Argonne researcher named to Scientific American 'Top 50' list

ARGONNE, Ill. (November 10, 2003) — Khalil Amine of the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has been named by Scientific American magazine as one of top 50 research leaders of 2003. The "Scientific American 50" are recognized for their outstanding leadership and capability in helping to make technology a constructive force for people and societies around the world.

Under Argonne's Electrochemical Technology Program, Amine leads a team of scientists and engineers in the development of advanced lithium battery materials and cell chemistries for emerging applications. One important application is hybrid electric vehicles. Amine's team has developed a high-power lithium manganese spinel based cell chemistry that costs less than previous cell chemistries proposed for this use, and is safer.

The team's work on other high-energy chemistries, a lithium-iron phosphate and a lithium manganese nickel system, led to a long-life, safer battery suitable for use in implantable medical devices, satellite and military applications. Other groundbreaking developments include a ceramic titanate anode material, siloxane-based polymers, and electrolyte additives that reduce gas formation and enhance safety and performance. Eleven patents are pending on this work.

Scientific American editor-in-chief John Rennie said that the magazine "is in the business of encouraging the progressive use of technology to make a better future for people around the world. Every year we watch how certain individuals and organizations play pivotal roles in directing that future's emergence. The Scientific American 50 is our chance to shine a light on these incredibly deserving leaders in research, industry and policy."

Selected by the magazine's Board of Editors with the help of distinguished outside advisors, the Scientific American 50 cites research, business and policy leaders in many technological categories, including agriculture, chemicals and materials, communications, computing, energy, environment, medical treatments and more.

According to Jim Miller, director of Argonne's Electrochemical Technology Program, scientists such as Amine have made Argonne a leader in advanced battery development. "Khalil Amine is known internationally for his innovations in battery chemistry," said Miller. "He and his team are a tremendous asset to the program, and one of the reasons Argonne is known everywhere as the 'go to' place for leading-edge battery R&D."

Harvey Drucker, associate laboratory director for energy and environmental science and technology, agrees. "We've set out to recruit the best for our Electrochemical Technology Program and Khalil Amine is a prime example."

Amine is head of the Technology Development group in the Battery Technology Department within Argonne's Chemical Engineering Division. He received his Ph.D. in materials science from the University of Bordeaux, France, in 1989 and has studied various aspects of new materials for next-generation batteries throughout his career. Before joining Argonne in 1998, Amine led research projects in the research arms of public and private organizations and universities, including the Japan Storage Battery Company, the Osaka National Research Institute, and Kyoto University. His work has resulted in 48 patents and more than 200 publications.

Advances in these areas and others are continuing under Amine's leadership. Argonne conducts many of its research projects in collaboration with other organizations, including universities, industrial firms, and other federal laboratories, and has intellectual property available for licensing.

Amine's group performs research and development for hybrid electric vehicle applications under the U.S. Department of Energy's FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program.

The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory conducts basic and applied scientific research across a wide spectrum of disciplines, ranging from high-energy physics to climatology and biotechnology. Since 1990, Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations to help advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for the future. Argonne is operated by the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

For more information, please contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580 or media@anl.gov) at Argonne.