title: A Study on Supported Metal Catalysts Prepared from Colloidal Precursors

authors: Jaine, Jacob Evan

subjects: catalyst

abstract: When metal nanoparticles are supported on the surface of an inert carrier, the resulting materials can become powerful heterogeneous catalysts capable of accelerating a diverse range of chemical reactions. Though there are a wide variety of synthetic routes by which these materials can be prepared, many offer little control over the textural properties of the resulting catalyst. Conversely, methods using pre-formed colloidal nanoparticles as a metal source offer the potential for precise control of properties like particle size and shape. This is both a topical class of syntheses, and the subject of the current body of work. Three different types of colloids were therefore prepared using different stabilising agents, and subsequently used to produce an array of different catalysts.

As support materials for the catalysts, a series of four commercially available materials were obtained, including silica, alumina, hydroxyapatite, and microcrystalline cellulose. Four novel analogues were also obtained, including halloysite, perlite, bioapatite, and macrofibrillar cellulose. In order to understand their physicochemical properties, they were characterised by a combination of Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy, solid-state ¹H, ¹³C, ²⁷Al, ²⁹Si, and ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, laser diffraction analysis, and zeta potential measurements. Additional experiments were performed to investigate the wetting properties of the materials using the Washburn capillary rise method, which was shown to be a valuable method for rationalising solvent choice for reactions involving these materials.

An initial batch of catalysts was produced by immobilising electrostatically-stabilised rhodium, palladium, and platinum colloids onto these support materials. Instrumental characterisation of the catalysts showed no major perturbation to the chemistry of the materials following the immobilisation, though some subtle surface effects were observed. These catalysts were tested in the hydrogenation of several olefins, and were found to have excellent catalytic activity, up to 64,400 hr⁻¹, under standard conditions. 
A second batch of catalysts was produced by immobilising polymer-stabilised metal colloids onto the supports. Characterisation of the materials showed the polymers and the nanoparticles they contained were associated strongly with the support materials, though the spatial distribution varied significantly between systems. Activation of the catalysts by calcination was shown to initiate their thermal decomposition and oxidation, which in turn affected their catalytic activity. The catalysts containing supported rhodium or platinum were inactive, while those containing supported palladium showed good activity, up to 41,900 hr⁻¹.
A third batch of catalysts was produced by immobilising solvent-stabilised metal colloids onto the supports. Amide-type solvents were shown to be the most effective for this purpose, though spectroscopic evidence suggested the samples contained residual solvent and related decomposition products. These catalysts displayed modest activities of up to 8,100 hr⁻¹.
Finally, a method was developed for quantifying the amount of metal in the catalysts using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. A series of matrix-matched standards were prepared, and their elemental compositions measured accurately using neutron activation analysis. The method was shown to be rapid and inexpensive to implement, with linearity up to 2.0 wt% metal and a precision of over 95%.

text: A Study on Supported Metal Catalysts Prepared from Colloidal Precursors When metal nanoparticles are supported on the surface of an inert carrier, the resulting materials can become powerful heterogeneous catalysts capable of accelerating a diverse range of chemical reactions. Though there are a wide variety of synthetic routes by which these materials can be prepared, many offer little control over the textural properties of the resulting catalyst. Conversely, methods using pre-formed colloidal nanoparticles as a metal source offer the potential for precise control of properties like particle size and shape. This is both a topical class of syntheses, and the subject of the current body of work. Three different types of colloids were therefore prepared using different stabilising agents, and subsequently used to produce an array of different catalysts.

As support materials for the catalysts, a series of four commercially available materials were obtained, including silica, alumina, hydroxyapatite, and microcrystalline cellulose. Four novel analogues were also obtained, including halloysite, perlite, bioapatite, and macrofibrillar cellulose. In order to understand their physicochemical properties, they were characterised by a combination of Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy, solid-state ¹H, ¹³C, ²⁷Al, ²⁹Si, and ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, laser diffraction analysis, and zeta potential measurements. Additional experiments were performed to investigate the wetting properties of the materials using the Washburn capillary rise method, which was shown to be a valuable method for rationalising solvent choice for reactions involving these materials.

An initial batch of catalysts was produced by immobilising electrostatically-stabilised rhodium, palladium, and platinum colloids onto these support materials. Instrumental characterisation of the catalysts showed no major perturbation to the chemistry of the materials following the immobilisation, though some subtle surface effects were observed. These catalysts were tested in the hydrogenation of several olefins, and were found to have excellent catalytic activity, up to 64,400 hr⁻¹, under standard conditions. 
A second batch of catalysts was produced by immobilising polymer-stabilised metal colloids onto the supports. Characterisation of the materials showed the polymers and the nanoparticles they contained were associated strongly with the support materials, though the spatial distribution varied significantly between systems. Activation of the catalysts by calcination was shown to initiate their thermal decomposition and oxidation, which in turn affected their catalytic activity. The catalysts containing supported rhodium or platinum were inactive, while those containing supported palladium showed good activity, up to 41,900 hr⁻¹.
A third batch of catalysts was produced by immobilising solvent-stabilised metal colloids onto the supports. Amide-type solvents were shown to be the most effective for this purpose, though spectroscopic evidence suggested the samples contained residual solvent and related decomposition products. These catalysts displayed modest activities of up to 8,100 hr⁻¹.
Finally, a method was developed for quantifying the amount of metal in the catalysts using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. A series of matrix-matched standards were prepared, and their elemental compositions measured accurately using neutron activation analysis. The method was shown to be rapid and inexpensive to implement, with linearity up to 2.0 wt% metal and a precision of over 95%.

year: 2016

title: Heating the outer heliosphere by pickup protons

authors: Smith, Charles W.

subjects: solar wind

abstract: There is a growing body of literature that demonstrates the ability of a turbulent cascade within the solar wind to heat the thermal protons. Several sources of energy are required to accomplish the observed heating. Wind shear and shocks originating with the multiple source of wind plasma heat the wind inside ∽AU. However, beyond this distance little is left of these sources and all that remains is the energy injected into the plasma by the pickup of newborn protons originating from interstellar neutrals. Recent advances in the theory of wave excitation by the newborn protons allows us to return to the published heating theory and remove a previously unexplained parameterization of the heating due to pickup protons. Furthermore, recent observational evidence suggests that large-scale correlations between the wind speed and the proton temperature exist into the distant outer heliosphere that motivate an attempt to connect the two within the structure of the heating theory.

text: Heating the outer heliosphere by pickup protons There is a growing body of literature that demonstrates the ability of a turbulent cascade within the solar wind to heat the thermal protons. Several sources of energy are required to accomplish the observed heating. Wind shear and shocks originating with the multiple source of wind plasma heat the wind inside ∽AU. However, beyond this distance little is left of these sources and all that remains is the energy injected into the plasma by the pickup of newborn protons originating from interstellar neutrals. Recent advances in the theory of wave excitation by the newborn protons allows us to return to the published heating theory and remove a previously unexplained parameterization of the heating due to pickup protons. Furthermore, recent observational evidence suggests that large-scale correlations between the wind speed and the proton temperature exist into the distant outer heliosphere that motivate an attempt to connect the two within the structure of the heating theory.

year: 2004

title: Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti Kapa Haka

authors: Maxwell, Te Kahautu

abstract: Te Matatini is the World Champion Competition. Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti; Pool performance on Day 1 of the Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Competition. Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti placed second in the pool and qualified for the Top 9 Finals on Sunday 24th February 2013. Overall in the Pool qualifiers ŌpōTiki Mai Tawhiti placed 5th out of 41.

text: Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti Kapa Haka Te Matatini is the World Champion Competition. Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti; Pool performance on Day 1 of the Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Competition. Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti placed second in the pool and qualified for the Top 9 Finals on Sunday 24th February 2013. Overall in the Pool qualifiers ŌpōTiki Mai Tawhiti placed 5th out of 41.

year: 2013-02-21