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Interfaces are where many interesting phenomena occur in the areas of energy storage and conversion, nanomedicine, environmental remediation, and many industrial processes. Major advancements in these areas depends on a fundamental understanding of the intermolecular interactions at interfaces. We primarily use x-ray and neutron scattering structural and spectroscopic techniques to study surface and nanoconfinement effects on the molecular-scale properties of complex fluids including ionic liquid-based electrolytes, and soft matter systems. We are developing the capability to perform simultaneous small-angle x-ray scattering and electrochemical measurements in supercapacitor systems to understand how the nanoscale fluid-solid interface changes under different charging conditions.

Research Group

Dr. José Leo Bañuelos, Assistant Professor
M.S. Students: Jose A. Espitia, Pawan Koirala, Hasan R. Rahman
Undergraduate Students: Francisco Ayala Rodriguez, Melissa Cano, Carlos Cuellar Rodriguez, Raul Higuera, David Macias, Crystal Rodriguez, Kevin Vallejo

Current Projects



• The fluid-solid nanoscale interface of room-temperature ionic liquid-based electrolytes and porous materials under neutral and applied electric potentials.
• The heterogeneous structure and dynamics of ionic liquid mixture.
• The solution-state structure of proteins during folding & unfolding and aggregation characterization and mitigation.

Publications



• K. Mouzakis, A.K. Navarre-Sitchler, G. Rother, J.L. Bañuelos, X. Wang, J. Kaszuba, J. Heath, Q. Miller, V. Alvarado, J. McCray. An experimental study of porosity changes in caprocks exposed to supercritical CO2. I. Evolution of mineralogy, pore connectivity, pore size distribution, and surface area. Environ. Eng. Sci. July 2016. ahead of print. doi:10.1089/ees.2015.0588
   
• R.L. Sacci, J.L. Bañuelos, G.M. Veith, K.C. Littrell, Y.Q. Cheng, C.U. Wildgruber, L.L. Jones, A.J. Ramirez-Cuesta, G. Rother, N.J. Dudney. Structure of Spontaneously Formed Solid-Electrolyte Interphase on Lithiated Graphite Determined Using Small-angle Neutron Scattering. J. Phys. Chem. C. 2015. 119(18), 9816-9823.
   
• S. Li, J.L. Bañuelos, P. Zhang, G. Feng, S. Dai, G. Rother, P.T. Cummings. Toward Understanding the Structural Heterogeneity and Ion Pair Stability in Dicationic Ionic Liquids. Soft Matter. 2014. 10(45), 9193-9200.
   
• J.L. Bañuelos, G. Feng, P. F. Fulvio, S. Li, G. Rother, N. Arend, A. Faraone, S. Dai, P.T. Cummings, D. J. Wesolowski. The Influence of a Hierarchical Porous Carbon Network on the Coherent Dynamics of a Nanoconfined Room Temperature Ionic Liquid: A Neutron Spin Echo and Atomistic Simulation Investigation. Carbon. 2014. 78(0), 415-427.
   
• J.L. Bañuelos, G. Feng, P. F. Fulvio, S. Li, G. Rother, S. Dai, P.T. Cummings, D. J. Wesolowski. Densification of Ionic Liquid Molecules within a Hierarchical Nanoporous Carbon Structure Revealed by Small Angle Scattering and Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Chem. Mater.2014.  26, pp1144-1153.