Usern_member

Dinesh Mohan

USERN Advisory Board



Educational Qualifications




(* Formerly known as University of Roorkee)




Current R&D/S&T Activities and Research Areas


Prof. Dinesh Mohan has more than 21 years of diverse research experience aimed at the challenging problems in the area of Energy and Environment. A key theme throughout Prof. Mohan’s career has been the merger of basic academic science research with the development of applications to industrial processes. The merger of basic science with engineering follows from his research pathway.


Professor Dinesh Mohan conducts research on water (ground and surface) and wastewater monitoring and development of sustainable treatment technologies, use of thermochemical platform for the production of biofuels (biooil) from lignocellulosic biomass. Prof. Mohan is also involved in biochar development, characterization and utilization in water filtration, soil immobilization and fertility, carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. Laboratory and field studies to evaluate the effects of biochar on crop yield, nutrient retention, nitrogen cycles, nitrous oxide and methane dynamics, water holding capacity and carbon cycling are in progress/completed. Prof. Mohan has developed a variety of activated carbons/magnetic carbons/nanosprbents/biochars for the remediation of organic (phenols, dyes, pharmaceuticals, pesticides etc.) and inorganic (heavy metal ions, fluoride, nitrate etc.) pollutants from water and wastewater.


Professor Mohan is also interested in the transfer of basic research to the private sectors/industries/ organizations/NGOs for commercial development to aid the poor peoples who cannot afford the sophisticated costly water treatment methods. This can range from applied to fundamental basic research. Some of the current research areas include:




  • Environmental/Aquatic/Surface Chemistry
  • Water/wastewater monitoring, assessment, modeling and remediation using physicochemical treatment methods (adsorption, ion-exchange, flocculation, froth flotation, filtration etc.)
  • Climate change mitigation: Biochar development and its applications in carbon sequestration
  • Biorefining and Carbon Cycling: Biomass fast pyrolysis for the development of Bio-oils (bio fuels) and Biochars, Bio-oils fractionation, Biorefineries
  • Development of low cost adsorbents/biosorbents/magnetic adsorbents/magnetic nanosorbents/ magnetic nanoparticles/nanospheres for the remediation of emerging contaminants ( eg. arsenic, fluoride, nitrate, iron, pharmaceuticals, phenols, pesticides from water)
  • Surface chemistry of activated carbons, biochars and alternative adsorbents (physical and chemical properties)
  • Applications of biochar for remediation of contaminated (heavy metals and organic pollutants) soils
  • Acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment and control
  • Development of environmentally friendly wood preservatives
  • Deinking of pulp and paper
  • Technology development for arsenic, fluoride, and chromium remediation


Total Research Experience:21 years



Professional Career (in reverse chronological order)