The field of heterogeneous catalyst design calls for appropriate preparation concepts leading to highly active, selective and stable catalysts with predictable properties. Gaining control over the size and homogeneity of the active particles and the pore structure of the support are key to develop optimized catalysts.
The practical importance of heterogeneous catalysis is huge in this our civilized life. Not only fuels, fabrics, flavours, fragrances, fertilizers and most pharmaceuticals are generated catalytically but also many of the molecular building blocks for the production of a wide range of the commodities used in everyday life[1]. In this sense, developing catalysts with improved performance in terms of activity, selectivity, stability and tolerance towards different feed supplies is of the utmost importance.
Engineering heterogeneous catalysts with molecular precision is an ongoing challenge that may eventually allow the rational design of materials with predictable properties. In this regard, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline compounds consisting of infinite lattices built up of inorganic metal ions or clusters and organic linkers connected by coordination bonds [2]. The high versatility in MOF design provides clear advantages for catalysis, since it should be possible to rationally design both the active site and its environment with very high precision.
Moreover, in recent years, the MOF mediated synthesis (MOFMS) has emerged as a promising technique to obtain improved catalysts. The MOFMS basically consists in heating up the MOF until its framework collapses giving place to different types of materials. Under air, the organic linker is burned away and the metal ions/clusters lead to the corresponding metal oxide. The technique provides control over the shape, composition and the porosity of the resulting oxide. Under inert atmosphere, the organic linker and the metal ions are transformed into the carbon matrix and the metal nanoparticles (NPs), respectively. In this case the MOFMS is able to deliver high metal loading with controlled and homogeneous size of the NPs.
According to these premises, the overall objectives of this project are i) to develop novel catalysts from MOFs and via the MOFMS which are active, selective and stable for different catalytic processes and ii) to understand, control and thus be able to predict the final outcome of the MOFMS using different synthesis conditions.
1. Thomas, J.M. The societal significance of catalysis and the growing practical importance of single-site heterogeneous catalysts. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Science, 2012.
2. Gascon, J., et al., Metal Organic Framework Catalysis: Quo vadis? ACS Catalysis, 2014. 4(2): p. 361-378.
