Leopoldo Suescun
Profesor Agregado (Associate Professor)
Crystallography, Solid State Chemistry and Materials Laboratory (Cryssmat-Lab)/DETEMA, Facultad de Química, UdelaR

Click here for Spanish version

Foto Leopoldo

Research Interests

Solid Oxide Fuel and Electrolyzer Cells

Starting in 2010, we have been setting up a laboratory for materials preparation and cell construction and characterization. The students Lic. J. Grassi (PhD) and Quím. N. Di Benedetto (MSc) have projects related to this line. We work in close collaboration with Prof. M. A. Macías (UniAndes, Colombia), Prof. A. Serquis (CAB-CNEA, Argentina), Prof. G. H. Gauthier (UIS, Colombia) & Prof. K. Swierczek (AGH Univ. Sci. Tech., Polonia). Funding for this line has been obtained from ANII & PEDECIBA.

Recent articles:
"Study of La4BaCu5-xMnxO13+d materials as potential electrode for Symmetrical-SOFC” de S. Durán, C. Pirovano, A. Niemczyk, C. Silva, L. Suescun, E. Capoen, N. Rangel, P.D. Roussel & G.H. Gauthier. Solid State Ionics (2019) 341, 115031. (DOI: 10.1016/j.ssi.2019.115031).

Crystallography and Solid State Chemistry

Taking advantage of results form collaborations and obtained locally we attempt to deepen into structural and solid-state chemistry details trying to understand fundamental aspects of the systems beyond application. Examples: Systematic auto-combustion synthesis of materials, maybe for other applications such as catalisys (cooperation with Prof. J. Castiglioni, FQ-UdelaR). Structural details of oxydiacetate-based MOFs (in cooperation with Prof. J. Torres, FQ-UdelaR and graduate students F. Igoa y G. Peinado). Structural characterization of hybrid organic-inorganic extended networks based on trifluoroacetates and complex fluorides (cooperation with Prof. F. Rabuffetti, Dep. Chem., WSU y ex-estudiante M. Imer)

Recent articles:
"Design of a white-light emitting material based on a mixed-lanthanide metal organic framework” de F. Igoa; G. Peinado; L. Suescun; C. Kremer y J. Torres. Journal of Solid State Chemistry 279 (2019) 120925. (DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2019.120925).
"Accessing Mixed-Halide Upconverters using Heterohaloacetate Precursors" de Dissanayake, T.K.; Amarasinghe, D.K.; Suescun, L. y Rabuffetti, F. Chemistry of Materials (2019) 31, 6262-6267. (DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.9b02384)).
“Bond Valence Parameters for Alkali- and Alkaline-Earth-Oxygen Pairs: Derivation and Application to Metal-Organic Compounds.” de T. Yee, L. Suescun y F. Rabuffetti. Journal of Solid State Chemistry 270 (2019) 242-246 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2018.11.025)).

X-ray and Neutron Powder Diffraction

Powder diffraction is used for phase identification, quantification and strcutural analysis of samples prepared at Cryssmat-Lab. or by colleagues in Uruguay or abroad. The Rietveld Method is the most frequent tool used. This is a strong point in teaching activities, organizing and lecturing in national and regional schools in Latin America.

Recent articles
"Cuentas arqueológicas del sitio Iglesia Colonial de Huanchaco: estudio cristalográfico de su composición” de E. Zeballos-Velásquez, G. Prieto, L. Suescun y E. Asto. Revista Matéria (2020) 25(1) – e12598. DOI: 10.1590/s1517-707620200001.0924).
“Four interpenetrating hydrogen bonding three-dimensional networks in divanillin (6,6'-dihydroxy-5,5'-dimethoxy-[1,1'-bi-phenyl]-3,3'-dicarbaldehyde).” de M. Imer, V. Aldabalde, S. Pagola, J. van de Streek y L Suescun, Acta Crystallographica Section C 74 (2018) 1768-1773. (DOI: 10.1107/S2053229618016200).

Single Crystals X-ray Diffraction

Using the single crystal diffractometer available at Facultad de Química I perform structure determinations for colleagues from Uruguay and abroad. Also teaching in this topic is very important, with several Latin American schools organized in the last 6 years.

Recent articles:
“Design and self-assembly of new [2 x 2] grids constructed by lanthanide ions and a Schiff base” de G. Mendoza-Sarmiento, F. Igoa, L. Suescun, J. Torres, C. Kremer. Inorganic Chemistry Communications (2020), 119, 108067 DOI: 10.1016/j.inoche.2020.108067)
“Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of poly[tris(µ4-benzene-1,4-dicarboxylato)tetrakis (dimethylformamide)trinickel(II)]: a two-dimensional coordination network” de C. Ajpi, L. Suescun, N. Leiva, A. Lundblad, G. Lindbergh y S. Cabrera. Acta Crystallographica Section E: Structural Communications (2019) E75. 1839-1843. (DOI: 10.1107/S2056989019014658.
“Chemoenzymatic Total Synthesis and Structural Revision of Ampelomins B, D, E, and Epiampelomin B” de Brindisi, C.; Vazquez, S.; Suescun, L.; Seoane, G.; Martin, V.; Brovetto, M. Journal of Organic Chemistry (2019) 84(24), 15997-16002. (DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.9b02472)
“Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of lapachol acetate (3-(3methyl-but-2-enyl)-1,4-dioxonaphthalen-2-yl)acetate) 80 year after its first synthesis.” de M.A. Martínez Cabrera, M.A. Macías, F. Fernández, E. Pandolfi, J. Barúa y L. Suescun. Acta Crystallographica Section E: Structural Communications (2019) E75. 1362-1366. (DOI: 10.1107/S2056989019011393)).

Publications and selected talks.

  • Full list of publications in indexed journals
  • Invited and selected talks (2013 and back available for the moment)

    • Check some of my talks (before 2013 available for the moment)

    "Structural and magnetic characterization of Sr1-xLaxMnOy oxygen vacancy ordered phases (0<=x<0.4, 2.5<=y<2.75)" Seminario Invitado en Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, Francia, 14 de Mayo 2012 (suescuntalk14512.pdf ~3.1 MB)(en inglés).

    "Perovskite materials for SOFC Cathodes: Tailoring of the crystal structure" Second Polish Forum on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Technologies, Kocierz, Poland, 7 de Septiembre 2009 (suescuntalk7909.pdf ~6.1 MB)(en inglés).

    "New phases in the good old manganites" Postdoctoral Brown Bag seminar, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois, USA, 16 de Abril 2008 (suescuntalk16408.pdf ~11.4 MB)(en inglés)

    "New homologous series of oxygen vacancy-ordered perovskite manganites: SrNMnNO3N-2" Latin American Workshop on Applications of Powder Diffraction, Campinas, SP, Brasil, 19 de Abril 2007 (suescuntalk19407.pdf ~1.8 MB)(en inglés).

    In the cover

    Tapa IC 2014 issue 3 An image for the article "Chemoenzimatic Synthesis of Triazololactams Structurally Related to Pancratistatin." by de la Sovera V., Suescun L., Bellomo A. y González D. published en European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, (2017) 3912-3916. (DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201700334). was selected for the cover of Vol. 27 (July 2017) of European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry (click on the miniature or here for details).

    Tapa IC 2014 issue 3 TOC figure for the article "Structural Disorder in AMoO4 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) Scheelite Nanocrystals." by Rabuffetti F.A., Culver S.P., Suescun L. and Brutchey R.L. published at Inorganic Chemistry (2014) 53(3), 1056-1061.doi:10.1021/ic4025348 was selected for the cover of Issue 3 of Volume 53 (February 2014) of Inorganic Chemistry (click on the miniature or here for more details).

    Tapa PDJ 2012 issue 4 Figure 5b of the article "Structure of Cubic MOF [{Ca(H2O)6}{CaGd(oda)3}2].4H2O. A comparison between structural models obtained from Rietveld refinement of conventional and synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction data and standard refinement of single crystal x-ray diffraction data." by Suescun L., Wang Jun, Faccio R., Peinado G., Torres J., Kremer C. & Burrow R published at Powder Diffraction Journal (2012) 27(4), 232-242. doi:10.1017/S0885715612000681 was selected for the cover of Volume 27 Issue 4 (December 2012) of Powder Diffraction Journal (click in the image or here for more details).

    11BM Science HighlightThe paper "Structural and electrical properties of grain boundaries in Ce0.85Gd0.15O1.925 solid electrolyte modified by addition of transition metal ions." by Zajac W., Suescun L., Swierczek K. y Molenda J. published at Journal of Power Sources (2009), 194, 2-9. doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2008.12.020 was included as "Science Highlights" of 11BM-B beamline of the Advanced Photon Source "TITLE: Impurities impact Fuell Cell Performance"


    Media features (in Spanish only)

    TwitterPublicación en Twitter con más de 130000 interacciones (>8200 likes, >4000 retweets, >300000 reproducciones de video en unas 72 horas). Citado en al menos 5 medios de comunicación nacionales e internacionales. Ver en Twitter . Tomado y modificado por @Wikingeniería (con más de 3200 likes y 1200 retweets también en menos de 72 horas) Ver en Twitter

    TVEntrevista realizada por Daniel Castro y Jose Portillo para el programa "Telenoche" en Canal 4 de Montevideo (en vivo el miércoles 5 de agosto de 2020) con motivo de una publicación en Twitter referente a la explosión de nitrato de amonio en Beirut el lunes 3 de agosto del mismo año. Leer resumen y escuchar entrevista

    DiarioNota en suplemento Cromo del diario “El Observador” de Montevideo, Uruguay titulada “¿Qué es y cómo funciona el nitrato de amonio, la sustancia que causó la explosión en Beirut?” realizada por Camila Pereira Pastorini. Pubicada el 6/Ago/2020, con motivo de una publicación en Twitter referente a la explosión de nitrato de amonio en Beirut el lunes 3 de agosto del mismo año. Leer nota

    YouTubeVideo de divulgación científica¿Qué es un cristal? de la Serie 3 de ¿Que es? de PEDECIBA, producido por TarkioFilm y protagonizado por L. Suescun, A. Buschiazzo, N. Alvarez y S. Vázquez produciodo y estrenado en 2014. Ver en YouTube .

    YouTubeEntrevista en Programa TV Educativa del Consejo de Educacion Secundaria (CES) de Uruguay (Programa 5/2014 Semana de la Ciencia) realizada por Fiorella Silveira con motivo de una charla de divulgación científica en el Liceo N° 34 de Montevideo, en el marco del Año Internacional de la Cristalografía 2014. Ver en YouTube .

    radio Entrevista radial realizada por Leonardo Sobral y Marcelo Almada para el programa "810 VIVO" en Radio El Espectador, AM 810 (en vivo el jueves 3 de abril de 2014) con motivo del Año Internacional de la Cristalografía 2014 y la Semana de la Ciencia y la Tecnología. Leer resumen y escuchar entrevista

    radioEntrevista radial realizada por Gabriel Farías para el programa "No toquen nada" de Yoel Rosenberg y Ricardo "Sueco" Leyva en Oceano FM 93.9 (emitida el martes 6 de diciembre de 2012) con motivo del otorgamiento Premio Nobel de Química 2011 al Prof. Daniel Shechtman por el descubrimiento de los cuasicristales. Escuchar entrevista

    Former highlights

    Logo IYCr2014

    International Year of Crystallography 2014


    Activities in Uruguay are available at the official web site of the School of Chemistry (in spanish) www.cristalografia2014.fq.edu.uy

    Activities in Latin America are available (in spanish) at the Calendario Latinoamericano de Cristalografía

    Check the official web site of the International Year of Crystallography 2014 at http://www.iycr2014.org/

    PhD Thesis manuscript (in Spanish)

  • Caracterización Estructural y Magnética de Compuestos de Tipo Perosvkita 112 REBaCuCoO5+d (RE = tierra rara o itrio). Resumen de la Tesis, Tesis ( Tesis.pdf (~12 Mb))

    • Curriculum Vitae

  • CV PDF format (in Spanish for the moment)
  • Official CV for Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (National Research System) de Uruguay Formato CV-Uy (PDF)

    • Links

    Leopoldo Suescun

    ORCID recordCheck my ORCID record 0000-0002-7606-8074

    Leopoldo Suescun
    Cryssmat-Lab/DETEMA
    Facultad de Quimica, UdelaR
    Av. Gral. Flores 2124, Casilla 1157
    Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
    Teléfono: (+598 2) 9290705
    Fax:(+598 2) 9241906
    e-mail: leopoldo@fq.edu.uy


    Last update: Sep/2020