For a structure-sensitive reaction, both the activity and selectivity of a heterogeneous catalyst can be optimized by controlling the shape of the nanocrystals, and thus the type of facet or the arrangement of atoms on the surface. This concept, however, could not be materialized until recently when it became possible to synthesize shape-controlled nanocrystals, including those with high-index facets, with the required quality and quantity. Additionally, the size of shape-controlled nanocrystals may also play an important as it determines the surface-to-bulk atomic ratio and the proportions of different types of atoms (<i>e.g.</i>, vertex, edge, vs. face) . In this talk, I will use several examples to illustrate how shape-controlled synthesis has enabled the development of catalysts with enhanced activity and selectivity toward an array of reactions, including formic acid oxidation, oxygen reduction, and selective hydrogenation.

Shape-controlled metal nanocrystals: The next-generation heterogeneous catalysts?

2019 Spring National Meeting

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