Catalysis and surfaces

“Catalysis and surfaces research are central to technologies for producing cleaner energy, sustainable chemicals, and advanced materials.  Nearly 90 percent of chemical products, from fuels to fertilizers and plastics to medicines, rely heavily on catalysts to make reactions faster, more efficient, and less wasteful, thus contributing to ~30% of global gross domestic product (GDP).

By understanding and controlling reactions at the molecular scale on catalytic surfaces, we can design new materials with sustainable applications, such as converting carbon dioxide into fuels, powering fuel cells, advancing next generation batteries, and enabling technologies that improve daily life while protecting the planet.

Reactive surfaces: catalysis in action

A combination of thermal-, electron- and photon-induced catalytic chemistries are studied by various research groups within the department with the overarching goal of designing atom efficient catalysts.  Well-controlled experiments are conducted to elucidate reaction kinetics, which are then integrated with spectroscopy under reaction conditions, and atomistic modeling from machine learning and first principles to gain insights into the nature of active sites.  This collaborative feedback loop allows a top-down approach to identify active, selective, and stable catalysts for various chemical reactions.

Non-reactive surfaces: transport and material interactions

In addition to catalysis, surface science in the department also addresses how surfaces affect physical processes.  Surfaces are studied for their effect on flow through narrow channels and the deposition and removal from materials in personal products and for extraction of oil and minerals.”