Recycling of CO2 by Hydrogenation of Carbonate Derivatives to Methanol: Tuning Copper-Oxide Promotion Effects in Supported Catalysts

The selective hydrogenation of organic carbonates to methanol is a relevant transformation to realize flexible processes for the recycling of waste CO₂ with renewable H₂ mediated by condensed carbon dioxide surrogates. Oxide-supported copper nanoparticles are promising solid catalysts for this selective hydrogenation. However, essential for their optimization is to rationalize the prominent impact of the oxide support on performance. Herein, the role of Lewis acid centers, exposed on the oxide support at the periphery of the Cu nanoparticles, was systematically assessed. For the hydrogenation of propylene carbonate, as a model cyclic carbonate, the conversion rate, the apparent activation energy, and the selectivity to methanol correlate with the Lewis acidity of the coordinatively unsaturated cationic sites exposed on the oxide support. Lewis sites of markedly low and high electron-withdrawing character promote unselective decarbonylation and decarboxylation reaction pathways, respectively. Supports exposing Lewis sites of intermediate acidity maximize the selectivity to methanol while inhibiting acid-catalyzed secondary reactions of the propanediol product, and thus enable its recovery in cyclic processes of CO₂ hydrogenation mediated by condensed carbonate derivatives. These findings help rationalize metal-support promotion effects that determine the performance of supported metal nanoparticles in this and other selective hydrogenation reactions of significance in the context of sustainable chemistry.

Supported Intermetallic PdZn Nanoparticles as Bifunctional Catalysts for the Direct Synthesis of Dimethyl Ether from CO-Rich Synthesis Gas

The single-step syngas-to-dimethyl ether (STD) process entails economic and technical advantages over the current industrial two-step process. Pd/ZnO-based catalysts have recently emerged as interesting alternatives to currently used Cu/ZnO/Al₂ O₃ catalysts, but the nature of the active site(s), the reaction mechanism, and the role of Pd and ZnO in the solid catalyst are not well established. Now, Zn-stabilized Pd colloids with a size of 2 nm served as the key building blocks for the methanol active component in bifunctional Pd/ZnO-γ-Al₂ O₃ catalysts. The catalysts were characterized by combining high-pressure operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy and DFT calculations. The enhanced stability, longevity, and high dimethyl ether selectivity observed makes Pd/ZnO-γ-Al₂ O₃ an effective alternative system for the STD process compared to Cu/ZnO/γ-Al₂ O₃ .

Reversible Redox Cycling of Well-Defined, Ultrasmall Cu/Cu2O Nanoparticles

Exceptionally small and well-defined copper (Cu) and cuprite (Cu₂O) nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized by the reaction of mesitylcopper(I) with either H₂ or air, respectively. In the presence of substoichiometric quantities of ligands, namely, stearic or di(octyl)phosphinic acid (0.1-0.2 equiv vs Cu), ultrasmall nanoparticles are prepared with diameters as low as ∼2 nm, soluble in a range of solvents. The solutions of Cu NPs undergo quantitative oxidation, on exposure to air, to form Cu₂O NPs. The Cu₂O NPs can be reduced back to Cu(0) NPs using accessible temperatures and low pressures of hydrogen (135 °C, 3 bar H₂). This striking reversible redox cycling of the discrete, solubilized Cu/Cu(I) colloids was successfully repeated over 10 cycles, representing 19 separate reactions. The ligands influence the evolution of both composition and size of the nanoparticles, during synthesis and redox cycling, as explored in detail using vacuum-transfer aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and visible spectroscopy.

Colloidal Cu/ZnO catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to methanol: investigating catalyst preparation and ligand effects

This paper reports on the influences of the catalyst preparation method and ligand effects for a series of highly active Cu/ZnO colloidal catalysts for the hydrogenation of CO₂ to methanol.

Colloidal synthesis of Cu-ZnO and Cu@CuNi-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals with controlled morphologies and multifunctional properties

Metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals have received extensive attention owing to their multiple functionalities which can find wide technological applications. The utilization of low-cost non-noble metals to construct novel metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals is important and meaningful for their large-scale applications. In this study, a facile solution approach is developed for the synthesis of Cu-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals with well-controlled morphologies, including nanomultipods, core-shell nanoparticles, nanopyramids and core-shell nanowires. In the synthetic strategy, Cu nanocrystals formed in situ serve as seeds for the heterogeneous nucleation and growth of ZnO, and it eventually forms various Cu-ZnO hetero-nanostructures under different reaction conditions. These hybrid nanocrystals possess well-defined and stable heterostructure junctions. The ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectra reveal morphology-dependent surface plasmon resonance absorption of Cu and the band gap absorption of ZnO. Furthermore, we construct a novel Cu@CuNi-ZnO ternary hetero-nanostructure by incorporating the magnetic metal Ni into the pre-synthesized colloidal Cu nanocrystals. Such hybrid nanocrystals possess a magnetic Cu-Ni intermediate layer between the ZnO shell and the Cu core, and exhibit ferromagnetic/superparamagnetic properties which expand their functionalities. Finally, enhanced photocatalytic activities are observed in the as-prepared non-noble metal-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals. This study not only provides an economical way to prepare high-quality morphology-controlled Cu-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals for potential applications in the fields of photocatalysis and photovoltaic devices, but also opens up new opportunities in designing ternary non-noble metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals with multifunctionalities.

Amine modified mesoporous Al2O3@MCM-41: an efficient, synergetic and recyclable catalyst for the formylation of amines using carbon dioxide and DMAB under mild reaction conditions

A novel amine modified meso Al₂O₃@MCM-41 catalyst was investigated for the synthesis of formamides from 1°/2° aliphatic as well as aromatic amines with CO₂, using DMAB.

Bifunctional hybrid catalysts derived from Cu/Zn-based nanoparticles for single-step dimethyl ether synthesis

Model kit for bifunctional catalysts: colloidal Cu/Zn-based nanoparticles were synthesized and used as building blocks in syngas to dimethyl ether (STD) catalysts.

A one-step Cu/ZnO quasi-homogeneous catalyst for DME production from syn-gas

Colloidal Cu/ZnO nanoparticles combine with γ-Al₂O₃ to form promising hybrid catalysts for the direct synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) in liquid phase, showing high activity, selectivity and stability.

A one-step green route to synthesize copper nanocrystals and their applications in catalysis and surface enhanced Raman scattering

A nontoxic, simple, inexpensive, and reproducible strategy, which meets the standard of green chemistry, is introduced for the synthesis of copper nanocrystals (Cu NCs) with olive oil as both reducing agent and capping agent. By changing the reaction parameters, the shape, size and surface structure of the Cu NCs can be well controlled. The obtained Cu nanocubes show excellent catalytic properties for the catalytic reduction of dyes and CO oxidation. Moreover, the prepared Cu nanocubes as substrates exhibit surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity for 4-mercaptopyridine (4-Mpy). Therefore, this facile route provides a useful platform for the fabrication of Cu NCs which have the potential to replace noble metals for certain applications.

Synthesis of Cu, Zn and Cu/Zn brass alloy nanoparticles from metal amidinate precursors in ionic liquids or propylene carbonate with relevance to methanol synthesis

Microwave-induced decomposition of the transition metal amidinates {[Me(C(N(i)Pr)2)]Cu}2 (1) and [Me(C(N(i)Pr)2)]2Zn (2) in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF4]) or in propylene carbonate (PC) gives copper and zinc nanoparticles which are stable in the absence of capping ligands (surfactants) for more than six weeks. Co-decomposition of 1 and 2 yields the intermetallic nano-brass phases β-CuZn and γ-Cu3Zn depending on the chosen molar ratios of the precursors. Nanoparticles were characterized by high-angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), dynamic light scattering and powder X-ray diffractometry. Microstructure characterizations were complemented by STEM with spatially resolved energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Synthesis in ILs yields significantly smaller nanoparticles than in PC. β-CuZn alloy nanoparticles are precursors to catalysts for methanol synthesis from the synthesis gas H2/CO/CO2 with a productivity of 10.7 mol(MeOH) (kg(Cu) h)(-1).

Mononuclear Phenolate Diamine Zinc Hydride Complexes and Their Reactions With CO2

The synthesis, characterization, and zinc coordination chemistry of the three proligands 2-tert-butyl-4-[tert-butyl (1)/methoxy (2)/nitro (3)]-6-{[(2'-dimethylaminoethyl)methylamino]methyl}phenol are described. Each of the ligands was reacted with diethylzinc to yield zinc ethyl complexes 4-6; these complexes were subsequently reacted with phenylsilanol to yield zinc siloxide complexes 7-9. Finally, the zinc siloxide complexes were reacted with phenylsilane to produce the three new zinc hydride complexes 10-12. The new complexes 4-12 have been fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analyses. The structures of the zinc hydride complexes have been probed using VT-NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction experiments. These data indicate that the complexes exhibit mononuclear structures at 298 K, both in the solid state and in solution (d₈-toluene). At 203 K, the NMR signals broaden, consistent with an equilibrium between the mononuclear and dinuclear bis(μ-hydrido) complexes. All three zinc hydride complexes react rapidly and quantitatively with carbon dioxide, at 298 K and 1 bar of pressure over 20 min, to form the new zinc formate complexes 13-15. The zinc formate complexes have been analyzed by NMR spectroscopy and VT-NMR studies, which reveal a temperature-dependent monomer-dimer equilibrium that is dominated by the mononuclear species at 298 K.

An attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopic study of gas adsorption on colloidal stearate-capped ZnO catalyst substrate

Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy has been applied in situ to study gas adsorption on a colloidal stearate-capped zinc oxide (ZnO) surface. Infrared spectra of a colloidal stearate-capped ZnO catalyst substrate were assigned at room temperature using zinc stearate as a reference compound. Heating was shown to create a monodentate species that allowed conformational change to occur, leading to altered binding geometry of the stearate ligands upon cooling. CO2 and H2 adsorption measurements demonstrated that the ligand shell was permeable and did not cover the entire surface, allowing adsorption and reaction with at least some portion of the ZnO surface. It has been demonstrated that stearate ligands did not prevent the usual chemisorption processes involved in catalytic reactions on a model ZnO catalyst system, yet the ligand-support system is dynamic under representative reaction conditions.

Facile synthesis of Cu and Cu@Cu-Ni nanocubes and nanowires in hydrophobic solution in the presence of nickel and chloride ions

A highly shape selective synthesis of Cu and Cu@Cu-Ni nanocubes and nanowires has been developed by modulating the coordination chemistry of transition metal ions with a trioctylphosphine (TOP)-Cl(-) ligand pair in oleylamine under mild organic solvent conditions. The as-prepared nanocubes have a face-centered cubic (fcc) phase and are covered by six {100} facets, whereas the as-prepared nanowires have a multi-twinned structure and grow along the [110] direction. Both the Ni(2+) and Cl(-) ions, along with TOP, play vital roles in determining the final morphology of the as-prepared nanocrystals (NCs). TOP can be used to selectively generate single-crystal seeds at the initial stage, which then grow into nanocubes in the presence of Cl(-) ions, while the absence of TOP leads to the formation of multi-twined crystal seeds that finally develop into nanowires. Moreover, Ni can be incorporated to form a Cu-Ni alloy shell over a Cu core at higher temperatures in a one-pot process, which makes diamagnetic Cu NCs magnetically responsive and has a significant influence on their optical properties.