Key Milestones and Highlights in My Research Career

Below are some notable aspects and milestones in Prof. Rodrigo’s research career, emphasizing not only highly cited works but also those that represent significant innovation in the field of electrochemistry:

1. Global Scientific Indicators
   Prof. Rodrigo has an h-index of 85, a Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) of 1.28, and a total of 32,854 citations (SCOPUS, as of September 16, 2025). His work lies at the technological frontiers between electrochemistry, energy, and the environment.
   He received the Career Achievement Award from the Chemical Engineering Group of the Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry in 2020, the Research and Innovation Award from the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha in 2021 (Engineering and Architecture category), and the Medal of Excellence in R&D&I from the Ibero-American Congress of Chemical Engineering in 2025.
   He appears in numerous lists of leading researchers, including the Stanford University list of top scientists and the Webometrics ranking of top Spanish researchers, where he is ranked as the top researcher in engineering at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (only surpassed overall by a researcher in the health sciences affiliated with CSIC/UCLM).
   Additional information: blog.uclm.es/manuelrodrigo
   He is a Fellow of the International Society of Electrochemistry and an Elected Academician (Medal No. 42) of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences of Spain since 2025.
2. Development and Scaling of Electrochemical Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes
   Prof. Rodrigo has combined fundamental and applied research in electrocoagulation and advanced electrochemical oxidation processes.
   His pioneering work demonstrated the role of hydroxyl radicals generated by boron-doped diamond electrodes, opening the door to real-scale applications:
   • Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 150(3), D79–D83, 2003 – 922 citations
   • Journal of Environmental Management, 90(1), 410–420, 2009 – 370 citations
   • Journal of Hazardous Materials, 151(1), 44–51, 2008 – 204 citations
   • Electrochimica Acta, 55(27), 8160–8164, 2010 – 101 citations
3. Development of New Technologies for Electrochemical Treatment of Contaminated Gases
   Prof. Rodrigo has advanced electrochemically-assisted reactive absorption, pressurization, solid electrolyte use, and integrated adsorption/electrolysis systems with electrochemical regeneration of adsorbents.
   Key publications include:
   • Chemical Engineering Journal, 2019, 361, pp. 609–614 – 19 citations
   • Chemical Engineering Journal, 2020, 395, Article No. 12509 – 16 citations
4. Conceptualization, Mechanical Design, and Stereolithographic Fabrication of Modular Electrochemical Cells
   Prof. Rodrigo has developed new modular electrochemical cells for environmental and energy applications, designed to enhance heterogeneous reactions at electrode surfaces through improved mass transfer, heat dissipation, and gas evacuation.
   • Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023, 464, Article No. 142688 – 12 citations
   • Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 2024, 63(13), pp. 5488–549 – 4 citations
     He has also contributed to the development of novel components for fuel cells and electrolyzers, including catalysts and membranes, with significant work on high-temperature PEM fuel cells using PBI membranes:
   • Journal of Membrane Science, 306, 47–55, 2007 – 224 citations
5. Development of High-Efficiency Oxidant Production Processes
   Prof. Rodrigo has advanced processes for producing oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide and ozone, using diamond-coated conductive electrodes:
   • Electrochemistry Communications, 71, 65–68, 2016 – 118 citations
   • Separation and Purification Technology, 2020, 241, Article No. 116701 – 35 citations
     He has also developed electro-disinfection applications based on oxidant generation:
   • Chemical Engineering Journal, 211–212, 463–469, 2012 – 101 citations
     Demonstration-scale applications have been developed within European projects such as SafeWaterAfrica and SERPIC, with low-cost technologies 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
   Prof. Rodrigo was among the first researchers to demonstrate the robustness of microbial fuel cell technology:
   • Journal of Power Sources, 169, 198–204, 2007 – 242 citations
     He achieved record electricity outputs, including powering 220 LEDs simultaneously for several weeks using microbial respiration:
   • Electrochimica Acta, 274, 152–159, 2018 – 20 citations
     He also pioneered photomicrobial solar panels:
   • Journal of Power Sources, 2013, 242, 638–645 – 179 citations
     Currently, he is working on implementing this technology in microrobots, aiming for autonomous mobility.
7. Development and Scaling of Electrochemically-Assisted Soil Remediation Processes
   Prof. Rodrigo has proposed and evaluated novel processes combining electrochemical technology with conventional methods such as adsorption, biological degradation, and phytoremediation:
   • Chemical Engineering Journal, 285, 128–136, 2016 – 59 citations
     He has assessed scaling effects with 32 m³ prototypes:
   • Chemosphere, 166, 549–555, 2017 – 49 citations
     Currently, the technology is being applied in an industrial consortium for the remediation of a real contaminated site with lindane in northern Spain, involving the design, construction, and operation of full-scale facilities treating 25 m² pond sections:
   • Journal of Hazardous Materials, 480, Article No. 135945, 2024 – 1 citation
8. Development of More Sustainable Electrochemical Processes
   Prof. Rodrigo has integrated electrolytic systems with energy storage and renewable sources (solar panels and wind turbines), developing automation systems for optimal energy management:
   • Science of the Total Environment, 754, Article No. 142230, 2021 – 31 citations
   • Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 270, Article No. 118857, 2020 – 235 citations
     He conceptualized the EDEN® technology for energy storage and CO₂ fixation, combining chlor-alkali processes with electrochemically-assisted reactive absorption, with applications in wastewater treatment, agricultural irrigation, automotive, solar park management, and domestic use:
   • Chemosphere, 254, Article No. 126795, 2020 – 15 citations
   • Energy Reports, 8, 4957–4963, 2022 – 6 citations
9. Conceptualization and Development of the Electro-Refinery Concept
   Prof. Rodrigo proposed the electro-refinery concept for treating solid, liquid, and gaseous waste, shifting the paradigm from pollutant mineralization to circular economy, by transforming contaminants into valuable raw materials through electrolysis, electrodialysis, and organic electrosynthesis:
   • Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 2023, 39, Article No. 101267 – 15 citations
   • Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022, 440, Article No. 135803 – 15 citations
   • Electrochemistry Communications, 2022, 141, Article No. 107356 – 11 citations
10. Strong Commitment to Mentorship
    Prof. Rodrigo has integrated numerous international researchers, especially from Brazil, into his research lines, supervising nearly 30 foreign researchers in the past three years. He has directed 28 doctoral theses and over 140 undergraduate and master’s theses.
11. Significant Contribution to Scientific Outreach
    He has authored internationally recognized review articles:
    • Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2014, 21(14), pp. 8336–8367 – 1,690 citations
    • Chemical Reviews, 2015, 115(24), pp. 13362–13407 – 1,386 citations
    • Journal of Environmental Management, 2017, 195, pp. 93–99 – 527 citations
      He co-edited three reference books on electrochemical technology applications:
    • Water and Wastewater Remediation – ELSEVIER Butterworth-Heinemann, 2018 – ISBN: 978-0128131602
    • Soil Remediation – SPRINGER, 2021 – ISBN: 978-3030681395
    • Electrochemical Technology for Environmental Remediation and Energy Storage (Spanish-language reference) – REVERTÉ, 2021 – ISBN: 978-84-291-7075-7
      He has also led the E3TECH Excellence Network and coordinated the Electrochemical Engineering Working Party of the EFCE, as well as the Division on Electrochemical Process Engineering and Technology of the ISE, organizing numerous national and international scientific events.
12. Commitment to Regional Development in Castilla-La Mancha
    Prof. Rodrigo has been a faculty member at UCLM since 1996, leading many regionally funded research projects and industry contracts. As Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, he has promoted outreach programs such as Ciencia Real, and fostered collaboration with secondary schools and companies to attract talented students and support graduate employment. He has organized summer courses and participated in numerous outreach activities.
    He was a founding partner of two technology-based companies—Garlicinsa and CLM Hidrógeno—both based in Castilla-La Mancha, serving as board member of CLM Hidrógeno on behalf of UCLM.
    He is an Honorary Member of the Professional Association of Chemical Engineers of Castilla-La Mancha, and actively participates in the Complementary Plans of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, specifically in Renewable Energy and Hydrogen and Advanced Materials.