Two-dimensional (2D) materials with large surface areas, high charge carrier mobility,and unique chemical and electronic properties are finding applications in various fields, including energy storage applications. These materials show promising candidates in rechargeable batteries to fulfill the demands for superior rate performance, long cycle life, and higher power and energy density requirements. Since lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have higher output voltages, higher energy density, and long cycle life, they are potential candidates in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. However in large-scale energy-storage systems, where cost and availability are critical factors, the limited lithium and cobalt sources and the lack of suitable recycling methods are significant concerns. Layered structure 2D materials provide multiple advantages as electrode materials for rechargeable lithium/ sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). The 2D morphology provides a higher surface area, which results in the reduction of the ion diffusion distance, allowing easy electrolyte access to active materials by enhancing the ion diffusion kinetics. Among these groups of materials, transition metal chalcogenides that have an MX 2 -type of structure (where M=Mo and X=S, Se, Te) are now of research interest as electrode materials in the field of LIBs/SIBs.

 

Mr. Manas Ranjan Panda is currently a Ph.D. student in IITB-Monash Research Academy (A joint research collaboration between Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India and Monash University, Australia) under the supervision of Prof. Sagar Mitra (IIT Bombay), Prof. Qiaoliang Bao (Monash University) and Prof. Mainak Majumder (Monash University). He received his B.Sc. degree in Physics Honours from Utkal University of Odisha, India and M.Sc. in Physics from Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India with a specialization in Condensed Matter Physics. Manas's research is focused on two-dimensional layered materials for energy storage applications applications, particularly in lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries using synchrotron radiation based techniques like X-ray Diffraction, X-ray Absorption spectroscopy (XANES and EXAFS), Photoelectron Spectroscopy, etc.