PANAGIOTIS  (PETER)  SMIRNIOTIS, Ph.D.
PROFESSOR OF  CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

B.S. & Diploma (Chemical Engineering) U. of Patras, Greece, 1989
Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering) S.U.N.Y. at Buffalo, 1994

Phone: (513) 556-1474, FAX: (513) 556-3473
E-Mail: Panagiotis.Smirniotis@uc.edu
Web site:  http://alpha.che.uc.edu/~catalysi

 

HONORS AND AWARDS (National  & International):

2006                North American Central Regional
                        Young Investigator Award of
                        SIGMA XI  The Scientific Research Society
2004                Eminent Engineer of Tau Beta Pi
2001                BP Faculty Excellence Award
2000                Young Investigator Award of the U.S. DoArmy
2000                Science for Peace Programme of NATO (Belgium)
1999                DuPont Young Professor
1997                The 1997 CAREER Award (NSF)
1997                1997 NASA SHARP PLUS (Emerging Ethnic Engineers  Program)
1994                U.S.A. Achievement Academy Award (USAA) 

RESEARCH INTERESTS (current)

• Heterogeneous Catalysis for Environmental and Energy related processes
• Characterization of solid surfaces
• Molecular Sieves and Novel Materials
• Reactor modeling and chemical kinetics
• CO₂ separation, and Separation of biorelated molecules

 

CURRENT RESEARCH TOPICS

Environmental Catalysis

Extensive experimental efforts are devoted to develop novel catalysts and processes for reduction of environmental pollution in liquid and gaseous phases. Photocatalysts for destruction of toxic organics including chemical warfare agents (recalcitrant) under UV irradiation are being developed. Molecular sieve-based photocatalysts for operation with visible light were synthesized and tested successfully.

Oxide-based catalysts for the SCR of NOx at low and medium temperatures under industrial operating conditions are being developed. A fundamental understanding of the surface chemistry occurring and correlation of the synthesis parameters and surface properties with catalytic properties, are being studied. Development of poison tolerant and time stable catalysts under industrially relevant conditions are made. 

 

Energy/Refining related Catalysis

Zeolites are being used to develop superior catalysts to address the newest trends in refining (catalytic reforming/hydroisomerization, alkylation and catalytic cracking). Catalysts with superior time stability under severe coking environments, which utilize other reaction routes to avoid undesired products are developed. Fundamental studies to relate the zeolite pore architecture, acidity and surface characteristics with performance, are being performed.   

 

Catalysis for Industrial Chemicals 

Catalysts utilizing new reaction routes for production of industrial chemicals to avoid undesired byproducts, is being performed. Moreover, our efforts concentrate to utilize byproducts of existing processes and readily available chemical species for the increase of the total yield of the desired products. A typical example is the oxidative methylation of acetonitrile to acrylonitrile with methane.

 

Kinetic Studies and Reactor Modeling

Kinetic studies involving bulk phase species and surface intermediates for photocatalytic reactions are being performed. Reactor modeling of photoreactors utilizing ultrasound as a means to enhance the total transformation of organics to innocuous products, and investigations for finding of optimum radiation fields in photoreactors of arbitrary geometry, are being studied to improve our fundamental understanding and develop practical reactor configurations.

 

High temperature CO₂ sorbents

Research is being performed to develop high temperature sorbents (50 to 750 ^oC) for the removal of CO₂ from multicomponent gaseous streams related with coal combustion, coal gasification, energy production from fossil fuels and in general Vision 21 activities. We have developed sorbents which demonstrate high selectivity for CO₂ (zero affinity for N₂ and O₂ and very low affinity for water), ultra high saturation capacity, rapid sorption kinetic characteristics, and tolerance to poisons. Extensive work is being performed to improve the durability and regenerability of these sorbents.

 

Molecular Sieves-based Sorbents for Separation of Biomolecules (with Dr. N. Pinto)

Research is being performed to tailor-design ordered mesoporous molecular sieves to perform selective chromatographic separations of biomolecules such as proteins, oligonucleotides, peptides, and Monoclonal Antibodies (Mabs). Our approach is based on controlling the pore size of the sieves, and carefully functionalizing their surface in order to achieve the desired separation. Our materials have demonstrated ability to separate a wide spectrum of proteins based on their size, they have exhibited very high protein capacities, reversible adsorption with excellent residual protein activity, and rapid adsorption/desorption kinetics.

 

Production of Hydrogen

Our efforts concentrate on developing high temperature water gas shift (WGS) catalysts for membrane applications for production of high purity hydrogen. Doped iron spinnels were developed and have demonstrated superior stability in atmospheres containing poisons.

Another approach we follow is the production of hydrogen from water at ambient conditions by utilizing light.  

 

CURRENT RESEARCH SPONSORS

National Science Foundation (NSF)
US Department of Energy (DoE)
Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO)
NATO (Science for Peace Programme) 
 

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

·         H. Lu, A.M. Khan, and P. G. Smirniotis,“Relation between Structural Properties of CaO-based Sorbents obtained from Different Organometallic Precursors“, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 47, 6216-6220, 2008.

·         L. Ji, P. M. Sreekanth, P.G. Smirniotis, S. W. Thiel, and N. G. Pinto, "Manganese Oxide/Titania Materials for Removal of NOx and Elemental Mercury from Flue Gas", Energy and Fuels, Vol. 22, 2299-2306, 2008.

·         P. M. Sreekanth, and P.G. Smirniotis, “Selective Reduction of NO with CO over Titania Supported Transition Metal Oxide Catalysts“, Catalysis Letters, Vol. 112, 37-42, 2008.

·         A. M. Khan, P. Chen, P. Boolchand, and P.G. Smirniotis, “Modified Nano-crystalline Ferrites for High Temperature WGS Membrane Reactor Applications”, Journal of Catalysis,Vol. 253, 91-104, 2008.

·         A. M. Khan, and P.G. Smirniotis, “Relationship between Temperature Programmed Reduction Profile and Activity of Modified Ferrite-Based Catalysts for WGS Reaction“, Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical, Vol. 280, 43-51, 2007.

·         E.P. Ettireddy, N. Ettireddy, S. Madedov, P. Boolchand, and P. G. Smirniotis,   “Surface Characterization Studies of TiO₂ Supported Manganese Oxide Catalysts for Low Temperature SCR of NO with NH₃“, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, Vol. 76, 123-134, 2007.

·         P. M. Sreekanth, D. A. Peña, and P.G. Smirniotis, "Titania Supported Bimetallic Transition Metal Oxides for Low Temperature SCR of NO with NH₃", Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 45, 6444-6449, 2006.

·         P.G. Smirniotis, P. M. Sreekanth, D. A. Peña, and R. J. Jenkins, "Manganese Oxide Catalysts Supported on TiO₂, Al₂O₃ and SiO₂: A Comparison for Low-Temperature SCR of NO with NH₃", Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 45, 6436-6443, 2006.

·         A. Katiyar, S. Yadav, P.G. Smirniotis, and N. Pinto, " Synthesis of Ordered Large Pore mesoporous Spherical Particles for Chromatographic Separation of Biomolecules and Comparison with Conventional Fibrous SBA-15 Silica Materials”, Journal of Chromatography, Vol. 1122 (1-2), 13-20, 2006.

·         H. Lu, E. P. Reddy, and P. G. Smirniotis,“Calcium Oxide Based Sorbents for Adsorption of Carbon Dioxide at High Temperatures“, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 45, 3944-3949, 2006.

·         X. Wei, and P. G. Smirniotis, “Development and Characterization of Mesoporosity in ZSM-12 by Desilication”, Mesoporous and Microporous Materials, Vol. 97, 97-106, 2006.

·         B. Sun, E. P. Reddy, and P. G. Smirniotis,“TiO₂-Loaded Cr-Incorporated MCM-41, MCM-48, and SBA-15 Molecular Sieves for Organic Photodegradation under Visible Light”, Journal of Catalysis, Vol. 237, 314-321, 2006.

·         B. Sun, P. Boolchand, and P. G. Smirniotis, “Visible light photocatalysis with platinized rutile TiO₂ for aqueous organic oxidation“, Langmuir, Vol. 21, 11397-11403 2005.

·         X. Wei, and P. G. Smirniotis, “Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous ZSM-12 by Using Carbon Particles“, Mesoporous and Microporous Materials, Vol. 89, 170-178, 2005.

·         B. Sun, E. P. Reddy, and P. G. Smirniotis, “Visible Light Cr(VI) Reduction and Organic Chemical Oxidation by TiO₂ Photocatalysis“, Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 39, 6251-6259, 2005.

·         A. Katiyar, L. Ji, P.G. Smirniotis, and N. Pinto, "Adsorption of Bovine Serum Albumin on Si-MCM-41 ", Microporous & Mesoporous Materials, Vol. 80, 311-320, 2005.

·         A. Katiyar, L. Ji, P.G. Smirniotis, and N. Pinto, " Protein Adsorption on SBA-15: Effects of pH and Pore Size", Journal of Chromatography A, Vol. 1069(1), 119-126, 2005.

 

 FULL LIST OF PAPERS                                         FULL LIST OF PAPERS SORTED BY AREAS