Hot-Spots in Chemical Reaction Engineering – Multifunctional Reactors and Materials

A rapidly diversifying fuels portfolio, spurred onwards by emerging renewable energy resources and dwindling fossil reserves, has generated renewed interest in the reforming of hydrocarbons to hydrogen and/or syngas – which provides ample opportunities for integrating multiple chemical and/or physical processes, each often operating at unique conditions, within a single monolithic device. My research efforts have focused upon developing strategies capable of realizing synergetic couplings of chemical and/or physical processes that fully exploit the intimate coupling of these unique features. This talk will review recent efforts in my research group at the University of Connecticut and the Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center in realizing novel integrations of multiple processes via ceramic microreactor designs, multifunctional membrane concepts and discovery of new electroceramic materials.