High Output Catalyst Development in Heterogeneous Gas Phase Catalysis

Both in exhaust gas after-treatment and energy-related catalysis, such as the conversion of synthesis gas to chemicals and fuels, more efficient and new catalysts need to be designed. Usually, rather established catalyst preparation methods like impregnation, (co)-precipitation, hydrothermal synthesis of zeolites and ion exchange are used. For this purpose, a high output platform for catalyst synthesis (HOCATS) has recently been established at KIT. With two case studies in bulk and environmental chemistry we discuss that robot-controlled catalyst synthesis at medium throughput is an attractive and promising approach if it is combined with efficient testing and characterization. For the latter preferentially also parallel or automated tools are required that still need to be further developed. In addition, deeper characterization of the catalysts by advanced spectroscopic methods is required since heterogeneous catalysts are typically very dynamic under reaction conditions. Finally, we emphasize that an alternative approach to high throughput screening is the use of computational screening using scaling relations and Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi relations.

Keywords: Energy-related catalysis, exhaust gas catalysis, synthesis gas, methanol synthesis, preparation, high output, automation, parallel experimentation, zeolites, characterization, basic chemicals, petrochemicals, structure-performance relationships, computational screening, scaling relations, parallel characterization, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, in situ spectroscopy.