Exploring Synergy of Composition-Tunable Nanoalloys for Catalytic Oxidation of Hydrocarbons

纽约州立大学宾厄姆顿分校的钟传健教授在化学系化学催化项目的支持下，设计和制备了由两种或三种金属组合组成的合金催化剂。这项研究发现了通过将铂、钯或金与其他过渡金属以最佳的组成和结构结合起来，用于碳氢化合物氧化的新的、更坚固和有效的催化剂。这些催化剂对于几个重要的实际应用至关重要，例如消除汽车尾气中的碳氢污染物，生产燃料电池用的氢气，以及生产用于制造工业化学品和药品的化学积木。课程和实验室模块的开发是为了让学生参与清洁能源和清洁环境的研究和教育。该项目的能源和环境可持续性主题通过校园项目提供了一个推广平台，这些项目专门为来自代表性较低的少数族裔的学生提供帮助，如通向文凭的桥梁和麦克奈尔学者项目。该项目的目标是建立合金纳米催化剂的设计原则，该合金纳米催化剂对丙烷或乙醇等碳氢化合物的催化氧化具有协同、多功能的活性。与其他过渡金属合金化的贵金属，如铂、钯或金的纳米催化剂是以可调节的组成合成的。具体地说，研究确定了合金纳米催化剂的组成、结构和形状如何控制表面反应机理、吸附位置和中间物种。这些基本问题通过：(1)在不同载体上制备成分和形状可控的纳米合金催化剂；(2)利用原位时间分辨漫反射红外光谱和其他辅助技术表征催化氧化过程中的表面物种；以及(3)将表面中心的结构和组成与催化性能相关联。

Professor Chuan-Jian Zhong of SUNY at Binghamton is supported by the Chemical Catalysis program of the Division of Chemistry to design and prepare alloy catalysts, consisting of combinations of two or three metals. The research discovers new and more robust and effective catalysts for hydrocarbon oxidation by combining platinum, palladium, or gold with other transition metals in optimum compositions and structures. These catalysts are essential for several important practical applications, such as the elimination of hydrocarbon pollutants from vehicle emissions, the production of hydrogen for fuel cells, and the production of chemical building blocks for the manufacture of industrial chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Course and laboratory modules are developed to engage students in clean energy and clean environment research and education. The energy and environmental sustainability theme of the project provides a platform for outreach through on-campus programs specifically designed to help students from underrepresented minorities, such as the Bridges to the Baccalaureate and the McNair Scholars programs. The goal of the project is to establish design principles for alloy nanocatalysts that exhibit synergistic, multifunctional activities for the catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons such as propane or ethanol. Nanocatalysts of noble metals, such as platinum, palladium, or gold, alloyed with other transition metals are synthesized with tunable compositions. Specifically, the investigation determines how alloy nanocatalyst composition, structure, and shape control surface reaction mechanisms, adsorption sites, and intermediate species. These fundamental issues are addressed by: (1) preparation of nanoalloy catalysts on different supports with controlled compositions and shapes; 2) characterization of surface species during the catalytic oxidation using in situ time-resolved diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and other complimentary techniques; and 3) correlating the structure and composition of surface sites with the catalytic properties.