Education

• Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 2016
• B.S., University of the Philippines Los Baños, 2007

Research Overview

Understanding heterogeneous catalytic reactions require carefully designed catalytic materials in order to relate their morphology with the reaction mechanisms. These desired catalyst structures should be made using rational catalyst synthesis techniques that can be simple to implement and feasible to scale up for commercial applications. Our specialties in optimizing supported metal nanoparticle catalyst preparation methods, such as Strong Electrostatic Adsorption, Electroless Deposition, and Galvanic Displacement, allow for controlling metal dispersion, size distribution, and for the case of multimetallic catalysts, the degree of component metal interaction. By fine tuning synthesis parameters coupled with comprehensive characterization methods, we can make well-defined materials which we can use for reaction evaluation tests to give us insights on improving catalytic processes.

Selected Publications

• MM Rahman, BT Egelske, K Enyekwe, JM Tengco, JR Monnier, Characterization of Ag/α-Al2O3 olefin epoxidation catalysts containing promoters and co-promoters using pulse hydrogen titration methods. J.Catal., 429, 115244. 2024
• Diao, W., Tengco, J.M.M., Gaffney, A.M., Regalbuto, J.R., Monnier, J.R., Rational synthesis of bimetallic catalysts using electroless deposition methods. Catalysts, Volume 32, 116-150. 2020
• Parizad, M., Wong, A.P., Reber, A.C., Tengco, J.M.M., Karakalos, S.G., Khanna, S.N., Regalbuto, J.R., Monnier, J.R., Stabilization of Catalytic Surfaces through Core–Shell Structures: Ag–Ir/Al2O3 Case Study. ACS Catalysis, 10 (22), 13352-13363. 2020
• Tengco, J.M.M., Tavakoli Mehrabadi, B.A., Zhang, Y., Wongkaew, A., Regalbuto, J.R., Weidner, J.W., Monnier, J.R., Synthesis and Electrochemical Evaluation of Carbon Supported Pt-Co Bimetallic Catalysts Prepared by Electroless Deposition and Modified Charge Enhanced Dry Impregnation. Catalysts, 6 (6), 83. 2016
• Diao, W., Tengco, J.M.M., Regalbuto, J.R., Monnier, J.R., Preparation and characterization of Pt-Ru bimetallic catalysts synthesized by electroless deposition methods. ACS Catal., 5 (9), 5123-5134. 2015