(345g) Applying Atomic-Scale Surface Modification to Catalysis and Energy Storage

With the intensifying global need for alternative energy systems, there is strong interest in the development of efficient catalysts that can drive the chemical conversion of renewable resources into useful products, as well as a need for efficient energy storage. The requirements to achieve chemical conversion with high selectivity has motivated the design and synthesis of new nanoscale catalysts. One materials synthesis strategy, atomic layer deposition (ALD), a technique widely used for making computer chips, has now emerged as an exciting tool to be used in the study, design, and fabrication of heterogeneous catalysts. This talk will introduce ALD and describe our research applying ALD to perform fundamental studies of supported metal catalysts, with focus on using the layer-by-layer synthesis permitted by ALD to generate catalysts with a high level of control over composition, structure, and thickness. We study the conversion of syngas to synthetic liquid fuels and high-value chemicals using ALD-derived catalysts. I will describe how atomically precise ALD titration of additive components onto supported metal catalysts allows for the tuning of activity and selectivity and provides new insights into structure-property relationships in these systems. We will also introduce recent work applying these thin film materials to Li metal batteries, in which ALD interfacial layers achieve control over lithium metal morphology and improve battery performance. The outlook for atomic scale surface modification to study catalytic and energy storage materials will be discussed.