Grad students
Sepehr Saber
Sepehr completed his B.A.Sc. and M.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto. The focus of his M.A.Sc. research was to experimentally investigate the origin of phase transition from the point of view of adsorption. His research was part of the European Space Agency's effort into understanding condensation in microgravity.
Sepehr joined the SintonLab in 2019 as a PhD student. His current focus is on applying innovative machine learning tools for the rapid discovery of novel industrial fluids.
Tartela Alkayyali
Tarteela completed her B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering at the American University of Sharjah (2017), where she worked on designing a solar desalination plant. Tarteela also earned her M.Sc. in Sustainable Design Engineering at the University of Prince Edward Island (2019). She worked on examining the effects of microfluidic encapsulation on marine sediment bacteria and developing a miniature growth chamber for the incubation of bacteria in a natural environment. The results of her work resulted in multiple publications.
Tarteela joined the Catalysis group of the Sinton Lab in January 2020 as a PhD student, working on CO2-to-fuel conversion using electrocatalysis.
Celine Xiao
Celine completed her BASc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta (2020). During her undergrad, she worked as a co-op student on a methane reduction project which aimed to reduce methane emissions in multiple natural gas compression facilities. In the summer of 2020, she received a research grant from the University of Calgary to investigate the energy efficiency of the MacKimmie Tower, a net-zero carbon building.
In Fall 2020, she joined the Sinton Lab as a MASc student and will be working with the Catalysis group on carbon dioxide reduction through electrocatalysis.
Panos Papangelakis
Panos completed his B.Eng in Chemical Engineering at McMaster University in 2020. During his undergrad he completed a thesis project investigating heavy metal contamination and treatment of drinking water in Indigenous Reserves in Southern Ontario. He also worked on a joint industrial research project with the University of Queensland developing an energy model for renewable power generation in the mining industry.
Panos joined the Sinton Lab in September 2020 in the Catalysis group. He is working on CO2 reduction through electrocatalysis.
Shijie Liu
Shijie joined the Sinton Lab as an undergraduate research student in 2019. His research focuses on electrochemical systems for stable and efficient CO2 conversion. He performs COMSOL simulations to better understand chemical behavior and conducts membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) CO2 electrolyzer experiments to quantify the stability and production of C1 and C2 products.
Fatemeh Arabyarmohammadi
Fatemeh Arabyarmohammadi earned a BASc in Chemical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology (SUT) in 2019. Fatemeh then began a Master’s in Chemical Engineering-Biotechnology and received a MSc degree from SUT too. For the MSc thesis, Fatemeh worked on the theoretical investigation of coupled Microbial Electrochemical Cells in micro-sized systems and the assessment of biohydrogen generation.
Fatemeh joined the Sinton Lab in January 2022 as a Ph.D. student with a focus on Renewable Fuels / CO2 electrocatalysis.
Chengqian Wu
Chengqian holds a MASc from Queen’s University and a bachelor’s degree from Central South University, China. He developed his interests in catalysis during his master’s laying the foundation of a novel catalytic oxidation process for arsenic immobilization and devising an experimental setup for continuous mini-pilot scale testing of the technology. His research experience also includes investigation into the solvent-induced effects in acid-catalyzed C-O bond activation for synthesizing sustainable ether fuels.
Driven by a passion for doing interdisciplinary research in sustainable energy, Chengqian became part of the catalysis group of Sinton Lab in 2022, leveraging his expertise in heterogeneous catalysis and electrochemistry to develop electrocatalytic systems coupling novel anodic upgrading processes with reduction of CO and/or CO2. While outside the lab, he enjoys spending time with his pets and taking drone shots over the beautiful Don valley area.
Raylene Mitchell
Raylene Mitchell graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) degree from Memorial University in 2021 where many work opportunities and internships revolved around renewable technologies. She is passionate about technological solutions for northern regions in Canada. As an IBET Fellow, Raylene is also committed to interdisciplinary innovation.
In Fall 2023, Raylene joined the Sinton Lab at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Professor David Sinton. Raylene’s commitment to addressing the unique challenges of northern communities is at the forefront of her research goals.
Peter Cui
Peter Yuze Cui graduated with high honors, attaining his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto in June 2023. His diverse research pursuits during his undergraduate studies encompassed a wide range of topics, including the design of ergonomic installations to alleviate work-related musculoskeletal injuries for ultrasound sonographers and the application of laser and infrared thermal cameras for imaging fatigue cracks. In September 2023, he embarked on his doctoral studies as a direct-entry PhD student at the SintonLab. Within the ethylene / C3 subgroup, Peter is committed to advancing the development of state-of-the-art catalysts with a focus on achieving superior conversion efficiencies for advanced chemical fuels.