A suitably fabricated ternary nanocomposite (Cu-CuO@rGO-SiO2) as a sustainable and common heterogeneous catalyst for C-S, C-O and C-N coupling reactions

A hybrid composite based on π-electron rich reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and mesoporous silica (SiO2) was prepared and decorated with copper species to afford a ternary nanocomposite material (Cu-CuO@rGO-SiO2). This copper-based nanocomposite was successfully used as a robust and multi-tasking heterogeneous catalyst for most common cross-coupling reactions (e.g. C-S, C-O and C-N coupling). A broad range of catalytic activities are believed to be originated from the synergism of different co-existing copper species (Cu(0) and CuO) and facile charge transfer from the metal ions towards rGO-SiO2 matrices, as established from XPS and other studies.

Selective dissolution of zinc and lead from duplex β-phase brasses in low and high conductivity water

This study provides insights regarding the selective metal leaching of brass in various tap water conditions, which benefits water utilities to predict the potential of metal released from brass water meters. The long-term time-dependent selective metal dissolution of brass with various β phase fractions have not previously been investigated. In this study, a 201-d immersion experiment was carried out in low and high conductivity tap water (LCTW and HCTW, respectively). Three commercialized brass samples in different β phase fractions (β = 51%, β = 43%, β = 39%), named brass 51, brass 43, and brass 39, respectively, were used. The results showed that brass 51 had the most negative corrosion potential (-0.17 V) and the lowest polarization resistance (8.5 kΩ) compared to brass 43 and brass 39 (-0.04 V and 10.1-14.7 kΩ, respectively) in LCTW. This trend was verified by the 201-d immersion experiment in which brass 51 exhibited the highest zinc leaching rate (21-30 μg L-1 cm-2 d-1), followed by brass 43 and brass 39 (16-23 μg L-1 cm-2 d-1) in both waters. The leaching amounts of lead and copper were extremely low compared to zinc. In LCTW, the uniform corrosion (UC) mechanism dominated from day 1 to day 120. Afterwards, UC was replaced by the galvanic corrosion (GC) mechanism, with the selective leaching coefficient of Zn over Cu (SZn/Cu) increasing from 10 to 25 to 40-80. In HCTW, however, the SZn/Cu reached 300-1000, and the transition of UC to GC occurred earlier on day 30 due to the rapid formation of the ZnO layer on the brass surface that hindered the ion attack.

Blue-LED activated photocatalytic hydrogenation of nitroarenes with Cu2O/CuO heterojunctions

This study describes how the optimization of Cu2O/CuO heterostructures can enhance their (photo)catalytic performance. More specifically, the evaluation of catalysts with different Cu2O/CuO molar ratios was used to optimize their performance for the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol under both blue-LED light and dark conditions. For the first time, we analyzed the effect of blue LED irradiation on this reaction and found that when blue LEDs are used as the light source, a Cu2O/CuO ratio of 0.15 results in rate constants 7 to 3 times higher than those of catalysts with either lower (0.01) or higher (0.42) ratios. Furthermore, this photocatalyst shows good stability, >70% after 5 cycles, and excellent chemoselectivity in the selective reduction of the nitro group in the presence of other functionalities, i.e. -COOH, -CONH2 and -OH.

Improving the hydrodeoxygenation activity of vanillin and its homologous compounds by employing MoO3-incorporated Co-BTC MOF-derived MoCoOx@C

Lignin-derived aryl ethers and vanillin are essential platform chemicals that fulfil the demands for renewable aromatic compounds. Herein, an efficient heterogeneous catalyst is reported for reforming vanillin via a selective hydrodeoxygenation route to 2-methoxy-4-methyl phenol (MMP), a precursor to medicinal, food, and petrochemical industries. A series of MoCoO_x@C catalysts were synthesized by decorating the Co-BTC MOF with different contents of MoO₃ rods, followed by carbonization. Among these catalysts, MoCoO_x@C-2 afforded ∼99% vanillin conversion and ∼99% MMP selectivity at 150 °C in 1.5 h in an aqueous medium. In contrast, CoO_x@C afforded ∼75% vanillin conversion and ∼85% MMP selectivity. Detailed catalyst characterization revealed that CoO_x and Co₂Mo₃O₈ were the active species contributing to the higher activity of MoCoO_x@C-2. The excellent H₂-adsorption characteristics and acidity of MoCoO_x@C-2 were beneficial to the hydrodeoxygenation of vanillin and other homologous compounds. The DFT adsorption energy calculations suggested the favourable interactions of vanillin and vanillyl alcohol with the Co₂Mo₃O₈ sites in MoCoO_x@C-2. The catalyst could be efficiently recycled 5 times, with a negligible loss in activity after the 5th cycle. These findings provide a systematic explication of the active sites of the mixed metal oxide-based MoCoO_x@C-2 catalyst for the selective hydrodeoxygenation of vanillin to MMP, which is important for the academic and industrial catalysis community.

Copper-catalyzed deacetonative Sonogashira coupling

A convenient Pd- and phosphine-free protocol for assembling internal alkynes from tertiary propargyl alcohols and (het)aryl halides has been developed. The proposed tandem approach includes the base-promoted retro-Favorskii fragmentation followed by Cu-catalyzed C(sp)-C(sp²) cross-coupling. The use of inexpensive reagents (e.g. a catalyst, additives, a base, and a solvent) and good functional group tolerance make the procedure practical and cost-effective. The synthetic utility of the method was demonstrated by a smooth alkynylation of vinyl iodides derived from natural steroidal hormones.

A novel core@double-shell three-layer structure with dendritic fibrous morphology based on Fe3O4@TEA@Ni-organic framework: a highly efficient magnetic catalyst in the microwave-assisted Sonogashira coupling reaction

In synthetic organic chemistry, the formation of carbon-carbon bonds is a significant and substantial reaction. As a result, developing a highly active magnetic heterogeneous catalyst with excellent performance is a very appealing technique for constructing C-C bonds in organic chemistry. The present study describes the fabrication of a novel and readily recoverable nickel-based metal-organic framework (MOF) for C-C bond formation through the Sonogashira coupling reaction. The efficient magnetic core-shell structure (Fe₃O₄@TEA@MOF) with a 3D dendritic fibrous morphology was successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal approach by immobilizing Ni-based MOF onto the Fe₃O₄@TEA core-shell structure. The fabrication of Fe₃O₄@TEA@MOF was confirmed by various analyses; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS), and elemental mapping confirmed the stepwise fabrication of catalyst. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) showed the crystalline nature of the catalyst. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) displayed the 3D dendritic fibrous morphology. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and vibrating sample magnetometer analysis (VSM) showed the excellent thermal stability and magnetic properties of Fe₃O₄@TEA@MOF. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis (BET) found that the fabricated catalyst with a surface area of 36.2 m² g^-1, pore volume of 0.18 cm³ g^-1, and mean pore diameter of 20.38 nm belongs to mesoporous structures. In addition, the information from the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) about fresh and reused catalysts showed that the metal leaching amount is slight and about 1.98%. Other advantages of the Fe₃O₄@TEA@MOF catalyst can be mentioned as easily reusable for four runs and high performance (above 98%) in synthesizing diphenylacetylene from phenylacetylene, aryl halide, and cesium carbonate (as the base) under solvent-free and microwave conditions.

One-pot synthesis of Ag-Cu-Cu2O/C nanocomposites derived from a metal-organic framework as a photocatalyst for borylation of aryl halide

Mixed metal-metal oxide/C (Ag-Cu-Cu2O/C) nanocomposites were synthesized by the heat treatment of a metal-organic framework under a N2 flow using the one-pot synthesis method. The as-prepared nanocomposites were characterized using a range of techniques, such as TEM, elemental mapping, XRD, N2 sorption, UV-Vis DRS, and XPS. The nanoparticles were successfully formed with high dispersion in porous carbon materials and high crystallinity based on the analysis results. The Ag-Cu-Cu2O/C nanocomposites (35 nm) showed high photocatalytic activity and good recyclability toward the borylation of aryl halides under a xenon arc lamp. This result can enhance the interest in photocatalysis for various applications, particularly in organic reactions, using a simple and efficient synthesis method.

Pulsed Laser in Liquids Made Nanomaterials for Catalysis

Catalysis is essential to modern life and has a huge economic impact. The development of new catalysts critically depends on synthetic methods that enable the preparation of tailored nanomaterials. Pulsed laser in liquids synthesis can produce uniform, multicomponent, nonequilibrium nanomaterials with independently and precisely controlled properties, such as size, composition, morphology, defect density, and atomistic structure within the nanoparticle and at its surface. We cover the fundamentals, unique advantages, challenges, and experimental solutions of this powerful technique and review the state-of-the-art of laser-made electrocatalysts for water oxidation, oxygen reduction, hydrogen evolution, nitrogen reduction, carbon dioxide reduction, and organic oxidations, followed by laser-made nanomaterials for light-driven catalytic processes and heterogeneous catalysis of thermochemical processes. We also highlight laser-synthesized nanomaterials for which proposed catalytic applications exist. This review provides a practical guide to how the catalysis community can capitalize on pulsed laser in liquids synthesis to advance catalyst development, by leveraging the synergies of two fields of intensive research.

A Copper-Containing Polyoxometalate-Based Metal-Organic Framework as an Efficient Catalyst for Selective Catalytic Oxidation of Alkylbenzenes

A copper-containing polyoxometalate-based metal-organic framework (POMOF), Cu^I₁₂Cl₂(trz)₈[HPW₁₂O₄₀] (HENU-7, HENU = Henan University; trz = 1,2,4-triazole), has been successfully synthesized and well-characterized. In addition, the excellent catalytic ability of HENU-7 has been proved by the selective oxidation of diphenylmethane. Under the optimal conditions, the diphenylmethane conversion obtained over HENU-7 is 96%, while the selectivity to benzophenone is 99%, which outperforms most noble-metal-free POM-based catalysts. Moreover, HENU-7 is stable to reuse for five runs without an obvious loss in activity and also can catalyze the oxidation of different benzylic C-H with satisfactory conversions and selectivities, which implied the significant catalytic activity and recyclability.

An electrochemical sensor based on copper-based metal-organic framework-reduced graphene oxide composites for determination of 2,4-dichlorophenol in water

In the present work, we reported the fabrication of a novel electrochemical sensing platform to detect 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) by using a copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate-graphene oxide (Cu-BTC/GO) composite. The sensor was prepared by drop-casting Cu-BTC/GO suspension onto the electrode surface followed by electrochemical reduction, leading to the generation of an electrochemically reduced graphene oxide network (ErGO). By combining the large specific area of the Cu-BTC matrix with the electrical percolation from the graphene network, the number of accessible reaction sites was strongly increased, which consequently improved the detection performance. The electrochemical characteristics of the composite were revealed by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. For the detection of 2,4-DCP, differential pulse voltammetry was used to emphasize the faradaic reaction related to the oxidation of the analyte. The results displayed a low detection limit (83 × 10-9 M) and a linear range from 1.5 × 10-6 M to 24 × 10-6 M alongside high reproducibility (RSD = 2.5% for eight independent sensors) and good stability. Importantly, the prepared sensors were sufficiently selective against interference from other pollutants in the same electrochemical window. Notably, the presented sensors have already proven their ability in detecting 2,4-DCP in real field samples with high accuracy (recovery range = 97.17-104.15%).

An effective photothermal dual-responsive Pd1Cu4/CexOy catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions under mild conditions

A Pd₁Cu₄/Ce_xO_y catalyst can efficiently catalyze Suzuki reactions under both heating and visible light irradiation conditions.

Extra-Framework Aluminum Species of Zeolite that Surrogate the Growth of Metal Organic Framework from Zeolite Matrix

Constructing a robust hybrid material with a porous inorganic and a porous organic framework is highly intriguing owing to its diverse functionality and porosity. However, the line of synthesis is not straightforward, since their nucleation and crystal growth processes are incompatible. Here, a simple method for the fabrication of hybrid zeolite/metal-organic framework of different framework structures is developed wherein the less-useful extra-framework aluminum species present in the zeolite surrogate the growth of metal organic framework (MOF) from the zeolite matrix in the presence of organic linkers of the corresponding MOF. An NMR study confirms that all the octahedral Al species are converted to Al-MOF. TGA analysis shows that 32 % Al of H-Beta is converted to Al-MOF. Furthermore, NH₃ TPD analysis shows that most of the weak acid sites disappear but strong acid sites are preserved suggesting the utilization of weakly bound Al species of H-Beta in the growth of Al-MOF. The synthesis strategy is successfully demonstrated using H-Beta, H-ZSM-5, and H-Y zeolites for the growth of MIL-53 and MIL-96 MOFs from the zeolite matrix. This synthesis strategy enables application-based engineering of the framework structures, functionality, and porosity of the materials.