Bio

B.S., University of Kansas, Chemical Engineering, 2014Ph.D., Purdue University, Chemical Engineering, 2019Postdoctoral, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Chemistry, 2020–2023

"We study the fundamentals of heterogeneous (electro)catalysis in areas relevant to decarbonization of the energy and chemical industries."

Jason received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Kansas in 2014 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Purdue University in 2019. At Purdue, he studied the fundamental kinetic contributions of solvation and active site structure to dehydration reactions relevant to biomass upgrading using structurally well-defined Lewis acid and Brønsted acid zeolite catalysts. He was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the Department of Chemistry, where he bridged the fields of thermal and electrocatalysis through studies of catalysts consisting of atomically dispersed metals incorporated into nitrogen-doped carbon. He will start his independent career at the University of Virginia in August 2023.

In the Bates research group, we synthesize catalysts with well-defined structures and use quantitative kinetic measurements and characterizations of their active centers to elucidate structure–reactivity relationships. Our studies are enriched by a network of collaborations (e.g., theorists) and advanced characterization tools at national laboratories. We apply our approach to study catalytic technologies relevant for decarbonization of the energy and chemical industries.

Awards

  • Gordon Research Conference on Catalysis Postdoc Poster Award 2022
  • UW–Madison Chemistry Graduate Student Faculty Liaison Committee Postdoc Mentor Award 2021, 2022
  • National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award 2020
  • Purdue College of Engineering Outstanding Research Award 2020
  • AIChE Inorganic Materials Graduate Student Award First Place Presentation 2019
  • AIChE Chemical Reaction Engineering Division Travel Award 2018
  • Michigan Catalysis Society Outstanding Student Poster Award 2018
  • North American Catalysis Society Richard J. Kokes Award 2017
  • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention 2014, 2015
  • University of Kansas Chemical Engineering Senior Outstanding Academic Achievement 2014

Research Interests

  • Catalysis
  • Electrocatalysis
  • Materials synthesis
  • Materials characterization

Selected Publications

  • Molecular Catalyst Synthesis Strategies to Prepare Atomically Dispersed Fe-N-C Heterogeneous Catalysts ABS J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 18797–18802
  • Heterogeneous M-N-C Catalysts for Aerobic Oxidation Reactions: Lessons from Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts ABS Chem. Rev. 2022, DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00424
  • Chemical and Electrochemical O2 Reduction on Earth-Abundant M-N-C Catalysts and Implications for Mediated Electrolysis ABS J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 922–927
  • Kinetic Effects of Molecular Clustering and Solvation by Extended Networks in Zeolite Acid Catalysis ABS Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 4699–4708
  • Structure and Solvation of Confined Water and Water-Ethanol Clusters within Microporous Brønsted Acids and their Effects on Ethanol Dehydration Catalysis ABS Chem. Sci. 2020, 11, 7102–7122
  • Distinct Catalytic Reactivity of Sn Substituted in Framework Locations and at Defect Grain Boundaries in Sn-Zeolites ABS ACS Catal. 2019, 9, 6146–6168