Maira Raquel Ceron Hernandez

(she/her)

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

Current position(s)

  • Deputy Group Leader for Materials for Energy & Climate Security in the Material Science Division.
  • Lead of Joint Small Core for Materials, Aging and Compatibility in the Modification Program.

Subject Matter Expertise

Fullerenes and Carbon Materials; Organic Synthesis and Characterization; Polymer Material Development; Capacitive Deionization; CO2 Capture Technologies.

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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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
  10. Cerón, M. R.; Izquierdo, M.; Alegret, N.; Valdez, J. A.; Rodriguez-Fortea, A.; Olmstead, M. M.; Balch, A. L.; Poblet, J. M.; Echegoyen, L., “Reactivity Differences of Sc3N@C2n (2n = 68 and 80). Synthesis of the First Methanofullerene Derivatives of Sc3N@D5h-C80” Chem. Commun. 2016, 52, 64-67. https://doi.org/10.1039/C5CC07416A Featured front cover of the journal.

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.
  • 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.