Microwatt-Resolution Calorimeter for Studying the Reaction Thermodynamics of Nanomaterials at High Temperature and Pressure

Amin Reihani, Ju Won Lim, David K. Fork, Edgar Meyhofer, Pramod Reddy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Calorimetry of reactions involving nanomaterials is of great current interest, but requires high-resolution heat flow measurements and long-term thermal stability. Such studies are especially challenging at elevated reaction pressures and temperatures. Here, we present an instrument for measuring the enthalpy of reactions between gas-phase reactants and milligram scale nanomaterial samples. This instrument can resolve the net change in the amount of gas-phase reactants due to surface reactions in an operating range from room temperature to 300 °C and reaction pressures of 10 mbar to 30 bar. The calorimetric resolution is shown to be <3 μW/ Hz, with a long-term stability <4 μW/hour. The performance of the instrument is demonstrated via a set of experiments involving H2 absorption on Pd nanoparticles at various pressures and temperatures. For this specific reaction, we obtained a mass balance resolution of 0.1 μmol/ Hz. Results from these experiments are in good agreement with past studies establishing the feasibility of performing high resolution calorimetry on milligram scale nanomaterials, which can be employed in future studies probing catalysis, phase transformations, and thermochemical energy storage.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)387-398
Number of pages12
JournalACS Sensors
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 26 2021
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Bioengineering
  • Instrumentation
  • Process Chemistry and Technology
  • Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

Keywords

  • calorimetry
  • hydrogen absorption
  • nanoparticles
  • palladium
  • reaction thermodynamics

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Microwatt-Resolution Calorimeter for Studying the Reaction Thermodynamics of Nanomaterials at High Temperature and Pressure'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this