The Surface Chemistry and Heterogeneous Catalysis Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory conducts research into surface chemistry and fundamentals of catalytic reactions at metal surfaces, metal oxide surfaces and supported metal catalysts. Two approaches include "surface science" studies of model surfaces and "catalytic" studies of high surface area, novel materials.
A major portion of the group's basic research is aimed at research into the Fundamentals of Catalysis and Chemical Transformations sponsored by the DOE's Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division.
Research areas include:
- surface chemistry of binary oxide surfaces and reactions of oxygenates on oxide surfaces
- synergistic effects of acidity, basicity, reducibility and surface structure of oxides upon the surface chemistry, reactivity and selectivity of oxygenates over both model surfaces and nanocrystals
- cooperative catalysis of hierarchically structured metal clusters and nanoparticles supported on oxides
- electrocatalytic reactions and redox processes in electrochemical surfaces
- acid gases interaction with oxide nanocrystals
- photocatalysis over low dimensional materials
