Dr. Michael Janik

Dr. Michael Janik

Professor of Chemical Engineering

Department:  Chemical Engineering
College:  College of Engineering
Address:  51 Greenberg
Phone:  814-863-9366
E-mail: mjj13@psu.edu
Website:  sites.psu.edu/janiklab

Electrocatalyst design from first principles
Electrocatalysts are essential components in fuel cells and electrolysis devices.  Fuel cells can convert energy stored in chemical form to electricity, whereas electrolysis stores electrical energy in chemical form.  Electrocatalysts serve as the active component of the electrode, which catalyzes a chemical reaction involving transport of ions and electrons.  The design of electrocatalysts requires determination of reaction mechanisms and understanding of how the catalyst alters the rates of the desired and competing reactions.  In our group, we use first principles methods, based on quantum mechanics, to model electrocatalytic reactions.  This enables us to determine the reaction mechanism and redesign electrodes to accelerate the conversion, making for more efficient electrochemical devices.

Students who work in this area of our lab will learn how to use high performance computing resources and to perform quantum chemical calculations.  They will learn about surface chemistry and catalysis, integrating with their chemistry and chemical engineering coursework.  Students will work on a specific fuel cell or electrolysis related reaction, working collaboratively with experimentalists to design new materials and devices.