Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Supported metals constitute the most important family of nanocatalysts used in industry. Although the literature is rich in studies detailing the surface structure and the evaluation of the catalytic efficiency of these materials used in various chemical reactions and at various conditions, the role of the metal-support interactions is not studied thoroughly. Moreover, in many cases, the findings are contradictory and create controversies. Although it is common belief that the support plays an important role in some case and it does not in other, the lack of a robust scientific methodology allowing for an objective evaluation leads to confusion, misunderstanding and decreases the usefulness of many scientific publications. In this project, a team of researchers, working in various fields and having in common the utilization of such catalysts, propose a synergy able to make significant advances in this field. The proposed methodology includes the evaluation of the triple-phase (metal-support-reactants)-boundary (TPB) and the 2-phase (metal-reactants and support-reactants)-boundary (DPB) on various catalytic formulations and the link of these characteristics to (a) the catalytic efficiency; (b) the catalyst poisoning and (c) the regenerability of the catalytic formulations. The materials to be studied include catalysts in the following reactions : steam and dry reforming of organic molecules; Fischer-Tropsch and alcoholic synthesis; transformation of hemicelluloses into biodiesel; conversion of urea to dimethylcarbonate (a green fuel); use of iron-carbides containing Fe/Co-doped nanocarbons as catalysts or Sulphur-containing compounds adsorbents; plasma-driven production of nanocatalysts; core-shell nanocatalysts production, use and life-cycle analysis. The requested equipments are critical in this endeavour and they must be dedicated to this effort in order to have reasonable chances of success.