Luke Denoyer

Electrochemistry/Materials Science/Computational Chemistry research program focusing on novel barium niobate perovskites catalysis and stability in highly reducing environments.

Fellow and PhD Student - University of New Mexico / CISTAR / NSF - Albuquerque, NM

(2021-08 - 2025-03)

Electrochemistry/Materials Science/Computational Chemistry research program focusing on novel barium niobate perovskites catalysis and stability in highly reducing environments.

• Primary author on four papers for novel barium niobate perovskites catalysis and stability in highly reducing environments (Advanced Materials Interfaces, ACS Energy and Fuels, ECS Transactions, 1 article in progress)
• Developed barium niobate electrocatalyst capable of over 100h time on stream, with less than 1% weight gain from carbon deposition and increased yield with higher applied voltage
• Co-author on two papers and patent on the electrochemical oxidative coupling of methane (Nature Communications Chemistry, US Pat. App. 18663018)
• Won $10k 1st place prize for CeraScape Electrochemical Ceramics in UNM Rainforest 2023 pitch competition focused on developing modular solid oxide fuel cell systems for on-site direct liquid ethylene production from methane
• Led outreach efforts as outreach chair while on leadership council within NSF engineering resource center
• Conducted solid oxide fuel/electrolysis cell and semiconductor materials synthesis, characterization, and catalysis experiments
• Used grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy to analyze/characterize thin films and powder perovskite materials
• Constructed detailed simulations to link crystal structures to physical properties of perovskites using the bond valence bond length model; generated 15+ unique datasets that are now integral to ongoing research projects
• Teaching assistant for thermodynamics and nanoscale characterization methods
• Mentor to 4 high school/undergraduate students, progressing them from introductory knowledge to posters/slide decks completed in 12-week timeframe

Startup Engineering Consultant - Hydrosonics Energy Inc.

(2025-06 - 2025-11)

Electrochemistry/Materials Science/Business consulting focused on low temperature solid oxide fuel cell methane to methanol synthesis.

• Developed testbed for low temperature solid oxide fuel cell methane to methanol synthesis
• Utilized novel materials, intertwining concepts to create an ambient temperature catalyst for methanol synthesis
• Set up reactor from scratch in under 1 month
• Characterized electrocatalyst using: FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction), XRF (X-ray fluorescence), SEM (Scanning electron microscopy)

Undergraduate Research Assistant - University of New Mexico - Albuquerque, NM

(2019-01 - 2021-01)

Density functional theory research on statistical thermodynamics and ionic properties.

• Awarded NM Sigma Xi Chapter Superior Undergraduate Student Award (2021)
• Studied statistical thermodynamics for potential determining ions in salt solution
• Modeled data for trends in thermodynamic properties, such as solvent size effects on electric double layer
• Co-author on classic density functional theory paper (Molecular Physics)

PhD - Chemical Engineering - University of New Mexico (2021-08 - 2025-05)