Dante A. Simonetti



Status: Graduated July, 2008 (Ph.D.)


Research Area: Catalytic Bio-Reforming

Hometown: Massillon, Ohio

Undergraduate Studies: University of Notre Dame

Research Summary:

My research involves the catalytic reforming of oxygenated hydrocarbons to fuel cell grade hydrogen and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis gas. Increasing energy demands and depleting fossil fuel resources result in the need for alternative energy sources. Hydrogen fuel cells and coal liquefaction are attractive options. Steam reforming produces hydrogen along with high amounts of CO and requires additional energy to vaporize water. Running this reaction in the aqueous-phase produces hydrogen at very low CO concentrations due to more favorable water-gas shift thermodyamics. Additionally, less energy is required since the vaporization of water is no longer necessary. Removing water and running in the vapor phase leads to a product stream of CO and hydrogen which can be used as syngas for the Fischer-Tropsch process. My work focuses on the elucidation, development, and characterization of catalyst for these reactions.

-in collaboration with-
Mavrikakis Group

Publications:


Simonetti, D. A.; Kunkes, E. L.; Dumesic, J. A.. Gas-phase conversion of glycerol to synthesis gas over carbon-supported platinum and platinum-rhenium catalysts. Journal of Catalysis (2007), 247(2), 298-306.

Soares, Ricardo R.; Simonetti, Dante A.; Dumesic, James A.. Glycerol as a source for fuels and chemicals by low-temperature catalytic processing. Angewandte Chemie, International Edition (2006), 45(24), 3982-3985.

J.W. Shabaker, D.A. Simonetti, R.D. Cortright and J.A. Dumesic. Sn-modified Ni catalysts for aqueous-phase reforming: Characterization and deactivation studies Journal of Catalysis, Volume 231, Issue 1, 1 April 2005, Pages 67-76

Suren L. Kharatyan, Hakob A. Chatilyan, Alexander S. Mukasyan, Dante A. Simonetti, Arvind Varma. Effect of heating rate on kinetics of high-temperature reactions: Mo-Si system. AIChE Journal. Volume 51, Issue 1, Date: January 2005, Pages: 261-270