Engineering key features of zeolite active sites
Around 200 of 850 industrial catalytic processes utilize zeolites. Although traditional synthetic approaches are excellent tools for tuning the chemical composition of zeolite catalysts, they are still unable to control sub-nm characteristics of their active sites. We aim to address the aforementioned challenge facing zeolite chemistry by going beyond conventional “nanoscale” engineering of active sites and venturing into new frontiers in materials design – manipulating active sites in zeolites with atomic precision.
Advanced characterization of atomic-level active-site structure
We apply well-established spectroscopic, microscopic and diffraction techniques in combination with modelling to advance the structural description of active sites in zeolites towards a more accurate mechanistic interpretation and fine-tuning of their catalytic chemistry.
Zeolite-catalyzed synthesis of fine chemicals
The recent “Science and Technology Roadmap of Catalysis for Europe” recognizes “catalysis complexity” as one of the “grand challenges” that must be addressed by experts in heterogeneous catalysts to improve sustainability of chemical processes. In this regard, “the rational design of targeted catalytic functionalities that do not interfere with other functionalities” is one of our priorities to achieve a high level of predictability of catalytic reactions for the synthesis of fine chemicals.