This week, LaPCat – USP began conducting in-situ/operando analyses using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), a technique used to study, in real time, the molecular interactions between reactants and catalytic surfaces.
DRIFTS spectroscopy enables the monitoring of molecular vibrations associated with changes in dipole moment, providing insights into adsorption modes of the reactants, the formation of reaction intermediates, and possible reaction mechanisms.
In this first study, conducted by postdoctoral researchers Éder Valdir and Morgana Rosset, along with PhD students Victor Albertini and Lucas Alves, a Fe/HZSM-5 catalyst was investigated in the context of the Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis reaction carried out at 10 bar — a process that converts synthesis gas (CO + H₂) into higher value hydrocarbons, such as olefins, gasoline, diesel, and sustainable aviation fuels.
This marks another important step in the pursuit of efficient catalytic solutions for converting alternative carbon sources into sustainable products.
