04/04/2022
By Sokny Long

The College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Energy Engineering Graduate Program, invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Tugba Ceren Gokoglan Barut on “Non-Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries with Mushroom-Derived Active Materials.”

Ph.D. Candidate Name: Tugba Ceren Gokoglan Barut
Dissertation Defense Date: Thursday, April 14, 2022
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: This will be a hybrid defense in Perry 315 and via Zoom. Those interested in attending via Zoom should contact TugbaCeren_Gokoglan@student.uml.edu and committee advisor Ertan_Agar@uml.edu at least 24 hours prior to the defense to request access to the meeting.

Committee Chair/Advisor: Ertan Agar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Energy Engineering Graduate Program, UMass Lowell

Committee Members:

  • Xinfang Jin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Lowell
  • Fuqiang Liu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Lowell
  • Patrick Cappillino Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UMass Dartmouth

Brief Abstract:
Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are a promising long-duration energy storage technology for the integration of intermittent renewable sources, such as wind and solar, into the electrical grid. Among several types of RFBs under development, non-aqueous redox flow batteries (NRFBs) have recently gained significant interest due to their wide electrochemical potential windows and improved range of operating temperature, offering high performance operation compared to their aqueous counterparts. Despite the attractive features and potential of NRFBs, active material instability, resulting in poor cyclability, poses a fundamental obstacle to widespread implementation. To address this critical instability issue, we develop an active material based on a molecule known as Amavadin that is naturally occurring in mushrooms of the Amanita genus. Biosynthesis of this molecule evolved to bind vanadium selectively and as a result of natural-selection this molecule exhibit extremely strong vanadium-binding properties, shutting down decomposition pathways.

This Ph.D. study aims to demonstrate a new design strategy to address fundamental obstacles to implementation of NRFB systems for grid-scale energy storage. Three specific objectives are pursued: i) to gain a basic understanding of active material stability and confirm the stability of the proposed mushroom-derived active material using operando techniques, ii) to elucidate the interaction between active material solubility, reaction kinetics and electrolyte flowability, and iii) to diagnose and overcome battery performance obstacles related to long-term flow-cell cycling. Furthermore, the feasibility of high-energy-density redox mediated flow battery concept is investigated using the proposed active material as the stable scaffold.

All interested students and faculty members are invited to attend the hybrid defense in-person and via remote access.