About

Michael Tsapatsis is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, who joined the institution in 2018. He holds an Engineering Diploma from the University of Patras, Greece, and MS and Ph.D. degrees from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he also completed postdoctoral research. His academic career includes faculty positions at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Minnesota, where he held endowed chairs. His teaching interests encompass reaction engineering, catalysis, separations, transport phenomena, and process and product design, with a focus on energy efficiency and process intensification. His research combines principles of reaction engineering, mathematical modeling, and materials science to develop cleaner and more energy-efficient industrial chemical production methods. His group designs, synthesizes, and tests low-cost, reliable materials aimed at meeting industrial scale production needs and exploring new chemical pathways, including those utilizing renewable sources. Fundamental research interests include hierarchical multi-functional materials design based on molecular engineering, control of nucleation, directed assembly, and crystal growth at the molecular and nanometer scale. His highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research involves partnerships with experts in high-resolution imaging, computational chemistry, and process synthesis and optimization. Notable breakthroughs include the discovery of zeolite nanosheets used as ultra-selective separation membranes and catalysts, as well as the development of manufacturing methods for thin film metal-organic-framework membranes. Tsapatsis holds several patents, has received numerous awards including the Alpha Chi Sigma Award, the Breck Award, and the Charles M.A. Stine Award, and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Research topics

• Chemical engineering
• Organic chemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Materials science
• Chemistry
• Composite material
• Chemical physics
• Engineering
• Thermodynamics

Selected publications

• The Catalytic Mechanics of Dynamic Surfaces: Stimulating Methods for Promoting Catalytic Resonance

  ACS Catalysis · 2020 · 125 citations

  • Materials science
  • Chemistry
  • Chemical physics

  Transformational catalytic performance\nin rate and selectivity\nis obtainable through catalysts that change on the time scale of catalytic\nturnover frequency. In this work, dynamic catalysts are defined in\nthe context and history of forced and passive dynamic chemical systems,\nwith the classification of unique catalyst behaviors based on temporally\nrelevant linear scaling parameters. The conditions leading to the\ncatalytic rate and selectivity enhancement are described as modifying\nthe local electronic or steric environment of the active site to independently\naccelerate sequential elementary steps of an overall catalytic cycle.\nThese concepts are related to physical systems and devices that stimulate\na catalyst using light, vibrations, strain, and electronic manipulations\nincluding electrocatalysis, back-gating of catalyst surfaces, and\nintroduction of surface electric fields via solid electrolytes and\nferroelectrics. These catalytic stimuli are then compared for the\ncapability to improve catalysis across some of the most important\nchemical challenges for energy, materials, and sustainability.

  DOI

• Finned zeolite catalysts

  Nature Materials · 2020 · 209 citations

  • Materials science
  • Chemical engineering
  • Nanotechnology
  DOI

• One-dimensional intergrowths in two-dimensional zeolite nanosheets and their effect on ultra-selective transport

  Nature Materials · 2020 · 132 citations

  • Materials science
  • Chemical engineering
  • Nanotechnology
  DOI

Recent grants

• High-Flux High-Selectivity MFI Molecular Sieve Membranes: Microstructure Control and High-Temperature High-Pressure Use

  NSF · $290k · 2005–2009

• GOALI: Ultra-selective Molecular Sieve Membranes: Novel Synthesis and Performance at Refinery Conditions

  NSF · $300k · 2017–2020

• Reaction-Separation Processes for Production of Hydroxymethylfurfural from Fructose using Molecular Sieves

  NSF · $200k · 2009–2012

• Layered Silicates with 3-D Microporous Layers: Synthesis and Modification for Membrane Applications TSE03-B (&E)

  NSF · $300k · 2003–2007

• NIRT: Precise Building Blocks for Hierarchical Nanomanufacturing of Membranes with Molecular Resolution

  NSF · $1.3M · 2007–2012

Frequent coauthors

• Paul J. Dauenhauer

  University of Minnesota System

  145 shared

• Dionisios G. Vlachos

  140 shared

• Omar Abdelrahman

  University of Minnesota

  133 shared

• J. Anibal Boscoboinik

  127 shared

• Limin Ren

  Dalian University

  111 shared

• Matheus Dorneles de Mello

  Brookhaven National Laboratory

  104 shared

• Dennis T. Lee

  77 shared

• J. Ilja Siepmann

  71 shared

Education

• PhD, Chemical Engineering

  California Institute of Technology

  1994

• Diploma, Chemical Engineering

  University of Patras

  1988

Awards & honors

• Alpha Chi Sigma Award for Chemical Engineering Research from…
• Breck Award from the International Zeolite Association
• Charles M.A. Stine Award from the Materials Engineering & Sc…
• David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship
• National Science Foundation CAREER Award

Similar researchers at Johns Hopkins University

• Richard Huganirh-210
• Steven L. Salzbergh-191
• Arturo Casadevallh-152
• Peter Campochiaroh-139
• Alan Yuilleh-134