APS Highlight Explores Catalysis Research by Illinois Tech Scientists

A recent APS Highlight by Argonne National Laboratory explores innovative catalysis research by Adam Hock, associate professor of chemistry; David Gidalevitz, associate professor of physics; and their graduate students and collaborators.

The researchers used the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne to explore the surface of ultrathin films of siloxanes where metal ions can be attached. It is a new way to do a structural analysis of the films that may offer new insights into how the catalysts work and lead to more efficient catalysts.

This research was published in the article “Monomolecular Siloxane Film as a Model of Single Site Catalysts” in Journal of the American Chemical Society. Co-authors included graduate students Bo Hu (CHEM Ph.D. ’15) and Mike Martynowycz (PHYS M.S. ’12, Ph.D. ’16), postdoctoral research associate at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Virginia.

Monomolecular Siloxane Film as a Model of Single Site Catalysts