About us

Dr. Suraj Gupta

Suraj profile crop

Research associate

Biography

Education

Dr. Suraj Gupta completed his master’s degree in Physics and Materials Science from the University of Mumbai, India (2011). He completed his PhD in 2016 from the Department of Physics, University of Mumbai (India). Later, he joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Bombay (India) as a National Postdoctoral Fellow (2017). A year later (2018), he moved to the School of Engineering at University of Liverpool (UK) as a Commonwealth Rutherford Fellow. Presently, he is staffed at the Advanced Materials Department of the Josef Stefan Institute in Slovenia.
Dr. Gupta’s research is focused on finding sustainable solutions to real world challenges. His specific research interests lie in electrocatalysis and photocatalysis for renewable fuel generation, with a focus on producing green hydrogen from freshwater as well as low-grade water sources.



2016: Doctorate in Physics, Department of Physics, University of Mumbai, India.
Doctoral Thesis: “Synthesis of nanocatalysts and their applications to hydrogen production by electrolysis of water and hydrolysis of chemical hydrides.”
2011: Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Physics with specialization in Materials Science, Department of Physics, University of Mumbai, India.

Professional background

June 2021 – present: Research Associate, Advanced Materials Department, Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia.
July 2020 – Jan 2021: Honorary Associate, School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
April 2020 – Jun 2020: Research Associate, School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
March 2018 – Feb 2020: Commonwealth Rutherford Fellow, School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Feb 2017 – March 2018: National Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India.
Oct 2011 – April 2016: Research Fellow, Department of Physics, University of Mumbai, India.

Project Coordination

2023 - 2027: ANEMEL - ANion Exchange Membrane Electrolysis from Low-grade water sources - European Innovation Council (EIC), Grant Agreement No. 101071111
2023 - 2026: BoroCat - Experimental realization of 2D BORidene electrOCATalysts for anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzers – Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS), Project Number - J2-50055

2023 – Reviewer and rapporteur for M-ERA.NET projects
2019-20 – Reviewer and selection panellist for research projects under “Early Career Researchers and Returners Fund, Round 7” at University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

2023 - Member of the Slovenian Microscopy Society
2018 – Life Member of the Materials Research Society of India, Mumbai Chapter
2018 – Life Member of the Indian Association of Hydrogen Energy and Advanced Materials


Awards, Honors and Achievements

2023 - Best Poster Award at the Materials Today Conference, Singapore
2020 – Awarded membership from the American Chemical Society
2020 – Top Downloaded Paper, from Wiley, for publication in Advanced Functional Materials
2018 – Seal of Excellence, from European Commission, for project under Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship
2018 – Awarded Life Membership from the Indian Association of Hydrogen Energy and Advanced Materials
2017 – Seal of Excellence, from European Commission, for project under Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship
2017 – Young Scientist Award, from the Indian Association of Hydrogen Energy and Advanced Materials
2016 – Gold Medal and Best Thesis Award, from the Indian Physics Association
2014 – Best Research Paper Award, at the Int. Conference on Energy Materials, Chennai, India
2014 – International Travel Grants, from the Department of Science & Technology, India


Research interests

• Electrocatalysis: Conventional water electrolysis, Seawater electrolysis
• Photocatalysis: Water-splitting, Hydrogen generation, Solar fuels, Waste-water remediation
• Low-cost nanocatalysts: Transition-metal borides, transition-metal titanates, graphitic carbon nitride, mixed metal oxides,
       2D materials