Huston Locht

hlocht3 at gatech dot edu
B.S., Chemical Engineering: University of Florida (2022)
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Project:  Acid-catalyzed epoxide ring-opening over zeolite catalysts

Project Description:  Acid-catalyzed epoxide ring-opening reactions produce industrially relevant and valuable intermediates including diols, ethers, and secondary amines. These reactions are often performed in the liquid-phase over zeolite catalysts, where the choice of zeolite and solvent can substantially influence reaction rates and selectivity. This study aims to develop a better understanding of the interactions between zeolite, solvent, and reactive species for epoxide ring-opening. We employ kinetic measurements in combination with in situ spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry to examine the contributions of these chemical interactions on catalysis.