Characterization of the active surface of catalysts
Researcher: Maria Miheț
Keywords: reducibility (TPR), catalytically active surface area, temperature programmed desorption (TPD), surface acidity/basicity
Researcher: Maria Miheț
Description
Investigation of the interaction of reactant molecules with catalyst surfaces is of vital importance in the design and efficiency of any catalyst or catalytic process. One of the most widely used techniques in this respect is the study of surface interactions under programmed temperature conditions. The advantages of this method are:
- high versatility – one can study the interaction of any reactant molecule with any solid surface
- the wealth of information provided: the conditions under which the surface can be oxidized/reduced, the nature and strength of the catalytically active centers, the acidity/basicity of a solid, the area of the catalytically active surface.
Applications
Areas of application:
- R&D – for the functional characterization of any material with potential catalytic properties;
- production – for quality control of prepared catalysts or to streamline the development/diversification/scaling processes of new catalytic materials;
Systems:
- metal/support type catalysts
- natural or synthetic zeolitic materials
- novel materials with potential catalytic properties (e.g. Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), graphene, carbon nanostructures, various composites).
Industries: chemical industry, energy, environment/pollution, pharmaceutical industry.
Infrastructure
The Heterogeneous Catalysis Laboratory is equipped with a TPDRO 1100 Series catalyst characterization apparatus, equipped with a thermoconductivity detector (TCD) (Thermo Scientific, USA), coupled with a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) (PrismaPlus, Pfeiffer Vacuum, Germany). Thus, the experimental system is superior to the usual commercial apparatus because it combines the information obtained from two detectors, TCD and QMS, providing clearer and more comprehensive results.
Advantages
INCDTIM offers RDI services for characterizing the active surface of catalysts, used alone or in combination with other solid characterization techniques (X-ray diffraction, optical, and electron microscopy), covering almost the full range of structural and functional characterizations.
Before entering into a contract-based relationship, we assist in defining the needs of the customer/partner as accurately as possible and, if required, we carry out preliminary tests free of charge.
Our existing equipment and experience allow us to characterize most materials with catalytic potential.
We have specialized staff in highly prestigious research centers abroad, able to cover at high standards all the stages of a contractual collaboration: defining the problem to be solved, experimental design, data collection, interpretation of the results, and their correlation with other complementary information, if necessary.
Estimated costs
The cost of a determination is 300-350 lei/sample (depending on the complexity) and consists of
time spent using the equipment
labor, which includes personnel and indirect costs associated with sample preparation operations, analysis and interpretation of results, and preparation of the analysis/research report.