Background

Education

Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (2013)
Purdue University, Ph.D. Chemical Engineering (2013 – Present)

Experience

• CISTAR, Graduate Student Researcher - Thrust 2 (2017 – present)
• Journal of Catalysis, Reviewer (2017 – present)
• Purdue University, Member of Chemical & Laboratory Safety Committee (2016 – present)
• Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Graduate Research Assistant (2013 – present)
• Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Member of Safety Committee (2015 – 2017)
• Gounder Research Group, Safety Officer (2014-2016)
• Institute of Chemical Technology, Summer Research Fellow (2011)

Selected Honors and Awards

• Best Oral Presentation Award in Energy and Catalysis, Purdue Chemical Engineering (2017)
• Outstanding Service and Scholarship Award, Purdue College of Engineering (2017)
• Magoon Award for Excellence in Teaching, Purdue College of Engineering (2017)
• Chemical Engineering Excellence in Safety Award, Purdue Chemical Engineering (2016)
• Phillips 66 Graduate Fellowship, Purdue Chemical Engineering (2015)
• Golden Jubilee Best Student Award, Institute of Chemical Technology (2013)
• Chemical Weekly Award for Best Research Paper, Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (2012)
• Best Student from Penultimate Year, Institute of Chemical Technology (2012)
• Summer Research Fellowship, (Jointly by) Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Sciences India (2011)

Project Description

In recent years, discovery of shale gas reserves has led to substantial increase in production of natural gas and associated NGLs (ethane, propane and butane). This has led to a cheap and abundant availability of natural gas and NGLs as against naphtha which is obtained from crude oil. My research interests are to investigate catalytic routes for the conversion of NGLs into fuels and chemicals.

My current research involves the synthesis of acidic and metal-exchanged zeolites and mesoporous molecular sieves, and their use in detailed kinetic studies of light alkene dimerization and oligomerization. Specifically, my thesis work is focused on understanding the mechanistic details of alkene dimerization catalyzed by Ni cations confined within zeolites. Besides this, my role in CISTAR thrust 2 involves investigating transition metal exchanged zeolites and molecular sieves with different active site structures, functionality/bifunctionality and proximity between active sites. The goal is to understand the influence of structural properties of these catalysts on alkene oligomerization reaction rate and products’ distribution. I am also investigating different reactor operating regimes for stable performance of these catalysts.

Publications

• Gounder, R.; Joshi, R., Nickel-based microporous and mesoporous catalysts for selective olefin oligomerization, United States Provisional Patent Application No. 62/539742, August 1, 2017
• R.K. Joshi, P.R. Gogate, Degradation of dichlorvos using hydrodynamic cavitation based treatment strategies, Ultrason. Sonochem., 19 (2012) 532-539