PANAGIOTIS  (PETER)  SMIRNIOTIS, Ph.D.
PROFESSOR

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):

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

• Heterogeneous Catalysis for Environmental and Energy related processes
• Characterization of solid surfaces
• Reactor modeling and chemical kinetics
• CO2 separation

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.  

Energy 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 innocous products, and investigations for finding of optimum radiation fields in photoreactors of arbitrary geometry, are of interest in improving our fundamental understanding and develop practical configurations.

High temperature CO₂ sorbents

Research is being performed to develop high temperature sorbents (50 to 650 ^oC) for the removal of CO₂ from multicomponent gaseous streams related with coal combustion, coal gasification, energy production and in general Vision 21 activities. We have developed sorbents which demonstate high selectivity for CO₂ (zero affinity for N₂ and O₂ and very low affinity for water), 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.

CURRENT & RECENT RESEARCH SPONSORS

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

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

• E. P. Reddy, L. Davydov, and P. G. Smirniotis, “Characterization of TiO₂ loaded V, Fe and Cr Incorporated MCM-41 by XRD, TPR, UV-Vis, Raman and XPS Techniques”, in press Journal of Physical Chemistry B, (2002).
•   A.V. Vorontsov, L. Davydov, E.P. Reddy, C. Lion, E.N. Savinov, and P.G. Smirniotis, “Routes of Photocatalytic Destruction of Chemical Warfare Agents Simulants”, in press, New Journal of Chemistry, (2002).
• E.P. Reddy,  L. Davydov,  and P.G. Smirniotis, "Synthesis, Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Titania loaded Cadmium incorporated MCM-41", in press Catalysis Letters, (2002).
•  K. Yoo, and P. G. Smirniotis, "Deactivation Patterns of Synthesized Beta Zeolites for Alkylation of Isobutane with 2-Butene", in press Applied Catalysis A: General (2002).
•  S. Gopal, and P. G. Smirniotis, "Deactivation Behavior of Large Pore Pt/H-zeolite Catalyst during Cyclopentane Hydroconversion", Journal of Catalysis, Vol. 205, 231-243, 2002.
•    K. Yoo, E. C. Burckle and P. G. Smirniotis, "Comparison of Protonated Zeolites with Various Dimensionalities for the Liquid Phase Alkylation of i-Butane with 2-Butene",  Catalysis Letters, Vol. 74, 85-90, 2001.
• L. Davydov, E.P. Reddy, P. France, and P.G. Smirniotis, "Transition-Metal Substituted Titania-Loaded MCM-41 as Photocatalysts in Visible Light", Journal of Catalysis, Vol. 203, 157-167, 2001.
• B. M. Reddy, B. Chowdhury, P. G. Smirniotis, "An XPS study of La2O3 and In2O3 Influence on the Properties of MoO3/TiO2 Catalysts", Applied Catalysis A: General, Vol. 219, 53-60, 2001.
• S. Gopal, K. Yoo, and P. G. Smirniotis, "Synthesis of Al-rich ZSM-12 Zeolite using TEA+ Cation as Template", Microporous and Mesoporous Materials,  Vol. 49, 149-156, 2001.
• T. Brar, P. France and P. G. Smirniotis, "Heterogeneous versus Homogeneous Nucleation and Growth of Zeolite A", Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol. 105 (23), 5383-5390, 2001.
• P. G. Smirniotis, D. A. Peña, and B. Uphade, "Low-Temperature SCR of NO by NH3 using Mn-, Cr-, and Cu-oxides supported on Hombikat TiO2", Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., Vol 40 (13), 2479-2481, 2001
• B.M. Reddy, I. Ganesh, E.P. Reddy, A. Fernandez and P.G. Smirniotis, "Surface Characterization of Ga2O3-TiO2 and V2O5/Ga2O3-TiO2 catalysts", Journal of Physical Chemistry,  Vol. 105, 6227-6235, 2001
• L. Davydov, E.P. Reddy, P. France and P. G. Smirniotis, "Sonophotocatalytic Destruction of Organic Contaminants in Aqueous Systems on TiO2 Powders", Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, Vol. 32, 95-105, 2001.
• A. V. Vorontsov, E. N. Savinov, L. Davydov, and P. G. Smirniotis, "Photocatalytic Destruction of Gaseous Diethylsulfide over TiO2", Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, Vol. 32, 11-24, 2001.
• L. Davydov, R. Tsekov and P. G. Smirniotis, " Optimal Radiation Field in Continuous Flow Heterogeneous Photoreactors" Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 56, 4837-4847, 2001.
• T. Brar, P. France and P. G. Smirniotis, "Control of Crystal Size and Distribution of Zeolite A",  Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 40, 1133-1139, 2001
• B. M. Reddy, B. Chowdhury, and P. G. Smirniotis, "An XPS study of the Dispersion of MoO3 on TiO2-ZrO2, TiO2-SiO2, TiO2-Al2O3, SiO2-ZrO2, and SiO2-TiO2-ZrO2 mixed oxides",  Applied Catalysis A: General, Vol. 211, 19-30, 2001.
  

FOR FULL LIST OF PAPERS REFER TO THE CATALYSIS WEB SITE