Catalysis Research using the Diamond Synchrotron

Catalysis

Research Area

Catalysis is estimated to be involved in 90% of all chemical processes and in the creation of 60% of the chemical products available on the market, but still it is rarely analysed at the atomic scale. The need to understand catalysis at this level is driven by both economic and environmental concerns; therefore there is a global interest in optimising the synthesis of new catalytic materials and in understanding the fundamental process of catalysis.

Diamond provides specialist analytical techniques for the atomic to microscale characterisation of various catalytic materials and the in situ study of catalytic processes.

Homogeneous catalyst design

Structural characterisation of various homogenous catalysts applied in fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries;
Optimising a catalyst formation based on its selectivity and activity towards specific reaction e.g. alkylation, oligomerisation, carbon-carbon coupling reactions;
Studies of electronic and structural ligand-active metal interactions.

Heterogeneous catalyst design

Investigations on novel three-way catalysts – monitoring effect of promoter on an active metal and overall performance of a catalyst;
Studies of novel, more efficient Fischer Tropsch catalysts, promoted with various dopants;
Structural characterisation of multifunctional mesoporous materials e.g. zeolites, AlPO- types with different active metals.

Mechanism of catalytic reactions

Structural and electronic studies of catalyst and catalytic processes under in situ, time-resolved conditions to mimic real industrial processes;
Understand mechanism of catalysis by in situ studies of fast kinetic phenomena and detect multiple transition species of catalyst under operation;
Structural characterisation of homogeneous catalysts using in situ, stopped flow reactors.

Processing of catalytic materials

Follow structural changes during processing under service conditions;
Understand processes of poisoning and deactivation of catalysts under extreme conditions e.g. high temperature, pressure;
Detect strain, fatigue, pores and cracks within catalytic systems under operating conditions;
Apply advanced approaches to improve catalytic reactor technology.

Related Case Studies
Related News

Related Case Studies

Improving catalysts to provide greener emissions

The Problem profilephoto

The hunt for viable green alternatives to traditional petrol and diesel engines has led a move towards natural gas engines, which produce less carbon dioxide emissions.

But natural gas engines pose other problems due to unburnt methane (a potent greenhouse gas) in the exhaust feed. So scientists at Diamond, Johnson Matthey – a global leader in sustainable technologies - and the University of Reading, have been researching ways to improve catalysts to convert residual methane into more environmentally friendly products.

Designing an effective catalyst to convert palm oil waste into sustainable biofuels

The Problem profilephoto

Indonesia is one of the largest suppliers of palm oil in the world, producing 42 million tonnes in 2018¹. It is also experiencing an increase in car usage, coupled with a growth in imports of fuel.

To overcome this problem, the Indonesian government is driving a move to biofuels. Until recently the fresh fruit bunch from palm oil has successfully been used, however the empty fruit bunch (EFB) and palm kernel shell (PKS) provide a more sustainable source of lignocellulose, a key component in second generation biofuel production.

One prospective method for the biofuel production is conversion of lignocellulose into bio-oil via fast pyrolysis and then upgrading the bio-oil over a catalyst, to remove oxygen. However, the existing alumina-based and noble metal catalysts still suffer from catalyst deactivation due to carbon deposition and metal leaching.

Sasol uses microreactor sample environment for catalysis research

The Problem profilephoto

A proper understanding of structure-property relationships plays a central role in the design and discovery of novel materials. In many cases, exploring the relationship between the structure of a new material and its physical and chemical properties requires that measurements are carried out under exactly the same in situ conditions of temperature, pressure and atmosphere as the performance environments of the material of interest.