Integration of Computation and Experiments to Design a Versatile Platform for Crystal Engineering

Project Personnel

Jeremy Palmer

Principal Investigator

University of Houston

Email

Lars Grabow

University of Houston

Email

Jeffrey Rimer

University of Houston

Email

Robert Rioux

Pennsylvania State University

Email

Funding Divisions

Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET), Division of Chemistry (CHE)

The project addresses improved designs of crystalline zeolite materials used in applications ranging from catalysis and energy storage to electronics design. The nanometer sized pores of the zeolite materials are ideally suited for a wide range of separations and selective catalytic conversions in the chemical and petroleum industries. A promising strategy for improving the properties of zeolites is to tune crystal shape and size using targeted synthetic approaches. The overall goal of this project is to develop computer simulation methods for rapidly identifying small-molecule compounds known as growth modifiers that can be used to control zeolite crystal shape and size. This will accelerate the development of new catalysts, adsorbents, and separations materials for converting inexpensive and abundant sources of natural gas into fuels and high-valued compounds while simultaneously lowering toxic emissions.