THE REACTION-DIFFUSION FRAMEWORK: MAKING MATERIALS FAR FROM EQUILIBRIUM
Dr. Mazen Al-Ghoul
(American University of Beirut)

ABSTRACT:
In this talk, I will give an overview of precipitation reactions far-from-equilibrium and describe the reaction-diffusion framework (RDF) as a new paradigm to make and study various nanomaterials. The method relies on a multi-scale coupling of molecular diffusion with chemical reactions, nucleation, and growth of crystals. RDF provides simple means to control and select the size of the synthesized particles and to study in-situ many associated dynamic phenomena such as intercalation and de-intercalation of probe molecules in layered and porous materials. I will present various examples from our lab that include cadmium aluminum layered double hydroxide as photocatalysts for reduction of carbon dioxide; lanthanum hydroxides with applications in water treatment; and mixed-metal and mixed-linker metal organic framework.
 

BIO:
Mazen Al-Ghoul is a Professor of Physical Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at the American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, and he is currently a visiting Professor (summer 2019 - summer 2020) in the Friscic group at McGill University. His group's research is focused on various theoretical and experimental aspects of reaction-diffusion systems. In particular, they are interested in studying the mechanisms of pattern formation and spatio-temporal dynamics in multidimensional precipitation systems. The group has also been developing the reaction-diffusion framework (RDF) to make and control the size and morphology of novel material such as layered double hydroxides, lanthanide hydroxides, metal-organic frameworks, zinc imidazolate frameworks (ZIF), and study their potential applications in photocatalysis and adsorption of organic and inorganic pollutants in aqueous media. RDF is also used to study the solid-state kinetics of polymorphic transformations of various crystalline systems and the dynamics of intercalation and de-intercalation of molecules and biomolecules in layered and porous materials. Dr

Dr. Al-Ghoul is the guest of Dr. Louis Cuccia.