Gar Hoflund
Ph.D., 1978, University of California-Berkeley (1977)
Professor
Ph : 352-392-0877
garho@hotmail.com
417 Chemical Engineering Building
Areas
Heterogeneous catalysis
Si and III-V semiconductor characterization
Tribological material studies
Nanotechnology
Development of Novel Space Materials
C02 to O2 for Mars Mission

The general focus of our research is on chemical reactions at solid surfaces. This is a broad area relating to heterogeneous catalysis, electrochemistry, growth and characterization of semiconductor materials, erosion of polymeric coatings of satellites by atomic oxygen, and tribological behavior, among others.

Our work involves the development and advancement of ultrahigh vacuum surface characterization techniques. This approach provides us with the power to examine the composition, chemical states of the species present, and electronic structure of the near-surface region of a solid. They also allow us to examine the detailed chemistry that occurs at these surfaces.

We are currently developing novel heterogeneous catalysts based on nanotechnology for various reactions including low-temperature CO oxidation, methane oxidation, ethylene epoxidation, and higher-alcohol synthesis. These new catalysts perform much better than conventional materials with regard to activity, decay and selectivity. Our studies involve both reactor studies and characterization studies to gain fundamental information about the surface chemistry which occurs during the catalytic process.

Major Equipment
  • Three ultrahigh vacuum characterization systems containing XPS, AES, LEED, ELS, ISS, TPD, SIMS, ESD sensors, an FTIR system, and a fully instrumented catalytic reactor.

 
Recent Publications
1. Weaver, Jason F., Hagelin, Helena A.E., Hoflund, Gar B. and Salaita, Ghaleb N., “Electron Energy Loss Spectra from Polycrystalline Cr and Cr2O3 before and after Surface Reduction by Ar+ Bombardment,” Applied Surface Science, 253 (2006) 876.
2. Oh, Seung-Hoon and Hoflund, Gar B., “Chemical State Study of Pd Powder and Ceria-Supported Pd during Low-Temperature CO Oxidation,” Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 110 (2006) 7609.
3 Hoflund, Gar B. and Li, Zhenhua, “Surface Characterization Study of a Pd/Co3O4 Methane Oxidation Catalyst,” Applied Surface Science, 253 (2006) 2830.
4. Oh, Seung-Hoon and Hoflund, Gar B., “Low-Temperature Carbon Monoxide Oxidation over Hydrous and Anhydrous Palladium Oxide Powders,” Journal of Catalysis, 245 (2007) 35.
5. Salaita, Ghaleb N., Ma, Frank M.S. and Hoflund, Gar B., “Weathering Properties of Treated Southern Yellow Pine Wood Examined by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Physical Characterization,” Applied Surface Science, 254 (2008) 3925.