Steven L. Suib | |
---|---|
Born | |
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | Inorganic chemist, academic and researcher |
Awards | Olin Research Award SUNY Outstanding Achievement Award Connecticut Medal of Science |
Academic background | |
Education | B.Sc., Chemistry and Geology Ph.D., Chemistry |
Alma mater | State University College of New York University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
Academic work | |
Institutions | University of Connecticut |
Steven L. Suib is an American inorganic chemist,academic and researcher. He is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at University of Connecticut. He is a director of the Institute of Materials Science and of the Center for Advanced Microscopy and Materials Analysis. [1]
Suib's research primarily focuses on solid state inorganic chemistry,physical chemistry,environmental chemistry,inorganic photochemistry,plasma chemistry and photocatalysis. He has worked on the synthesis of new adsorbents,batteries,catalysts,ceramics,and semiconductors. He has published over 700 research papers and has registered around 80 patents in his name. [2] Suib is the editor of books,New and Future Developments in Catalysis:Activation of Carbon Dioxide,New and Future Developments in Catalysis:Catalysis by Nanoparticles and New and Future Developments in Catalysis:Catalysis for Remediation and Environmental Concerns,among others.
Suib completed his bachelor's degree in chemistry and geology from the State University College of New York in 1975. He received his doctoral degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1979. [1]
After his Ph.D. studies,Suib joined the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana as a postdoctoral associate till 1980. He was then appointed by the University of Connecticut as an assistant professor at the department of chemistry. He was promoted to associate professor in 1986 and to professor,in 1989. In 2001,he became the Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. [3]
Along with his academic appointments,Suib has also held administrative appointments at University of Connecticut. He was the Chancellor's Research Fellow in 2000 and served as the head of department of chemistry from 2001 till 2011. In 2013,he was appointed as the director of the Institute of Materials Science at the university. [4]
Suib is as a fellow of the American Chemical Society [5] and National Academy of Inventors. [6] He is the recipient of University of Connecticut Alumni Excellence in Research Award and Connecticut Medal of Science. [3] He is an editor of Microporous and Mesoporous Materials,editor in chief for Materials ,specialty chief editor of Frontiers in Green and Environmental Chemistry and field chief editor of Frontiers in Chemistry. [7]
Suib has conducted research in the areas of solid state inorganic chemistry,physical and environmental chemistry,plasma chemistry,inorganic photochemistry and photo-catalysis. He has worked on the synthesis of new adsorbents,batteries,catalysts,ceramics,composites,sensors,and semiconductors. His research includes the study of redox catalytic cycles,green syntheses,heterogeneous catalysis and characterization of systems using structural,crystallographic,surface,electrochemical,luminescence,microscopic and EPR techniques.
Suib took on inorganic photochemistry as a research interest in the 1980s. He studied photochemistry and the electron and energy transfer between rare earth and actinide ions in zeolites. His research indicated that selective placement of certain inorganic ions in zeolite molecular sieves can be used to control the energy transfer efficiencies in various displays and luminescence devices. [8]
In a research article published in 1990,Suib studied the photochemistry of semiconductor surfaces and examined the in situ photo-reduction of tin sulfide by applying various analysis such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,photogravimetric analysis and residual gas analysis. His research indicated that the photo-reduction process was dependent on the residual quantity of surface chloride ion during the manufacture of tin sulfide from tin chloride. His research also highlighted the possibility of doping semiconductors for the purpose of reduction initiation. [9]
Suib researched about photo-catalysis along with his study on photochemistry in the 1980s. He conducted an experiment for the heterogeneous photo-catalytic oxidation of 1-Butene on tin oxide and titanium dioxide films. He prepared three films using a dip coating process and then studied their photo-activity under UV illumination. Suib investigated humidity effects and highlighted two functions of water in the experiment. [10]
Suib studied photo-catalytic oxygen evolution from non-potable water by using a bio-inspired molecular water oxidation catalyst. His research group found that under specific conditions,the incorporation of manganese cubane clusters in Nafion membranes along with the illumination with light,led to water oxidation in an aqueous solution of sodium chloride and seawater. [11] In the mid 2010s,Suib studied the viability of photo-catalytic oxidation technology for air purification. His group added to the research conducted by UTRC on the reaction rates of volatile organic compounds and then conducted validation studies on purifier prototypes. By analysis of the validation study outcomes,they identified the major constraints in the application of the aforementioned technology. [12]
Suib used the mesoporous copper sulfide material in a visible light driven catalytic process for the transformation of amines into imines. He then applied reactive oxygen species determination studies and reaction kinetics to determine the surface chemistry of the catalyzed process. [13]
Suib focused on mesoporous and micro-porous materials as a research interest in the 1990s. Initially with researchers from Texaco,he studied micro-porous manganese oxides and discussed various developments and methods including redox precipitation,sol-gel processing and microwave heating for the synthesis of manganese oxides. He also discussed the tunnel structure of hollandites and todorokites along with the interlayer spacings of managanese oxides. [14]
In the early 2010s,Suib studied the generation of crystalline,thermally controlled monomodal pore size mesoporous materials. He discussed the conditions needed for the generation of mesoporous materials,such as inverse milcelles,elimination of solvent effects and the controlled condensation of inorganic frameworks. According to Suib,manipulating the nanoparticle size can tune the mesopores,and this phenomenon can lead to the development of multiple phases of the same metal oxide and can also aid in the synthesis of materials having different structures and thermal stabilities. [15]
For developing high-surface-area metal titanates,Suib proposed a generalized synthesis method involving a metal dissolution and reverse micelle formation. His research group produced the highest surface areas of such metals and used SEM-EDX and TEM mapping for the study of homogeneous distributions of the metals. [16]
Suib conducted his research on environmental chemistry and green synthesis in the early 2000s. He studied the catalytic degradation of methylene blue by applying green oxidation method having TBHP as the oxidant. The catalysts used in the oxidation method originate from a class of porous manganese oxides and are called octahedral molecular sieves. TBHP,rather than hydrogen peroxide,enhanced the methylene blue composition. [17]
Suib synthesized copper aluminum mixed oxide catalyst,as a green approach for conducting one pot synthesis of imines. The synthesized catalysts,along with proving to be efficient in the direct amine formation process under solvent free conditions,also exhibited high stability and recyclability. By analyzing pyridine adsorption results,Suib found that an increased number of Lewis acidic sites contributed to an enhanced catalytic activity. [18]
In early 2010s,Suib's research group carried out research on the major challenges in environmental chemistry in the context of energy,materials and nano-sized systems. He discussed different states of matter and highlighted various phenomena such as pollution and contamination. He stressed upon the need for green materials,energy sources,processes and green viable solutions for growth in healthy environments. [19]
Catalysis is the increase in rate of a chemical reaction due to an added substance known as a catalyst. Catalysts are not consumed by the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recycles quickly, very small amounts of catalyst often suffice; mixing, surface area, and temperature are important factors in reaction rate. Catalysts generally react with one or more reactants to form intermediates that subsequently give the final reaction product, in the process of regenerating the catalyst.
Zeolite is a family of several microporous, crystalline aluminosilicate materials commonly used as commercial adsorbents and catalysts. They mainly consist of silicon, aluminium, oxygen, and have the general formula Mn+
1/n(AlO
2)−
(SiO
2)
x・yH
2O where Mn+
1/n is either a metal ion or H+. These positive ions can be exchanged for others in a contacting electrolyte solution. H+
exchanged zeolites are particularly useful as solid acid catalysts.
Hopcalite is the trade name for a number of mixtures that mainly consist of oxides of copper and manganese, which are used as catalysts for the conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide when exposed to the oxygen in the air at room temperature.
Heterogeneous catalysis is catalysis where the phase of catalysts differs from that of the reactants or products. The process contrasts with homogeneous catalysis where the reactants, products and catalyst exist in the same phase. Phase distinguishes between not only solid, liquid, and gas components, but also immiscible mixtures, or anywhere an interface is present.
Artificial photosynthesis is a chemical process that biomimics the natural process of photosynthesis. The term artificial photosynthesis is used loosely, refer to any scheme for capturing and storing energy from sunlight by producing a fuel, specifically a solar fuel. An advantage of artificial photosynthesis is that the solar energy can be immediately converted and stored. By contrast, using photovoltaic cells, sunlight is converted into electricity and then converted again into chemical energy for storage, with some necessary losses of energy associated with the second conversion. The byproducts of these reactions are environmentally friendly. Artificially photosynthesized fuel would be a carbon-neutral source of energy, which could be used for transportation or homes. The economics of artificial photosynthesis are not competitive.
A mesoporous material is a nanoporous material containing pores with diameters between 2 and 50 nm, according to IUPAC nomenclature. For comparison, IUPAC defines microporous material as a material having pores smaller than 2 nm in diameter and macroporous material as a material having pores larger than 50 nm in diameter.
Reductive amination is a form of amination that involves the conversion of a carbonyl group to an amine via an intermediate imine. The carbonyl group is most commonly a ketone or an aldehyde. It is a common method to make amines and is widely used in green chemistry since it can be done catalytically in one-pot under mild conditions. In biochemistry, dehydrogenase enzymes use reductive amination to produce the amino acid, glutamate. Additionally, there is ongoing research on alternative synthesis mechanisms with various metal catalysts which allow the reaction to be less energy taxing, and require milder reaction conditions. Investigation into biocatalysts, such as imine reductases, have allowed for higher selectivity in the reduction of chiral amines which is an important factor in pharmaceutical synthesis.
Nanoporous materials consist of a regular organic or inorganic bulk phase in which a porous structure is present. Nanoporous materials exhibit pore diameters that are most appropriately quantified using units of nanometers. The diameter of pores in nanoporous materials is thus typically 100 nanometers or smaller. Pores may be open or closed, and pore connectivity and void fraction vary considerably, as with other porous materials. Open pores are pores that connect to the surface of the material whereas closed pores are pockets of void space within a bulk material. Open pores are useful for molecular separation techniques, adsorption, and catalysis studies. Closed pores are mainly used in thermal insulators and for structural applications.
Mesoporous silicates are silicates with a special morphology.
Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous polymers consisting of metal clusters coordinated to organic ligands to form one-, two- or three-dimensional structures. The organic ligands included are sometimes referred to as "struts" or "linkers", one example being 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (BDC).
As the world's energy demand continues to grow, the development of more efficient and sustainable technologies for generating and storing energy is becoming increasingly important. According to Dr. Wade Adams from Rice University, energy will be the most pressing problem facing humanity in the next 50 years and nanotechnology has potential to solve this issue. Nanotechnology, a relatively new field of science and engineering, has shown promise to have a significant impact on the energy industry. Nanotechnology is defined as any technology that contains particles with one dimension under 100 nanometers in length. For scale, a single virus particle is about 100 nanometers wide.
Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i. is one of the six institutes belonging to the CAS chemical sciences section and is a research centre in a variety of fields such as chemistry, biochemistry, catalysis and environment.
Georgiy Borisovich Shul’pin was born in Moscow, Russia. He graduated with a M.S. degree in chemistry from the Chemistry Department of Moscow State University in 1969. Between 1969 and 1972, he was a postgraduate student at the Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds under the direction of Prof. A. N. Nesmeyanov and received his Ph.D. in organometallic chemistry in 1975. He received his Dr. of Sciences degree in 2013.
Mesoporous organosilica are a type of silica containing organic groups that give rise to mesoporosity. They exhibit pore size ranging from 2 nm - 50 nm, depending on the organic substituents. In contrast, zeolites exhibit pore sizes less than a nanometer. PMOs have potential applications as catalysts, adsorbents, trapping agents, drug delivery agents, stationary phases in chromatography and chemical sensors.
Ryoo Ryong FRSC is a distinguished professor of chemistry at KAIST in Daejeon, South Korea. He was the head of the Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, an Extramural Research Center of the Institute for Basic Science. Ryoo has won a variety of awards, including the Top Scientist and Technologist Award of Korea given by the South Korean government in 2005. He obtained the KOSEF Science and Technology Award in 2001 for his work on the synthesis and crystal structure of mesoporous silica.
Half sandwich compounds, also known as piano stool complexes, are organometallic complexes that feature a cyclic polyhapto ligand bound to an MLn center, where L is a unidentate ligand. Thousands of such complexes are known. Well-known examples include cyclobutadieneiron tricarbonyl and (C5H5)TiCl3. Commercially useful examples include (C5H5)Co(CO)2, which is used in the synthesis of substituted pyridines, and methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl, an antiknock agent in petrol.
Charles T. Kresge is a chemist and retired Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Saudi Aramco. He was R&D Vice President at the Dow Chemical Company. His area of expertise is inorganic synthesis, and his primary field of research is in the area of crystalline aluminosilicate materials, particularly for the discovery of mesoporous molecular sieves.
MCM-41 is a mesoporous material with a hierarchical structure from a family of silicate and alumosilicate solids that were first developed by researchers at Mobil Oil Corporation and that can be used as catalysts or catalyst supports.
Paul Ratnasamy is an Indian catalyst scientist, INSA Srinivasa Ramanujan Research Professor and a former director of National Chemical Laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). He was honored by the Government of India, in 2001, with one of the highest Indian civilian awards of Padma Shri.
Stephanie Lee Brock is an American chemist who is professor of inorganic chemistry at Wayne State University. Her research considers transition metal pnictides and chalcogenide nanomaterials. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society.