1) Project title: Mechanistic of CO Oxidation on Metal Free Catalyst and Property Package

Project leader:Prof. Ranjit Thapa

Sanctioning authority: EMR-SERB (Core Research), SERB/EMR/2016/004689 dated 02/08/2017

Period: August 2017-August 2020

Grant amount 35.45 Lakhs

We intend mainly to design and develop metal free catalysts, and study the activation barrier, Sabatier activity, reaction intermediates and corresponding reaction mechanism (Eley-Rideal mechanism or Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism). Concomitantly, systems like metal free surfaces (Silicon Carbide), doped graphene, doped C-60, modified boron nitride surface etc. will be designed to solve above mentioned issues for complete CO conversion without poisoning the active surfaces. So here we will mainly focus on the gas solid reactions (2CO + O₂ - CO₂) considering only metal-free catalyst.

2) Project title:First principles identification of descriptor for carbon based catalyst

Project leader:Prof. Ranjit Thapa

Sanctioning authorityDAE-BRNS (YSRA), (37(2)/20/14/2018-BRNS/37144)

Period: August 2018 – August 2021

Grant amount 30.316 Lakhs

One of the major challenges in catalysis research lies in the development of suitable descriptors that relate the intrinsic property of carbon materials to their catalytic activity. Hence, developing descriptors that would aid in the fundamental understanding and experimental synthesis is essential. Ultimately we are interested in developing a “property package” which will help to screen the catalytic materials using suitable descriptor and predict their relative performance.

3) Project title - Probing Charge Transport in Molecular Junctions with Impedance Spectroscopy and Transition Voltage Spectroscopy Approach

Project leader - Dr. Sabyasachi Mukhopadhyay

Sanctioning authority - Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), DST, Govt. of India

Period: 2018 - 2022

Grant amount – 48 Lakhs

In this project, we are investigating charge transport at molecular scale, which is important for advance fundamental understanding and to improve the performance of devices for applications ranging from energy storage, green energy, to device miniaturization. We are addressing several questions and developing new research methodology to obtain a universal structural-function relationship for molecules in terms of their electrical transport? We aim to modulate electronic transport across supramolecular ensembles and reveal the quantum transport in macromolecules. These understanding will be helpful to the development of molecular junction based diagnostics technologies, which covers electrical as well as photonic detection methodologies coupled with microfluidic sample manipulation.

4) Project title: Discovery of an efficient catalyst surfaces for recycling CO2.

Project leader: Dr. Mallikarjuna Rao Motapothula

Sanctioning authority: Department of Science and Technology (DST)-Inspire

Period: 2018-22

Grant amount: 105 Lakhs

This project aims to discover catalysts which can produce high yields of Ethylene selectively by electrochemical reduction of CO₂ using a renewable energy resources, which is not only making useful fuels but also reduce global warming by making carbon neutral fuel. One of the main problems is the unavailability of new catalysts except the Copper which was identified three decades ago. Another major obstacle is the distribution of the formation of several hydrocarbons, which hinders the selectivity, and requires rather high over potentials. Another missing discovery in this field is the identification of reaction pathways. Methane, ethylene and hydrogen are the major products during electrochemical CO₂ reduction. The aim of this project is to unveil the fundamental reaction path way for ethylene formation during electrochemical reduction and discover the catalyst which can produce ethylene selectively at high current densities at lower over potentials.

5) Project title - Evaluation of intrinsic piezoelectric coefficients and strainengineering near the morphotropic phase boundary in Pb-free oxides

Project leader - Dr. Pranab Mandal

Sanctioning authority - Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), DST, Govt. of India

Period: 2019 - 2023

Grant amount – 48.79 Lakhs

The project aims to develop Pb-free ceramic oxide materials by strain engineering at the morphotropic phase boundary for piezoelectric applications. Lead zirconate titanate (PbZr_1-xTi_xO₃ or PZT) exhibits excellent electromechanical properties near morphotropic phase boundary (x =0.48) and is the leading material used for nearly all piezoelectric actuators and sensors related applications. However, Pb-toxicity has raised environmental concerns, and relatively low Curie temperature (T_C = 390 °C) fails to cater to higher temperature applications such as gas turbines, jet engines, power plants. The proposed work will focus on designing a tetragonal phase of A-site bismuth-rich perovskite oxide, and then form a PZT-like morphotropic phase boundary. Further, strain engineering near the morphotropic phase boundary guided by Rayleigh analysis would aim to develop new Pb-free materials with large intrinsic piezoelectric response and higher Curie temperature. The Pb-free piezoceramics developed here would aim to join the family of Pb-free materials suitable for suitable commercial applications.

6) Project title -Ion Beam Modification of Two Dimensional(2D) Layered Materials Heterostructures: Defect Engineering and Device Performances

Project leader: Dr. Jatis Kumar Dash

Sanctioning authority: UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research

Period: 2019-2023

Grant amount: 25 Lakh

Here, we propose to focus on the large area growth and sequential integration of layered transition metal Oxides (TMOs), dichalcogenides (TMDs), carbides (MXene) and its systematic defect engineering at the surfaces and interfaces by ion irradiation/implantation thereby modifying their local electronic structures and monitor the device performances. The energetic ion beams could implement the surface morphology and layer-to-layer structural engineering of 2D materials. At the microcosmic level, the introduction of ion beam induced defects and intentional doping of specific ions are the basis of tailoring properties of 2D materials. By manipulating the parameters of ion beams (energies, species, fluences, incident angles, etc.), the modified 2D materials may possess novel properties, which are unprecedented in pristine ones. Promising applications based on these 2D materials with ion beam tailored features may be realized in a broad range of fields. In this proposal, Graphene, hexagonal Boron Nitride and other 2D materials heterostructures will be investigated under the treatment of various ion beams. We also aim to correlate the Ion beam modification of various vdW heterolayers with their device performances.

7) Development of Fast Fluoride Ion Conducting Solid Electrolytes for Rechargeable Solid State Fluoride Ion Batteries

Project Leader: Dr. Laxmi Narayana Patro

Sanctioning authority: Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), DST, Govt. of India

Period: 2019-2021

Total outlay: 30 Lakhs

Project Summary:

Electrochemical energy storage systems beyond Li ion batteries have received much attention to avoid the rare and expensive Li element. The theoretical energy density of fluoride ion batteries (FIBs) are higher than the conventional Li ion batteries. The objective of the project is to develop suitable fast ion conducting materials exhibiting high fluoride ionic conductivity at ambient temperature by engineering the structure of the earlier known materials. The battery characteristics of the solid electrolytes will be tested using different metal/metal fluoride electrode pairs. The final objective of the project is fabrication of high performance rechargeable FIBs to be working at room temperature.

8) Project title: "Vector Vortex Beams and their Scattering for Communication Applications"

Project leader: Dr. Gangi Reddy Salla

Sanctioning authority: Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) of DST, Government of India

Total outlay:

30 Lakhs.