Advances in morphology-controlled alumina and its supported Pd catalysts: synthesis and applications

Alumina materials, as one of the cornerstones of the modern chemical industry, possess physical and chemical properties that include excellent mechanical strength and structure stability, which also make them highly suitable as catalyst supports. Alumina-supported Pd-based catalysts with the advantages of exceptional catalytic performance, flexible regulated surface metal/acid sites, and good regeneration ability have been widely used in many traditional chemical industry fields and have also shown great application prospects in emerging fields. This review aims to provide an overview of the recent advances in alumina and its supported Pd-based catalysts. Specifically, the synthesis strategies, morphology transformation mechanisms, and structural properties of alumina with various morphologies are comprehensively summarized and discussed in-depth. Then, the preparation approaches of Pd/Al2O3 catalysts (impregnation, precipitation, and other emerging methods), as well as the metal-support interactions (MSIs), are revisited. Moreover, Some promising applications have been chosen as representative reactions in fine chemicals, environmental purification, and sustainable development fields to highlight the universal functionality of the alumina-supported Pd-based catalysts. The role of the Pd species, alumina support, promoters, and metal-support interactions in the enhancement of catalytic performance are also discussed. Finally, some challenges and upcoming opportunities in the academic and industrial application of the alumina and its supported Pd-based are presented and put forward.

Low-dimensional compounds containing bioactive ligands. Part XVII: Synthesis, structural, spectral and biological properties of hybrid organic-inorganic complexes based on [PdCl4]2- with derivatives of 8-hydroxyquinolinium

In this study, four hybrid organic-inorganic compounds (8-H₂Q)₂[PdCl₄] (1), (H₂ClQ)₂[PdCl₄] (2), (H₂NQ)₂[PdCl₄] (3) and (H₂MeQ)₂[PdCl₄]·2H₂O (4) (where 8-H₂Q = 8-hydroxyquinolinium, H₂ClQ = 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinolinium, H₂NQ = 5-nitro-8-hydroxyquinolinium and H₂MeQ = 2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinolinium) were synthesized through organic cation modulation. Single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of compounds 1 and 3 indicates that their structures are planar and consist of [PdCl₄]^2- anions and 8-H₂Q or H₂NQ cations, respectively. Both ionic components are held together through ionic interactions and hydrogen bonds forming infinite chains linked through π-π interactions to form 2D structures. Furthermore, NMR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and FT-IR spectroscopy were used to explore the synthesized compounds. The DNA interaction, antimicrobial activity, antiproliferative activity, and radical scavenging effect of the compounds were evaluated. The hybrid compounds and their free ligands can interact with the calf thymus DNA via an intercalation mode involving the insertion of the aromatic chromophore between the base pairs of DNA; compound 1 has the highest binding affinity. Moreover, they have high antimicrobial efficacy against the tested 14 strains of microorganisms with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from <1.95 to 250 μg/mL. The antiproliferative activity of the compounds was investigated against three different cancer cell lines, and their selectivity was verified on mesenchymal stem cells. Compounds 1 and 2 displayed selective and high cytotoxicity against human lung and breast cancer cells and showed moderate cytotoxicity against colon cancer cells. Accordingly, they might be auspicious candidates for future pharmacological investigations in lung and breast cancer research.

Influence of oxygen and water content on the formation of polychlorinated organic by-products from catalytic degradation of 1,2-dichlorobenzene over a Pd/ZSM-5 catalyst

Understanding the generation and influence mechanism of polychlorinated organic by-products during the catalytic degradation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) is essential to the safe and environmentally friendly treatment of those pollutants. In this study, a systematic investigation of the catalytic oxidation of 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB) was conducted using various oxygen and water contents over a Pd/ZSM-5(25) catalyst. It was found that decreasing the oxygen content and increasing the water content resulted in the improvement of the 1,2-DCB catalytic activity, while the amount and variety of polychlorinated organic by-products decreased. More importantly, when water was the sole oxidant, the Pd/ZSM-5(25) catalyst also demonstrated high activity towards 1,2-DCB catalytic degradation. Only chlorobenzene and 1,3-dichlorobenzene were detected as by-products. X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and UV-vis DRS spectra results indicated that the polychlorinated organic by-products were suppressed mainly due to inhibition of the chlorination of the palladium species by regulating the oxygen and water content in the reaction atmosphere. Similar surface species were formed under aerobic and anaerobic atmospheres via the study of the in situ FTIR spectra. We therefore proposed that 1,2-DCB undergoes similar catalytic degradation reaction mechanisms under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Distribution and formation mechanisms of polychlorinated organic by-products upon the catalytic oxidation of 1,2-dichlorobenzene with palladium-loaded catalysts

Clarifying the oxidative products and their formation mechanisms in the catalytic oxidation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds is important to provide detailed understanding of the degradation of pollutants with the simultaneous removal of secondary pollutants. In this study, catalytic oxidation of 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB) using commonly commercial catalysts (Pd/γ-Al₂O₃, Pd/ZSM-5, and Pd/SiO₂) was investigated. During the oxidation processes, substantial amounts of polychlorinated organic by-products, such as trichlorobenzene, tetrachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene, were detected. The reaction temperature and types of supports played a vital role in the formation of chlorinated organic by-products. With an increase of the reaction temperature, the degree of chlorination of the organic by-products increased gradually, and the concentration of polychlorinated organic by-products was increased sharply at low temperatures and then decreased when the reaction temperature was above 450 °C. Meanwhile, the amounts of polychlorinated organic by-products increased with an increasing silicate-to-aluminium ratio. Furthermore, based on the distribution of chlorinated organic by-products and characterization results of pyridine from FTIR, XPS, UV-vis-DRs, and in situ FTIR, the formation mechanisms of the polychlorinated organic compounds were proposed.

The Origin of Metal Loading Heterogeneities in Pt/Zeolite Y Bifunctional Catalysts

Preparing catalysts with highly dispersed metal nanoparticles and narrow particle size distribution has been in the focus of numerous studies. Besides size and size distribution, the location of metal nanoparticles within and local metal loading of the support can have significant impact on catalytic performance. This study revealed that great variations in Pt loading between individual Pt/zeolite Y crystals occurred irrespective of the metal deposition method, namely ion-exchange (IE) or incipient wetness impregnation (IWI). The variation in Pt loading was found to be directly related to different Si/Al ratios of individual zeolite crystals. Results indicate that this Si/Al variation was likely induced by post-synthesis treatments, commonly performed to introduce mesoporosity. In view of the great importance of zeolite-based catalysts for oil refining, understanding the origin of such metal loading heterogeneities may lead to further improvement of zeolite-based catalytic performance.

Multi-scale promoting effects of lead for palladium catalyzed aerobic oxidative coupling of methylacrolein with methanol

The promoting effects of lead for palladium catalyzed aerobic oxidative coupling of methylacrolein with methanol were illustrated from a multi-scale viewpoint.

Activation of aluminum as an effective reducing agent by pitting corrosion for wet-chemical synthesis

Metallic aluminum (Al) is of interest as a reducing agent because of its low standard reduction potential. However, its surface is invariably covered with a dense aluminum oxide film, which prevents its effective use as a reducing agent in wet-chemical synthesis. Pitting corrosion, known as an undesired reaction destroying Al and is enhanced by anions such as F⁻, Cl⁻, and Br⁻ in aqueous solutions, is applied here for the first time to activate Al as a reducing agent for wet-chemical synthesis of a diverse array of metals and alloys. Specifically, we demonstrate the synthesis of highly dispersed palladium nanoparticles on carbon black with stabilizers and the intermetallic Cu₂Sb/C, which are promising candidates, respectively, for fuel cell catalysts and lithium-ion battery anodes. Atomic hydrogen, an intermediate during the pitting corrosion of Al in protonic solvents (e.g., water and ethylene glycol), is validated as the actual reducing agent.

Profiling physicochemical changes within catalyst bodies during preparation: new insights from invasive and noninvasive microspectroscopic studies

Cylindrical or spherical catalyst bodies with sizes ranging from tens of micrometers to a few millimeters have a wide variety of industrial applications. They are crucial in the oil refining industry and in the manufacture of bulk and fine chemicals. Their stability, activity, and selectivity are largely dependent on their preparation; thus, achieving the optimum catalyst requires a perfect understanding of the physicochemical processes occurring in a catalyst body during its synthesis. The ultimate goal of the catalyst researcher is to visualize these physicochemical processes as the catalyst is being prepared and without interfering with the system. In order to understand this chemistry and improve catalyst design, researchers need better, less invasive tools to observe this chemistry as it occurs, from the first stages in contact with a precursor all the way through its synthesis. In this Account, we provide an overview of the recent advances in the development of space- and time-resolved spectroscopic methods, from invasive techniques to noninvasive ones, to image the physicochemical processes taking place during the preparation of catalyst bodies. Although several preparation methods are available to produce catalyst bodies, the most common method used in industry is the incipient wetness impregnation. It is the most common method used in industry because it is simple and cost-effective. This method consists of three main steps each of which has an important role in the design of a catalytic material: pore volume impregnation, drying, and thermal treatment. During the impregnation step, the interface between the support surface and the precursor of the active phase at the solid-liquid interface is where the critical synthetic chemistry occurs. Gas-solid and solid-solid interfaces are critical during the drying and thermal treatment steps. Because of the length scale of these catalyst bodies, the interfacial chemistry that occurs during preparation is space-dependent. Different processes occurring in the core or in the outer rim of the catalytic solid are enhanced by several factors, such as the impregnation solution pH, the metal ion concentration, the presence of organic additives, and the temperature gradients inside the body. Invasive methods for studying the molecular nature of the metal-ion species during the preparation of catalyst bodies include Raman, UV-vis-NIR, and IR microspectroscopies. Noninvasive techniques include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Synchrotron-based techniques such as tomographic energy dispersive diffraction imaging (TEDDI) and X-ray microtomography for noninvasive characterization are also evaluated.