Prashant kumar

Dr. Prashant Kumar is a Research Assistant at RMIT University, Melbourne, working across analytical chemistry, materials science, and sustainable technologies. He earned his Ph.D. in 2024 through a joint doctoral program between the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), India, and RMIT University, Australia.

Dr. Kumar’s research integrates advanced materials development with analytical method innovation. His expertise lies in the design, synthesis, and functionalization of powder-based and 2D materials, including biochar, carbonaceous frameworks, and metal/metal oxide composites, tailored for applications in catalysis, separations, and resource recovery. He employs diverse synthesis and modification strategies such as hydrothermal treatments, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), sol-gel, and co-precipiataion, enabling the creation of materials with hierarchical porosity, high surface activity, and enhanced chemical stability. These engineered materials are central to sustainable transformations, pollution abatement, and circular economy applications.

Complementing his materials expertise, Dr. Kumar has extensive experience in analytical chemistry and method validation. He has developed and optimized protocols using GC-MS/MS, ICP-MS, UPLC, and HPLC for analyzing complex matrices, environmental pollutants, essential oil derivatives, and catalytic products. A key theme of his postdoctoral research is the valorization of essential oils, notably the selective catalytic transformation of citronellal into enantiospecific p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) using metal-doped sulfonated biochar catalysts. This work couples materials design with analytical workflows to identify intermediates, quantify yields, and assess reaction selectivity with high precision.

In parallel, he contributes to industry-funded sustainability projects (Sustainability Victoria, CRC-P), focusing on scalable waste-to-resource technologies. Here, he integrates materials development, analytical characterization, and techno-economic analysis to ensure both scientific impact and industrial applicability, while adhering to NABL/ISO 17025 and GLP guidelines.

Overall, Dr. Kumar’s research bridges powder and 2D-materials engineering with advanced analytical chemistry, enabling innovations in green catalysis, essential oil valorization, environmental monitoring, and sustainable industrial processes.