SusChEM: Catalytically Active Earth Abundant Materials with Unique Structure and Properties

具有独特结构和性能的催化活性丰富的材料许多用于催化的金属和材料都是稀有和昂贵的。然而，随着能源需求的增加和传统催化活性贵金属的稀缺，发现新的材料来取代它们并探索这些新材料的能力是至关重要的。这个由教授组成的团队。Trewyn、pylyypenko和Richards正在研究纳米结构的发展，这些纳米结构由富含土壤的材料组成，这些材料被捕获在高表面积中，具有独特形状和化学性质的多孔材料，并且正在对影响生物质的反应的因素进行基本的理解，这些反应是生物质的升级到高价值产品（如用于工业用途的燃料和化学原料）所不可或缺的。该团队专注于催化活性纳米颗粒和分布在多孔支架中的金属原子的化学性质。他们正在研究金属和金属氧化物转化为金属碳化物和金属氮化物的过程，这些金属碳化物和金属氮化物可能具有独特的催化性能，与目前用于许多催化过程的贵金属非常相似，这些催化过程对我们的全球能源和化学需求非常重要。这项合作利用了在反应条件下使用透射电子显微镜（TEM）和x射线光电子能谱（XPS）研究原子水平上分布的活性物质的特性的强大而独特的能力。重要的是，该团队带来了材料科学，材料表征，无机和分析化学以及催化方面的专业知识。对这些新合成的催化剂的催化活性进行了测试，以观察在生物质升级中经常观察到的反应，从而建立重要的结构/活性关系。该团队吸引了来自各个学科和各行各业的本科生和研究生参与研究。该组织主持并指导高中生在他们的实验室进行研究，并前往K-12学校展示科学的力量。最后，团队参与组织了这些研究领域的几次会议，都强调学生的参与。在这个研究项目中，dr。科罗拉多矿业学院的Trewyn、Pylypenko和Richards都得到了大分子、超分子和纳米化学（MSN）项目的支持，开发和研究具有增强催化活性的地球丰富元素的纳米结构，同时控制高表面积、多孔载体上活性位点的密度和稳定性。作为一个高度互补的团队，他们通过在高温和高压条件下暴露于甲烷（碳）和氨（氮）中，将嵌入在介孔二氧化硅中的金属和金属氧化物纳米颗粒转化为支撑金属碳化物和金属氮化物的合成。目前，原子分布的金属碳化物和金属氮化物是在类似条件下对混合金属氧化物进行后合成处理而产生的。该小组正在研究活性物质的性质，这些活性物质赋予它们类似于非常活跃但罕见的第10族金属的催化性质。除了强大的合成背景外，该团队还利用他们在原位/operando表征技术方面的专业知识，包括x射线光电子能谱（XPS）和透射电子显微镜（TEM），这使得团队能够分析与工作环境最相关的状态下的材料，以确定最活跃的部位。利用一系列生物质升级相关反应，该团队正在测量和比较新合成催化剂的催化活性，并确定贵金属的最佳替代品。研究团队吸引了来自不同学科的本科生和研究生参与研究。他们主持并指导高中生在他们的实验室进行实际研究，并前往K-12学校展示科学的力量。新课程的开发是为了向学生介绍最先进的材料合成和表征方法以及广泛的催化。该团队参与组织各种会议，旨在传播材料，材料表征方法和催化过程。

Catalytically Active Earth Abundant Materials with Unique Structure and PropertyMany of the metals and materials used in catalysis are rare and expensive. However, as energy needs increase and the traditional catalytically-active noble metals become scarce, it is paramount that novel materials are discovered to replace them and the capabilities of these new materials are explored. The team, consisting of Profs. Trewyn, Pylypenko, and Richards, is investigating the development of nanostructures composed of earth abundant materials entrapped in high surface area, porous materials with unique shapes and chemistry, and are developing a fundamental understanding of factors that influence reactions integral to biomass upgrading to higher value products, such as fuels and chemical feedstocks for industrial use. The team is focused on the chemistry of both catalytically active nanoparticles and metal atoms distributed in the porous supports. They are studying the conversion process of metals and metal oxides to metal carbides and metal nitrides which may possess unique catalytic properties that closely mimic those of the noble metals currently used for many of the catalytic processes important to our global energy and chemical needs. This collaborative effort leverages a strong and unique ability to study the properties of the active species distributed at the atomic level using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) under reaction conditions. Importantly, this team brings expertise in material sciences, material characterization, inorganic and analytical chemistry and catalysis. The catalytic activity of these newly synthesized catalysts are tested against reactions frequently observed in upgrading biomass so as to develop important structure/activity relationships. The team attracts undergraduate and graduate students from many disciplines and walks of life to participate in research. The group hosts and mentors high school students to conduct research in their laboratories along with traveling to K-12 schools to demonstrate the power of science. Finally, the team participates in organizing several conferences in these research areas, all emphasizing student involvement. In this research project, Drs. Trewyn, Pylypenko, and Richards, all of the Colorado School of Mines, are supported by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program to develop and study nanostructures of earth abundant elements with enhanced catalytic activity while manipulating the density and stability of the active sites on high surface area, porous supports. Working as a highly complimentary team, they are evolving the synthesis of supported metal carbides and metal nitrides by converting metal and metal oxide nanoparticles embedded in mesoporous silica through exposure to methane (carbon) and ammonia (nitrogen) at elevated thermal and pressurized conditions. Atomically distributed metal carbides and metal nitrides are presently produced by post-synthetically treating mixed metal oxides under similar conditions. The group is investigating the properties of active species that give them catalytic properties similar to the very active, but rare, Group 10 metals. In addition to a strong synthetic background, the team uses their expertise in in-situ/operando characterization techniques, including x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which allows the team to analyze the materials at the states most relevant to working environments to pinpoint the most active sites. Using a series of biomass upgrading related reactions, the team is measuring and comparing the catalytic activity of the newly synthesized catalysts and identifying the best alternatives to noble metals. The research team attracts diverse undergraduate and graduate students from many disciplines to participate in research. They host and mentor high school students to conduct actual research in their laboratories along with traveling to K-12 schools to demonstrate the power of science. New curricula are developed to introduce students to state-of-the-art methods of materials synthesis and characterization along with extensive catalysis. The team is involved in organization of various conferences aimed at disseminating the materials, material characterization methods, and catalysis processes.