An isolated doughnut-like molybdenum(V) cobalto-phosphate cluster exhibiting excellent photocatalytic performance for carbon dioxide conversion

An isolated doughnut-like molybdenum(V) cobalto-phosphate cluster with the formula (C₁₁NH₁₀)₂{[Co(H₂O)₆]@[H₂₉Co₁₆Mo₁₆(H₂O)₁₆(PO₄)₂₄O₃₆]}(H₂PO₄)·25H₂O has been successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method. Single crystal X ray diffraction analysis shows that four {Co₄O₆₀} tetramers and eight {Mo₂O₁₀} dimers are linked by oxygen atoms and phosphate groups to construct a doughnut-type structure for [Co@{Co₁₆Mo₁₆}], in which one [Co^II(H₂O)₆]²⁺ octahedron is enclosed. More importantly, [Co@{Co₁₆Mo₁₆}] exhibits promising photocatalytic performance for CO₂ reduction with the CO formation rate of 6764.3 μmol g^-1 h^-1 and the selectivity of 96.89%. In addition, the cycling test indicated that [Co@{Co₁₆Mo₁₆}] can be reused for at least four cycles without significant loss of catalytic activity. The result of this work may provide new insight for the synthesis of highly efficient POM-based photocatalysts for CO₂ reduction.

A POM-based copper-coordination polymer crystal material for phenolic compound degradation by immobilizing horseradish peroxidase

A new polyoxometalate (POM)-based organic-inorganic hybrid Cu-coordination polymer, namely {((Cu(bipy))2(μ-PhPO3)2Cu(bipy))2H(PCuW11O39)·3H2O}n (denoted as compound 1, bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine, PhPO3 = phenylphosphonate), was self-assembled hydrothermally. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) analysis shows that two unique types of 1D chains are present in compound 1, i.e. Cu(II)-organophosphine and organonitrogen complex cation ([((Cu(bipy))2(μ-PhPO3)2Cu(bipy))2]4+) chains and Cu-monosubstituted Keggin-type polyoxoanion ([PCuW11O39]5-) chains, forming a hetero-POM. Crystalline compound 1 as a new enzyme immobilization support exhibited a high horseradish peroxidase (HRP) loading capacity (268 mg g-1). The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), FTIR, zeta potential, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and circular dichroism (CD) results show that HRP is only immobilized on the surface of compound 1 through simple physical adsorption without a secondary structure change. This POM-immobilized enzyme (HRP/1) was first used for degradation of pollutants in wastewater, and it showed a high degradation efficiency and TOC removal efficiency for phenol, 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) within 30 min reaction time. Moreover, HRP/1 exhibited better operational and storage stabilities and reusability compared with free HRP. This work suggests that POMs can be used as new supports for enzyme immobilization and POM-immobilized enzymes may be used as a new kind of biocatalyst for degradation of phenolic pollutants.

Preparation of Al/Fe-PILC clay catalysts from concentrated precursors: enhanced hydrolysis of pillaring metals and intercalation

The modification of bentonite with Al–Fe species from different concentrated precursors at both stages: (i) the preparation of the (Al/Fe)-mixed pillaring solution and (ii) intercalation itself, was studied at lab scale. The final solids were characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Cationic Exchange Capacity (CEC), textural analyses by nitrogen adsorption–desorption at 77 K, and hydrogen-temperature programmed reduction (H₂-TPR). Finally, the modified clays were assessed as active materials in the Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation (CWPO) of phenol under very mild conditions through 1.0 h of reaction: T = 25.0 °C ± 0.1 °C, pH = 3.7, ambient pressure (76 kPa), and 0.5 g catalyst per dm³. Metal hydrolysis by the dissolution of elemental aluminium (final Total Metal Concentration TMC = 4.62 mol dm⁻³) achieved the best results, decreasing the volume of solution per mass unit of clay required to successfully expand the layered starting mineral by a factor of close to 75, in comparison with the widespread conventional preparation using highly diluted Al-based pillaring solutions. Even in the absence of any solvent for the clay dispersion, the intercalating/pillaring method was shown to be favourable, as a novel strategy promoting the process intensification and subsequent preparation of Al/Fe- and other Al-based pillared clays at larger scales. The best catalyst prepared from concentrated precursors exhibited 79.1% phenol conversion, 19.3% TOC mineralization, and pretty low iron leaching (0.037 mg Fe dm⁻³; ∼0.12% w/w) in such a short catalytic assessment; all these results were quite comparable or even exceeded those exhibited by the catalyst prepared from dilute precursors.

Significantly intensified preparation of Al/Fe-hydrolysed-pillaring solutions and solvent-free intercalation of bentonites yielding Al/Fe-PILCs highly active in catalytic wet peroxide oxidation.

Designing multifunctional SO3H-based polyoxometalate catalysts for oxidative desulfurization in acid deep eutectic solvents

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are ‘green’ sustainable solvents with wide applications such as extractive desulfurization of fuel; however, their low extraction efficiency is a major limitation to such applications.