About

Shannon Boettcher is the Theodore Vermeulen Chair in Chemical Engineering, a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and a Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also a Faculty Senior Scientist and Deputy Director of Research at the Energy Storage and Distributed Resources Division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His research focuses on electrochemistry and associated energy conversion and storage systems, materials, and interfacial science. His laboratory studies, designs, synthesizes, fabricates, and models materials and devices for electrochemical applications such as energy storage and conversion. The team aims to reveal the fundamental details of how interfacial electrochemical reactions can be controlled and uses this understanding to design materials and devices to drive global impact through electrochemical technologies, including hydrogen production and carbon-dioxide-capture technology. Specific interests include the synthesis and study of heterogeneous electrocatalysts for reactions such as water oxidation, the use of computer simulation and nanoscale electrical measurements to understand semiconductor-electrocatalyst interfaces, and the development of electrolyzers for low-cost, scalable hydrogen production. Boettcher's work also encompasses the fundamentals and applications of bipolar membranes and electric-field driven interfacial ionic reactions such as water dissociation and corrosion. He has received numerous awards, including the Blavatnik National Awards in Chemistry (2023), the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2015), and the Sloan Fellowship (2015). He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2008, and his B.A. from the University of Oregon in 2003. His career includes postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology and faculty positions at the University of Oregon before joining UC Berkeley. Boettcher is committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment supporting a diverse community of researchers.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Chemistry
• Materials science
• Organic chemistry
• Engineering
• Chemical engineering
• Business
• Process engineering
• Environmental economics
• Physics
• Physical chemistry
• Environmental science
• Nanotechnology
• Electrical engineering
• Inorganic chemistry
• Political Science
• Economics
• Biochemistry
• Thermodynamics
• Library science
• Systems engineering

Selected publications

• Oxygen-tolerant CO ₂ capture using protected redox-driven reverse bias bipolar membrane electrodialysis

  Carbon Future · 2026-01-14

  articleOpen access

  Electrochemical methods for carbon capture potentially have the advantage of low cost and low energy consumption. The practical applicability of pH-swing carbon capture processes driven by proton-coupled redox-active molecules has been limited by the sensitivity of reduced molecules to oxidation by O₂. In those processes, for CO₂ capture the molecules are reduced, basifying the electrolyte; the electrolyte containing the reduced molecules is exposed to air or flue gas containing CO₂ but also containing enough O₂ to oxidize the molecules. O₂ sensitivity would not be problematic if the electrolyte that captures CO₂ contains the oxidized form of the molecule instead; this can be accomplished by switching from an electron-driven system to an ion-driven system. We report the development and performance of a two-chamber flow cell incorporating a reverse-bias bipolar membrane (BPM) and non-proton-coupled redox-active molecules for ion-driven pH-swing. When using ferri/ferrocyanide electrolytes in this cell with a BPM, the cell pH can be spatially swung with the oxidized side basified for CO₂ capture and the reduced side acidified for release. Buffering agents and cell rebalancing mediators improved the efficiency and stability of the system. This work points out an alternative way of employing redox couples for electrochemically-powered pH swings.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Electric-field enhanced water-dissociation catalysis on oxide surfaces

  EES Catalysis · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  Water-dissociation-catalyst surface chemistry controls the electrostatic environment within the bipolar membrane, impacting local fields, reaction trajectory, and resultant BPM performance.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Electrolyte Engineering for Advanced Alkaline Water Electrolysis

  ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2025-07-11 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author

  Dissolved alkali cations and transition metals control the overpotential for the hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution reaction and are thus crucial for the design of energy efficient electrolyzers for green hydrogen production. Most electrochemical studies of cation effects are carried out in electrolytes at concentrations ≤ 1 M, but advanced alkaline water electrolysis occurs in concentrated electrolytes. In this talk I will discuss two strategies for controlling the overpotential for water splitting reactions in concentrated electrolytes. I will first discuss the behavior of dissolved iron (Fe) species, which have been shown to be a pre-requisite for the most active catalyst sites for the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline electrolytes. Nevertheless, the net impact of dissolved Fe impurities on advanced alkaline water electrolysis cells employing energy-efficient catalyst coatings remains unclear. By rigorously controlling the dissolved Fe content in a model zero-gap alkaline water electrolyzer, we have clarified the impact of Fe at high surface area electrodes operated in concentrated KOH at 80 °C. Specifically, we resolve three previously overlooked details about the impact of Fe on catalysts operating in an industrially relevant microenvironment: (1) intermediate concentrations of Fe can lead to a local minimum in cell voltage, (2) Fe does not electrodeposit as a metal at platinum-group-metal cathodes which operate at low overpotentials (3) Fe increases the specific activity of high surface area oxide coatings towards the OER but decreases the electrochemically active surface area. I will next discuss the behavior of mixed alkali hydroxide electrolytes at high ionic strength (>3 M). The apparent exchange current and Tafel slope for polycrystalline metal surfaces were measured across a wide range of mixed alkali hydroxide electrolytes to characterize the differences in cation effects expected for industrially-relevant electrolytes. Estimating the activity of water and cations in mixed hydroxide electrolytes poses practical challenges which will be discussed. I will conclude by presenting a simple, physics-based model for calculating the optimal electrolyte composition for minimizing the cell voltage in advanced alkaline electrolysis cells.

  PublisherDOI

• Influence of Ionic Strength on Interfacial Ion Transfer Kinetics of Cu UPD on Au(111)

  ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2025-07-11

  article

  As we move to a more electrified society, with the increasing power demands, especially from increased grid-stabilizing renewable energy sources, the use of copper in a myriad of systems increases. Insight into the ion transfer kinetics of the electrode-electrolyte interfaces is needed for a greater understanding of copper-containing electrochemical systems. Conventional bulk electrodeposition is challenging to investigate corrosion kinetics as it can be complicated by transport effects and poorly defined interfaces, obscuring the fundamentals of interfacial ion transfer (IIT) kinetics. Thus, underpotential deposition (UPD) of Cu monolayers on Au(111) surfaces provides the scaffolding necessary to investigate IIT kinetics. Previously we have shown that slight changes to the structure of the supporting anions and changes the electrode surface just prior to Cu moving through the double layer which has an effect on the rate constant. In that study we showed that at low scan rates, the UPD process is reversible independent of the supporting anion, and as the scan rate increases, the electrochemical response becomes more irreversible. By measuring the change in potential at the low coverages, in the potential region previously attributed to random Cu adsorption/desorption, we can extract rate constants for interfacial Cu transfer through the double layer. We have reported the IIT rate kinetics in both sulfuric acid and sulfonic acids. Now, by varying both the anionic and cationic strengths we can measure the influence of ionic strength on the rate of Cu UPD kinetics on Au(111) ordered surfaces, thus informing questions about the turnover frequency, rate order, and durability of copper containing electrochemical systems across a variety of conditions.

  PublisherDOI

• Engineering CoOx-Based Self-Supported Anodes for Pure-Water-Fed Anion-Exchange-Membrane Electrolysis

  ChemRxiv · 2025-07-30

  preprintSenior author

  Commercial membrane electrolyzers rely on acidic fluorocarbon membranes and ionomers, requiring the use of expensive IrOx-based oxygen-evolution catalysts. Anion-exchange-membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) operate in an alkaline environment, enabling the use of non-precious-metal catalysts. Here, we study and engineer CoOx-based catalyst-coated anodes deposited via hydrothermal synthesis directly onto porous transport layers both with and without thermal annealing. Self-supported, nanoneedle-structured Co3O4 anode, formed by annealing the as-synthesized cobalt carbonate hydroxide, Co(CO3)x(OH)y, outperforms the baseline Co3O4 nanoparticle ink-based anode in pure-water-fed AEMWE, due to improved catalyst layer continuity and thus electroactive surface area. The as-synthesized and unannealed Co(CO3)x(OH)y), however, appears to undergo substantial conversion to a more-active CoOx(OH)y phase predominantly at the surface, with nominally Co3+ present and higher electrical conductivity, lowering the cell voltage ~200 mV at 1.0 A∙cm-2 in pure-water-fed AEMWE compared to the conventional Co3O4 nanoparticle anodes. We analyze the differences in electrode electrochemical response between pure-water and KOH feed modes finding distinct activation and degradation modes. The Co(CO3)x(OH)y anode shows significant activation and slower degradation linked to the conversion to oxyhydroxide. We propose catalyst layer designs that promote both hydroxide and electron transport, alongside interfacial engineering strategies to obtain high performance while mitigating anode degradation.

  PublisherDOI

• Correction to “Anions in Corrosion: Influence of Polymer Electrolytes on the Interfacial Ion Transfer Kinetics of Cu at Au(111) Surfaces”

  ACS electrochemistry. · 2025-08-02 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Kinetics of Proton Intercalation at the Tungsten Oxide Interface in Varying Electrolyte Environments

  ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2025-07-11

  article

  Efficient electrochemical energy storage systems, such as cation batteries, will be essential as we transition to a decarbonized electrical grid powered by renewable energy sources. Improving these systems requires a deeper understanding of interfacial ion transfer kinetics. While there is an established electron transfer theory, pioneered by Marcus, ion transfer at electrochemical interfaces is poorly understood. Consequently, we study proton transfer mechanisms at solid-liquid interfaces to evaluate key parameters, like exchange current density and reaction rate, that could optimize battery efficiency and electrocatalysis. In extensively studied systems, such as LiFePO 4 , ion transfer mechanisms remain convoluted by internal porosity or SEI layer growth. This study uses thin-film (10 – 20 nm thickness) annealed tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ) to provide a simplistic ion transfer model to deconvolute the mechanistic and rate-limiting factors associated with proton intercalation. While WO 3 electrodes have been used for a multitude of applications, the kinetics of proton insertion remain inadequately defined. The insertion and de-insertion of protons in the WO 3 lattice are accompanied by processes of proton transfer across the electrochemical double layer, solid phase transitions, and bulk diffusion through the film. To explore this, applied potential was incrementally stepped from a quasi-equilibrated energetic state using a current transient technique previously established by Chidsey. This approach enabled the extraction of the exchange current densities and rate constants relevant to proton intercalation. A KHSO 4 buffer system of various strengths was used to explore the proton donor identity for WO 3 intercalation. It was revealed that cathodic poised potentials and higher concentrated buffer strengths exhibited improved activities than their counterparts. These results indicate that bulk proton intercalation induces faster reaction kinetics at negative overpotentials, previously shown to improve HER rates on the surface. The broader implications of exploring interfacial ion transfer phenomena extend beyond improving proton intercalation in WO 3 , offering new insights into the fundamental processes governing energy storage and electrocatalysis.

  PublisherDOI

• Determining an Interfacial Transfer Mechanism for Ion Intercalation into Electrodeposited Prussian Blue Thin Films

  ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2025-07-11

  article

  Given the increased demand to find durable, environmentally friendly, and high-performance electrochemical materials, Prussian blue (PB) analogues have been identified as strong candidates. PB lattice structures have shown fast and reversible ion insertions and extractions, desirable traits in electrochemical devices such as batteries. However, the precise mechanism regarding the insertion and extraction of ions into these PB structures has yet to be established. To understand the full capabilities of this advanced material, it is critical to determine whether ion insertion, or another process, limits the charging and discharging rates of PB films. In this study, PB thin films, electrodeposited on polycrystalline Au surfaces, were utilized to investigate the ion intercalation mechanism of potassium ions. The cyclic voltammetry technique revealed a scan rate dependence: as the scan rate increases, potassium ion extraction becomes more reversible, and the normalized current density for insertion is noticeably higher than during the decreasing scan rate. Using modified Frumkin adsorption isotherm fitting, thermodynamic and kinetic parameters can be extracted to inform durability practices for PB thin films. By highlighting the time dependence of rate-limiting processes, this work aims to elucidate the rate-determining step for potassium ion intercalation in PB thin films to advance our understanding of their electrochemical behavior and optimize their performance in energy storage applications.

  PublisherDOI

• Spectroelectrochemical Studies of Oxygen Evolution Reaction Kinetics for Surface Incorporated Iron in Nickel Oxyhydroxide Electrocatalysts

  ChemRxiv · 2025-06-25

  preprintOpen access

  NixFe1-xOyHz is the state-of-the-art catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline water electrolysers; however, understanding the impact of Fe on the active sites, reaction mechanism and consequently intrinsic activity has been under intense debate. In this work operando UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to investigate Fe-free NiOxHy and NiOxHy with Fe selectively incorporated onto the surface. At oxygen-evolution potentials, similar oxidised nickel states were present before and after the Fe incorporation, with negligible change in their redox potentials. However, the discharge kinetics of the Ni states shows a significant acceleration after the introduction of Fe, consistent with an increase in OER kinetics upon Fe incorporation and formation of active Ni-Fe species. Using optical spectroscopy, we determine the intrinsic reaction time constant per surface Fe site is <0.1 s, which is two orders of magnitude faster than Ni sites not in proximity to surface Fe sites (~10 s), and also an order of magnitude faster than Ni sites in pure NiOxHy (~1 s). Consequently, we propose that OER occurs via charge accumulation on primarily Ni centres in these catalysts, followed by hole transport to the surface Fe species where oxygen evolution occurs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Anion-Exchange-Membrane Electrolysis with Alkali-Free Water Feed

  Chemical Reviews · 2025-08-01 · 48 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Hydrogen is a green and sustainable energy vector that can facilitate the large-scale integration of intermittent renewable energy, renewable fuels for heavy transport, and deep decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries. Anion-exchange-membrane water electrolyzers (AEM-WEs) have several achieved or expected competitive advantages over other electrolysis technologies, including the use of precious metal-free electrocatalysts at both electrodes, fluorine-free hydrocarbon-based ionomeric membranes and bipolar plates based on inexpensive materials. Contrasting the analogous proton-exchange-membrane system (PEM-WE), where pure water is circulated (no support electrolyte), the current generation of AEM-WEs necessitates the circulation of a dilute aqueous alkaline electrolyte for reaching high energy efficiency and durability. For several reasons, including but not limited to lower cost of balance-of-plant, lower operating cost and improved device's lifetime, achieving high cell efficiency and performance using an alkali-free water feed is highly desirable. In this review, we develop and build a foundational understanding of AEM-WEs operating with pure water, as well as discuss the effects of operating with natural water feeds like seawater. After a discussion of the possible advantages of pure-water-fed AEM-WEs, we cover the thermodynamic and kinetic processes involved in AEM-WE, followed by a detailed review of materials and components and their integration in the device. We highlight the influence of electrolyte composition and alkali/electrolyte-free feed on the membrane-electrode assembly, ionomers, electrocatalysts, porous transport layer, bipolar plates and operating configuration. We provide evidence for how the pure water feed engenders several issues related to the degradation of device components and propose mitigation strategies.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• GOALI: CAS: Oxygen Evolution Catalysts for Membrane Electrolysis: From Fundamentals to Applications

  NSF · $499k · 2020–2024

• GOALI / SusChEM: Structure-property relationships in metal-hydroxide oxygen-evolution electrocatalysts for alkaline-membrane-based water electrolysis

  NSF · $315k · 2013–2016

• GOALI: SusChem: Fundamentals of Oxygen Electrocatalysis on Mixed-Metal Oxyhydroxides for Alkaline Membrane Electrolysis

  NSF · $463k · 2016–2020

Frequent coauthors

• Galen D. Stucky

  University of California, Santa Barbara

  67 shared

• Michael R. Nellist

  University of Oregon

  37 shared

• Ann L. Greenaway

  National Renewable Energy Laboratory

  30 shared

• Martin Schierhorn

  University of California, Santa Barbara

  28 shared

• Lihaokun Chen

  25 shared

• Paul A. Kempler

  University of Oregon

  23 shared

• Sebastian Z. Oener

  Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society

  23 shared

• Mark C. Lonergan

  Eugene Research Institute

  23 shared

Awards & honors

• Blavatnik National Awards Laureate in Chemistry (2023)
• Blavatnik National Awards Finalist (2021)
• Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2015)
• Sloan Fellow (2015)
• Cottrell Scholar (2014)