Understanding catalyst preparation via electron microscopy for carbon dioxide conversion

多相催化在世界化学积木的生产中发挥着极其重要的作用，在污染物和温室气体的转化中正变得越来越重要。这门课程的目的是更好地了解用于二氧化碳转化为甲醇等反应的非常重要的多相催化剂的制备过程。学生将使用原子分辨电子显微镜在原位观察纳米颗粒催化剂在焙烧和还原过程中的形成(即在气体条件下加热)。该项目将对催化纳米颗粒是如何形成的提供重要的见解，并使为广泛的化学反应设计改进的催化剂成为可能。该学生将在国际领先的卡迪夫催化研究所工作，该研究所最近搬进了一座耗资数百万英镑的新建筑--翻译研究中心。该项目将主要使用一种新的象差校正扫描透射电子显微镜，以原子分辨率成像催化材料的结构(即观察单个原子)。作为新显微镜的一部分，我们有支架，可以在显微镜内实现气态和液态条件，使我们能够观察金属纳米颗粒的形成以及它们在反应条件下如何变化。在这个项目中，原位显微镜将专门用于监测金属的合金化和二氧化碳加氢具有良好活性的催化剂的形成。

Heterogeneous catalysis plays a hugely important role in the production of the world's chemical building blocks and is becoming increasingly important in the conversion of pollutants and greenhouse gases. The aim of this studentship is to better understand the processes used to prepare highly important heterogeneous catalysts for reactions such as the conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol. The student will use atomic-resolution electron microscopy to observe the formation of nanoparticle catalysts in-situ during calcination and reduction processes (i.e. while heating under gaseous conditions). The project will provide important insight into how catalytic nanoparticles form and enable the design of improved catalysts for a wide range of chemical reactions.The student will work within the internationally leading Cardiff Catalysis Institute, which has recently moved into a multimillion pound new building, the Translational Research Hub. The project will primarily use a new aberration-corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope to image the structure of catalytic materials at atomic resolution (i.e. observing individual atoms). As part of the new microscope, we have holders that enable gaseous and liquid conditions within the microscope, enabling us to watch the formation of metal nanoparticles and how they change under reaction conditions.In this project, in-situ microscopy will be used to specifically monitor the alloying of metals and the formation of catalysts with excellent activity for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide."