Dr. Kale has engaged in area of Materials (nanostructured semiconductors, photonic glasses, Energy generation & storage materials) for 28 years and mainly focuses on Research Development of advanced nanostructured materials for hydrogen production, rechargeable batteries ( Li-ion/Na-ion, Metal – air and other innovative applications. Currently, he is a Scientist – G and Director of Centre For Materials For Electronics Technology (C-MET), Pune, India which is engaged in Material Science. He is a Founder member of C-MET and has utmost contribution for establishing the laboratory with state of art Characterization and processing facility. He has major contribution in establishment of C-MET, Pune laboratory (Founder member). During his 28 years of service, he has completed 27 sponsored projects ( INR135 Million) including 3 international projects. Currently, he has 10 sponsored projects (Rs INR Million) in battery and other materials including one international project from Royal Society UK and two industry projects. He was instrumental in development of state of art Li-ion battery fabrication facility at C-MET, Pune. He has transferred three technologies:(1) Optical grade SiCl4 for optical fiber cables from MG grade Si (Optel, Bhopal, India) at pilot scale of 250 L capacity. Unique fluidized bed reactor has been designed for continuous process.(2) High surface area Mn3O4 for ferrite (Sterling oxide, Delhi) demonstrated at 5kg batch and (3) Recently, CdS based photo-patternable Ag -paste (Ant ceramics, Mumbai). He has given consultancy to NCL, Pune for chlorination. There are six technologies ready for transfer (1) Lead free X-ray absorbing light weight medical apron and nanocoating material. The technology has been announced in paper for transfer. (2) Lead free x-ray absorbing glass (Quantum dot in glass). Apron with nanocoating and quantum dot glass are the innovative products. (3) Lithium ion battery electrode materials and fabrication: sent for publications to Ministry. (4) Quantum dot glass as a photocatalyst for H2 production under natural sunlight from waste H2S: Novel product and process (5) Pt/Ni/Co cheaper nanocatalyst for PEM fuel cells (6) Optical cut off filters for remote sensing camera for space satellite. He has developed more than dozen novel materials for different applications and proved himself academically and technologically.
Dr. Kale holds over 20 patents (Including US,PCT) and has published more than 256 papers with citation 5500 and H factor = 38. The 15 students have completed their Ph.D under his guidance and currently six are working. There are more than 20 postgraduate students have completed their thesis under his guidance. Three post docs have been guided and two are working under his guidance. He has been awarded with young scientist Boyscast Fellowship by DST, India (1996). He has been awarded with MRSI medal award by Material Research Society of India (MRSI), Bangalore (2010) and currently also a vice prescient of MRSI, Pune chapter. He as Award of the Year 2013 on Photocatalysis by KRICT, Daejon South Korea: 6th July 2013, and Royal Society of Chemistry International collaboration 2017 proposal award with University of Leeds 2018. He has been elected as a follow of Maharashtra Academy of Sciences and currently he is also the Secretary of this academy. He got Brainpool fellowship award in 2004 and Senior Brainpool fellowship award in 2014. He is a Editorial board member of Metals and Materials International-Springer