Senkan Lab
UCLA Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Heterogeneous catalysis for the future
- Combinatorial methodology
- High-throughput catalyst preparation and screening
- Novel catalyst preparation techniques
- Nanomaterials for catalysis
- Industrial applications
- Materials characterization by XRD, TEM, SEM, EDAX, TGA, TPR, BET
Images from research
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Characterization studies of novel multimetallic catalysts for propylene epoxidation catalysis
High-resolution TEM images and EDS maps were taken using TITAN S/TEM from FEI company, currently one of the world's most powerful commercially-available scanning transmission electron microscopes. Catalysts are being studied for the propylene epoxidation project (see below).
Gel combustion synthesis (GCS)
- Original GCS Method
(A) Creating a sol; (B) evaporation; (C) gel formation; (D) gel combustion; (E) oxide material obtained; (F) SEM image of catalyst;
(G) TEM image of catalyst showing ca. 20 nm pore size
- Novel, small scale, parallelized GCS method
Individual catalyst synthesis wells allow for preparation of up to 42 catalysts simultaneously. Glass covers prevent any cross-contamination.
High-Throughput Catalyst Screening System
- Overview of catalyst performance analyzer (CPA) system
- Array channel microreactor for high-throughput experimentation
When sealed, each channel in the microreactor is separated, allowing for sampling of effluent gas from each individual catalyst.
- Heating block for 4 array channel microreactors (80 catalyst capacity)
(A) array channel microreactor; (B) heated capillary samping probe; (C) gas chromatography and mass spec analysis (see images below); (D) catalysts; (E) temperature-controlled stainless steel heating block; (F) thermal insulation
- Gas Chromatography (GC) and Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (QMS) for rapid catalyst evaluation
GC is equipped with thermal conductivity detector (TCD) and two parallel 10 m columns for high sensitivity, rapid catalyst evaluation. QMS (Stanford Research Systems) is capable of ultra-fast gas sampling and analysis.
- Precision X-Y-Z motion system
The reactor block rests on this motion system, which precisely aligns the capillary sampling probe with each reactor channel. This ensures repeatability in measurements and allows for automation of the gas sampling process.
- Micro-jet liquid dispensing system for high-throughput catalyst preparation by impregnation
High-throughput pulsed laser ablation (PLA) system to produce metal nanoparticles
- Overview of HT-PLA system
PLA system consists of 20 rotatable targets for combinatorial nanoparticle catalyst preparation, and 30 substrates for enhanced throughput.
- PLA "Plume" containing metal nanoparticles
- Ceramic substrates for nanoparticles produced by PLA
- Catalytic rhodium nanoparticles produced by PLA and collected on TiO2 supports
- Rhodium nanoparticles produced by PLA and collected on TEM grids for evaluation of size/dispersity
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- Multi-metallic nanoparticles for combinatorial catalyst screening
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High-resolution TEM images of multimetallic nanoparticles, with EDX analysis below.