Carbon as a catalyst support: The role of surface chemistry, revisited

COLL 32

Ljubisa R. Radovic, Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering, Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering, Penn State University, 205 Hosler Building, University Park, PA 16802
Some years ago, a comprehensive and critical analysis of the preparation and performance of carbon-supported catalysts was offered to the scientific community (Radovic and Rodriguez-Reinoso, Chem. Phys. Carbon, 1997, Vol. 25, pp. 243-358). The optimistic argument was made there that "most fundamental issues have become clear." The research frontier was identified as lying "in the (now reasonably well understood but still challenging) design of carbon surface chemistry." Finally, the observation was made that interest "in the use of carbon as a catalyst seems to be also on the rise." In this presentation I will revisit these issues, and summarize both our own subsequent studies of these topics as well as some of the relevant recent litarature. In particular, I will present examples of scientific dialogue (or continued monologue!?) regarding the role of carbon surface chemistry in catalyst praparation.