Time and place
Friday, 9th January, at 13:00, Bldg. 308, Aud. 11
Principal supervisor
Professor Kristian Speranza Mølhave
Co-supervisor
Senior Researcher Shima Kadkhodazadeh, DTU
Examiners
Professor Thomas Willum Hansen, DTU
Professor Sarah Haigh, University of Manchester
Chargé de Recherche Patricia Abellan, CNRS
Chairperson at defence
Associate Professor Christian Danvad Damsgaard, DTU
Abstract
Catalysis is at the heart of many chemical processes that shape our daily lives, but the chemical industry also has a significant environmental footprint. To make these processes more sustainable, we need to better understand how catalysts work, especially at the smallest scales.
This PhD project explores how metallic nanoparticles, tiny particles often used as catalysts, behave during chemical reactions in liquid environments. Using advanced electron microscopy and specially designed chips that can hold liquid inside the microscope, the research makes it possible to observe reactions at the atomic level.
The study involved development of methods as well as testing the liquid containing chips, measuring how liquids flow through them, and investigating how the microscope’s electron beam affects both the chip and the liquid. Finally, experiments with nanoparticles to study a simple chemical reaction are included, and new ways to detect catalytic activity using changes in the electron energy loss signals are explored.
Overall, the project shows that it is possible to study liquid-phase catalysis with atomic precision and highlights the challenges that must be addressed to make such experiments more reliable. These insights contribute to the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly chemical processes in the future.
