Research interests
Smart Materials Research and Device Technology (SMaRDT) Group
Dr Aruna Ivaturi is EPSRC Fellow, Chancellor’s Fellow and Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at University of Strathclyde. She is also Alexander von Humboldt Fellow (alumni). Her principal research interests lie in the synthesis of nanomaterials, development, fabrication and optimisation of devices based on them for energy, environment and healthcare sectors. She has made important scientific and technological contributions – for example, switchable coatings for energy saving windows, materials and devices for sensing technologies, solar energy conversion, solar photocatalyst and dye-sensitised electrochromic devices. Over the last eight years her main research focus has been in the development of novel materials and devices for solar energy conversion especially the emerging new PV technologies (Spectral conversion, Dye sensitised and Perovskite solar cells). Recently, she has been awarded the EPSRC Fellowship (funding of ~ £1.1 Million) to develop the challenging field of Elastic Perovskite PV research in the UK.
Her (SMaRDT) group is presently working on multidisciplinary projects in the following sectors:
a) Energy (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, EPSRC funded project): Elastic Perovskite Solar Cells, in collaborations with industry (Shadow Robots, G24 Power, NSG Pilkington and Dupont Teijin Films) and academia [University of Edinburgh, Oxford University and Johannes Kepler University]
b) Environment (UK-India Education and Research Initiative, UKIERI funded project): Biosorbants and Photocatalysts for Waste Water Remediation in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, India and Waste Water Treatment Plant IIT Guwahati.
c) Healthcare (Royal Academy of Engineering, RAE funded project): Wearable Glucose Sensors in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Science Malaysia and University of Namibia and University Hospital at University of Sciences Malaysia.
If you are an outstanding and enthusiastic individual interested in PhD/Post-doc in the SMaRDT group to contribute to these challenging sectors (and Research Areas mentioned below) then please send in your CV and publications.
Dr. Aruna Ivaturi has strong track record of getting funding via fellowships. If you are interested in applying for a fellowship (doctoral/postdoctoral) to work in SMaRDT group, then please drop me an email. Information about the various postdoc fellowship opportunities can be found via following links:
Professional activities
- Spectral conversion, DSSCs and Perovskite Solar Cells - Smart Materials Research and Device Technology
- Speaker
- 7/9/2018
- Smart Materials Research and Device Technology
- Speaker
- 6/9/2018
- A*STAR – EaStCHEM Workshop
- Participant
- 6/9/2018
- NTU-Scotland Chemistry Workshop
- Participant
- 5/9/2018
- Smart Materials Research and Device Technology
- Speaker
- 5/9/2018
- WestCHEM Research Day
- Participant
- 23/8/2018
more professional activities
Projects
- Solar Powered Wearable Wireless Sensors for Monitoring Gestational Diabeties Mellitus
- Ivaturi, Aruna (Principal Investigator)
- Period 01-Feb-2018 - 01-Feb-2019
- An advanced integrated process for the treatment of sewage plant effluent using bio-based antimicrobial metal biosorbents and photocatalytic materials
- Lau, K. H. Aaron (Principal Investigator) Ivaturi, Aruna (Co-investigator)
- Period 01-Apr-2018 - 31-Mar-2020
- [Newton] Advancing the efficiency and production potential of excitonic solar cells, Phase- II
- Ivaturi, Aruna (Researcher)
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- Period 01-Dec-2014 - 31-Aug-2017
- Highly Efficient Elastic Perovskite Solar Cells
- Ivaturi, Aruna (Principal Investigator)
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- Period 01-Dec-2017 - 31-Aug-2022
- Highly Efficient Elastic Perovskite Solar Cells
- Ivaturi, Aruna (Fellow)
- "Perovskite solar cells based on organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite absorbers have revolutionized solar research worldwide with the steepest ever increase in power conversion efficiency from 3.8% in 2009 to 22.1% as of March 2016. UK is already leading the world in PSCs research and development with the Oxford PV (a spin out company from Oxford University) aiming to bring the PSCs into market by 2017. Almost all of the studies reported on PSCs are based on only rigid (glass) or flexible (polymer or metal) substrates. For a wide range of promising applications ranging from integration on robotics, prosthetic to curved surfaces - it is important to have both flexibility and stretchability - i.e 'elastic' solar cells. Electronic materials and methods of manufacturing that produces flexible, stretchable, collapsible, and fracture-proof sources of power would revolutionize costumer electronics, bio-medical devices and robotics. Indoor light harvesting has recently attracted great attention because of unprecedented development of Internet of Things (IoT) which promises a future where a wide variety of consumer electronics, household amenities, bio-medical appliances as well as robotics could be integrated with and controlled via wireless communication systems and hence demand off-grid power sources. However, research focusing on indoor applications of PSCs is still in its infancy. In the light of these issues, the project proposed aims to develop highly efficient mechanically resilient elastic PSCs for indoor applications.
The proposed research will extend and complement the UK's existing strengths by adding additional dimension of 'stretchability' giving rise to a next generation of PSCs. The project proposed tackles the challenge of developing and manufacturing highly efficient elastic perovskite solar cells. The present project addresses this issue by developing materials and methods of manufacturing which, when combined, will produce elastic components for highly efficient elastic devices. The proposed research along with addressing these challenges, will have a wider impact on indoor photovoltaics by energy conservation at low light conditions and revolutionizing integration of perovskite photovoltaics to robotics. Elastic PSCs will revolutionize and widen the application base of solar cells integrated with moving parts and curvilinear surfaces with potential applications in intelligent prosthetic, prosthetic skin, smart textiles, consumer electronics, and biomedical devices. The techniques and materials developed during the project will not be limited to PSCs, but will have wider applicability to manufacturing of elastic solar cells and elastic electronics in general. The proposed project has the potential to emulate yet another revolution in the elastic electronics and photovoltaics industry and trigger transformation in various sectors including indoor photovoltics, robotics, stretchable and wearable electronics." - Period 01-Sep-2017 - 31-Aug-2022
more projects
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Pure and Applied Chemistry
Thomas Graham Building
Thomas Graham Building
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