PhD defence: Control and impact of metal nanoparticle location in bifunctional catalysts for hydrocarbon conversion

People use energy on a daily basis for, e.g., production of food, heating and transportation. About 82% of the worldwide energy usage involves fossil fuels. A more renewable source for the production of fuels is municipal solid waste (MSW).

Following gasification of the MSW and conversion of the resulting synthesis gas to long-chain hydrocarbons, the third step in the production of fuels is hydroconversion. During hydroconversion the long-chain hydrocarbon molecules are isomerized and cracked to give the fuel the desired properties. This process requires a catalyst, a material that accelerates the reaction towards the desired products. Typically, for the hydroconversion reaction, a bifunctional catalyst containing metal and acid functions is used. The metal in these bifunctional catalysts often is a precious metal such as platinum or palladium. Since these metals are scarce and expensive, it is desirable to limit the amounts required for catalysis.

In this dissertation we show how we can control the metal nanoparticle location with respect to the acid sites, and how we can use this to lower the amount of precious metal that is required. Additionally, we show what happens if the precious metals are replaced by the more abundantly available nickel. These findings are relevant for the production of clean and renewable fuels, while simultaneously decreasing the amount of scarce materials required for fuel production.