Dr. John R. Morris, Professor at Virginia Tech, will present, “Catalysis at TiO2-Supported Au Nanoparticles: Thermal and UV/Vis-Driven Chemistry,” in Fulmer 201 at 4:10 p.m.
Abstract: Gold is the most noble of all the metals–under typical conditions, gold is chemically inert toward oxidation reactions and exhibits high stability even under the most extreme conditions. However, a number of recent studies have shown that nanoparticulate Au deposited on metal oxides can catalyze chemical transformations. Our group seeks to develop a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms that govern the oxidation of propene to form propene oxide at TiO2-supported Au nanoparticulate catalysts. This work is motivated by the importance of developing a fundamental understanding of thermal- and photo-catalysis within binary systems and by the potential to develop new, more efficient, and selective routes to the production of propene oxide–a critically important commodity compound. The experiments are facilitated by ultrahigh-vacuum-based surface science methods that employ in situ infrared spectroscopic detection of catalyst-bound species while simultaneously tracking the evolution of gas-phase products during exposure of the catalyst to a precision-controlled flux of propene, oxygen, and photons. The ultimate long-term merit of this research will be to develop strategies for creating new catalysts that maximize the efficiency of propene oxide production, while removing many of the environmental hazards associated with current technologies.
All upcoming chemistry seminars are available at https://chem.wsu.edu/events.
