About

Dr. Michael S. Wong is a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University, where he also holds positions in the Departments of Chemistry, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Materials Science and NanoEngineering. He was educated and trained at Caltech, MIT, and UCSB before joining Rice University in 2001. His research program broadly addresses chemical engineering problems using the tools of materials chemistry, with a particular focus on energy and environmental applications, notably catalysis for clean water. His research emphasizes understanding synthesis-structure-property relationships in heterogeneous catalysis, with current activities including the structure-property analysis of palladium-on-gold catalysts, metal-on-metal nanoparticle synthesis, treatment of contaminants from water, sugar upgrading chemistry, and nanoparticle assembly. Dr. Wong has received numerous honors, including the MIT TR35 Young Innovator Award, the AIChE Nanoscale Science and Engineering Young Investigator Award, Smithsonian Magazine Young Innovator Award, and the North American Catalysis Society/Southwest Catalysis Society Excellence in Applied Catalysis Award. He is a research thrust leader on multifunctional nanomaterials in the NSF-funded NEWT Engineering Research Center, chair of the ACS Division of Catalysis Science and Technology, and serves on the editorial board of Applied Catalysis B: Environmental.

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Materials science
• Computer Science
• Nanotechnology
• Inorganic chemistry
• Biology
• Environmental chemistry
• Physical chemistry
• Psychology
• Optoelectronics
• Environmental science
• Business
• Optics
• Chemical engineering
• Psychotherapist
• Biochemical engineering
• Engineering
• Geology

Selected publications

• Ir–Ru Particles Enable Low-Loading Acidic Oxygen Evolution for Integrated Solar Devices

  ACS electrochemistry. · 2026-02-18

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Integrated photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices for water splitting represent a compelling pathway for sustainable hydrogen production, directly converting solar energy into chemical fuels. While alkaline systems have achieved state-of-the-art solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiencies above 20% using earth-abundant catalysts, acidic PEC architectures provide unique advantages for compact device integration, fast proton transport, and stable operation under highly dynamic solar conditions. Proton-exchange membrane (PEM)-based configurations enable high current densities, low gas crossover, and rapid ionic response, making them especially well-suited for intermittent, bias-free PEC operation, despite alkaline electrolysis being more technologically mature. A critical limitation of acidic PEC systems remains, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which currently relies on scarce and costly iridium catalysts, restricting scalability. Here, we report a series of low-iridium mixed-metal oxide catalysts synthesized via a surfactant-assisted borohydride reduction method. An optimized Ir0.5Ru0.5Ox catalyst exhibits exceptional intrinsic activity (>400 A g–1 Ir at 1.55 V vs RHE) in 0.1 M HClO4 and maintains stable operation for over 10 days in an integrated PEC flow-cell. Sustained hydrogen production is achieved at 1.65 V with a total iridium loading of only 0.1 mg cm–2, substantially below commercial PEM benchmarks. These results demonstrate a viable pathway toward scalable, high-performance acidic PEC hydrogen technologies.

  PublisherDOI

• Differentiating the Role of Osmotic Pressure and Ionic Interactions on Self-Healing Polymers

  ACS Applied Polymer Materials · 2026-02-10

  articleOpen access

  Self-healing polymers can recover from physical and chemical damage autonomously, which improves the durability and performance of systems that rely on these polymers. To design self-healing polymers that work well in practical applications, it is important to understand the impact that the presence of different ions has on self-healing mechanisms. In this paper, we investigate the role of monovalent (Na+) and divalent (Ca2+) ions in the self-healing efficiency of a model polymer, namely, poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS), whose network is dominated by hydrogen bonding. By pre-embedding ions into the bulk gel, our method systematically eliminates the confounding ion concentration gradients and osmotic pressure differences that complicated previous studies. Through tensile testing, we find that at high concentrations, divalent ions improve the strength and modulus recovery of polymer samples and slightly reduce the strain recovery relative to samples without any ions in them. Monovalent ions did not result in a statistically significant change in strength recovery but increased strain recovery at high concentrations. Using additional rheological measurements, we find that both monovalent and divalent ions decrease the relaxation time of the PAMPS chains, with monovalent ions doing so to a much larger extent. This suggests that changes in chain mobility might be the key factor that controls any improvements in strain and strength recovery. Overall, our results deconvolute the competing roles of ionic cross-linking and chain mobility and highlight the importance of controlling for osmotic artifacts in ion-containing hydrogels.

  PublisherDOI

• Challenges and Opportunities in PFAS Waste Management for Semiconductor Manufacturing

  Environmental Science & Technology · 2026-01-14 · 2 citations

  article

  Semiconductor manufacturing is rapidly expanding alongside tightening environmental regulations and increasing public concern around per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Because of their unique chemical properties, PFAS are used across numerous processes in semiconductor manufacturing. Given process complexity and lengthy development timelines for alternatives, eliminating PFAS use in this industry is not currently feasible. Developing practical technologies for PFAS waste management is therefore critical but uniquely challenging in semiconductor manufacturing due to the nature of waste streams (parts-per-billion PFAS concentrations, complex backgrounds including hundreds of chemicals, prevalence of ultrashort PFAS, total stream volumes up to 35,000 m3 per day per facility, and distribution across gas, liquid, and solid phases) and significant constraints on space and systems redesign. This review describes recent developments and key questions that must be addressed to develop impactful and commercially viable detection and abatement methods for PFAS waste management in semiconductor manufacturing. Integrating these technologies into compact, high-performance systems and testing them under realistic conditions (complex PFAS mixtures, high fluoride/ionic strength, pH 6–11, low contact time, process variability) through industrial collaborations is essential for scalable, cost-effective solutions. Research addressing semiconductor industry-specific PFAS waste is essential to enable environmental compliance while supporting the continued growth of semiconductor manufacturing.

  PublisherDOI

• <i>ES&amp;T</i> at 60: Science, Community, and the Facets of Impact

  Environmental Science & Technology · 2026-01-13

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  PublisherDOI

• The fabrication of a novel Fenton-like catalytic ceramic membrane hybrid process for advanced water treatment at neutral pH

  Journal of Water Process Engineering · 2026-01-06

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Waste per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance-assisted flash fluorination for lithium recovery from brine

  Nature Water · 2026-03-10 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Volcano-shaped PFAS defluorination efficiency as a function of process intensification during electrocatalytic reductive treatment

  Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters · 2026-03-14

  articleOpen access

  Pervasive and recalcitrant per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination has motivated development of a plethora of treatment approaches aimed at their degradation, with increased interest in process intensification to enhance defluorination. However, limited attention has been given to the unintended consequences of the empirical intensification of tunable electrochemical treatment systems. Here, we consider the reductive defluorination of 4-(trifluoromethyl)hexafluoropent-2-enoic acid (PFMeUPA), a lesser studied PFAS with growing health concerns, using elemental palladium (Pd(0))-coated carbon fiber paper cathodes. Pd(0) catalyzed the formation of surface-adsorbed atomic hydrogen (H•), which was confirmed as the reactive species responsible for defluorination via scavenger experiments with 2,4 dichlorophenol. Fluoride release (serving as direct evidence of defluorination) followed a volcano-shaped relationship with applied current, revealing an optimal operating point at 2.5 mA where defluorination was maximized. At higher currents, substantial H 2 bubble formation indicated wasteful H• recombination and dominance of the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). These results represent a caveat that increasing energy input for process intensification may eventually hinder PFAS degradation. Thus, process design and operation should not overlook HER to optimize H• utilization for energy-efficient PFAS defluorination. • Electrocatalytically generated H• on Pd(0) reductively defluorinated PFMeUPA • Applied current must be optimized to maximize H• utilization for PFAS reduction • Too much current favors the competing HER, leading to wasted treatment capacity • Process intensification thus has a volcano-shaped effect on PFAS degradation

  PublisherDOI

• Iron Doping of hBN Enhances the Photocatalytic Oxidative Defluorination of Perfluorooctanoic Acid

  ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces · 2025-03-28 · 8 citations

  article

  There is a growing need to effectively eliminate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from contaminated water, which requires extensive defluorination. Photocatalysis offers potential for PFOA degradation under ambient conditions without the need for treatment chemicals. However, photocatalytic treatment generally results in limited defluorination and, thus, incomplete elimination of potential toxicity and liability. This underscores the need to advance mechanistic understanding of the factors limiting PFOA oxidative defluorination. Here, we tested the hypothesis that direct electron transfer from PFOA to transition metals enhances photocatalytic defluorination. We developed a novel, facile approach to simultaneously functionalize and dope hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) (which is known to effectively catalyze photocatalytic PFOA oxidation) with Fe(III), using deep-eutectic solvents (DES). Addition of Fe(III) to synthesize Fe-hBN created new active sites for PFOA oxidation and doubled the defluorination extent (>40% fluoride release from initial 50 mg L–1 PFOA) compared to undoped hBN in 4 h reactions under 254 nm irradiation (64.4 W m–2). The mechanism of defluorination was elucidated through scavenger experiments that show the importance of photocatalytically generated electron holes for initiating PFOA degradation. Experiments also suggest that Fe(III) played a key role in PFOA removal, contributing to the improved extent of defluorination over undoped hBN. Density functional theory indicates that Fe(III) sites enable electrostatic adsorption of PFOA to the catalyst surface, enhance charge transfer, and promote hole localization to improve charge carrier separation, which is essential for oxidative defluorination of PFOA. This mechanistic insight informs catalytic material design to enhance oxidative defluorination processes.

  PublisherDOI

• Pulsed laser ablation-synthesized FePt nanoparticles have enhanced catalytic nitrite reduction activity

  Catalysis Today · 2025-02-28 · 6 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Dynamic behavior of molecular Pd-acetate trimers and dimers in heterogeneous vinyl acetate synthesis

  Nature Communications · 2025-12-08 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) is a crucial intermediate in the production of various polymers. While molecular Pd-acetate trimers and dimers, such as Pd3(OAc)6 and K2Pd2(OAc)6, are known to form on potassium acetate (KOAc)-promoted PdAu catalysts during heterogeneous VAM synthesis, their mechanistic role remains unclear. Here, we study the dynamics of different Pd-acetate species by utilizing in situ and operando crystallographic and spectroscopic characterizations combined with computational modeling on monometallic Pd model catalysts. The promoter-free catalyst expectedly shows low catalytic activity and VAM selectivity, corresponding to the complete reduction of Pdn(OAc)2n species to form Pd0 and PdCx nanoparticles. Conversely, noticeable quantities of KnPd2(OAc)n+4 species remain on the KOAc-promoted catalyst, leading to smaller nanoparticle formation with 10 times the activity and double the selectivity for VAM. This study reveals that molecular Pd-acetate trimers and dimers are significant indicators of catalytic performance and highlights their structurally dynamic nature in heterogeneous vinyl acetate chemistry. Vinyl acetate is an important polymer building block, but the mechanisms governing its catalytic production are not well understood. This study shows that dynamic palladium-acetate clusters determine catalyst efficiency and selectivity in vinyl acetate synthesis.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• EAGER: Catalytic Transformation and Kinetics of Lignin-Carbohydrate Complexes

  NSF · $122k · 2011–2013

• Probing the Structure-property Relationship of Core/Shell Bimetal Nanoparticles as a Model Catalyst

  NSF · $336k · 2012–2016

• Directed Assembly of Nanoparticles into Composite Materials

  NSF · $200k · 2007–2010

Frequent coauthors

• Kimberly N. Heck

  Systems Engineering Research Center

  69 shared

• Paul Westerhoff

  Arizona State University

  51 shared

• Subashini Asokan

  Rice University

  44 shared

• Sujin Guo

  Rice University

  39 shared

• D. Villagrán

  Systems Engineering Research Center

  36 shared

• Pedro J. J. Alvarez

  Systems Engineering Research Center

  32 shared

• Bo Wang

  29 shared

• Camilah D. Powell

  Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

  28 shared

Education

• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

  University of California Santa Barbara

  2001

• PhD, Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  2000

• MS, Chemical Engineering Practice, Department of Chemical Engineering

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  1997

• BS, Chemical Engineering

  California Institute of Technology

  1994

Awards & honors

• MIT TR35 Young Innovator Award
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Nanoscale S…
• Smithsonian Magazine Young Innovator Award
• North American Catalysis Society/Southwest Catalysis Society…