Research Group Website

Research Presentation for Prospective Graduate Students

Educational Qualifications

Ph.D.,Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India (1980)
M.S.,Chemistry, Madurai University, Madurai, India (1976)
B.S.,Chemistry, Madurai University, Madurai, India (1974)

Focus

Development of low-cost, efficient, durable materials for batteries and fuel cells and prototype device fabrication

Research

The primary focus of our research is the design and development of efficient, affordable materials that can facilitate widespread commercialization of clean energy technologies, such as high energy density batteries and fuel cells, to address the world’s energy and environmental challenges. Our research encompasses a broad range of activities, including design of new materials based on basic chemistry and physics concepts, novel chemical synthesis and processing, advanced materials characterization, physical and chemical property measurements, fabrication and evaluation of prototype devices, and a fundamental understanding of the structure-property-performance relationships of materials. Some of the current research area are listed below.

Lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, multivalent-ion batteries, metal-sulfur batteries including lithium-sulfur batteries, all-solid-state batteries, proton exchange membrane fuel cells, and solid oxide fuel cells. Some key aspects are elimination of expensive and scarcely available cobalt in batteries, scale-up synthesis and processing, replacement of expensive metal oxide cathodes in batteries with sulfur cathodes, development of safe, dense nanocomposite foil anodes, in-depth bulk and surface characterization after extensive charge-discharge cycling of batteries, and understanding and mitigation of degradation mechanisms.

Awards & Honors

• Inaugural John B. Goodenough Award, The Electrochemical Society, 2023
• Battery Division Technology Award, Electrochemical Society, 2021
• Academician, World Academy of Ceramics, 2020
• International Battery Association Research Award, 2020
• Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher, 2020
• Delivered Chemistry Nobel Prize Lecture on behalf of Professor John Goodenough, 2019
• Honorary Mechanical Engineer, ME Academy of Distinguished Alumni, UT Austin, 2019
• Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher, 2019
• Distinguished Lectureship, Chemical Engineering, Seoul National University, 2019
• Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher, 2018
• Da Vinci Award, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UT Austin, 2017
• Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher, 2017
• Billy and Claude R. Hocott Distinguished Centennial Engineering Research Award, 2016
• Fellow, Materials Research Society, 2016
• Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015
• Distinguished Alumnus Award, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 2015
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2015
• Battery Division Research Award, Electrochemical Society, 2014
• Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award (one university-wide award/year), UT Austin, 2012
• Fellow, Electrochemical Society, 2011
• Outstanding Teaching Award, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UT Austin, 2011
• Fellow, World Academy of Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, 2006
• Fellow, American Ceramic Society, 2004
• Mechanical Engineering Faculty Leadership Award, College of Engineering, UT Austin, 1996
• Faculty Excellence Award, Halliburton Foundation, College of Engineering, UT Austin, 1994

Selected Publications

• J. Langdon, R. Sim, and A. Manthiram, “Gas Generation in Lithium Cells with High-nickel Cathodes and Localized High-concentration Electrolytes,” ACS Energy Letters 7, 2634–2640 (2022).
• L. Su, X. Zhao, M. Yi, H. Celio, Y. Liu, and A. Manthiram, “Uncovering the Solvation Structure of LiPF6-based Localized Saturated Electrolytes and Their Effect on LiNiO2-based Lithium-metal Batteries,” Advanced Energy Materials 12, 2201911: 1-13 (2022).
• H. Sul, A. Bhargav, and A. Manthiram, “Lithium Trithiocarbonate as a Dual-function Electrode Material for High-performance Lithium-sulfur Batteries,” Advanced Energy Materials 12, 2200680: 1-9 (2022).
• R. Pan, Z. Cui, M. Yi, Q. Xie, and A. Manthiram, “Ethylene Carbonate-free Electrolytes for Stable, Safer High-nickel Lithium-ion Batteries,” Advanced Energy Materials 9, 1901152: 1-11 (2022).
• J. He, A. Bhargav, and A. Manthiram, “Covalent Organic Framework as an Efficient Protection Layer for Stable Lithium-metal Anode,” Angewandte Chemie 61, e202116586: 1-7 (2022).
• S. Nanda, A. Bhargav, Z. Jiang, X. Zhao, Y. Liu, and A. Manthiram, “Implications of In-situ Chalcogen Substitutions in Polysulfides for Rechargeable Batteries,” Energy & Environmental Science 14, 5423-5432 (2021).
• J. He, A. Bhargav, and A. Manthiram, “High-Energy-Density, Long-Life Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with Practically Necessary Parameters Enabled by Low-Cost Fe-Ni Nanoalloy Catalysts,” ACS Nano 15, 8583-8591 (2021).
• Gupta, A. Bhargav, and A. Manthiram, “Evoking High Donor Number-assisted and Organosulfur-mediated Conversion in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries,” ACS Energy Letters 6, 224-231 (2021).
• H. Yaghoobnejad Asl and A. Manthiram, “Proton-induced Disproportionation of Jahn-Teller-active Transition-metal Ions in Oxides due to Electronically-driven Lattice Instability,” Journal of the American Chemical Society 142, 21122-21130 (2020).
• W. M. Seong, Y. Kim, and A. Manthiram, “Impact of Residual Lithium on the Adoption of High-nickel Layered Oxide Cathodes for Lithium-ion Batteries,” Chemistry of Materials 32, 9479-9489 (2020).
• F. Zou and A. Manthiram, “A Review of the Design of Advanced Binders for High-performance Batteries,” Advanced Energy Materials 10, 2002508 (2020).
• J. He and A. Manthiram, “3D CoSe@C Aerogel as a Host for Dendrite-free Lithium-metal Anode and Efficient Sulfur Cathode in Li–S Full Cells,” Advanced Energy Materials 10, 2002654:1-9 (2020).
• S. Sharma and A. Manthiram, “Towards More Environmentally and Socially Responsible Batteries,” Energy and Environmental Science, 13, 4087-4097 (2020).
• W. Li, X. Liu, Q. Xie, Y. You, M. Chi, and A.  Manthiram, “Long-term Cyclability of NCM-811 at High Voltages in Lithium-ion Batteries: An In-depth Diagnostic Study,” Chemistry of Materials 32, 7796-7804 (2020).
• J. He, A. Bhargav, and A. Manthiram, “Molybdenum Boride as an Efficient Catalyst for Polysulfide Redox to Enable High-Energy-Density Lithium-Sulfur Batteries,” Advanced Materials 32, 2004741: 1-7 (2020).
•  J. Lamb, L. Stokes, and A. Manthiram, “Delineating the Capacity Fading Mechanisms of Na(Ni0.3Fe0.4Mn0.3)O2 at Higher Operating Voltages in Sodium-ion Cells,” Chemistry of Materials 32, 7389–7396 (2020).
• A. Bhargav and A. Manthiram, “Xanthogen Polysulfides as a New Class of Electrode Material for Rechargeable Batteries,” Advanced Energy Materials 10, 2001658: 1-10 (2020).
• A. Gupta and A. Manthiram, “Designing Advanced Lithium-based Batteries for Low-temperature Conditions,” Advanced Energy Materials 10, 2001972: 1-14 (2020).
• H. Yaghoobnejad Asl and A. Manthiram, “Reigning in Dissolved Transition Metal Ions” Science 369, 140-141 (2020).
• W. Li, S. Lee, and A. Manthiram, “High-nickel NMA: A Cobalt-free Alternative to NMC and NCA Cathodes for Lithium-ion Batteries,” Advanced Materials 32, 2002718: 1 – 6 (2020).
• S. Nanda and A. Manthiram, “Lithium Degradation in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Insights into Inventory Depletion and Interphasial Evolution with Cycling,” Energy and Environmental Science 13, 2501 – 2514 (2020).
• S. Nanda, A. Bhargav, and A. Manthiram, “Anode-free, Lean-electrolyte Lithium-sulfur Batteries Enabled by Tellurium-stabilized Lithium Deposition,” Joule 4, 1-15 (2020).
• A. Manthiram, “A Reflection on Lithium-ion Battery Cathode Chemistry,” Nature Communications 11, 1550 (2020).
•  A. Bhargav, J. He, A. Gupta, and A. Manthiram, “Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Attaining the Critical Metrics,” Joule 4, 285-291 (2020).
• J. He and A. Manthiram, “Long-life, High-rate Lithium-sulfur Cells with a Carbon-free VN Host as an Efficient Polysulfide Adsorbent and Lithium Dendrite Inhibitor,” Advanced Energy Materials 10, 1903241 (2020).
• W. Li, E. M. Erickson, and A. Manthiram, “High-nickel Layered Oxide Cathodes for Lithium-based Automotive Batteries,” Nature Energy 5, 26-34 (2020).
•  J. Li and A. Manthiram, “A Comprehensive Analysis of the Interphasial and Structural Evolution over Long-term Cycling of Ultrahigh-nickel Cathodes in Lithium-ion Batteries,” Advanced Energy Materials 9, 1902731 (2019).
• J. Liu, Z. Bao, Y. Cui, E. J. Dufek, J. B. Goodenough, P. Khalifah, Q. Li, B. Y. Liaw, P. Liu, A. Manthiram, Y. S. Meng, V. R. Subramanian, M. F. Toney, V. V. Viswanathan, M. S. Whittingham, J. Xiao, W. Xu, J. Yang, X.-Q. Yang, and J.-G. Zhang, “Pathways for Practical High-Specific-Energy, Long Cyclability Rechargeable Lithium,” Nature Energy 4, 180-186 (2019).
• B. Heligman, K. J. Kreder III, and A. Manthiram, “Zn-Sn Interdigitated Eutectic Alloy Anodes with High-Volumetric Capacity for Lithium-ion Batteries,” Joule 3, 1051-1063 (2019).
• A. Bhargav and A. Manthiram, “Lithium–sulfur batteries: Less Pore Equals More,” Nature Energy 4, 908-909 (2019).
•  L. Luo, J. Li, and A. Manthiram “A Three-dimensional Lithiophilic Mo2N-modified Carbon Nanofiber Architecture for Dendrite-free Lithium-metal Anodes in a Full Cell,” Advanced Materials 31, 1904537: 1 – 9 (2019).
• L. Zou, J. Li, Z. Liu, G. Wang, A. Manthiram, and C. Wang, “Lattice Doping Regulated Interfacial Reactions in Cathode for Enhanced Cycling Stability,” Nature Communications 10, 3447: 1-11 (2019).
• S.-H. Chung and A. Manthiram, “Current Status and Future Prospects of Metal-Sulfur Batteries,” Advanced Materials 31, 1901125 (2019).
• W. Li, H. Yaghoobnejad Asl, Q. Xie, and A. Manthiram, “Collapse of LiNi1-x-yCoxMnyO2 Lattice at Deep Charge Irrespective of Nickel Content in Lithium-ion Batteries,” Journal of the American Chemical Society 141, 5097-5101 (2019).
• X. Yu, M. Boyer, G. S. Hwang, and A. Manthiram, “Toward a Reversible Calcium-Sulfur Battery with a Lithium-ion Mediation Approach,” Advanced Energy Materials 9, 1803794 (2019).
• W. Li, B. Song, and A. Manthiram, “High-voltage Positive Electrode Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries,” Chemical Society Reviews 46, 3006-3059 (2017).
• A. Manthiram, X. Yu, and S. Wang, “Lithium Battery Chemistries Enabled by Solid-state Electrolytes,” Nature Review Materials 2, 16103: 1-16 (2017).