• University Distinguished Professor
  • Mike O’Connor Chair I Professor of Chemical Engineering
  • Joint Professor of Chemistry
  • Affiliated Faculty, Materials Science and Engineering
Perla Balbuena image

Educational Background

  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin – 1996
  • M.S.E., University of Pennsylvania – 1983
  • B.S., Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Argentina – 1973

Research Interests

    • Computational materials analysis and design
    • Interfacial phenomena
    • Energy storage: Batteries
    • Catalysis
    • Separations

Awards & Honors

  • 2022 ECS Fellow
  • 2020 AIChE Fellow
  • 2020 TEES Research Impact Award
  • 2018 TEES Eminent Professor
  • 2018 The Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University Distinguished Achievements Award in Research
  • 2017 Engineering Genesis Award
  • 2013 AAAS Fellow
  • 2013 TEES Senior Fellow
  • 2012 Celanese Teaching Excellence Award
  • 2011 TEES Fellow
  • 2010 TEES Fellow
  • 2002 Young Investigator Award, University of South Carolina
  • 1999 NSF CAREER award
  • 1997 NSF-POWRE award

Selected Publications

  • Saul Perez Beltran, Xia Cao, Ji-Guang Zhang, Patrick Z. El-Khoury, and Perla B. Balbuena, “Influence of Diluent Concentration in Localized High Concentration Electrolytes: Elucidation of Hidden Diluent-Li+ Interactions and Li+ Transport Mechanism,” J. Mater. Chem. A, 9, 17459-17473, (2021).
  • Stefany Angarita-Gomez and Perla B Balbuena, “Solvation vs. Surface Charge Transfer: An Interfacial Chemistry Game Drives Cation Motion,” Chem. Comm., 57, 6189-6192, (2021).
  • Yu Zheng and Perla B Balbuena, “Localized High Concentration Electrolytes Decomposition under Electron-rich Environments,” J. Chem. Phys., 154, 104702, (2021).
  • E. P. Kamphaus and P. B. Balbuena, “Polysulfide Reduction and Li2S Phase Formation in the Presence of Lithium Metal and Solid Electrolyte Interphase Layer,” J. Power Sources, 485, 229289, (2021).
  • Francisco Ospina-Acevedo, Ningxuan Guo, and Perla B. Balbuena, “Lithium Oxidation and Electrolyte Decomposition at Li-Metal/Liquid Electrolyte Interfaces,” J. Mater. Chem. A, 8, 17036-17055, (2020).