Robert Rioux | Institute of Energy and the Environment

22A Chemical and Biomedical Eng Bldg (CBEB)
University Park, PA 16802

Elsevier Pure Profile

IEE Research Themes

Integrated Energy Systems

IEE Faculty Member

Professor, Chemical Engineering

Research Summary

Research interests include heterogeneous catalysis, catalyst design and synthesis, time-resolved FTIR spectroscopy of condensed systems, x-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS, XANES), reaction mechanisms in nanoscale systems and photocatalysis.

In the News

Striking gold with molecular mystery solution for potential clean energy | Penn State University

August 31, 2023

Striking gold with molecular mystery solution for potential clean energy

Michael Janik (left), Penn State professor of chemical engineering, and Robert Rioux, the Penn State Friedrich G. Helfferich Professor of Chemical Engineering, published a Nature Chemistry paper wherein which they tested efficient, customizable catalytic reactions that cut down on unneeded competitive reactions and isolated a successful, predictable one. Credit: Kelby Hochreither/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

April 25, 2022

Precise control of atomic arrangement may mean less waste in producing plastic

Materials Research Institute announces 2022 seed grant recipients | Penn State University

April 13, 2022

Materials Research Institute announces 2022 seed grant recipients

Penn State awarded $3.4 million contract to target plastic waste | Penn State University

January 17, 2022

Penn State awarded $3.4 million contract to target plastic waste

Researchers seek to revolutionize catalyst design with machine learning | Penn State University

September 11, 2019

Researchers seek to revolutionize catalyst design with machine learning

Partnership celebrates global synergy, accomplishments at joint energy workshop | Penn State University

December 5, 2017

Partnership celebrates global synergy, accomplishments at joint energy workshop

Research Keywords

These keywords and phrases come from the publications and other research output of this person. See other researchers related to these topics by clicking on any keyword.

Catalyst Selectivity

Vibrational Spectroscopy

Dehydrogenation

Density Functional Theory

Single Crystals

Recent Publications

A US perspective on closing the carbon cycle to defossilize difficult-to-electrify segments of our economy

Shaw, W. J., Kidder, M. K., Bare, S. R., Delferro, M., Morris, J. R., Toma, F. M., Senanayake, S. D., Autrey, T., Biddinger, E. J., Boettcher, S., Bowden, M. E., Britt, P. F., Brown, R. C., Bullock, R. M., Chen, J. G., Daniel, C., Dorhout, P. K., Efroymson, R. A., Gaffney, K. J. & Gagliardi, L. & 44 others, Harper, A. S., Heldebrant, D. J., Luca, O. R., Lyubovsky, M., Male, J. L., Miller, D. J., Prozorov, T., Rallo, R., Rana, R., Rioux, R. M., Sadow, A. D., Schaidle, J. A., Schulte, L. A., Tarpeh, W. A., Vlachos, D. G., Vogt, B. D., Weber, R. S., Yang, J. Y., Arenholz, E., Helms, B. A., Huang, W., Jordahl, J. L., Karakaya, C., Kian, K., Kothandaraman, J., Lercher, J., Liu, P., Malhotra, D., Mueller, K. T., O’Brien, C. P., Palomino, R. M., Qi, L., Rodriguez, J. A., Rousseau, R., Russell, J. C., Sarazen, M. L., Sholl, D. S., Smith, E. A., Stevens, M. B., Surendranath, Y., Tassone, C. J., Tran, B., Tumas, W. & Walton, K. S., May 2024, In: Nature Reviews Chemistry. 8, 5, p. 376-400 25 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Direct Determination of High-Affinity Binding Constants by Continuous Injection Isothermal Titration Calorimetry

Chang, J. W., Mu, Y., Armaou, A. & Rioux, R. M., Dec 21 2023, In: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 127, 50, p. 10833-10842 10 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Active-site isolation in intermetallics enables precise identification of elementary reaction kinetics during olefin hydrogenation

He, H., Canning, G. A., Nguyen, A., Dasgupta, A., Meyer, R. J., Rioux, R. M. & Janik, M. J., Jul 2023, In: Nature Catalysis. 6, 7, p. 596-605 10 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

The role of surface hydroxyls in the entropy-driven adsorption and spillover of H₂ on Au/TiO₂ catalysts

Mahdavi-Shakib, A., Whittaker, T. N., Yun, T. Y., Sravan Kumar, K. B., Rich, L. C., Wang, S., Rioux, R. M., Grabow, L. C. & Chandler, B. D., Aug 2023, In: Nature Catalysis. 6, 8, p. 710-719 10 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Synthesis and Characterization of Magnesium/Boron Solid Solutions for Energetic Applications

Agarwal, P. P. K., Jensen, D., Chen, C. H., Rioux, R. M. & Matsoukas, T., Jun 27 2022, In: ACS Applied Energy Materials. 5, 6, p. 6716-6723 8 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Atomic control of active-site ensembles in ordered alloys to enhance hydrogenation selectivity

Dasgupta, A., He, H., Gong, R., Shang, S. L., Zimmerer, E. K., Meyer, R. J., Liu, Z. K., Janik, M. J. & Rioux, R. M., May 2022, In: Nature Chemistry. 14, 5, p. 523-529 7 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Emergent Behavior in Oxidation Catalysis over Single-Atom Pd on a Reducible CeO₂Support via Mixed Redox Cycles

Wang, L., Deo, S., Mukhopadhyay, A., Pantelis, N. A., Janik, M. J. & Rioux, R. M., Oct 21 2022, In: ACS Catalysis. 12, 20, p. 12927-12941 15 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Surface-Functionalized Boron Nanoparticles with Reduced Oxide Content by Nonthermal Plasma Processing for Nanoenergetic Applications

Agarwal, P. P. K., Jensen, D., Chen, C. H., Rioux, R. M. & Matsoukas, T., Feb 10 2021, In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 13, 5, p. 6844-6853 10 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Continuous Injection Isothermal Titration Calorimetry for in Situ Evaluation of Thermodynamic Binding Properties of Ligand-Receptor Binding Models

Chang, J. W., Armaou, A. & Rioux, R. M., Jul 29 2021, In: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 125, 29, p. 8075-8087 13 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Understanding the Solution-Phase Growth of Cu and Ag Nanowires and Nanocubes from First Principles

Fichthorn, K. A., Chen, Z., Chen, Z., Rioux, R. M., Kim, M. J. & Wiley, B. J., Apr 20 2021, In: Langmuir. 37, 15, p. 4419-4431 13 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Ring-opening and hydrodenitrogenation of indole under hydrothermal conditions over Ni, Pt, Ru, and Ni-Ru bimetallic catalysts

Guo, Y., He, H., Liu, X., Chen, Z., Rioux, R. M., Janik, M. J. & Savage, P. E., Feb 15 2021, In: Chemical Engineering Journal. 406, 126853.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Catalyst Design for Selective Hydrogenation of Benzene to Cyclohexene through Density Functional Theory and Microkinetic Modeling

He, H., Meyer, R. J., Rioux, R. M. & Janik, M. J., Oct 1 2021, In: ACS Catalysis. 11, 19, p. 11831-11842 12 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Chemical Identity of Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) End Groups Impact Shape Evolution during the Synthesis of Ag Nanostructures

Jharimune, S., Pfukwa, R., Chen, Z., Anderson, J., Klumperman, B. & Rioux, R. M., Jan 13 2021, In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. 143, 1, p. 184-195 12 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Solvent-Dependent Impact of Spectator Anions on the Thermodynamics of Cation Exchange in CdSe Nanocrystals

Jharimune, S., Sathe, A. A. & Rioux, R. M., Jun 17 2021, In: Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 125, 23, p. 12792-12801 10 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Factors controlling the molecular modification of one-dimensional zeolites

Li, R., Elliott, W. A., Clark, R. J., Sutjianto, J. G., Rioux, R. M., Palmer, J. C. & Rimer, J. D., Sep 14 2021, In: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 23, 34, p. 18610-18617 8 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review