Chao-Yang (Joe) Hsu has experience in research on and commercial practice of catalytic reactions for the synthesis and manufacture of specialty and commodity chemicals and petroleum products. He is the inventor of a new class of highly active solid superacid catalysts. His experience as a chemistry teacher in Taiwan and the USA enables him clearly to describe the principles and practice of chemistry to non-specialist audiences. Joe is fluent in translation of technical materials to and from Chinese.

Joe joined the Research and Development Department of Sunoco Inc. in 1978, where he advanced to the position of Principal Scientist. Previously, he held positions with Northern Natural Gas and Arco Chemicals.

His research activities have led to forty patents related to homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis and associated with novel process and product research and development in commodity chemicals, specialty chemicals, petrochemicals, fuels, and lube science. Areas of research experience include reductive and oxidative carbonylation, hydrogenation, oxidation, isomerization, hydroformylation, oligomerization, dehydrogenation, catalytic cracking, and hydro treating. Selected projects include:

• Development to pilot plant stage of a novel liquid-phase process for butane isomerization.

• Invention of a class of solid superacid catalysts, followed by development of multiple applications in petroleum refining.

• Invention of processes for oxidative carbonylation of ethylene to succinates, styrene to cinnamates, and methanol to carbonates.

Joe holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry and MS in Physical Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati. He earned his BS from the National Taiwan Normal University. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the New York Academy of Science, The Organic Reaction Catalysis Society, and the Philadelphia Catalysis Club.

This page was last updated March 25, 2009