Good day, Sasikumar Rajakumaran. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia.

Yeah, well good afternoon. This is Sasikumar Rajakumar and have completed my mechanical engineering from Government College of Engineering Salem and computed my Masters in solar energy from College of Engineering Indy and then completed my PhD in Material Science and engineering from College of Engineering India and University. And my pigachy and reserve research work involves the mechanical analysis of carbonation modified carbon fiber reinforced with thermoplastic composites for.

Under using the complex composites for sustainable energy storage and catalytic photocatalytic applications. So I'm very much involved in electrochemistry of using or reusing the compost sites in terms of supercapacitor battery and photoelectric catalyst technologies.

And I have published.

Very well acclaimed such papers and Composite Science and technology, Composite Structures and Journal of Power sources and I've also involved in designing the photoelectro catalyst using 2 wheel chamber photocatalytic fuel cell in console multiphysics and. Have simulated the the same experimental setup. What have done in experimentally through console multiphysics for?

The simultaneous conversion of electricity where that using the pollutant is a source to fuel the cell to convert the chemical energy to the electrical energy and simultaneously degrades the pollutant.

Thank you, Professor Rajakumar, for sharing your academic journey and insights into your research. It's impressive to hear about your contributions to composites and sustainable energy applications.

Understood. Let us begin. Professor, can you share an overview of your background and expertise within Chemical Engineering or Materials Science?

Yeah, When it comes to I'm basically I've written my PhD examination in material science and engineering. So moreover I'm very much involved in electrochemistry preparation of electrode electrode materials and make into a symmetric electrode materials for supercapacitor battery electrical applications and then the preparation of.

Electron materials for fuel cell, which is the photoelectro catalytic fuel cell.

Which uses the photo light energy to as a fuel to convert the catalyst material into the electricity. So whereas the we have create the electrode material with different hetero junction materials to perform.

With the perfect optimum flat band potential. Energy gap. So with this energy gap, it creates an electron hole pair and we are also having.

In the in the cell you are having the pollutant. This pollutant is when again irradiation irradiated with the light energy and this hydroxy hydroxide radicals degrade the pollutant and the catalyst source.

Convert the hydroxyl radical hydroxide ions to into the radicals to decrease the polluter and simultaneously the electron hole pair generation in the electrode material generates the power.

So and then it get reduced in the cathode side to form the.

Water as a byproduct.

Yes.

Yes.

Understood. How do you ensure optimal energy band alignment in heterojunction materials for your photoelectrocatalytic fuel cells?

So I need to photo Electro catalytic field cell. We have to prefer prepare the perfect anode and cathode material. So by combining the. In my case have used different combinations of composite materials whereas Fe Tio 2 as an anode material and SVTA 2 is then combined with. Tio 2 as an anode material and for the cathode material.

Be able be able be able to which means bismuth Indium oxide when it is combined with Fe NI. So this combination hetero junction the combination creates the.

Uh, directional electron transfer mechanism, uh, where with this band potential, the where the where we have in the photoelectro catalyst, we have different scheme of mechanism as SC scheme mechanism mechanism in this have create the directional electron transfer mechanism where the electron get transferred uh.

Directly from the anode to cathode by by it's. It's a kind of gravitational gradient. It doesn't need. We need extra electrolyte.

Electrolyte potential to drive the electron from the anode. So it's it makes the system ease to to maintain a perfect fuel cell conversion with its higher conversion efficiency and also simultaneously degrades the pollutant.

Thank you, Professor. Your explanation of using specific material combinations such as FeTiO₂ and BiInO₃ to establish directional electron transfer mechanisms is insightful. Your approach simplifies the system by eliminating additional electrolyte potential while maintaining efficiency and pollutant degradation. Let me delve deeper: how do you evaluate the performance metrics of your photoelectrocatalytic fuel cell, especially in terms of energy conversion efficiency and pollutant degradation rate?

Yeah, does this performance matrix can be done by?

Using after creating the cell we just take the open circuit voltage. So when when it is keeping in the high high radiation time of sunlight, when light falls the conversion seconds. So conversion of pollutant see conversion of pollutant degradation and the power is simultaneously happening so.

During a periodic interval of time, we take the pollutant few mule of few mills of pollutant degraded pollutant sample from the.

A chamber and also we will monitor the power where which we will plot the Ivy graph.

And also uses the different resistance. How this system performance with the varying resistance. Using the different resistance we will take the voltage and the current produced over the period of time.

So we use high V polarization graph and this was simultaneously again, uh, uh, executed with the console multiphysics by creating this dual uh, uh, chamber geometry where Nafion is used as an electrolyte polymer electrolyte membrane to transport of hydrogen H plus protons, which is used to.

Get reduced in the oxidation. Oxidation, reduced reaction and then here the electron which takes place in hydrogen oxidation.

Reaction in the arrow chamber and this is.

Taken in console. Taken into consideration in console multiphysics by giving all the material parameters.

Of the prepared electrode and then executing the secondary current distribution.

Node physics to explain the to validate the mechanism what was done through experimentally.

Yeah, yeah, it is in published in journal of it is an it is an under communication in general of cleaner energy protection and the photocalyptic degradation with evolution of the validation in Caldwell multiplicities has been published in composite part A applied science and manufacturing the impact factor of 8 point.

9.1.

Thank you

You're referring to publications in high-impact journals like *Composite Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing* with an impressive impact factor of 9.1, and another under communication for the *Journal of Cleaner Energy Protection*. Such contributions reflect the rigor and significance of your research. On that note, how do you envision integrating your research expertise into classroom teaching to benefit students pursuing Chemical Engineering and Electrochemistry?

Yeah, I'm sure I have done many internship, guided many internship students with my photo, dual chamber photo editor, catalytic fuel cell setup and then we have carried out some mini projects in executing the preparation of electrode for anode assembly and for the some set of students we will. Ensure to make them cathode electrode material and.

Two other set of students. We grouped the students into different different groups to create different assembly structures of the photographic fuel cell. Someone to prepare the electrolyte membrane for the fuel cell.

And then and then other groups to make a design of geometry to execute in console multiphysics.

Thank you, Professor. Your hands-on approach of guiding students through internships and group projects—spanning areas like electrode preparation, electrolyte membrane creation, and geometric design validation in COMSOL Multiphysics—clearly demonstrates your commitment to experiential learning. It’s an excellent methodology for nurturing analytical and practical skills in students. Let’s now examine your teaching philosophy. How do you ensure your course material remains accessible to students with varying academic backgrounds within Chemical Engineering or Materials Science?

Yeah, basically when it comes to electrochemistry.

Have done my masters in engineering in solar energy, the solar energy which where it involves the varied varying subject which involves the solar photovoltaics and then solar thermal management conversion systems and during my PhD have done energy storage, electrochemical analysis through argolysis electrochemical workstation to perform.

Colonostatic charge discharge analysis and then electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, linear linear sweep voltometry and then many battery related studies and have also fabricated supercapacitor mini gadgets using the symmetric carbon fiber.

The cyclic voltammetry.

Electrode which is also published in Composite Science and technology and then have many created proposal on structural.

Batteries and also having a proposal on the fuel cell.

Thank you, Professor. Your academic journey—from solar energy systems in your master's to advanced electrochemical analyses in your Ph.D. research—demonstrates a solid foundation and breadth across interdisciplinary areas. Additionally, your publication in *Composite Science and Technology* and development of mini supercapacitor gadgets highlight practical applications of your research. Returning to the teaching aspect, how do you ensure these advanced topics, like cyclic voltammetry or electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, are communicated effectively to students who may be unfamiliar with this level of specialization?

Yeah, Where the system originally workstation is imported from France, which is an highly advanced system which is having 4 channel system at the same time we can execute the different, we can teach the students with different calibrations of electrochemical studies. So at 1 channel we can.

We can set the potentials of the electrode and the other channel. We can teach the electrochemical impedance of the cell and the other channel. We can teach them charge, discharging capacity and the other channel. We can create the stability of the cell. So at simultaneously we can with that ultrachemical structure the system we can reach the students with multiple.

Teach them the electrolyte, how the electrode?

Steps.

Multiple steps.

Thank

Approach in in the fuel cell, so at each steps we can clearly define them. What is happening? What are the things to do to the perfect calibration of the each characteristics, whether it when it comes to cyclical trometry or the gallon cytic charge discharge or impedance spectroscopy and cycling stability.

So these are the main characteristics when it comes to ultra chemical fuel cells, ultra chemical studies in terms of fuel cell batteries or supercapacitors. So at we carry a step by step procedure to teach them. To teach them the student to execute the experimental things and also before.

Coming to the. Execution in electrochemical workstation. We will make them to.

Ensure there the asynthesis and synthesis procedure to make the electrode assembly and how this membrane electrolyte preparation and how to sell how to make them to ensure in cell fabrication. So these are the steps.

We ensure them to clear in making the complete cell assembly and then we move on to the electrochemical workstation to execute the characteristic studies.

And then to analyze the post, we will done a post analysis. What is happening and the exact electrochemical cell, what to do, what not to do, what are the learnings we occurred from the failures of the cells? What are the other factors we need to improve?

In terms of.

In terms of improving the efficiency of the cell, what are the factors we need to consider while while in the notion of improving the efficiency of cell?

Thank you, Professor. Your structured multi-step teaching process—starting with synthesis and assembly, progressing to experimental electrochemical studies, and concluding with post-analysis and iterative improvement—is incredibly methodical. This approach actively fosters deep understanding and critical thinking among students. Let’s move forward. Could you elaborate on any experience you have had guiding student projects or research, particularly if they resulted in publications or notable outcomes?

Yeah, it is in process where we have done. We have reported many.

Many M tech student thesis and it is in progress.

To communicate in the highly reputed journals.

Understood, Professor. Your involvement in guiding numerous M.Tech thesis projects and advancing them toward publication reflects your dedication to mentoring emerging researchers and contributing to scholarly discourse. Let us progress to the next topic. How do you approach structuring and delivering complex theoretical and laboratory courses to maintain engagement and comprehension among students?

Yeah, first we need to we have in our during my PhD, I have attended many workshops and conferences, and through the workshops and conferences, I I came to know the importance of advancement came into the electrochemical system. What are the instruments that are now using in.

Electrochemical era to improve the performance.

Of the system so we also try to include the instrumentational facilities for our lab and also nurture them how it is how it is then efficiently used for our prepared cell system through their company persons through their.

Expertise expertise in the operating the instrument with the help of them, we should to nurture the students with higher knowledge in handling the equipments and also.

Standalone. In standalone they can prepare the cell, assemble and then take the electrochemical properties and then write the report and convert into a highly.

High impact journals.

Thank you, Professor. Your strategy, which involves incorporating advances from workshops and conferences, securing state-of-the-art instrumentation, and providing hands-on guidance in operating these systems, clearly fosters both technical competence and scholarly output among students. Let’s proceed. How do you ensure fair and effective methods for evaluating students in both theoretical and laboratory-based courses?

Yeah, validating students, it's based on their performance in their. In their own capabilities, some students are good at synthesizing and characterizing the material. Some students are designing the systems, Some students are capable.

Higher potential field. So based on this, we will category while while you know, while seeing their performance in in what aspects they are at good. So based on their higher potential in their cell, whether it may be a synthesis or characterization, whether it may be they are analytical cells where they are there some students are more.

To to perform the whole experimental thing. Some students are more analytical, so based on this. Criteria We validate the students and make the students to focus on their own.

Experimentalist some students are more good at designing and optimization through software. So we category categorize the students and we will make them to focus on into that particular area to to be expert more expertise in that field and then aggregate them into a group to make an unimaginable undispensable.

Project to Project proposal to.

To fetch in higher academic studies to execute any new novel development in the fuel cell.

Fuel cell eras.

Thank you, Professor. Your approach of assessing students based on their individual strengths—be it synthesis, design, experimentation, or analysis—and guiding them to specialize further in those areas while encouraging collaborative project initiatives is highly commendable. This method not only nurtures individual potential but also fosters comprehensive group outcomes. Let us now explore industry relevance. Could you share any experience with consultancy or collaborations with industry that align with the advancements in Electrochemical systems or Materials Science?

Yeah, sure. And of course while doing my research pH research, I'm also engaged as a project associate to under the project National Aluminum Company, wherein National Aluminum Company created a project.

So where in India we have higher amount of bauxite materials, we create aluminum from aluminum more from the bauxite material from that we will get pure high pure alumina. So this Alipur alumina used to make as a substrate for semiconductor applications and then it is then mean to electrochemical studies which is mainly the IV characteristic studies. So this aluminous affair is used to.

On aluminum fabrication of sapphire crystal. So in this project, this collaboration with anonymity and IIT Bhubaneswar and Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminum Research, Development and Design Center.

Make a different LED applications.

Thank you,

Thank you, Professor. Your involvement as a project associate collaborating with the National Aluminum Company, IIT Bhubaneswar, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminum Research, Development, and Design Center on fabricating high-purity alumina for semiconductor and LED applications demonstrates a practical blend of research and industry engagement. This showcases your ability to connect theoretical advancements to real-world applications. Let’s proceed. Can you elaborate on how you envision collaborating with industry partners or advancing consultancy projects as part of your academic role?

Yeah, I can do that with. I'm also preparing an.

I'm also.

Sorry.

Yeah, yeah. I'm also preparing an proposal with the hydrogen storage.

Composite for hydrogen storage tank and also approached.

DST and also through this an RF uh, program, I've also approached uh, uh, their professors with my professors using this carbonaceous modified carbon fiber for hydrogen storage tanks and also for the, uh, carbon fiber supported catalyst for fuel cell.

Uh, by replacing the higher cost anode platinum carbon doped fuel cell, which would be more?

More, more and promising or promising candidate by replacing the platinum, copper, platinum, carbon doped supported catalyst and with the help of carbon fiber supported graphitic carbon nanotube or graphitic structured nanoparticles act as a supporting catalyst for anode material in fuel cell applications.

Thank you, Professor. Your initiative for proposing hydrogen storage composites and cost-efficient anode catalyst alternatives—in collaboration with DST and through academic programs—illustrates a strong vision for impactful advancements in fuel cell technologies. Replacing platinum-carbon with graphitic-based alternatives is indeed promising for improving scalability and reducing costs. Let’s delve deeper into your communication approach. How do you ensure that your interactions with industry professionals and academic peers are effective, particularly while presenting complex research proposals?

Yeah, uh, where doing during my, uh, project associate, uh, period, I'm also very much uh, interactive engaged with the professionals, uh, uh, more top eminent professors from IIT Bhuvneshwar in the mode of preparation of high pure alumina, which is about 99.99 percentage and also with the company scientist versions from Nalco National Aluminum Company Limited. To execute the program.

Of making fabrication of sapphire crystals with the high temperature furnace and also.

Accompanied with the company who are making this high temperature furnace system which is which is which is under make in India scheme. So it is the most India's indigenous project which is made all each and every part are assembled or unassembled and made in India this high temperature furnace and vacuum.

Vacuum pump water chiller capacity.

So for this I have engaged with the industrial partners to make the make feasible the whole system of worth 50,00,000 and also engaged with the Nero aluminum research development center with their scientist advice. And we have created this system to create the fabricate and also we have collaborated with. Taiwan researchers to make this crystal more feasible without any.

Part but affected, uh, crystal things. And then they are also uh, collaborated with the CMUT, uh.

Which is in Kerala for polishing the crystal and also we are collaborated with the Finland based company for making this semiconductor crystal with the help of metal organic chemical vapor deposition. So through this my project associate period, I have communicated with many industry partners, many academic partners to execute this project.

Thank you, Professor. Your ability to navigate collaborations across industrial stakeholders, academic institutions like IIT Bhubaneswar, overseas researchers from Taiwan, and multinational technological contributions for fabricating and polishing sapphire crystals is exemplary. This high-value project under the "Make in India" initiative demonstrates not only your technical expertise but also significant competence in fostering meaningful partnerships across diverse fields. Let us pivot toward your ability to guide students in both writing and presenting research proposals. How do you ensure students develop these essential academic skills effectively?

Time is up! Ending the interview now.