Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley Reduction of Crotonaldehyde over Supported Zirconium Oxide Catalysts Using Batch and Tubular Flow Reactors

Untangling the active sites in the exposed crystal facet of zirconium oxide for selective hydrogenation of bioaldehydes

A quantitative yield of furfuryl alcohol from furfural in isopropanol was achieved with ZrO₂ having monoclinic phase with a maximum exposed (−111) facet, whereas ZrO₂ possessing predominantly tetragonal phase yielded only 8.0% of furfuryl alcohol.

Disordered Mesoporous Zirconium (Hydr)oxides for Decomposition of Dimethyl Chlorophosphate

A facile method for the formation of mesoporosity within nonporous zirconium hydr(oxides) (ZrO₂/Zr(OH)₄) is presented and their detoxifying capabilities against dimethyl chlorophosphate (DMCP) are investigated. Nanoaggregates of ZrO₂/Zr(OH)₄ appear to be deposited on larger thin flakes of the same material. H₂O₂ is used to induce surface oxygen vacancies of synthesized ZrO₂/Zr(OH)₄ and, as a consequence, mesopores with an average diameter of 3.1 nm were formed. A surface area of H₂O₂-treated ZrO₂/Zr(OH)₄ was increased by an order of magnitude and shows enhanced reactivity toward DMCP. DRIFTS spectroscopy is employed to assess the reactivity differences between the H₂O₂-treated and untreated ZrO₂/Zr(OH)₄. Peaks at 1175 and 1144 cm^-1 indicate the presence of asymmetric stretching of the O-P-O moiety within dimethyl phosphonate (DMHP), a decomposition product from DMCP, and a zirconium-bound methoxy group, respectively. It is suggested that the decomposition of DMCP proceeds through the consumption of bridged hydroxyl groups (b-OH) for both the untreated and H₂O₂-treated samples, as well as an additional hydrolytic decomposition pathway for the H₂O₂-treated sample.