Sergio Granados-Focil
Professor, Chemistry
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Professor Granados-Focil is a polymer scientist with 20+ years of experience in his field. He is an expert on the synthesis and characterization of macromolecules that exhibit selective transport properties for several applications, such as energy storage, building temperature regulation, carbon capture, sustainable concrete, and sensing technologies.
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).
Professor Granados-Focil was born in Mexico City, he holds a B.S. degree in Chemistry and a M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He then moved to Cleveland, OH. where he earned a Ph.D. degree in Macromolecular Science and Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. After graduate school, Prof. Granados-Focil moved to Amherst Massachusetts to work as postdoctoral researcher at UMass-Amherst and then joined the Chemistry Department at Clark University in 2008 as an assistant professor.
At Clark Prof. Granados-Focil teaches introductory chemistry (CHEM 101), organic chemistry (CHEM131, CHEM132 and CHEM231), analytical chemistry (CHEM140), polymer chemistry (CHEM281), polymeric biomaterials (BCMB283) and the science of fermentation (CHEM012).
Below is a list of current research projects in the Granados-Focil group. If you are interested in joining his lab, please contact him by email directly.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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Rational design of sulfonated oligomer/polymer structures to understand the structural underpinnings of Li+ transport through non-volatile electrolytes.
Invited talk, Technical Electrochemistry seminar
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Technical University of Munich
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2024
Sponsored by TUM
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Alkyl functionalization of poly(ethylene imine), tailoring solvent polarity and base strenght to avoid the formation of quaternized side-products
Reactive Functional Polymers
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2024
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Harnessing transport through structured polymeric matrices: New materials for batteries and sustainable, energy-efficient, buildings.
Fuel cell group seminar series
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Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nurnberg for Renewable Energy
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2023
Sponsored by Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nurnberg for Renewable Energy
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Journal of the Electrochemical Society
2023
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2023
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Vol. 170
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Issue #7
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2022
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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
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
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
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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Sustainable Energy Fuels
Fall
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2020
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Vol. 5
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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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Bio-inspired
Chapter: Bio-inspired building envelopesPublished by Cambridge University Press
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2020
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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
Solar Energy
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2020
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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
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
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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