Ramanathan Sankaran

Ramanathan Sankaran is the Donald Biggar Willett Professor and Associate Head for Graduate Programs in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He holds joint professorships in Aerospace Engineering and affiliate appointments in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Materials Research Lab.

His research spans Plasma Science, Materials Science, and Nanotechnology with emphases on surface engineering, microplasma applications, and fusion energy systems. Key interests include atmospheric pressure plasmas, nanoparticle synthesis, triboelectric phenomena, carbon nanotube engineering, and sustainable nitrogen fixation through plasma-electrochemical processes.

Recent 2025 publications reveal interdisciplinary trends: plasma-based ammonia synthesis via nitrogen fixation, corrosion-resistant coatings for aerospace alloys, plasmonic materials in diamond, and fusion energy development with industry partners like TAE Technologies. His work bridges plasma physics, materials engineering, and sustainable chemistry.

No scientific awards or student advisement details are documented in the source material. However, active industry collaboration (e.g., INFUSE Program with TAE Technologies) indicates significant engagement in applied fusion research and development.