Poster Keerthana Deepti Karunakaran BioMedical Engineering And Imaging Institute
**Overview of the research programme**
The research programme focuses on developing robust, high‑performance batteries for electric vehicles and grid‑scale storage. The work combines materials science, electrochemistry, and engineering to create electrodes that deliver high energy density while remaining safe, durable, and manufacturable at scale. A central theme is the use of "solid‑state" or solid‑electrolyte technologies to eliminate flammable liquid electrolytes and to enable new electrode architectures.
**Key research themes**
| Theme | Core questions | Typical methods |
|-------|----------------|-----------------|
| **Solid electrolyte design** | • How can we create a stable, high‑ionic‑conductivity solid that contacts both cathode and anode without interfacial resistance?
• What is the optimal composition (sulfide vs oxide vs polymer) to balance conductivity, stability, and processability? | 1. **Synthesis**: ball‑mill grinding of sulfides, melt quenching for oxides, solution casting for polymers.
2. **Characterization**:
- EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) on symmetric cells to extract bulk + interfacial resistances.
- XRD and Raman to confirm phase purity.
- SEM/EDS for morphology & composition. |
| | 3. **Electrochemical testing**: build half‑cells (Li||SE) or full Li‑ion cells with SE as binder; measure capacity, cycling stability at various rates. |
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## 2. Nanostructured Electrodes
| Step | What to Do | How to Measure |
|------|------------|----------------|
| **Synthesis** | *Option A*: Hydrothermal/sol–gel synthesis of TiO₂ or Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles; coat on conductive carbon (CNT, graphene).
*Option B*: Electrochemical deposition of nanostructured metal oxides onto current collector. | TEM/SEM for particle size & morphology.
BET surface area measurement. |
| **Electrode Fabrication** | Mix active material (~60 wt%), conductive additive (~20 wt%) and binder (e.g., PVDF) in NMP; cast on copper foil; dry at 120 °C. | Weight loss analysis to confirm composition. |
| **Testing Protocol** | Galvanostatic charge–discharge cycles from 0.01 C to 5 C; potential window: 1.5–3.6 V (LiFePO4) or 1.8–3.8 V (other oxides). Measure capacity, coulombic efficiency. | Use a cycler (e.g., LAND or Arbin) with temperature control if required. |
| **Analysis** | Plot specific capacity vs cycle number; calculate rate capability; assess degradation mechanisms via post-mortem SEM/TEM/EIS. | Compare to literature values and theoretical capacities. |
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## 3. Suggested Resources for Further Study
1. **Books & Texts**
- *Solid State Electrochemistry* – J.M. Tarascon & M. Armand
- *Electrochemical Methods: Fundamentals and Applications* – Allen J. Bard, Larry R. Faulkner
- *Battery Materials* – J.-M. Tarascon
