Kyung Hee University · Engineering
Professor Arun Anand Prabu's research lab specializes in the development of advanced functional materials for sustainable energy and environmental applications. The lab focuses on designing and engineering nanomaterials—particularly hyperbranched polymers, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), and surface-modified nanoparticles—for energy harvesting, sensing, and biodegradable polymer reinforcement. Key research directions include silane-based surface modification of nanomaterials to enhance dispersion and performance, and the integration of metal oxide nanoparticles (e.g., CuO, ZnO) into polymer matrices to improve mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. The lab also emphasizes green and scalable fabrication techniques for next-generation eco-friendly devices and materials.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Since the last decade, hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) have gained wider theoretical interest and practical applications in sensor technology due to their ease of synthesis, highly branched structure but dimensions within nanoscale, a larger number of modified terminal groups and lowering of viscosity in polymer blends even at higher HBP concentrations. Many researchers have reported the synthesis of HBPs using different organic-based core-shell moieties. Interestingly, silanes, as organic-inorgan
A flexible and portable triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) doped with copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 wt.-% w.r.t. PVDF content) was fabricated. The structural and crystalline properties of the as-prepared PVDF-CuO composite membranes were characterized using SEM, FTIR, and XRD. To fabricate the TENG device, the PVDF-CuO was considered a tribo-negative film and the polyurethane (PU) a counter-positive film. The output
To meet future demands for sustainable and environmentally friendly technology, many research groups are focusing on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which can scavenge and convert the available mechanical energy into electrical energy. Researchers are working to comprehend the influence of triboelectric material surfaces as well as the properties that play an important role in determining the overall output performance of TENGs. The selection of tribonegative and tribopositive materials ba
Nanomaterials (NMs) have gained tremendous attention in various applications in the modern era. The most significant challenge associated with NMs is their strong propensity to aggregate. The chemical surface modification of NMs has garnered notable attention in managing NM dispersion and aggregation. Among the modification approaches, the silane modification of NMs has generated great interest among researchers as a versatile approach to tailoring the surface characteristics of NMs. This review
Three different types of epoxy resins based on an unmodified epoxy (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A), polyurethane (PU) modified epoxy and silicone modified polyurethane‐epoxy matrices were developed. Epoxy resin was modified with PU prepolymer and hydroxyl terminated poly (dimethyl siloxane), also referred to as ‘silicones’ using a silane crosslinking agent and tin catalyst. Aromatic polyamine adduct (A), diethylenetriamine (B) and polyamidoamine (C) were used as epoxy curatives. The formation
There are significant societal repercussions from our excessive use of plastic products derived from petroleum. In response to the increasing environmental implications of plastic wastes, biodegradable materials have been proven to be an effective means of mitigating environmental issues. Therefore, protein- and polysaccharide-based polymers have gained widespread attention recently. In our study, for increasing the strength of a biopolymer (Starch), we used ZnO dispersed nanoparticles (NPs), wh
Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are renowned for capturing large-scale unused energy from ambient surroundings. A sustainable TENG can meet future energy demands without contaminating our environment. In the present study, we have synthesized nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) via the coprecipitation method. Further, NiO NPs were doped with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) (0 to 9 wt % w.r.t. PVDF concentration) to prepare the PVDF-NiO electrospun nanofibrous mat. The output efficiency wa
Flexible electrospun fiber-based piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG) has attracted a lot of interest due to its ability of generating electrical energy from mechanical energy sources. The present work aims to improve the piezoelectric output of PENG devices based on electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) doped with nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) in different concentrations (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 wt.-%). Crystalline phase changes and <i>β</i>-crystalline content in electrospun fibers were ev
Flexible pressure sensors have played an increasingly important role in the Internet of Things and human-machine interaction systems. For a sensor device to be commercially viable, it is essential to fabricate a sensor with higher sensitivity and lower power consumption. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) prepared by electrospinning are widely used in self-powered electronics owing to their exceptional voltage generation performance and flexible nature. In
Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are among the emerging technologies as energy harvesters, aided by their cost-effective device architecture and ease of fabrication. The present study investigates the influence of electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) blended with second-generation aromatic hyperbranched polyester (Ar.HBP-G2) of varied content (0 to 40 wt % relative to PVDF content) on the electrical characteristics of PENG/TENG devices. The opti
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