Research Assistant Professor
tengco@mailbox.sc.edu

The composition and morphology of supported metal nanoparticle catalysts greatly affect their ability in promoting reactions. In the design and synthesis of these materials, the preparation method is desired to effectively produce physical characteristics that give optimal performance and stability. Our methods of Strong Electrostatic Adsorption (SEA), Electroless Deposition (ED), and their combinations or derivatives, can produce well designed catalysts with novel morphologies for varied applications like renewable energy processes (e.g. biomass conversion, hydrogen production, and fuel cells) as well as production of fine chemicals. These synthesis methods are also relatively simple, making them viable for commercial scale-up. Through comprehensive characterization and systematic evaluation of these catalysts, we can develop better understanding of structure-reaction relationships which allows us to further refine the design of catalysts.