Descripción del proyecto
Aprovechar los fotones, los electrones y las nanopartículas para catalizar la transformación de los hidrocarburos
Los hidrocarburos, que son compuestos químicos formados principalmente por hidrógeno y carbono, son los principales componentes del petróleo crudo, el gas natural y el carbón. Al transformarlos en compuestos que contienen oxígeno mediante la oxigenación, se obtienen productos útiles de alto valor añadido y sustancias intermedias para la industria de la química fina. Sin embargo, fomentar estas reacciones a través de la activación de los enlaces carbono-hidrógeno sigue siendo un reto y a menudo da lugar a bajos rendimientos y subproductos no deseados. El proyecto PLACABIN, financiado con fondos europeos, empleará métodos computacionales y experimentales para desarrollar un novedoso enfoque basado en la fotocatálisis para la oxidación selectiva de hidrocarburos utilizando nanoestructuras bimetálicas. Una cuidadosa caracterización de los procesos, desde el nivel de una sola partícula hasta el de un conjunto, mejorará el control y la aplicabilidad.
Objetivo
In PLACABIN, the candidate proposes a novel mode of plasmonic-nonplasmonic bimetallic photocatalysts based on the intermetallic effects between the plasmonic metal and catalytic metal. As a specific model, Au-Pd bimetallic nanostructures will be developed for the selective oxygenation of hydrocarbons, among which methane, cyclohexane, and toluene are adopted as the substrates. He will first syntheses Au-Pd bimetallic nanostructures and clarify their structure-activity relationship (WP1). Then he will make major effects to reveal the intermetallic effects between Au and Pd which contain optical and electronic coupling (WP2) and the plasmon-driven selective mechanism (WP3) through combined computational and experimental methods on both ensemble and single-particle levels. Based on these theoretical achievements, he will develop a designing principle guiding the construction of effective Au-Pd bimetallic nanostructures for plasmon-driven catalysis, which will be smoothly extended to other plasmonic-nonplasmonic bimetallic nanostructures. He will also develop a flow photochemical selective catalysis system based on Au-Pd bimetallic photocatalysts (WP4) to provide an application paradigm of this solar-driven procedure for selective oxidation reactions.
The candidate is an excellent researcher with the motivation and capability to conduct cutting-edge research, the skills to share and manage knowledge and supervise students. PLACABIN will generate high-impact publications guaranteeing the dissemination among academia. The well-organised outreach activities will help to communicate the results to a wider audience.
The implementation of this fellowship will contribute significantly to the professional development of the candidate to become a mature and independent researcher. It will strengthen his innovative research potential and his management and outreach skills, thus placing him in a leading position in his long-term research career.
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
CF24 0DE Cardiff
Reino Unido