Welcome to Electrochemical Energy Storage and conversion Laboratory (EESCL)

Pioneering next-generation energy storage and conversion through advanced research in multivalent non-aqueous and aqueous batteries, supercapacitor and electrocatalysis

About Our Research

One of the greatest challenges facing humankind in the coming decades is the urgent demand for sustainable energy systems that can continuously support the advancement of modern society. At present, the global economy and quality of life still depend heavily on fossil fuels, which are limited in supply and are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. Therefore, the development of clean, efficient, and sustainable energy storage technologies has become a critical scientific and technological priority. The Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion Laboratory (EESCL) focus its research on the development of next-generation electrochemical energy storage systems, particularly sodium-ion batteries, multivalent aqueous batteries, hybrid capacitors, biomass-derived batteries, and electrocatalysis. Our research is directed toward the design of advanced electrode materials and electrochemical systems with enhanced energy density, power performance, cycling stability, safety, and sustainability.

EESCL adopts an interdisciplinary research approach that integrates materials science, electrochemistry, and energy device engineering. Through advanced materials synthesis, structural and surface characterization, and electrochemical performance evaluation, our laboratory aims to contribute to the development of innovative and practical energy technologies for a sustainable future.

Meet Group Leader

Dr. Ranjith Thangavel

Associate Professor

Department Of Chemical Engineering

Indian Institute Of Technology Tirupati

Our Key Research Areas

EESCL · IIT Tirupati

Metal-ion batteries

Designing sodium- and lithium-ion electrode materials for sustainable energy storage.

Explore research →

Lab News ⊕

2026 · Publications

Congratulations to Mayanmi Zimik and Saddam Hussain on their recent papers in aqueous-ion battery research.

2026 · NIMS ICGP fellowship for Mayanmi Zimik

Mayanmi Zimik has been awarded the NIMS International Cooperative Graduate Program (ICGP) fellowship for research at NIMS.

2026 · Conference presentations by Md Kasif

Poster at MTCS, IIT Tirupati, and oral presentation at the Energy Conversion and Storage conference, IIT Madras.

2025 · MRS Fall Meeting presentation by Mayanmi Zimik

Mayanmi Zimik presented her work at the 2025 MRS Fall Meeting and Exhibit on 2 December.

2025 · Dr. Ranjith Thangavel inducted as INAE Young Associate

Honoured at the INAE Annual Convention in Bengaluru on 20 December 2025.

PhD and postdoctoral opportunities

Visit our openings page for information on joining EESCL.

Dr. Ranjith Thangavel at the INAE Young Associate induction ceremony

Celebrating research and achievements at EESCL

EESCL Publications

All publications →

Journal of Alloys and Compounds journal cover

PVD-assisted hydrothermal growth of binder-free hierarchical NiCo2O4 electrodes for enhanced lithium-ion storage

Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 190989, 2026

Journal of Materials Chemistry A — representative journal cover

Dual-Metal Pre-Intercalation for Highly Reversible VOPO4 Cathodes with Suppressed Vanadium Dissolution in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2026

Energy & Fuels — representative journal cover

Nanoconfined Se Anions in 2D CoP/Co2P as High-Performance Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Efficient H2 Production with Urea-Assisted Alkaline Seawater Electrolysis

Energy & Fuels 40 (33), 18487-18497, 2026

Reversible Mn2+ Ion Storage in a Layered VSe2 Cathode: Insights into Storage Kinetics and Structural Reversibility in Aqueous Manganese-Ion Batteries

Energy & Fuels 40 (24), 13086-13098, 2026

Electrochemical-thermal coupled modeling of a serpentine-shaped liquid cooling channel for lithium-ion battery packs with high discharge rates

International Journal of Thermal Sciences 220, 110299, 2026

Interfacial regulation with sodium-rich alloy/fluoride protective layer for reversible and dendrite-free sodium metal anodes

Surfaces and Interfaces, 108323, 2025

EESCL Research

All research areas →

Electrochemical energy materials, powders, battery electrodes and laboratory cells on a research bench.

Materials · Interfaces · Energy

Materials research for better energy storage and conversion.

We develop electrodes, electrolytes and catalysts, then study how their structures and interfaces shape electrochemical performance. By connecting fundamental materials science with device engineering, EESCL works toward safer, more durable and more sustainable energy technologies.

Metal-ion batteries ↗Aqueous-ion batteries ↗Hybrid capacitors ↗Organic batteries ↗Biomass-derived materials ↗Electrocatalysis ↗

Explore our research →

MATERIALS · INTERFACES · ENERGY

Inside the energy-storage material

Conceptual scientific visualization of molecular rotation and electron transport.

A visual journey through the structures and charge movement that shape next-generation energy-storage materials.

PVD-assisted hydrothermal growth of binder-free hierarchical NiCo2O4 electrodes for enhanced lithium-ion storage

L Noerochim, ZNM Rabbani, AK Altama, H Purwaningsih, ... Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 190989, 2026

Dual-metal pre-intercalation for highly reversible VOPO4 cathodes with suppressed vanadium dissolution in aqueous zinc-ion batteries

M Zimik, S Hussain, M Kasif, RP ESN, V T, R Thangavel Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2026

Nanoconfined Se Anions in 2D CoP/Co2P as High-Performance Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Efficient H2 Production with Urea-Assisted Alkaline Seawater Electrolysis

M Devi, K Gurjar, M Zimik, S Hussain, B Moorthy, R Thangavel Energy & Fuels 40 (33), 18487-18497, 2026

Reversible Mn2+ Ion Storage in a Layered VSe2 Cathode: Insights into Storage Kinetics and Structural Reversibility in Aqueous Manganese-Ion Batteries

S Hussain, S Rajkumar, M Zimik, ESNR P, B Moorthy, R Thangavel Energy & Fuels 40 (24), 13086-13098, 2026

Electrochemical-thermal coupled modeling of a serpentine-shaped liquid cooling channel for lithium-ion battery packs with high discharge rates

PK Nema, P Muthukumar, R Thangavel International Journal of Thermal Sciences 220, 110299, 2026

Interfacial regulation with sodium-rich alloy/fluoride protective layer for reversible and dendrite-free sodium metal anodes

M Moorthy, R Thangavel, SY An, H Dhanasekaran, YS Lee Surfaces and Interfaces, 108323, 2025

High‐performance hybrid supercapacitor using NiFe2O4/rGO/polypyrrole ternary composite derived from Prussian blue analogs

M Kasif, M Zimik, S Hussain, M Devi, R Thangavel Journal of the American Ceramic Society 108 (12), e70181, 2025

Layered VSe2 as an Al-Ion Storage Cathode for Aqueous Aluminum-Ion Batteries with Fast Diffusion and Stability and Its Charge Storage Mechanism

S Hussain, M Zimik, M Kasif, M Devi, R Thangavel ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 17 (37), 51954-51967, 2025

Review on Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction: From Molecular Mechanisms to Scalable Systems

VV Mundada, M Devi, B Das, V T, R Thangavel Energy & Fuels 39 (36), 17192-17233, 2025

2D layered VSe2 with high pseudocapacitive Zn-ion storage as a cathode for high-power zinc-ion batteries

S Hussain, M Zimik, M Devi, M Kasif, R Thangavel Energy Advances 4 (9), 1154-1166, 2025

Recent trends in artificial SEI layers for controlling dendrite formation and enhancing cycle life: toward stable and durable sodium metal batteries

M Moorthy, R Thangavel, SY An, A Anilkumar, D Han, YS Lee Small 21 (34), 2502974, 2025

Environmental waste-derived dual heteroatom-rich sustainable carbon as anodes for Li-and Na-ion batteries

R Balasubramaniam, R Thangavel, H Dhanasekaran, M Moorthy, S Park, ... Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 147, 461-470, 2025

Phosphorous doped nickel copper sulfide: modulation of activation energy for robust bifunctional alkaline water splitting

M Devi, S Hussain, M Zimik, B Moorthy, R Thangavel International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 137, 333-341, 2025

Investigation of transient heat generation from high energy density Li-ion battery for effective thermal management

PK Nema, P Muthukumar, R Thangavel Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 61, 103573, 2025

Life cycle assessment of lithium-ion batteries with carbon-coated silicon-graphite composite anodes: impact of silicon content on cradle-to-gate environmental footprint

Vijaya, PK Nema, P Kalita, R Thangavel Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 1-15, 2025

Recent Advancements and Future Prospects in Lithium‐Ion Battery Thermal Management Techniques

PK Nema, Vijaya, P Muthukumar, R Thangavel Energy Storage 6 (8), e70076, 2024

Pyrolytic conversion of Mesua ferrea testa to nitrogen-doped porous carbon for supercapacitor applications

M Zimik, S Sarmah, BK Kakati, D Deka, R Thangavel Materials Research Bulletin 180, 113017, 2024

Ultra-high areal capacity, ultra-long life, dendrite-free sodium metal anode enabled by antimony-based Na-ion conducting artificial SEI layers

M Moorthy, R Thangavel, BK Ganesan, A Saha, S Hong, YS Lee Chemical Engineering Journal 498, 155234, 2024

Rapid electrochemical impedance spectroscopy via, continuous amplitude envelope of chirp signal on, li-ion 21700 battery

R Samant, R Suresh, OS Deshmukh, R Thangavel 2024 9th International Youth Conference on Energy (IYCE), 1-5, 2024

A series of hybrid multifunctional interfaces as artificial SEI layer for realizing dendrite free, and long‐life sodium metal anodes

M Moorthy, B Moorthy, BK Ganesan, A Saha, S Yu, DH Kim, S Hong, ... Advanced Functional Materials 33 (42), 2300135, 2023

Realizing high energy density supercapacitors assisted by light-induced charging

JR Rani, NC Das, M Kim, R Thangavel, ST Kim, YS Lee, JH Jang Journal of Power Sources 576, 233197, 2023

Recent developments in zinc metal anodes, cathodes, and electrolytes for zinc-ion hybrid capacitors

M Devi, B Moorthy, R Thangavel Sustainable Energy & Fuels 7 (16), 3776-3795, 2023

Bio-mass derived hierarchically porous and high surface area carbon as an efficient sulfur host for lithium-sulfur batteries

PK Nema, K Mohanty, R Thangavel Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 121, 235-241, 2023

Studying Na criticality in NaxMn2− xO2 (x= 1.05–1.3) type Na-rich disordered rocksalt cathode for higher capacity

BK Ganesan, R Thangavel, YS Lee Materials Today Chemistry 28, 101368, 2023

Fluorine substitution enabled superior performance of NaxMn2-xO1. 5F0. 5 (x= 1.05–1.3) type Na-rich cathode

BK Ganesan, M Moorthy, R Thangavel, KW Nam, V Aravindan, YS Lee Chemical Engineering Journal 454, 139876, 2023

Ameliorating the electrode/electrolyte interface compatibility in Li-ion solid-state batteries with plasticizer

J Seol, R Balasubramaniam, V Aravindan, R Thangavel, YS Lee Journal of Alloys and Compounds 927, 167077, 2022

Enhancing electrochemical performance by triggering a local structure distortion in lithium vanadium phosphate cathode for Li ion batteries

H Park, W Lee, R Thangavel, W Oh, BS Jin, WS Yoon Journal of Materials Chemistry A 10 (47), 25129-25139, 2022

Understanding the Structural Phase Transitions in Na3V2(PO4)3 Symmetrical Sodium-Ion Batteries Using Synchrotron Based X-Ray Techniques

M Moorthy, S Lee, U Son, R Thangavel, YS Lee Electrochemical Society Meeting Abstracts 242, 2528-2528, 2022

Effect of sodium addition on lattice structure and tuning performance in sodium rich NaxTm2-xO2 type cathode materials (Tm= Mn and Cr; X= 1.05–1.3)-a study

BK Ganesan, UR Son, R Thangavel, YS Lee Electrochimica Acta 421, 140493, 2022

Review on Thermal Management System of Li-Ion Battery for Electric Vehicle

PK Nema, P Muthukumar, R Thangavel North-East Research Conclave, 165-183, 2022

Understanding the Structural Phase Transitions in Na3V2(PO4)3 Symmetrical Sodium‐Ion Batteries Using Synchrotron‐Based X‐Ray Techniques

R Thangavel, D Han, B Moorthy, BK Ganesan, M Moorthy, Y Park, ... Small Methods 6 (2), 2100888, 2022

Destabilization of the surface structure of Ni-rich layered materials by water-washing process

W Lee, S Lee, E Lee, M Choi, R Thangavel, Y Lee, WS Yoon Energy Storage Materials 44, 441-451, 2022

Emerging materials for sodium-ion hybrid capacitors: a brief review

R Thangavel, BK Ganesan, V Thangavel, WS Yoon, YS Lee ACS Applied Energy Materials 4 (12), 13376-13394, 2021

Dual lithium storage of Pt electrode: alloying and reversible surface layer

Y Kim, W Choi, OH Kim, H Park, S Yun, R Thangavel, YH Cho, WS Yoon Journal of Materials Chemistry A 9 (34), 18377-18384, 2021

Improving stability using a mixed ion/hybrid electrolyte strategy in a sodium ion capacitor

BK Ganesan, R Thangavel, M Moorthy, SJ Lee, WS Yoon, YS Lee Journal of Power Sources 500, 229918, 2021

Flexible quasi-solid-state lithium-ion capacitors employing amorphous SiO2 nanospheres encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon shell as a high energy anode

R Thangavel, V Ahilan, M Moorthy, WS Yoon, S Shanmugam, YS Lee Journal of Power Sources 484, 229143, 2021

Optimizing high voltage Na3V2 (PO4) 2F3 cathode for achieving high rate sodium-ion batteries with long cycle life

Y Subramanian, W Oh, W Choi, H Lee, M Jeong, R Thangavel, WS Yoon Chemical Engineering Journal 403, 126291, 2021

Rationally Designed 3D Graphene Hollow Spheres Towards Building High Energy–High Power Energy Storage System with Long Durability

R Thangavel, W Oh, M Jeong, S Yun, M Choi, YS Lee, WS Yoon Electrochemical Society Meeting Abstracts prime2020, 420-420, 2020

Ultra-High Energy Density Hybrid Supercapacitors Using MnO2/Reduced Graphene Oxide Hybrid Nanoscrolls

JR Rani, R Thangavel, M Kim, YS Lee, JH Jang Nanomaterials 10 (10), 2049, 2020

Nanoengineered Organic Electrodes for Highly Durable and Ultrafast Cycling of Organic Sodium‐Ion Batteries

R Thangavel, M Moorthy, BK Ganesan, W Lee, WS Yoon, YS Lee Small 16 (41), 2003688, 2020

Cinnamon-derived hierarchically porous carbon as an effective lithium polysulfide reservoir in lithium–sulfur batteries

R Thangavel, AG Kannan, R Ponraj, K Kaliyappan, WS Yoon, DW Kim, ... Nanomaterials 10 (6), 1220, 2020

Understanding the structural phase transitions in lithium vanadium phosphate cathodes for lithium-ion batteries

W Oh, H Park, BS Jin, R Thangavel, WS Yoon Journal of materials chemistry A 8 (20), 10331-10336, 2020

Corrigendum to “Surface enriched graphene hollow spheres towards building ultra-high power sodium-ion capacitor with long durability”[Energy Storage Mater. 25 (2020) 702–713]

R Thangavel, AG Kannan, R Ponraj, G Yoon, V Aravindan, DW Kim, ... Energy Storage Materials 27, 599, 2020

Surface enriched graphene hollow spheres towards building ultra-high power sodium-ion capacitor with long durability

R Thangavel, AG Kannan, R Ponraj, G Yoon, V Aravindan, DW Kim, ... Energy Storage Materials 25, 702-713, 2020

Cover Feature: Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomer‐Based Gel Polymer Electrolytes for Sodium‐Metal Cells with Enhanced Cycling Performance (ChemSusChem 20/2019)

MS Park, HS Woo, JM Heo, JM Kim, R Thangavel, YS Lee, DW Kim ChemSusChem 12 (20), 4539-4539, 2019

Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer‐based gel polymer electrolytes for sodium‐metal cells with enhanced cycling performance

MS Park, HS Woo, JM Heo, JM Kim, R Thangavel, YS Lee, DW Kim ChemSusChem 12 (20), 4645-4654, 2019

Enhanced electrochemical performance for EDLC using ordered mesoporous carbons (CMK-3 and CMK-8): Role of mesopores and mesopore structures

TN Phan, MK Gong, R Thangavel, YS Lee, CH Ko Journal of Alloys and Compounds 780, 90-97, 2019

Effect of Organic Solvents on the Electrochemical Performance of Sodium‐Ion Hybrid Capacitors

MS Park, GK Veerasubramani, R Thangavel, YS Lee, DW Kim ChemElectroChem 6 (3), 653-660, 2019

Cover Feature: Effect of Organic Solvents on the Electrochemical Performance of Sodium‐Ion Hybrid Capacitors (ChemElectroChem 3/2019)

MS Park, GK Veerasubramani, R Thangavel, YS Lee, DW Kim ChemElectroChem 6 (3), 599-599, 2019

An ultra-high-energy density supercapacitor; fabrication based on thiol-functionalized graphene oxide scrolls

JR Rani, R Thangavel, SI Oh, YS Lee, JH Jang Nanomaterials 9 (2), 148, 2019

Influence of Mesoporous Structure on Electrochemical Performance for EDLCs of Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Materials (CMK-3 and CMK-8)

PT Ngoc, R Thangavel 한국공업화학회 연구논문 초록집 2019, 245-246, 2019

High performance organic sodium-ion hybrid capacitors based on nano-structured disodium rhodizonate rivaling inorganic hybrid capacitors

R Thangavel, R Ponraj, AG Kannan, K Kaliyappan, DW Kim, Z Chen, ... Green Chemistry 20 (21), 4920-4931, 2018

High Volumetric Quasi‐Solid‐State Sodium‐Ion Capacitor under High Mass Loading Conditions

R Thangavel, AG Kannan, R Ponraj, MS Park, H Choi, DW Kim, YS Lee Advanced Materials Interfaces 5 (19), 1800472, 2018

Nitrogen-and sulfur-enriched porous carbon from waste watermelon seeds for high-energy, high-temperature green ultracapacitors

R Thangavel, AG Kannan, R Ponraj, V Thangavel, DW Kim, YS Lee Journal of Materials Chemistry A 6 (36), 17751-17762, 2018

Electrochemical Performance of Sodium Polymer Battery Employing Polyurethane-Based Gel Polymer Electrolyte

MS Park, R Thangavel, YS Lee, DW Kim Electrochemical Society Meeting Abstracts aimes2018, 389-389, 2018

Highly interconnected hollow graphene nanospheres as an advanced high energy and high power cathode for sodium metal batteries

R Thangavel, AG Kannan, R Ponraj, X Sun, DW Kim, YS Lee Journal of Materials Chemistry A 6 (21), 9846-9853, 2018

Ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-8 cathodes for high-power and long-cycle life sodium hybrid capacitors

TN Phan, MK Gong, R Thangavel, YS Lee, CH Ko Journal of Alloys and Compounds 743, 639-645, 2018

High-energy green supercapacitor driven by ionic liquid electrolytes as an ultra-high stable next-generation energy storage device

R Thangavel, AG Kannan, R Ponraj, V Thangavel, DW Kim, YS Lee Journal of Power Sources 383, 102-109, 2018

Rapidly Synthesized, Few-Layered Pseudocapacitive SnS2 Anode for High-Power Sodium Ion Batteries

R Thangavel, A Samuthira Pandian, HV Ramasamy, YS Lee ACS applied materials & interfaces 9 (46), 40187-40196, 2017

Efficient method of designing stable layered cathode material for sodium ion batteries using aluminum doping

HV Ramasamy, K Kaliyappan, R Thangavel, WM Seong, K Kang, Z Chen, ... The journal of physical chemistry letters 8 (20), 5021-5030, 2017

All-organic sodium hybrid capacitor: a new, high-energy, high-power energy storage system bridging batteries and capacitors

R Thangavel, K Kaliyappan, DU Kim, X Sun, YS Lee Chemistry of Materials 29 (17), 7122-7130, 2017

A Sodium Hybrid Capacitor with High Energy Retention and Ultra-High Stability

R Thangavel, SY Kim, MK Gong, JY Park, HV Ramasamy, YS Lee Electrochemical Society Meeting Abstracts 232, 489-489, 2017

High volumetric energy density hybrid supercapacitors based on reduced graphene oxide scrolls

JR Rani, R Thangavel, SI Oh, JM Woo, N Chandra Das, SY Kim, YS Lee, ... ACS applied materials & interfaces 9 (27), 22398-22407, 2017

Engineering the Pores of Biomass‐Derived Carbon: Insights for Achieving Ultrahigh Stability at High Power in High‐Energy Supercapacitors

R Thangavel, K Kaliyappan, HV Ramasamy, X Sun, YS Lee ChemSusChem 10 (13), 2805-2815, 2017

Pushing the energy output and cyclability of sodium hybrid capacitors at high power to new limits

R Thangavel, B Moorthy, DK Kim, YS Lee Advanced Energy Materials 7 (14), 1602654, 2017

Cu-doped P2-Na0. 5Ni0. 33Mn0. 67O2 encapsulated with MgO as a novel high voltage cathode with enhanced Na-storage properties

HV Ramasamy, K Kaliyappan, R Thangavel, V Aravindan, K Kang, ... Journal of materials Chemistry A 5 (18), 8408-8415, 2017

Cu-doped P2-Na₀. ₅Ni₀. ₃₃Mn₀. ₆₇O₂ encapsulated with MgO as a novel high voltage cathode with enhanced Na-storage properties

HV Ramasamy, K Kaliyappan, R Thangavel, V Aravindan, K Kang, ...

Correction: Cu-doped P2-Na₀. ₅Ni₀. ₃₃Mn₀. ₆₇O₂ encapsulated with MgO as a novel high voltage cathode with enhanced Na-storage properties

HV Ramasamy, K Kaliyappan, R Thangavel, V Aravindan, K Kang, ...

Going beyond lithium hybrid capacitors: proposing a new high‐performing sodium hybrid capacitor system for next‐generation hybrid vehicles made with bio‐inspired activated carbon

R Thangavel, K Kaliyappan, K Kang, X Sun, YS Lee Advanced Energy Materials 6 (7), 1502199, 2016

Capacitors: Going Beyond Lithium Hybrid Capacitors: Proposing a New High‐Performing Sodium Hybrid Capacitor System for Next‐Generation Hybrid Vehicles Made with Bio‐Inspired …

R Thangavel, K Kaliyappan, K Kang, X Sun, YS Lee Advanced Energy Materials 6 (7), 2016

Electrochemical Properties of Cu Doped Lithium Manganese Silicate/PANI Composite As Cathode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

SN Lee, S Palanichamy, JY An, R Thangavel, YS Lee Electrochemical Society Meeting Abstracts imlb2014, 307-307, 2014

High-Stability Carbon Resistors

R Thangavel, SY Kim, MK Gong