Durable catalysts for cleaner air

Methane Oxidation over the Zeolites-Based Catalysts

Zeolites have ordered pore structures, good spatial constraints, and superior hydrothermal stability. In addition, the active metal elements inside and outside the zeolite framework provide the porous material with adjustable acid–base property and good redox performance. Thus, zeolites-based catalysts are more and more widely used in chemical industries. Combining the advantages of zeolites and active metal components, the zeolites-based materials are used to catalyze the oxidation of methane to produce various products, such as carbon dioxide, methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, acetic acid, and etc. This multifunction, high selectivity, and good activity are the key factors that enable the zeolites-based catalysts to be used for methane activation and conversion. In this review article, we briefly introduce and discuss the effect of zeolite materials on the activation of C–H bonds in methane and the reaction mechanisms of complete methane oxidation and selective methane oxidation. Pd/zeolite is used for the complete oxidation of methane to carbon dioxide and water, and Fe- and Cu-zeolite catalysts are used for the partial oxidation of methane to methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, and etc. The prospects and challenges of zeolite-based catalysts in the future research work and practical applications are also envisioned. We hope that the outcome of this review can stimulate more researchers to develop more effective zeolite-based catalysts for the complete or selective oxidation of methane.

Novel Nanosized Spinel MnCoFeO4 for Low-Temperature Hydrocarbon Oxidation

The present paper reports on MnCoFeO₄ spinels with peculiar composition and their catalytic behavior in the reactions of complete oxidation of hydrocarbons. The samples were synthesized by solution combustion method with sucrose and citric acid as fuels. All samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, N₂-physisorption, scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The catalytic properties of the spinels with Mn:Co:Fe = 1:1:1 composition were studied in reactions of complete oxidation of methane, propane, butane, and propane in the presence of water as model pollutants. Both prepared catalysts are nanosized materials. The slight difference in the compositions, structure, and morphology is due to the type of fuel used in the synthesis reaction. The spinel, prepared with sucrose, shows a higher specific surface area, pore volume, higher amount of small particles fraction, higher thermal stability, and as a result, more exposed active sites on the sample surface that lead to higher catalytic activity in the studied oxidation reactions. After the catalytic tests, both samples do not undergo any substantial phase and morphological changes; thus, they could be applied in low-temperature hydrocarbon oxidation reactions.

Electronically Engineering Water Resistance in Methane Combustion with an Atomically Dispersed Tungsten on PdO Catalyst

Improving the low-temperature water-resistance of methane combustion catalysts is of importance for industrial applications and it is challenging. A stepwise strategy is presented for the preparation of atomically dispersed tungsten species at the catalytically active site (Pd nanoparticles). After an activation process, a Pd-O-W₁ -like nanocompound is formed on the PdO surface with an atomic scale interface. The resulting supported catalyst has much better water resistance than the conventional catalysts for methane combustion. The integrated characterization results confirm that catalytic combustion of methane involves water, proceeding via a hydroperoxyl-promoted reaction mechanism on the catalyst surface. The results of density functional theory calculations indicate an upshift of the d-band center of palladium caused by electron transfer from atomically dispersed tungsten, which greatly facilitates the adsorption and activation of oxygen on the catalyst.

Catalytic combustion of propane on Pd-modified Al–La–Ce catalyst – from reaction kinetics and mechanism to monolithic reactor tests and scale-up

A propane combustion catalyst was prepared by supporting of Pd on optimized multiphase composition, containing Al2O3, La2O3 and CeO2 aiming for possible application in catalytic converters for abatement of propane in waste gases. The catalyst characterization has been made by N2- physisorption, XRD, SEM/EDX, TEM and XPS. The obtained values for reaction order towards propane and oxygen are 0.57 and 0.14, respectively. The negative reaction order towards the water vapour (−0.26) shows an inhibition effect of the water molecules. According to the kinetics model calculations, the reaction pathway over Pd-modified La–Ce catalyst proceeds most probably through Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism with adsorption of propane and oxygen on different types of sites, dissociative adsorption of oxygen, whereupon water molecules compete with propane molecules for one and the same type of adsorption sites. For practical evaluation of the synthesized material, a sample of Pd/Al2O3–La2O3–CeO2, supported on rolled Al-containing stainless steel (Aluchrom VDM®) to form a single monolithic channel was prepared and tested. Two-dimensional heterogeneous models were used to simulate the propane combustion from laboratory reactor to full-scale adiabatic monolithic converter for ensuring an effective abatement of propane emissions.

Selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia over LaMAl11O19−δ (M = Fe, Cu, Co, and Mn) hexaaluminates catalysts at high temperatures in the Claus process

A method for selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia at high temperature was proposed to remove the ammonia impurity in the Claus process. Cu substituted hexaaluminate catalysts achieved the highest N₂ yield at around 520 °C and the reaction followed the i-SCR mechanism.

Effects of A-site non-stoichiometry in YxInO3+δ on the catalytic performance during methane combustion

A novel non-stoichiometric Y_xInO_3+δ (YIO-x, 0.8 ≤ x ≤ 1.04) perovskite catalyst with a large number of oxygen vacancies and high specific surface area was synthesized using glycine self-propagating gel combustion. It was found that low levels of non-stoichiometry in the A site of Y_xInO_3+δ effectively increased the amount of oxygen desorption by 39-42% when compared to the original (YIO-1) due to Y-deficiency and oxygen vacancies. Further investigations showed that the non-stoichiometry also brings a significant change to the Lewis acid sites on the surface of the sample, which confirmed to be a great promoter for the catalytic combustion of methane. In addition, the catalytic performance increased with the increasing intensity of acid sites. After 50 h of the stability test, the catalysts maintained high activity, indicating their good catalytic stability.

The controlled disassembly of mesostructured perovskites as an avenue to fabricating high performance nanohybrid catalysts

Versatile superstructures composed of nanoparticles have recently been prepared using various disassembly methods. However, little information is known on how the structural disassembly influences the catalytic performance of the materials. Here we show how the disassembly of an ordered porous La_0.6Sr_0.4MnO₃ perovskite array, to give hexapod mesostructured nanoparticles, exposes a new crystal facet which is more active for catalytic methane combustion. On fragmenting three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) structures in a controlled manner, via a process that has been likened to retrosynthesis, hexapod-shaped building blocks can be harvested which possess a mesostructured architecture. The hexapod-shaped perovskite catalyst exhibits excellent low temperature methane oxidation activity (T_90%=438 °C; reaction rate=4.84 × 10⁻⁷ mol m⁻² s⁻¹). First principle calculations suggest the fractures, which occur at weak joints within the 3DOM architecture, afford a large area of (001) surface that displays a reduced energy barrier for hydrogen abstraction, thereby facilitating methane oxidation.

Disassembly of three-dimensionally ordered materials generates nanoparticles with new structural and physicochemical properties. Here the authors show a fragmentation strategy applied to a perovskite material leading to nanostructures with improved catalytic activity in the methane combustion.

Sandwich-like PdO/CeO2 nanosheet@HZSM-5 membrane hybrid composite for methane combustion: self-redispersion, sintering-resistance and oxygen, water-tolerance

PdO/CeO2 nanosheets encapsulated by a monolayer of a continuous and dense HZSM-5 zeolite membrane were prepared by a facile in situ hydrothermal growth process and used as a highly efficient and thermally stable catalyst for methane combustion. Uncoated PdO/CeO2 suffered severe sintering at high temperature or high oxygen concentration. However, the encapsulation of HZSM-5 significantly improved sintering resistance by the suppressing effects of the HZSM-5 coating for the agglomeration of PdOx nanoparticles, resulting in the outstanding thermal stability of PdO/CeO2. Furthermore, the synthesized hybrid materials also exhibited good oxygen- and water-tolerance for methane combustion due to the oxygen or water barrier. In addition, a reactivation behavior was observed due to the self-redispersion of PdOx on CeO2 nanosheets in the reaction atmosphere at high temperature.

Meso-Molding Three-Dimensional Macroporous Perovskites: A New Approach to Generate High-Performance Nanohybrid Catalysts

Newly designed 3D highly ordered macro/mesoporous multifunctional La1-xCexCoO3 nanohybrid frameworks with a 2D hexagonal mesostructure were fabricated via facile meso-molding in a three-dimensionally macroporous perovskite (MTMP) route. The nanohybrid framework exhibited excellent catalytic activity for methane combustion, which derived from the MTMP providing a larger surface area and pore volume, uniform pore sizes, higher accessible surface oxygen concentration, better low-temperature reducibility, and a unique nanovoid 3D structure.

Combustion resistance of the 129Xe hyperpolarized nuclear spin state

Using a methane-xenon mixture for spin exchange optical pumping, MRI of combustion was enabled. The (129)Xe hyperpolarized nuclear spin state was found to sufficiently survive the complete passage through the harsh environment of the reaction zone. A velocity profile (V(z)(z)) of a flame was recorded to demonstrate the feasibility of MRI velocimetry of transport processes in combustors.

Investigation of Parameters Influencing the Activation of a Pd/γ-Alumina Catalyst during Methane Combustion

The progressive activation of a Pd(2 wt %)/gamma-alumina catalyst under the reaction conditions of catalytic combustion of methane (CCM) was studied. The reasons of this activation were investigated by XPS, CO-chemisorption, and HR-TEM. The removal of carbon from the surface cannot explain the observed activation process. Sintering of the palladium particles was detected but this parameter alone does not fully explain the activation process of the catalyst. HR-TEM imaging evidences (i) that PdO is present both in the fresh and the active catalyst and (ii) that the PdO nanoparticles sinter and restructure (surface roughening) during the reaction. Development of preferential faces was not observed. It is suggested that this restructuring may be responsible for the activation process by facilitating the formation of an active oxygen layer on the PdO surface. CCM on Pd/gamma-Al(2)O(3) depends on the thermal history of the catalyst and is a structure-sensitive reaction.

In Situ NMR Spectroscopy of Combustion

The first successful in situ studies of free combustion processes by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy are reported, and the feasibility of this concept is demonstrated. In this proof-of-principle work, methane combustion over a nanoporous material is investigated using hyperpolarized (hp)-xenon-129 NMR spectroscopy. Different inhomogeneous regions within the combustion cell are identified by the xenon chemical shift, and the gas exchange between these regions during combustion is revealed by two-dimensional exchange spectra (EXSY). The development of NMR spectroscopy as an analytical tool for combustion processes is of potential importance for catalyzed reactions within opaque media that are difficult to investigate by other techniques.