MapCat SIGNED

Project "MapCat" data sheet

The following table provides information about the project.

 Partnership

Take a look of project's partnership.

Map

 Project objective

Catalytic nanoparticles are heterogeneous in their nature - and even within the simplest particles structural and compositional differences exist and affect the overall performances of a catalyst. Thus non-disruptive, detailed chemical information at the nanoscale is essential for understanding how surface properties direct the reactivity of these particles. Infrared spectroscopy offers a low-energy route towards conducting in-situ, high spatial resolution mapping of catalytic reactions on the surface of single nanoparticles, yielding the influence of various physiochemical properties on the catalytic reactivity. In the project my team will employ recently developed Infrared nanospectroscopy measurements to provide high spatial resolution mapping of catalytic reactions on the surface of metallic nanoparticles, while using chemically active N-heterocyclic carbene molecules as indicators for surface reactivity. With this setup I will address fundamental questions in catalysis research and identify, on a single particle basis and under reaction conditions, the ways by which the size, structure, composition and metal-support interactions direct the reactivity of metallic nanoparticles in hydrogenation, oxidation and functionalization reactions. My research group demonstrated recently the feasibility of this novel approach by which structure-reactivity correlations were identified within single nanoparticles. Knowledge gained in this project will provide in-depth understanding of the basic elements that control the reactivity of heterogeneous catalysts and enable the development of optimized catalysts based on rational design. Moreover, one can foresee wide application potential for this experimental approach in various other research fields like batteries and fuel cells, in which high spatial resolution analysis of reactive surfaces is essential for understanding structure-reactivity correlations.