New insights into selective heterogeneous nucleation of metal nanoparticles on oxides by microwave-assisted reduction: rapid synthesis of high-activity supported catalysts

Enhancing Ni/Co Activity by Neighboring Pt Atoms in NiCoP/MXene Electrocatalyst for Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate neighboring Pt atoms can enhance the metal activity of NiCoP for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, it remains a great challenge to link Pt and NiCoP. Herein, we introduced curvature of bowl-like structure to construct Pt/NiCoP interface by adding a minimal 1 ‰-molar-ratio Pt. The as-prepared sample only requires an overpotential of 26.5 and 181.6 mV to accordingly achieve the current density of 10 and 500 mA cm-2 in 1 M KOH. The water dissociation energy barrier (Ea) has a ~43 % decrease compared with NiCoP counterpart. It also shows an ultrahigh stability with a small degradation rate of 10.6 μV h-1 at harsh conditions (500 mA cm-2 and 50 °C) after 3000 hrs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (sXAS), and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) verify the interface electron transfer lowers the valence state of Co/Ni and activates them. DFT calculations also confirm the catalytic transition step of NiCoP can change from Heyrovsky (2.71 eV) to Tafel step (0.51 eV) in the neighborhood of Pt, in accord with the result of the improved Hads at the interface disclosed by in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) tests.

Electrodeposition of Stable Noble-Metal-Free Co-P Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Hydrogen production via water splitting has been extensively explored over the past few decades, and considerable effort has been directed toward finding more reactive and cost-effective electrocatalysts by engineering their compositions, shapes, and crystal structures. In this study, we developed hierarchical cobalt phosphide (Co-P) nanosphere assemblies as non-noble metal electrocatalysts via one-step electrodeposition. The morphologies of the Co-P nanostructures and their electrocatalytic activities towards the hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) were controlled by the applied potentials during electrodeposition. The physicochemical properties of the as-prepared Co-P nanostructures in this study were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Linear sweep voltammetry revealed that the Co-P grown at -0.9 V showed the best HER performance exhibiting the highest electrochemical active surface area and lowest interfacial charge transfer resistance. The Co-P electrocatalysts showed superior long-term stability to electrodeposited Pt, indicating their potential benefits.

Direct synthesis of H2O2 over Pd–M@HCS (M = Sn, Fe, Co, or Ni): effects of non-noble metal M on the electronic state and particle size of Pd

Direct synthesis of H2O2 in a yolk–shell structure assisted by M (M = Fe,Co,Ni,Sn) metal doping.

One-pot solvothermal synthesis of magnetic biochar from waste biomass: Formation mechanism and efficient adsorption of Cr(VI) in an aqueous solution

A facile one-pot solvothermal method was applied to synthesize a magnetic biochar composite (MB) using phoenix tree leaves-derived biochar as the carbon matrix. The structure of MB was optimized by varying the load ratio and particle size of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on biochar. Time-dependent structure and composition evolution of solid and liquid phases during heterogeneous solvothermal process were investigated to understand the formation mechanism of MB. Firstly, Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ ions were coordinated by oxygen-containing groups on biochar and part of them were hydrolyzed to form iron hydroxides. Then, those iron-containing precursors were thermally decomposed and reduced to iron oxides; and finally Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were generated. The MB had an adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) of 55.0 mg/g in an aqueous solution, which exceeds those of biochar (39.8 mg/g) and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (26.5 mg/g). The adsorption mechanism study reveals that biochar as a carbon skeleton mainly provided binding sites for Cr(VI) and electron-donor groups for reduction of Cr(VI), while Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles mainly involved in the immobilization of newly formed Cr(III) through formation of Fe(III)-Cr(III) hydroxide. MB exhibited a stable structure with a lower Fe leakage at pH 2.0 than that of a comparable magnetic biochar sample prepared by conventional co-precipitation method. Recycling experiments suggested that MB could keep 84% of its initial removal capability for Cr(VI) even after seven cycles. The results indicate that solvothermal method is a promising alternative to prepare magnetic biochar for adsorption of heavy metal-containing wastewater.

Reduced SrTiO3-supported Pt-Cu alloy nanoparticles for preferential oxidation of CO in excess hydrogen

Activity and long-term stability of oxide-metal heterostructure catalysts can be engineered through tuning the oxygen storage capacity (OSC) of the support and careful control of the composition of the supported metal nanoparticle. In this work, we probe these two factors for microwave-synthesized PtCu alloy nanoparticles supported on reduced-SrTiO3. The heterostructures are tested for their activity towards preferential CO oxidation in the presence of H2 at typical operating temperatures used for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Through controlled temperature programmed reduction/temperature programmed oxidation (TPR/TPO) experiments, we show that the OSC of the support can be enhanced through heavy surface reduction of SrTiO3. Adsorption-desorption experiments establish the strikingly different CO adsorption behavior over monometallic Pt and PtCu alloy nanoparticles. Through detailed catalytic studies, we establish a trend in the selectivity and stability of CO conversions over the PtCu alloy catalysts that can indeed be tuned by varying the PtCu composition in a facile microwave synthesis.

Alloyed Pt3M (M = Co, Ni) nanoparticles supported on S- and N-doped carbon nanotubes for the oxygen reduction reaction

Sulfur- (S-CNT) and nitrogen-doped (N-CNT) carbon nanotubes have been produced by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (c-CVD) and were subject to an annealing treatment. These CNTs were used as supports for small (≈2 nm) Pt₃M (M = Co or Ni) alloyed nanoparticles that have a very homogeneous size distribution (in spite of the high metal loading of ≈40 wt % Pt), using an ionic liquid as a stabilizer. The electrochemical surface area, the activity for the oxygen reduction reaction and the amount of H₂O₂ generated during the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) have been evaluated in a rotating ring disk electrode experiment. The Pt₃M/N-CNT catalysts revealed excellent electrochemical properties compared to a commercial Pt₃Co/Vulcan XC-72 catalyst. The nature of the carbon support plays a key role in determining the properties of the metal nanoparticles, on the preparation of the catalytic layer, and on the electrocatalytic performance in the ORR. On N-CNT supports, the specific activity followed the expected order Pt₃Co > Pt₃Ni, whereas on the annealed N-CNT support, the order was reversed.

Microwave irradiation directly excites semiconductor catalyst to produce electric current or electron-holes pairs

Generally, photon of Microwave (MW) electromagnetic waves have long been thought to be lower energy, which could not excite metals or semiconductor materials to generate electric current and electron-holes pairs (e⁻_cb + h⁺_vb). In this paper, we report an unexpected, Microwave “photoelectric effect”, when MW irradiates on the semiconductor materials, leading to generate electric current and electron-holes pairs (e⁻_cb + h⁺_vb), on the semiconductor materials and on the MW catalyst. Further, we show that the action mechanism of Microwave “photoelectric effect” made water adsorbing on the surface of Microwave catalyst transform into hydroxyl radical (∙OH). Thus, this study has revealed the principle of generation Microwave “photoelectric effect” under MW irradiation, and the mechanism of MW catalytic oxidation degradation of organic in the wastewater and the mechanism of MW reduction method for preparation of nano-particle metal supported catalysts. Our findings challenge the classic view of MW irradiation only as heating method, which cannot excite to produce electric current and electron-holes pairs (e⁻_cb + h⁺_vb). Our findings will open new field to use MW technology for MW catalytic oxidation degradation of organics in the wastewater, and for MW reduction method of metal supported catalysts preparation.

Thermal Shock Synthesis of Metal Nanoclusters within On-the-Fly Graphene Particles

Metal nanoclusters (1-10 nm) have drawn great attention because of their potential applications including energy storage, catalysis, nanomedicine, and electronic devices. However, manufacturing ultrasmall metal nanoparticles at high concentrations in an unaggregated state is not a solved problem. Here, we report an aerosol-based thermal shock technique for in situ synthesis of well-dispersed metal nanoclusters in on-the-fly graphene aerosols. A rapid thermal shock to the graphene aerosol has been used to nucleate and grow the metal nanoclusters with subsequent quenching to freeze the newly formed nanoclusters in the graphene aerosol matrix. A characteristic time analysis comparison with the experiment shows that the nanocluster formation is governed by nucleation and subsequent surface growth and that the graphene retards coagulation, enabling unaggregated metal nanoclusters. The method is generic, and we show the formation of sub-10 nm Ni, Co, and Sn nanoclusters. This continuous aerosol-based thermal shock technique offers considerable potential for the scalable synthesis of well-dispersed and uniform metal nanoclusters stabilized within a host matrix. As an example of potential application, we demonstrate very favorable catalytic properties.

Au–Cu–M (M = Pt, Pd, Ag) nanorods with enhanced catalytic efficiency by galvanic replacement reaction

This work reports a general wet-chemistry method to produce Au–Cu–X (X = Pt, Pd, and Ag) trimetallic nanorods using galvanic replacement reaction with Au–Cu nanorods as the templates.

Microwaves in the Catalytic Valorisation of Biomass Derivatives

The application of microwave irradiation in the transformation of biomass has been receiving particular interest in recent years due to the use of polar media in such processes and it is now well-known that for biomass conversion, and particularly for lignocellulose hydrolysis, microwave irradiation can dramatically increase reaction rates with no negative consequences on product selectivity. However, it is only in the last ten years that the utilisation of microwaves has been coupled with catalysis aiming towards valorising biomass components or their derivatives via a range of reactions where high selectivity is required in addition to enhanced conversions. The reduced reaction times and superior yields are particularly attractive as they might facilitate the transition towards flow reactors and intensified production. As a consequence, several reports now describe the catalytic transformation of biomass derivatives via hydrogenation, oxidation, dehydration, esterification and transesterification using microwaves. Clearly, this technology has a huge potential for biomass conversion towards chemicals and fuels and will be an important tool within the biorefinery toolkit. The aim of this chapter is to give the reader an overview of the exciting scientific work carried out to date where microwave reactors and catalysis are combined in the transformation of biomass and its derivatives to higher value molecules and products.

Ultrathin Au-Alloy Nanowires at the Liquid-Liquid Interface

Ultrathin bimetallic nanowires are of importance and interest for applications in electronic devices such as sensors and heterogeneous catalysts. In this work, we have designed a new, highly reproducible and generalized wet chemical method to synthesize uniform and monodispersed Au-based alloy (AuCu, AuPd, and AuPt) nanowires with tunable composition using microwave-assisted reduction at the liquid-liquid interface. These ultrathin alloy nanowires are below 4 nm in diameter and about 2 μm long. Detailed microstructural characterization shows that the wires have an face centred cubic (FCC) crystal structure, and they have low-energy twin-boundary and stacking-fault defects along the growth direction. The wires exhibit remarkable thermal and mechanical stability that is critical for important applications. The alloy wires exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation in an alkaline medium.

Synergistic catalysis of nano-Pd and nano rare-earth oxide/AC: complex nanostructured catalysts fabricated by a photochemical route for selective hydrogenation of phenol

Cyclohexanone is an important industrial intermediate in the chemical industry, but direct selective hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone under mild conditions to achieve both high conversion and selectivity is a challenge.

Microwave-Assisted Selective Hydrogenation of Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol Employing a Green and Noble Metal-Free Copper Catalyst

Green, inexpensive, and robust copper-based heterogeneous catalysts achieve 100 % conversion and 99 % selectivity in the conversion of furfural to furfuryl alcohol when using cyclopentyl-methyl ether as green solvent and microwave reactors at low H2 pressures and mild temperatures. The utilization of pressurized microwave reactors produces a 3-4 fold increase in conversion and an unexpected enhancement in selectivity as compared to the reaction carried out at the same conditions using conventional autoclave reactors. The enhancement in catalytic rate produced by microwave irradiation is temperature dependent. This work highlights that using microwave irradiation in the catalytic hydrogenation of biomass-derived compounds is a very strong tool for biomass upgrade that offers immense potential in a large number of transformations where it could be a determining factor for commercial exploitation.

Highly Efficient Water Oxidation Photoanode Made of Surface Modified LaTiO2 N Particles

An improved variation of highly active/durable O₂ -evolving LaTiO₂ N powder-based photoelectrode has been fabricated by pre-cleaning the powder with mild polysulfonic acid and by homogeneous deposition of CoO_x co-catalyst aided by microwave annealing. The treatment in aqueous solution of poly(4-styrene sulfonic acid) results in removal of surface LaTiO₂ N layers, forming fine pores in the crystallites. The CoO_x co-catalyst by microwave deposition in Co(NH₃ )₆ Cl₃ /ethylene glycol homogeneously covers the particle surface. The LaTiO₂ N powder is fabricated into particle-transferred electrodes on Ti thin film supported on solid substrate. The modified LaTiO₂ N grains on the electrode serve as a highly active O₂ -evolving photoanode achieving 8.9 mA cm^-2 of the photocurrent density at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in 0.1 m NaOH (pH 13) under solar-simulator irradiation Airmass 1.5 Global (AM 1.5G). The activity has been much improved, compared with conventional LaTiO₂ N treated in mineral acid or with CoO_x deposited by impregnation. The new electrode also exhibits better durability in fixed-potential chronoamperometric tests under AM 1.5G irradiation.

Rapid synthesis of hybrids and hollow PdO nanostructures by controlled in situ dissolution of a ZnO nanorod template: insights into the formation mechanism and thermal stability

Hollow nanomaterials have attracted a lot of interest by virtue of their wide range of applications that arise primarily due to their unique architecture. A common strategy to synthesize hollow nanomaterials is by nucleation of the shell material over a preformed core and subsequent dissolution of the core in the second step. Herein an ultrafast, microwave route has been demonstrated, to synthesize PdO nanotubes in a single step using ZnO as a sacrificial template. The mechanism of the nanotube formation has been investigated in detail using control experiments. By tuning the starting ratio of PdCl2 : ZnO, hollow to hybrid PdO nanostructures could be obtained using the same method. Conversion of the PdO to Pd nanotubes has been shown by simple NaBH4 treatment. The thermal stability of the PdO nanotubes has been studied. The insights presented here are general and applicable for the synthesis of hybrids/hollow structures in other systems as well.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Multi-Layer Graphene Quantum Dots with Oxygen-Rich Functional Groups

Strong green-luminescent nitrogen-doped multi-layer graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) have been prepared via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method using glucose and urea as the starting materials. The fabricated N-GQDs show a highly crystalline structure and consist of ~3–10 graphene layers with an N/C atomic ratio 5.7 %. The wavelength-dependent luminescence emission behaviour is observed with a photoluminescence quantum yield of 5.2 %. The combination of the unique optical properties introduced by nitrogen doping with the high solubility in aqueous medium offered by the surface oxygen-rich functional groups in N-GQDs provides additional advantages for their potential applications in biolabelling and bioimaging.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of wavelength-tunable photoluminescent carbon nanodots and their potential applications

A facile and rapid strategy was developed for the synthesis of ultrabright luminescent carbon nanodots (CDs) with tunable wavelength from 464 to 556 nm by introducing glutaraldehyde into the precursor solution under microwave irradiation. The fluorescence properties, including excitation and emission wavelength, quantum yield, and size of the CDs, were adjusted by changing the amount of glutaraldehyde and poly(ethylenimine). Several methods such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering, UV-vis, fluorescence, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to study the morphology and the properties of CDs. The luminescence mechanism was also discussed. In addition, confocal microscopy imaging revealed that the as-prepared CDs could be used as effective fluorescent probes in the cell imaging without obvious cytotoxicity. Moreover, a novel sensor for the detection of Co(2+) was proposed on the basis of Co(2+)-induced fluorescence quenching. These superior properties demonstrated the potential application of the CDs in cellular imaging and ion sensing.

Carbon black-derived graphene quantum dots composited with carbon aerogel as a highly efficient and stable reduction catalyst for the iodide/tri-iodide couple

A microwave-assisted oxidative cleavage process is developed to prepare graphene quantum dots (GQDs) from carbon black. The size evolution of the resulting carbonaceous products is studied. In one hour, GQDs of a size less than 10 nm and thickness less than 2 nm are obtained. These GQDs are further composited with mesoporous carbon aerogels (CA) by a filtration process to form GQD-decorated CA composites (GQD/CA). The GQD/CA composite is applied as a catalyst electrode for the reduction of I3(-) to I(-), a critical electrolyte regeneration reaction in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Also investigated are Pt electrodes, the expensive traditional counter electrode material for DSSCs, and plain CA electrodes for comparison. Based on data derived from cyclic voltammograms and Tafel plots, the GQD/CA composite exhibits catalytic efficiencies comparable to that of Pt electrodes and better than that of plain CA electrodes. The GQD/CA electrodes, however, surpass the Pt electrodes in terms of long-term stability. The cathodic current drops significantly after 500 cycles for the Pt and plain CA electrodes, whereas the cathodic current is slightly increased for the GQD/CA electrodes. The GQD/CA composite thus proves to be an inexpensive, efficient, and stable alternative to Pt as the counter electrode material for DSSCs.

Synthesis of shape-controllable cobalt nanoparticles and their shape-dependent performance in glycerol hydrogenolysis

Metallic Co nanorods were fabricated using Ir as a heterogeneous agent. The nanorods with mainly exposed {10−10} facets showed much higher activity and 1,3-propanediol selectivity in glycerol hydrogenolysis.

Synthesis and characterization of fluorescence-labelled silica core-shell and noble metal-decorated ceria nanoparticles

The present review article covers work done in the cluster NPBIOMEM in the DFG priority programme SPP 1313 and focuses on synthesis and characterization of fluorescent silica and ceria nanoparticles. Synthetic methods for labelling of silica and polyorganosiloxane/silica core-shell nanoparticles with perylenediimide derivatives are described, as well as the modification of the shell with thiol groups. Photometric methods for the determination of the number of thiol groups and an estimate for the number of fluorescent molecules per nanoparticles, including a scattering correction, have been developed. Ceria nanoparticles decorated with noble metals (Pt, Pd, Rh) are models for the decomposition products of automobile catalytic converters which appear in the exhaust gases and finally interact with biological systems including humans. The control of the degree of agglomeration of small ceria nanoparticles is the basis for their synthesis. Almost monodisperse agglomerates (40 ± 4-260 ± 40 nm diameter) can be prepared and decorated with noble metal nanoparticles (2-5 nm diameter). Fluorescence labelling with ATTO 647N gave the model particles which are now under biophysical investigation.

Au2S(x)/CdS nanorods by cation exchange: mechanistic insights into the competition between cation-exchange and metal ion reduction

It is well known that metals with higher electron affinity like Au tend to undergo reduction rather than cation-exchange. It is experimentally shown that under certain conditions cation-exchange is dominant over reduction. Thermodynamic calculation further consolidates the understanding and paves the way for better predictability of cation-exchange/reduction reactions for other systems.

Pristine nanomaterials: synthesis, stability and applications

Capping-free and linker-free nanostructures/hybrids possess superior properties due to the presence of pristine surfaces and interfaces. In this review, various methods for synthesizing pristine nanomaterials are presented along with the general principles involved in their morphology control. In wet chemical synthesis, the interplay between various reaction parameters results in diverse morphology. The fundamental principles behind the evolution of morphology including nanoporous aggregates of metals and other inorganic materials, 2D nanocrystals of metals is elucidated by capping-free methods in aqueous medium. In addition, strategies leading to the attachment of bare noble metal nanoparticles to functional oxide supports/reduced graphene oxide has been demonstrated which can serve as a simple solution for obtaining thermally stable and efficient supported catalysts with free surfaces. Solution based synthesis of linker-free oxide-semiconductor hybrids and capping-free metal nanowires on substrates are also discussed in this context with ZnO/CdS and ultrathin Au nanowires as examples. A simple and rapid microwave-assisted method is highlighted for obtaining such hybrids which can be employed for high-yield production of similar materials.

Electroless Pt deposition on Mn3O4 nanoparticles via the galvanic replacement process: electrocatalytic nanocomposite with enhanced performance for oxygen reduction reaction

A novel electroless Pt deposition method was exploited by employing the galvanic replacement process occurring between the Mn(3)O(4) surface and PtCl(4)(2-) complexes. The newly discovered process provides a simple protocol to produce the catalytic nanocomposite, in which a high density of ultrafine Pt nanocrystals is stably immobilized in a homogeneously dispersive state on the surface of Mn(3)O(4) nanoparticles. When the eletrocatalytic activity was tested for the oxygen reduction reaction, which limits the rate of the overall process in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, the resulting Pt/Mn(3)O(4) nanocomposite showed highly enhanced specific activity and durability, compared with those of the commercial Pt/C catalyst.