Ph.D. 2005, Caltech

B.S. 1999, Case Western Reserve

Phone: 626-395-3964
Email: “grimm” at “caltech.edu”

Noyes 217
Caltech 127-72
Pasadena, California 91125

Ron investigates routes to modify silicon surfaces for improved photoelectrichemical performance with both high stability to oxidation and high catalytic activity.

Silicon semiconductors play an important role in the design of the ideal photoelectrichemical cell for water splitting and hydrogen production. However, silicon suffers from oxidative attack leading to the formation of surface states that trap photogenerated carriers leading to decreased performance. The Lewis group employs a two-step chloronation / alkylation procedure to functionalize silicon surfaces with methyl groups that show excellent oxidative stability. Unfortunately, the methylation chemistry somewhat degrades the photoelectrichemical performance and efficiency of silicon, so new organic species are necessary to combine the stability of methylation with new functionalities that improve performance.

Ron researches methods to extend the synthetic tools with new organic functionalities. Surface techniques including XPS and IR characterize the surface stability and the performance in one-electron redox couples (ferrocene, cobaltocene, etc.) demonstrates the viability of new surfaces for splitting water with sunlight.

Comparison of the Photoelectrochemical Behavior of H‐Terminated and Methyl-Terminated Si(111) Surfaces in Contact with a Series of One-Electron, Outer-Sphere Redox Couples in CH3CN
R. L. Grimm, M. J. Bierman, L. E. O’Leary,
N. C. Strandwitz, B. S. Brunschwig, and N. S. Lewis.
Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2012 , 116, 23569–23576
10.1021/jp308461q

820 mV open-circuit voltages from Cu2O/CH3CN junctions
C. Xiang, G. M. Kimball, R. L. Grimm, B. S. Brunschwig, H. A. Atwater, and N. S. Lewis
Energy & Environmental Science, 2011 , 4, 1311-1318
10.1039/c0ee00554a

Hygroscopic Growth and Deliquescence of NaCl Nanoparticles Mixed with Surfactant SDS
C. W. Harmon, R. L. Grimm, T. M. McIntire, M. D. Peterson, B. Njegic, V. M. Angel, A. Alshawa, J. S. Underwood, D. J. Tobias, R. B. Gerber, M. S. Gordon, J. C. Hemminger and S. A. Nizkorodov
Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2010 , 114, 2435-2449
10.1021/jp909661q

D2O Water Interaction with Textured Carboxylic Acid-Terminated Monolayer Surfaces Characterized by Temperature-Programmed Desorption and Molecular Dynamics
R. L. Grimm, D. J. Tobias and J. C. Hemminger
Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2010 , 114, 1570-1579
10.1021/jp9064642

Evaporation and Discharge Dynamics of Highly Charged Multicomponent Droplets Generated by Electrospray Ionization
R. L. Grimm and J. L. Beauchamp
Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2010 , 114, 1411-1419
10.1021/jp907162w

Experimental and Theoretical Characterization of Adsorbed Water on Self-Assembled Monolayers: Understanding the Interaction of Water with Atmospherically Relevant Surfaces
S. G. Moussa, T. M. McIntire, M. Szori, M. Roeselova, D. J. Tobias, R. L. Grimm, J. C. Hemminger and B. J. Finlayson-Pitts
Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2009 , 113, 2060-2069
10.1021/jp808710n

D2O water interaction with mixed alkane thiol monolayers of tuned hydrophobic and hydrophilic character
R. L. Grimm, N. M. Barrentine, C. J. H. Knox and J. C. Hemminger
Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2008 , 112, 890-894
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp710257q

Surface Structure of KIO3 Grown by Heterogeneous Reaction of Ozone with KI (001)
M. A. Brown, Z. Liu, P. D. Ashby, A. Mehta, R. L. Grimm and J. C. Hemminger
Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2008 , 112, 18287-18290
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp807113d

Probing interfacial chemistry of single droplets with field-induced droplet ionization mass spectrometry: Physical adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and ozonolysis of oleic acid and related compounds
R. L. Grimm, R. Hodyss and J. L. Beauchamp
Analytical Chemistry, 2006 , 78, 3800-3806
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac0601922

Dynamics of field-induced droplet ionization: Time-resolved studies of distortion, jetting, and progeny formation from charged and neutral methanol droplets exposed to strong electric fields
R. L. Grimm and J. L. Beauchamp
Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2005 , 109, 8244-8250
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp0450540

Complexation of gas-phase metal ions with furan: Experimental and quantum chemical binding energies
R. L. Grimm, J. B. Mangrum and R. C. Dunbar
Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2004 , 108, 10897-10905
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp047121w

Field-induced droplet ionization mass spectrometry
R. L. Grimm and J. L. Beauchamp
Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2003 , 107, 14161-14163
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp037099r

Hypervelocity microparticle impact studies using a novel cosmic dust mass spectrometer
D. E. Austin, R. L. Grimm, H. L. K. Manning, C. L. Bailey, J. E. Farnsworth, T. J. Ahrens and J. L. Beauchamp
Journal of Geophysical Research-Planets, 2003 , 108,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2002je001947

Evaporation and discharge dynamics of highly charged droplets of heptane, octane, and p-xylene generated by electrospray ionization
R. L. Grimm and J. L. Beauchamp
Analytical Chemistry, 2002 , 74, 6291-6297
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac025889b