Research activity:
Recently the research was aimed to the preparation and investigation of oxide and metal catalysts unsupported and supported on alumina and zirconia, in order to correlate surface and structural properties of these materials with their catalytic activity.
The systems investigated are:
a) perovskite oxides (ABO3, A = La, Nd, Sm, Ca, Sr, Ba; B = Mn, Co, Fe, Al, Cr, Cu, Mg) prepared in our laboratories and employed for total combustion of hydrocarbons and NOx abatement reactions;
b) W and Mo oxides supported on ZrO2 prepared in our laboratories and employed for hydrocarbons isomerization and alkilation reactions;
c) Co(Ni) - Mo -containing catalysts for the hydrodesulforation reaction.
d) Rh, Ni and Cu metal catalysts supported on monoclinic or tetragonal ZrO2 for the catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) and dry reforming of methane.
Catalysts structural characterization was performed by using the following and well known techniques:
XRD, DRS, FTIR, Raman, EXAFS, XANES, magnetic measurements by the Gouy method, N2 adsorption/desorption measurements (surface area and porosity).
