About The Event

Inside the Catalyst: From Structure to Performance Catalysts are at the heart of many industrial processes, enabling the efficient production of fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and sustainable materials. Understanding how catalyst structure influences performance is essential for developing more active, selective, and durable catalytic systems. This workshop will explore modern approaches to catalyst characterization, with a focus on techniques that reveal structural, textural, and chemical properties across multiple length scales. Topics will include gas adsorption analysis, active-phase characterization, and advanced X-ray methods such as X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Through practical examples, including catalytic conversion processes, participants will gain insight into how complementary characterization techniques can be used to understand catalyst behavior, reaction mechanisms, and structure-performance relationships. Join us to discover how advanced analytical tools are helping researchers and industry scientists unlock deeper insights into catalysts and accelerate innovation in catalysis research. Featured Presentations: Catalyst Characterization Techniques and Their Application in Catalytic Reactions Catalysts are extensively used in industrial processes such as petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, mining, and coatings manufacturing. They play a critical role in converting reactants into valuable products, contributing significantly to the global economy. Catalytic processes that transform carbon dioxide (CO₂) into useful hydrocarbons have gained increasing importance as sustainable technologies for chemical production. Catalysis is the process by which a catalyst accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed during the reaction. The development of heterogeneous catalysts typically involves the selection of appropriate support material, the choice of active catalytic species, and the synthesis of the catalyst using established preparation methods. Following synthesis, catalysts must be carefully characterized and tested to evaluate their activity, selectivity, and stability under reaction conditions. Advanced characterization techniques, especially in situ methods, provide valuable insights into catalyst structure, reaction mechanisms, and deactivation processes, enabling the design of more durable and efficient catalytic systems. This presentation will focus on catalyst characterization techniques and their application in catalytic reactions. First, gas adsorption analysis will be presented to determine the textural properties of catalyst supports. Next, chemical characterization methods will be discussed to evaluate active-phase dispersion. Finally, an example of a catalytic reaction will be examined, highlighting the conversion of methanol to olefins over solid acid catalysts. Combined XRPD, PDF, and XAS Analysis of Catalysts Using a Laboratory X-ray Diffractometer