Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez | University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences

Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez

Associate Director (CAER)

Adjunct Assistant Professor (Chemistry)

Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez, who is originally from Mexico, joined the University of Kentucky (UK) first as an undergraduate research intern and then as a graduate student performing his doctoral research at the UK Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) and at the University of Alicante (Spain). After obtaining his Ph.D. in 2008, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Utrecht University (The Netherlands) prior to retuning to UK CAER, where he now holds the position of Principal Research Scientist. His current research focuses on the application of heterogeneous catalysis to the production of renewable fuels and chemicals, with emphasis on the upgrading of biomass-derived oils to drop-in hydrocarbon fuels. His synergistic activities include participating in a number of K-20 educational initiatives designed to increase and broaden participation in STEM fields.

Contact Information

esant3@uky.edu

114 Center for Applied Energy Research Laboratory 2

(859)-257-0395

Education

Ph.D., University of Kentucky, 2008

Research Interests

Heterogenous Catalysis
Biomass Utilization

Affiliations

Chemistry
Center for Applied Energy Research

UK CAER Webpage

Selected Publications

Selected Publications:

Books and Book Chapters

G. Umenweke, E. Santillan-Jimenez. (2024). Hydrocarbon Biofuels. American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications. eISBN: ‍9780841296312; DOI: 10.1021/acsinfocus.7e8011.
M. Crocker, E. Santillan-Jimenez (eds.) (2020). Chemical Catalysts for Biomass Upgrading, 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA., Weinheim, Germany. Print ISBN: 9783527344666; Online ISBN: 9783527814794; DOI: 10.1002/9783527814794.
R. Loe, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker (2020). Upgrading of Lipids to Fuel-like Hydrocarbons and Terminal Olefins via Decarbonylation/Decarboxylation. In Chemical Catalysts for Biomass Upgrading (eds. M. Crocker and E. Santillan-Jimenez). DOI: 10.1002/9783527814794.ch12.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

J. Parker, E. Santillan-Jimenez, A.E. Harman-Ware, G.C. Umenweke, O. Heintz, G. Caboche, M. Crocker. Reductive Depolymerization of Lignin to Aromatic Compounds over Promoted Nickel Catalysts in Sub- and Supercritical Methanol. ChemNanoMat. IN PRESS. DOI: 10.1002/cnma.202400222.
K.R. Rao, R. Pace, H. Suarez, E. Santillan-Jimenez, C. Risko. Carboxylic Acid Decarbonylation on Nickel: The Critical Role of the Acid Binding Geometry. ACS Catal. 13 (2023) 9102.
R. Pace, S. Kesner, E. Santillan-Jimenez, T. Morgan, M. Frazar, V. Kelly, M.A. Zeller, M. Crocker. Evaluation of Near-ambient Algal Biomass Fractionation Conditions for Bioproduct Development. Biomass Convers. Biorefin. 13 (2023) 131.
G. Umenweke, R. Pace, E. Santillan-Jimenez, J. Okolie. Techno-economic and life-cycle analyses of Sustainable Aviation Fuel production via integrated catalytic deoxygenation and hydrothermal gasification. Chem. Eng. J. 452 (2023) 139215.
F. Wang, R. Pace, Y. Ji, J. Jiang, X. Jiang, A. Krystianiak, O. Heintz, G. Caboche, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker. Effect of Pd promotion and catalyst support on the Ni-catalyzed deoxygenation of tristearin to fuel-like hydrocarbons. Renewable Energy 195 (2022) 1468.
R. Radtke, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Mohr-Schroeder. Collaboration by Design: Development of a Video Game for Energy Literacy. International Journal of Designs for Learning 11 (2020) 46.
C. Beasley, M.K. Gnanamani, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Martinelli, W.D. Shafer, S.D. Hopps, N. Wanninayake, D.-Y. Kim. Effect of Metal Work Function on Hydrogen Production from Photocatalytic Water Splitting with MTiO₂ Catalysts. ChemistrySelect 5 (2020) 1013.
G.C.R. Silva, D. Qian, R. Pace, O. Heintz, G. Caboche, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker. Promotional Effect of Cu, Fe and Pt on the Performance of Ni/Al₂O₃ in the Deoxygenation of Used Cooking Oil to Fuel-Like Hydrocarbons. Catalysts 10 (2020) 91.
J.C. Hower, D. Qian, N.J. Briot, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M.M. Hood, R.K. Taggart, H. Hsu-Kim. Nano-Scale Rare Earth Distribution in Fly Ash Derived from the Combustion of the Fire Clay Coal, Kentucky. Minerals 9 (2019) 206.
E. Santillan-Jimenez, R. Pace, T. Morgan, C. Behnke, D. Sajkowski, A. Lappas, M. Crocker. Co-processing of hydrothermal liquefaction algal bio-oil and petroleum feedstock to fuel-like hydrocarbons via fluid catalytic cracking. Fuel Process. Technol. 188 (2019) 164.
R. Loe, K. Huff, M. Walli, T. Morgan, D. Qian, R. Pace, Y. Song, M. Isaacs, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker. Effect of Pt promotion on the Ni-catalyzed deoxygenation of tristearin to fuel-like hydrocarbons. Catalysts 9 (2019) 200.
R. Loe, Y. Lavoignat, M. Maier, M. Abdallah, T. Morgan, D. Qian, R. Pace, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker. Continuous catalytic deoxygenation of waste free fatty acid-based feeds to fuel-like hydrocarbons over a supported Ni-Cu catalyst. Catalysts 9 (2019) 123.
E. Santillan-Jimenez, R. Loe, M. Garrett, T. Morgan, M. Crocker. Effect of Cu promotion on cracking and methanation during the Ni-catalyzed deoxygenation of waste lipids and hemp seed oil to fuel-like hydrocarbons. Catal. Today 302 (2018) 261.
T. Morgan, E. Santillan-Jimenez, K. Huff, K.R. Javed, M. Crocker. Use of dual detection in the gas chromatographic analysis of oleaginous biomass feeds and biofuel products to enable accurate simulated distillation and lipid profiling. Energy Fuels 31 (2017) 9498.
E. Santillan-Jimenez, R. Pace, S. Marques, T. Morgan, C. McKelphin, J. Mobley, M. Crocker. Extraction, purification, characterization and catalytic upgrading of algae lipids to fuel-like hydrocarbons. Fuel 180 (2016) 668.
R. Loe, E. Santillan-Jimenez, T. Morgan, L. Sewell, Y. Ji, S. Jones, M.A. Isaacs, A.F. Lee, M. Crocker. Effect of Cu and Sn promotion on the catalytic deoxygenation of model and algal lipids to fuel-like hydrocarbons over supported Ni catalysts. Appl. Catal. B: Environ. 191 (2016) 147.
E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Perdu, R. Pace, T. Morgan, M. Crocker. Activated Carbon, Carbon Nanofiber and Carbon Nanotube Supported Molybdenum Carbide Catalysts for the Hydrodeoxygenation of Guaiacol. Catalysts 5 (2015) 424.
J. Choi, V. Schwartz, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker, S. Lewis, M. Lance, H. Meyer, K. More. Structural Evolution of Molybdenum Carbides in Hot Aqueous Environments and Impact on Low-Temperature Hydroprocessing of Acetic Acid. Catalysts 5 (2015) 406.
E. Santillan-Jimenez, T. Morgan, R. Loe, M. Crocker. Continuous catalytic deoxygenation of model and algal lipids to fuel-like hydrocarbons over Ni-Al layered double hydroxide. Catal. Today 258 (2015) 284.
J.J.H.B. Sattler, J. Ruiz-Martinez, E. Santillan-Jimenez, B. Weckhuysen. Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Light Alkanes on Metals and Metal Oxides. Chem. Rev. 114 (2014) 10613.
M.H. Wilson, J. Groppo, A. Placido, S. Graham, S.A. Morton, E. Santillan-Jimenez, A. Shea, M. Crocker, C. Crofcheck, R. Andrews. CO₂ recycling using microalgae for the production of fuels. Appl. Petrochem. Res. 4 (2014) 41.
T. Morgan, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker. Simulated distillation approach to the gas chromatographic analysis of feedstock and products in the deoxygenation of lipids to hydrocarbon biofuel. Energy Fuels 28 (2014) 2654.
E. Santillan-Jimenez, T. Morgan, J. Shoup, A.E. Harman-Ware, M. Crocker. Catalytic deoxygenation of triglycerides and fatty acids to hydrocarbons over Ni-Al layered double hydroxide. Catal. Today 237 (2014) 136.
E. Santillan-Jimenez, T. Morgan, J. Lacny, S. Mohapatra, M. Crocker. Catalytic deoxygenation of triglycerides and fatty acids to hydrocarbons over carbon-supported nickel. Fuel 103 (2013) 1010.
T. Morgan, E. Santillan-Jimenez, A.E. Harman-Ware, Y. Ji, D. Grubb, M. Crocker. Catalytic deoxygenation of triglycerides to hydrocarbons over supported nickel catalysts. Chem. Eng. J. 189-190 (2012) 346.
E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker. Catalytic deoxygenation of fatty acids and their derivatives to hydrocarbon fuels via decarboxylation/decarbonylation. J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol. 87 (2012) 1041.
E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker, A. Bueno-López, C. Salinas-Martínez de Lecea. Carbon nanotube-supported metal catalysts for NO_x reduction using hydrocarbon reductants: gas switching and adsorption studies. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 50 (2011) 7191.
E. Santillan-Jimenez, V. Miljković-Kocić, M. Crocker, K. Wilson. Carbon nanotube-supported catalysts for NO_x reduction using hydrocarbon reductants. Part 1: Catalyst preparation, characterization and NO_x reduction characteristics. Appl. Catal. B 102 (2011) 1.
T. Morgan, D. Grubb, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker. Conversion of triglycerides to hydrocarbons over supported metal catalysts. Top. Catal. 53 (2010) 820.
J.L. Shumaker, C. Crofcheck, S.A. Tackett, E. Santillan-Jimenez, T. Morgan, Y. Ji, M. Crocker, T.J. Toops. Biodiesel synthesis using calcined layered double hydroxide catalysts. Appl. Catal. B 82 (2008) 120.
A. Hutchinson, D. Atwood, E. Santillan-Jimenez. The removal of mercury from water by open chain ligands containing multiple sulfurs. J. Hazard. Mater. 156 (2008) 458.
J.L. Shumaker, C. Crofcheck, S.A. Tackett, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker. Biodiesel production from soybean oil using calcined Li–Al layered double hydroxide catalysts. Catal. Lett. 115 (2007) 56.