ABSTRACT Kirk Schulz This is an investigation of the variations in reactivity for desulfurization of several alkyl and cyclic organosulfur compounds on model molybdenum sulfide catalysts as a function of surface conductivity. Among issues addressed are selectivity changes as a function of surface conductivity, the catalytic activity of sulfur vacancies, the correlation of surface conductivity with catalytic activity of sulfide materials, and the similarities and differences between sulfided single crystals and single crystals of sulfides. The issues addressed in this study are important in extending the very successful empirical technology for desulfurizing crude oil to other systems such as flue gas and wastewater. This is a Faculty Early Career Development award. It includes an effort to introduce a "writing-across-the curriculum" (WAC) program to improve presentation skills of chemical engineering undergraduates, the development of a tool to assess writing skills, and the application of this tool to assess the effectiveness of this approach. ***
