RUI: Preparation and Characterization of New Heterogeneous Bimetallic Au-M Catalysts for Selective Oxidations and Hydrogenations

美国国家科学基金会化学部的化学催化项目支持来自三一大学的Bert D. Chandler教授研究在负载型金纳米颗粒催化剂中添加异质金属的效果。新的纳米粒子和催化剂合成技术将用于制备氧化铝和二氧化钛上的双金属纳米颗粒。基于动力学的分析技术，包括(1)故意中毒研究，以评估活性位点的相对数量，(2)哈米特关系，以探测NP表面电荷的变化，将得到发展和应用。这些研究将使不同催化剂的定量比较，从而允许评估异质金属对Au NPs的影响，并回答有关催化活性位点性质的基本问题。此外，该项目将为本科生提供大量的研究机会，让他们在这个国家重要的研究领域获得实践经验，并培养他们成为下一代科学家。提高我们对双金属纳米颗粒及其催化性能的基本理解，有可能通过提供更便宜的材料和消费品以及减少污染和工业废物，对美国催化工业和国民经济产生积极影响。这包括寻找新的方法来组装几百个金属原子，这可能是一个困难的化学合成问题。该项目将扩展PI开发的方法，生产以廉价金属（Cu, Ni, Fe）为核心，外部为Au的纳米颗粒。这些新的纳米颗粒将沉积在载体上，用于催化各种反应。

The Chemical Catalysis Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation supports Professor Bert D. Chandler from Trinity University to investigate the effects of adding heterometals to supported Au nanoparticle catalysts. New nanoparticle and catalyst synthesis techniques will be employed to prepare bimetallic nanoparticles on alumina and titania. Kinetics -based analytical techniques including (1) intentional poisoning studies to evaluate relative numbers of active sites, and (2) Hammett relationships to probe changes in NP surface charge will be developed and employed. These studies will enable a quantitative comparison of different catalysts, thus allowing for an assessment of heterometals effect on Au NPs, and answering fundamental questions regarding the nature of the catalytic active sites. Further, this program will provide numerous research opportunities for undergraduate students, giving them hands on experience in this nationally important area of research and training them to be the next generation of scientists. Improving our fundamental understanding of bimetallic nanoparticles and their catalytic properties has the potential to positively impact both the U. S. catalysis industry and the national economy by providing cheaper materials and consumer products as well as reducing pollution and industrial waste. This includes finding new ways to assemble a few hundred metal atoms, which can be a difficult chemical synthesis problem. This project will expand the methods developed by the PI to produce nanoparticles that have an inexpensive metal at the core (Cu, Ni, Fe) and Au on the outside. These new nanoparticles will be deposited onto a support and used to catalyze a variety of reactions.