Research Interests in Dr. Choudhury’s Group
The primary research area of the group revolves around inorganic solid state and materials chemistry. We are involved in the synthesis of new materials encompassing oxides, chalcogenides and hybrid organic-inorganic solids with a focus on applications on energy storage, conversion and sustainable catalysis.
Electrode Materials for Li- and Na-ion batteries
In this particular project we are trying to explore the synthesis of polyanion-based materials stabilized by transition metals like Ti, V, Mn, and Fe, which are readily available and sustainable. Systematic exploration of the phase diagram of Li/Na – M – XOmn– (X = Si, Ge, P, S, and B; M = transition metals) are being carried out by employing (i) molten salt flux and (ii) hydrothermal techniques to explore the formation of new structures. Simultaneously, we also apply chemical intuition to innovate new synthetic strategies to synthesize a target composition. X-ray diffraction techniques, both single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction are extensively used to solve crystal structures. We rely on high resolution X-ray diffraction data from Argonne National Lab for ab initio crystal structure solution exclusively from powder diffraction data and their subsequent refinement. Fundamental properties related to the reductive insertion or oxidative de-insertion of alkali ions in batteries are studied by a multitude of spectroscopic and diffraction tools to correlate crystal structures with insertion voltage or a phase change during oxidation and reduction.
Besides oxide-based polyanion chemistry, we also investigate non-oxides such as chalcogenides or mixed anionic framework to design electrode materials for Li- and Na-ion batteries.
Representative publications:
Sandineni P., Madria P., Ghosh K., Choudhury A. A square channel vanadium phosphite framework as a high voltage cathode for Li- And Na-ion batteries, (2020) Materials Advances, 1 (4), pp. 698 – 707, DOI: 10.1039/d0ma00029a
Yaghoobnejad Asl H., Choudhury A. Combined Theoretical and Experimental Approach to the Discovery of Electrochemically Active Mixed Polyanionic Phosphatonitrates, AFePO4NO3 (A = NH4/Li, K), (2016) Chemistry of Materials, 28 (14), pp. 5029 – 5036, DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.6b01755
Complex Chalcogenides
In this project new multinary chalcogenide compositions are synthesized and structurally characterized. Exploratory routes using polychalcogenide flux as well as hypothesis driven chemistry guides the synthesis of target compositions. Major effort in this area are now devoted to rationally synthesize complex chalcogenides aiming different applications including thermoelectrics, solid-ion conductors and electrode materials. Theoretical calculations are carried out in collaboration with Dr. Chernatyinsky (Physics, Missouri S&T) to get further insights into the structure-property-correlation. Low and high temperature thermoelectric properties (Thermal conductivity, Resistivity, and Seebeck Coefficient) are measured in collaboration with Dr. Hor (Physics, Missouri S&T), Dr. Watts (MS&E, Missouri S&T), Dr. McGuire (ONL) and Dr. Kauzlarich (UC Davis). Choudhury group has all the facilities for electrode materials applications.
Representative publications:
Sundaramoorthy S., Chernatynskiy A.V., Gerasimchuk N., Choudhury A. Lithium selenometallates of triel elements, Li5MSe4 (M = Al and Ga), aliovalent doping and their ionic conductivity, (2022) Dalton Transactions, 51 (46), pp. 17772 – 17779. DOI: 10.1039/d2dt02843c
Balijapelly S., Hauble A., Sundaramoorthy S., Watts J.L., Kauzlarich S.M., Chernatynskiy A., Choudhury A. Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity in the Aikinite Structure Family, CuxPbxBi2- xS3, and Thermoelectric Properties of Cu0.14Pb0.14Bi1.86S3, (2022) ACS Applied Energy Materials, 5 (11), pp. 14222 – 14230. DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.2c02790
Balijapelly S., Ghosh K., Chernatynskiy A.V., Choudhury A. Discovery of an olivine-type lithium manganese thiophosphate, LiMnPS4,: Via a building block approach, (2021) Chemical Communications, 57 (97), pp. 13182 – 13185. DOI: 10.1039/d1cc05168g
Balijapelly S., Zhang Q., Sandineni P., Adhikary A., Mohapatra S., Sundaramoorthy S., Gerasimchuck N., Chernatynskiy A.V., Choudhury A. High Sodium-Ion Conductivity in Interlocked Quaternary Chalcogenides Built with Supertetrahedral Building Units, (2021) ACS Applied Energy Materials, 4 (8), pp. 7942 – 7951. DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.1c01270
Adhikary A., Yaghoobnejad Asl H., Sandineni P., Balijapelly S., Mohapatra S., Khatua S., Konar S., Gerasimchuk N., Chernatynskiy A.V., Choudhury A. Unusual Atmospheric Water Trapping and Water Induced Reversible Restacking of 2D Gallium Sulfide Layers in NaGaS2Formed by Supertetrahedral Building Unit, (2020) Chemistry of Materials, 32 (13), pp. 5589 – 5603. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.0c00836
Porous Solids (MOFs and Zeolites)
We are interested in synthesizing new multicomponent porous solid, which are hydrolytically stable and has multi-functionality. In this endeavor we target inorganic-organic hybrid such as MOFs or purely inorganic (alumino-silicate zeolities or metal phosphates) structures. These porous materials are subsequently tested for gas storage and catalysis.
Representative publications:
Pariyar, A., Asl, H.Y., Choudhury, A. Tetragonal versus hexagonal: Structure-dependent catalytic activity of Co/Zn bimetallic metal-organic frameworks, (2016) Inorganic Chemistry, 55 (18), pp. 9250-9257. DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6b01288
