About Us
Electrifying Our Way Out of Climate Change.
Lectrolyst uses patented technology to transform carbon dioxide emissions no one wants into products we need. Lectrolyst was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from the University of Delaware, and operates out of The Innovation Space at the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware.
The foundation of Lectrolyst is built upon our proprietary electrolyzer technology that converts carbon emissions into multi-carbon chemicals like acetate and ethylene. We then partner both with carbon emitters and chemical consumers to transform carbon emissions into everyday products like edible protein, plastics, and more.
Since it's inception, Lectrolyst has attracted top talent in the field with >50 years of combined experience working on electrochemical systems. Our team of scientists, engineers, and technicians are positioned to continue rapidly accelerating our technology to new heights.
Meet Some of Our Team
Meet Some of Our Team
Dr. Greg Hutchings
Co-founder & President
... Greg is the president and co-founder of Lectrolyst, leading commercialization research of electrocatalytic systems. Prior to co-founding Lectrolyst, Greg was focused on designing and engineering nanostructured materials with tuned catalytic properties to address the need for both better energy conversion and storage. As part of his Ph.D. dissertation in Prof. Feng Jiao’s lab at the University of Delaware, he conducted projects on electrochemical hydrogen evolution, carbon dioxide electroreduction, explorations of reactivity on nanostructured alloys, electrocatalysts for lithium-oxygen batteries, and titania anodes for more traditional lithium-ion batteries. After his doctoral work, he performed more fundamental surface study with Prof. Eric Altman at Yale University, analyzing two-dimensional catalyst analogs and thin films. Greg obtained his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida (2010), his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware (2015), and completed postdoctoral training at Yale University (2018). He also completed a Postdoctoral Innovation Fellowship through Horn Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware after returning to co-found Lectrolyst.
Dr. Feng Jiao
Co-founder & Scientific Advisor
.... In addition to his primary role as the Elvera and William R. Stuckenberg Professor and Director of Center for Carbon Management in the Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, Feng is a co-founder of Lectrolyst, serving as its primary scientific advisor. He is an expert in electrocatalysis with 110+ publications in the field and over 19,000 citations. He has received an NSF CAREER award for his work. In addition to research funding from federal agencies, Prof. Jiao has received substantial funding from industrial sources. Click here to learn more about academic research in the Jiao Lab. Feng Jiao obtained his BS in chemistry at Fudan University (2001) and his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry at University of St Andrews (Scotland, 2008), before moving to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a postdoctoral scholar. He joined the faculty at the University of Delaware in 2010, and later relocated to Washington University in St. Louis in 2023.
Dr. Greg Hutchings
Co-founder & President
... Greg is the president and co-founder of Lectrolyst, leading commercialization research of electrocatalytic systems. Prior to co-founding Lectrolyst, Greg was focused on designing and engineering nanostructured materials with tuned catalytic properties to address the need for both better energy conversion and storage. As part of his Ph.D. dissertation in Prof. Feng Jiao’s lab at the University of Delaware, he conducted projects on electrochemical hydrogen evolution, carbon dioxide electroreduction, explorations of reactivity on nanostructured alloys, electrocatalysts for lithium-oxygen batteries, and titania anodes for more traditional lithium-ion batteries. After his doctoral work, he performed more fundamental surface study with Prof. Eric Altman at Yale University, analyzing two-dimensional catalyst analogs and thin films. Greg obtained his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida (2010), his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware (2015), and completed postdoctoral training at Yale University (2018). He also completed a Postdoctoral Innovation Fellowship through Horn Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware after returning to co-found Lectrolyst.
Dr. Feng Jiao
Co-founder & Scientific Advisor
.... In addition to his primary role as the Elvera and William R. Stuckenberg Professor and Director of Center for Carbon Management in the Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, Feng is a co-founder of Lectrolyst, serving as its primary scientific advisor. He is an expert in electrocatalysis with 110+ publications in the field and over 19,000 citations. He has received an NSF CAREER award for his work. In addition to research funding from federal agencies, Prof. Jiao has received substantial funding from industrial sources. Click here to learn more about academic research in the Jiao Lab. Feng Jiao obtained his BS in chemistry at Fudan University (2001) and his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry at University of St Andrews (Scotland, 2008), before moving to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a postdoctoral scholar. He joined the faculty at the University of Delaware in 2010, and later relocated to Washington University in St. Louis in 2023.
Dr. Shan Zhu
Director of Electrochemical Stack Engineering
... Shan is the Director of Electrochemical Stack Engineering, overseeing R&D and scaling activities for electrochemical systems. Prior to joining Lectrolyst, Shan held senior management roles at two startups, where she focused on the design, optimization, and scale-up of water electrolysis systems for hydrogen production and carbon removal. In addition to her Ph.D. research, Shan has over ten years of experience in various electrochemical systems, including fuel cells, electrolysis, water treatment, and gas separation. She has a proven track record of successfully transferring laboratory results to scalable production, from bench scale to pilot and full-scale commercialization, and holds nine patents in these fields.
Dr. Bradie S. Crandall
Assoc. Director of Technical
Strategy
... Bradie graduated from the University of Delaware with a Ph.D. in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. He brings a strong background in the design, operation, and techno-economic modelling of carbon electrolysis systems as well as experience in market analysis and technical policy. Prior to joining Lectrolyst, he served as a consultant for multiple start-ups in the field and worked as a Visiting Researcher at Washington University in St. Louis where he pioneered the initial scale-up efforts for Lectrolyst's core technology. He also helped lead one of the first demonstrations of electro-agriculture for NASA and has published 10+ papers in the field.
Dr. Abbas Kazi
Electrochemical Stack
Engineer
... Abbas graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a Ph.D. in Chemistry where he specialized in Analytical Chemistry. Abbas has extensive experience in electrochemical systems including electrochemical deposition, electrochemical & biosensors development, and materials chemistry. Abbas leads Lectrolyst’s electrolyzer design efforts along with anode fabrication R&D and scale up.
Michael Pedalino
Lead Industrial Automation
Engineer
... Michael graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. While at university, he was accepted into the Multiple Engineering Co-Operative Program (MECOP) where he gained insight on electrical controls and automation. Prior to joining Lectrolyst, he has completed numerous industrial automation projects in the following manufacturing industries: specialty gas, pulp and paper, waster water treatment odor control, platinum group metal refinery, food and beverage, and fill/finish pharmaceuticals.
Sihang (Mark) Huo
Electrochemical Laboratory Technician
... Sihang (Mark) recently graduated from Oregon State University with a Masters of Science in Chemistry and more than four years of laboratory experience and teaching assistant experience. He specialized in Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry (OSU) and Materials Science & Engineering (China). Prior to joining Lectrolyst, he participated in several laboratory projects, including the modification and analysis of high-temperature-resistant EPDM rubber, the structural analysis of alkaline earth metal graphene intercalation compounds, and the study of the optical properties of nano colloids. In addition to chemistry, he also has basic biological laboratory skills and has obtained BSL-2 laboratory permission.
Chris Kiser
Electrochemical Laboratory Technician
... Christopher recently graduated from University of Oregon with a Masters of Science in Chemistry where he specialized in electrochemistry and electrolyzer technology. Before joining the Lectrolyst team, he researched anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrode assembly & characterization. He is experienced in both electroplating and electroless deposition techniques.
Andrea Klenotiz
Electrochemical Laboratory Technician
... Andrea graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences. Prior to joining Lectrolyst, she worked as a chemical analyst in industry. Andrea is an aspiring researcher and a proud parent.
Noure Sydney
Electrochemical Laboratory Technician
... bio coming soon!