Teaching
- Principles of Chemistry (CHEM 121)
- Principles of Chemistry Lab (CHEM 121)
- Quantitative Chemistry (CHEM 232)
- Quantitative Chemistry Lab (CHEM 233)
- Modern Instrumental Methods (CHEM 353)
- Nanotechnology and Everyday Life (CHEM 38115)
Research
Currently, we have two main areas of research projects. One is to increase potential output of aqueous batteries to store solar and wind generated electricity in a large scare for rainy or no wind days. Water, which is inexpensive and safe (= non-flammable), is a good solvent for batteries. However, organic solvents, which are volatile and flammable, are the main stay for today's batteries. This is because the potential output of an aqueous battery is limited by water decomposition to H2 and O2, resulting in the theoretical maximum of 1.24 V. Our approach to this limitation is to use boron-doped diamond electrodes, where H2O decomposition is kinetically unfavorable compared to conventional graphite electrodes. Our goal is to find compounds that are reduced or oxidized outside of the potential range of water decomposition at graphite electrodes and within the range of water decomposition at the diamond electrodes. Upon identifying such compounds, the output potential of an aqueous battery can be expanded beyond 3 V, which is competitive to Li-ion batteries.
Another area of interest is electrochemical CO2 sequestration. CO2, which is a greenhouse gas, is the end-product of burning (= oxidation of) fossil fuels (hydrocarbons). Theoretically, we can reverse this oxidation reaction to reduction of CO2 dissolved in H2O with additional acid (H+) to (re)make fuels and valued added compounds, such as methanol (CH3OH) and formic acid (HCOOH) by using electrons. Our short-term goal on this project is to identify the products of the electrochemical CO2 reduction at nanocrystalline Cu2O, which we have studies a lot for other applications, electrode surfaces.
Biography
Akiko Fillinger received her B.S. in Chemistry in 1995 from Portland State University where she became interested in chemical solar-to-electricity conversion under the guidance of Professor Carl Wamser. She went on to perform her graduate work at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado where she received her Ph.D. in analytical chemistry in 2000. For her graduate thesis, she studied dye sensitized nanocrystalline TiO2 solar cells with Professor Bruce Parkinson.
In 2001 she became a Dreyfus Post-doctoral Fellow in Environmental Chemistry at the Division of Applied Sciences and Engineering at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Professors Steven Wofsy and Scot Martin). After the post-doc experience, she taught for a year at Grinnell College at Grinnell, Iowa as a visiting assistant professor.
She began teaching at Ithaca College in the fall of 2003, and has taught Principles of Chemistry, Physical Chemistry (Thermodynamics & Kinetics, Quantum Mechanics), Instrumental Analysis, Quantitative Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Environmental Chemistry and Experimental Chemistry I, III - V.
Selected Publications
(Bold: Ithaca College Undergraduate Students)
Kaitlyn DeHority, Noah Budin, Samantha Hilston, Yongqian (Kelly) Zhang, and Akiko Fillinger, “Deposition of Nickel on Electrodeposited Cu2O at Potentials More Positive than the Nernst Potential of Ni2+/Ni0”, Journal of the Electrochemical Society 164, H615-H620 (2017).
Alyssa de Villiers (Faculty Advisor: Akiko Fillinger), "Investigation of an Herbal Dewormer as an Alternative Treatment Method. Part II: Chemical Analyses with HPLC and Handheld XRF", Proceedings of the National Counference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2010, 732-744 (2010).
Kelly L. Sowers and Akiko Fillinger, “Crystal Face Dependence of p-Cu2O Stability as Photocathode,” Journal of the Electrochemical Society 156, F80-F85 (2009).
Clifford J. Engel, Thomas A. Polson, Jacy R. Spado, Jennifer M. Bell, and Akiko Fillinger, “Photoelectrochemistry of Porous p-Cu2O Films,” Journal of the Electrochemical Society 155, F37-F42 (2008).
Recent Student Presentations
Nathan Oxman (Chemistry '27) and Esteban Jimenez (Biochemistry '26). Abstract has been submitted. "Deuterium Isotope Effect on the Electrochemical Stability Window of Heavy Water with Pt Electrodes" at the American Chemical Society National Meeting at Atlanta, GA in March 2026.
Daniel Larsen (Chemistry '24) presented a poster, "Electrochemical Study of Redox Couples in Heavy Water for Redox Flow Battery Applications" at the American Chemical Society National Meeting at Denver, CO in August 2024.
Max Bridges (Chemistry '23) presented a poster, "Electrochemical Stability Window of Glassy Carbon Electrodes for Applications in Redox Flow Batteries" at the American Chemical Society National Meeting at Indianapolis, IN in March 2023.
Andrew Nicoll (Chemistry '21) presented an oral presentation "Hydrogen Peroxide Generation at a photocathode" at the American Chemical Society National Meeting (All Online Meeting), March 2021.
Samantha Hilston (Biochemistry '18) and Noah Budin (Chemistry '18) presented a poster, "Underpotential Deposition of Ni on Electrodeposited Cu2O Films and Effects on Photocatalytic Activity and Stability" at the American Chemical Society National Meeting at San Francisco, CA in April 2017.
Noah Budin (Chemistry '18) performed an oral presentation titled, "Underpotential Deposition of Ni on Cu2O and Its Effects on Reactivity and Stability of Cu2O Films" at the Electrochemical Society National Meeting at San Diego, CA in May 2016.
Kaitlyn DeHority (Chemistry '16) presented a poster titled, "Activation and Stabilization of Electrodeposited Cu2O with Underpotentially Deposited Ni" at the American Chemical Society National Meeting at Denver, CO in March 2015.
Kyle Clifford (Chemistry '14) and Zachary Jones (Chemistry '15) presented a poster titled, "Phase and Morphological Variations of Silver Oxide Films Electrodeposited from Ammonical Silver Solutions" at the American Chemical Society National Meeting at Dallas, TX in March 2014.
Philip Davidowsky (Physics '13) and Yongqian Zhang (Chemistry '14) presented a poster titled, "Underpotential Deposition of Ni on Cu2O for Solar H2 Generation" at the American Chemical Society National Meeting at New Orleans, LA in April 2013.
Delbert Shoals (Chemistry '12) and Kathleen Sampson (Chemistry '13) presented a poster titled, "Stabilization and Efficiency Enhancement of Cu2O for Solar Energy Utilization" at the American Chemical Society National Meeting at San Diego, CA in March 2012.
Sarah Fields (Biochemistry '10) presented a poster titled, "Investigation of SHArK (Solar Hydrogen Activity Research Kit) Template with Optical Microscope and Handheld X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer" at the American Chemical Society National Meeting at Boston, MA in August 2010.
Ian Weiss (Chemistry '10) and Layne Kasprzyk (Environmental Science with Chemistry Concentration '10) presented posters titled, "Protecting Cu2O Film from Decomposition While Attracting H+" and "Improvement of Biodiesel Quality with Increased NaOH, Methanol, Reacion Time, and Settling Time" at the American Chemical Society National Meeting at San Francisco, CA in March 2010.
Joshua Thomas (Chemistry '10) gave a talk, "Use of Metallic Overlayer for Cuprous Oxide Stabilization" at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research 2010 at Missoula, MT in March 2010.