Gebbie receives new investigator grant

The American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund has selected Matt Gebbie, the Conway Assistant Professor in chemical and biological engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for a Doctoral New Investigator Grant. The grants are given to investigators within three years of their first academic appointment to support fundamental research in the petroleum field.

Gebbie and his lab will investigate diamondoids, a type of naturally-occurring carbon molecule that is often found in petroleum reserves. Currently, diamondoids are considered a waste product, but research suggests that they can self-assemble into nanowires and other functional electronics.

Gebbie will assess whether the diamondoids can be used as long-lasting, stable electrolytes, a component used in batteries and fuel cells. “If this approach works, we could imagine a big scalable market for what’s currently considered a petroleum byproduct and is just being burned,” Gebbie says.