About

Luke Neal is an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State University. His research focus is within the broader field of chemical engineering, contributing to the department's research areas. Specific details about his research interests, background, or key contributions are not provided in the page text.

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Computer Science
• Chemical engineering
• Inorganic chemistry
• Photochemistry
• Materials science
• Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Mathematics
• Composite material

Selected publications

• Chemical-Looping Reforming of Methane with Tunable CO ₂ Utilization over Ruddlesden–Popper and Perovskite Carriers

  Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research · 2026-01-04

  article

  This work demonstrates that the Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) structured (Sr0.5La0.5)2Fe0.625Cu0.375O4 functions as a redox catalyst and/or a CO2 sorbent to enable three syngas-generation pathways from methane and CO2 or CO2-containing flue gas with tunable syngas composition: (i) sorption-looping dry reforming of methane (SLDRM) using O2-free CO2; (ii) SLDRM coupled with redox reactions under extended cycle duration; and (iii) integrated SLDRM/partial oxidation (POx) using O2 and CO2-containing flue gas. In the O2-containing mode, flue-gas CO2 is captured and utilized in SLDRM while residual O2 drives methane POx, partially offsetting the SLDRM endotherm. Phase-dependent behavior under reaction conditions explains this flexibility: (Sr0.5La0.5)2Fe0.625Cu0.375O4 converts to SrLaFeO4 and Cu/SrO components, where Cu/SrO captures CO2 and SrLaFeO4 is redox-active. In contrast, the perovskite Sr0.5La0.5Fe0.625Cu0.375O3, without excess Sr, acts primarily as an oxygen carrier, indicating that the as-synthesized structure/composition governs the reaction pathway, syngas ratio, and suitable process configuration.

  PublisherDOI

• Bimodal Hierarchically Porous SiO₂ Sphere-Supported Catalysts for Dry Reforming of Methane

  ACS Catalysis · 2025-08-02 · 4 citations

  article

  Hierarchical silica-based supports, with tunable porosity and morphological features, have the potential to enable a spatially uniform distribution of nanoparticles and enhanced catalytic functionality. Here, through a modified Stöber method and adjustment of the catalyzing agent and gelation conditions, three mesoporous silica spheres, namely, mSiO2, mSiO2-EA, and mSiO2-EM, were obtained with both symmetrical spherical and asymmetrical elliptical morphologies. While characterization of their physiochemical properties revealed their distinctions in porosity and pore size distributions (micro-to-meso and uni-to-bimodal porosity), the catalytic performance of these hierarchical supports loaded with interfacial composition of monometallic Ni and trimetallic NiCoCe was evaluated in the dry reforming of methane reaction. Having exhibited nearly identical initial catalytic reactivity, the mSiO2 catalysts displayed tangible differences in stability and coke resistance, highlighting the critical role of support porosity in the morphology–performance relationship. The reaction mechanism was also elucidated by comprehensive pre- and postreaction characterizations, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, in situ/operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, and operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy, combined with density functional theory simulations.

  PublisherDOI

• Sr2mno4 as a Reactive Co2 Sorbent for Sorption-Enhanced Steam Reforming of Biogas to Green Hydrogen

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Sr2MnO4 as a reactive CO2 sorbent for sorption-enhanced steam reforming of biogas to green hydrogen

  Chemical Engineering Journal · 2025-07-22

  articleOpen access

  Sorption-enhanced steam biogas reforming is an attractive approach for hydrogen production from renewable resources, with the performance of the CO 2 sorbents being a critical factor. In this study, Sr 2 MnO 4 was investigated as a redox-activated CO 2 sorbent for sustainable hydrogen production from biogas. The Sr 2 MnO 4 sorbents exhibited a CO 2 sorption capacity of over 26 g per 100 g of sorbents, along with excellent cyclic stability in thermogravimetric analysis. Complete regeneration of the sorbent was achieved with a relatively small temperature swing (100 °C). Fixed-bed reactor experiments further demonstrated the application of Sr 2 MnO 4 sorbents in sorption-enhanced steam biogas reforming. Biogas simulants with varying CO 2 contents were converted to ~94 vol% H 2 before CO 2 breakthrough. Stable CO 2 capacity and hydrogen production were maintained over 20 cycles. In addition, optimization of the regeneration duration enabled the generation of highly pure CO 2 and more efficient use of O 2 . These results support the feasibility of biogas-to‑hydrogen conversion with net-negative carbon emissions through integration with CO 2 capture and sequestration. • Ruddlesden-Popper oxide Sr 2 MnO 4 is reported as a redox-activated CO 2 sorbent. • Sr 2 MnO 4 shows considerable CO 2 sorption capacity and excellent cyclic stability. • Biogas feedstocks are converted into ~94 % pure H 2 using Sr 2 MnO 4 sorbents. • High purity CO 2 was co-produced for autothermal, integrated CO 2 sequestration.

  PublisherDOI

• Effective CO_<i>x</i> Suppression by a Na₄Mg(WO₄)₃ Promoter in Chemical Looping Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane

  ACS Catalysis · 2025-02-20 · 6 citations

  article

  Chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation (CL-ODH) of ethane represents a promising intensification strategy to produce ethylene. A key aspect to improving CL-ODH performance revolves around mitigating the formation of COx from the ethane feedstock and ethylene product. This work reports Na4Mg(WO4)3 as a highly effective promoter for the Mg6MnO8-based redox catalyst for ethane ODH through the enrichment on the oxide surface by Na4Mg(WO4)3 to suppress COx formation. Compared to the state-of-the-art Na2WO4-promoted Mg6MnO8 catalyst, the Na4Mg(WO4)3 promoter lowers COx selectivity by up to 88% on a relative basis while achieving up to 70% C2+ olefin yield. This represents some of the highest olefin selectivity and yield values among previously reported CL-ODH catalysts. The role of the promoter in suppressing nonselective oxidation was investigated using in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H2-temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), C2H6-temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR), methanol-TPSR with in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and in situ Raman spectroscopy. Compared with the Na2WO4-promoted Mg6MnO8, the Na4Mg(WO4)3 promoter exhibits improved dispersion of the promoter on Mg6MnO8 and inhibits the release of lattice oxygen from the Mg6MnO8 phase. Meanwhile, a higher average Mn oxidation state is maintained for the Mg6MnO8 phase. This suggests that the uniformity of promoter dispersion over the Mg6MnO8 phase, coupled with reduced lattice oxygen transport kinetics, is crucial in suppressing the formation of COx formation.

  PublisherDOI

• Ruddlesden–Popper Structured Sr ₃ Fe ₂ O _{7− <i>δ</i>} as Redox‐Activated CO ₂ Sorbents for Green Hydrogen Production

  Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research · 2025-09-21

  articleOpen access

  Conventional methods for hydrogen production, such as steam methane reforming, face increasing scrutiny due to their reliance on fossil fuels, high CO 2 emissions, and significant capital costs. Sorption‐enhanced steam reforming using renewable feedstocks, where CO 2 is captured in situ, presents a more sustainable alternative. This study investigates the suitability of A‐ and B‐site doped strontium ferrite‐type Ruddlesden–Popper oxides (RPO) as robust CO 2 sorbents, with particular attention on their application in glycerol‐based hydrogen production. Packed bed reactor experiments, complemented by comprehensive characterizations, are systematically conducted to assess and compare the performance of RPO with a stoichiometry of (Sr x Ca 1− x ) 2 Fe 0.9 Ni 0.1 O 4− δ (RPOs) with that of traditional perovskite oxides, that is, Sr x Ca 1− x Fe 0.9 Ni 0.1 O 4− δ (POs), and to unravel the underlying phase transition pathways. Specifically, RPO with a nominal stoichiometry of Sr 1.4 Ca 0.6 Fe 0.9 Ni 0.1 O 4− δ forms an Sr 3 Fe 2 O 7‐ type active phase, exhibiting high H 2 purities (≈95 vol%) coupled with stable CO 2 sorption capacity. Notably, its CO 2 prebreakthrough time is more than six times longer than that of its perovskite counterpart in the sequential Ni‐bed configuration. Finally, the interplay between the reduction and carbonation reactions is examined, highlighting the synergistic benefits that enable the sorbent to fully realize its CO 2 uptake potential.

  PublisherDOI

• Technoeconomic and Emissions Analysis of the Hybrid Redox Process for the Production of Acetic Acid with CO₂ Utilization

  Advanced Sustainable Systems · 2024-03-11 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract The production of oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as acetic acid, using captured CO 2 is a promising pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the chemical industry. The use of a chemical looping‐based hybrid redox process (HRP) is proposed to convert CO 2 and natural gas into separate CO and syngas streams that can be used to produce various commodity oxygenates, while allowing the beneficial utilization of captured CO 2 . Here, a detailed technoeconomic analysis of HRP applied to the production of acetic acid is presented. Emissions and energy analyses show the ability of HRP to lower the CO 2 emissions for acetic acid synthesis by 74% compared to a conventional steam and autothermal reforming route. HRP also offers a potential 34% reduction in capital costs. Compared to a dry reforming based acetic acid production route, HRP has the potential for significantly lower costs. If integrated with a low carbon energy source, HRP has the potential to achieve a negative emission of greenhouse gas (‐0.50 kg CO 2 per kg acetic acid).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Techno-economic analysis of chemical looping air separation using a perovskite oxide sorbent

  International journal of greenhouse gas control · 2024-01-29 · 13 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Sustainable Styrene Production through Chemical Looping Oxidative Dehydrogenation: An Experimentally Informed Technoeconomic Study

  ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering · 2024-09-04 · 10 citations

  article

  Styrene is an important and growing commodity chemical feedstock for rubber and plastic products. State-of-the-art catalytic dehydrogenation (DH) of ethylbenzene suffers from high energy consumption and equilibrium limitations, resulting in a substantial carbon footprint. We recently reported a chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation (CL-ODH) approach that offers enhanced product yields and the potential for lower emissions. Building upon experimental results obtained under industrially compatible conditions, this research conducts a comprehensive technoeconomic comparison between CL-ODH and the commercial DH process. We modeled and analyzed both process schemes to determine energy consumption, CO2 emissions, capital cost, operating cost, and estimated gross margin. Sensitivity analyses were performed on critical performance parameters of CL-ODH, namely, single-pass conversion, selective hydrogen combustion (SHC), and steam-to-ethylbenzene ratio (S/E). The sensitivity analyses confirmed the potential advantage of CL-ODH versus state-of-the-art techniques, even with conservative catalyst performance assumptions. The comprehensive technoeconomic analysis revealed that the base-case CL-ODH scheme reduces energy consumption by 40% while lowering CO2 emissions by 40%. Additionally, we estimate a 122% increase in the gross margin. With more optimistic assumptions and further catalyst optimizations, up to an 87% decrease in energy consumption can potentially be achieved. Our findings demonstrate that CL-ODH technology meets the “practical minimum energy consumption” for styrene production published by the United States Department of Energy (USDOE).

  PublisherDOI

• Role and impact of surfactants in carbon nanotube dispersions and sorting

  Journal of Surfactants and Detergents · 2023-08-07 · 37 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are proving to be versatile nanomaterials that exhibit superior and attractive electrical, optical, chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. Different kinds of CNTs exist, and their associated properties have been actively explored and widely exploited from fundamental studies to practical applications. Obtaining high‐quality CNTs in large volumes is desirable, especially for scalable electronic, photonic, chemical, and mechanical systems. At present, abundant but random CNTs are synthesized by various growth methods including arc discharge, chemical vapor deposition, and molecular beam epitaxy. An economical way to secure pristine CNTs is to disperse the raw soot of CNTs in solutions, from which purified CNTs are collected via sorting methods. Individual CNTs are generally hydrophobic, not readily soluble, requiring an agent, known as a surfactant to facilitate effective dispersions. Furthermore, the combination of surfactants, polymers, DNA, and other additives can enhance the purity of specific types of CNTs in confidence dispersions. With highly‐pure CNTs, designated functional devices are built to demonstrate improved performance. This review surveys and highlights the essential roles and significant impacts of surfactants in dispersing and sorting CNTs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Fanxing Li

  North Carolina State University

  34 shared

• Helena E. Hagelin‐Weaver

  University of Florida

  18 shared

• Seif Yusuf

  10 shared

• Ronghui Zhou

  State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases

  9 shared

• Vasudev Haribal

  9 shared

• Clifford R. Bowers

  9 shared

• Evan Wenbo Zhao

  Radboud University Nijmegen

  8 shared

• Wei Cheng

  7 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Chemical engineering

  University of Florida

  2008

• B.S.

  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  2003