Dr. Franklin Tao
Professor of Chemical Engineering | Catalysis & Renewable Energy Researcher
Dr. Franklin Tao is a distinguished researcher and educator specializing in catalysis, renewable energy, and sustainable chemical transformation. With an internationally recognized research portfolio and over two hundred peer-reviewed publications, his work bridges chemical engineering processes with advanced material systems to address global energy and sustainability challenges.
About Dr. Tao
Dr. Tao earned his PhD from Princeton University under the supervision of Prof. Steven Bernasek. He later completed postdoctoral research in heterogeneous catalysis with Prof. Gabor Somorjai at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with Prof. Miquel Salmeron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
In August 2010, Dr. Tao began his independent academic career as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame. There, he established advanced catalysis laboratories and led a research group focused on chemical transformation and renewable energy technologies.
In 2014, he was actively recruited by the University of Kansas as part of its cluster hiring initiative and was appointed as a tenured Miller Associate Professor with early promotion. He relocated his research group to KU in August 2014, where he continues to teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate students in chemical engineering.
Research Interests
Dr. Tao’s research integrates chemical engineering principles with novel catalytic materials to advance sustainable energy solutions. His work focuses on:
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Heterogeneous and single-atom catalysis
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Renewable energy conversion technologies
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Clean fuel production and synthetic fuels
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Biomass-derived chemical transformation
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Catalytic materials design and characterization
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Waste carbon utilization and carbon recycling
His interdisciplinary approach aims to develop scalable, real-world solutions for clean energy and chemical manufacturing.
Publications & Impact
Dr. Franklin Tao has published over 210 peer-reviewed research articles in leading scientific journals. His publication record includes:
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Science – 4 papers as first or corresponding author
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Journal of the American Chemical Society – 19 papers
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Angewandte Chemie International Edition – 8 papers
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Nature family journals, including Nature Energy, Nature Catalysis, Nature Chemistry, Nature Protocols, and Nature
His work is widely cited and has significantly influenced the fields of catalysis, renewable energy, and sustainable chemical engineering.
Honors & Awards
Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry (2012)
Paul Holloway Award, American Vacuum Society (2013)
NSF CAREER Award for Single-Atom Catalysis (2014)
Miller Research Award, University of Kansas (2015)
AAAS Fellow (2017)
Bellow Scholar Award (2018)
University Scholarly Achievement Award, University of Kansas (2019)
Editorial and advisory board member for Catalysis Science & Technology and Chemical Society Reviews
Dr. Tao has made extensive contributions to the global scientific community through leadership and editorial service. His roles include:
Academic Service & Leadership
Editorial board member for Scientific Reports
Editor for Applied Surface Science (Elsevier)
Guest editor for themed issues in ACS Catalysis, Chemical Communications, ChemCatChem, and Chemical Society Reviews
Program Chair, Division of Catalysis Science and Technology, American Chemical Society (2018)