Chemical Engineering Research Areas
Davidson School of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University has a commitment to performing field-defining research that is regarded worldwide for its impact and quality. Our faculty is among the largest in the country. We are proud of our distinguished faculty members, including six elected members to the National Academy of Engineering and a recent recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. These numbers rank among the largest in the nation in chemical engineering. The range of research topics pursued at Purdue is very broad.
Research by Fundamental Topic Area
Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Catalysis and Reaction Engineering
- Gounder (Catalysis, Surface Science and Kinetics)
- Greeley (Catalysis, Computational Catalysis, Surface Science and Kinetics)
- Martinez (Catalysis)
- Miller (Surface Science and Kinetics, Ordered Nano-Alloys, Synchrotron X-ray Absorption and Diffraction)
- Ramkrishna (Reaction Engineering)
- Ribeiro (Catalysis, Surface Science and Kinetics)
- Tackett (Surface Science and Kinetics, Electrocatalysis)
- Thomson (Computational Catalysis)
Fluid Mechanics and Interfacial Phenomena
Mass Transfer and Separations
Nanoscale Science and Engineering
- Agrawal (Devices and Nanotechnology, Nanomaterials and Nanoscale Structures, Nanoscale Phenomena and Processes)
- Beaudoin (Nanoscale Adhesion Phenomena)
- Corti (Nanoscale Phenomena and Processes)
- Dou (Devices and Nanotechnology, Nanomaterials and Nanoscale Structures, Materials Discovery and Characterization, Synthesis)
- Harris (Nanomaterials and Nanoscale Structures, Nanoscale Phenomena and Processes)
- Miller (Structure and Spectroscopy, Synthesis)
- Pol (Nanostructured Electrodes, Materials Discovery and Characterization)
- Ribeiro (Nanomaterials and Nanoscale Structures)
- Tackett (Nanostructured Electrocatalysts, Atomic Layer Modification)
- Thomson (Devices and Nanotechnology, Nanomaterials and Nanoscale Structures, Nanoscale Phenomena and Processes)
- Won (Devices and Nanotechnology, Nanomaterials and Nanoscale Structures, Nanoscale Phenomena and Processes)
Polymers and Materials
- Caruthers
- Dou (Polymers and Materials, Synthesis and Nanostructural Characterization of Optoelectronically-active Polymers, Interfacial Phenomena of Polymers and Colloids)
- Harris
- Hebner
- Liu (Biomaterials)
- Martinez
- Narsimhan
- Pipes
- Schultz (Polymers and Materials, Biomaterials, Rheology)
- Won (Interfacial Phenomena of Polymers and Colloids, Polymer/polyelectrolyte Brushes, Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers)
Product and Process Systems Engineering
- Agrawal (Energy Systems, Solar Economy, Transportation)
- Bernal Neira (Product and Process Systems Engineering, Energy Systems, Process Control and Optimization, Systems Engineering, Quantum Computing)
- Kim
- Li (Product and Process Systems Engineering, Energy Systems, Process Control and Optimization)
- Nagy (Process Control and Optimization, Systems Engineering)
- Pekny (Deliberate Innovation)
- Reklaitis
Thermodynamics, Molecular and Nanoscale Modeling
Research by Application Area
Biotechnology
- Franses (Bioseparations)
- Harris (Biotemplated Materials)
- Hebner (Biomaterials)
- Liu (Biomaterials, Protein Engineering)
- Martinez (Protein Engineering)
- Ramkrishna (Modeling Disease and Recovery)
- Schultz (Biomaterials, Polymer-based drug delivery)
- Wang (Bioseparations)
- Won (Cancer Drug/Gene Delivery, Imaging, Theranosis)
- Yuan (Biomaterials, Protein Engineering)
Electronics
Energy
- Agrawal (Biofuels, Energy Systems Analysis, Solar)
- Boudouris (Solar)
- Greeley (Electrochemical Energy Storage - Batteries)
- Li (Energy Systems Analysis)
- Miller (Shale Gas, Petroleum Processing, Biomass)
- Morgan (Biofuels)
- Pekny (Energy Systems Analysis)
- Pol (Electrochemical Energy Storage - Batteries, Environmental Engineering)
- Reklaitis (Energy Systems Analysis)
- Ribeiro (Biofuels, Solar)
- Tackett (Electrochemical Hydrogen Generation and Fuel Cells for Energy Storage and Conversion, Renewables-Powered CO2 Conversion)
Manufacturing
- Agrawal (Separations)
- Basaran (Ink-jet Printing)
- Bernal Neira (Systems Engineering)
- Corti (Ink Particle Engineering)
- Franses (Ink Particle Engineering)
- Harris (Ink-jet Printing)
- Hebner (Materials Processing, Technology Developments)
- Pekny (Process Planning and Optimization)
- Pol (Materials Processing, Technology Developments)
- Reklaitis (Process Planning and Optimization)
- Wang (Separations)
Pharmaceuticals
- Basaran (Personalized Dosage Forms)
- Beaudoin (Particle Engineering and Behavior, Powder Processes and Characterization)
- Bernal Neira (Systems Engineering)
- Harris (Personalized Dosage Forms, Powder Processes and Characterization)
- Nagy (Crystallization and Crystal Engineering, Particle Engineering and Behavior)
- Reklaitis (Systems Engineering)
Polymers and Advanced Materials
- Boudouris (Functional Macromolecules, Polymers and Polymer Composite Systems)
- Caruthers (Polymers and Polymer Composite Systems)
- Harris (Sol gels)
- Hebner (Functional Macromolecules, Polymers and Polymer Composite Systems, Biomaterials)
- Liu (Biomaterials)
- Pipes (Carbon Nanotubes, Polymers and Polymer Composite Systems)
- Schultz (Biomaterials, Consumer Care Products)
- Won (Lung Surfactant, Polymer-based Nanomedicine, Theranostic)
Security
For Center-level Research Activities:
C3Bio
Welcome to C3Bio! Our vision is to develop new technologies that maximize the energy and carbon efficiencies of biofuel production by the rational and synergistic design of both physical and chemical conversion processes and the biomass itself.