(4lv) Catalysis and Reaction Engineering for Decarbonization (CARED) Laboratory

Scope

The industrial and transportation sectors contribute over two thirds of the US total annual energy consumption and CO₂ emissions, but they are challenging to decarbonize because of the variety and types of energy and materials used in these sectors. As identified in the national industrial decarbonization roadmap, radical innovation required for complete decarbonization of the American industry by 2050 will build on: (1) carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS), (2) development and deployment of low carbon fuels, feedstocks, and energy sources (LCFFES), (3) industrial electrification, and (4) improving energy and materials efficiency of manufacturing processes. Similarly, the U.S. transportation decarbonization roadmap identifies the following key strategies: (1) electrification of the light-duty vehicles, (2) green hydrogen for long-haul trucking, and (3) and sustainable liquid fuels for aviation and maritime use. The national strategy signifies that the near-future research efforts in academia, the national lab complex, and the industry all need to align towards the technological thrusts highlighted within the decarbonization roadmaps. Accordingly, the identified technological areas can be strongly inferred as focus areas for federal funding opportunities in the coming decades. Noting the critical role of catalysis towards decarbonization of industrial and transportation sectors, I am proposing a research program at the interface of fundamental catalysis science and applied reaction engineering, for the development of impactful and disruptive catalysis-driven technologies to aid national decarbonization efforts.

My vision

Through my research program, I aim to address the critical need for systematic and timely development of catalytic technologies for the nation’s decarbonization goals by reimagining the production of fossil-derived commodity chemicals and their analogs, in line with the decarbonization strategies highlighted in the national roadmaps. In the envisioned Catalysis and Reaction Engineering for Decarbonization (CARED) laboratory, we will achieve this goal by researching and innovating cutting-edge heterogeneous catalysis-driven approaches. The CARED lab will research decarbonization pathways targeting commodities with the promise of largescale environmental and economic impact, namely:

(1) methanol production via non-equilibrium plasma-assisted CO₂ hydrogenation.

(2) atom-efficient production of ring-strained monomers (epoxides and lactones) used for circular polymer synthesis from renewable substrates.

(3) direct, selective conversion of bio-derived alcohols to alkylphenols used in pharmaceuticals, materials, and fuels industries.

The proposed topics will be studied through state-of-the-art approaches, which encompass precise synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts comprising earth-abundant elements made more active and selective with the use of non-traditional supports and ligands, extensive in situ and operando molecular spectroscopic characterization, as well as reaction engineering to understand catalytic mechanisms and lay the groundwork for scale-up of these catalytic technologies.

In the CARED laboratory, I aim to advance novel catalytic technologies for decarbonization by developing rationally designed catalysts, reactors, spectroscopic methods, and reaction models. My research philosophy emphasizes fundamental understanding of reaction mechanisms, materials, and their properties, enabling one to systematically address multiscale complexities as novel pathways are developed to produce decarbonized chemicals and fuels. Importantly, I aspire to impart future scientists and researchers with a multidisciplinary pedagogy encompassing chemical engineering, chemistry, and material science needed to develop innovative solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Research Experience

Graduate work

My graduate work at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA spanned 2017-2021, under the mentorship of Israel E. Wachs and Jonas Baltrusaitis. My dissertation was titled “Nature and Reactivity of Active Sites in Mn-and Na-promoted WO_x/SiO₂ Model Catalysts for Oxidative Coupling of Methane (OCM) under Operating Conditions”. For this project, I synthesized, characterized (in situ, operando Raman, DRIFTS, UV-Vis, XAS), tested, and modelled (DFT/aiMD) tungsten oxide-based catalysts for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) to generate direct structure-function relationships. On the topic of OCM, my findings resulted in a total of ten publications. During graduate school, besides OCM, I also studied dry methane reformation via DBD-plasma activation, and nutrient recovery via struvite crystallization from wastewater, which resulted in another four publications.

Industrial work

From 2021-2023, I worked as a Technical Specialist—Chemical Systems at Cummins Emission Solutions, Inc., Stoughton, WI. At Cummins, I was responsible for identifying, and advancing solutions for designing, manufacturing, and quality-control problems related to diesel engine exhaust aftertreatment systems using supported heterogeneous catalysts such as Cu-SSZ-13, VO_x-WO_x/TiO₂, etc. Additionally, I also designed, conducted and evaluated bench- and pilot-scale reactor studies on in-production and prototype aftertreatment technologies to generate structure-performance relationships and catalyst dynamics as a function of hydrothermal aging and sulfur and phosphorous poisoning to elucidate how these catalysts changed in the real-world during use. My findings from this work resulted in four publications.

Postdoctoral work

In 2023, I was awarded Director’s Fellowship at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to work with Gregg T. Beckham. The NREL Director’s Fellowship is a globally open competition and is awarded to highly qualified early-career researchers with a superior track record of accomplishments in renewable energy research. At NREL, I am the primary investigator on my own project, responsible for synthesizing, characterizing via in situ/operando spectroscopic techniques, and studying differential reaction kinetics of heterogenized transition metal ammine catalysts for selective ethylene dimerization. The overarching goal of my project is to generate structure-performance relationships for heterogenized catalysts at the interface of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis to guide rational material design for selective linear alpha-olefin production from ethylene dimerization. Lastly, I also mentor and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams within the national lab complex and affiliated universities to advance on-going research projects that include catalytic valorization of biomass/lignin (LigFirst) and bio-derived monomers for circular polymers (BOTTLE™). To date, my work at NREL has resulted in one publication, with three more under preparation/review.

Teaching Interests

My educational background in chemistry and chemical engineering, as well as my practical work experience in the industry and the national lab complex position me aptly to teach a range of courses with a unique perspective, including core chemical engineering courses and specialized electives. Among the core courses, I would be most interested in teaching reaction engineering/chemical kinetics, and heterogeneous catalysis at undergraduate and/or graduate level, given their proximity to my research interests and activities. Other undergraduate courses of interest include introductory chemical engineering, materials and energy balances, project-based junior and senior undergraduate courses, and materials characterization/spectroscopy. Lastly, elective courses suitable for both undergraduate and graduate students that I can effectively create and teach include industrial chemistry and sustainability, and environmental pollution control.

In addition to the abovementioned courses, I will also develop a new graduate-level course, titled “Surface characterization in heterogeneous catalysis”, that may be initially offered as an elective. Traditional chemical engineering programs focus heavily on ‘reaction engineering’ and ‘kinetics’—two aspects of catalysis that are useful for reactor design, but not for catalyst design. Heterogeneous catalyst design requires a profound understanding of the surface properties of the solid catalysts, as elucidated via advanced characterization techniques that enable us to study how a catalyst functions and evolves during a reaction. The proposed course will focus on the surface aspects of heterogeneous catalysts, with the primary objective of teaching the students useful concepts that can enable them to molecularly design catalysts (and solid materials) and impart skills beyond reaction/reactor engineering.