CAS: Supported Intermetallic Catalysts for Tandem Conversion of Light Alkanes and CO2

在化学学部化学催化项目的支持下，路易斯安那州立大学的丁昆仑正在开发一种将天然气和二氧化碳转化为增值化学品的新型催化剂。该项目将探索新的化学方法，以制备具有均匀成分的良好定义的催化剂。丁博士的团队将结合光谱学和电子显微镜技术来了解催化剂在使用过程中的结构演变。丁博士将介绍研究前沿，并将实验整合到路易斯安那州立大学的课程中，并安排本科生和研究生实地参观当地的化学工业和同步加速器设施。与此项目相关的示范模块将用于路易斯安那州立大学的推广项目，以吸引代表性不足的K-12学生学习科学。丁和他的研究小组正在开发特定位点的合成方法和表征技术，以解决多相催化中的结构非均质性问题。该项目将探索表面无机金属化学，以控制合成负载型双金属和金属间催化剂中不同金属配合物之间的相互作用。这些催化剂将用于轻烷烃和二氧化碳的串联催化转化，生产烯烃、氢和一氧化碳。通过对反应条件下良好定义的负载型双金属和金属间催化剂结构动力学的研究，可以为更精确的计算建模提供基础，从而理解双金属和金属间催化剂的结构-性能关系，并进一步指导烷烃和二氧化碳活化催化剂的合理设计。这种合成良好定义的负载双金属和金属间催化剂的新方法在其他热催化和电催化应用中具有长期科学影响的潜力。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With the support of the Chemical Catalysis program in the Division of Chemistry, Kunlun Ding of Louisiana State University (LSU) is developing novel catalysts for converting natural gas and carbon dioxide into value-added chemicals. This project will explore new chemistry for the preparation of well-defined catalysts with uniform compositions. Dr. Ding’s group will combine spectroscopy and electron microscopy techniques to understand the structural evolution of the catalysts as they are used. Dr. Ding will introduce research frontiers and integrate experiments into the LSU curriculum and arrange site undergraduate and graduate student visits to local chemical industry and a synchrotron facility. Demonstration modules related to this project will be developed for outreach programs at LSU to attract underrepresented K-12 students to science.Dr. Ding and his research group are developing site-specific synthesis methods and characterization techniques for tackling the structural heterogeneity issues in heterogeneous catalysis. The proposed project will explore surface inorganometallic chemistry for controlling the interactions between different metal complexes in the synthesis of supported bimetallic and intermetallic catalysts. These catalysts will be used in the tandem catalytic conversion of light alkanes and carbon dioxide, producing olefins, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide. The gained knowledge on the structural dynamics of well-defined supported bimetallic and intermetallic catalysts under reaction conditions is expected to provide a basis for more accurate computational modeling to understand the structure-property relationship of bimetallic and intermetallic catalysts, and further guide the rational catalyst design for alkane and carbon dioxide activation. The new approach for the synthesis of well-defined supported bimetallic and intermetallic catalysts has the potential for longer term scientific impact in other thermocatalytic and electrocatalytic applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.