Current Work – Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies (ARACT)
At Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies (ARACT), Dr. Kandregula Ganapathi Rao is actively engaged in the development formation, testing, and qualification of advanced Li-ion battery cells for electric vehicle (EV), Telecome and Energy Storage Services (ESS) applications. His work focuses on:
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Formation protocol design and optimization for large-format Li-ion cells
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Advanced electrochemical testing and diagnostics (capacity fade, DCIR, thermal behavior)
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Scale-up challenges from lab to pilot and production
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Data-driven analysis and AI/ML-assisted decision-making for battery performance, reliability, and safety
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Collaboration with equipment OEMs and technology partners for cyclers, chambers, and safety validation systems
This role bridges fundamental research and industrial deployment, enabling faster translation of innovations into real-world energy storage solutions.
Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) & Perovskite Devices
Since 2016, Dr. Ganapathi Rao has been deeply involved in device fabrication and performance optimization of DSSCs and ambient-processed perovskite solar cells. His key contributions include:
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Complete DSSC device fabrication, from electrode preparation to device assembly
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Invention of a novel dye-loading technique – Electrosorption
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Reduced dye adsorption time to ~1 hour
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Achieved up to 35% improvement in device performance, depending on dye chemistry
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Optimization of TiOâ‚‚–dye interfaces for enhanced charge transport and light harvesting
Metal-Ion Batteries & Solid-State Electrolytes
His research extensively covers Li-ion and Na-ion battery systems, focusing on:
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Anode and cathode material development
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Solid-state electrolyte design for next-generation metal batteries
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Machine Learning–assisted screening of solid electrolytes to:
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Identify high ionic conductivity materials
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Suppress metal dendrite growth
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Collaborative work on formation cycle engineering for large-scale EV Li-ion batteries
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Supercapacitors: Symmetric, Asymmetric & Hybrid Systems
Dr. Ganapathi Rao has made significant contributions to high-performance supercapacitors, including:
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Symmetric supercapacitors (carbon-based)
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Asymmetric supercapacitors (metal oxide + carbon)
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Hybrid supercapacitors (Zn-ion systems)
A notable achievement includes:
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Demonstration of a high-energy asymmetric supercapacitor using a 3D Prussian Blue–decorated porous carbon composite electrode
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Achieved:
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Energy density: 60 Wh/kg
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Power density: 551 W/kg
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Photo-Rechargeable & Self-Charging Supercapacitors
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He has pioneered work on photo-rechargeable supercapacitors, integrating photocatalytic materials such as metal oxynitrides, achieving:
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Self-charging voltage of 1.2 V
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Stable operation over 1000 cycles under light illumination
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Power conversion efficiency of 1.3%
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This work demonstrates the feasibility of direct solar-to-storage devices.
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Machine Learning & Data-Driven Materials Discovery
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Ganapathi Rao formally integrated Machine Learning (ML) into his research workflow:
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Applied ML across DSSC, supercapacitors, and Li/Na-ion battery systems
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Developed Python-based ML pipelines using Jupyter Notebook
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Worked with:
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Supervised learning models for property prediction
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Unsupervised learning for material clustering and trend discovery
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Applied ML to molecular datasets, electrochemical parameters, and materials screening
Density Functional Theory (DFT) & Computational Modeling
He possesses strong expertise in first-principles simulations, including:
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Initial work with Gaussian for:
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Geometry optimization of molecular systems
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DSSC dyes, catalysis, and flow battery molecules
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Established VASP computational workflows in his laboratory through self-learning, tutorials, and workshops
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Currently performs:
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Adsorption energy calculations
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Density of States (DOS) analysis
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Surface–interface studies for DSSC, flow batteries, and Li/Na-ion batteries
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