About

Fikile R. Brushett is the Ralph Landau Professor of Chemical Engineering Practice and Director of the Practice School at MIT. His research focuses on chemical engineering, with particular emphasis on energy, environment, and sustainability. As a faculty member, he contributes to the department's mission by advancing knowledge in these areas and mentoring students and postdoctoral associates. His work is integral to MIT's efforts in developing innovative solutions for energy and environmental challenges.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Chemistry
• Engineering
• Materials science
• Physics
• Chemical engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Thermodynamics
• Environmental science
• Waste management
• Environmental engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Psychology
• World Wide Web
• Organic chemistry
• Mechanics
• Nuclear engineering
• Agronomy
• Metallurgy
• Composite material
• Physical chemistry
• Library science
• Inorganic chemistry
• Pulp and paper industry

Selected publications

• A flexible small-scale electrochemical flow cell

  ChemRxiv · 2026-04-17

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Reproducible electrochemical characterization in bench-scale flow cells remains limited by variability in cell architecture, assembly practices, and operating conditions across users and laboratories. Although numerous cell designs have been reported, comprehensive guidance detailing component selection, fabrication, assembly, and testing protocols is largely absent. Here, we present a compact flow cell engineered to improve experimental rigor while maintaining architectural flexibility and cost-effectiveness. The platform incorporates interchangeable components and is amenable to a variety of testing formats, enabling adaptation to diverse electrochemical applications including redox flow batteries, electrolyzers, and fuel cells. The small-scale of the device lowers volume and area requirements for electrolytes and cell components, respectively, facilitating high-throughput, yet systematic studies of emerging chemistries and materials. As a representative use case, we characterize cell performance using two diagnostic configurations and a model redox electrolyte, common in flow battery literature. We also present a framework distinguishing marginal and total repeatability to quantify variability across independent cell builds and operators. Using cell polarization and galvanostatic cycling protocols, we demonstrate consistent performance across configurations and users. By coupling transparent design documentation with a quantitative repeatability framework, this work seeks to establish a reproducible foundation for bench-scale flow cell experimentation and to support cross-laboratory comparability in electrochemical research.

  PublisherDOI

• Replicability challenges in redox flow cell testing: Insights from a multi-institutional study

  ChemRxiv · 2026-01-07

  articleOpen access

  Flow battery research is growing at pace, given the global need for longer-duration energy storage technologies. Positioned at the intersection of several scientific and engineering disciplines, flow battery studies involve significant experimental complexity that serve as sources of variability when assessing performance. Experimental errors arise from variable flow cell assembly practices, discrepancies in electrochemical technique protocols, inhomogeneous material properties, or uncontrolled environmental conditions—all influencing the metrics reported across laboratories. Nonetheless, the magnitude of this variability in performance indicators from typical electrochemical techniques is rarely assessed. This lack of replicability testing presents challenges for interlaboratory comparison, reducing research confidence in performance ascription. We therefore performed a round-robin study involving eight participant groups (seven academic institutions) on a model flow cell system, comprising a well-studied electrolyte, in a symmetric flow-cell configuration, using the same flow cell. Despite identical hardware, chemistry, and experimental prompts, appreciable differences were observed in the charge discharge profiles, polarisation curves, and Nyquist plots resulting from participant data acquisition. The study identifies that protocol differences have clear and non-negligible effects on reported performance metrics and provides an indication of the magnitude of variabilities that can be observed for a single system. Certain differences in cell build and operation may contribute to the observed variability, although the relatively small number of experiments do not provide sufficient data to support clear attribution. Nevertheless, the data highlight the need for greater methodological transparency, shared protocols, and a need for standard operating procedures to reduce significant replicability errors, even in a well-controlled single-electrolyte system.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Replicability challenges in redox flow cell testing: insights from a multi-institutional study

  Energy & Environmental Science · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  In the first, multi-institution study of its kind for flow batteries, several laboratories worldwide performed identical single-cell experiments. The findings show that procedural choices significantly alter commonly reported electrochemical metrics.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• On the factors influencing electrode poisoning and recovery for isopropanol oxidation on platinum

  ChemRxiv · 2026-03-02

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The isopropanol-acetone redox couple, consisting of two abundant and inexpensive chemicals, is a potential energy and hydrogen transport/storage vector. The selective electrooxidation of isopropanol (IPA) to acetone has primarily been explored on platinum group metals and their alloys. Given their high cost and relative scarcity, strategies are needed to ensure these catalysts are used efficaciously without sacrificing device performance (e.g., power densities, energy/faradaic efficiencies, and longevity). While 3-electrode experiments provide a means to estimate catalytic activity, metrics obtained from literature-sourced cyclic voltammetry (CV) are concerningly discrepant. To clarify reasons for such a range in observed behavior, we perform CV experiments in quiescent electrolyte and using a rotating disk electrode. We find that small amounts of impurities suppress IPA oxidation, especially under convection. Further, scan rate, convection, electrolyte purity, and IPA concentration individually can substantially influence the reaction rate explaining some of the breadth in the published literature. Because accumulation of impurities and reactive intermediates at the surface over time convolute understanding of CVs, we also perform chronoamperometry (CA) experiments to assess the timescales, extent, and persistence of performance decay. Finally, we show, through modeling and experiments, that potential pulsing offers a way to repeatedly recover catalyst performance and increase average reaction rates. Without a dynamic strategy to continue IPA oxidation, measures of performance from transient means (e.g., CV or CA) are challenging to contextualize.

  PublisherDOI

• Exploring New Design and Operational Strategies for Redox-Mediated Flow Batteries through Physics-Based Modeling

  ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2025-11-24

  articleSenior author

  Redox-mediated systems are an emerging technology concept that employs soluble mediators to facilitate charge transfer reactions between the electrodes of electrochemical flow cells and external “off-electrode” active materials. 1,2 Literature demonstrations have highlighted the potential of this approach to address pressing challenges in energy storage and conversion by increasing the energy density of flow batteries, 2-3 accelerating electrochemically-sluggish reactions, 4 and enabling flexible operation for electroprocesses. 5-6 However, the system design and engineering is challenged by the coupled dynamics of the multiple active species moving within and between the two reactors. Recently, we have advanced a qualitatively-validated model framework to elucidate electrochemical and fluid dynamic characteristics of these devices. 7 The framework is grounded in physics-based constitutive equations and mixed potential theory, facilitating predictions of the transient mass and charge dynamics associated with the soluble and solid active materials in the flow cell and tank. In this presentation, we will highlight our findings on the performance trends for redox-mediated flow batteries (RMFBs) that incorporate solid active materials in the external tanks, focusing on new design and operation strategies. Our exploration of the design space through dimensional analysis and parametric sweeps yielded a critical dimensionless scaling relationship that ties RMFB capacity utilization to physical and operating variables. Independently, we have studied how design choices (e.g., particle size, bed packing, and cycling protocol) are anticipated to impact the net power, energy, and efficiency. Together, these analyses suggest unique tradeoffs exist between RMFB capacity and power, highlighting the need for a holistic design approach to effectively integrate solid active materials, reactor architectures, and operating conditions. Acknowledgements N.J.M gratefully acknowledges the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant Number 2141064. Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF. References Matteucci et al., Opin. Electrochem. 2023, 42 :101380. Yan and Wang, Mat. 2018, 30 (47). Chen et al., Joule, 2019, 3, 2255–2267 Vardner et al., ChemElectroChem 2022, 9 (24). Reynard et al., Eng. J. 2021, 407, 1, 126721. Fenton et al., ACS Omega, 2022, 7, 44, 40540–40547 Matteucci et al., in Review 2025

  PublisherDOI

• Designing an Industrially-Situated Virtual Laboratory to Support Electrochemistry Learning in Chemical Engineering

  2025-08-21

  article
  PublisherDOI

• On the Factors Influencing Isopropanol Oxidation on Platinum Electrodes

  ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2025-07-11

  articleSenior author

  The isopropanol/acetone redox couple is representative of a larger class of room-temperature liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) which are relatively abundant, inexpensive, chemically stable, energy dense, and, under the right conditions, can be reversibly transformed electrochemically to store energy and/or hydrogen. 1 Due to the inherent stability of both molecules there is a need for selective, active, and durable electrocatalysts to drive the electrochemical reaction in either direction. The most widely studied catalysts for isopropanol electrooxidation are based on platinum (Pt) group metals, 2 necessitating efficient catalyst use (i.e., high reactivities per mass and low degradation) to support the development of economical flow cell systems. Three-electrode electrochemical cell studies are a valuable tool to explore the relationship between electrode potential and reaction rate for candidate catalysts. Ideally, such studies relate experimental parameters (e.g., electrolyte composition, temperature, catalyst form factor) to catalyst performance (e.g., current density, selectivity, stability) to inform flow cell testing which is more equipment- and labor-intensive. However, an analysis of the peer-reviewed literature shows highly variable cyclic voltammetry (CV) responses to isopropanol oxidation on Pt emphasizing the complexity in controlling the reaction. For instance, reaction rates differ by ~4 orders of magnitude (the maximum current density normalized to catalyst surface area) and the electrode potentials at which the maximum current densities are observed vary by 100s of mVs. Moreover, the electrolyte conditions in many of these studies (dilute active species in aqueous acidic electrolyte solutions) are dissimilar from those in fuel cell studies (concentrated active species and polymer electrolytes). These differences in the electrocatalyst microenvironment and dynamic operation leave multiple critical questions about catalyst efficacy unaddressed. In this presentation, we employ rotating disk electrode (RDE) voltammetry to disentangle the factors contributing to the diversity of isopropanol oxidation results across the published literature. Further, chronoamperometric measurements on the RDE reveal surface-limiting processes that are obscured by the transient conditions characteristic of CV experiments. While our results highlight significant potential- and time-dependent diminutions in catalyst performance, we find that dynamic operational strategies, such as potential pulsing to clear the catalytic surfaces, enable the retention of high reaction rates. Acknowledgements A.H.Q. gratefully acknowledges the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant Number 1745302. Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF. A.H.Q also acknowledges the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Minority Ph.D. (MPHD) Program. References (1) Perry, M. L. ECS Trans. 2021, 104 (1), 23. (2) Brodt, M.; et al. Energy Technology 2021, 9 (9), 2100164.

  PublisherDOI

• Reference-Electrode Equipped Redox Flow Cells Enable Single-Electrode Characterization of the Polysulfide Redox Couple

  ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2025-07-11

  articleSenior author

  Alkaline polysulfide solutions are attractive as negative electrolytes in redox flow batteries (RFBs) due to the low cost and abundance of sulfur, and the high aqueous solubility of polysulfide species. However, polysulfide redox reactions are relatively slow as compared to many common RFB couples, motivating studies of different catalytic materials and their incorporation into form factors suitable for application in flow cell systems. While prior art suggests that metal-sulfide catalysts (e.g., CoS x and NiS x ) are significantly better than carbon surfaces, 1 comparisons are frustrated by differences in electrolyte compositions, flow cell designs and testing configurations, as well as operating conditions. 2–4 Additionally, polysulfide redox processes are kinetically complex, exhibiting reaction asymmetry in 3-electrode measurements complicating 2-electrode flow cell-based diagnostics. 5 In this presentation, we discuss how employing a reference-electrode equipped flow cell with a fixed electrolyte composition enables systematic studies of individual electrode performance and durability. Using a single-electrolyte cell configuration, we experimentally evaluate polarization losses associated with the polysulfide redox reaction on nickel (Ni) foam, sulfidized Ni foam, and several porous carbon electrodes. The use of a reference electrode enables the deconvolution of resistive contributions from the membrane, the polysulfide oxidation, and the polysulfide reduction. We find that temperature and electrode choice influence reductive and oxidative overpotentials to different extents, where generally oxidation occurs more easily than reduction. Additionally, we present evidence of time- and temperature-dependent transformations of certain catalyst surfaces, which may impact durational performance. Ultimately, we exemplify how this diagnostic cell configuration can be used to compare distinct electrodes and their specific efficacy for charging or discharging, with a particular focus on kinetically-limited asymmetric systems. Acknowledgements A.H.Q. gratefully acknowledges the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant Number 1745302. Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF. A.H.Q. also acknowledges the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Minority Ph.D. (MPHD) Program. References (1) Hodes, G.; et al . Electrochem. Soc. 1980 , 127 (3), 544. (2) Long, Y.; et al. iScience 2021 , 24 (10), 103157. (3) Yang, Z.; et al. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2021 , 168 (7), 070516. (4) Zhao, P.; et al. Electrochimica Acta 2005 , 51 (6), 1091–1098. (5) Remick, R. J.; Camara, E. H. ELECTROCHEMISTRY OF THE SULFIDE/POLYSULFIDE COUPLE. 1983 .

  PublisherDOI

• Exploring Performance Tradeoffs in Redox-mediated Flow Batteries

  ChemRxiv · 2025-10-07

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Redox-mediated flow batteries (RMFBs), an emerging subclass of redox flow batteries (RFBs), incorporate solid active materials into the tanks to dramatically increase theoretical energy density, albeit currently at the expense of design and operational simplicity. Using physics-based models, we assess the performance tradeoffs inherent to these systems, with an emphasis on understanding what factors most impact accessible power and energy densities and how this new concept compares to conventional RFBs. Through sensitivity analyses and sampling methods, we identify key dimensionless parameters with the greatest influence on system capacity (e.g., Damköhler numbers and dimensionless current) and reveal a “collapsed relationship” that effectively captures the predicted solid utilization. We assess the distinct tradeoffs in cell power, pumping losses, and solid utilization associated with RMFBs, by tuning physical and operating parameters (e.g., particle size and current). Ultimately, we identify favorable property profiles that enable desirable power and energy characteristics. Finally, we reflect on the implications of these analyses, translating the model-based findings into engineering guidance and intuition on the relative merits of single- versus dual-mediator systems, on the general importance of mediator concentration for power density, and on design strategies to balance electrochemical and fluid dynamic performance.

  PublisherDOI

• Systematic refinement of experimental practices to improve repeatability in flow battery cycling

  Research Square · 2025-04-18

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Collaborative Research: Establishing Design Principles for Molecular Engineering of High Concentration Redox Electrolytes

  NSF · $263k · 2018–2021

Frequent coauthors

• Antoni Forner‐Cuenca

  Eindhoven University of Technology

  85 shared

• Jeffrey A. Kowalski

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  85 shared

• Robert M. Darling

  Hartford Financial Services (United States)

  85 shared

• Yet‐Ming Chiang

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  85 shared

• Jarrod D. Milshtein

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  81 shared

• Brian Skinn

  Faraday Technology (United States)

  79 shared

• Timothy Hall

  Faraday Technology (United States)

  71 shared

• Bertrand J. Neyhouse

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  70 shared

Labs

• MIT ChemEPI

Education

• Ph.D., Chemical Engineering

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  1996

• M.S., Chemical Engineering

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  1992

• B.S., Chemical Engineering

  University of Cape Town

  1989

Awards & honors

• Appointed as the Chevron Chair of Chemical Engineering, 2024
• AIChE's Allan P. Colburn Award for Excellence in Publication…
• ECS's Charles W. Tobias Young Investigator Award, 2022
• NOBCChE - Lloyd N. Ferguson Young Scientist Award for Excell…
• Electrochemical Society - Energy Technology Division Suprama…