SFB/TR 247
Heterogeneous Oxidation Catalysis in the Liquid Phase
The aim is to produce chemicals for modern catalysis sustainably and efficiently in the post-fossil age.
Almost all of our everyday objects have come into contact with at least one catalyst during their manufacture to make production cheaper, more environmentally friendly or even possible in the first place. Catalysis is thus a key technology in chemistry. Its design at the atomic level is the goal of the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio.
A glimpse at chemical industry reveals how enormous the research demand in this field truly is: It is on the one hand dominated by thermal high-temperature processes with severe selectivity issues; on the other hand, oxygen redox chemistry is a significant bottleneck when it comes to chemical energy storage during the energy transition period. Photocatalytic water splitting with visible light, where water has to be oxidised into oxygen, still remains an unfulfilled dream for researchers. Accordingly, rather than focusing on oxidation reactions in individual areas, they conduct a comparative study to analyse processes under mild reaction conditions for thermal liquid phase catalysis, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis.
The third funding phase focuses on materials in which the structural changes to the surface during the reaction are partially reversible, thereby enabling the development of particularly efficient catalysts. In addition, new materials are being investigated, and research is being conducted into the combined use of heat and electrical energy to accelerate reactions.
Through this research, the SFB/TRR 247 is helping to make the chemical industry more sustainable. Thermocatalysis and electrocatalysis are the cornerstones of the German chemical industry’s transition to climate neutrality. They enable resource-efficient synthesis processes and the shift from fossil raw materials to renewable energy sources.
Spokesperson is Professor Kristina Tschulik.
