Recent advances in the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured catalysts have allowed researchers to beginning unraveling important relationships between well-defined catalyst structures and catalyst properties. Especially by utilizing colloidally-synthesized building blocks, crucial relationships between nanoparticle size, shape, structure and function have been revealed. However, typical powder catalysts consist of countless nanoparticles acting in unison. Although a few recent results have highlighted the importance of controlling collective properties of nanoparticles, it remains challenging to synthesize, or even characterize, well-defined nanoparticle ensembles. In this work, we demonstrate colloidal approaches that may be used to synthesize, assemble, and characterize ensembles of supported nanoparticles with tunable ensemble properties. By utilizing model catalyst geometries, we demonstrate how specific calculable properties may be extracted from powder catalysts, and compare these measures to mathematical models. Finally, these numbers are used to explain the unique differences in activity and stability attributed to various nanoparticles ensembles.

Colloidal synthesis of powder catalysts with well-defined nanoparticle ensembles

2019 Spring National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.