Heterogeneous catalysis

Recent Advances in Inorganic Heterogeneous Electrocatalysts for Reduction of Carbon Dioxide

In view of the climate changes caused by the continuously rising levels of atmospheric CO2 , advanced technologies associated with CO2 conversion are highly desirable. In recent decades, electrochemical reduction of CO2 has been extensively studied since it can reduce CO2 to value-added chemicals and fuels. Considering the sluggish reaction kinetics of the CO2 molecule, efficient and robust electrocatalysts are required to promote this conversion reaction. Here, recent progress and opportunities in inorganic heterogeneous electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction are discussed, from the viewpoint of both experimental and computational aspects. Based on elemental composition, the inorganic catalysts presented here are classified into four groups: metals, transition-metal oxides, transition-metal chalcogenides, and carbon-based materials. However, despite encouraging accomplishments made in this area, substantial advances in CO2 electrolysis are still needed to meet the criteria for practical applications. Therefore, in the last part, several promising strategies, including surface engineering, chemical modification, nanostructured catalysts, and composite materials, are proposed to facilitate the future development of CO2 electroreduction.

Hydrothermal synthesis of bi-functional nanostructured manganese tungstate catalysts for selective oxidation

The mechanism of C-H activation in selective oxidation reactions of short-chain alkane molecules over transition metal oxides is critically affected by the balance of acid-base and redox sites at the surface of the catalyst. Using the example of manganese tungstate we discuss how the relative abundance of these sites can be controlled via synthetic techniques. Phase-pure catalysts composed of the thermodynamic stable monoclinic MnWO4 phase have been prepared using hydrothermal synthesis. Variation of the initial pH value resulted in rod-shaped nano-crystalline MnWO4 catalysts composed of particles with varying aspect ratio. The synthesis products have been analysed using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, infrared, and photoelectron spectroscopy. In situ Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the dissolution-re-crystallization processes occurring under hydrothermal conditions. Ethanol oxidation was applied to probe the surface functionalities in terms of acid-base and redox properties. Changes in the aspect ratio of the primary catalyst particles are reflected in the product distribution induced by altering the fraction of acid-base and redox sites exposed at the surface of the catalysts in agreement with the proposed mechanism of particle growth by re-crystallization during ageing under hydrothermal conditions.

Spatially Resolved Quantification of the Surface Reactivity of Solid Catalysts

A new property is reported that accurately quantifies and spatially describes the chemical reactivity of solid surfaces. The core idea is to create a reactivity weight function peaking at the Fermi level, thereby determining a weighted summation of the density of states of a solid surface. When such a weight function is defined as the derivative of the Fermi-Dirac distribution function at a certain non-zero temperature, the resulting property is the finite-temperature chemical softness, termed Fermi softness (SF ), which turns out to be an accurate descriptor of the surface reactivity. The spatial image of SF maps the reactive domain of a heterogeneous surface and even portrays morphological details of the reactive sites. SF analyses reveal that the reactive zones on a Pt3 Y(111) surface are the platinum sites rather than the seemingly active yttrium sites, and the reactivity of the S-dimer edge of MoS2 is spatially anisotropic. Our finding is of fundamental and technological significance to heterogeneous catalysis and industrial processes demanding rational design of solid catalysts.

Compact ultrahigh vacuum/high-pressure system for broadband infrared sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy studies

We have designed a compact ultrahigh vacuum/high-pressure system for in situ broadband infrared (IR) sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) studies. In this system, we have achieved a significant reduction in the distance between the sample and the optical window (<5 mm), which in turn considerably reduces the IR absorption from the gas phase under high pressure conditions. Moreover, with this new system, the IR transmission under high pressure conditions can be measured in situ for calibrating the SFG spectra. Therefore, this modified technique can allow us to study the vibrational spectra of adsorbates on single crystals or polycrystalline foils under high pressure. The preliminary results from SFG measurements of a model CH3OH/TiO2(110) system under both ultrahigh vacuum and high pressure conditions are reported here. These results suggest that this newly developed system is potentially a powerful tool for investigating adsorbate structures and surface reactions under both ultrahigh vacuum and real conditions.

Bond Activation by Metal-Carbene Complexes in the Gas Phase

"Bare" metal-carbene complexes, when generated in the gas phase and exposed to thermal reactions under (near) single-collision conditions, exhibit rather unique reactivities in addition to the well-known metathesis and cyclopropanation processes. For example, at room temperature the unligated [AuCH2](+) complex brings about efficient C-C coupling with methane to produce C2Hx (x = 4, 6), and the couple [TaCH2](+)/CO2 gives rise to the generation of the acetic acid equivalent CH2═C═O. Entirely unprecedented is the thermal extrusion of a carbon atom from halobenzenes (X = F, Cl, Br, I) by [MCH2](+) (M = La, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os) and its coupling with the methylene ligand to deliver C2H2 and [M(X)(C5H5)](+). Among the many noteworthy C-N bond-forming processes, the formation of CH3NH2 from [RhCH2](+)/NH3, the generation of CH2═NH2(+) from [MCH2](+)/NH3 (M = Pt, Au), and the production of [PtCH═NH2](+) from [PtCH2](+)/NH3 are of particular interest. The latter species are likely to be involved as intermediates in the platinum-mediated large-scale production of HCN from CH4/NH3 (the DEGUSSA process). In this context, a few examples are presented that point to the operation of co-operative effects even at a molecular level. For instance, in the coupling of CH4 with NH3 by the heteronuclear clusters [MPt](+) (M = coinage metal), platinum is crucial for the activation of methane, while the coinage metal M controls the branching ratio between the C-N bond-forming step and unwanted soot formation. For most of the gas-phase reactions described in this Account, detailed mechanistic insight has been derived from extensive computational work in conjunction with time-honored labeling and advanced mass-spectrometry-based experiments, and often a coherent description of the experimental findings has been achieved. As for some transition metals, in particular those from the third row, the metal-carbene complexes can be formed directly from methane, coupling of the so-generated [MCH2] species with an inert molecule such as CH4, CO2, or NH3 constitutes a route to activate and functionalize methane under ambient conditions. Clearly, while these gas-phase studies cannot be translated directly to formally related processes in solution or those that occur at a surface, they nevertheless provide a conceptual mechanistic understanding and permit researchers to probe directly the remarkable intrinsic features of these elusive molecules and, in a broader context, help to identify the active site of a catalyst, the so-called "aristocratic atoms".

Reactivity and mechanism investigation of selective hydrogenation of 2,3,5-trimethylbenzoquinone on in situ generated metallic cobalt

We successfully developed Co-based catalysts for efficient and selective hydrogenation of TMBQ. Metallic Co was proved to be responsible for TMBQ hydrogenation. The hydrogenation process was also investigated by DFT calculation.

Silicon carbide foam as a porous support platform for catalytic applications

This review provides an overview of the use of foam-structured SiC as a porous support platform in some typical catalytic processes both for gas-phase and liquid-phase reactions, such as H₂S selective oxidation, Friedel–Crafts benzoylation and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis.

Surface modification of polyhedral nanocrystalline MgO with imidazolium carboxylates for dehydration reactions: a new approach

The surface of nanocrystalline MgO was modified with achiral and chiral imidazolium carboxylates which generate MgO–[NHC] complexes. Thus as synthesized complexes were utilized in the dehydration of glucose and also in selective dehydration of (±) nitro alcohol.

Insight into composition evolution in the synthesis of high-performance Cu/SiO2 catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation

The Cu⁺ species derived from copper phyllosilicate are the crucial role to achieve high-performance Cu/SiO₂ catalysts for CO₂ hydrogenation.

A colloidoscope of colloid-based porous materials and their uses

Colloids assemble into a variety of bioinspired structures for applications including optics, wetting, sensing, catalysis, and electrodes.

Pd-Supported on N-doped carbon: improved heterogeneous catalyst for base-free alkoxycarbonylation of aryl iodides

Novel Pd-based heterogeneous catalysts were prepared through immobilization of Pd(OAc)₂/phenanthroline on carbon and subsequent pyrolysis.

Fe2O3/NGr@C- and Co–Co3O4/NGr@C-catalysed hydrogenation of nitroarenes under mild conditions

An improved hydrogenation of nitroarenes using nano-structured iron- and cobalt-based catalysts is presented.

Supports and modified nano-particles for designing model catalysts

In order to design catalytic materials, we need to understand the essential causes for material properties resulting from its composite nature. In this paper we discuss two, at first sight, diverse aspects: (a) the effect of the oxide–metal interface on metal nanoparticle properties and (b) the consequences of metal particle modification after activation on the selectivity of hydrogenation reactions. However, these two aspects are intimately linked. The metal nanoparticle’s electronic structure changes at the interface as a catalyst is brought to different reaction temperatures due to morphological modifications in the metal and, as we will discuss, these changes in the chemistry lead to changes in the reaction path. As the morphology of the particle varies, facets of different orientations and sizes are exposed, which may lead to a change in the surface chemistry as well. We use two specific reactions to address these issues in some detail. To the best of our knowledge, the present paper reports the first observations of this kind for well-defined model systems. The changes in the electronic structure of Au nanoparticles due to their size and interaction with a supporting oxide are revealed as a function of temperature using CO₂ activation as a probe. The presence of spectator species (oxopropyl), formed during an activation step of acrolein hydrogenation, strongly controls the selectivity of the reaction towards hydrogenation of the unsaturated CO bond vs. the CC bond on Pd(111) when compared with oxide-supported Pd nanoparticles.

One-pot synthesis of Pt catalysts based on layered double hydroxides: an application in propane dehydrogenation

One-pot synthesis of Mg,Al,Pt,In–layered double hydroxides (LDHs) yields well-dispersed Pt–In NPs. These nanocatalysts display high propane dehydrogenation activity and display the potential for deriving a broad class of Pt catalysts from LDHs.

Simple and Highly Efficient Synthesis of 3,5-Disubstituted Isoxazoles Using Cu/Graphene/Clay Nanohybrid as a New Heterogeneous Nano Catalyst

A facile and convenient protocol for ‘click’ cycloaddition of structurally diverse alkynes with in situ generated nitrile oxides catalysed by Cu/aminoclay/reduced graphene oxide nanohybrid (Cu/AC/r-GO nanohybrid) as a highly efficient heterogeneous nano-catalyst is described. In this method, Cu/AC/r-GO nanohybrid catalyses the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of alkynes and nitrile oxides in the presence of NaHCO3 in H2O/THF (50:50, V/V) to afford the corresponding 3,5-disubstituted isoxazoles. The Cu/AC/r-GO nanohybrid is a low cost, non-hygroscopic, chemically and thermally stable catalyst that can be reused for many consecutive reaction runs without significant loss in its reactivity.

A Rhodium Nanoparticle-Lewis Acidic Ionic Liquid Catalyst for the Chemoselective Reduction of Heteroarenes

We describe a catalytic system composed of rhodium nanoparticles immobilized in a Lewis acidic ionic liquid. The combined system catalyzes the hydrogenation of quinolines, pyridines, benzofurans, and furan to access the corresponding heterocycles, important molecules present in fine chemicals, agrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals. The catalyst is highly selective, acting only on the heteroaromatic ring, and not interfering with other reducible functional groups.

{Ge9[Si(SiMe3)2(SiPh3)]3}(-): Ligand Modification in Metalloid Germanium Cluster Chemistry

The influence of the stabilizing ligand on the physical and chemical properties of a metalloid cluster compound is important for nanotechnology as metalloid clusters are ideal model compounds for metal nanoparticles. Here we present the synthesis of a differently substituted metalloid {Ge9R3}(-) cluster: {Ge9[Si(SiMe3)2(SiPh3)]3}(-) 1, which is obtained in good yield by the reaction of K4Ge9 with ClSi(SiMe3)2(SiPh3). 1 is characterized via NMR and mass spectrometry, but crystallization is hindered. However, the reaction with HgCl2 gives the neutral compound HgGe18[Si(SiMe3)2(SiPh3)]6 2, which can be crystallized and structurally characterized. The presented results are a first step for the investigation of the ligand's influence on the properties of a metalloid germanium cluster compound.

Well-defined silica supported aluminum hydride: another step towards the utopian single site dream?

Reaction of triisobutylaluminum with SBA15₇₀₀ at room temperature occurs by two parallel pathways involving either silanol or siloxane bridges.

Reaction of triisobutylaluminum with SBA15₇₀₀ at room temperature occurs by two parallel pathways involving either silanol or siloxane bridges. It leads to the formation of a well-defined bipodal [( Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 ]]> SiO)₂Al–CH₂CH(CH₃)₂] 1a, silicon isobutyl [Si–CH₂CH(CH₃)₂] 1b and a silicon hydride [Si–H] 1c. Their structural identity was characterized by FT-IR and advanced solid-state NMR spectroscopies (¹H, ¹³C, ²⁹Si, ²⁷Al and 2D multiple quantum), elemental and gas phase analysis, and DFT calculations. The reaction involves the formation of a highly reactive monopodal intermediate: [SiO–Al–[CH₂CH(CH₃)₂]₂], with evolution of isobutane. This intermediate undergoes two parallel routes: transfer of either one isobutyl fragment or of one hydride to an adjacent silicon atom. Both processes occur by opening of a strained siloxane bridge, Si–O–Si but with two different mechanisms, showing that the reality of “single site” catalyst may be an utopia: DFT calculations indicate that isobutyl transfer occurs via a simple metathesis between the Al-isobutyl and O–Si bonds, while hydride transfer occurs via a two steps mechanism, the first one is a β-H elimination to Al with elimination of isobutene, whereas the second is a metathesis step between the formed Al–H bond and a O–Si bond. Thermal treatment of 1a (at 250 °C) under high vacuum (10^–5 mbar) generates Al–H through a β-H elimination of isobutyl fragment. These supported well-defined Al–H which are highly stable with time, are tetra, penta and octa coordinated as demonstrated by IR and ²⁷Al–¹H J-HMQC NMR spectroscopy. All these observations indicate that surfaces atoms around the site of grafting play a considerable role in the reactivity of a single site system.

Polyoxometalate-based phase transfer catalysis for liquid–solid organic reactions: a review

Recent progress in POM-based phase transfer catalysis for liquid–solid organic reactions is summarized in this review.