Hemant Choudhary

Education

Bachelor’s Degree: Chemistry (Honors), University of Calcutta, India (2006-2009)

Master’s Degree:

• Chemical Synthesis and Process Technologies, University of Delhi-India (2009-2012)
• Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (2011-2012); Advisor: Professor Kohki Ebitani

Doctoral Degree: Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (2012-2015); Advisor: Professor Kohki Ebitani

Postdoctoral Fellowships

• JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (2015-2016)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, McGill University-Canada (2016-2017); Advisor: Professor Robin D. Rogers
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alabama (2017-2018); Advisor: Professor Robin D. Rogers
• Sandia National Laboratories (2019-present)

Research Interests

Pre-treatment of Biomass using Ionic Liquids or Deep Eutectic Solvents

Development of economical methodologies for the pre-treatment of biomass using ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvent (DES) systems with a focus to enhance efficacy of the process, decrease the pH of the pre-treatment solution, and reduce the overall cost.

Lignin Depolymerization

Development of metal-based DES for the catalytic lignin depolymerization into value-added aromatic units.

Chemicals from Biomass

Chemo-catalytic processing of pre-treated biomass into organic acids and other building blocks.

Awards, Honors, and Memberships

• Elected as Co-Chair at 2020 Ionic Liquids – Gordon Research Seminar (2020)
• Guest Editor (with Md. Imeteyaz Alam) for Journal of Chemistry, Special issue on “Biomass-Derived Chemicals and Materials: Opportunities, Challenges, and Sustainability” (2018)
• Invited to be a Discussion Leader at 2018 Ionic Liquids – Gordon Research Seminar (2018)
• Outstanding Achievement Award during doctoral study at JAIST (2015)
• Yoshida Foundation for Science and Technology Travel Grant (2015)
• JAIST Foundation Research Grant for Conference Presentation (2015)
• JSPS Kakenhi Research Grant (2014-2016)
• JAIST Foundation Research Grant for Conference Presentation (2014)
• Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant, The Japan Science Society (2014-2015)
• JSPS Fellowship for Young Scientists (2014-2016)
• Best Poster Presenter (Selected as the faculty members’ choice award) in JAIST Poster Challenge, JAIST, Japan (2013)
• JAIST Foundation Research Grant for Conference Presentation (2012)
• JAIST’s Graduate Research Program Fellowship for Doctoral Course (2012-2015)
• JAIST International Exchange Program Scholarship (2011-2012)

Selected Publications

• Max E Easton#, Hemant Choudhary#, and Robin D Rogers, “Azolate anions in ionic liquids: Promising and under-utilized components of the ionic liquid toolbox,” Chemistry – A European Journal, 2018, DOI: 10.1002/chem.201802957. (# Equal contribution)
• Julia L Shamshina, Oleksandra Zavgorodnya, Hemant Choudhary, Brandon Frye, Nathaniel Newbury, and Robin D Rogers, “In search of stronger/cheaper chitin nanofibers through electrospinning of chitin cellulose composites using an ionic liquid platform,” ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2018, 6, 14713-14722. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b03269.
• Julia L Shamshina, Oleksandra Zavgorodnya, Paula Berton, Pratap Chhotaray, Hemant Choudhary, and Robin D Rogers, “Ionic liquid platform for spinning composite chitin-poly(lactic acid) fibers”, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2018, 6, 10241-10251. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b01554.
• Kai Li, Hemant Choudhary, and Robin D Rogers, “Ionic liquids for sustainable processes: Liquid metal catalysis,” Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 2018, 11, 15-21. DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsc.2018.02.011.
• Hemant Choudhary, Paula Berton, Gabriela Gurau, Allan S Myerson, and Robin D Rogers, “Ionic liquids in cross-coupling reactions: “liquid” solutions to a “solid” precipitation problem,” Chemical Communications, 2018, 54, 2056-2059. DOI: 10.1039/c7cc09635f.
• Manish Kumar Mishra, Steven P Kelley, Julia L Shamshina, Hemant Choudhary, and Robin D Rogers, “Can melting point trends help us develop new tools to control the crystal packing of weakly interacting ions?,” Crystal Growth & Design, 2018, 18, 597-601. DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.7b01680.
• Hemant Choudhary, Juliusz Pernak, Julia L Shamshina, Michal Niemczak, Rafal Giszter, Lukasz Chrzanowski, Tadeusz Praczyk, Katarzyna Marcinkowska, Oana A Cojocaru, and Robin D Rogers, “Two herbicides in a single compound: Double salt herbicidal ionic liquids exemplified with glyphosate, dicamba, and MCPA,” ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2017, 5, 6261-6273. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b01224.
• Hemant Choudhary, Jixiang Jia, Shun Nishimura, and Kohki Ebitani, “Surfactant-assisted Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction of unreactive chlorobenzene over hydrotalcite-supported palladium catalyst,” Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2017, 6, 274-277. DOI: 10.1002/ajoc.201600606.
• Hemant Choudhary and Kohki Ebitani, “Hydrotalcite-supported PdPt-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid in water,” Chemistry Letters, 2016, 45, 613-615. DOI: 10.1246/cl.160178.
• Hemant Choudhary and Kohki Ebitani, “A convenient surfactant-mediated hydrothermal approach to control supported copper oxide species for catalytic upgrading of glucose to lactic acid,” ChemNanoMat, 2015, 1, 511-516. DOI: 10.1002/cnma.201500131. [Highlighted in ChemistryViews.org]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura, and Kohki Ebitani, “Hydrothermal preparation of a robust boehmite-supported N,N-dimethyldodecylamine N-oxide-capped cobalt and palladium catalyst for the facile utilization of formic acid as a hydrogen source,” ChemCatChem, 2015, 7, 2361-2369. DOI: 10.1002/cctc.201500161.
• Jaya Tuteja, Shun Nishimura, Hemant Choudhary, and Kohki Ebitani, “Selective oxidation of 1,6-hexanediol to 6-hydroxycaproic acid over reusable hydrotalcite-supported Au-Pd bimetallic catalysts,” ChemSusChem, 2015, 8, 1862-1866. DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201500255.
• Ryo Sato, Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura, and Kohki Ebitani, “Synthesis of formic acid from monosaccharides using calcined Mg-Al hydrotalcite as reusable catalyst in the presence of aqueous hydrogen peroxide,” Organic Process Research & Development, 2015, 19, 449-453. DOI: 10.1021/op5004083.
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura, and Kohki Ebitani, “Synthesis of high-value organic acids from sugars promoted by hydrothermally loaded Cu oxide species on magnesia,” Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2015, 162, 1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2014.05.012.
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura, and Kohki Ebitani, “Tailored design of palladium species grafted on an amino functionalized organozinc coordination polymer as a highly-pertinent heterogeneous catalyst,” Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2014, 2, 18687-18696. DOI: 10.1039/c4ta03889d.
• Jaya Tuteja, Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura, and Kohki Ebitani, “Direct synthesis of 1,6-hexanediol from HMF over heterogeneous Pd/ZrP catalyst using formic acid as hydrogen source,” ChemSusChem, 2014, 7, 96-100. DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201300832. [Top 25 Most Accessed Articles 11/2013-10/2014]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura, and Kohki Ebitani, “Metal-free oxidative synthesis of succinic acid from biomass-derived furan compounds using a solid acid catalyst with hydrogen peroxide,” Applied Catalysis A: General, 2013, 458, 55-62. DOI: 10.1016/j.apcata.2013.03.033.
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura, and Kohki Ebitani, “Highly efficient aqueous oxidation of furfural to succinic acid using reusable heterogeneous acid catalyst with hydrogen peroxide,” Chemistry Letters, 2012, 41, 409-411. DOI: 10.1246/cl.2012.409.

Selected Book Chapters

• Hemant Choudhary, Kai Li, and Robin D Rogers, “Active pharmaceutical-ingredient ionic liquid: A new platform for the pharmaceutical industry,” in Encyclopedia of Ionic Liquids, accepted for publication.

Selected Patents

• Kohki Ebitani, Shun Nishimura, Jaya Tuteja, and Hemant Choudhary, “Metal-supported catalyst, catalyst material and synthesis method of hydroxyl-fatty acids,” JP 2016-187798 A (November 4, 2016); Filed: March 30, 2015.
• Shun Nishimura, Kohki Ebitani, and Hemant Choudhary, “Metal-supported porous coordination polymer catalyst,” WO 2015170688 A1 (November 12, 2015). JP Patent Application 2014-096036; Filed: May 7, 2014.
• Kohki Ebitani, Shun Nishimura, and Hemant Choudhary, “Copper catalyst: Synthesis and catalytic activity for lactic and formic acid,” JP 2015-134324 A (July 27, 2015); Filed: January 1, 2014.
• Kohki Ebitani, Shun Nishimura, Jaya Tuteja, and Hemant Choudhary, “Reduction catalyst, synthesis of 1,6-hexaendiol, synthesis of amino-benzene compounds,” JP 2015-077552 A (April 23, 2015); Filed: October 16, 2013.
• Kohki Ebitani, Shun Nishimura, and Hemant Choudhary, “Synthesis method of succinic acid,” JP 2013-126967 A (June 27, 2013); Filed: October 3, 2012.

Selected Conference Presentations

• Hemant Choudhary and Robin D Rogers, “Neutral molecules in oligomeric ionic liquids: There’s always a limit to the number!,” 2018 Ionic Liquids – Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), Maine, USA, 11th – 17th August 2018. [Poster]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura and Kohki Ebitani, “Sustainable catalytic conversions: Production of organic acids from inedible-biomass resources over heterogeneous catalysts,” The International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies 2015 (Pacifichem 2015), Hawaii, USA, 19th December 2015. [Poster]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura and Kohki Ebitani, “Synthesis, characterization and catalytic applications of functionalized porous coordination polymers,” The International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies 2015 (Pacifichem 2015), Hawaii, USA, 15th December 2015. [Oral]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura and Kohki Ebitani, “Capped Co-promoted Pd/AlOOH catalyst in dehydrogenation of formic acid for hydrogenation of maleic anhydride,” XII European Congress on Catalysis (EuropaCat-XII), Kazan, Russia, 2 September 2015. [Poster]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura and Kohki Ebitani, “A robust palladium species grafted on amino-functionalized organozinc coordination polymer for efficient Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction in open air,” 7th International Conference on Green and Sustainable Chemistry and 4th JACI/GSC Symposium, Tokyo, Japan, 8th July 2015. [Poster]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura and Kohki Ebitani, “Highly efficient and reusable heterogeneous copper catalyst for the synthesis of value-added organic acids from inedible biomass,” 4th International Solvothermal and Hydrothermal Association Conference (ISHA2014), Bordeaux, France, 28th October 2014. [Oral]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura and Kohki Ebitani, “Catalytic synthesis of organic acids for energy and plastics with biomass resources,” JAIST Japan-India Symposium on Automotive Technologies (Energy, Fuel and Plastics), Ishikawa, Japan, 4th August 2014. [Oral]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura and Kohki Ebitani, “Palladium-decorated amino-functionalized organozinc composites as stable and highly-active heterogeneous catalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura coupling,” The Seventh Tokyo Conference on Advanced Catalytic Science and Technology (TOCAT7), Kyoto, Japan, 2nd June 2014. [Poster]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura and Kohki Ebitani, “Cooperative catalysis of magnesia loaded copper for selective conversion of sugars into organic acids,” 247th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Dallas, USA, 20th March 2014. [Oral]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura and Kohki Ebitani, “Green chemistry – Development and practice (Design of heterogeneous catalysts for transformation of inedible-biomass into value-added chemicals),” JAIST Poster Challenge 2013, Ishikawa, Japan, 12th October 2013. [Poster] [Faculty members’ choice award]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura and Kohki Ebitani, “Green oxidation of furan carbonyls over heterogeneous catalyst in aqueous media,” 10th International Congress of Young Chemists (YoungChem 2012), Gdansk, Poland, 10th October 2012. [Oral]
• Hemant Choudhary, Shun Nishimura and Kohki Ebitani, “Green oxidation of furfural to succinic acid using hydrogen peroxide in the presence of heterogeneous catalyst in aqueous medium,” The Asia-Pacific Interdisciplinary Research Conference 2011 (APIRC 2011), Toyohashi, Japan, 17th November 2011. [Poster]
• Mangesh I. Chaudhari, Wei Zhang, Lawrence R. Pratt and Susan Rempe, “Molecular simulation studies of dimethylmethyl phosphonate aqueous solutions”, Poster presentation at Chemical and Biological Defense: Science and Technology conference, Orlando, FL, November 2010.
• Mangesh I.Chaudhari and LawrenceR. Pratt, “End pairing of soluble capped (-O-CH2-CH2-)n oligomers provides accessible direct observation of a hydrophobic bond”, AIChE annual meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, November 2010.