Subramanian (Mani) Venkatachalam

With 30 years of expertise in lithium-ion battery technology, I am dedicated to revolutionizing energy storage for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and eVTOL. My in-depth knowledge of cathode synthesis, silicon, lithium, and carbon anodes combined with advanced cell engineering drives innovation and efficiency. As a visionary leader, I have led R&D, data battery startups, spearheaded electrochemistry groups at Albemarle, and now advise on strategic interface between R&T, commercial, and customer interactions bringing technical acumen and leadership to propel groundbreaking advancements in energy systems.

• Designed, developed 350 Wh/kg batteries for UAV and Drone applications
• Design and development of high energy density batteries >260 Wh/kg for Automotive, Mobile and Wearable electronic devices
• Successful completion of Applied Battery Research (ABR) program on PHEV
• Developed Li-rich NMC cathode materials for high energy density lithium-ion battery
• Large scale synthesis of Li-rich NMC cathode materials
• Developed novel Si-based anode formulations successful pairing with Li-rich NMC cathode towards development of high-power high-energy Li-ion batteries
• Established R & D laboratory for lithium-ion battery material synthesis and electrochemical characterization at facility at Envia Systems, University of Delaware and Louisiana State University
• Strong collaborations with various national laboratories such as PNNL, BNL, ANL etc.
• Worked closely with different cathode and anode material suppliers from Asia, US and Europe to develop optimized electroactive material for any chosen application

• Unusual Li2O Sublimation promotes single-crystal growth and sintering Bingbi Wu, Ran Yi, Yaobin Xu, Peiyuan Gao, Yujing Bi, Libo Novak, Zhad Liu, Enyuan Hu, Nan Wang, Job Rijssenbeek, Subramanian Venkatachalam, Ding Wu, Dianying Liu, Xia Cao, Jie Xiao Nature Energy 10, (2025) 605-615
• Simultaneous Single Crystal Growth and Segregation of Ni-Rich Cathode Enabled by Nanoscale Phase Separation for Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries Yujing Bi, Yaobin Xu, Ran Yi, Dianying Liu, Peng Zuo, Jiangtao Liu, Qiuyar Li, Jing Wu, Chongmin Wang, Sha Tan, Enyuan Hu, Jingnati, Rebecca O'Toole, Lu Luo, Xiaoguang Jiao, Subramanian Venkatachalam, Job Rijssenbeek, Jie Xiao, Energy Storage Materials 62 (2023) 102947
• Effect of composition on the structure and electrochemical properties of lithium manganese-rich transition metal oxides, Alpesh Khushalchand Shukla, Quentin M. Ramass, Colin Pohus, Despina Maria Keppatsoglou, Fredrik S. Hage, Christoph Gammer, Charles Bowling, Pedro Alejandro Hernández Gallegos, Subramanian Venkatachalam, Energy Environ. Sci, 2018, 11, 830–840
• Operando Lithium Dynamics in The Li-Rich Layered Oxide Cathode Material via Neutron Diffraction, Haodong Liu, Yan Chen, Sunny Hy, Ke An, Subramanian Venkatachalam, Dianna Qian, Minghao Zhang and Ying Shirley Meng, Advance Energy Materials, 2016, 1502143.
• In-Situ Formation of Sandwich Structures of Nanotube/Co3O4/Cu Composites for Lithium Battery Application, Subramanian Venkatachalam, Hongwei Zhu, Charan Masarapu, Kaili Sualhuang Z. Liu, K. Suenag and Bingqing Wei, ACS Nano, 2009, 3, 2177.
• Long-Cycle Electrochemical Behavior of Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes Synthesized in Stainless Steel in Ion Batteries, Charan Masarapu, Venkatachalam Subramanian, Hongwei Zhu, and Bingqing Wei, Adv. Functional Mater, 2009, 19, 1
• Novel microwave synthesis of nanocrystalline SnO2 and its electrochemical properties, V. Subramanian, H. W. Zhu and Bingqing Wei, J. Physical Chemistry C, 9, 11220084550.
• Synthesis and Electrochemical Characteristics of Amorphous Molybdenum Oxide Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composites as Supercapacitor Electrode Materials, V. Subramanian, H. W. Zhu and B. Q. Wei, Electrochemistry Communication, 9, 2006827.
• High rate lithium reversibility in carbon nanofibers, V. Subramanian, H. W. Zhu, Bingqing Wei, J. Physical Chemistry B, 110, 2006, 7178.
• Mesoporous SnO2 synthesized using non-ionic surfactants as anode materials for lithium batteries, V. Subramanian, C. Jiang, Patricia H. Smith and B. Rambabu, J. Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 4, 2004, 130.
• Influence of metal support interaction in Pt/Con CO and methanol oxidation reactions, Sean C. Hall, V. Subramanian, Glenn Teeteen and B. Rambabu, Solid State Ionics, 175, 1-4, 2004, 809
• Synthesis of Non-Stoichiometric Lithium Nickel Cobalt Oxides and Their Structural and Electrochemical Characterization, G. T. K. Fey, V. Subramanian and J. G. Chen, Electrochemistry Communications, 8, 2001, 234.
• Microwave-Assisted Solid-State Synthesis of LiCoO2 and Its Electrochemical Properties as a Cathode Material for Lithium Batteries, V. Subramanian, L. Chen, H. S. Chou and G. T. K. Fey, J. Material Chemistry, 11, 2001, 3348.

• Review for Department of Energy (DoE) Proposal & DoE Annual Merit Review Meetings
• Review for Journal of Electrochemic Society, Journal of Power Sources, Electrochimica Acta, Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids etc.

• At LSU & Southern University, have been mentoring master’s and Ph.D. students on their research projects.
• Supported teaching as substitute for Prof. Bingqing Wei (Postdoctoral division) in the Nanoscience Technology at LSU.
• Taught Energy Storage Systems during graduate program for Master’s Students in Energy Science at M.K. University, India.

• Design and assembly of Lithium-ion cell and testing (Arbin, Maccor)
• Electrochemical impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) (Solatron, CHI, BioLogic)
• Cyclic voltammetry (CV) (Solatron, CHI, BioLogic)
• Three-electrode studies of different Li-ion chemistries
• Handling and maintenance of Glovebox (MBraun & VAC)
• Electrode adhesion studies (Chatillon, USA)
• X-Ray Diffraction - in-situ with temperature and cycling (Rigaku, Japan)
• Thermal Analysis Material level
• Accelerated Rate Calorimetry (ARC) - Cell level thermal studies and abuse testing
• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
• Surface area, Particle size and True density measurements
• Nail-penetration and other abuse testing of large format Li-ion cells (1 ~ 40 Ah)
• Various UL and UN testing of batteries for consumer devices

• Granted (select)
• Cell Design
• 10,553,878 Battery cell engineering and design to reach high energy
• 9,552,901 Lithium ion batteries with high energy density, excellent cycling capability, and low internal impedance
• 8,765,306 High voltage battery formation protocols and control of charging and discharging for desirable long-term cycling performance
• Anode Materials
• 9,190,694 High capacity anode materials for lithium ion batteries
• 9,166,222 Lithium ion batteries with supplemental lithium
• 9,139,441 Porous silicon-based anode material formed using metal reduction
• Cathode Materials
• 12,030,780 Cost-Effective Synthesis of Oxide Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries
• 9,070,488 Mixed-phase lithium metaboxide compositions with desirable battery performance
• 8,916,294 Fluorinated lithium rich metaboxide positive electrode battery materials with high specific capacity and corresponding batteries
• 8,741,485 Layer-layer lithium rich complex metaboxides with high specific capacity and excellent cycling
• 8,741,484 Doped positive electrode materials and lithium ion secondary battery constructed therefrom
• 8,663,849 Metal halide coatings on lithium ion battery positive electrode materials and corresponding batteries
• 8,535,832 Metaboxide coated positive electrode materials for lithium-based batteries
• 8,475,950 Lithium doped cathode material
• 8,465,878 Positive electrode materials for high discharge capacity lithium ion batteries
• 8,394,534 Layer-layer lithium rich complex metaboxides with high specific capacity and excellent cycling
• 8,389,160 Positive electrode materials for lithium ion batteries having a high specific discharge capacity and processes for the synthesis of these materials