Shaping the selectivity in heterogeneous hydrogenation by using molecular modification strategies: Experiment and theory

Progress on quantum dot photocatalysts for biomass valorization

Biomass with abundant reproducible carbon resource holds great promise as an intriguing substitute for fossil fuels in the manufacture of high-value-added chemicals and fuels. Photocatalytic biomass valorization using inexhaustible solar energy enables to accurately break desired chemical bonds or selectively functionalize particular groups, thus emerging as an extremely creative and low carbon cost strategy for relieving the dilemma of the global energy. Quantum dots (QDs) are an outstandingly dynamic class of semiconductor photocatalysts because of their unique properties, which have achieved significant successes in various photocatalytic applications including biomass valorization. In this review, the current development rational design for QDs photocatalytic biomass valorization effectively is highlighted, focusing on the principles of tuning their particle size, structure, and surface properties, with special emphasis on the effect of the ligands for selectively broken chemical bonds (C─O, C─C) of biomass. Finally, the present issues and possibilities within that exciting field are described.

Insights into the Synthesis Mechanisms of Ag-Cu3P-GaP Multicomponent Nanoparticles

Metal-semiconductor nanoparticle heterostructures are exciting materials for photocatalytic applications. Phase and facet engineering are critical for designing highly efficient catalysts. Therefore, understanding processes occurring during the nanostructure synthesis is crucial to gain control over properties such as the surface and interface facets' orientations, morphology, and crystal structure. However, the characterization of nanostructures after the synthesis makes clarifying their formation mechanisms nontrivial and sometimes even impossible. In this study, we used an environmental transmission electron microscope with an integrated metal-organic chemical vapor deposition system to enlighten fundamental dynamic processes during the Ag-Cu3P-GaP nanoparticle synthesis using Ag-Cu3P seed particles. Our results reveal that the GaP phase nucleated at the Cu3P surface, and growth proceeded via a topotactic reaction involving counter-diffusion of Cu+ and Ga3+ cations. After the initial GaP growth steps, the Ag and Cu3P phases formed specific interfaces with the GaP growth front. GaP growth proceeded by a similar mechanism observed for the nucleation involving the diffusion of Cu atoms through/along the Ag phase toward other regions, followed by the redeposition of Cu3P at a specific Cu3P crystal facet, not in contact with the GaP phase. The Ag phase was essential for this process by acting as a medium enabling the efficient transport of Cu atoms away from and, simultaneously, Ga atoms toward the GaP-Cu3P interface. This study shows that enlightening fundamental processes is critical for progress in synthesizing phase- and facet-engineered multicomponent nanoparticles with tailored properties for specific applications, including catalysis.

Designing Sites in Heterogeneous Catalysis: Are We Reaching Selectivities Competitive With Those of Homogeneous Catalysts?

A critical review of different prominent nanotechnologies adapted to catalysis is provided, with focus on how they contribute to the improvement of selectivity in heterogeneous catalysis. Ways to modify catalytic sites range from the use of the reversible or irreversible adsorption of molecular modifiers to the immobilization or tethering of homogeneous catalysts and the development of well-defined catalytic sites on solid surfaces. The latter covers methods for the dispersion of single-atom sites within solid supports as well as the use of complex nanostructures, and it includes the post-modification of materials via processes such as silylation and atomic layer deposition. All these methodologies exhibit both advantages and limitations, but all offer new avenues for the design of catalysts for specific applications. Because of the high cost of most nanotechnologies and the fact that the resulting materials may exhibit limited thermal or chemical stability, they may be best aimed at improving the selective synthesis of high value-added chemicals, to be incorporated in organic synthesis schemes, but other applications are being explored as well to address problems in energy production, for instance, and to design greener chemical processes. The details of each of these approaches are discussed, and representative examples are provided. We conclude with some general remarks on the future of this field.

Ligand assisted hydrogenation of levulinic acid on Pt(111) from first principles calculations

In this study, we investigate the hydrogenation reaction of levulinic acid to 4-hydroxypentanovic acid on a ligand-modified Pt(111) using DFT. Modifying nanoparticle surfaces with ligands can have beneficial effects on...

Regulating Pd/Al2O3 catalyst by g-C3N4 toward the enhanced selectivity of isoprene hydrogenation

The catalytic performance of Pd NPs in the selective hydrogenation of isoprene is modulated by g-C₃N₄ deposits on commercial alumina supports.

Selective Catalytic Hydrogenation of Vegetable Oils on Lindlar Catalyst

Selective hydrogenation of vegetable oils is a significant step in the synthesis of several precursors for the preparation of bioplastics and biodiesel. In this work, a commercial Lindlar catalyst (palladium on calcium carbonate; poisoned with lead) was used as an efficient catalyst in the selective partial hydrogenation of canola and sunflower oils. Different operating conditions (pressure, temperature, and catalyst amount) were tested, and results were achieved by gas chromatography analysis of methyl esters obtained by the transesterification of the triglycerides. The optimized reaction conditions (0.4 MPa, 180 °C, 4 mgcatalyst/mLoil) were determined for the hydrogenation of linoleic acid (C18:2) and linolenic acid (C18:3) with 84.6 and 90.1% of conversion, respectively, into 88.4% relative percentage of oleic acid (C18:1) with low formation of C18:0 (stearic), below 10%, with stability of the catalyst during several cycles with maximum C18:1 relative percentage ranging between 86.6 and 80.7%.

Mechanisms of CO2 Incorporation into Propargylic Amine Catalyzed by Ag(I)/Amine Catalysts

Density functional theory calculations are carried out to explore the detail mechanisms of CO₂ incorporation into propargylic amine catalyzed by Ag(I)/amine catalysts. Our calculations reveal that the whole reaction involves Lewis acid catalysis and Lewis base catalysis stages, and the outcomes of this reaction critically depend on the basicity of amine. A weaker base (i.e., DABCO) makes the Ag center more acidic, thus favoring the Lewis acid catalysis, resulting in benzoxazin-2-one. However, the following rearrangement of benzoxazin-2-one requires a stronger base (i.e., DBU) to stabilize its deprotonated form. Thus, the product selectivity could be subtly tuned by the choice of amine and the condition control, consistent with the experimental observations.

Unexpected compositional and structural modification of CoPt3 nanoparticles by extensive surface purification

We combined synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering, X-ray fluorescence and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy to probe the structure of chemically synthesized CoPt3 nanoparticles (NPs) after ligand removal via the commonly accepted solvent/nonsolvent approach. We showed that the improved catalytic activity of extensively purified NPs could not be explained only in terms of a "cleaner" surface. We found that extensive surface purification results in the substantial leaching of the Co atoms from the chemically synthesized CoPt3 NPs transforming them into CoPt3/Pt core/shell structures with an unexpectedly thick (∼0.5 nm) Pt shell. We indicated that the improved catalytic activity of extensively purified NPs in octyne hydrogenation reaction can be explained by the formation of CoPt3/Pt core/shell structures. Also, we demonstrated that drastic compositional and structural transformation of water transferred CoPt3 NPs was rather a result of extensive removal of native ligands via a solvent/nonsolvent approach than leaching of cobalt atoms in aqueous media. We expect that these findings can be relevant to other transition metal based multicomponent NPs.

Surface Coordination Chemistry of Metal Nanomaterials

Surface coordination chemistry of nanomaterials deals with the chemistry on how ligands are coordinated on their surface metal atoms and influence their properties at the molecular level. This Perspective demonstrates that there is a strong link between surface coordination chemistry and the shape-controlled synthesis, and many intriguing surface properties of metal nanomaterials. While small adsorbates introduced in the synthesis can control the shapes of metal nanocrystals by minimizing their surface energy via preferential coordination on specific facets, surface ligands properly coordinated on metal nanoparticles readily promote their catalysis via steric interactions and electronic modifications. The difficulty in the research of surface coordination chemistry of nanomaterials mainly lies in the lack of effective tools to characterize their molecular surface coordination structures. Also highlighted are several model material systems that facilitate the characterizations of surface coordination structures, including ultrathin nanostructures, atomically precise metal nanoclusters, and atomically dispersed metal catalysts. With the understanding of surface coordination chemistry, the molecular mechanisms behind various important effects (e.g., promotional effect of surface ligands on catalysis, support effect in supported metal nanocatalysts) of metal nanomaterials are disclosed.