Hibbitts Group Members

Around the Lab:

Ph.D. Students and Postdocs

Nikki Kragt

  • B.E., Chem. Engr.,
    Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN

Research Areas

  • Methanol-to-Hydrocarbons

Publications

  • Kinetics and Reaction Mechanism of Pd-Catalyzed Chlorobenzene Hydrogenolysis More Info

Awards

  • GRACE Symposium Best-in-Session, 2023

Jisu Shin

  • M.S., Energy Engr.,
    Hanyang Univ., South Korea
  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Konkuk Univ., South Korea

Research Areas

  • CH4 Activation on Oxides

Conor Waldt

  • M.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Villanova Univ., Villanova, PA
  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Villanova Univ., Villanova, PA

Research Areas

  • Transition Metal Phosphides
  • Alloys

Publications

  • Understanding AuPd Alloy Nanoparticle Structure under Vacuum Using DFT and Monte Carlo Methods More Info
  • Role of Phosphorous in Transition Metal Phosphides for Selective Hydrogenolysis of Hindered C–O Bonds More Info

Andy Simonson

  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Research Areas

  • C–C Hydrogenolysis

Ayotunde Alabi

  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Obafemi Awolowo Univ., Ile-ife, Nigeria

Research Areas

  • Zeolites

Rajeev Kumar

  • M.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India
  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, India

Research Areas

  • Alloys
  • Metal Oxides

Publications

  • Understanding AuPd Alloy Nanoparticle Structure under Vacuum Using DFT and Monte Carlo Methods More Info

Charlton Sullivan

  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

Research Areas

  • Zeolites

Angela Aguirre

  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

Research Areas

  • C–C Hydrogenolysis

Keui Tan (Dana) Lee

  • M.S., Chem. and Bio. Engr.,
    Korea Univ., South Korea
  • B.S., Chemistry,
    Korea Univ., South Korea

Research Areas

  • Alkane Dehydrogenation

B.S. Students

Reilly Afflerback

  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, FL

Research Areas

  • Zeolites

Justin Atlas

  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, FL

Research Areas

  • Transition Metal Phosphides

Jordan Attebery

  • B.S., Chemistry,
    Univ. of Florida, FL

Research Areas

  • Zeolites

Demetrius Williams

  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, FL

Research Areas

  • Zeolites

Jacob Rothman

  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, FL

Research Areas

  • Zeolites

Jaime Sukovich

  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, FL

Research Areas

  • C–C Hydrogenolysis

Ph.D. Alumni

Paul Kravchenko

  • Works at Emvolon
  • Ph.D., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2020
  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN

Research Areas

  • Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis
  • Methanol-to-Hydrocarbons
  • NOx Reduction

Publications

  • Mechanism and Effects of Coverage and Particle Morphology on Rh and Pt Catalyzed NO-H2 Reactions. More Info
  • A New Computational Interface for Catalysis. More Info
  • Mechanism and Kinetics of Methylating C6–C12 Methylbenzenes with Methanol and DME in H-MFI Zeolites. More Info

Awards

  • NSF-GRFP Honorable Mention, 2016

Steven Nystrom

  • Ph.D., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2020
  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    THETM Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH

Research Areas

  • MOx-promoted Hydrogenolysis
  • Methanol Dehydration
  • NOx Reduction

Publications

  • Rigid Arrangements of Ionic Charge in Zeolite Frameworks Conferred by Specific Al Distributions Preferentially Stabilize Alkanol Dehydration Transition States. More Info
  • Mechanistic Origins of the High-Pressure Inhibition of Methanol Dehydration Rates in Small-Pore Acidic Zeolites. More Info
  • Tuning Brønsted Acid Strength by Altering Site Proximity in CHA Framework Zeolites. More Info

Awards

  • Ray W. Fahien Graduate Teaching Award, 2019

Abdulrahman Almithn

  • Assistant Professor at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia
  • Ph.D., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2020
  • M.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL
  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    King Faisal Univ., Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Research Areas

  • C–O, C–C, and C–X Hydrogenolysis
  • H2 Chemisorption
  • Metal-Oxide interfaces
  • Transition Metal Phosphides

Publications

  • Oxophilicity Drives Oxygen Transfer at a Palladium-Silver Interface for Increased CO Oxidation Activity. More Info
  • Impact of Metal and Heteroatom Identities in the Hydrogenolysis of C–X Bonds (X = C, N, O, S, and Cl). More Info
  • In Situ Spectroscopic Methods for Isolating Reactive Intermediate Structures during Hydrogenolysis Reactions. More Info
  • Comparing Rate and Mechanism of Ethane Hydrogenolysis on Transition Metal Catalysts. More Info
  • Mechanisms and Active Sites for C-O Bond Rupture within 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran over Nickel Phosphide Catalysts. More Info
  • Effects of Catalyst Model and High Adsorbate Coverages in ab initio Studies of Alkane Hydrogenolysis. More Info
  • Supra-Monolayer Coverages on Small Metal Clusters and Their Effects on H2 Chemisorption Particle Size Estimates. More Info

Mykela Deluca

  • Postdoc with Raj Gounder at Purdue University
  • Ph.D., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2021
  • M.E., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL
  • B.S., Chemistry,
    Florida Atlantic Univ., Boca Raton, FL

Research Areas

  • Methanol-to-Hydrocarbons

Publications

  • Comparing Alkene Disproportionation and Formaldehyde-mediated Diene Formation Routes in Methanol-to-Olefins Catalysis in MFI and CHA. More Info
  • Alkene, Diene, and Formaldehyde Hydrogenation in H-MFI and H-CHA Zeolite Frameworks during Methanol-to-Olefins Reactions. More Info
  • Prediction of C6–C12 Interconversion Rates Using Novel Zeolite-Specific Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulation Methods. More Info
  • Mechanism and Kinetics of Methylating C6–C12 Methylbenzenes with Methanol and DME in H-MFI Zeolites. More Info
  • Restructuring of MFI Framework Zeolite Models and their Associated Artifacts in DFT Calculations. More Info

Awards

  • WIC Travel Award, 2019
  • GRACE Symposium Best-in-Session, 2019

Alex Hoffman

  • Postdoc with Rafael Gómez-Bombarelli at MIT
  • Ph.D., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2022
  • B.S., Chemistry,
    College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Research Areas

  • Methanol Dehydration
  • HMF Etherification
  • Glucose Isomerization
  • Effects of Acid Site Proximity in Zeolites
  • Machine Learning
  • NOx Reduction

Publications

  • Experimental and theoretical characterization of Rh single-atoms supported on γ-Al2O3 with varying hydroxyl content during NO reduction by CO More Info
  • Altering the Arrangement of Framework Al Atoms in MEL Zeolites Using Mixtures of Tetrabutylammonium and Sodium Structure-Directing Agents More Info
  • Quantifying Effects of Active Site Proximity on Rates of Methanol Dehydration to Dimethyl Ether over CHA Zeolites through Microkinetic Modeling More Info
  • Theoretical and experimental characterization of adsorbed CO and NO on γ-Al2O3-supported Rh nanoparticles More Info
  • Comparing Alkene Disproportionation and Formaldehyde-mediated Diene Formation Routes in Methanol-to-Olefins Catalysis in MFI and CHA. More Info
  • Experimental and Theoretical Assessments of Aluminum Proximity in MFI Zeolites and its Alteration by Organic and Inorganic Structure-Directing Agents. More Info
  • Rigid Arrangements of Ionic Charge in Zeolite Frameworks Conferred by Specific Al Distributions Preferentially Stabilize Alkanol Dehydration Transition States. More Info
  • Highly Selective Cross-Etherification of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural with Ethanol. More Info
  • Mechanistic Origins of the High-Pressure Inhibition of Methanol Dehydration Rates in Small-Pore Acidic Zeolites. More Info
  • Mechanism and Kinetics of Methylating C6–C12 Methylbenzenes with Methanol and DME in H-MFI Zeolites. More Info
  • Restructuring of MFI Framework Zeolite Models and their Associated Artifacts in DFT Calculations. More Info
  • Tuning Brønsted Acid Strength by Altering Site Proximity in CHA Framework Zeolites. More Info

Awards

  • GRACE Symposium Best-in-Session, 2021
  • Kokes Award, North American Catalysis Society, 2022
  • Department Research Award, 2022

Omar Almarshad

  • Ph.D., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2023
  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Univ., Saudi Arabia

Research Areas

  • CH4 Activation on Oxides

Hansel Montalvo Castro

  • Faculty at Univ. Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Mayaguez, PR
  • Ph.D., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2024
  • B.S., Chem. Engr.,
    Univ. Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Mayaguez, PR

Research Areas

  • Methanol-to-Hydrocarbons
  • Transition Metal Phosphides
  • Magnesium Vanadates

Publications

  • Synthetic Placement of Active Sites in MFI Zeolites for Selective Toluene Methylation to para-Xylene More Info
  • Electronic and Geometric Features Controlling the Reactivity of Mg-vanadate and V2O5 Surfaces toward the Initial C–H Activation of C1–C3 Alkanes – a DFT+U Study More Info
  • Role of Phosphorous in Transition Metal Phosphides for Selective Hydrogenolysis of Hindered C–O Bonds More Info
  • Mechanisms and Kinetics of the Dehydrogenation of C6-C8 Cycloalkanes, Cycloalkenes, and Cyclodienes to Aromatics in H-MFI Zeolite Framework More Info

Awards

  • NSF-GRFP Honorable Mention, 2021
  • Kokes Award, North American Catalysis Society, 2023