I came to CSM in the fall of 2004 to pursue a PhD in Chemical Engineering. Originally from Virginia, I wanted to move to Colorado for some adventure, and to enjoy the state's natural beauty. With undergraduate research experience in corrosion of aircraft alloys, I also wanted to apply my knowledge of electrochemistry to renewable energy. CSM was the obvious choice. My research focuses on catalysis of direct PEM fuel cells, mainly the anodic catalysis of methanol and dimethyl ether. The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and the direct dimethyl ether fuel cell (DMEFC) are advantageous due to the easy transport of the fuel. However, these fuel cells suffer from large losses due to the inefficient oxidation of the fuel. We have been incorporating heteropoly acids, in combination with platinum, to find increased performance of these direct fuel cells.

Jack Ferrell