ABOUT
Our research group works at the interface of chemistry and chemical engineering. We create the science for providing renewable and recyclable alternatives to materials made from petro-chemicals. Polymers have provided humanity with tremendous benefits from food preservation through packaging to impressive fuel efficiency because of light weight advantage. However, a growing plastics waste problem is requiring creative chemistry to provide recyclable materials and chemical upcycling of currently in use plastics, polyolefins.
A common theme in our research group is catalyst design based onunderstanding of mechanisms on the molecular scale. Graduate students and postdocs in the group are given the freedom to tailor their own projects and are encouraged to collaborate with faculty and peers in other research groups on campus with whom we share common scientific interests.
RESEARCH GROUP
MEET THE TEAM
MAHDI
ABU-OMAR
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
​
B.S. summa cum laude Hampden-Sydney College
Ph.D. Iowa State University with James Espenson
​
Postdoc California Institute of Technology with Harry Gray
BAOYUAN
LIU
GRADUATE
STUDENT
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
​
Focus:
Metal catalysis (such as Ni, Ru, and Pd) and their use in non-food biomass conversion of green chemistry
CHAN
PARK
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Texas A&M
University
Focus:
Designing iridium pincer complexes for catalysis
DANNY
ZENG
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Gettysburg
College
Focus:
Converting low-value waste polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene into high-value chemicals
JOSHUA
SPEER
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Ithaca
College
Focus:
Designing bimetallic pincers complexes for catalysis
JUN HEE
JANG
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Korea
University
Focus:
Heterogeneous catalysis for alkane chemistry
SHOU
ZHAO
POST
DOC
Tianjin Polytechnic
University
Focus:
Synthesis of bio-based epoxy resins
TAYYABEH
BAKHSHI
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Birjand
University
Focus:
Synthesis of Sustainable Aprotic Polar Solvents from Biomass
JULIANNE
TRUONG
GRADUATE
STUDENT
CSU
Fullerton
Focus:
Conversion of the biomass, poplar, into useful organic products
MANXI
XIONG
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Purdue
University
Focus:
Study and application of Rhenium PNN catalyst
YU-HSUAN
LEE
GRADUATE
STUDENT
University of
Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Focus:
Polymer Upcycling
KALIN
HANSON
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Mount Holyoke
College
Focus:
Sythesis of bio-based polymers