Core Competences
The Physical Chemistry group at the Department of Chemistry and inter-departmental NIS research Centre of University of Torino has a long-term internationally recognized expertise in the characterization of surfaces and interfaces, particularly in the field of heterogeneous catalysis by advanced spectroscopy. These include in-situ and operando-like vibrational (FTIR, Raman) and electronic (X-Ray Absorption – XAS – and UV-Vis) spectroscopies, complemented by microcalorimetric studies.
The Computational Surface Science and Catalysis group at Chalmers has a strong tradition in surface science and heterogeneous catalysis. Chalmers hosts the Swedish national Competence Centre for Catalysis (KCK). The focus in CHASS is on quantum mechanical Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to study the electronic structure and atomic geometries in Cu-zeolites relevant for NH3-SCR, together with the evaluation of thermodynamic stability and free energy reaction paths by Monte-Carlo and molecular dynamics methods.
Hanau is Umicore’s global catalysis research center with a focus on automotive catalysis, fuel cell catalyst and some catalysts for industrial processes. Dr Martin Votsmeier at Umicore is Professor at the Technical University of Darmstadt where he leads the group reaction engineering of catalytic processes. One research focus of the group in Hanau is the development and application of mechanistic kinetic catalyst models. The research site in Hanau has extensive engine- and lab testing facilities and hosts the automotive applied technology department that is responsible for developing exhaust systems.
The expertise and facilities at Umicore DK include lab-scale activity measurements, catalyst aging and measurement of catalyst deactivation, characterization of reduction and adsorption properties, preparation of monolithic catalysts, and production technology. These data form the basis for models that describe the stability and deactivation behaviour and will therefore form the first link between the fundamental-theoretical knowledge to the practical application of Cu-zeolites as SCR catalysts.