Biography
Dr. M. B. Sahana is a Senior Scientist working on materials and processes for rechargeable batteries used in electric mobility. She focuses on lithium-ion battery research, especially the development of layered oxide cathode materials and the preparation of high-quality electrode slurries. She works on improving slurry rheology, dispersion, coating quality, drying behavior, and electrode uniformity. She studies how slurry preparation affects electrode cracking, binder distribution, electrolyte interaction, and long-term cycling performance in pouch cells. She develops and tests lithium-ion pouch cells and works on standardizing laboratory procedures for reproducible performance. Her research connects material synthesis, electrode processing, and cell manufacturing in a direct and simple workflow. She works to understand how changes in material properties and processing methods influence final battery cell behaviour. She applies these findings to improve battery performance, stability, energy density, and reliability.
Her research on Li–Na dual-ion systems focuses on understanding and improving the mobility of lithium and sodium cations in both the electrode and the electrolyte. She studies how composition, structure, and processing influence cation transport pathways and interface behaviour during charge and discharge. She examines how electrode microstructure, particle connectivity, and electrolyte chemistry affect ion diffusion, voltage response, and cycling stability. Her goal is to enhance lifetime, capacity retention, and rate performance in Li–Na dual-cation systems by controlling material properties and optimizing electrode–electrolyte interactions. She works to connect ion transport mechanisms at the material level with measurable improvements in full-cell performance.
Her work on solid-state and gel lithium batteries focuses on improving safety and ionic conductivity using different classes of electrolytes. She works on hybrid solid-state electrolytes that combine ceramic and polymer phases. She also works on gel polymer electrolytes with improved mechanical stability and better interface contact with electrodes. She studies how electrolyte composition, microstructure, and processing conditions influence lithium-ion transport and interface resistance. Her goal is to achieve stable cycling at high voltages while minimizing side reactions at electrode surfaces. She continues to develop new electrolyte designs that improve battery safety without sacrificing capacity or rate capability.
She earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. She completed postdoctoral research in the United States and Sweden, where she worked on nanostructured materials, thin films, and advanced characterization. She has supervised Ph.D. students and postgraduate students and has collaborated with national and international partners. She has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and holds a granted patent. Her work continues to support the development of new materials and processes that can be transferred from laboratory research to battery prototypes and future industrial applications.
Research Areas of Interest
Lithium-ion batteries for electric mobility
Li/Na dual-cation mobility in electrodes and electrolytes
Solid-state, hybrid solid-state & gel electrolytes
Lithium-ion pouch cell development and optimization
Electrode slurry formulation, rheology & coating processes
Layered oxide cathode materials and structure–property studies
Battery interface stability and degradation mechanisms
Highest Qualification
List of Publications
1. Investigating Lithium Segregation in Nickel-Rich Layered Oxides via Atom Probe Tomography and its Impact on Performance, P. M. Reddy, S. Natarajan, N. Macha, R. Gopalan, S. B Moodakare*, Batteries & Supercaps 2025, e202400752. https://doi.org/10.1002/batt.202400752
2. Revisiting lithium aluminium titanium phosphate chemistry: Unveiling advancements for all-solid-state batteries, Varsha Lisa John, Joel Baskar B, Nina V. Kosova, Sahana M. B, Raman Vedarajan, Next Materials,Volume 8,2025,
3. Capacity degradation of lithium-ion cell: The role of free carbon black content in the slurry and drying induced cracks in LiFePO4 electrode, Kumari Konda, Megha Sara Jacob , Jyoti R. Seth, Vinay A. Juvekar, Raghavan Gopalan, Sahana B. Moodakare*, Journal of Energy Storage 74, (December2023) 109477
4. Quasi-Gel polymer Electrolyte Interfaced with Electrodes Through the Solvent Swollen Polyethylene Oxide for High-Performance Lithium/Lithium-ion Batteries”, Babu, Mohana Priya; Moodakare, Sahana; Vedarajan, Raman; Ramanujam, Kothandaraman, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 16 (34), 45399-45410
5. Crystal Chemistry and Ionic Conductivity of the NASICON-Related Phases in the Li3–xNaxV2(PO4)3 System, Daria O. Semykina, Olga A. Podgornova, Sahana B. Moodakare, Raman Vedarajan, and Nina V. Kosova, Inorganic Chemistry 2023 62 (15), 5939-5950, DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c04351
6.
7. Multi-Layer Graphene as Cathode Conductive Additive in Lithium-ion Pouch Cells: A Correlation of Changes in Electrolyte Uptake and Composition of Electrode Electrolyte Interface to Enhanced Cyclic Stability, Mahender Peddi, Sahana M. B*, Akshay Kumar Budumuru, Kamaraj Muthusamy, Govindan Sundararajan, Raghavan Gopalan, ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2023, 6, 6, 3251–3263
8. Standardization of ionic conductivity measurements in Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3-polymer composite electrolytes, Megha Sara Jacob, Nikhil Doddi, Vasu Shanmugam, Gopikrishnan Ebenezer Prasanna, Mahender Peddi, Raman Vedarajan, M. B. Sahana*, Raghavan Gopalan, Materials Science and Engineering: B, 2022, 286, 116049
9. Effects of Nano-Micro Hierarchical Architecture Intraparticle Connectivity and Carbon Black-LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 Interaction: An Energy-Power Tradeoff In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Mahender Peddi, M. B. Sahana* M Kamaraj, G Sundararajan, Gopalan Raghavan Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 169, 020576
10. Surface oxygen vacancy engineering and physical protection by in-situ carbon coating process of lithium rich layered oxide Vasu Shanmugam, Sasikala Natarajan, Laurel Simon Lobo, Ankita Mathur, M. B. Sahana*, G. Sundararajan, and R. Gopalan Journal of power sources, 515 (2021) 230623
11. Comprehensive effort on electrode slurry preparation for better electrochemical performance of LiFePO4 battery Kumari Konda, M. B. Sahana*, P. Logesh Kumar, Manjusha Battabyal, Jyoti R. Seth, Vinay A. Juvekar, Raghavan Gopalan, Journal of power sources, 480 (2020) 228837
12. Concentration Gradient-Driven Aluminum Diffusion in a Single-Step Coprecipitation of a Compositionally Graded Precursor for LiNi0.8Co0.135Al0.065O2 with Mitigated Irreversibility of H2 ↔ H3 Phase Transition, Sasikala Natarajan, M. B. Sahana*, Prathap Haridoss and Raghavan Gopalan, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, 12, 31, 34959–34970
13. TiNb2O7-Keratin derived carbon nanocomposites as novel anode materials for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries, Ganesh Babu Thiyagarajan, Vasu Shanmugam, Michael Wilhelm, Sanjay Mathur, Sahana B. Moodakare, Ravi Kumar, Open Ceramics, Volume 6, 2021, 100131,
14. Infrared Spectroscopy Signatures of Aluminum Segregation and Partial Oxygen Substitution by Sulfur in LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 N. Sasiakala, M. B. Sahana*, S. Vasu, P. Haridoss, and R. Gopalan, ACS Appl. Energy Mater., 2018, 1 (6), pp 2536–2545
15. High temperature magnetic studies on Bi1-xCaxFe1−yTiyO3-δ nanoparticles: Observation of Hopkinson-like effect above TN, PSV Mocherla, D Prabhu, M. B Sahana, NY Hebalkar, R Gopalan, MS Ramachandra Rao, C Sudakar, Journal of Applied Physics 124 (7), 073904
16 In-situ carbon encapsulation of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 using pillared ethylene glycol trapped in the metal hydroxide interlayers for enhanced cyclic stability S Vasu, M. B. Sahana*, C Sudakar, R Gopalan, G Sundararajan Electrochimica Acta 251, 363-377
17 Microstrain engineered magnetic properties in Bi1−xCaxFe1− yTiyO3−δ nanoparticles: deviation from Néel’s 1/d size-dependent magnetization behaviour, Pavana S. V Mocherla, M. B Sahana, R. Gopalan, M.S Ramachandra Rao, B. R. K Nanda, C. Sudakar, Materials Research Express 4 (10), 106106, 2017
18 Raman spectral signature of Mn-rich nanoscale phase segregations in carbon free LiFe1-xMnxPO4 prepared by hydrothermal technique, M. B. Sahana*, S. Vasu, N. Sasikala, S. Anandan, H. Sepehri-Amin, C. Sudakar and R. Gopalana, RSC Adv., 4, 2014, 64429.
19 Quantum confinement effects and band gap engineering of SnO2 nanocrystals in a MgO matrix, M.B. Sahana, C. Sudakar, A. Dixit, J.S. Thakur, R. Naik, V.M. Naik, Acta Materialia, 60(3) 2012, 1072-1078.
20 Nanostructured high specific capacity C-LiFePO4 cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, K. Bazzi, K.S Dhindsa, A. Dixit, M. B. Sahana, C. Sudakar, M. Nazri, ZX.Zhou, P. Vaishnava, V.M Naik, G.A. Nazri, R. Naik, J. Mater. Res. (2012), 424-430.
21 Regulation of Polar Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis by Wag31 Phosphorylation in Mycobacteria, C. Jani, H. Eoh, JJ Lee, K Hamasha, M.B. Sahana, J.S. Han, S. Nyayapathy, J.Y. Lee, J.W Suh, S.H. Lee, S.J Rehse, D.C. Crick, C.M. Kang, BMC Microbiology 10 Art No. 327, ( 2010).
22 The effect of Wag31 phosphorylation on the cells and the cell envelope fraction of wild-type and conditional mutants of Mycobacterium smegmatis studied by visible-wavelength Raman spectroscopy, K. Hamasha, M. B. Sahana*, C. Jani, S. Nyayapathy, C.M Kang, and S. J. Rehse. Biochemical and Biophysical Research communications, (2010) 391, 664-668.
23 Coexistence of anion and cation vacancy defects in vacuum-annealed In2O3 thin films,
24 C. Sudakar, A. Dixit, Sanjiv Kumar, M. B. Sahana, G. Lawes, R. Naik and V.M. Naik, Scripta Materialia 62(2), 63 (2010).
25 The effect of titanium on the lithium intercalation capacity of V2O5 thin films’
26 M. B. Sahana*, C. Sudakar, C. Thapa, V.M. Naik, G.W. Auner, R. Naik and K.R. Padmanabhan ‘Thin Solid Films, (2009), 24, 6642-6651.
27 Structural, magnetic, and electrical studies on polycrystalline transition metal doped BiFeO3 thin films”, P. Kharel, S. Talebi, B. Ramachandran, A. Dixit, V.M. Naik, M. B. Sahana, C. Sudakar, R. Naik, M.S.R. Rao, G. Lawes, J. Phys. Cond. Matter. (2009) 21 036001.
28 Band Gap Engineering by Tuning Particle Size and Crystallinity of SnO2-Fe2O3 Nanocrystalline Composite Thin Films, M. B. Sahana, C. Sudakar, G. Setzler, A. Dixit, J.S. Thakur, G. Lawes, R. Naik, V.M. Naik, and P.P. Vaishnava, Applied Physics Letters, (2008), 93(23), 231909/1-231909/3.
29 Guiding Of Highly-Charged Ions Through Insulating Nano-Capillaries, R. Schuch, M. B. Sahana, I. L. Soroka, Gy.Vikor, R. T. Kumar, Z. Hongqiang, A. Johansson and P. Skog, Can adian journal of physics, (2008), 86, 327-330.
30 Influence of the stoichiometry of V2O5 thin films on electrochemical properties,
31 M. B. Sahana*, C. Sudakar, G. Lawes, V.M. Naik, Ron Baird, G.W. Auner, K. R. Padmanabhan, and R. Naik, Materials Science and Engineering B, (2007), 143 42-50.
32 Ion implantation and ion beam analysis of MOD deposited oxide films,
33 X. Marko, P. Talagala, M. B. Sahana, R. Naik, K.R .Padmanabhan, C. P. Marques, E. Alves, Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms , (2007), 261, 456-460.
34 Guiding of highly charged ions by highly ordered SiO2 nanocapillarie. M. B. Sahana*, P. Skog, Gy. Vikor, R. T. Rajendra Kumar, R. Schuch, Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Pysics , (2006), 73, 040901/1-040901/4.
35 Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of highly oriented thin film composites of V2O5 and V6O13: Suppression of the metal-semiconductor transition in V6O13, M.B. Sahana, S. A. Shivashankar, Journal of Materials Research, (2004), 19, 2859-2870.
36 Growth of nanowires of -NaxV2O5 by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition
37 M.B. Sahana, S. A. Shivashankar, Journal of Materials Chemistry, (2003), 13, 2254-2260.
38 Phase transformation and semiconductor-metal transition in thin films of VO2 deposited by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, M. B. Sahana, G. N Subbanna, S.A Shivashankar, Journal of Applied Physics, 92, (2002),6495-6504.
39 Microstructure and properties of VO2 thin films deposited by MOCVD from vanadyl acetylacetonate M. B. Sahana, M.S. Dharmaprakash, S.A. Shivashankar,
40 Journal of Materials Chemistry, (2002), 12, 333-338.
41 Room temperature ferromagnetism in Cr-doped In2O3 on high vacuum annealing of thin films and bulk sample, P. Kharel, C. Sudakar, M.B. Sahana, G. Lawes, R. Suryanarayanan, R.Naik, V. M. Naik, Journal of Applied Physics (2007), 101, 09H117.
42 ‘Time evolution of the microstructure of VO2(B) films deposited on glass by MOCVD’, M. B. Sahana, G. N. Subbanna, and S. A.Shivashankar, Mater. Research society symposium proceedings, vol. 749, 2003, W.5.14,
43 ‘Transmission of slow Ne7+ ions through nanocapillaries’ M. B. Sahana, P. Skog, Gy. Vikor, R.T. Rajendra kumar, and R. Schuch, Book of Inv. Papers, Intern. Conf. on Photonic, Electronic, and Atomic Collisions,
Books / Book Chapters
Recent Developments in Electrode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries for Energy Storage Application in the ‘Handbook of Advanced Ceramics and Composites’ M. B. Sahana* and R. Gopalan, Springer publication, 2019
Patents
A Process for In-Situ Carbon Coating on Alkali Transition Metal Oxides" patent no. 416052 M. B. Sahana, S. Vasu, Sathya mariappan, and R. Gopalan
Major Projects / Technologies Developed
A Process for In-Situ Carbon Coating on Alkali Transition Metal Oxides, NMC cathode material for lithium ion battery
Affiliation to Professional Societies
Society of Materials Chemistry, Electrochemical society of India,