<i>Sensu stricto</i> a catalyst is neither consumed nor changed through many cycles of reaction. This ideal situation is not always attainable, especially for solid materials,  both because of adsorption of unwanted products (e.g. coking) and, more fundamentally, because of thermodynamically controlled changes of the catalyst under operating conditions. Calorimetric studies of the stability of catalytic materials provides insights and defines limitations ion the function of new catalytic materials. This keynote address presents several examples of such studies. (1) The intrinsic thermodynamic instability of the promising solar energy perovskite, tetramethylammonium lead iodide, with respect to its binary iodide components, shown by solution calorimetry, puts serious limitations on its likely use. (2) The role of surface energy and nanophase structure  in the function of manganese oxide catalytic materials for water splitting, lithium cobalt oxide for battery applications, and cobalt oxide for carbon monoxide oxidation is discussed. (3) The thermodynamic role of sulfate adsorption in sulfated zirconia catalysts is elucidated by calorimetric studies. <br/>

Thermochemical studies of catalyst stability and function

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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