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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><img width="600" height="171" style="width:6.25in;height:1.7812in" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D972B0.C6E1FD10" alt="Dissertation Defense Announcement at the Cullen College of Engineering"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:red;text-transform:uppercase">Elucidating Storage and Oxidation Mechanisms on Pd and Pt
Catalysts: From Single Atoms to Nanoparticles </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Surya Pratap Singh Solanki</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">April 26, 2023; 10:30 AM</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><br>
<b>Room: </b><span style="color:black">AREB 126</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> TEAMS:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> Meeting ID: 289 274 211 750 Passcode: hv2NZo
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Committee Chair:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><br>
Lars C. Grabow, PhD</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Committee Members:</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Michael P. Harold, Ph.D.
<b>| </b>Jeffery D. Rimer, Ph.D. <b>|</b> William S. Epling, Ph.D. <b>|</b> </span>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Paul J. Dauenhauer, PhD.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#C8102E">Abstract</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> Metal based catalysts have played a crucial role in the development of industrial catalytic processes, including the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia synthesis that uses metal-based catalyst.
Platinum group elements have emerged as exceptional catalysts for various applications, including pollution abatement, battery materials, and the production of value-added chemicals. These metals are often dispersed as isolated single atoms or nanoparticles
on a support to increase their effectiveness. The activity of these sites varies depending on the reaction, with Pd single atoms exchanged in zeolite pores being more favorable for NO<i><sub>x</sub></i> adsorption and larger Pt nanoparticles being preferred
for methane activation.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> The automotive industry faces a significant challenge in reducing NO<i><sub>x</sub></i> emissions from diesel exhaust at low temperatures (<200
</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria Math",serif;color:black">℃</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">). Passive NO<i><sub>x</sub></i> adsorber (PNA) emerged as a potential technology that uses Pd-exchanged zeolite materials
to reduce NO<i><sub>x</sub></i> in diesel engine exhaust. Density functional theory (DFT) and reaction experiments were used in the current work to understand reaction mechanisms. The findings show that water oxidizes NO to NO<sub>2</sub>, resulting in the
reduction of Pd which acts as storage site with stronger NO binding. However, the combined presence of water and CO can deactivate the catalyst. This understanding offers a new direction for the improvement of PNA material.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> Recent advancements in dynamic catalysis have demonstrated enhanced catalytic performance compared to static conditions. Dynamic reactor experiments along with DFT were used in this study
to explore avenues to maximize hydrogen production during methane partial oxidation on Pt-based catalysts. The study found that feed modulation with varying concentrations of oxygen could enhance hydrogen production, and the mechanistic investigation confirmed
the role of hydroxyl groups at the metal support interface in improving hydrogen selectivity. Additionally, DFT calculations were used to understand the electronic properties of Pt-based catalysts subjected to dynamic surface charge environments in catalytic
condenser devices. Varying surface charge on the catalyst could help increase reaction rates in dynamic conditions. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of more efficient and effective dynamic catalytic processes, which are critical
for sustainable growth while minimizing environmental impact.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><img width="600" height="82" style="width:6.25in;height:.8541in" id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D972B0.C6E1FD10" alt="Engineered For What's Next"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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