The preparation of a catalyst typically involves several critical steps:
1. Precursor Selection: The choice of precursor materials is crucial. These materials can be metals, metal oxides, or other compounds that will form the active phase of the catalyst.
2. Support Selection: Many catalysts require a support material to disperse the active phase. The support can influence the surface area, porosity, and thermal stability of the catalyst.
3. Impregnation or Deposition: The active component is added to the support through techniques like impregnation, deposition-precipitation, or co-precipitation. This step ensures the active phase is evenly distributed.
4. Drying and Calcination: After impregnation, the catalyst is dried to remove solvents and then calcined at high temperatures to induce physical and chemical changes, such as the formation of active sites.
5. Reduction or Activation: For some catalysts, an additional activation step is required, such as reduction in a hydrogen atmosphere, to convert the precursor into its active form.
