Education
University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, 2012

The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
B.S., Chemical Engineering, 2006

Postdoctoral Research
CNRS (Centre National de Recherche Scientifique), Orléans, France
CEMHTI Laboratory & RS2E French Network for Electrochemical Energy Storage
Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, 2012-2014

CNRS & Grenoble Institute of Technology, Grenoble, France
LEPMI (Laboratory of Electrochemistry and Physical Chemistry of Materials & Interfaces)
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2014-2015

CCNY Chemical Engineering Department
Transport Phenomena II: Energy & Mass Transport (ChE 342)
Introduction to Chemical Engineering: Practices & Principles (ChE 228)
Chemical Engineering Seminar (ChE I0000)

Topics of Interest
Energy storage, electrochemical materials, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, batteries, electrolytes, multi-phase fluids, mass transport phenomena

Overview

We study novel materials, chemistries, and devices for energy applications, particularly electrochemical materials and multi-phase fluids for energy storage. Our overarching strategy is to identify, understand, and control the molecular-level phenomena that govern macroscopic material properties and device performance. We use a variety of advanced spectroscopic, electrochemical, diffraction, and imaging methods, with particular expertise in multi-dimensional solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Thematically, our research lies at the interface of chemical engineering, electrochemistry, physical chemistry, and materials science. Novel rechargeable aluminum batteries, metal-ionic liquid batteries, as well as the development of advanced solid-state NMR methods to energy materials, are areas of particular current interest. 

NASA-CCNY Center for Advanced Batteries for Space

The NASA-CCNY Center for Advanced Batteries for Space (CABS) is a joint research & education center between The City College of New York, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, Northeastern University, & regional colleges, established to create a highly collaborative research network in electrochemical energy storage & train a diverse STEM workforce through a multifaceted student internship program. The Center draws upon CCNY’s expertise in novel battery development and advanced characterization, minority student training, and management, JPL’s deep knowledge of batteries for planetary science missions & facilities to test devices under extreme conditions, & Northeastern University’s experience in complementary battery characterization methods. 
 

The Center’s research efforts seek to develop novel batteries composed of high-energy-density metal anodes & ionic liquid electrolytes designed to operate under the extreme temperatures & radiation encountered by spacecraft during planetary science missions.  Our objectives are to design & build novel battery prototypes aimed at meeting NASA’s mission-specific energy storage targets & expand the scope and ambition of future missions, produce new scientific understanding of metal-ionic liquid electrochemical systems and devices, including under extreme conditions, & enable JPL’s Electrochemical Technologies Group to investigate emerging battery chemistries, engineering concepts, and characterization methods that would not otherwise be explored.  

https://batteries-for-space.ccny.cuny.edu

NSF CAREER awardee, 2019
CUNY Junior Faculty Research Award in Science & Engineering, 2017
Sponsored scientist, 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, 2015
European Union Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2013-2014 

Google Scholar
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=YY3Y05gAAAAJ&hl=en 

Research Gate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert_Messinger