1. Could you explain the significance of your article to the non-specialist?

For the reduction of carbon dioxide emission from automobiles, the development of energy efficient clean diesel vehicles is one of the effective and realistic options. This article introduces the current topics of the development and scientific research on the novel catalytic systems for diesel engine exhausts based on silver supported catalysts. 

 

2. What has motivated you to conduct this work?

For the development of active, reliable, and log-life automobile catalysts, the catalyst converter should not be a "black box". Reaction mechanism and active chemical species must be clarified. 

So far, various interesting phenomena on catalysts surface have been clarified by physicochemical investigations, especially in-situ or operando analysis of the catalysts under working state.

 

3. Where do you see this work developing in the future?

I believe clean diesel vehicles equipped with the selective catalytic reduction technology will be released within some years ahead. As for the scientific development, the knowledge obtained through the research in this area, e.g., formation of self-assembled metal cluster and hydrocarbon activation in the presence of H2, will open up a new field of catalysis.

 

4. Are there any particular challenges facing future research in this area?

For the practical applications, (1) enhancement of catalytic activity at low temperature and (2) suppression of catalyst deactivation, should be solved. I believe these problems will be solved further technical innovations based on the scientific knowledge ever clarified. From the view point of catalysis and physical chemistry, the "hydrogen effect" is challenging research subject to be solved and may give a good seed for future challenges in research area of catalysis.