Next generation catalytic aftertreatment technology for exhaust emission control

减少污染物和温室气体的排放是21世纪世纪人类面临的巨大挑战，它将使环境更清洁，人类更健康。在更广泛的范围内，具有强C-H键的弹性碳氢化合物（如未燃烧的甲烷）的催化氧化是特别相关的，并且是一个基本的科学课题，对于开发用于移动的和固定发动机排气的创新后处理技术至关重要。目前，北美的甲烷排放基本上不受管制。在未来五年内，新的和即将出台的法规将要求显著减少汽油/天然气和稀燃（柴油）发动机废气流中的甲烷或总碳氢化合物。因此，寻找用于活化最强C-H键（在甲烷中）的高反应性和稳定的催化剂的探索已经开始。我们的初步发现已经证明了多层，纳米尺寸，分级金属-金属氧化物簇的C-H键活化的异常低的势垒。我们将与总部和研发中心位于安大略的三家公司（福特加拿大公司、日立高新技术加拿大公司和DCL国际公司）合作，与来自美国能源部国家实验室和加拿大自然资源部的合作者一起，深入研究纳米颗粒的合成和制造，以及这些颗粒用于催化减排碳氢化合物的用途。我们提出了三个主要的研究主题，整合催化剂的发现和表征，催化途径的基本理解，和反应工程，深入了解催化事件和开发操作策略的烃氧化在宽范围的燃料-空气操作比的建议工作。我们采用合成技术，环境电子显微镜和光谱工具，以及动力学，同位素和反应工程方法，来解开这些催化事件并开发排放控制技术。我们的另一个重点是培养三个博士。以及一名博士后候选人，他们将直接与我们在安大略的合作公司合作。

Reducing pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions are the Grand Challenges of 21st century towards a cleaner environment and better human health. Within the broader scope, the catalytic oxidation of resilient hydrocarbons such as unburned methane with strong C-H bonds is especially relevant and a fundamental scientific topic, critical for developing innovative aftertreatment technology for mobile and stationary engine exhausts. Presently, methane emissions remain largely unregulated in North America. Within the next five years, new and upcoming regulations would require significant reduction of methane or the total hydrocarbons in the exhaust streams from gasoline/natural gas and lean burn (diesel) engines. Therefore, the quest to find a highly reactive and stable catalyst for activating the strongest C-H bond (in methane) has begun. Our initial finding has demonstrated the exceptionally low barrier for C-H bond activation with multi-layer, nanometer sized, hierarchical metal-metal oxide clusters. Partnering with three companies (Ford Canada, Hitachi High-Technologies Canada, and DCL International) with headquarters and R&D centres in Ontario, together with collaborators from the U.S. Department of Energy National Lab and Natural Resources Canada, we will investigate in depth the synthesis and fabrication of nanoparticles, the use of these particles for the catalytic abatement of recalcitrant hydrocarbons. We put forward the proposed work with three major research themes, integrating catalyst discovery and characterizations, fundamental understanding of catalytic pathways, and reaction engineering to understand deeply the catalytic events and develop operational strategies for hydrocarbon oxidation under wide ranging fuel-to-air operating ratios. We adapt synthesis techniques, environmental electron microscopic and spectroscopic tools, and kinetic, isotopic, and reaction engineering methods, to unravel these catalytic events and develop the emission control technology. Our other focus is the training of three Ph.D. and one post-doctoral degree candidates, who will work directly with our partnering companies within Ontario.