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Bala Materials Lab is a research group led by Dr Nilanthy Balakrishnan, specialising in the discovery and optimisation of advanced materials for next‑generation energy technologies. Our work sits at the interface of physics, chemistry, materials science, and machine learning, with a focus on understanding and engineering materials that enable cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable energy solutions.

We investigate the fundamental physical properties of materials, such as optical, electrical, structural, and electrochemical, and use this knowledge to design systems that push the boundaries of energy storage and conversion performance. Our materials of interest include 2D materials (TMDs, MXenes, III-VI chalcogens, etc), metamaterials, bio-based polymers, and biomass-derived nanomaterials. From materials synthesis with tailored functionalities to data‑driven materials discovery, our research combines experimentation and simulation.

Principal Investigator

Dr Nilanthy Balakrishnan

Senior Lecturer

School of Chemical and Physical Sciences

Keele University

Newcastle-under-Lyme

ST5 5BG

Staffordshire

United Kingdom

Email: n.balakrishnan@keele.ac.uk

Tp no: +44(0)178 273 3045

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We welcome collaborations with researchers, students, and industry partners who share our interest in advanced materials and sustainable energy technologies. Together, we can shape the future of energy.

Funded Projects

2024 - Present: Smart electrodes for energy storage devices, EPSRC

2022: Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy to Study Surface and Interface Effects of 2D Materials, Royal Society

2021 - 2023: Understanding the feasibility of Ill-VI 2D layered materials for flexible and wearable devices, Royal Society

2021 - 2022: Exploitation of sustainable metal chalcogenide anodes for high-energy sodium-ion battery, British Council

Selected Publications

K. S. Perera, K. P. Vidanapathirana, L. J. Adams, N. Balakrishnan. Symmetric double-layer capacitor with natural rubber and sodium salt-based solid polymer electrolyte and reduced graphene oxide electrodes, Journal of Energy Storage 97, 112683 (2024).
S. Xu, M. M Al Ezzi, N. Balakrishnan, A. Garcia-Ruiz, B. Tsim, C. Mullan, J. Barrier, N. Xin, B. A. Piot, T. Taniguchi, K. Watanabe, A. Carvalho, A. Mishchenko, A. K. Geim, V. I. Fal'ko, S. Adam, A. H. Castro Neto, K. S. Novoselov, Y. Shi: Tunable van Hove singularities and correlated states in twisted monolayer–bilayer graphene. Nature Physics 17, 619-626 (2021).
N. Balakrishnan, E. D. Steer, E. F. Smith, Z. R. Kudrynskyi, Z. D. Kovalyuk, L. Eaves, A. Patanè, and P. H. Beton: Epitaxial growth of γ-InSe and α, β, and γ-In2Se3 on ε-GaSe. 2D Materials 5, 035026 (2018).
N. Balakrishnan, Z. R. Kudrynskyi, E. F. Smith, M. W. Fay, O. Makarovsky, Z. D. Kovalyuk, L. Eaves, P. H. Beton, and A. Patane`: Engineering p-n junctions and bandgap tuning of InSe nanolayers by controlled oxidation. 2D Materials 4, 025043 (2017).
N. Balakrishnan, C. R. Staddon, E. F. Smith, J. Stec, D. Gay, G. W. Mudd, O. Makarovsky, Z. R. Kudrynskyi, Z. D. Kovalyuk, L. Eaves, A. Patane`, and P. H. Beton: Quantum Confinement and photoresponsivity of β-In2Se3 nanolayers grown by physical vapour Transport. 2D Materials 3, 025030 (2016).
N. Balakrishnan, Z. R. Kudrynskyi, M. W. Fay, G. W. Mudd, S. A. Svatek, O. Makarovsky, Z. D. Kovalyuk, L. Eaves, P. H. Beton, and A. Patanè: Room temperature electroluminescence from mechanically formed van der Waals III-VI homojunction and heterojunctions. Advanced Optical Materials 2, 1064 (2014).