Ben Miller has been working with Dr. Peter Crozier since the summer of 2009.
As an undergraduate, Ben researched surface plasmon resonances in metal nanoparticles, which allow these particles to absorb significantly more light than a simple geometric analysis would predict possible. Ben pursued the potential for these nanoparticles to be used as light harvesters for photocatalysis, a process in which solar energy is converted and stored in a chemical fuel.
Ben continued to work in Peter Crozier’s group during his masters degree, pursuing a related, but distinct project involving environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM). The ETEM at ASU has been used to study catalysts at the atomic scale, by mimicking the conditions present when the catalyst is in use. F
or his masters thesis Ben designed and built an addition to the ETEM at ASU which allows the sample to be illuminated with UV and visible light while it is being imaged at the atomic scale, thus allowing detailed studies of photocatalysts under conditions they might experience in real-world use.
In the Fall of 2012, Ben declined offers from UC Berkeley and UC Davis to continue working toward his PhD with Peter Crozier at ASU. His current work involves the development of techniques for Operando TEM of catalysts. Ben uses electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) as well as mass spectrometry to monitor the products formed as catalytic reactions like CO oxidation proceed inside the TEM, while simultaneously observing the catalyst at the atomic scale. Ben hopes to finish his dissertation by December 2015.
In addition to his research, Ben is actively involved in his church, leading a Bible study each week. Ben spent his teen years living on a farm in rural Idaho, and loves the outdoors, hiking, camping, and canoeing.
Publications/Presentations
Peer Reviewed Journal Publications
B.K. Miller, T.M. Barker, P.A. Crozier. “Novel sample preparation for operando TEM of catalysts” Ultramicroscopy 156. 2015 18-22. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2015.05.003
B.K. Miller and P.A.Crozier, “Analysis of Catalytic Gas Products Using Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy and Residual Gas Analysis for Operando Transmission Electron Microscopy” Microscopy and Microanalysis 20(3), 2014 815-824. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1431927614000749
L. Zhang, B.K. Miller, P.A. Crozier, “Atomic Level In Situ Observation of Surface Amorphization in Anatase Nanocrystals During Light Irradiation in Water Vapor” Nano Letters 13, 2013 679–684. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nl304333h
B.K. Miller and P.A.Crozier, “System for In Situ UV-Visible Illumination of ETEM Samples” Microscopy and Microanalysis 19(2), 2013 461-469. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1431927612014122
Professional Presentations
“Resolving Surface Structures of Catalytic Ru Nanoparticles during Catalysis” Microscopy and Microanalysis, Portland, 2015
“In Situ and Operando TEM of Catalyst Nanomaterials” XXV Brazilian Congress of Microscopy, Buzios, Brazil, 2015
“Operando TEM of CO Oxidation Catalyst by Quantification of Gaseous Reaction Products” 18th international microscopy congress, Prague, Czech Republic, 2014
“Operando TEM of Ru/RuO2 catalyst performing co oxidation” microscopy and microanalysis,Hartford, 2014
“Operando Tem of catalysts by in-situ mass spectrometry” microscopy and microanalysis, Indianapolis, 2013
“Progress toward operando TEM using EELS” microscopy and microanalysis, Indianapolis, 2013
“Operando TEM for Detection of Catalysis using Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy” North American Catalysis Society Meeting, Louisville, 2013
“In Situ Visible and UV Illumination of ETEM Samples” Microscopy and Microanalysis, Phoenix, 2012.
“Visible and UV Irradiation of ETEM Samples for In-Situ Studies of Photocatalysts” Microscopy and Microanalysis, Nashville, 2011.
Published Conference Proceedings
B.K. Miller, P.A. Crozier, “Operando TEM by Quantification of Gaseous Reaction Products” 24th North American Catalysis Society Meeting, 2015
B.K. Miller, P.A. Crozier, “Operando TEM Studies of Ru Nanoparticles for CO Oxidation” 24th North American Catalysis Society Meeting, 2015
B.K. Miller and P.A. Crozier, “Operando TEM of Ru Catalysts for CO Oxidation”, Materials Research Society Meeting, Spring 2015.
B.K. Miller, P.A. Crozier, “Operando TEM of Ru/RuO2 Catalyst Performing CO Oxidation” Microscopy and Microanalysis 20(Suppl 3), 2014 1564-1565.
B.K. Miller, T.M. Barker, P.A. Crozier, “Novel Sample Preparation for Operando TEM Studies” Microscopy and Microanalysis 20(Suppl 3), 2014 1622-1623.
B.K. Miller, L Zhang, P.A. Crozier, “Light Irradiation of ETEM Samples for In-Situ Studies of Photocatalysts” 18th International Microscopy Congress, 2014
B.K. Miller, P.A. Crozier, “Operando TEM of CO Oxidation Catalyst by Quantification of Gaseous Reaction Products” 18th International Microscopy Congress, 2014
B.K. Miller, P.A. Crozier, “Operando TEM of Catalysts by In Situ Mass Spectrometry” Microscopy and Microanalysis 19(Suppl 2), 2013 1672-1673.
B.K. Miller, P.A. Crozier, “Progress Toward Operando TEM using EELS” Microscopy and Microanalysis 19(Suppl 2), 2013 460-461.
B.K. Miller, S. Chenna, P.A. Crozier, “Operando TEM for Detection of Catalysis using Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy” 23rd North American Catalysis Society Meeting, 2013
B.K. Miller, S. Chenna, P.A. Crozier, “On the Fly Determination of Gas Compositions Inside an ETEM Reaction Cell” Microscopy and Microanalysis 18 (Suppl 2), 2012 1152-1153.
B.K. Miller, P.A. Crozier, “In Situ Visible and UV Illumination of ETEM Samples” Microscopy and Microanalysis 18 (Suppl 2), 2012 1074-1075
B.K. Miller, S. Santra, L. Zhang and P.A. Crozier, “In-Situ Environmental TEM Characterization of Semiconductor Photocatalysts under UV/Visible Irradiation”, 15th International Congress on Catalysis, 2012.
B.K. Miller and P.A. Crozier, “In Situ Nanoscale Observation of Photocatalysts under Visible and UV Irradiation”, Materials Research Society Meeting, 2012.
B.K. Miller, S. Santra, L. Zhang and P.A. Crozier, “Atomic Scale In Situ Observations of Photocatalysts for Solar Fuels”, Materials Research Society Meeting, Spring 2011.
B.K. Miller and P.A. Crozier, (2011) “Visible and UV Irradiation of ETEM Samples for In-Situ Studies of Photocatalysts”, Microscopy and Microanalysis 17 (Suppl 2), 2011 472-473.