{{Short description|American chemical engineer (1980–2021)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Susan A. Odom | image = | workplaces = University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign <br> University of Kentucky | alma_mater = University of Kentucky <br> Georgia Institute of Technology | doctoral_advisor = Seth Marder | known_for = Energy materials }}
'''Susan A. Odom''' (November 16, 1980 – April 18, 2021) was a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky who developed redox active organic compounds for energy storage applications.
== Early life and education == Odom was inspired to explore STEM fields by her father who was a metallurgical engineer. She studied chemistry at the University of Kentucky and graduated in 2003, working under the supervision of Geoffrey Coates at Cornell University (a summer NSF REU) and John Anthony at the University of Kentucky. She moved to Georgia Institute of Technology where she conducted graduate research under the supervision of Seth R. Marder. After graduating in 2008, she moved to the University of Illinois as a postdoctoral scholar under Jeffrey S Moore. In 2011, she joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky.<ref>{{Cite web|title=People {{!}} Odom Research Group|url=https://odom.as.uky.edu/people|access-date=March 26, 2021|website=odom.as.uky.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Susan Odom {{!}} Chemistry|url=https://chem.as.uky.edu/user/1916/|access-date=March 26, 2021|website=chem.as.uky.edu|language=en}}</ref>
== Research and career == Odom joined the faculty at the University of Kentucky in 2011 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2017.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} She developed new materials for energy storage applications, including redox shuttles for overcharge protection and electrolytes for redox flow batteries. She aspired to develop stable, soluble redox-active organic materials.
Lithium-ion batteries in series are at risk of being overcharged. If one cell is weaker – or has lower capacity than other cells in the series – the series cannot achieve 100% state of charge without overcharging the weaker battery. One way to mitigate overcharge is to incorporate internal shunts called redox shuttles into the battery electrolyte. The redox shuttle is oxidized at the cathode/electrolyte interface to form a radical cation, then is reduced at the anode/electrolyte interface to return to its neutral form. For every redox shuttle cycle, an electron is transported from the cathode to the anode. An effective redox shuttle will limit cell potential to its oxidation potential. Odom developed one of the most effective redox shuttles to date, mitigating charging currents as high as 1 C, which is defined as one charge/discharge cycle per hour.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kaur|first1=Aman Preet|last2=Elliott|first2=Corrine F.|last3=Ergun|first3=Selin|last4=Odom|first4=Susan A.|date=2016|title=Overcharge Performance of 3,7-Bis(trifluoromethyl)- N -ethylphenothiazine at High Concentration in Lithium-Ion Batteries|url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1149/2.0951514jes|journal=Journal of the Electrochemical Society|language=en|volume=163|issue=2|pages=A1–A7|doi=10.1149/2.0951514jes|issn=0013-4651|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Challenges with using lithium-ion batteries for grid storage include the potential for catastrophic failure on a large scale as well as sourcing lithium and transition metals for cathode materials. Odom demonstrated promising results in the liquid-based electrochemical energy storage system called redox flow batteries. If capacities and cell voltages are sufficiently high, and if costs can be sufficiently low, these batteries will penetrate the market for grid-scale storage. Already installations exist throughout the world with aqueous vanadium-based electrolytes, but widespread adoption is limited due to economic viability. In 2016, Odom and Fikile Brushett demonstrated the performance of a phenothiazine derivative in a symmetric flow cell battery.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Milshtein|first1=Jarrod D.|last2=Kaur|first2=Aman Preet|last3=Casselman|first3=Matthew D.|last4=Kowalski|first4=Jeffrey A.|last5=Modekrutti|first5=Subrahmanyam|last6=Zhang|first6=Peter L.|last7=Harsha Attanayake|first7=N.|last8=Elliott|first8=Corrine F.|last9=Parkin|first9=Sean R.|last10=Risko|first10=Chad|last11=Brushett|first11=Fikile R.|date=2016|title=High current density, long duration cycling of soluble organic active species for non-aqueous redox flow batteries|url=http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=C6EE02027E|journal=Energy & Environmental Science|language=en|volume=9|issue=11|pages=3531–3543|doi=10.1039/C6EE02027E|bibcode=2016EnEnS...9.3531M |issn=1754-5692|url-access=subscription}}</ref> This material was patented and licensed to Tokyo Chemicals Incorporated. The pair later demonstrated the viability of two-electron donating materials for the positive side of a redox flow battery.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kowalski|first1=Jeffrey A.|last2=Casselman|first2=Matthew D.|last3=Kaur|first3=Aman Preet|last4=Milshtein|first4=Jarrod D.|last5=Elliott|first5=Corrine F.|last6=Modekrutti|first6=Subrahmanyam|last7=Attanayake|first7=N. Harsha|last8=Zhang|first8=Naijao|last9=Parkin|first9=Sean R.|last10=Risko|first10=Chad|last11=Brushett|first11=Fikile R.|date=2017|title=A stable two-electron-donating phenothiazine for application in nonaqueous redox flow batteries|url=http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=C7TA05883G|journal=Journal of Materials Chemistry A|language=en|volume=5|issue=46|pages=24371–24379|doi=10.1039/C7TA05883G|issn=2050-7488|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Attanayake|first1=N. Harsha|last2=Kowalski|first2=Jeffrey A.|last3=Greco|first3=Katharine V.|last4=Casselman|first4=Matthew D.|last5=Milshtein|first5=Jarrod D.|last6=Chapman|first6=Steven J.|last7=Parkin|first7=Sean R.|last8=Brushett|first8=Fikile R.|last9=Odom|first9=Susan A.|date=June 25, 2019|title=Tailoring Two-Electron-Donating Phenothiazines To Enable High-Concentration Redox Electrolytes for Use in Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries|url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b04770|journal=Chemistry of Materials|language=en|volume=31|issue=12|pages=4353–4363|doi=10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b04770|s2cid=164848899|issn=0897-4756|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
In collaboration with chemist Chad Risko, Odom studied how strain alters the oxidation and reduction potentials of materials through the prevention of electronic relaxation.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Casselman|first1=Matthew D.|last2=Elliott|first2=Corrine F.|last3=Modekrutti|first3=Subrahmanyam|last4=Zhang|first4=Peter L.|last5=Parkin|first5=Sean R.|last6=Risko|first6=Chad|last7=Odom|first7=Susan A.|date=2017|title=Beyond the Hammett Effect: Using Strain to Alter the Landscape of Electrochemical Potentials|journal=ChemPhysChem|language=en|volume=18|issue=16|pages=2142–2146|doi=10.1002/cphc.201700607|pmid=28590586|issn=1439-7641|doi-access=}}</ref> In one case, a material was developed as a shelf-stable commercial oxidant.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Attanayake|first1=N. Harsha|last2=Kaur|first2=Aman Preet|last3=Suduwella|first3=T. Malsha|last4=Elliott|first4=Corrine F.|last5=Parkin|first5=Sean R.|last6=Odom|first6=Susan A.|date=2020|title=A stable, highly oxidizing radical cation|url=http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=D0NJ04434B|journal=New Journal of Chemistry|language=en|volume=44|issue=42|pages=18138–18148|doi=10.1039/D0NJ04434B|s2cid=225133876|issn=1144-0546|url-access=subscription}}</ref> She showed that substituents that induce strain raise oxidation potentials regardless of their Hammet coefficient.
=== Awards and honours === * 2004 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home - NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP)|url=https://www.nsfgrfp.org/|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=www.nsfgrfp.org}}</ref> * 2009 National Science Foundation American Competitiveness in Chemistry Postdoctoral Fellowship<ref>{{Cite web|title=American Competitiveness in Chemistry-Fellowship (ACC-F) (nsf10535)|url=https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2010/nsf10535/nsf10535.htm|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=www.nsf.gov}}</ref> * 2011 American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund Doctoral New Investigator Award<ref>{{Cite web|title=Doctoral New Investigator (DNI) Grants|url=https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/grants/prf/programs/dni.html|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=American Chemical Society|language=en}}</ref> * 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017 University of Kentucky Teacher Who Made a Difference Award<ref>{{Cite web|title=Teachers Who Made a Difference – UK College of Education|url=https://education.uky.edu/teachers/|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=education.uky.edu}}</ref> * 2014 Chemical Communications Emerging Investigator<ref>{{Cite web|title=ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship – nominations now open! – Chemical Communications Blog|url=https://blogs.rsc.org/cc/2019/09/24/chemcomm-emerging-investigator-lectureship-nominations-now-open-3/|access-date=January 14, 2021|language=en-US}}</ref> * 2015 University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences Diversity in Research Award * 2017 University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Research Mentor Award<ref>{{Cite web|title=Faculty Mentor of the Year Award {{!}} Office of Undergraduate Research|url=https://our.uky.edu/faculty/faculty-mentor-year-award|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=our.uky.edu}}</ref> * 2017 University of Kentucky Society for the Promotion of Undergraduate Research Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award * 2017, 2018, 2019 Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement Scialog Fellow for Advanced Energy Storage<ref>{{Cite web|last=Advancement|first=Research Corporation for Science|title=RCSA Connections, Conversations Spur Energy Storage Project|url=https://rescorp.org/news/2020/10/rcsa-connections-conversations-spur-energy-storage-project|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=Research Corporation for Science Advancement|date=October 16, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> * 2020 American Chemical Society Women Chemists Committee Rising Star Award<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Women Chemists Committee names its 2020 Rising Stars|url=https://cen.acs.org/people/awards/Women-Chemists-Committee-names-2020/97/i40|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=cen.acs.org}}</ref>
Odom served on the organizing committee for multiple symposia in the Materials Research Society. In 2020, Odom was elected as a Member at Large in the Battery Division of the Electrochemical Society. Odom served on the editorial board of Materials Today.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
=== Publications === * S.A. Odom, K. Lancaster, L. Beverina, K.M. Lefler, N.J. Thompson, V. Coropceanu, J.-L. Brédas, S.R. Marder, & S. Barlow. "Bis(di-4-alkoxyphenyl)amino Derivatives of Dithienylethene, Bithiophene, Dithienothiophene, and Dithienopyrrole: Palladium-catalysed Synthesis and Highly Delocalised Racial Cations". ''Chemistry - A European Journal'' (2007) 13, 9637–9646. DOI: 10.1002/chem.200700668 * S.A. Odom, S. Chayanupatkul, B.J. Blaiszik, O. Zhao, A.C. Jackson, P.V. Braun, N.R. Sottos, S.R. White, & J.S. Moore. "A Self-Healing Conductive Ink". ''Advanced Materials'' (2012) 24, 2578–2581. DOI: 10.1002/adma201200196 * S.A. Odom, T.T. Tyler, M.M. Caruso, J. Ritchey, M.V. Schulmerich, S.J. Robinson, R. Bhargava, N.R. Sottos, S.R. White, M.C. Hersam, & J.S. Moore. "Autonomic Restoration of Electrical Conductivity using Polymer-Stabilized Carbon Nanotube and Graphene Microcapsules". ''Applied Physics Letters'' (2012) 101, 043106-1–043106-5. DOI: 10.1063/1.4737935 * A.P. Kaur, C.F. Elliott, S. Ergun, & S.A. Odom. "Overcharge Performance of 3,7-Bis(trifluoromethyl)-N-ethylphenothiazine at High Concentrations in Lithium-Ion Batteries". ''Journal of the Electrochemical Society'' (2016) 163, A1–A7. DOI: 10.1149/2.0951514jes * M.D. Casselman, C.F. Elliott, S. Modekrutti, P. Zhang, S.R. Parkin, C. Risko, & S.A. Odom. "Beyond the Hammett Effect: Using Strain to Alter the Landscape of Electrochemical Potentials". ''ChemPhysChem'' (2017) 18, 2142–2146. DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201700607 * J.D. Milshtein, A.P. Kaur, M.D. Casselman, J.A. Kowalski, S. Modekrutti, P. Zhang, N.H. Attanayake, C.F. Elliott, S.R. Parkin, C. Risko, F.R. Brushett, & S.A. Odom. "High-Current-Density, Long-Duration Cycling of Soluble Organic Active Species for Non-Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries". ''Energy and Environmental Science'' (2016) 9, 3531–3543. DOI: 10.1039/C6EE02027E
== Personal life == Odom lived in Lexington, Kentucky. In high school and from 2006 to 2009, she bred and showed Maine Coon cats through the cattery Verismocat, which is known for its regional- and national-award-winning cats such as GC, BW, NW Verismo Wotan-of-Valhalla.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ShowCatsOnline.com: The Premier Online Magazine About Breeding & Showing Cats|url=https://www.showcatsonline.com/|access-date=January 14, 2021|website=www.showcatsonline.com}}</ref> Odom died after falling in her home on April 18, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kykernel.com/uk-professor-died-after-falling-at-home/article_690e14ec-a135-11eb-9eaf-9b1ee54254f1.html|title = UK professor died after falling at home}}</ref>
== References == {{Scholia}} {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{google scholar id|e6mYm74AAAAJ}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Odom, Susan}} Category:1980 births Category:2021 deaths Category:American chemists Category:University of Kentucky faculty Category:United States National Science Foundation officials Category:Georgia Tech alumni Category:University of Illinois System alumni Category:Electrochemists Category:People from Lexington, Kentucky Category:Deaths from falls