Surface and Interfacial Chemistry

Based on a molecular approach combining controlled surface chemistry, advanced spectroscopic methods, in particular solid-state NMR, and computational chemistry, it is possible to develop single-site species and to control the growth of nanoparticles on supports. This allows the generation of highly efficient catalysts combining the advantages of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts and function materials with defined properties

Solid-state NMR: An EYE Opener in Surface Chemistry

Solid-state NMR plays a critical role in establishing the atomic structure of surface species, obtained by the controlled grafting of organometallic complexes onto amorphous oxide supports, a promising strategy towards molecularly defined heterogeneous catalysts. Using one-dimensional or multi-dimensional NMR analysis allows us to map the structure of organometallic residues on surfaces, in a similar fashion that the structure of homogeneous catalysts can be determined using solution NMR techniques. In addition, chemical shift anisotropy analysis can be used as a tool to obtain detail structures and to determine the dynamics of surface species. In combination with DFT calculations we have also shown that the structure of aluminum species can be determined using high-field and ultrafast 27Al NMR. Finally, we discussed the latest development in Dynamic Nuclear Polarization, which allows the selective enhancements of the NMR signals of surface species, thus reducing the NMR acquisition time by factors up to 10,000. This makes solid-state NMR an indispensible tool in determining structure-property relationship and in the development of advanced materials including catalysts through more rational approach

State of the Art and Perspectives in the "Molecular Approach” Towards Well-Defined Heterogeneous Catalysts

Molecular understanding of heterogeneous catalysts is a key step towards their rational development since catalysis is a molecular phenomenon. Here we describe our efforts towards molecularly defined heterogeneous catalysts through the anchoring of molecular precursors on solid supports and our approaches towards bridging the gap between well-defined and industrial catalysts

CO2 Hydrogenation: Supported Nanoparticles vs. Immobilized Catalysts

The conversion of CO2 to more valuable chemicals has been the focus of intense research over the past decades, and this field has become particularly important in view of the continuous increase of CO2 levels in our atmosphere and the need to find alternative ways to store excess energy into fuels. In this review we will discuss different strategies for CO2 conversion with heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts. In addition, we will introduce some promising research concerning the immobilization of homogeneous catalysts on heterogeneous supports, as a hybrid of hetero- and homogeneous catalysts

Non-Oxidative Coupling of Methane: Interplay of Catalyst Interface and Gas Phase Mechanisms

Non-oxidative coupling of methane (NOCM) is a sought-after reaction that has been studied for decades. Harsh reaction conditions (T >800°C) in the face of limited catalyst stability lead to rapid catalyst deactivation and strong coking, preventing application thus far. Recent reports have shown the significance of an interplay of catalyst nature and reaction conditions, whereas metal carbides have prevailed to play a crucial role which involves incorporation of carbidic carbon in C2Hx and aromatic products. This perspective gives an overview of proposed mechanistic pathways and considerations about experiment conditions in order to foster a rational catalyst design platform for NOCM

Polymerization on CO-Reduced Phillips Catalyst initiates through the C-H bond Activation of Ethylene on Cr-O Sites

Investigation of the polymerization of ethylene on CO-reduced Phillips catalyst (1wt% chromium) by infrared spectroscopy reveals the presence of new OH bands. In particular, an OH-band appears at 3,605cm−1, consistent with the interaction of the SiOH group with an adjacent Lewis acidic chromium center, Si-(μ-OH)-Cr. Polymerization with d4-ethylene leads to the formation of the isotopically shifted band at 2,580cm−1, consistent with heterolytic C-H activation of ethylene over a Cr-O bond to generate the first Cr-C bond in ethylene polymerization with Phillips catalyst, as recently observed on well-defined Cr(III) silicates. Graphical Abstract

Strain in Silica-Supported Ga(III) Sites : Neither Too Much nor Too Little for Propane Dehydrogenation Catalytic Activity

Altres ajuts: Acord transformatiu CRUE-CSICWell-defined Ga(III) sites on SiO are highly active, selective, and stable catalysts in the propane dehydrogenation (PDH) reaction. In this contribution, we evaluate the catalytic activity toward PDH of tricoordinated and tetracoordinated Ga(III) sites on SiO by means of first-principles calculations using realistic amorphous periodic SiO models. We evaluated the three reaction steps in PDH, namely, the C-H activation of propane to form propyl, the β-hydride (β-H) transfer to form propene and a gallium hydride, and the H-H coupling to release H, regenerating the initial Ga-O bond and closing the catalytic cycle. Our work shows how Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi relationships are followed to a certain extent for these three reaction steps on Ga(III) sites on SiO and highlights the role of the strain of the reactive Ga-O pairs on such sites of realistic amorphous SiO models. It also shows how transition-state scaling holds very well for the β-H transfer step. While highly strained sites are very reactive sites for the initial C-H activation, they are more difficult to regenerate. The corresponding less strained sites are not reactive enough, pointing to the need for the right balance in strain to be an effective site for PDH. Overall, our work provides an understanding of the intrinsic activity of acidic Ga single sites toward the PDH reaction and paves the way toward the design and prediction of better single-site catalysts on SiO for the PDH reaction. We performed computational calculations of Ga(III) single sites on realistic amorphous models of SiO to evaluate their catalytic activity toward the propane dehydrogenation reaction. Our results show that a balance in strain is key, in which neither too stiff nor too loose Ga−O bonding is needed to obtain the highest catalytic activity

Swiss CAT+, a Data-driven Infrastructure for Accelerated Catalysts Discovery and Optimization

The Catalysis Hub – Swiss CAT+ is a new infrastructure project funded by ETH-domain, co-headed by EPFL and ETHZ. It offers the scientific community a unique integrated technology platform combining automated and high-throughput experimentation with advanced computational data analysis to accelerate the discoveries in the field of sustainable catalytic technologies. Divided into two hubs of expertise, homogeneous catalysis at EPFL and heterogeneous catalysis at ETHZ, the platform is open to academic and private research groups. Following a multi-year investment plan, both hubs have acquired and developed several high-end robotic platforms devoted to the synthesis, characterization, and testing of large numbers of molecular and solid catalysts. The hardware is associated with a fully digitalized experimental workflow and a specific data management strategy to support closed-loop experimentation and advanced computational data analysis