FACULTY PROFILE

Dr Vasu Chaudhary is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT), Jais, Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. Previously, I worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the CSIR–Indian Institute of Petroleum (Dehradun), the University of Saskatchewan (Canada), and the Indian Institute of Technology (Guwahati). I hold a Ph.D. and M. Tech. in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, and a B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from Banasthali Vidyapeeth, Rajasthan. I have published more than 15 research articles in reputed international journals, including ACS Energy and Fuels, Fuel Processing Technology, Catalysis Today, Fuel, Sustainable Energy and Fuels, and Journal of Porous Materials, etc. My research expertise spans biomass to biofuel conversion, hydrothermal liquefaction, technoeconomic and life cycle analysis, and mesoporous silica materials. I have presented my research at prestigious international conferences such as the International Symposium on Chemical Reaction Engineering (Quebec), Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference (Calgary), and Asia Pacific Congress on Catalysis (Bangkok).

Education
Ph D 2022 Chemical Engineering Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi 
M Tech 2016 Chemical Engineering Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi 
B Tech 2014 Chemical Engineering Banasthali Vidyapeeth, Newai, Rajasthan 
Experience
October 2025 – Till Date Visiting Assistant Professor, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Jais, Amethi
September 2024 – September 2025 Senior Project Associate, CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
November 2022 – April 2024 Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
November 2021 – August 2022 Research Associate, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Assam

Undergraduate

  • Energy Resource Utilization
  • Energy Resource Utilization Lab
Research Interests
  • Biomass to Biofuel conversion
  • Hydrothermal Liquefaction
  • Blending and co-processing studies with Petroleum fractions
  • Technoeconomic and Lifecycle Analysis
  • Mesoporous silica materials
Invited Talks
  • Industrial Lecture – CLIR16, NIT Tiruchirappalli, April 04, 2025
  • IIChE – CHEMCON, NIT Jalandhar, Dec 28, 2025
  • Karyashala Workshop, NIT Rourkela, Mar 07, 2024
  • IIChE – CHEMCON (Indo-Canadian Joint Symposium), Kolkata, Dec 27, 2024
Journal Publications
  1. Red mud-supported Ni and Co catalysts for hydrodeoxygenation of palmitic acid: insights into reaction pathway, product selectivity, and catalyst recyclability,” Janaki Komandur, Vasu Chaudhary, Ravikrishnan Vinu, Kaustubha Mohanty, ACS Energy & Fuels 2025, 39, 8964-8976. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c01135.
  2. “Production of biocrude via the hydrothermal liquefaction of woody biomass and upgrading into sustainable transportation fuels: A comprehensive review,” Sreenavya Awadakkam, Vasu Chaudhary, Venu Babu Borugadda, Ajay K Dalai, Fuel 2025, 395, 135062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2025.135062.
  3. “Advancing hydrothermal liquefaction of Canadian forestry biomass for sustainable biocrude production: Co-solvent integration, co-liquefaction, and process optimization,” Sreenavya Awadakkam, Vasu Chaudhary, Ramesh Kalagnanam, Venu Babu Borugadda, Ajay K Dalai, Sustainable Energy & Fuels 2025,  9, 1717-1728. DOI: 10.1039/D4SE01347F.
  4. “A critical review on the production and upgradation of sustainable biocrude from hydrothermal liquefaction of Canadian-grown agricultural biomass,” Vasu Chaudhary, Sreenavya Awadakkam, Venu Babu Borugadda, Ajay K Dalai, Sustainable Energy & Fuels 2024, 8, 5305-5328. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE00527A.
  5. “Production of sustainable biocrude from Canadian agricultural biomass: Process optimization and product characterization,” Vasu Chaudhary, Sreenavya Awadakkam, John Garret Bews Churchill, Venu Babu Borugadda, Ajay K Dalai, Fuel Processing Technology 2024, 261, 108108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2024.108108.
  6. “Catalytic co-pyrolysis of Mesua ferrea L. de-oiled cake and garlic husk in the presence of red-mud-based catalysts,” Abhishek Kumar, Janaki Komandur, Vasu Chaudhary, Kaustubha Mohanty, Catalysts 2023, 13, 1401. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13111401.
  7. “Ethylbenzene oxidation over KIT-6 mesoporous silica-based hybrid supported catalysts”, Vasu Chaudhary, Sweta, Journal of Polymer Research 2021, 12, 464. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-021-02825-2.
  8. “Study of ethylbenzene oxidation over polymer-silica hybrid supported Co (II) and Cu (II) complexes,” Vasu Chaudhary, Sweta, Catalysis Today 2021, 375, 601-613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2020.02.043.
  9. “Synthesis of polymer-supported metal catalysts for solvent-free oxidation of ethylbenzene with TBHP,” Vasu Chaudhary, Sweta, Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering 2020, 15, 2441. https://doi.org/10.1002/apj.2441.
  10. “Effect of various synthesis parameters on styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer properties,” Vasu Chaudhary, Sweta, Journal of Porous Materials 2019, 26, 1559-1571. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10934-019-00753-7.
  11. “Suspension polymerization technique: parameters affecting polymer properties and application in oxidation reactions,” Vasu Chaudhary, Sweta, Journal of Polymer Research 2019, 26, 102-113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-019-1767-8.
  12. “Synthesis and catalytic activity of SBA-15 supported catalysts for styrene oxidation”, Vasu Chaudhary, Sweta, Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering 2018, 26, 1300-1306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjche.2018.01.025.
  13. “An overview of ordered mesoporous material SBA-15: synthesis, functionalization and application in oxidation reactions”, Vasu Chaudhary, Sweta, Journal of Porous Materials 2017, 24, 741-749. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10934-016-0311-z.
Book Chapters
  1. “Artificial Intelligence in biofuel production,” Vasu Chaudhary, Depak Kumar, Optimizing Biofuel Production with Artificial Intelligence 2024, 33-51 (Wiley). ISBN 9781394301287.  https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394301287.ch2.
  2. “Catalytic upgradation of bio-crude produced from hydrothermal liquefaction of agro-forestry biomass,” Vasu Chaudhary, Mausam Sinha, Venu Babu Borugadda, Ajay K. Dalai, Emerging Biofuels 2024, 135-150 (Elsevier). ISBN 978-0-323-99547-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-99547-4.00001-0.
Paper Presentations at International Conferences
  1. International Conference on Shaping the Energy Future: Challenges and Opportunities, CSIR-IIP Dehradun, April 23-25, 2025
  2. Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Calgary, Oct 29- Nov 1, 2023
  3. International Symposium on Chemical Reaction Engineering, Quebec, June 11-14, 2023
  4. Asia Pacific Congress on Catalysis, Bangkok, Aug 4-7, 2019
  5. International Conference on Composite Materials and Structures, IIT Hyderabad, Dec 27-29, 2017
  6. International Conferences on Recent Advances in Analytical Sciences, IIT BHU Varanasi, April 8-10, 2016
  • Member, DUGC Committee
Membership of Professional Bodies

Electron Microscopy Society of India (ID: LM-1549); Biotech Research Society of India (ID: 4406)
Reviewer

Fuel (Elsevier); Journal of the Energy Institute (Elsevier); Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering (Wiley); Industrial Crops and Products (Elsevier); Research on Chemical Intermediates (Elsevier)
International Conference Travel Grant (University of Saskatchewan, Canada and IIT BHU Varanasi, India)

Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Calgary, Canada, Oct 29- Nov 1, 2023

International Symposium on Chemical Reaction Engineering, Quebec, Canada, June 11-14, 2023

Asia Pacific Congress on Catalysis, Bangkok, Thailand, Aug 4-7, 2019
International Post-Doctoral Fellowship University of Saskatchewan, Canada (2022)
Recognized Top-cited paper  Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering (2021)
Second prize in poster presentation Institute Day at Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi 
Awarded MHRD Fellowship M Tech (2014) and PhD (2016)
Graduate Aptitude Test in Chemical Engineering (GATE)

All India Rank = 967 (2016); All India Rank = 1443 (2014)
Awarded Institute Graduation Fellowship Banasthali Vidyapeeth (2010-2013)
Banasthali University Engineering Entrance Exam All India Rank = 365 (2010)
Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) Engineering Entrance Exam All India Rank = 609 (2010)

 

Dr Vasu Chaudhary

Visiting Assistant Professor
Chemical Engineering
On Contract
;