Nanoparticle for Catalysis

Catalysts are essential components of most of chemical processes. Their role is to lower the activation energy of chemical reactions to speed up the formation of the desired products. The development of a novel catalyst is complex and spans over different length- and timescales: from the nanometers, where the chemical reaction actually takes place, up to the centimeters, the real dimension of the finite catalyst in a chemical plant.

In the Particle Technology Laboratory we produce catalyst using Flame Spray Pyrolysis, a versatile method for the production of catalytically active nanoparticles. With this method, we can easily control the composition of the catalyst, the spatial disposition of the various components and the particle size, in order to reach better catalytic performance. The produced nanoparticles are tested for a various number of reactions, from energy-related processes (e.g. dry reforming of methane, water gas shift) to removal of pollutants (e.g. NO reduction).