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Adrian is a Materials Scientist who studies and develops metal alloys
used in the electrodes of rechargeable batteries and ethanol fuel
cells. To better understand the processes and species at the surfaces
electrode/electrolyte interface (EEI), Adrian employs in-situ
electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (ECSTM), in-situ
electrochemical Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ECFTIR)
and a novel in-situ electrochemical Rutherford Backscattering
(ECRBS) technique. From this improved understanding, Adrian strives
to engineer nanostructured electrode/electrolyte interfaces for
direct ethanol fuel cells and rechargeable lithium batteries.
Electrochemical nanotechnology promises to be a leading contributor
to the development of efficient fuel cell and batteries by providing
tailored materials with microstructures optimized to particular
electrochemical conversion processes. Nanotechnology refers to
the field of engineering atoms, molecules, or molecular clusters
for a particular application, typically on a nanometer length
scale (1-100 nm). The promise and reality of electrochemical nanotechnology
currently do not align due to two limiting factors: the lack of
theoretical models to predict electrochemical activity of nanostructures
and the lack of synthesis techniques to construct a variety of
microstructures from the atom up. Thus, the study of electrochemical
nanotechnology systems is squarely in the field of science rather
than engineering.
Adrian also teaches renewable education programs in West Africa.
Through partnerships with West African NGOs, universities, and
the United States Agency of International Development, Adrian
has taught classes on solar panel installation and maintenance.
This work has lead to the installation of photovoltaic lighting
systems on a school, Mosque, and community center in Mali, Africa.
Adrian received a BS, MS and Ph.D. from the California Institute
of Technology. His doctoral work on “Study of Electronic
Microscopy and Mossbauer Spectroscopy in Metal Hydrides and Lithium
Rechargeable Batteries”, was conducted in Brent Fultz’s
Materials Science Laboratory. After graduate school, Adrian worked
as a Senior Scientist with Nanostream, Inc. in Pasadena, designing
polymer microfluidic systems for the drug discovery and biosciences
industries. Adrian returned to academics as a Research Associate
with Bruce Koel’s Surface Science laboratory in the Chemistry
Department of the University of Southern California, studying
chemical bonding on single crystal Pt-Sn alloys. Adrian has two
patents on metal hydride composition for rechargeable battery
electrodes and two patents on the design of polymer microfluidic
devices.
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