Innovations in Engineered Porous Materials for Energy Generation and Storage Applications

Dr. Ranjusha Rajagopalan received her PhD in Physics with specialization in battery technology from University of Wollongong, Australia in the year 2017. She is currently working on functionalized nanomaterials for developing high performance battery electrodes at Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM), University of Wollongong (UOW), Australia. She received her Master and Bachelor Degree in Physics from Calicut University, India.

Her research interests include enhancement of power and cycling performances of battery electrodes by novel porous nano-architecture techniques and composite approaches. She is a recipient of several prestigious fellowships, which includes, CPSF fellowship, Sichuan University china, 2016; Faculty Scholarship (Research and Innovation division) UOW, Australia, 2014; CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Scholarship, India, 2012; MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy) Scholarship, India, 2011-2012; DST (Department of Science and Technology) Scholarship, India, 2010-2011. RRC (Resources Regional Center) Scholarship, South Korea, 2011. She has published over 25 research articles and 3 book chapters.

Dr. Avinash Balakrishnan joined as Manager at Suzlon Energy Limited in 2016, where he is heading the Materials Laboratory for Suzlon Blade Technology vertical. He did his PhD and M.S in Materials Engineering from Paichai University, S. Korea. He is an alumnus of National Institute of Technology, Karnataka, where he completed his Bachelors in Metallurgical Engineering. Dr. Balakrishnan has received several prestigious fellowships and travel grants throughout his academic career that includes KOSEF fellowship to pursue his masters (2003), Korea Research Foundation Fellowship to pursue his PhD (2005) and CEFIPRA postdoctoral fellowship (2008). His past professional experience also includes being research scientist at Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), South Korea where he extensively worked on ceramic materials for structural and high temperature applications. .

He was a post-doctoral fellow at Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble-INP) France. He wasalso heading the R&D division for English Indian Clay Limited, India from 2015-16.
His current research interest includes developing nano structured materials for variety of applications including paper, paint and healthcare. He has co-authored over 85 research publications in reputed international journals. He has also edited a book "Nanostructured ceramic oxides for supercapacitors" published by CRC Taylor and Francis, USA. He has also served in the editorial board of international journals like JNN and Advanced carbon. He is currently a life member of The Materials Research Society of India and Solar Energy Society of India.