Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/N06892/01
Title:	UNDERSTANDING & CONTROL OF CHEMISTRY IN SUPERCRITICAL WATER
Principal Investigator:	Poliakoff, Professor M
Other Investigators:	Lester, Professor E
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	AKZO Nobel Chematur Ltd Dupont University of Texas at Austin
Department:	Sch of Chemistry
Organisation:	University of Nottingham
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 2000	Ends:	30 June 2004	Value (£):	251,495
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Gas & Solution Phase Reactions
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing Chemicals Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Supercritical water offers a wide range of opportunities for new organic and inorganic chemistry.Hydrolysis/ oxidation of transition metal salts can lead to nanoparticles of metals and oxides.The acidity of supercritical can be exploited for acid catalysed reactions of organic compounds and its miscibility with oxygen leads to rapid oxidation with the possibility of selective partial oxidation. For organic reactions, precise control of reaction conditions is crucial, because, without control, the high temperature of supercritical water leads to loss of selectivity. In oxidation, this control is provided in part by homogeneous transition metal catalysts. The current approach to chemical reactivity on supercritical water is largely empirical. Our long term aim is to develop sufficient understanding for this chemistry to become predictive. Our programme involves systematic UV/Vis spectroscopic studies in inorganic and organic chemistry and then an integrated study involving organic oxidation and the behaviour of inorganic homogeneous oxidation catalysts. Understanding will come from information about kinetics of the reactions involved. At the moment, such data are extremely scarce for reactions in supercritical water. We will also exploit our contact with the University of Texas, Austin (see Objectives ) to build up UK chemical engineering expertise in supercritical water at Nottingham.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.nottingham.ac.uk