Engineering Catalysts for Sustainable Energy and Chemical Conversion
The Nikolla Research Group focuses on studying issues related to Thermocatalysis and Electrocatalysis for energy and chemical conversion and storage (e.g., fuel cells, electrolyzers, batteries, cooperative/selective heterogeneous catalysis for biomass conversion, chemical recycling of plastic waste, etc.). We address these issues by combining state-of-the-art synthesis techniques, characterization (i.e., electron microscopy and spectroscopy) and quantum density functional theory (DFT) chemical calculations.
Key Research Areas
Most Recent Publications
- High Capacity Redox-Flow Batteries with High Density Suspensions of Spiky Nanostructured Particles
Fiki Owhoso, Hongju Jung, Hyungdon Joo, Bin Wang, Eranda Nikolla*, Nicholas A. Kotov*, and David G. Kwabi* - Impact of SO2 on NiFe Nanoparticle Exsolution and Dissolution from LaFe0.9Ni0.1O3 Perovskite Oxides
Musa Najimu, Matthew Hurlock, Sahanaz Parvinm, Courtney Brea,Neelesh Kumar, Yoon Jin Cho, Yiqing Wu, Guoxiang Hu, Zili Wu, Eranda Nikolla, Jonas Baltrusaitis, Tina M. Nenoff, Israel E. Wachs, Kandis Leslie Gilliard-AbdulAziz* - Visible Light Photolysis at Single Atom Sites in Semiconductor Perovskite Oxides
Michael G. Allan, Rachel A. Yang, Silvia Marino, Michael J. Gordon, Phillip Christopher, Eranda Nikolla* - Deconvoluting XPS Spectra of La-Containing Perovskites from First-Principles
Ariel Whitten, Dezhou Guo, Elif Tezel, Reinhard Denecke*, Eranda Nikolla*, and Jean-Sabin McEwen* - Electrocatalysis in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers.
Inyoung Jang, Juliana S. A. Carneiro*, Joshua O. Crawford, Yoon Jin Cho, Sahanaz Parvin, Diego A. Gonzalez-Casamachin, Jonas Baltrusaitis, Ryan P. Lively, and Eranda Nikolla* - Effects of catalyst morphology on oxygen defects at Ni–CeO2 interfaces for CO2 methanation.
Samiha Bhat, Miguel Sepúlveda-Pagán, Justin Borrero-Negrón, Jesús E. Meléndez-Gil, Eranda Nikolla*, and Yomaira J. Pagán-Torres* - Realizing synergy between Cu, Ga, and Zr for selective CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.
Abdullah J. Al Abdulghani, Edgar E. Turizo-Pinilla, Maria J. Fabregas-Angulo, RyanH. Hagmann, Faysal Ibrahim, Jacob H. Jansen, Theodore O. Agbi, Samiha Bhat, Miguel Sepúlveda-Pagán, Morgan O. Kraimer, Collin M. Queen, Zhuoran Sun, Eranda Nikolla, Yomaira J. Pagán-Torres*, Ive Hermans* - Trace Fe activates perovskite nickelate OER catalysts in alkaline media via redox-active surface Ni species formed during electrocatalysis. Liam Twight, Ally Tonsberg, Samji Samira, Kunal Velinkar, Kora Dumpert,
Yingqing Ou, Le Wang, Eranda Nikolla, Shannon W. Boettcher* - Influence of the Mechanism of Discharge Product Formation on the Electrochemical Performanc e and Cyclability of Aprotic Na–O2 Batteries. Kunal Velinkar, Alex Von Gunten, Jeffrey Greeley*, and Eranda Nikolla*
- Elucidation of Parasitic Reaction Mechanisms at Interfaces in Na–O2 Batteries. Alex Von Gunten, Kunal Velinkar, Eranda Nikolla*, and Jeffrey Greeley*
- Strategies for Designing the Catalytic Environment Beyond the Active site of Heterogeneous Supported Metal Catalysts. Samiha Bhat, Yomaira J. Pagán-Torres* & Eranda Nikolla*, Top. Catal., 2023.
- Deciphering the Mechanistic Role of Individual Oxide Phases and Their Combinations in Supported Mn–Na2WO4 Catalysts for Oxidative Coupling of Methane. Yixiao Wang, Sagar Sourav, Jason P. Malizia, Brooklyne Thompson, Bingwen Wang, M. Ross Kunz, Eranda Nikolla and Rebecca Fushimi
- Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 using Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells: Insights into Catalysis by Nonstoichiometric Mixed Metal Oxides.
Elif Tezel, Ariel Whitten, Genevieve Yarema, Reinhard Denecke*, Jean-Sabin McEwen*, Eranda Nikolla*, ACS Catal., 2022.
News @NikollaLab
April 2025
- Don published a research article in ACS Nano with the Kotov and Kwabi groups. Congratulations!
March 2025
- Jina collaborates with Prof.Leslie Gilliard-AbdulAziz’s lab at USC and publish their work in Chemistry of Materials! Congratulations!
- The Nikolla Lab also welcomes Nadeesha Fernando as an undergraduate researcher!
February 2025
- Over the past year, Professor Eranda Nikolla—working closely with fellow chemical engineering professors Bryan Goldsmith and Nirala Singh—has led an exhaustive effort to update and expand Scott Fogler’s seminal textbook, Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering, 7th Edition. Congratulations to Dr. Nikolla and her colleagues on this significant collective accomplishment!
January 2025
- The Nikolla Lab welcomes Dr. Junhao Huang as a postdoctoral researcher in the Nikolla Lab!
- Eranda contributed to a Nature Chemical Engineering feature on the future of chemical engineering, emphasizing the role of heterogeneous catalysts in sustainable energy!
December 2024
- Michael and Rachel collaborate with the Christopher Research group at UCSB and publish their work in JACS. Congratulations!
- Don successfully passes his TPE exam. Congratulations!
November 2024
- Eranda was honored with the 2024 Excellence in Catalysis Award
October 2024
- Kunal and Michael attend the 2024 AiChE conference at San Diego, California.
- Klaertje, an undergraduate exchange student in the Nikolla Lab places first in a poster session in the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering II subdivision. Congratulations.
September 2024
- The Nikolla Lab welcomes two first-year students to the Nikolla Lab – Matthew Hartmann and Kyeonghan Kim.
- Samiha receives the 2024 Department of Chemical Engineering Service Award and an Honorable mention for oral presentation at the 2024 Chemical Engineering Graduate Symposium in the “Novel Materials for Energy and Sustainability” track. Congratulations!
Maintained by Samiha Bhat
North Campus Research Complex, Building 28, 2109C