Electric field-assisted nanocatalysis within a hollow compartment

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K14491
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 28030:Nanomaterials-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Kanako 東北大学, 工学研究科, 助教 (30847249)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 触媒システム / 中空粒子 / ナノ粒子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objective of this work is to develop hollow-type materials which can be employed for the immobilized catalysts. The motion of nanoparticles within a hollow compartment is expected to influence their catalytic activity. Hollow particles containing gold nanoparticles were prepared to investigate the proof-of-concept. The reciprocal motion of nanoparticles was observed in both cases with and without an external electric field, suggesting the nanoparticle motion cannot dramatically influence the catalytic activity. Because the diffusion of reactants from bulk phase into the hollow compartment affects the catalytic activities, the diffusion of dye molecules was investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The molecular diffusion depended on the pore size of the hollow silica shells. These results indicated that an appropriate design for the pore size is an important parameter to design the hollow-type packing materials in a flow reactor.

Free Research Field

ナノ材料科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高い比表面積を有する触媒粒子充填型反応器は、様々な触媒反応の基盤システムとして受け入れられている。しかしながら、流路内の高い圧力損失、触媒粒子と反応溶液の低い接触効率が指摘されてきた。本研究では、中空粒子殻の細孔径ならびに中空粒子のサイズ均一性が同反応器設計に重要な因子であることを明らかにした。本研究で得られた知見に基づき設計される触媒システムは、粒子充填型反応器が抱える課題の改善に繋がる。