Associate Professor

Physical Chemistry, Theoretical Chemistry

Ph. D. Cornell University 1991

Voice: (207) 581-2268
Chemistry Office: 251 Aubert Hall)
LASST Office: 153 ESRB/Barrows

Email: brian.frederick@umit.maine.edu

I am developing hydrodeoxygenation catalysts that will produce high quality fuels and chemicals from pyrolysis oils made from woody biomass. Our research group utilizes a variety of experimental and theoretical methods, including novel high throughput and high pressure catalyst characterization methods, surface science techniques, quantum chemical calculations and statistical simulations.

The research group is very multidisciplinary, spanning physics, chemistry, chemical engineering and mechanical engineering. We are well funded through Department of Energy grants administered through the Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative. My labs, located in the Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology (LASST), are well equipped for catalyst development.

Materials characterization instrumentation includes:

Altimira 200-RHP high pressure catalyst characterization system (temperature programmed oxidation/reduction, pulse chemisorption, BET, packed bed reactor); Thermo GC and GC/MS with custom designed microreactor; Micromeritics ASAP 2020 (BET/porosimetry), Panalytical MRD.

Ultra-high vacuum surface science instrumentation:

X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS/UPS), calibrated thermal desorption spectroscopy (CTDS), high resolution electron spectroscopy (HREELS), low energy electron diffraction (LEED)

Selected publications:

A.G. Shirke, R. E. Cavicchi, S. Semancik, R. H. Jackson, B. G. Frederick, M. C. Wheeler, "Femtomolar isothermal desorption using microhotplate sensors", JVST-A, 25 (2007), 514-526.

S. Ma and B.G. Frederick, "Reactions of aliphatic Alcohols on WO3(001) Surfaces", J. Phys. Chem. B 107 (2003) 11960-11969.

S. Ma, F. G. Amar, B. G. Frederick, "Surface heterogeneity and diffusion in the desorption of methanol from WO3(100) surfaces", J. Phys. Chem. A 107 (2003) 1413-1423.

L.J. LeGore, R. J. Lad, J. F. Vetelino, B. G. Frederick, "Defects and Morphology of Tungsten Trioxide Thin Films" Thin Solid Films 406 (2002) 79-86.

B. G. Frederick, J. R. Power, R. J. Cole, C. C. Perry, Q. Chen, S. Haq, Th. Bertrams, N. V. Richardson and P. Weightman, "Adsorbate azimuthal orientation from reflectance anisotropy" Phys. Rev. Lett. 80 (1998) 4490.

B. G. Frederick, A. W. Munz, Th. Bertrams, Q. Chen, C. C. Perry and N. V. Richardson, "Negative Ion Mediated Molecular Manipulation with STM of c(8x2) benzoate/Cu(110)", Chem. Phys. Lett., 272 (1997) 438-444.

B. G. Frederick, Q. Chen, F. M. Leibsle, M. B. Lee, K. Kitching and N. V. Richardson, "Long range periodicitiy in c(8x2) benzoate/Cu(110) surface: A combined STM, LEED and HREELS Study", Surf. Sci., 394 (1997) 1-25.

B. G. Frederick, F. M. Leibsle, S. Haq and N. V. Richardson, "Evolution of lateral order and molecular re-orientation in the benzoate/Cu{110} system", Surf. Rev. Lett., 3 (1996) 1523-1546.

B. G. Frederick, G. Apai and T. N. Rhodin, "An XPS study of rhodium carbonyls adsorbed on planar aluminas: formation of geminal dicarbonyl species", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 109 (1987) 4797- 4804