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• 1 2021-07-23T16:57:00+00:00 Ishaan Shah 4 plain 2021-07-28T15:24:55+00:00 Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jerry LaRue
  Major/Minor: Chemistry/Computational Science
  Title: Tuning the Geometry and Electronic Structure of Bimetallic Plasmonic Nanoparticles for Photocatalyzed CO Oxidation and Hydrogenation Reactions
  Abstract: The chemical reactions that take place in petroleum industries and automobile engines are widely known as significant contributors to carbon monoxide (CO) emissions. The emission of CO occurs due to incomplete combustion,  where due to the lack of oxygen, more CO is produced compared to other hydrocarbons. While oxidation reactions have been used to reduce the pollution of hydrocarbons, they can result in high energy consumption and the risk of further pollution. Therefore, industries have utilized catalysts to greatly increase the efficiency of the chemical synthesis of petroleum products and minimize hydrocarbon emissions from combustion sources. These reactions bring about the breakdown and reformation of chemical bonds between reactants on a catalytic metal surface. Through this process, metal catalysts absorb energy from a light source and transfer this energy efficiently to the vibrational modes of reactants adhered to their surface. To investigate how catalytic metal surfaces can enhance the selectivity of chemical reactions, the materials required to synthesize ideal catalysts were determined. The structure and composition of the synthesized catalysts were then characterized through Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-vis), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) to understand whether they were ideal catalysts. A photoreactor chamber was built to test the photochemical activity of bimetallic nanoparticles when used for CO oxidation and hydrogenation reactions. Through this project, the geometry and electronic structure of metal catalysts, were tuned for enhanced reaction outcomes for CO oxidation and hydrogenation reactions.