KJM9810 – Heterogeneous Catalysis

Course content

The course deals with chemical and physical phenomena that are important within heterogeneous catalysis, including adsorption on and desorption from solids, the chemical kinetics of surface reactions, and chemical equilibrium. The pore structure and surface properties of solid catalysts, their catalytic activity, and selectivity, and instrumentation, and methods for characterization of catalytic systems will be described. Important industrial processes for the exploitation of natural gas will be described and used as examples. The course is well suited for Ph.D. candidates with interests directly related to catalysis and working within related areas.

Learning outcome

After completing the course, you are able to:

• Outline the fundamental principles and experimental techniques used to study the five steps in a heterogeneously catalyzed reaction.
• Give a quantitative description of adsorption/desorption and the kinetics of catalytic reactions on a surface.
• Describe how quantum chemistry, statistical thermodynamics, and transition state theory are combined to calculate the rate of surface reactions.
• Explain how the catalytic activity and selectivity are influenced by the physical and electronic surface properties of the catalyst.
• Explain the physical and/or chemical phenomena behind important techniques for the characterization of catalysts and catalytic reactions and the information offered by these techniques.
• Find and compile relevant literature and give a seminar on a prescribed topic.

Admission to the course

PhD candidates from the University of Oslo should apply for classes and register for examinations through Studentweb.

If a course has limited intake capacity, priority will be given to PhD candidates who follow an individual education plan where this particular course is included. Some national researchers’ schools may have specific rules for ranking applicants for courses with limited intake capacity.

PhD candidates who have been admitted to another higher education institution must apply for a position as a visiting student within a given deadline.

Recommended previous knowledge

KJM3810 – Catalysis and Industrial Chemistry

Overlapping courses

• 10 credits overlap with KJM5810 – Heterogeneous catalysis.
• 9 credits overlap with KJ430.
• 9 credits overlap with KJ430.

Teaching

The course runs the whole of the semester with 4 hours of classes each week, consisting of:

• 2 hours of lectures
• 2 hours of exercises

During the semester you have to prepare and give a seminar on a topic given by the person responsible for the course. The seminar must be approved before you can take the final exam.

It is mandatory to attend the first lecture (including students on the waiting list). If you are unable to attend the first lecture, you must notify the Department of Chemistry before the start of the lecture/exercise. Otherwise, your course registration will be canceled.

Within August 10th / January 10th, international students must inform the Department of Chemistry if English teaching is requested.

Examination

• Final oral exam which counts 100 % towards the final grade.

This course has a mandatory seminar that must be approved before you can take the final exam.

It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following course: KJM5810 – Heterogeneous catalysis

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.

Resit an examination

Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.

Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass the original examination.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.