Below are some highlights or milestones in my research career, highlighting some works that attest to it, not only important for their impact in terms of the number of citations but also for their innovation and contribution to the field of electrochemistry:

1. Global scientific indicators: 645 publications in SCOPUS with an h-index of 84 and more than 30,900 citations (according to SCOPUS as of January 14, 2025) in the technological frontiers between electrochemistry-energy-environment. In 2020, received the Career Award from the Chemical Engineering Group of the Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry. In 2021, received the Research and Innovation Award from the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla La Mancha in the Engineering and Architecture category. Featured in many research reference lists, including Stanford University’s list of top UCLM researchers and Webometrics’ ranking of top Spanish researchers as the top researcher at the University of Castilla La Mancha in the Engineering branch (only one ahead in the overall ranking belongs to the Health area at CSIC/UCLM). Additional information: blog.uclm.es/manuelrodrigo.
2. Development and scaling of electrochemical processes for water and wastewater treatment, combining fundamental and applied research on electrocoagulation and advanced electrochemical oxidation processes. Demonstration of the role of hydroxyl radicals with boron-doped diamond electrodes (Journal of the Electrochemical Society 150 (3), D79-D83, 2003; 922 citations) paving the way for real-scale applications (Journal of Environmental Management 90(1), 410-420, 2009; 370 citations) and the development of new applications for industrial (Journal of Hazardous Materials 151 (1), 44-51, 2008; 204 citations) and urban wastewater (Electrochimica Acta 55(27) 8160-8164, 2010; 101 citations).
3. Development of new technologies for the electrochemical treatment of contaminated gases, including processes based on electrochemically assisted reactive absorption, pressurization, use of solid electrolytes, and integrated adsorption/electrolysis systems with electrochemically assisted adsorbent regeneration. (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2019, 361, pp. 609–614; 19 citations; Chemical Engineering Journal 395, 125096, 2020; Chemical Engineering Journal, 2020, 395, 12509, 16 citations).
4. Conceptualization, mechanical design, and fabrication using stereolithography techniques of new types of modular electrochemical cells for various environmental and energy applications, enhancing heterogeneous reactions occurring on electrode surfaces through improved mass transfer, heat dissipation, and gas evacuation (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023, 464, 142688, 12 citations; Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 2024, 63(13), pp. 5488–549, 4 citations). Development of novel components for fuel cells and electrolyzers (catalysts and membranes) with significant work on high-temperature PEM cell components with PBI membranes (Journal of Membrane Science 306, 47-55, 2007; 224 citations).
5. Development of new high-efficiency electrochemical processes for the production of oxidants from hydrogen peroxide to ozone (Electrochemistry Communications 71, 65-68, 2016; 118 citations; Separation and Purification Technology, 2020, 241, 116701, 35 citations) using electrodes based on electrically conductive diamond coatings. Development of electrodesinfection applications based on oxidant generation (Chemical Engineering Journal 211-212, 463-469, 2012, 101 citations). Demonstrative scale applications manufactured in the context of European projects (https://safewaterafrica.eu/ and https://www.ist.fraunhofer.de/en/reference-projects/serpic.html) with low-cost technology made available to the scientific community (Journal of Environmental Management, 222, 135–140, 2018, 13 citations).
6. Development and scaling of microbial fuel cell technology, being one of the first researchers to demonstrate the robustness of the technology (Journal of Power Sources 169, 198-204, 2007; 242 citations) and achieving the highest electricity productions reached for this type of device, being able to simultaneously light 220 LEDs with microbial respiration for several weeks (Electrochimica Acta 274, 152-159, 2018, 20 citations). First development of photomicrobial solar panels (Journal of Power Sources, 2013, 242, 638–645, 179 citations). Currently working on implementing this technology in microrobots with the fundamental goal of achieving autonomous mobility.
7. Development and scaling of electrochemically assisted soil remediation processes, proposing and evaluating novel processes based on the combination of electrochemical technology with other conventional processes such as adsorption, biological degradation, or phytoremediation (Chemical Engineering Journal 285, 128-136, 2016, 59 citations) and evaluating the effects of scaling in an approach towards real implementation of technologies with prototypes of 32 cubic meters capacity (Chemosphere 166, 549-555, 2017, 49 citations). Currently applying the technology in an industrial consortium for the remediation of a real environment contaminated with Lindane in northern Spain with facilities to treat portions of ponds of 25 m2 (Journal of Hazardous Materials 480 (2024) 135945, 1 citation).
8. Development of more sustainable electrochemical processes by combining electrolytic and electrochemical energy storage systems with solar panels and wind turbines, developing automation systems for optimal energy management of these systems. (Science of the Total Environment 754, 142230, 2021, 31 citations; Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 270,118857, 2020, 235 citations). Conceptualization of the EDEN® technology for energy storage and carbon dioxide fixation by combining chlor-alkali processes with electrochemically assisted reactive absorption and developing applications in purification, agricultural irrigation, automotive, solar park management, and domestic use (Chemosphere, 254, 126795, 2020, 15 citations; Energy Reports, 8, 4957–4963, 2022, 6 citations).
9. Conceptual proposal and development of the new concept of electro-refinery for the treatment of solid, liquid, or gaseous waste, changing the paradigm from contaminant mineralization to circular economy by transforming contaminants contained in liquid effluents or gaseous emissions into valuable raw materials through the integration of electrolysis, electrodialysis, and organic electrosynthesis processes (Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 2023, 39, 101267, 15 citations; Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022, 440, 135803, 15 citations; Electrochemistry Communications, 2022, 141, 107356, 11 citations).

10. Significant involvement in mentoring, scientific and technological dissemination, and the creation of scientific and technological networks. Mentoring young researchers, through the incorporation of numerous international researchers (especially Brazilian) pre and post-doctoral for long-term stays (almost 30 foreign researchers in the last three years) into my research lines. Scientific dissemination to society with review articles that are international references (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2014, 21(14), pp. 8336–8367, 1690 citations; Chemical Reviews, 2015, 115(24), pp. 13362–13407, 1386 citations; Journal of Environmental Management, 2017, 195, pp. 93–99, 527 citations) and the co-editing of three reference books on the application of electrochemical technology for water and wastewater decontamination (ELSEVIER Butterworth-Heinemann, 2018, ISBN: 978-0128131602), soils (SPRINGER, 2021, ISBN: 978-3030681395) and to provide the Hispanic community with a text on applications of electrochemical technology in environmental remediation and energy storage (REVERTÉ, 2021, ISBN 978-84-291-7075-7). Generation and strengthening of scientific networks with the coordination of the E3TECH excellence network of applications in Energy and Environment of Electrochemical Engineering, and the coordination at different periods of the Electrochemical Engineering Working Group of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering and the Division of Engineering and Technology of Electrochemical Processes of the International Electrochemical Association. Organization of numerous national and international scientific events in the field of electrochemistry.