Baron Peters, Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering and
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

B.S. Chemical Engineering
   University of Missouri - Columbia (1999)
B.S. Mathematics
   Univeristy of Missouri - Columbia (1999)
PhD Chemical Engineering
   Univeristy of California - Berkeley (2004)

Research interests: catalysis, nucleation, and electron transfer; statistical mechanics and electronic structure theory. In particular, we study nucleation from solution and polymorph selection, catalysis on amorphous supports, and gated electron transfer mechanisms . I coadvise students with Mike Doherty (ChE), Susannah Scott (ChE and Chem), and Joan-Emma Shea (Chem).

Nathan Duff, Graduate Student
Department of Chemical Engineering

B.S. Chemical Engineering
   Case Western Reserve University (2007)

I study nucleation from solution, with an emphasis on developing new simulation methods. These simulation methods will determine properties of critical nuclei and the effects of solution additives on nucleation barriers and polymorph selection. Currently I’m using a Potts lattice model to study temperature effects on the crystallinity of nuclei during nucleation.

Brandon Knott, Graduate Student
Department of Chemical Engineering

B.S. Chemical Engineering
   Arizona State University (2007)

My research project (co-advised by Mike Doherty) is focused on providing a link between atomistic simulations of nucleation and coarse-grained nucleation models.  In particular, I am currently utilizing Monte Carlo simulation techniques to investigate the effect of external applied fields on energy barriers to nucleation (such as laser-induced nucleation) and thus on nucleation rates.

Anthony Fong, Graduate Student
Department of Chemical Engineering

B.S. Chemical Engineering
   University of California, Berkeley (2009)

Amorphous supports influence catalytic activity and selectivity. Grafted Rhenium complexes for olefin metathesis display varying kinetic profiles because of loading, chemical pretreatment, and Lewis acid strength. Investigating these effects at the molecular level can determine the identity of the active site and origin of reactivity, aiding future catalyst design.

Ryan Gotchy Mullen, Graduate Student
Department of Chemical Engineering

B.S. Chemical Engineering
   Brigham Young University (2006)

Bryan Goldsmith, Graduate Student
Department of Chemical Engineering

B.S. Chemical Engineering
   University of California, Riverside (2010)

Broad research interests: Computational and synthetic chemistry, catalysis, and nanomaterials.

My primary project is to develop a framework that uses density functional theory and constrained optimization techniques to enable computational studies of catalysis and adsorption on amorphous supports. Ultimately we would like to use the algorithm to help us understand why certain catalysts seem to require amorphous supports, e.g. olefin metathesis by methyltrioxorhenium on amorphous silica alumina.