Affordable and Accessible Technique for Characterizing Metal Catalysts

Supported metal catalysts can be compared by understanding the surface structure and by the exposed surface area of metal atoms. There are numerous methods of characterizing supported metal catalysts, however, none have shown accessibility and affordability for all levels of research. A dispersion measurement technique using a gas chromatograph is proposed using dynamic carbon monoxide chemisorption, in which the amount of exposed metal surface atoms is estimated from the amount of carbon monoxide adsorbed by the catalyst. The dispersion of platinum, palladium, and ruthenium catalysts, with varied supports and metal loading, was measured using the proposed chromatographic technique. Confirming its applicability, showing the dispersion measurement correlation between this technique and commercially available technology. The amount of dispersed metal estimated was as low as 0.02 mg.