
Janardhan
Balapanuru
Profile
Biography
Senior Professional Officer at Food Chemical & Biotech Cluster at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) with over a decade of post-Ph.D. industrial and academic experience in Material Science especially Graphene composites and membranes. I specialize in Environmental Sustainability, advanced materials, and cutting-edge innovations for energy and environmental applications.
Expert in developing nano-composites, Graphene-infused catalysts, and 3D-printed composites for water and air filtration. Aware of concepts- ESG reporting, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), carbon crediting, and decarbonization strategies to support Net Zero initiatives.
A proven leader and communicator with a track record of translating complex research into real-world applications. Passionate about mentoring future engineers and scientists, fostering innovation, and bridging industry and academia.
Active member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) and Project Management Institute (PMI-USA), contributing to sustainability and project management advancements.
SIT Appointments
- Senior Professional Officer– Present
Education
- Ph.D. in Chemistry/Materials ScienceNational University of Singapore , Singapore
Achievements
- NUS Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI) Doctorial Fellowship 2009-2013
Professional Certification
- My Green Lab AmbassadorMy Green Lab, USA
- Member of The International Society of Sustainability ProfessionalsISSP - International Society of Sustainability Professionals
- PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®Project Management Institute (PMI)-USA–
- Project Management Professional (PMP®)Project Management Institute (PMI)-USA–
Industry Experience
- Regional Manager of Engineering., Grafoid Inc., Canada–
- Research & Development Manager, Grafoid Inc., Canada–
- Senior Chemist, Grafoid Inc., Canada–
- Senior Chemist, Graphite Zero Singapore Pte. Ltd., Singapore–
Applied Research
Technical Skills
- Analytical Techniques: SEM, AFM, XRD, FT-IR, NMR, UV-Vis, TGA , Chromatography
- Materials Science: Graphene, Polymer Composites, Catalysis
- Sustainability: Membrane Technology, Water Treatment, Carbon Capture
Research Interests
-
Desing and Synthesis of Advanced Graphene-Based Nanocomposites and Polymer Membranes for Energy and Environmental Applications
-
Graphene Oxide infused UF membranes for Water Filtration
-
Carbon Capture and Storage Materials
-
Advanced Energy-efficient Electrospun Air Filtration Membranes
Current Projects
- Design and Development of Materials for Carbon Capture and Storage– Present
Past Projects
- Synthesis of GO/Biopolymer composite for heavy metal ion removal for drinking water applications–
- Design and fabrication of industrial-scale Graphene-based membranes for wastewater treatment and nanofiltration–
- Graphene-polymer composites including GO/PES, GO/PVDF, and GO/PAN composites–
Teaching
Teaching Modules
Pharmaceutical Engineering, BEng (Hons)
- PHE2224 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Chemical Engineering, BEng (Hons)
- TCE2051 - Organic Chemistry Lab Course
Past
- CM3292 - Advanced Experiments in Analytical and Physical Chemistry (2009-2011, National University of Singapore)
Publications
Journal Papers
Shi Wun Tong, Janardhan Balapanuru, Deyi Fu, and Kian Ping Loh "Thermally Stable Mesoporous Perovskite Solar Cells Incorporating Low-Temperature Processed Graphene/Polymer Electron Transporting Layer" ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2016, 8 (43), pp 29496–29503.
Janardhan Balapanuru, Jia-Xiang Yang, Si Xiao, Qiaoliang Bao, Maryam Jahan, L Polavarapu, Qing- Hua Xu, Ji Wei, Kian Ping Loh , A "Graphene Oxide–Organic Dye Ionic Complex with DNA-Sensing and Optical-Limiting Properties" Angewandte Chemie, 2010, 49, 6549-6553.
Janardhan Balapanuru, Gordon Chiu, Chenliang Su, Na Zhou, Zhu Hai,Qing-hua Xu, and Kian Ping Loh "Photoactive PDI–Cobalt Complex Immobilized on Reduced Graphene Oxide for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting" ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2015, 7 (1), pp 880–886.
Janardhan Balapanuru, Kiran Kumar Manga, Wei Fu, Ibrahim Abdelwahab, Guangrong Zhou, Mengxiong Li, Hongbin Lu, Kian Ping Loh "Desalination properties of a free-standing, partially oxidized few-layer graphene membrane" Desalination, 2019, 451, 72-80.
Venkatesh Mamidala*, L. Polavarapu*, Janardhan Balapanuru, Kian Ping Loh, Wei Ji, and Qing-Hua Xu, "Enhanced Nonlinear Optical response in Donor-Acceptor complexes via Photo induced Electron/Energy Transfer" Optics express, 2010, 18, 25928.
Chenliang Su, Rika Tandiana, Janardhan Balapanuru, Wei Tang, KapilPareek, Chang Tai Nai, Tamio Hayashi, and Kian Ping Loh
"Tandem Catalysis of Amines Using Porous Graphene Oxide" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2015, 137 (2), pp 685–690L. Polavarapu, Kiran Kumar Manga, Yu Kuai, Priscilla Kailian Ang, Cao Hanh Duyen, Janardhan Balapanuru, Kian Ping Loh, Qing-Hua Xu. "Alkylamine capped metal nanoparticle “inks” for printable SERS substrates, electronics and broadband photodetectors" Nanoscale, 2011, 3, 2268.
Books
- Book Chapter : Nanoporous Carbon Materials for Energy Harvesting, Storage, and Conversion @ Handbook of Porous Carbon Materials Book Chapter : Nanoporous Carbon Materials for Energy Harvesting, Storage, and Conversion @ Handbook of Porous Carbon Materials
SPRINGER NATURE; ISBN: 978-981-19-7187-7 · Nov 14, 2022
IP / Patents
- Simple yet efficient process to extract Graphene nanosheets into Organic Solvents (process know-how)
- Advanced-Graphene Infused-PES Hollowfiber membranes for Ultrafiltration (UF) applications (process know-how)
- Graphene-Based Filters and systems comprising the same (US Patent, 2020)
- Graphene-based membrane for Water Filtration (US Patent, 2019)