News

Dr Divya Chaturvedi SRMAP

It is a matter of incredible honour to SRM University-AP, for Dr Divya Chaturvedi, Assistant Professor, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering has been chosen as a special issue guest editor at Hindawi, one of the world’s largest publishers of peer-reviewed, fully open access journals of scientific, technical, and medical literature. Dr Divya has been keenly pursuing the umpteen possibilities of substrate integrated waveguide based cavity backed antennas, leaky wave antennas, wearable antennas for medical applications, and Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) for 5G communication since the beginning of her career. And her research genius has bestowed her with numerous awards and recognitions over these years.

As a guest editor for Hindawi, Dr Divya would be responsible for the special issues “Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) Based Circuits and Systems” and “The Future of Wireless Communications Systems: 5G and beyond” from the journals: International Journal of Antennas and Propagation and Journal of Computer Networks and Communications respectively. While the former aims to publish outstanding papers presenting cutting-edge advances in the field of microwave and millimetre-wave circuits and systems, the recent technological advancements in wireless communication systems will be focused in the latter.

Having served as the reviewer and member of various editorial boards and conferences, Dr Divya comes with a wealth of experience to put her expertise for the advancement of the publication. At Hindawi, she gets to work with a strong team of editors and network with like-minded colleagues around the world. ”It is truly fascinating to be a part of the Hindawi editorial board. The influential network that we build here could provide leads on professional opportunities or introduce us to new contacts in our discipline”, she remarked. This would also give her the liberty to handle manuscripts close to her professional interests and exert her creativity in the inception and development of a topic. The tenure of her role as an editor is expected to last for twelve months.

Sustainable approach for valorization of solid wastes as a secondary resource through urban mining Dr Pankaj Pathak from the Department of Environmental Science has been keenly involved in research studies involving solid waste management and the effective conversion of wastes to energy. Her latest research publication Sustainable approach for valorization of solid wastes as a secondary resource through urban mining proposes an enhanced solution for the sustainable management of different types of solid wastes. It was published in the Journal of Environmental Management with an impact factor 8.98.

In this paper, sustainable alternative valorisation techniques that aid in maximum recovery from waste materials, and associated challenges and limitations have been highlighted. These solid wastes mainly include construction and demolition wastes, organic food wastes, plastic, and WEEE (Waste electrical and electronic equipment) from various sources. In order to overcome these challenges, a sustainable circular model is recommended in this paper that will help minimise the negative environmental impacts, maximise the life cycle of material, reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, and thereby sustainably manage waste. Implementation of this recommendation can help in achieving the target of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The article was published in collaboration with her PhD Scholar MSSR Tejaswini, and D.K. Gupta, Member Secretary in the Hazardous Substance Management Division in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, New Delhi.

Abstract

The incessant population has increased the production and consumption of plastics, paper, metals, and organic materials, which are discarded as solid waste after their end of life. The accumulation of these wastes has created growing concerns all over the world. However, conventional methods of solid waste management i.e., direct combustion and landfilling have caused several negative impacts on the environment (releasing toxic chemicals and greenhouse gases, huge land use) besides affecting human health. Therefore, it is requisite to determine sustainable alternative technologies that not only help in mitigating environmental issues but also increase the economic value of the discarded solid wastes. This process is known as urban mining where waste is converted into secondary resources and thereby conserves the natural primary resources. Thus, this review highlights the technological advancements in the valorisation process of discarded wastes and their sustainable utilization. We also discussed several limitations of the existing urban mining processes and further the feasibility of valorisation techniques was critically analysed from a techno-economical perspective. This paper recommends a novel sustainable model based on the circular economy concept, where waste is urban mined and recovered as a secondary resource to support the united nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). The implementation of this model will ultimately help the developing countries to achieve the target of SDGs 11, 12, and 14.

Research SRMAP

The Department of Chemistry is glad to announce that Assistant Professor Dr Nimai Mishra and his research group Manoj Palabathuni, Syed Akhil, and Rahul Singh have published an article titled “Charge Transfer in Photoexcited Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals: Review of Materials and Applications” in the Q1 journal “ACS Applied Nano Materials ” published by The American Chemical Society. The journal has an Impact Factor of 6.14.

Cesium Lead Halide (CsPbX3) perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) have attracted significant views from researchers due to their essential optoelectronic properties, especially long charge carrier transfer, high efficiency in visible light absorption, and long excited states lifetime, etc. Because of these properties, these materials exhibit outstanding charge transfer and charge separation, which enables them for solar cell applications. Recently, cesium lead halide perovskites have emerged as photocatalysts. In photovoltaics or photocatalysis, upon photoexcitation, the exciton dissociates, and the electron/hole is transmitted from the conduction/valance bands to the electron/hole acceptors. Therefore, it is essential to understand how the charge transfer occurs at the PNCs interface, which can help the researcher maximize the output in solar cells and photocatalytic efficiency.

In this article, Dr Mishra’s research group has outlined different charge transfer dynamics based on critical factors and discussed their optoelectronic properties. Electron/hole transfer dynamics are the most concerning characteristic; thus, they reviewed the relevant literature that reported efficient electron/hole transfer performance. In the end, they highlighted the recent development of the use of perovskite nanocrystal as photocatalyst in organic synthesis.

Read the full paper here

Indian Bank SRM AP MoU

Indian Bank has collaborated with Hatchlab Research Centre, TBI of SRM University-AP to launch ‘IND Spring Board’, an initiative for financing start-ups and MSMEs. The bank will extend loans of up to Rs. 50 crore to start-ups incubated at SRM Hatchlab for their working capital requirements or purchase of machinery and equipment. This collaboration is one of its kind in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Introducing the ventures at Hatchlab Research Centre, which will be availing of the Ind Spring Board scheme, Mr Udayan Bakshi, Associate Director – Entrepreneurship, Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, highlighted the successful student ventures from SRM University-AP that has crossed 1Cr turnover. “SRM AP actively engage in business through the local community. This collaboration will further strengthen the MSME sector,” stated University Registrar Dr R Premkumar, signing the MoU.

Speaking on the occasion, Sri N K Sharma GM – MSME Indian Bank expressed his delight in collaborating with SRM University-AP along with other premier institutes like IITs and IIMs across the country. Sri C D Ramarao – Zonal Manager, Indian Bank, Guntur, described the genesis of the Ind Spring Board project and said Andhra Pradesh has a start-up-friendly ecosystem to nurture innovations.

Hatchlab Research Centre – the technology and livelihood business incubator of SRM University-AP facilitates the incubation of student startups. 10,000+ sq. ft., state-of-the-art incubator space and Seed Funding are provided to eligible student ventures. 40+ student startups, 200+ industry mentors, and $120,000 angel investment are peculiar to the conducive entrepreneurial environment of SRM University-AP. The alum entrepreneurial venture Oureye.ai received an additional investment of $50,0000. Integrating global vision and grassroots connect, the entrepreneurship-based clubs and activities like Socio Impacto, Explorer Hive, Saurvi, Research Clan, etc., are vital elements of SRM E-cell. The university further promotes student-run labs such as Next-Tech Lab and Ennovab, where students share their ideas to curate those into applications that benefit society.

Sri C Jagan Mohan Rao – Deputy Zonal Manager, Sri Raghavendra – Senior Manager, Sri Satya Dev-Branch Manager, Sri M S Sagar – Chief Manager and Jaya Prakash Narayana – Head of International Collaboration & PR – Hatchlab Research Centre were also present on the occasion.

TOP