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Ridwan T. Ayinla [Ph.D.]

Dr. Ridwan T. Ayinla is a materials and sustainable energy storage researcher whose work bridges nanomaterials, green chemistry, and electrochemical energy storage. He holds a Ph.D. in Sustainable Energy from Mississippi State University, where his research focuses on developing high-performance, bio-derived materials for next-generation supercapacitors and solid-state batteries.

At the forefront of renewable materials design, Dr. Ayinla explores how cellulose, lignin, and other biopolymers can be transformed into high-efficiency components for flexible and solid-state energy storage devices. His multidisciplinary approach combines materials synthesis, electrochemical characterization, and life-cycle analysis that integrates scientific innovation with environmental responsibility. Through his work, he aims to redefine how sustainable materials can power the future of clean energy technologies.

Dr. Ayinla is a recipient of numerous international awards, including the CAS Future Leader Award and the ECS Research Fellowship, He is recognized globally for his leadership in advancing renewable materials science. Beyond the lab, he is a passionate mentor, dedicated to training the next generation of scientists committed to sustainable innovation.

Professional History

Education

Mississippi State University, USA  (Graduate Research Assistant)                                                                01/2021-11/2025
PhD in Sustainable Energy Chemistry
Thesis: Nanocarbons for electrodes and electrolytes of solid-state energy storage systems: materials, electrochemical characterization, and life cycle analysis
Advisor: Prof. Hassan El-Barbary
 
Mississippi State University, USA (Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant)                                               01/2021-06/2022
MSc in Material Chemistry 
Masters Dissertation: Fabrication and imaging of highly Molecular electronics.
Advisor: Prof. Kun Wang
 
Univ Tech Petronas, Malaysia (Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant)                                                     01/2021-06/2022
MSc in Energy Materials (Distinction Top 1%)
Masters Dissertation: Activated carbon fromcomposite of palm biowaste as electrode material forsolid-state electrochemical double-layer capacitor
Advisor: Prof. John Ojur Dennis
 
Ladoke Akin Uni of Tech, Nigeria                                                                                                                         06/2010-12/2015
BSc in Applied Physics (Distinction Top 1%)
Undergraduate Dissertation: Quasi-analytical solutionof Dirac equation using the shifted Tietz potential
Advisor: Prof. Yekini Sanusi
 
Teaching Experience – Mississippi State University
•Instructed theory and experimental undergraduate students in experimental general and physical chemistry, ensuring a solid foundation in both theory and hands-on lab skills
•Mentored undergraduate students in experimental general physics, emphasizing both theoretical understanding and practical laboratory skills to build a comprehensive foundation
•Supervised and proctored exams, ensuring a fair and well-organized assessment environment while addressing student queries during examinations
•Conducted office hours to provide individualized academic support, clarify course concepts, and guide students through problem-solving strategies.

Certifications

Six Sigma                                                                                                                                                                                  10/2024
Six Sigma Foundation
                                                                                                                                                         
Responsible Research Conduct (RCR) – CollaborativeTraining Initiative                                                                  09/2023
Certified in developing safety operating procedures for laboratory equipment
​​
Course on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: Principles and Applications                                                                12/2018
Centralized Analytical Laboratory (CAL) UTP Malaysia
 
Course on surface analysis: Physisorption and Chemisorption                                                                                     11/2018
Centralized Analytical Laboratory (CAL) UTP Malaysia
 
Telecom Power Training Huawei University                                                                                                                      06/2017
Certified in developing telecom power systems
 
Information Communication Technology                                                                                                                         03/2011
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

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List of Publications (Google Scholar link)

Sustainable Energy Storage
  1. Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, Islam Elsayed, and El Barbary Hassan – Wood-based electrode and electrolyte for sustainable high performance solid-state supercapacitor. Journal of Energy Storage. (Jan 2025)

  2. Ridwan Tobi Ayinla - Energizing cellulose: revealing the latent potential of cellulose nanofiber for sustainable supercapacitors Electrochemical Society interface (Dec 2024)

  3. Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, Islam Elsayed, and El Barbary Hassan - Lignin as a sustainable precursor for electrodes and electrolytes of emerging supercapacitors. Sustainable Energy & Fuels. (Nov 2024)

  4. Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, J.O. Dennis - Activated carbon from composite of palm bio-waste as electrode material for solid-state electric double-layer capacitor. Journal of Energy Storage (Oct 2021)

  5. Bonaventure A. Odeke, Gyang D. Chung, Jesutofunmi A. Fajemisin, Kabir S. Suraj, Denis K. Tonui, Ayinla R. Tobi, Thomas C. Bewaale, Jamiu A. Ajibola and Nelson Y. Dzade Electronic Structure and Surface Properties of Copper Thiocyanate: A Promising Hole Transport Material for Organic Photovoltaic Cells. MDPI Molecules (Dec 2020)

  6. Fahad Usman, John Ojur Dennis, Fabrice Meriaudeau, Abdelaziz Yousif Ahmed, Khe Cheng Seong, Yap Wing Fen, Amir Reza Sadrolhosseini, Bashir Abubakar Abdulkadir, Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, Wan Mohd Ebtisyam Mustaqim Mohd Daniyal, Nur Alia Sheh Omar, Nissren Tamm, Abdelmoneim Suleiman – Dependence of the Optical Constant Parameters of p-Toluene Sulfonic Acid-Doped Polyaniline and Its Composites on Dispersion Solvents. MDPI Molecules (Sept 2020)

  7. Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, J.O. Dennis, H.M. Zaid - Evaluation of low-cost high-performance solid-state supercapacitor derived from physically and chemically activated oil palm fiber. Elsevier Journal of material letters. (Jan 2021)

  8. Lawal Lanre Adebayo, Hassan Soleimani, Noorhana Yahya, Zulkifly Abbas, Maziyar Sabet, Fatai  Adisa Wahaab, Ridwan Tobi Ayinla - Facile preparation and enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption properties of Fe3O4 @PVDF nanocomposite - Elsevier Journal of material Research and Technology (April 2020)

  9. Lawal Lanre Adebayo, Hassan Soleimani, Noorhana Yahya, Zulkifly Abbas, Fatai Adisa Wahaab, Ridwan Tobi Ayinla - Recent advances in the development of Fe3O4-BASED microwave absorbing materials. Elsevier Journal of Ceramics Internationals (Feb 2020)

  10. Fahad Usman, Khe Cheng Seong, Abdelaziz Yousif Ahmed, Fabrice Meriaudeau, Olumide Bolarinwa Ayodele, Ayinla Ridwan Tobi, Almur Abdelkarim S.Rabih, AsfandYar. Synthesis and characterization of a ternary composite of polyaniline, reduced graphene-oxide and chitosan with reduced optical band gap and stable aqueous dispersibility. Elsevier Journal of Results in Physics (Dec 2019)

  11. Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, J.O. Dennis, H.M. Zaid, Fahad Usman, Asfand yar. Effect on particle size on the physical properties of activated palm kernel shell for supercapacitor application. International Conference on Material and Manufacturing Technology (ICMMT 2019)

  12. Adebayo Lawal Lanre, Norhana Yahya, Abdulwahab Abdulfatai, Ayinla Ridwan Tobi. Investigation of the Broadband Microwave Absorption of Citric Acid Coated Fe3O4 /PVDF Composite Using Finite Element Method. Elsevier Journal of Nanomaterials (Sept 2019)

  13. Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, J.O. Dennis, H.M. Zaid, A.A Adekoya, Asfand Yar, Fahad Usman. Comparative analysis of physiochemical properties of physically activated carbon from palm bio-waste. Elsevier Journal of Material Research and Technology (July 2019).

  14. Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, J.O. Dennis, H.M. Zaid, Y.K. Sanusi, Fahad Usman, L.L. Adebayo. A review of technical advances of recent palm bio-waste conversion to activated carbon for energy storage. Elsevier Journal of Cleaner Production (April 2019)

  15. Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, Mehrdad Shiri, Bo Song, Mahesh Gangishetty, Kun Wang - The pivotal role of non-covalent interactions in single-molecule charge transport. Materials Chemistry Frontiers (Mar 2023)

  16. Ian Bunker, Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, Kun Wang - Single-Molecule Chemical Reactions Unveiled in Molecular Junctions. MDPI Processes (Dec 2022)

  17. Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, Mahesh Gangishetty, Kun Wang - Highly ordered plasmonic Au nano prism on conductive and transparent Indium Tin Oxide through nanosphere lithography. Bulletin of the American Physical Society (Nov 2022)

  18. Haixin Zhang, Mehrdad Shiri, Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, Zhe Qiang, Kun Wang - Switching the conductance of a single molecule: Lessons from molecular junctions. MRS communications (Oct 2022)

  19. Ridwan Tobi Ayila,* Chaolong Tang,* Kun Wang - Beyond electrical conductance: progress and prospects in single-molecule junctions. Journal of Materials Chemistry C (Mar 2022) (* are equal contribution first authors)

  20. Chaolong Tang, Mehrdad Shiri, Haixin Zhang, Ridwan Tobi Ayinla, Kun Wang - Light-driven charge transport and optical sensing in molecular junctions. Nanomaterials (Feb 2022)

Invention Disclosure

Inventors: Ridwan T Ayinla, Islam Elsayed, El Barbary Hassan. Development of novel nanocellulose-based hydrogel electrolyte for sustainable high-performance supercapacitors ID: 2025-11-06-043.

Research Grants and Academic Awards

  1. Winner 3-minute thesis competition @ Mississippi State University (MSU)           2024

  2. First Position Prize Award Graduate School Symposium MSU                                   2024

  3. First prize, NOBCChE Pitch Perfect competition, Orlando Florida                            2024

  4. Electrochemical Society Summer Fellowship ($5000 Research Grant)                      2024

  5. NOBCChE Advance Science Grant                                                                                    2024

  6. Professional Development Award, MSU ($800 Prof Award)                                         2023

  7. Second Prize Award Graduate School Symposium Presentation Award, MSU,        2023

  8. ACS Career Kickstarter Bridge (ACS Bridge)                                                                   2023

  9. Travel Grants for Graduate Students to ACS New Orleans ($450)                               2023

  10. Rising Star Award in Teaching, MSU, USA ($500 Award)                                              2021 

  11. PETRONAS High Archiver Award, Malaysia                                                                    2020 

  12. Graduate on Time Award (GOT), Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. Malaysia          2020 

  13. Petroleum Technology Development Fund (More than $180,000 for masters)        2019

  14. Nigeria Senate President Kwara class of Honor (500,000 Naira)                                  2016

  15. Best Graduating Student, “Pure and Applied Physics Department”. LAUTECH

Professional Membership

Electrochemical Society (2022 - Present)
America Chemical Society (2021 - Present)
Royal Society of Chemistry (2024 – Present)
National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (2022 – Present)

Research Interest

Biomass derived electrodes and electrolyte for solid-state high performance energy storage devices

Fundamental mechanism of solid-electrolyte interphase using scanning probe microscopy (AFM and STM)

Life Cycle Assessment 

Beyond Electrostatics: Lignocellulosic engineering for faradaic electrochemical process

AI and Machine learning for material engineering, data processing, and automation

Contact

Sustainable Chemistry Lab

201, Locksley Way (Building 3)

Starkville, MS 39759

ayinlatobi@yahoo.com

Contact Me

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