Nishu Devi is a postdoctoral research associate at the Geochemistry and Interfacial Sciences (GIS) Group, Chemical Sciences Division (CSD), Physical Sciences Directorate (PSD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Her current research project focuses on electrocatalysis for CO₂ capture and conversion funded by an Energy Research Frontier Center (EFRC)—the center for Understanding and Controlling Accelerated and Gradual Evolution of Materials for Energy (UNCAGE-ME III). The goal of this project is to gain a fundamental understanding of the degradation of electrocatalysts during combined capture and conversion of CO₂ using ionic liquids and electrolytes.
Dr. Devi’s research interests encompass material science, electrochemistry, and surface chemistry of electrode/electrolyte interfaces. Her work spans the development of advanced materials and the exploration of electrochemical processes for energy storage (supercapacitors, batteries), carbon mitigation (electrochemical carbon capture and conversion), and clean energy and water systems (fuel cells, hydrogen generation, and water electrolysis).
Dr. Devi holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park Kingsway Campus, Johannesburg, South Africa, with a specialization in electrochemistry. Her doctoral research focused on the design and characterization of electrode materials for high-performance electrochemical energy storage, specifically supercapacitors. She also holds a Master’s (M.Tech.) and Bachelor’s (B.Tech.) degree in Chemical Engineering from Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology (DCRUST), Murthal, Haryana, India, grounding her learnings in core principles of chemical process design and materials engineering.
Before joining ORNL, Dr. Devi worked at Northwestern University, Evanston, USA, in the Subsurface Opportunities and Innovations Laboratory (SOIL) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, focusing on electrochemical carbon sequestration as solid carbonate minerals using seawater. Prior to her time in the USA, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Johannesburg, DFC campus, and a visiting researcher at a national laboratory in South Africa, CSIR-Pretoria, where she studied the applications of polymer-nanocomposites for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Earlier in her career, she gained research experience as a project assistant at a national laboratory in India, CSIR-IIP, contributing to petroleum refinery process optimization. Additionally, she served as a visiting faculty member in the chemical engineering department, teaching foundational concepts to undergraduate students for a short duration.
At ORNL, Dr. Devi brings interdisciplinary expertise in electrochemical systems, materials science, and chemical engineering. She is passionate about developing innovative solutions to address global energy and climate challenges through collaborative research and technology development utilizing electrochemistry.