deeper understanding of their own discipline are strongly encouraged to get involved in cutting-edge research with the help of a faculty to mentor them, and earn an Honors in their own field.

The very foundation of IIT Hyderabad is based on&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/research/">research and innovation</a>. The vibrant research culture is evident from the number of patents and publications that IITH produces consistently every year. IITH offers&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/academics/programmes-offered/">graduate programs</a>&nbsp;at both a masters, and a doctoral level, in several diverse areas. There are separate programs for technology, design, science, and liberal arts. The&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/academics/post-graduate/">MTech program</a>&nbsp;is offered in various modes and durations to cater to the ever-growing need of postgraduate level professionals in the country.

IITH encourages and supports&nbsp;<a href="https://iic-iith.netlify.app/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">innovation and entrepreneurship</a>&nbsp;at every stage. The minor program in entrepreneurship is open to all students of IITH, and many of the courses are offered by industrialists who are entrepreneurs themselves. There are various&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/research/centres-incubators/">innovation centers and incubators</a>&nbsp;that promote entrepreneurship and help mentor young innovators. IITH has been very successful in building tie-ups with leading academic institutions around the globe.

IITH enjoys a very special relationship with Japanese universities and industries that goes beyond academic and research collaborations. In fact, some of the iconic buildings in IITH campus will carry the signature of Japanese architecture.

IITH creates a unique holistic ecosystem for education that offers interactive learning, a very flexible academic structure, cutting-edge research, strong industry collaboration, and entrepreneurship. This is an environment which enables students and faculty to translate their dreams into realities.

IIT Hyderabad

Fermented foods are popular around the globe for their health-promoting components and activity. In recent years, for promoting better health and nutrition, fortification and supplementation of fermented fruits are used as functional healthy beverage, especially for those who are intolerant to lactose-based products. Moreover, industrial revolution has transformed traditional fermentation process to a controlled process suitable for industrial scale production of functional ingredients. The aim of this systematic review is to provide an in-depth perspective of non-alcoholic fermented fruit beverages with an emphasis on improving bioactive and nutritional compounds such as phenolic compounds, vitamins, and minerals, and their effort as pro/prebiotics diets. For instance, consumption of fermented fruits and fruit-based probiotic foods such as kombucha has increased, and the evidence for effects on antioxidant and bioactive compounds is presented and discussed. Researchers use cutting-edge technology and innovations to convert fermented fruits into functional beverages with bioactive metabolites and phytochemicals. Hence, for the production of any functional beverage, it is essential to optimize the microbial strains that can utilize different fruit matrices as a single or in combination. These perspectives articulate fruit-based probiotics as one of the possibilities of processing fruit for culinary and pro-health purposes. Novelty impact statement: This systematic review noticeably focuses on the fruit fermentation along with various bioactive ingredients derived from fermented fruits. In addition, comprehensive description on fruits and fruit juices as a promising carrier of probiotics, fermented fruits as dietary supplements that are in the market, and related future perspectives are discussed. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

World University root node

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation

A systematic review on fruit-based fermented foods as an approach to improve dietary diversity

Via computer simulations we examine the mechanical response of hybrid polymer-particle networks composed of rigid spherical nanoparticles with long flexible polymer chains grafted onto their surface. The canopy of grafted polymer arms are end-functionalised such that interacting polymer-grafted nanoparticles (PGNs) form labile bonds when their coronas overlap. In the present study, the number of grafted arms, f, are such that the PGN brushes are in the small (f = 600) and intermediate curvature (f = 900 and 1200) regime with stable bonded interactions. To investigate the mechanical response of networks formed by these PGNs, controlled uniaxial elongation at a specified pulling rate is imposed on a 2-D network of PGNs placed on a hexagonal lattice. In the simulations, the force required to deform the network is measured as a function of the elongation and pulling rate imposed on the network until the network fails. By analysis of the force-strain curves and the rearrangement of the PGNs in the network we show that an increase in the number of grafted arms, pulling velocity and energy of the bonded interactions alters both the toughness and the mode of failure of the networks. In particular, we show that an increase in the number of grafted arms results in a reduction of toughness. Furthermore, analysis of the simulations of force relaxation after rapid extension indicates that the relaxation in deformed networks can be characterised by one or two time scales that depend on the number of grafted arms. The analysis of force-strain curves and force relaxation demonstrate the role of Deborah number, De, and the limitations in the use of a unique De in understanding the mechanical response of the networks respectively. © 2022 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Soft Matter

Mechanical response of networks formed by end-functionalised spherical polymer grafted nanoparticles

A new model is proposed to mimic the response of a class of seemingly viscoplastic materials. Using the proposed model, the steady, fully developed flow of the fluid is studied in a cylindrical pipe. The semi-inverse approach is applied to obtain an analytical solution for the velocity profile. The model is used to fit the shear-stress data of several supposedly viscoplastic materials reported in the literature. A numerical procedure is developed to solve the governing ODE and the procedure is validated by comparison with the analytical solution. © 2021, Institute of Mathematics, Czech Academy of Sciences.

Applications of Mathematics

A new model to describe the response of a class of seemingly viscoplastic materials

Nowadays, metal-oxides impregnated conducting polymers as electrode materials are attracted much attention due to their higher stability. Here, the metal-oxide cluster, polyoxometalate (K5H2[PV4W8O40]·11H2O, PV4W8), was introduced into the polypyrrole (PPy) matrix to overcome the polymers stability issues, and thus, the resulting novel PV4W8/PPy (symmetric) composite electrode has been reported. XPS confirmed the presence of all atoms on the polymer backbone with respective oxidation states. Nevertheless, doping of PV4W8 on the conductive PPy matrix's surface can affectively improve the ion's transfer. Finally, the asymmetric PV4W8-PPy/PPy composite exhibits a prodigious specific capacitance of 291 F g−1, larger than the PPy (90.01 F g−1) and PV4W8 (39.03 F g−1) at 0.4 A g−1 current density. The PV4W8-PPy/PPy (asymmetric) electrode showed excellent cycle stability. However, a symmetric supercapacitor device based on PV4W8/PPy composite possesses a specific capacitance of 195.27 F g−1 and an energy density of 8.94 Wh kg−1 at the same current density as PV4W8-PPy/PPy (asymmetric) electrode with remarkable cycle stability. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.

Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry

Asymmetric polyoxometalate-polypyrrole composite electrode material for electrochemical energy storage supercapacitors

Two different polyoxovanadates derivatives, K5MnIVV11O32.10 H2O (MnV11) and K7MnIVV13O38.18 H2O (MnV13), have been studied to evaluate their electrochemical performance. These polyoxovanadates were deposited on activated carbon (AC) to prepare AC-MnV11 and AC-MnV13 composites. The electrochemical performance of the AC-MnV11 electrode exhibits the remarkable specific capacitance of 479.73 F g-1 at a current density of 0.6 A g-1, along with incredible specific power and energy of 960 W kg-1. Likewise, the AC-MnV13 exhibits a specific capacitance of 357.33 F g-1 at the current density of 0.6 A g-1 with a specific energy of 71.46 Wh kg-1. Interestingly, the AC-MnV11 could light up the red and yellow color LED bulbs for a duration of 80 and 60 s, respectively, indicating a considerable specific power of the material. The AC-MnV13 electrode shows significantly less lighting up during the 65 and 30 s period with red and yellow LED bulbs. © 2022 The Electrochemical Society ("ECS"). Published on behalf of ECS by IOP Publishing Limited.

Journal of the Electrochemical Society

Polyoxovanadate-Activated Carbon-Based Hybrid Materials for High-Performance Electrochemical Capacitors

This study presents the CO2 reforming of CH4 over Ni coated monolith catalyst at 800°C and 101.325 kPa. The high CH4 to CO2 ratio employed in this study is similar to the CH4:CO2 ratio of &gt;1 found in biogas. Cordierite monolith samples (0.258 channels per m2) washcoated with alumina are used for the experimental purpose. The study considers the combined deactivation effect due to sulphur poisoning and fouling due to carbon deposition. Four different cases with respect to the introduction and removal of H2S are considered. The rate of deactivation due to simultaneous carbon deposition and sulphur poisoning is much faster than the individual poisoning processes. The catalyst shows almost stable operation for 6 h without the presence of (Formula presented.) in the feed stream. From the conversion studies, it appears that the pre-treatment of catalyst samples with H2S leads to negligible sulphur coverage. The sulphur poisoning effect is also found to be reversible. © 2021 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering.

Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering

Experimental studies of catalyst deactivation due to carbon and sulphur during CO2 reforming of CH4 over Ni washcoated monolith in the presence of H2S

Everyone agrees that scientific communication should be free for all. Unfortunately, accessing publications from many reputed journals comes at a high cost—a cost that many researchers and institutions cannot afford. Although, open-access publication model is considered by many as a possible route to ensure that science is free for all; however, it is fraught with its own challenges. This review attempts at exploring the possibilities of keeping science accessible. Firstly, we re-visit the meaning of “open science” as a comprehensive concept which includes open source, data, access, resources, peer review etc. and not merely open access publication model. Next, we have discussed the global initiatives towards open access—the Budapest Open Access Initiative, Bethesda Statement on Open Access Publishing, Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, cOAlition S and its Plan S initiative, UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science and the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). Following this we have included the various open access initiatives from India. In the next part, we have focused on problems with dissemination of scientific outcomes and the challenges associated with existing publication models. Finally, we explore the possible solutions to the existing challenges, which include promotion of pre-print servers and other ideas that we have detailed in the manuscript. © 2022, Indian National Science Academy.

Fulltext

Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy

Open Science: Challenges, Possible Solutions and the Way Forward

The electrohydrodynamics of a concentric compound drop migrating and deforming in a plane Poiseuille flow under the influence of an arbitrarily orientated uniform electric field is investigated using a double asymptotic approach with the electric Reynolds number and capillary number as small perturbation parameters. The effect of viscosity, conductivity, and permittivity ratios, the orientation of the applied electric field, and radius ratio is thoroughly investigated, and the underlying physics is examined in terms of surface charge distribution and shape deformation of the shell and core of the compound drop. For an undeformable compound drop, we found that as the radius ratio increases, the magnitude of lateral velocity due to charge convection increases for both the shell and core, while the longitudinal velocity decreases. The intensity of the drop to lag behind the imposed flow increases as the electric field strength increases. For deformable compound drops, it is observed that the influence of the tilt angle of the applied electric field in altering the direction of motion gets dampened out or minimized when the size of the core increases. We also find that under the combined action of charge convection and shape deformation, the increase in electric Reynolds number enhances the lateral velocity of both the shell and the core drop while the longitudinal velocity decreases. However, it is found that the magnitude of the lateral and longitudinal velocity of the shell and core drop increases with an increase in the capillary number. Finally, by solving for the velocity field of an eccentric compound drop under plane Poiseuille flow and subjected to an applied electric field, we show that there is a critical eccentricity limit and critical time limit within which the concentric and eccentric compound drop configurations produce similar results and beyond which the increment or decrement in shell and core drop velocity is dictated by the value of eccentricity. ©2022 American Physical Society

Physical Review Fluids

Charge convection and interfacial deformation of a compound drop in plane Poiseuille flow under an electric field

A pressure-driven two-layer channel flow of a Newtonian fluid with constant viscosity (top layer) and a fluid with a time-dependent viscosity (bottom layer) is numerically investigated. The bottom layer goes through an ageing process in which its viscosity increases due to the formation of internal structure, which is represented by a Coussot-type relationship. The resultant flow dynamics is the consequence of the competition between structuration and de-structuration, as characterised by the dimensionless timescale for structuration (τ) and the dimensionless material property (β) of the bottom fluid. The development of Kelvin-Helmholtz type instabilities (roll-up structures) observed in the Newtonian constant viscosity case was found to be suppressed as the viscosity of the bottom layer increased over time. It is found that, for the set of parameters considered in the present study, the bottom layer almost behaves like a Newtonian fluid with constant viscosity for τ> 10 and β> 1. It is also shown that decreasing the value of the Froude number stabilises the interfacial instabilities. The wavelength of the interfacial wave increases as the capillary number increases. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

Environmental Fluid Mechanics

Two-layer channel flow involving a fluid with time-dependent viscosity

Fungi such as Candida albicans exist in biofilm phenotypes, which present as viscoelastic materials; however, a method to measure linear viscoelastic moduli, yield stress, and yield strain is lacking. Characterization methods for fungal materials have been limited to techniques specific to particular industries. Here, we present a method to measure the shear stress, strain amplitude, and creep of C. albicans BWP17 biofilms. Our method includes features tailored to the analysis of fungi including an in vitro growth protocol attuned to the slow growth rates of C. albicans biofilms and a resultant cultured biofilm that has sufficient integrity to be transferred to the rheometer tooling without disrupting its structure. The method's performance is demonstrated by showing that results are insensitive to gap, evaporative sealant, length of experiment, and specimen radius. Multiscale imaging of the fungal biofilm showed complex entanglement networks at the hundred-micrometer scale. For a wild-type strain cultivated for 14 days, using small-amplitude oscillatory rheology, we found that the elastic (G′) and viscous (G″) moduli were nearly independent of frequency over the range 0.1-10 s-1, with magnitudes of 18 400 ± 1100 and 1700 ± 140 Pa, respectively. The yield stress was approximately 850 ± 60 Pa. We modeled the linear creep response of the fungal biofilm and found that C. albicans has a characteristic relaxation time of 810 ± 19 s and a viscosity of 8.4 ± 0.2 MPa s. We applied this method to probe the effects of altered chitin deposition in the C. albicans cell wall. Differences between the biofilm's phenotypic cell shape and rheological properties in mutants with altered chitin synthase activity were resolved. Discovering how genotypic, phenotypic, and environmental factors impact the material properties of these microbial communities can have implications for understanding fungal biofilm growth and aid in the development of remediation strategies. © 2022 The Society of Rheology.