Resume

• 2019

  Master of Science - MS

  Computer Science

  Georgia Institute of Technology

• 2013

  The University of Manchester

  Manchester

  United Kingdom

  Postdoctoral Research Associate

  The University of Manchester

• 2008

  University of Illinois at Chicago

  Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN)

  • Studied synthesis

  characterization and surface reaction of rhodium nanoparticles on Al2O3/Ni3Al(111)

  TiO2(110)

  and Graphene/Cu(111).\n• Utilized Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) under Ultrahigh Vacuum (UHV) condition to prepare nanoparticles on the samples. \n• Used Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) to study the deligation of organometallic species and the aggregation of metal clusters on the substrates. \n• Calculated adsorption energies of pertinent species by using density functional theory (DFT).\n• Assembled and maintained an ultrahigh vacuum chamber to improve the feasibility of low temperature STM (LT-STM) experiments. \n• Designed and setup a portable ALD reactor for a joint project between University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL).

  University of Illinois at Chicago

  PhD

  Chemical Engineering

  University of Illinois at Chicago

  Emotional Intelligence

  The Liautaud Institute

• 2006

  Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran

  Tehran

  Iran

  • Studied different factors that may have effect on the extraction process of precious metals such as time

  temperature

  liquid/solid

  rpm

  etc.\n• Developed a kinetic model for the extraction behavior.\n• Performed a cost-benefit analysis.

  Researcher

  Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran

  Neka

  Iran

  • Assisted the engineering team in preparing new P&ID plans for the power plant.

  Intern

  Neka Power Plant

• 2005

  Center for Process Design

  Safety and Loss Prevention (CPSL)

  • Investigated the potential hazard sources within the laboratory environments of Sharif University of Technology.\n• Developed a strategic Health

  Safety

  and Environment (HSE) plan to enhance safety in laboratory environments of Sharif University of Technology.

  Center for Process Design

  Safety and Loss Prevention (CPSL)

  Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN)

  Bryan/College Station

  Texas Area

  Faculty

  Research Assistant Professor

  Bryan/College Station

  Texas Area

  Texas A&M University

  MS

  Advisor: Professor Morteza Baghalha

  Chemical Engineering

  Sharif University of Technology

• 2000

  Senior member

  American Institute of Chemical Engineers

  English

  German

  Persian

  French

  Arabic

  BSc

  Advisor: Professor Dariush Bastani

  Chemical Engineering

  Sharif University of Technology

• Catalysis

  AFM

  Aspen HYSYS

  Visio

  CVD

  Material Studio

  Nanotechnology

  Microsoft Office

  Powder X-ray Diffraction

  Matlab

  Characterization

  Pascal

  XPS

  TEM

  UHV

  VASP

  Scanning Electron Microscopy

  Photoshop

  Materials Science

  Chemical Engineering

  Kinetics of platinum extraction from spent reforming catalysts in aqua-regia solution

  Hamidreza Mortaheb

  Morteza Baghalha

  Platinum content of two commercial spentreformingcatalysts were extracted in aqua-regiasolutions under atmospheric pressure and at temperatures up to 100 °C. Three factors

  including presence of coke

  catalyst particle size

  and impeller agitation speed were first tested to study the relative importance of mass-transfer resistances during Pt extraction reaction. Catalyst particle sizes < 100 µm and agitation speeds > 700 rpm eliminated the internal and external mass-transfer resistances

  respectively. The effect of other factors

  including HNO3-to-HCl volume ratio

  liquid-to-solid mass ratio

  and the reaction temperature on the extraction rate of platinum were then examined. Pt extraction rate was significantly increased by increasing liquid-to-solid mass ratio and the reaction temperature. Kinetic modeling using power-law rate equation for Pt extraction revealed that increasing liquid-to-solid mass ratio increases the acid concentration

  as a major reactant. This quantitatively accounted for the increased Pt extraction rate. The effect of temperature on Pt extractionkinetics was studied using the Arrhenius equation. The activation energy for the platinum surface dissolution reaction was calculated as 72.1 kJ/mol. This large value indicates that Pt extraction in aqua-regiasolution is controlled by surface chemical reaction. The reaction order was 1.5 for Pt concentration in solid and 1.3 for the hydrogen ion molarity in solution.

  Kinetics of platinum extraction from spent reforming catalysts in aqua-regia solution

  Randall Meyer

  Michael Trenary

  Alexander Uhl

  The adsorption of Rh(CO)2(acac) (acac is acetylacetonate) on a TiO2(110) single crystal surface has been examined using a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. When Rh(CO)2(acac) is deposited onto the TiO2(110) surface at room temperature

  features are observed by STM suggesting monomeric species that bind preferentially to oxygen vacancy sites. DFT calculations suggest that these features must be partially deligated organometallic species and that oxygen vacancies are critical to the deligation process. Exposing the observed surface species to CO at 373 K results in the formation of clusters approximately 2–3 nm in diameter and 0.3–0.8 nm in height.

  Controlled Synthesis of Rh Nanoparticles on TiO2(110) via Rh(CO)2(acac)

  Michael Trenary

  Randall Meyer

  Alexander Uhl

  The growth of Pt nanoclusters on a graphene layer on Pt(111) was studied with ultra high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy. Different periodicities in the moiré patterns of the graphene layer are observed corresponding to different orientations with respect to the Pt(111) lattice. Various graphene orientations are possible because of a relatively weak graphene–Pt interaction. Following Pt deposition onto the graphene-covered surface

  small Pt nanoclusters are observed to preferentially form along the moiré domain boundaries. The weak interaction of graphene with Pt(111) leads to a weak corrugation in the superlattice compared to other transition metals

  such as Ru

  but it is found even this weak corrugation is sufficient to serve as a template for the formation of mono-dispersed one-dimensional Pt nanocluster chains. These Pt nanoclusters are relatively stable and only undergo agglomeration at annealing temperatures above 600 K.

  Graphene domain boundaries on Pt(111) as nucleation sites for Pt nanocluster formation

  Randall Meyer

  Michael Trenary

  Alexander Uhl

  Yu Lei

  In this combined DFT and STM study

  the adsorption of rhodium dicarbonyl acetylacetonate (Rh(CO)2(acac)) on an Al2O3 thin film and the subsequent formation of Rh deposits have been examined. When Rh(CO)2(acac) is deposited on the Al2O3/Ni3Al(111) surface

  the molecule is observed to bind preferentially to specific sites associated with the film superstructures. DFT calculations suggest that the parent molecule

  however

  must be at least partially deligated as its interaction with the substrate is very weak. In contrast

  Rh clusters are adsorbed strongly to defect structures associated with the film. In addition

  it has been shown that by annealing the substrate to higher temperature

  the particle growth on the oxide changes from 2D islands to 3D clusters.

  Nucleation Behavior of Supported Rh Nanoparticles Fabricated from Rh(acac)(CO)2 on Al2O3/Ni3Al(111)

  Nima Shokri

  Vahid Joekar-Niasar

  Effects of flow history on oil entrapment in porous media: An experimental study

  The adsorption of hexarhodium hexadecylcarbonyl ([Rh6(CO)16]) and rhodium dicarbonyl acetylacetonate ([Rh(CO)2(acac)]) and the nucleation of Rh nanoclusters on TiO2(110) single crystal substrate were examined using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. When [Rh6(CO)16] was deposited on the TiO2(110) surface at 323 K

  aggregated particles with wide size distribution were formed

  which resulted in Rh6 frame destruction and rhodium aggregation after decarbonylation. In contrast

  deposition of [Rh(CO)2(acac)] at 373 K in presence of CO at 10−7 mbar resulted in formation of site-isolated multinuclear organometallic species ([Rhx(CO)y]) with narrow size distribution

  which showed minimal perturbation to [Rh6(CO)16] structure and led to formation of uniform nanoparticles after decarbonylation. Subsequent annealing showed that [Rhx(CO)y] species deposited on the surface from [Rh6(CO)16] precursor formed large agglomerated particles with wide size distribution upon annealing to 573 K while [Rhx(CO)y] prepared through surface synthesis of [Rh(CO)2(acac)] on TiO2(110) surface following CO exposure at 373 K resulted in clusters that were relatively stable up to 573 K and only underwent agglomeration beyond this temperature.

  Synthesis and characterization of rhodium nanoclusters on TiO2 (110) surface using organometallic compounds

  Michael Trenary

  Randall J Meyer

  Richard D. Adams

  Klaus Wandelt

  Conrad Becker

  Yu Lei

  Alexander Uhl

  A thin Al2O3/Ni3Al(111) film was prepared under ultrahigh vacuum conditions by surface oxidation of a Ni3Al(111) single crystal. Using scanning tunneling microscopy

  it was found that the film does not cover the substrate entirely

  which allows two surfaces and their adsorption properties to be investigated in a single study. The sample was subsequently exposed to the vapor of an organometallic compound

  Ru3(CO)9(μ-SnPh2)3. The interaction between the ligand sphere of the adsorbate and the relatively inert oxide film favors diffusion rather than static adsorption; however

  some coverage is observed also on alumina. Upon heating

  the images of the sample surface suggest that the bimetallic centers of the molecules lose their ligands and nucleate as particles on the surface. On the oxide film

  the particles grow three-dimensionally

  whereas they do not go beyond monolayer thickness on the unoxidized surface areas. Particles can be found on the oxide even after heating the sample as high as 925 K

  despite a pronounced diffusion at room temperature of the precursor to the unoxidized surface patches.

  Formation of Ruthenium-Tin Nanoparticles on Al2O3/Ni3Al(111) from an Organometallic Precursor

  Homa

  Khosravian

  Texas A&M University

  Neka Power Plant