Dr. John Kirtley, Ph.D.
Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry

John Kirtley

Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry

Montana Tech Research Thrust: Renewable Energy, Biomaterials & Nanomaterials, Energy Storage, Conversion & Conservation Materials, Materials Synthesis, Processing, & Fabrication.

Dr. Kirtley’s research group focuses on finding direct insights into high-temperature chemistry, with a goal of optimizing materials/processes that support environmental sustainability. Early on at MTech, both undergraduate and graduate students investigated biochar (a product of biomass pyrolysis) as a tunable platform for adsorbing aqueous pollutants.  More recently, the group has pivoted into the arena of alternative energy, focusing on high-temperature ceramic fuel cells.

Dr. John Kirtley earned his B.S. in Mathematics Teaching and Ph.D. in Chemistry at Montana State University. His dissertation research focused on implementing operando Raman, thermal imaging, infrared emission, and electrochemical techniques to study high-temperature chemistry of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Thereafter, Dr. Kirtley continued his SOFC research at the US Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. after being awarded a National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship. There, he focused mainly on poisoning and reforming mechanisms associated with biofuels. Dr. Kirtley then accepted a postdoctoral position with Washington State University in Spokane, WA. There he investigated Raman spectroscopy as a remote sensing technique for high-temperature combustion processes. He also served as a Visiting Assistant Professor position at Whitworth University in Spokane. Finally, in 2019, he joined the Department of Chemistry/Geochemistry at Montana Tech.

Outside of work, Dr. Kirtley is thankful to share life with his wife, and four children, especially in the Montana outdoors. Some of his interests include long distance running, hiking, and hunting.

Curriculum Vitae

B.S., Mathematics Teaching, Montana State University

Ph.D., Chemistry, Montana State University

  • CHMY 141 and 143 (General Chemistry I and II, trailer series) 

  • CHMY 279 - Computational Chemistry

  • CHMY 371, 372, 373, and 374 (Physical Chemistry I and II, lecture/labs)

  • CHMY 401 - (Inorganic Chemistry)

2026-Present      Interim Chemistry Department Head, Montana Tech

2025-Present      Tenured Associate Professor, Montana Tech

2023-Present       Associate Professor, Montana Tech

2019-2023           Assistant Professor, Montana Tech

2018-2019           Visiting Assistant Professor, Whitworth University

2016-2018           Postdoctoral Research Associate, Applied Sciences Laboratory, Washington State University

2015-2016           National Research Council Postdoctoral Associate, US Naval Laboratory

Research Interests

Dr. Kirtley investigates hard-to-see high-temperature chemical processes, with a focus on developing sustainable energy conversion technologies—particularly solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Why SOFCs? These remarkable devices generate clean electricity from a wide variety of fuels—renewables and traditional—with efficiencies superior to traditional combustion technologies. Through National Science Foundation funding, Dr. Kirtley’s research group is currently developing and characterizing modified SOFC materials to improve resilience with corrosive fuels sourced from waste wood biomass. Later stages of the project will develop and use operando methods to study fuel conversion mechanisms in complete cells.

Dr. Kirtley continues to lead an active research group that has included undergraduate students from a variety of STEM majors, graduate students within the Montana Materials Science and Engineering PhD program, and postdoctoral research associates. Past and present group members have had the opportunity to present at conferences, coauthor papers, and even collect X-ray data with Dr. Kirtley at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource.

Research Expertise

Dr. Kirtley earned his B.S. in Mathematics and Chemistry Teaching at Montana State University, and also received his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the same institution under Prof. Rob Walker. Dr. Kirtley was subsequently awarded a National Research Council fellowship to serve at the US Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC. Dr. Kirtley later worked as a postdoc at the Applied Sciences Laboratory (Washington State University) and as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Whitworth University before joining the Montana Technological University faculty in 2019. Dr.  Kirtley has received over $0.5 million in research funds through MTU’s Army Research Laboratory cooperative agreement that has led to several journal articles, as well as support for graduate students participating in the Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. program, and undergraduates. ​

Highlighted skillsets include:​

  • Materials fabrication
  • Mass spectrometry
  • Electrochemical analysis
  • Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy
  • SOFC construction and testing
  • Integration of optical spectroscopy with operando and in situ analysis of high-temperature processes

  • Materials Technology Science and Engineering Research for the Army (MT-SERA), Army Research Laboratory Cooperative Agreement #W911NF-15-2-0020 , 2019-2021. Served as Task Lead.

  • Material Technology Research for Army Modernization and Readiness (MT-RAMR), Army Research Laboratory Cooperative Agreement #W911NF-20-2-0163, 2020-2026. Served as Task Lead.

  • National Science Foundation EPSCoR CREST Phase I: Center for Energy Technologies, Award Number 2514731. 2025-2030, $7.5 million. Serving as co-PI.

Google Scholar Profile 

  • Hadi, A.-S.; Kirtley, J.D. Operando Analysis of the Electrolyte’s Influence upon Degradation in Protonic-Ceramic Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Fed with CO/H2. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2026, 9 (8), 5283-5293.
  • Muretta, J.D.; Uriarte, J.; Compton, D.; LaDouceur, R.; Kirtley, J.; and Prieto-Centurion, D. “Effects of Lignin Syringyl to Guaiacyl Ratio on Cottonwood Biochar Adsorbent Properties and Performance.” Scientific Reports, 2024, 14 (1), 19419.
  • Maza, W.A.; Pomeroy, E.; Steinhurst, D.A.; Tsoi, S.; Kirtley, J.D.; Eigenbrodt, B.C.; Owrutsky, J.C.; and Walker, R.A. “Insight into Carbon Removal from Solid Oxide Fuel Cells via Operando Spectroscopy.” ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2024, 7 (7), 269-2697.
  • Hadi, A.-S.; Morrow, F.; and Kirtley, J.D. “Examination of Morphological and Chemical Properties of Ni-BZY Anodes and their Influence upon Methane Reactivity and Electrochemical Performance of Protonic-Ceramic Fuel Cells.” Electrochemical Society Transactions, 2023, 111 (6), 2171-2187.
  • Muretta, J.E.; Prieto-Centurion, D.; LaDouceur, R.; and Kirtley, J.D.  “Unique chemistry and structure of pyrolyzed bovine bone for enhanced aqueous metals adsorption.” Waste Biomass Valorization, 2022, 14 (3), 703-722.
  • Goettlich, D.; Hadi, A.-S.; McEnaney, K.; and Kirtley, J. “Investigations of biochar as a tunable platform for aqueous malathion adsorption and decomposition.” MRS Advances, 2021, 6 (32), 759-763.

2024                                Faculty Merit Award

2023 and 2022              Rose and Anna Busch Faculty Achievement Award Nominee

American Chemical Society

Electrochemical Society

Dr. Kirtley is thankful to share life with his wife, and four children, especially in the Montana outdoors. Some of his interests include:

  • Long distance running
  • Hiking
  • Hunting
Connect with Dr. Kirtley.

I look forward to speaking with you.

Chemistry & Biology Building 215
Montana Tech
(406) 496-4247
Jkirtley@mtech.edu
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