Dr. A. Sakunthala

Dr. A. Sakunthala, Assistant Professor, is an Assistant Professor of Physics in the Division of Physical Sciences at Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore. She holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Bharathiar University, an M.Sc. in Physics from Bharathiar University, and a B.Sc. in Physics from Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Bharathiar University. She is qualified in the State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) and has over 14 years of academic experience. Her research expertise focuses on solid-state ionics, lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, polymer electrolytes, polymer nanocomposites, nanomaterials, thin-film batteries, and sustainable energy-storage technologies.

Dr. Sakunthala has established research facilities including the Solid State Ionics Laboratory and Thin Film Batteries Laboratory and has successfully completed major government-funded projects supported by SERB-DST and DAE-BRNS. Her funded research has addressed high-power lithium-ion polymer batteries, lithium-ion dynamics in manganese-based cathode materials, and pulsed-laser-deposited LiV₃O₈ nanorods for lithium-metal battery applications, with project funding amounting to more than ₹80 lakhs across the listed projects. She has published 100 Scopus-indexed research articles and has an h-index of 28. Her research includes a first-author publication in Energy & Environmental Science and recent contributions to polymer electrolytes, biopolymer-based energy storage, nanomaterials and advanced electrochemical energy-storage systems.

Her research contributions have resulted in seven patents, including granted and published applications covering flexible supercapacitors, magnesium-ion conducting electrolyte membranes, dye removal agents, LiV₃O₈ thin films and nanorods, polymeric nanofabric materials, and microbial fuel cells. She has also contributed book chapters on biodegradable polymers, bio-derived activated carbon for energy storage, carbon quantum dots, boron nitride-based electrochemical energy-storage devices, manganese oxide anodes, biomass-derived functionalized carbon electrodes and spinel ferrites for energy applications. She has supervised seven Ph.D. scholars to completion, with research spanning lithium-ion batteries, photocatalytic and electrochemical materials, polymer electrolytes, nanomaterials and energy-storage technologies, and currently guides a research group working in related areas.

Dr. Sakunthala has received the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Teaching Excellence Award, Division Best Researcher Award, and Achievers Award from Karunya for research excellence, high h-index and granted patents. She is a life member of the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) and has served extensively as a resource person for AICTE-ATAL programmes, faculty development programmes, conferences, workshops and invited academic events on lithium-ion batteries, nanomaterials, energy storage, research proposal writing, grant writing, innovation and entrepreneurship. Her international research collaborations include researchers and institutions in Canada, Taiwan and other international research networks. Her current research continues to focus on advanced energy-storage materials, sustainable energy technologies, polymer nanocomposites and nanomaterials for energy and environmental applications.