Contact: swettstein@wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 265-3784
Status: Post Doc
Research Area : Biomass Deconstruction and Upgrading
Hometown: Stevens Point, WI
Graduate Studies: University of Colordo, Boulder
Reasearch summary:
Identify extractive solvents to be used in biphasic systems for the direct conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, furfural, and levulinic acid using heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts. Also, study the kinetics of levulinic acid reduction to gamma-valerolactone over bi-metallic catalysts to determine the effect of additional metals.
Publications:
Wettstein, S.G., Martin Alonso D., Gürbüz, E.I., Dumesic, J.A., “Biphasic reactors for the conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals,” Curr. Opin. Chem. Eng., invited opinion, accepted.
Wettstein, S.G., Bond, J.Q., Martin Alonso D., Pham, H.N., Datye, A.K., Dumesic, J.A., “RuSn bimetallic catalysts for selective hydrogenation of levulinic acid to ?-valerolactone,” Applied Cat. B. Envion., 117-118, (2012), 321-329.
Gürbüz, E.I., Wettstein, S.G., Dumesic, J.A., “Conversion of hemicellulose to furfural and levulinic acid using biphasic reactors with alkylphenol solvents,” ChemSusChem., 5, (2012), 383-387.
Martin Alonso D., Wettstein, S.G., Bond, J.Q., Dumesic, J.A., “Production of biofuels from cellulose and corn stover using alkylphenol solvents,” ChemSusChem, 4, (2011), 1078-1081.
Sorenson, S.G., Payzant, E.A., Gibbons, W.T., Soydas, B., Kita, H., Noble, R.D., Falconer, J.L., “Influence of zeolite crystal expansion/contraction on NaA zeolite membrane separations,” J. Mem. Sci., 366, (2010), 413-420.
Sorenson, S.G., Payzant, E.A., Noble, R.D., Falconer, J.L., “Influence of crystal expansion/contraction on zeolite membrane permeation,” J. Mem. Sci., 357, (2010), 98-104.
Sorenson, S.G., Smyth, J.R., Noble, R.D., Falconer, J.L., “Correlation of silicalite-1 crystal expansion and MFI membrane properties,” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 48, (2009), 10021-10024.
Sorenson, S.G., Smyth, J.R., Kocirik, M., Zikanova, A., Noble, R.D., Falconer, J.L., “Adsorbate-induced expansion of silicalite-1 crystals,” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 47, (2008), 9611-9616.
