(7ei) Efficient Catalytic Pathways for Carbon Utilization and Emission Control Technologies

Development of emission control technologies for remediation of toxic gases from stationary and mobile combustion sources is of great interest due to the stricter regulations and changes in the emissions as a result of the improvements in burner and engine technologies. Within my previous research efforts, one of my main objectives was to understand pollutant formation mechanisms to develop better emission remediation technologies. In particular, I have worked on removal of trace metals from coal-fired power plants, and elucidated the heterogeneous reaction mechanism of mercury over activated carbon. Additionally, I have developed a low temperature hydrocarbon oxidation catalyst for diesel exhaust applications. Aside from emission control technologies, my research focused on spectroscopic investigation of CO adsorption and oxidation over single crystal surfaces at different pressures, developing a catalyst for cracking of hydrocarbons to valuable low hydrocarbons and designing analytical instruments for high-throughput experimentation. The wide range of research topics that I have studied has provided me with vast experience in catalysis, spectroscopy, and instrument design and development.

As a tenure-track faculty, I would like to continue my research on developing nano materials and novel processes in the area of low temperature exhaust remediation, trace metal capture, CO₂ utilization, methane reforming and alternative synthesis routes for the production of C₂-C₄ hydrocarbons. Currently, in most of the states, coal and natural gas power plants still remain the largest energy source for electricity production and play a crucial role to compensate the base loads in the electricity grid. Therefore, there is an urgent need for developing breakthrough technologies for CO₂ utilization and capture, and advanced combustion systems that can be implemented to the existing fossil fuel-fired power plants. I will initially develop my research program focusing on the aforementioned areas in carbon utilization and exhaust remediation and expand my research to create alternative energy pathways. My goal is to create a collaborative research environment interacting with national laboratories and industrial partners, and ultimately bridge the gap between fundamental science and industrial applications. In my poster presentation, I will discuss different projects to demonstrate my expertise in the area of catalysis and spectroscopy.

Teaching Interests:

Teaching has been my passion throughout my education and academic career. I gave lectures in various chemical engineering courses: Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I, Chemical Kinetics and Modeling, Chemical Engineering Design, Chemical Plant Design Project, Mass Transfer, Kinetics and Reactor Design and Molecular Modeling. I am very interested in teaching core chemical engineering courses such as thermodynamics, heat transfer and chemical kinetics. I also plan to develop a special topics course on in-situ spectroscopy for surface science applications. I will discuss my teaching vision during the poster presentation.

References

1. Sasmaz, E. (Corresponding Author); Wang, C.; Lauterbach, J. “Spectroscopic investigation of Pd local structure over Pd/CeO2 and Pd/MnOx-CeO2 during CO oxidation”, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2017, 5, 12998.
2. Wang, C.; Wen, C.; Lauterbach, J.; Sasmaz, E. (Corresponding Author); “Superior oxygen transfer ability of Pd/MnOx-CeO2 for enhanced low temperature CO oxidation activity”, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2017, 5, 1.
3. Wang, C.; Binder, A. J.; Toops, T.J.; Lauterbach, J.; Sasmaz, E. (Corresponding Author) “Evaluation of Mn and Sn modified Pd-Ce based catalysts for low-temperature diesel exhaust oxidation” Emission Control Science and Technology, 2017, 3, 37.
4. Sasmaz, E.; Mingle, K.; Lauterbach, J. “High-throughput screening using Fourier transform infrared imaging” Engineering, 2015, 1, 234.
5. Wang, C.; Sasmaz, E.; Wen, C.; Lauterbach, J. “Pd supported on SnO2-MnOx-CeO2 catalysts for low temperature CO oxidation” Catalysis Today, doi:10.1016/j.cattod.2015.02.021.
6. Kim, S.; Mayeda, K.; Sasmaz, E.; Lauterbach, J. “One step process for the production of BTEX and LPG-like fuel from pentanediol” ACS Sustainable Chemical Engineering, 2015, 3, 381.
7. Kim, S.; Sasmaz, E.; Lauterbach, J. “Effect of Pt and Gd on coke formation and regeneration during JP-8 cracking over ZSM-5 catalyst” Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2015, 168, 212.
8. Galloway, B.D.; Sasmaz, E.; Padak, B. Binding of SO3 to Fly Ash Components: CaO, MgO, Na2O, and K2O” Fuel, 2015, 145, 179.
9. Saha, A.; Abram, D.N.; Kuhl, K.P.; Paradis, J.; Crawford, J.L.; Sasmaz, E.; Chang, R.; Jaramillo, T.F. Wilcox, J. “An XPS study of surface changes on brominated and sulfur-treated activated carbon sorbents during mercury capture: Performance of pellet versus fiber sorbents” Environ. Sci. & Tec., 2013, 47, 13695.
10. Bedenbaugh,J.; Kim, S.; Sasmaz, E.; Lauterbach, J. “High-throughput investigation of zeolite catalysts for military aviation fuel cracking to liquefied petroleum gas” ACS Combinatorial Science, 2013, 15, 491.
11. Sasmaz, E.; Kirchofer, A.; Saha, A.; Abram, D.; Jaramillo, T. F. Wilcox, J. “Mercury chemistry on brominated activated carbon” Fuel, 2012, 99,189.
12. Wilcox, J.; Sasmaz, E.; Kirchofer, A.; Lee, S-S. “Heterogeneous mercury reaction chemistry on activated carbon” J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc. 2011, 61, 418.
13. Sasmaz, E.; Aboud, S.; Wilcox, J. “Mercury binding on Pd alloys and overlays” J. Phys. Chem. C, 2009, 113, 7813.
14. Aboud, S.; Sasmaz, E.; Wilcox, J. “Mercury adsorption on PdAu, PdAg and PdCu alloys” Main Group Chemistry, 2008, 7, 205.
15. Sasmaz, E.; Wilcox, J. “Mercury species and SO2 adsorption on CaO(100)” J. Phys. Chem. C, 2008, 112, 16484.