Singha Mitra is a dedicated researcher in the field of materials science and nanotechnology, currently serving as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) in Greece. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from BIET Jhansi, and a master’s degree in Materials Science and Nanotechnology from NIT Kurukshetra, both in India. She earned her doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Before joining FORTH, Dr. Mitra gained valuable experience as a Project Engineer at the National Centre for Flexible Electronics, IIT Kanpur, where she contributed to a project on simplified additive electronics, initiated by the US-based spin-off, Space Foundry. She later advanced her expertise in energy materials while working as a Project Associate at Keio University in Japan, focusing on battery electrolytes.
At FORTH, Dr. Mitra is currently involved in the EU-funded GRAPHERGIA project, which aims to pioneer eco-design approaches for the green manufacture of 2D materials, particularly graphene and related materials, for advanced energy applications (harvesting, conversion and storage). Her work centres on evaluating non-volatile ionic liquid electrolytes acquired from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), with the goal of developing high-performance, thermally stable microsupercapacitors. The ionic liquid electrolytes are critical for increasing the energy and power density, and device voltage of laser-engraved interdigitated planar graphene electrode and an ionic liquid based microsupercapacitor. These innovative devices are key to enabling smart, self-charging textiles and next-generation flexible energy systems.
In this interview, Dr. Mitra shares insights into her research journey, the significance of her work within GRAPHERGIA, and the promising future of sustainable energy technologies.
“By investing in research, innovation, and industrial scale-up, Europe can not only lead the global graphene revolution, but also create a cleaner, more competitive, and resilient energy system for future generations.” – Sangha Mitra, Postdoctoral Researcher atInstitute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH).
Can you briefly describe your research and how it fits into the overall GRAPHERGIA project? What specific problem are you trying to solve with your work on graphene?
I am now working on Work Package 2 – “Design, development and optimization of textile-based TENGs and micro-flexible SuperCapacitors (SCs)”, which intends to create an effective ionic liquid-incorporated polymer-gel-electrolyte micro-flexible supercapacitor on flexible polymer sheets. The goal is to study the stable working potential window of ionic liquid electrolytes, as well as the electrochemical performance of these electrolyte-based flexible microsupercapacitors.
In brief, electrochemical testing of ionic liquid electrolytes is performed using a three-electrode setup, followed by device manufacturing utilizing the electrochemical techniques, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge discharge (GCD). Furthermore, laser engraved graphene electrodes are produced at various laser fluences. A specific ionic liquid electrolyte is cast on the electrode at each laser fluence to determine the microsupercapacitor with the superior electrochemical performance, which includes areal capacitance and the device’s stable operating voltage. These tests are critical for determining the effect of laser fluence on the electrochemical performance of devices, which is further influenced by the electrochemical characteristics of the ionic liquid electrolyte and the transit of electrolyte ions within the pores of turbostratic graphene.
What are the main challenges you face in working with graphene at a practical level?
At FORTH, within GRAPHERGIA, we develop novel laser-assisted routes to graphene-like carbon architectures that go beyond standard Kapton-based approaches, using the LEST methodology and a wider range of carbon precursors (e.g., paper, carbon cloth, phenolic resins, biomass-derived films). Our laser-assisted strategy enables rapid, clean, and solvent-free transformation of carbon-rich materials into conductive, few-layer graphitic networks, with mask-less, direct patterning on the substrate of choice. This bypasses typical ink-based coating drawbacks (hazardous solvents/binders, complex multi-step processing, long cycle times, and problematic by-products) while offering controlled porosity and sheet resistance tuning and straightforward integration into energy-storage micro-devices.
However, on the practical level, several challenges remain:
- Material quality: Laser-assisted graphene comprised of turbostratic/misaligned layers, which lowers its electrical conductivity when compared to CVD-grown graphene.
- Processing parameters: Morphology and conductivity of laser-assisted graphene are highly sensitive to slight changes in laser irradiation parameters, and higher laser fluences can lead to uneven graphitization, edge defects or even burning of the substrate.
- Integration: Laser-derived graphene formed at high laser fluences suffers from poor adhesion to its underlying substrate and lack of mechanical stability, which causes it to delaminate and crack while bending the substrate; making reliable electrical connections is a challenge as graphene faces higher contact resistance at the contact points due to its rough and porous microstructure; also the high surface roughness complicates the uniform and even deposition of gel electrolytes during microsupercapacitor fabrication.
- Scalability: Although laser-assisted technology signifies creating prototypes, producing scalable, large-area graphene with consistent quality is a challenge.
How do you collaborate with other teams within the GRAPHERGIA project?
At FORTH, we are focused on studying flexible microsupercapacitors for efficient energy storage using ionic liquid based gel electrolytes. DLR is responsible for processing gel electrolytes using non-flammable and non-aqueous ionic liquids contained into polymer matrices (PVDF-HFP and PPC). At FORTH, conductive electrodes are fabricated by laser-assisted graphene deposition followed by device fabrication and characterization. The devices will be encapsulated into stretchable coatings (e.g. PDMS) to enhance life cycle and prevent leakage. Complete electrochemical characterization (capacity, charging/discharging rate and stability) and device performance evaluation will be conducted by CV and GCD. Hence, solid-state, interdigitated micro-flexible supercapacitors are fabricated (FORTH, Adamant, DLR) and will be interfaced to the triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) output for energy storage.
How has being part of GRAPHERGIA shaped your academic or career path so far?
GRAPHERGIA has helped shape my academic and professional path by exposing me to cutting-edge research in advanced energy materials and electrochemical devices. GRAPHERGIA has had a significant impact on my professional development by connecting me to a diverse network of researchers, professionals, and industry stakeholders working on energy materials and technologies. Through the network, I was able to gain access to mentorship and collaborative opportunities that broadened both my technical competence and perspective on how fundamental science leads to practical applications. The interdisciplinary environment has motivated me to broaden my horizons and include expertise from materials science, nanotechnology, and energy storage.
On a practical level, GRAPHERGIA has given me significant opportunities to present my work, receive feedback from experts in the field, and refine my communication skills for both academic and industrial audiences. It has also given me a better understanding of various career paths, whether in academia, research and development, or an innovation-driven sector. Overall, the experience has increased my confidence in pursuing a career in energy materials research, as well as providing me with the tools and networks necessary to put myself at the forefront of this rapidly growing industry.
How does your research contribute to sustainable energy solutions? What impact could it have on reducing carbon emissions or improving energy efficiency?
My research aims to advance sustainable energy solutions by creating novel materials intended to provide safe, flexible, and high-performance energy storage with minimal environmental impact. It focuses on the development of dry graphene electrodes by eco-friendly laser-assisted technology, as well as next-generation microsupercapacitors made using non-toxic ionic liquid-based gel electrolytes. My work, which employs biodegradable polymer sheets, green laser technology, and stable ionogels, adds to more sustainable alternatives to conventional organic electrolytes and complex, non-scalable, time-consuming, and hazardous byproduct-intensive graphene manufacturing processes.
The broader relevance of this work is twofold: first, it enables energy-efficient storage devices that can power portable and wearable electronics with low energy loss, and second, it advances scalable materials and techniques that could lessen reliance on key raw materials. In the long run, incorporating these sustainable, high-efficiency energy storage systems into smart devices and electronics might help reduce overall energy consumption, dependency on carbon-intensive power sources, and contribute to the global transition to cleaner, low-carbon technologies.
As GRAPHERGIA is entering its third year of research, are there any early results or breakthroughs you’ve been excited about?
The major focus of GRAPHERGIA is to meet the established key performance indicators (KPIs) and objectives. These KPIs act as our guiding metric, ensuring that we stay on track and achieve our project milestones successfully. Furthermore, we aim to share insights and breakthroughs with the scientific community by publishing valuable pieces of work. We are prepared to submit a comprehensive review on flexible electrolytes that delves into the evolution, science, and properties of gel electrolytes used in flexible batteries and supercapacitors. Furthermore, we successfully investigated the electrochemical properties of ionic liquid electrolytes and their performance in planar, laser-engraved interdigitated graphene microsupercapacitors. These ionic-liquid based flexible microsupercapacitors have the potential to overcome the constraints of aqueous electrolytes and limited stable voltage window by extending operational lifespan, enhancing voltage window, and improving energy density.
How do you see graphene, or more broadly 2D materials, transforming the future of energy in Europe in the next 10–20 years?
For Europe, where decarbonisation, electrification, and energy independence are top priorities, 2D materials could accelerate the development of scalable, high-performance solutions that curtail dependency on critical raw materials and fossil fuels. Over the next 10–20 years, graphene and other 2D materials have the potential to revolutionize Europe’s energy future, enabling the EU Green Deal and the continent’s transition to climate neutrality.
Graphene opens the door to visionary applications such as flexible electronics, smart grids, and lightweight mobility solutions. The exceptional properties of graphene such as electrical and thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, and flexibility make it ideal for next-generation flexible batteries and supercapacitors, offering faster charging, longer lifetimes, and more efficient energy storage.
By investing in research, innovation, and industrial scale-up, Europe can not only lead the global graphene revolution, but also create a cleaner, more competitive, and resilient energy system for future generations. Aside from graphene, other 2D materials offer opportunities for efficient and renewable energy systems, such as solar cells and hydrogen technology.
Follow us on LinkedIn, X , BlueSky and YouTube to discover more about GRAPHERGIA and read more interviews like Sangha’s!