Fundamental Concepts in Heterogeneous Catalysis

Heterogeneous catalysis is central to our modern world, enabling the production of fertilizers, the synthesis of plastics, and the removal of pollutants from exhaust. The transition to renewable energy sources and the need for sustainable industrial processes require the development of novel types of heterogeneous catalysts, including ones that can deal with feedstocks that are radically different from those encountered in current processes or that can utilize electricity to drive catalytic conversions. This course explores fundamental concepts in heterogeneous catalysis, including surface equilibria (adsorption isotherms), rate constants (transition state theory), chemical kinetics (rate equation, power laws, microkinetic modeling), surface reactivity (d-band model, scaling relations, Sabatiers principle, active-site structure), and electrocatalysis (proton-electron transfer reactions, thermodynamic and kinetic considerations). While the course focuses on heterogeneous catalysis, many of the concepts are also relevant to homogeneous processes. Students are expected to have taken a course in thermodynamics and reactions kinetics, such as CHEM4475 or CHEM4473.