Brian Rosen, Ph.D.
Brian Rosen, Ph.D.
Energy Materials Laboratory
Tel Aviv University
Speech Title: 
Influence of LaNiO 3  structure on its solid-phase crystallization into methane reforming catalysts
Abstract: 
The exploitation and control of structure in methane reforming catalysts remains a significant challenge to chemists and engineers worldwide. Currently, methane conversion catalysts are limited by their ability to resist surface carbon accumulation, sintering, and unwanted oxidation. These mechanisms are detrimental to catalyst lifetime and have prevented processes such as methane dry reforming from large scale industrialization. All of these deactivation mechanisms are highly influenced by the strength of the interaction between the active catalyst and its support, as well as the size and shape of the active catalyst phase. Solid-phase crystallization of well-ordered materials has been proposed to be an effective single-step method for forming catalysts with strong metal-support interactions. So far, investigation of this method has largely focused on bulk and supported Perovskites (ABO 3 ) as the parent phase and the influence of non-stoichiometric formulations on the ability to exsolve metal (B-atom) crystals. These studies revealed that A-site deficiencies in conjunction with oxygen vacancies beyond a limiting concentration (δ,lim) destabilized the Perovskite structure sufficiently such that the B-atom would exsolve in order to maintain the original stoichiometry. This work investigates how shape-control of the parent LaNiO 3 Perovskite nanoparticle can be exploited to imbue a favorable spatial distribution of exsolved Ni crystals, a strong catalyst-support interaction, and provide for long-term coke-free catalytic methane oxidation. Here, we discuss how depletion effects within the parent Perovskite and the pathway taken during crystallization influences the final material enabling sustainable and intelligent catalyst design.
Bio: 

Dr. Brian Rosen received his Bachelors from the University of Delaware and his MS and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Chemical Engineering. His doctoral work focused on low overpotential CO2 conversion to CO utilizing ionic liquid electrolytes. This work was published in 2011 in Science, and in 2013 in Nature Communications. Dr. Rosen has co-authored over 10 patents describing the use of this novel co-catalyst system, utilizing both an adsorbed ionic liquid layer and a metal nanoparticle electrode. This research has also brought about the creation of a start-up company Dioxide Materials (Champaign, IL, USA) whose goal is the development of CO2 electrolyzers that utilize this new chemistry. Dr. Rosen was named as U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Fellow (DOE-SCGF) in 2010. Dr. Rosen was awarded both the Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship as well at the TAU Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Postdoctoral Fellowship. Dr. Rosen currently runs the Energy Materials Laboratory at Tel Aviv University with research interests in reforming and fuel cell catalyst design.

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering

The School of Physical Sciences

Tel Aviv University