Sergio Granados-Focil
Professor, Chemistry
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Current research projects in the Granados-Focil group focus on polymer chemistry to produce materials that exhibit different types of selective transport through polymeric matrices.
1. An integrated study of ion dynamics and population distributions to understand the molecular underpinnings of charge transport through self-assembled solid polymer electrolytes (currently funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation).Access to mechanically robust solid polymer electrolytes with ion mobilities comparable to those of liquid electrolytes constitutes a significant barrier for the development of the high-performance lithium batteries required for the widespread use of electricity produced from renewable sources. This research effort focuses on understanding the fundamental aspects of ion diffusion through nanostructured polymeric matrices, and on using these insights to guide the design of solid polymer electrolytes for high power density lithium batteries.
2. Adaptive Building Enclosure Systems Using Cellular Solid-Solid Phase Change Materials with Variable Transparency. (currently funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation).Buildings are responsible for about 40% of US energy consumption; a significant fraction of this energy is needed to counter thermal losses or gains occurring trough the building envelope. We seek to develop an innovative passive solar building enclosure system that uses cellular solid-solid phase change materials (PCM) with variable transparency. Our systems not only improve building interior thermal comfort, but also reduce energy use by changing its properties in response to external stimuli.
3. Thermal battery systems for garments. (currently funded by the U.S. Department of Defense).When conducting missions in cold weather environments, troops can face a host of weather-related challenges, ranging from numb skin to hypothermia and frostbite that hinder their task performance or even threaten their limbs or lives. Therefore, it is extremely important to provide thermal extremity protection for troops operating in extreme conditions. This project aims to develop a sorbent-thermo-responsive polymer thermal battery without the use of power, which can store and deliver heat to a solider on demand with material-enabled, passive control mechanisms.
4. CO2 Separation Mediated By Proton-Coupled Electron TransferIncreasing global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the use of fossil fuels in energy conversion processes threatens to accelerate climate change and its associated deleterious effects on human civilization. Since the need to remove significant amounts of this greenhouse gas directly from air has become more urgent, advancing its electrochemical capture in a way that can be achieved at both point sources and the atmosphere could enable breakthrough real-world applications in carbon capture, utilization and storage.
5. Synthesis of low-cost non-perfluorinated ion conducting membranes for organic redox flow batteries.Low-cost, highly selective, ion-conducting membranes, are prepared from a new class of sulfonated polyphenylenes. The proton conductivity of these membranes has been measured to be at least 2-4 times higher than Nafion 212. These macromolecules organize into lyotropic liquid crystalline structures with sulfonate-lined hydrated channels that vary in size between 0.8 nm and 2 nm. This channel structure exhibits high selectivity towards solvated ions and excluding larger species, resulting in better device performance.
Degrees
- Ph.D. in Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 2006
- M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2002
- B.S. in Chemistry, National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2000
Affiliated Department(s)
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Scholarly and Creative Works
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2022
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Published in Journal of Energy Storage
Fall
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2022
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Vol. 56
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Thermal optimization of a novel thermo-optically responsive SS-PCM coating for building enclosures
Published in Energy and Buildings
Fall
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2021
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Vol. 247
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Rational design of solid-acid catalysts for cellulose hydrolysis using colloidal theory
Published in Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.
Summer
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2021
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Vol. 23
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Interfacial States, Energetics, and Atmospheric Stability of Large-Grain Antifluorite Cs2TiBr6
Published in J. Phys. Chem. C
2020/11/05
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2020
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Vol. 124
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Issue #44
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Published in Sustainable Energy Fuels
Fall
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2020
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Vol. 5
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Published in Langmuir
2020/08/18
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2020
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Vol. 36
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Issue #32
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Challenging the block copolymer design conventions for ion transport: Diblock copolymers using ionic interactions as a mechanically reinforcing mechanism
Published in Solid State Ionics
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2020
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Carbonate-mediated alkyl functionalization of poly(ethylene imine), an efficient, mild, route towards fully functionalized PEI backbones
Published in Reactive Functional Polymers
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2020
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Bio-inspired
Chapter: Bio-inspired building envelopesPublished by Cambridge University Press
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2020
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Published in ACS Sensors
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2020
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Vol. 5
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Issue #1
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Thermo-optically responsive phase change materials for passive temperature regulation
Published in Solar Energy
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2020
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Published in Analytica Chimica Acta
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2020
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Vol. 1101
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Microbateria organica baseada em hidrogel natural
Resumos
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Simpósio Brasileiro de Eletroquímica e Eletroanalítica
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2019
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Bitumen's microstructures are correlated with its bulk thermal and rheological properties
Published in Fuel
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2019
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Vol. 254
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Non-corrosive, low-toxicity gel-based microbattery from organic and organometallic molecules
Published in Journal of Materials Chemistry A
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2019
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Vol. 7
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2019
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Awards & Grants
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Faculty Development Grant
Clark University
Jun. 1, 2021 - May. 31, 2022
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Grant Incentive Award
Clark University
Aug. 23, 2021 - Dec. 20, 2021
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Collaborative Research: Adaptive Building Enclosure Systems Using Cellular Solid-Solid Phase Change Materials with Variable Transparency
NSF CMMI
Jul. 1, 2017 - Jun. 30, 2021
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An integrated study of ion dynamics and population distributions to understand the molecular underpinnings of charge transport through self-assembled solid polymer electrolytes
National Science Foundation, CBET-Energy for Sustainability
Jul. 1, 2018 - Jun. 30, 2021
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STTR: ThermoPylon: Thermal battery systems for garments.
U.S. DoD
May. 18, 2020 - Nov. 30, 2020
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REU-Supplement, National Science Foundation, CMMI. Collaborative Research: Adaptive Building Enclosure Systems Using Cellular Solid-Solid Phase Change Materials with Variable Transparency.
NSF CMMI
Jun. 1, 2019 - May. 31, 2020
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REU-Supplement, National Science Foundation, CBET-Energy for Sustainability: An integrated study of ion dynamics and population distributions to understand the molecular underpinnings of charge transport through self-assembled solid polymer electrolytes
National Science Foundation, CBET-Energy for Sustainability
May. 15, 2019 - Apr. 30, 2020
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Carl and Anna Carlson Endowed Faculty chair
Clark University
2021
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