Development of lamellar materials doped with rare earth ions for catalysis and as temperature sensors.

• Grant number: 18/01427-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2018
• End date: September 18, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Heloise de Oliveira Pastore
• Grantee: Wesley Cardoso Muscelli
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/06942-0 - Nanostructured layered solids as acid, basic and redox catalysts, AP.TEM

Abstract

The present post-doc project aims at developing lamellar materials doped with rare earth ions as heterogeneous catalysts in dehydration reactions of low molecular weight alcohols (C2-C5) to olefins under moderate temperatures (~350°C). Following the expertise of the present research group, it is proposed the evaluation of the catalytic activity of lamellar silicates in respect to the Bronsted and Lewis acid sites, using in situ techniques such as infrared absorption spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption (TDP). The photoluminescence study on RE3+-doped materials will be performed for structural elucidation. Energy transfer processes among rare earth ions (RE3+) and matrix-ions will be investigated taking into account the ion concentration. Specifically, the spectroscopic study will be focused on the upconversion and downconversion energy processes. Finally, we intend to use these rare earth doped materials as local sensing thermometers in acid catalysed reactions as well as for estimation of local acidity and catalysts turnover.