Prof. Surendra Kumar Martha, Professor & Head, Department of Chemistry (Google Scholar Profile)

 OBJECTIVE

My interests are in teaching the Physical Chemistry of Materials and doing research in the field of electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems.

AREA OF SPECIALIZATION

Physical Chemistry, especially Materials Science, Energy Storage Materials, Electrochemistry, and Spectroscopy

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Advanced lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, potassium-ion batteries, Ni-Zn batteries, Li-Primary batteries, hybrid supercapacitors, Recycling Lithium-ion batteries

• Investigation on the interfaces of new materials and study on their electrochemical and interfacial properties

• Designing new electrodes and electrolytes for energy storage and conversion systems

EMPLOYMENT

·         

Professor

Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, India

(September 15, 2023 - Present)

Associate Professor

Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, India

(July 2, 2018- September 14, 2023 )

Assistant Professor

Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, India

(May 1, 2013- July 1, 2018)

Postdoctoral Research Associate (Mentors: Dr. Nancy J. Dudney and Dr. Jagjit Nanda)   

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA. (April 2010-April 2013)

Postdoctoral Fellow (Advisor: Professor Doron Aurbach) 

Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel. (Feb 2007-  March 2010)

Research Associate (Advisor: Professor Ashok K. Shukla)

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India  (Sept 2006 –Jan 2007)

R&D Achievements and Technology developments 

                 :

• Developed low-cost recycling methods for Li-ion batteries.

• Developed zero-transition metal 4.7V dual carbon batteries.

• Developed high-energy Li-ion capacitors (expected energy density ~25 Wh kg-1)

• Developed O3 type NaNMC based cathodes and hard carbon anode-based 100-500 mAh pouch cells for defense application. (IIT Hyderabad, India in collaboration with RCI-DRDO).

• Developed high capacity (energy) LMR-NMC Cathodes and Si-anodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. (IIT Hyderabad, India)

• Developed high-performance lead-acid batteries through electrode and electrolyte additives. (IIT Hyderabad, India)

• Developed high-performance hard carbon anodes for Na-Ion batteries. (IIT Hyderabad, India)

• Developed a novel synthesis and manufacturing process for high energy density metal-free and binder-free cathodes and anodes for lithium-ion batteries (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA).

• Developed high-performance Iron fluoride-based conversion cathodes for advanced lithium-ion batteries (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA).

• Developed olivine LiMnPO4, and LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4 cathodes for rechargeable Li-ion batteries for load leveling and electric vehicle (EV) applications (Bar-Ilan University-in collaboration with DOW Europe GmBH, Switzerland).

• Investigated high capacity transition metal oxide cathode materials for Li-ion batteries (Bar-Ilan University-in collaboration with TADIRAN, Israel).

• Developed lightweight, high-specific energy valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries for EVs (Indian Institute of Science ((IISc), Bangalore -in collaboration with REVA Electric Car Company, Bangalore, India).

• Developed gelled-electrolyte and hybrid VRLA batteries for defense applications at subzero temperatures (IISc-in collaboration with DMSRDE, Kanpur, India).

• Developed prudent lead-acid batteries for solar photovoltaics in remote area power supply applications (IISc- in collaboration with CECRI, Karaikudi, India).

• >100 publications in peer-viewed journals, (>15 patents (10 US patents), 10 book chapters and more than 75 presentations to international scientific congresses, awarded 5 times as best poster, oral presentation, and travel prizes.

• Best teacher award (2022) from IIT Hyderabad.

ACTIVITIES

    Reviewer: Journal of the Electrochemical Society (AIP), Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry (SPRINGER), Journal of Materials Chemistry, J. Power Sources, J. J. Alloys and Compounds, Chemical Sciences, J. Energy Storage, Electrochemistry Communications, Journal of Energy Chemistry, Electroanalysis, Electrochimica Acta, Carbon (ELSEVIER), Journal of Nanostructure in Chemistry, Ionics (Springer), ACS Energy Materials, ACS Energy Letters, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, ACS Applied Energy Materials, ACS Energy and Fuels, Chemistry of Materials, Bulletin of Materials Science, J. of Chemical Sciences, Advanced Energy Materials, Advanced Materials, Adv. Functional Materials, Small, Nature communication, Inorganic Chemistry, Energy Storage Materials, etc.

       Member: Electrochemical Society (ECS) since 2011, American Chemical Society.

Organizational Skills

1. Li-ion Conference, 2021 (The International Virtual Conference on Recent Advances in Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs) and their Recycling Methods for Sustainable Development, jointly organized by The Open University, UK, and the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, 1-3 December 2021.

2. IIT -H & ItsEV International Workshop on DAWN OF A NEW ERA FOR INDIAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY by Creating New Lithium-ion Battery Fits for High Temperature and Promoting Pollution-Free EV World in India, Saturday, November 30, 2019, 10:00 AM, ‘A’-Block Auditorium, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) Kandi, Sangareddy-502285, Telangana

3. Organized two TEQIP workshops @ IIT Hyderabad with Prof. Ch. Subrahmanyam and Dr. M. Deepa. 6 days TEQIP workshop on Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage (ECS-2016), IIT Hyderabad, May 9-14, 2016.

4. 2 days TEQIP workshop on Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage (EES-2014), IIT Hyderabad, Dec 29-30, 2014.

Visiting Lectures

1.     Osaka University (Prof. S. Kuwabata)- 3 times

2.     NTU Singapore- Sept 2016

3.     Purdue Univerity (Prof. Vilas Pol)- May-June 2019

4.     The Open University UK (Prof. Satheesh Krishnamurty)-July 2019

5.    National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (Professor Kuan-Zong Fung)- November 2019

Other activities: 

Head of the Department of Chemistry-September 10, 2022 onwards

Coordinator of 2 Year M.Tech in Energy Science and Technology @IITH March 2020- Dec 2022

RESEARCH GUIDANCE

Graduated- 8 PhD Students, guided 24 MSc students’ projects, 5 PDFs

At present : 14 Ph.D scholars, 1 postdoc (project), 2 M. Tech. students, 2 M.Sc. students