People

Steven Crossley received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 2009. From 2009-2011, he conducted research at ConocoPhillips, now Phillips 66, in the areas of fluid catalytic cracking and hydrocracking. In August 2011, Dr. Crossley joined the University of Oklahoma as an assistant professor. His research focuses on reaction kinetics and nanomaterials synthesis. Dr. Crossley is the recipient of the ACS PRF DNI award (2014) and the NSF CAREER award (2017). He has published over 60 peer reviewed journal articles, including high impact journals such as Science, Science Advances, and Energy and Environmental Science, and given over 60 oral presentations at national meetings and departmental seminars.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at University of Oklahoma, 2024
• B.S. at University of Louisville

Project: Direct Friedel Crafts acylation over zeolites

Publications:

1. I. Alalq, A.C. Jerdy, H. Nguyen-Phu, A. Zornes, M. Wulfers, D. Nielsen, D. Resasco, J.L. White, and S. Crossley. Consequences of altering acid strength in MFI zeolites via phosphorus modification on Friedel-Crafts acylation. Journal of Catalysis 447, 116096. 2025.
2. I. Alalq, H. Nguyen-Phu, S. Crossley. Shifts in catalyst deactivation mechanisms as a function of surface coverage during Friedel-Crafts acylation in zeolites. Journal of Catalysis, 426, 222-233. 2023.
3. H.K. Chau, H.D. Mai, A. Gumidyala, T.N. Pham, D.P. Bui, A.D. D’Amico, I. Alalq, D.T. Glatzhofer, J.L. White, S.P. Crossley. Effect of Water on Cumene Dealkylation over H-ZSM-5 Zeolites. ACS Catalysis, 13, 13, 9158–9170. 2023.

Education: B.S. Materials Science at University of Science, VNUHCM

Project: Tuning catalyst design to recycle mixed polymer streams

Publications:

1. D.P. Bui, S. Wang, L. Gomez, T. Karim, T. Salas, S. Abdolbaghi, K. Nelson, L.L. Lobban, C. Maravelias, and S.P. Crossley. Self-Cleaning Catalysts Enable Recycling of Multilayered Plastic Films. Green Chemistry, 2025.
2. D.P. Bui, L.A. Gomez, I. Alalq, L. Trevisi, A.C. Jerdy, H.K. Chau, L.L. Lobban, and S.P. Crossley. Selective deoxygenation of polar polymers using metal supported on TiO2 nanotubes. Catalysis Science & Technology 14, 4622-4630.
3. H.K. Chau, Q.P. Nguyen, A.C. Jerdy, D.P. Bui, L.L. Lobban, B. Wang, S.P. Crossley. Role of water on zeolite-catalyzed dehydration of polyalcohols and EVOH polymer. ACS Catalysis 13, 1503-1512. 2023.

Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering at University of Oklahoma

Project: Tuning catalyst design to improve carbon nanotube growth on lamellar supports

Publications:

1. C.Q. Bavlnka, M. Rhue, L.A. Gomez, B.P. Grady, and S.P. Crossley. High-yield synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays on acid-treated vermiculite. Fullerenes, Nanotubes and Carbon Nanostructures 2025.
2. L.A. Gomez, C.Q. Bavlnka, T.E. Zhang, D.E. Resasco, S.P. Crossley. Revealing the Mechanistic Details for the Selective Deoxygenation of Carboxylic Acids over Dynamic MoO3 Catalysts. ACS Catalysis 13, 8455-8466. 2023.

Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering at Nanjing Tech University

Project: Hydrogen spillover and reducible oxide catalysts using carbon nanotubes as hydrogen highways

Education:

• B.S. Polymer Engineering at Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic)
• M.S. Polymer Engineering at Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic)

Project: Tuning catalyst design to recycle mixed polymer streams

Education:

• B.S. Chemical Engineering at Hanoi University of Science and Technology
• M.S. Chemical Engineering at Hanoi University of Science and Technology

Project: Methane pyrolysis with biomass for CO2-free hydrogen production

Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering at University of La Sabana, Colombia

Project: Hydrogenolysis for chemical recycling of plastic waste

Education: B.S. Chemical & Process Engineering at University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Project: Methane pyrolysis with biomass for CO2-free hydrogen production

Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering at Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Peru

Project: Methane pyrolysis with biomass for CO2-free hydrogen production

Education: B.S. Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology

Project: Characterization of zeolites by using probe reactions

Education: B.S. Shahjalal University of Science and Technology

Project: Tuning catalyst design to recycle mixed polymer streams

Education: B.S. Iran University of Science and Technology

Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering at University of Oklahoma

Project: Stimuli responsive catalysts in biphasic systems

Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)

Project: Understanding the role of additives in thermal and catalytic decomposition of polyethylene for plastic upcycling

Publications:

1. A.C. Jerdy, L. Trevisi, M. Monwar, M.Á. González-Borja, R. Abbott, L. Lobban, S. Crossley. Deconvoluting the roles of polyolefin branching and unsaturation on depolymerization reactions over acid catalysts. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 337, 122986. 2023.
2. H.K. Chau, Q.P. Nguyen, A.C. Jerdy, D.P. Bui, L.L. Lobban, B. Wang, S.P. Crossley. Role of water on zeolite-catalyzed dehydration of polyalcohols and EVOH polymer. ACS Catalysis 13, 1503-1512. 2023.
3. A.C. Jerdy, T. Pham, M.G. Borja, P. Atallah, D. Soules, R. Abbott, L. Lobban, S. Crossley. Impact of the presence of common polymer additives in thermal and catalytic polyethylene decomposition. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 325, 122348. 2022.

Education: B.S. Industrial University of Santander

Project: Identification of active sites responsible for selective deoxygenation in metals supported on reducible oxides

Publications:

1. L.A. Gomez, C.Q. Bavlnka, P.T. Nguyen, I. Alalq, J.E.C. Sabisch, J.A. Boscoboinik, D.E. Resasco, and S.P. Crossley. Evolution of Ni-Mo/MgO during catalytic methane pyrolysis to produce base-growth nanotubes. Cell Reports Physical Science 6, 2025.
2. L.A. Gomez, R. Bababrik, M.R. Komarneni, J. Marlowe, T. Salavati-Fard, A.D. D’Amico, B. Wang, P. Christopher, and S.P. Crossley. Selective Reduction of Carboxylic Acids to Aldehydes with Promoted MoO3 Catalysts. ACS Catalysis 12, 6313-6324. 2022.
3. T. Omotoso, L.V. Herrera, T. Vann, N.M. Briggs, L.A. Gomez, L. Barrett, D. Jones, T. Pham, B. Wang, and S.P. Crossley. Stabilization of furanics to cyclic ketone building blocks in the vapor phase. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 254, 491-499. 2019.
4. N.M. Briggs, L. Barrett, E.C. Wegener, L.V. Herrera, L.A. Gomez, J.T. Miller, and S.P. Crossley. Identification of active sites on supported metal catalysts with carbon nanotube hydrogen highways. Nature communications 9 (1), 1-7. 2018.

Employer: LyondellBasell

Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology

Project: Tuning catalyst design to recycle mixed polymer streams

Publications:

1. H.K. Chau, H.D. Mai, A. Gumidyala, T.N. Pham, D.P. Bui, A.D. D’Amico, I. Alalq, D.T. Glatzhofer, J.L. White, and S.P. Crossley. Effect of water on cumene dealkylation over H-ZSM-5 zeolites. ACS Catalysis 13, 9158-9170. 2023.
2. H.K. Chau, Q.P. Nguyen, A.C. Jerdy, D.P. Bui, L.L. Lobban, B. Wang, and S.P. Crossley. Role of Water on Zeolite-Catalyzed Dehydration of Polyalcohols and EVOH Polymer. ACS Catalysis 13, 1503-1512. 2023.
3. H.K. Chau, D.E. Resasco, P. Do, S.P. Crossley. Acylation of m-cresol with acetic acid supported by in-situ ester formation on H-ZSM-5 zeolites. Journal of Catalysis vol. 406, p. 48-55. 2022.

Post-Doc at the University of Texas at Austin

Education:

• B.S. Chemical Engineering at Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST)
• M.S. Chemical Engineering at Yeungnam University

Project: Understanding an Active and Beneficial Role for Water in Solid-Acid Catalyzed Hydrocarbon Chemistry

Selected Publications:

1. Pham, T. N.; Nguyen, V.; Wang, B.; White, J. L.; Crossley, S., Quantifying the Influence of Water on the Mobility of Aluminum Species and Their Effects on Alkane Cracking in Zeolites. ACS catalysis 11, 6982–6994. 2021.
2. Chen, K.; Horstmeier, S.; Nguyen, V. T.; Wang, B.; Crossley, S. P.; Pham, T. N.; Gan, Z.; Hung, I.; White, J. L., Structure and Catalytic Characterization of a Second Framework Al(IV) Site in Zeolite Catalysts Revealed by NMR at 35.2 T. Journal of the American Chemical Society 142 (16), 7514-7523. 2020.
3. Chen, K.; Abdolrahmani, M.; Horstmeier, S.; Pham, T. N.; Nguyen, V. T.; Zeets, M.; Wang, B.; Crossley, S.; White, J. L., Brønsted–Brønsted Synergies between Framework and Noncrystalline Protons in Zeolite H-ZSM-5. ACS Catalysis 9 (7), 6124-6136. 2019.
4. Omotoso, T.; Herrera, L. V.; Vann, T.; Briggs, N. M.; Gomez, L. A.; Barrett, L.; Jones, D.; Pham, T. N.; Wang, B.; Crossley, S. P., Stabilization of furanics to cyclic ketone building blocks in the vapor phase. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 254, 491-499. 2019.

Employer: Jacobs Engineering

Education: B.S. Kansas State University

Project: Synthesis of block functionalized carbon nanotubes

Publications:

1. N.M. Briggs, L. Barrett, E.C. Wegener, L.V. Herrera, L.A. Gomez, J.T. Miller, and S.P. Crossley. Identification of active sites on supported metal catalysts with carbon nanotube hydrogen highways. Nature Communications 9, 3827. 2018.
2. N.M. Briggs, A.K.Y. Raman, L. Barrett, C. Brown, B. Li, D. Leavitt, C.P. Aichele, and S. Crossley. "Stable Pickering Emulsions using Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes of Varying Wettability." Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects (2017).

Education: B.S. University of Oklahoma

Project: Evaluating the role of water on hydrocarbon activation in zeolites

Education: B.S. Oklahoma State University

Project: Selective conversion of unsaturated carboxylic acids to dienes in biphasic systems

Employer: Intel

Education: BV Raju Institute of Technology (BVRIT)

Project: VAPOR PHASE UPGRADING OF RENEWABLE CARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND OXYGENATES OVER BRØNSTED ZEOLITES

Publications:

1. Gumidyala, Abhishek, Bin Wang, and Steven Crossley. "Direct carbon-carbon coupling of furanics with acetic acid over Brønsted zeolites." Science advances 2, no. 9 (2016): e1601072.
2. Gumidyala, Abhishek, Tawan Sooknoi, and Steven Crossley. "Selective ketonization of acetic acid over HZSM-5: The importance of acyl species and the influence of water." Journal of Catalysis 340 (2016): 76-84.
3. Chen, Kuizhi, Abhishek Gumidyala, Maryam Abdolrhamani, Cameron Villines, Steven Crossley, and Jeffery L. White. "Trace water amounts can increase benzene H/D exchange rates in an acidic zeolite." Journal of Catalysis 351 (2017): 130-135.
4. Ghorbanpour, Arian, Abhishek Gumidyala, Lars C. Grabow, Steven P. Crossley, and Jeffrey D. Rimer. "Epitaxial growth of ZSM-5@ Silicalite-1: A core–shell zeolite designed with passivated surface acidity." ACS nano 9, no. 4 (2015): 4006-4016.
5. Wan, Shaolong, Christopher Waters, Adam Stevens, Abhishek Gumidyala, Rolf Jentoft, Lance Lobban, Daniel Resasco, Richard Mallinson, and Steven Crossley. "Decoupling HZSM‐5 Catalyst Activity from Deactivation during Upgrading of Pyrolysis Oil Vapors." ChemSusChem 8, no. 3 (2015): 552-559.

Education: B.S. Universidad de la Sabana

Project: CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF FURFURAL TO MORE UPGRADABLE PRODUCTS OVER BIFUNCTIONAL CATALYST

Employer: LyondellBasell

Education: B.S. University of California-Irvine

Project: Carbon Nanotubes as Catalyst Supports in Biphasic Systems

Awards and Honors:

• Chevron scholarship 2015
• Patrick L. Foster Graduate Fellowship 2016
• Hughes Centennial Fellowship 2012

Publications:

1. Briggs, Nicholas M., Javen S. Weston, Brian Li, Deepika Venkataramani, Clint P. Aichele, Jeffrey H. Harwell, and Steven P. Crossley. "Multiwalled carbon nanotubes at the interface of Pickering emulsions." Langmuir 31, no. 48 (2015): 13077-13084.
2. Guo, Jiaxi, Nicholas Briggs, Steven Crossley, and Brian P. Grady. "Morphology of polystyrene/poly (methyl methacrylate) blends: Effects of carbon nanotubes aspect ratio and surface modification." AIChE Journal 61, no. 10 (2015): 3500-3510.
3. Briggs, Nicholas, Ashwin Kumar Yegya Raman, Lawrence Barrett, C. Brown, B. Li, D. Leavitt, Clint P. Aichele, and Steven Crossley. "Stable Pickering Emulsions using Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes of Varying Wettability." Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects (2017).
4. Guo, Jiaxi, Nicholas Briggs, Steven Crossley, and Brian P. Grady. "A new finding for carbon nanotubes in polymer blends: Reduction of nanotube breakage during melt mixing." Journal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials (2016): 0892705716681835.
5. Briggs, N. M., and S. P. Crossley. "Rapid growth of vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes on a lamellar support." RSC Advances 5, no. 102 (2015): 83945-83952.

Employer: Reliance

Education: B.S. Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering

Project: CARBOXYLIC ACID KETONIZATION ON ZEOLITES

Employer: Phillips 66

Education: B.S. University of Central Oklahoma

Project: STRATEGIES FOR CATALYTIC UPGRADING OF VAPOR STREAMS FROM THERMAL FRACTIONATION OF BIOMASS

Publications:

1. Herron, Jeffrey A., Tyler Vann, Nhung Duong, Daniel E. Resasco, Steven Crossley, Lance L. Lobban, and Christos T. Maravelias. "A Systems‐Level Roadmap for Biomass Thermal Fractionation and Catalytic Upgrading Strategies." Energy Technology 5, no. 1 (2017): 130-150.

Employer: OU Health Sciences Center

Education: B.S. University of Oklahoma

Project: CARBON NANOTUBES AND MAGNETIC PARTICLES AS PICKERING EMULSION STABALIZERS: PARTICLE CONTROL FOR PHASE SELECTIVE REACTIONS

Publications:

1. Briggs, Nicholas, Ashwin Kumar Yegya Raman, Lawrence Barrett, Chase Brown, B. Li, D. Leavitt, Clint P. Aichele, and Steven Crossley. "Stable Pickering Emulsions using Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes of Varying Wettability." Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects (2017).

Education: B.S. Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Project: SURFACE MODIFICATION OF TIO2 FOR PHOTOCATALYTIC SELECTIVE OXIDATION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN BIPHASIC AND SINGLE PHASE SYSTEMS

Employer: Intel

Education: B.S. Obafemi Awolowo University

Project: Conversion of Model Bio-Oil Compounds Over Metal Oxides and Supported Metal Catalysts

Awards and Honors: First place, hybrid oral/poster competition, Oklahoma EPSCoR Annual State Conference, April 10, 2012, Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Publications:

1. Boonyasuwat, Sunya, Taiwo Omotoso, Daniel E. Resasco, and Steven P. Crossley. "Conversion of guaiacol over supported Ru catalysts." Catalysis letters 143, no. 8 (2013): 783-791.
2. Omotoso, Taiwo, Sunya Boonyasuwat, and Steven P. Crossley. "Understanding the role of TiO 2 crystal structure on the enhanced activity and stability of Ru/TiO 2 catalysts for the conversion of lignin-derived oxygenates." Green Chemistry 16, no. 2 (2014): 645-652.
3. Omotoso, Taiwo O., Byeongjin Baek, Lars C. Grabow, and Steven P. Crossley. "Experimental and First‐Principles Evidence for Interfacial Activity of Ru/TiO2 for the Direct Conversion of m‐Cresol to Toluene." ChemCatChem (2017). (selected for cover image)

Employer: Chemical Products Industries

Education: B.S. Bringham Young University

Project: The role of temperature, acid site density, diffusion path, and metals on the catalytic upgrading of oak pyrolysis vapors over ZSM-5

Publications:

1. Wan, Shaolong, Christopher Waters, Adam Stevens, Abhishek Gumidyala, Rolf Jentoft, Lance Lobban, Daniel Resasco, Richard Mallinson, and Steven Crossley. "Decoupling HZSM‐5 Catalyst Activity from Deactivation during Upgrading of Pyrolysis Oil Vapors." ChemSusChem 8, no. 3 (2015): 552-559.

Education: Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at Hallym University, South Korea

Education: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at University of Ulsan

Employer: Phillips 66

Education: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at University of Oklahoma

Education: Ph.D. in Chemistry at Anna University

Publications:

1. Santhanaraj, Daniel, Marjorie R. Rover, Daniel E. Resasco, Robert C. Brown, and Steven Crossley. "Gluconic acid from biomass fast pyrolysis oils: Specialty chemicals from the thermochemical conversion of biomass." ChemSusChem 7, no. 11 (2014): 3132-3137.

Education: Ph.D. in Chemistry at Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Publications:

1. Li, Yaping, Zhimin Liu, Wenhua Xue, Steven P. Crossley, Friederike C. Jentoft, and Sanwu Wang. "Hydrogenation of o-cresol on platinum catalyst: Catalytic experiments and first-principles calculations." Applied Surface Science 393 (2017): 212-220.