Simon Podkolzin

Professor Simon Podkolzin studies reaction mechanisms on surfaces of solid catalysts for petroleum refining and chemical industries.

The scale gap between observable reaction rates and catalytic surface reactions on the nanoscale is bridged through iterative cycles of experimental catalyst characterization and testing in combination with DFT calculations. Experimental information establishes the basis for the selection of models and the level of theory for DFT calculations and then, in turn, results of the DFT calculations help to deconvolute and better interpret experimental data. As opposed to traditional catalyst models that assume a static surface, Dr. Podkolzin's approach of combining kinetic studies, IR and Raman spectroscopic measurements and DFT calculations with vibrational analyses allows for development of new methodologies for describing dynamic catalytic surface changes under reaction conditions and, consequently, for a transformational improvement in the description, control and further development of catalytic processes.

Research Images:
Selected Publications:
Simon G. Podkolzin, ; Rafael Alcala; James A. Dumesic. Density functional theory studies of acetylene hydrogenation on clean, vinylidene- and ethylidyne-covered Pt(111) surfaces, Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 218(2), 217-227, 2004.  Publication details  
Manoilova, Olga V.; Podkolzin, Simon G.; Tope, Balarishna; Lercher, Johannes; Stangland, Eric E.; Goupil, Jean-Michel; Weckhuysen, Bert M.. Surface acidity and basicity of La2O3, LaOCl, and LaCl3 characterized by IR spectroscopy, TPD, and DFT calculations, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 108(40), 15770-15781, 2004.  Publication details  
David G. Barton and Simon G. Podkolzin. Kinetic Study of a Direct Water Synthesis over Silica-Supported Gold Nanoparticles, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 109(6), 2262-2274 2005.  Publication details  
Simon G. Podkolzin; Olga V. Manoilova; and Bert M. Weckhuysen. Relative Activity of La2O3, LaOCl, and LaCl3 in Reaction with CCl4 Studied with Infrared Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Calculations, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 109(23), 11634-11642, 2005.  Publication details  
Elvira Peringer, Simon G. Podkolzin, Mark E. Jones, Roberta Olindo and Johannes A. Lercher. LaCl3-based catalysts for oxidative chlorination of CH4, Topics in Catalysis 38(1-3), 211-220, 2006.  Publication details  
Contact Information:

Simon Podkolzin
spodkolz@stevens.edu
Phone: 201-216-8074
426 Burchard
Castle Point on Hudson
Hoboken NJ 07030

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