Dr. Steven R. Saunders
Associate Professor
Associate Director
213 Wegner Hall
(509) 335-6578
steven.r.saunders@wsu.edu
Research Interests
Tunable and switchable solvent technology (e.g., near-critical, supercritical, gas-expanded, and ionic liquids); nanoparticle synthesis, processing, and applications; fundamental thermodynamic and computational modeling; nanomaterial catalysis and reaction kinetics.
The goal of our research is to develop highly active, pseudo-homogeneous nanocatalysts. We aim to design nanoparticles which demonstrate enhanced activity over their supported counterparts while being able to be recycled and reused. These catalysts have the potential to revolutionize the use of nanoparticles in catalytic settings for the production of specialty, energy, pharmaceutical, and agricultural chemicals and associated applications.
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011-2013.
- Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, 2011.
- B.S. Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 2006.
Honors and Awards
- Outstanding Teaching Faculty Member in Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, 2014.
- Merriwether Fellowship, Auburn University, 2011.
- McLeod Outstanding Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Teaching Award, Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, 2006.
Recent Publications
- Reynolds, S. R., Markland, K., Rood, J., Leonard, E., Saunders, S. R. “Manipulating Ligand-Nanoparticle Interactions and Catalytic Activity through Organic-Aqueous Tunable Solvents Recovery” RSC Advances, Accepted
- Graham, T.R., Renslow, R., Govind, N., Saunders, S.R. “Precursor Ion-Ion Aggregation in the Brust-Schiffrin Synthesis of Alkanethiol Nanoparticles.” Journal of Physical Chemistry – C. Accepted
- Taznil, A.H., Sultana, S.T., Saunders, S.R., Shi, L., Marsili, E., Beyenal, H. “Biological Synthesis of Nanoparticles in Biofilms“, Enzyme and Microbial Technology. In Press .
- Tanzil, A.H, Sultana, S.T., Saunders, S.R., Dohnalkova, A., Davenport, E., Ha, P., Beyenal, H. “Production of gold nanoparticles by electrode-respiring Geobacter Sulfurrendense Biofilms”, Enzyme and Microbial Technology. In Press
