Title：Advanced Characterzation of Nanocatalysts for Sustainable processes
Lecturer：Associate Professor Jun Huang (University of Sydney, Director of Nanomaterials in Sydney Nano Centre)
Time：3:00 p.m., Dec 5th,2019（Thursday）
Place：VIP Room at 1st floor, Chemistry Building(West)
Abstract：
Silica-alumina materials, particularly crystalline zeolites and amorphous silica-alumina (ASA), are among the most popular solid acids that have been widely commercialized as efficient and environmentally friendly catalysts in petrochemical industry. The formation of BAS in silica-alumina is based on aluminum centers distributed in the silica framework or network. The combined APT investigations and 27Al and 1H DQ-SQ NMR experiments revealed, for the first time, the existence of a synergy between Al species in the ASA network. This synergy can significantly enhance the acid strength of ASA. Understanding the cooperative action of metal and acid sites of bifunctional catalysts is essential for developing more efficient catalysts for greener chemical processes. We used in situ attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy in combination with modulation excitation spectroscopy (MES) and phase sensitive detection (PSD) to examine the functioning of Pd/silica-alumina (Pd/SA) catalysts with different acidity of the support in the liquid phase hydrogenation. Supported metal nanoparticles play key roles in nanoelectronics, sensors, energy storage/conversion, and catalysts for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals. We applied in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) photos and videos with correlating dynamics simulations to reveal the real time dynamic processes of nanocatalysts at high temperatures and the confinement of supports is of great significance to investigate nanoparticle structure and functions for practical utilization.
