|
|
| Name |
Dumesic, James A. |
| Location
|
University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| Primary Field
|
Engineering Sciences |
| Secondary Field
|
Chemistry |
 Election Citation
|
|
Dumesic is a recognized world leader in combining novel experimental and theoretical methods to elucidate kinetics of chemical reactions at the molecular level and to develop new technologies. He recently discovered efficient catalytic reactions to supplement the generally slower fermentation processes for converting renewable resources into liquid fuels and chemicals. |
|
Research Interests
|
|
Jim Dumesic's laboratory is interested in the reaction kinetics of heterogeneous catalytic processes, both in the gas and the liquid phases. His group is involved in syntheses of new catalytic materials, characterization of these materials under reaction conditions, and elucidation of structure-properties relationships based on experimental and theoretical results to guide the development of new catalytic materials and processes. His group invented and elucidated aqueous-phase reforming (APR) as a catalytic process to produce dihydrogen and functional hydrocarbons from biomass-derived sugars and polyols. He invented and elucidated new processes for the production of gamma-valerolactone (GVL) from the hemicellulose and the cellulose fractions of lignocellulosic biomass, and he elucidated and invented new processes for decarboxylation of GVL to produce butene oligomers for gasoline and jet fuel applications. He has recently elucidated and patented new processes that use GVL as a solvent for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to produce xylose, glucose, and clean lignin. He is interested in the development of new materials for the catalytic conversion of biologically-derived intermediates to leverage the high selectivity of biological processes to produce specific platform molecules with the high efficiency of heterogeneous chemical catalysis to upgrade platform intermediates to produce chemical products. |
|
|
|