The oldest active research laboratory
The Davy Faraday Research Laboratory
Scientists in the laboratory are involved in a wide ranging programme of research into new materials. The aim is to develop new applications of science in catalysis, electronics and energy technologies.
The materials
The researchers synthesise and investigate materials ranging from molecular magnets to new forms of expanded silicon. They use a powerful range of computational and experimental methods to probe the properties of these materials.
Paul McMillan and his team think of themselves as scientific explorers, seeking and charting new continents of chemistry and physics. They study the behaviour of solids as they are compressed to a fraction of their initial volume. They work under extremely high pressures such as those found deep inside the Earth. There are exciting and unusual changes in solids as atoms are squeezed closely together.
Catalysis
The work on catalysis develops and exploits the fascinating class of microporous materials. These materials have structures which are porous at the molecular level. What this means is that molecules can move in among the atoms of the crystals. As molecules move through the atoms they come upon acidic groups, or metal atoms, which bring about chemical changes.
Better catalysts make it possible to devise new ways of making important chemicals. With these catalysts the chemical industry can adopt processes which do much less harm to the environment. Scientists at the Day Faraday lab have discovered a catalyst which opens up a better and cleaner synthesis of adipic acid ?one of the chemical needed to make nylon.
Computing power
Work on catalysis is also exploiting the extraordinary power of modern computers. This helps the scientists understand how catalysts work at the molecular level .
The team at the Davy Faraday laboratory has been working on the mechanism of synthesis of methanol. Methanol is a very important chemical for large scale chemical synthesis. The catalyst is zinc oxide. The reaction converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methanol. Computer models can now show how this happens.
Submitted by: Richard Catlow, 17 January 2007
