Name: Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Gondal

Title: Distinguished Professor

Lasers, photonics, nanotechnology, materials science, energy harvesting/ energy storage (Solar Cells, Supercapacitors, Batteries, Thermoelectric), Hydrogen production, applied and chemical physics, biophysics, sensors, laser remote sensing, environmental pollution monitoring, laser-based analytical techniques

Research Areas:  Laser Spectroscopy and its Applications, Renewable Energy, Advanced functional materials synthesis & applications

Office: Room 259 B -Building 6 and Room 153-Building 28

Tel: 966-1-860-2351

Email: magondal@kfupm.edu.sa

Lab(s): Room 158, Building 28

Affiliated Center(s): IRC-HTCM, IRC-CBM, IRC-SES  

Lasers, photonics, nanotechnology, materials science, energy harvesting/ energy storage (Solar Cells, Supercapacitors, Batteries, Thermoelectric), Hydrogen production, applied and chemical physics, biophysics, sensors, laser remote sensing, environmental pollution monitoring, laser-based analytical techniques.

Dr. Mohammed Ashraf Gondal is a Distinguished Professor at the Physics Department of KFUPM, where he also serves as Director of the Laser Research Group. Additionally, he is a Senior Research Fellow at K. A. CARE and has been a Visiting World Class Professor at MOE Indonesia. Dr. Gondal holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from the University of Bonn, Germany, and has collaborated on numerous research projects with esteemed scientists from reputed institutions such as MIT, University of Kansas, Free University Berlin, Heidelberg University, Bonn University, Exeter University, Nanjing University, and NUS Singapore. With an impressive publication record of over 725 research papers in international journals and conferences, a book, and 21 book chapters, Dr. Gondal has garnered significant recognition for his work. He holds over 74 US patents and has been cited over 19,000 times, with an H-index of 70. According to Google Scholar, he is ranked among the top 10 Laser-Physics Scientists worldwide and has been consistently listed among the top 2% of Scientists globally for the past six years, as published by Stanford University. Dr. Gondal is a member of over 10 international Journals' Editorial Boards and has received numerous national and international awards, including the prestigious Al-Marai Scientific Innovation Prize. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to science and technology, he has been honored with Saudi Citizenship by His Majesty King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. As a role model for young researchers and students, Dr. Gondal inspires and motivates those who aspire to pursue a career in Science and Technology.

1. High Impact Paper Award 2022 for paper entitled “Fabrication of perovskite solar cell using novel 2D/3D blended perovskite single crystals published in International Journal of Energy Research (2021).

1. World Class Professor (WCP) Award by Ministry of Education, Indonesia (Visiting Prof, Bandeh Aceh, University, 2019).

2. Twice Undergraduate Research Competition Team Mentorship Award by Abu Dhabi University, June 8, 2021, 2022.

3. Listed among the Top 10 Laser Physics Scientists Worldwide (2024)

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&view_op=search_authors&mauthors=label%3Alaser_physics&btnG=

4. Listed among the Top 2 % of world-renowned Scientists consecutively as per data published by Stanford University each year.

1. Highly prestigious AL-Marai Prize for Innovative Research in waste water treatment using nano-catalysts in the Field of Environment for the year 2010/2011.

2. Best Project Award from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, academic year 2016- Project # Rg131 Synthesis of Nanoalloys and Nanocomposites Using Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids 

3. Best Project Award from NSTIP/KFUPM for academic year 2014 for National Strategic Technology and Innovation Plan (NSTIP) Project # NAN93-4; Applications Of Nanoscale Materials (Metal Oxides) for waste water treatment and corrosion inhibition using Laser Induced Photo-Catalytic Process among 200 projects.

4. Thrice Distinguished Researcher Award from the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, academic years 2005-2006, 2010-2011, 2015-2016.

5. Best Project Award from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, academic year 2008-2009. Sabic project # SABIC - 07004 entitled “Laser-induced photo-catalytic removal of phenol for wastewater treatment”

6. Excellent Oral Presentation Award during the International Conference on Optoelectronics and Image Processing (ICOIP 2015) held at Chicago (July 2-4, 2015) USA, sponsored by American Society for Research (ASR).

D. Number of PhD theses you have supervised as the primary supervisor in the last five years:

1. Ph.D. students completed =    26     2.    Ph.D. students in progress = 4

(Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=0Bjfd6oAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate)

1. Designing fire-retardant polymer-based electrolytes and separators for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries via combustion calorimetry and machine learning.

2. Mechanically Tuneable Circularly Polarized Flexible Spin Light Emitting Diodes.

3. Tuning the electronic structure of nickel-cobalt spinels via cerium ion doping on binder-free nickel foam for enhanced electrochemical activity in methanol oxidation-assisted hydrogen production: Synergistic experimental and DFT insights.

4. Palladium-Doped Bimetallic Sulfide Spinel Nano-Electrocatalyst Grown on Nickel Foam for Efficient Green Hydrogen Production Validated by First Principal DFT Study.

5. Recent advances and challenges in MnO₂-based composite cathodes for high-performance flexible zinc-ion batteries: A critical review.

6. Recent progress and challenges in photo-supercapacitors: A critical review along with future prospects.

7. Molybdenum substituted Ni-Mn cobaltite spinel nanostructure for high performance Ultracapacitors.

8. Beyond freshwater: A critical review of next-gen strategies for scalable and efficient seawater splitting to green hydrogen fuel.

9. Ni Foam Supported Pd‐Doped Zinc Spinel Oxide Nano‐Electrocatalyst for Efficient Hydrogen Production Supported by DFT Study as Well Validated With Experimental Data.

10. Exceptional Pt4+ ion substituted zinc cobaltite spinel oxide nanoelectrocatalysts for enhanced electrochemical hydrogen performance supported by DFT.

11. High-throughput screening of 6858 compounds for zinc-ion battery cathodes via hybrid machine learning optimization.

12. Chemical reduction-induced defect-rich and synergistic effects of reduced graphene oxide based Cu-doped NiO nanocomposite (RGO@Cu-NiO NCs) decorated on woven carbon fiber for supercapacitor device and their charge storage mechanism.

13. Trends and advances in sustainable bioethanol production technologies from first to fourth generation: A critical review.

14. Nanostructured defects-rich black-ZnO/biowaste-derived carbon composites for efficient visible light-driven hydrogen generation: A study on the role of C–Zn@ C–O–Zn interface.

15. Synthesis of carbon-metal interface ilmenite type nanostructures using ultrasonication-assisted sol-gel process for visible-light-driven hydrogen production from methanol and antibiotic wastewater removal.

16. Laser modified MnO2 cathode for augmented performance aqueous zinc ion batteries.

17. Effect of mass loading and fabrication of VARTM-based high-performance solid-state supercapacitor device with MXene-NiCo3S4 nanocomposite.

18. Pd-substitution impact in nickel–cobalt spinel oxide grown on Ni foam as very effectual electrocatalyst for green hydrogen production supported by DFT study.