The science of developing novel catalytic materials and technologies to tackle environmental challenges, such as pollutant degradation in air, water, and soil, hydrogen production, greenhouse gase reduction, and biomass valorization, among others, is called environmental catalysis.
Our research approach focuses on designing non-metal catalytic materials, incorporating the principles of green chemistry, green engineering, and the circular economy. The physicochemical properties of these materials are comprehensively characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and optical spectroscopy. Functional performance relevant to environmental applications are evaluated, such as reactive species production, microbial inactivation, and chemical conversion efficiency. These functional properties further considered alongside lifetime upstream resource footprints of material synthesis to achieve a balance of material performance sustainability.
Representative Publications
Shah, Y., & Gilbertson, L. M. (2024). Balancing functional properties and environmental impact of graphitic carbon nitride: a case study on boron doping syntheses. Environmental Science: Nano, 11(1), 78-90. https://doi.org/10.1039/d3en00633f
Wang, Y., & Gilbertson, L. M. (2017). Informing rational design of graphene oxide through surface chemistry manipulations: properties governing electrochemical and biological activities. Green Chemistry, 19(12), 2826-2838. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7GC00159B
Aquino de Carvalho, N., Wang, Y., Morales-Soto, N., Waldeck, D., Bibby, K., Doudrick, K., & Gilbertson, L. M. (2020). Using C-doping to identify photocatalytic properties of graphitic carbon nitride that govern antibacterial efficacy. ACS ES&T Water, 1(2), 269-280. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.0c00053
Wang, Y., Basdogan, Y., Zhang, T., Lankone, R. S., Wallace, A. N., Fairbrother, D. H., ... & Gilbertson, L. M. (2020). Unveiling the synergistic role of oxygen functional groups in the graphene-mediated oxidation of glutathione. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 12(41), 45753-45762. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c11539
Wang, Y., de Carvalho, N. A., Tan, S., & Gilbertson, L. M. (2019). Leveraging electrochemistry to uncover the role of nitrogen in the biological reactivity of nitrogen-doped graphene. Environmental Science: Nano, 6(12), 3525-3538. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EN00802K
Gilbertson, L. M., Albalghiti, E. M., Fishman, Z. S., Perreault, F., Corredor, C., Posner, J. D., ... & Zimmerman, J. B. (2016). Shape-dependent surface reactivity and antimicrobial activity of nano-cupric oxide. Environmental science & technology, 50(7), 3975-3984. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b05734
Funding Support
National Science Foundation, CBET No. 2039823 CAREER: Combining Materials Science and System-Level Analysis to Sustainably Supply Safe Drinking Water 5/1/2021 – 4/30/2026, Gilbertson PI.
National Science Foundation, CBET No. 1709031, SusChEM: Collaborative Research: Decoupling Structure and Surface Chemistry Impacts of Carbon Nanomaterials on Environmentally Relevant Electrochemical and Biological Activity. 9/1/2017 – 8/31/2020.
ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, Simultaneous In Situ Characterization of Multiple Carbon Nanomaterial Properties Using Liquid Cell TEM-STEM at ORNL. 6/1/2017 – 5/31/2018, Gilbertson PI.
University of Pittsburgh Central Research Development Fund, Informing Sustainable Design of Carbon Nanomaterials through Heteroatom Functionalization. $16,000.00, 8/1/2017 – 7/31/2018, Gilbertson PI.