The discovery and development of catalytic materials is important for facilitating chemical transformations across a wide range of applications. We have been using single crystals and bulk powders of refractory phases, synthesized using high-temperature solid-state reactions, as a platform for catalyst discovery that complements high-throughput techniques, which often miss such compounds. This talk will highlight several recent discoveries of catalysts discovered using this approach, as well as efforts to transform the bulk materials into nanostructured analogues having higher surface areas. As one example, MoAlB, a layered refractory metal boride, is an active electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution, and its surface area can be increased significantly through nanostructuring efforts that involve interlayer etching of aluminum to expose active sites that were previously buried within the bulk crystal.

Catalyst discovery and development: From bulk to nanoscale materials

2019 Spring National Meeting

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