Bruce Gates

Bruce Gates is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the UC Davis College of Engineering. His research focuses on fundamental understanding of catalysts, including their synthesis, characterization via advanced methods (e.g., synchrotron techniques, electron microscopy), and performance evaluation. His work emphasizes structurally defined catalysts such as supported metal clusters, superacid catalysts, and zeolite-based materials.

Research interests include:

• Structurally simple supported metal clusters (e.g., rhenium subcarbonyls, iridium/platinum clusters)
• Superacid catalysts for low-temperature paraffin isomerization
• Zeolite-confined metal clusters synthesized via ship-in-a-bottle methods
• Bimetallic catalysts (e.g., Pt-Mo for automotive exhaust systems)
• Sol-gel-derived catalyst supports

His studies leverage cutting-edge characterization techniques to correlate structure-function relationships and develop predictive design frameworks for catalysts. The Gates’ Catalysis Research Group actively collaborates with industry to translate fundamental insights into practical applications.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Catalysis Research Group at UC Davis, focused on advancing heterogeneous catalysis through interdisciplinary approaches.