Hector De Santiago

Hector De Santiago has worked in various capacities over the past seven years. In 2015, they worked as a High School Research Assistant at The University of Texas-Pan American, where they focused on the synthesis of fullerenol and graphene oxide, and their intercalation to produce hydrogen cells for storage. Analysis involved Raman, FTIR, and BET. In 2016, they worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where they investigated the influence of catalysts on the morphology of delafossite nanoplates using a hydrothermal reaction, the usage of a nitrite-based molten-salt reaction and sol-gel with halide-based molten salt reaction to produce perovskite nanoparticles, and the application of dialysis and lyophilization for the purification of fullerenol. Hector also worked as a Laboratory Teaching Assistant at the same university, where they assisted professors for the administration of laboratories, with ASTM standards, to undergraduate students. Instruments assigned involved MTS, Hardness Tester, Pendulum Impact Tester, and DSC. In 2017, they worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant Intern at the University of Minnesota, where they focused on the magnetism characterization of lanthanum-manganite perovskite nanoparticles. Analysis involved SQUID, SEM, EDX, and XRD. In 2018, they worked as a Proposal User at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where they characterized pyrochlore and fluorite nanoparticles using in-situ XRD. Data obtained was used for publication purposes. Hector also worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant Intern at the University of Minnesota, where they focused on the synthesis and magnetism characterization of perovskite-based nanoparticles using a nitrite molten-salt reaction. Hector tested an EDX image processing MATLAB code which quantified the distribution of elements across the analyzed area with higher accuracy. Analysis involved SQUID, SEM, EDX, and XRD. In 2019, they worked as a Research Assistant Intern at LSU College of Engineering, where they focused on the characterization of oxygen defects, induced magnetism, and electronic structure in pyrochlore and fluorite nanoparticles, and the synthesis and characterization of delafossite nanostructures and the analysis of nickel-based metal oxide nanoparticles at CAMD. Analysis involved XAS, XRD, TEM, Raman, and EPR. Hector also worked as a Proposal User at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where they characterized pyrochlore, fluorite, and perovskite nanoparticles using in-situ Raman and in-situ PL. Data obtained was used for publication purposes. Lastly, they worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at West Virginia University, where they investigated H2 production of novel high-entropy perovskites (HEPOs) through two-step thermochemical looping of water-splitting in collaboration with MSU/Brown and USCD, developed oxygen exchange carrier materials of HEPO for chemical looping reactions, and analyzed Gas Chromatography for quantification of H2 yield, TGA for quantification of reduction extent, SEM-EDX for morphological and elemental distribution characterization, XRD for crystallographic and phase identification and electrochemical conductivity relaxation (ECR) for characterization of intrinsic kinetic properties. Currently, they are a Development Engineer at Watt Fuel Cell Corp.

Hector De Santiago completed a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley between 2016 and 2019. Hector then pursued a Master of Science in Materials Science from West Virginia University from 2019 to 2022, obtaining a Master of Science in Material Science and Engineering certification from the same institution in May 2022.