Rate My Professor Claudio Margulis

Claudio J. Margulis is a Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Iowa, specializing in physical and computational chemistry. He earned a Licenciado en Ciencias Químicas degree from the University of Buenos Aires in 1996, a Ph.D. from Boston University in 2001, and completed postdoctoral research at Columbia University from 2001 to 2003 before joining the University of Iowa faculty in 2003. His research centers on theoretical and computational studies of condensed phase and interfacial systems, with a primary focus on the structure, dynamics, spectroscopy, and reactivity of room-temperature ionic liquids and high-temperature molten salts. Key areas include ion organization in molten states, charge transport mechanisms distinguishing ionic liquids from electrolyte solutions, relationships between viscosity and molecular structure, structural heterogeneity such as in LaCl₃–NaCl melts, and the behavior of excess electrons under radiation. He employs molecular dynamics simulations, predictive models, and analyses of synchrotron scattering experiments, often in collaboration with national laboratories through initiatives like the MSEE Energy Frontier Research Center.

Margulis has published extensively in leading journals, with over 8,100 citations and representative works including 'Hydrophobic collapse in multidomain protein folding' (Science, 2004), 'Heterogeneity in a room-temperature ionic liquid: Persistent local environments and the red-edge effect' (PNAS, 2006), 'What is the origin of the prepeak in the X-ray scattering of imidazolium-based room-temperature ionic liquids?' (J. Phys. Chem. B, 2010), 'Ionic liquids: structure and photochemical reactions' (Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem., 2011), and recent contributions such as 'Do Ionic Liquids Slow Down in Stages?' (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2023), 'Structural Origins of Viscosity in Imidazolium and Pyrrolidinium Ionic Liquids Coupled with the NTf2- Anion' (J. Phys. Chem. B, 2023), and 'La³⁺ Networks and Speciation in the Molten State: Impact of Spacer Salt Selection on Structural Heterogeneity' (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2026). His contributions have advanced understanding of these materials for energy storage and nuclear applications. Notable honors include delivering the Spiers Memorial Lecture at Faraday Discussions in London in June 2024, an ACS Editor’s Choice Award for 'Electron Localization in Molten Zinc Chloride: A Computational Study' (J. Phys. Chem. B, 2023), and a 2023 Department of Energy grant of $478,541 for investigating excess electrons in ionic liquids. He leads the Margulis Group, mentoring alumni who hold positions in academia and industry.