NSF Award
0122676
Abstract<br/><br/><br/>Proposal Title: International Workshop on the Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis<br/>Proposal Number: CTS-0122676<br/>Principal Investigator: Andra Michl<br/>Institution: Electric Power Research Institute<br/><br/>A workshop, jointly sponsored with EPRI, will be held at the NSF on May 3 - 4. Eleven speakers will be invited to lead the discussion on topics that will include new methods for enhancing the activity and selectivity of catalytic processes. In particular, enhancements due to the passage of small electric currents passed through catalysts deposited on ionically conducting supports will be discussed. This discovery is called the non-faradaic electrochemical modification of catalytic activity (NEMCA). This phenomenon has been observed empirically to promote industrially important reactions such as oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide on supported silver catalysts, oxidation of CO and hydrocarbons on Pt, Pd, and Rh, and the isomerization of butene on Pd. The objectives of this workshop will be to address the fundamental issues regarding the basis for the phenomenon and to target specific systems of particular industrial interest, which might include ammonia synthesis, SO2 oxidation, and NOx reduction. A workshop report detailing the recommendations will be issued in August.
