Rhodium complexes and particles on carbon nanofibres : surface chemistry of carbon nanofibres and catalytic properties of supported rhodium species

Abstract

The work described in this thesis has provided valuable information about the modification and use of carbon nanofibre supports in catalysis. The potential of CNFs as a catalyst support material is high. The properties of CNFs, such as their mechanical strength and mesoporous structure, make them especially suitable as a catalyst support for liquid-phase applications. A strong incentive for their use is the replacement of activated carbon, whose properties are often difficult to control. The results contribute to a better fundamental understanding of the surface structure and the surface reactivity of CNFs. This study describes the importance of the presence of defects on the surface reactivity of nanofibres. Furthermore, the value of surface modification for the preparation of nanofibre-supported catalysts has been exemplified in several chapters. Modification by surface oxidation as well as the use of the oxygen-containing groups for further modification and immobilisation have been described. It has been shown that it is possible to covalently attach metal complexes to CNFs. Furthermore, several tools for the synthesis of very small, highly active rhodium metal particles on carbon nanofibres have been developed, which opens the way to investigation of metal-support interactions on CNFs.