To achieve excellence in all aspects of

electrochemistry and related fields for the

development of globally competitive and eco-

friendly technologies for industrial growth, energy

and material conservation.

Glimpses and Events

July 25, 1948 : The historic day spelt the beginning of an intensive activity to transform the place into one of the higher learning in quest of new technologies to put Karaikudi in the scientific map of the world,

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone of CECRI.

January 14, 1953 : Inauguration of CECRI, witnessed the presence of Dr Alagappa Chettiar, Dr SS Bhatnagar, Nobel Laureate Dr C V Raman and other eminent personalities. Dr. S Radhakrishnan inaugurated and dedicated to the nation.

Glimpses and Events – contd.October 9th, 1955 : Dr M Visvesvaraya visited CECRI and said “ I do hope

that in this scientific work, the money and energy spent will be comparable with the results achieved with those in America, England, Australia, etc.”

January 22nd, 1966 : Dr Zahir Hussain visited and said that the significant work this institute is doing is symbolic of the great change that is coming over our country.

1974 : Titanium substrate insoluble anode (TSIA) and graphite substrate lead oxide anode (GSLD) were developed.

Rohini Rocket launched with CECRI made Ammoonium perchlorate at Thumba.

1978 : CECRI celebrated its 25th year

1988 : NRDC announced Republic day award for CECRI’s invention “Radiation resistant coatings for nuclear power stations”

Glimpses and Events – contd.

1988: CECRI celebrated its 40th Year on 25th July 1988

1997: One tonne cryogenic engine thrust chamber was developed using electroforming at CECRI for Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

Golden Jubilee year of CECRI begins on 25th July 1997.

Campus spread around 300 acres and 65,000 m2 of Lab space

CHENNAI

MANDAPAM

TUTICORIN

Electrochemical Power SourcesCorrosion Science & EngineeringElectrochemical Materials ScienceElectrodics & ElectrocatalysisElectrochemicals (Organic & Inorganic)Functional MaterialsMetal FinishingElectrometallurgy (Hydro & Pyro)Electrochemical Pollution Control

Lead Acid System

Nickel-metal Hydride and other Nickel

Batteries

Lithium Batteries

Batteries for Special Applications

Fuel Cells

Supercapacitors

Corrosion in Concrete Structures

Inhibitors & Bio–fouling

Protective Coatings

Cathodic & Anodic Protection

Failure Analysis

Specialty Chemicals

Electrochemical Perfluorination

Chromium Recovery

Defluoridation

Hypochlorite Production

Water Electrolysis & Hydrogen Production

Drugs and Pharmaceuticals

Titanium Substrate Insoluble Anode (TSIA)

Coating/Recoating of Anodes and Cathodes of

Chlor–Alkali Membrane Cells

Recovery of Metals from Secondary Sources

Gallium and Chromium

Manganese Dioxide

Magnesium

Calcium

Titanium

Aluminium

Electroforming (Shaping)

Electroless Plating

Pulse Plating

Plating of Alloys & Composites

Precious Metal Plating

Anodizing

Sensors & Modified Electrodes

Biosensors & Bioelectrochemistry

Nanoscale electrocatalysis

Theoretical Electrochemistry

Bimetallic Electrocatalysts

Nano-materials

Conducting Polymers and

Nanomaterials

Electroluminescence

Photovoltaic Cells

Magnetic Materials

ElectroCeramics

Molecularly Designed Polymers

Nanomaterials for Power Sources

Electrochemical Treatment of Industrial

Effluents

Pollution Control in Electroplating Industries

Electrochemical Remediation

Scanning Tunneling & Atomic Force MicroscopeScanning Electron MicroscopesTransmission Electron MicroscopeMetallurgical MicroscopeFT-IR & MicroscopeLaser Raman Microscope

Electron Spin Resonance Nuclear Magnetic ResonanceUV-VIS-NIR SpectrophotometerX-ray Fluorescence X-ray Photoelectron/Auger ElectronAtomic Absorption SpectrophotometerFT-IR SpectrometerLaser Raman Spectrometer

Battery Cycle Testing Unit BET Surface Area Analyzer CHN Analyzer Cluster Computing Facility CNC Milling Machine Corrosion Fatigue Testing Unit DC Magnetron Sputtering Unit Differential Scanning Calorimeter Electron Beam Evaporation Unit

Major Equipments .......

Gel Permeation Liquid Chromatograph High Performance Liquid Chromatograph Inductively-coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer Ion Chromatograph Metallurgical Microscope & Micro-hardness

Tester Particle Size Analyzer Powder X-ray Diffractometer Scanning Vibrating Electrode Technique (SVET)

Kelvin Probe

Slow Strain Rate Stress Corrosion Testing Machine

Tensile Testing Machine

Thermal Analysis System (TG and DTA)

Transmission Electron Microscope

Universal Tensile Testing Machine

X-ray Fluorescence Thickness Gauge

Research Ambience

As part of its human resource

development programme, CECRI's Center

for Education runs Anna University's

B.Tech. course in Chemical & Electro

chemical Engineering.

The eight-semester B. Tech. course is

unique, it is the world‘s first technology

programme in chemical and

electrochemical engineering. This course

is recognized by the All India Council for

Technical Education and the Indian

Institute of Chemical Engineering.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

Ministry of Environment & Forests

Ministry of Information Technology

Indian Space Research Organization

Department of Science & Technology

Department of Ocean Development

Department of Biotechnology

Department of Atomic Energy

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

Defence Research & Development

Organisation

Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory

Naval Dockyard

Naval Science & Technological Laboratory

National Highways Authority of India

Indian Railways

Oil & Natural Gas Commission

Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.

Japan Science & Technology Agency, Japan

Columbian Chemicals Company, USA

Yonsei University, South Korea

General Motors Technical Center, USA

International Partnership for Hydrogen

Economy (European)

Applied Materials Inc., USA

Titanium Equipment & Anode Mfg. Co. Ltd.

Southern Petrochemical Industries Corp.

Madras Rubber Factory

Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd.

Nicholas-Piramal Healthcare

Aditya Birla Industries

Amara Raja Batteries Ltd.

Asian Paints

Berger Paints

Devcon Chemicals Pvt. Ltd.

Exide Industries Ltd.

Godrej & Boyce

High Energy Batteries (India) Ltd.

Hindustan Lever Ltd.

Krishna Conchem Products Pvt. Ltd.

NED Energy Ltd.

Nerolac Paints

NOCIL

Protektol Anticorrosives

Strategic sector

LPSCPreservation of Agni Missile

Development of lithium-ion batteries for

multifarious applications

CSIR Battery performance evaluation center

Energy for cleaner and greener environment

Development of specialty inorganic materials for

diverse applications

Conducting polymer paints & coatings for

corrosion protection of metallic & concrete

structures and shielding of concrete structures in

strategic areas

Development of PEM-based Hydrogen production

technology for fuel cell application 

Fabrication of LED devices and systems for solid

state lighting applications

Nanomaterials and nanodevices for applications in

health and disease

Development of electrochemical technologies for

drinking water upgradation in North-Eastern Region

Centre for excellence for computational chemistry:

An Integrated tool for multi-scale simulation to

design materials, processes and simulation of

molecular recognition process in biology

Contract Research: Business driven R&D objectives with clearly defined outputs.

Results in a product, process, tacit knowledge and Intellectual property generation.

Consultancy: Professional advice rendered to clients based on the knowledge-base available.

Technical Service: Testing & analyzing using specialized facilities available.

Licensing

Unencumbered Patents

Know how / Knowledgebase

Training Industry oriented refresher coursesCustomized/Tailor-made training programmes in the areas of electrochemical science & technology

Corrosion Resistant Coatings Cement-Polymer Composite Coatings Anodization Technology Several Electroplating related

technologies Titanium Substrate Insoluble Anodes in

Chlor-Alkali ProcessesMagnesium Metal Extraction for

Defence ApplicationsTechnologies for Sensors & Ion-Selective

Electrodes

Some of the Know-how transferred

Direct borohydride fuel cell systemDirect borohydride fuel cell systemPEM electrolyser for hydrogen productionPEM electrolyser for hydrogen productionProcess for production of Tetra-ethyl, -butyl and -Process for production of Tetra-ethyl, -butyl and -propyl ammonium hydroxides propyl ammonium hydroxides Cement polymer composite coatingCement polymer composite coatingElectrochemical defluoridation of drinking waterElectrochemical defluoridation of drinking waterElectro-synthesis of quaternary ammonium saltsElectro-synthesis of quaternary ammonium salts

Recent International Patents

High capacity kish graphitic lithium insertion anode materials and negative electrodes for Lithium ion batteries

New high voltage nano-composite cathode for lithium ion batteries

Non-enzymatic electrochemical monitor for HbA1c level in diabetes management

Papers published : 588 (2010-

2013)

Patents filed : 755

Know-how / Technologies : 253

Sponsored projects : 460

Consultancy projects : 220

No. of licenses : 525

Recent Publications in high-impact journals Electrochemical resolution of multiple redox events for graphene quantum

dots (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013)Oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyzed on Fenton-treated Au surface (ChemComm, 2014)Sequential Electrochemical Unzipping of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes to Graphene Ribbons Revealed by in Situ Raman Spectroscopy and Imaging (ACS Nano, 2014)Nanocatalyst-U-reagent on a polymer film: A new polymer-supported system for (electro-)catalytic applications (ChemComm, 2011)Aqueous CTAB-Assisted Electrodeposition of Gold Atomic Clusters and Their Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalytic Activity in Acid Solutions (Angew. Chem. Int., 2010)Sodium-alginate-based proton-exchange membranes as electrolytes for DMFCs (Energy Environ. Sci., 2010)A new mixed-matrix membrane for DMFCs (Energy Environ. Sci., 2010) Solution-Combustion Synthesized Nanocrystalline Li4Ti5O12 As High-Rate Performance Li-Ion Battery Anode (Chem. Mater., 2010)Hydrogel-polymer electrolytes for electrochemical capacitors: an overview (Energy Environ. Sci., 2009)

Publications in high-impact journals - Contd.

Effect of ordering of PtCu3 nanoparticle structure on the activity and stability for the oxygen reduction reaction (PCCP, 2014)Time Evolution of the Stability and Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activity of PtCu/C Nanoparticles (ChemCatChem, 2013)Direct electron transfer with yeast cells and construction of a mediatorless microbial fuel cell (Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2007)Novel method for deposition of gold-prussian blue nanocomposite films induced by electrochemically formed gold nanoparticles: Characterization and application to electrocatalysis (Chemistry of Materials, 2007)

Preparation of catalytic films of platinum on Au substrates modified by self-

assembled PAMAM dendrimer monolayers (Appl. Catal. B., 2009) Bioelectrocatalysis of Acetobacter aceti and Gluconobacter roseus for Current Generation (Environ. Sci & Tech., 2009)

CECRI’s Record in fundamental electrochemistry Faradaic Rectification, an important concept in the

development of AC Polarography & Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (KSG Doss)Exponential Relaxation Techniques for studying kinetics in the linear and Tafel regions (SK Rangarajan)Harmonic analysis of corrosion systems (KSR, Rao & Mishra)Experimental set-up for Hydrogen embrittlement studies [Devanathan & Stachurski]Pioneering studies on small organics oxidation – context of fuel cell development (VK Venkatesan)Redox-catalysis of organic processes (HVK Udupa)

Science 9 February 2007, Vol. 315 no. 5813 pp.796-798; MTM Koper, Faraday Discussions, 2008, 140, 11

These are indeed exciting times to be an electrochemist. Not only is the unprecedented power of modern experimental and computational tools an excellent enablerfor innovative fundamental research work, with the ever louder cry for alternativeand more sustainable energy sources and devices, electrochemistry has every reasonto put itself at the center of attention. Even prominent non-electrochemists admitthat our future energy technology will have electrochemistry as one of its cornerstones.In a 2007 Science paper, Whitesides and Crabtree have identified long-term researchareas that should not be forgotten, and many of them are of a partial or even complete electrochemical nature.

The oxygen electrode (both oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution)(Electro-)catalysis by design Various aspects of photoelectrocatalysis (Electro-)chemistry of carbon dioxide (Electro-)chemistry of complex systems (‘‘emergent behavior’’, nonlinearity,

innovative (electro-)chemical engineering) Efficiency of energy use(Electro-)chemistry of small molecules (H2O, CO, small inorganic nitrogen

compounds)New ideas

Towards Fourth Generation Electrochemistry, David E. Williams, Faraday Discuss., 2002, 121, 463-465

We are now sufficiently “powered” to Perform experiments at atomic level with precisionCouple spectroscopy / microscopy to monitor electrochemical reactions in real-timeObserve Molecular electronic events in electrochemistrySingle-molecule electrochemistry/ electrocatalysis

Experimental Electrochemistry at CSIR-CECRI

First time in India, started with an intention of introducing experiments in electrochemistry to the Ph.D students [Let us lead as example to IISc, IITs and NCL].

Who and When???: So far, 28 students have registered. 5 Scientists (+ 4 senior research scholars) are offering this course. There are 4 batches with 7 students each, attending the course on Thursday and Friday afternoon from 2:00 to 5:00 pm

Where: A dedicated lab for the course is being set up.

How: Scholars are provided with Notes/PPT of the experiment and background information (either before or after the class). Experiments are demonstrated, in most cases, to batches of students.

We will have students demanding a certain experimental set-upWe will have young scientists seeking spectrometers, microscopes and chromatographs to be combined with electrochemical techniquesWe will have students designing their experimental apparatuses, set-ups and devicesWill have devices to be examined in-situ in microscopes, spectrometers, etc.