Catalyst surface structures processed

Regardless of the exact mechanism at work, HCl catalyst pretreatment have been demonstrated to enhance the photocatalytic oxidation of toluene at low concentrations [68,69]. The apparent deactivation of the photocatalyst is noticeably delayed over HCl-pretreated catalyst samples in a manner similar to that seen with cofed toluene and TCE (Fig. 13). However, the pseudo-steady-state level of conversion appears to be nearly identical on both untreated and HCl-pretreated catalysts. Because the batch HCl pretreatment process incorporates a limited quantity of HCl into the catalyst surface structure, this similarity in longterm activity may be the result of surface chlorine depletion. 

In section two below, we briefly describe the degree to which adsorption control is achieved in various methods of catalyst preparation. Sections three and four describe the. practical means for successful catalyst preparation by ALE, including the basis for adsorption control and the means for regulating the metal loading. Section five offers a more detailed account of the surface structures processed by ALE. 

An effect which is frequently encountered in oxide catalysts is that of promoters on the activity. An example of this is the small addition of lidrium oxide, Li20 which promotes, or increases, the catalytic activity of dre alkaline earth oxide BaO. Although little is known about the exact role of lithium on the surface structure of BaO, it would seem plausible that this effect is due to the introduction of more oxygen vacancies on the surface. This effect is well known in the chemistry of solid oxides. For example, the addition of lithium oxide to nickel oxide, in which a solid solution is formed, causes an increase in the concentration of dre major point defect which is the Ni + ion. Since the valency of dre cation in dre alkaline earth oxides can only take the value two the incorporation of lithium oxide in solid solution can only lead to oxygen vacaircy formation. Schematic equations for the two processes are... 

A wide variety of solid materials are used in catalytic processes. Generally, the (surface) structure of metal and supported metal catalysts is relatively simple. For that reason, we will first focus on metal catalysts. Supported metal catalysts are produced in many forms. Often, their preparation involves impregnation or ion exchange, followed by calcination and reduction. Depending on the conditions quite different catalyst systems are produced. When crystalline sizes are not very small, typically > 5 nm, the metal crystals behave like bulk crystals with similar crystal faces. However, in catalysis smaller particles are often used. They are referred to as crystallites , aggregates , or clusters . When the dimensions are not known we will refer to them as particles . In principle, the structure of oxidic catalysts is more complex than that of metal catalysts. The surface often contains different types of active sites a combination of acid and basic sites on one catalyst is quite common. 

Adsorption is the preferential concentration of a species at the interface between two phases. Adsorption on solid surfaces is a very complex process and one that is not well understood. The surfaces of most heterogeneous catalysts are not uniform. Variations in energy, crystal structure, and chemical composition will occur as one moves about on the catalyst surface. In spite of this it is generally possible to divide all adsorption phenomena involving solid surfaces into two main classes physical adsorption and chemical adsorption (or chemisorption). Physical adsorption arises from intermolecular forces... 

It is known that some spinel-structured 3d-metal oxides are good catalysts for many processes involving electron transfer [12]. However, their low conductivity does not allow for the direct use in the electrode of the battery, and grafting them onto the carbon matrix is also very difficult technical problem. It was found recently that this problem could be solved indirectly, creating the spinel catalytic centers on the surface of carbon by means of adsorption of some 3d-metal complexes on the graphite surface followed by subsequent pyrolysis at certain temperatures [13,14],... 

Apart from the above mentioned redox type reactions, we like to consider (in connection with work to be published by us elsewhere) another type of relaxations, due to the possible reorganisations of sorption intermediates on the catalyst surface, as suggested by some investigations in our laboratory. This structuring on the catalyst surface is equivalent to a change in the entropy of the system catalyst surface / adsorbed intermediates and seems to be responsible e.g. for the selectivity change under transient conditions in the oxidation of hydrocarbons. Actually this structural organization of the surface intermediates is also a rate process which can be observed under transient conditions. 

In situ dynamic surface structural changes of catalyst particles in response to variations in gas environments were examined by ETEM by Gai et al. (78,97). In studies of copper catalysts on alumina, which are of interest for the water gas shift reaction, bulk diffusion of metal particles through the support in oxygen atmospheres was shown (78). The discovery of this new catalyst diffusion process required a radical revision of the understanding of regeneration processes in catalysis. 

Fig. 21. (a) The nature of the glide shear plane defects in three-dimensional projection and (b) in one layer of idealized structure, showing the novel glide shear process and the formation of glide shear plane defects. Filled circles are anion vacancies, (c) Schematic of glide shear. Glide defects accommodate the misfit at the interface between catalyst surface layers with anion vacancies (filled circles) and the underlying bulk (85,89). 

In this chapter, we have discussed the application of metal oxides as catalysts. Metal oxides display a wide range of properties, from metallic to semiconductor to insulator. Because of the compositional variability and more localized electronic structures than metals, the presence of defects (such as comers, kinks, steps, and coordinatively unsaturated sites) play a very important role in oxide surface chemistry and hence in catalysis. As described, the catalytic reactions also depend on the surface crystallographic structure. The catalytic properties of the oxide surfaces can be explained in terms of Lewis acidity and basicity. The electronegative oxygen atoms accumulate electrons and act as Lewis bases while the metal cations act as Lewis acids. The important applications of metal oxides as catalysts are in processes such as selective oxidation, hydrogenation, oxidative dehydrogenation, and dehydrochlorination and destructive adsorption of chlorocarbons. 

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