Wilson McNeary is a research engineer in NREL’s Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale-Up Center, where he uses his background in materials development and atomic layer deposition to develop new technologies for capture and conversion of carbon dioxide and production of sustainable aviation fuel.

Research Interests

Reactive capture and conversion of carbon dioxide

Direct air capture and carbon removal strategies

Catalyst design and synthesis

Atomic layer deposition and thin film growth techniques

Catalytic upgrading of waste-derived intermediates to sustainable aviation fuel

Education

Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia

Featured Work

Atomic Layer Deposition With TiO₂ for Enhanced Reactivity and Stability of Aromatic Hydrogenation Catalysts, ACS Catalysis (2021)

Improved Durability and Activity of Pt/C Catalysts Through Atomic Layer Deposition of Tungsten Nitride and Subsequent Thermal Treatment, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental (2019)

Extended Thin Film Electrocatalyst Structures via Atomic Layer Deposition, ACS Applied Nano Materials (2018)

Atomic Layer Deposition of TiO₂ for Stabilization of Pt Nanoparticle Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts, Journal of Applied Electrochemistry (2018)

Awards and Honors

NREL Director’s Award (2021)

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2014–2017)

Proton Energy Scholarship (2010)