title: Resolving Interparticle Heterogeneities in Composition and Hydrogenation Performance between Individual Supported Silver on Silica Catalysts.
abstract: Supported metal nanoparticle catalysts are commonly obtained through deposition of metal precursors onto the support using incipient wetness impregnation. Typically, empirical relations between metal nanoparticle structure and catalytic performance are inferred from ensemble averaged data in combination with high-resolution electron microscopy. This approach clearly underestimates the importance of heterogeneities present in a supported metal catalyst batch. Here we show for the first time how incipient wetness impregnation leads to 10-fold variations in silver loading between individual submillimeter-sized silica support granules. This heterogeneity has a profound impact on the catalytic performance, with 100-fold variations in hydrogenation performance at the same level. In a straightforward fashion, optical microscopy interlinks single support particle level catalytic measurements to structural and compositional information. These detailed correlations reveal the optimal silver loading. A thorough consideration of catalyst heterogeneity and the impact thereof on the catalytic performance is indispensable in the development of catalysts.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven , Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Plessers
authors.affiliation: Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven , Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stassen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven , Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sreeprasanth Pulinthanathu
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Sree
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200 F, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kris P F
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200 F, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven , Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martens
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200 F, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hofkens
authors.affiliation: Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven , Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Vos
authors.affiliation: Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven , Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Maarten B J
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Roeffaers
keywords: interparticle heterogeneity; optical microscopy; selective catalytic hydrogenation; single-particle catalysis; supported metal catalysts