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DrNeelesh Ashok

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Center for Internet Studies and Artificial Intelligence India, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

ORCID iD 0000-0001-6637-1005
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About

AI - ML driven insights in biopolymers and nanocomposites

I am Dr. Neelesh Ashok from Amrita School of AI, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Coimbatore, India. I have completed my Ph.D. at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (India) in November 2020. My summarized research disciplines with expertise as well as postdoc research objectives on bio polymer nanocomposite with the nexus of Artificial Intelligence-Machine Learning and Deep Learning infused models for structure property relations of biobased polymeric materials and nanocomposites is summarised below.

Neelesh Ashok’s scientific career, beginning in 2016, was initiated through the framework of his doctoral research as a Project Fellow in a sponsored research project by University Grants Comission- Consortium of Scientific Research at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (India). He explored the impact of various nanofillers (0-D, 1-D, and 2-D) in polymers or “polymer nanocomposites”, spans from processing, characterizations, testing and analytical modeling of static and viscoelastic mechanical properties, thermal degradation, spectroscopic analysis, morphological studies and cumulative effect of gamma rays in nanocomposites. His research focuses on Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) - Chlorobutyl rubber (CIIR) blends of varying compositions and optimal blends were reinforced with nanofillers and investigated for gamma radiation and hydrocarbon ageing conditions. In nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities, frequent replacement of polymeric materials has to be avoided for the safety of personals and to avoid environmental degradation.

The nano reinforcement enhanced the lifetime and longevity of polymeric materials (elastomers) used as seals, O-rings, gaskets, masterslave manipulators, etc. in nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities. His doctoral research also contributed to developing a hybrid carbon black-nanofiller composite as a product development by assessing the retention of mechanical properties, thermal effects and sorption behavior after gamma irradiation. His research acumen is substantiated by peer-reviewed publications and conferences from his doctoral research.

The nanocomposites based on various types of nanofillers were irradiated with cumulative doses of gamma rays (0.5, 1 and 2 MGy), from Co-60 source and effect of radiation induced crosslinling and/or degradation on the properties of elastomeric (EPDM/CIIR) nanocomposites were delineated and corroborated with spectroscopic and morphological analysis.

The gap in scientific literature on EPDM-CIIR blends reinforced with varying compositions of nanofillers for gamma radiation and hydrocarbon solvent aging resistance, particularly for nuclear applications is addressed by Neelesh in his doctoral thesis.

Since July 2022, Neelesh has a new line of research into Artificial Intelligence based frameworks for polymer property prediction and structure-property relationship modeling. AI-infused with machine learning and deep learning models or polymer informatics revolutionize polymer design and accelerated discovery.

Neelesh further extended his line of research to novel Artificial Intelligence (AI) infused Machine Learning (ML) based approaches in polymer materials design in 2022. As mentioned in CV, he was offered a post doctoral research position and then promoted to Assistant Professor in May 2023 at Amrita School of Intelligence, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, India.

Polymer informatics is a new interdisciplinary field at the interface of polymer chemistry, computer science, informatics, and machine learning. By 2050, there will likely be ten billion people on the planet, which will lead to an increase in demand for professional healthcare, individualized consumer goods, and high-efficiency clean energy. Traditional technologies face major challenges on account of ever-increasing demand for new materials. Polymer informatics has become a viable strategy to accelerate discoveries in the field of polymer science, by means of high-throughput computing. Predicting polymer characteristics can be facilitated using robust and trustworthy ML models based on fundamental physical and chemical properties. Neelesh has chosen this as his future research entity because “AI4Science” is found to be a fourth paradigm shift in materials science research. Polymer Informatics and Interdisciplinary AI in materials science, chemistry and medical fields are booming and fast-expanding fields in the present decade.

Expertise :

1. Molecular descriptors in biopolymer informatics
2. AI ML infused models in property prediction and strcuture-property relations model
3. AI models for engineered biopolymeric nanocomposites for medical and energy sectors
4. Explainable machine learning models in biopolymers
5. Generative AI and transformer models in biopolymers
6. Nanocomposites - preparation, characterizations, testing and property modeling
7. ML applications in Dynamic Mechanical, Thermal Degradation and Radiation Effects of blends

Employment

  • Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University Assistant Professor - Research
    2023 - Present
  • Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Post Doctoral Research Associate
    2022 - 2023
  • Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Project fellow - UGC-DAE-CSR sponsored
    2016 - 2017
  • Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Intern
    2012 - 2013

Education

  • Center for Internet Studies and Artificial Intelligence India Post Doctoral Research Associate
    2022 - 2023
  • Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University Ph.D.
    2016 - 2020

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (18)