Leela Mohana Reddy Arava

Leela Mohana Reddy Arava is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Wayne State University, where he serves as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. His research focuses on electrochemical energy systems, particularly Lithium-ion, Lithium-sulfur, and Lithium-air batteries with novel electrolytes, and the growth and application of 2D and 3D nanostructures for advanced energy devices.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. from Indian Institute of Technology Madras
• Research Interests:
  • Development of high energy and safe batteries for electric vehicles
  • Creation of micro-batteries to power micro-sensors
  • Design of flexible hybrid energy devices for wearable assistive technologies
  • Investigation of thermally stable electrolytes for extreme temperature operation
  • Exploration of atomically engineered transition metal dichalcogenides for polysulfide conversion
  • Study of proton conducting electrolytes for solid oxide electrolysis
• Article Trends:
  • Advanced battery interface analysis using in situ AFM-SECM and Raman spectroscopy
  • Fundamental redox chemistry studies in Li-S and Li-ion systems
  • Novel 2D material synthesis and electrocatalytic applications
  • Engineering of solid-state electrolytes for dendrite-free operation
  • Development of environmentally stable battery systems for military and industrial applications
  • Integration of nanostructured materials for enhanced energy density
• Labs & Outreach:
  • Leads the Arava Research Group at Wayne State University
  • Founder of the Mobile Energy Lab outreach program for Detroit schools
  • Initiator of the SHAPE (Summer High School Apprentice Program) in battery technologies