Ömer Özgür Çapraz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Chemical, Biochemical
and Environmental Engineering
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Director: Advanced Materials and Electrochemistry
for Energy (AMEE) Laboratory
Email: capraz@umbc.edu
Researcher Profile: Google Scholar & ORCID
Academic Biography
Dr. Ömer Özgür Çapraz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where Dr. Çapraz leads the Advanced Materials and Electrochemistry for Energy (AMEE) Laboratory.
Dr. Çapraz’s research focuses on understanding the coupling between electrochemical reactions, mechanical deformation, and interfacial processes in electrified materials. The research group develops and applies advanced in situ and operandocharacterization techniques to investigate electrochemical stress and strain evolution, chemo-mechanical instabilities, interfacial reactions, and materials degradation.
A distinctive feature of the AMEE Laboratory is the integration of operando digital image correlation (DIC) for strain measurements and multi-beam optical stress sensing (MOSS) for stress characterization with electrochemical and complementary materials analysis. These experimental approaches provide insights into the mechanical signatures of electrochemical reactions and material transformations. The research program spans lithium-, sodium-, and potassium-ion batteries, aqueous batteries, metal-air batteries, solid-state battery materials, electrochemical interfaces and interphases, critical mineral recovery, electrodeposition, and corrosion.
The research research has been supported by funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), U.S. Department of Defense (Department of Defense), including the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army, and the U.S.–Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF).
Research Expertise
Dr. Çapraz specializes in experimental characterization of electrochemical-mechanical coupling in battery materials and interfaces. The research seeks to identify fundamental mechanisms governing electrochemical stress, strain generation, interfacial evolution, and mechanical instabilities.
- Operando Electrochemical Stress Measurements: Multi-beam optical stress sensing (MOSS), electrode stress evolution, and interfacial mechanical responses during electrochemical reactions.
- Operando Electrochemical Strain Measurements: Digital image correlation (DIC), spatially resolved deformation, and electrochemical strain evolution in battery electrodes.
- Battery Chemo-Mechanics: Ion insertion and extraction, phase transformations, mechanical instabilities, and electrode degradation.
- Electrochemical Interfaces and Interphases: SEI and CEI formation, interfacial stress evolution, surface reactions, and electrochemical stability.
- Solid-State Battery Mechanics: Solid electrolyte deformation, lithium plating and stripping, and mechanical evolution at electrode-electrolyte interfaces.
- Electrochemical Resource Recovery: Operando mechanical characterization of electrochemical extraction mechanisms, including uranyl deposition and intercalation.
- Electrochemical Corrosion: Stress generation, vacancy diffusion, oxide growth, and corrosion-induced mechanical deformation.
Education
- Ph.D., Chemical Engineering (2014)
Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa - B.S., Chemical Engineering (2010)
Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
Professional Appointments
- 2023 – Present:
Associate Professor,
University of Maryland, Baltimore County - 2018 – 2023:
Assistant Professor,
Oklahoma State University - 2015 – 2018:
Postdoctoral Researcher,
Materials Science and Engineering,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Professional Profiles & Contact
Google Scholar: Research Publications and Citations
ORCID: 0000-0002-2396-4748
UMBC Faculty Profile: Özgür Çapraz
LinkedIn: Ömer Özgür Çapraz
Email: capraz@umbc.edu