Chemical engineering people : Faculty by Name:

Research Interests: Heterogeneous catalysis and chemical reaction engineering

Professor Iglesia has been involved in studies of heterogeneous catalysts for the direct and indirect conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons, uses of light alkanes in desulfurization and de-NOx, reactions, dehydrogenation of light alkanes to alkenes and aromatics, catalytic reforming and cracking processes, for low-temperature isomerization, alkylation, and combustion reactions. Current research projects also include the practical use of catalytic membranes to combine reaction and separation functions in alkane dehydrogenation and conversion processes and the development of theoretical methods for predicting the structure, transport, and chemical properties of porous solid catalysts. His research group at Berkeley combines expertise and facilities for the synthesis of novel catalytic solids, their in-situ structural and mechanistic characterization, and the detailed modeling of kinetic and transport processes in catalytic processes relevant to oil refining and petrochemical synthesis.

Biography: Professor; Faculty Scientist, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Ph.D., Stanford University (1982). Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Catalysis; Director, Berkeley Catalysis Center; Humboldt Senior Scientist Research Award (2007); Donald Sterling Noyce Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, University of California (2005); Ipatieff Professorship, Northwestern University (2005); Robert Burwell Award of the Catalysis Society (2005); George A. Olah Award in Hydrocarbon Chemistry of the American Chemical Society (2005),Wilhelm Manchot Chemistry Prize, Technical University of Munich (2004), Award for Excellence in Natural Gas Conversion (2004), Robert H. Wilhelm Award in Chemical Reaction Engineering of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2003), Paul H. Emmett Award in Fundamental Catalysis of the Catalysis Society (1997), Eminent Visitor Award, Chemical Society of South Africa (1997); Best Teacher Award, Berkeley AIChE Chapter (1998); Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1996).