Understanding Catalysts at the Atomic Scale Using In Situ Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

多相催化是化学工业的基石，在提高能源效率和减少各种工业重要化学反应的有害污染物方面起着至关重要的作用。因此，这一过程对工业的广泛有益影响也意味着它对世界经济稳定的影响。双金属催化剂在活性、选择性和稳定性等方面往往比单金属催化剂表现出更高的性能。通过添加二级元素来改善功能的机制通常知之甚少，并且由于颗粒形态的变化在给定反应中表现出不同的活性而进一步复杂化。与BP有限公司密切合作，在现实环境条件下（高温高压、气态环境）开发支撑金属/双金属纳米颗粒表征，最初，该项目将重点研究用于“新鲜”催化剂的氧化钴（Co-Mn/Ru/Re）和还原过程后的催化剂（金属钴）。理想情况下，从新催化剂合成到操作（通过还原和反应器启动步骤）的一系列分析将为理解转化过程提供一个合乎逻辑的进展。利用尖端的分析研究方法，将STEM与EDS、原位FTIR光谱、x射线计算层析成像和x射线吸收光谱相关联，希望能够建立将初级纳米颗粒与次级金属合金化以显著提高反应转化效率的理论。

Heterogeneous catalysis is a cornerstone of the chemical industry and plays a vital role in improving energy efficiency and reducing unwanted pollutants for a wide range of industrially important chemical reactions. Consequently, the extensive beneficial reach of this process in industry also implicates it in influencing world-wide economic stability.Bimetallic catalysts often show enhanced performance over their monometallic equivalents in many aspects, such as activity, selectivity, and stability. The mechanism behind improved functionality with the addition of a secondary element is generally poorly understood and is further complicated by variations in particle morphologies demonstrating different activities for a given reaction.Working closely with BP Ltd in the development of supported metallic/bimetallic nanoparticle characterization under realistic environmental conditions (elevated temperatures and pressures; gaseous environments), initially, the project will focus on the cobalt oxide (Co-Mn/Ru/Re) for the 'fresh' catalyst and the catalyst after the reduction process (cobalt metal). Ideally, a series of analyses from the fresh catalyst from synthesis to operation (via reduction and reactor start-up steps) would provide a logical progression in understanding the transformation processes. With the use of cutting-edge analytical research methods in correlating the use of STEM with EDS, in situ FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray computation tomography and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, it is hoped that the dramatic improvement in the reaction conversion efficiency by alloying elementary nanoparticles with a secondary metal can be established.