Towards an improved understanding of the surface chemistry and motion of adsorbates within zeolitic structures.

In a new collaboration with the University of Glasgow, Johnson Matthey are sponsoring an EPSRC Industrial CASE Ph.D. studentship to use a combination of (i) reaction testing, (ii) spectroscopy, (iii) electron microscopy and (iv) diffraction techniques to investigate fundamental aspects of catalytic events in high surface area zeolites.
The effect of zeolite structure and physico-chemical properties will be correlated with the reactivity of adsorbates/reactants. This will include studying the effect of material properties of zeolites on reactivity and diffusion within the catalyst framework. The relationship between the formation of intermediates and products with respect to zeolite structure will be explored, with in situ infrared spectroscopy playing a major role. Structural change in the zeolites during reaction will also be studied over different timescales and length scales. This will involve the use of synthesised or commercial zeolites and reaction studies along with operando characterisation at the ISIS Facility (i.e. inelastic and quasi-elastic neutron scattering) and the Diamond Light Source (i.e. X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy). The student will be primarily located at the Harwell Research Complex, which is located at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. In addition, each year, the student will be expected to spend a placement at one of the Company's UK research centres.