Welcometo the Tsapatsis Research Group Website
Michael Tsapatsis
445 Amundson Hall
421 Washington Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 626-0920 [tel]
(612) 626-7246 [fax]
Professor Tsapatsis's research group is housed in the department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. The focus of our work is in demonstrating innovative processing strategies for engineering functional devices and microstructures. Our recent publications focus on molecular sieve synthesis, crystal structure elucidation, pattern formation, morphology control, and incorporation in engineering devices. Our work is strengthened by substantial industrial interactions. Take a closer look at our research!
Article in "Science" freely availableAug 2009
The article "Grain Boundary Defect Elimination in a Zeolite Membrane by Rapid Thermal Processing" published in Science magazine is now freely available through the publications page.
Membrane Breaks Through Performance BarrierJul 2009
Engineers have developed a new method for creating high-performance membranes from crystal sieves called zeolites; the method could increase the energy efficiency of chemical separations up to 50 times over conventional methods and enable higher production rates read more...
Welcome to new group membersJul 2009
A very belated welcome to Jim Wydra, who was left off the original belated welcome to new graduate students, and M.A. Arunagirinathan (post-doc). Also, this summer we welcome Dongxia Liu (post-doc), Hyein Kim, Abdulla Malek, Sophorn Pin, and Liang Zhang (undergraduate researchers), as well as Lillivette Colon and Xuefeng Guo visiting from abroad.
Belated welcome to new group membersJan 2009
New graduate students: Kumar, Xueyi, and Aruna. New post-doctoral fellow: Parveen.
Prof. Tsapatsis receives George W. Taylor AwardJun 2008
Professor Tsapatsis received the George W. Taylor Award for 2008, granted by the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology. The award was established in 1982 to recognize younger faculty members who have shown outstanding ability in research.
Prof. Tsapatsis receives Stine AwardNov 2007
Professor Tsapatsis was awarded the Charles M. A. Stine Award, which is bestowed annually to a leading researcher in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of materials science and engineering. The Stine Award is sponsored by E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co.
On the cover of LangmuirSep 2007
"Silica Nanoparticle Crystals and Ordered Coatings Using Lys-Sil and a Novel Coating Device" appears in Langmuir, The ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids 23(20) (see publications) featuring cover art submitted by the authors. Whether or not by accident, the cover's main colors are maroon and gold--our school colors! (click on image to enlarge)
Congratulations recent grads!Aug 2007
Maybelle Woo and Tracy Davis have recently graduated from the group. Dr. Woo studied polymer/molecular sieve composite membranes for gas and vapor separations, and Dr. Davis studied the growth and crystallization of silica nanoparticles from zeolite precursor solutions and the mechanisms involved in membrane synthesis.
Crystal Sieves, Born AnewApr 2006
In NSF news "...Now, however, a team of chemists, engineers and mathematicians, using some of the most advanced microscopes in the research arsenal, has uncovered new details for the step-by-step evolution from molecular soup to carefully engineered zeolite crystal..." read more!
Sowing The Seeds Of Oriented FilmsFeb 2006
In Chemical & Engineering News "...Zeolite films in particular hold promise for practical applications, but their fabrication imposes challenges, including control of thickness, grain size, and pore orientation," says Michael Tsapatsis, professor of chemical engineering and materials science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities..." read more!