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Coherent diffrAction foR a look Inside Nanostructures towards atomic rEsolution: catalysis and interface

Project description

Real-time imaging to track catalyst formation

Nanomaterial-based catalysts are usually heterogeneous catalysts broken up into nanoparticles to speed up the catalytic process. Compared to their bulk counterparts, metal nanoparticles have a higher surface area, so there is increased catalytic activity. So far, the spectroscopic characterisation of materials undergoing reaction coupled simultaneously with measurement of catalytic activity and selectivity has been conducted in ideal conditions. The ambition of the EU-funded CARINE project is to track in situ and operando the structural evolution of catalytic nanoparticles in realistic conditions. It will do so by using coherent diffraction imaging. The new imaging technique will help researchers better understand catalyst formation and further improve their durability and efficiency.

Objective

Heterogeneous catalysis of nanoparticles has recently emerged as highly promising way to speed up catalytic processes due to their far higher surface area compared to bulk materials. But they face significant challenges in achieving high catalytic activity and sufficient durability. A key problem has been that all existing approaches to the characterization of atomic scale phenomena in these materials either lack structural specificity or can be employed under highly unrealistic catalytic environments. As an example, operando x-ray catalysis has often been carried out under idealized conditions and averaging information from macroscopic facets. This approach suffers from the lack of transferability to nanocrystalline systems. To tackle this problem, I am developing new state-of-the-art in situ techniques based on coherent x-ray scattering and complementary chemical characterization, with which I will optimize catalyst and reactor operations simultaneously. This is the ambition of the CARINE project to study in situ and operando the structural evolution of catalytic nanoparticles in realistic conditions during reaction by using the unique capabilities of coherent diffraction Bragg imaging (CDI). My proposed work builds on my recent exciting proof-of-concept experiments using Pt nanocrystals that demonstrate the sensitivity and spatial resolution of CDI under liquid conditions. As dedicated instruments for CDI have just reached user operation, it is only now that this new imaging technique can be applied during reaction and can probe structural changes of individual nanocrystals under conditions where up to now, no other techniques could probe the relevant parameters. My project will shed light into most relevant unsolved issues (durability, activity…) that limit the efficiency of today’s industrial processes and will open new horizons with outstanding impact in catalytic research.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2018-COG

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Host institution

COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 793 750,00
Address
RUE LEBLANC 25
75015 Paris
France

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Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris
Activity type
Research Organisations
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 793 750,00

Beneficiaries (2)

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