In situ imaging of chemically reacting flows

在化学测量和成像计划的支持下，以及化学系化学催化计划的共同资助下，加州大学洛杉矶分校的Louis Bouchard和Omar Yaghi教授及其团队正在提议开发新的方法，以实时和非侵入性的方式可视化化学反应。化学催化和化学反应器的优化依赖于准确的化学反应热力学知识，但目前还缺乏非侵入性探测反应动力学的方法。这些方法将使催化剂得到优化，并有助于改进化学反应器的设计。反应效率的任何提高都有可能转化为经济节约和减少化学催化对环境的负面影响。在这个项目中，研究人员将开发新的成像方法，应用于现有的和新兴的催化剂，如金属有机骨架和金属纳米催化剂，这些催化剂不仅对传统的工业催化有吸引力，而且对现代微反应技术也有吸引力。从开发新的成像技术中学到的知识将被用于设计新的实验，以造福于本科教育。研究人员参与了为本科生化学实验室开发新实验，以及开发有利于当地公立学校的课外教学活动，当地公立学校招收了许多少数民族学生。

With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program, and co-funding from the Chemical Catalysis Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professors Louis Bouchard and Omar Yaghi and their groups at University of California, Los Angeles are proposing to develop novel methodologies to visualize chemical reactions in real-time and in a non-invasive manner. Chemical catalysis and the optimization of chemical reactors rely on the accurate knowledge of chemical reaction thermodynamics, but methods to probe reaction dynamics non-invasively are currently lacking. Such methods would enable the optimization of catalysts and help improve the design of chemical reactors. Any improvements in the reaction efficiency could potentially translate into economic savings and reduced negative impact of chemical catalysis to the environment. In this project, the reserachers will develop novel imaging methods to be applied to existing and emerging catalysts such as metal organic frameworks and metal nanoparticle catalysts, which are attractive not only to conventional industrial catalysis but also for modern microreaction technology. The learned knowledge from the development of novel imaging technology will be used to devise new experiments to benefit undergraduate education. The researchers are involved in developing new experiments for undergraduate chemistry labs and in developing extracurricular teaching activities that benefit local public schools, where many minority students are enrolled.