Organizing Nanoparticles for Heterogeneous Catalysis

Sweden has adopted a climate strategy for carbon neutrality by year 2045. Chemical industry has a key role to meet this target.

Renewable fuels production must be developed, and energy usage in chemical processes must be reduced.To meet these challenges, more efficient heterogeneous catalysts are needed. Catalysts speed up chemical reactions, making energy usage lower. Industrial catalysts typically consist of nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed on a porous material.

The nanoscale spatial organization of NPs on the porous material varies between catalysts.

However, the influence of NP organization on catalyst performance has not been studied, except in initial work by the applicant.

The aim of my proposed research is: To develop experimentally rooted theory for understanding and optimizing catalyst activity (the ability to speed up chemical reactions) with respect to nanoscale NP spatial organization in any heterogeneous catalyst.

I propose to develop general concepts to increase activity in a broad range of catalysts, thereby facilitating both renewable fuels production and reduction of industrial energy usage.For research execution, I will work with scientists from diverse fields at Stockholm University and KTH. First, we will develop new methods to systematically vary NP spatial organization in catalysts.

Then, we will develop new microscopy characterization to quantify NP spatial organization. Finally, we will relate information on spatial organization to catalyst performance.