Atoms crowd and abandon catalyst's internal channel surfaces, changing its ability to drive reactions
Monday, March 23, 2015 - 07:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Simple improvements to a bland-looking catalyst could change biofuel refining; the challenge is discovering how the catalyst truly works. Led by scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a team answered a key question: how does adding water change a dehydrated aluminum- and silicon-based catalyst known as H-Beta zeolite. The team watched as water was added. Spots inside the catalyst's channel—the pores that dot the catalyst's surface—shifted as more water molecules crowd around certain aluminum atoms, which are responsible for the catalyst getting the job done. The channel continued to change as more water was added.