Dr. Illa Mani Pujitha
 |
|
Bio Sketch
Dr. Illa Mani Pujitha is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli. Her research lies at the intersection of advanced materials and sustainable energy technologies, with a strong focus on next-generation energy storage batteries, solid-state electrolytes, bacterial cellulose, and carbon-based nanomaterials.She earned her Ph.D. and M.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad and completed her B.Tech with distinction from RGUKT-NUZVID. Prior to joining NIT Tiruchirappalli in 2022, Dr. Pujitha gained rich academic and research experience through her associations with IIT Bombay and IIT Hyderabad, where she contributed significantly to cutting-edge research. Dr. Pujitha is passionate about developing innovative, eco-friendly material solutions for real-world energy challenges. Her work has resulted in publications in reputed international journals, a co-authored book on nanocellulose materials, and several research recognitions, including the prestigious Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award.With a strong commitment to research, teaching, and mentoring, Dr. Pujitha strives to inspire young engineers and researchers while advancing materials science for a sustainable future.
Employment Profile
| Job Title | Employer | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Professor | NIT Tiruchirappalli | Oct 2022 | Present |
| Institute Postdoctoral Fellow | IIT Bombay | July 2021 | Oct 2022 |
| Adhoc Faculty | NIT Calicut | Feb 2021 | May 2021 |
| Postdoctoral Fellow | IIT Hyderabad | Dec 2021 | Feb 2021 |
Academic Qualifications
| Examination | Board / University | Year | Division/ Grade | Subjects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. | Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad | 2020 | - | Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering |
| M.Tech | Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad | 2020 | 8.96 (out of 10) | Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering |
| B.Tech | RGUKT-NUZVID | 2015 | 9.1 (out of 10) Distinction | Metallurgical and Materials Engineering |
Awards, Associateships
| Year of Award | Name of the Award | Awarding Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award | SRISTI and National Innovation Foundation India |
| 2017 | Best Poster Presentation Award | International Conference on Advances in Polymer Science and Technology |
| 2017 | Research Excellence Award | IIT Hyderabad |
Fellowships
| Year of Award | Name of the Fellowship | Awarding Organization | From (Month/Year) | To (Month/Year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship | IIT Bombay | 07/2021 | 10/2022 |
Sponsored Projects
| Sl No. | Title | Sponsoring Agency | Period | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fabrication of NASICON-structured Flexible Nanofibrous Electrolyte Sheets for All-Solid-State Sodium-Ion Batteries. | SERB-SRG | 2023-2025 | 31.68 lakhs |
| 2 | Tape casting of Solid-State Electrolytes for Sodium-Ion Batteries. | SEED Grant (NIT -Trichy) | 2023-2024 | 5 lakhs |
Workshops/ Symposia/ Conferences/ Colloquia /Seminars/ Schools
| Date (s) | Title of Activity | Level of Event (International/ National/ Local) | Role (Participant/ Speaker/ Chairperson, Paper presenter, Any other) | Event Organized by | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Conference | International | Paper Presenter | Asian Polymer Association | Delhi India |
| 2018 | Conference | International | Paper Presenter | Carbon MEMS | Hyderabad India |
| 2019 | Conference | National | Paper Presenter | Association of Carbon Materials | Delhi India |
| 2020 | Conference | International | Speaker | ACS | Philadelphia USA |
Membership of Learned Societies
| Type of Membership (Ordinary Member/ Honorary Member / Life Member ) | Organization | Membership No. with date |
|---|---|---|
| Student Member | Asian Polymer Association | 0383 |
Academic Foreign Visits
| Country | Duration of Visit | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| United kingdom | 08/2016-09/2016 | Student exchange |
Publications: Refereed Research Journals:
| Author(s) | Title of Paper | Journal | Volume (No.) | Page numbers | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illa Mani Pujitha, Sreyanka Karmakar, Bibek Samanta, Sushobhan Kobi, Shivam More, Amartya Mukhopadhyay | Influence of boron substitution at Si-site and associated interplay between structure, water-stability, ion-transport and interfacial resistance of NASICON-structured Na3Zr2Si2PO12-based solid electrolyte | Scripta Materialia | 267 | 116800 | 2025 | |
| Paidi, Anilkumar; Sharma, Ankur; Paidi,Vinod; Illa, Mani Pujitha; Lee,Kug-Seung; Lee, Sangsul; Ahn, Docheon; Mukhopadhyay, Amartya | Na2ZrFe(PO4)3 – A Rhombohedral NASICON- structured Material: Synthesis, Structure and Na-intercalation Behaviour | Inorganic Chemistry | 62 | 4124-4135 | 2023 | |
| Ruchira Nandeshwar, Mani Pujitha Illa , Mudrika Khandelwal, Siddharth Tallur | Enzymatic degradation of bacteria cellulose derived carbon nanofibers (BC-CNF) by myeloperoxidase (MPO): Performance evaluation for biosensing. | Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X | 12 | 100252-100262. | 2022 | |
| Mani Pujitha Illa , Kalyani Peddapapannagari, Siju Cherikkattil Raghavan, Chandra S. Sharma, Mudrika Khandelwal | In situ tunability of bacteria derived hierarchical nanocellulose: current status and opportunities | Cellulose | 28 | 10077–10097 | 2021 | |
| Mani Pujitha Illa , Chandra S. Sharma, Mudrika Khandelwal | Catalytic Graphitization of Bacterial Cellulose derived Carbon Nanofibers for Stable and Enhanced Anodic Performance of Lithium-Ion Batteries | Materials Today Chemistry | 20 | 100439-100441 | 2021 | |
| Mani Pujitha Illa , Anil D Pathak, Chandra S. Sharma, Mudrika Khandelwal | Bacterial Cellulose-Polyaniline Composite derived Hierarchical Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon Nanofibers as Anode for High Rate Lithium-Ion Batteries | ACS Applied Energy Materials | 3 | 8676-868 | 2020 | |
| Mani Pujitha Illa , Chandra S. Sharma, Mudrika Khandelwal | Tuning the Physiochemical Properties of Bacterial Cellulose: Effect of Drying Conditions | Journal of Materials Science | 59 | 12024–12035 | 2019 | |
| Mani Pujitha Illa , Mudrika Khandelwal, Chandra S. Sharma | Modulated Dehydration for Enhanced Anodic Performance of Bacterial Cellulose Derived Carbon Nanofibers | ChemistrySelect | 4 | 6642–6650 | 2019 | |
| Mani Pujitha Illa , Mudrika Khandelwal, Chandra S. Sharma | Bacterial Cellulose-Derived Carbon Nanofibers as Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries | Emergent Materials | 1 | 105–120 | 2018 | |
| Shital Yadav, Mani Pujitha Illa , Tulika Rastogi, Chandra S. Sharma, | High Absorbency Cellulose Acetate Electrospun Nanofibers for Feminine Hygiene Application | Applied Materials Today | 4 | 62-70 | 2016 |
Books & Monographs
| Author(s) | Title of Book/Monograph | Name of Publishers | Year of Publication | ISSN/ISBN Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mani Pujitha Illa, Shiva Kalyani Adepu, & Mudrika Khandelwal | Nanocellulose Materials In Micro and Nano Technologies | Elsevier | 2022 | 9780128239636 |
Detail of Patents
| Sl. No. | Patent Title | Name of Applicants | Patent No. | Award Date | Agency/Country | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cellulose Acetate based Non-woven Nano-fiber Matrix with High Absorbency Properties for Female Hygiene Products | Shital Yadav, Mani Pujitha Illa, Tulika Rastogi,Chandra S. Sharma | 3684/CHE/2014 | Feb 08, 2022 | INDIA | Granted |
| 2 | Cellulose Acetate based Non-woven Nanofiber Matrix with High Absorbency Properties for Female Hygiene Products | Shital Yadav, Mani Pujitha Illa, Tulika Rastogi,Chandra S. Sharma | GB2548707 | Sep 16, 2020 | UK | Granted |
| 3 | The nonwoven nanofiber matrix based on cellulose acetate with high-absorbable energy for feminine hygiene | Shital Yadav, Mani Pujitha Illa, Tulika Rastogi,Chandra S. Sharma | CN107075173 | June 28, 2019 | China | Granted |