In a lab studying for space-level extremes, batteries are being engineered that could one day power deep-space missions or transform the future of wearable technology.
Leading this work is Ahmad Amiri, assistant professor of chemical and mechanical engineering at The University of Tulsa, who has been named among the top 2% of most-cited scientists in the world for the fifth consecutive year by Stanford University and Elsevier.
Amiri’s approach centers on a core philosophy. “At the heart of my research philosophy is a simple but powerful idea: to begin with fundamental science and intentionally guide it towards real, scalable products,” says Amiri.
His research focuses on advancing high-performance, scalable energy storage systems — particularly batteries and supercapacitors for extreme environments such as deep space and arctic climates.
The work has already gained global recognition through collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), where Amiri’s research directly supports energy storage technology for space missions and other critical applications where conventional batteries fail.
“At the heart of my research philosophy is a simple but powerful idea: to begin with fundamental science and intentionally guide it towards real, scalable products.”
“Our long-term vision includes continued collaboration with NASA to develop next-generation energy storage systems for deep-space missions and cold-climate terrestrial applications,” explained Amiri.
From a local to a national impact level, his research includes two major innovations for commercialization and societal impact.
“First, we are converting hazardous industrial sectors from Tulsa-based industrial sectors and companies into high-performance electrode materials,” explained Amiri.
“These waste products, which pose environmental challenges, are transformed into materials that match or exceed the performance of traditional commercial electrodes. Second, we are developing a novel generation of batteries made entirely from material sourced and produced here in the United States.”
Both innovations are currently in lab-scale prototyping and validation phases.
Amiri’s highly cited article, “Configuration-dependent stretchable all-solid-state supercapacitors and hybrid supercapacitors,” includes this research. It was selected to be included in the prestigious national energy journal, ‘Carbon Energy.’ He collaborated on this research with University of Tulsa College of Engineering and Computer Science Dean Andreas Polycarpou.
The article was featured due to its impressive interdisciplinary studies between materials science and electrochemistry.
Research such as Amiri’s is just one exciting part of the research happening in UTulsa’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. Students and faculty here have ample opportunities to pursue research that enriches their experiences.
