Maira Raquel Ceron Hernandez

Portrait of Maira Raquel Ceron Hernandez
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  • Title
    Deputy Group Leader
  • Email
    ceronhernand1@llnl.gov
  • Phone
    (925) 423-3359
  • Organization
    PLS-MSD-MATERIALS SCIENCE DIVISION

Maira is a Chemist with over 9 years of experience at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Maira is the lead of the LLNL and SNL Joint Small Core test for Materials, Aging and Compatibility in the Modification Program. She is also interested in materials development and implementation for carbon dioxide removal.

Publications: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5151-0479

Current position(s)

  • Deputy Group Leader, Materials for Energy and Carbon Security, Material Science Division.
  • Joint Small Core Lead, LLNL and SNL Modification Program.

Subject Matter Expertise

  • Fullerenes and Carbon Materials
  • Material Aging and Compatibility
  • Organic Synthesis and Characterization
  • Point Source Carbon Capture
  • Capacitive Deionization

Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 2015

B.S., Chemistry, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia, 2010

Selected publications

  1. Krall, E. A.; Rivera, J.; Wood, M.; Overland, A. E.; Seede, R. A.; Rietema, C. J.; Cerón, M. R.; Hawks, S. A. “A New Method for Creating Structured High-Performance Current Collectors for Electrochemical Applications” Adv. Eng. Mater. 2024, 2401827. https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.202401827
  2. Clemens, A. L.; Cerón, M. R.; Ferron, T. J.; Mettry-Yassa, M.; Hammons, J.; Jayathilake, B. S.; Molinero, V.; Karnes, J. J.; Oakdale, J. S. “UV-Activated Solid-State Nitrene Cross-linking: A Scalable Pathway to Prolonged Lifespan in Anion Exchage Membranes” ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2024, 6, 4419-4430. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.3c02885
  3. Li, S.; Cerón, M. R.; Eshelman, H. V.; Varni, A. J.; Maiti, A.; Akhade, S.; Pang, S. H. “Probing the Kinetic Origin of Varying Oxidative Stability of Ethyl- vs. Propyl-spaced Amines for Direct Air Capture” ChemSusChem. 2023, 16 (5), e202201908. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202201908
  4. Troksa, A. L.; Eshelman, H. V.; Chandrasekaran, S.; Rodriguez, N.; Ruelas, S.; Duoss, E. B.; Kelly, J. P.; Cerón, M. R.*; Campbell, P. G., “3D-Printed Nanoporous Ceramics: Tunable Feedstock for Direct Ink Writing and Projection Microstereolithography” Mater. Design 2021, 198, 109337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2020.109337
  5. Dudukovic, N. A.; Fong, E. J.; Gemeda, H. B.; DeOtte, J. R.; Cerón, M. R.; Moran, B. D.; Davis, J. T. Baker, S. E.; Duoss, E. B., “Cellular Fluidics” Nature 2021, 595, 58-65. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03603-2 Featured front cover of the journal.
  6. Puente Santiago, A.; Sanad, M.; Moreno-Vicente, A.; Ahsan, M. A.; Cerón, M. R.; Yao, Y.-R.; Sreenivasan, S.; Rodríguez-Fortea, A.; Poblet, J.; Echegoyen, L., “A new class of molecular electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution: catalytic activity of M3N@C2n (2n = 68, 78, 80) fullerenes” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143 (16), 6037-6042. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.0c13002
  7. Cerón, M. R.; Aydin, F.; Hawks, S. A.; Oyarzun, D. I.; Loeb, C. K.; Deinhart, A.; Zhan, C.; Pham, T. A.; Stadermann, M.; Campbell, P. G., “Cation Selectivity in Capacitive Deionization: Elucidating the Role of Pore Size, Electrode Potential and Ion Dehydration.” ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, 12 (38), 42644-42652. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c07903
  8. Hawks, S. A.; Cerón, M. R.; Oyarzun, D. I.; Pham, T. A.; Zhan, C.; Loeb, C. K.; Mew, D.; Deinhart, A.; Wood, B. C.; Santiago, J. G.; Stadermann, M.; Campbell, P. G., “Using Ultramicroporous Carbon for the Selective Removal of Nitrate with Capacitive Deionization.” Environ. Sci. Technol. 2019, 53 (18), 10863-10870. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b01374 Featured front cover of the journal.
  9. Cerón, M. R.*; Zhan, C.; Campbell, P. G.; Freyman, M.; Santoyo, C. A.; Echegoyen, L.; Wood, B. C.; Biener, J.; Pham, T. A.; Biener, M. M., “Integration of Fullerenes as Electron Acceptors in 3D Graphene Networks: Enhances Charge Transfer and Stability through Molecular Design.” ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2019, 11 (32), 28818-28822. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b06681 Featured internal cover of the journal.
  10. Cerón, M. R.; Lai, L. S.; Amiri, A.; Monte, M.; Katta, S.; Kelly, J. C.; Worsley, M. A.; Merrill, M. D.; Kim, S.; Campbell, P. G., “Surpassing the Conventional Limitations of CO2 Separation Membranes with Hydroxide/Ceramic Dual-Phase Membranes.” J. Membr. Sci. 2018, 567, 191-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2018.09.028

For a full list, see: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5151-0479

Book Chapters

  1. Swetha, C.; Maira, R. C.; Marcus, A. W., Engineering the Architecture of 3D Graphene-Based Macrostructures. In Graphene-Based 3D Macrostructures for Clean Energy and Environmental Applications, Royal Society of Chemistry: 2021; pp 1-40. https://doi.org/10.1039/9781839162480
  2. Muqing, C.; XingLu; Maira, R. C.; Marta, I.; Luis, E., Chemistry of Conventional Endohedral Metallofullerenes and Cluster Endohedral Fullerenes. In Endohedral Metallofullerenes, CRC Press: 2014; pp 173-210. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17840

Patents

  1. Cerón, M. R.; Knipe, J. M.; Nguyen, D. T.; Overland, A. E. L.; Troksa, M. J.; Eshelman, H. V.; DeOtte, J. R. “Confined Coaxial Powder Extrusion (CCAPE)” ROI IL-13750. US Provisional Patent 18/170362; Filed 2/16/2023.
  2. Troksa, A. L.; Cerón, M. R.; Eshelman, H. V.; Kelly, J. “Porous Ceramic Filtration Membranes with Tunable and Multi-scale Porosity” ROI IL-13747.
  3. Feaster, J. T.; Aines, R. D.; Baker, S. E.; Cerón, M. R.; Duoss, E. B.; Akhade, S. A.; Campbell P. G.; Davis, J. “Direct Conversion of Air to Ammonia and Nitric Acid via Advanced Manufactured Electrochemical Reactors” ROI IL-13693. US Provisional Patent 63/263520; Filed 11/1/2021.
  4. Cerón, M. R.; Eshelman, H. V.; Vedharathinam, V.; Wood, M. “High-Flux Electrochemical Synthesis of Ammonia in Ionic Liquid” ROI IL-13651. US Provisional Patent 17/469678; Filed 9/8/2021.
  5. Knipe, J. M.; Cerón, M. R.; Baker, S. E.; Lenhardt, J. M.; Pang, S. H.; Stolaroff, J. K. Y.; Worthington, M. A. “A Method of Polymer Formulation for Extrusion of Composite CO2 Sorbents” ROI IL-13607. US Provisional Patent 63/094717; Filed 10/21/2020.
  6. Campbell, P. G.; Cerón, M. R.; Sneha, A.; Feaster, J. “Combined Separation and Conversion of Diluted Carbon Dioxide to Syngas using Porous Ceramic/Sorbent Solution in a Thermo-Electrochemical Reactor” ROI IL-13553. US Provisional Patent 17/115534; Filed 12/8/2020.
  7. Campbell, P. G.; Cerón, M. R.; Hawks, S.; Loeb, C.; Pham, T. A.; Stadermann, M. “Selective removal of scale-forming ions (i.e., divalent cations Mg, Ca) for water softening using flow through electrode capacitive deionization with carbon aerogel electrodes with optimal pore size distribution” ROI IL-13462. US Provisional Patent 62/893986; Filed 8/30/2019.
  8. Campbell, P. G.; Cerón, M. R.; Hawks, S.; Loeb, C.; Pham, T. A.; Stadermann, M. “Using Ultramicroporous Carbon for the Selective Removal of Nitrate with Capacitive Deionization” ROI IL-13394. US 11358883 B2; Patent 6/14/2022.
  9. Nguyen, D. T.; Aines, R. D.; Baker, S. E.; Cerón, M. R.; Murialdo, M.; Knipe, J. M.; Bourcier, William L.; Duoss, E. B.; Oakdale, J. S.; Smith, M. M.; Smith, W. L.; Stolaroff, J. K.; Ye, C. “Composite 3D-Printed Reactors for Gas Absorption, Purification, and Reaction” US 20180272268 A1; Patent 9/27/2018.
  10. Campbell, P. G.; Cerón, M. R.; Vedharathinam, V. “Molten Hydroxide Dual-Phase Membranes for Intermediate Temperature Fuel Cells” ROI IL-13316. US 2019/0379063 A1. Patent 12/12/2019.
  11. Campbell, P. G.; Baker, S.; Cerón, M. R.; Knipe, J. M.; Stolaroff, J. K. “Porous Ceramic Structure and Sorbent Solution for Carbon Dioxide Capture” ROI IL-13168. US 11638907 B2; Patent 5/3/2023.
  12. Cerón, M. R.; Campbell, P. G.; Worsley, M. A. “Porous Ceramic Structure for Carbon Dioxide Capture” ROI IL-13124. US Provisional Patent 16/482215; Filed 7/20/2019.
  13. Campbell, P.; Baumann, T. F.; Biener, J.; Merrill, M.; Montalvo, E.; Worsley, M. A.; Biener, M. M.; Cerón, M. R. “Graphene Macro-Assembly-Fullerene Composite for Electrical Energy Storage” ROI IL-13576. US 20180118574 A1; Patent 5/3/2018.
  • 2025 Silver Award Successful Fielding of the Joint Small Core Stack Test, Strategic Deterrence Award, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • 2023 Regional Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) Award, Energy Inks.
  • 2022 R&D 100 Awards, Multifunctional, 3D-Printable Inks for Energy Products (Energy Inks)
  • 2022 Outstanding Mentorship Efforts, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Award, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
  • 2022 Bronze Award DOE OTT technology commercialization, Global Security Award, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
  • 2021 Best Poster Award, International Symposium on Capacitive Deionization and Electrosorption Technologies (CDI&E).
  • 2019 Outstanding Mentorship Efforts, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Award, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
  • 2017 Best Physical and Life Sciences Postdoctoral Poster Award, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
  • 2015 Best Dissertation in the College of Science, University of Texas at El Paso.
  • 2015 Nominee for the Diana Natalicio Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. Best student in the chemistry doctoral program, University of Texas at El Paso.
  • 2009 Fifth among 785 chemistry students, best female chemistry student in Colombia, Colombian State Test for Superior Education Quality, Colombia.