Sibel Irmak, Ph.D.

Sibel Irmak, Ph.D.

  • Research Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
227 Agricultural Engineering Building
Shortlidge Road

University Park, PA 16802

Areas of Expertise

  • Chemical and thermochemical conversions of lignocellulosic biomass and other byproducts (including wastes) into value-added products (e.g. platform chemicals and hydrogen gas)
  • Developing catalysts for various conversion processes using nanotechnological approaches
  • Developing degradable biofilm formulations for agricultural applications
  • Various applications of advanced oxidation processes (degradation of toxic organic chemicals in wastewaters, depolymerization of biomass)
  • Evaluation of the effects of various fumigation treatments/technologies on the quality characteristics of food products

Education

  • B.S. Chemistry, Cukurova University (Turkey) 1997
  • Ph.D. Chemistry, Cukurova University (Turkey) 2003

Professional Experience

  • Adjunct Research Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (06/2020–present).
  • Research Associate Professor, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (08/2014–July/2021).
  • Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (01/2014–08/2014).
  • Associate Professor (Tenured), Department of Chemistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey (10/2012–12/2013).
  • Assistant Professor (Tenure track), Department of Chemistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey (01/2008–09/2012).
  • Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey (09/2006–12/2007).
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas (08/2005–08/2006).
  • Post-doctoral Researcher, Food and Agricultural Products Research and Technology Center, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma (09/2003–07/2005).
  • Research Scholar, Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas (2000–2001).

Teaching

  • BRS 417 Processing and Manufacturing Systems for Bioproducts (Spring)
  • BRS 597 Special Topics / Analysis Wood-based Bioproducts (Fall)

*For information about courses please visit the LionPATH Course Catalog.

Memberships in Professional Societies

  • American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, ASABE
  • American Chemical Society, ACS
  • International Association for Hydrogen Energy, IAHE

Publications

Evaluation of hardwood or softwood bark biomass as feed materials for aqueous-phase reforming gasification process
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Meryemoglu, Bahar, Kaya Ozsel, Burcak, Irmak, Sibel, 2024

Preparation and properties of heteroatom-doped bacterial cellulose-derived carbonaceous materials
Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications, Zhang, Kang, Kang, Zhang, Irmak, Sibel, Catchmark, Jeffrey M., 2023

In-package pasteurization of dried basil leaves using radiofrequency heating
Food Control, Wason, Surabhi, Verma, Tushar, Irmak, Sibel, Subbiah, Jeyamkondan, 2022

Biobased Sprayable Mulch Films Suppressed Annual Weeds in Vegetable Crops
HortTechnology, Gloeb, Eliott, Irmak, Sibel, Isom, Loren, Lindquist, John L., Wortman, Sam E., 2022

IMPROVING CATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF SUPPORTED PRECIOUS METAL CATALYSTS FOR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION BY HYDROTHERMAL CONVERSION PROCESSES, Irmak, Sibel, 2022

Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Silver Nanoparticles Biosynthesized by Moringa oleifera through Response Surface Methodology
Journal of Nanomaterials, Mohammed, A. B.Abeer, Mohamed, Amr, El-Naggar, N., Mahrous, H., El-Naggar, Noura El Ahmady, Nasr, G.M., Mahrous, Hoda, Nasr, Ghada M., Abdella, A., Irmak, Sibel, Abdella, Asmaa, Ahmed, Rasha H., Elsayed, Mohamed S.A., Selim, Samy, Elkelish, Amr, Alkhalifah, Dalal Hussien M., Hozzein, Wael N., Ali, Abdallah S., 2022

Pasteurization of dried basil leaves using radio frequency heating: A microbial challenge study and quality analysis
Food Control, Verma, Tushar, Chaves, Byron D., Irmak, Sibel, Subbiah, Jeyamkondan, 2021

Microbial challenge study and quality evaluation of cumin seeds pasteurized by continuous radio frequency processing
Food Control, Chen, Long, Irmak, Sibel, Chaves, Byron D., Subbiah, Jeyamkondan, 2020

Evaluation of various corn variety kernels for hydrogen gas production by APR
Biomass and Bioenergy, Tiryaki, Ozge Nayman, Irmak, Sibel, 2020

Depolymerization of lignin by wet air oxidation
Bioresource Technology Reports, Irmak, Sibel, Kang, Juhyon, Wilkins, Mark, 2020

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of different extracts of the peel of kumquat (Citrus japonica Thunb)
Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, Al-Saman, Mahmoud A., Abdella, Asmaa, Mazrou, Khaled E., Tayel, Ahmed A., Irmak, Sibel, 2019

Utilization of excess corn kernels for hydrogen gas biofuel production
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Tiryaki, Ozge Nayman, Irmak, Sibel, Ramchandran, Divya, Subbiah, Jeyamkondan, Morton, Martha, 2019

Inactivation of Salmonella enterica and Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 in cumin seeds by radiofrequency heating
Food Control, Chen, Long, Wei, Xinyao, Irmak, Sibel, Chaves, Byron D., Subbiah, Jeyamkondan, 2019

Radiofrequency pasteurization process for inactivation of Salmonella spp. and Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 on ground black pepper
Food Microbiology, Wei, Xinyao, Lau, Soon Kiat, Stratton, Jayne, Irmak, Sibel, Subbiah, Jeyamkondan, 2019

Conversion of lignin into renewable carboxylic acid compounds by advanced oxidation processes
Renewable Energy, Kang, Juhyon, Irmak, Sibel, Wilkins, Mark, 2019

Utilization of waste cotton linter for preparation of activated carbon to be used as catalyst support in aqueous-phase reforming process
Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy, Kaya Ozsel, Burcak, Nis, Berna, Meryemoglu, Bahar, Hasanoglu, Arif, Irmak, Sibel, 2019

Investigation of organic solvents’ effects on Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) biomass conversion in subcritical water
Journal of the Turkish Chemical Society, Section A: Chemistry, Meryemoğlu, Bahar, Hasanoğlu, Arif, Kurtuluş, Mehtap, Irmak, Sibel, 2018

Radio-Frequency Processing for Inactivation of Salmonella enterica and Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 in Black Peppercorn
J.MILK.FOOD TECHNOL., Wei, Xinyao, Kiat Lau, Soon, Stratton, Jayne, Irmak, Sibel, Bianchini, Andreia, Subbiah, Jeyamkondan, 2018

Microwave pretreatment effects on switchgrass and miscanthus solubilization in subcritical water and hydrolysate utilization for hydrogen production
Biomass and Bioenergy, Irmak, Sibel, Meryemoglu, Bahar, Sandip, Anjali, Subbiah, Jeyamkondan, Mitchell, Robert B., Sarath, Gautam, 2018

Irmak, S. and Tiryaki, O.N. Alternative biomass materials to corn for production of value-added products
UNL Extension NebGuide G2310, Irmak, Sibel, 2018

Food Industry Co-streams: Potential Raw Materials for Biodegradable Mulch Film Applications
Journal of Polymers and the Environment, Virtanen, Sanna, Chowreddy, Ravindra Reddy, Irmak, Sibel, Honkapää, Kaisu, Isom, Loren, 2017

Xylitol production from lignocellulosics: Are corn biomass residues good candidates?
Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, Irmak, Sibel, Canisag, Hazal, Vokoun, Conner, Meryemoglu, Bahar, 2017

Production of activated carbon materials from kenaf biomass to be used as catalyst support in aqueous-phase reforming process
Fuel Processing Technology, Meryemoglu, Bahar, Irmak, Sibel, Hasanoglu, Arif, 2016

A new approach for high-yield hydrogen production: Atmospheric pressure vapour-phase catalytic reforming of biomass hydrolysate
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Hasanoğlu, Arif, Meryemoğlu, Bahar, Irmak, Sibel, Kurtuluş, Mehtap, Erbatur, Oktay, 2016

Improving activity of Pt supported metal catalysts by changing reduction method of Pt precursor for hydrogen production from biomass
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Irmak, Sibel, Meryemoglu, Bahar, Ozsel, Burcak Kaya, Hasanoglu, Arif, Erbatur, Oktay, 2015

Developing Pt based bimetallic and trimetallic carbon supported catalysts for aqueous-phase reforming of biomass-derived compounds
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Kaya, Burҫak, Irmak, Sibel, Hasanoʇlu, Arif, Erbatur, Oktay, 2015

Does reduced or non-reduced biomass feed produce more gas in aqueous-phase reforming process?
Fuel, Irmak, Sibel, Meryemoglu, Bahar, Hasanoglu, Arif, Erbatur, Oktay, 2015

Influence of particle size of support on reforming activity and selectivity of activated carbon supported platinum catalyst in APR
Fuel, Meryemoglu, Bahar, Irmak, Sibel, Hasanoglu, Arif, Erbatur, Oktay, Kaya, Burcak, 2014

Evaluation of various carbon materials supported Pt catalyts for aqueous-phase reforming of lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysate
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Kaya, Burçak, Irmak, Sibel, Hasanoglu, Arif, Erbatur, Oktay, 2014

Hydrogen production from aqueous-phase reforming of sorghum biomass: An application of the response surface methodology
Renewable Energy, Meryemoǧlu, Bahar, Hasanoǧlu, Arif, Kaya, Burçak, Irmak, Sibel, Erbatur, Oktay, 2014

Biofuel production by liquefaction of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) biomass
Agricultural Wastes, Meryemoǧlu, Bahar, Hasanoǧlu, Arif, Irmak, Sibel, Erbatur, Oktay, 2014