Members
| Li Research Group (June 2022) | |
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| Top Row, Left to right: Ryota Akutsu, William Martin, Dr. Xin Li, Dr. Luke Neal, Kyle Vogt-Lowell, and Sherafghan Ifthikar.
Middle Row, Left to right: Leo Brody, Dr. Jian Dou , Dennis Chacko, Junchen Liu, Dr. Fanxing Li, Dr. Rouchen Wu, and Aaron Frye. Bottom Row, Left to right: Mahe Rukh, Hilal Bektas, Emily Krzystowczyk, Dr. Kunran Yang, and Dr. Chongyan Ruan. *Not Pictured: Yian Tian and Dr. Runxia Cai. |
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| Principal Investigator | |
| Fanxing Li
Alcoa Professor and University Faculty Scholar B.S. Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University (2001) |
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| Visiting Scholars, Senior and Postdoctoral Researchers | |
| Luke Neal
Research Assistant Professor B.S. Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2003) |
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| Chongyan Ruan
Visiting Scholar Education: B.E. Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University (2013) Ph.D. Industrial Catalysis, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2019) Research: “I work on syngas production via a chemical looping approach.” Hobbies/Interests: Traveling and reading. |
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| Kunran Yang
Postdoctoral Researcher Education: B.S. Chemistry, East China Normal University (2016) Ph.D. Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University (2021) Research: “My research interests lie in using ab initio calculations via density functional theory (DFT) to understand and predict fundamental material properties for chemical applications.” |
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| Baitang Jin
Postdoctoral Researcher Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University (2014) M.E. Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University (2017) Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology (2022) Research: “I work on catalyst development in the dehydrogenation process to obtain valuable products. I am also working on the reactor system design to achieve a more efficient pathway.” Hobbies/Interests: Traveling, Cooking, Video Games. |
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| Mohammedreza Kosari
Postdoctoral Researcher Education: M.Sc. Energy Engineering, Sharif University of Technology (2013) Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, National University of Singapore (2022) Research: “My research is to investigate morphology-performance relationship of advanced nanocatalysts in heterogeneous catalysis, especially for sustainability-motivated reactions such as CO2 utilization and CH4 transformation to produce value-added chemicals” Hobbies/Interests: Gym and learning. |
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| Yuge Yao
Postdoctoral Researcher Education: B.E. Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University (2018) Ph.D. Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University (2023) Research: “My research focuses on hydrogen production via biomass gasification. I’m working on the design and development of gas-solid flow reactors and redox catalysis.” Hobbies/Interests: Soccer, traveling, and movies
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| Doctoral Students | |
| Dennis Chacko
PhD Candidate Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County (2019) Research: “I work on oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene using molten salt promoted catalysts. I am also working on developing molten salt catalysts for integrated CO2 capture and CO2-ODH.” Hobbies/Interests: Playing the saxophone and singing. |
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| Leo Brody
PhD Candidate Education: B.S. Environmental Science, American University (2016) M.S. Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University (2021) Research: “I am currently studying sorption-enhanced oxidative reforming of biomass for simultaneous hydrogen production and in-situ CO2 capture. I am also working on a modular ethane-to-liquids technology based on chemical looping-based oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene.” Hobbies/Interests: Chess, reading, piano, and learning foreign languages. |
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| Kyle Vogt-Lowell
PhD Candidate Education: B.A. Biology/Biological Sciences, Cornell University (2017) M.S. Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University (2022) Research: “I’m currently exploring CO2 capture and utilization from power plant flue gas in the context of ethane dehydrogenation. By employing novel molten salt and mixed oxide substrate chemistries in a chemical looping scheme, we hope to improve upon traditional CO2-ODH processes, decreasing CO2 emissions while creating value-added chemical products.” Hobbies/Interests: Music, tennis, hiking/camping, and BJJ. |
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| Mahe Rukh
PhD Candidate Education: B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (2017) Research: “My research centers around designing effective multifunctional catalytic sorbents for converting biomass wastes into renewable syngas.” Hobbies/Interests: Playing Kalimba and reading. |
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| Aaron Frye
PhD Candidate Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University (2012) Research: “I work on an Eastman project related to oxidative dehydrogenation of alkenyl benzene compounds using tailored perovskite oxides.” Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy video games, disc golf, hiking, cooking and quality time with my wife and dogs. |
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| Hilal Bektas
PhD Candidate Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey (2021) Research: “I am researching thermochemical looping energy storage” Hobbies/Interests: Reading, swimming, quality time with my friends. |
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| William Martin
PhD Student Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University (2021) Research: “I am working with Sherafghan Iftikhar on methane dry reforming for sustainable syngas production.” Hobbies/Interests: Soccer, frisbee golf. |
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| Sam Portillo
PhD Candidate Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Arizona (2019) Research: “My research is centered around the development of novel perovskite and molten-phase catalysts for the decomposition of methane to hydrogen and carbon nanotubes.” Hobbies/Interests: Reading, photography, learning/playing jazz guitar.
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| Seyedamin Razavi
PhD Candidate Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology (2022) Research: “My research focuses on sorbents for the direct capture of CO2 from ambient air (DAC).” Hobbies/Interests: Soccer, movies, and music.
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| Ibrahim Sultan
PhD Student Education: B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore (2015) M.Eng. Materials Engineering Science, Osaka University, Japan (2021) Research: “I am working on the process intensification strategies for naphtha cracking for production of valuable chemicals. I am also working on the dehydrogenation process. “ Hobbies/Interests: Cycling, Cooking, Photography, Exploring new places, quality time with my family and friends.
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| Casey Killmer
PhD Student Education: B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, West Virginia University (2019) Research: “I am working on Sorption-enhanced processes for the development of sustainable fuels and chemicals and finding possible routes for the utilization of CO2 as a chemical feedstock.” Hobbies/Interests: Playing soccer, watching football, hiking, and reading.
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| Micah Dickens
PhD Student and Goodnight Fellow, co-advised by Prof. Michael Dickey Education: B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of South Alabama (2023) Research: “I work to understand gallium-based liquid metals for catalysis. This work has multiple applications, such as the dehydrogenation of alkane, CO2 reduction reactions, and the catalytic decomposition of methane. My project is developing more effective synthetic routes for catalytic synthesis and then applying these newly developed catalysts to standard model systems, such as the dehydrogenation of propane.” Hobbies/Interests: Reading (Tolkien and theology), Hiking, Playing Baseball and other sports, and playing Chess.
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| Masters Students | |
| Lauren Teague
MS Student Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University (2023) Research: “I am studying composite materials for use in high-capacity thermochemical energy storage.” Hobbies/Interests: Watching NC State sports and Detroit Lions football, reading, traveling. |
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| Jack Hughes
MS Student Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Arizona (2023) Research: “I am studying the use of sorbents for the direct air capture of CO2.” Hobbies/Interests: Playing basketball, watching sports, working out.
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| Undergraduate Researchers | |
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| Former Group Members |
| Graduate Students |
Just a few places where some of our previous group members have found employment:
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| Postdoctoral Researchers & Visiting Scholars |
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| Undergraduate Students |
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