NSF/CONACyT: Environmental Catalytic Processes

University Of California-Riverside, Riverside CA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract Proposal Title: NSF-CONACyT Collaborative Research on Environmental Catalysis Proposal Number: CTS-0423859 Principal Investigator: Francisco Zaera Institution: University of California, Riverside This collaborative project, involving the groups of Professor Francisco Zaera at the Department of Chemistry of the University of California, Riverside and of Professor Sergio Fuentes at the Centro de Ciencias de la Materia Condensada of UNAM, Ensenada, aims to develop a better molecular-level understanding of the nature of palladium-based catalysts for automobile emission control, NOx reduction in particular. Urban air pollution is a severe problem in modern societies, especially in large cities such as Los Angeles and Mexico City, and cheaper alternatives to the current three-way catalysts are desirable for the widespread use of catalytic cleaning of exhaust gases from automobiles. The research effort will combine novel sol-gel catalyst preparation methodologies developed in Ensenada with modern surface-science characterization techniques available at Riverside to obtain structure-activity correlations on newly designed catalytic materials. Catalysts based on palladium and supports modified with rare-metal oxide promoters have been chosen for the initial studies: palladium-only catalysts are already used for pollution removal in some circumstances, but their widespread application has been hampered by problems associated with the stability of the desirable active phases. To address this issue, both the effect of the surface structure and oxidation state of the palladium particles in defining catalytic activity and the role of modifiers in stabilizing desirable active sites for NOx reduction in supported catalysts will be studied by using model systems and a combined sol-gel synthesis/surface-science approach. One of the main broader technological contributions from this project will be the advancement of new experimental approaches for the synthesis and characterization of new catalysts. Catalysis-related experiments will also be incorporated into undergraduate and graduate level classes and laboratories. The project will strengthen the relation between the catalytic and surface science laboratories of Riverside and Ensenada. Both extensive exchanges of personnel and sharing of scientific equipment between the two groups will occur. The incorporation of Mexican graduate students into the research effort at UC Riverside will facilitate efforts in recruiting US students from underrepresented groups, Hispanics in particular.