Dr Abul K. Azad

abul.azad@ubd.edu.bn

Associate Professor, Faculty of Integrated Technologies



                    

I have completed my Bachelor, Masters and Master of Philosophy in Physics from Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh. My M.Phil. project was to characterize superconducting ceramic oxide materials by neutron diffraction. Then I moved to Sweden for my PhD to work in Materials Chemistry with Professor Sten Eriksson at Goteborgs Universitet. During my PhD I was working on double perovskite type materials development for artificial memory applications. After completion of my PhD, I worked one year at the University of Uppsala as a postdoctoral Research fellow working on the neutron diffraction studies of perovskite type materials for magnetic applications. Rietveld refinement of neutron diffraction data using Fullprof or GSAS was one of my main work. Then I moved to UK to work in the University of St-Andrews with Professor John Irvine. In St-Andrews, I was working of the development of electrode materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. Electrochemical characterization and application in real fuel cell was major part of my work.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Energy Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Fuel Cells, Biomass gasification, Solar Cells, Sensors, Supercapacitor, Batteries

FUTURE PROJECTS

Integrated SOFC-Biomass gasification system for energy generation and water purification

The conjunction of biomass gasification with solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is a promising and forthcoming possibility for electricity and heat cogeneration along with profound environmental and socioeconomic benefits. This is in-line with one of the strategies to achieve GDP target of 63% contibution from the non oil and gas sector, i.e. innovation technology and creative industry. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are in the commercialization phase and, therefore, would be interesting to integrate with biomass gasification technologies to have a single and highly efficient system; combining the benefits of each system to establish a new technology. Biomass fuelled integrated SOFC system is one of the key energy technologies of the future since it combines the merits of renewable energy sources and hydrogen energy systems. Together with an integrated gasification plant that gasifies wood chips in a two-step gasification process, electricity and heat will be produced in an environmentally friendly way. The produced heat will be used for water purification. This is a novel technique to produce electricity and driniking water, and lots of space to do research and development.


Applications Invited
PhD, MEng (Chemical & Process and Energy Systems)

Nanostructured materials for supercapacitors for energy storage applications

Supercapacitor is an energy storage device that attempts to combine the high power density of a capacitor with the high energy density of a battery. Conventional supercapacitors use carbon based electrodes, mostly graphite. In recent years, alternatives such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and other nanostructured materials have been considered to construct supercapacitor electrodes.


Applications Invited
PhD, MEng

Single/double/triple perovskite-type electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells

There are many ceramics that has been investigated as potential anode materials and many of which are perovskite-type structures. Recently, double perovskites with the general formula A2BB/O6 have also been reported to be good anode materials.Changing of the A and B-site cations has strong effect not only on its structural and electrochemical properties but also on the performance in fuel cell applications. Many compositions have already been studied and many more is on-going to find the best composition. Huang et al. [1] reported that the double perovskite Sr2MgMoO6-δ has been an excellent anode as it yielded high power density and has high sulfur tolerance. Bernuy Lόpez et al. shows high redox and 1200 °C under 5% H2/Ar reducing and stability and up to 1000 °C under 5% H2/N2 conditions. However, recent work done by Bi et al. shows that the material possessed very poor intrinsic catalytic activity for oxidation of both H2 and CH4 in the absence of Pt mesh/paste as current collector. On the other hand, Vasala et al. has investigated the effects of W and Nb substitution on active element Mo in the structure and electrical properties. Niobium compounds are well known to show an excellent catalytic activity for different reactions, being used as active catalysts for methane oxidation. To our knowledge, no work has been done on the double perovskite material Sr2FeNbO6-δ as an anode in the application of solid oxide fuel cell. Fe and Ti ions are stable cations and have good stability of the perovskite structure against reduction. [1]. Y.-H. Huang, R. I. Dass, Z.-L. Xing, and J. B. Goodenough, “Double Perovskites as Anode Materials for Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells,” Sci. , vol. 312, no. 5771, pp. 254–257, Apr. 2006.


Applications Invited
PhD, MEng
172

Scopus Publications

6136

Google Scholar Citations

37

Google Scholar h-index

89

Google Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

1. Tae-Hee Lee, Ka-Young Park, Nam-In Kim, Sun-Ju Song, Ki-Ha Hong, Docheon Ahn, Abul K. Azad, Junyeon Hwang, Satadeep Bhattacharjee, Seung-Cheol Lee, Hyung-Tae Lim, Jun-Young Park, “Robust NdBa0.5Sr0.5Co1.5Fe0.5O5+d cathode material and its degradation prevention operating logic for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells” Journal of Power Sources 331 (2016) 495-506. (Impact Factor: 6.227).

2. Mostafa Ghasemi, Azri Ahmad, Tahereh Jafary, Abul K. Azad, Saeid Kakooei, Wan Ramli Wan Daud, Mehdi Sedighi, “Assessment of Immobilised Cell Reactor and Microbial Fuel Cell for Simultaneous Cheese Whey Treatment and Lactic Acid/Electricity Production” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (2016) accepted. (Impact Factor: 3.659).

3. Ahmed Afif, Nikdalila Radenahmad, Chee Ming Lim, Mohammed Iskandar Petra, Md. Aminul Islam, Seikh Mohammad Habibur Rahman, Sten Eriksson, Abul K. Azad, “Structural study and proton conductivity in BaCe0.7Zr0.25-xYxZn0.05O3 (x=0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 & 0.25)” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 41 (2016) 11823-11831. (Impact Factor: 3.659).

4. David N. Miller, Abdul K. Azad, Heloise Delpouve, Lucille Quazuguel, Jun Zhou, Amit Sinha, Philip Wormald, John T. S. Irvine, “Studies on the crystal structure, magnetic and conductivity properties of titanium oxycarbide solid solution (TiO1−xCx)” Journal of Materials Chemistry A 4 (2016) 5730-5736. (Impact Factor: 7.443).

5. Nikdalila Radenahmad, Ahmed Afif, Mohamad Iskandar Petra, Seikh Mohammad Habibur Rahman, Sten Eriksson, Abul K. Azad, “High conductivity and high density proton conducting Ba1-xSrxCe0.5Zr0.35Y0.1Sm0.05O3-δ (x=0.5, 0.7, 0.9, 1.0) perovskites for IT-SOFC” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 41 (2016) 11832-11841. (Impact Factor: 3.659).

6. Ahmed Afif, Nikdalila Radenahmad, Quentin Cheok, Shahriar Shams, Jung H. Kim, Abul K. Azad, “Ammonia-fed fuel cells: a comprehensive review” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 60 (2016) 822-835. (Impact Factor: 7.445).

TOP PUBLICATIONS

1. Y. Zhang, Z. Su, A.K. Azad, W. Zhou, J.T.S. Irvine, “Directly imaging interstitial oxygen in silicate apatite” Advanced Energy Materials, 2 (2012) 316-321(ISSN: 1614-6840, Impact Factor 16.385).
2. A.K. Azad, J.H. Kim, J.T.S. Irvine, “Structure property relationship in layered-type cathode materials LnBa0.5Sr0.5Co2O5+d (Ln = Pr, Nd) for SOFCs” Journal of Power Sources 196 (2011) 7333-7337. (ISSN: 0378-7753. IMPACT FACTOR 4.95).
3. A.K. Azad, J.T.S. Irvine, “Location of deuterium positions in the proton conducting perovskite BaCe0.4Zr0.4Sc0.2O2.90.xD2O by neutron powder diffraction” Chemistry of Materials, 21 (2009) 215-222. (ISSN: 0897-4756, IMPACT FACTOR 7.286).
4. A.K. Azad, C. Savaniu, S. Tao, S. Duval, P. Holtappels, R.M. Ibberson, J.T.S. Irvine, “Structural origins of the differing grain conductivity values in BaZr0.9Y0.1O2.95 and Indication of novel approach to counter defect association” Journal of Materials Chemistry 18 (2008) 3414-3418. (ISSN: 0959-9428, IMPACT FACTOR 6.29).
5. C.N.K Patabendige, A. K. Azad, P. Connor, A. Rolle, J.T.S Irvine “Remarkable transition from rocksalt/perovskite layered structure to fluorite/rocksalt layered structure in rapidly cooled Ln2CuO4” Scientific Reports, 3 (2013) 1504. (Impact Factor 5.578)

GRANT DETAILS

1. Grant type: CRG, Grant Number: UBD/OVACRI/CRGWG(006)/161201, Project Title: Integrated Solid Oxide Fuel Cell - Biomass System for Electricity and Water Purification, Investigators. (PI/Co-PI): PI, Start Date: 01/12/2016, End Date: 30/11/2019

2. Grant type: URG, Grant Number: UBD/PNC2/2/RG/1(280), Project Title: Proton conducting electrolytes for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs), Investigators (PI/Co-PI): PI, Start Date: 11/12/2013, End Date: 30/11/2016

RESEARCH OUTPUTS (PATENTS, SOFTWARE, PUBLICATIONS, PRODUCTS)

Publications: 86 journal articles, 13 conference proceedings, 4 thesis papers and 2 patents (applied).

Conference/workshops: 26 international conferences and 11 international workshops.