Methane Conversion to Liquid Fuels and Chemicals
Project Topics
Cargnello Group
The Cargnello group focuses on the preparation and use of uniform and tailored materials for heterogeneous catalysis and photocatalysis and the technological exploitation of nanoparticles and nanocrystals. Reactions of interest are related to sustainable energy generation and use, control of emissions of greenhouse gases, and better utilization of abundant building blocks (methane, biomass).
Criddle Group
The Criddle Group focuses on environmental biotechnology and microbial ecology for clean water, clean energy, and healthy ecosystems. The group works on large interdisciplinary field projects, studies of microbial ecology in bioreactors, and work on microbial transformations of persistent contaminants. Some current projects include a field-scale evaluation of uranium remediation; DNA-monitoring of microbial community structure at full-scale biological wastewater treatment plants; development of membrane bioreactors for energy recovery and nutrient removal; and studies to elucidate the mechanisms and kinetics of microbial transformation of halogenated solvents.
Majumdar Group
The Majumdar Group researches the science and engineering of nanoscale materials and devices, especially in the areas of energy conversion, transport and storage as well as biomolecular analysis. Current research focuses on electrochemical and thermochemical redox reactions that are fundamental to a sustainable energy future, multidimensional nanoscale imaging and microscopy, and a new effort to re-engineer the electricity grid using data science, including deep learning techniques.
Jaramillo Group
Recent years have seen an unprecedented motivation for the emergence of new energy technologies. Global dependence on fossil fuels, however, will persist until alternate technologies can compete economically. We must develop means to produce energy (or energy carriers) from renewable sources and then convert them to work as efficiently and cleanly as possible. Catalysis is energy conversion, and the Jaramillo laboratory focuses on fundamental catalytic processes occurring on solid-state surfaces in both the production and consumption of energy. Chemical-to-electrical and electrical-to-chemical energy conversion are at the core of the research. Nanoparticles, metals, alloys, sulfides, nitrides, carbides, phosphides, oxides, and biomimetic organo-metallic complexes comprise the toolkit of materials that can help change the energy landscape. Tailoring catalyst surfaces to fit the chemistry is our primary challenge.
Spormann Group
The research interests of the Spormann Group in our lab are at the interface of fundamental metabolic processes of anaerobic microorganisms and their application in bioenergy, bioremediation, and human intestinal health. We explore the distinguishing features of novel microbial metabolism and how molecular and biochemical differences in metabolism shape microbial fitness. We study novel microbial metabolism with relevance to bioremediation, bioenergy, and intestinal microbiology.
Xia's Lab
The group is interested in the design, synthesis, and manipulation of novel organic and polymeric materials. They use a combination of organic and polymer chemistry, catalysis, and advanced characterizations to create, control, and investigate unusual (macro) molecular structures and organic materials with tailored conformations nanostructures, properties, and functions, which advance our fundamental understanding of emerging topics in chemistry and polymer science as well as target important technological applications.
Zheng Group
The Zheng group studies the interfacial science among combustion, nanomaterials and energy conversion. Our goal is to bridge combustion science with scalable synthesis and applications of high-dimensional nanomaterials to provide innovative and revolutionary solutions to solve some of today’s most challenging problems, such as energy and the environment. The Zheng group is also interested in innovating new manufacture methods for flexible and attachable inorganic electronics.
Faculty & Researchers
Find Courses
- Microkinetics - Molecular Principles of Chemical Kinetics
CHEMENG 130A (Spr) - Special Topics in Nanostructured Materials for Energy and the Environment
CHEMENG 521 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum) - When Chemistry Meets Engineering
CHEMENG 31N (Aut) - Electrochemical Energy Conversion
CHEMENG 432 (Spr) - Energy: Chemical Transformations for Production, Storage, and Use
CHEMENG 25E, ENGR 25E (Win) - Special Topics in Energy and Catalysis
CHEMENG 516 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum) - Environmental Biotechnology
CEE 271B (Win) - Energy Systems I: Thermodynamics
ME 370A (Aut) - Engineering Thermodynamics
ME 30 (Aut) - High Temperature Gasdynamics Laboratory Research Project Seminar
ME 390A (Spr) - Nanomaterials Synthesis and Applications for Mechanical Engineers
ME 373 (Win) - Environmental Microbiology I
BIO 273A, CEE 274A, CHEMENG 174, CHEMENG 274 (Aut) - Microbial Bioenergy Systems
BIO 273B, CEE 274B, CHEMENG 456 (Win)
Related Publications
- Averesch, Nils JH, Vince Pane, Frauke Kracke, Marika Ziesack, Shannon Nangle, Pamela Silver, and Robert Waymouth. “Biocatalytic Formation of Novel Polyesters With Para-Hydroxyphenyl Groups in the Backbone - Engineering Cupriavidus Necator for Production of High-Performance Materials from CO2 and Electricity”.
- Rutherford, Jeffrey, Evan Sherwin, Arvind Ravikumar, Garvin Heath, Jacob Englander, Daniel Cooley, David Lyon, Mark Omara, Quinn Langfitt, and Adam Brandt. “Closing the Methane Gap in US Oil and Natural Gas Production Emissions Inventories”, Nature Publishing Group, 12, no. 1 (August 2021): 12-Jan.
- Wang, Jingfan, Jingwei Ji, Arvind Ravikumar, Silvio Savarese, and Adam Brandt. “VideoGasNet: Deep Learning for Natural Gas Methane Leak Classification Using an Infrared Camera”, Pergamon, 121516.
- M., Schwalbe Statt Chosy Singh Rohr Nielander Andersen McEnaney Baker Jaramillo Norskov Cargnello. “A Combined Theory-Experiment Analysis of the Surface Species in Lithium-Mediated NH3 Electrosynthesis”.
- K., Ringe Morales-Guio Chen Fields Jaramillo Hahn Chan. “Double Layer Charging Driven Carbon Dioxide Adsorption Limits the Rate of Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction on Gold”.
- S., Myung Flanagan Waymouth Criddle. “Expanding the Range of Polyhydroxyalkanoates Synthesized by Methanotrophic Bacteria through the Utilization of Omega-Hydroxyalkanoate Co-Substrates”.
- F., Wang Higgins Ji Morales-Guio Chan Hahn Jaramillo. “Selective Reduction of CO to Acetaldehyde With CuAg Electrocatalysts”..
- S., Dubrawski Shao Milton Deutzmann Spormann Criddle. “Microbial Battery Powered Enzymatic Electrosynthesis for Carbon Capture and Generation of Hydrogen and Formate from Dilute Organics”.
- S., Cargnello Aitbekova Goodman Wu Boubnov Hoffman Genc Cheng Casalena Bare. “Engineering of Ruthenium-Iron Oxide Colloidal Heterostructures Leads to Improved Yields in CO2 Hydrogenation to Hydrocarbons”..
- M., Goodman Johnston-Peck Dietze Wrasman Hoffman Abild-Pedersen Bare Plessow Cargnello. “Catalyst Deactivation via Decomposition into Single Atoms and the Role of Metal Loading”.
- M., Goodman Johnston-Peck Dietze Wrasman Hoffman Abild-Pedersen Bare Plessow Cargnello. “Supported Catalyst Deactivation by Decomposition into Single Atoms Is Suppressed by Increasing Metal Loading”.
- M., Riscoe Wrasman Herzing Hoffman Menon Boubnov Vargas Bare Cargnello. “Transition State and Product Diffusion Control by Polymer-Nanocrystal Hybrid Catalysts”.
- S., Brandon Criddle. “Can Biotechnology Turn the Tide on Plastics?”.
- F., Wang Nitopi Wong Snider Nielander Morales-Guio Orazov Higgins Hahn Jaramillo. “Electrochemically Converting Carbon Monoxide to Liquid Fuels by Directing Selectivity With Electrode Surface Area”.
- F., Andersen Colic Yang Schwalbe Nielander McEnaney Enemark-Rasmussen Baker Singh Rohr Statt Blair Mezzavilla Kibsgaard Vesborg Cargnello Bent. “A Rigorous Electrochemical Ammonia Synthesis Protocol With Quantitative Isotope Measurements”..
- Chorkendorff I, Nitopi Bertheussen Scott Liu Engstfeld Horch Seger Stephens Chan Hahn Norskov Jaramillo. “Progress and Perspectives of Electrochemical CO2 Reduction on Copper in Aqueous Electrolyte”.
- H., De Luna Hahn Higgins Jaffer Jaramillo Sargent. “What Would It Take for Renewably Powered Electrosynthesis to Displace Petrochemical Processes?”.
- K., Kelly Shi Back Vallez Park Siahrostami Zheng Norskov. “ZnO As an Active and Selective Catalyst for Electrochemical Water Oxidation to Hydrogen Peroxide”.
- T., Clark Ringe Tang Walton Hahn Jaramillo Chan Bell. “Influence of Atomic Surface Structure on the Activity of Ag for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to CO”.