FOR 2213:  Nanoporous gold - A prototype for a rational design of catalysts

• Subject Area: Chemistry ; Materials Science and Engineering ; Physics
• Term: from 2015 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 255613253

The research unit 2213 will contribute to the understanding of the surface chemistry of nanoporous gold (npAu) and its dependence on structural and compositional factors allowing to explain the complex and so far partially unpredictable catalytic behavior in oxidation chemistry of npAu. A detailed understanding of the role of low-coordinated atoms, the role of second metals and the range of possible elementary steps leading to the activation of adsorbed molecules, particularly molecular oxygen, constitutes the main aim of the consortium of 9 research groups working at the University Bremen and Oldenburg, at the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg and at the Free University Bremen. Three areas will intimately work together: material’s synthesis, aiming at preparing npAu catalysts with defined properties in a controlled and reproducible fashion, gas phase applications (heterogeneous catalysis) and liquid phase application (catalysis and electrochemistry). In all cases, surface properties will be considered together with microscopic strain in the material and mass transport properties resulting from the porosity. This is the continuation proposal after the consortium has already worked together over the last three years.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• International Connection: South Africa

Projects

• Atomistic insight into the properties of nanoporous gold using single crystalline model surfaces (Applicant Risse, Thomas )
• Composition and structure of nanoporous Au dealloyed from AuAg and AuCu (Applicant Rosenauer, Andreas )
• Computational modelling of the reaction-induced surface evolution of nanoporous gold (Applicant Moskaleva, Lyudmila V. )
• Coordination Funds (Applicant Wittstock, Gunther )
• Electrocatalysis and transport in nanoporous gold (Applicant Wittstock, Gunther )
• Electronic structure calculations of oxidation reactions on nanoporous gold (Applicant Klüner, Thorsten )
• Gas phase catalytic application of nanoporous gold (Applicant Bäumer, Marcus )
• Liquid phase catalytic application of nanoporous gold (Applicant Wittstock, Arne )
• Microstructure evolution and impact of mechanics for catalysis (Applicant Weißmüller, Jörg )
• Porous Au-rich Nanoparticles for Catalytic Applications (Applicant Özaslan, Mehtap )
• Quantum mechanically based quantitative description of metal alloy surfaces as function of the environment (Applicant Müller, Stefan )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Gunther Wittstock, since 10/2018