Unique Capabilities at ORNL

ORNL offers a unique combination of skilled staff members and state-of-the-art characterization facilities for catalysis research. ORNL has a variety of capabilities from synthesis and characterization to performance testing on one campus.

Synthesis:

ORNL has expertise in catalyst preparation using a wide variety of synthesis methods. In house synthesis expertise is available for designing and executing many catalyst preparations:

• Porous Materials - oxides and carbon
• Sol-gel materials - oxides and hybrid materials
• Surface functionalization of oxides and carbons
• Chemical synthesis of nanoparticles (metals, oxides, semiconductors)
• Chemical synthesis of 1-dimensional materials (metals, oxides)
• Atomic layer deposition (ALD and surface sol-gel processing for conformal functionalization of support surfaces
• Hydrothermal and solvothermal synthesis
• Graphitization and carbonization
• Physical vapor deposition of metals and metal oxides on thin films and powders
• Traditional impregnation type methods for catalyst synthesis

Structural Characterization:

• Thermal gravimetric analyzer and differential scanning analysis
• Nanozetameter with high-temperature capability
• Volumetric gas adsorption
• Raman Spectroscopy
• ICP for composition analysis
• 500 MHz Liquid/Solid NMR Spectroscopy
• 700 MHz Solid State MAS-NMR with capability to measure quadrupolaqr nuclei
• In-situ X-ray Powder Diffraction
• Ex-situ and in-situ electron microscopy (High-resolution, Aberration Corrected)

(back to Characterization)

Surface Science:

• Multiple UHV systems for surface studies featuring capabilities to
  • Reflection absorption infra-red spectroscopy
  • X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
  • Temperature programmed desorption
  • High resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy
  • In-situ metal vapor deposition
• Synchrotron capabilities: ORNL group maintains a surface chemistry end station at U-12b beamline at National Synchrotron Light Source :
  • Soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
  • Near edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy
  • Temperature programmed desorption
  • In-situ metal vapor deposition
  • Directed gas dosing
  • Sample T control 100<T<100K
• Scanned probe techniques : Omicon variable temperature scanning probe microscopy
  

Catalyst Performance Characterization:

• Plug-flow gas phase catalytic reactor
• Pulsed catalytic reactor
• High pressure flow reactor
• Temperature programmed transformations
• Pulsed Chemisorption
• Plug flow reactor
• Automated potentialmetric surface acid/base titration
• Electrocatalysis

Emission Control:

• Bench-top flow reactor for testing catalysts employing simulated diesel or gasoline engine exhaust, coal-gasification stream etc.
• Five double-ended engine dynamometer
• Three engine dynamometer stands with one/two cylinder engines
• Vehicle chassis dynamometers

(back to Automotive Emissions)