Publication Date

8-2024

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Lawrence Hill, Lei Li, Bangbo Yan

Degree Program

Department of Chemistry

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

Platinum-on-carbon (Pt/C) is a commercially-available catalyst that has been used in the literature to benchmark the performance of catalysts produced using platinum/cobalt alloy nanoparticles. Initially, we intended to build upon this example by synthesizing shape-controlled platinum/cobalt alloy nanoparticles in ionic liquids and compare their ability to catalyze the hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol against Pt/C as a benchmark, with the idea that ionic liquids may improve catalysis. However, we found that Pt/C was unable to catalyze the hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol. In an attempt to track the source of this discrepancy, Pt/C was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), inductively-coupled plasma/optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and elemental analysis (CHNS), which determined that the Pt/C was as advertised.

Hydrogenation reactions were attempted using Pt/C in water and two imidazolium-based ionic liquids: 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bistriflimide ([BMIM] [Tf2N]) and an amine-functionalized ionic liquid 1-n-(3-aminopropyl)-3- methylimidazolium bistriflimide ([PMIM-NH2][Tf2N]). There is some evidence that the amine functionalization of [PMIM-NH2][Tf2N] promotes the formation of methanol, but Pt/C did not catalyze this reaction.

Pt/C was determined to catalyze the reduction of CO2 to CO in all three solvents used. Pt/C was also determined to catalyze the hydrogenation of NaHCO3 to formate, though no gas-phase products attributed to NaHCO3 reduction were detected.

Disciplines

Chemistry | Physical Sciences and Mathematics

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