Zeolite-Supported Transition Metal Catalysts

Advanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy and its applications in zeolite chemistry

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy (ssNMR) can provide details about the structure, host-guest/guest-guest interactions and dynamic behavior of materials at atomic length scales. A crucial use of ssNMR is for the characterization of zeolite catalysts that are extensively employed in industrial catalytic processes. This review aims to spotlight the recent advancements in ssNMR spectroscopy and its application to zeolite chemistry. We first review the current ssNMR methods and techniques that are relevant to characterize zeolite catalysts, including advanced multinuclear and multidimensional experiments, in situ NMR techniques and hyperpolarization methods. Of these, the methodology development on half-integer quadrupolar nuclei is emphasized, which represent about two-thirds of stable NMR-active nuclei and are widely present in catalytic materials. Subsequently, we introduce the recent progress in understanding zeolite chemistry with the aid of these ssNMR methods and techniques, with a specific focus on the investigation of zeolite framework structures, zeolite crystallization mechanisms, surface active/acidic sites, host-guest/guest-guest interactions, and catalytic reaction mechanisms.

Protein-supported transition metal catalysts: Preparation, catalytic applications, and prospects

The immobilization of transition metal catalysts onto supports enables their easier recycling and improves catalytic performance. Protein supports not only support and stabilize transition metal catalysts but also enable the incorporation of biocompatibility and enzymatic catalysis into these catalysts. Consequently, the engineering of protein-supported transition metal catalysts (PTMCs) has emerged as an effective approach to improving their catalytic performance and widening their catalytic applications. Here, we review the recent development of the preparation and applications of PTMCs. The preparation of PTMCs will be summarized and discussed in terms of the types of protein supports, including proteins, protein assemblies, protein-polymer conjugates, and cross-linked proteins. Then, their catalytic applications including organic synthesis, photocatalysis, polymerization, and biomedicine, will be surveyed and compared. Meanwhile, the established catalytic structures-function relationships will be summarized. Lastly, the remaining issues and prospects will be discussed. By surveying a wide range of PTMCs, we believe that this review will attract a broad readership and stimulate the development of PTMCs.

Greener organic synthetic methods: Sonochemistry and heterogeneous catalysis promoted multicomponent reactions

Ultrasound is an essential technique to improve organic synthesis from the point of view of green chemistry, as it can promote better yields and selectivities, in addition to shorter reaction times when compared to the conventional methods. Heterogeneous catalysis is another pillar of sustainable chemistry being the recycling and reuse of the catalysts one of its great advantage. In the other hand, multicomponent reactions provide the synthesis of structurally diverse compounds, in a one-pot fashion, without isolation and purification of intermediates. Thus, the combination of these protocols has proved to be a powerful tool to obtain biologically active organic compounds with lower costs, time and energy consumption. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of advances on methods of organic synthesis that have been reported over the past ten years with focus on ultrasound-assisted multicomponent reactions under heterogeneous catalysis. In particular, we present pharmacologically important N- and O-heterocyclic compounds, considering their synthetic methods using green solvents, and catalyst recycling.

B-MWW Zeolite: The Case Against Single-Site Catalysis

Boron-containing materials have recently been identified as highly selective catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of alkanes to olefins. It has previously been demonstrated by several spectroscopic characterization techniques that the surface of these boron-containing ODH catalysts oxidize and hydrolyze under reaction conditions, forming an amorphous B₂ (OH)_x O_(3-x/2) (x=0-6) layer. Yet, the precise nature of the active site(s) remains elusive. In this Communication, we provide a detailed characterization of zeolite MCM-22 isomorphously substituted with boron (B-MWW). Using ¹¹ B solid-state NMR spectroscopy, we show that the majority of boron species in B-MWW exist as isolated BO₃ units, fully incorporated into the zeolite framework. However, this material shows no catalytic activity for ODH of propane to propene. The catalytic inactivity of B-MWW for ODH of propane falsifies the hypothesis that site-isolated BO₃ units are the active site in boron-based catalysts. This observation is at odds with other traditionally studied catalysts like vanadium-based catalysts and provides an important piece of the mechanistic puzzle.

Assessment of the Location of Pt Nanoparticles in Pt/zeolite Y/γ-Al2O3 Composite Catalysts

The location of Pt nanoparticles was studied in Pt/zeolite Y/γ-Al2O3 composite catalysts prepared by H2PtCl6 ⋅ 6H2O (CPA) or Pt(NH3)4(NO3)2 (PTA) as Pt precursors. The aim of this study is to validate findings from Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) by using characterization techniques that sample larger amounts of catalyst per measurement. Quantitative X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) showed that the catalyst prepared with CPA led to a significantly higher Pt/Al atomic ratio than the catalyst prepared with PTA confirming that the 1-2 nm sized Pt nanoparticles in the former catalyst were located on the open and mesoporous γ-Al2O3 component, whereas they were located in the micropores of zeolite Y in the latter. By using infrared spectroscopy, a shift in the absorption band maximum of CO chemisorbed on Pt nanoparticles was observed, which can be attributed to a difference in electronic properties depending on the support of the Pt nanoparticles. Finally, model hydrogenation experiments were performed using β-phenylcinnamaldehyde, a reactant molecule with low diffusivity in zeolite Y micropores, resulting in a 5 times higher activity for the catalyst prepared by CPA compared to PTA. The combined use of these characterization techniques allow us to draw more robust conclusions on the ability to control the location of Pt nanoparticles by using either CPA or PTA as precursors in zeolite/γ-Al2O3 composite catalyst materials.

Exploring iron-based multifunctional catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: a review

The continuous increase in oil prices together with an increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has prompted an increased interest in the production of liquid fuels from non-petroleum sources to ensure the continuation of our worldwide demands while maximizing CO(2) utilization. In this sense, the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology provides a feasible option to render high value-added hydrocarbons. Alternative sources, such as biomass or coal, offer a real possibility to realize these purposes by making use of H(2)-deficient or CO(2)-rich syngas feeds. The management of such feeds ideally relies on the use of iron catalysts, which exhibit the unique ability to adjust the H(2)/CO molar ratio to an optimum value for hydrocarbon synthesis through the water-gas-shift reaction. Taking advantage of the emerging attention to hybrid FT-synthesis catalysts based on cobalt and their associated benefits, an overview of the current state of literature in the field of iron-based multifunctional catalysts is presented. Of particular interest is the use of zeolites in combination with a FT catalyst in a one-stage operation, herein named multifunctional, which offer key opportunities in the modification of desired product distributions and selectivity, to eventually overcome the quality limitations of the fuels prepared under intrinsic FT conditions. This review focuses on promising research activities addressing the conversion of syngas to liquid fuels mediated by iron-based multifunctional materials, highlights their preparation and properties, and discusses their implication and challenges in the area of carbon utilization through H(2)/CO(+CO(2)) mixtures.