Laboratories and Equipment
Newly renovated laboratories are equipped with modern spectroscopic instruments and catalytic reactors. Safety precautions including gas detectors, alarms, and walk-in fume hoods are used for research with toxic and flammable chemicals. Analytical methods and instruments include the following:
- Infrared spectroscopy: Bruker IFS 66v with mid and far FT-IR capability, including FT Raman. The unit is equipped for measurements with static and flowing gases and in-situ measurements. Transmission cells allow measurements at pressures from high vacuum to atmospheric and at temperatures from -195° to 400°C. OPUS spectroscopy software is used to analyze spectra.
- Mass spectrometry: Pfeiffer OmnistarGSD 301 capable of on-line operations with IR spectrometer. Spectra are analyzed with QuadStar software.
Gas chromatography: 8 units, including models Agilent 7890A (one unit with 5975C MSD attachment for GC/MS analysis), Agilent 6890, and Hewlett-Packard 5890. Agilent ChemStation software is used for data analysis. - EXAFS spectroscopy: custom designed transmission and fluorescence cells for static and in-situ characterization of air-sensitive samples at synchrotrons. XAS Data Analysis Program (XDAP) is used for data analysis.
ASDI RXM-100 catalyst testing and characterization equipment used for chemisorption, physisorption, and temperature programmed characterization.
Equipment for sample treatment and preparation:
- Catalyst synthesis equipment: one argon-filled glove box and one nitrogen-filled glove box equipped with air and moisture sensors. Samples are made and handled on vacuum lines and with sealed transfer devices.
- Reactor systems: 10 flow reactors mounted in temperature-controlled furnaces; feed streams equipped with mass flow controllers. Reactors are interfaced with various analytical instruments, including GCs and GC-MS. Four reactors are fully automated and controlled with LabVIEW software.
High-pressure reactor system: once-through plug flow reactor equipped with a gas-liquid saturator (Autoclave EZE-Seal2) and on-line refinery gas analyzer. Working pressure range from 1-150 atm. - Grubbs apparatus: MBraun Solvent Purification System
Other equipment available in the department at UC Davis includes X-ray diffractometers, solid-state NMR spectrometeres, and a SEM.
Other equipment available through the university includes high resolution TEM, atomic force microscopy, ultrahigh vacuum equipment for electron spectroscopy, and extensive computing capability. With aberration-corrected STEM, we are able to image single heavy metal atoms on support surfaces.