PNNL

Quin Miller has been a staff member at PNNL since 2019 and has also worked at PNNL as a post-bachelor’s research associate, intern, visiting researcher, and postdoc prior to becoming a research scientist. He studies geochemically relevant physicochemical interfacial processes with PNNL’s in situ experimental suite, including in situ X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic spectroscopy. He also works on a broader range of projects that include CO₂ storage via basalt mineralization, subsurface metamaterial sensing technology research and development, and associated upscaling to planned field deployments.

Miller is always eager to collaborate, especially with regards to projects that may benefit from PNNL’s world-unique in situ X-ray diffraction, capable of probing fluid-solid reactions at subsurface temperatures and pressures.

Research Interests

• Geochemistry
• Nanoscience
• Nano-metamaterials
• Functional material synthesis
• Interfacial subsurface science
• Critical energy materials separations and
• Multimodal in situ X-ray and optical experimental techniques

Related News and Research Highlights

• Controlled MOF Synthesis in Supercritical CO₂ 
• Environmental Science: Nano Emerging Investigator Blog: Quin Miller   
• Annals of a Future Geosphere: Geochemistry postdoc Quin Miller is making an impact 
• Quin Miller Elected to Clay Minerals Society Council 
• Tracking Injected Fluids: A Seismic Contrast Agent Breakthrough 
• All Water Is Not the Same: PNNL researchers reveal unique mechanisms driving carbonic acid formation in thin water films 
• Plump Up the Clay: Carbon dioxide moves into and expands a common mineral in carbon sequestration caprocks 

• American Chemical Society
• The Clay Minerals Society
• American Geophysical Union

• Environmental Science: Nano Emerging Investigator (2020) https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EN01382B
• PNNL Outstanding Postdoc Award (2019)
• PNNL Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate Outstanding Performance Award (2020)
• Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program Award (2016)
• The Society for Organic Petrology Spackman Award (2016)
• The Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts Unconventional Reservoir Special Interest Group Scholarship (2016)
• The Clay Minerals Society Robert C. Reynolds Research Award (2016)

2020

• Miller, Q.R.S., J.P. Kaszuba, H.T. Schaef, S.N. Kerisit, M.E. Bowden, B.P. McGrail, K.M. Rosso. “Emerging Investigator Series: Ion Diffusivities in Nanoconfined Interfacial Water Films Contribute to Mineral Carbonation Thresholds”. Environmental Science: Nano 7, no. 4:1068-1081. PNNL-SA-149770.doi:10.1039/C9EN01382B
• Rod K.A., C.A. Fernandez, P.K. Koech, G.L. Dai, M. Correa, N.J. Huerta, and S.D. Burton, et al. 2020. "Self-Repairing Polymer-Modified Cements for High Temperature Geothermal and Fossil Energy Applications." Geothermics 85. PNNL-SA 140314. doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2019.101790
• Sinnwell, M.S., Q.R.S. Miller, L. Liu, J. Tao, M.E. Bowden, L. Kovarik, D. Barpaga, Y. Han, R.K. Motkuri, M.L. Sushko, H.T. Schaef, P.K. Thallapally. “Kinetics and Mechanisms of ZnO to ZIF-8 Transformations in Supercritical CO₂ Revealed by in situ X-Ray Diffraction.” ChemSusChem 13, 2602. PNNL-SA-149718.doi:10.1002/cssc.202000434
• Koech P.K., C.A. Fernandez, K.A. Rod, G.L. Dai, N.J. Huerta, S.D. Burton, and Q. Miller, et al. 2020. "Advanced Self-Healing Polymer-Cement Composites for Geothermal Wellbore Applications up to 300 °C." In Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2020 Reykjavik, Iceland. PNNL-SA-144522.

2019

• Bowers G.M., H.T. Schaef, Q. Miller, E.D. Walter, S.D. Burton, D.W. Hoyt, and J.A. Horner, et al. 2019. "13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Methane and Carbon Dioxide in a Natural Shale." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 3, no. 3:324-328. PNNL-SA-140683. doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.8b00214
• Bowers G.M., J.S. Loring, H.T. Schaef, S.S. Cunniff, E.D. Walter, S.D. Burton, and R.K. Larsen, et al. 2019. "Chemical Trapping of CO₂ by Clay Minerals at Reservoir Conditions: Two Mechanisms Observed by In Situ High Pressure and Temperature Experiments." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 3, no. 6:1034-1046. PNNL-SA-140918. doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.9b00038
• Han Y., M.A. Sinnwell, S.J. Teat, M.L. Sushko, M.E. Bowden, Q. Miller, and H.T. Schaef, et al. 2019. "Desulfurization Efficiency Preserved in a Heterometallic MOF: Synthesis and Thermodynamically Controlled Phase Transition." Advanced Science 6, no. 7:1802056. PNNL-SA-136448. doi:10.1002/advs.201802056
• Miller Q., D.A. Dixon, S.D. Burton, E.D. Walter, D.W. Hoyt, A.S. McNeill, and J. Moon, et al. 2019. "Surface-Catalyzed Oxygen Exchange during Mineral Carbonation in Nanoscale Water Films." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 123, no. 20:12871-12885. PNNL-SA-141756. doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b02215
• Miller Q., H.T. Schaef, J. Kaszuba, G. Gadikota, B.P. McGrail, and K.M. Rosso. 2019. "Quantitative Review of Olivine Carbonation Kinetics: Reactivity Trends, Mechanistic Insights, and Research Frontiers." Environmental Science & Technology Letters 6, no. 8:431-442. PNNL-SA-143712. doi:10.1021/acs.estlett.9b00301
• Miller Q., H.T. Schaef, S.K. Nune, K. Jung, J.A. Burghardt, P.F. Martin, and M.S. Prowant, et al. 2019. "Geophysical Monitoring with Seismic Metamaterial Contrast Agents." In Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC 2019), July 22-24, 2019, Denver, CO, Paper No 1123. Richardson, Texas:Society of Petroleum Engineers. PNNL-SA-148890. doi:10.15530/urtec-2019-1123
• Miller Q., J. Kaszuba, H.T. Schaef, M.E. Bowden, B.P. McGrail, and K.M. Rosso. 2019. "Anomalously low activation energy of nanoconfined MgCO₃ precipitation." Chemical Communications 55, no. 48:6835-6837. PNNL-SA-141004. doi:10.1039/c9cc01337g

2018

• Loring J.S., Q. Miller, C.J. Thompson, and H.T. Schaef. 2018. "Experimental studies of reactivity and transformations of rocks and minerals in water-bearing supercritical CO₂." In Science of Carbon Storage in Deep Saline Formations: Process Coupling Across Time and Spatial Scales, edited by P. Newell and A.G. Ilgen. 63-88. Cambridge, Massachusetts:Elsevier. PNNL-SA-129113. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-812752-0.00004-6
• Miller Q., E.S. Ilton, O. Qafoku, D.A. Dixon, M. Vasiliu, C.J. Thompson, and H.T. Schaef, et al. 2018. "Water Structure Controls Carbonic Acid Formation in Adsorbed Water Films." Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 9, no. 17:4988-4994. PNNL-SA-136469. doi:10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b02162
• Miller Q., S.K. Nune, H.T. Schaef, K. Jung, K.M. Denslow, M.S. Prowant, and P.F. Martin, et al. 2018. "Microporous and Flexible Framework Acoustic Metamaterials for Sound Attenuation and Contrast Agent Applications." ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 10, no. 51:44226-44230. PNNL-SA-139317. doi:10.1021/acsami.8b19249
• Miller Q., H.T. Schaef, J. Kaszuba, L. Qiu, M.E. Bowden, B.P. McGrail, and Q.R. Miller. 2018. "Tunable manipulation of mineral carbonation kinetics in nanoscale water films via citrate additives." Environmental Science & Technology 52, no. 12:7138-7148. PNNL-SA-131986. doi:10.1021/acs.est.8b00438

2015

• Schaef H.T., J.S. Loring, V.A. Glezakou, Q.R. Miller, J. Chen, A.T. Owen, and M. Lee, et al. 2015. "Competitive Sorption of CO₂ and H₂O in 2:1 Layer Phyllosilicates." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 161, 248-257. PNNL-SA-101900. doi:10.1016/j.gca.2015.03.027
• Miller Q.R., J. Kaszuba, H.T. Schaef, M.E. Bowden, and B.P. McGrail. 2015. "Impacts of Organic Ligands on Forsterite Reactivity in Supercritical CO₂ Fluids." Environmental Science & Technology 49, no. 7:4724-4734. PNNL-SA-109524. doi:10.1021/es506065d

2014

• Loring J.S., H.T. Schaef, C.J. Thompson, R.V. Turcu, Q.R. Miller, J. Chen, and J.Z. Hu, et al. 2013. "Clay hydration/dehydration in dry to water-saturated supercritical CO₂: Implications for caprock integrity." Energy Procedia 37. PNNL-SA-91508. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2013.06.463

2013

• Miller Q., C.J. Thompson, J.S. Loring, C.F. Windisch, M.E. Bowden, D.W. Hoyt, and J.Z. Hu, et al. 2013. "Insights into Silicate Carbonation Processes in Water-Bearing Supercritical CO₂ Fluids." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 15. PNNL-SA-89916. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.02.005
• Schaef H.T., Q. Miller, C.J. Thompson, J.S. Loring, M.E. Bowden, B.W. Arey, and B.P. McGrail, et al. 2013. "Silicate Carbonation in Supercritical CO₂ Containing Dissolved H₂O: An in situ High Pressure X-Ray Diffraction Study." Energy Procedia 37. PNNL-SA-85671. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2013.06.514

2012

• Loring J.S., H.T. Schaef, R.V. Turcu, C.J. Thompson, Q. Miller, P.F. Martin, and J.Z. Hu, et al. 2012. "In Situ Molecular Spectroscopic Evidence for CO₂ Intercalation into Montmorillonite in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide." Langmuir 28, no. 18:7125-7128. PNNL-SA-86500. doi:10.1021/la301136w