Career highlights
2019 – present: Alfred Deakin Research Fellow, Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University
2015 - 2018: Phd Candidate, Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University
2014 – 2015: Part time lecturer, Kenyatta University and Dendan Kimathi University of Technology (Kenya)
Research interests
Dr. Maina’s research interest is in the design of novel catalytic materials for energy conversion applications, particularly the catalytic conversion of CO2 to fuels. His PhD research focused on the development of hybrid membrane reactors, based on metal organic frameworks (MOFs), for the conversion of CO2 to valuable products such as methanol, while his current research focus on the design of nanostructured metal alloys electrocatalyst for the conversion of CO2 from dilute sources.
Teaching interests
Materials and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Physics
Units taught
Engineering Materials
Solid and Structural Mechanics (I)
Solid and Structural Mechanics (IV)
Engineering Physics
Knowledge areas
Nanomaterials, metal organic frameworks, gas separation, CO2 conversion, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, drug delivery, electron microscopy, gas chromatography.
Research groups
Separation Materials Team
Associate Supervisor
1. ALBERT KAMAL ABDOU SAAD GUIRGUIS (PhD Student
2. CHRISTINE JURENE ORILLO BACAL (PhD Student)
Awards
- Alfred Deakin Research Fellowship (2019)
- 1st prize of the best poster at the 1st International Conference on Energy Efficient Separation (IEESEP2018), Melbourne, Australia.
- AINSE Postgraduate Research Award (PGRA-2016, 2017), 7500$/year
- AINSE International Conference Travel Award ($1000)
- IFM travel award for short-term visit Georgia Institute of Technology, USA ($5000)
Publications
Strategies for Integrated Capture and Conversion of CO
J Maina, J Pringle, J Razal, S Nunes, L Vega, F Gallucci, L Dumée
(2021), Vol. 14, pp. 1805-1820, ChemSusChem, Germany, C1
C Bacal, J Maina, H Nandurkar, M Khaleel, R Guijt, Y Chang, K Dwyer, L Dumée
(2021), Vol. 2, pp. 7210-7236, Materials Advances, C1
A Guirguis, S Polaki, G Sahoo, S Ghosh, M Kamruddin, A Merenda, X Chen, J Maina, G Szekely, L Dumee
(2020), Vol. 168, pp. 32-41, Carbon, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
A Gholidoust, J Maina, A Merenda, J Schütz, L Kong, Z Hashisho, L Dumée
(2019), Vol. 209, pp. 571-579, Separation and Purification Technology, C1
J Maina, C Pozo-Gonzalo, J Schütz, J Wang, L Dumée
(2019), Vol. 148, pp. 80-90, Carbon, C1
Perforation routes towards practical nano-porous graphene and analogous materials engineering
A Guirguis, J Maina, L Kong, L Henderson, A Rana, L Li, M Majumder, L Dumee
(2019), Vol. 155, pp. 660-673, Carbon, Oxford, Eng., C1
J Maina, C Gonzalo, A Merenda, L Kong, J Schütz, L Dumée
(2018), Vol. 427, pp. 401-408, Applied Surface Science, C1
F Allioux, O David, A Merenda, J Maina, M Benavides, A Tanaka, L Dumée
(2018), Vol. 6, pp. 6904-6915, Journal of materials chemistry A, Cambridge, Eng., C1
L Dumée, J Maina, A Merenda, R Reis, L He, L Kong
(2017), Vol. 528, pp. 217-224, Journal of Membrane Science, C1
Metal organic framework based catalysts for CO
J Maina, C Pozo-Gonzalo, L Kong, J Schütz, M Hill, L Dumée
(2017), Vol. 4, pp. 345-361, Materials Horizons, C1
J Maina, J Schütz, L Grundy, E Des Ligneris, Z Yi, L Kong, C Pozo-Gonzalo, M Ionescu, L Dumée
(2017), Vol. 9, pp. 35010-35017, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, United States, C1
Funded Projects at Deakin
Australian Competitive Grants
Inorganic nanoparticles/metal organic frameworks hybrid membrane reactors for simultaneous separation and conversion of CO2
Dr Ludovic Dumee, Mr James Wainaina Maina
AINSE Grant - Postgraduate Research Award
- 2018: $2,500
- 2017: $6,875
- 2016: $2,249
Other Funding Sources
AINSE International Conference Travel Scholarship (James Maina)
Dr Ludovic Dumee, Mr James Wainaina Maina
AINSE International Conference Travel Scholarship
- 2017: $1,000
Supervisions
Christine Bacal
Thesis entitled: Developing Haemodialysis Membrane Materials for Acetaminophen Capture
Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine), School of Medicine