Temperature-Programmed Reduction of Cerium oxide catalysts.

At the IFG we have acquired a temperature-programmed reduction (TPR)a technique and at present are in need of a student who can conduct research on the reduction of CeO2, in different shapes and crystallite sizes. You will be asked to prepare different CeO2 nanoparticles, analyse them by XRD, and conduct detailed TPR experiments. The project is well suited to a senior-level undergraduate student with sound knowledge in chemistry or chemical engineering.
Typically, a run takes about three to four hours. Therefore, it is expected that the student can do two to three runs per week. Assuming a six-month period for the research a good number of studies can be conducted which can be followed by a report. Depending on the quality of the data a manuscript at the end of the training period is expected. The student will be directly supervised by a Senior Scientist and will be assisted additionally by a PhD student.
TPR is a versatile technique to study the redox property of metal oxides relevant to catalytic reactions and many other applications related to oxide materials in general. TPR provides information such as activation energy for reduction, phase composition, and differentiation between surface and bulk contribution can be obtained.