Contact Dr Indrat Aria
- Tel: +44 (0) 1234 758066
- Email: A.I.Aria@cranfield.ac.uk
Areas of expertise
- Nanomaterials
- Nanotechnology
- Renewable Energy
- Smart Materials
- Surface Engineering
Background
Dr Aria is a material scientist with expertise in growth and integration of low-dimensional nanomaterials for novel applications in sustainability. Prior to joining ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ as a Lecturer in Manufacturing, Dr Aria was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Engineering and a College Research Associate in the Clare College at Cambridge University, UK (2013-2017). He received a PhD in Aeronautics from California Institute of Technology, USA (2013), at which he was awarded the prestigious William F. Ballhaus Prize for his outstanding doctoral dissertation. He received an MSc degree from the Department of Aeronautics at California Institute of Technology, USA (2008) and a BSc degree with Honours (cum laude) from the Department of Aeronautics at Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia (2006). He was also a recipient of Fulbright fellowship (2007-2012) and the Green Talent Award from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as a recognition of his leadership potential in research in the field of sustainability (2014). He received a Gold Award for Excellence in Hydrogen Research and Innovation (2024) from HyDEX for pioneering research in sustainable catalysts for green hydrogen production from impure water.
Research opportunities
Current vacancies in Dr Aria's group:
I am continuously looking for PhD candidates who are eager to learn and carry out research in the area of nanomaterials, electrochemical materials, thin films, and additive manufacturing for applications in sustainability.
I currently offer three research opportunities for self-funded PhDs, please see the details at the following links and contact me if you are interested:
/research/phd/sustainable-active-materials-for-next-generation-lithium-free-batteries
/research/phd/novel-electrocatalysts-for-green-hydrogen-by-seawater-electrolysis
/research/phd/solid-polymer-electrolytes-for-batteries-and-smart-windows
Information on fees and funding opportunities can be found at: /study/taught-degrees/fees-and-funding
Current activities
Dr Aria research interests include the synthesis of hierarchical and 3D assemblies of low-dimensional nanomaterials, integration of nano-bulk materials, engineering of surfaces and interfaces, and design of functional ultrathin films and coatings. Particular aspects of interest are the development of novel materials and processing techniques for applications in sustainability, including solar energy conversion (concentrating solar power, photovoltaic, photocatalysis), electrochemical processes (batteries, supercapacitors, hydrogen electrolysis), soft-matter (biopolymers, hydrogels), and REACH compliant materials.
Previous and ongoing research projects include:
- H2020 MSCA-RISE 645725: Framework of Innovation for Engineering of New Durable Solar Surfaces (FRIENDS2), http://www.friends2project.eu/
- IMAGE: Photoluminescent Coatings for Photovoltaics, /case-studies/research-case-studies/image-lambda-stretch-ltd
- Innovate UK 133908: Flexible Electrochromic Windows with Photovoltaic Generation
- Innovate UK 133913: Luminescent Downshifting to Improve Photovoltaic Efficiency in Regions with High Solar Irradiance
- Royce Industrial Collaboration Project 019: Novel electrocatalysts for Green Hydrogen Electrolysis
- Innovate UK 10078189: New Electrocatalysts for Resource Efficient Green Hydrogen Electrolysis (NEWCAT), https://www.ukri.org/news/winners-of-12-million-reformm-crd-competition-announced/
- Innovate UK 10086720: Anode and Current Collector Engineering for Lithium-free Batteries (ACORN)
Clients
Research collaborators, student project sponsors, and consultancy clients include:
Photocentric
Lambda Energy
BAE Systems
Hardide
Thin Metal Films
Lakshmi Machine Works
Innovative Nano and Micro Technologies
Vero Grid
Eqonic
