Shane Adam Ardo
Professor at the University of California Irvine, Department of Chemistry
Director Ensembles of Photosynthetic Nanoreactors (EPN) EFRC
Biography
Shane Adam Ardo is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine, where he has been on the faculty since 2013. He currently serves as the Director of the Ensembles of Photosynthetic Nanoreactors (EPN) Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC). Ardo received his Ph.D. in Chemistry with a specialty in Photo-Physical Inorganic Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University in 2010. He also holds a Master’s degree in Nutrition & Food Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Towson University.
Ardo's research is centered on the fields of solar energy conversion and photoelectrochemical systems. He has been involved in developing new materials and technologies for solar fuels and water splitting, contributing significantly through over 90 peer-reviewed publications and multiple patents. His projects have received substantial funding from agencies such as the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. Notable among his accolades are the Sloan Research Fellowship and the Cottrell Scholar Award, recognizing his innovative contributions to chemical research and education.
In addition to his research, Ardo is actively engaged in teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses at UCI, including Electrochemistry and Photochemistry. He has mentored numerous students and postdoctoral researchers, fostering the next generation of scientists in his field. Ardo also participates in professional service, including roles on advisory boards and as a peer reviewer for scientific journals. His outreach efforts include organizing and participating in educational programs aimed at increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields.
Return to topEducation
- Ph.D. in Chemistry (specialty: Photo-Physical Inorganic), Johns Hopkins University, 2010
- M.A. in Chemistry (specialty: Photo-Physical Inorganic), Johns Hopkins University, 2008
- M.S. in Nutrition & Food Science (specialty: Nutraceuticals), University of Maryland College Park, 2005
- B.S. in Mathematics (emphases: Pure; Applied; Computing), Towson University, 1999
Distinctions
- Solar Photochemistry Program Grant (Lead PI of 2) DOE, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences $682k ($862k total), 2024
- AGEP - Graduate Research Supplement NSF, Directorate of Mathematics and Physical Sciences $84k, 2024
- UCI Proof of Product Grant UCI, Beall Applied Innovation $70k, 2024
- UCI Nominee Innovator of the Year Award, Orange County Business Journal, 2024
- Energy Frontier Research Center (Lead PI of 17) DOE, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences $1.7M ($10.85M total), 2022
- Center for Chemical Innovation Phase I (co-PI) NSF, Division of Chemistry $422k ($1.922M total), 2022
- UCI Faculty Innovation Fellow UCI, Beall Applied Innovation $5k, 2021
- CSDM-B Program Grant NSF, Division of Chemistry $350k, 2021
- Direct Removal of CO2 from Oceanwater (co-PI) DOE, ARPA-E, TINA Program $233k ($850k total), 2021
- Beamline 9.3.1.1 Time LBNL, Advanced Light Source $0k, 2021
Areas of Expertise
- Photo-Physical Inorganic Chemistry
- Solar Energy Conversion
- Electrochemical Water Splitting
- Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production
- Photoinduced Charge Transfer
Recent Publications
- Feltenberger, C. N., Cardon, J. M., Farhang, N., Ardo, S., “Probing Interfacial Electron-Transfer Dynamics Using Spectroelectrochemical Characterization and Foot-of-the-Wave Analysis of Osmium Bipyridyl Coordination Compounds Anchored to Mesoporous TiO2 Thin Films”, ChemElectroChem, 2024.
- Urbine, J. M., Phun, G. S., Stewart, K., See, K. A., Boettcher, S. W., Ardo, S., “Temporal readout of mobile ion dynamics in hydrated charged polymers coated on electrocatalysts”, Joule, 2024.
- Keene, S., Phun, G. S., Chen, Z., Ardo, S., “Ensembles of optically thin light absorbers can increase theoretical solar-to-fuel efficiencies”, Nature Materials, 2024.
- Bhide, R., Phun, G. S., Ardo, S., “Elementary Reaction Steps That Precede or Follow a Unimolecular Reaction Step Can Obfuscate Interpretation of the Driving-Force Dependence to Its Rate Constant” (opens in new tab), Journal of Physical Chemistry A, vol. 128, no. 21, pp. 4177–4188, 2024.
- Brown L., Zang W., Chen Z., Ardo S., Pan X., “Probing Charge Transfer across Various Metal Support Interactions in Heterogeneous Catalysts via 4D-STEM Techniques” (opens in new tab), Microscopy and Microanalysis, vol. 30, pp. 1180-1181, 2024.
- Phun, G. S., Bhide, R., Ardo, S., “Detailed-balance limits for sunlight-to-protonic energy conversion from aqueous photoacids and photobases based on reversible mass-action kinetics” (opens in new tab), Energy & Environmental Science, vol. 16, no. 10, pp. 4593–4611, 2023.
- Herman, A., Ager, J. W., Ardo, S., Segev, G., “Ratchet-Based Ion Pumps for Selective Ion Separations” (opens in new tab), PRX Energy, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 023001, 2023.
- Stinson, W. D. H., Brayton, K. M., Ardo, S., Talin, A. A., Esposito, D. V., “Quantifying the Influence of Defects on Selectivity of Electrodes Encapsulated by Nanoscopic Silicon Oxide Overlayers” (opens in new tab), ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 55480–55490, 2022.
- Bhide, R., Feltenberger, C. N., Phun, G. S., Barton, G., Fishman, D., Ardo, S., “Quantification of Excited-State Brønsted–Lowry Acidity of Weak Photoacids Using Steady-State Photoluminescence Spectroscopy and a Driving-Force-Dependent Kinetic Theory” (opens in new tab), Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 144, no. 32, pp. 14477–14488, 2022.
- Glancy, J., Luo, S., Kim, T.-Y., Ardo, S., “Identification of photoacidic behavior using AC and open-circuit photoelectrochemical techniques” (opens in new tab), ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology, vol. 11, no. 10, pp. 105002, 2022.
- Luo, S., White, W., Cardon, J. M., Ardo, S., “Clarification of Mechanisms of Protonic Photovoltaic Action Initiated by Photoexcitation of Strong Photoacids Covalently Bound to Hydrated Nafion Cation-Exchange Membranes Wetted by Aqueous Electrolytes” (opens in new tab), Energy & Environmental Science, vol. 14, no. 9, pp. 4961–4978, 2021.
- Schulte, L., White, W., Renna, L. A., Ardo, S., “Turning Water into a Protonic Diode and Solar Cell via Doping and Dye Sensitization” (opens in new tab), Joule, vol. 5, no. 9, pp. 2380–2394, 2021.
- Mardy, Z., Tao, Y. L., Renna, L. A., Ardo, S., Wickramasinghe, H. K., “Tunneling based ten attomolar specific DNA biosensor” (opens in new tab), AIP Advances, vol. 11, pp. 065226, 2021.
- Hou, Y. S., Ardo, S., Wu, R. Q., “Hybrid density functional study of band gap engineering of SrTiO 3 photocatalyst via doping for water splitting” (opens in new tab), Physical Review Materials, vol. 5, pp. 065801, 2021.
- Kempler, P. A., Boettcher, S. W., Ardo, S., “Reinvigorating electrochemistry education” (opens in new tab), iScience, vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 102481, 2021.
- Cardon, J. M., Krueper, G., Kautz, R., Fabian, D. M., Angsono, J., Chen, H.-Y., Ardo, S., “Reconciliation of differences in apparent diffusion coefficients measured for self-exchange electron transfer between molecules anchored to mesoporous titanium dioxide thin films” (opens in new tab), ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, vol. 13, no. 35, pp. 41396–41404, 2021.
Most Cited Publications
- Ardo, S., Meyer, G. J., “Photodriven Heterogeneous Charge Transfer with Transition-Metal Compounds Anchored to TiO 2 Semiconductor Surfaces” (opens in new tab), Chemical Society Reviews, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 115–164, 2009.
- Ager III, J. W., Shaner, M., Walczak, K., Sharp, I. D., Ardo, S., “Experimental Demonstrations of Spontaneous, Solar-Driven Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting” (opens in new tab), Energy & Environmental Science, vol. 8, no. 10, pp. 2811–2824, 2015.
- Fabian, D. M., Hu, S., Singh, N., Houle, F. A., Hisatomi, T., Domen, K., Osterloh, F. E., Ardo, S., “Particle Suspension Reactors and Materials for Solar-Driven Water Splitting” (opens in new tab), Energy & Environmental Science, vol. 8, no. 10, pp. 2825–2850, 2015.
- Ardo, S., Sun, Y., Staniszewski, A., Castellano, F. N., Meyer, G. J., “Stark Effects after Excited-State Interfacial Electron Transfer at Sensitized TiO 2 Nanocrystallites” (opens in new tab), Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 132, no. 19, pp. 6696–6709, 2010.
- Rowley, J. G., Farnum, B. H., Ardo, S., Meyer, G. J., “Iodide Chemistry in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Making and Breaking I–I Bonds for Solar Energy Conversion” (opens in new tab), Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, vol. 1, no. 20, pp. 3132–3140, 2010.
- McDonald M.B., Ardo S., Lewis N.S., Freund M.S., “Use of bipolar membranes for maintaining steady-state pH gradients in membrane-supported, solar-driven water splitting” (opens in new tab), ChemSusChem, vol. 7, pp. 3021-3027, 2014.
- Fabian, D. M., Ardo, S., “Hybrid organic–inorganic solar cells based on bismuth iodide and 1,6-hexanediammonium dication” (opens in new tab), Journal of Materials Chemistry A, vol. 4, no. 18, pp. 6837–6841, 2016.
- Bala Chandran, R., Breen, S., Shao, Y., Ardo, S., Weber, A. Z., “Evaluating Particle-Suspension Reactor Designs for Z-Scheme Solar Water Splitting via Transport and Kinetic Modeling” (opens in new tab), Energy & Environmental Science, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 115–135, 2018.
- Oener, S. Z., Ardo, S., Boettcher S. W., “Ionic Processes in Water Electrolysis: The Role of Ion-selective Membranes” (opens in new tab), ACS Energy Letters, vol. 2, no. 11, pp. 2625–2634, 2017.
- Ardo, S., Achey, D., Morris, A. J., Abrahamsson, M., Meyer, G. J., “Non-Nernstian Two-Electron Transfer Photocatalysis at Metalloporphyrin–TiO2 Interfaces” (opens in new tab), Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 133, no. 41, pp. 16572–16580, 2011.
Contact Information
Website: http://chem.uci.edu/~ardo
Email: ardo@uci.edu
Phone: 949-824-3796
Address: UCI ISEB 5080 (office)
Return to topThis profile was created with the help of AI.
Last updated on 2/14/2025.