Plasma Foundry is dedicated to advancing plasma technologies for a wide range of applications, spanning energy, environmental solutions, materials science, and industrial processes. By harnessing the power of plasma, we develop innovative approaches for cleaner fuels, critical mineral processing, pollutant degradation, catalyst activation, and more. Our mission is to bridge fundamental research with real-world impact, driving technological progress through cutting-edge plasma applications.
The group
Project Manager
Dr. Tanguy Terlier
Tanguy G. D. Terlier earned his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA-Leti), where he focused on ToF-SIMS analysis of organic multilayers for electronic applications. He later worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Korean Institute of Science & Technology, developing advanced 3D reconstruction methods combining ToF-SIMS and AFM. Currently, he is a research scientist at Rice University’s Shared Equipment Authority, managing the elemental and material analysis facilities, including SIMS, ICP-MS/OES, and AFM. He also serves as Lead Project Engineer for the Woodside-Rice Decarbonization Accelerator, focusing on plasma catalysis for greenhouse gas conversion. Dr. Terlier is an elected chair of the AVS Applied Surface Science Division and Vice-President of the North America SIMS Society.
Research Scientists
Dr. Xiang Zhang
Dr. Zhang is an Assistant Research Professor in Materials Science and NanoEngineering. He completed his B.S. in Applied Physics at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), where he initiated his research on graphene synthesis. He earned his Ph.D. at Rice University under the guidance of Prof. Pulickel M. Ajayan, focusing on two-dimensional nanomaterials. Dr. Zhang’s research includes the synthesis, characterization, and applications of two-dimensional nanomaterials and their heterostructures. He also has expertise in diamond growth through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and exploring a range of diamond applications across various fields. His recent work involves developing advanced plasma techniques for sustainable materials and decarbonization, such as carbon growth, metal refining, and battery waste recycling.
Dr. Heeseon Kim
Dr. Kim earned her B.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, specializing in gas reforming using catalysts and microwave plasma. In 2024, she joined Rice University as a Research Scientist with the Woodside-Rice Decarbonization Accelerator. Previously, she worked as a Research Engineer at ReCarbon, Inc. in Santa Clara and Fremont, California, where she contributed to developing microwave plasma technology for converting greenhouse gases into valuable products. Throughout her career, she has been involved in technology development across TRL levels 1 to 8 in the field of microwave plasma. Her current research at Rice focuses on developing scalable plasma-based methods for CO₂ decomposition.
Dr. Rajagopalan V Ranganathan
He has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, a master’s in automotive technology, and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Alabama, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and College of Engineering Guindy. After his doctoral studies, he continued his research at the University of Tennessee and Idaho National Lab. Before his doctoral studies, he worked as a professional in the Research and Development department of the automotive power train of an Original Equipment Manufacturer for 7 years. He is currently a research scientist at the Woodside-Rice decarbonization accelerator.
Dr. Soumendu Roy
Dr. Roy is a materials chemist specializing in nanoparticle-based catalysts for energy applications. He earned his PhD from IISER Pune, India, working on plasmonic nanoparticle-based catalysts for photocatalytic redox reactions. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of St. Andrews, he worked on dynamic covalent nanoparticles at the interface of nanochemistry and supramolecular chemistry. In 2022, he was awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship and joined TU Dresden, Germany, to work on noble metal nanoparticle aerogels for electrocatalysis. He is a Research Scientist at the Woodside-Rice Decarbonization Accelerator, developing nanoparticle-based catalysts for plasma-driven decarbonization technology.
Post Docs and graduate students
Hao Zhang obtained his B.S. degree from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 2018. He then joined the Materials Physics for Energy Management (MPEM) group at Rice University through the Applied Physics PhD program. He received his PhD in May 2024, and continued his research as a postdoctoral associate in MPEM group. His current research investigates the photo-physical properties and structural dynamics of perovskites and low-dimensional materials, as well as the optical spectroscopic diagnosis of CO2 plasma towards efficient CO2 conversion.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Andrew Lin completed a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a B.M. in Music Performance at The University of Kentucky in 2023. In his undergrad, he focused on vacuum membrane distillation and applications towards spacesuit cooling. Andrew is a pathways rotational student at NASA’s Johnson Space Center with interest in the design of life support systems and in-situ resource utilization technologies. His current research focuses on decarbonization techniques utilizing plasma conversion of CO2.
PhD student in Chemical Engineering
Shawn is a first-year PhD student in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He completed his bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering at Purdue University in 2024. He is interested in understanding different pathways of plasma-assisted CO2 conversion and building plasma reactor infrastructure.
PhD student in Chemical Engineering
Oksana Kim earned her M.Sc. in Chemistry from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia in 2023. Her previous research focused on CO2 hydrogenation into value-added chemicals under supercritical conditions. She is a Ph.D. student in Chemistry program co-advised by Dr. Aditya Mohite and Dr. Matthew Jones. Her current research interests focus on catalyst design for plasma conversion of CO2.
PhD student in Chemistry
Guillermo Aleman Dominguez earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Mexico. During his undergraduate studies, he specialized in renewable energy, focusing on the synthesis, development, and numerical modeling of photovoltaic devices. He also gained research experience in process simulation and the application of neural networks for process optimization. Currently, he is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. As a member of the MPEM group, his research explores the computational simulation and experimental decomposition of CO₂ through plasma chemical reactions.
PhD student in Chemical Engineering