Agilent Solutions Supports Materials Science Innovation with Research Awards

Drexel University professors Yury Gogotsi, PhD , and Michel Barsoum, PhD , both of the College of Engineering, have been selected to receive Agilent Solutions Innovation Research Awards (SIRA) in recognition of their advanced materials research to improve energy storage technologies.

The awards are granted by Agilent, a leader in the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemicals markets. Through the SIRA initiative, launched in 2023, Agilent partners with academic researchers by providing product loans and other support to stimulate innovative uses of Agilent technology.

Gogotsi, Distinguished University and Bach Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, will receive a one-year loan of an Agilent 5900 ICP-OES system, an optical emission spectrometer for high-throughput elemental analysis. Barsoum, Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, will receive a one-year loan of an Agilent 8900 ICP-QQQ system, an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer providing unmatched control of reaction chemistry.

The two Drexel professors discovered MXenes, a new class of 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides, in 2011. Their ongoing research explores MXenes’ potential to improve the performance, durability and sustainability of lithium-ion batteries commonly used in consumer electronics and electric vehicles, among many other varied applications in energy, medicine and more.

“Collaborating with academic experts is the cornerstone of innovation in scientific research,” said Nahid Chalyavi, PhD, associate vice president, University Relations and External Research, Office of the CTO at Agilent. “When academia partners with industry, it accelerates the pace of discovery and transforms ideas into solutions that can change the world. We look forward to deepening our engagement with Drexel’s forefront research initiatives.”

Gogotsi says the Agilent ICP-OES system will facilitate his team’s work on purifying MXenes and analyzing trace elements. “Its availability will help us quickly develop MXene membranes for water purification, energy storage and harvesting,” he said.

Barsoum shared, “We are excited about this award. The Agilent 8900 ICP-QQQ system is a critical piece of equipment we now need to continue and enhance our research on advanced energy storage technology.”

Both professors have received numerous honors over the past decade for the discovery of MXenes and their continuing research.

“These latest awards, bestowed independently by two separate Agilent committees, further demonstrate the significance of Gogotsi and Barsoum’s contributions,” said Chalyavi. “We are extremely proud to partner with these two luminaries as they continue their work.”