IUCRC Phase III at University of California-Davis/Berkeley: The Center for Rational Catalyst Synthesis (CeRCaS)

It is estimated that approximately one-third of the world’s gross domestic product involves passes through a catalytic processes at some stagereactor, and the majority of industrial chemistry relies on catalysts. Industrial catalytic processes—such as those used in the production of commodity and specialty chemicals, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, and pollution abatement—form the foundation of the global economy and standard of living. Most of these processes utilize heterogeneous catalysts. A significant portion of heterogeneous catalyststhese includesare supported metal catalysts, such aslike those used in automobile catalytic converters. These systems consist of nanoparticles made from expensive metals like platinum and rhodium, which are anchored onto stable, highly porous supports (e.g., aluminum oxide). In a catalytic converter, harmful exhaust gases—including carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and unburnt hydrocarbons—are adsorbed onto the surface of these metal nanoparticles. There, they undergo chemical reactions that transform them into less harmful products: carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen. Due to the high cost of the metals involved, the nanoparticles are engineered to be as small as possible to maximize surface area and catalytic activity. However, without anchoring the particles onto a support, these nanoparticles tend to coalesce at elevated temperatures, which significantly reduces their surface area and effectiveness. Developing improved supported metal catalysts is therefore both time-consuming and cost-intensive with the current state-of-the-art. The Center for Rational Catalyst Synthesis (CeRCaS) is tackling this challenge by seeking to understand the fundamental chemistry and engineering principles involved in synthesizing ultrasmall metal nanoparticles on supports. In systems requiring two metals—such as catalytic converters—CeRCaS also focuses on strategies to position both metals in close proximity to enable synergistic activity. These efforts aim to create a more rational, scientifically guided, and streamlined approach to catalyst development across the many industries that rely on heterogeneous catalysis. CeRCaS is composed of three university sites: The University of South Carolina (USC) serves as the lead site and houses the broadest range of catalyst synthesis methods along with high-throughput catalyst evaluation capabilities. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is the second site and contributes specialized expertise in pharmaceutical catalysts, reactions, and processes. The third site, jointly operated by the University of California at Davis and Berkeley (UCD/B), provides deep expertise in metal/zeolite catalyst synthesis, which is particularly relevant to petrochemical applications. Together, these institutions bring complementary strengths to advance the science and engineering of heterogeneous catalyst design. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.