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Hector D Abruna

Emile M. Chamot Professor

Graduate Fields

Research Focus

Our research effort takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of electrochemical phenomena. We employ electrochemical techniques as probes of a variety of chemical systems, and we use other techniques such as x-ray based methods, scanned probe microscopies (STM, AFM), low temperature conductance and spectrosocopic techniques to address problems of electrochemical interest.

  1. Fuel cells:
    • The use of ordered intermetallics, such as BiPt (Fig. 1), for the electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid, methanol, ethanol and other small organic molecules of potential utility as fuels in fuel cells.
    • Use of Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry for mechanistic studies related to fuel cells.
  2. Redox and photoactive dendrimers:
    • Synthesis of dendrimers containing transition metal complexes and extended structures based on transition metal complexes of bridging ligands
    • Characterization via electrochemistry, spectroscopy and STM (Fig. 4) of the kinetics, thermodynamics and structural aspects of the above mentioned materials in solution and as adsorbed layers on electrode surfaces.
  3. Biosensors:
    • The use of oriented enzyme layers for the development of amperometric biosensors
    • Real-time monitoring of cellular processes using DEMS
  4. Molecular Electronics:
    The synthesis of nanometric building blocks and their use in molecular electronic devices.

Educational Background

  • PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1980
  • MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1976
  • BS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1975

Research Grants

  • CCI PHASE I: CENTER FOR MOLECULAR INTERFACING
  • TRANSPORT PHENOMENA AND INTERFACIAL KINETICS IN PLANAR MICROFLUIDIC MEMBRANELESS FUEL CELLS
  • NEW MOLECULAR PLATFORMS AND ARCHITECTURES FOR ELECTRICAL ENERGY STORAGE
  • DISCOVER AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MATERIALS FOR LITHIUM SULFIDE BASED BATTERIES FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
  • ACQUISITION OF A HIGH-RESOLUTION BENCH-TOP MASS SPECTROMETER FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
  • ELECTROCATALYSTS FOR FUEL CELLS AND MEMBRANELESS FUEL CELLS
  • COMMERCIALIZATION OF 10-WATT PLANAR MEMBRANE-LESS MICRO-FLUIDIC FUEL CELL
  • AN ADVANCED MATERIALS APPROACH TO FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGIES
  • NIRT: REDOX AND CONDUCTION ROUTING IN MOLECULAR ELECTRONICS

Selected Publications

PubMed Listings
Zhong, Yu-Wu; Vila, Neus; Henderson, Jay C.; Flores-Torres, Samuel; Abruña, Héctor D. Dinuclear Transition-Metal Terpyridine Complexes with a Dithienylcyclo-pentene Bridge Directed toward Molecular Electronic Applications. Inorganic Chemistry (Washington, DC, United States) 2007, 46(25), 10470-10472.

Parks, J. J.; Champagne, A. R.; Hutchison, G. R.; Flores-Torres, S.; Abruña, H. D.; Ralph, D. C. Tuning the Kondo Effect with a Mechanically Controllable Break Junction. Physical Review Letters 2007, 99(2), 026601/1-026601/4.

Zhuang, Lin; Jin, Jing; Abruña, Héctor D. Direct Observation of Electrocatalytic Synergy. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2007, 129(36), 11033-11035.

Abruña, Héctor D.; Matsumoto, Futoshi; Cohen, Jamie L.; Jin, Jing; Roychowdhury, Chandrani; Prochaska, Mark; van Dover, R. Bruce; DiSalvo, Frank J.; Kiya, Yasuyuki; Henderson, Jay C.; Hutchison, Geoffrey R. Electrochemical energy generation and storage. Fuel cells and lithium-ion batteries. Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan 2007 80(10), 1843-1855.

Cohen, Jamie L.; Volpe, David J.; Abruña, Héctor D. Electrochemical determination of activation energies for methanol oxidation on polycrystalline platinum in acidic and alkaline electrolytes. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2007, 9(1), 49-77.

Moran-Mirabal, Jose M.; Slinker, Jason D.; DeFranco, John A.; Verbridge, Scott S.; Ilic, Rob; Flores-Torres, Samuel; Abruña, Héctor; Malliaras, George G.; Craighead, H. G. Electrospun Light-Emitting Nanofibers. Nano Letters 2007, 7(2), 458-463.

Slinker, Jason D.; DeFranco, John A.; Jaquith, Michael J.; Silveira, William R.; Zhong, Yu-Wu; Moran-Mirabal, Jose M.; Craighead, Harold G.; Abruña, Héctor D.; Marohn, John A.; Malliaras, George G. Direct measurement of the electric-field distribution in a light-emitting electrochemical cell. Nature Materials 2007, 6(11), 894-899.