Kyle Smith

For More Information

• Smith Research Group Website

Education

• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 2007
• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 2012

Academic Positions

• Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, September 2012 - July 2014
• Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, August 2014 - August 2021
• Faculty Affiliate, Computational Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, August 2014 - present
• Faculty Affiliate, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, August 2016 - present
• Faculty Affiliate, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, October 2017 - present
• Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, August 2021 - present

Research Interests

• Desalination, Carbon Capture, and Energy Storage
• Flow, Transport, and Reactions in Porous Electrodes
• Electrochemistry of Aqueous Intercalation Materials
• Multi-Scale Modeling, Design, and Manufacturing

Selected Articles in Journals

• Do, V.Q. and K.C. Smith (2025), "Symmetric Intercalative Desalination of Brackish Water without Ion-Exchange Membranes," Environmental Science & Technology, 59, 16799.
• Warden, C., M.H. Rahman, I.C. Loud, and K.C. Smith (2025), "Dead Zone and Hot Spot Elimination using Optimally Tapered Interdigitated Flow Fields: 3D Simulation and Quasi-1D Theory," Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 172, 060525.
• Hyeon, J.S., Q. Wang, S. Tawfick, J. Lee, K.C. Smith, M. Zhang, J.W. Park, G.H. Song, Z. Wang, S. Fang, R. Baughman, and S.J. Kim (2025) "High Efficiency Electrochemical Carbon Nanotube Yarn Artificial Muscles," Journal of Power Sources, 646, 237234.
• Rahman, M.H., I.C. Loud IV, V.Q. Do, M.A. Hamid, and K.C. Smith (2025), "Tapered, Interdigitated Channels for Uniform, Low-Pressure Flow through Porous Electrodes for Desalination and Beyond," Electrochimica Acta, 145632.
• Smith, K.C., I.C. Loud, M.H. Rahman, C. Warden, V.Q. Do (2024) "A compact, low-pressure manifold with uniform flow at low Reynolds number," Physics of Fluids, 36, 063605.
• Do, V.Q., E.R. Reale, I.C. Loud, P.G. Rozzi, H. Tan, D. Willis, K.C. Smith (2023) "Embedded, micro-interdigitated flow fields in high areal-loading intercalation electrodes towards seawater desalination and beyond," Energy and Environmental Science, 16, 3025.
• Hamid, M.A., K.C. Smith (2023) "A bottom-up, multi-scale theory for transient mass transport of redox-active species through porous electrodes beyond the pseudo-steady limit," Journal of Power Sources, 565, 232756.
• Shrivastava, A., V.Q. Do, K.C. Smith (2022) "Efficient, selective sodium and lithium removal by Faradaic deionization using symmetric sodium titanium vanadium phosphate intercalation electrodes," ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 14, 30672.
• Liu, S. and K.C. Smith (2022), "Effects of Interstitial Water and Alkali Cations on the Expansion, Intercalation Potential, and Orbital Coupling of Nickel Hexacyanoferrate from First Principles," Journal of Applied Physics, 131, 105101.
• Reale, R.E., L. Regenwetter, A. Agrawal, B. Dardon, N. Dicola, S. Sanagala, and K.C. Smith (2021), "Low porosity, high areal-capacity Prussian blue analogue electrodes enhance salt removal and thermodynamic efficiency in symmetric Faradaic deionization with automated fluid control," Water Research X, 13, 100116.
• Liu, S. and K.C. Smith (2021), " Linking the polyatomic arrangements of interstitial H2O and cations to bonding within Prussian blue analogues ab initio using gradient-boosted machine learning," Physical Review Materials, 5, 035003.
• Nemani, V.P. and K.C. Smith (2020), "Robust Simulation of Coupled Reactions and Transport in Redox Flow Batteries Using Tailored Numerical Schemes," Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 167, 103504.
• Sizhe, L., V.Q. Do, and K.C. Smith (2020), "Modeling of Electrochemical Deionization Across Length Scales: Recent Accomplishments and New Opportunities," Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 22, 72.
• Li, Z., L.A. Robertson, I.A. Shkrob, K.C. Smith, L. Cheng, L. Zhang, J.S. Moore, and Y Z (2020), "Realistic Ion Dynamics through Charge Renormalization in Nonaqueous Electrolytes," Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 124, 3214.
• Hamid, M.A. and K.C. Smith (2020), "Modeling the Transient Effects of Pore-Scale Convection and Redox Reactions in the Pseudo-Steady Limit," Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 167, 013521.
• Nemani, V.P. and K.C. Smith (2020), "Assignment of energy loss contributions in redox flow batteries using exergy destruction analysis," Journal of Power Sources, 447, 227371.
• Shrivastava, A., S. Liu, and K.C. Smith (2019), "Linking capacity loss and retention of nickel hexacyanoferrate to a two-site intercalation mechanism for aqueous Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions," Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 21, 20177.
• Reale, R.E., A. Shrivastava, and K.C. Smith (2019), "Effect of conductive additives on the transport properties of porous flow-through electrodes with insulative particles and their optimization for Faradaic deionization," Water Research, 165, 114995.
• Wang, Y. and K.C. Smith (2019), "Numerical investigation of convective transport in redox flow battery tanks: Using baffles to increase utilization," Journal of Energy Storage, 25, 100840.
• Robertson, L. A., Z. Li, Y. Cao, I.A. Shkrob, M. Tyagi, K.C. Smith, L. Zhang, J.S. Moore, and Y Z (2019), "Observation of Microheterogeneity in Highly Concentrated Nonaqueous Electrolyte Solutions," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 141, 8041.
• Liu, S. and K.C. Smith (2019), "Intercalated Cation Disorder in Prussian Blue Analogues: First Principles and Grand Canonical Analyses," Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 123, 10191.
• Hand, S., X. Shang, J. Guest, K.C. Smith, and R.D. Cusick (2019), "Global Sensitivity Analysis To Characterize Operational Limits and Prioritize Performance Goals of Capacitive Deionization Technologies," Environmental Science and Technology, 53, 3748.
• Bhat, A.P., E.R. Reale, M. del Cerro, K.C. Smith, and R.D. Cusick (2019), "Reducing impedance to ionic flux in capacitive deionization with Bi-tortuous activated carbon electrodes coated with asymmetrically charged polyelectrolytes," Water Research X, 3, 100027.
• Nemani, V.P. and K.C. Smith (2018), "Analysis of Crossover-Induced Capacity Fade in Redox Flow Batteries with Non-Selective Separators," Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 165, A3144.
• Shrivastava, A. and K.C. Smith (2018), "Electron Conduction in Nanoparticle Agglomerates Limits Apparent Na⁺ Diffusion in Prussian Blue Analogue Porous Electrodes," Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 165, A1777.
• Reale, E.R. and K.C. Smith (2018), "Capacitive Performance and Tortuosity of Activated Carbon Electrodes with Macroscopic Pores," Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 165, A1685.
• Liu, S. and K.C. Smith (2018), "Quantifying the trade-offs between energy consumption and salt removal rate in membrane-free cation intercalation desalination," Electrochimica Acta, 271, 652.
• Zemlyanov, D.Y., M. Jespersen, D.N. Zakharov, J. Hu, R. Paul, A. Kumar, S. Pacley, N. Glavin, D. Saenz, K.C. Smith, T.S. Fisher, and A.A. Voevodin (2018), "Versatile technique for assessing thickness of 2D layered materials by XPS," Nanotechnology, 29, 115705.
• Shang, X., R.D. Cusick, and K.C. Smith (2017), "A Combined Modeling and Experimental Study Assessing the Impact of Fluid Pulsation on Charge and Energy Efficiency in Capacitive Deionization," Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 164, E536.
• Porada, S., A. Shrivastava, P. Bukowska, P.M. Biesheuvel, and K.C. Smith (2017), "Nickel Hexacyanoferrate Electrodes for Continuous Cation Intercalation Desalination of Brackish Water," Electrochimica Acta, 255, 369.
• Iyer, V.A., J.K. Schuh, E.C. Montoto, V.P. Nemani, S. Qian, G. Nagarjuna, J. Rodriguez-Lopez, R.H. Ewoldt, and K.C. Smith (2017), "Assessing the impact of electrolyte conductivity and viscosity on the reactor cost and pressure drop of redox-active polymer flow batteries," Journal of Power Sources, 361, 334.
• Nemani, V.P. and K.C. Smith (2017), "Uncovering the role of flow rate in redox-active polymer flow batteries: simulation of reaction distributions with simultaneous mixing in tanks," Electrochimica Acta, 247, 475.
• Smith, K.C. (2017), "Theoretical evaluation of electrochemical cell architectures using cation intercalation electrodes for desalination," Electrochimica Acta, 230, 333.
• Dmello, R., J.D. Milshtein, F.R. Brushett, and K.C. Smith (2016), "Cost-driven materials selection criteria for redox flow battery electrolytes," Journal of Power Sources, 330, 261.
• Duan, W., R.S. Vemuri, J.D. Milshtein, S. Laramie, R. Dmello, J. Huang, L. Zhang, D. Hu, M. Vijayakumar, W. Wang, J. Liu, R.M. Darling, L. Thompson, K. Smith, J.S. Moore, F.R. Brushett, and X. Wei, "A symmetric organic-based nonaqueous redox flow battery and its state of charge diagnostics by FTIR," Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 4, 5448.
• Chen, X., B.J. Hopkins, A. Helal, F.Y. Fan, K.C. Smith, Z. Li, A.H. Slocum, G.H. McKinley, W.C. Carter, and Y.-M. Chiang (2016), "A low-dissipation, pumpless, gravity-induced flow battery," Energy and Environmental Science, 9, 1760.
• Smith, K.C. and R. Dmello (2016), "Na-Ion Desalination (NID) Enabled by Na-Blocking Membranes and Symmetric Na-Intercalation: Porous-Electrode Modeling," Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 163, A530.
• Hopkins, B.J., K.C. Smith, A.H. Slocum, and Y.-M. Chiang (2015), "Component-cost and performance based comparison of flow and static batteries," Journal of Power Sources, 293, 1032.
• Nemani, V.P., S.J. Harris, and K.C. Smith (2015), "Design of Bi-Tortuous, Anisotropic Graphite Anodes for Fast Ion-Transport in Li-Ion Batteries," Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 162, A1415.
• Wei, T.-S., F.Y. Fan, A. Helal, K.C. Smith, G.H. McKinley, Y.-M. Chiang, and J.A. Lewis, "Biphasic Electrode Suspensions for Li-Ion Semisolid Flow Cells with High Energy Density, Fast Charge Transport, and Low-Dissipation Flow," Advanced Energy Materials, 5, 1500535.
• Jackson, G.R., K.C. Smith, P.C. McCarthy, and T.S. Fisher (2015), "Modeling of Thermal Storage in Wax-Impregnated Foams with a Pore-Scale Submodel," Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, 29, 812.
• Smith, K.C., V.E. Brunini, Y. Dong, Y.-M. Chiang, and W.C. Carter (2014), "Electroactive-Zone Extension in Flow-Battery Stacks," Electrochimica Acta, 147, 460.
• Smith, K.C., I. Srivastava, T.S. Fisher, and M. Alam (2014), "Variable-cell method for stress-controlled jamming of athermal, frictionless grains," Physical Review E, 89, 042203.
• Fan, F., W.H. Woodford, Z. Li, N. Baram, K.C. Smith, A. Helal, G.H. McKinley, W.C. Carter, and Y.-M. Chiang (2014), "Polysulfide Flow Batteries Enabled by Percolating Nanoscale Conductor Networks," Nano Letters, 14, 2210.
• Smith, K.C., Y.-M. Chiang, and W.C. Carter (2014), "Maximizing Energetic Efficiency in Flow Batteries Utilizing Non-Newtonian Fluids," Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 161, A486.
• Li, Z., K.C. Smith, Y. Dong, N. Baram, F.Y. Fan, J. Xie, P. Limthongkul, W.C. Carter, and Y.-M. Chiang (2013), "Aqueous semi-solid flow cell: demonstration and analysis," Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 15, 15833.
• Rao, K.D.M., B. Radha, K.C. Smith, T.S. Fisher, and G.U. Kulkarni, (2013) "Solution-processed soldering of carbon nanotubes for flexible electronics," Nanotechnology, 24, 075301.
• Smith, K.C. and T.S. Fisher (2013), "Conduction in Jammed Systems of Tetrahedra," ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, 135, 081301.
• Srivastava, I., S. Sadasivam, K.C. Smith and T.S. Fisher (2013), "Combined Microstructure and Heat Conduction Modeling of Heterogeneous Interfaces and Materials," ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, 135, 061603.
• Cadena, M.J., R. Misiego, K.C. Smith, A. Avila, B. Pipes, R. Reifenberger, and A. Raman (2013), "Sub-surface imaging of carbon nanotube-polymer composites using dynamic AFM methods," Nanotechnology, 24, 135706.
• Smith, K.C. and T.S. Fisher (2012), "Models for metal hydride particle shape, packing, and heat transfer," International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 37, 13417.
• Smith, K.C., P.P. Mukherjee, and T.S. Fisher (2012), "Columnar order in jammed LiFePO4 cathodes: ion transport catastrophe and its mitigation," Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 14, 7040.
• Smith, K.C., T.S. Fisher, and M. Alam (2011), "Isostaticity of constraints in amorphous jammed systems of soft frictionless Platonic solids," Physical Review E, 84, 030301(R).
• Smith, K.C., T.S. Fisher, U.V. Waghmare, and R. Grau-Crespo (2010), "Dopant-vacancy binding effects in Li-doped magnesium hydride," Physical Review B, 82, 134109.
• Smith, K.C., M. Alam, and T.S. Fisher (2010), "Athermal jamming of soft frictionless Platonic solids," Physical Review E, 82, 051304.
• Bhuvana, T., K.C. Smith, T.S. Fisher, and G.U. Kulkarni (2009), "Self-assembled CNT circuits with ohmic contacts using Pd hexadecanethiolate as in situ solder," Nanoscale, 1, 271.
• Smith, K.C., Y. Zheng, T.S. Fisher, T.L. Pourpoint, and I. Mudawar (2009), "Heat Transfer in High-Pressure Metal Hydride Systems," Journal of Enhanced Heat Transfer, 16, 189.
• Grau-Crespo, R., K.C. Smith, T.S. Fisher, N.H. de Leeuw, and U.V. Waghmare (2009), "Thermodynamics of hydrogen vacancies in MgH₂ from first-principles calculations and grand-canonical statistical mechanics," Physical Review B, 80, 174117.
• Smith, K.C., C.A.C. Kemeny, R. Cipra, and B.S. Duerstock (2008), "Vision Aid for Power Wheelchair Users," ASME Journal of Medical Devices, 2, 045001.

Pending Articles

• Emon, B., A. Kashefi, M.H. Rahman, A. Darbaz, N. Ospina-Munoz, S.M. Mellican, S. Santiago, W.C. Drennan, M.S.H. Joy, A.A. Phan, T. Afrin, L.S. Santovito, B. Han, K.C. Smith, F. Bishehsari, M.T.A. Saif, "Biomechanical 3D tumor models on a micro-milled high-throughput force sensor array," bioRxiv: 2025.09.22.677940.
• Hamid, M.A. and K.C. Smith (2025), "Omni-Temporal Theory and Simulation of Hydrodynamic Dispersion using Fourier Transformation," Arxiv: 2505.06063.
• Rozzi, P.G., J. Lee, V.Q. Do, T.S. Arthur, C. Roberts, and K.C. Smith (2025), "Toward Low-Energy Direct-Air CO2 Capture by Reversible Proton-Intercalation Mediated Alkalization," DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-713w9.

Patents

• Smith, K.C. and A. Shrivastava (2024), "Method and system for electrochemical-based carbon capture and sequestration/valorization," US Patent Application 18/713,023.
• Smith, K.C., V.Q. Do, I.C. Loud, M.H. Rahman, C. Warden, and S.A. Hausback (2024), "Manifold Designs For Uniform Flow," PCT Application PCT/US24/60970.
• Smith, K.C. (2022), "Hierarchical networks for optimal or improved delivery of fluid to porous electrochemical / chemical media," US Patent Application 17/980,023.
• Smith, K.C., E.R. Reale, V.Q. Do, and I.C. Loud (2022), "Flow channels for optimal or improved delivery of fluid to porous electrochemical / chemical media," US Patent Application 17/980,017.
• Smith, K.C. and R. Dmello (2021), "Desalination Devices," US Patent 11,053,142.

Teaching Honors

• Fall 2021 Teacher Ranked as Excellent (ME320: Heat Transfer), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Spring 2019 Teacher Ranked as Excellent (ME520: Heat Conduction), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Collins Scholar, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (April 24, 2015)

Research Honors

• 2024 Dean's Award for Early Innovation for Associate Professor (April 29, 2024)
• Arnold O. Beckman Award (April 21, 2021)
• 2018 ISE-Elsevier Prize for Applied Electrochemistry (August 8, 2018)