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Intern: Holly Szumila, Aerospace Engineering and Space Physics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Mentor: Jun Li Faculty Supervisor: Ram Seshadri Department: Materials

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NANOSTRUCTURED METAL CARBIDE CATALYSTS FOR THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY

To seek better fuel sources that are renewable and environmentally friendly is a growing concern and has led to a focus on the hydrogen economy. To use hydrogen, the water-gas shift and fuel reforming processes are considered. Current catalysts used are based on the platinum group metals (PGMs). Better catalysts must be found. Non-PGM transition metal carbides for catalysis are found to have similar reactivity as the PGMs. The transition metal carbides are inexpensive, have greater resistance to coking and poisoning, and possess greater thermal stability than the PGMs. Previous research reports on the high activity of Mo₂C and WC from steam reforming of methane as potential catalysts. The transition metal carbides possess great catalytic properties but poor surface area and catalytic deactivation by conversion to oxides. Our research objective is to synthesize nanostructured metal carbides with the desired phase, surface composition, and surface area. We are successful in synthesizing nanostructured, porous Mo₂C and WC. Characterization of the material using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and BET surface area analysis is performed in laboratory investigations. The surface morphologies are promising for catalysis, and we now examine whether the morphologies are retained after subjection subject to catalytic conditions.

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