Catalytic Nanoparticles

Nanocatalysts

Alcohols were recently observed at Oak Ridge National Lab to autoignite at room temperature in a packed bed reactor containing 500 nm catalytic particles.  This is very interesting observation because autoignition typically requires temperatures of several hundred degrees and does not occur on bulk catalytic substrates at room temperature.  Studies are being conducted in our lab to understand why nanoparticles have significantly higher catalytic activity.  In part, the high surface area to volume ratio, which increases with decreasing particle size, is responsible in addition to other significant factors. 

In practice, nanocatalysts offer the chemical and combustion communities a new technology to reduce undesirable emissions such as NO_x in the transportation sector.

(a)

SEM images of catalytic nanoparticles: 500 nm average particle size have

been shown to lower autoignition temperatures to room temperature!