Facilities
Our research group’s activities involves,
(I) SYNTHESIS: Synthesis of nanomaterials of various kind using several methods like sol-gel, hydrothermal, thermal decomposition, chemical vapor deposition, coating etc. We use microwave oven, high pressure reactors, furnaces etc to carry out these synthesis. (II) CHARACTERIZATION: Extensive characterization of these materials is carried out by range of techniques, like Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Gas Sorption for surface area and other textural properties, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for thermal stability as well as gas capture property, UV-VIS, FT-IR, XPS, XRD, solid state and DNP NMR, etc. (III) CATALYSIS: Catalysis are studied in gas phase and liquid phase. We use customized PID Microreactor, various high pressure reactors, microwave oven, and photoreactor to conduct these catalysis. GC and GC-MS are used to monitor the catalytic processes as well as identify the products. (IV) CO2 CAPTURE and CONVERSION: Evaluation of as-synthesized nano-materials for CO2 capture studies (adsorption, desorption, stabilities, kinetics etc) are carried out by TGA (gravimetric) and Flex-3 (volumetric). Conversion is studied using several high pressure reactors (batch and flow) with light exposure facilities. SEM, TEM, XRD, and NMR, are in TIFR central facilities. All other activities are carried out in NanoCat lab. We have now several different instruments in our lab, 1) Milestone high-throughput microwave oven, 2) CEM Discover Oven, 3) TGA with CO2 capture studies capabilities, 4) GC-MS with FID and TCD detectors and online gas injector, 5) GC with gas sampling valves and TCD-FID detectors, 6) PID Microreactor with six-gas input, condenser and evaporator, 7) Asahi photoreactors, 8) Oriel photoreactor, 9) High speed centrifuge, 10) Micromeritics Flex 3 analyzer for BET surface area, chemisorption as well as CO2 & hydrogen capture studies, 11) Jasco UV-DRS, 12) Jasco FT-IR with in-situ reactor, 13) Conventional furnaces 14) Tube furnace with gas flow controller, 15) Buchi reactor, 16) Top photoreactor-high pressure, 17) High pressure reactors for liquid-gas phase catalysis, 18) Glove box, 19) Catalysts screening system, 20) Several magnetic stirrer-hot plate of various kinds, 20) Hydrogen generator, 21) Bio-logic 4-channel computer controlled electrochemical workstation, 22) MasterFelx pumps, 23) Vacuum pumps, 24) Schlenk line 25) Chillers/Circulators 26) HEL Multi vessel Batch Reactor (with light window) |