PhD position for studies on catalyst activation using in-situ gas-phase transmission electron microscopy (1,0 FTE)

Heterogeneous metal catalysts are of tremendous importance to chemical industry. Activity, selectivity and stability of catalysts during chemical reactions is largely determined by the size, location and composition of catalytically active metal particles typically supported on metal oxides such as silica, alumina or titania. Within the framework of ARC-CBBC consortium, this project aims to deepen the understanding of reduction step of catalyst precursors, which is often a vital step in catalyst preparation as it determines the dispersion and thereby activity. The focus will be on the preparation of supported metal catalysts, and the evolution of the active phase will be investigated using both ex-situ and in-situ approaches. In-situ transmission electron microscopy will play a crucial role (see J. Am. Chem. Soc. 138, 2016, 3433), and thanks to the development of in-situ gas phase cells it will be possible to follow the evolution of metal nanoparticles under high temperature and in gas environment inside the TEM.