KOMATSU Laboratory

Introduction

Staff

Professor : Dr.Takayuki KOMATSU
	Office : East-1st Bldg. Room 25 (mail box, E1-10) Tel : 3532 e-mail : komatsu(at)cms. Lectures : (Department of Chemistry, Graduate)Advanced Solid State Chemistry (Department of Chemistry, Undergraduate) Chemistry I&II, Chemistry Laboratory I&II / Advanced Chemistry Laboratory III

Laboratory Home Page

Takayuki KOMSTSU Laboratory

Research Fields

Our main objective is to understand chemical reactions accelerated by solid catalysts such as zeolites and intermetallic compounds. Zeolite is a crystalline aluminosilicate or aluminophosphate having regularly ordered nano-size holes (pores). Only molecules smaller than the size of the pore opening (0.3-1 nm) can enter inside the crystal. By using its cation-exchange property, it is possible to obtain acidic zeolites with acid strength comparable to the concentrated sulfuric acid, and also to obtain zeolites with isolated metal cations and metal particles. These zeolites catalyze a variety of chemical reactions such as isomerization, cracking, dimerization, alkylation etc.
Intermetallic compounds have particular crystal structures different from those of pure metals. They exhibit unique bulk properties, superconductivity, hydrogen absorption ability, etc. We have revealed that some intermetallic compounds have very unique catalytic properties compared with their component pure metals. XRD, XPS, IR, etc. are utilized to characterize catalysts in order to find out what determines the performance of those catalysts for the purpose to achieve more active and selective catalysts.

Research Topics :

Preferential oxidation of CO in hydrogen on fine particles of intermetallic compound catalysts.

Formation of nano particles of intermetallic compounds inside the pores of mesoporous silica and their catalytic properties.

Selective hydrogenation of acetylene into ethylene on fine particles of intermetallic compound catalysts.

Stereo selective hydrogenation of diphenylacetylene inside the pores of metal-loaded zeolite catalysts.

Formation of propylene through the cracking of naphtha on acidic zeolite catalysts.

Formation of isobutene from butane on metal-loaded zeolite catalysts.

Message from the Laboratory

Our laboratory is managed with a relatively free atmosphere. Daily research experiments are carried out based on the students' idea though undergraduate students are first assisted by graduate ones for the detailed experimental procedures. They will find it important to consider their own research by themselves before the completion of their Master's theses.