We develop fundamental knowledge and technologies to meet an increased demand for energy with minimal environmental impact. Examples of current focus areas include development of active and selective catalysts, advancing new strategies in membrane-based separations, and introduction of next-generation semiconductors for energy research.
Faculty
WE WORK ON HETEROGENEOUS CATALYST DEVELOPMENT in my laboratory and our ultimate goal is to obtain a fundamental understanding of these catalysts at the atomic level. Our approach is to synthesize well-defined heterogeneous catalysts using nanoparticle oxides with various shapes and sizes as supports and carefully control the deposition of active metal onto these supports using atomic layer deposition (ALD), or other more conventional catalyst synthesis methods, such as precipitation-deposition or incipient wetness impregnation.…
OUR RESEARCH FOCUSES ON ADVANCING THE MOLECULAR-LEVEL understanding of surface chemical reactions that are important in applications of heterogeneous catalysis. My students and I investigate chemical reactions on solid surfaces using a wide array of analysis methods based on ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) surface chemistry and physics, including methods that provide information about surface reaction kinetics, adsorbed intermediates, atomic scale surface structure and the chemical states of adsorbed molecules and atoms of the solid.…