Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

About the PNAS Member Editor
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
Throughout his career, Dumesic has used spectroscopic, microcalorimetric, and reaction kinetics techniques to study the surface and dynamic properties of heterogeneous catalysts. Dumesic pioneered the field of microkinetic analysis, in which diverse information from experimental and theoretical studies is combined to elucidate the essential surface chemistry that controls catalyst performance. He has studied how aqueous-phase reforming of biomass-derived carbohydrates can be tailored to selectively produce H2 or directed to produce liquid hydrocarbons, and he has studied the use of furan compounds, levulinic acid, and gamma-valerolactone as biomass-derived platform chemicals for the production of fuels and chemicals. His current research is focused on the synthesis of new performance-advantaged polymers from biomass-derived monomers.

 
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