(4ee) High-Value Fuels and Chemicals from Renewable Feedstocks: A Catalytic Process Design Approach.

My research focuses on the design and development of efficient and environmentally friendly processes for the production of high-value fuels and chemicals via catalytic conversion of renewable feedstocks. These processes use a combination of thermochemical and biochemical conversion of renewable feedstocks – including dedicated energy crops (i.e., poplar), agricultural waste (i.e., corn stover and rice husk), low energy crops (i.e., Arundo donax), and non-woody waste (i.e., plastic waste) – to produce hydrocarbon mixtures that contain aromatics (benzene, toluene, and xylene), alkenes, alkanes, and cycloalkanes; specific products with this composition include aviation fuel, gasoline, diesel, bio-oil, surfactants, and lubricants. The overall goal of these processes is to create biobased alternatives to replace conventional petroleum-based liquid products. Major areas of my research include heterogeneous catalytic oligomerization of ethylene to produce high-energy jet fuel – a high-value liquid fuel with a superior cycloalkane content – and the catalytic pyrolysis and hydropyrolysis of renewable feedstocks to produce superior quality bio-oil. Contributions in these fields include the design, development, and screening of novel solid catalysts. Also, my research focuses on the development of reaction pathways, reaction mechanisms, kinetic models, process design and optimization, and techno-economic analysis.

As an Assistant Professor, I will develop a comprehensive research project to improve the conversion of renewable low-value feedstocks into high-value products. My goal is to create innovative solutions to one of the main problems in converting renewable feedstocks into valuable products – the high cost of feedstock fractionation and product recovery. One such solution consists of catalytic conversion of low-value feedstocks (such as syngas, biogas, food waste, agricultural waste, and non-woody waste), which will help minimize costs associated with the feedstock and create a superior pathway to produce high-value chemicals from renewable resources. A deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms in the process conversion steps – especially feedstock fractionation and product recovery – is necessary to create more efficient processes. Thus, fundamental studies focusing on each step of the process chain, including the study of reaction pathways (i.e., kinetic, and mechanistic studies) and process modeling, will help to unveil new potential process routes. Catalyst design and optimization is also an important area to focus on since catalyst deactivation via coke formation is a common problem in heterogeneous catalytic processes. Hence, part of my research focuses on the use of non-conventional techniques to minimize coke accumulation on solid catalysts. For example, in one of the most recent contributions, I proposed using supercritical fluids in catalytic processes as a superior approach to remove carbon deposits from heterogeneous catalysts. I expect to continue advancing this area or research as an Assistant Professor.

Teaching Interests

As an Assistant Professor, I would be interested in teaching Process Engineering (Design, Modeling, and Economics), Chemical Reaction Engineering, Separation, Transport Phenomena, and other Chemical Engineering core courses. Since the Fall quarter of 2019, I have been the instructor of three courses in the ABET accredited Bioresource Science and Engineering program at the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington (1 course per quarter). These are 4 to 5 credits core Chemical Engineering courses where the students learn the principles of mass and energy balances, the fundamental of transport phenomena (mass, heat, and momentum transfer), and unit operations that are typical in biorefineries and pulp and paper mills. My responsibilities as instructor include designing and delivering all the course content, grading assignments (quizzes, projects, and exams), and assigning final grades. Over these past 2 years, I had an average evaluation of 4.6 (out of 5.0) from the students. My teaching philosophy is based on “learn-by-doing”. My lectures are designed so that the students have the opportunity to solve in-class problems where they can apply the concepts presented in class. Homework assignments and open-ended projects are also an important core of the learning process, where the students are encouraged to attend office hours. The lengthy teaching experience that I obtained during my Ph.D. showed me how rewarding teaching can be and led me to seek a position as an Assistant Professor after the conclusion of my Ph.D. degree.

Successful proposal: Contributed to the writing of the proposal entitled “The role of supercritical ethylene on oligomerization reactions with nickel-based heterogeneous catalysts,” which was funded by the American Chemical Society - Petroleum Research Fund. Amount awarded: $110,000.00.

Additional grant writing experience: Contributed to the writing of proposals submitted to NSF CAREER, DOE, and Washington Sea Grant.

Ph.D. Dissertation: “Mechanisms and kinetics of ethylene oligomerization over nickel-based heterogeneous catalysts”. Under the supervision of Dr. Rick Gustafson, Bioresource Science and Engineering, University of Washington.

M.S. Dissertation: “Study of the Catalytic Reactions of Ethylene Oligomerization in Subcritical and Supercritical Media over a NiBEA Catalyst”. Under the supervision of Dr. Fernando L. P. Resende, Bioresource Science and Engineering, University of Washington.

Selected Publications:

1. Seufitelli, G. V. S.; Resende, F. L. P.; Gustafson, R. “Kinetics of supercritical ethylene oligomerization over the Ni-H-Beta” Manuscript under preparation as a fulfillment of the Ph.D. degree at the University of Washington.
2. Seufitelli, G. V. S.; Park, J.J.W.; Tran, P.N.; Dichiara, A.; Resende, F. L. P; Gustafson, R. “The role of Ni²⁺ and Brønsted sites during the ethylene oligomerization over the Ni-H-Beta” Manuscript under preparation as a fulfillment of the Ph.D. degree at the University of Washington.
3. Seufitelli, G. V. S.; Gustafson, R. “A novel route for alkenes and cycloalkanes via ethylene oligomerization over Ni-SIRAL catalysts” Manuscript prepared for submission at Frontiers in Energy Research – Bioenergy and Biofuels Section. (August 2021)
4. Seufitelli, G. V. S.; Resende, F. L. P.; Gustafson, R. “Effect of coke solubility on the oligomerization of supercritical ethylene over heterogeneous catalysts” Manuscript prepared for submission at the Journal of Supercritical Fluids.
5. Seufitelli, G. V. S.; Park, J.J.W.; Tran, P.N.; Dichiara, A.; Resende, F. L. P; Gustafson, R. “Kinetics of ethylene oligomerization over Ni-H-Beta catalysts.” Manuscript submitted to the Journal of Catalysis (March 2021)
6. Li, Z., Zhong, Z.; Yang, Q.; Ben, H.; Seufitelli, G.V.S.; Resende, F. L. P. “Parametric study of catalytic hydropyrolysis of rice husk over a hierarchical micro-mesoporous composite catalyst for production of light alkanes, alkenes, and liquid aromatic hydrocarbons” Manuscript submitted to the Chemical Engineering Journal (June 2021)
7. Li, Z., Zhong, Z.; Zhang, B.; Wang, W.; Zhao, H; Seufitelli, G.V.S.; Resende, F. L. P. “Microwave-assisted catalytic fast pyrolysis of rice husk over a hierarchical HZSM-5/MCM-41 catalyst prepared by organic base alkaline solutions” Science of the Total Environment, 2021, vol. 750.
8. Chandler, D.S.; Seufitelli, G. V. S.; Resende, F. L. P. “Catalytic Route for the Production of Alkanes from Hydropyrolysis of Biomass” Energy and Fuels, 2020, vol. 34 (10), 12573-12585.
9. Li, Z.; Zhong, Z.; Zhang, B.; Wang, W.; Seufitelli, G. V. S.; Resende, F. L. P. “Effect of alkali-treated HZSM-5 zeolite on the production of aromatic hydrocarbons from microwave assisted catalytic fast pyrolysis (MACFP) of rice husk”. Science of the Total Environment, 2020, vol. 703.
10. Li, Z.; Zhong, Z.; Zhang, B.; Wang, W.; Seufitelli, G.V.S.; Resende, F.L.P. “Catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of waste greenhouse plastic films and rice husk using hierarchical micro-mesoporous composite molecular sieve” Waste Management, 2020, vol. 102, pp.561-568.
11. Seufitelli, G. V. S.; Resende, F. L. P. “Study of the catalytic reactions of ethylene oligomerization in subcritical and supercritical media over a NiBEA catalyst” Catal. A Gen. 2019, vol. 576, pp. 96–107.
12. Jan, O.; Marchand, R.; Anjos, L. C. A.; Seufitelli, G. V. S.; Nikolla, E.; Resende, F. L. P. “Hydropyrolysis of lignin using Pd/ HZSM-5” Energy Fuels 2015, 29, 1793−1800.