Michael Janik

About

Michael Janik is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Penn State University. His research focuses on energy and environment, with particular interest in interfaces and surfaces, catalysis, and advanced energy conversion technologies. He applies atomistic modeling approaches to study heterogeneous catalysis and electrocatalysis, aiming to understand and improve catalytic processes relevant to energy applications. Janik's work involves kinetic modeling, surface site analysis, and the development of computational frameworks to elucidate reaction mechanisms at the atomic level. His contributions include advancing the understanding of interfacial kinetics, surface site nuclearity, and the effects of redox environments on catalyst mobility. His research has significant implications for the design of more efficient catalysts for energy conversion and environmental sustainability.

Research topics

• Inorganic chemistry
• Chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Physical chemistry
• Chemical engineering
• Materials science
• Crystallography

Selected publications

• Correlating hydration free energy and specific adsorption of alkali metal cations during CO2 electroreduction on Au

  Nature Catalysis · 2022 · 167 citations

  DOI

• Atomic control of active-site ensembles in ordered alloys to enhance hydrogenation selectivity

  Nature Chemistry · 2022 · 134 citations

  DOI

• Control of Molecular Bonding Strength on Metal Catalysts with Organic Monolayers for CO₂ Reduction

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2020 · 81 citations

  adsorption and hydrogenation reactivity could be restored. Thus, both through-surface and through-space interactions could be manipulated by design of the organic modifiers. After surface modification, the catalysts exhibited significantly improved selectivity (up to ∼99% at conversions near 50%) and activity toward CO production. Moreover, the rate of deactivation was notably reduced due to prevention of CO poisoning.

  DOI

• Electro-oxidation of furfural on gold is limited by furoate self-assembly

  Journal of Catalysis · 2020 · 68 citations

  DOI

• Improved Selectivity and Stability in Methane Dry Reforming by Atomic Layer Deposition on Ni-CeO₂–ZrO₂/Al₂O₃ Catalysts

  ACS Catalysis · 2024-05-30 · 42 citations

  articleOpen access

  overcoat is optimal.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• DMREF/Collaborative Research: Computationally Guided Design of Multicomponent Materials for Electrocatalytic Cascade Reactions

  NSF · $476k · 2014–2019

• Collaborative Research: Modifying oxide surfaces with functional atomic-layers for nano-engineered catalysts

  NSF · $267k · 2015–2019

• REU Site: Chemical Energy Storage and Conversion

  NSF · $270k · 2010–2013

Frequent coauthors

• Chunshan Song

  Chinese University of Hong Kong

  108 shared

• Matthew Neurock

  University of Minnesota System

  56 shared

• Xinwen Guo

  Dalian University of Technology

  47 shared

• Xiaowa Nie

  Dalian University of Technology

  43 shared

• Ian T. McCrum

  Clarkson University

  32 shared

• Adri C. T. van Duin

  Pennsylvania State University

  31 shared

• Anfeng Zhang

  University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

  27 shared

• Gholamreza Rostamikia

  26 shared

Labs

• Chemical EngineeringPI

Awards & honors

• Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award
• Early Career Alumni Recognition Award
• Alumni Achievement Award
• Alumni Fellow Award

Similar researchers at Pennsylvania State University

• Seong Kimh-66
• Ezra Clarkh-51
• Enrique Gomezh-50