The Hub will be based at the Research Complex at Harwell (RCaH) on the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) site, and will make extensive use of RAL facilities including ISIS.
ISIS scientist Stewart Parker is a co-investigator within the Catalyst Design theme of the Hub which is being led by Prof Richard Catlow of University College London. This theme – awarded £3.7M within the overall Hub award – will involve state-of-the-art in-situ characterisation of catalyst materials, enabling the structure and evolution of catalysts to be probed at the molecular level during their operation.
‘The opportunity to be involved in a UK-wide project for world-class catalysis studies is very exciting’, Stewart says, ‘Neutrons at ISIS will provide essential atomic-level information on catalysis operation, enabling new, advanced catalytic materials to be developed’.
Also involved in the UK Catalysis Hub are ISIS users Prof Chris Hardacre (Queen’s University Belfast), Dr David Lennon (University of Glasgow) and Prof Matt Rosseinsky (University of Liverpool). The RCaH is well placed to be the Hub’s location – RcaH researchers work across the boundaries of traditional research disciplines, and it is uniquely placed to benefit from the variety of scientific facilities on the RAL campus.
