Advanced Materials for Battery Separators

Sabu Thomas is a Professor and Director of the International and Interuniversity Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, India. He is internationally recognized for his contributions to polymer science and engineering, with his research interests encompassing polymer nanocomposites, elastomers, polymer blends, interpenetrating polymer networks, polymer membranes, green composites, nanocomposites, nanomedicine, and green nanotechnology. His groundbreaking inventions in polymer nanocomposites, polymer blends, green bionanotechnology, and nano-biomedical sciences have significantly advanced the development of new materials for the automotive, space, housing, and biomedical fields.

Dr. Didier Rouxel is a full Professor at the University of Lorraine, France, and researcher in the Institut Jean Lamour of Nancy, France. He received the Engineer degree from the École Supérieure des Sciences et Techniques de l’Ingénieur de Nancy, in 1989, and the Ph.D. degree in material sciences and engineering from the University of Nancy I in 1993. He was the Leader of the “Micro and NanoSystems Group of the Institut Jean Lamour, Nancy, France (2013-2018). He was also the Leader of the C’NANO French Grand Est network for the theme “Nanosciences and Materials for Health (2009-2015), Expert of the European Interreg project NANO4M – Nano For Market, Theme “Nano & Microsensors and Implants (HEALTH) (2009-2010), Expert from the French national agency ANSES, “Nanomaterials and Health Working Group (2012-2015). Prof. Rouxel has been involved in the spectroscopic analysis of inorganics and is vastly experienced in the analysis of polymer nanocomposite systems by almost all spectroscopic techniques. His major areas of interest include elastic properties of polymeric materials studied by Brillouin spectroscopy, development of polymer nanocomposite materials, development of micro-devices based on electro-active polymers, piezoelectric nanocrystals, microsensor development for surgery, etc. Since 2011, he has co-directed numerous Franco-Indian collaborative projects. He is Doctor Honoris Causa from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India (2022).

Dr. Nandakumar Kalarikkal is an Associate Professor at the School of Pure and Applied Physics and Joint Director of the International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. His research activities involve applications of nanostructured materials, laser plasma, and phase transitions. He is the recipient of research fellowships and associateships from prestigious government organizations such as the Department of Science and Technology and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of the Government of India. He has active collaborations with national and international scientific institutions in India, South Africa, Slovenia, Canada, France, Germany, Malaysia, Australia, and the United States. He has more than 130 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He also co-edited nine books of scientific interest and co-authored many book chapters.

Ms.BICY K is a CSIR-SRF doctoral Fellow. Her area of interest is fabrication of microporous polymeric separators for Lithium ion batteries. The topic of her research is polymer based nanocomposite membranes for lithium ion battery separator, at IIUCNN, Mahatma Gandhi University.Kottayam. In addition, her research includes the preparation of microporous polymer membranes and nanocomposites by different techniques like Electrospinning, Solution casting, melt mixing etc. and their applications in lithium ion battery separator.

She completed her Ph.D. in 2015. Following her Ph.D., she conducted postdoctoral research at the Centre for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, Doha-Qatar, under Prof. Mariam Ali S A Al-Maadeed, where she worked on improving the adhesion between fibers and LDPE via plasma modification. She also pursued postdoctoral research with Prof. Koichi Goda in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yamaguchi University, Japan, in collaboration with TOCLAS Corporation, Japan. She was awarded the Dr. D. S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship (DSKPDF) to work with Prof. Sabu Thomas at Mahatma Gandhi University.