Dr. Gajula Prasad | Research Professor | Materials Science | Energy Harvesting | Nanomaterials
Innovation-driven researcher with a passion for developing cutting-edge materials for energy harvesting, coatings, and wearable biomedical applications. I earned my Ph.D. from VIT University, India, specializing in hydrophobic and superhydrophobic coatings using hybrid polymer-nanomaterials. My journey in research has taken me across India, China, and South Korea, where I’ve worked as a Project Scientist, Postdoctoral Researcher, and currently as a Research Professor at KOREATECH, Korea.
With 30 publications in high-impact journals like Advanced Functional Materials, Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials, Nano Energy, Chemical Engineering, and Small (including 20 first/corresponding author papers) my contributions to materials science are well-recognized.
Beyond publications, I hold three Chinese patents and one Korean patent, translating innovative ideas into practical solutions.
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Polymers and Plastics, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering
44
Scopus Publications
1139
Scholar Citations
21
Scholar h-index
30
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
ZnSnO3–Ecoflex/LDH–PU Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Motion-Activated Battery-Free Smart Street Lighting Gunasekhar Ramadasu, Insun Woo, Jae Uk Yoon, Prasad Gajula, Jin Woo Bae Small, 2026 The development of efficient and durable energy harvesting systems is essential for next‐generation smart infrastructure. Conventional polymer‐based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) suffer from low dielectric constants and limited polarization, restricting output and lifespan. Here, we present a ZnSnO 3 ‐doped Ecoflex and layered double hydroxide (LDH)‐reinforced polyurethane (PU) nanofiber‐based TENG, forming a synergistic triboelectric interface. ZnSnO 3 enhances dielectric response and surface charge generation, while LDH–PU nanofibers improve charge retention and polarization stability. The optimized EZ1/PL5‐TENG delivers 186 V peak voltage, 5.6 µA peak current, and 8.84 µC/m 2 surface charge density, maintaining stable performance over 20,000 cycles. The device efficiently converts biomechanical motion into electrical energy, as demonstrated in both wearable flexion sensing and a motion‐triggered, battery‐free street lighting system that directly powers LEDs. This scalable, flexible TENG platform offers high output, long‐term durability, and practical applicability, highlighting its potential for sustainable smart city illumination, sensing networks, and self‐powered electronics.
Aromatic Amine-Functionalized graphene oxide enables Proximity-Sensitive triboelectric sensors for intelligent motion tracking and LIB charging Prasad Gajula, Insun Woo, Seung-Ju Oh, Jin Woo Bae Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials, 2026 The rising demand for intelligent health monitoring and smart environments has driven the development of non-contact sensors capable of accurately detecting human motion without physical interaction. Here, we present a high-performance triboelectric sensor (TES) based on a 2,6-diaminopyridine-functionalized graphene oxide (DAP-GO)/silk composite paired with an electrospun PVDF-HFP/3 wt% MXene (PH3M) counter layer. Among the composites, 1.5 wt% DAP-GO (1.5SDAPG) exhibits synergistic improvements in tribopolarity and charge trapping, yielding an ~ 8-fold enhancement in open-circuit voltage compared to pristine silk. The optimized 1.5SDAPG/PH3M-TENG achieves a mechanical-to-electrical conversion efficiency of 0.18%, powers a digital stopwatch continuously for over 30 min, and demonstrates the capability to directly recharge a lithium-ion coin cell battery. Beyond energy harvesting, the device enables contactless detection of human activities (such as walking, running, and falling) through proximity-induced electrostatic field disturbances. It further supports spatially resolved motion tracking by localizing touch events at varying distances. This multifunctional platform integrates sustainable energy harvesting with advanced sensing, offering a promising pathway for remote elderly monitoring, fall detection, and smart surveillance. Collectively, the 1.5SDAPG/PH3M-TES establishes a foundation for IoT-enabled, self-powered, contactless human–machine interfaces and next-generation intelligent living systems.
Electrospun PVDF/Si-HBP of 1 st generation composite nanofibers: enabling enhanced charge density and power output in TENG Vadakkaveedu Subramanian Niranjana, Insun Woo, Jae Uk Yoon, Tae Yong Kim, Prasad Gajula, Arun Anand Prabu, Jin Woo Bae Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials, 2026 Sustainable and self-powered wearable electronics powered by triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have the potential to replace conventional battery-powered devices. In this study, we report a novel approach to enhance the charge density and power output of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based TENGs by incorporating lab-scale synthesized silane-core hyperbranched polyester of 1st generation (Si-HBP-G1; 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt% relative to PVDF content) using electrospinning to form hybrid composite mats. Unlike traditional inorganic fillers, Si-HBP-G1 with a tribonegative silane core and hydroxyl end group ensures uniform dispersion and strong interfacial interaction with PVDF. The electrospun PVDF/Si-HBP-G1 (PG1) composite mats served as the tribonegative layer and an aluminum electrode served as the tribopositive layer in the fabricated TENG device. The optimized PVDF/Si-HBP-G1-15 wt% (PG1-15)-based TENG exhibited voltage output of 76 V, current of 2.1 µA, charge density of 8.3 µC m − 2 and peak power density of 0.035 W m − 2 . PG1-15-based TENG also demonstrated its ability to power 40 LEDs and a stopwatch. The device also produced voltage outputs in response to mechanical stimuli, such as tapping and bending, demonstrating its applicability for integration into advanced sensing systems for real-world applications.
Piezoelectric properties improvement in soft membrane with wet-spinning prepared barium titanate/polyvinylidenefluoride composites fiber Xiong-Wei Lin, Prasad Gajula, Xiao-shan Luo, Mingrui Zhao, Xiao-bo Zhao, Ye Fan Scientific Reports, 2025 Piezoelectric composite materials have demonstrated significant potential for developing high-performance wearable sensors. However, optimizing the piezoelectric output performance in polymer-based devices remains challenging due to the suboptimal synergy between the piezoelectric reinforcement phase and substrate materials. Moreover, the instability of response signals further hampers the sensor’s practical utility. In this investigation, wet-spinning technology was applied to fabricate a novel Barium Titanate (BaTiO 3 )/Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite fiber. Through this approach, we enhanced the piezoelectric properties of the material. Notably, our electron diffraction analysis revealed compelling lattice deformations in the ceramic particle-polymer interface, yielding significant enhancements in the piezoelectric characteristics. Remarkably, incorporating just 1.5 wt% of BaTiO 3 in PVDF led to a piezoelectric output of 0.88 V during dynamic cycle tests at 1 Hz. Encouragingly, the output signal exhibited a robust linear correlation (R 2 = 0.996) with applied compression force.
Harnessing Mechanical Energy for Green Hydrogen: Pioneering High-Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerators Prasad Gajula, Jae Uk Yoon, Insun Woo, Jin Woo Bae Advanced Functional Materials, 2025 Integration of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) with water splitting offers a promising approach for generating green hydrogen from mechanical energy. However, the development of efficient TENGs is challenged by significant triboelectric losses. To enhance sustainable energy harvesting, it is crucial to minimize these losses and improve tribo‐polarities. Recent advancements in incorporating conductive fillers have proven effective in improving triboelectric performance. In this study, a new class of bifunctional amino surface‐modified graphene oxide (MGO) fillers synthesized from graphite powder is introduced. The MGO filler enhances the positive polarity of the polymer through amino groups while reducing triboelectric loss due to the inherent conductivity of graphene. Incorporating 1.5 wt.% of MGO into silk electrospun membranes (1.5SMGO) boosted the surface positivity from +695 to +1905 V, surpassing unmodified graphene oxide (GO) (+1220 V), highlighting the impact of surface modification. The resulting TENG with 1.5SMGO exhibits an open circuit voltage of 1135 V and a current density of 11.76 mA m−2, demonstrating its effectiveness as a sustainable energy harvester for low‐power electronics. Additionally, the proposed TENG can serve as an energy source for water‐splitting, enabling green hydrogen production. Thus, the bifunctional MGO‐based TENG holds significant potential for self‐powered wearable electronics and water‐splitting applications.
Reinforcing the Strategy: Enhanced Efficiency of Electrospun PVDF Hybrid Nanocomposites-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators with p-NiO/n-ZnO Interfaces for Energy Harvesting Hema Malini Venkatesan, Jae Uk Yoon, Amrutha Bindhu, Insun Woo, Prasad Gajula, Anand Prabu Arun, Jin Woo Bae Advanced Sustainable Systems, 2025 Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as promising devices for sustainable energy harvesting. This study presents a strategy to enhance the performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)‐based TENGs by incorporating bimetallic nanoparticles (NiO and ZnO) synthesized via co‐precipitation. Various ZnO loadings (0.1–0.7 wt%) are introduced into a PVDF/NiO matrix (7 wt% NiO), forming p‐n interfaces that improve charge trapping and energy output. The resulting hybrid nanocomposites (PN7/Z‐0.1, PN7/Z‐0.3, PN7/Z‐0.5, PN7/Z‐0.7) are characterized by SEM, XRD, and FT‐IR, confirming effective nanoparticle integration. Among them, PN7/Z‐0.5 exhibits the highest β‐phase content and superior triboelectric performance. The PN7/Z‐0.5:TPU TENG, with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as the tribo‐positive layer, achieves an open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of 158.4 V, short‐circuit current (ISC) of 4.8 µA, surface charge density of 89 nC, and a surface potential of −475 V, which is substantially outperforming pristine PVDF:TPU TENGs. Additionally, the optimized TENG successfully powered capacitors and green LEDs, demonstrating its potential for practical, sustainable energy applications.
Aromatic Amine-Functionalized graphene oxide enables Proximity-Sensitive triboelectric sensors for intelligent motion tracking and LIB charging G Prasad, W Insun, O Seung-ju, B Jin-woo Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials 9 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s42114 … , 2026 2026
Electrospun PVDF/Si-HBP of 1 st generation composite nanofibers: enabling enhanced charge density and power output in TENG VS Niranjana, I Woo, JU Yoon, TY Kim, P Gajula, AA Prabu, JW Bae Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials 9 (1), 25 , 2026 2026 Citations: 3
Electrospun PVDF-Silanized Hyperbranched Polyester Blend-based TENG with Improved Charge Storage for Wearable Electronics VS Niranjana, I Woo, JU Yoon, P Gajula, AP Arun, JW Bae Polymer, 129552 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
ZnSnO 3– Ecoflex/LDH–PU Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Motion‐Activated Battery‐Free Smart Street Lighting G Ramadasu, I Woo, JU Yoon, P Gajula, JW Bae Small, e10831 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Voltage-Switchable Janus-Inspired Triboelectric Nanogenerator with La-MOF@ GO–BaSrTiO3 Hybrids for Self-Powered Smart School Bag and Directional Energy Harvesting P Gajula, I Woo, JW Bae Composites Part B: Engineering, 113329 , 2025 2025 Citations: 6
Triboelectric Enhancement via MnO2-Coated Graphite for Self-Powered Smart Entry Systems G Ramadasu, I Woo, JU Yoon, P Gajula, JW Bae Materials Today Nano, 100710 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Harnessing Mechanical Energy for Green Hydrogen: Pioneering High‐Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerators (Adv. Funct. Mater. 35/2025) P Gajula, JU Yoon, I Woo, JW Bae Advanced Functional Materials 35 (35), e70859 , 2025 2025
Reinforcing the Strategy: Enhanced Efficiency of Electrospun PVDF Hybrid Nanocomposites‐Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators with p‐NiO/n‐ZnO Interfaces for Energy Harvesting HM Venkatesan, JU Yoon, A Bindhu, I Woo, P Gajula, AP Arun, JW Bae Advanced Sustainable Systems 9 (8), e00180 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Boosting triboelectric performance of PDMS with dual-filler reinforcement for smart touch sensing G Ramadasu, I Woo, JU Yoon, SJ Oh, P Gajula, JW Bae Journal of Energy Chemistry , 2025 2025 Citations: 7
Creating Smart Washable Flooring: Sandwich‐Style Single‐Electrode Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Barium Titanate and Graphite‐Fluorinated Polymer‐Infused Ecoflex Hybrid … JU Yoon, I Woo, P Gajula, JW Bae Advanced Functional Materials 35 (24) , 2025 2025
Tribo-composition for triboelectric nanogenerator and triboelectric nanogenerator including same JW Bae, SJ Oh, JU YOON, P GAJULA, IS WOO US Patent App. 18/586,480 , 2025 2025
Piezoelectric properties improvement in soft membrane with wet-spinning prepared barium titanate/polyvinylidenefluoride composites fiber XW Lin, P Gajula, X Luo, M Zhao, X Zhao, Y Fan Scientific Reports 15 (1), 12887 , 2025 2025 Citations: 14
Unveiling the latent potential: Ni/CoFe 2 O 4 -loaded electrospun PVDF hybrid composite-based triboelectric nanogenerator for mechanical energy harvesting … HM Venkatesan, I Woo, JU Yoon, P Gajula, AP Arun, JW Bae Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials 8 (2), 221 , 2025 2025 Citations: 23
Harnessing Mechanical Energy for Green Hydrogen: Pioneering High‐Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerators P Gajula, JU Yoon, I Woo, JW Bae Advanced Functional Materials, 2501074 , 2025 2025 Citations: 20
Development of Turbocharging‐Ability Hybrid Nanogenerators Comprising Bipolar PVDF‐HFP/MXene Electrospun Composites (Small 9/2025) P Gajula, JU Yoon, I Woo, JW Bae Small 21 (9), 2570070 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Engineered nano-micro fiber networks: PANI nanowires on electrospun Nylon 11 fibers for enhanced triboelectric performance in wearable biomechanical sensing P Gajula, B Mahanty, DW Lee Materials Today Nano 29, 100602 , 2025 2025 Citations: 10
Creating Smart Washable Flooring: Sandwich-Style Single-Electrode Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Barium Titanate and Graphite-Fluorinated Polymer-Infused Ecoflex Hybrid … JU Yoon, I Woo, P Gajula, JW Bae Advanced Functional Materials , 2025 2025 Citations: 24
Impact of Pentaerythritol (Core), Dimethylol Butanoic Acid (Monomer) Based Second Generation Aliphatic Hyperbranched Polymer on the Tribonegative Performance of Polyvinylidene … NB Mohan, JU Yoon, A Bindhu, I Woo, P Gajula, AP Arun, JW Bae Advanced Sustainable Systems, 2400731 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Enhanced Charge Holding Capacity of PVDF Nanofiber Using NiO‐CuO Nanoparticles‐Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Energy and Wearable Electronic Applications A Bindhu, JU Yoon, I Woo, P Gajula, AP Arun, JW Bae Advanced Sustainable Systems, 2400604 , 2024 2024 Citations: 7
Performance optimization of MoS2-doped PVDF-HFP nanofiber triboelectric nanogenerator as sensing technology for smart cities B Amrutha, JUK Yoon, I Woo, P Gajula, AA Prabu, JW Bae Applied Materials Today 41, 102503 , 2024 2024 Citations: 17
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Investigated a PLL surface-modified Nylon 11 electrospun as a highly tribo-positive frictional layer to enhance output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators and self … G Prasad, SA Graham, JS Yu, HD Kim, DW Lee Nano Energy 108, 108178 , 2023 2023 Citations: 107
Stable superhydrophobic coatings using PVDF–MWCNT nanocomposite RPS Chakradhar, G Prasad, P Bera, C Anandan Applied surface science 301, 208-215 , 2014 2014 Citations: 84
Triboelectric touch sensor array system for energy generation and self-powered human-machine interfaces based on chemically functionalized, electrospun rGO/Nylon-12 and micro … G Prasad, JU Yoon, I Woo, SJ Oh, JW Bae Nano Energy 121 , 2024 2024 Citations: 80
Fabrication of amino and fluorine functionalized graphene-based polymer composites to enhance the electromechanical conversion efficiency of TENGs for energy-harvesting … G Prasad, JU Yoon, I Woo, JW Bae Chemical Engineering Journal, 144280 , 2023 2023 Citations: 73
A Comprehensive Review on Processing, Development and Applications of Organofunctional Silanes and Silane-Based Hyperbranched Polymers B Indumathy, P Sathiyanathan, G Prasad, MS Reza, AA Prabu, H Kim Polymers 15 (11), 2517 , 2023 2023 Citations: 63
Enhancement of the oil absorption capacity of poly (lactic acid) nano porous fibrous membranes derived via a facile electrospinning method JW Liang, G Prasad, SC Wang, JL Wu, SG Lu Applied Sciences 9 (5), 1014 , 2019 2019 Citations: 55
Piezoelectric characteristics of electrospun PVDF as a function of phase-separation temperature and metal salt content G Prasad, P Sathiyanathan, AA Prabu, KJ Kim Macromolecular Research 25 (10), 981-988 , 2017 2017 Citations: 55
Cobalt ferrite-embedded polyvinylidene fluoride electrospun nanocomposites as flexible triboelectric sensors for healthcare and polysomnographic monitoring applications HM Venkatesan, SR Mohammad, S Ponnan, KJ Kim, P Gajula, HK b, ... Nano Energy 129, 110003 , 2024 2024 Citations: 46
Fabrication of CuO-NP-Doped PVDF Composites Based Electrospun Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Wearable and Biomedical Applications B Amrutha, G Prasad, P Sathiyanathan, MS Reza, H Kim, M Pathak, ... Polymers 15 (11), 2442 , 2023 2023 Citations: 46
Enhancement of solvent uptake in porous PVDF nanofibers derived by a water-mediated electrospinning technique G Prasad, JW Liang, W Zhao, Y Yao, T Tao, B Liang, SG Lu Journal of Materiomics 7 (2), 244-253 , 2021 2021 Citations: 34
Fabrication of a Silicon Elastomer-Based Self-Powered Flexible Triboelectric Sensor for Wearable Energy Harvesting and Biomedical Applications P Gajula, MM Fahad, MS Reza, SN Jaisankar, KJ Kim, HD Kim ACS Applied Electronic Materials 5, 1750–1760 , 2023 2023 Citations: 33
Giant Energy Harvesting via Maxwell Displacement Current Enhancement Using Metal Sheet Interspaced Hetero‐Layer Structured Piezo‐Composite Nanofiber Device B Mahanty, SK Ghosh, G Prasad, A Shanmugasundaram, DW Lee Advanced Functional Materials 34 (6), 2307723 , 2024 2024 Citations: 30
Liquid-Metal-Based Stretchable Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Flowing-Liquid-Based Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Sensor Applications karthikeyan Munirathnam, G Prasad, DS kim, DW Lee Advanced Materials technologies, 2201902 , 2023 2023 Citations: 30
Self-rollable Polymer Stent Integrated with Wireless Pressure Sensor for Real-time Monitoring of Cardiovascular Pressure NE Oyunbaatar, DS Kim, G Prasad, YJ Jeong, DW Lee Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 346 (16), 113869 , 2022 2022 Citations: 30
Synergetic effects of amino‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide and barium strontium titanate pillars on enhancing triboelectric performance P Gajula, I Woo, JU Yoon, JW Bae Advanced Sustainable Systems 8 (1), 2300385 , 2024 2024 Citations: 29
Creating Smart Washable Flooring: Sandwich-Style Single-Electrode Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Barium Titanate and Graphite-Fluorinated Polymer-Infused Ecoflex Hybrid … JU Yoon, I Woo, P Gajula, JW Bae Advanced Functional Materials , 2025 2025 Citations: 24
Polyvinylidene Fluoride/Aromatic Hyperbranched Polyester of Third-Generation-Based Electrospun Nanofiber as a Self-Powered Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Wearable Energy … R Gunasekhar, P Sathiyanathan, MS Reza, G Prasad, AA Prabu, H Kim Polymers 15 (10), 2375 , 2023 2023 Citations: 24
Unveiling the latent potential: Ni/CoFe 2 O 4 -loaded electrospun PVDF hybrid composite-based triboelectric nanogenerator for mechanical energy harvesting … HM Venkatesan, I Woo, JU Yoon, P Gajula, AP Arun, JW Bae Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials 8 (2), 221 , 2025 2025 Citations: 23
Fabrication of intra porous PVDF fibers and their applications for heavy metal removal, oil absorption and piezoelectric sensors G Prasad, X Lin, J Liang, Y Yao, T Tao, B Liang, SG Lu Journal of Materiomics 9 (1), 174-182 , 2023 2023 Citations: 23
Development of Turbocharging-Ability Hybrid Nanogenerators Comprising Bipolar PVDF-HFP/MXene Electrospun Composites P Gajula, JU Yoon, I Woo, JW Bae Small , 2024 2024 Citations: 22
