• have knowledge and insight in the synthesis methods of heterogeneous catalysts and related nanostructured materials
• be able to link catalyst synthesis to physico-chemical principles
• be able to critically evaluate scientific literature on catalyst synthesis
• be able to give a short presentation about recent developments in the field

In about 90% of the industrial chemical conversions catalysis plays a crucial role. In the definition by Berzelius of two centuries ago, a catalyst is a material that can accelerate a reaction without being involved in the reaction itself. This lecture series will focus on the fundamentals of the synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts and related (e.g. absorption) materials. The first part of the course will deal with the synthesis, structure and characterization methods of some of the most important materials that act as a catalyst support such as alumina, silica and zeolites. In the second part, methods for the synthesis of catalytically active metal nanoparticles on a support will be presented in detail. Since nanometer scale structural features (micro- and mesoporosity of the support, particle size distribution etc.) can have a huge impact on catalyst performance, the lectures will also discuss characterization techniques that can unravel these structures. Examples will be shown how sometimes small changes in synthesis routes can lead to significant changes in catalyst structure, which can affect catalyst performance.