Experiments on Heterogeneous Catalysis Using a Simple Gas Chromatograph

Complex experiments in heterogeneous catalysis, carried out using a simple gas chromatograph (GC), are described. The catalyst is placed inside the GC injector liner and the reactants are injected, vaporized to gas phase, and led through the catalyst bed by the carrier gas for reaction. The reaction products are carried to the GC column for separation and analysis by a FID detector. By controlling the GC injector temperature, varying the carrier gas, its flow rate, and injecting different quantities of the reactant, several parameters in heterogeneous catalysis such as conversion, selectivity, activation energy, and effect of contact time can be determined. Three reactions are used to demonstrate the simplicity and versatility of this system: (i) the hydrogenation and (ii) isomerization of 1,5-cyclooctadiene over a Pd catalyst and (iii) the decomposition of methanol over a Cu/ZnO catalyst.