Héctor D. Abruña

Overview

The Abruña Group focuses on the development and characterization of new materials using a wide variety of techniques for fuel cells, batteries, and molecular assemblies for molecular electronics.

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, differential electrochemical mass spectrometry, in-situ FT-IR, scanned probe microscopies, scanning electrochemical microscopy, low temperature conductance and spectroscopic techniques to address problems of electrochemical interest.  Current areas of research include:

1.  Fuel cells:

•  The use of ordered intermetallics, such as BiPt 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 (DEMS), in-situ FT-IR in for mechanistic studies related to fuel cells.

•  Development of in-situ TEM techniques for the study of fuel cell and battery materials

2. Electrical Energy Storage (EES): Batteries and Supercapacitors

•  Computational screening synthesis and characterization of organic molecules for EES

•  In-situ testing of battery systems using in-situ x-ray based technique (XRD, EXAFS, XANES)

•  Lithium/sulfur batteries

3.  Molecular electronics:

•  The synthesis of nanometric building blocks and their use in molecular electronic devices.

•  Transport measurements using mechanical break junctions and break junctions made through electromigration

•  Investigations of graphene as an experimental electrochemical platform

•  Surface diffusion and surface dynamics on single-layer graphene using scanning electrochemical microscopy.

Publications

Academic Article

• Coalescence in the thermal annealing of nanoparticles: An in situ STEM study of the growth mechanisms of ordered Pt–Fe nanoparticles in a KCl matrix.  Chemistry of Materials. 25:1436-1442. 2013
• In-Situ synthesis of lithium sulfide-carbon composites as cathode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries.  J. Materials Chem..  1:1433-1440. 2013
• Infiltrating sulfur in a hierarchical architecture MWCNT@meso C core-shell nanocomposites for lithium-sulfur batteries.  Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.  15:9051-9057. 2013
• Interdispersed silicon-carbon nanocomposites and their applications as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.  Electrochemistry Communications.  28:40-43. 2013
• Lithium-Sulfur battery cathode enabled by lithium-nitrile interaction.  J. Am. Chem. Soc.  135:763-767. 2013
• Structurally ordered intermetallic platinum-cobalt core-shell nanoparticles with enhanced activity and stability as oxygen reduction electrocatalysts.  Nature Materials.  12:81-87. 2013
• A surfactant-free strategy for synthesizing and processing intermetallic platinum-based nanoparticle catalysts.  Journal of the American Chemical Society.  134:18453-18459. 2012
• Facile synthesis of carbon-supported Pd–Co core–shell nanoparticles as oxygen reduction electrocatalysts and their enhanced activity and stability with monolayer Pt decoration.  Chemistry of Materials.  24:2274-2281. 2012
• Tailored Redox Functionality of Small Organics For Pseudocapacitive Electrodes.  Energy and Environmental Science.  7176-7187. 2012
• Tuning oxygen reduction reaction activity via controllable dealloying: A model study of ordered Cu3Pt/C intermetallic nanocatalysts.  Nano Letters.  12:5230-5238. 2012
• Integration of Self-Assembled Redox Molecules in Flash Memory Devices.  IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.  58:826-834. 2011
• Silver delafossite nitride, AgTaN2?.  Journal of Solid State Chemistry.  184:7-11. 2011
• Fabrication and surface characterization of single crystal PtBi and PtPb (100) and (001) surfaces. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.  12:12978-12986. 2010
• Highly stable and CO-tolerant Pt/Ti0.7W0.3O2 electrocatalyst for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells.  Journal of the American Chemical Society.  132:10218-10220. 2010
• Improved fuel cell oxidation catalysis in Pt1−xTax.  Chemistry of Materials.  22:1080-1087.2010
• Kinetic stabilization of ordered intermetallic phases as fuel cell anode materials.  Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 114:14929-14938. 2010
• Mechanisms of quenching of alexa fluorophores by natural amino acids.  Journal of the American Chemical Society.  132:7244-7245. 2010
• Phase behavior of pseudobinary precious metal−carbide systems.  Journal of Physical Chemistry C.  114: 21664-21671. 2010
• Pt-Decorated PdCo @ Pd/C Core-shell Nanoparticles with enhanced stability and Electrocatalytic Activity for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.  Journal of the American Chemical Society.  132:17664-17666. 2010
• Synthesis of Pt-Mo-N thin film and catalytic activity for fuel cells.  Chemistry of Materials.  22:3451-3456. 2010
• Theoretical and electrochemical analysis of poly(3,4-alkylenedioxythiophenes): Electron-donating effects and onset of p-doped conductivity.  The Journal of Physical Chemistry C.  114. 2010
• X-ray fluorescence investigation of ordered intermetallic phases as electrocatalysts towards the oxidation of small organic molecules.  Chemistry - A European Journal.  16:13689-13697. 2010
• CO tolerance of ordered intermetallic phases.  Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry.  626:14-22.2009
• Methanol electrooxidation on PtRu bulk alloys and carbon-supported PtRu nanoparticle catalysts: A quantitative DEMS study.  Langmuir.  25:7725-7735. 2009
• Preventing Nonspecific Adsorption on Polymer Brush Covered Gold Electrodes Using a Modified ATRP Initiator.  Biomacromolecules.  10:2750-2758. 2009
• PtPb nanoparticle electrocatalysts: Control of activity through synthetic methods.  Journal of Nanoparticle Research.  11:965-980. 2009
• Synthesis of intermetallic PtZn nanoparticles by reaction of Pt nanoparticles with Zn vapor and their application as fuel cell catalysts.  CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS.  21:2661-2667. 2009
• Electrocatalytic activity of ordered intermetallic PtPb nanoparticles prepared by borohydride reduction toward formic acid oxidation.  Journal of the Electrochemical Society.  155:B148-B148.2008
• Electrocatalytic mechanism and kinetics of SOMs oxidation on ordered PtPb and PtBi intermetallic compounds: DEMS and FTIRS study.  Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.  10:3739-3751. 2008
• Electrocatalytic performance of fuel oxidation by Pt3Ti nanoparticles.  Journal of the American Chemical Society.  130:5452-5458. 2008
• Electron injection from colloidal PbS quantum dots into titanium dioxide nanoparticles.  ACS Nano.  2:2206-2212. 2008
• Polymer Brushes as Responsive Materials for the Biology-Material Interface.  Polymeric Materials: Science & Engineering.  99:109-110. 2008
• Surface characterization of ordered intermetallic PtBi(0 0 1) surfaces by ultra-high vacuum–electrochemistry (UHV–EC).  Surface Science.  602:1830-1836. 2008
• Electronic effects in CO chemisorption on Pt−Pb intermetallic surfaces:  A theoretical study. Journal of Physical Chemistry C.  111:17357-17369. 2007
• [W6S8] Octahedral Tungsten Clusters Functionalized with Thiophene Derivatives:  toward Polymerizable Building Blocks.  Inorganic Chemistry.  46:8976-8987. 2007
• Probing Electrostatic Potentials in Solution with Carbon Nanotube Transistors.  Nano Letters.  6:1329-1333. 2006
• Intermetallic PtPb Nanoparticles Prepared by Sodium Naphthalide Reduction of Metal-Organic Precursors: Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Formic Acid.  Chemistry of Materials.  18:5591-5596.2006
• Surface Composition of Ordered Intermetallic Compounds PtBi and PtPb.  Surface Science.  600:2670-2680. 2006
• Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrocatalytic Activity of PtPb Nanoparticles Prepared by Two Synthetic Approaches.  Langmuir.  22:10465-10471. 2006
• W6S8 Inorganic Clusters with Organic TTF Derivative Ligands: In Pursuit of Multidimensional Conductive Networks.  Chemistry of Materials. 18:4296-4306. 2006
• Adsorption of CO on PtBi2 and PtBi Surfaces.  Surface Science.  574:1-16. 2005
• Determination of spatial distributions of zinc and active biomass in microbial biofilms by two-photon laser scanning microscopy.  Applied Environmental Microbiology.  71:4014-4021. 2005
• Regulation and function of cytochrome c' in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.3.  Journal of Bacteriology.  187:4077-4085. 2005
• Synthesis, Characterization and Electrocatalytic Activity of PtBi Nanoparticles Prepared by the Polyol Process.  Chemistry of Materials.  17:5871-5876. 2005
• Electrocatalytic Activity of Ordered Intermetallic Phases for Fuel Cell Applications.  Journal of the American Chemical Society.  126:4043-4049. 2004
• Surface Treatment Effects on the Electrocatalytic Activity and Characterization of Intermetallic Phases.  Journal of the Electrochemical Society.  151:A971-A977. 2004
• Wiring up single molecules.  Thin Solid Films.  438-439:457-461. 2003
• Amperometric TNT biosensor based on the oriented immobilization of a nitroreductase maltose binding protein fusion.  Analytical Chemistry.  74:140-148. 2002
• Study of specific binding of maltose binding protein to pyrrole-derived bipyridinium film by quartz crystal microbalance.  Langmuir.  18:4892-4897. 2002
• Probing Electrochemical Interfaces With X-Ray Standing Waves.  Journal of Physical Chemistry.  90:4926-4928. 1986

Article

• Coulomb blockade and the Kondo effect in single-atom transistors.  Nature.  417:722-725. 2002

In the news

• Chemist Héctor D. Abruña wins Enrico Fermi Award
• Cornell, partners to make upstate NY a regional engine for better batteries
• Abruña receives Global Energy Prize
• Backdoor method creates high-entropy material at lower temps
• Strong momentum marks 2030 Project’s early fundraising results
• Archaic equation helps scientists control CO2 transformations
• From methane to microbes: 2030 Project conveys first grants
• $8.3M award boosts chemistry research into fuel cells, batteries
• Energy center receives $12.6 million in renewed funding
• Startups flourish in Cornell’s clean energy ecosystem
• Cornell joins NY-led group to propose hydrogen energy hub
• Carbon-coated nickel enables fuel cell free of precious metals
• New catalysts steer hydrogen fuel cells into mainstream
• Electric uprising: Factorial Energy—new lightning, new bottles
• Green hydrogen filling station fueled by Cornell research
• Abruña wins national award in analytical chemistry
• Crossing boundaries: Cornell’s thriving research ecosystem
• Chemistry professor honored by international society
• Ecolectro receives $1.7M from DOE to accelerate hydrogen fuel development
• Abruña honored by Electrochemical Society
• Hispanic-serving institutions partner with CHESS
• $10.75M grant aids next-gen fuel cell development
• A&S faculty member elected to National Academy of Sciences
• McGovern Center incubator graduates a trio of startups
• Cornell collaboration reports unique property of bilayer graphene
• Chemists use electricity to amp up drug manufacturing
• Atkinson's Academic Venture Fund awards $1.8M to 15 projects
• A New Polymer for Low-Cost Fuel Cells