US-India Cooperative Research: Novel Microwave-assisted Synthesis and Sintering of Nanomagnetic Materials for High Frequency Applications

Description: This award supports a US-India cooperative research project entitled Novel Microwave-assisted Synthesis and Sintering of Nanomagnetic Materials for High Frequency Applications. US PI Sridhar Komarneni, Pennsylvania State University and S.R. Murthy, Osmania University will study properties of magnetic materials, which are useful in power supply applications. Professor Komarneni is a synthetic materials chemist and pioneer in the synthesis of nano-sized ferrite magnetic materials by conventional and microwave assisted reactions. He will synthesize nano-sized magnetic materials of differently designed composition by a microwave-assisted process and then characterize them with X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. After these materials are processed to solid form, collaborating scientist S.R. Murthy will investigate their magnetic properties. The collaboration will enable them to develop better materials for power applications through the tailoring of magnetic properties. The synthesis of chemically uniform nano-sized magnetic materials by microwave-assisted process is novel and environmentally benign.

Scope: This area of research is very important to the technology of low loss high frequency switch mode power supplies which are required for continuing miniaturization of electronic devices. The investigators are both well qualified and have significant records of achievement in the field. The skills and experience of the researchers are highly complimentary and the research envisioned will be beneficial to the respective institutions and students. This project is jointly funded by NSF's Division of Materials Research and the Government of India's Department of Science & Technology (DST) under the NSF/DST joint program.