Welcome
Dai-Phat Bui has been starting his research career in the fields of Chemical and Materials Engineering. He is currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Oklahoma. His research is focused on fabricating, investigating, and applying advanced catalysts and photocatalysts with exceptional properties for energy and environmental applications, such as hydrogen evolution, detoxification, and polymer upcycling. He is dedicated to uncovering reaction mechanisms and kinetics, designing tunable catalysts, and developing evaluation indexes to drive innovation in these crucial areas. As an Intern at the Air Force Research Laboratory, he is part of the Space Scholars Program, focusing on mechanistic studies of catalysis in the gas phase.
Beyond his research pursuits, Dai-Phat is also a dedicated supporter of the community in environmental sustainability, health, and education. Serving as a 74D CBRN Specialist in the US Army, he plays a critical role in protecting our nation from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, applying his advanced training in hazmat operations. He also holds the position of President of the VEF Fellows Association (VEFFA), where he works tirelessly to help Vietnamese students gain access to PhD programs in the United States through the VEF 2.0 program conducted by the Fellows and Scholars of the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF, USA).
Dai-Phat Bui
Info
Research Interests
• Plasma (Solar fuels, Propulsion systems, Directed energy)
• Catalysis (Kinetics, Catalysts, Photocatalysts)
• Green chemistry (Water treatment, Plastic upcycling, H₂ evolution, DeNOx, DeVOCs)
• Materials synthesis (Single atoms, Nanotubes, Nanomaterials)
Experience
• NREIP Fall Virtual Engagement Intern – U.S. Naval Research Laboratory — 10/2025 – 11/2025
• AFRL Scholar Intern – Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) — 06/2025 – 08/2025
• AFRL Scholar Intern – RV, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) — 06/2024 – 08/2024
• Chemical Operations Specialist – U.S. Army Reserve — 06/2023 – Present
• Research Assistant – University of Oklahoma (OU) — 01/2021 – Present
Education
• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, University of Oklahoma (GPA: 3.53/4.00) — 01/2021 – 04/2026 (Expected)
• B.S. in Materials Science, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City — 09/2014 – 09/2018
Certifications
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt – Council for Six Sigma Certification (CSSC)
• HazMat Awareness and Operations – DOD & National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications
• CAS 2023 Top 100 Future Leaders – Chemical Abstracts Service
Skills
• Analytical: NMR, XRD, XPS, DRS, PL, EDS, SEM, TEM, DSC-TGA, GC-MS, FTIR, Raman, UV-Vis
• Synthesis: Sol-gel, Hydrothermal, Redox, Incipient Wetness Impregnation
• Reactions: Hydrogenation, Hydrodeoxygenation
• Kinetics & Modeling: Parr reactor, Semi-batch reactor, High vacuum flow tube
• Computational: DFT (Gaussian, GaussView)
• Software: OriginLab, ImageJ, Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop
• Coding: Python
• Military: Chemical Operations, Active DOD Secret Clearance
Honors & Awards
• NRC Research Associateship (2026)
• Ken Starling Endowed Scholarship (2025)
• Chevron Engineering Graduate Scholarship (2023)
• CAS Future Leaders (2023)
Publications
(Total citations: 973, h-index: 18 – recorded by Google Scholar on 09/01/2025)
Journal Articles
2025
25. Dai-Phat Bui; Shuheng Wang; Laura A. Gomez; Tahmid Karim; Thomas Salas; Samira Abdolbaghi; Kevin Nelson; Lance L. Lobban; Steven P. Crossley; Self-Cleaning Catalysts Enable Recycling of Multilayered Plastic Films, Green Chemistry, 2025 (Link)
24. Luis Trevisi; Mohammad Reza Razzaghi; Ana Carolina Jerdy; Dai-Phat Bui; Steven P. Crossley; Lance L. Lobban*; Dehydration of Poly (vinyl alcohol-co-ethylene) Over Zeolites, Catalysis Letters, 2025. (Link)
2024
23. Dai-Phat Bui; Laura A. Gomez; Ismael Alalq; Luis Trevisi; Ana Carolina Jerdy; Han K. Chau; Lance L. Lobban; Steven P. Crossley; Selective deoxygenation of polar polymers using metal supported on TiO2 nanotubes, Catalysis Science & Technology, 2024 (Link)
22. Pho Phuong Ly; Duc‐Viet Nguyen; Tuyen Anh Luu; Nguyen Quang Hung; Pham Thi Hue; Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hue; Minh‐Thuan Pham; Thuy Dieu Thi Ung; Do Danh Bich; Pham Duc Minh Phan; Nguyen Hoai Anh; Huynh Phuoc Toan; Dai‐Phat Bui; Vinh‐Ai Dao; Seung Hyun Hur; Hoai‐Thanh Vuong; Insights into Molten Salts Induced Structural Defects in Graphitic Carbon Nitrides for Piezo-Photocatalysis with Multiple H2O2 Production Channels, Advanced Sustainable Systems, 2024 (Link)
2023
21. Han K Chau; Hien D Mai; Abhishek Gumidyala; Tram N Pham; Dai-Phat Bui; Andrew D D’Amico; Ismaeel Alalq; Daniel T Glatzhofer; Jeffery L White; Steven P Crossley; Effect of Water on Cumene Dealkylation over H-ZSM-5 Zeolites, ACS Catalysis, 2023 (Link)
20. Jenna R Holt; Dai-Phat Bui; Han Chau; Kathy Wang; Luis M Trevisi; Ana Carolina Roncoli Jerdy; Lance Lobban; Steven Crossley; Adam Feltz; Development of an objective measure of knowledge of plastic recycling: The outcomes of plastic recycling knowledge scale (OPRKS), Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2023 (Link)
19. Pham Duc Minh Phan; Duc-Viet Nguyen; Nguyen Hoai Anh; Huynh Phuoc Toan; Pho Phuong Ly; Dai-Phat Bui; Seung Hyun Hur; Thuy Dieu Thi Ung; Do Danh Bich; Hoai-Thanh Vuong; S-Scheme Heterostructured CdS/g-C3N4 Nanocatalysts for Piezo-Photocatalytic Synthesis of H2O2, ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2023 (Link)
18. Han K. Chau; Quy P. Nguyen; Ana Carolina Jerdy; Dai-Phat Bui; Lance L. Lobban, Bin Wang; Steven P. Crossley; Role of Water on Zeolite-Catalyzed Dehydration of Polyalcohols and EVOH Polymer, ACS Catalysis, 2023 (Link)
Gallery
Contact
Please fill the form below or email me at daiphatbui301196[@]gmail[dot]com for further discussion on works and collaborations.
Thank you,
Dai-Phat Bui.