Research Interests:

• Mechanisms controlling materials compatibility and aging
• Relationships between polymer binder properties and microstructure or plastic-bonded explosive (PBX) materials
• Design, synthesis/fabrication, characterization, and application of nanostructured materials
• Heterogeneous catalysis, electrocatalysis, energy storage, energy conversion
• Degradation of environmental pollutants and hazardous materials

10-Month Research Sabbatical, Laboratory for Industrial Chemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, 2012-2013

National Research Council/Naval Research Laboratory Postdoctoral Fellowship, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 1999-2002

Ph.D., Analytical Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1998

B.S., Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, 1993

Selected publications (out of 53):

1. Photoenhanced degradation of Sarin at Cu/TiO₂ composite aerogels: roles of bandgap excitation and surface plasmon excitation,” P. A. DeSario, W. O. Gordon, A. Balboa, A. M. Pennington, C. L. Pitman, M. McEntee, J. J. Pietron, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 13 (2021) 12550–12661.
2. “Power of aerogel platforms to explore mesoscale transport in catalysis,” D. R. Rolison, J. J. Pietron, E. R. Glaser, T. H. Brintlinger, J. P. Yesinowski, P. A. DeSario, J. S. Melinger, A. D. Dunkelberger, J. B. Miller, C. L. Pitman, J. C. Owrutsky, R. M. Stroud, M. B. Johannes, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 12 (2020) 41277-41287.
3. “Electrochemical modulation of strong vibration-cavity coupling,” J. J. Pietron, K. P. Fears, J. C. Owrutsky, Blake S. Simpkins, ACS Photonics 7 (2020) 165–173.
4. “Enhanced protonic conductivity and IFET behavior in individual proton-doped electrospun chitosan fibers,” W.-K. Lee, J. J. Pietron, D. A. Kidwell, J. T. Robinson, C. L. McGann, P. E. Sheehan, S. P. Mulvaney, Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 7 (2019) 10833–10840
5. “Electrical and electrochemical characterization of proton transfer at the interface between chitosan and PdH_x.” J. T. Robinson, J. J. Pietron, B. Blue, F. K. Perkins, E. Josberger, Y. X. Deng, and M. Rolandi, Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 5 (2017) 11083–11091.
6. [INVITED] “Plasmonic aerogels as a 3D nanoscale platform for solar fuels photocatalysis.” P. A. DeSario, J. J. Pietron, A. Dunkelburger, T. H. Brintlinger, O. Baturina, R. M. Stroud, J. C. Owrutsky, and D. R. Rolison, Langmuir, 33 (2017) 9444–9454.
7. “Oxidation-stable plasmonic copper nanoparticles in photocatalytic TiO₂ nanoarchitectures.” P. A. DeSario, J. J. Pietron, T. H. Brintlinger, M. McEntee, J. F. Parker, O. Baturina, R. M. Stroud, and D.R. Rolison, Nanoscale, 9 (2017) 11720–11729.
8. “Plasmonic enhancement of visible-light water splitting with Au‒TiO₂ composite aerogels.” P.A. DeSario, J.J. Pietron, D.E. DeVantier, T.H. Brintlinger, and D.R. Rolison, Nanoscale, 5 (2013) 8073–8083.
9. “Direct methanol oxidation at low overpotentials at Pt nanoparticles electrodeposited on ultrathin conductive RuO₂ nanoskins.” J. J. Pietron, M. B. Pomfret, C. N. Chervin, J. W. Long, and D. R. Rolison, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 22 (2012) 5197–5204. 
10.  “Electrochemical observation of ligand effects on oxygen reduction at ligand-stabilized Pt nanoparticle electrocatalysts.” J. J. Pietron, Y. Garsany, O. Baturina, K. E. Swider-Lyons, R. M. Stroud, D. E. Ramaker, and T. L. Schull, Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, 11 (2008) B161–B165.

 

Selected Awards:

• NRL Invention Award (July 2017): “Oxidation-stable plasmonic copper nanoparticle–titania composite catalytic nanoarchitectures.” J.J. Pietron, P.A. DeSario, D.R. Rolison, T.H. Brintlinger, and R.M. Stroud
• NRL Invention Award (December 2012): “Direct methanol oxidation at low overpotentials using Pt nanoparticles electrodeposited at ultrathin conductive RuO₂ nanoskins and methods of making same.” J.J. Pietron, M. B. Pomfret, C.N. Chervin, J.W. Long, and D.R. Rolison
• National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1999–2002

―Patents―

1. U. S. Patents #6,824,776 (30 November 2004) & 7,238,729 (3 July 2007): “Silica mesoporous aerogels having three-dimensional nanoarchitecture with colloidal gold–protein superstructures nanoglued therein.” D.R. Rolison, J.M. Wallace, J.J. Pietron, J.K. Rice, and R.M. Stroud.
2. U. S. Patent #7,081,433 (25 July 2006): “Catalytic three dimensional aerogels having mesoporous nanoarchitecture.” D.R. Rolison, J.J. Pietron, and R.M. Stroud.
3. U. S. Patent #10,651,478 (12 May 2020): “Electrodes Having Pt Nanoparticles on RuO₂ Nanoskins.” J. J. Pietron, M. B. Pomfret, C. N. Chervin, D. R. Rolison, and J. W. Long.
4. U. S. Patent #11,027,258 (8 June 2021): “Copper Nanoparticle–Titania Composite Nanoarchitectures.” J. J. Pietron, P. A. DeSario, D. R. Rolison, T. H. Brintlinger, and R. M. Stroud