U.S.-Argentina Cooperative Research on In Situ Study by Synchrotron Radiation of the Structure of the Ammonia Synthesis Catalyst

该奖项支持斯坦福大学的Michel Boudart博士和阿根廷马德普拉塔大学的Daniel Loffler教授对氨合成催化剂进行的合作研究。氨是在还原铁催化剂上合成的。这一过程即使稍有改进，也会产生相当大的经济影响，因为随着世界人口不断增长，对氮肥的需求也在增长。在这项工作中，商业催化剂将使用一系列现代技术进行表征，包括俄歇和穆斯堡尔光谱以及电子显微镜。在反应过程中，将用X射线吸收(XAS)原位研究催化剂的结构。更好地了解催化剂将有助于制定更好的催化剂。异地(俄歇、扫描电子显微镜和穆斯堡尔)表征将在阿根廷进行，XAS工作将在斯坦福大学完成。通过这种方式，两个实验室的设施将互为补充。这两位研究人员都在催化方面拥有丰富的研究经验：Boudart博士特别是在氨合成和XAS技术方面，Loffler教授在其他技术和氨合成方面也有丰富的研究经验。因此，它们将从彼此的专业知识和共享的实验室能力中受益。

This award supports cooperative research on ammonia synthesis catalysts to be conducted by Dr. Michel Boudart of Stanford University and Prof. Daniel Loffler of the University of Mar del Plata, Argentina. Ammonia is synthesized on reduced-iron catalysts. Even a small improvement in the process would have considerable economic impact as the need for nitrogen fertilizers grows with the need to feed a growing world population. In this work, commercial catalysts will be characterized using an array of modern techniques including Auger and Mossbauer spectroscopies, and electron microscopy. X-ray absorption (XAS) will be used to study the structure of the catalysts in situ while the reaction is taking place. A better understanding of the catalyst will help the formulation of better catalysts. The ex-situ (Auger, SEM and Mossbauer) characterization will take place in Argentina and the XAS work will be done at Stanford. In this way the facilities of each laboratory will complement those of the other. Both of the researchers have had extensive research experience in catalysis: Dr. Boudart particularly in ammonia synthesis and XAS techniques and Prof. Loffler in the other techniques and in ammonia synthesis, as well. Therefore, they will benefit from each other's expertise and from the shared laboratory capabilities.