Engineered Polymer Nanocomposites for Energy Harvesting Applications

Rahul M T is a research scholar at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. He received Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Physics and Master’s degree in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. His current research activities includes the development of nanostructured polymer composites for multiferroics and energy harvesting applications. He has 7 publications in international journals which includes Journal of Power sources, Journal of alloys and compounds and RSC advances. Dr. Nandakumar Kalarikkal is an Associate Professor at the School of Pure and Applied Physics and Joint Director of the International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. His research activities involve applications of nanostructured materials, laser plasma, and phase transitions. He is the recipient of research fellowships and associateships from prestigious government organizations such as the Department of Science and Technology and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of the Government of India. He has active collaborations with national and international scientific institutions in India, South Africa, Slovenia, Canada, France, Germany, Malaysia, Australia, and the United States. He has more than 130 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He also co-edited nine books of scientific interest and co-authored many book chapters. Sabu Thomas is currently an Emeritus Professor of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. He is the former Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University and a Senior Professor of Christ University, Bangalore, India, as well as a visiting Professor at the Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Johannesburg, South Africa, Department of Chemical Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and an Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Polymer and Process Engineering, IIT Roorkee, India. Dr. Bruno Ameduri (DR CNRS Senior Researcher) leads the “Fluorine” Group at the “Engineering and Macromolecular Architectures” Team of Institute Charles Gerhardt in Montpellier, France. His main interests focus on the synthesis and the characterization of fluorinated monomers (including cure site monomers, telechelics, and polyfunctional ones), telomers, and copolymers for various applications such as F-surfactants, F-elastomers, F-coatings, and F-polymers related to energy (fuel cell membranes-protonic, alkaline and quasianhydrous ones-, polymer gel electrolytes and separators for Li-ions batteries, piezo-, ferro- or electroactive films, and nanocomposites). Coauthor of three books, ca. 45 reviews or book chapters, >360 peer review publications and coinventor of more than 80 patents, he is also a member of the American and French Chemical Societies and is a member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Fluorine Chemistry, European Polymer Journal, Polymer Bulletin. Outside of research, Bruno enjoys cycling, soccer, tennis, and jogging and is an active member of the “Rire” Association and visits, dressed as a clown, sick children in hospitals of Montpellier. Dr. Didier Rouxel is a full Professor at the University of Lorraine, France, and researcher in the Institut Jean Lamour of Nancy, France. He received the Engineer degree from the École Supérieure des Sciences et Techniques de l’Ingénieur de Nancy, in 1989, and the Ph.D. degree in material sciences and engineering from the University of Nancy I in 1993. He was the Leader of the “Micro and NanoSystems” Group of the Institut Jean Lamour, Nancy, France (2013-2018). He was also the Leader of the C’NANO French Grand Est network for the theme “Nanosciences and Materials for Health” (2009-2015), Expert of the European Interreg project NANO4M – Nano For Market, Theme “Nano & Microsensors and Implants (HEALTH)” (2009-2010), Expert from the French national agency ANSES, “Nanomaterials and Health” Working Group (2012-2015). Prof. Rouxel has been involved in the spectroscopic analysis of inorganics and is vastly experienced in the analysis of polymer nanocomposite systems by almost all spectroscopic techniques. His major areas of interest include elastic properties of polymeric materials studied by Brillouin spectroscopy, development of polymer nanocomposite materials, development of micro-devices based on electro-active polymers, piezoelectric nanocrystals, microsensor development for surgery, etc. Since 2011, he has co-directed numerous Franco-Indian collaborative projects. He is Doctor Honoris Causa from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India (2022).Dr. Raneesh Balakrishnan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India. He received his M.Sc and M.Phil degrees from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, and Ph.D. in Physics from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India. His research interests include nanomultiferroics, metal oxide thin films, nanoelectronics, plasma science, and electron microscopy. He has published many research articles in peer-reviewed journals and also co-edited three books.

• 1. Energy Harvesting - outlook on past and present technologies2. Fluorinated Ferroelectric Polymers3. Characterisation Methods4. Strategies for ferroelectric phase inclusion5. Ferroelectric Ceramics6. Magnetic Ceramics7. Isolation and characterisation of bio-fillers8. Polymer/ferroelectric filler nanocomposites9. Polymer/Magnetic filler nanocomposites10. Hybrid composites with Shape Memory Alloys11. Designs and Performance Evaluation of energy harvesters