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The understanding the fundamental relationships between the structure and composition of heterogeneous catalysts on the one side and the catalytic performance of the catalysts on the other side is one of the key-points of the further development of chemical and biochemical processes. Therefore the design of improved and new tailored catalysts becomes more and more important!
In the first period the proposed cooperation will be focused on two related catalytic reactions:
(i) the environmental relevant decomposition of dinitrogen oxide (N2O) and
(ii) the technical important hydroxylation reaction of benzene to phenol with N2O.
In both reactions a zeolitic catalyst of the ZSM-5-type seems to be the most promising one.
(i) The green house gas dinitrogen dioxide N2O can be used as a selectively working oxidizing agent in this hydroxylation reaction. To control the cleavage of the nitrogen oxide for best hydroxylation results a knowledge on the behaviour of this molecule on catalytic active sites is required.
(ii) Phenol is produced usually via the multi step cumene process together with the undesired product acetone. A cheaper and more environmentally friendly synthesis should be a direct hydroxylation of benzene with N2O. A zeolite catalyst openes this new way for phenol production with only minor amounts and/or types of by-products.
In both reactions the activation of theN2O-molecule plays an important rule for the success of those reactions. However there are still a lot of problems which have to be solved. Thus, first of all, a better understanding of the reaction pathways is required.
Based on the experience of both groups every group will provide primary catalysts for catalytic testing and for the kinetic measurements. The model like description of the involved molecular processes and the simulation of the reactions in different microporous environment
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