Background

Education

Amirkabir University of Technology– Tehran, B.S. Polymer and Color Engineering (2006)
Amirkabir University of Technology – Tehran, M.S. Polymer Engineering (2008)
Purdue Univeristy, Ph.D. Chemical Engineering (2009 - present)

Experience

• German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) Proklima, Tehran, Technical Consultant (2008-2009)
• BASF Polyurethanes (Elastogran Pars), Tehran, Technical Engineer (2007-2008)

Project Description

• Designed and built an Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) compatible Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) reactor which allows full characterization of ALD technique using surface science tools (XPS, STM LEED) , in collaboration with Argonne national lab.
• Studied the fundamental mechanism of formation of protective alumina overlayer on transition metal single crystals using ambient pressure XPS at synchrotron radiation source BESSY II to overcome the surface science pressure gap.
• Developed a reproducible protocol to use ALD technique for synthesis of model catalysts systems of Pd, Pt, Cu with uniform particle size on TiO₂ and SiO₂ as oxide supports and inverse model catalysts consist of TiO_x layer on Pt and Pd surface for fundamental understanding of heterogeneous catalysis.
• Designed a system and a protocol to conduct reproducible kinetic measurements for ethylene hydrogenation reaction using custom made ambient pressure reaction cell connected to GC and FTIR for kinetics modeling on Pd and Pt catalysts and TiO_x/Pt inverse catalyst.
• Studied the fundamental mechanism of alumina (Al2O3) overcoats on supported transition metal nanoparticles to prevent deactivation by coking and sintering in high-temperature applications of heterogeneous catalysts in oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane over alumina-supported Pd.

Publications and Presentations

Publications

• A. Gharachorlou, M. D. Detwiler, Y. Lei, J. Lu, J. W. Elam, D. Y. Zemlyanov, W. N. Delgass and F. H. Ribeiro, Adsorption of a Palladium Atomic Layer Deposition Precursor on TiO2(110): Nucleation and Growth of Palladium Nanoparticles (submitted)
• M. D. Detwiler, A. Gharachorlou, Y. Lei, J. Lu, J. W. Elam, D. Y. Zemlyanov, W. N. Delgass and F. H. Ribeiro, Bridging the Pressure Gap for Atomic Layer Deposition of Alumina on Pt(111) and Pd(111): a Combined In-situ and UHV Study (submitted)
• A. Gharachorlou, F. Goharpey, Rheologically Determined Phase Behavior of LCST (Lower Critical Solution Temperature) Blends in the Presence of Spherical Nanoparticles, Macromolecules; 2008; 41(9); 3276-3283.

Oral and Poster Presentations

• A. Gharachorlou, M. D. Detwiler, Y. Lei, J. Lu, J. W. Elam, D. Y. Zemlyanov, J. F. Greeley, W. N. Delgass and F. H. Ribeiro, Surface Science Studies of Alumina Overlayers on Pd(111), Pt(111) and Cu(111) Surfaces Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition, EFRC PI meeting, Washington, D.C, July 2013. (Oral presentation)
• A. Gharachorlou, M. D. Detwiler, Y. Lei, J. Lu, J. W. Elam, D. Y. Zemlyanov, J. F. Greeley, W. N. Delgass and F. H. Ribeiro, Reaction of trimethylaluminum and H2O on Pd(111, Pt(111)and Cu(111) surfaces: Observation of a pressure-gap effect, ACS 246th National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, September 2013 (Oral presentation).
• A. Gharachorlou, M. D. Detwiler, Y. Lei, J. Lu, J. W. Elam, D. Y. Zemlyanov, J. F. Greeley, W. N. Delgass and F. H. Ribeiro, Mechanistic Studies of Palladium (II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate Reactions on TiO2 and Preparation of Palladium Nanoparticles by Atomic Layer Deposition, 23rd NAM, Louisville, KY, June 2013. (Poster presentation)
• A. Gharachorlou, M. D. Detwiler, Y. Lei, J. Lu, J. W. Elam, D. Y. Zemlyanov, J. F. Greeley, W. N. Delgass and F. H. Ribeiro, Inverse Catalysts of Aluminum Oxide on Pt(111) Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition, 23rd NAM, Louisville, KY, June 2013. (Poster presentation)
• M. D. Detwiler, A. Gharachorlou, A. V. Nartova, J. W. Elam, D. Y. Zemlyanov, W. N. Delgass and F. H. Ribeiro, Gas phase formic acid decomposition on platinum metal single crystal and polycrystalline surfaces: Kinetics and characterization, CCC Spring symposium, Naperville, IL, May 2013. (Poster presentation)
• A. Gharachorlou and F. Goharpey, Study on Phase separation kinetics of PS/PVME (Polystyrene/Polyvinyl methyl ether) in the presence of Spherical Nanoparticles as a compatibilizer, International Conference on Multifunctional Hybrid and Nanomaterial, Tours, France, March 2009. (Oral presentation)
• A. Gharachorlou and F. Goharpey, Determination of Phase Separation Dynamic Behavior of PS/PVME (Polystyrene/Polyvinyl methyl ether) Blends, IUPAC Congress, Turin, Italy, August 2007. (Oral presentation)
• S. Behdad, A. Gharachorlou and M. Mohseni, A comparison between the adhesion performance of a stoving acrylic paint on TPO (Thermoplastic polyolefin's) substrate using flame pretreatment and chlorinated polyolefin (CPO) tie layer, 30th Annual Meeting of the Adhesion Society of America, February, 2007. (Poster presentation)