Quasi in situ XPS characterization of supported and mixed oxides applied to the hydrodeoxygenation reaction

• Grant number: 24/09610-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Daniela Zanchet
• Grantee: Pedro Becchelli de Moraes Nunes
• Supervisor: Jonathan Keith Bartley
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Cardiff University, Wales
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/15042-2 - Exploiting metal-support interactions to tune the properties of iron oxide catalysts, BP.IC

Abstract

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is an important surface-sensible characterization technique that allows insight into the composition, concentration, and speciation of the oxidation states of a target material. It performs an indispensable part in heterogeneous catalysis, giving depth to the study on the interface between the catalyst, the substrate and the chemical environment. Furthermore, the realm of possibilities can be expanded with the use of quasi in situ XPS, in which the catalyst is pre-exposed to reaction conditions in a reactor attached to the XPS setup and then transferred to the XPS equipment without exposure to air. This is a valuable asset, considering that catalytic processes such as the hydrodeoxygenation reaction (HDO) are known to severely affect the catalysts' surface and properties, changing the overall catalytic activity. Thus, in this work, we aim to study supported iron oxides (FeOx/support) and bulk iron mixed oxides (MFe2O4) through quasi in situ XPS submitted to pre-treatments and HDO conditions (H2-rich atmosphere and >300 ºC temperatures), in order to observe the active sites' evolution regarding their oxidation states and concentration, according to the conditions that they are exposed. One of the main goals of this BEPE project will be the specialisation of the undergraduate student in the XPS analysis, which will be conducted at the Cardiff Catalysis Institute and coordinated by Dr. David Morgan and Dr. Jonathan Bartley, researchers at Cardiff University, Wales