Group Members

Principal Investigator

 

Ivan A. Moreno-Hernandez

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

ivan.moreno-hernandez (at) duke.edu

Ph.D. in Chemistry, California Institute of Technology

B.S. in Chemistry and Physics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Prof. Ivan A. Moreno-Hernandez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Duke University. His current research interests focus on the application of electrochemistry to renewable energy, with an emphasis on understanding the structural dynamics of electrochemical materials with liquid phase transmission electron microscopy. Ivan received his B.S. degree in Chemistry and Physics with University Honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2014, and his PhD degree as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 2019. His research at Caltech with Prof. Nathan S. Lewis focused on the study of earth-abundant materials for anodic reactions in acidic electrolytes. Ivan was a postdoctoral scholar from 2019 to 2022 in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, working with Prof. A. Paul Alivisatos on the study of nanomaterials with liquid phase transmission electron microscopy.

 

Graduate Students

 

S. Avery Vigil

avery.vigil (at) duke.edu

B.S. in Chemistry and B.A. in Linguistics, University of Oklahoma

S. Avery Vigil received their B.S. in Chemistry and their B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Oklahoma in 2020. During this time, Avery studied photoluminescent pseudohalide-based semiconductor materials. Their current research interests focus on utilizing liquid phase electron microscopy to elucidate the nanoscale dynamics of catalyst dissolution to inform the design of next-generation electrocatalysts. Outside of the lab, Avery enjoys analyzing the intersection of language and thought, cycling, and reading about the history of science and science fiction.

 

 

Matteo Fratarcangeli

matteo.fratarcangeli (at) duke.edu

B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry, Western Carolina University

Matteo Fratarcangeli received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry from Western Carolina University in 2022 and 2023, respectively. During his time at WCU, Matteo studies the antenna effect of europium complexes and europium-based nanoparticles using both computational and experimental techniques. His current research focuses on systematically introducing defects in crystalline electrocatalysts to understand their effects on catalytic performance and stability. When not conducting research, Matteo enjoyed hiking, reading, and cooking.

 

 

Ziqing Lin

ziqing.lin (at) duke.edu

B.S. in Chemistry, University of California, San Diego

Ziqing Lin received her B.S. degree in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego in 2023. Her undergraduate research at UCSD primarily focused on using non-linear optics to probe the interface of electrocatalysts for carbon dioxide reduction. Her current research interests focused on synthesizing metal-doped electrocatalysts and understanding the effect of dopants on electrocatalyst stability and activity. Besides research, Ziqing enjoys dancing and hiking.

 

 

Conner Soderstedt

conner.soderstedt (at) duke.edu

B.S. in Chemistry, Muhlenberg College

Conner Soderstedt received his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Muhlenberg College in 2023. While at Muhlenberg, Conner developed green synthetic methods for silver nanoparticles and investigated their photocatalytic properties. His current research interests focus on utilizing liquid phase electron microscopy to study earth-abundant electrocatalysts, so that their nanoscale dynamics can be better understood to aid the rational synthesis of improved materials. Beyond the lab, Conner enjoys watching sports, running, and cooking new meals.

 

Undergraduate Students

 

Heber Ford

heber.ford (at) duke.edu

Heber Ford is studying for a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in political science at Duke University and will graduate in 2027. His scientific interests began with chemistry applications in electrochemical cells and energy storage technologies such as Redox Flow Batteries. He is now looking forward to exploring the field of electrochemistry more closely alongside the Moreno-Hernandez group. Beyond chemistry, Heber regularly enjoys the realm of international relations, hiking, and LARPing.