John W. Weidner

CEC Campaign for Excellence Professor

Professor & Chair

Editor, Electrochemical Society Transactions ( ECST )

Professor Weidner’s research group is involved in the synthesis and characterization of electrochemically active materials, and the design and operation of electrochemical processes. The have created novel synthesis routines, used a variety of electrocanalytical techniques, and developed sophisticated mathematical models to advance the fields of advanced batteries, electrochemical capacitors, fuel cells, electrochemical synthesis in room temperature ionic liquids, and electrolysis involving gas-fed anodes (e.g., HBr, HCl, SO₂) Their current research projects related to hydrogen and alternative energy. They are: (1) developing nanostructured TiO₂ supports for a solar-hydrogen system that integrates III-V semiconductors, Fresnel lens concentrators, and water electrolysis into a single unit; (2) synthesizing novel bi- and tri-metallic electrocatalysts for proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC); and (3) designing electrolyzers and developing electrocatalysts for use in thermochemical cycles for large scale hydrogen production from solar and nuclear energy.