Ilja Popovs

Associate Professor and the Pietro F. Pasqua Faculty Fellow

Biography

Ilja Popovs, Associate Professor and the Pietro F. Pasqua Faculty Fellow in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT), has more than 15 years of experience spanning synthesis and catalysis, materials science, nuclear and radiochemistry, electrochemistry, process design, and advanced chemical separations. His research integrates fundamental coordination chemistry, advanced spectroscopy, and ligand discovery to develop innovative chelators for radiotheranostic applications and separation and purification technologies for f-elements and other radionuclides. He has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications and holds several patents. His work has been recognized with multiple R&D 100 Awards, UT–Battelle research honors, and national media coverage.

Research

• Coordination chemistry of f-elements (lanthanides and actinides) and other radionuclides relevant to radiotheranostics.
• Design and synthesis of chelators for targeted alpha therapy and chelation therapy.
• Materials discovery and process development for advanced separations.
• Development of multistimuli-responsive, smart membranes, sorbents, and extractants for critical-materials recovery and isotope separation/purification.
• Mechanistic and structural studies to elucidate metal–ligand interactions in solution.

Education

• PhD, Chemistry, University of Houston, 2014
• BS, Chemistry, University of Latvia, 2008

Professional Service

• 2025: ACS Spring National Meeting, symposium organizer (San Diego, CA).
• 2025: MRS Winter Meeting, symposium organizer (Boston, MA).
• 2025: Pacifichem, “Advancements in Chemistry of Theranostics for Targeted Radionuclide Therapy,” organizing committee (Honolulu, HI).
• 2024: Gordon Research Seminar, “Membranes: Materials and Chemistry,” panelist (New London, NH).
• 2024: ACS Spring National Meeting, session presider (Indianapolis, IN).
• 2024: National Postdoctoral Symposium, panelist (Oak Ridge, TN).
• 2023–present: UT–ORII Bredesen Center Faculty Admissions Committee, member.
• 2023: Critical Materials Innovation Hub Leadership Academy, inductee.
• Ongoing: Professional memberships — ANS, AAAS, ECS, MRS, ACS, AIChE.
• Ongoing: Proposal reviewer — DOE BES, DOE EERE, Office of Naval Research.

Awards and Recognitions

• 2024 – Research Accomplishment in Science and Technology, UT–Battelle Annual Awards Night.
• 2024 – R&D 100 Award, “High Lithium Capacity Sorbents for Direct Lithium Extraction Toward Increased Domestic Critical Mineral Supply Chain.”
• 2024 – R&D 100 Award, “Selective Mixed Plastic Recycling.”
• 2023 – UT–Battelle Distinguished Innovation Award, UT–Battelle Annual Awards Night.
• 2019 – Director’s Award for Outstanding Team Accomplishment, UT–Battelle Annual Awards Night.
• 2019 – Research Accomplishment in Science and Technology, UT–Battelle Annual Awards Night.

Publications

For the full list, view Popovs's Google Scholar.

Evans*, B. R.; Popovs*, I.; Johnson, K. R.; Einkauf, J. D.; Moyer, B. A.; Paranthaman, M. P. A New Triketone Ligand for Extraction of Lithium from Brines. ChemSusChem 2025, 18, e202401600.

Lindberg*, A.; Mokhtarinori, N.; Yang, Z.; Dai, S.; Popovs, I.; Vasdev*, N. Ionic Liquid-Aided [11C]CO Fixation for Synthesis of 11C-Carbonyls. ChemistryOpen 2025, e202400410.

Pramanik, S.; Li, B.; Driscoll, D. M.; Johnson, K. R.; Evans, B. R.; Damron, J. T.; Ivanov, A. S.; Jiang, D.; Einkauf, J.; Popovs*, I.; Jansone-Popova*, S. Tetradentate Ligand’s Chameleon-Like Behavior Offers Recognition of Specific Lanthanides. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024.

Driscoll, D. M.; White, F. D.; Pramanik, S.; Einkauf, J. D.; Ravel, B.; Bykov, D.; Roy, S.; Mayes, R. T.; Delmau, L. H.; Cary, S. K.; Dyke, T.; Miller, A.; Silveira, M.; VanCleve, S. M.; Davern, S. M.; Jansone-Popova, S.; Popovs*, I.; Ivanov*, A. S. Observation of a Promethium Complex in Solution. Nature 2024, 629 (8013), 819–823.

Toro-González, M.; Akingbesote, N.; Bible, A.; Pal, D.; Sanders, B.; Ivanov, A. S.; Jansone-Popova, S.; Popovs, I.; Benny, P.; Perry, R.; Davern*, S. Development of 225Ac-Doped Biocompatible Nanoparticles for Targeted Alpha Therapy. J. Nanobiotechnol. 2024, 22 (1), 306.

Ivanov, A. S.; Parker, B. F.; Zhang, Z.; Aguila, B.; Sun, Q.; Ma, S.; Jansone-Popova, S.; Arnold, J.; Mayes, R. T.; Dai, S.; Bryantsev*, S. V.; Rao*, L.; Popovs*, I. Siderophore-Inspired Chelator Hijacks Uranium from Aqueous Medium. Nat. Commun. 2019, 10 (1), 819.

Hachtel*, J. A.; Huang, J.; Popovs, I.; Jansone-Popova, S.; Keum, J. K.; Jakowski, J.; Lovejoy, T. C.; Dellby, N.; Krivanek, O. L.; Idrobo*, J. C. Identification of Site-Specific Isotopic Labels by Vibrational Spectroscopy in the Electron Microscope. Science 2019, 363 (6426), 525–528.