The potential to develop metal, metal oxides, and metal carbide/nitride catalysts with unique structures and properties could evolve the area of carbide and nitride catalyst research for several important catalytic reactions relevant to biomass upgrading. Research in this area has been restricted because of the water and air intolerance and low surface area that many metal carbides and nitrides suffer. The promise of these catalysts as potential replacements for noble metals (Pt, Pd, <i>etc</i>.) that was first discovered decades ago has gone mostly unrealized due to instability and failure to produce high surface area examples of these materials. By embedding metals and metal oxides in mesoporous silica through both nanoparticle and atomic level incorporation followed by gas phase conversion to metal carbides and nitrides, we have addressed many of the issues that have limited broad implementation to the catalyst community. An increased fundamental understanding of various metal species (metals, oxides, carbides, and nitrides) distributed in silica support will be discussed, expanding the repertoire of applications of these materials.

Size-controlled synthesis of later transition metal nitrides by templating using mesoporous silica

251st National Meeting (2016)

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