Barium Carbonate News
Catalysis takes center stage at chemistry conference
PNNL scientists and others present surface science research atsymposium in memory of esteemed colleague Mike White
RICHLAND, Wash. — Scientists can learn how advances incatalysisare addressing real-world energy problems and expandingresearchhorizons at an upcoming symposium at the 236th AmericanChemicalSociety national meeting in Philadelphia, Penn. Thescientificcommunity is honoring the contributions of the late MikeWhite atthe symposium, which will be held from August 19-21.
"Catalysis is particularly important when it comes toenergysupply," said PNNL chemist Daniel DuBois. "Mike was veryaware ofand concerned about the big energy problem, and the roleofcatalysis in the solution."
Catalysts are substances that facilitate chemical reactionsbutare not changed by them. Catalysts change the rate atwhichchemical bonds are formed and broken. Researchers can usecatalyststo control the rates of chemical reactions, increasing theamountsof desirable products and reducing the amounts ofundesirable ones.As a result, understanding how catalysts work isimportant to manyindustrial processes including petroleum refiningand production ofvarious chemicals.
"This symposium is our way of honoring Mike and the impact hehadon our personal and professional lives," said Mike Henderson,leadorganizer of the symposium who studied under White and workedwithhim at PNNL's Institute for Interfacial Catalysis http://iic.pnl.gov/.
One way PNNL scientists are harnessing the power of catalysisisthrough hydrogen oxidation and production, two processesnecessaryfor fuel cells to function. So far, however, suchchemicalconversions are expensive, requiring the precious metalplatinum.DuBois is exploring how to design alternative catalyststhat useinexpensive metals such as nickel and cobalt.
"We are working to find cheaper ways to make theseprocesseshappen," said DuBois. "In order to maximize catalystperformance,we have to understand how the process works."
White, a Robert A. Welch Chair of Materials Chemistry attheUniversity of Texas at Austin and founding director ofPNNL'sInstitute for Interfacial Catalysis, passed away unexpectedlyonAugust 31, 2007. White was internationally recognized as apioneerin many areas of surface chemistry, catalysis, the dynamicsofsurface reactions, and light-stimulated surface reactions.Whitehad published more than 700 research papers in a careerthatspanned more than four decades.
The three day symposium, organized by PNNL'sHenderson,University of Minnesota's Xiaoyang Zhu, and LehighUniversity'sBruce Koel, features 32 presentations by White's formerstudentsand post-docs, colleagues from University of Texas atAustin andPNNL, and other researchers who worked with White duringhiscareer.
PNNL presentations will also highlight advances in other areasofcatalysis, including understanding reactions on the surfacesoftitanium dioxide, a material with applications includingsolarcells and wastewater treatment, and gamma-alumina, which hasthepotential to increase transportation energy efficiency.
Understanding how catalytic processes work is criticaltounlocking a variety of potential applications, said ChuckPeden,interim director of PNNL's Institute for InterfacialCatalysis."For example, there are a very large number ofapplicationsinvolving catalysis that utilize alumina as thecatalyst supportmaterial."
Alumina is a common and relatively inexpensive catalystsupportmaterial. Its surface structure and catalytic propertieshave beenthe subject of much research, but its small particle sizeand lowcrystallinity have made it very difficult to studytheseproperties, said Peden. Researchers at PNNL used the world'sfirst900-MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer to revealhowbarium oxide, which can absorb toxic nitrogen oxideemissions,attaches itself to the surface of gamma-alumina. A numberofdifferent presentations will highlight research on aluminamadepossible by this discovery, including its potential toreducevehicle emissions by boosting the use of fuel efficientlean-burnengines. (For past PNNL research in this area, see http://www.pnl.gov/news/release.asp?id=293.)
PNNL researchers will also discuss how an understandingofcatalysis can be applied to improving alternative sourcesofenergy, including production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF),akey intermediate between biomass-based carbohydrate chemistryandpetroleum-based industrial organic chemistry. (For pastPNNLresearch in this area, see http://www.pnl.gov/news/release.asp?id=255.)
PNNL researchers will offer several presentations asWhite'sformer colleagues and students, abstracts of which can befound atthe American Chemical Society website at http://oasys2.confex.com/acs/236nm/techprogram/S28346.HTM.
The 236th ACS national meeting will be held inPhiladelphia,Penn. from August 17-21, 2008. With more than 160,000members, ACSis the world's largest scientific society. For moreinformation,visit the ACS website at www.acs.org
The Institute for Interfacial Catalysis facilitatescollaborativeresearch among scientists and engineers across thePacific NorthwestNational Laboratory campus and around the globe.Researchers explorea fundamental understanding of catalyticmaterials and the chemicalreactions occurring on catalystsurfaces. This understanding is putto use in developing industrialand environmental solutions toaddress a secure energy future.
The IIC is collocated with EMSL, the EnvironmentalMolecularSciences Laboratory at PNNL, and is able to routinely useEMSL'sunique resources such as a one-of-a-kind wide-bore 900 MHzNMRspectrometer. EMSL is a national scientific user facilitysponsoredby the Department of Energy's Office of Science,Biological andEnvironmental Research program that is located atPacific NorthwestNational Laboratory. EMSL offers an open,collaborative environmentfor scientific discovery to researchersaround the world. EMSL'stechnical experts and suite of custom andadvanced instruments areunmatched. Its integrated computational andexperimentalcapabilities enable researchers to realize fundamentalscientificinsights and create new technologies.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is a Department ofEnergyOffice of Science national laboratory where interdisciplinaryteamsadvance science and technology and deliver solutions toAmerica'smost intractable problems in energy, national security,and theenvironment. PNNL employs 4,000 staff, has a $855 millionannualbudget, and has been managed by Ohio-based Battelle since thelab'sinception in 1965