(4jh) Engineering Materials Properties and Interfaces for Energy Generation and Storage

Renewable energy generation and storage are key to combating climate change. Further technological development in this area will continue to require new materials and enhanced control of material properties. My research interests center on synthetic control of emerging inorganic materials, especially metal chalcogenides, to tailor properties and enable creative device integration. Tackling these challenges requires drawing from knowledge in chemical engineering, chemistry, and materials science, and will make use of my interdisciplinary education and research training. As a faculty member, my research lab will utilize solid-state and liquid-phase chemistry to alter materials at the atomic level, enabling dimensionality control, modifying and passivating surfaces, and enhancing transport properties in emerging materials.

Research Experience

My Ph.D. research (Purdue University, Chemical Engineering; Advisor Prof. Rakesh Agrawal) focused on developing solution processed synthesis methods for metal chalcogenide semiconductors.¹ Initially, I studied Cu(In,Ga)S₂ nanoparticles and their surface ligands for impurity control in Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)₂ solar cells.^2,3 I then developed new reactive dissolution chemistry to enable the solution deposition of thin films from a wide range of metal chalcogenide and metal chalcohalide materials including Cu(In,Ga)Se₂, Ag₂ZnSnSe₄, and Ag₃S(Br,I).^4–6 Later, I translated solution deposition chemistry to the emerging class of chalcogenide perovskites.^7–10 While these materials were conventionally synthesized at temperatures around 1000 °C, the application of rigorous solution deposition techniques enabled the synthesis of BaZrS₃ and BaHfS₃ chalcogenide perovskites in the temperature range of 500-600 °C.

My postdoctoral research (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Materials Science and Engineering; Advisor Prof. Paul Braun) has focused on improving solid-state lithium batteries through control of materials properties and device integration. In one aspect, this includes improving the properties of dense LiCoO₂ cathodes. Additionally, this includes developing solution processing of solid electrolytes, such as Li₃InCl₆. Solution deposition methods could enable thinner solid-electrolyte layers and allow for infiltration of solid electrolytes into structured electrodes. As part of this research, electrode surface modification is being investigated to enhance the compatibility of the electrode materials and the solution deposited solid electrolytes.

Teaching Interests

Teaching and mentoring have played an important role in my career development throughout my time as a graduate student and postdoc. As a teacher I work to set clear, reasonable standards and then to help students reach these standards using classroom techniques that are backed by pedagogy research. While I feel comfortable teaching a broad range of core courses in chemical engineering, I would be particularly interested in teaching thermodynamics. Building off my interdisciplinary background, I would also be interested in developing undergraduate or graduate level electives on semiconductors, nanomaterials, or renewable energy systems/technologies. Each of these electives would both connect with my research and prepare students for growing industries.

Teaching Experience

My classroom experience includes working as a teaching assistant twice during my Ph.D., first for an interdisciplinary graduate-level elective (CHE 597 – Food and Energy Farms) and later for a core undergraduate class (CHE 211 – Introductory Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics). Because of the different nature of the classes, I was able to gain broad experience in both the teaching and administrative sides of leading a class. I further developed my teaching skill by taking a mentored teaching course in Purdue’s Engineering Education department. In the research lab, I mentored 5 students during my Ph.D. (publishing with 4 of them) and have mentored 3 student during my time as a postdoc.

References

1 J. W. Turnley and R. Agrawal, Chem. Commun, 2024, 60, 5245.

2 R. G. Ellis, J. W. Turnley, D. J. Rokke, J. P. Fields, E. H. Alruqobah, S. D. Deshmukh, K. Kisslinger and R. Agrawal, Chem. Mater., 2020, 32, 5091–5103.

3 R. G. Ellis, S. D. Deshmukh, J. W. Turnley, D. S. Sutandar, J. P. Fields and R. Agrawal, ACS Appl. Nano Mater, 2021, 4, 11466–11472.

4 J. W. Turnley, S. D. Deshmukh, V. M. Boulos, R. Spilker, C. J. Breckner, K. Ng, J. Kuan, Y. Liu, J. T. Miller, H. I. Kenttämaa and R. Agrawal, Inorg. Chem. Front, 2023, 10, 6032–6044.

5 J. W. Turnley, S. D. Deshmukh, V. M. Boulos, R. G. Ellis, N. J. Libretto, J. Kuan, Y. Liu, J. T. Miller, H. I. Kenttämaa and R. Agrawal, ACS Omega, 2023, 8, 47262–47270.

6 I. Caño, J. W. Turnley, P. Benítez, C. López-Álvarez, J.-M. Asensi, D. Payno, J. Puigdollers, M. Placidi, C. Cazorla, R. Agrawal and E. Saucedo, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2024, 12, 3154.

7 J. W. Turnley, K. Catherine Vincent, A. A. Pradhan, I. Panicker, R. Swope, M. C. Uible, S. C. Bart and R. Agrawal, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144, 18234–18239.

8 S. Agarwal*, J. W. Turnley*, A. A. Pradhan and R. Agrawal, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2023, 11, 15817–15823.

9 K. C. Vincent, S. Agarwal, J. W. Turnley and R. Agrawal, Adv. Energy Sustain. Res., 2023, 4, 2300010.

10 A. A. Pradhan, M. C. Uible, S. Agarwal, J. W. Turnley, S. Khandelwal, J. M. Peterson, D. D. Blach, R. N. Swope, L. Huang, S. C. Bart and R. Agrawal, Angew. Chemie - Int. Ed., 2023, 62, e202301049.