Kumar Vikrant, PhD
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Assistant Professor - Materials Science and Environmental Chemical Engineering
Biography
Dr. Kumar Vikrant is an Assistant Professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. He previously served for three years as a Research Assistant Professor (Research Faculty) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
He earned his Bachelor of Technology (Hons.) in Chemical Engineering and Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India, and his doctorate from Hanyang University, where he worked in the “Air Quality and Materials Application Lab” under the guidance of Prof. Ki-Hyun Kim.
Dr. Vikrant’s research focuses on applying advanced functional materials to air pollution control technologies, particularly through adsorption and heterogeneous catalysis (thermo-, photo-, and photo-thermal). His work involves metal–organic frameworks, supported noble metal catalysts, metal oxides, and their composites, with applications in environmental remediation and sustainable energy.
He serves on the advisory board of Environmental Advances (Elsevier) and the editorial board of Atmosphere (MDPI). Since 2021, he has been consistently listed among the world’s top 2% of scientists in Earth and Environmental Sciences and Chemical Engineering, according to data released by Elsevier.
• Advanced Functional Materials
• Metal-Organic Frameworks
• Supported Noble Metal Catalysts
• Metal Oxides
• Activated Carbon
• Catalytic Oxidation
• Adsorption
• Heterogeneous Catalysis
• Volatile Organic Compounds
• Air Quality Management and Control
• Environmental Statistics
• Environmental Technology
• Air Pollution Control
• Advanced Materials in Catalysis and Adsorption
• Environmental Analysis
• Introduction to Chemical Engineering
1. He, X., Vikrant, K., Boukhvalov, D.W., Kim, K.-H. Synthesis, performance, and reaction mechanisms of titanium dioxide-silicon carbide as a step-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst against formaldehyde in air. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2025 (ISSN: 1873-3212). 519, 164114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.164114.
2. Cho, M.-S., Vikrant, K., Boukhvalov, D.W., Kim, K.-H. The Photocatalytic Efficacy of Potassium Hydroxide-Based Modification of Titanium Dioxide in the Oxidative Destruction of Gaseous Formaldehyde. Small. 2025 (ISSN: 1613-6829). 21 (21), 2501387. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202501387.
3. Vikrant, K., Kim, K.-H, Heynderickx, P.M., Boukhvalov, D.W. Titanium carbide MXene/anatase titanium dioxide-supported gold catalysts for the low-temperature oxidation of benzene in indoor air. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. 2025 (ISSN: 1095-7103). 695, 137770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2025.137770.
4. Vikrant, K., Chung, M.W., Boukhvalov, D.W., Heynderickx, P.M., Kim, K.-H., Weon, S. A platinum ensemble catalyst for room-temperature removal of formaldehyde in the air. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2023 (ISSN: 1873-3212). 475, 146007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.146007.
5. Vikrant, K., Kim, K.-H., He, C., Giannakoudakis, D.A. Harnessing adsorption-catalysis synergy: Efficient oxidative removal of gaseous formaldehyde by a manganese dioxide/metal-organic framework nanocomposite at room temperature. Advanced Functional Materials. 2022 (ISSN: 1616-3028). 32 (22), 2107922. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202107922.
6. Vikrant, K., Kim, K.-H., Dong, F., Heynderickx, P.M., Boukhvalov, D.W. Low-temperature oxidative removal of gaseous formaldehyde by an eggshell waste supported silver-manganese dioxide bimetallic catalyst with ultralow noble metal content. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2022 (ISSN: 1873-3336). 434, 128857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128857.
7. Vikrant, K., Kim, K.-H., Kwon, E.E., Boukhvalov, D.W. Reactive adsorption and catalytic oxidation of gaseous formaldehyde at room temperature by a synergistic copper-magnesium bimetal oxide biochar composite. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2022 (ISSN: 1873-3212). 433, 133497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2021.133497.
8. Vikrant, K., Kim, K.-H., Dong, F., Boukhvalov, D.W., Choi, W. Deep oxidation of gaseous formaldehyde at room-temperature by a durable catalyst formed through the controlled addition of potassium to platinum supported on waste eggshell. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2022 (ISSN: 1873-3212). 428, 131177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2021.131177.
9. Vikrant, K., Kim, K.-H., Kumar, V., Giannakoudakis, D.A., Boukhvalov, D.W. Adsorptive removal of an eight-component volatile organic compound mixture by Cu-, Co-, and Zr-metal-organic frameworks: experimental and theoretical studies. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2020 (ISSN: 1873-3212). 397, 125391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.125391.
10. Vikrant, K., Kim, K.-H., Kumar, S., Boukhvalov, D.W. Metal-organic frameworks for the adsorptive removal of gaseous aliphatic ketones. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2020 (ISSN: 1944-8252). 12 (9), 10317-10331. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b20375.
• 2022: Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
• 2018: B.Tech. (Hons.) in Chemical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
• 2022 Best Ph.D. Thesis Award. The Research Institute of Industrial Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
• 2022 Best Ph.D. Thesis Award. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
