Research Interests

Lanthanide scandate materials are well suited for catalytic supports and fundamental studies of catalyst-support interactions. My research focuses on the synthesis of well-faceted lanthanide scandate nanoparticles, as well as how synthetic conditions affect their surface properties and catalytic behavior. Transmission electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, and other experimental characterization techniques, combined with density functional theory, can help us understand how best to control the size, shape, and surface properties of these materials. Using the knowledge of how these properties change across the lanthanide series, catalytic testing is also done to determine how these changes affect catalytic behavior.

Education

Northwestern University - Evanston, IL
Materials Science and Engineering
September 2018 - present

Cornell University - Ithaca, NY
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering
August 2014 - May 2018

Publications

1. Wet to Dry Controls Lanthanide Scandate Synthesis
   E. P. Greenstein, K. R. Poeppelmeier, and L. D. Marks
   Inorg. Chem. 62 (2023) 4854-4860
   
   
2. ScO_x rich surface terminations on lanthanide scandate nanoparticles
   Z. R. Mansley, R. J. Paull, E. P. Greenstein, J. G. Wen, K. R. Poeppelmeier, and L. D. Marks
   Phys. Rev. Mater. 5 (2021) 125002
   
   
3. Identifying Support Effects in Au-Catalyzed CO Oxidation
   Z. R. Mansley, R. J. Paull, L. Savereide, S. Tatro, E. P. Greenstein, A. Gosavi, E. Cheng, J. Wen, K. R. Poeppelmeier, J. M. Notestein, and L. D. Marks
   ACS Catal. 11 (2021) 11921-11928
   
   

Teaching Experience and Outreach

1. Teaching Assistant: MSE 360, Introduction to Electron Microscopy (Northwestern, 2022)
2. Teaching Assistant: MSE 460, Electron Microscopy (Northwestern, 2020, 2022 & 2023)
3. Teaching Assistant: SISU 102, Sustainability, Development, and Design (American University, 2016)
4. Workshop Leader & Volunteer: Expanding Your Horizons (Cornell, 2015-2017)