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Biography

Dr. Alagar Nedunchezhian is a battery research and development professional with over seven years of experience in advanced energy storage systems, specializing in lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and emerging battery chemistries. His expertise spans the complete value chain of battery development, including materials synthesis, electrode fabrication, cell assembly, performance evaluation, failure analysis, and pilot-scale manufacturing. With a strong foundation in nanotechnology and electrochemistry, he has consistently focused on translating laboratory innovations into scalable and commercially viable battery technologies.

Currently associated with Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, Hyderabad, as a Project Scientist, Dr. Alagar is actively involved in the development of next-generation cathode materials and high-performance pouch cells. His work includes pilot-scale synthesis of NVP and LMFP using solid-state methods with optimized carbon coating and controlled calcination processes. He has also contributed to the development of blended cathode systems to balance energy density, safety, and rate capability. His expertise extends to pilot-scale full-cell fabrication, including slurry formulation, coating, calendaring, stacking, and formation protocol optimization, enabling robust performance validation across a wide temperature range. In addition, he is involved in establishing a 2 MWh battery fabrication facility for prismatic and cylindrical cell production, covering multiple form factors such as 18650, 21700, 32140, and 4680, including both tabbed and tabless cell designs.

Previously, Dr. Alagar worked as Manager - R&D at IOC Phinergy Pvt. Ltd., where he played a key role in developing battery systems for automotive and stationary applications. He led efforts in process integration, pilot-scale manufacturing design, and technology transfer from R&D to production. His responsibilities included establishing standard operating procedures, quality control frameworks, and ensuring compliance with international safety and performance standards such as UN 38.3 and IEC certifications.

Earlier in his career, he contributed to multi-chemistry battery development at Nexus Power and Nanoampere Materials, where he worked on Li-ion, Na-ion, and Ca-ion systems. His work involved electrode design, slurry optimization, coating process development, and electrochemical diagnostics. He has hands-on experience with cylindrical, pouch, and coin cells, along with advanced characterization techniques such as EIS, SEM/EDS, XRD, and post-mortem failure analysis to identify degradation mechanisms and improve cell performance.

Dr. Alagar holds a Ph.D. in Nanotechnology from Anna University, where his research focused on nanostructured materials for energy storage and thermoelectric applications. His academic background provided strong expertise in material design, conductive carbon systems, and structure-property relationships, which continue to inform his industrial research approach.

Throughout his career, he has demonstrated strong capabilities in process optimization, experimental design (DOE), statistical process control (SPC), and failure mode analysis (FMEA). He has successfully led projects involving pilot-scale cathode material production and 5 Ah pouch cell development, bridging the gap between research and industrial deployment. His work reflects a deep commitment to developing scalable, high-performance, and reliable energy storage

 

Research Areas of Interest

My research interests focus on the development of advanced battery materials and scalable manufacturing processes for next-generation energy storage systems. I am particularly interested in cathode material innovation, including LMFP, LFP, NVP, and blended systems, with an emphasis on improving energy density, cycle life, and thermal stability. I work extensively on solid-state synthesis and process scale-up, optimizing precursor design, carbon coating, and calcination strategies for industrial applicability. My interests also extend to next-generation anode materials, especially silicon-based composites, aimed at enhancing stability and long-term performance.

In addition, I focus on electrode engineering and slurry optimization, including rheology control, coating uniformity, and densification for high-loading electrodes. I am actively involved in cell design and manufacturing across pouch, cylindrical, and prismatic formats, along with the development of advanced formation protocols to improve performance and reduce degradation. My work includes detailed electrochemical characterization and failure analysis to understand degradation mechanisms such as SEI growth, lithium plating, and transition metal dissolution.

Furthermore, I am interested in pilot-scale production, process integration, and quality control using methodologies such as DOE, SPC, and FMEA. I also explore battery recycling and cathode active material production to support sustainable manufacturing. Overall, my research is driven by the goal of bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and large-scale industrial deployment of high-performance and reliable battery technologies.

Highest Qualification

Ph.D

List of Publications

  1. Devi, N. Yalini, M. Sivakumar, AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, R. Jayavel, and M. Arivanandhan. "Interface-Engineered SrTiO3/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites for Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance." Ceramics International (2026).
  2. Nedunchezhian, AS Alagar, M. Sivakumar, R. Annie Victoria Rose, N. Yalini Devi, M. Mohamed Ismail, R. Jayavel, and M. Arivanandhan. "Zn-substituted CoSb2O6 nanostructures synthesized by sol-gel method: a novel oxide material with improved thermoelectric performance." Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology 117, no. 2 (2026): 51.
  3. Devi, N. Yalini, AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, D. Sidharth, P. Rajasekaran, M. Arivanandhan, I. Sarris, T. Y. Yang, and R. Jayavel. "High thermoelectric power factor of Ag and Nb co-substituted SrTiO3 perovskite nanostructures." Materials Chemistry and Physics 306 (2023): 127950.
  4. Rajkumar, R., J. Mani, AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, D. Sidharth, S. Radha, M. Arivanandhan, R. Jayavel, and G. Anbalagan. "Electrical and thermal transport properties of Sb substituted Cu2Te nanostructures for thermoelectric applications." Inorganic Chemistry Communications 151 (2023): 110622.
  5. Mani, J., S. Radha, AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, R. Rajkumar, C. K. Amaljith, M. Arivanandhan, R. Jayavel, and G. Anbalagan. "A facile synthesis of hierarchical Cu2NiSnS4 nanostructures with low thermal conductivity for thermoelectric applications." Journal of Solid State Chemistry 310 (2022): 123088.
  6. Sidharth, D., Ahmad Rifqi Muchtar, AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, M. Arivanandhan, and R. Jayavel. "Thermoelectric performance of Ge1-xSnxTe (0<x<0.2) prepared by facile method." Journal of Solid State Chemistry 310 (2022): 122995.
  7. Sidharth, D., A. S. Alagar Nedunchezhian, R. Rajkumar, K. Kalaiarasan, M. Arivanandhan, K. Fujiwara, G. Anbalagan, and R. Jayavel. "Thermoelectric performance of multiphase GeSe"CuSe composites prepared by hydrogen decrepitation method." International Journal of Energy Research 46, no. 12 (2022): 17455-17464.
  8. Sidharth, D., Bhuvanesh Srinivasan, AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, P. Thirukumaran, M. Arivanandhan, and R. Jayavel. "Enhancing the thermoelectric performance of nanostructured ZnSb by heterovalent bismuth substitution." Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids 160 (2022): 110303.
  9. Aishwarya, J., J. Prasath, Nedunchezhian AS Alagar, V. Manimuthu, M. Arivanandhan, T. Sivakumar, I. Sarris, and R. Jayavel. "Comparative analysis on electrochemical properties of CeO2/rGO and CeO2/MoS2 nanocomposites for supercapacitor applications." Indian Journal of Chemical Technology (IJCT) 29, no. 6 (2022): 688-696.
  10. Sidharth, D., AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, R. Akilan, Anup Srivastava, Bhuvanesh Srinivasan, P. Immanuel, R. Rajkumar et al. "Enhanced thermoelectric performance of band structure engineered GeSe 1- x Te x alloys." Sustainable Energy & Fuels 5, no. 6 (2021): 1734-1746.
  11. Devi, N. Yalini, K. Vijayakumar, P. Rajasekaran, AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, D. Sidharth, Shimomura Masaru, M. Arivanandhan, and R. Jayavel. "Effect of Gd and Nb co-substitution on enhancing the thermoelectric power factor of nanostructured SrTiO3." Ceramics International 47, no. 3 (2021): 3201-3208.
  12. Rajkumar, R., AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, D. Sidharth, K. Kalaiarasan, M. Arivanandhan, R. Jayavel, and G. Anbalagan. "The impact of Yb substitution on enhancing the thermoelectric properties of CuMnO2 nanostructures." Journal of Solid State Chemistry 303 (2021): 122533.
  13. Nedunchezhian, AS Alagar, D. Sidharth, R. Rajkumar, N. Yalini Devi, K. Maeda, M. Arivanandhan, K. Fujiwara, G. Anbalagan, and R. Jayavel. "Enhancing the thermoelectric power factor of nanostructured ZnCo 2 O 4 by Bi substitution." RSC advances 10, no. 32 (2020): 18769-18775.
  14. Yalini Devi, N., P. Rajasekaran, K. Vijayakumar, A. S. Alagar Nedunchezhian, D. Sidharth, G. Anbalagan, M. Arivanandhan, and R. Jayavel. "Enhancement of thermoelectric power factor of hydrothermally synthesised SrTiO3 nanostructures." Materials Research Express 7, no. 1 (2020): 015094.
  15. Rajkumar, R., AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, D. Sidharth, P. Rajasekaran, M. Arivanandhan, R. Jayavel, and G. Anbalagan. "Effect of sintering temperatures on mixed phases and thermoelectric properties of nanostructured copper telluride." Journal of Alloys and Compounds 835 (2020): 155276.
  16. Sidharth, D., AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, R. Rajkumar, N. Yalini Devi, P. Rajasekaran, M. Arivanandhan, Kozo Fujiwara, G. Anbalagan, and R. Jayavel. "Enhancing effects of Te substitution on the thermoelectric power factor of nanostructured SnSe 1- x Te x." Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 21, no. 28 (2019): 15725-15733.
  17. Nedunchezhian, AS Alagar, D. Sidharth, N. Yalini Devi, R. Rajkumar, P. Rajasekaran, M. Arivanandhan, G. Anbalagan, and R. Jayavel. "Effect of Bismuth substitution on the enhancement of thermoelectric power factor of nanostructured BixCo3-xO4." Ceramics International 45, no. 6 (2019): 6782-6787.
  18. Muruguthiruvalluvan, T. M. V., AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, V. Natarajan, R. Chandramohan, M. Azhagurajan, P. Anandan, and Mukannan Arivanandhan. "A facile synthesis, structural, morphological and electrical characterizations of Zn1-xCoxO nanocrystals for thermoelectric applications." Solid State Sciences 91 (2019): 133-137.
  19. Rajasekaran, P., A. S. Alagar Nedunchezhian, N. Yalini Devi, D. Sidharth, M. Arivanandhan, and R. Jayavel. "The effect of rare earth ions on structural, morphological and thermoelectric properties of nanostructured tin oxide based perovskite materials." Materials Research Express 4, no. 11 (2017): 115024.

Books / Book Chapters

  1. Sidharth, D., AS Alagar Nedunchezhian, N. Yalini Devi, R. Jayavel, and M. Arivanandhan. "Conventional thermoelectric materials: fundamentals, challenges, and strategies for performance enhancement." In Metal Oxide-Based Thermoelectric Materials, pp. 23-49. Elsevier, 2026.

Conference Proceedings

  1. Alagar Nedunchezhian A S, Rajkumar R, Sidharth D, Arivanandhan M,Anbalagan G, Jayavel R. Synthesis of Nanostructured Barium Tin Oxide for Thermoelectric Application. Proceedings of International Workshop on Advanced Nanomaterials (IWAN-4), 2017, page no. 192-197, ISBN No. 978-93-5279-231-3.
  2.    Rajasekaran P, Alagar Nedunchezhian A S, Yalini Devi N, Arivanandhan M,Jayavel R. Synthesis and Characterization of Nanostructured Cobalt Oxide based Materials for Thermoelectric Application. Proceedings of International Workshop on Advanced Nanomaterials (IWAN-4), page no. 77-80, ISBN No. 978-93-5279-231-3.