Dr Rakhi R B
- Dr Rakhi R B
- Principal Scientist
- rakhiraghavanbaby@niist.res.in
- 0471 2515411
- +919497113659
- https://niist.irins.org/profile/228893
Personal webpage: https://sites.google.com/view/rakhirb/home
IRINS Profile: https://niist.irins.org/profile/228893
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wxWW0zMAAAAJ&hl=en
Dr. Rakhi R.B., a native of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala is a first rank holder of M.Sc. Physics from University of Kerala in 2000. She received her Ph.D. in Physics with the best thesis award, from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Chennai in July 2009. She completed her postdoctoral research training from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She worked as a UGC-Assistant professor (June 2019 – August 2021) at the Department of Physics, University of Kerala. Dr. Rakhi R.B. is currently a Principal Scientist at the Materials Science and Technology Division of CSIR–NIIST. Dr. Rakhi is the recipient of the Ramanujan fellowship in 2016, International SABIC postdoctoral fellowship award consecutively for 2013 and 2014. She has published more than 78 articles in international peer reviewed journals with more than 6800 citations and has an h-index of 36. Her name has been included in the Stanford Global top 2% scientists list consecutively for the last three years (2019-2020, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022) published by Elsevier, Netherlands. Her current research interests include functional nanomaterials (nanocarbons, Transition Metal Oxides, and Conducting Polymers) nanocomposites, layered materials (Transition Metal Dichalcogenides and MXenes), nanotechnology-enabled energy storage devices (supercapacitors and hybrid devices), electrocatalysis, and electrochemical sensors.
- Principal Scientist (August 2021- to date) at CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, India
- UGC-Assistant Professor (June 2019- August 2021), Department of Physics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India
- Ramanujan Fellow (February 2016 – June 2019) at CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, India.
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow (March 2010 – October 2015) at the Functional Nanomaterials and Devices Group, KAUST, KSA.
- Senior Research Fellow (January 2007 – December 2009) under CSIR Fellowship at IIT Madras, Chennai
- Junior Research Fellow (January 2004 – December 2006) under CSIR-UGC/JRF -NET Fellowship at IIT Madras, Chennai
- Name has been included in the Stanford Global list of top 2% Scientists in the field of Applied Physics-Nanotechnology published by Elsevier, Netherlands consecutively for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021
- UGC-FRP assistant professorship, UGC, Govt. of India, 2017
- Ramanujan Fellowship from Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology (SERB-DST), Govt. of India in 2015
- Global Collaborative Research Award from KAUST- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2014.
- SABIC International Post-Doctoral Fellowship award consecutively for the years 2012 and 2013
- Prof. A.L. Laskar award for the best Ph.D. thesis in Physics from IIT Madras, 2009.
- First Ph. D student from IIT Madras Physics Department to visit NUS as a part of NUS-India Research Initiative (IRI) program.
- Best poster prize in International Symposium of Research Scholars (ISRS-2006), held at IIT Madras, Chennai during 18th to 20th of December, 2006
- Best paper prize in International Symposium of Research Scholars (ISRS-2008), held at IIT Madras, Chennai during 10th to 12th of December, 2008
- Both Junior and Senior Research Fellowships by ‘Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’ (CSIR), Government of India (2004) after qualifying the national level competitive examination, the Joint UGC-CSIR National Eligibility Test
- First rank in M.Sc. (Physics) examination conducted by University of Kerala, India in 2000
In our group, we synthesize nanostructured electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage, electrocatalysis, and electrochemical sensing applications. Currently, the group focuses on the growth of 2D layered materials (graphene, MoS2, MXenes, and heterostructures), transition metal oxides, and organic/inorganic hybrid composites.
Supercapacitors
From portable electronics and transportation systems to backup systems that complement renewable sources such as solar and wind, the demand for energy storage is expected to grow substantially well into the foreseeable future. Supercapacitors can act as a promising energy- storage alternative for rapidly growing electronic industry. In this project we design and develop nanostructured electrode materials for supercapacitor applications. We are specifically interested in the development of inorganic layered materials including oxides, chalcogenides, and carbides and organic/inorganic hybrid composites to improve supercapacitor performance.
Electrochemical Sensors
Sensitive and selective enzyme based biosensors are used for the detection and quantification of various components present in the biological systems. Highly sensitive enzyme-based biosensors can be fabricated by the incorporation of enzymes with a suitable electrochemical transducer. Since many of the attributes of materials used for energy storage devices such as large surface area, fast ion and electronic transport, some of the materials developed for energy storage actually work well as sensor materials. In this project, potentiostatic, conductivity-based, and capacitance-based sensing devices are being investigated.
Electrocatalytic Water Splitting
Electrocatalytic water splitting to generate hydrogen and oxygen has gained immense attention as it can meet the constantly increasing energy demands of humanity as well as it is an eco-friendly energy generation mechanism. Ideally, the electrolysis of water involving two half-cell reactions – hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) requires a theoretical input energy of ∆E ° = 1.23 V vs normal hydrogen electrode (NHE). But the sluggish kinetics of the two-electron HER mechanism and the four-electron OER mechanism together requires an additional amount of energy to initiate the water splitting process. Recently, research is progressing towards designing and synthesizing efficient electrocatalyst materials which can reduce the overpotential (difference between theoretical and required potential) required for water electrolysis. Our group is currently focussing on the development of 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for Electrocatalytic Water Splitting.
Functional nanomaterials
Novel functional nanomaterials are the basis of newly emerging nanotechnologies for various device applications. In our group we are indulged in the synthesis of various nanomaterials and their composites for electrochemical applications
- Nanocomposites for electrochemical energy storage applications (GAP 136739)
Principal Investigator in DST-Ramanujan project.
Duration: 5 Years (2016-2021)
Sponsoring Agency: SERB, DST, India - Design and processing of nanostructured hybrid composite materials for electrochemical energy storage(GAP-137839)
Co-investigator in DST-MES project coordinated by Dr. K.N. Narayanan Unni, CSIR-NIIST, Trivandrum.
Duration: 3 years (2017-2020)Sponsoring Agency: DST, India
- American Chemical Society
- Materials Research Society of India
- Indian Science Congress Association
- Kerala Academy of Sciences
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Dr. Manuraj M.(Ph. D, University of Kerala, 2022) Thesis title: Efficient electrode materials based on molybdenum dichalcogenides for Supercapacitors Email ID : manuraj.m1@gmail.com |
- Ph.D. in Physics IIT Madras, India 2009 (Best thesis award) Thesis title: “Synthesis of carbon nanotube-based nanocomposites and their applications to field mission and biosensors” Thesis supervisors: Prof. S. Ramaprabhu & Prof. K. Sethupathi, Department of Physics, IIT Madras, Chennai
- M.Phil. in Physics University of Kerala, India 2002
- B. Ed. in Physical Sciences University of Kerala, India 2001.
- M.Sc. in Physics University of Kerala, India 2000 (First rank)
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Mrs. Anjana P.M (University of Kerala) |
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Mrs. Haritha V.S. (University of Kerala) |
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Mr. Visakh V. Mohan (University of Kerala) |
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Mrs. Shilpa R. (University of Kerala) |
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Ms. Sophy Mariam Vargheese |
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Ms. Aparna S.M. |