Directory

Joaquin Rodriguez Lopez's directory photo.

Joaquin Rodriguez Lopez

Professor

Primary Affiliation

Artificial Intelligence for Materials

Affiliations

Status Part-time Faculty

Home Department of Chemistry

Phone

Email joaquinr@illinois.edu

Address 3255 Beckman Institute, 405 North Mathews Avenue

  • Biography

    Joaquín Rodríguez López is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  Joaquin’s group combines   interests in electroanalytical chemistry and energy materials by developing chemically sensitive methods for studying ionic and highly localized surface features, and ultra-thin electrodes. The work of his group has been highlighted in the media by The Analytical Scientist as a 40 under 40 investigator (2022) and by Science News 10 Scientists to Watch (2018). Rodríguez López is a recognized leader in electroanalysis, summing over 100 invited national and international presentations, over 100 publications and book chapters, leadership within the DOE JCESR Energy Hub and a thriving electrochemical program that gives back through educational activities such as his staple “Electrochemistry Bootcamp” organized at UIUC, and which teaches laboratory skills to broad audiences.

    Education

    • B.S., chemistry, Tecnologico de Monteerey, 2005

    • Ph.D., analytical chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 2010

  • Honors

    • 2023: School of Chemical Sciences Faculty Teaching Award

    • 2022: The Analytical Scientist Top 40 Under 40 Power List

    • 2021: Zhaowu Tian Prize for Energy Electrochemistry by the International Society of Electrochemistry 

    • 2020: Arthur F. Findeis Award for Achievements by a Young Analytical Scientist, American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry

    • 2019: Discovery Grant, Department of Chemistry UIUC

    • 2018: Science News 10 Scientists to Watch

    • 2017: Scialog Fellow, Advanced Energy Storage

    • 2017: Royce W. Murray Young Investigator Award by the Society of Electroanalytical Chemistry

    • 2016: East Central Illinois ACS Local Section "Distinguished Service Award

    • 2016: Sloan Research Fellowship

    • 2015: Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh Starter Grant

    • 2015: International Society of Electrochemistry Travel Award

    • 2014, 2015: Joint Center for Energy Research Storage Director's Fund Award

    • 2012: Young Investigator Award, Energy Materials Center at Cornell

    • 2010: ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Graduate Fellowship, Sponsored by Eli Lilly and Co.

  • Research

    Research Areas:

    • Analytical Chemistry

    • Materials Chemistry

    Research Interests:

    • Nanoelectrochemistry

    • Advanced Electrochemical Characterization and Imaging of Materials and Interfaces for Electrocatalysis and Energy Storage

    • Redox Polymers

    • Ultrathin Electrodes

    • Electrochemical Simulation

    Our research focuses on characterizing heterogeneous electrode materials for elucidating their function and generating new strategies to advance electrochemical energy technologies and sensing. Our objective is to pioneer powerful methods of analysis at the nano- and micro-scale for understanding how electrode structure, shape and size, as well as the formation of chemical intermediates, impact the performance of materials and interfaces for batteries, electrocatalysts and photoelectrocatalysts. The Rodriguez-Lopez group combines interests in analytical and materials chemistry.

  • 2022

    • Cabana, J., Alaan, T., Crabtree, G. W., Hatzell, M. C., Manthiram, K., Steingart, D. A., Zenyuk, I., Jiao, F., Vojvodic, A., Yang, J. Y., Balsara, N. P., Persson, K. A., Siegel, D. J., Haynes, C. L., Mauzeroll, J., Shen, M., Venton, B. J., Balke, N., Rodríguez-López, J., ... Hattrick-Simpers, J. (2022). NGenE 2021: Electrochemistry Is Everywhere. ACS Energy Letters, 7(1), 368-374. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.1c02608
    • Lawrence, M. J., Celorrio, V., Sargeant, E., Huang, H., Rodríguez-López, J., Zhu, Y., Gu, M., Russell, A. E., & Rodriguez, P. (2022). Insight into the Activity and Selectivity of Nanostructured Copper Titanates during Electrochemical Conversion of CO2 at Neutral pH via In Situ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 14(2), 2742-2753. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c19298
    • Qian, H., Counihan, M. J., Doan, H. A., Ibrahim, N. A., Danis, A. S., Setwipatanachai, W., Purwanto, N. S., Rodríguez-López, J., Assary, R. S., & Moore, J. S. (2022). Mesolytic cleavage of homobenzylic ethers for programmable end-of-life function in redoxmers. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 10(14), 7739-7753. https://doi.org/10.1039/d1ta10291e
    • Sarbapalli, D., Lin, Y. H., Stafford, S., Son, J., Mishra, A., Hui, J., Nijamudheen, A., Romo, A. I. B., Gossage, Z. T., van der Zande, A. M., Mendoza-Cortes, J. L., & Rodriguez Lopez, J. (2022). A Surface Modification Strategy Towards Reversible Na-ion Intercalation on Graphitic Carbon Using Fluorinated Few-Layer Graphene. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 169(10), [106522]. https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ac9c33
    • Zeng, Y., Gossage, Z. T., Sarbapalli, D., Hui, J., & Rodríguez-López, J. (2022). Tracking Passivation and Cation Flux at Incipient Solid-Electrolyte Interphases on Multi-Layer Graphene using High Resolution Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy. ChemElectroChem, 9(5), [e202101445]. https://doi.org/10.1002/celc.202101445

    2017

    • Barton, Z. J.; Hui, J.; Schorr, N. B.; Rodríguez-López, J. Detecting Potassium Ion Gradients at a Model Graphitic Interface. Electrochim. Acta, 2017,241, 98-105. .
    • Barton, Z. J.; Rodríguez-López, J. Cyclic Voltammetry Probe Approach Curves (CV-PACs) with Alkali Amalgams at Mercury Sphere-Cap Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) Probes. Anal. Chem., 2017, 89, 2708-2715.
    • Barton, Z. J.; Rodríguez-López, J. Fabrication and Demonstration of Mercury Disc-Well Probes for Stripping-Based Cyclic Voltammetry Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (CV-SECM). Anal. Chem., 2017, 89, 2716-2723.
    • Gossage, Z.T.; Schorr, N.B.; Hernandez-Burgos, K.; Hui, J.; Simpson, B.H.; Montoto, E.C.; Rodríguez-López, J. Interrogating Charge Storage on Redox Active Colloids via Combined Raman Spectroscopy and Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy. Langmuir, 2017, In Press. Invited contribution to “Fundamental Interfacial Science for Energy Applications” Special Issue.
    • Hernandez-Burgos, K.; Barton, Z.J.; Rodríguez-López, J. Finding Harmony Between Ions and Electrons: New Tools and Concepts for Emerging Energy Storage Materials. Chem. Mater. 2017, In Press. Invited contribution to the “Up-and-Coming” Series.
    • Iyer, V.A.; Schuh, J.K.; Montoto, E.C.; Pavan Nemani, V.; Qian, S.; Nagarjuna, G.; Rodríguez-López, J.; Ewoldt, R.H.; Smith, K.C. Assesing the Impact of Electrolyte Conductivity and Viscosity on the Reactor Cost and Pressure Drop of Redox-Active Polymer Flow Batteries. J. Power Sources 2017, 361, 334-344.
    • Montoto, E.C.; Nagarjuna, G.; Moore, J.S.; Rodríguez-López, J. Redox Active Polymers for Non-Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries: Validation of a Size-Exclusion Approach. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2017, 164, A1688-A1694.

    2016

    • Barton, Z.J.; Rodríguez-López, J. Emerging Scanning Probe Approaches to the Measurement of Ionic Reactivity at Energy Storage Materials. Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 2016, 11, 2707-2715.
    • Burgess, M.; Chenard, E.; Hernandez-Burgos, K.; Gavvalapalli, N.; Assary, R.S.; Hui, J.; Moore, J.S.; Rodríguez-López, J. Impact of Backbone Tether Length and Structure on the Electrochemical Performance of Viologen Redox Active Polymers. Chem. Mater., 2016, 28, 7362-7374.
    • Burgess, M.; Hernandez-Burgos, K.; Cheng, K.J.; Moore, J.S.; Rodríguez-López, J. Impact of Electrolyte Composition on the Reactivity of a Redox Active Polymer Studied through Surface Interrogation and Ion-Sensitive Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy. Analyst, 2016, 141, 3842-3850. Invited contribution to Emerging Investigators issue.
    • Burgess, M.; Hernandez-Burgos, K.; Simpson, B.H.; Lichtenstein, T.; Avetian, S.; Nagarajuna, G.; Cheng, K.J.; Moore, J.S.; Rodríguez-López, J., Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy and Hydrodynamic Voltammetry Investigation of Charge Transfer Mechanisms on Redox Active Polymers. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2016, 163 (4) H3006-H3013. Invited Contribution for the Special Issue Honoring Allen J. Bard.
    • Burgess, M.; Moore, J.S.; Rodríguez-López, J. Redox Active Polymers as Soluble Nanomaterials for Energy Storage. Acc. Chem. Res., 2016, 49 (11), 2649-2657.
    • Gossage, Z.T.; Simpson, B.H.; Schorr, N.B.; Rodríguez-López, J. Soft Surfaces for Fast Characterization and Positioning of Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy Nanoelectrode Tips. Anal. Chem., 2016, 88, 9897-9901.
    • Hui, J.; Burgess, M.; Zhang, J.; Rodríguez-López, J. Layer Number Dependence of Li+ Intercalation on Few-Layer Graphene and Electrochemical Imaging of Its Solid-Electrolyte Interphase Evolution, ACS Nano 2016, 10, 4248-4257.
    • Hui, J.; Zhou, X.; Bhargava, R.; Chinderle, A.; Zhang, J.; Rodríguez-López, J. Kinetic Modulation of Outer-Sphere Electron Transfer Reactions on Graphene Electrode with a Sub-surface Metal Substrate. Electrochimica Acta, 2016, 211, 1016-1023.
    • Montoto, E.C.; Gavvalapalli, N.; Hui, J.; Burgess, M.; Sekerak, N.M.; Hernandez-Burgos, K.; Wei, T.; Kneer, M.; Grolman, J.M.; Cheng, K.J.; Lewis, J.A.; Moore, J.S.; Rodríguez-López, J. Redox Active Colloids as Discrete Energy Storage Carriers. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2016, 138, 13230-13237.
    • Plaza, M.; Huang, X.; Ko, J.Y.P.; Brock, J.D.; Shen, M.; Simpson, B.H.; Rodríguez-López, J.; Ritzert, N.L.; Abruna, H.D.; Letchworth-Weaver, K.; Gunceler, D.; Arias, T.A.; Schlom, D.G. Structure of the Photo-Catalytically Active Surface of SrTiO3. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2016, 138 (25), 7816-7819
    • Sevov, C.S.; Brooner, R.E.M.; Chenard, E.; Assary, R.S.; Moore, J.S.; Rodríguez-López.J.; Sanford, M.S. Evolutionary Design of Low Molecular Weight Organic Anolytes for Applications in Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137 (45), 14465.
    • Zhou, X.; Gossage, Z.T.; Simpson, B.H.; Hui, J.; Barton, Z.J.; Rodríguez-López, J. Electrochemical Imaging of Photoanodic Water Oxidation Enhancements on TiO2 Thin Films Modified by Sub-Surface Al Nano-Dimers. ACS Nano, 2016, 10, 9346-9352.

    2015

    • Cristarella, T.; Chinderle, A.; Hui, J.; Rodríguez-López. Single Layer Graphene as a Stable and Transparent Electrode for Non-Aqueous Radical Annihilation Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence. Langmuir 2015, 31, 3999-4007.
    • Duarte-Guevara, C.; Swaminathan, V.V.; Burgess, M.; Reddy Jr. B.; Salm, E.M.; Liu, Y.-S.; Rodríguez-López, J.; Bashir, R. Quasi-Reference Electrodes for Robust ISFET Operation. Analyst, 2015, 140, 3630-3641.
    • Simpson, B.H.; Rodríguez-López, J. Electrochemical Imaging and Redox Interrogation of Surface Defects on Operating SrTiO3 photo-electrodes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 14865.

    2014

    • Gavvalapalli, N.; Hui, J.; Cheng, K.; Lichtenstein, T.; Shen, M.; Moore, J.S.; Rodríguez-López. Impact of Redox Active Polymer Molecular Weight on the Electrochemical Properties and Transport Across Porous Separators in Non-Aqueous Solvents. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 16309-16316.