MSE 298 Seminar Lecture (Zoom): Thanos vs. Iron - The Development of Dynamic Nickel-Iron Catalysts to Usher in a Carbon Waste End Game

Friday, October 16, 2020 - 11:00 a.m. to Saturday, October 17, 2020 - 11:55 a.m.
Zoom meeting ID and password provided below
Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
UC Riverside

Zoom Meeting ID: 995 8022 3426 Password: 587901

Abstract: Conventional catalysts used for dry methane reforming (DRM) includes nickel-based catalysts that have high activity at elevated temperatures. However, the primary deactivation mechanisms for these catalysts include coking and sintering of the nanoparticles. A possible solution to prolong the lifetime of nickel-based catalysts is the use of supports that promote the thermal stability and coke-resistance. The redox ability and strong metal-support interaction of geo-inspired catalysts have come into the forefront as possible contenders for the prolonged use of nickel-based catalysts. In this work, we studied DRM using a series of Ni/Fe catalysts supported on LaFeO3. Manipulation of bulk defects of the perovskite oxide precursor catalysts qualitatively shows changes in the metal-support interaction of the bimetallic imparting nanoparticles with different sizes and composition. The activity and thermal stability are discussed during this presentation. Particular attention has been devoted to the influence of bulk defects in the perovskite support to potentially change the properties of Ni-alloy catalysts and their selectivity.

Bio: Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at UC Riverside. She joined the university in 2018, after receiving her doctorate in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before joining UC Riverside, she was a provost postdoctoral fellow (2017-18) at the University of Pennsylvania, where she developed procedures for synthesizing heterogeneous catalysts using atomic layer deposition. She has also worked previously as a forensic scientist for the Philadelphia Police Department and as a refinery chemist at Sunoco Chemicals in Philadelphia. Her research group develops heterogeneous catalysts using an interdisciplinary tool set from materials and chemical engineering, physical chemistry, and DFT for sustainable applications. Her recent work uses defect engineering in perovskite oxide supports for the development of bimetallic and single-atom catalysts.