Address:
Department of Chemistry
West Virginia Wesleyan College
59 College Avenue
Buckhannon, WV 26201

Office: 318 Christopher Hall of Science
Phone: 304-473-8071
Email: wovchko@wvwc.edu

Post Doctoral Experience and Previous Appointments:

Research Assistant – Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee – summer 2004

Nanoscale Science, Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Electronics Group

Assistant Professor of Chemistry – Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA – 2000-2003

Lecturer in Chemistry – Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA – 1998-2003

Courses Taught at WVWC:

Physical Chemistry and Laboratory  [junior/senior level]

Advanced Inorganic Chemistry and Laboratory [junior/senior level]

Principles of Chemistry & Laboratory [accelerated freshmen/sophomore level]

Experimental Design [junior/senior level]

Chemistry Seminar [senior level, current literature, scientific writing]

Independent Study/Research [junior/senior level]

Introduction to Chemistry & Laboratory [non-science major chemistry]

General Chemistry [introductory general, organic, and biochemistry]

Summary of Research Interests: 

Ed Wovchko’s research is experimental physical and inorganic chemistry specializing in the analysis of fundamental chemical processes occurring on the surfaces of high area materials using spectroscopy, ultrahigh vacuum techniques, and flow systems.  Ed is interested in developing synthetic routes using heterogeneous photocatalysts, studying the surface chemistry of novel materials, investigating the thermal destruction of hazardous molecules on solid adsorbents, and photochemical water splitting.  For more information, click here.

Presentations:  (beginning with most recent)

ACS 56^th  Southeastern Regional Meeting; Research Triangle Park, NC; Nov. 10 – Nov. 13, 2004.  The Search for Synthetic Routes Using Heterogeneous Photocatalysts - Rh(CO)₂ Surface PhotochemistryPhotochemical.  E. A. Wovchko, J. Lee (BMC undergraduate), X. Wang (BMC graduate student).

Poster presentation at ACS 56^th  Southeastern Regional Meeting; Research Triangle Park, NC; Nov. 10 – Nov. 13, 2004.  Performance Assessment of a New Variable Temperature Infrared Cell for Powdered Catalysts and High Area Materials.  D. Wentz (WVWC undergraduate), E. A. Wovchko.

Poster presentation at ACS 56^th  Southeastern Regional Meeting; Research Triangle Park, NC; Nov. 10 – Nov. 13, 2004.  Photocatalytic Degradation of Hazardous Molecules on TiO₂.  N. Omori (WVWC undergraduate), E. A. Wovchko.

Poster presentation at 19th Consecutive American Chemical Society Pittsburgh Section Student Affiliates Meeting, April 24, 2004, Duquesne University, Performance Assessment of a New Variable Temperature Infrared Cell for Powdered Catalysts and High Area Materials. D. Wentz (WVWC undergraduate) E.A. Wovchko 

Poster presentation at 14th Annual Saint Joseph's University Sigma Xi Student Research Symposium, April 11, 2003, Philadelphia, PA. Photodecomposition of Rh^I(CO)₂ Species Supported on Dealuminated Y Zeolite - A Surface Oscillation Reaction.  X. Wang (BMC graduate student) E.A. Wovchko

Swarthmore College Department of Chemistry Fall 2002 Colloquium, Swarthmore, PA; September 26, 2002.  The Search for Synthetic Routes Using Heterogeneous Photocatalysts.  E.A. Wovchko

224^th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 18-22, 2002.  2002 ACS Graduate School Recruitment Session – Graduate Program in Chemistry at Bryn Mawr College.  E.A. Wovchko

Haverford College Department of Chemistry Spring 2002 Colloquium, Haverford, PA; February 6, 2002.  The Search for Synthetic Routes Using Heterogeneous Photocatalysts – Rh(CO)₂ Surface Chemistry.  E.A. Wovchko

Bryn Mawr College Science Summer 2000 Research Symposium, Bryn Mawr, PA; June 21, 2000. Bond Activation in Molecules Using Photochemically Generated Catalyst Sites - Rh(CO)₂ Surface Chemistry.  E.A. Wovchko

219^th ACS National Meeting; San Francisco, CA; March 26-29, 2000.  Chemical Bond Activation on Photochemically Generated Sites.  J.T. Yates, Jr., E.A Wovchko, T. Zubkov

ACS 30^th  Central Regional Meeting; Cleveland, OH; May 27 - May 29, 1998.  Photochemical Activation of CO₂ on a Supported Rh^I(CO)₂ Catalyst.  E. A. Wovchko, J.T. Yates, Jr.

Union Carbide Technical Center, South Charleston, WV - 1996. Bond Activation in Molecules Using Photochemically Generated Catalyst Sites - Rh^I(CO)₂/Al₂O₃ Surface Chemistry;        E.A. Wovchko, J.T. Yates, Jr.

Poster presentation at 1995 MRC "Frontiers in Materials Science - 1995", Pittsburgh, PA.  Bond Activation on Photochemically Generated Sites. E.A. Wovchko, J.T. Yates, Jr.

Poster presentation at 1994 MRS meeting, Boston, MA.  Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 1995, 358, 399.  J.A. Glass, Jr.; E. A. Wovchko; J.T. Yates, Jr.

List of Publications:  (chronologically ordered)

1.      Active Sites on SiO₂ - Role in CH₃OH Decomposition, Wovchko, E.A.; Camp, J.C.; Glass, J.A., Jr.; Yates, J.T., Jr. Langmuir  1995, 11, 2592.

2.      Decomposition of CCl₄ on CaO, Koper, O.B.; Wovchko, E.A.; Glass, J.A, Jr.; Yates, J.T., Jr.; Klabunde, K.J. Langmuir  1995, 11, 2054.

3.      FTIR Studies of CH₃OH on Porous Silicon, Glass, J.A., Jr.; Wovchko, E.A.; Yates, J.T., Jr. Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 1995, 358, 399.

4.      Reaction of Methanol with Porous Silicon, Glass, J.A., Jr.; Wovchko, E.A.; Yates, J.T., Jr. Surf. Sci. 1995, 338, 125.

5.      The Heterogeneous Photochemical Activation of H₂ - Photoreduction of Rh^I(CO)₂/Al₂O₃ by H₂, Wovchko, E.A.; Yates, J.T., Jr. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 12557.

6.      Reaction of Atomic Hydrogen with Hydrogenated Porous Silicon - Detection of Precursor to Silane Formation, Glass, J.A., Jr.; Wovchko, E.A.; Yates, J.T., Jr. Surf. Sci. 1996, 348, 325.

7.      Nitrogen Chemisorption on Coordinatively Unsaturated Rh^I site on Al₂O₃, Wovchko, E.A.; Yates, J.T., Jr. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 10250.

8.      Active Sites on Catalyst Surfaces as Studied by Infrared Spectroscopy, Yates, J.T., Jr.; Wovchko, E.A. proceedings of Second Australian Conference on Vibrational Spectroscopy  1996, Oct. 2-4, 90.

9.      FTIR Study of the Adsorption and Thermal Behavior of Vinyltriethoxysilane Chemisorbed on g-Al₂O₃, Kuznetsova, A.P.; Wovchko, E.A.; Yates, J.T., Jr. Langmuir  1997, 13, 5322.

10.     Reducing Radiation Damage in Raman Spectroscopy of Powdered Materials, Wovchko, E.A.; Yates, J.T., Jr.; Scheithauer, M.; Knözinger, H. Langmuir 1998, 14, 552.

11.     Photochemical Activation of CO₂ on Rh^I(CO)₂/Al₂O₃ – CO₂ Dissociation and Oxygen Atom Exchange, Wovchko, E.A.; Yates, J.T., Jr. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 7544.

12.     Activation of O₂ on a Photochemically generated Rh^I site on Al₂O₃ Surface - Low Temperature O₂ Dissociation and CO Oxidation, Wovchko, E.A.; Yates, J.T., Jr. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 10523.

13.     Electronic Excitation of Rh^I(CO)₂ Species on Al₂O₃ Surfaces - Photodissociation of the Rh^I-CO bond, Wovchko, E.A.; Zubkov, T.S.; Yates, J.T., Jr. J. Phys. Chem. B 1998, 102, 10535.

14.     Bond Activation in Molecules Using Photochemically Generated Catalyst Sites - Rh^I(CO)₂/Al₂O₃ Surface Chemistry, Wovchko, E.A.; Yates, J.T., Jr. review article Langmuir  1999, 15, 3506.

15.     Electronic Excitation of Rh^I(CO)₂ Species on Al₂O₃ Surfaces, Zubkov, T.S.; Wovchko, E.A.; Yates, J.T., Jr. J. Phys. Chem. B 1999, 103,5300.

16.     Infrared Spectroscopic Investigation of the Surface Reaction of Phosphorous Trifluoride on g-Al₂O₃, Wang, X.; Wovchko, E.A. Langmuir 2003, 19, 5295.

17.     Surface Photochemistry of Rh(CO)₂ on Zeolite Y – Production of a Stable Coordinatively Unsaturated Rhodium Monocarbonyl Surface Species at Room Temperature, Wang, X.; Wovchko, E.A. submitted to J. Phys. Chem. B.

18.     Wide Temperature Range Cell for Spectroscopic Analysis of Catalysts and High Area Materials Wovchko, E.A.; Wentz, D.J. in preparation.

19.     Photocatalytic Oxidation of CO on Supported Rhodium Catalysts Wovchko, E.A.; Lee, J.; Wang, X. in preparation.

M.A. Students (at Bryn Mawr College):

Undergraduate Research Students (at Bryn Mawr College and West Virginia Wesleyan):

Bryn Mawr College Service (2000-2003):

Machine Shop Staff Search Committee – Summer 2000

Science Node Computer Steering Committee – 2001-2003

Computational Scientist Search Committee – 2001-2002

Faculty Representative to the Honor Board – 2001-2002

Science Lab Committee –  Fall 2002

Bryn Mawr College Dining Services Cuisine Critic – 2002

Materials Chemist Search Committee (Haverford College) – 2002-2003

Committee on Independent Majors – 2002-2003

Major Chemistry Departmental Responsibilities (BMC 2000-2003):

Chemistry Colloquium Organization and Scheduling

Network Wiring Liaison

Inorganic/Physical Chemistry Laboratory Renovation Committee

Liquid Nitrogen and Gas Cylinder Handler

Chemistry Graduate Student Journal Club Facilitator

Experimental Physical Chemistry Laboratory Renovation Liaison

Undergraduate Research Presentations Coordinator – Fall 2002

      Undergraduate Research Poster Session Coordinator – Spring 2003

West Virginia Wesleyan Service (2003-present):

Junior Science & Humanities Symposium Judge and Laboratory Supervisor – Fall 2003

Trombonist in Concert Band – 2003-present

College Campus Activities Board Sponsored “Wesleyan Idol” Auditions Judge – Fall 2003

Spring Sing 2004 Judge – 2004

Assistant Professor of Athletic Training Search Committee – Spring 2004

Chair of Chemistry Department – 2004-present

Faculty Participant in Honors Retreat – Fall 2004

Faculty Co-sponsor of Benzene Ring (WVWC Chemistry Club) – 2003-present

Admission & Academic Standing Council – 2004-present

Christopher Hall of Science Renovation Committee – 2004-present

Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Program Faculty Representative – 2004-present