(369b) Small Scale Systems for Materials Synthesis and Catalyst Characterization

Miniaturized continuous flow systems for synthesis of nanoparticles and characterization of heterogeneous catalysts are described. The small scale systems provide access to high temperature and pressure conditions difficult to access in conventional batch synthesis.  As result, a wider range of reagents and solvents becomes feasible and the rate of synthesis is greatly accelerated with tighter control of particle size distribution.  These advantages are demonstrated with examples of synthesis of InP nanocrystals, quantum dots, and metallic nanoparticles for catalytic applications.  Combination of micro fluidic synthesis and droplet forming techniques leads to the formation of hierarchical supported catalysts with well-defined active nanoparticles and porestructures.  Synthesis applications are further enhanced by mechanistic and kinetic information gained from integrating reaction components with sensors, actuators, and automated fluid handling. Examples including hydroformylation and hydrogenation reactions are used to illustrate that kinetic and chemisorption data can be obtained from mg samples of catalysts.