CatLab – Catalysis Laboratory
CatLab Highlight Lecture by Prof. Graham J. Hutchings
12.04.2022 | 10 am CEST | BESSY Hörsaal & Online
Catalysis using gold nanomaterials
Moderated by Prof. Robert Schlögl (Fritz-Haber-Institut)
Catalysis is of crucial importance for the manufacture of the goods and infrastructure and underpins the manufacture of most goods. In this way catalysis contributes towards over 25% of global domestic product. Hence designing new catalysts is a topic of intense research interest in the scientific community. For example, the identification that gold in nanoparticulate form is an exceptionally effective redox catalyst has paved the way for a new class of active catalysts. Gold is the most active catalyst for acetylene hydrochlorination and recent research on this will be described. In particular the innovations that were required to enable its commercialization will be described; as well as new applications for gold palladium alloy catalysts. Recent work on methane activation, water disinfection and the new CORE effect will be described.
Biography
Graham Hutchings is Regius Professor of Chemistry at Cardiff University. He studied chemistry at University College London. His early career was with ICI and AECI Ltd where he became interested in gold catalysis. In 1984 he moved to academia and has held chairs at the Universities of Witwatersrand, Liverpool and Cardiff. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2009, a Member of Academia Europaea in 2010. He was awarded the Davy Medal of the Royal Society in 2013, the ENI Award for Advanced Environmental Solutions in 2017, the RSC Faraday Lectureship and Prize in 2018 a CBE in 2018, and the Michel Boudart Award in 2021.