Our research

Bringing catalysis and separations science into the 21st century

We explore how to enhance catalytic and separations based processes which are driven by electricity, rather than thermal and fossil-based energy. We work at various length scales (macro to molecular) to tackle problems holistically.

At the macro-scale we examinee the cost, energy, and resource requirements for renewable-driven catalysis and separations processes. We do this through the use of technoeconomic, thermodynamic, and process modeling.

At the molecular-scale, we explore how reaction and diffusion occurs within electrically-driven systems, using in situ and in operando spectroscopy and through novel materials synthesis and characterization.

Our research areas include

Electrification

We use electrochemistry as a foundational tool to drive catalysis and separations process with renewable electricity.

Decarbonization

We explore technologies which aim to decarbonize hard-to-abate industrial sectors.

Sustainability

We want to design technologies which are not only effective, but that aid in sustaining our society and promote equity and access globally.

Featured projects

Decarbonized Ammonia Production

Po-Wei Huang (PhD student) working on photochemical routes for fertilizer production.

The manufacturing of chemical fertilizers is an integral part of global food production, but currently it happens through the use of fossil fuels at specialized locations. This process then requires that the fertilizer produced is shipped thousands of miles before it can be used by agricultural workers, resulting in a lengthy, pollution-heavy, and inefficient production process.

We have discovered a novel reaction pathway to convert nitrogen to ammonia, and nitrate (wastewater) to ammonia. We are also designing novel catalyst to increase the conversion of these processes. Ultimately, we would like to deploy these technologies into the field where they can be used to manufacture chemical fertilizers at individual agricultural sites, effectively decentralizing and decarbonizing the production process. We hope to pilot these technologies in the next five years.

Read our publications on this project…

Huang, Po-Wei, and Marta C. Hatzell. "Prospects and good experimental practices for photocatalytic ammonia synthesis." nature communications 13.1 (2022): 7908.

Lim, Jeonghoon, Yu Chen, David A. Cullen, Seung Woo Lee, Thomas P. Senftle, and Marta C. Hatzell. "PdCu Electrocatalysts for Selective Nitrate and Nitrite Reduction to Nitrogen." ACS Catalysis 13 (2022): 87-98.

Liu, Yu-Hsuan, et al. "Prospects for Aerobic Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation." ACS Energy Letters 7.1 (2021): 24-29.

Comer, Benjamin M., et al. "The role of adventitious carbon in photo-catalytic nitrogen fixation by titania." Journal of the American Chemical Society 140.45 (2018): 15157-15160.

Comer, Benjamin M., et al. "Prospects and challenges for solar fertilizers." Joule 3.7 (2019): 1578-1605.

Electrochemical Carbon Capture and Conversion

Dr. Song (Post doctoral Research Scholar) working on CO2 Electrolysis for high value chemical production.

Carbon capture is a rapidly-growing area of technological development to combat climate trends and changes.

We are designing catalyst and reactor which can capture and convert CO2 into liquid fuels (Electrofuels) - tackling not only the problem of sequestering excess carbon from the atmosphere, but also providing a resource which can then in turn be used to provide electricity.

We hypothesize that the selective production of C2 hydrocarbons will require catalysts which allow for the confinement of intermediates. We are designing membranes for these reactions that prevent carbon cross-over and allow for high carbon utilization efficiency.

Desalination and Water-Energy Nexus

Madeline Garell (PhD student) examine water and salt transport in membranes and polymers.

Water scarcity because of drought, overuse, and climate change affects nearly 20% of the world’s population. It results in the need for widespread adoption of desalination systems.

By 2050, the supply of desalinated water could increase to 192 million m^3/day to accommodate population and water demand growth. Today, nearly all (~99%) desalination plants rely on fossil fuels as the primary energy source for the production of heat or electricity. If this trend continues, carbon emissions from fossil fuel-powered desalination plants could increase to 400 million tons of CO_2 per year by 2050.

The waste brine produced at desalination plants is also projected to increase to 240 km3 per year by 2050 (half the volume of Lake Erie). This prompts a strong need to explore strategies for developing renewable driven desalination plants with reduced waste (CO2 and brine) production.

We are using machine learning and physics based models to investigate the critical energetic, economic, and environmental performance metrics for solar-desalination systems. We are examining how water and salt interact within desalination membranes.

Read our publications on this project:

Unravelling Water and Salt transport in Polyamide with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Caceres Gonzalez, R. A., & Hatzell, M. C. (2022). Prioritizing the Best Potential Regions for Brine Concentration Systems in the USA Using GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis. Environmental Science & Technology.

Liu, Yu-Hsuan, Yousuf Z. Bootwala, Gyoung Gug Jang, Jong K. Keum, Chia Miang Khor, Eric MV Hoek, David Jassby, Costas Tsouris, Jim Mothersbaugh, and Marta C. Hatzell. "Electroprecipitation mechanism enabling silica and hardness removal through aluminum-based electrocoagulation." ACS ES&T Engineering 2, no. 7 (2022): 1200-1210.