Performance optimization of bijels as a novel type of catalyst support structure
J M P Beunen1, J Harting1,2
1Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IET-2), Cauerstr. 1, 91058 Erlangen, Germany. j.harting@fz-juelich.de.
Materials Horizons
|March 11, 2026
Summary
Catalyst supports made from bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels (bijels) significantly improve reactor performance. These advanced porous structures enhance transport properties, leading to a nearly threefold increase in reactor effectiveness compared to conventional supports.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Computational Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Porous media are ideal catalyst supports due to high surface area.
- Stochastic morphology in conventional supports hinders transport and leads to inefficient catalyst utilization.
- Spinodally-derived architectures, particularly bijels, offer improved percolation properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of bijel-derived architectures as superior catalyst support materials.
- To compare the transport and performance properties of bijel supports against stochastic supports.
- To validate the enhanced performance of bijel-derived geometries using reactive flow simulations.
Main Methods:
- Hybrid simulation combining multicomponent lattice Boltzmann solver and discrete element method.
- Simulation of bijel formation and characterization of resulting porous structures.
- Miscible reactive flow simulations to assess reactor performance.
Main Results:
- Bijel-derived porous structures exhibit superior properties compared to stochastic equivalents.
- Enhanced transport properties in bijel supports lead to more efficient catalyst utilization.
- Reactor effectiveness is almost threefold higher with bijel-derived catalyst supports.
Conclusions:
- Bijel-derived catalyst supports represent a significant advancement over conventional materials.
- The unique morphology of bijels overcomes transport limitations in porous catalyst supports.
- These findings pave the way for more efficient chemical reactors.
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