Nanotechnology products catalysts

Section I reviews the new concepts and applications of nanotechnology for catalysis. Chapter 1 provides an overview on how nanotechnology impacts catalyst preparation with more control of active sites, phases, and environment of actives sites. The values of catalysis in advancing development of nanotechnology where catalysts are used to facilitate the production of carbon nanotubes, and catalytic reactions to provide the driving force for motions in nano-machines are also reviewed. Chapter 2 investigates the role of oxide support materials in modifying the electronic stmcture at the surface of a metal, and discusses how metal surface structure and properties influence the reactivity at molecular level. Chapter 3 describes a nanomotor driven by catalysis of chemical reactions. 

Low-cost material programs include the European Union s 54 million sixth framework research program on nanotechnologies and nanosciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials, new production processes and devices. In partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), the 5-year project seeks to find catalysts less expensive than platinum, which is used widely in fuel cells. As an alternative to platinum, nickel, cobalt and copper alloys are a possible solution. 

Supported metal clusters play an important role in nanoscience and nanotechnology for a variety of reasons [1-6]. Yet, the most immediate applications are related to catalysis. The heterogeneous catalyst, installed in automobiles to reduce the amount of harmful car exhaust, is quite typical it consists of a monolithic backbone covered internally with a porous ceramic material like alumina. Small particles of noble metals such as palladium, platinum, and rhodium are deposited on the surface of the ceramic. Other pertinent examples are transition metal clusters and atomic species in zeolites which may react even with such inert compounds as saturated hydrocarbons activating their catalytic transformations [7-9]. Dehydrogenation of alkanes to the alkenes is an important initial step in the transformation of ethane or propane to aromatics [8-11]. This conversion via nonoxidative routes augments the type of feedstocks available for the synthesis of these valuable products. 

Present day production of catalysts is by tedious and expensive trial-and-error in laboratory in large-scale reactors. The catalytic action occurs on surface of highly dispersed ceramic or metallic nanostructures. Nanotechnology facilities may bring about a more scientific way of designing new catalysts named nanocatalysis with precision and predictable outcome. 

The search for new and/or improved catalysts appears to be a never-ending process that has recently received impetus because of developments in the nanotechnology field l This predicament is further exacerbated because small changes in the operating temperature and/or pressure, or small change in yields or product distribution can have significant economic impact on the process of concern. 

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