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Jacob Troutman |
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Howdy! My name is Jacob Troutman. I'm an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, interested in using inorganic chemistry to develope and improve materials for contaminant remediation, and to understand how materials may react and degrade in the environment. |
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My graduate research focused at UT Austin (advised by Dr. Charles Werth in Civil Engineering and Dr. Simon Humphrey in Chemistry) focused on the synthesis of palladium (Pd)-based alloy nanoparticles for the removal of oxyanions (such as nitrate, NO3−; nitrite, NO2−; and bromate, BrO3−) from drinking water. Oxyanion contaminants are some of the most prevalent pollutants found in surface and groundwaters, especially in areas with heavy agricultural run-off. Their presence in water presents environmental threats, such as high nutrient concentration (eutrophication) which can lead to algal blooms. Additionally, they can present human health risks if this water is used for drinking. Catalysis is a well-studied method that removes these oxyanions by converting them to benign species with the use of hydrogen gas. However, the most common metal used in catalysis is Pd, which is financially and environmentally costly. My research seeks to improve how effective Pd-based catalysts are for oxyanion removal by better understanding how alloys (combinations of two or more metals) can increase the rate of contaminant conversion or alter the end-products to make catalysis a more valuable process. Below is a short, explanatory video from my time in graduate school in case you want a short summary. |