Towards stable catalysts by controlling collective properties of supported metal nanoparticles

Atomistic deformation mechanisms in twinned copper nanospheres

In the present study, we perform molecular dynamic simulations to investigate the compression response and atomistic deformation mechanisms of twinned nanospheres. The relationship between load and compression depth is calculated for various twin spacing and loading directions. Then, the overall elastic properties and the underlying plastic deformation mechanisms are illuminated. Twin boundaries (TBs) act as obstacles to dislocation motion and lead to strengthening. As the loading direction varies, the plastic deformation transfers from dislocations intersecting with TBs, slipping parallel to TBs, and then to being restrained by TBs. The strengthening of TBs depends strongly on the twin spacing.

Recycling of carbon dioxide to methanol and derived products - closing the loop

Starting with coal, followed by petroleum oil and natural gas, the utilization of fossil fuels has allowed the fast and unprecedented development of human society. However, the burning of these resources in ever increasing pace is accompanied by large amounts of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, which are outpacing the natural carbon cycle, causing adverse global environmental changes, the full extent of which is still unclear. Even through fossil fuels are still abundant, they are nevertheless limited and will, in time, be depleted. Chemical recycling of CO2 to renewable fuels and materials, primarily methanol, offers a powerful alternative to tackle both issues, that is, global climate change and fossil fuel depletion. The energy needed for the reduction of CO2 can come from any renewable energy source such as solar and wind. Methanol, the simplest C1 liquid product that can be easily obtained from any carbon source, including biomass and CO2, has been proposed as a key component of such an anthropogenic carbon cycle in the framework of a "Methanol Economy". Methanol itself is an excellent fuel for internal combustion engines, fuel cells, stoves, etc. It's dehydration product, dimethyl ether, is a diesel fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) substitute. Furthermore, methanol can be transformed to ethylene, propylene and most of the petrochemical products currently obtained from fossil fuels. The conversion of CO2 to methanol is discussed in detail in this review.

Control and impact of the nanoscale distribution of supported cobalt particles used in Fischer-Tropsch catalysis

The proximity of nanoparticles may affect the performance, in particular the stability, of supported metal catalysts. Short interparticle distances often arise during catalyst preparation by formation of aggregates. The cause of aggregation of cobalt nanoparticles during the synthesis of highly loaded silica-supported catalysts was found to originate from the drying process after impregnation of the silica grains with an aqueous cobalt nitrate precursor. Maximal spacing of the Co3O4 nanoparticles was obtained by fluid-bed drying at 100 °C in a N2 flow. Below this temperature, redistribution of liquid occurred before and during precipitation of a solid phase, leading to aggregation of the cobalt particles. At higher temperatures, nucleation and growth of Co3O4 occurred during the drying process also giving rise to aggregation. Fischer-Tropsch catalysis performed under industrially relevant conditions for unpromoted and Pt-promoted cobalt catalysts revealed that the size of aggregates (13-80 nm) of Co particles (size ~9 nm) had little effect on activity. Large aggregates exhibited higher selectivities to long chain alkanes, possibly related to higher olefin formation with subsequent readsorption and secondary chain growth. Most importantly, larger aggregates of Co particles gave rise to extensive migration of cobalt (up to 75%) to the external surface of the macroscopic catalyst grains (38-75 μm). Although particle size did not increase inside the silica support grains, migration of cobalt to the external surface partly led to particle growth, thus causing a loss of activity. This cobalt migration over macroscopic length scales was suppressed by maximizing the distance between nanoparticles over the support. Clearly, the nanoscale distribution of particles is an important design parameter of supported catalysts in particular and functional nanomaterials in general.

Quantification of zinc atoms in a surface alloy on copper in an industrial-type methanol synthesis catalyst

Methanol has recently attracted renewed interest because of its potential importance as a solar fuel. Methanol is also an important bulk chemical that is most efficiently formed over the industrial Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst. The identity of the active site and, in particular, the role of ZnO as a promoter for this type of catalyst is still under intense debate. Structural changes that are strongly dependent on the pretreatment method have now been observed for an industrial-type methanol synthesis catalyst. A combination of chemisorption, reaction, and spectroscopic techniques provides a consistent picture of surface alloying between copper and zinc. This analysis enables a reinterpretation of the methods that have been used for the determination of the Cu surface area and provides an opportunity to independently quantify the specific Cu and Zn areas. This method may also be applied to other systems where metal-support interactions are important, and this work generally addresses the role of the carrier and the nature of the interactions between carrier and metal in heterogeneous catalysts.

Quantitative relationship between support porosity and the stability of pore-confined metal nanoparticles studied on CuZnO/SiO2 methanol synthesis catalysts

Metal nanoparticle growth represents a major deactivation mechanism of supported catalysts and other functional nanomaterials, particularly those based on low melting-point metals. Here we investigate the impact of the support porous structure on the stability of CuZnO/SiO2 model methanol synthesis catalysts. A series of silica materials with ordered cagelike (SBA-16 mesostructure) and disordered (SiO2-gel) porosities and varying pore sizes were employed as catalyst supports. Nitric oxide moderated nitrate decomposition enabled the synthesis of catalytically active Cu nanoparticles (3-5 nm) exclusively inside the silica pores with short interparticle spacings. Under relevant reactive conditions, confinement of the Cu particles in cagelike silica pores notably enhances catalyst stability by limiting Cu particle growth as compared to catalysts deposited in SiO2-gel host materials with also 3D and highly interconnected though unconstrained porosity. For both pore morphologies, we find a direct relationship between catalyst stability and support porosity, provided the narrowest characteristic pore dimension is employed as a porosity descriptor. For cagelike porosities this corresponds to the size of the entrances to the nanocages. Our results point to nanoparticle diffusion and coalescence as a relevant growth mechanism under reactive conditions and underscore the significance of the narrowest pore constrictions to mitigate growth and improve catalyst stability. This finding contributes to the establishment of general and quantitative structure-stability relationships which are essential for the design of catalysts and related functional nanostructures with long lifetimes under operation conditions.

Polymeric carbon nitride/mesoporous silica composites as catalyst support for Au and Pt nanoparticles

Small and homogeneously dispersed Au and Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared on polymeric carbon nitride (CNx )/mesoporous silica (SBA-15) composites, which were synthesized by thermal polycondensation of dicyandiamide-impregnated preformed SBA-15. By changing the condensation temperature, the degree of condensation and the loading of CNx can be controlled to give adjustable particle sizes of the Pt and Au NPs subsequently formed on the composites. In contrast to the pure SBA-15 support, coating of SBA-15 with polymeric CNx resulted in much smaller and better-dispersed metal NPs. Furthermore, under catalytic conditions the CNx coating helps to stabilize the metal NPs. However, metal NPs on CNx /SBA-15 can show very different catalytic behaviors in, for example, the CO oxidation reaction. Whereas the Pt NPs already show full CO conversion at 160 °C, the catalytic activity of Au NPs seems to be inhibited by the CNx support.

Direct observation of aggregative nanoparticle growth: kinetic modeling of the size distribution and growth rate

Direct observations of solution-phase nanoparticle growth using in situ liquid transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have demonstrated the importance of "non-classical" growth mechanisms, such as aggregation and coalescence, on the growth and final morphology of nanocrystals at the atomic and single nanoparticle scales. To date, groups have quantitatively interpreted the mean growth rate of nanoparticles in terms of the Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner (LSW) model for Ostwald ripening, but less attention has been paid to modeling the corresponding particle size distribution. Here we use in situ fluid stage scanning TEM to demonstrate that silver nanoparticles grow by a length-scale dependent mechanism, where individual nanoparticles grow by monomer attachment but ensemble-scale growth is dominated by aggregation. Although our observed mean nanoparticle growth rate is consistent with the LSW model, we show that the corresponding particle size distribution is broader and more symmetric than predicted by LSW. Following direct observations of aggregation, we interpret the ensemble-scale growth using Smoluchowski kinetics and demonstrate that the Smoluchowski model quantitatively captures the mean growth rate and particle size distribution.

The sonochemical approach improves the CuO–ZnO/TiO2 catalyst for WGS reaction

The CuO–ZnO/TiO₂ catalyst prepared by the ultrasound assisted method demonstrates superior activity in water gas shift reaction in comparison with the catalysts synthesized by incipient wetness impregnation. The sonochemical preparation offers at least two advantages: (1) generation of mesopores on the catalyst surface and (2) doping of Zn into the CuO phase.

Metal−organic framework encapsulated Pd nanoparticles: towards advanced heterogeneous catalysts

Palladium precursors were encapsulated through ligand design prior to the MOF assembly, achieving uniformly distributed Pd NPs inside the cavities of MOFs. The embedded Pd NPs exhibited significantly improved catalytic efficiencies as compared to those synthesized by traditional impregnation method, due to the nano-confinement and electron-donation effects offered by MOFs.

Out-diffused silver island films for surface-enhanced Raman scattering protected with TiO2 films using atomic layer deposition

We fabricated self-assembled silver nanoisland films using a recently developed technique based on out-diffusion of silver from an ion-exchanged glass substrate in reducing atmosphere. We demonstrate that the position of the surface plasmon resonance of the films depends on the conditions of the film growth. The resonance can be gradually shifted up to 100 nm towards longer wavelengths by using atomic layer deposition of titania, from 3 to 100 nm in thickness, upon the film. Examination of the nanoisland films in surface-enhanced Raman spectrometry showed that, in spite of a drop of the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) signal after the titania spacer deposition, the Raman signal can be observed with spacers up to 7 nm in thickness. Denser nanoisland films show slower decay of the SERS signal with the increase in spacer thickness.

PACS

78.67.Sc (nanoaggregates; nanocomposites); 81.16.Dn (self-assembly); 74.25.nd (Raman and optical spectroscopy).

Immobilizing Ni nanoparticles to mesoporous silica with size and location control via a polyol-assisted route for coking- and sintering-resistant dry reforming of methane

Highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles in mesoporous silica were achieved via using polyol as new delivery conveyors and removable carbon templates.

Enhanced catalytic performance of MnxOy–Na2WO4/SiO2 for the oxidative coupling of methane using an ordered mesoporous silica support

The oxidative coupling of methane is a highly promising reaction for its direct conversion.

Melt infiltration: an emerging technique for the preparation of novel functional nanostructured materials

The rapidly expanding toolbox for design and preparation is a major driving force for the advances in nanomaterials science and technology. Melt infiltration originates from the field of ceramic nanomaterials and is based on the infiltration of porous matrices with the melt of an active phase or precursor. In recent years, it has become a technique for the preparation of advanced materials: nanocomposites, pore-confined nanoparticles, ordered mesoporous and nanostructured materials. Although certain restrictions apply, mostly related to the melting behavior of the infiltrate and its interaction with the matrix, this review illustrates that it is applicable to a wide range of materials, including metals, polymers, ceramics, and metal hydrides and oxides. Melt infiltration provides an alternative to classical gas-phase and solution-based preparation methods, facilitating in several cases extended control over the nanostructure of the materials. This review starts with a concise discussion on the physical and chemical principles for melt infiltration, and the practical aspects. In the second part of this contribution, specific examples are discussed of nanostructured functional materials with applications in energy storage and conversion, catalysis, and as optical and structural materials and emerging materials with interesting new physical and chemical properties. Melt infiltration is a useful preparation route for material scientists from different fields, and we hope this review may inspire the search and discovery of novel nanostructured materials.

Efficient visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and enhanced photostability of core/shell CdS/g-C3N4 nanowires

CdS/g-C3N4 core/shell nanowires with different g-C3N4 contents were fabricated by a combined solvothermal and chemisorption method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy. The photocatalytic hydrogen-production activities of these samples were evaluated using Na2S and Na2SO3 as sacrificial reagents in water under visible-light illumination (λ≥420 nm). The results show that after a spontaneous adsorption process g-C3N4 is successfully coated on CdS nanowires with intimate contact and can significantly improve the photocatalytic hydrogen-production rate of CdS nanowires, which reaches an optimal value of up to 4152 μmol h(-1) g(-1) at the g-C3N4 content of 2 wt %. More importantly, g-C3N4 coating can substantially reinforce the photostability of CdS nanowires even in a nonsacrificial system. The synergic effect between g-C3N4 and CdS, which can effectively accelerate the charge separation and transfer corrosive holes from CdS to robust C3N4, was proposed to be responsible for the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity and photostability. The possible conditions necessary for the synergic effect to work in a CdS/g-C3N4 core/shell configuration is also discussed.

Using the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring to evaluate the size of nanoparticles deposited on surfaces

A quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) monitoring can be an alternative tool to characterize nanoparticle size by virtue of its acoustic principle to sense adsorbed mass. In this study, sizes obtained by QCM-D for polymer-coated metallic nanoparticles and polydisperse polystyrene latex particle suspensions were compared with those obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). We describe the obtained "QCM-D mass", which is weighted over surface area, by a general particle height distribution equation that can be used to determine the average particle diameter of a distribution of particles deposited on the QCM-D surface. Because the particle height distribution equation can be used for any particle geometry and surface packing geometry, it is described how the QCM-D can also be used to study the orientation of deposited nonspherical particles. Herein, the mean nanoparticle sizes obtained by QCM-D were generally in closer agreement with the primary particle size determined by TEM than with the sizes obtained by DLS, suggesting that primarily smaller particles within the particle population deposited on the sensor surface. Overall, the results from this study demonstrate that QCM-D could serve as an alternative and/or complementary means to characterize the size of nanoparticles deposited on a surface from suspensions of varying complexity.

Towards liquid fuels from biosyngas: effect of zeolite structure in hierarchical-zeolite-supported cobalt catalysts

Wax on, wax off: Bifunctional cobalt-based catalysts on zeolite supports are applied for the valorization of biosyngas through Fischer-Tropsch chemistry. By using these catalysts, waxes can be hydrocracked to shorter-chain hydrocarbons, increasing the selectivity towards the C5 -C11 (gasoline) fraction. The zeolite topology and the amount and strength of acid sites are key parameters to maximize the performance of these bifunctional catalysts, steering Fischer-Tropsch product selectivity towards liquid hydrocarbons.

Sintering of catalytic nanoparticles: particle migration or Ostwald ripening?

Metal nanoparticles contain the active sites in heterogeneous catalysts, which are important for many industrial applications including the production of clean fuels, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and the cleanup of exhaust from automobiles and stationary power plants. Sintering, or thermal deactivation, is an important mechanism for the loss of catalyst activity. This is especially true for high temperature catalytic processes, such as steam reforming, automotive exhaust treatment, or catalytic combustion. With dwindling supplies of precious metals and increasing demand, fundamental understanding of catalyst sintering is very important for achieving clean energy and a clean environment, and for efficient chemical conversion processes with atom selectivity. Scientists have proposed two mechanisms for sintering of nanoparticles: particle migration and coalescence (PMC) and Ostwald ripening (OR). PMC involves the mobility of particles in a Brownian-like motion on the support surface, with subsequent coalescence leading to nanoparticle growth. In contrast, OR involves the migration of adatoms or mobile molecular species, driven by differences in free energy and local adatom concentrations on the support surface. In this Account, we divide the process of sintering into three phases. Phase I involves rapid loss in catalyst activity (or surface area), phase II is where sintering slows down, and phase III is where the catalyst may reach a stable performance. Much of the previous work is based on inferences from catalysts that were observed before and after long term treatments. While the general phenomena can be captured correctly, the mechanisms cannot be determined. Advancements in the techniques of in situ TEM allow us to observe catalysts at elevated temperatures under working conditions. We review recent evidence obtained via in situ methods to determine the relative importance of PMC and OR in each of these phases of catalyst sintering. The evidence suggests that, in phase I, OR is responsible for the rapid loss of activity that occurs when particles are very small. Surprisingly, very little PMC is observed in this phase. Instead, the rapid loss of activity is caused by the disappearance of the smallest particles. These findings are in good agreement with representative atomistic simulations of sintering. In phase II, sintering slows down since the smallest particles have disappeared. We now see a combination of PMC and OR, but do not fully understand the relative contribution of each of these processes to the overall rates of sintering. In phase III, the particles have grown large and other parasitic phenomena, such as support restructuring, can become important, especially at high temperatures. Examining the evolution of particle size and surface area with time, we do not see a stable or equilibrium state, especially for catalysts operating at elevated temperatures. In conclusion, the recent literature, especially on in situ studies, shows that OR is the dominant process causing the growth of nanoparticle size. Consequently, this leads to the loss of surface area and activity. While particle migration could be controlled through suitable structuring of catalyst supports, it is more difficult to control the mobility of atomically dispersed species. These insights into the mechanisms of sintering could help to develop sinter-resistant catalysts, with the ultimate goal of designing catalysts that are self-healing.

Heterogeneities of the nanostructure of platinum/zeolite y catalysts revealed by electron tomography

To develop structure-performance relationships for important catalysts, a detailed characterization of their morphology is essential. Using electron tomography, we determined in three dimensions the structure of Pt/zeolite Y bifunctional catalysts. Optimum experimental conditions enabled for the first time high-resolution 3D imaging of Pt particles as small as 1 nm located inside zeolite micropores. Semiautomated image analysis of 3D reconstructions provided an efficient study of numbers, size distributions, and interparticle distances of thousands of Pt particles within individual zeolite crystals. Upon extending this approach to a number of zeolite crystals of one batch of Pt/zeolite Y catalyst, heterogeneities were revealed. The Pt loading, an important parameter for catalyst performance, varied between zeolite crystals up to a factor of 35. This discovery calls for re-evaluation of catalyst preparation methods and suggests potential for lowering the nominal loading with noble metals.