Research
Our group strives to understand the fundamental properties and investigate the potential applications of materials such as nanoporous molecular sieves and ionic liquids. The primary goals of our research are to molecularly design materials for specific applications, such as for separation media or chemical sensors, and to investigate the fundamental properties of these materials.
Below are general overviews of the catagories of materials studied in our group. For more details on specific projects, click here.
Nanoporous Zeolites and Molecular Sieves
Zeolitic molecular sieves are inorganic, crystalline silica-based materials that have a high porosity and well-defined structures. As a result of their high degree of order and regular structure, these materials have reliable properties and have found extensive use in catalysis and separation applications, such as adsorption and ion-exchange. Environmental benefits associated with zeolites and zeolite-like molecular sieves include little to no corrosion, little waste, ready adaptation to continuous processes, and high thermal stability. The properties of the crystalline molecular sieves are affected by their molecular structure, specifically the atoms serving as their framework, the cation balancing the charge, the pore size and shape, and the framework density.
Ionic Liquids
Ionic liquids (ILs) are organic salts that are liquids in their pure state at ambient conditions. They are frequently referred to as “potentially green solvents” due to their immeasurably low vapor pressure. The lack of vapor emissions is an obvious environmental benefit for worker safety, but it has economic benefits by reducing solvent losses and allowing reactions to occur at elevated temperatures without a pressure increase. These compounds tend to have very wide temperature range, often spanning more than 300 degrees, over which they remain stable liquids, unlike conventional organic solvents. The vast variety of potential ionic liquid structures results in a diverse range of chemical functionality (estimated to be more than 10^16 potential ILs). Ionic liquids have been shown to have excellent solvation properties and can serve as the solvent for a wide variety of reactions and syntheses.
Examples of common ionic liquids