Improving biomass transformation catalysis with a combined nanomaterials and spectroscopy rational design approach

非均相(固体)催化剂支撑了90%的燃料和化学品的制造，化工行业为英国经济贡献了500亿GB/年。随着人口的增长、更发达的人口、化石资源的枯竭以及对全球变暖的巨大担忧，开发新的或改进的催化剂(更高效、更有选择性、更便宜、更环保)的需求从未像现在这样强烈。提供所需催化剂的关键因素是系统地了解控制催化剂功能的分子/原子机制。该项目将使用“理想化的”催化剂结构，从机械上洞察平台分子(例如，呋喃甲醛，一种很有前途的“平台分子”，很容易从糖中获得，并提供许多粘合剂/树脂/溶剂和塑料中间体(目前都是化石衍生的)的转化)。催化剂结构将使用纳米化学技术合成。获得的均匀性使我们能够可靠地使用光谱手柄来研究催化剂的电荷转移和酸碱性质--我们想要了解的关键机械参数。

Heterogeneous (solid) catalysts underpin the manufacture of > 90% of fuels and chemicals and the chemicals sector contributes £50bn yr-1 to the UK economy. The need to develop new or improved catalysts (more efficient, selective, cheaper, greener) has never been greater, with an expanding, more developed population, depletion of fossil resources and enormous concerns about global warming. The key enabler in delivering the catalysts needed is systematic insight into the molecular / atomic mechanisms that control catalyst function.This project will use "idealized" catalyst structures to provide mechanistic insight into a key biomass-to chemicals transformations of platform molecules (e.g. furfural, a promising "platform molecule" readily obtainable from sugar and providing access to a number of adhesive/resin/solvent and plastics intermediates (all currently fossil derived).The catalyst structures will be synthesized using nano-chemistry techniques. The uniformity obtained enables the reliable use of spectroscopic handles for the catalysts' charge transfer and acid/base properties - key mechanistic parameters we want to understand.