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Charles A. EckertInstitute Professor of Chemical Engineering, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Office: Bunger Henry Building Phone: 404-894-7070 Fax: 404-894-7452 |
B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1960; M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1961; Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 1964
Georgia Tech Distinguished Professor, Highest Academic Award - 1997
Research Interests
Professor Eckert's research is focused at the interface between chemistry and chemical engineering, where our interdisciplinary investigators have unique capabilities to solve a variety of important technical and societal problems, such as environmental control, solvent-free processing, energy conservation, innovative separations (including bioseparations), and novel materials.
The investigations encompass molecular thermodynamics, solution chemistry, phase equilibria, chemical kinetics, homogeneous catalysis, supercritical fluid processing, and separations. The group has developed new experimental methods, including novel applications of modern instrumentation. Examples of applications include wastewater purification, environmentally benign solvents, supercritical fluid fractionation of polymers, purification of monomers, separation of chiral compounds, composite materials manufacture, hazardous waste detoxification, reactions in supercritical fluids, polymer modification, polymer processing, and many others.
The group draws heavily on molecular chemistry, organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical, for an understanding of intermolecular interactions in solutions. We use these results, along with our data, to develop methods for tailoring separation and reaction processes for specific applications. Often these methods are applied also for process design and economic feasibility evaluation.
Representative Publications
"Olefin epoxidations using supercritical carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide without added metallic catalysts or Peroxy Acids." Nolen, S. A., Lu, J., Brown, J. S., Pollet, P., Eason, B. C., Griffith, K. N., Gläser, R., Bush, D., Lamb, D. R., Liotta, C. L., Eckert, C. A., Thiele, G. F., Bartels, K. A., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res .2002 ,41 , 316-323.
"Phase-transfer catalyst separation by CO 2enhanced aqueous extraction," Xie, X., Brown, J. S., Joseph, P. J., Liotta, C. L., Eckert, C. A., Chem. Commun .2002 , 1156-1157.
"Phase-transfer-catalyzed alkylation of phenylacetonitrile in supercritical ethane," Wheeler, C., Lamb, D. R., Jayachandran, J. P., Hallett, J. P., Liotta, C. L., Eckert, C. A. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2002 ,41 , 1763-1767.
"Carbon dioxide as a solubility "Switch" for the reversible dissolution of highly fluorinated complexes and reagents in organic solvents: Application to crystallization," Jessop, P. G., Olmstead, M. M., Ablan, C. D., Grabenauer, M., Sheppard, D., Eckert, C. A., Liotta, C. L., Inorg. Chem. 2002 ,41 , 3463-3468.
"Solvatochromic characterization of near-critical water as a benign reaction medium," Lu, J., Brown, J. S., Boughner, E. C., Liotta, C. L., Eckert, C. A., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2002 ,41 , 2835-2841.
"Nearcritical and supercritical ethanol as a benign solvent: polarity and hydrogen-bonding," Lu, J., Boughner, E. C., Liotta, C. L., Eckert, C. A., Fluid Phase Equilib. 2002 ,198 , 37-49.
"Ionic liquids as catalytic green solvents for nucleophilic displacement reactions," Wheeler, C., West, K.N., Liotta, C.L., Eckert, C.A., Chem. Commun. 2001 , 887-888.
"In situ formation of alkylcarbonic acids with CO 2," West, K.N., Wheeler, C., McCarney, J.P., Griffith, K.N., Bush, D., Liotta, C.L., Eckert, C.A., J. Phys. Chem. A, 2001 ,105 , 3947-3948.
"Polarity and hydrogen-bonding of ambient to near-critical water: Kamlet-Taft solvent parameters," Lu, J., Brown, J.S., Liotta, C.L., Eckert, C.A., Chem. Commun. 2001 , 665-666.
"Asymmetric hydrogenation and catalyst recycling using ionic liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide," Brown, R.A., Pollet, P., McKoon, E., Eckert, C.A., Liotta, C.L., Jessop, P.G., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001 ,123 , 1254-1255.
"Clean solution for chemical synthesis," C. A. Eckert, C. L. Liotta, J. S. Brown, Chem. Ind.-London ,2000 ,3, 94-97.
"Reply to comment on ' Supercritical fluid tuning of reaction rates: the cis-trans isomerization of 4-4' disubstituted azobenzenes'," A. K. Dillow, J. S. Brown, C. L. Liotta, C. A. Eckert, J. Phys. Chem. A. ,1999 ,103 , 11252.
"Spectroscopic measurement of solute and cosolvent partitioning between supercritical CO 2and polymers," N. H. Brantley, D. Bush, S. G. Kazarian, C. A. Eckert, J. Phys. Chem. B. ,1999 ,103 , 10007-10016.
"Rate variations of a hetero-Diels-Alder reaction in supercritical fluid CO 2," R. L. Thompson, R. Glaser, D. Bush, C. L. Liotta, C. A. Eckert, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. ,1999 ,38 , 4220-4225.
"Acid/base-catalyzed ester hydrolysis in near-critical water," H. P. Lesutis, R. Glaser, C. L. Liotta, C. A. Eckert, Chem. Commun. ,1999 ,20 , 2063-2064.
"Supercritical fluid spearation for selective quaternary ammonium salt promoted esterification of terephthalic acid," J. S. Brown, H. P. Lesutis, D. R. Lamb, D. Bush, K. Chandler, B. L. West, C. L. Liotta, C. A. Eckert, D. Schiraldi, J. S. Hurley, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. ,1999 ,38 , 3622-3627.
"Comparative study of semitheoretical models for predicting infinite dilution activity coefficients of alkanes in organic solvents," C. B. Castells, P. W. Carr, D. I. Eikens, D. Bush, C. A. Eckert, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. ,1999 ,38 , 4104-4109.
"Dyeing to be clean: use supercritical carbon dioxide," S. G. Kazarian, N. H. Brantley, C. A. Eckert, Chemtech ,1999 ,29 , 36-41.