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Ivan A. Moreno-Hernandez

Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Chemistry
2214 French Science Center, Box 90346, Durham, NC 27708-0346
2214 French Science Center, 124 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708-0236

Overview


The Moreno-Hernandez lab is a multidisciplinary group focused on understanding electrochemical materials to advance renewable energy technologies and create a sustainable future. Their primary tool is liquid cell transmission electron microscopy, a technique that enables direct observations of the structural dynamics of materials in real time and at near-atomic resolution in a realistic liquid environment. They complement this technique with a wide set of analytical techniques and materials synthesis methods that enable the characterization and synthesis of materials with nanoscale precision. This combination enables systematic studies of the relationship between nanoscale structure and macroscale properties. In addition to their research efforts, the Moreno-Hernandez lab aims to create an inclusive environment that embraces the lived experiences of each group member and provides support for ongoing personal growth.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Assistant Professor of Chemistry · 2022 - Present Chemistry, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

In the News


Published August 21, 2025
Four Duke Chemistry Professors on What Clean Energy Could Look Like
Published April 10, 2024
Nanoscale Movies Shed Light on One Barrier to a Clean Energy Future
Published October 14, 2022
Ivan Moreno-Hernandez: Bold Thinking on Clean Energy

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Recent Publications


Understanding the reaction energetics of oxygen-evolving electrocatalysts

Journal Article Energy and Environmental Science · August 12, 2025 Electrocatalysts are crucial for efficient electrochemical devices that enable sustainable chemical transformations. Electrocatalyst activity has been correlated to the thermodynamics of reaction intermediates that balance intermediate formation and desorp ... Full text Cite

Oxidized Overlayers of Ruthenium and Iridium as Electrocatalysts for Anodic Reactions.

Journal Article Journal of the American Chemical Society · July 2025 Renewable energy technologies often rely on rutile tetravalent oxides, such as ruthenium(IV) oxide and iridium(IV) oxide, to catalyze anodic reactions that are paired with fuel formation. Herein, we report the synthesis of angstrom-scale and nanoscale oxid ... Full text Cite

Heterointercalation in Chevrel-Phase Sulfides: A Model Periodic Solid for the Investigation of Chain Electron Transfer.

Journal Article Journal of the American Chemical Society · May 2025 Modulation of electron density localization on periodic crystal solids through electron transfer from interstitial cations can directly influence the bonding configurations of small-molecule intermediates at the catalyst binding site. This study presents t ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


CAREER: Harnessing Chemistry and Disorder to Activate Oxygen Electrocatalysis

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2025 - 2029

Collaborative Research: Linking Nanoscale Heterogeneities with Macroscale Reactivity of Electrocatalytic Materials

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2025 - 2028

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Education, Training & Certifications


California Institute of Technology · 2019 Ph.D.
University of Nebraska, Lincoln · 2014 B.Sc.