Title: Sustainable Materials for Energy Storage

Seminar Venue: National Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Madras, Chennai, 16th March 2020 (this seminar is organized by the Director of National Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Madras for the post graduate students)

Title: Catalysis on the surface of nanotubes having confined solvent media 

Conference details: Asian Consortium for Computational Materials Science: International Conference on Materials Genome (ICMG-2020), SRM University, Amaravathi, 5-7th February 2020.

Title: Solvent Filled Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes for Sensor and Battery Applications Conference details: Electrochemistry in Industry Health and Environment, BARC, Mumbai, 21-25th January 2020 (organized by Indian Society for ElectroAnalytical Chemistry)

Title: Ultra high energy efficient redox flow battery, 

Conference details: Frontiers in Materials Processing Applications, Research and Technology (FiMPART, Endorsed by Materials Research Society Singapore), Convention Centre, Ahmedabad, 15-17th December 2019.

Title: Low Field 1H NMR Investigations of Solvent Filled Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes for Sensor and Battery Applications

Symposium details: Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Alumni Symposium 2019, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 13th December 2019.

Title: Beyond Vanadium Redox Flow Battery: India Specific Solutions for Energy Storage

Invited lecture details: Chemical Engineering seminar, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, 06th November 2019

Title: Tuning overpotential and electrolyte structure to realize high energy efficient redox flow battery

Conference details: International Conference on Recent Trends in Chemistry of Materials (NCRTCM-2019), Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, 12th October 2019

Title: Materials for Electrochemical Applications

Faculty development program details: STC on 2D Materials, ICSR Hall 3, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 23rd September 2019

Title: Tuning overpotential and electrolyte structure to realize high energy efficient redox flow battery

Conference details: Recent Advances in Materials Science for Sustainable Development-2019 (RAMSSD-2019), VFSTR (Deemed to University), 1st September 2019

Title: Enhanced Electrochemical Sensing of Endohedral Carbon Nanotubes, 

Symposium details: Chemistry in-House Symposium (CiHs), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 21st August 2019

Title: A New Process for Quick Fabrication of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Invited lecture details: SSN College, Kalavakkam, Chennai, 16th March 2019

Title: Strategic Partnership with IIT Madras and Joint Workshop

Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai

11-13th July, 2018

Title: Modification of Graphite Felt Electrodes for Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Application

Workshop details: Indo-German Joint Scientific Workshop on Membranes for Water and Energy, CSIR- Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), 

18th -20th February 2019

Title: Recent Developments in Redox Flow Battery Chemistry

Conference details: Advanced Nanomaterials for Energy, Environment and Healthcare Applications (ANEH – 2019), Bishop Heber College, Trichy, 05th February 2019

Title: Stable Radical Ion Based Redox Flow Battery

Seminar details: ChEMS Seminar, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, 15-16th October 2018

Title: Metal-air batteries

Seminar details: HP Green R&D Centre, Bangalore, 9th March 2018

Title: Our Recent Experience with Redox Flow Batteries

Invited lecture details: CSIR-CECRI (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research -Central Electrochemical Research Institute), Karaikudi, 20th September 2018

Title: Organic Materials for Energy Science: DFT Guided Molecular Engineering Approach

Materials Design and Energy Materials: Computational Approach

Seminar details: SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, 5th February 2018

Title: Synthetic and Bio-derived Nanostructures for Selective Sensing of Biotinyl Targets

Symposium details: Symposium on Materials in Chemistry & Biology, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 5th January 2018.

Title: Metal Organic Framework and Organic Framework Built on Carbon Nanotubes by π-π Interaction for Electrochemical Applications

Conference details: CEAMCR-2018, DAE Convention Centre, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai – 

15-17th February-2018

Title: A Strategy of Enhancing the Surface Plasmon Assisted Light Harvesting in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Conference details, National Convention of Electrochemist (NCE-19), National Institute of Technology –Trichy, 28 – 29th March 2016

Title: Non-precious metal catalysts for fuel cell application

Conference details: INDO-US ECM-2013, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 26 -28th February, 2013

Title: Non-precious metal catalyst developed by freeze dry method

Conference details: Recent Advances in Electrochemical Energy Materials and Devices, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore

24-25th July-2012

2009 – 2011: Postdoctoral fellow at National Research Council of Canada, Canada.

2007 – 2009: Visiting Scholar at Michigan State University, USA.

2000 – 2006: Ph. D from IISc, Bangalore

Gust editor for the J. Electrochem. Soc., USA for the focus issue ‘Energy Storage in China’ in 2021

Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC)

Fellow of the Academy of Sciences, Chennai 

Vice President of Indian Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry (ISEAC) for the period 2021-24, BARC, Mumbai.

Visiting Professorship:  Energy, Environment & Chemical Engineering Department, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY @ St. Louis, Missouri (2019)

Honorary scientific advisor for Twin Pole India Pvt. Ltd and Kapindra Precision Engineering Pvt. Ltd., Research Park, IIT Madras.

Director nominated department representative for the Faculty Council of the Research Park of IIT Madras (since July 2019).

Member of Board of Global Engagement, IIT Madras

Department nominated member of Board of Placement for the year 2018-2019.

Adjunct faculty at National Centre for Catalysis Research, IIT Madras, Chennai.

Secured 94.4 percentile score in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE-2000)

G. Tamilselvi, and R. Kothandaraman, “1-Amino 2-Naphthol Modified Solvent Filled Carbon Nanotubes for Enhanced Electrochemical Sensing of Bioanalytes” 237th ECS Meeting with the 18th International Meeting on Chemical Sensors (IMCS 2020) (May 10-14, 2020). The Electrochemical Society, 2020.

Ramaprabhu, Sundara, R. Kothandaraman and Dipsikha Ganguly, “Low Pt Loaded Nitrogen Doped Carbon as Efficient Catalyst Support for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells” 236th ECS Meeting October 13, 2019 – October 17, 2019 Atlanta, GA, Meeting Issue No. 35, Page. No. 1571, The Electrochemical Society, 2019.

Yashwant Pratap. K, Akula, S., Sahu, and R. Kothandaranam, “Synthesis of Pt/C Catalyst Using Carbon Support Derived from Tamarind Seeds through Hetroatom Doping for Oxygen Reduction Reaction” 235th ECS Meeting May 26, 2019 – May 30, 2019 Dallas, TX, Meeting Issue. No. 33, Page No. 1747, The Electrochemical Society, 2019

R. Kothandaraman and Anjaiah Sheelam “A Simple and Inexpensive Organometallic Compound Catalyzing Oxygen Reduction Reaction” 230th ECS Meeting October 2, 2016 – October 7, 2016 Honolulu, HI, Meeting Abstract No. 2822, Issue No. 38, The Electrochemical Society, 2016.

Veerababu, Medabalmi, U. V. Varadaraju, and R. Kothandaraman “Lithium Biphenyl-3, 3′, 4, 4′-Tetracarboxylate Based Anode Material for Li and Na-Ion Battery Application” 229th ECS Meeting May 29, 2016 – June 2, 2016 San Diego, CA, Meeting Abstract No. 505, Issue No. 5, The Electrochemical Society, 2016.

Sheelam, Anjaiah, and R. Kothandaraman “Effect of oxidation states of vanadium in VNC based non-precious metal catalyst for fuel cells in acidic medium” 224th ECS Meeting October 27, 2013 – November 1, 2013 San Francisco, CA, Meeting Abstract No. 306, Issue No. 5, The Electrochemical Society, 2013.

R. Kothandaraman, and M. P. Karthikayini “Mn Based NPM Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Acidic Medium for Pemfcs” 224th ECS Meeting October 27, 2013 – November 1, 2013 San Francisco, CA, Meeting Abstract No. 308, Issue No. 5, The Electrochemical Society, 2013.

R. Kothandaraman “A Novel Approach for Effective ORR NPM Catalysts Development” 221st ECS Meeting May 6 – May 10, 2012 Seattle, Washington, Meeting Abstract No. 291, Issue No. 6, The Electrochemical Society, 2012.

R. Kothandaraman “Improving Oxygen Reduction Activity of the Iron-Nitrogen-Carbon Catalysts by Formation of Fruitful Active Sites” 220th ECS Meeting October 9 – October 14, 2011 Boston, MA, Meeting Abstract No. 322, Issue No. 7, The Electrochemical Society, 2011

Dr Kothandaraman has focused his expertise in electrochemistry on contributing to realize India-centric solutions for the ever-growing need of energy storage and conversion. Therefore, his motivation is in the direction of developing new functional materials, redox-active organic molecules, and utilization of abundant resources such as sodium and zinc towards developing newer energy systems. His academic research pursuits under the broad headings of (i) Lithium/Sodium/Zinc/Vanadium based batteries; (ii) Organic Dyes for Solar Cells; (iii) hydrogen storage via electrochemical reduction of nitrogen and (iv) Sensors have enabled delivery of “translatable research”.  He is one of the founder and scientific advisor for TWIN POLE INDIA PVT LTD, a company dealing with niche electrochemical applications and he is scientific advisor for “Kapindra Precision Engineering Solutions Pvt. Ltd” in the research park of IIT Madras.

Under the heading of Li/Na batteries and in a bid to find a suitable anode material for sodium-ion battery (NIBs), His initial innovation with naphthalene-2-6-dicarboxylate (NDC) (JES, 2018, 165, A175) provided sustainable and cost-effective alternative, and additional insights for overcoming the challenges posed by other materials explored for the same objective, such as biphenyl tetracarboxylate and perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylate.  NDC demonstrated biphasic sodiation/desodiation behavior with negligible volume change. The use of lithium salt of diimide dicarboxylate solved the solubility issues of cathode (mitigating capacity loss) and led to the development of Li/Na salts of N,N’-bis(glycinyl)X (X= perylene diimide, pyromellitic diimide, naphthalene diimide, perylene diimide). Further fine tuning of the conductivity issue associated with these organic scaffolds, by reducing bandgap energy through chromophores and π-conjugation led to the development of lithium 1,1’-biphenyl]-4,4’-dicarboxylate as a new material, with a stable capacity of 165 mAh g-1 [JES, 2017, 164, A1720].   

The fact that Zinc-ion batteries (ZIB) are much safer compared to LIB and NIBs, as it functions with aqueous electrolyte, inspired Dr Kothandaraman to delve deeper. To enhance the poor diffusion of Zn2+ from the commonly used intercalated lattice of α-MnO2 and vanadium oxides in the ZIB, due to a strong Zn2+-oxide ion coulombic interactions, Dr Kothandaraman innovated on reducing the coordination number of the Zn2+ ion or increasing the gap between the layers of the host material. The use of highly conjugated pentacenetetraone and electronegative S containing dibenzo[b,i]thiantrene-5,7,12,14-tetraone has paved the way. Capacity as high as 200 mAh g-1 has been achieved for 2000 cycles at 80 mA g-1 The innovation has been patented (Indian Patent, 2019, IDF NO. 1945). 

In collaborative mode and under the topic of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), experimentation with organic scaffolds containing triphenylamine units, carbazole and pyrene-phenothiazine heterocyclic units and less known imidazole based donor moieties has enabled the discovery of new phenothiazine based dye, showing 12% power conversion efficiency (PCE) [J. Materials Chem. A 2017, 5, 10289, one of the best performing dyes in literature]. Among the imidazole based dyes, PCE of 8.1 % has been achieved and this is the best among imidazole based dyes [New J. Chemistry DOI: 10.1039/d0nj00137f].  This article will appear soon with a cover-page art of this work in its 25th issue. The photophysical and electronic properties of the redox active organic functional materials developed by molecular engineering for NIBs, ZIBs and DSSC were explained at molecular level using the DFT calculations.

Realizing the importance of sensing physiologically important endogenous molecules, he experimented with sensing of peroxide, dopamine, uric acid, and ascorbic acid using immobilized metal-organic framework and solvent-filled multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) achieving the objective of sensing [JES 2019, 166, B1186].  The novel approach of organic solvent filling of MWCNTs (confirmed by 1H NMR T1 relaxometry) improved the detection limit by an order of magnitude. His work on copper-benzotriazole modified MWCNTs for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) was published with cover feature (ChemElectroChem 2018, 5, 1740).

With the funding from Institute of Eminence (IoE)-IIT Madras, he has established a potential centre for excellence (pCoE) on Advanced Energy Storage and Conversion.  This centre comprises two more faculty from the department of chemistry and one from Dept. Physics and its activity is focused on Li-S batteries and Perovskite solar cells.

He is PI of the photovoltaic vertical of the DST-IITM Solar Energy Harnessing Centre, a 40 Cr. facility instituted at IIT Madras.  He has developed a state of the art photovoltaic laboratory for developing organic solar cells.  

Industry/technology Oriented Contributions: His contributions in fuel cell domain relying on non-platinum catalyst for ORR have fetched two patents, (U.S Patent: (2016) 9379388 and Indian Patent: (2019) 324235). An electrosorption based quick dye staining of TiO2 photoanode has been developed, which readies photoanode of any dye in an hour, as opposed to 12 to 24 h required in the conventional staining process (Electrochimica Acta DoI: 10.1016 /j.electacta.2020.136344). Two Indian patents have been filed on vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) (App. No. 3713/CHE/201 (2013) and 201641030008 (2016)), and a 300 W/1kWh VRFB system was built and demonstrated to DST-SERI in the last review meeting held in October 2019. He was awarded a consultancy project to the tune of 3.3 crores from ONGC, in Dec 2019, to build 10kW/10kWh VRFB capable of operating at current density > 100 mA cm-2 at 1.2 V per cell.  A CSR funding of ~ 21 lakhs was awarded, to extract micronutrients like zinc from the spent batteries, by Tide Water Oil Co. Ltd.  Other contributions include the development of oxygen sensor for Elixir Electronics and electrochemical H2O2 production unit for Research Supporters Initiative.  In the case of aqueous organic redox flow battery, energy density of quinone type redox couples was improved incorporating multiple alkyl amine handles targeting solubility of the compounds.   His products were showcased in the past in two events: (i) New Generation Ideation Contest-2019 organized by HPCL and (ii) KPIT Sparkle 2019 organized by KPIT technologies (his VRFB stack was one of the 30 exhibits showcased in the KPIT grand finale held at Mumbai on 15th February 2019). 

The scientific contributions of Dr Kothandaraman find their place in some of the top-notch core electrochemical journals such as J. Electrochem. Soc. (JES), Electrochimica Acta, etc. (75 publications to date), and were presented at many national and international conferences. On invitation from DST, he has served in the panel of expert member in the quarterly review meeting of MES on 22nd November 2018 held at IISc-Bangalore.

Nature Communications

J. Materials Chemistry A

Electrochimica Acta

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

J. Electrochemical Society

2011-2020 ‒ PhDs: 7-completed +20-pursuing / MScs: 12-completed