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Sanjaya Senanayake

Chemist, Catalysis: Reactivity and Structure Group, Chemistry Division

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Chemistry Division
Bldg. 555
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-4343
ssenanay@bnl.gov

Sanjaya Senanayake is a PI in the Catalysis: Reactivity and Structure (CRS) Group and leads experimental investigations in surface science and heterogeneous catalysis for C-1 (CO₂, CO, CH₄) activation and in the synthesis of fuels. His main research interests are in the fundamental understanding of chemical transformations over surfaces of catalysts, enabled by the use of advanced experimental methods (imaging, spectroscopy and scattering) based on X-rays and electrons to elucidate active catalytic chemistry.

Research Activities

Catalysis: Reactivity and Structure

Research Interests

Heterogeneous Catalysis, surface science, synchrotron techniques, electron microscopy, nanoparticles, metal oxide chemistry, model and powder catalysts.

Education

Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chemistry, 2006
The University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Bachelor of Technology in Materials with Honours (B.Tech. (Hons)), 2001
The University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Professional Appointments

Chemist with Tenure, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)
The Chemistry Division, 2020-Present

Chemist, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)
The Chemistry Division, 2018-2020

Associate Chemist, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)
The Department of Chemistry, 2014-2018

Assistant Chemist, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)
The Department of Chemistry, 2012-2014

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)
The Department of Chemistry, Sept 2008 - 2012.

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Chemical Sciences Division, Aug 2005 - 2008.

Selected Publications

Liu Z, Huang E, Orozco I, Liao W, Palomino RM, Rui N, Duchon T, Nemšák S, Grinter DC, Mahapatra M, Liu P, Rodriguez JA, Senanayake SD (2020) Water-promoted interfacial pathways in methane oxidation to methanol on a CeO 2 -Cu 2 O catalyst. Science 368:513–517. doi: 10.1126/science.aba5005
Rodriguez JA, Remesal ER, Ramírez PJ, Orozco I, Liu Z, Graciani J, Senanayake SD, Sanz JF (2019) Water–Gas Shift Reaction on K/Cu(111) and Cu/K/TiO2(110) Surfaces: Alkali Promotion of Water Dissociation and Production of H2. ACS Catalysis 9:10751–10760. doi: 10.1021/acscatal.9b03922
Liu Z, Zhang F, Rui N, Li X, Lin L, Betancourt LE, Su D, Xu W, Cen J, Attenkofer K, Idriss H, Rodriguez JA, Senanayake SD (2019) Highly Active Ceria-Supported Ru Catalyst for the Dry Reforming of Methane: In Situ Identification of Ruδ+–Ce3+ Interactions for Enhanced Conversion. ACS Catalysis 9:3349–3359. doi: 10.1021/acscatal.8b05162
Lin L, Yao S, Liu Z, Zhang F, Li N, Vovchok D, Martínez-Arias A, Castañeda R, Lin J, Senanayake SD, Su D, Ma D, Rodriguez JA (2018) In Situ Characterization of Cu/CeO2 Nanocatalysts for CO2 Hydrogenation: Morphological Effects of Nanostructured Ceria on the Catalytic Activity. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 122:12934–12943. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b03596
Liu Z, Lustemberg P, Gutiérrez RA, Carey JJ, Palomino RM, Vorokhta M, Grinter DC, Ramírez PJ, Matolín V, Nolan M, Ganduglia-Pirovano MV, Senanayake SD, Rodriguez JA (2017) In Situ Investigation of Methane Dry Reforming on Metal/Ceria(111) Surfaces: Metal-Support Interactions and C−H Bond Activation at Low Temperature. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 56:13041–13046. doi: 10.1002/anie.201707538
Graciani J, Mudiyanselage K, Xu F, Baber AE, Evans J, Senanayake SD, Stacchiola DJ, Liu P, Hrbek J, Sanz JF, Rodriguez JA (2014) Highly active copper-ceria and copper-ceria-titania catalysts for methanol synthesis from CO 2. Science 345:546–550. doi: 10.1126/science.1253057
Mudiyanselage K, Senanayake SD, Feria L, Kundu S, Baber AE, Graciani J, Vidal AB, Agnoli S, Evans J, Chang R, Axnanda S, Liu Z, Sanz JF, Liu P, Rodriguez JA, Stacchiola DJ (2013) Importance of the Metal–Oxide Interface in Catalysis: In Situ Studies of the Water–Gas Shift Reaction by Ambient-Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 52:5101–5105. doi: 10.1002/anie.201210077
Senanayake SD, Stacchiola D, Rodriguez JA (2013) Unique Properties of Ceria Nanoparticles Supported on Metals: Novel Inverse Ceria/Copper Catalysts for CO Oxidation and the Water-Gas Shift Reaction. Accounts of Chemical Research 46:1702–1711. doi: 10.1021/ar300231p
Xu W, Si R, Senanayake SD, Llorca J, Idriss H, Stacchiola D, Hanson JC, Rodriguez JA (2012) In situ studies of CeO2-supported Pt, Ru, and Pt–Ru alloy catalysts for the water–gas shift reaction: Active phases and reaction intermediates. Journal of Catalysis 291:117–126. doi: 10.1016/j.jcat.2012.04.013
Senanayake SD, Sadowski JT, Evans J, Kundu S, Agnoli S, Yang F, Stacchiola D, Flege JI, Hrbek J, Rodriguez JA (2012) Nanopattering in CeOx/Cu(111): A New Type of Surface Reconstruction and Enhancement of Catalytic Activity. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 3:839–843. doi: 10.1021/jz300159p
Senanayake SD, Evans J, Agnoli S, Barrio L, Chen T-L, Hrbek J, Rodriguez JA (2011) Water–Gas Shift and CO Methanation Reactions over Ni–CeO2(111) Catalysts. Topics in Catalysis 54:34–41. doi: 10.1007/s11244-011-9645-6