Identifying active functionalities on few-layered graphene catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutane

Oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkanes to olefins on metal-free catalysts

Metal-free boron- and carbon-based catalysts have shown both great fundamental and practical value in oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of light alkanes. In particular, boron-based catalysts show a superior selectivity toward olefins, excellent stability and atom-economy to valuable carbon-based products by minimizing CO2 emission, which are highly promising in future industrialization. The carbonaceous catalysts also exhibited impressive behavior in the ODH of light alkanes helped along by surface oxygen-containing functional groups. This review surveyed and compared the preparation methods of the boron- and carbon-based catalysts and their characterization, their performance in the ODH of light alkanes, and the mechanistic issues of the ODH including the identification of the possible active sites and the exploration of the underlying mechanisms. We discussed different boron-based materials and established versatile methodologies for the investigation of active sites and reaction mechanisms. We also elaborated on the similarities and differences in catalytic and kinetic behaviors, and reaction mechanisms between boron- and carbon-based metal-free materials. A perspective of the potential issues of metal-free ODH catalytic systems in terms of their rational design and their synergy with reactor engineering was sketched.

Current status and perspectives in oxidative, non-oxidative and CO2-mediated dehydrogenation of propane and isobutane over metal oxide catalysts

Conversion of propane or isobutane from natural/shale gas into propene or isobutene, which are indispensable for the synthesis of commodity chemicals, is an important environmentally friendly alternative to oil-based cracking processes.

Escaping undesired gas-phase chemistry: Microwave-driven selectivity enhancement in heterogeneous catalytic reactors

Research in solid-gas heterogeneous catalytic processes is typically aimed toward optimization of catalyst composition to achieve a higher conversion and, especially, a higher selectivity. However, even with the most selective catalysts, an upper limit is found: Above a certain temperature, gas-phase reactions become important and their effects cannot be neglected. Here, we apply a microwave field to a catalyst-support ensemble capable of direct microwave heating (MWH). We have taken extra precautions to ensure that (i) the solid phase is free from significant hot spots and (ii) an accurate estimation of both solid and gas temperatures is obtained. MWH allows operating with a catalyst that is significantly hotter than the surrounding gas, achieving a high conversion on the catalyst while reducing undesired homogeneous reactions. We demonstrate the concept with the CO₂-mediated oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutane, but it can be applied to any system with significant undesired homogeneous contributions.

Oxidative Dehydrogenation on Nanocarbon: Insights into the Reaction Mechanism and Kinetics via in Situ Experimental Methods

Sustainable and environmentally benign catalytic processes are vital for the future to supply the world population with clean energy and industrial products. The replacement of conventional metal or metal oxide catalysts with earth abundant and renewable nonmetallic materials has attracted considerable research interests in the field of catalysis and material science. The stable and efficient catalytic performance of nanocarbon materials was discovered at the end of last century, and these materials are considered as potential alternatives for conventional metal-based catalysts. With its rapid development in the past 20 years, the research field of carbon catalysis has been experiencing a smooth transition from the discovery of novel nanocarbon materials or related new reaction systems to the atomistic-level mechanistic understanding on the catalytic process and the subsequent rational design of the practical catalytic reaction systems. In this Account, we summarize the recent progress in the kinetic and mechanistic studies on nanocarbon catalyzed alkane oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) reactions. The paper attempts to extract general concepts and basic regularities for carbon catalytic process directing us on the way for rational design of novel efficient metal-free catalysts. The nature of the active sites for ODH reactions has been revealed through microcalorimetric analysis, ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement, and in situ chemical titration strategies. The detailed kinetic analysis and in situ catalyst structure characterization suggests that carbon catalyzed ODH reactions involve the redox cycles of the ketonic carbonyl-hydroxyl pairs, and the key physicochemical parameters (activation energy, reaction order, and rate/equilibrium constants, etc.) of the carbon catalytic systems are proposed and compared with conventional transition metal oxide catalysts. The proposal of the intrinsic catalytic activity (TOF) provides the possibility for the fair comparisons of different nanocarbon catalysts and the consequent structure-function relation regularity. Surface modification and heteroatom doping are proved as the most effective strategies to adjust the catalytic property (activity and product selectivity etc.) of the nanocarbon catalysts. Nanocarbon is actually a proper candidate platform helping us to understand the classical catalytic reaction mechanism better, since there is no lattice oxygen and all the catalytic process happens on nanocarbon surface. This Account also exhibits the importance of the in situ structural characterizations for heterogeneous nanocarbon catalysis. The research strategy and methods proposed for carbon catalysts may also shed light on other complicated catalytic systems or fields concerning the applications of nonmetallic materials, such as energy storage and environment protection etc.

Oxidative dehydrogenation reaction of short alkanes on nanostructured carbon catalysts: a computational account

We aim to provide an overview of the current status and recent achievements of computational studies of the ODH reaction on nanostructured carbon catalysts.

Phosphorus oxide clusters stabilized by carbon nanotubes for selective isomerization and dehydrogenation of β-isopentene

Phosphorus oxide clusters (POCs) exhibit more selective isomerization and dehydrogenation of β-isopentene than metal oxide clusters (MOCs).

Graphenes as Metal-Free Catalysts with Engineered Active Sites

This Perspective article highlights how recent discoveries on the activity of defective graphene to promote different organic reactions as metal-free catalysts has led to propose certain substructures present on these defective graphenes as active sites. The sustainability of using as catalysts graphenes obtained from biomass and the possibility to generate active sites by introducing defects on the sheet are the two main characteristics triggering research in this area. Emphasis is made in the need to gain understanding on the nature of the active sites and how this understanding requires the combination of conventional kinetic experiments as well as advanced characterization tools. The relationship between catalysis by graphene and that by organocatalysis has also been remarked.

Selective and Stable Ethylbenzene Dehydrogenation to Styrene over Nanodiamonds under Oxygen-lean Conditions

For the first time, significant improvement of the catalytic performance of nanodiamonds was achieved for the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene under oxygen-lean conditions. We demonstrated that the combination of direct dehydrogenation and oxidative dehydrogenation indeed occurred on the nanodiamond surface throughout the reaction system. It was found that the active sp(2)-sp(3) hybridized nanostructure was well maintained after the long-term test and the active ketonic carbonyl groups could be generated in situ. A high reactivity with 40% ethylbenzene conversion and 92% styrene selectivity was obtained over the nanodiamond catalyst under oxygen-lean conditions even after a 240 h test, demonstrating the potential of this procedure for application as a promising industrial process for the ethylbenzene dehydrogenation to styrene without steam protection.

Graphene Oxide as a Radical Initiator: Free Radical and Controlled Radical Polymerization of Sodium 4-Vinylbenzenesulfonate with Graphene Oxide

The free radical and controlled radical polymerization of sodium 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate using graphene oxide as a radical initiator was studied. This work demonstrates that graphene oxide can initiate radical polymerization in an aqueous solution without any additional initiator. Poly(sodium 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate) obtained via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization had a controlled molecular weight with a very narrow polydispersity ranging between 1.01 and 1.03. The reduction process of graphene oxide as well as the resulting composite material properties were analyzed in detail.

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as efficient catalysts for isobutane dehydrogenation

Large-scale production of isobutene from isobutane requires high-performance and cost-effective catalysts.

Oscillatory behaviour of the surface reduction process of multilayer graphene oxide at room temperature

We report the observation of oscillatory redox reactions on the surface of multilayer graphene oxide (GO) films at room temperature.

Popping of graphite oxide: application in preparing metal nanoparticle catalysts

A popcorn-like transformation of graphite oxide (GO) is reported and used to synthesize metal nanoparticle catalysts. The popping step is unique and essential, not only generating a high-surface-area support but also partially decomposing the metal precursors to form well-separated metal oxide nuclei, which would further evolve into highly dispersed and uniform-sized nanoparticles in the subsequent reduction.

Green synthesis of Ni-Nb oxide catalysts for low-temperature oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane

The straightforward solid-state grinding of a mixture of Ni nitrate and Nb oxalate crystals led to, after mild calcination (T<400 °C), nanostructured Ni-Nb oxide composites. These new materials efficiently catalyzed the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane to ethylene at a relatively low temperature (T<300 °C). These catalysts appear to be much more stable than the corresponding composites prepared by other chemical methods; more than 90 % of their original intrinsic activity was retained after 50 h with time on-stream. Furthermore, the stability was much less affected by the Nb content than in composites prepared by classical "wet" syntheses. These materials, obtained in a solvent-free way, are thus promising green and sustainable alternatives to the current Ni-Nb candidates for the low-temperature ODH of ethane.

Graphene-supported metal/metal oxide nanohybrids: synthesis and applications in heterogeneous catalysis

This minireview outlines recent advances in the design and catalytic applications of graphene-supported metal/metal oxide nanohybrids.

Graphene oxide immobilized with ionic liquids: facile preparation and efficient catalysis for solvent-free cycloaddition of CO2 to propylene carbonate

Graphene oxides were grafted with functionalized ionic liquid and showed high catalytic activity in cycloaddition of CO₂ with propylene oxide to propylene carbonate.

Porous graphene-based material as an efficient metal free catalyst for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene

Reduced porous graphene oxide as a metal free catalyst was selected for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene and it exhibited high activity and stability.

Phosphate-modified carbon nanotubes in the oxidative dehydrogenation of isopentanes

Ketonic/quinonic C=O groups on the surface of a carbon matrix are capable of abstracting hydrogen in C=H bonds from hydrocarbons and enable them to selectively convert into corresponding unsaturated hydrocarbons; this process is the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) reaction. However, a variety of inevitable defects or graphene edges and other oxygen-containing groups on the carbon matrix are detrimental to the selective production of alkenes due to their high activity towards overoxidation. Herein, we show that phosphate can not only impede the total oxidation but also cover the selective C=O groups, hence allowing its use as a modulator to defects and oxygen-containing functional groups on the multiwalled carbon nanotubes, regulating the distribution of active sites and related catalytic targets.

Carbon nanofibers modified with heteroatoms as metal-free catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane

Carbon nanofibres (CNFs) were modified with B and P by an ex situ approach. In addition, CNFs doped with N were prepared in situ using ethylenediamine as the N and C source. After calcination, the doped CNFs were used as catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane. For B-CNFs, the effects of boron loading and calcination temperature on B speciation and catalytic conversion were studied. For the same reaction temperatures and conversions, B- and P-doped CNFs exhibited higher selectivities to propene than pristine CNFs. The N-CNFs were the most active but the least selective of the catalysts tested here. Our results also show that the type of P precursor affects the selectivity to propene and that CNFs modified using triphenylphosphine as the precursor provided the highest selectivity at isoconversion.

Revealing the nature of the active site on the carbon catalyst for C–H bond activation

The single ketone group is determined to be the active site in ODH.