Description:

The Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present a seminar by Astrid Müller from the University of Rochester as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.

Astrid Müller will present a seminar titled "Electrocatalysis for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing and Defluorination of Forever Chemicals.”

ABSTRACT

Electrocatalysis offers a sustainable route to chemical production by replacing fossil fuel–based methods with energy-efficient processes powered by renewable electricity. It also presents a promising solution for remediating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water. Viable electrocatalytic systems must use nonprecious materials, function in aqueous environments, consume minimal energy, and effectively degrade pollutants, goals that require a fundamental understanding of reaction mechanisms and strategic nanocatalyst design.

Our research leverages pulsed laser in liquid synthesis to fabricate nanocatalysts with precisely controlled surface properties, enabling a quantitative understanding of electrocatalytic processes, particularly within the complex electrode microenvironment. We demonstrate that laser-synthesized, earth-abundant mixed-metal nanocatalysts on high-surface-area carbon supports can selectively oxidize toluene to benzyl alcohol with high activity. Additionally, we achieve complete defluorination of diverse PFAS in aqueous electrolytes using laser-made bimetallic nanocatalysts.

The unifying theme of our group is to advance the design and fabrication of nanocatalysts for the electrocatalytic generation of reactive species from water, aimed at sustainable applications. This work is driven by an atomistic understanding of catalyst materials, electrode interfaces, and reaction mechanisms to enable scalable, eco-friendly chemical manufacturing and water treatment technologies.

BIO

Astrid M. Müller is an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Rochester since 2018. She completed her undergraduate studies at the Technical University of Munich in Germany, earning the equivalent of a double major at the BS and MS level in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Prof. Müller obtained her PhD in Physical Chemistry (magna cum laude) for work on ultrafast reaction dynamics at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Germany. Her postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley and UC Riverside involved developing a fundamental understanding of laser–matter interactions. As a staff scientist at Caltech, she pioneered the pulsed laser synthesis of earth-abundant water-splitting materials to enable decarbonization technologies. Her independent research centers on gaining a quantitative understanding of electrocatalytic processes and reactive species from water, utilizing pulsed laser techniques to create nanomaterials with controlled surface properties. This work uniquely positions Prof. Müller’s group to understand how nanocatalysts and electrocatalytic mechanisms impact the performance of nanomaterials in sustainable energy, green chemistry, and aqueous PFAS destruction applications.

Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:40am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!

*Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.