THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN • COCKRELL SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Johnston, Keith P. Ph.D.

M. C. (Bud) and Mary Beth Baird Endowed Chair and Professor of Chemical Engineering, Paul D. & Betty Robertson Meek & American Petrofina Fdn. Centennial Professorship in Chemical Engineering

Research Areas: Advanced Materials, Polymers & Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Energy and Environmental Engineering

Research Presentation for Prospective Graduate Students

Educational Qualifications

Ph.D., University of Illinois (1981)
B.S., University of Michigan (1977)

Research

Colloid and Interface Science, Materials Chemistry, Nanotechnology for Energy and Biological Applications, Protein Drug Delivery

We utilize fundamental concepts in colloid and interface science, materials chemistry, nanotechnology and polymer science to design, synthesize and characterize materials for advanced performance in energy, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Current Projects

Nanoparticle/polymer composites for electromagnetic imaging of subsurface reservoirs

Design of superparamagnetic nanoparticles with high magnetic permeabilities

Nanotechnology/interfacial science for oil dispersants, enhanced oil recovery and CO₂ sequestration

Protein drug delivery with protein nanoclusters

Biomedical imaging/therapy with biodegradable nanoclusters

Materials chemistry for energy storage: electrocatalysis, batteries and supercapacitors

Awards & Honors

Fellow of American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers (2013)
National Academy of Engineering (2011)
Designated as one of the 100 Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era, Centennial of Am. Inst. Chem. Engr. (2008)
Institute Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2004)
Discover Magazine Awards for Technological Innovation Finalist (2001)
University of Texas Engineering Foundation Faculty Excellence Award (1990), (1995)
Allan  P. Colburn Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1990)
Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher/Scholar (1987)

Selected Publications

• Worthen, A. J.; Bagaria, H. G.; Chen, Y. S.; Bryant, S. L.; Huh, C.; Johnston, K. P., Nanoparticle-stabilized carbon dioxide-in-water foams with fine texture. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 2013, 391, 142-151.
• Borwankar, A. U.; Dinin, A. K.; Laber, J. R.; Twu, A.; Wilson, B. K.; Maynard, J. A.; Truskett, T. M.; Johnston, K. P., Tunable equilibrium nanocluster dispersions at high protein concentrations. Soft Matter 2013, 9, (6), 1766-1771.
• Yoon, K. Y.; Li, Z.; Neilson, B. M.; Lee, W.; Huh, C.; Bryant, S. L.; Bielawski, C. W.; Johnston, K. P., Effect of Adsorbed Amphiphilic Copolymers on the Interfacial Activity of Superparamagnetic Nanoclusters and the Emulsification of Oil in Water. Macromolecules 2012, 5157-5166.
• Slanac, D. A.; Lie, A.; Paulson, J. A.; Stevenson, K. J.; Johnston, K. P., Bifunctional Catalysts for Alkaline Oxygen Reduction Reaction via Promotion of Ligand and Ensemble Effects at Ag/MnOx Nanodomains. Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2012, 116, (20), 11032-11039.
• Slanac, D. A.; Hardin, W. G.; Johnston, K. P.; Stevenson, K. J., Atomic Ensemble and Electronic Effects in Ag-Rich AgPd Nanoalloy Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction in Alkaline Media. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 9812-9819.
• Johnston, K. P.; Maynard, J. A.; Truskett, T. M.; Borwankar, A. U.; Miller, M. A.; Wilson, B. K.; Dinin, A. K.; Khan, T. A.; Kaczorowski, K. J., Concentrated Dispersions of Equilibrium Protein Nanoclusters That Reversibly Dissociate into Active Monomers. Acs Nano 2012, 6, (2), 1357-1369.
• Yoon, K. Y.; Kotsmar, C.; Ingram, D. R.; Huh, C.; Bryant, S. L.; Milner, T. E.; Johnston, K. P., Stabilization of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoclusters in Concentrated Brine with Cross-Linked Polymer Shells. Langmuir 2011, 27, (17), 10962-10969.
• Ma, L. L.; Tam, J. O.; Willsey, B. W.; Rigdon, D.; Ramesh, R.; Sokolov, K.; Johnston, K. P., Selective Targeting of Antibody Conjugated Multifunctional Nanoclusters (Nanoroses) to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors in Cancer Cells. Langmuir 2011, 27, (12), 7681-7690.
• Tam, J. M.; Tam, J. O.; Murthy, A.; Ingram, D. R.; Ma, L. L.; Travis, K.; Johnston, K. P.; Sokolov, K. V., Controlled Assembly of Biodegradable Plasmonic Nanoclusters for Near-Infrared Imaging and Therapeutic Applications. ACS Nano 2010, 4, (4), 2178-2184.
• Adkins, S. S.; Chen, X.; Chan, I.; Torino, E.; Nguyen, Q. P.; Sanders, A. W.; Johnston, K. P., Morphology and Stability of CO2-in-Water Foams with Nonionic Hydrocarbon Surfactants. Langmuir 2010, 26, (8), 5335-5348.
• Johnston, K. P.; da Rocha, S. R. P., Colloids in supercritical fluids over the last 20 years and future directions. Journal of Supercritical Fluids 2009, 47, (3), 523-530.
• Gupta, G.; Stowell, C. A.; Patel, M. N.; Gao, X.; Yacaman, M. J.; Korgel, B. A.; Johnston, K. P., Infusion of Presynthesized Iridium Nanocrystals into Mesoporous Silica for High Catalyst Activity. Chem. Materials 2006, 18, (26), 6239-6249.
• Lu, X.; Fanfair, D. D.; Johnston, K. P.; Korgel, B. A., High Yield Solution-Liquid-Solid Synthesis of Germanium Nanowires. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, (45), 15718-15719.
• Shah, P. S.; Hanrath, T.; Johnston, K. P.; Korgel, B. A., Nanocrystal and Nanowire Synthesis and Dispersibility in Supercritical Fluids. Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2004, 108, (28), 9574-9587.
• Johnston, K. P.; Shah, P. S., Making Nanoscale Materials with Supercritical Fluids. Science 2004, 303, ((5657)), 482-483.
• Ryoo, W.; Webber, S. E.; Johnston, K. P., Water-in-Carbon Dioxide Microemulsions with Methylated Branched Hydrocarbon Surfactants. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2003, 42, (25), 6348-6358.
• Ziegler, K. J.; Doty, R. C.; Johnston, K. P.; Korgel, B. A., Synthesis of Organic Monolayer-Stabilized Copper Nanocrystals in Supercritical Water. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, (32), 7797-7803.
• Holmes, J. D.; Johnston, K. P.; Doty, R. C.; Korgel, B. A., Control of Thickness and Orientation of Solution-Grown Silicon Nanowires. Science 2000, 287, (5457), 1471-1473.
• Lee, C. T.; Psathas, P. A.; Johnston, K. P., Water-in-Carbon Dioxide Emulsions: Formation and Stability. Langmuir 1999, 15, 6781-6791.
• daRocha, S. R. P.; Harrison, K. L.; Johnston, K. P., Effect of Surfactants on the Interfacial Tension and Emulsion Formation Between Water and Carbon Dioxide. Langmuir 1999, 15, 419-428.
• Johnston, K. P.; Harrison, K. L.; Clarke, M. J.; Howdle, S. M.; Heitz, M. P.; Bright, F. V.; Carlier, C.; Randolph, T. W., Water-in-Carbon Dioxide Microemulsions: A New Environment for Hydrophiles Including Proteins. Science 1996, 271, 624.