Improved CO oxidation activity in the presence and absence of hydrogen over cluster-derived PtFe/SiO2 catalysts

In Situ Generation of the Surface Oxygen Vacancies in a Copper-Ceria Catalyst for the Water-Gas Shift Reaction

The dissociation of H₂O is a crucial aspect for the water-gas shift reaction, which often occurs on the vacancies of a reducible oxide support. However, the vacancies sometimes run off, thus inhibiting H₂O dissociation. After high-temperature treatment, the ceria supports were lacking vacancies because of sintering. Unexpectedly, the in situ generation of surface oxygen vacancies was observed, ensuring the efficient dissociation of H₂O. Due to the surface reconstruction of ceria nanorods, the copper species sustained were highly dispersed on the sintered support, on which CO was adsorbed efficiently to react with hydroxyls from H₂O dissociation. In contrast, no surface reconstruction occurred in ceria nanoparticles, leading to the sintering of copper species. The sintered copper species were averse to adsorb CO, so the copper-ceria nanoparticle catalyst had poor reactivity even when surface oxygen vacancies could be generated in situ.

The Effect of Hydrogenated TiO2 to the Au/TiO2 Catalyst in Catalyzing CO Oxidation

Supported Au catalysts are widely used for CO oxidation due to their extremely high activity, and the modification of a support structure is a crucial method to improve catalytic performance. Herein, we prepared gold catalysts supported on flaky TiO₂ and on TiO₂ hydrogenated at different temperatures (200, 400, and 600 °C). We found that the sample with the support pretreated in hydrogen at 600 °C (0.5Au/TiO₂-H600) showed the greatest advantages in activity and stability over the sample with as-prepared TiO₂ nanosheets (0.5Au/TiO₂-UC). First, calcination at 600 °C changed the exposed surface of TiO₂ from {001} to {101}, and gold nanoparticles (2-3 nm) were observed as highly reactive species on 0.5Au/TiO₂-H600. Moreover, the increase of oxygen vacancies on the surface of 0.5Au/TiO₂-H600 was conducive to oxygen activation and promoted the catalytic activity. Therefore, we emphasized the important role of the support and gave an effective method to improve the catalytic performance by regulating the support structure.

Synthesis of ultrasmall, homogeneously alloyed, bimetallic nanoparticles on silica supports

Supported nanoparticles containing more than one metal have a variety of applications in sensing, catalysis, and biomedicine. Common synthesis techniques for this type of material often result in large, unalloyed nanoparticles that lack the interactions between the two metals that give the particles their desired characteristics. We demonstrate a relatively simple, effective, generalizable method to produce highly dispersed, well-alloyed bimetallic nanoparticles. Ten permutations of noble and base metals (platinum, palladium, copper, nickel, and cobalt) were synthesized with average particle sizes from 0.9 to 1.4 nanometers, with tight size distributions. High-resolution imaging and x-ray analysis confirmed the homogeneity of alloying in these ultrasmall nanoparticles.

Patterning of L10 FePt nanoparticles with ultra-high coercivity for bit-patterned media

L1₀-ordered FePt nanoparticles (NPs) with ultra-high coercivity were directly prepared from a new metallopolyyne using a one-step pyrolysis method. The chemical ordering, morphology and magnetic properties of the as-synthesized FePt NPs have been studied. Magnetic measurements show the coercivity of these FePt NPs is as high as 3.6 T. Comparison of NPs synthesized under the Ar and Ar/H₂ atmospheres shows that the presence of H₂ in the annealing environment influences the nucleation and promotes the growth of L1₀-FePt NPs. Application of this metallopolymer for bit-patterned media was also demonstrated using nanoimprint lithography.

CO tolerance of Pt/FeOxcatalyst in both thermal catalytic H2oxidation and electrochemical CO oxidation: the effect of Pt deficit electron state

Decreased electron density of Pt in Pt/Fe enhances the mobility of adsorbed CO, suppresses Pt–CO bonding and prominently enhances CO-tolerance.

Role of the FeOxsupport in constructing high-performance Pt/FeOxcatalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation

The FeO_xsupport not only affects the oxidation state of Pt nanoparticles, but also provides active sites in the catalytic process.

Heterogeneous catalysis and the challenges of powering the planet, securing chemicals for civilised life, and clean efficient utilization of renewable feedstocks

This article reviews, first, the prospects, practices and principles of generating solar fuels. It does so with an analysis of recent progress in the light-driven emission of H2 (and other fuels) as well as O2 from water. To place this challenge in perspective, some current practices entailing the use of well-proven solid catalysts developed for fossil-based feedstocks, are described. The massive differences between proven methods of generating fuel and chemicals from non-renewable and from solar radiation are emphasized with the aid of numerous quantitative examples. Whilst it is acknowledged that a key action in reducing the liberation of greenhouse gases (GHG) is to tackle the challenge of decreasing their evolution in power generation and in the production of steel, aluminium and other bulk commodities (metals, alloys, concrete and ceramics), nevertheless much can be done to diminish the emission of CO2 (and to use it as feedstock) through the agency of new, designed solid catalysts and microalgae. Solar-thermal converters are also attractive alternatives, even though they are more likely to be used centrally rather than in small modular units like 'artificial leaves,' some of which are promising for the purposes of generating energy (and perhaps fuel) in a delocalized, modular manner.

Dendrimer-mediated synthesis of supported rhodium nanoparticles with controlled size: effect of pH and dialysis

Rh-dendrimer nanocomposites were synthesized in solution under different conditions and were subsequently used as precursors for the preparation of ZrO2-supported Rh nanoparticles. Elemental analysis, UV-vis, XPS, and STEM measurements were used to estimate the extent of the Rh-dendrimer interactions and to illustrate how the solution pH and dialysis affect the number of Rh atoms complexed with each dendrimer molecule, as well as the final size of the ZrO2-supported Rh particles. When the solution acidity was not controlled and the solution was not purified by dialysis, Rh particles with sizes in the 1-6 nm range were formed on the ZrO2 support. In contrast, the formation of nearly uniform Rh particles was observed when the synthesis was performed under controlled pH and dialysis conditions. Furthermore, the size of these Rh particles can be regulated by controlling the Rh/dendrimer ratio in the original solution.

CO oxidation at the perimeters of an FeO/Pt(111) interface and how water promotes the activity: a first-principles study

The catalytic role of the Pt--Fe cation ensemble presented at the perimeters of the FeO film supported on Pt(111) for low-temperature CO oxidation and the promotion of water on activity were studied by using DFT calculations. We found that the perimeter sites along the edge of the FeO islands on Pt provided a favorable ensemble that consisted of coordinatively unsaturated ferrous species and nearby Pt atoms for O(2) and H(2) O activation free from CO poison. A dissociative oxygen atom at the Pt--Fe cation ensemble reacts easily with CO adsorbed on nearby Pt. The OH group from water dissociation not only facilitates activation of the oxygen molecule, more importantly it opens a facile reaction channel for CO oxidation through the formation of the carboxyl intermediate. The presence of the OH group on the FeO film strengthens interfacial interactions between FeO and Pt(111), which would make the FeO film more resistant to further oxidation. The importance of the Pt--Fe cation ensemble and the role of water as a cocatalyst for low-temperature CO oxidation is highlighted.

Synergetic effect of surface and subsurface Ni species at Pt-Ni bimetallic catalysts for CO oxidation

Various well-defined Ni-Pt(111) model catalysts are constructed at atomic-level precision under ultra-high-vacuum conditions and characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. Subsequent studies of CO oxidation over the surfaces show that a sandwich surface (NiO(1-x)/Pt/Ni/Pt(111)) consisting of both surface Ni oxide nanoislands and subsurface Ni atoms at a Pt(111) surface presents the highest reactivity. A similar sandwich structure has been obtained in supported Pt-Ni nanoparticles via activation in H(2) at an intermediate temperature and established by techniques including acid leaching, inductively coupled plasma, and X-ray adsorption near-edge structure. Among the supported Pt-Ni catalysts studied, the sandwich bimetallic catalysts demonstrate the highest activity to CO oxidation, where 100% CO conversion occurs near room temperature. Both surface science studies of model catalysts and catalytic reaction experiments on supported catalysts illustrate the synergetic effect of the surface and subsurface Ni species on the CO oxidation, in which the surface Ni oxide nanoislands activate O(2), producing atomic O species, while the subsurface Ni atoms further enhance the elementary reaction of CO oxidation with O.

Synthesis and characterisation of high-nuclearity osmium-silver mixed-metal clusters

The reaction of the triosmium cluster anion, [Os(3)(micro-H)(CO)(11)][PPN] (PPN = [N(PPh(3))2]+), with [AgPF(6)] in the presence of [Ir(PPh(3))2(CO)Cl] in THF at room temperature affords two new high-nuclearity osmium-silver clusters, [Os(13)Ag(9)(CO)48][PPN] (1) and [Os(9)Ag(9)(micro3-O)2(CO)30][PPN] (2), and an iridium complex, [Ir(PPh(3))2(CO)Cl(O(2))] (3).

Formation of FePt Nanoparticles Having High Coercivity

Ultrasonication of toluene solutions of the heteropolynuclear cluster complex, Pt3Fe3(CO)15, in the presence of oleic acid and oleylamine affords surface-capped fcc FePt nanoparticles having an average diameter of ca. 2 nm. Self-assembled arrays of these nanoparticles on oxidized Si wafers undergo a fcc-to-fct phase transition at 775 degrees C to form ferromagnetic FePt nanocrystals ca. 5.8 nm in diameter well dispersed on the Si wafer surface. Room-temperature coercivity measurements of these annealed FePt nanoparticles confirm a high coercivity of ca. 22.3 kOe. Such high coercivity for fct FePt nanoparticles might result from use of a heterpolynuclear complex as a single-source precursor of Fe and Pt neutral atoms or from use of ultrasonication to form fcc FePt nanoparticles under conditions of exceptionally rapid heating. Experiments to determine the critical experimental conditions required to achieve such high room-temperature coercivities in ferromagnetic nanoparticles are underway.

Bimetallic Clusters of Iron with Palladium and Platinum. Synthesis and Structures of Fe2(CO)9[M(PBut3)]2 (M = Pd or Pt) and Fe2(CO)8[Pt(PBut3)]2(μ-H)2

The reaction of Fe2(CO)9 with Pd(PBu(t)3)2 and Pt(PBu(t)3)2 yielded the Fe-Pd and Fe-Pt cluster complexes Fe2(CO)9[M(PBu(t)3)]2, M = Pd (8) or Pt (9). The structures of 8 and 9 are analogous and consist of nearly planar butterfly clusters of two palladium/platinum atoms in the wing-tip positions and two mutually bonded iron atoms, Fe-Fe = 2.9582(11) A in 8 and 2.9100 (9) A in 9. Compound 8 decomposes to form the mononuclear iron compound Fe(CO)4(PBu(t)3) (11) when heated at 68 degrees C. The reaction of Pt(PBu(t)3)2 with Fe2(CO)9 in the presence of hydrogen at 127 degrees C yielded the dihydrido complex Fe2(CO)8[Pt(PBu(t)3)]2(mu-H)2 (10). Compound 10 contains a closed Fe2Pt2 tetrahedral cluster with hydrido ligands bridging two of the Fe-Pt bonds. Compounds 8, 9, and 10 were structurally characterized crystallographically.

Single-site photocatalytic solids for the decomposition of undesirable molecules

Photocatalytic solids, in which the absorption occurs at isolated, spatially well-separated centres, are particularly useful catalysts for effecting reactions that are of prime importance in both remedial and preparative contexts. These are qualities that they share with single-site (thermally-activated) heterogeneous catalysts; but they have the added advantage of being more readily probed during the actual processes of catalytic turnover, since they generally function under ambient conditions, unlike most conventional solid catalysts which usually operate at elevated pressures and temperatures. Thus, they are amenable to investigation by (in situ) X-ray absorption (XAFS), FT-IR, UV-Vis, and EPR spectroscopic studies as well as to photoluminescence measurement. This affords greater insight into the mechanisms of the photocatalytic reactions as we illustrate in this short review. Open-structure solids such as mesoporous silica and zeolitic aluminosilicates offer a generally applicable strategy to design new single-site photocatalysts such as those described here for the decomposition of NO to N2 and O2 and for the selective oxidation of CO in the presence of H2.