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Materials Development for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion

Hadi Khani
Research Assistant Professor, Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering

ABSTRACT:
Electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems such as rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells are considered as environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions to address rapidly growing global energy demands and environmental concerns. Over the last few decades, the search for safe and economic power-storage devices with high enough energy and power densities to compete with fossil-fuel based internal combustion engines has been one of the greatest challenges in the field of materials science. This seminar will describe several approaches that have been attempted to address some of these challenges. Some examples are cost-effective electrocatalyst materials for oxygen evolution and reduction reactions, asymmetric battery-like supercapacitors with high-power and energy density, and solid-state batteries based on inorganic, polymer, or composite-polymer electrolytes.

BIO:
Dr. Khani is a Research Assistant Professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin since spring 2021. Before joining UT Austin as a faculty member, he had been a Research Associate at UT Austin (2018-2020) and a Postdoctoral Fellow at Notre Dame University (2017). Dr. Khani received his Ph.D. in Chemistry with a minor degree in Statistics at Mississippi State University in 2017, a master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry from Kharazmi University in 2009, and a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Arak University in 2007. Prior to his Ph.D., Dr. Khani had 2 years of industrial experience in the Research & Development Center for Chemical Industries, ACECR (2009-2011). Dr. Khani has conducted research on broadly interdisciplinary projects across materials science and engineering including electrochemical energy storage, electrochemical sensors, electrocatalysis, electroplating, scanning electrochemical microscopy, chemical extraction/separation, and chemometrics. The current research focus of Dr. Khani’s group lies in the design and synthesis of polymer and inorganic materials for use in rechargeable batteries, fast ion-conducting solid-state/gel electrolytes, electrocatalysts, and supercapacitors. He is the recipient of 2019 LG Chem Global Innovation Contest Award, 2015 Electrochemical Society Colin Garfield Fink Award, outstanding teaching award (2014, MSU), outstanding research award (2016, MSU), American Chemical Society Summer School Award (2016), Henry Family Summer Fellowship Award (2013, MSU), and Electrochemical Society-Battery Division Travel Award (2013 and 2016).