David Hibbitts
Adjunct Associate Professor
FRNY 1060
Purdue University
School of Chemical Engineering
Forney Hall of Chemical Engineering
480 Stadium Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2100
Purdue University
School of Chemical Engineering
Forney Hall of Chemical Engineering
480 Stadium Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2100
(765) 494-0805 (fax)
Joined Purdue in August 2024
| Education | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2012, PhD | Chemical Engineering | University of Virginia |
| 2007, B.S. cum Laude | Chemical Engineering | Clemson University |
Research Interests
Dr. David Hibbitts joined the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering as an Adjunct Associate Professor in August 2024 and has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida since August 2015. He received his B.S. degree cum laude in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University in 2007 and his Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2012.
His Ph.D. thesis was a study of the nature and reactivity of chemisorbed oxygen and hydroxide on metal surfaces using density functional theory (DFT) calculations in Prof. Matt Neurock's group. This work included studies of Au-catalyzed oxidations of biomass-derived ethanol and glycerol published in Science and J. Catal. as well as the examination of bimetallic bifunctional catalysts for selective C???O hydrogenolysis of biomass-derived oxygenates published in JACS and J. Catal.
Following completion of his Ph.D., Dr. Hibbitts Post-doc'd in Prof. Enrique Iglesia's group at UC-Berkeley. There, he combined kinetic, isotopic, and theoretical studies to examine Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in work published in Angewandte Chemie. Furthermore, he collaborated with other researchers at UC-Berkeley to publish multiple papers in C???C Hydrogenolysis (JACS, J. Catal., ACS Catal., JPCC), C???O Hydrogenolysis (JACS), and NO Reduction (J. Catal.). These projects led to an Account of Chemical Research describing the activation of strong bonds (C???O, O???O, N???O, and N???N bonds).
His research interests at the University of Florida include the determination of reaction mechanisms and structure-function relationships for the conversion of biomass- and fossil-derived feedstocks into fuels and chemicals through heterogeneous catalysts.
Fundamental insights into heterogeneous catalysis:
His Ph.D. thesis was a study of the nature and reactivity of chemisorbed oxygen and hydroxide on metal surfaces using density functional theory (DFT) calculations in Prof. Matt Neurock's group. This work included studies of Au-catalyzed oxidations of biomass-derived ethanol and glycerol published in Science and J. Catal. as well as the examination of bimetallic bifunctional catalysts for selective C???O hydrogenolysis of biomass-derived oxygenates published in JACS and J. Catal.
Following completion of his Ph.D., Dr. Hibbitts Post-doc'd in Prof. Enrique Iglesia's group at UC-Berkeley. There, he combined kinetic, isotopic, and theoretical studies to examine Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in work published in Angewandte Chemie. Furthermore, he collaborated with other researchers at UC-Berkeley to publish multiple papers in C???C Hydrogenolysis (JACS, J. Catal., ACS Catal., JPCC), C???O Hydrogenolysis (JACS), and NO Reduction (J. Catal.). These projects led to an Account of Chemical Research describing the activation of strong bonds (C???O, O???O, N???O, and N???N bonds).
His research interests at the University of Florida include the determination of reaction mechanisms and structure-function relationships for the conversion of biomass- and fossil-derived feedstocks into fuels and chemicals through heterogeneous catalysts.
Fundamental insights into heterogeneous catalysis:
- Use kinetic, isotopic, and theoretical studies on well-defined catalysts.
- Determine mechanisms and active sites for reactions of fossil- and biomass-based chemicals.
- Establish structure-function relationships to develop and improve catalytic materials.
- Design interfaces to improve accuracy and efficiency of theoretical methods.
Awards and Honors