Teaching

Molecular Structures and Mechanism in Heterogeneous Catalysis

Masters Course, Ergänzungsmodul, Wahl, 2
Credit Points: 3
Given in the winter semester (WiSe)
Prerequisites: Bachelors Degree in Chemistry
Description: Heterogeneous catalysts are used in the vast majority of processes in industrial chemistry. Despite their abundance, we know surprisingly little about the structures of their active sites and the mechanisms of their reactions. This is largely due to the complex nature of catalyst surfaces, making them much more difficult to characterize than homogeneous catalysts. Special methods are needed to understand the molecular aspects of heterogeneous catalyst surfaces.

This module describes the tools and methods that researchers use to understand the structures and mechanisms on heterogeneous catalyst surfaces. In this course, we will discuss spectroscopic techniques for catalyst characterization and methods for making models of catalyst active sites. The course is divided into the following topics:

• Spectroscopic Methods for Surface Characterization (X-ray Spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron
• Spectroscopy, NMR, IR/Raman)
  The use of Surface Science to Understand Reactions on Perfect Metal Crystal Terminations
• Synthesizing Active Site Models through the Use of Surface Organometallic Chemistry
• Immobilization of Homogeneous Catalyst Species using Molecular Heterogeneous Catalysis