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Faculty & Staff Directory

Saiful Islam

  • Assistant professor

    Contact Info

    Saiful M. Islam
    Name
    Saiful M. Islam
    Preferred Pronouns
    he/him
    Job Title
    Assistant professor
    Website
    Personal Site
    Phone Number
    703-993-6417
    Office Number
    Planetary Hall

    Affiliations

    Research Areas

    • Chemistry
    • Materials Science
    • Nanoscience

    Education

    PhD in Chemistry, The Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Bonn University, Germany (2011) 
    MSc in Chemistry, Dhaka University, Bangladesh(2006) 
    BSc in Chemistry, Dhaka University, Bangladesh (2004)

    About

    Develop materials with tailored functionalities to address critical challenges in electrochemical energy storage for lithium- and sodium-ion batteries, electrochemical energy conversion, wastewater remediation, and nuclear waste treatment.

    Current Research

    Our research group develops innovative inorganic materials to address challenges in clean energy and environmental sustainability. We design and study crystalline and amorphous solids, porous materials, gels, nanoparticles, and thin films, using advanced techniques such as synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy to understand how structure governs performance. Our work spans electrochemical energy storage, environmental remediation, and critical metals recovery, with applications in batteries, water purification, and sustainable technologies. Students in the group gain hands-on experience in materials synthesis, advanced characterization, and device fabrication, with applications in lithium- and sodium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, and environmental remediation, preparing them for careers in academia, national laboratories, and industry.

    Teaching Focus

    Teaching interests span inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry, environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, and general chemistry.

    Selected Publications

    Research Area: Lithium/Sodium-ion batteries

    "Porous and Amorphous MnxMo3S13 Chalcogel Electrode for High-Capacity Conversion-based Lithium-ion Batteries” Islam, T.; Bayat, S.; Wright, M.; Roy, S.; Sawicki, C. Donley, C.; Kumbhar, A.; Chernikov, R.; Weret, M.; Wiaderek, K.; Risko, C.; Amin, R.; Islam, S.M., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147(9), 7400–7410

    “Chalcocarbogels: A New Frontier in Aerogel with High Capacity and Cyclic Stable Electrode for Lithium and Sodium Ion Batteries” Islam, T.; Li M.; Blanton, A.; Pitton, K. A.; Weret, M. A.; Roy, S. C.; Feng, R.; Li, D.; Alam, R.; Nie, R.; Pramanik, A.; Wiaderek, K. M.; Guiton, B. G.; Risko, C.; Belharouak,I.; Amin, R.; Islam, S.M. ACS Energy Letter 2024, 9,1-9 

    “Assessing cathode–electrolyte interphases in batteries” Xiao, J.; Adelstein, N.; Bi, Y.; Bian, W.; Cabana, J.; Cobb, C. L.; Cui, Y.; Dillon, S. J.; Doeff, M. M.; Islam, S. M.; Leung, K.; Li, M.; Lin, F.; Liu, J.; Luo, H.; Marschilok, A. C.; Meng, Y. S.; Qi, Y.; Sahore, R.; Sprenger, K. G.;. Tenent, R. C.; Toney, M. F.; Tong, W.; Wan, L. F.; Wang, C.; Weitzner, S. E.; Wu, B.; Xu, Y. Nature Energy 9 (12), 1463-1473 

    “Semiconducting ZnxMo3S13-GO Chalcocarbogel: A High-Capacity and Stable Sulfur-Equivalent Conversion-Based Electrode for Lithium-Ion Batteries” Weret, M. A.; Islam, T.; Bayat, S.; Roy S. C.; Sawicki, C.; Powe, P.; Donley C. L.; Kumbhar, A. S.; Abeykoon, AM M.; Chernikov, R.; Curtis, R. M.; Wiaderek, K. M.; Risko, C.; Amin, R.; Islam, S.M., Chem. Mater. 2025 37 (15), 5466-5475 

    "Amorphous Zinc–Molybdenum Sulfide Chalcogel as a Long-Cycle, High-Capacity Electrode for Lithium-Ion Batteries” Weret, M. A.; Adebanjo, A.; Amin, R.; Donley, C. L.; Kumbhar, A.S.; Roy S. C.; Chernikov, R.; Abeykoon, AM M.; Islam, S.M. J. Mater. Chem. A. 2025, 13 (34), 28223-28232 

    Research Area: Environmental Chemistry 

    "NiAl-MoO2S2 Nanoparticles: Mechanistic Insights and Applications in High-Performance Selenium Oxoanion Removal Across Diverse pH Conditions” Alam, R.; Roy, SC.; Feng, R.; Donley, CL.; Taylor-Pashow, K.; Islam, SM.; Chemistry of Materials, 2025, 37 (22), 9221-9230 

    "K-Co-Mo-Sx Chalcogel ─ High-Capacity Removal of Pb2+ and Ag+ and their Underlying Mechanisms” Nie. J.; Roy, S. C., Dhami, S.; Islam, T.; Amin, R.; Zhu, X; Taylor-Pashow, Han, F.; Islam S. M., J. Mater. Chem. A. 2024, 12, 30063 - 30072 

    “Porous Semiconducting K-Sn-Mo-S Aerogel: Synthesis, Local Structure, and Ion-exchange Properties" Blanton, A.; Islam, T.; Roy, S.; Celik, A.; Nie, J.; Baker, D.; Li, D.; Taylor-Pashow, K.; Zhu, X.; Pramanik, A.; Ray, P.; Amin, R.; Han, F.; Chernikov, R.; Islam, SM., Chem. Mater. 2023, 35,10446-10456

    “Removal of CrO42-, a Nonradioactive Surrogate of 99TcO4-, Using LDH─Mo3S13 Nanosheets” Celik, A. Li, D. Quintero, M. Taylor-Pashow, K. Zhu, X. Shakouri, M. Roy, S. C.; Kanatzidis, M.; Arslan, Z.; Blanton, A.; Nie, J.; Ma, S.; Han, F. X.; Islam, S. M., Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, 56, 8590–8598 

    “Rapid, Selective, and Highly Efficient Removal of Heavy Metals by [Sn2S6]4- Intercalated Layer Double Hydroxides” Celik, A.; Baker, D.; Arslan, Z.; zhu, X.; Blanton, A.; Nie, J.; Yang, S.; Ma, S.; Han, F.; Islam, S. M. Chem. Engineer. J. 2021, 426, 131696

    Contact Info

    Saiful M. Islam
    Name
    Saiful M. Islam
    Preferred Pronouns
    he/him
    Job Title
    Assistant professor
    Website
    Personal Site
    Phone Number
    703-993-6417
    Office Number
    Planetary Hall

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