Congratulations to Muhammad Mominur Rahman of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and Yang Yu of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the 2021 recipients of the Battery Division Student Research Award Sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Research & Development.
Muhammed Mominur Rahman
Muhammad Mominur Rahman recently completed his PhD in Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Feng Lin at Virginia Tech. His graduate research focused on the design and development of layered cathode materials for alkali-ion batteries, defect dynamics in layered cathodes, advanced synchrotron characterization of electrode materials for alkali-ion batteries, multiscale electrochemistry, and understanding the solid-liquid interfaces in alkali-ion batteries. He earned his BS (2014) and MS (2016) in Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from the University of Dhaka.
Mominur’s research is published in journals such as Nature Communications, Energy & Environmental Science, Matter, ACS Materials Letters, and the Journal of Physical Chemistry C. His research contributions are highlighted by multiple public and scientific media such as DOE Science, ScienceDaily, Virginia Tech News, Xiamen University Malaysia News, and SLAC Science Highlights. Mominur received the 2021 ECS Battery Division Student Research Award; 2020 Chemistry Graduate Research Award; 2019 Graduate School Doctoral Assistantship Award; and 2014 Dean’s Award.
Yang Yu
Yang Yu is a Senior Cell Materials Engineer at Tesla. He received his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT in 2021 under the supervision of Prof. Yang Shao-Horn. As an undergraduate at Northwestern University, Yu conducted research with Prof. Chris Wolverton using density functional theory to understand the energetic and structural evolution of Li-ion battery cathode materials upon charging. Yu completed his BS summa cum laude in Materials Science and Engineering and Manufacturing and Design Engineering in 2016. At MIT, he combined his expertise in theoretical calculations with advanced X-ray and vibration spectroscopies to understand the bulk and surface redox process of Ni-rich NMC cathodes as well as Li-excess materials. Through systematic tuning metal-oxygen interactions, he demonstrated the importance of covalency between transition metal and oxygen to maintain a reversible oxygen redox behavior, enabling future high-throughput high energy-density cathode screening.
Yu has published 21 journal articles, including nine (co-)first peer-reviewed journal articles on cathode materials in journals including Energy & Environmental Science, Chemistry of Materials, and ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
Each year, the ECS Battery Division offers the Student Research Award to recognize promising young engineers and scientists in the field of electrochemical power sources and to encourage the recipients to initiate or continue careers in the field. The award is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Research & Development. Learn more about this award and nominate today! Nominations are being accepted through March 15, 2022, for the 2022 award.
