Maria Victoria Cooke

About Maria Victoria Cooke

I am a physical organic chemistry researcher with a passion for finding solutions that can later be employed in the design, optimization, and synthesis of organic compounds with possible pharmaceutical and industrial applications. I have worked in the synthesis of organic linkers that will be used for the construction of breathalyzer that detects ketoacidosis in diabetic patients through a specific carbonyl moiety detecting electrode. I am currently working in research and development of liquid electrolytes and polymer materials for lithium metal batteries at Sepion Technologies.

Experience

1. Staff Scientist Ii

   Sepion Technologies

   Sep 2022 — Present

   Scientific lead for Sepion’s electrolyte formulation program – developed process for computational analysis of components and electrolyte systems (QM and MD simulations); designed novel electrolytes; operated quality control metrics like conductivity, viscosity, & Karl Fischer titration; and screened electrochemical stability to resulting in a 25% improvement in cycle life performance and a 12-fold increase in shelf life, for lithium metal batteries.• Conducted the synthesis, purification, and characterization of small organic compounds and polymers using NMR, MS, UV-Vis, FTIR, and SEC, resulting in a published patent and the development of a new process for photochemical coating chemistry.• Participated in scaling polymer synthesis from 1 g to 10 kg batches, enabling pilot-scale manufacturing and quality control testing.• Spearheaded the development and validation of analytical methodologies to assess polymer purity and coated separator performance, focusing on evaluating and optimizing transition metal blocking capabilities of coated separators to enhance battery longevity and prevent degradation.• Collaborated in drafting and reviewing process documentation for polymer synthesis, including product document requirements (PDRs), DFMEAs, PFMEAs, control plans, SOPs, and process flow charts.• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to refine QC standards and support scale-up of high-performance separator materials.• Training and mentoring other researchers, technicians, and interns across multiple programs.

Education

• Universidad Nacional de Córdoba

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Chemistry

• Universidad Nacional de Córdoba

  Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, Chemistry

  2007 — 2013