Chemistry faculty member researches solar energy and light emission technologies, targets future energy problems

by Sam Kealhofer, Intern on the A&S Research Support Team

Mahesh K. Gangishetty has joined Mississippi State University’s faculty as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry as an expert on emerging materials and devices in solar energy and light emission technology.

Gangishetty specializes in understanding the light-matter interaction in materials such as lead halide perovskite and employs them in devices including solar cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs).  He is a leading expert in the development of quantum dot light emitting diodes—or QLEDS—which will revolutionize the display possibilities of monitors, phones and TVs which use quantum dot technology.

Gangishetty’s work on developing efficient blue perovskite QLEDs, published in Advanced Materials and Joule journals, has received attention in the perovskite LED field. Gangishetty said blue LEDs are “very challenging” to make but are the important components in lighting and display applications.

His strategy of doping impurities such as Mn2+ ions in perovskite has substantially improved the stability and efficiency of blue perovskite QLEDs, as highlighted an editorial in the journal, Joule (Cell Press, 2018). Gangishetty’s work demonstrates that by adding trace amounts of Mn ion to the perovskite quantum dots, the emission quantum yields enhanced dramatically. The QLEDs, made by using quantum-confined structures, produced a record efficiency in the blue region and increased their stability.

Gangishetty said he and other leading scientists around the world are in a constant academic race “to unlock the true potential of this technology.”

A recent co-authored article in the Journal of Chemical Physics, “Quantifying mobile ions in perovskite-based devices with temperature-dependent capacitance measurement: Frequency versus time domain,” (2020) focuses on understanding how Mn doping is stabilizing perovskites. Gangishetty said the stability is one of the crucial steps in commercializing these devices. His research directions on systematic understanding of material properties and device physics played a crucial role in building these efficient and stable devices.

His laboratory at MSU focuses on developing a wide range of optoelectronic materials and building devices for energy conversion applications and is home to his efforts in developing a world-class fabrication setup to build devices from solar cells, LEDs and NIR cameras (upconverting devices). Gangishetty encourages undergraduate, graduate, or post doctorate students who are interested in either using or making photons using devices to apply for a position in his group.

Gangishetty has more than 20 peer-reviewed publications and more than 1,600 citations. He is a co-inventor of three patents. The technology for one patent currently is being transformed into a startup company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has applied for energy funding from various institutes such as the Department of Energy, DARPA, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense, among others.

As energy consumption becomes a global issue, Gangishetty’s work in harnessing the power of solar energy as a primary source of energy shows promise to curb pollution, transition away from fossil fuels, and aid in the creation of worldwide stable energy infrastructures. 

Gangishetty finds himself on the forefront of solar energy and light emission research, pioneering the new landscape of technological capabilities.

In an effort to contribute solutions to the various challenges facing the nation, as well as insight into other points of interest, the College of Arts and Sciences will continue to highlight faculty research in our “Research in the Headlines” series each Monday and Wednesday. For more research in the headlines, visit https://www.cas.msstate.edu/research/researchintheheadlines/; and for information about the College of Arts and Sciences or the Department of Chemistry, visit https://www.cas.msstate.edu/ or  https://www.chemistry.msstate.edu/ /.