Curriculum: 

I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in 2019 at JSS college of arts commerce and science, Mysuru, India. After graduation, I moved to the JSS Science and Technology University, Mysuru, India and I received my Master’s degree in chemistry in 2021, I did my master’s thesis focusing on the synthesis and characterizations of nanomaterials for the application of electrochemical sensors.
I have obtained the position of the Ph.D. student at the Energy and Materials Lab at the University of Trento in 2022, under the supervision of Prof.  Narges Ataollahi and Prof. Paolo Scardi . My Ph.D. is related to the development of the novel membrane for fuel cells in collaboration with Arco Fuel Cells S.r.l.

Links:

Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=e4c3fvEAAAAJ&hl=en&authuser=1
Research gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Varun-D-N-2
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varun-d-n-8b7674207/
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0002-2433-1889
 

1^st year

Research activities

In the first year of my PhD, we introduced a novel approach to AEMs through the chemical modification of PET waste bottles. This study involved a detailed experimental analysis, including reaction optimization, to ensure efficient synthesis. A comprehensive set of characterizations has been carried out for the obtained product. The membranes were prepared using the solution casting technique, followed by methylation and OH− exchange processes. The prepared membrane's thermal stability, mechanical strength, and electrochemical properties were systematically evaluated. The optimized AEM exhibits ionic conductivity of 5.3×10-2 S•cm-1 and alkaline stability of 432 hours in 1M KOH at 80 °C. Additionally, computational analysis was employed to gain deeper insights into membrane degradation mechanisms and pathways under alkaline conditions, providing a better understanding of their long-term stability in electrochemical applications.

Research output

Published papers:
Donnakatte Neelalochana, V.; Tomasino, E.; Di Maggio, R.; Cotini, O.; Scardi, P.; Mammi, S.; Ataollahi, N. “Anion Exchange Membranes Based on Chemical Modification of Recycled PET Bottles.” ACS Applied Polymer Materials 2023, 5 (9), 7548–7561. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.3c01391.

Participation in school s

Summer/Winter School at the University of Southampton, England. “European Summer School of Electrochemical Engineering 2022”.
 

2^nd year

Research activities

In the second year of my PhD building on the accomplished objective, the functionalized TiO2 nanoparticles were incorporated into PET-based AEMs to enhance the overall properties of the membrane. The work aims to improve the overall properties of AEMs synthesized by chemical modification of PET bottles as the starting material. The modified PET structure was confirmed using IR, NMR, and HPLC-ESIMS analyses. AEMs were developed by incorporating quaternary ammonium (QA) functional groups into the modified PET structure, necessary for transporting anionic species (OH-). Then, the prepared nanocomposite membranes were thoroughly characterized, and the results displayed an overall improvement in the membrane’s physicochemical properties. The composite membrane with 3wt% content of nanoparticle (NC 3% /M-PETm) showed remarkable conductivity, reaching 126 mS/cm at 80°C, doubling the value of pristine membranes (64 mS/cm) while also displaying alkaline stability, retaining up to 92.2% of conductivity after 20 days in harsh 2M KOH at 80°C. These results proved the suitability of these membranes for electrochemical energy applications. This innovative approach offers potential cost savings in preparing the new membranes while aligning with sustainable and circular economy principles. I also contributed to the experimental characterization of another research work focused on AEM based on modified PK and a paper was published.

Research output

Published paper:
1) Varun Donnakatte; Tomasino, E.; Augusto, M.; Mancini, I.; Chiappini, A.; Shadakshari, S.; Terban, M. W.; Hinrichsen, B.; Scardi, P.; Ataollahi, N. “Electrochimica Acta Impact of Functionalized Titanium Oxide on Anion Exchange Membranes Derived from Chemically Modified PET Bottles.” Electrochimica Acta 2024, 507, 145170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2024.145170.
2) Tomasino, E.; Mukherjee, B.; Neelalochana, Varun. D; Scardi, P.; Ataollahi, N. “Computational Modeling of Hydrated Polyamine-Based Anion Exchange Membranes via Molecular Dynamics Simulation.” Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2024, 128 (1), 623–634. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c07118.

List of participation in conferences

1) Oral presentation at “7th International Conference on Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells & Electrolysis. Materials, Systems & Applications” in Lefkada, Greece.
2) Poster presentation at “The International “Workshop on Advanced Materials (IWAM 2024) in Dubai, UAE. Won the student grant and poster award.

3^rd year

Research activities

In the third year of my PhD, I completely worked on a new approach to preparing proton exchange membranes. The research introduces a sustainable method to transform PET waste bottles into sulfonated PEMFC applications, addressing the need for alternatives to fluorinated materials like Nafion. The material was obtained in two steps, by amidation through a nucleophilic substitution of 4,4′-diamino-2,2′-stilbenedisulfonic acid (DSDA) on bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) derived by treating PET with ethylene glycol. The membrane is prepared from the obtained product using the solution casting technique. Finally, the performance of the obtained membrane was tested in ARCO Technologies company, in this stage the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was started by optimizing the catalyst ink and applying it via spray-coating techniques with different approaches on membrane and carbon electrodes. The single fuel cell achieved a power density of 354 mW/cm2 compared with the commercial Nafion 212 membrane (605.4 mW/cm2). The result demonstrates the potential of membrane delivered from PET as a cost-effective and sustainable solution for PEMFCs, addressing critical environmental challenges.

I have authored a review article on the role of PET in electrochemical applications, which is currently under publication.

As part of my PhD research, I collaborated with various research groups on projects related to electrochemical sensing and energy applications. One of my collaborative works focused on the development of an electrochemical sensor based on a Bi2S3–TiO2 nanocomposite for the detection of 4-nitrophenol and nitrofurantoin, which has been successfully published. Additionally, I contributed to research on porous carbon nanosheets/graphite/Nafion composites, exploring their potential for nanomolar detection of Hg²⁺ ions and water-splitting reactions.

Research output

Published paper:
1) Varun Donnakatte N; Ines M; Nicholas L; Giovanni C; Angelo D’Anzi; Paolo S; Narges A. “Sustainable Conversion of PET Waste Bottle into Proton Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells.” ACS applied energy materials 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.4c03313.
2) Ravikumar, S. B.; Mallu, T. A.; Subbareddy, S.; Shivamurthy, S. A.; Neelalochana, V. D.; Shantakumar, K. C.; Rajabathar, J. R.; Ataollahi, N.; Shadakshari, S. “An Enhanced Non- Enzymatic Electrochemical Sensor Based on the Bi 2 S 3 –TiO 2 Nanocomposite with HNTs for the Individual and Simultaneous Detection of 4-Nitrophenol and Nitrofurantoin in Environmental Samples.” Journal of Materials Chemistry B 2024, 12 (36), 9005–9017. https://doi.org/10.1039/D3TB03054G.
3) Hareesha, N.; Soumya, D. M.; Mounesh; Manjunatha, J. G.; Rohit, R. N.; Manikanta, P.; Varun, D. N.; Ataollahi, N.; Thippeswamy, B. A; Pramoda, K.; Nagaraja, B. M. “Honeycomb Polypore Biomass-Derived Activated Porous Carbon Nanosheets/Graphite/Nafion Composite: Green and Sensitive Electrocatalyst for Nanomolar Detection of Hg2+ Ions and Water-Splitting Reactions.” Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 2024, 12 (5), 113584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2024.113584.
4) Varun Donnakatte Neelalochana, Paolo Scardi, Narges Ataollahi, “Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) in Electrochemical Applications.” Under review with Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering.
5) Varun D N, Sahana K M, Jubate M, Sandeep S, Hareesha N, Sanjay BP, Santhosh A S, Manjunatha J G, Eleonora T, Paolo S, Narges A. Under publication. – Book Chapter CRC press (Taylor & Francis) book.

Internship

ARCO Technology Company- Bologna, Italy (June 2024- Sep 2024).

- Acquired expertise in catalyst and ink preparation for Fuel cells and Electrolyzers.
- Developed proficiency in spray coating techniques for electrode and membrane applications.
- Worked on membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and conducted performance testing for fuel cells.
- Gained practical experience in testing commercial Nafion and recycled polymer membranes.