Project Management Office Director, Energy and Environmental Directorate
Project Management Office Director, Energy and Environmental Directorate

Biography

Asanga Padmaperuma is a Project Management Office Director (PMOD) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Prior to taking the PMOD role in May 2022, he served as the Laboratory Relationship Manager for the Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technologies Office, which has oversight of research in sustainable use of marine, terrestrial, and waste biomass for fuels and chemicals via thermal, biological, and electrocatalytic conversion.

Padmaperuma also served as the Technical Leader for the Chemical Conversion team in PNNL’s Chemical and Biological Processing Group. His research focus was on thermochemical, low-temperature catalytic, and electrochemical production of value-added chemicals and fuels from bio-based and waste sources. He also conducted research in design and development of functional molecules for organic electronics and liquid scintillators for radiation detection.

He is a named inventor on several granted patents as well as an author of more than 50 journal articles, book chapters, and public technical reports.

Education

  • B.S.c., University of Colombo, Colombo Sri Lanka, 1996
  • M.S., University of Nevada at Las Vegas, 2000
  • Ph.D., University of Southern California, 2003

Patents

Publications

2020

  • Akhade S.A., A.D. Winkelman, V. Dagle, L. Kovarik, S.F. Yuk, M. Lee, and J. Zhang, et al. 2020. "Influence of Ag metal dispersion on the thermal conversion of ethanol to butadiene over Ag-ZrO2/SiO2 catalysts." Journal of Catalysis 386. PNNL-SA-143386. doi:10.1016/j.jcat.2020.03.030
  • Akhade S.A., N. Singh, O.Y. Gutierrez-Tinoco, J.A. Lopez-Ruiz, H. Wang, J.D. Holladay, and Y. Liu, et al. 2020. "Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Biomass-Derived Organics: A review." Chemical Reviews 120, no. 20:11370-11419. PNNL-SA-155470. doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00158
  • Yuk S.F., M. Lee, G.B. Collinge, J. Zhang, A.B. Padmaperuma, Z. Li, and F. Polo-Garzon, et al. 2020. "Mechanistic understanding of catalytic conversion of ethanol to 1-butene over 2D-pillared MFI zeolite." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 124, no. 52:28437-28447. PNNL-SA-153861. doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c05585

2019

  • Cantu Cantu D., A.B. Padmaperuma, M. Nguyen, S.A. Akhade, Y. Yoon, Y. Wang, and M. Lee, et al. 2019. "ERRATUM - A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Activity and Selectivity of the Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Aldehydes." ACS Catalysis 9, no. 8:1738. PNNL-SA-140541. doi:10.1021/acscatal.9b00093

2018

  • Cantu Cantu D., A.B. Padmaperuma, M. Nguyen, S.A. Akhade, Y. Yoon, Y. Wang, and M. Lee, et al. 2018. "A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Activity and Selectivity of the Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Aldehydes." ACS Catalysis 8, no. 8:7645-7658. PNNL-SA-132938. doi:10.1021/acscatal.8b00858
  • Lister T., L.A. Diaz, M.A. Lilga, A.B. Padmaperuma, Y. Lin, V.M. Palakkal, and C.G. Arges. 2018. "Low-Temperature Electrochemical Upgrading of Bio-oils Using Polymer Electrolyte Membranes." Energy and Fuels 32, no. 5:5944-5950. PNNL-SA-138288. doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b00134
  • Sanyal U., J.A. Lopez-Ruiz, A.B. Padmaperuma, J.D. Holladay, and O.Y. Gutierrez-Tinoco. 2018. "Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Oxygenated Compounds in Aqueous Phase." Organic Process Research & Development 22, no. 12:1590-1598. PNNL-SA-137711. doi:10.1021/acs.oprd.8b00236

2017

  • Olarte M.V., A.B. Padmaperuma, J. Ferrell, E.D. Christensen, R.T. Hallen, R.B. Lucke, and S.D. Burton, et al. 2017. "Characterization of Upgraded Fast Pyrolysis Oak Oil Distillate Fractions from Sulfided and Non-Sulfided Catalytic Hydrotreating." Fuel 202. PNNL-SA-119855. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2017.03.051

2016

  • Ferrell J., M.V. Olarte, E.D. Christensen, A.B. Padmaperuma, R.M. Connatser, F. Stankovikj, and D. Meier, et al. 2016. "Standardization of Chemical Analytical Techniques for Pyrolysis Bio-oil: History, Challenges, and Current Status of Methods." Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining 10, no. 5:496-507. PNNL-SA-123869. doi:10.1002/bbb.1661
  • Olarte M.V., A.H. Zacher, A.B. Padmaperuma, S.D. Burton, H.M. Job, T.L. Lemmon, and M.S. Swita, et al. 2016. "Stabilization of Softwood-Derived Pyrolysis Oils for Continuous Bio-oil Hydroprocessing." Topics in Catalysis 59, no. 1:55-64. PNNL-SA-111135. doi:10.1007/s11244-015-0505-7
  • Tan E., L.J. Snowden-Swan, M. Talmadge, A. Dutta, S.B. Jones, K. Kallupalayam Ramasamy, and M.J. Gray, et al. 2016. "Comparative Techno-economic Analysis and Process Design for Indirect Liquefaction Pathways to Distillate-range Fuels via Biomass-derived Oxygenated Intermediates Upgrading." Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining 11, no. 1:41-66. PNNL-SA-120207. doi:10.1002/bbb.1710

2015

  • Blochwitz-Nimoth J., A. Bhandari, D. Boesch, C.R. Fincher, D.J. Gaspar, D.W. Gotthold, and M.T. Greiner, et al. 2015. OLED Fundamentals: Materials, Devices, and Processing of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes. Boca Raton, Florida:CRC Press/Taylor and Francis Group. PNNL-SA-106310.
  • Polikarpov E., D. Catalini, A.B. Padmaperuma, P. Das, T.L. Lemmon, B.W. Arey, and C.A. Fernandez. 2015. "A High Efficiency Rare Earth-Free Orange Emitting Phosphor." Optical Materials 46. PNNL-SA-104437. doi:10.1016/j.optmat.2015.04.013

2013

  • Freeman C.J., S.B. Jones, A.B. Padmaperuma, D.M. Santosa, C. Valkenburg, and J. Shinn. 2013. Initial Assessment of U.S. Refineries for Purposes of Potential Bio-Based Oil Insertions. PNNL-22432. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Initial Assessment of U.S. Refineries for Purposes of Potential Bio-Based Oil Insertions
  • Jones S.B., P.A. Meyer, L.J. Snowden-Swan, A.B. Padmaperuma, E. Tan, A. Dutta, and J. Jacobson, et al. 2013. Process Design and Economics for the Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels: Fast Pyrolysis and Hydrotreating Bio-Oil Pathway. PNNL-23053; NREL/TP-5100-61178. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Process Design and Economics for the Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels: Fast Pyrolysis and Hydrotreating Bio-Oil Pathway
  • Rainbolt J.E., A.B. Padmaperuma, N. Govind, and D.J. Gaspar. 2013. "Substituent effects on the geometric and electronic properties of tetracyano-p-quinodimethane (TCNQ): A theoretical study." Molecular Simulation 39, no. 5:350-356. PNNL-SA-86292.
  • Rainbolt J.E., P.K. Koech, E. Polikarpov, J.S. Swensen, L. Cosimbescu, A.L. Von Ruden, and L. Wang, et al. 2013. "Synthesis and characterization of p-type conductivity dopant 2-(3-(adamantan-1-yl)propyl)-3,5,6-trifluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane." Journal of Materials Chemistry C 1, no. 9:1876 - 1884. PNNL-SA-77092. doi:10.1039/C3TC00068K
  • Swensen J.S., L. Wang, L. Wang, E. Polikarpov, J.E. Rainbolt, P.K. Koech, and L. Cosimbescu, et al. 2013. "Near independence of OLED operating voltage on transport layer thickness." Synthetic Metals 163. PNNL-SA-86614. doi:10.1016/j.synthmet.2012.12.015

2012

  • Cosimbescu L., L. Wang, M.L. Helm, E. Polikarpov, J.S. Swensen, and A.B. Padmaperuma. 2012. "Electron Transport Materials: Synthesis, Properties and Device Performance." International Journal of Organic Chemistry 2, no. 2:101-110. PNNL-SA-77984. doi:10.4236/ijoc.2012.22016
  • Padmaperuma A.B. 2012. "Substituted molecular p-dopants: A theoretical study." Advances in Materials Physics and Chemistry 2, no. 3:163-175. PNNL-SA-86295. doi:10.4236/ampc.2012.23025
  • Padmaperuma A.B., and C.A. Fernandez. 2012. "Heteroleptic cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes with charge transporting groups: A theoretical study." In Organic Light Emitting Materials and Devices XVI, August 12, 2012, San Diego, California. Proceedings of the SPIE, 8476. Bellingham, Washington:SPIE. PNNL-SA-88459. doi:10.1117/12.949510
  • Polikarpov E., and A.B. Padmaperuma. 2012. "Materials design concepts for efficient blue OLEDs: A joint theoretical and experimental study." Material Matters 7, no. 1:2-8. PNNL-SA-84293.
  • Schwenzer B., L. Wang, J.S. Swensen, A.B. Padmaperuma, G. Silverman, R. Korotkov, and D.J. Gaspar. 2012. "Tuning the Optical Properties of Mesoporous TiO2 Films by Nanoscale Engineering." Langmuir 28, no. 26:10072-10081. PNNL-SA-82922. doi:10.1021/la301450h
  • Swensen J.S., L. Wang, L. Wang, J.E. Rainbolt, P.K. Koech, E. Polikarpov, and D.J. Gaspar, et al. 2012. "Characterization of solution processed, p-doped films using hole-only devices and organic field-effect transistors." Organic Electronics 13, no. 12:3085-3090. PNNL-SA-82955. doi:10.1016/j.orgel.2012.07.045
  • Xu W., A.L. Read, P.K. Koech, D. Hu, C.M. Wang, J. Xiao, and A.B. Padmaperuma, et al. 2012. "Factors Affecting the Battery Performance of Anthraquinone-based Organic Cathode Materials." Journal of Materials Chemistry 22, no. 9:4032-4039. PNNL-SA-83987. doi:10.1039/c2jm15764k
  • Xu W., X. Chen, F. Ding, J. Xiao, D. Wang, A. Pan, and J. Zheng, et al. 2012. "Reinvestigation on the state-of-the-art nonaqueous carbonate electrolytes for 5 V Li-ion battery applications." Journal of Power Sources 213. PNNL-SA-85841. doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2012.04.031

2011

  • Cosimbescu L., A.B. Padmaperuma, and D.J. Gaspar. 2011. "7,7,8,8-Tetracyanoquinodimethane based molecular dopants for p-type doping of OLEDs: A theoretical investigation." Journal of Physical Chemistry A 115, no. 46:13498-13503. PNNL-SA-77394. doi:10.1021/jp2005869
  • Cosimbescu L., E. Polikarpov, J.S. Swensen, J.T. Darsell, and A.B. Padmaperuma. 2011. "Hole-Rich Host Materials for Blue Phosphorescent OLEDs." Journal of the Society for Information Display 19, no. 4:353-359. PNNL-SA-74898. doi:10.1889/JSID19.4.353
  • Polikarpov E., P.K. Koech, L. Wang, J.S. Swensen, L. Cosimbescu, J.E. Rainbolt, and A.L. Von Ruden, et al. 2011. "Controlling charge transport in blue organic light-emitting devices by chemical functionalization of host materials." Journal of Photonics for Energy 1. PNNL-SA-74814. doi:10.1117/1.3528499
  • Swensen J.S., E. Polikarpov, A.L. Von Ruden, L. Wang, L.S. Sapochak, and A.B. Padmaperuma. 2011. "Improved efficiency in blue phosphorescent organic light emitting devices using host materials of lower triplet energy than the phosphorescent blue emitter." Advanced Functional Materials 21, no. 17:3250-3258. PNNL-SA-77928. doi:10.1002/adfm.201100586
  • Swensen J.S., J.E. Rainbolt, L. Wang, P.K. Koech, E. Polikarpov, A.B. Padmaperuma, and D.J. Gaspar. 2011. "Blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting devices utilizing cesium-carbonate-doped 2,4,6-tris(2',4'-difluoro-[1,1'- biphenyl]-4-yl)-1,3,5-triazine." Journal of Photonics for Energy 1. PNNL-SA-74897. doi:10.1117/1.3528003

2010

  • Chopra N., J.S. Swensen, E. Polikarpov, L. Cosimbescu, F. So, and A.B. Padmaperuma. 2010. "High efficiency and low roll-off blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting devices using mixed host architecture." Applied Physics Letters 97. PNNL-SA-71085. doi:10.1063/1.3464969
  • Cosimbescu L., P.K. Koech, E. Polikarpov, J.S. Swensen, A.L. Von Ruden, J.E. Rainbolt, and A.B. Padmaperuma. 2010. "Molecular Engineering of Host Materials for Blue Phosphorescent OLEDs: Past, Present and Future." In SID International Symposium Digest of Technical Papers, Papers from the Annual Symposium, May 23-28, 2010, Seattle, Washington, 41, 1887-1889. Campbell, California:Society for Information Display. PNNL-SA-71348. doi:10.1889/1.3500379
  • Kim D., S. Salman, V. Coropceanu, E. Salomon, A.B. Padmaperuma, L.S. Sapochak, and A. Kahn, et al. 2010. "Phosphine oxide derivatives as hosts for blue phosphors: A joint theoretical and experimental study of their electronic structure." Chemistry of Materials 22, no. 1:247-254. PNNL-SA-68571.
  • Koech P.K., A.B. Padmaperuma, L. Wang, J.S. Swensen, E. Polikarpov, J.T. Darsell, and J.E. Rainbolt, et al. 2010. "Synthesis and application of 1,3,4,5,7,8-Hexafluorotetracyanonaphtoquinodimethane (F6-TNAP): A Conductivity Dopant for Organic Light-Emitting Devices." Chemistry of Materials 22, no. 13:3926-3932. PNNL-SA-68774.
  • Koech P.K., E. Polikarpov, J.E. Rainbolt, L. Cosimbescu, J.S. Swensen, A.L. Von Ruden, and A.B. Padmaperuma. 2010. "Synthesis and application of pyridine-based ambipolar hosts: control of charge balance in organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) by chemical structure modification." Organic Letters 12, no. 23:5534-5537. PNNL-SA-75168. doi:10.1021/ol102444j
  • Polikarpov E., J.S. Swensen, L. Cosimbescu, P.K. Koech, J.E. Rainbolt, and A.B. Padmaperuma. 2010. "Emission Zone Control in Blue Organic Electrophosphorescent Devices Through Chemical Modification of Host Materials." Applied Physics Letters 96, no. 5:Art. No. 053306. PNNL-SA-68607. doi:10.1063/1.3298556
  • Von Ruden A.L., L. Cosimbescu, E. Polikarpov, P.K. Koech, J.S. Swensen, L. Wang, and J.T. Darsell, et al. 2010. "Phosphine Oxide Based Electron Transporting and Hole Blocking Materials for Blue Electrophosphorescent Organic Light Emitting Devices." Chemistry of Materials 22, no. 20:5678-5686. PNNL-SA-72786. doi:10.1021/cm1013653
  • Wang L., J.S. Swensen, E. Polikarpov, D.W. Matson, C.C. Bonham, W.D. Bennett, and D.J. Gaspar, et al. 2010. "Highly efficient blue organic light emitting devices with indium-free transparent anode on flexible substrates." Organic Electronics 11, no. 9:1555-1560. PNNL-SA-70979. doi:10.1016/j.orgel.2010.06.018
  • Wang L., L. Wang, D.W. Matson, E. Polikarpov, J.S. Swensen, C.C. Bonham, and L. Cosimbescu, et al. 2010. "Highly efficient blue organic light emitting device using indium-free transparent anode Ga:ZnO with scalability for large area coating." Journal of Applied Physics 107, no. 4:043103. PNNL-SA-66289. doi:10.1063/1.3282526

2009

  • Bhansali U.S., E. Polikarpov, J.S. Swensen, W. Chen, H. Jia, D.J. Gaspar, and B.E. Gnade, et al. 2009. "High-efficiency turquoise-blue electrophosphorescence from a Pt(II)-pyridyltriazolate complex in phosphine oxide host." Applied Physics Letters 95, no. 23:Art. No. 233304. PNNL-SA-67458.
  • Koech P.K., L.S. Sapochak, J.E. Rainbolt, L. Cosimbescu, E. Polikarpov, J.S. Swensen, and L. Wang, et al. 2009. "Design of new anchored p-dopants for high power efficiency OLEDs." In Organic Light Emitting Materials and Devices XIII: Proceedings of the SPIE, edited by F So and C Adachi, 7415, Article No. 741505. Bellingham, Washington:SPIE. PNNL-SA-67550. doi:10.1117/12.827298
  • Matson D.W., C.C. Bonham, J.S. Swensen, L. Wang, A.B. Padmaperuma, D.J. Gaspar, and J.J. Berry, et al. 2009. "Development of large area transparent conducting oxides from a combinatorial lead for organic solid state lighting." In Proceedings of the SPIE: Organic Light Emitting Materials and Devices XIII, edited by F So, C Adachi, 7415, Paper No. 74150X. Bellingham, Washington:SPIE. PNNL-SA-67198. doi:10.1117/12.827281
  • Padmaperuma A.B., P.K. Koech, L. Cosimbescu, E. Polikarpov, J.S. Swensen, N. Chopra, and F. So, et al. 2009. "Tuning charge balance in PHOLEDs with ambipolar host materials to achieve high efficiency." In Organic Light Emitting Materials and Devices XIII: Proceedings of the SPIE, edited by F So and C Adachi, 7415, Paper No. 74150H. Bellingham, Washington:SPIE. PNNL-SA-68473. doi:10.1117/12.826905
  • Polikarpov E., J.S. Swensen, N. Chopra, F. So, and A.B. Padmaperuma. 2009. "An ambipolar phosphine oxide-based host for high power efficiency blue phosphorescent organic light emitting devices." Applied Physics Letters 94, no. 22:Art. No. 223304. PNNL-SA-65259.

2008

  • Cai X., A.B. Padmaperuma, L.S. Sapochak, P.A. Vecchi, and P.E. Burrows. 2008. "Electron and Hole Transport in a Wide Bandgap Organic Phosphine Oxide for Blue Electrophosphorecsence." Applied Physics Letters 92, no. 8:Art. No. 083308. PNNL-SA-58532. doi:10.1063/1.2885117
  • Sapochak L.S., A.B. Padmaperuma, X. Cai, J.L. Male, and P.E. Burrows. 2008. "Inductive effects of diphenylphosphoryl moieties on carbazole host materials: Design rules for blue electrophosphorescent organic light-emitting devices." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 112, no. 21:7989-7996. PNNL-SA-58590.

2007

  • Sapochak L.S., A.B. Padmaperuma, P.A. Vecchi, X. Cai, and P.E. Burrows. 2007. "Designing Organic Phosphine Oxide Host Materials Using Heteroaromatic Building Blocks: Inductive Effects on Electroluminescence." In Proceedings of the SPIE: Organic Light Emitting Materials and Devices XI, edited by ZH Kafafi; F So, 6655. Bellingham, Washington:SPIE Press. PNNL-SA-56685. doi:10.1117/12.740970

2006

  • Burrows P.E., A.B. Padmaperuma, L.S. Sapochak, P.I. Djurovich, and M.E. Thompson. 2006. "Ultraviolet Electroluminescence and Blue-Green Phosphorescence using an Organic Diphosphine Oxide Charge Transporting Layer." Applied Physics Letters 88. PNNL-SA-48236. doi:10.1063/1.2193429
  • Padmaperuma A.B., L.S. Sapochak, and P.E. Burrows. 2006. "A New Charge Transporting Host Material for Short Wavelength Organic Electrophosphorescence: 2,7-Bis(diphenylphosphine oxide)-9,9-dimethylfluorene." Chemistry of Materials 18. PNNL-SA-48238.
  • Sapochak L.S., A.B. Padmaperuma, P.A. Vecchi, H. Qiao, and P.E. Burrows. 2006. "Design strategies for achieving high triplet energy electron transporting host materials for blue electrophosphorescence." In Organic Light Emitting Materials and Devices X. Proceedings of SPIE, edited by Zakya H. Kafafi and Franky So, 6333, 57-69. Bellingham:International Society for Optical Engineering: SPIE. PNNL-SA-51005. doi:10.1117/12.684126
  • Vecchi P.A., A.B. Padmaperuma, H. Qiao, L.S. Sapochak, and P.E. Burrows. 2006. "A Dibenzofuran-Based Host Material for Blue Electrophosphorescence." Organic Letters 8, no. 19:4211-4214. PNNL-SA-50647. doi:10.1021/ol0614121