Ceria-based solid catalysts for organic chemistry

N2 as an Efficient IR Probe Molecule for the Investigation of Ceria-Containing Materials

Ceria and ceria-based catalysts are very important in redox and acid-base catalysis. Nanoceria have also been found to be important in biomedical applications. To design efficient materials, it is necessary to thoroughly understand the surface chemistry of ceria, and one of the techniques that provides such information about the surface is the vibrational spectroscopy of probe molecules. Although the most commonly used probe is CO, it has some disadvantages when applied to ceria and ceria-based catalysts. CO can easily reduce the material, forming carbonate-like species, and can be disproportionate, thus modifying the surface. Here, we offer a pioneering study of the adsorption of 15N2 at 100 K, demonstrating that dinitrogen can be more advantageous than CO when studying ceria-based materials. As an inert gas, N2 is not able to oxidize or reduce cerium cations and does not form any surface anionic species able to modify the surface. It is infrared and transparent, and thus there is no need to subtract the gas phase spectrum, something that often increases the noise level. Being a weaker base than CO, N2 has a negligible induction effect. By using stoichiometric nano-shaped ceria samples, we concluded that 15N2 can distinguish between surface Ce4+ sites on different, low index planes; with cations on the {110} facets and on some of the edges, Ce4+-15N2 species with IR bands at 2258-2257 cm-1 are formed. Bridging species, where one of the N atoms from the molecule interacts with two Ce4+ cations, are formed on the {100} facets (2253-2252 cm-1), while the interaction with the {111} facets is very weak and does not lead to the formation of measurable amounts of complexes. All species are formed by electrostatic interaction and disappear during evacuation at 100 K. In addition, N2 provides more accurate information than CO on the acidity of the different OH groups because it does not change the binding mode of the hydroxyls.

Composition-dependent morphologies of CeO2 nanoparticles in the presence of Co-adsorbed H2O and CO2: a density functional theory study

Catalytic activity is affected by surface morphology, and specific surfaces display greater activity than others. A key challenge is to define synthetic strategies to enhance the expression of more active surfaces and to maintain their stability during the lifespan of the catalyst. In this work, we outline an ab initio approach, based on density functional theory, to predict surface composition and particle morphology as a function of environmental conditions, and we apply this to CeO2 nanoparticles in the presence of co-adsorbed H2O and CO2 as an industrially relevant test case. We find that dissociative adsorption of both molecules is generally the most favourable, and that the presence of H2O can stabilise co-adsorbed CO2. We show that changes in adsorption strength with temperature and adsorbate partial pressure lead to significant changes in surface stability, and in particular that co-adsorption of H2O and CO2 stabilizes the {100} and {110} surfaces over the {111} surface. Based on the changes in surface free energy induced by the adsorbed species, we predict that cuboidal nanoparticles are favoured in the presence of co-adsorbed H2O and CO2, suggesting that cuboidal particles should experience a lower thermodynamic driving force to reconstruct and thus be more stable as catalysts for processes involving these species.

Ceo2 /Cus Nanoplates Electroreduce Co2 to Ethanol with Stabilized Cu+ Species

Copper-based electrocatalysts effectively produce multicarbon (C2+ ) compounds during the electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2 RR). However, big challenges still remain because of the chemically unstable active sites. Here, cerium is used as a self-sacrificing agent to stabilize the Cu+ of CuS, due to the facile Ce3+ /Ce4+ redox. CeO2 -modified CuS nanoplates achieve high ethanol selectivity, with FE up to 54% and FEC2+ ≈ 75% in a flow cell. Moreover, in situ Raman spectroscopy and in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy indicate that the stable Cu+ species promote CC coupling step under CO2 RR. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that the stronger * CO adsorption and lower CC coupling energy, which is conducive to the selective generation of ethanol products. This work provides a facile strategy to convert CO2 into ethanol by retaining Cu+ species.

Ce-based solid-phase catalysts for phosphate hydrolysis as new tools for next-generation nanoarchitectonics

This review comprehensively covers synthetic catalysts for the hydrolysis of biorelevant phosphates and pyrophosphates, which bridge between nanoarchitectonics and biology to construct their interdisciplinary hybrids. In the early 1980s, remarkable catalytic activity of Ce4+ ion for phosphate hydrolysis was found. More recently, this finding has been extended to Ce-based solid catalysts (CeO2 and Ce-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)), which are directly compatible with nanoarchitectonics. Monoesters and triesters of phosphates, as well as pyrophosphates, were effectively cleaved by these catalysts. With the use of either CeO2 nanoparticles or elegantly designed Ce-based MOF, highly stable phosphodiester linkages were also hydrolyzed. On the surfaces of all these solid catalysts, Ce4+ and Ce3+ coexist and cooperate for the catalysis. The Ce4+ activates phosphate substrates as a strong acid, whereas the Ce3+ provides metal-bound hydroxide as an eminent nucleophile. Applications of these Ce-based catalysts to practical purposes are also discussed.

Ultrasound and Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Hexagonally Ordered Ce-Promoted Mesoporous Silica as Ni Supports for Ethanol Steam Reforming

Solvothermal synthesis of mesoporous materials based on amphiphilic molecules as structure-directing agents can be enhanced using non-conventional technologies for stirring and thermal activation. Here, we disclose a green synthesis approach for the preparation of cerium-modified hexagonally ordered silica sieves. Ultrasound micromixing enabled us to obtain well-dispersed Ce in the self-assembled silica network and yielded ordered materials with high cerium content (Ce/Si molar ratio = 0.08). Microwave dielectric heating, applied by an innovative open-end coaxial antenna, was used to reduce the overall hydrothermal synthesis time and to improve the surface area and textural properties. These mesoporous materials were used as a Ni catalyst support (10 wt.% metal loading) for the ethanol steam reforming reaction. The new catalysts featured complete ethanol conversion, high H₂ selectivity (65%) and better stability, compared to the same catalyst prepared with magnetic stirring and conventional heating. The Ce-promoted silica sieves offered a suitable support for the controlled growth of nanocarbon that does not result in catalyst deactivation or poisoning after 6 h on stream.

Insights from a Bibliometrics-Based Analysis of Publishing and Research Trends on Cerium Oxide from 1990 to 2020

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the literature for research trends on cerium oxide from 1990 to 2020 and identify gaps in knowledge in the emerging application(s) of CeONP. Bibliometric methods were used to identify themes in database searches from PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection using SWIFT-Review, VOSviewer and SciMAT software programs. A systematic review was completed on published cerium oxide literature extracted from the Scopus database (n = 17,115), identifying themes relevant to its industrial, environmental and biomedical applications. A total of 172 publications were included in the systematic analysis and categorized into four time periods with research themes identified; "doping additives" (n = 5, 1990-1997), "catalysts" (n = 32, 1998-2005), "reactive oxygen species" (n = 66, 2006-2013) and "pathology" (n = 69, 2014-2020). China and the USA showed the highest number of citations and publications for cerium oxide research from 1990 to 2020. Longitudinal analysis showed CeONP has been extensively used for various applications due to its catalytic properties. In conclusion, this study showed the trend in research in CeONP over the past three decades with advancements in nanoparticle engineering like doping, and more recently surface modification or functionalization to further enhanced its antioxidant abilities. As a result of recent nanoparticle engineering developments, research into CeONP biological effects have highlighted its therapeutic potential for a range of human pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease. Whilst research over the past three decades show the versatility of cerium oxide in industrial and environmental applications, there are still research opportunities to investigate the potential beneficial effects of CeONP in its application(s) on human health.

Ultrasonically assisted surface modified CeO2 nanospindle catalysts for conversion of CO2 and methanol to DMC

This study developed a facile and effective approach to engineer the surface properties of cerium oxide (CeO2) nanospindle catalysts for the direct synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from CO2 and methanol. CeO2 nanospindles were first prepared by a simple precipitation method followed by wet chemical redox etching with sodium borohydride (NaBH4) under high intensity ultrasonication (ultrasonic horn, 20 kHz, 150 W/cm2). The ultrasonically assisted surface modification of the CeO2 nanospindles in NaBH4 led to particle collisions and surface reduction that resulted in an increase in the number of surface-active sites of exposed Ce3+ and oxygen vacancies. The surface modified CeO2 nanospindles showed an improvement of catalytic activity for DMC formation, yielding 17.90 mmol·gcat-1 with 100 % DMC selectivity. This study offers a simple and effective method to modify a CeO2 surface, and it can further be applied for other chemical activities.

Effect of Support on Stability and Coke Resistance of Ni-Based Catalyst in Combined Steam and CO2 Reforming of CH4

Ni-based catalysts dispersed on different supports (MgO-α-Al₂O₃, CeO₂, SBA-15, and MgO-SBA-15) were prepared by the impregnation method. Characteristics of the catalysts, including specific surface areas (N₂ physisorption), crystalline phase compositions (powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy), reducibility (hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction, H₂-TPR), and morphology (scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy, TEM)) were investigated. The activity and stability of the catalysts were tested for the combined steam and CO₂ reforming of methane at 700 °C in a microflow system. The results show that the catalysts exhibit high activity in the BRM reaction. At 700 °C, the conversion of CH₄ and CO₂ reached 86-99% and 67-80%, respectively, in which the Ni/Mg-SBA catalyst is the best with conversions of CH₄ and CO₂ reaching 99% and 80%. Coke accumulation on the surface of the catalysts for 100 h time on stream (TOS) was evaluated by the temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) technique. The major cause of the catalytic deactivation was elucidated by combining the determination of the amount and type of deposited coke with the changes in the physicochemical properties of the catalysts after the long-term reaction. Almost complete loss of activity was observed on Ni/Mg-Al catalyst after 100 h TOS, while the activity drop was slow on the Ni/Mg-SBA sample, about 15-20% of the total value. Otherwise, the Ni/CeO₂ and Ni/SBA catalysts firmly retained their stable activity for 100 h TOS due to the minimal carbon deposition and stability of these catalysts' structure. The highly considerable formation of inert C_γ carbon and sintering over Ni catalyst supported on MgO-α-Al₂O₃ were responsible for the lower stability of this catalyst compared to those supported on CeO₂ and SBA-15.

Confinement of nano-gold in 3D hierarchically structured gadolinium-doped ceria mesocrystal: synergistic effect of chemical composition and structural hierarchy in CO and propane oxidation

Gadolinium-doped ceria hierarchical gold catalyst shows four-fold TOF increase compared to undoped non-hierarchical system, proving the synergistic effect of doping and structural hierarchy in propane oxidation.

Light-mediated aerobic oxidation of C(sp3)–H bonds by a Ce(iv) hexachloride complex

A photochemical C(sp3)–H oxygenation of arene and alkane substrates (including methane) catalyzed by [NEt4]2[CeIVCl6] under mild conditions (1 atm, 25 °C) is described.

Measurement of polarization effects in dual-phase ceria-based oxygen permeation membranes using Kelvin probe force microscopy

In this study, a dual phase composite (CSO-FC2O) consisting of 60 vol % Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 as oxygen-conductive phase and 40 vol % FeCo₂O₄ as electron-conductive phase was synthesized. TEM measurements showed a relatively pure dual-phase material with only minor amounts of a tertiary (Sm,Ce)(Fe,Co)O₃ perovskite phase and isolated residues of a rock salt phase at the grain boundaries. The obtained material was used as a model to demonstrate that a combination of polarization relaxation measurements and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM)-based mapping of the Volta potential before and after the end of polarization can be used to determine the chemical diffusion coefficient of the ceria component of the composite. The KPFM measurements were performed at room temperature and show diffusion coefficients in the range of 3 × 10^-13 cm²·s^-1, which is comparable to values measured for single-phase Gd-doped ceria thin films using the same method.

Co3 O4 -CeO2 Nanocomposites for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation

In an effort to combine the favorable catalytic properties of Co₃ O₄ and CeO₂ , nanocomposites with different phase distribution and Co₃ O₄ loading were prepared and employed for CO oxidation. Synthesizing Co₃ O₄ -modified CeO₂ via three different sol-gel based routes, each with 10.4 wt % Co₃ O₄ loading, yielded three different nanocomposite morphologies: CeO₂ -supported Co₃ O₄ layers, intermixed oxides, and homogeneously dispersed Co. The reactivity of the resulting surface oxygen species towards CO were examined by temperature programmed reduction (CO-TPR) and flow reactor kinetic tests. The first morphology exhibited the best performance due to its active Co₃ O₄ surface layer, reducing the light-off temperature of CeO₂ by about 200 °C. In contrast, intermixed oxides and Co-doped CeO₂ suffered from lower dispersion and organic residues, respectively. The performance of Co₃ O₄ -CeO₂ nanocomposites was optimized by varying the Co₃ O₄ loading, characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N₂ sorption (BET). The 16-65 wt % Co₃ O₄ -CeO₂ catalysts approached the conversion of 1 wt % Pt/CeO₂ , rendering them interesting candidates for low-temperature CO oxidation.

Vacancy Engineering in Transition Metal Sulfide and Oxide Catalysts for Hydrodeoxygenation of Lignin-Derived Oxygenates

The catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignin has long been a hot research topic and vacancy engineering is a new means to develop more efficient catalysts for this process. Oxygen vacancies and sulfur vacancies are both widely used in HDO. Based on the current research status of vacancies in the field of lignin-derived oxygenates, this Minireview discusses in detail design methods for vacancy engineering, including surface activation, synergistic modification, and morphology control. Moreover, it is clarified that in the HDO reaction, vacancies can act as acidic sites, promote substrate adsorption, and regulate product distribution, whereas for the catalysts, vacancies can enhance stability and reducibility, improve metal dispersion, and improve redox capacity. Finally, the characterization of vacancies is summarized and strategies are proposed to address the current deficiencies in this field.

Elucidating the Mechanism of Ambient-Temperature Aldol Condensation of Acetaldehyde on Ceria

Using in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we conclusively demonstrate that acetaldehyde (AcH) undergoes aldol condensation when flown over ceria octahedral nanoparticles, and the reaction is desorption-limited at ambient temperature. trans-Crotonaldehyde (CrH) is the predominant product whose coverage builds up on the catalyst with time on stream. The proposed mechanism on CeO2(111) proceeds via AcH enolization (i.e., α C-H bond scission), C-C coupling, and further enolization and dehydroxylation of the aldol adduct, 3-hydroxybutanal, to yield trans-CrH. The mechanism with its DFT-calculated parameters is consistent with reactivity at ambient temperature and with the kinetic behavior of the aldol condensation of AcH reported on other oxides. The slightly less stable cis-CrH can be produced by the same mechanism depending on how the enolate and AcH are positioned with respect to each other in C-C coupling. All vibrational modes in DRIFTS are identified with AcH or trans-CrH, except for a feature at 1620 cm-1 that is more intense relative to the other bands on the partially reduced ceria sample than on the oxidized sample. It is identified to be the C=C stretch mode of CH3CHOHCHCHO adsorbed on an oxygen vacancy. It constitutes a deep energy minimum, rendering oxygen vacancies an inactive site for CrH formation under given conditions.

Studies of Nickel/Samarium-Doped Ceria for Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane and Effect of Oxygen Vacancy

We investigated the performance of nickel/samarium-doped ceria (Ni/SDC) nanocatalysts on the catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CPOM). Studies of temperature-programmed surface reaction and reduction reveal that catalytic activity is determined by a synergistic effect produced by Ni metals and metal-support interaction. Catalytic activity was more dependent on the Ni content below 600 °C, while there is not much difference for all catalysts at high temperatures. The catalyst exhibiting high activities toward syngas production (i.e., a CH4 conversion >90% at 700 °C) requires a medium Ni-SDC interaction with an Sm/Ce ratio of about 1/9 to 2/8. This is accounted for by optimum oxygen vacancies and adequate ion diffusivity in the SDCs which, as reported, also display the highest ion conductivity for fuel cell applications.

Spin-Orbit Coupling Changes the Identity of the Hyper-Open-Shell Ground State of Ce+, and the Bond Dissociation Energy of CeH+ Proves to Be Challenging for Theory

Cerium (Ce) plays important roles in catalysis. Its position in the sixth period of the periodic table leads to spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and other open-shell effects that make the quantum mechanical calculation of cerium compounds challenging. In this work, we investigated the low-lying spin states of Ce⁺ and the bond energy of CeH⁺, both by multiconfigurational methods, in particular, SA-CASSCF, MC-PDFT, CASPT2, XMS-PDFT, and XMS-CASPT2, and by single-configurational methods, namely, Hartree-Fock theory and unrestricted Kohn-Sham density functional theory with 34 choices of the exchange-correlation functional. We found that only CASPT2, XMS-CASPT2, and SA-CASSCF (among the five multiconfigurational methods) and GAM, HCTH, SOGGA11, and OreLYP (among the 35 single-configuration methods) successfully predict that the SOC-free ground spin state of Ce⁺ is a doublet state, and CASPT2 and GAM give the most accurate multireference and single-reference calculations, respectively, of the excitation energy of the first SOC-free excited state for Ce⁺. We calculated that the ground doublet state of Ce⁺ is an intra-atomic hyper-open-shell state. We calculated the spin-orbit energy (E^SO) of Ce⁺ by the five multiconfigurational methods and found that E^SO calculated by CASPT2 is the closest to the experimental value. Taking advantage of the availability of an experimental D₀ for CeH⁺ as a way to provide a unique test of theory, we showed that all the multiconfigurational methods overestimate D₀ by at least 246 meV (5.7 kcal/mol), and only three functionals, namely, SOGGA, MN15, and GAM, have an error of D₀ that is less than 200 meV (5 kcal/mol).

Production of jet-fuel-range molecules from biomass-derived mixed acids

Mixed acids from open culture fermentation can be catalytically upgraded to long-chain species suitable for use in jet fuel applications.

Synthesis and catalytic evaluation of PVP-CeO2/rGO as a highly efficient and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for multicomponent reactions in water

A highly efficient and eco-friendly route for the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was developed by using polyvinylpyrrolidone coated CeO2 NPs (PVP-CeO2) as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The resulting carbonaceous material, PVP-CeO2/rGO, was well characterized with different spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), elemental mapping, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Thermal Gravimetric (TG) analyses. The material exhibited high catalytic potential towards multicomponent reactions for the synthesis of biologically relevant benzodiazepine derivatives in aqueous media. The efficiency of the material for the desired reaction was shown in the form of an excellent product yield (96-98%) and a very short reaction time period (7-10 min). The use of water as solvent and recyclability of the catalyst made the present protocol acceptable from a green perspective.

Magnetically enhanced polymer-supported ceria nanocatalysts for the hydration of nitriles

The heterogeneous catalysis of the hydration of nitriles to amides is a process of great industrial relevance in which cerium(IV) oxide (also referred to as ceria) has shown an outstanding catalytic performance. The use of non-supported ceria nanoparticles is related to difficulties in the purification of the product and the recovery and recyclability of the catalyst. Therefore, in this work, ceria nanoparticles are supported on a polymer matrix either by synthesizing polymer particles by so-called Pickering miniemulsions while using ceria nanoparticles as emulsion stabilizers or, as a comparison, by in-situ crystallization on preformed polymer particles. The former strategy presents significant advantages over the latter in terms of time and consumption of resources, and it facilitates an easier scale-up of the process. In both strategies, the incorporation of a magnetoresponsive core within the polymer matrix allows the recovery and the recycling of the catalyst by simple application of a magnetic field and offers an enhancement of the catalytic efficiency.

Actinyl-Modified g-C3N4 as CO2 Activation Materials for Chemical Conversion and Environmental Remedy via an Artificial Photosynthetic Route

With the reported CO₂ activation for the oxidation of benzene to phenol (-ENE → -OL) by the graphitic carbon nitride g-C₃N₄ (CN) via an artificial photosynthetic route as inspiration, high-valent actinyls (An^mO₂)ⁿ⁺ (An = U, Np, Pu; m = VI, V; n = 2, 1) have been introduced for its further modification. Our calculations indicate thermodynamic spontaneity in the feasibility of g-C₃N₄-(An^mO₂)ⁿ⁺ (CN-An^m) formation. The magnificent structural and electronic properties of CN-An^m are utilized for CO₂ activation in terms of the rarely studied -ENE → -OL conversion. The calculated free energies show that most steps of the catalytic cycle are favored by CN-An^m complexes. The first step (carbamate formation) is slightly endothermic in all cases, where CN-U is 0.51 eV higher than CN and CN-Pu is -0.01 eV lower. All benzene addition reactions release energy, with that for CN-U being the lowest. The phenolate formation is favored by some actinyl complexes over CN, and CN-U is only 0.23 eV higher. The phenol release (resulting in formamide complexes) and CO desorption are exothermic for all CN-An^m. The overall process suggests the improved catalytic performance of actinyl-modified CN materials, and the slightly depleted uranyl-carbon nitride could be one of the promising catalysts.

Facile benzene reduction promoted by a synergistically coupled Cu-Co-Ce ternary mixed oxide

Hydrogenation of aromatic rings promoted by earth-abundant metal composites under mild conditions is an attractive and challenging subject in the long term.

Hydrogenation of aromatic rings promoted by earth-abundant metal composites under mild conditions is an attractive and challenging subject in the long term. In this work, a simple active site creation and stabilization strategy was employed to obtain a Cu⁺-containing ternary mixed oxide catalyst. Simply by pre-treatment of the ternary metal oxide precursor under a H₂ atmosphere, a Cu⁺-derived heterogeneous catalyst was obtained and denoted as Cu₁Co₅Ce₅O_x. The catalyst showed (1) high Cu⁺ species content, (2) a uniform distribution of Cu⁺ doped into the lattices of CoO_x and CeO₂, (3) formation of CoO_x/CuO_x and CeO₂/CuO_x interfaces, and (4) a mesoporous structure. These unique properties of Cu₁Co₅Ce₅O_x endow it with pretty high hydrogenation activity for aromatic rings under mild conditions (100 °C with 5 bar H₂), which is much higher than that of the corresponding binary counterparts and even exceeds the performance of commercial noble metal catalysts (e.g. Pd/C). The synergetic effect plays a crucial role in the catalytic procedure with CeO₂ functioning as a hydrogen dissociation and transfer medium, Cu⁺ hydrogenating the benzene ring and CoO_x stabilizing the unstable Cu⁺ species. This will unlock a new opportunity to design highly efficient earth-abundant metal-derived heterogeneous catalysts via interface interactions.

Ceria-Based Catalysts Studied by Near Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy: A Review

The development of better catalysts is a passionate topic at the forefront of modern science, where operando techniques are necessary to identify the nature of the active sites. The surface of a solid catalyst is dynamic and dependent on the reaction environment and, therefore, the catalytic active sites may only be formed under specific reaction conditions and may not be stable either in air or under high vacuum conditions. The identification of the active sites and the understanding of their behaviour are essential information towards a rational catalyst design. One of the most powerful operando techniques for the study of active sites is near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS), which is particularly sensitive to the surface and sub-surface of solids. Here we review the use of NAP-XPS for the study of ceria-based catalysts, widely used in a large number of industrial processes due to their excellent oxygen storage capacity and well-established redox properties.

Catalytic Pyrolysis of Aliphatic Carboxylic Acids into Symmetric Ketones over Ceria-Based Catalysts: Kinetics, Isotope Effect and Mechanism

Ketonization is a promising way for upgrading bio-derived carboxylic acids from pyrolysis bio-oils, waste oils, and fats to produce high value-added chemicals and biofuels. Therefore, an understanding of its mechanism can help to carry out the catalytic pyrolysis of biomass more efficiently. Here we show that temperature-programmed desorption mass spectrometry (TPD-MS) together with linear free energy relationships (LFERs) can be used to identify catalytic pyrolysis mechanisms. We report the kinetics of the catalytic pyrolysis of deuterated acetic acid and a reaction series of linear and branched fatty acids into symmetric ketones on the surfaces of ceria-based oxides. A structure–reactivity correlation between Taft’s steric substituent constants Es* and activation energies of ketonization indicates that this reaction is the sterically controlled reaction. Surface D3-n-acetates transform into deuterated acetone isotopomers with different yield, rate, E≠, and deuterium kinetic isotope effect (DKIE). The obtained values of inverse DKIE together with the structure–reactivity correlation support a concerted mechanism over ceria-based catalysts. These results demonstrate that analysis of Taft’s correlations and using simple equation for estimation of DKIE from TPD-MS data are promising approaches for the study of catalytic pyrolysis mechanisms on a semi-quantitative level.

One-pot imine synthesis from methylarenes and anilines under air over heterogeneous Cu oxide-modified CeO2 catalyst

Selective one-pot synthesis of imines from methylarenes and anilines with air as an oxidant was substantiated by heterogeneous Cu oxide-modified CeO₂ (CuO_x–CeO₂) catalyst without additives.

Cooperation of cerium oxide nanoparticles and soluble molecular catalysts for alcohol oxidation

Nano-cerium oxide and organometallic catalysts cooperate in anaerobic and aerobic alcohol oxidations.

A hybrid-DFT investigation of the Ce oxidation state upon adsorption of F, Na, Ni, Pd and Pt on the (CeO2)6 cluster

The formation of small polarons in CeO_2−x compounds has been investigated mainly on solids, compact surfaces, and large nanoparticles.

Mechanistic insights into the acetate-accelerated synthesis of crystalline ceria nanoparticles

Lithium acetate was reported to accelerate the growth of crystalline ceria nanoparticles in ozone-mediated synthesis through promoting alcohol-like condensation reactions.

Hierarchically Structured CeO2 Catalyst Particles From Nanocellulose/Alginate Templates for Upgrading of Fast Pyrolysis Vapors

Hierarchically structured porous materials often exhibit advantageous functionality for many applications including catalysts, adsorbents, and filtration systems. In this study, we report a facile approach to achieve hierarchically structured, porous cerium oxide (CeO₂) catalyst particles using a templating method based on nanocellulose, a class of renewable, plant-derived nanomaterials. We demonstrate the catalyst performance benefits provided by this templating method in the context of Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis (CFP) which is a promising conversion technology to produce renewable fuel and chemical products from biomass and other types of organic waste. We show that variations in the porous structures imparted by this templating method may be achieved by modifying the content of cellulose nanofibrils, cellulose nanocrystals, and alginate in the templating suspensions. Nitrogen physisorption reveals that nearly 10-fold increases in surface area can be achieved using this method with respect to commercially available cerium oxide powder. Multiscale electron microscopy further verifies that bio-derived templating can alter the morphology of the catalyst nanostructure and tune the distribution of meso- and macro-porosity within the catalyst particles while maintaining CeO₂ crystal structure. CFP experiments demonstrate that the templated catalysts display substantially higher activity on a gravimetric basis than their non-templated counterpart, and that variations in the catalyst architecture can impact the distribution of upgraded pyrolysis products. Finally, we demonstrate that the templating method described here may be extended to other materials derived from metal chlorides to achieve 3-dimensional networks of hierarchical porosity.