Research Areas
3Nano-SAE works across three interconnected research pillars — energy conversion, energy storage, and the materials platform that enables them — with a shared focus on advanced nanomaterials and sustainable technologies.
Energy conversion
Converting chemical, biological, and light energy into electricity through advanced electrochemical systems and catalytic materials.
Fuel cells
Electrochemical energy converters including hydrogen-air, solid acid, and alcohol-air fuel cells.
Bioelectrochemistry
Living systems generating electrical energy through microbial and biological processes.
Photo-electrochemistry
Photo-electrochemical systems converting solar energy directly into electrical and chemical energy.
Energy storage
Storing electrical and thermal energy efficiently using novel chemistries, nanostructured electrodes, and phase-change materials.
Sodium-ion batteries
Next-generation sodium-ion battery (SIB) chemistries as a sustainable alternative to lithium-ion.
Supercapacitors
High-power, fast-charging energy storage devices for applications requiring rapid energy discharge.
Phase change materials
Thermal energy storage using PCMs that absorb and release energy during phase transitions.
Materials platform
The foundational materials science that underpins our energy conversion and storage work — from carbon nanostructures to functional polymers.
Polymers & biopolymers
Polymeric systems, biopolymers, and functional films for advanced materials research.
Carbon, ceramic & bioactive materials
A materials base for energy conversion, storage, biosensing, and nanobiotechnology applications.
Advanced materials, nanostructures & functional films
A comprehensive set of synthesis, processing, and characterization techniques developed across two decades of research.
- Advanced and nanostructured carbon materials (nanocarbons, nanotubes, exotic carbons, silicon dicarbide, polymer-matrix nanocomposites, carbon gels)
- Electrospinning of polymer micro/nanofibers and carbon films
- Polymeric films designed in thermo-centrifugal fields
- Inorganic polymers as precursors for advanced ceramics
- Nanobiotechnology: bionanocomposites for cell culture media, biosensors, Q-dots, biofuel cells, nanoparticle toxicology, mycotoxin detection
- Plasma polymerization for nanocomposite films and polymer semiconductors
- Polymer semiconductors and conductors