Chemical engineering Ph.D. candidate wins early career research award
Published Mar 30, 2022
Ahmed Badreldin, a chemical engineering Ph.D. candidate from Texas A&M University, was awarded the Early Career Research Award at the International Conference on Sustainable Energy-Water-Environment in Desert Climate (IC-SEWEN).
IC-SEWEN — hosted and created by the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), a part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) — is in its second year. The event hosted more than 500 renowned national and international researchers, scientists, engineers, and stakeholders to promote a better understanding of the links between energy, water, and the environment, particularly in desert climates, and develop key priority areas for human development and environmental sustainability.
Badreldin was recognized for his presentation, “Tailoring Enhanced Alkaline and Neutral pH Saline Water Oxidation Through Early Transition Metal and S,B-Codoped CoFe Oxyhydroxides.” He is part of a research project focusing on green hydrogen production from seawater electrolysis along with his Ph.D. advisor Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Wahab, a professor in the Chemical Engineering Program at Texas A&M at Qatar, and several undergraduate researchers.
The award-winning project had a threefold goal: to develop earth-abundant electrocatalysts that are efficient and stable in saline water; ultra-thin nanomembrane coatings for suppressing chlorine evolution reaction at the anode, and a membraneless electrolyzer optimized for efficient and durable near-neutral pH saline water electrolysis.
“Ahmed provides a fine example which our students can emulate as they build their own career,” Abdel-Wahab said. “Since he started working on this project, he has been making remarkable progress due to his exceptional computational and experimental skills, combined with his intellect and exceptional aptitude for research. Our research on carbon-free hydrogen production using renewable electricity is aimed to support Qatar’s efforts toward minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Badreldin came to Texas A&M University at Qatar to do research as part of his Ph.D. program at Texas A&M. He won first place in the Early Stage Researcher Award for his presentation on this project at IC-SEWEN 2021.
The project was done in collaboration with Shell as part of the goal to increase Texas A&M’s partnership efforts with industry stakeholders. Results from the project showed promising outcomes, which have helped address the targeted challenges and improved the overall performance of electrochemically green hydrogen production. So far this project has led to the publication of nine peer-reviewed journal articles in high-impact–factor publications.
Badreldin said, “It is said that the future belongs not to those who merely seek opportunity, but to those who create it. Being a scientist emboldens one’s audacity to do things differently, but toward good cause.”
Badreldin earned his bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and master’s degree from Texas A&M, both in chemical engineering.
Dr. César Octavio Malavé, dean of Texas A&M at Qatar, said he is proud to see research collaborations between colleagues from College Station and Qatar being recognized and awarded for the contributions they are making to the State of Qatar.
“It is always a proud moment for us when we see members of our community being awarded for the contributions they make to society, and most especially when we see our students recognized,” Malavé said. “Ahmed’s accomplishments impact not only Qatar but the globe as well, and we’re happy to see fruitful collaborations between our Qatar and College Station campuses.”