(255e) Reaction Dynamics: Overcoming Catalytic Limitations Using Temperature Oscillations

Centuries of rigorous studies into catalysis has provided a strong understanding into their thermodynamic and catalytic pathways. Scaling relations and the corresponding volcano plot govern catalyst selection and activity. While scientists and engineers have found creative ways to optimize these selections, we are still largely conceding to highly constrained catalytic activities. Process dynamics offers an alternative avenue to these standard static reaction schemes. Where bulky reactors of the past struggled, the rise of microtechnology in the past 20 years has paved the way to fast and responsive reactor systems that can handle high frequency inputs. A tubular microreactor platform with dynamic Joule heating was used to rapidly and locally alter reaction temperature conditions at highly controllable rates to demonstrate enhanced catalytic turnover relative to isothermal and time-averaged conversion in gas phase reactions.