We are happy to co-present the following talk in the lecture series of the Institute of Technical Chemistry, hosted by Elias Klemm.
Prof. Cathy Chin (University of Toronto)
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 1:00 PM
Topic: “Multifunctional Metal and Oxide Catalysts for Alcohol and Alkane Activation: Structural, Thermochemical, and Kinetic Perspectives”
Hybrid: Room No. 0.811, Library of ITC, Link for external users: https://unistuttgart.webex.com/meet/itc-konferenz
Abstract:
Transition metal and oxide catalysts are highly effective for the activation of alcohols and alkanes, a key step in the production of value-added chemicals and fuels. Their surfaces comprise metal atoms (or cations), oxygen adatoms (or anions), and surface defects, which together provide multiple catalytic functions. In partial and total oxidation reactions, for example, catalyst surfaces under reaction conditions contain metal sites (M0 or Mn+) and, depending on the oxygen chemical potential, oxygen species in atomic or anionic forms. These sites cooperate in the activation of alcohols (CnH2n+1OH, n=1-4) and their subsequent dehydrogenation to aldehydes, while Brønsted and/or Lewis acid sites catalyze sequential transformations to larger oxygenates.
Our previous studies demonstrated that alcohol oxidation follows kinetic sequences analogous to those governing alkane activation over related transition metal and oxide catalysts. In both cases, the coupled catalytic cycles of substrate activation and oxygen activation are kinetically interconnected. In this presentation, we not only examine the initial activation step, but also the sequential reactions, focusing on the common electronic, structural, thermochemical, and mechanistic relationships among the redox, Brønsted acid, and Lewis acid functions that coexist on multifunctional oxide catalysts. We illustrate these relationships for Cu based metal/oxides, Mo based oxides, polyoxometalate clusters, and cerium oxides. Finally, we introduce a systematic framework that captures the intrinsic interdependence of these catalytic functions and demonstrate how it can guide the rational design of multifunctional oxide catalysts.
All interested are cordially invited.
