Su Ha

My research group is primarily focused on energy conversion and generation. Our key areas of interest include the production of hydrogen gas through thermochemical and electrochemical reforming processes, CO₂ capture and utilization, and the development of fuel cells that directly convert the chemical energy of small organic molecules (such as formic acid and ethanol) or logistic fuels (such as gasoline and biodiesel) into electrical power. We also explore the use of natural enzymes to generate electrical power from sugars and the development of electric field-assisted fuel reforming systems.

In our hydrogen generation research, we aim to efficiently produce hydrogen gas from biofuels and logistic fuels by synthesizing novel nanoparticle catalysts for use in hydrogen fuel cells. To enhance reforming performance, our group studies the effects of electric fields on heterogeneous catalysis and develops advanced electrochemical reforming technologies

In CO₂ capture and utilization research, our objective is to convert CO₂ into value-added products or energy carriers through thermochemical and electrochemical conversion processes.

In our fuel cell research, my group is focused on developing fuel cells capable of generating electrical power from various fuels/energy carriers, including formic acid, formate, ethanol, and gasoline. Additionally, we are working on utilizing natural enzymes to catalyze reactions for extracting useful electrical energy from natural fuels such as glucose at ambient conditions. These enzymes are collected and immobilized on carbon nanomaterials to enhance the production of electrical power.

In electric field-assisted fuel reforming research, the goal is to use an externally applied electric field to control the thermodynamics and kinetics of fuel reforming reactions, optimizing conversion, selectivity, and stability under mild operating conditions.

Su Ha is a professor in the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering. He is also a director for the O.H. Reaugh Laboratory for Oil and Gas Processing Research at WSU. He joined the school in 2005 as an assistant professor after completing his Ph.D. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has published over 100 publications in the research areas of renewable and alternative energies. His research has been cited over 6,000 times with an h-index of 32. In 2014, he was named a Highly Cited Researcher by Thomson Reuters.

1. Kee, B.L.; Dewa, M.; Akpolat, O.; Littlewood, P.; Seaba, J.P.; Ha, S. Continuous caustic aqueous phase electrochemical reforming (CAPER) of ethanol for producing compressed hydrogen. Fuel Processing Technology (2023), Article 107751.
2. Dewa, M.; Han, J.; Fang, L.Y.; Liu, F.; Duan, C.C.; Hussain, A.M.; Miura, Y.; Dong, S.; Fukuyama, Y.; Furuya, Y.; Dale, N.; Marin-Flores, O.G.; Saunders, S.; Ha, S. NiMo/CZ internal reforming layer for ethanol-fueled metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (2023) 50, pp. 1408-1416.
3. Zhang, X.H.; Dong, P.P.; Noh, S.; Zhang, X.H.; Cha, Y.; Ha, S.; Jang, J.H.; Song, M.K. Unravelling the Complex LiOH-Based Cathode Chemistry in Lithium-Oxygen Batteries. Angewandte Chemie-International Edition (2022), e202212942.
4. Zhang, X.H.; Yim, K.; Kim, J.; Wu. D.; Ha, S. Elucidating the promoting role of Mo₂C in methane activation using Ni-xMo₂C/FAU to catalyze methane steam reforming. Applied Catalysis B-Environmental (2022), Article 121250.
5. Kee, B.L.; Wang, W.J.; Akpolat, O.; Littlewood, P.; Seaba, J.P.; Scudiero, L.; Ha, S. Caustic aqueous phase electrochemical reforming (CAPER) of ethanol for process intensified compressed hydrogen production. Applied Catalysis A-General (2022), Article 118647.
6. Dewa, M.; Elharati, M.A.; Hussain, A.M.; Miura, Y.; Song, D.; Fukuyama, Y.; Furuya, Y.; Dale, N.; Zhang, X.H.; Marin-Flores, O.G. Wu, D.; Norton, M.G.; Ha, S. Metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell system with infiltrated reforming catalyst layer for direct ethanol feed operation. Journal of Power Sources (2022) Article 231625.
7. Elharati, M.A.; Lee, K.M.; Hwang, S.; Hussain, A.M.; Miura, Y.; Dong, S.; Fukuyama, Y.; Dale, N.; Saunders, S.; Kim, T.; Ha, S. The effect of silica oxide support on the catalytic activity of nickel-molybdenum bimetallic catalyst toward ethanol steam reforming for hydrogen production. Chemical Engineering Journal (2022) Article 135916.
8. Wang, W.; Scudiero, L.; Ha, S. Recent progress in electrochemical reduction of CO₂ into formate and C₂ compounds. Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering (2022), pp. 461-474.
9. Wang, W.; Hwang, S.; Kim, T.; Ha, S.; Scudiero, L. Study of carbon supported CuPd alloy nanoparticles with Pd-rich surface for the electrochemical formate oxidation and CO₂ reduction. Electrochimica Acta (2021), Article 138531.
10. Dewa, M.; Yu, W.; Dale, N.; Hussain, A.M.; Norton, M.G.; Ha, S. Recent progress in integration of reforming catalyst on metal-supported SOFC for hydrocarbon and logistic fuels. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (2021) 46, pp. 33523-33540.
11. Wang, W.; Robert, F.; Peterson, S.; Ha, S.; Scudiero, L. Iron-iron oxide supported palladium catalyst for the interconversion of formate and carbon dioxide. Chemical Engineering Journal (2021) Article 131763.
12. Ulumuddin, N.; Che, F.; Yang, J.; Ha, S.; McEwen, J. Elucidating the Influence of Electric Fields toward CO₂ Activation on YSZ (111). Catalysis (2021) 11, Article 271.
13. Gray, J.; Agarwal, K.; Cho, J.; Yang, J.; Ha, S. Estimating surface electric fields using reactive formic acid probes and SEM image brightness analysis. Chemical Engineering Journal (2020) 402, Article 125640.
14. Zhao, K.; Cheng, G.; Hu, S.; Ha, S.; Norton, M.G.; Chen, M.; Chen, D.C.; Xu, Q.; Kim, B.H. NiMo-calcium-doped ceria catalysts for inert-substrate-supported tubular solid oxide fuel cells running on isooctane. International Journal of Hydrogen (2020) 45, pp. 29367-29378.
15. Gray, J.; Burnett, D.; Sundheim, M.D.; Izzo, J.R.; Ha, S. Steam Reforming of Tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene over Socketed Nickel Perovskite Catalysts with an Applied Electric Field. Energy Technology (2020) 8, Article 2000172.
16. Bkour, Q.; Che, F.; Lee, K.M.; Zhou, C.; Akter, N.; Boscoboinik, J.A.; Zhao, K.; Gray, J.; Saunders, S.R.; Norton, M.G.; McEwen, J.S.; Kim, T.; Ha, S. Enhancing the partial oxidation of gasoline with Mo-doped Ni catalysts for SOFC applications: An integrated experimental and DFT study. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental (2020) 266, Article 118626.
17. Gray, J.; Kang, S.W.; Yang, J.; Kruse, N.; McEwen, J.S.; Park, J.C.; Ha, S. Unravelling the reaction mechanism of gas-phase formic acid decomposition on highly dispersed Mo₂C nanoparticles supported on graphene flakes. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental (2020) 264, Article 118478.
18. Gray, J.; Che, F.; McEwen, J.S.; Ha, S. Field-assisted suppression of coke in the methane steam reforming reaction. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental (2020) 260, Article 118132.
19. Bkour, Q.; Marin-Flores, O.G.; Norton, M.G.; Ha, S. A highly active and stable bimetallic Ni-Mo₂C catalyst for a partial oxidation of jet fuel. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental (2019) 245, pp. 613-622.
20. Hu, H.; Islam, T.; Kostyukova, A. S.; Ha, S.; Gupta, S. From Battery Enabled to Natural Harvesting: Enzymatic BioFuel Cell Assisted Integrated Analog Front-End in 130nm CMOS for Long-Term Monitoring. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS I-REGULAR PAPERS (2019) 66, pp. 534-545.
21. Hu, S.; Che, F.; Khorasani, B.; Jeon, M.; Yoon, C. W.; McEwen, J.-S.; Scudiero, L.; Ha, S. Improving the electrochemical oxidation of formic acid by tuning the electronic properties of Pd-based bimetallic nanoparticles. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental (2019) 254, pp. 685-692.
22. Zhao, K.; Bkour, Q.; Kim, B.-H.; Norton, M. G.; Ha, S. NiMo-Ceria-Zirconia Catalyst for Inert-Substrate-Supported Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Running on Model Gasoline. Energy Technology (2019) 7, pp. 48-52.
23. Che, F.; Gray, J.; Ha, S.; Kruse, N.; Scott, S.; McEwen, J.S. Elucidating the Roles of Electric Fields in Catalysis: A Perspective. ACS Catalysis (2018) 8, pp. 5153-5174.