معرفی
Will Medlin is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. He holds a B.S. from Clemson University (1996) and a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware (2001), with postdoctoral research at Sandia National Laboratories (2001-2002). His research focuses on heterogeneous catalysis for renewable fuels and chemicals, surface science, and interfacial phenomena, particularly in biomass conversion. He has pioneered methods to control catalyst selectivity using organic monolayers and Janus particles, with applications in sustainable energy and chemical synthesis.
- Education: B.S., Clemson University (1996); Ph.D., University of Delaware (2001)
- Postdoctoral: Sandia National Laboratories (2001-2002)
Research interests include designing interfacial catalysts for biomass-derived oxygenate conversion, electrocatalytic interfaces, and waste plastic upcycling. His work integrates experimental and computational tools to understand surface phenomena and optimize catalyst performance under realistic conditions. Notable contributions include studies on phosphonic acid-modified zeolites, Pd@TiO₂ nanocatalysts, and ligand-protected metal nanoparticles.
Recent publications emphasize selective hydrodeoxygenation, aldol condensation of oxygenates, and CO₂ reduction mechanisms. His articles highlight advancements in catalyst design for renewable energy applications, such as tuning gas adsorption in zeolites and controlling reaction pathways via surface modifications.
- Awards: 2021 Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015 AIChE Himmelblau Award, Multiple teaching awards (2009-2020)
Medlin advises graduate students exploring catalytic systems, including projects on CO₂ reduction, lignin valorization, and electrochemical oxidation pathways. His lab collaborates on high-throughput catalytic fractionation methods and inertial cavitation-driven nanoparticle transport. He leads the Medlin Research Group and contributes to the Materials Science and Engineering Program at CU Boulder.
