Specialties

Michael J. Zdilla

Professor
Inorganic
Office: SERC 656
Phone: 215-204-7886
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Biography

2005-2009

2005

2000

Selected Awards
Postdoctoral researcher, Purdue University

Ph.D. Princeton University

B.S. Millersville University

Camille Dreyfus Teacher Scholar.  Robert L. Smith Early Career Chair in Chemistry.  Office of Naval Research Young Investigator.  National Science Foundation CAREER Award.

Interests

The Zdilla group is interested in several problems at the interface of inorganic chemistry with other subdisciplines, including biology, energy, and nanotechnology. Most of our work is centered around the use of multi-metal systems for various applications, including green catalysis, materials precursors, solid electrolytes, energetic materials, and biological model systems. The group specializes in inorganic synthesis, air-free handling, and X-ray crystallography. 

Select Publications

Ding, R.; Yasini, P.; Peng, H.; Perdew, J. P.; Borguet, E.; Zdilla, M. J. Reimagining the eg1 Electronic State in Oxygen Evolution Catalysis: Oxidation-State-Modulated Superlattices as a New Type of Heterostructure for Maximizing Catalysis. Adv. Energ. Mater. 2021, 11, 2101636. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202101636  
 
Zybin, S. V.; Morozov, S. I.; Prakash, P.; Zdilla, M. J.; Goddard, W. A. Reaction Mechanism and Energetics of Decomposition of Tetrakis(1,3-dimethyltetrazol-5-imidoperchloratomanganese(II)) from Quantum-Mechanics-based Reactive Dynamics. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 16960-16975. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c04847 
 
Prakash, P. Ardhra, S Fall, B; Zdilla, M.J.; Wunder, S. L.; Venkatnathan, A. Solvate sponge crystals of (DMF)3NaClO4: reversible pressure/temperature controlled juicing in a melt/press-castable sodium-ion conductor. Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 5574-5581. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0SC06455F  

O’Sullivan, O. T.; Zdilla, M. J. Properties and Promise of Catenated Nitrogen Systems as High-Energy-Density Materials. Chem. Rev. 2020. 120, 5682–5744.  
 
Vaddypally, S.; Kiselev, V. G.; Byrne, A. N.;  Goldsmith, C. F.; Zdilla, M. J. Transition-metal-mediated reduction and reversible double-cyclization of cyanuric triazide to an asymmetric bitetrazolate involving cleavage of the six-membered aromatic ring. Chem. Sci. 2021. Advance view. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0SC04949B

Fall, B.; Prakash, P.; Gau, M. R.; Wunder, S. L.; Venkatnathan, A.; Zdilla, M. J. Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of the Ion Conduction Mechanism of Tris (adiponitrile) perchloratosodium, a Self-Binding, Melt-Castable Crystalline Sodium Electrolyte. Chem. Mater. 2019. 31, 8850-8863. 

​Vaddypally, S.; Tomlinson, W.; O'Sullivan, O. T.; Ding, R.; Van Vliet, M; Wayland, B. B.; Hooper, J. P.; Zdilla, M. J. Activation of CH, NH, and OH bonds via proton-coupled electron transfer to a Mn (III) complex of redox-noninnocent octaazacyclotetradecadiene, a catenated-nitrogen macrocyclic ligand. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 5699-5709.

McKendry, I. G.; Mohamad, L. J.; Thenuwara, A. C.; Marshall, T.; Borguet, E.; Strongin, D. R.; Zdilla, M. J. “Synergistic In-layer Cobalt Doping and Interlayer Iron Intercalation Into Layered MnO2 Produces an Efficient Water Oxidation Electrocatalyst. ” ACS Energy Letters. 2018. 3, 2280-228.

Prakash, P.; Aguirre, J.; Van Vliet, M. M.; Chinnam. P. R.; Dikin, D. A.; Zdilla, M. J.; Wunder, S. L.; Venkatnathan, A. “Unravelling the structural and dynamical complexity of the equilibrium liquid grain-binding layer in highly conductive organic crystalline electrolytes.”  J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018, 6, 4394-4404.