Kevin N. West, Ph.D.

Education

• Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
• B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia

Research

Dr. West’s research is centered on solution chemistry and molecular thermodynamics, with a specific interest in developing ionic liquids and supercritical fluids as environmentally benign solvents systems for reactions and separations.  The West group utilizes thermodynamic, thermal and phase equilibria measurements and modeling to understand the behavior of these fluids and exploit their unique properties to improve processes by reducing energy use and by decreasing harmful emissions. Current topics of interest include: 

• Thermally robust ionic liquids for use as solvents and heat transfer fluids
• Aqueous ionic amine solutions for CO2 capture/air revitalization in spacecraft
• Ionic liquid enhanced supercritical fluid extraction
• Anti-microbial textile synthesis

Our group is currently funded by the Department of Energy and NASA.

Publications

• Brown, A.S., Bozman, M.E., Hickman, T.J., Hossian, M.I., Glover, T.G., West, K.N., Wheeler West, C. (2019). Superhydrophobic Functionalization of Cotton Fabric via Reactive Dye Chemistry and a Thiol-ene Click Reaction. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.9b03258
• Bunge, M.A., Davis, A. B., West, K. N., West, C. W., Glover, T.G. (2018). Synthesis and Characterization of UiO-66-NH2 Metal–Organic Framework Cotton Composite Textiles. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 57(28), 9151-9161.
• Rabideau, B. D., West, K. N., Davis, J. H. Making Good on a Promise: Ionic Liquids with Genuinely High Degrees of Thermal Stability. (2018). Chemical Communications, 54(1), 5019-5031.
• Soltani, M., Siu, B., Salter, E. A., Wierzbicki, A., West, K. N., Davis, J. H. (2018) Synthesis, thermal stability, and computed bond dissociation energies of tetraarylphosphonium-based mesothermal ionic liquids bearing a quinoline ring system
• Cassity, C. A., Siu, B., Soltani, M., McGeeHee, J. L., Strickland, K. J., Vo, M., Salter, E. A., Stenson, A. C., Wierzbicki, A., West, K. N., Rabideau, B. D., Davis, J. H. (2017). The effect of structural modifications on the thermal stability, melting points and ion interactions for a series of tetraarylphosphonium-based mesothermal ionic liquids. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 19(47), 31560-31571.
• Soltani, M., Siu, B., Salter, E. A., Wierzbicki, A., West, K. N., Davis, J. H. (2017). Synthesis, thermal stability, and computed bond dissociation energies of tetraarylphosphonium-based mesothermal ionic liquids bearing a quinoline ring system. Tetrahedron Letters, 58(49), 4628-4631.
• Benchea, A., Siu, B., McCants, J., Soltani, M., Salter, E. A., Wierzbicki, A., West, K. N., Davis, J. H. (2017). An evaluation of anion suitability for use in ionic liquids with long-term, high-temperature thermal stability. New Journal of Chemistry, 41, 7844-7848.
• Siu, B., Cassity, C. G., Benchea, A., Strickland, K. J., Wierzbicki, A., Sykora, R. E., Salter, E. A., O'Brien, R. A., West, K. N., Davis, J. H. (2017). Thermally Robust: Triarylsulfonium ionic liquids stable in air for 90 days at 300C. RSC Advances, 7, 7623–7630.
• Thigpen, A. S., Nestor, S. T., O'Brien, R. A., S. M., Y. S., Davis, J. H., West, K. N., Mirjafari, A. (2017) Thioether−Functionalized Picolinium Ionic Liquids: Click Synthesis and Thermophysical Characterizations for use as Lubricants. New Journal of Chemistry, 41, 1625-1630.
• Langham, J. V., O'Brien, R. A., Davis, J. H., West, K. N. (2016). Solubility of CO2 and N2O in an Imidazolium-Based Lipidic Ionic Liquid. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 120(40), 10524-10530.

For a complete list of publications, please see CV.

Courses

• EG 270 Engineering Thermodynamics
• ChE 331 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I
• ChE 332 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II
• ChE 351 Process Measurements Lab I
• CHE 390/490 Special Topics
• CHE 463 Simulation of Chemical Process
• CHE 499 Honors Senior Project
• ChE 510 Thermodynamics of Chem Systems