Research Interests

Biomass structure and composition

Terpene analysis

Analytical chemistry

High-throughput and process monitoring analytical methodology

Pyrolysis oil characterization

Areas of Expertise

Biomass composition analysis, including analytical pyrolysis, thioacidolysis, and extractives (i.e., lipids and terpenoids)

Analytical instrumentation, including gas chromatography/flame ionization detector and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), pyrolysis-GC/MS, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, molecular beam mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC)

High-throughput and process monitoring, analytical method development, and statistical data analysis

Pyrolysis oil characterization, including components by GC/MS

Titrations, including Karl Fischer water content, carbonyl content, GPC molecular weight analysis, and NMR

Catalysis, including heterogeneous catalysts for upgrading lipids (thermochemical and fatty acid methyl esters), heterogeneous catalyst analysis, temperature-programmed desorption, and thermogravimetric analysis

Affiliated Research Programs

The Center for Bioenergy Innovation

Thermochemical Catalysis Research and Development

Education

Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Kentucky

B.S., Chemistry, Concord University

Professional Experience

Researcher III, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Bioenergy Center, 2014–present

Associations and Memberships

American Chemical Society

Society for Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Featured Work

Molecular Weight Distribution of Raw and Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Oils: Comparison of Analytical Methodologies, RSC Advances (2020)

Biomass Recalcitrance in Willow Under Two Biological Conversion Paradigms: Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Anaerobic Digestion, BioEnergy Research (2020)

Chapter 13: Conversion of Terpenes to Chemicals and Related Products, in Chemical Catalysts for Biomass Upgrading (2019)

Methods and Challenges in the Determination of Molecular Weight Metrics of Bio-Oils, Energy & Fuels (2018)

Characterization of Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Oils: The Importance of Solvent Selection for Analytical Method Development, Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis (2018)

High Throughput Screening Technologies in Biomass Characterization, Frontiers in Energy Research (2018)

The Effect of Coumaryl Alcohol Incorporation on the Structure and Composition of Lignin Dehydrogenation Polymers, Biotechnology for Biofuels (2017)

Characterization of Endocarp Biomass and Extracted Lignin using Pyrolysis and Spectroscopic Methods, BioEnergy Research (2015)

Mutagenesis Breeding for Increased 3-Deoxyanthocyanin Accumulation in Leaves of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench: A Source of Natural Food Pigment, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2014)

Pyrolysis–GC/MS of Sinapyl and Coniferyl Alcohol, Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis (2012)