(2kg) Sustainable catalysis on dynamic active sites

Heterogeneous catalysis lies at the heart of chemical industries with almost 80% of all consumer products created through heterogeneous catalysts. While being responsible for a major fraction of current greenhouse gas emissions, catalysis offers avenues to mitigate climate change and solve some of the most pressing challenges in our future circular economy. Despite its importance and centuries of research, many fundamental questions remain unsolved. Active sites in particular – the part of a reaction environment responsible for catalytic activity – remain a highly contentious topic. My research program will center around how active sites change during reactions and how these changes can be harnessed to drive reactivity. We will transfer this knowledge into catalytic technology for improved C–O and C–C bond hydrogenolysis.

M.Sc. (Heidelberg University, Advisor: Yuriy Román-Leshkov, MIT):

During my M.Sc. research I worked in the Roman group on the catalytic valorization of the lignin component of woody biomass. We found through an approach combining the conversion of biomass and model compounds two distinct regimes where either solvolysis of lignin or the cleavage of chemical bonds within lignin is rate-determining [1].

Ph.D. (National University of Singapore, Advisor: Ning Yan):

Throughout my Ph.D., I developed new catalyst systems [2, 3] and methods for their study under reaction conditions by spectroscopic and spectrometric approaches focusing on various environmentally relevant reactions such as CO [4], and alcohol oxidation [5], as well as the hydrogenolysis of biomass-derived substrates [6]. We were also able to identify the contribution of spilled over hydrogen atoms on reducible supports to hydrogenation catalysis [7]. In addition to that, we were the first to demonstrate the non-Faradaic promotion of hydrogenation reactions by oscillating electric potentials offering an additional handle for directing catalytic activity [8, 9, 10].

Postdoc (MIT, Department of Chemistry & Department of Chemical Engineering, Advisors: Yogesh Surendranath & Yuriy Román-Leshkov):

In my postdoc, I developed expertise in measuring the spontaneous polarization of solid-liquid interfaces and interfacial pH swings under electrolysis conditions. The former was achieved by means of in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and we found Nernstian scaling of the Pt 4f binding energy determined by the proton/H redox couple [11]. We leveraged differential electrochemical mass spectrometry to determine the CO₂ uptake at a gas diffusion electrode under electrolysis conditions and from that inferred pH swings – a key determinant for the energy efficiency of electrolyzers [12].

Teaching interests

With degrees in biochemistry, chemistry, and chemical engineering, I am comfortable with teaching all core chemical engineering courses such as those on kinetics, reaction engineering as well as thermodynamics. In addition to that, I would be excited to develop fundamental or advanced modules on sustainable chemical engineering, heterogeneous catalysis, electrochemistry, and analytical chemistry/spectroscopic techniques. Thus far, I gained experience as teaching assistant in general, physical, and inorganic chemistry courses as well as chemical engineering laboratories, chemical engineering principles, chemical kinetics and reactor design, and chemical engineering thermodynamics. Furthermore, I was involved in developing the new course ‘Advanced Topics in Catalysis’ and was invited as a guest lecturer for that module.

Selected publications

‡ co- first author

* co-corresponding author

[1] E. M. Anderson, M. L. Stone, M. J. Hülsey, G. Beckham, Y. Román-Leshkov. ^*ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 2018

[2] M. J. Hülsey, J. Zhang, N. Yan. ^*Adv. Mater., 2018

[3] M. J. Hülsey,^* S. Wang, B. Zhang, S. Ding, N. Yan.^*Submitted (invited submission by Acc. Chem. Res.)

[4] M. J. Hülsey, B. Zhang,^‡ Z. Ma, H. Asakura, D. A. Do, W. Chen, T. Tanaka, P. Zhang, Z. Wu, N. Yan. ^*Nat. Commun., 2019

[5] M. J. Hülsey, G. Sun, P. Sautet, N. Yan. ^*Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2020

[6] M. J. Hülsey, G. Sun,^‡ B. Zhang,^‡ Y. Xu, S. Ding, S. S. Wong, Y. Zheng, S. Furukawa, H. Asakura, Y. Cheng, Z. Wu, R. Si, D. Ma, P. Sautet, ^* N. Yan. ^*ChemRxiv, 2020 (under revision)

[7] M. J. Hülsey, V. Fung,^‡ X. Hou, J. Wu, N. Yan. ^*Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2022

[8] M. J. Hülsey, C. W. Lim, N. Yan. ^*Chem. Sci., 2020

[9] M. J. Hülsey, C. W. Lim,^‡ N. Yan. ^*Mol. Catal., 2021

[10] C. W. Lim, M. J. Hülsey,^‡ N. Yan.^*JACS Au, 2021

[11] M. J. Hülsey, T. S. Wesley, ^‡ K. Westendorff, ^‡ N. B. Lewis, ^‡ E. Crumlin, ^* Y. Román-Leshkov, ^* Y. Surendranath. ^*Submitted

[12] M. J. Hülsey, Y. Surendranath. ^*Under preparation