\n| Friday<\/p>\n 6\/12\/26 –<\/p>\n Rescheduled for 6\/15\/26 from 9 am<\/td>\n | 09:00-10:00AM<\/td>\n | Invited Speaker<\/td>\n | R1-101<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Dr. Yitong Zhai<\/td>\n | From Engines to the Atmosphere: Modeling the Oxidation Chemistry of n\u2011Hexanol and Ethylene<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Dr. Yitong Zhai<\/strong><\/p>\nFrom Engines to the Atmosphere: Modeling the Oxidation Chemistry of n\u2011Hexanol and Ethylene<\/strong><\/p>\nAbstract:<\/strong> Oxidation chemistry governs fuel reactivity in combustion systems and drives pollutant formation and transformation in the atmosphere. These processes involve extensive reaction networks with numerous intermediates and competing pathways, making mechanistic interpretation challenging. Kinetic modeling provides a powerful framework for identifying dominant reaction channels, interpreting experimental observations, and predicting chemical evolution under varying conditions.<\/p>\nIn this work, kinetic modeling is applied to two representative oxidation systems: the low\u2011temperature oxidation of n\u2011hexanol and the ozone\u2011assisted oxidation of ethylene. For n\u2011hexanol, a detailed reaction mechanism is used to elucidate the formation pathways of key oxygenated intermediates, including cyclic ethers, keto\u2011hydroperoxides, and diones, that play central roles in low\u2011temperature chain\u2011branching chemistry. For ethylene ozonolysis, a comprehensive mechanism is developed to describe both the initial ozone\u2011alkene reaction and the subsequent oxidation steps involving Criegee intermediates and keto\u2011hydroperoxides. Comparison with experimental measurements demonstrates that the models capture major trends in species evolution and provide mechanistic insight into the controlling reaction pathways. Together, these studies highlight the value of mechanism\u2011based kinetic modeling in advancing the understanding of oxidation chemistry across combustion\u2011relevant and atmospheric environments.<\/p>\n \n\n\n\nWeek 5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 June 15-19, 2026<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Date<\/td>\n | TIME<\/td>\n | Activity<\/td>\n | Location<\/td>\n | Presenter<\/td>\n | Title<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Monday<\/p>\n 6\/15\/2026<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:00am<\/td>\n | Invited Speaker<\/td>\n | R1-101<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Dr. Yitong Zhai<\/td>\n | From Engines to the Atmosphere: Modeling the Oxidation Chemistry of n\u2011Hexanol and Ethylene<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Tuesday<\/p>\n 6\/16\/2026<\/td>\n | 9:30-10:30am<\/td>\n | PhD Defense<\/td>\n | zoom<\/td>\n | Aakash Gupta<\/td>\n | Deciphering Ultrafast Photoinduced and Photocatalytic Reaction Dynamics on Oxide Surfaces: Direct Detection of Radical Intermediates, Fragment Trapping, and Carbon\u2013Carbon, Carbon\u2013Oxygen, and Carbon\u2013Hydrogen Bond Formation Pathways<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Wednesday<\/p>\n 6\/17\/26<\/td>\n | 09:00-10:00AM<\/td>\n | Group meeting<\/td>\n | R1-101<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | TBD<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Friday<\/p>\n 6\/12\/26<\/td>\n | 09:00-10:00AM<\/td>\n | Invited Speaker<\/td>\n | R1-101<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Alec C. DeCecco<\/td>\n | \n A Novel Jet\u2011Stirred Reactor for Mechanistic Studies of Heterogeneous Catalytic Reactions: Fischer\u2013Tropsch Synthesis and Methanol\u2011to\u2011Olefins Conversion<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n Aakash Gupta<\/p>\n PhD Defense<\/p>\n Title:<\/strong> Deciphering Ultrafast Photoinduced and Photocatalytic Reaction Dynamics on Oxide Surfaces: Direct Detection of Radical Intermediates, Fragment Trapping, and Carbon\u2013Carbon, Carbon\u2013Oxygen, and Carbon\u2013Hydrogen Bond Formation Pathways<\/p>\nAbstract:<\/strong> Understanding photoinduced reactions at solid interfaces is essential for advancing heterogeneous photocatalysis, surface photochemistry, and energy conversion technologies. This dissertation investigates the ultrafast dynamics of reactive intermediates, fragment trapping, and radical-mediated bond formation on oxide surfaces using time-of-flight mass spectrometry in conjunction with femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy.\u00a0\u00a0Various experimental findings are validated through collaborations via density functional theory (DFT). By combining temporal, mass, and energy-resolved measurements, this work provides molecular-level insight into the elementary processes governing light-driven surface reactions. The photodissociation dynamics of CH3<\/sub>I adsorbed on TiO2<\/sub>(110), TiO2<\/sub>(100), and amorphous silicon oxide surfaces are examined as model systems for photoinduced surface chemistry. On TiO2<\/sub>(110), direct detection of transient intermediates reveals that photogenerated fragments can become trapped at the surface, passivating reactive sites and modifying the interfacial potential energy landscape. This fragment trapping stabilizes a previously unobserved CH3<\/sub>ICH3<\/sub> intermediate, which alters ultrafast reaction pathways and produces coherent oscillations in transient CH3<\/sub>+<\/sup>signals. Complementary DFT calculations identify the vibrational modes and dissociation pathways associated with this intermediate. Photocatalytic water splitting on TiO2<\/sub>(100) is further investigated through direct observation of elusive intermediates, including D, OD, and OOD species generated from D2<\/sub>O photodissociation. In the presence of CH3<\/sub>I, additional reaction pathways lead to methane and methanol formation through coupling between water-derived species and methyl fragments. Temperature-dependent measurements and DFT calculations clarify the mechanisms governing these photocatalytic reactions. This dissertation also demonstrates ultrafast carbon\u2013carbon bond formation on amorphous silicon oxide surfaces following CH3<\/sub>I photodissociation. Time-resolved detection of C2 fragments provides direct evidence of methyl radical coupling, with product formation observed as early as ~0.5 ps after excitation. Collectively, these studies reveal how fragment trapping, energy dissipation, and radical interactions govern ultrafast surface reactivity, establishing new insights into photocatalytic and heterogeneous photochemical processes at oxide interfaces.]<\/p>\nAlec C. DeCecco<\/p>\n Abstract:\u00a0<\/strong>Jet\u2011stirred reactors (JSRs), also known as zero\u2011dimensional reactors, provide highly uniform and nearly isothermal environments that make them exceptionally well suited for fundamental kinetic studies. Despite these advantages, adapting JSRs for heterogeneous catalysis remains nontrivial, as it requires effective integration of solid catalysts into a flow system originally designed for gas\u2011phase chemistry. In addition, the implementation of chemically specific, in situ diagnostics within JSRs poses further challenges, limiting their broader application in mechanistic investigations. Here, we present a catalytic jet\u2011stirred reactor (CJSR) designed to accommodate solid catalyst pellets while enabling systematic variation of temperature, residence time, feed composition, and effective catalytic surface area. The reactor is coupled to molecular\u2011beam sampling and a reflectron time\u2011of\u2011flight mass spectrometer with tunable vacuum\u2011ultraviolet (VUV) single\u2011photon ionization, allowing in situ detection of reaction products and identification of selected species via photoionization efficiency (PIE) measurements. The capabilities of this approach are demonstrated using Fischer\u2013Tropsch synthesis (FTS) over La0.75<\/sub>Sr0.25<\/sub>Fe0.95<\/sub>Ru0.05<\/sub>O3<\/sub> \u00b1 \u03b4 at near\u2011atmospheric pressure, temperatures of 340\u2013490 K, residence times of 3\u20135 s, and H2<\/sub>:CO ratios from 1:1 to 5:1. A broad distribution of hydrocarbon products was observed. C1<\/sub>\u2013C7<\/sub>olefins and paraffins were detected, and several key products were identified by comparison of measured PIE curves with literature reference data; higher\u2011mass hydrocarbons were observed up to C12<\/sub> with their signals exhibiting strong sensitivity to operating parameters.<\/p>\nThis approach is then leveraged to gain mechanistic insight into the conversion of methanol to olefins (MTO) over acidic zeolite catalysts. MTO is a promising approach for producing important chemical commodities from nonpetroleum feedstocks. While MTO has been studied extensively, a thorough understanding of the catalytic mechanism has remained hindered due to difficulty in detecting and identifying key reactive intermediates and radicals. For instance, initial olefin formation has been proposed to follow various mechanisms relying on the formation of gas phase intermediates such as formaldehyde, ketene, and acetaldehyde.<\/p>\n In this work we employ the CJSR\u2013molecular\u2011beam VUV\u2011PI\u2013TOFMS approach to investigate the MTO reaction over commercial zeolite catalysts H-ZSM-5 and SAPO-34 at near atmospheric pressure, temperature range of 250-450 \u00b0C, residence times of 1-5 s, and methanol concentrations of 4-6 %. Gas-phase species are sampled micrometers away from the catalyst surface, where the reaction is effectively quenched as intermediates and products are rapidly extracted into the molecular beam vacuum setup. Detected species include small olefins (i.e., ethylene, propene, n-butene, etc.) and various oxygenated intermediates including aldehydes, alcohols, carboxylic acids, and ethers. In addition to these final products, methoxy radicals are also detected. Together these investigations illustrate the utility of the CJSR\u2013molecular\u2011beam VUV\u2011PI\u2013TOFMS approach for rapid parametric mapping and mechanistic interrogation of complex heterogeneous catalytic reaction systems under well\u2011defined mixing and thermal conditions.<\/p>\n \n\n\n\nWeek 6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 June 22-26, 2026<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Date<\/td>\n | TIME<\/td>\n | Activity<\/td>\n | Location<\/td>\n | Presenter<\/td>\n | Title<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Monday<\/p>\n 6\/22\/2026<\/td>\n | 10:00-11:00AM<\/td>\n | Invited Speaker<\/td>\n | R1-103<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Dr. Volodymyr Turkowski<\/td>\n | Dynamical Mean-Field Theory for materials with strong electron-electron correlations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Tuesday<\/p>\n 6\/23\/26<\/td>\n | 10:00-11:00 AM<\/td>\n | Workshop<\/td>\n | R1-103<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Dr. Laurie Pinkert<\/td>\n | Technical Writing Workshop \u2013 First Part<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Wednesday<\/p>\n 6\/24\/26<\/td>\n | 09:00-10:00AM<\/td>\n | Group meeting<\/td>\n | R1-103<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | NA<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Thursday<\/p>\n 6\/25\/26<\/td>\n | 10:00-11:00 AM<\/td>\n | Workshop<\/td>\n | R1-101<\/td>\n | Dr. Laurie Pinkert<\/td>\n | Technical Writing Workshop – Second Part<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Friday<\/p>\n 6\/26\/26<\/td>\n | 10:00-110:00AM<\/td>\n | Invited Speaker<\/td>\n | R1-103<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Dr. Marisol Alcantara Ortigoza<\/td>\n | To be announced<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n Dr. Volodymyr Turkowski<\/strong><\/p>\nDynamical Mean-Field Theory for materials with strong electron-electron correlations<\/strong><\/p>\nAbstract:\u00a0<\/strong>Materials with strong electron correlations (strong on-site repulsion between electrons) demonstrate many unusual physical phenomena that are used or have a great potential to be used in novel technologies. To understand and control their properties one needs to use theoretical tools beyond the standard approaches. In this presentation, I will discuss main physical properties of such materials and the relevant theoretical approach\u00a0\u00a0– Dynamical Mean-Field Theory (DMFT) developed to describe their characteristics. I will proceed with details on how DMFT is combined with an\u00a0ab initio<\/em>Density Functional Theory (DFT) into a state-of-the-art DFT+DMFT approach widely used to analyze properties of strongly correlated materials. I will conclude with several important examples of the application of DFT+DMFT to describe very interesting and non-trivial physical phenomena in different systems with strong electron correlations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr. Marisol Alcantara Ortigoza<\/strong><\/p>\nShort story of the journey from the intractable many-body Schr\u00f6dinger equation to the computational design of spin qubits for quantum technologies <\/b><\/b><\/p>\n Abstract:<\/strong> Shortly after the success of the stationary Schr\u00f6dinger\u2019s equation (actually its solution) to describe the hydrogen atom, it became clear that describing almost anything else was simply intractable. This is mainly because even a \u201csimple\u201d helium atom or a hydrogen molecule is a many-body problem, but also because of the fermionic nature of the electrons, including indistinguishability. In 1965 Richard Feynman proposed that a \u201cquantum computer\u201d able to exploit the quantum-mechanics principles (interference, superposition, and entanglement) would be more efficient to model the quantum many-body problem behavior found in condensed matter physics. Still, as enticing as that may seem, here we are today, designing and testing the building blocks of future quantum computers \uf02d spin qubits, using our \u201cold\u201d transistor-based computers… And yet, it is equally fascinating how physicists have been able to solve Schr\u00f6dinger\u2019s equation for extended solids, surfaces, nanoparticles, molecules, etc., without quite knowing the full equation at hand! Not only that, it is now even possible to model how matter interacts with light from quantum first principles, which is at the core of the functionality of spin qubits. Nowadays, of course, the prospective applications of quantum computers is well beyond condensed matter exact description and have expanded to the advancement of research areas such as clean energy, drug design, and big data science, to mention a few. These technologies, however, are at their infancy because ideal \u201cspin qubits\u201d are yet to be found. In this talk, I will walk you through some of the breakthroughs that allow us today to design and computationally test the functionality of complex systems such as spin qubits embedded in solids or 2D materials, and share with you some of the main contributions to the topic from our own research, here at the University of Central Florida and Tuskegee University.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr. Takat Rawal<\/p>\n Atomistic Modeling of Functional Nanomaterials for Energy Applications\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nAbstract:\u00a0<\/strong>The growing global demand for energy is driving the development of advanced functional materials that are essential to modern energy technologies. Among various materials, single-atom catalysts (SACs) represent an emerging class of materials in which isolated metal atoms are dispersed on a support material. Their tunable coordination environment and electronic structures have made them unique for exceptional catalytic activity and selectivity. Computational design of SACs presents both significant opportunities and challenges. I will talk about how the use of combined approach of density functional theory (DFT), computational methods, and high-performance computing can be used to perform atomistic modeling of materials that allow to investigate electronic structures, adsorption of atoms\/molecules on solid surfaces and interfaces, and surface reactions. In my talk, I will provide a few examples of SACs and describe their electronic and catalytic properties. One example is ceria-supported Ru single atom which can be stabilized on the (110) surface via substitution for a surface Ce atom and can be coordinated with four oxygen atoms in a squared planar geometry. Due to its unique local electronic properties, single dispersed Ru atom can serve as an active site for CO2\u00a0adsorption. The CO2-Ru\/CeO2\u00a0interaction is dominated by hybridization of C 2p and Ru 4d orbitals. Furthermore, I will show that how the manipulation of atomic structures and local electronic properties can influence the reactivity of Ru SACs towards RWGS reaction. At the end, I will talk about how the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with physics-based modeling can help accelerate simulation of nanomaterials and can support the research and development of advanced materials for energy applications as promising avenues for future materials research.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n UCF Interactive Campus Map<\/a>PSB<\/a> – Physical Sciences Building<\/p>\nR1-Bldg<\/a>. – Research 1 Building<\/p>\nHEC<\/a>-L3Harris Corporation Engineering Center<\/p>\nTCH<\/a> – Trevor Colbourn Hall<\/p>\nLive Oak<\/a><\/p>\nRWC<\/a> – Recreation and Wellness Center<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/h1>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/h1>\nSchedule 2025<\/h1>\n \n\n\n\nWeek 1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 May 19-23, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\nDate<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nTIME<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nActivity<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nLocation<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nPresenter<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nTitle<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Monday<\/p>\n 5\/19\/25<\/td>\n | 9:30-10:30am<\/td>\n | Meeting<\/p>\n REU students<\/td>\n | PSB160-161<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Meeting REU students with REU Director \/Co-director<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Monday<\/p>\n 5\/19\/25<\/td>\n | 10:30-11:00am<\/td>\n | Training<\/p>\n Graduate students\/postdocs<\/td>\n | PSB160-161<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Monday<\/p>\n 5\/19\/25<\/td>\n | 11:00-11:45am<\/td>\n | Meeting with mentors<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Monday<\/p>\n 5\/19\/25<\/td>\n | 12:00-1:00pm<\/td>\n | Kick-off meeting<\/td>\n | PSB160-161<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Meeting REU students, faculty mentors, and graduate mentors.\u00a0 Group picture<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Tuesday 5\/20\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:00am<\/td>\n | Short course 1<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 101<\/td>\n | Dr. Talat<\/p>\n Rahman<\/td>\n | Computational design of materials for energy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Tuesday 5\/20\/25<\/td>\n | 10:00-11:00am<\/td>\n | Short course 2<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 101<\/td>\n | Dr. Paria Gharavi<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Characterization of photovoltaic materials<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Wednesday<\/p>\n 5\/21\/25<\/td>\n | Visit Kennedy Space Center<\/p>\n 7am-6pm<\/p>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Thursday<\/p>\n 5\/22\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-<\/p>\n 10:00 am<\/td>\n | Short course 3<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 101<\/td>\n | Dr. Patrick Schelling<\/td>\n | The role of point defects in superconducting cuprates<\/p>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Thursday<\/p>\n 5\/22\/25<\/td>\n | 10:30-12:00 am<\/td>\n | Workshop:<\/p>\n This workshop is a requirement at the University of Central Florida for all new students.<\/td>\n | L3Harris Engineering Center, Room 101<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | Let\u2019s Be Clear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Friday 5\/23\/25<\/td>\n | 10:00-11:00am<\/td>\n | REU Talk 1<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 101<\/td>\n | Nils Bernhardt<\/p>\n TU Berlin<\/td>\n | Optical<\/p>\n Characterization of UV Color Centers in Hexagonal Boron Nitride<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Friday 5\/23\/25<\/td>\n | 1:30pm-2:30pm<\/td>\n | Special Colloquium<\/td>\n | PSB160-161 & Zoom<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Dr. Duy Le<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Computational Design of Advanced Materials for Energy Applications<\/p>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Friday 5\/23\/25<\/td>\n | 4:30-6:00pm<\/td>\n | Welcome Reception<\/td>\n | Live Oak Room<\/td>\n | Organized by the UCF Office of Undergraduate Research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n REU Talk 1: Nils Bernhardt, Technische Universit\u00e4t Berlin<\/em><\/p>\nCharacterization of UV Color Centers in Hexagonal Boron Nitride<\/strong><\/p>\nFriday, May 23, 2023, 10-11am, R1<\/p>\n Abstract<\/strong>: Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is an ultra-wide bandgap (~ 6 eV; ~ 206 nm) material with a graphene-like structure. The large bandgap makes it interesting not only for power electronics but also for optical devices. Its van der Waals inter-layer bonds allow direct exfoliation into atomically thin films, rendering it particularly valuable for quantum emitter applications where dimensional confinement and material purity are crucial. Defect quantum emitters in hBN are particularly interesting because they exhibit bright, stable single-photon sources at room temperature, a key requirement for quantum technologies such as secure communications, quantum computing, and advanced sensing. While such quantum emitters have been extensively studied for the near-infrared (IR) and visible regime in hBN, their structural origin is often still elusive. In contrast, ultraviolet (UV) luminescence from hBN defects presents unique opportunities and challenges. For instance, while many novel emitters continue to emerge, the well-established 4.1 eV (303 nm) defect shows a high binding energy far exceeding the thermal energy at room temperature. Consequently, such emitters are stable and have a low probability of thermal dissociation or decay, increasing the reliability of radiated photons. However, site-specific engineering of these defects remains an unsolved challenge. Our investigation provides a comprehensive study of the emission intensity, excitation channels, and carrier dynamics as a function of temperature for several UV emitters. We employ photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopy alongside temperature-dependent and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy measurements to explore the origin and properties of established as well as newly identified defect luminescences. As such, we aim to promote the understanding of how material composition tuning affects defect formation and luminescence properties in hBN for the UV spectral region by establishing a correlation between growth conditions and luminescence characteristics.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr. Duy Le, University of Central Florida<\/p>\n Computational Design of Advanced Materials for Energy Applications <\/strong><\/p>\nFriday, May 23, 2025, 1:30 pm, PSB 160\/161<\/p>\n Abstract<\/strong>: Fossil fuels have long served as the world\u2019s primary energy source. Synthetic fuels offer a promising alternative; help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Developing optimized catalyst materials is crucial for improving production of synthetic fuels. Alongside experimental work, computational modeling plays a key role in advancing the design of enhanced catalysts for sustainable, fossil fuel-free fuel production. In the first part of my talk, I will discuss our computational modeling efforts to leverage the electronic structures of two-dimensional materials for catalytic applications. Specifically, I will demonstrate that the defect-laden basal plane of hexagonal boron nitride (h-<\/em>BN) can catalyze CO\u2082 hydrogenation to value-added products at nitrogen-vacancy (VN) sites. This catalytic activity arises from the isolated electronic states created by these defects. In the second part, I will discuss the role of non-metal cations, such as ammonium (NH\u2084\u207a) and methylammonium (CH\u2083NH\u2083\u207a) cations, in electrocatalysis. I will show how these cations can alter reaction pathways, enhancing both CO\u2082 electroreduction and the hydrogen evolution reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nWeek 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 May 26-30, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\nDate<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nTIME<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nActivity<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nLocation<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nPresenter<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nTitle<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Tuesday<\/p>\n 5\/27\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:00am<\/td>\n | Short course on materials science, Lecture 4<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 101<\/td>\n | Dr. Xiaofeng Feng<\/td>\n | Nanomaterials for Electrocatalytic Energy Conversion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Tuesday<\/p>\n 5\/27\/25<\/td>\n | 10:00-11:00am<\/td>\n | Short course on materials science, Lecture 5<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 101<\/td>\n | Dr. Yasu<\/p>\n Nakajima<\/td>\n | Quantum Materials: Synthesis and Characterization<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Tuesday<\/p>\n 5\/27\/25<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | 11am-12pm<\/td>\n | Teaching Demo<\/td>\n | PSB160-161 & Zoom<\/td>\n | Dr. Zhen Jiang<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Wednesday<\/p>\n 5\/28\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:00am<\/td>\n | Short course on materials science, Lecture 6<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 150C<\/td>\n | Dr. Madhab Neupane<\/td>\n | Topology of Quantum Materials<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Wednesday 5\/28\/25<\/td>\n | 10:00-11:00 am<\/td>\n | Short course on materials science, Lecture 7<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 101<\/td>\n | Dr. Mihai E. Vaida<\/td>\n | Synthesis and Characterization of Small Clusters and Nanoparticles on Thin Films and 2D Materials<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Wednesday<\/p>\n 5\/28\/25<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | 1:00-2:00pm<\/td>\n | Special Colloquium<\/td>\n | PSB160-161 & Zoom<\/td>\n | Dr. Zhen Jiang<\/td>\n | To be added<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Thursday<\/p>\n 5\/29\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:00am<\/td>\n | Short course on materials science, Lecture 8<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 101<\/td>\n | Dr. Denisia Popolan-Vaida<\/td>\n | Probing Catalytic Reaction Intermediates in a Jet-Stirred Reactor System<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Thursday<\/p>\n 5\/29\/25<\/td>\n | 10:00-11:00am<\/td>\n | Short course on materials science, Lecture 9<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 101<\/td>\n | Dr. Titel Jurca<\/td>\n | Hierarchical Frameworks for Thermal Catalysis<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n \n\n\n\nWeek 3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 May 26-30, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\nDate<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nTIME<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nActivity<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nLocation<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nPresenter<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nTitle<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Monday<\/p>\n 6\/2\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:00am<\/td>\n | Group meeting<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 103<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Tuesday<\/p>\n 6\/3\/25<\/td>\n | 2:00-3:30pm<\/td>\n | Workshop<\/td>\n | 12703 Research Parkway, Suite 100<\/td>\n | Dr. Stephen Kuebler<\/td>\n | Ethics in Research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Wednesday<\/p>\n 6\/4\/25<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | 9:00-11:00am<\/td>\n | Student presentations of their projects<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 103<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| <\/td>\n | \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a09:00- 9:10 am<\/td>\n | Risa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9:10- 9:20 am<\/td>\n | Maggy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9:20- 9:30 am<\/td>\n | Sierra<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9:30- 9:40 am<\/td>\n | Jaden<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| \u00a0 9:50- 10:00 am<\/td>\n | Makayla<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| 10:00- 10:10 am<\/td>\n | Antonio<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| 10:10- 10:20 am<\/td>\n | Melissa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| 10:20- 10:30 am<\/td>\n | James<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| 10:30- 10:40 am<\/td>\n | Daniela<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Each student has been allocated a total of 10 minutes to present their project and respond to questions related to it. It is recommended that the presentations will typically have a duration of seven minutes, corresponding to approximately seven slides. We will reserve three minutes for questions and discussions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Friday<\/p>\n 6\/6\/25<\/td>\n | 02:30 PM<\/td>\n | Workshop for SURF and REU students organized by OUR<\/td>\n | Zoom<\/p>\n (Registration Required)<\/td>\n | Tasnim Mellouli<\/td>\n | Designing a Poster for a Conference<\/p>\n https:\/\/ucf.zoom.us\/meeting\/register\/1uzG9MzvQC6adW4DhfHLKA#\/registration<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n \n\n\n\nWeek 4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 June 9-14, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\nDate<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nTIME<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nActivity<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nLocation<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nPresenter<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nTitle<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Monday<\/p>\n 6\/9\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:00am<\/td>\n | Group Meeting<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 103<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Tuesday<\/p>\n 6\/10\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:00am<\/td>\n | REU Talk 2<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 103<\/td>\n | Keith Blackman<\/td>\n | Monitoring the formation of Cn (n=2,3,4) products after photodissociation of CH3<\/sub>I on fully oxidized and partially reduced<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Tuesday<\/p>\n 6\/10\/25<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | Workshop<\/p>\n For SURF and REU students (details on WebCourses-IDS3913)<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | DCC 121 (Dixon Career Center)<\/p>\n and online (registration through WebCourses-IDS3913)<\/td>\n | Keanna Machado, UCF Graduate Admissions; Dr. Rocio Tonos, Academic Advancement Programs<\/td>\n | Be the Best Candidate for Graduate School<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Friday<\/p>\n 6\/13\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:30am<\/td>\n | Workshop<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 150C<\/td>\n | Dr. Laurie Pinkert<\/td>\n | Technical Writing Workshop \u2013 second part<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Friday<\/p>\n 6\/13\/25<\/td>\n | 10:30am-12:00pm<\/td>\n | Workshop<\/p>\n For SURF and REU students (details on WebCourses-IDS3913)<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | DCC 121 (Dixon Career Center)<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | Designing a Poster for a Conference<\/p>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n REU Talk 2<\/p>\n Keith Blackman, University of Central Florida<\/p>\n Title: Monitoring the formation of Cn (n=2,3,4) products after photodissociation of CH3<\/sub>I on fully oxidized and partially reduced<\/strong><\/p>\nAbstract:Carbon-carbon (C-C) bond formation is paramount for a wide range of industrial and manufacturing processes, including commodities, synthetics, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Understanding the C-C bond formation in heterogeneous catalytic reactions at gas-solid interfaces, and the corresponding surface properties, could be integral to improving the efficiency of various catalysts and catalytic processes.
\nThis study focuses on understanding how single carbon (C1<\/sub>) species are transformed into multi-carbon species (Cn<\/sub>, n=2,3,4) species through the coupling of CH3<\/sub> radicals, and how these species evolve on fully oxidized and reduced TiO2<\/sub>(110) surfaces. Methyl iodide, employed as a precursor for CH3<\/sub> radicals, is continuously dosed on a TiO2<\/sub>(110) surface held at 150 K and irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses with a central wavelength of 266 nm, power of 300 mW\/cm2<\/sup>, and repetition rate of 1 KHz. The central wavelength and the intensity of the laser beam are carefully tuned to excite CH3<\/sub>I into the dissociated A-band, which leads to the formation of neutral CH3<\/sub> and I radicals as well as to ionize the reaction intermediates and final products. The ions produced at the surface are detected and analyzed with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer.
\nThe mass spectra reveal the formation of Cn<\/sub> (n=2,3,4) products, such as C2<\/sub>H6<\/sub>, C2<\/sub>H5<\/sub>, C2<\/sub>H4<\/sub>, C3<\/sub>H7<\/sub>, C3<\/sub>H5<\/sub>, and C4<\/sub>H10<\/sub>, as well as H2<\/sub>O. The detection of alkanes and alkenes species along with H2<\/sub>O indicates an oxidative dehydrogenation process at the surface. Monitoring the yields of these products as a function of laser irradiation and surface degree of oxidation, which will also be presented in this contribution, is critical to fully understand the catalytic reaction mechanism at the oxide surface. This type of investigation could provide important insight into the C-C bond formation on other metal oxide surfaces using a variety of precursor molecules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nWeek 5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 June 16-20, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\nDate<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nTIME<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nActivity<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nLocation<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nPresenter<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n\nTitle<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Monday<\/p>\n 6\/16\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:00am<\/td>\n | Group Meeting<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 103<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Tuesday<\/p>\n 6\/17\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:00am<\/td>\n | REU Talk 3<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 103<\/td>\n | S. Faiza Sherazi<\/span><\/td>\n | Revealing Local Coordination of Ag Single Atom Catalyst Supported on CeO2(110), ZrO2(1\u030511), and Al2O3(111)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Tuesday<\/p>\n 6\/17\/25<\/td>\n | 2:30-4:00pm<\/td>\n | OUR Workshop<\/td>\n | DCC 121 (Dixon Career Center)<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | Imposter Syndrome- The Human Side of Research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Wednesday<\/p>\n 6\/18\/25<\/td>\n | 10:30am-12:00pm<\/td>\n | OUR Workshop<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For SURF and REU students (details on your WebCourses)<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Virtual only<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (registration through WebCourses-IDS3913)<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | OUR Workshop: Designing a Poster for a Conference<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Friday<\/p>\n 6\/20\/25<\/td>\n | 9:00-10:30am<\/td>\n | Workshop<\/td>\n | R1 Bldg,<\/p>\n Room 101<\/td>\n | Dr. Laurie Pinkert<\/td>\n | Technical Writing Workshop \u2013 first part<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Friday<\/p>\n 6\/20\/25<\/td>\n | 2:30-4:00pm<\/td>\n | OUR Workshop<\/td>\n | DCC 121 (Dixon Career Center)<\/p>\n and online (registration through WebCourses-IDS3913<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | Getting Letters of Recommendation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n REU Talk 3<\/p>\n Ms. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |