Author: Chao Wang

Michael J. Manto, Ph.D. has joined W. R. Grace & Co. as an R&D Engineer in Chicago, Illinois.  Grace is a global leader in refining, petrochemical and chemical manufacturing catalysts and materials.  In his new role, Michael will work on the development of new catalyst products.  Michael's efforts will support the objectives of Advanced Refining Technologies, a joint venture between Chevron and Grace focused on high-performance hydroprocessing catalysts.  Congratulations and good luck!...

Mitchell Keller has accepted a position with GEA Engineering in Columbia, MD. He will be joining as an Applications Engineer. Mitchell recently graduated with his Master's degree. Congratulations Mitchell!...

Pengfei Xie, Tiancheng Pu and collaborators have published a paper titled “Carbothermal shock synthesis of high-entropy-alloy nanoparticles” in Science. Their article was chosen to be featured on the cover of this issue. Congratulations!...

Pengfei Xie, Tiancheng Pu and collaborators have published their paper "Nanoceria-Supported Single-Atom Platinum Catalysts for Direct Methane Conversion" in ACS Catalysis. Congratulations!...

Dr. David Raciti has been awarded a Postdoctoral Research Award by the National Research Council (NRC). This fellowship program promotes excellence in scientific and technological research conducted by the U.S. government through the administration of programs offering research opportunities at sponsoring federal laboratories and affiliated institutions. David will work under Dr. Thomas Moffat in the Material Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Congratulations Dr. Raciti, and best wishes in your new position!...

Michael Manto successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis "Artificial Recovery of Reactive Nitrogen and Phosphorus Enabled by Novel Catalytic and Ion-Exchange Nanomaterials" on March 30th, 2018. Congratulations Dr. Manto!...

A paper prepared by Michael Manto, Pengfei Xie, Mitchell Keller, Wilhelm Liano and Tiancheng Pu entitled "Recovery of ammonium from aqueous solutions using ZSM-5" has been published in Chemosphere. The team reported on ZSM-5 zeolites as highly effective and selective sorbents for the capture and release of ammonium ions from synthetic solutions and wastewater. Additional findings in this paper include studies on ion exchange mechanisms as well as thermodynamic and kinetic investigations. Congratulations!...

Researchers from the Wang Group presented at the 21st Annual NECZA Meeting at the University of Pennsylvania. The Northeast Corridor Zeolite Association (NECZA) brings together experts from academia and industry who specialize in zeolite technologies. The separations team represented by Michael Manto, Mitchell Keller and Tiancheng Pu showcased their poster entitled "Recovery of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Nutrients Using ZSM-5" and were awarded the top prize for their research by the organizing committee. The team received a $100 prize and were given the opportunity to deliver a 15-minute presentation on their research during the afternoon session of the NECZA meeting. Congratulations!...

A paper prepared by Michael Manto, Pengfei Xie, Mitchell Keller, Wilhelm Liano and Tiancheng Pu entitled "Recovery of Inorganic Phosphorus Using Cu-Exchanged ZSM-5" has been published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. The team reported on a breakthrough application of Cu-ZSM-5 sorbents for the highly efficient recovery of inorganic phosphorus from synthetic solutions and wastewater. Key discoveries in the publication include the determination of the active site and a proposed ion exchange mechanism. A patent has been filed on this novel application of Cu-ZSM-5. Congratulations, all!...

A paper entitled "A Discovery of Strong Metal–Support Bonding in Nanoengineered Au–Fe3O4 Dumbbell-like Nanoparticles by in Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy" has been published in Nano Letters. The publication is a result of a collaborative effort between Michael Manto, Dr. Chao Wang, and colleagues at the Purdue Catalysis Center and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The project was funded by the interdisciplinary NSF Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF) program. Key findings in this publication include the discovery of strong metal-support interactions and adhesion between gold and reduced iron oxide in Au-Fe3O4 heterodimer nanoparticles, yielding exciting insights into optimizing and improving catalysts. Congratulations, all!...