<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;
panose-1:2 11 0 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#467886;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.outlook-search-highlight
{mso-style-name:outlook-search-highlight;}
span.apple-converted-space
{mso-style-name:apple-converted-space;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="600" style="width:6.25in">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><img width="600" height="171" style="width:6.25in;height:1.7812in" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image002.png@01DBDF75.EC161740" alt="Dissertation Defense Announcement at the Cullen College of Engineering"></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="background:white">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding:30.0pt 15.0pt 7.5pt 15.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#C8102E">Zeolite crystallization: using para<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>etric,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>echanistic,
and data driven approaches to control for for<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ation of opti<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ized zeolite catalysts</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#C8102E"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:15.0pt">
<b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Zhiyin Niu</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:15.0pt">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:16.5pt">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Friday, June 20, 2025; 12:00 P<span class="outlook-search-highlight">M</span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:16.5pt">
<b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:16.5pt">
<b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Location:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Agrawal
Building, AERB 100</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:16.5pt">
<b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Zoo<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Link:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://uh-edu-cougarnet.zoom.us/j/88244916931?pwd=4kaRhoZ7ANVdGwskJ8XbzHqrECkqSX.1__;!!LkSTlj0I!H5lAqtjvEo2KrKfxNT7X5K-gg0b5jejX0JujXsrE7ZO6aMOlQ9vQVSdpbnbf6AT2Fd3H1951Frm0TBCtkbY-uvYJ$" target="_blank" title="https://uh-edu-cougarnet.zoom.us/j/88244916931?pwd=4kaRhoZ7ANVdGwskJ8XbzHqrECkqSX.1"><span style="color:#954F72">https://uh-edu-cougarnet.zoo</span><span class="outlook-search-highlight"><span style="color:#954F72;text-decoration:none">m</span></span><span style="color:#954F72">.us/j/88244916931?pwd=4kaRhoZ7ANVdGwskJ8XbzHqrECkqSX.1</span></a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:16.5pt">
<span class="outlook-search-highlight"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">M</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">eeting ID:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">882
4491 6931</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:16.5pt">
<b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Passcode:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">566452</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:16.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:16.5pt">
<b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Co<span class="outlook-search-highlight">mm</span>ittee Chair:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Jeffrey D. Ri<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>er, Ph.D.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:16.5pt">
<b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Co<span class="outlook-search-highlight">mm</span>ittee<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="outlook-search-highlight">M</span>e<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>bers:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<span class="outlook-search-highlight">M</span>ichael P. Harold, Ph.D.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>|</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Jere<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>y C. Pal<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>er,
Ph.D.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>|</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Randall R. Lee, Ph.D.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>|</b></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:15.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:16.5pt">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Ja<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>es J. Stroh<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>, Ph.D.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:0in 15.0pt 15.0pt 15.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:11.25pt;line-height:16.5pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#C8102E">Abstract</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:17.6pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">The catalytic versatility of zeolite is attributed in part to the diverse speciation of alu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>inu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>active
sites. Due to their outstanding properties and shape selectivity, zeolites are used in nu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>erous industrial applications for processes such as ion exchange, absorbance, and catalysis. The perfor<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ance
of zeolite catalysts is closely related to the coordination of alu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>inu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in either fra<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ework
or extra-fra<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ework locations, which create Brønsted and Lewis acids, respectively. Recent studies have shown that “fra<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ework–associated” alu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>inu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>species,
which are not fully coordinated within the zeolite fra<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ework, can undergo reversible transfor<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ation fro<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>tetrahedral
or octahedral coordination as a function of reaction conditions.<sup>1</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Understanding the nature of the alu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>inu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>species,
as well as developing novel synthesis<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ethods to tailor their structure, is critical to developing advanced catalysts for a broad range of industrial applications.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:17.6pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:17.6pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">In this presentation, we will discuss the synthesis and characterization of a s<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>all
pore zeolite, SSZ-39 (AEI), which was prepared using two different organic structure-directing agents (OSDAs) with subtle differences in che<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ical co<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>position. Ti<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>e-resolved
analysis of various stages during crystallization reveal unique inter<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ediates with high defect densities depending on OSDA selection wherein transfor<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ations in crystal<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>orphology
at later stages of growth re<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ove defects. Our findings reveal that a unique crystallization pathway using one of the OSDAs results in inter<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ediate structures that i<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>pact
local speciation of Al sites. Differences in local structure result in distinct perfor<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ance of each catalyst in cracking reactions used as bench<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>arks to evaluate SSZ-39.
Our findings reveal that zeolite AEI catalysts exhibit unusually high conversion and light olefin selectivity, and a stability that surpasses co<span class="outlook-search-highlight">mm</span>ercial ZS<span class="outlook-search-highlight">M</span>-5. Zeolite
structure is assessed using a co<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>bination of synergistic state-of-the-art characterization techniques to better understand the role of OSDAs on alu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>inu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>speciation
and to develop robust structure-perfor<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>ance relationships in zeolite catalysis.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:17.6pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:17.6pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">References:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">1. Ravi,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="outlook-search-highlight">M</span>.; Sushkevich, V. L.; van Bokhoven, J. A. J. N.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>.,
Towards a better understanding of Lewis acidic alu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span>iniu<span class="outlook-search-highlight">m</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in zeolites.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>2020,</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>19</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(10),
1047-1056.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:0in 15.0pt 15.0pt 15.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:11.25pt;line-height:16.5pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#C8102E"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><img border="0" width="600" height="82" style="width:6.25in;height:.8541in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.png@01DBDF75.EC161740" alt="Engineered For What's Next"></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#212121"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>