Selected Publications

Work done at Clark University

* undergraduate student author, #graduate student author



     43. Chen X.#, Datta A.#, Smith, L.J., Granados-Focil S., Challenging the block copolymer design 

           conventions for ion transport: Diblock copolymers using ionic interactions as a 

           mechanically reinforcing mechanism. In revision.


     42. Mishra, P.K. #, Chen, A. #, Lee, T.-M. *, Tao, M., Van Dessel, S., Granados-Focil, S., 

           Polyacrylate-based solid-solid phase change materials as passive thermo-regulators for 

           smart roofs. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, In revision.


41. Doyle, R.P. #, and Granados-Focil, S. Carbonate-mediated alkyl functionalization of poly(ethylene imine), an efficient, mild, route towards fully functionalized PEI backbones. In revision.


40. Fell, E., De Porcellinis, D., Jing, Y., Gutierrez-Venegas, V., Gordon, R., Granados-Focil, S., Aziz, M., Long-term stability of ferri/ferrocyanide as an electroactive component for redox flow battery applications: On the origin of apparent capacity fade. Chemrxiv, 2022. Link


39. El-Ouaragli J., Xiao, Z., Nejad, A.M., Tao, M., Granados-Focil, S., Van Dessel, S., Design of a novel smart polymer-sorbent based thermal battery system and its application: A numerical feasibility study. Journal of Energy Storage, 2022, 56, 105971. Link


  1. 38.Xiao, Z., Mishra, P.M., Nejad, A.M., Tao M., Granados-Focil, S., Van Dessel, S., Thermal

      Optimization of a novel thermo-optically responsive SS-PCM coating for building enclosures.  

      Energy and Buildings, 2021, 247, 111129. Link


37. Zhang Z. #, Tompsett, G.A., Lambert, C., Granados-Focil, S., Timko, M.T.,   

           Rational Design of Solid-Acid Catalysts for Cellulose Hydrolysis Using Colloidal Theory, Phys.

           Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021, 23, 10236. Link


36. Cheng F. #, Tompsett, G.A., Fraga-Alvarez, D.V. *, Romo C. I., McKenna, A.M., Niles, S., Nelson, R.K., Reddy, C.M., Granados-Focil, S., Paulsen A.D., Zhang, R., Timko, M.T., Metal oxide supported Ni-impregnated bifunctional catalysts for controlling char formation and maximizing energy recovery during catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of food waste. Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 2021, 5(4), 941. Link


35. Mendes, J.L. *, Gao, W., Martin, J.L. #, Carl, A. D. #, Deskins, N. A., Granados-Focil, S., Grimm, R.L.  Interfacial states, energetics, and atmospheric stability of large-grain antifluorite Cs2TiBr6.

            Journal of Physical Chemistry C., 2020 124, 44, 24289. Link


34. Martin J.L. #, Soflet, R. *, Carl, A.D. #, Himmelberger, K. M. *, Granados-Focil, S. Grimm, R.L.,

      Quantification of surface reactivity and step-selective etching chemistry on single-crystal BiOI (001). Langmuir, 2020, 36, 9343. Link


33. Van Dessel, S., Tao, M., Granados-Focil, S., “Bio-inspired building envelopes”, Bio-inspired design. Eds. Soboyejo, W., & Daniel, L., Cambridge University Press, 2020. Link


  1. 32.Mishra, P.,K., Stockmal, K.A., Ardito, G., Tao, M., Van Dessel, S., Granados-Focil, S., Optical

      and thermal properties of selected solid-liquid phase-change materials. Solar Energy, 2020, 197, 222. Link


  1. 31.Mendecki, L.#, Granados-Focil, S., Radu, A., Self-plasticized lumogallion-based fluorescent

      optical sensor for the determination of aluminium (III) with ultra-low detection limits., Analytica Chimica Acta, 2020, 1101, 141. Link


30. Dillingham, P.W., Alsedi, B.S.O., Granados-Focil S., Radu, A., McGraw, C., Establishing

      meaningful limits of detection for ion-selective electrodes and other non-linear sensors.

      ACS Sensors, 2020, 5, 250  Link.


  1. 29.Crespilho, F.N., Sedenho, G.C., De Porcellinis, D., Kerr, E., Granados-Focil, S., Gordon,

       R.G..,Aziz, M.J., Non-corrosive, Low toxicity, Gel-based Microbattery from Organic and 

       Organometallic Molecules, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2019, 7, 24784. Link


28. Yu, X.#; Burnham, N., Granados-Focil, S.; Tao, M.; Bitumen’s microstructures are correlated with its bulk thermal and rheological properties. FUEL, 2019, 254, 115509, Link


27. Van Dessel, S., Tao, M., Granados-Focil, S., Thermal storage system. U.S. Pat. 10,995,250 Link


26.Granados-Focil, A.A., Granados-Focil, S., Conde-Sotelo, V.M., Grimm, R.L., Gonzalez, F., Rojas-Santiago, E., Santolalla-Vargas, C.E., Vera, M.A., De los Reyes, J.A., Development of bifunctional hydrodeoxygenation catalyst Rh-HY for the generation of biomass-derived high energy density fuels. Energy Technology, 2019, 1801112. Link


25. Zhang, M. #, Zhao, M. #, Zhang, G., Sietnis, J. M., Granados-Focil, S., Pepi, M. S., Xu, Y., Tao, M., and Granados-Focil, S. Reaction kinetics of red mud-fly ash based geoplymers: Effects of curing temperature on chemical bonding, porosity, and mechanical strength, Cement and Concrete Composites, 2018, 93, 175-185   Link


24. De Porcellinis, D., Mecheri, B., D’Epifanio, A., Licoccia, S., Granados-Focil, S., Aziz, M.J.

      Sulfonated Poly (ether ether ketone) as cation exchange membrane for alkaline redox flow 

       batteries, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2018, 165 (5), A1137-A1139. Link


23.Guldentops, G.#, Ardito, G.#, Tao, M., Granados-Focil, S., Van Dessel, S.,  A numerical study of adaptive building enclosure systems using solid-solid phase change materials with variable transparency. Energy and Buildings, 2018, 167, 240-252. Link


22.Tyufekchiev, M.; Duan, P.; Schmidt-Rohr, K.; Granados-Focil, S.; Timko, M.T.; Emmert, M., Cellulase-Mimetic Solid Acids for Cellulose Hydrolysis: Structural Explanations for High Catalytic Activity, ACS Catalysis. 2018  8, 1464-1468. Link


21.Yu, X.; Granados-Focil, S.; Tao, M.; Burnham, N., Time- and composition- dependent evolution of distinctive microstructures in bitumen. Energy and Fuels, 2018, 32, 67-80. Link


  1. 20.Fallahi, A., Guldentops, G., Tao, M., Granados-Focil, S., Van Dessel, S., Review on solid-solid phase change materials for thermal energy storage: Molecular structure and thermal properties. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2017, 127, 1427-1441. Link


  1. 19.Wei, J.,# Trout, W.,* Simon, Y., Granados-Focil S., Ring Opening Metathesis

      Polymerization of Triazole-Bearing Cyclobutenes: Diblock copolymer synthesis and 

      evaluation of the effect of side group size on polymerization kinetics.  Journal of Polymer  

      Science Part A, Chemistry, 2017, 55 (11) 1929-1939. Link


  1. 18.Nguyen, C-T., Deshmukh, P., Chen X. #, Granados-Focil, S., Kasi, R., Thermoreversible Ion gels from side-chain liquid crystalline brush diblock copolymers, in Functional Polymers, Design, Synthesis and Applications, edited by Raja Shunmugam, CRC press, Taylor and Francis, 2017, 241-263. Link


  1. 17.Mendecki, L., Chen, X., Callan, N., Thompson, D. F., Schazmann, B., Granados-Focil, S., Radu, A.,  Simple, Robust, and Plasticizer-Free Iodide-selective Sensor Based on

      Copolymerized  Triazole-based Ionic Liquid. Analytical Chemistry, 2016, 88 (8), 4311. Link


16. Mendecki, L.M., Fayose, T., Stockmal, K.A., Wei, J., Granados-Focil, S., McGraw, C.M., Radu, A., Robust and ultrasensitive polymer membrane-based carbonate selective electrodes. Analytical Chemistry., 2015, 87 (15), 7515. Link


  1. 15.Granados-Focil, S. Stimuli-responsive polymers as active layers for sensors,

      Functional Polymer Coatings: Principles, Methods, and Applications, First Edition.

      Edited  by Limin Wu and Jamil Baghdachi, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2015. Link


14.Nguyen, C.T., Zhu, Y., Chen X., Sotzing, G.A., Granados-Focil, S., Kasi, R. M., Nanostructured ion-gels from liquid crystalline block copolymers and gold nanoparticles in ionic liquids: manifestation of mechanical and electrochemical properties. J. Mater. Chem. C., 2015, 3, 399-408. Link


13. Doyle, R., P. Chen, X., Macrae, M., Srungavarapu, A., and Granados-Foci, S., Poly-  (ethylene-imine)-based polymer blends as lithium single-ion conductors. Macromolecules,   2014,47, 3401. Link


  1. 12.Kokil, A., Renna, A.*, Kumar, J., Granados-Focil, S. Synthesis and Characterization

      of Triazolium Iodide Ionic Liquid Electrolyte for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells. Journal

      of Macromolecular Science, part A, polymer chemistry, 2011, 48, 1022. Link


  1. 11.Sokolov, A., Atahan-Evrenk, S., Mondal, R., Akkerman, H.B., Sanchéz-Carrera, R.S.,  

      Granados-Focil, S., Schrier, J., Mannsfeld, S.C.B.,  Zoombelt, A.P.,  Bao, Z., and Aspuru-

      Guzik, A., From in silico to carbon to device: Computational discovery and experimental

      characterization of a high hole mobility organic crystal. Nature Communications, 2011, 2, 

      437. Link


10. Granados-Focil, S., Conway, J.R.*, Meng, Y.#, Smith, L., Triazole functionalized sol-gel

      membranes, effect of crosslink density and heterocycle content on water free proton  

      conduction and membrane mechanical properties. Journal of Macromolecular Science,

      part A,  Polymer Chemistry, 2010, 47, 1197. Link




Work done before Clark University

      9.  Litt, M.; Granados-Focil, S.; Kang, J., Si, K., Wycisk, R., Rigid Rod Poly(p-Phenylene

            sulfonic acid)  PEMs: High Conductivity at Low Relative Humidity Due to “Frozen-in-Free   

            Volume”, ECS Trans., 2010, 33, 695-710. Link


  1. 8.  Litt, M.; Granados-Focil, S.; Kang, J., Rigid Rod Polyelectrolytes with Frozen-In Free 

      Volume: High Conductivity at Low RH. In Fuel Cell Chemistry and Operation, American

      Chemical Society: 2010; Vol. 1040, pp 49-63. Link


7.   Akbey, U., Granados-Focil,  S., Coughlin E.B., Graf, R., Spiess, H.W., 1H Solid-State NMR

      Investigation of Structure and Dynamics of Anhydrous Proton Conducting Triazole-

      Functionalized Siloxane Polymers. J.Phys. Chem. B., 2009, 113, 9151-9160. Link


  1. 6.  Litt, Morton H., Granados-Focil, Sergio, Liquid Crystal (polyphenylene sulfonic acids), U.S. 

      Pat# 7375,176, 2008, 45 pp.


  1. 5. Granados-Focil, S., Woudenberg, R.C., Yavuzcetin, O., Tuominen, M.T., Coughlin, E.B., 

      Water-free proton conducting polysiloxanes: A study on the effect of heterocycle structure.

      Macromolecules, 2007, 40, 8708-8713. Link


  1. 4.  Marwiset, S., Woudenberg, R.C., Granados-Focil, S., Yavuzcetin, O., Tuominen, M.T.,

      Coughlin, E.B., Intrinsically conducting polymers and copolymers containing triazole  

       moieties. Solid State Ionics, 2007, 178, 23-24, 1398-1403. Link


  1. 3.  Likhatchev D., Granados-Focil S., Barrientos-Gutierrez S.   Novel procedure for the

      synthesis of fluorescent fused heterocyclic dyes and its application to vinylic polymers.  

      MEX patent.


  1. 2.  Likhatchev D., Granados-Fócil S., Gaviño R., Canseco M., Alexandrova L., High

      Perfomance Polymers, 1999, 11 (4), 405-415. Link


  1. 1.  Barrios, F; Granados, S; Talanquer, Vincente.  How do crystals form?    Educacion  

      Quimica (Chemical Education), 1998, 9(3), 129-135.


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