Catalysts enable the production of most chemicals and fuels society depends on. They largely determine how much energy those processes consume. TEMI faculty design catalytic materials atom by atom, from single-atom catalysis and dilute alloys to oxides and nanoparticles. They combine surface science, first-principles calculations, machine learning, and reactor experiments to understand how catalysts work under realistic conditions. The goal is to discover energy-efficient, low-cost production routes from abundant and renewable feedstocks, including plastic waste, to synthesize high-value chemicals and fuels.
Core Faculty
Prashant Deshlahra
Keywords: Catalysis, Catalytic Materials, Sustainable Chemical Production, First-Principles Calculations, DFT, Experimental Catalysis
Prashant Deshlahra is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. The Deshlahra Lab develops new catalytic materials that enable energy-efficient, low-cost production of essential high-value chemicals from abundant feedstocks. Their work combines first-principles computational predictions with experimental investigations, bridging atomic-scale insights and industrially relevant process conditions to create practical catalytic materials and processes.
Nathaniel Eagan
Keywords: Catalysis, Clean Energy, Sustainable Feedstocks
Nathaniel Eagan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. The Eagan Sustainable Catalysis Lab develops catalytic materials and processes that enable the efficient conversion of sustainable feedstocks into the fuels and chemicals essential to modern society. Specific focuses include dilute-limit alloys, oligomerization, depolymerization, and closing the time, length, and complexity gaps that hinder catalytic process development. These efforts align with the TEMI vision by increasing the energy efficiency of modern chemical syntheses and creating innovative conversion pathways that reduce reliance on traditional carbon sources.
Bin Wang
Keywords: Computational Catalysis, DFT, Molecular Dynamics, Machine Learning, Electrochemistry
Bin Wang is the Robert and Marcy Haber Endowed Professor in Energy Sustainability in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department at Tufts University. His research centers on computational modeling of nanoscale materials, with a focus on their applications in catalysis, separation, optoelectronics, and energy storage systems such as batteries. His group employs a combination of density functional theory, machine learning, and advanced simulation methods to gain fundamental insights into energy transfer and chemical transformations at material interfaces.
Also in: Energy Storage Materials
E. Charles H. Sykes
Keywords: Single-Atom Alloys, Surface Science, Catalysis, STM, TPD, XPS
E. Charles H. Sykes is the John Wade Professor in the Department of Chemistry. He established Single-Atom Alloys (SAAs) as a transformative paradigm in heterogeneous catalyst design. Unlike single-atom catalysts, which comprise isolated metal atoms supported on oxides (pioneered by Maria Flytzani-Stephanopoulos at Tufts), carbon, or other non-metallic materials, SAAs are metallic alloys in which isolated atoms are embedded directly within the surface of a host metal. Today, SAAs are recognized as a versatile platform for catalyst discovery, inspiring new approaches to chemical transformations and influencing research efforts in academia, national laboratories, and industry.