From Lithium-ion to Sodium-ion Batteries: Understanding Materials and Interfaces for Sustainable Energy Storage (20/08/26)
Speaker and Affliation:
Dr. Sathiya Mariyappan
Chargée de recherche at CNRS, France.
When?
20th August, 2026 (Thursday), 11.00 AM (India Standard Time)
Where
KPA Auditorium, Dept. of Materials Engineering, IISc, Bangalore
Abstract:
Alkali metal ion battery technologies begin with the discovery of high-performance materials. However, their full potential can only be realized through a fundamental understanding and precise control of the interfaces that govern electrochemical processes. My research bridges materials chemistry and electrochemical science by revealing how materials evolve under realistic operating conditions and translating these insights into the design of practical, high-performance battery systems.
I will be explaining this path, first by discussing my research on anionic redox mechanisms in high energy Li-ion battery electrode materials, focusing on the fundamental mechanisms and the challenges that have hindered practical implementation.1,2 I will then show how these insights have shaped my current research on sodium-ion batteries, where I seek to understand and engineer materials and interfaces for next-generation sustainable energy storage. My research on Na-ion batteries will be illustrated using Na₃V₂(PO₄)₂F₃/Hard carbon (HC) and layered oxide/HC based sodium-ion cells, which are representative of industrially relevant sodium-ion technologies at present, followed by the futuristic materials based on alloying anodes or anode-free cell design.3-5 In particular, I will demonstrate how essential to tailor the interphase stability in each system, with the insights from advanced operando temperature–pressure sensing, combined with in situ and ex situ IR, NMR, and microscopic analyses. Finally, I will conclude by presenting my vision for building a collaborative research program that combines expertise in chemistry, spectroscopy, and metallurgy to address fundamental interfacial challenges and accelerate the development of next-generation energy storage technologies.
References:
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M. Sathiya et al, Nature Materials 12 (2013) p. 827-835.
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M. Sathiya et al, Nature Materials 14 (2014) p. 230-238.
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S. Mariyappan et al, Nature Sustainability 9 (3) (2026) 360-371.
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P. Desai et al, Advanced Energy Materials, 11 (2021) p. 2101490.
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P. Desai et al, Advanced Energy Materials 16 (17), (2026) e00009.
Speaker Bio:
Sathiya Mariyappan is an Indian materials researcher with a strong background in electrochemistry, currently working as a Chargée de recherche at CNRS, France, since 2018- a position roughly equivalent to CSIR scientists in India. She leads and coordinates the sodium-ion research theme at the CSE laboratory (UMR 8260), Collège de France, headed by Prof. Jean-Marie Tarascon, one of the pioneers of lithium-ion batteries.
Prior to joining CNRS, she carried out postdoctoral research at LRCS, Amiens, France, where, together with her collaborators, she helped establish the concept of anionic redox in battery materials, challenging the long-standing focus on cationic redox processes. This work opened new directions in materials research while also revealing key limitations that continue to drive current efforts toward the practical implementation of anionic-redox-based materials.
At CSE, building on approximately 15 years of research experience in lithium- and sodium-ion battery materials, interphase analysis, and electrolyte optimization, her research bridges fundamental materials science and applied electrochemistry. Her work has resulted in patented technologies transferred for commercialization in sodium-ion batteries. She is a member of the French energy storage research network (RS2E) and is actively involved in national (PEPR-ANR) and European (NAIMA) battery research programs, while maintaining a strong interest in collaborative and interdisciplinary research. In addition to supervising PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, she teaches Materials for Energy Devices to master’s students at PSL and regularly delivers invited talks at major international conferences.