Department Seminar Series - Dr. Özgur Çapraz

Dr. Özgur Çapraz, Associate Professor, UMBC, CBEE

Re-cycling, Re-purposing and Re-searching Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage Systems

The ever-growing energy demand associated with the increasing human population, and environmental concerns put pressure on society to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels by harvesting electricity from renewable sources. Due to their intermittent nature, the adoption of renewable energy depends on further developments in energy storage technology. Li-ion batteries dominate the current energy-storage landscapes. However, the reality of the sustainable energy policy requires higher energy density batteries for electrification of transportation and more cost-effective batteries for large-scale energy storage applications. In this talk, there will be three major topics to be covered: the working principles of the electrochemical energy storage systems; recycling Diesel Combustion Byproducts as an electrode for Li-ion batteries and beyond Li-ion battery technologies.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Emissions Inventory Report, hundreds of thousands of tons of particulate matter (PM2.5) are released by diesel combustion per year. The PM2.5 air pollution causes serious public health problems and is responsible for millions of worldwide deaths each year. In this study, we investigate the electrochemical energy storage capability of annealed soot PM originating from diesel exhaust. Our study provides a viable pathway towards a sustainable energy-environment by converting an abundant pollutant into a valuable electrode material for Li-ion batteries.

Na-ion and K-ion batteries have attracted attention in the search for cost-effective batteries with a minimum sacrifice on the performance for large-scale energy storage applications. However, the physical and chemical properties of Na and K ions are intrinsically different than Li-ions. Lack of insight into the influence of alkali ions on the interfacial dynamics and mechanical degradations of electrodes limits the design of novel materials. I will present the effects of larger charge carrier ions (Na-ion and K-ion) on the chemo-mechanical behavior of battery electrodes. I will conclude the talk by providing an overview of battery chemistries for high energy demanding applications and large-scale applications.

Biography

Dr. Çapraz received his Ph.D. degree in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering with a Mechanical Engineering minor from Iowa State University in 2014. He was a post-doctoral researcher at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently, he is an assistant professor in the School of Chemical Engineering at Oklahoma State University since Fall 2018. His research focuses on electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices, in situ chemo-mechanical characterization techniques, and advanced materials. His research group is investigating instability mechanisms beyond Li-ion batteries such as all-solid-state batteries, Li-air batteries, and alkali metal-ion batteries. He received international BSF Start-up and prestigious NSF CAREER awards. His research has been supported by various agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Binational Science Foundation, NASA, the Air Force, and the Lee Wentz Foundation.