A "Transforming Energy" Lecture by Mark D. Allendorf
October 14, 2011

Abstract

The need to meet growing global energy demands while reducing factors effecting climate change is driving intense research on novel processes for producing and storing energy. Materials are at the core of this research and are often the rate-­‐‑ limiting factor in process development. This presentation will describe two aspects of research at Sandia National Labs:
    •    Production of syngas using thermochemical cycles to split steam and/or CO2,
    •    Use of nanoscale materials to tune thermodynamic and kinetic properties of metal hydrides for H2 storage. 
Dr. Allendorf will be discussing the role of two promising materials for thermochemical cycle considerations for use with solar thermochemical gas splitting. He will also discuss nanoscale metal hydrides and metal-­‐‑organic frameworks as templates within nanopores.

Biography

Mark Allendorf currently leads efforts at Sandia to develop both the fundamental science and applications of metal organic framework compounds (MOF). Areas of emphasis include: synthesis of new MOFs with properties tailored for chemical and radiation detection; development of atomistic approaches to modeling MOF behavior; and growth of MOF compounds on surfaces for device applications. He continues to work in the field of high-­temperature chemistry, with an emphasis on processes for producing hydrogen using solar-­driven redox cycles, as well as chemical vapor deposition processes (CVD).

His latest research area is synthesis of nanoparticles for H2 storage. Dr. Allendorf has extensive experience with first-­principles quantum-chemistry and density functional theory to predict structures and thermodynamic properties of materials. He has published over 100 articles in peer-­reviewed journals and conference proceedings. He is a Fellow and former president of the Electrochemical Society and has won many awards for his work at Sandia.