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In my research, I have studied small metal oxide particles as catalyst for the so-called the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. In this reaction, CO and H₂ gas are converted into lower olefins, which are then used to create, e.g., plastics, chemicals, and medicine.

To accelerate this reaction, we need a catalyst, in my case iron carbide, and we need elevated temperatures and pressures. This iron is obtained from iron oxide, after which it is heated with H₂ gas and CO gas to make the active component, viz. the iron carbide. However, under such circumstances, the small iron particles can melt together to form larger particles, which deactivates the catalyst. To make sure the metal nanoparticles remain small, we anchor the iron nanoparticles to a support material which stabilizes the iron but does not contribute to the reaction.

However, there is a large knowledge gap in how these metal particles are attached to the support material. I studied this attachment with electron microscopy to directly observe this attachment in real time and at the nanometer scale. We also investigated the growth mechanism of these particles during catalysis and how the support material unexpectedly contributed to the deactivation of the catalyst. With my research, a better understanding is created of this catalyst system, which eventually can lead to improved commercial catalysts.