The Heterogeneous Catalysis Unit provides support to ICIQ researchers working on heterogeneous catalysis (gas phase reactions catalysed by solids).
To this purpose, it comprises equipment for a wide catalyst characterisation and testing, including textural and reactivity studies, performance of the catalysts for different reactions at different operating conditions and mechanism elucidation of catalytic processes.
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To that purpose, some state-of-the-art techniques for the catalysts characterization and testing are available in the unit:
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TAP (Temporary Analysis of Products) is a cutting edge and not commonly found dynamic technique in which the reactants are pulsed into a catalytic microreactor under high vacuum. A mass spectrometer is located just at the reactor outlet, leading to a time resolution in the sub-milisecond scale. It is one of the most powerful tools in the elucidation of gas-solid heterogeneous reaction mechanisms and pathways. It has shown a great utility not only in the fundamental understanding of catalytic processes, but also in the resolution of problems at an industrial level (e.g. side-reactions minimization in the NH
3 oxidation for the production of nitric acid).
- The
TPD/R/O (Temperature Programmed Desorption/Reduction/Oxidation) and pulse chemisorption are a group of techniques that allow studying the reactivity or affinity of the catalyst active sites with reactive molecules contained in a gas stream.