(2k) Leveraging Thermal and Electrocatalysis for Decarbonization of the Energy and Chemical Industries

Research Interests

Mitigating the disastrous effects of climate change requires the sustained reduction of global carbon emissions, which motivates chemical engineers to re-imagine the ways that energy and chemicals are produced. The next generation of catalytic processes to meet the grand challenge of decarbonization may exploit intermittent sources of renewable electricity and/or different feedstocks from petroleum. My research group will study the fundamentals of catalytic chemistries that contribute to decarbonization and that often lie at the intersection between thermal and electrocatalysis. We will synthesize catalysts with well-defined structures and use quantitative kinetic measurements and characterizations of their active centers to elucidate structure–reactivity relationships that guide the design of (electro)catalytic processes for decarbonization.

Graduate Research (Purdue University, Chemical Engineering; Advisor: Rajamani Gounder)

Dissertation Title: “Structure and Solvation of Confined Water and Alkanols in Zeolite Acid Catalysis”

My graduate studies centered on the relationship between function and structure of zeolite acid catalysts relevant to conversion of emergent feedstocks such as biomass. I described how the catalytic versatility of Lewis acid zeolites arises from structurally diverse active sites located at defective crystal grain boundaries,¹ and from their confinement within pore environments of different polarity that influence the stabilization of reactive intermediates.² I developed molecular descriptions of the kinetic effects of solvent structures within Brønsted acid zeolites, including the clustered nature of alkanols³ and hydrogen-bonded networks formed by water,⁴ which can be described by non-ideal thermodynamic formalisms that apply generally for many reactions solvated by condensed phases confined in micropores.⁵ This work was also enriched by fruitful collaborations with theoreticians (Prof. Jeffrey Greeley).

Postdoctoral Research (University of Wisconsin–Madison, Chemistry; Advisor: Shannon S. Stahl)

As an NIH postdoctoral fellow, I studied the catalysis of earth-abundant metals incorporated into nitrogen-doped carbon (M-N-C), which are materials that bridge the fields of thermal and electrocatalysis.⁶ Mechanistic studies of O₂ reduction mediated by electrochemical pathways and by the (thermal) oxidation of organic molecules revealed the unique role of the catalyst’s surface microenvironment in determining reactivity.⁷ I have leveraged the kinetics of mediated O₂ reduction as a tool to quantify the active site density of Fe-N-C materials in a benchmarking study including catalysts from leading research groups in electrocatalysis across the world. I have also developed methods to synthesize M-N-C materials with well-defined active centers through inspiration from molecular chemistry. My foundations in thermal catalysis, kinetics, and materials synthesis provide me with a unique approach to problems in electrocatalysis relevant to energy and decarbonization.

Teaching Interests

Teaching and mentorship are integral to the practice of science and have been formative in my scientific training and in my motivation to pursue a career in academia. I am comfortable teaching any core chemical engineering course, as my research in heterogeneous catalysis relies on many core areas of the profession (e.g., kinetics, thermodynamics, transport). My preference is to teach chemical reaction engineering, and I am interested in developing graduate-level electives on topics such as kinetics and mechanisms in catalysis, catalyst synthesis and characterization, or electrocatalysis. I have experience facilitating discussion sections and guest-lecturing as a teaching assistant for chemical reaction engineering and material and energy balances courses, in addition to guest-lecturing in graduate-level heterogeneous catalysis elective courses at Purdue. I deepened my knowledge of pedagogy and gained additional practical experience through the Graduate Teacher Certificate program at Purdue, which included a graduate-level course in Educational Methods in Engineering (Prof. Philip C. Wankat). At UW–Madison, I mentored four graduate students and was recognized with a mentoring award from the Chemistry Department two years in a row.

I am committed to upholding the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching and mentoring. I will use inclusive teaching practices such as incorporating active learning elements into lectures and designing problems that address the social and humanitarian dimensions of STEM careers. I will recruit students from under-represented backgrounds to join my group and establish a group culture with an equitable distribution of responsibilities, democratic decision-making, and clearly delineated expectations.

Selected Publications (complete list at https://sites.google.com/site/jasonsbates/publications)

(1) Bates, J. S., Bukowski, B. C., Harris, J. W., Greeley, J., Gounder, R., “Distinct Catalytic Reactivity of Sn Substituted in Framework Locations and at Defect Grain Boundaries in Sn-Zeolites.” ACS Catalysis, 9 (2019) 6146–6168.

(2) Bates, J. S., Gounder, R., “Influence of Confining Environment Polarity on Ethanol Dehydration Catalysis by Lewis Acid Zeolites.” Journal of Catalysis, 365 (2018) 213–226.

(3) Bates, J. S., Gounder, R., “Clustering of Alkanols Confined in Chabazite Zeolites: Kinetic Implications for Dehydration of Methanol-Ethanol Mixtures.” Journal of Catalysis, 390 (2020) 178–183.

(4) Bates, J. S.^†, Bukowski, B. C.^†, Greeley, J., Gounder, R., “Structure and Solvation of Confined Water and Water-Ethanol Clusters within Microporous Brønsted Acids and their Effects on Ethanol Dehydration Catalysis.” Chemical Science, 11 (2020) 7102–7122. ^†Equal contributions.

(5) Bates, J. S., Gounder, R., “Kinetic Effects of Molecular Clustering and Solvation by Extended Networks in Zeolite Acid Catalysis.” Chemical Science, 12 (2021) 4699­–4708.

(6) Bates, J. S.*, Johnson, M. R., Khamespanah, F., Root, T. W., Stahl, S. S.*, “Heterogeneous M-N-C Catalysts for Aerobic Oxidation Reactions: Lessons from Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts.” Chemical Reviews (2022) – under review. *co-corresponding authors.

(7) Bates, J. S., Biswas, S., Suh, S.-E., Johnson, M. R., Mondal, B., Root, T. W., Stahl, S. S., “Chemical and Electrochemical O₂ Reduction on Earth-Abundant M-N-C Catalysts and Implications for Mediated Electrolysis.” Journal of the American Chemical Society, 144 (2022) 922­–927.