Sulalit Bandyopadhyay

Having earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering, Sulalit Bandyopadhyay is currently an Associate Professor in Particle Engineering and Hydrometallurgy at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway. He serves as the Centre Manager of the Particle Engineering Research Centre and is also a member of the operational group of the Gemini Centre HYPROS (Hydrometallurgical Processes).

Between 2018 and 2021, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at NTNU and at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Netherlands, within the Department of Water Management. He also held a position as a Polymer Scientist at Jotun (Antifouling division). Before this, he worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at TU Delft and UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education. He obtained his B.E. (Hons) in Chemical Engineering from Jadavpur University, India, and was subsequently awarded the Erasmus Mundus Fellowship to pursue an MSc in Chemical Engineering at NTNU. He is a recipient of the JBNSTS (2006) and DAAD (2009) fellowships.

His research interests include the synthesis, characterisation, and functionalisation of nanoparticles; development of nanoparticle-based hydrological tracers; drug delivery systems; modelling of nanosystems; and recycling of lithium-ion batteries. His research group is part of the Environmental Engineering and Reactor Technology Research Group at the Department of Chemical Engineering, NTNU. His work integrates core principles of chemical engineering within two main areas: particle engineering and hydrometallurgy.

The particle engineering research area focuses on the synthesis, characterisation, and functionalisation of nanomaterials to achieve a fundamental understanding of growth mechanisms through both experimental approaches and molecular modelling. These nanomaterials are designed for applications in hydrological tracing, water management, drug delivery, biosensing, magnetic hyperthermia, MRI, biomedicine, enhanced oil recovery (EOR), drilling fluids, and photocatalysis. The hydrometallurgy research area centres on processes such as leaching, precipitation, and solvent extraction for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries.

In 2020, his work on magnetic nanoparticles contributed to the development of COVID-19 test kits that played a role in reopening Norwegian society. He is currently a fellow in NTNU’s Outstanding Academic Fellows Programme (2022–2026).

Administrative Duties: 

• Program Leader of MSc Sustainable Chemical and Biochemical Engineering (MSCHEMBI) (2021). 

• Operative Leader Group Member of HYPROS Gemini Centre (2018-Present). 

• Member of MSCHEMENG Programme Board (2018-2021). 

• Member of Admission Committee for International MSc Students at the Dept. of Chemical Engineering, NTNU (2012-Present). 

Awards and Scholarships: 

• Launch of Stamp in honour of NTNU Covid 19 Test, 2023 by Norway Post. 

• Research Council of Norway's Innovation Award for 2021 for NTNU Covid 19 Test. 

• NTNU Employee Award Innovation and Collaboration with Working Life for 2018 - 2021 for NTNU Covid 19 Test. 

• Innovator of the year Award for 2020 at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, NTNU. 

• Best PhD thesis for 2016/2017 at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, NTNU. 

• Erasmus Mundus Fellowship (2010-2012) for Masters at NTNU, Norway 

• DAAD summer internship fellowship (WISE - INTERNSHIPS in SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY and ENGINEERING) for 2009 summer. 

• Dr. Hiralal Roy Smriti Padak (Silver Medal) for securing the highest marks in the fourth year Bachelor of Chemical Engineering Second Semester Examination in the subject “General Knowledge in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering” Viva-voce Examination, 2010. 

• Jagadis Bose National Science Talent Search (JBNSTS) Senior scholarship, 2006-07. 

• Medhavi Chatra Puraskar, 2004, for outstanding performance in I.C.S.E from the Governor of West Bengal.