Irreversible hydrogen uptake on Mo2N catalyst

Molybdenum nitrides from structures to industrial applications

Owing to their remarkable characteristics, refractory molybdenum nitride (MoN x )-based compounds have been deployed in a wide range of strategic industrial applications. This review reports the electronic and structural properties that render MoN x materials as potent catalytic surfaces for numerous chemical reactions and surveys the syntheses, procedures, and catalytic applications in pertinent industries such as the petroleum industry. In particular, hydrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, and hydrodeoxygenation are essential processes in the refinement of oil segments and their conversions into commodity fuels and platform chemicals. N-vacant sites over a catalyst’s surface are a significant driver of diverse chemical phenomena. Studies on various reaction routes have emphasized that the transfer of adsorbed hydrogen atoms from the N-vacant sites reduces the activation barriers for bond breaking at key structural linkages. Density functional theory has recently provided an atomic-level understanding of Mo–N systems as active ingredients in hydrotreating processes. These Mo–N systems are potentially extendible to the hydrogenation of more complex molecules, most notably, oxygenated aromatic compounds.

New insights into the effect of nitrogen incorporation in Mo: catalytic hydrogenation vs. hydrogenolysis

The incorporation of nitrogen into bulk Mo has a contrasting effect on hydrogenation (nitrobenzene) and hydrogenolysis (benzaldehyde) processes.

Mechanisms governing selective hydrogenation of acetylene over γ-Mo2N surfaces

We demonstrate that the selective hydrogenation of acetylene depends on energy profile of the partial and full hydrogenation routes and the thermodynamic stability of adsorbed C₂H₂ in comparison to C₂H₄.