Mimicking nature in designing bi-atom heterogeneous catalyst
Description: The rational design of heterogeneous catalysts features high on the wish-list of both academia and industry. Like Nature, many catalytic reactions depend on isolated atoms instead of atom-clusters. In this context, downsizing the conventional supported nanometric materials to single-atom catalysts has become a “hotspot” of recent research. Such atomic configuration often offers superior catalytic performance in various industrially-important reactions. Interestingly, many catalytic processes in Nature also depend on the dinuclear active center such as in the methane monooxygenase. The bi-atom works cooperatively, ensuring high activity and selectivity that can hardly achieved using synthetic catalyst. Inspired by Nature’s catalysis while considering the ligand and/or binding effect created by the second metal atom, the central focus of this proposal is developing noble metal homoatomic and heteroatomic bi-atom catalysts (BAC, i.e., metal bi-atom pair supported on metal oxides or carbons). This novel material will share the advantages of both homogenous and heterogeneous catalysts, opening new opportunities in catalysis research.
The research comprises three sequential studies of the BAC’s molecular precursor, support and catalytic performance, respectively. The central challenge is to stabilize the bi-atom pair on the support. My main approach is to create the hydrated linear vacancy cluster on the metal oxide support. The vacancy cluster and the surrounding hydrated oxygen atoms serve as the “dual-hosting site” and “docking site”, respectively. The designed complex with suitable ligand will be grafted near the hosting site. After the organic ligands removal, the bi-atom pair will be then covalently stabilized in the vacancy cluster. The performance of BACs will be studied in the activation of O2 at ambient condition in the electrochemical oxygen reduction and alcohol oxidation reactions. Using in-situ Raman, IR and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the ultimate goal is to understand and reveal the possible cooperative catalysis effects of the bi-atom pair.
Funding type: fellowship
Funder scheme: NWO-Talentprogramma Vidi ENW 2018
Start date: 2019-10-15
End date: 2024-10-31
Investigator: Ning Yan
Institution: Universiteit van Amsterdam
Funded outputs count: 20
Funder award ID: VI.Vidi.192.045
OpenAlex ID: G8564467238