Laser radiation as a tool for controlling the generation of Metal-Support Interaction sites in nanocatalysts

Reactive laser ablation in liquids (RLAL), able of generating transition metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) decorated by any smaller metal NPs, will be employed to generate nanomaterials with a controlled amount of metal-support interaction (MSI) sites. Since MSIs are one of the few tools able to improve the heterogeneous catalyst's response, we plan to improve various valuable nanomaterial catalysts. Besides, given the versatility of RLAL, magnetic and non-magnetic elements will be used as supports to determine the element combinations providing the best benefits to the catalytic sector. To date, the methodologies used for MSI site generation are still limited, hazardous, and produce large chemical waste amounts. Unlike them, the proposed methodology will allow the control of MSI sites directly from the nanomaterials creation while minimizing the chemical waste generation and the risks of hazardous chemical usage. Therefore, given this project's eco-friendly perspective and versatility, its realization may represent a breaking point for heterogeneous catalyst's tailor design