Freezing copper as a noble metal-like catalyst for preliminary hydrogenation

Revealing the Effect of Electronic Configuration in Cux Species on CO2 Photoreduction Characteristic Products

As of the present time, the in-depth study of the structure-activity relationship between electronic configuration and CO2 photoreduction performance is often overlooked. Herein, a series of Cux species modified CeO2 nanodots are constructed in situ by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) to achieve an efficient photocatalytic CO2-to-C2 conversion with an electron utilization of up to 142.5 µmol g-1. Through an in-depth study of the electronic behavior and catalytic pathways, it is found that the Cu0/Cu+ species in the coexistence state of Cu0/Cu+/Cu2+ can optimize the energy band structure, photocurrent stability, and provide a kinetic basis for the active surface catalytic reaction process that requires the conversion of multiple electrons into C2 products, which ultimately enhances the CO2-to-C2H6 photoreduction by 3.8-fold and that for CO2-to-C2H4 photoreduction by 5.2-fold. Besides, the Cu2+ species in the coexistence state of Cu0/Cu+/Cu2+ are able to regulate the electronic behavior and the choice of the catalytic pathway, enabling the transitions between CO2-to-C2H6 and CO2-to-C2H4. This work indicates that electronic configuration optimization is an effective strategy to significantly enhance the CO2 photoreduction performance and provides new ideas for the design and synthesis of high-performance heterostructure photocatalysts.

Overcoming Electrostatic Interaction via Pulsed Electroreduction for Boosting the Electrocatalytic Urea Synthesis

Electrocatalytic urea synthesis under ambient conditions offers a promising alternative strategy to the traditional energy-intensive urea industry protocol. Limited by the electrostatic interaction, the reduction reaction of anions at the cathode in the electrocatalytic system is not easily achievable. Here, we propose a novel strategy to overcome electrostatic interaction via pulsed electroreduction. We found that the reconstruction-resistant CuSiOx nanotube, with abundant atomic Cu-O-Si interfacial sites, exhibits ultrastability in the electrosynthesis of urea from nitrate and CO2. Under a pulsed potential approach with optimal operating conditions, the Cu-O-Si interfaces achieve a superior urea production rate (1606.1 μg h-1 mgcat. -1) with high selectivity (79.01 %) and stability (the Faradaic efficiency is retained at 80 % even after 80 h of testing), outperforming most reported electrocatalytic synthesis urea catalysts. We believe our strategy will incite further investigation into pulsed electroreduction increasing substrate transport, which may guide the design of ambient urea electrosynthesis and other energy conversion systems.

Customizing catalyst surface/interface structures for electrochemical CO2 reduction

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) provides a promising route to converting CO2 into value-added chemicals and to neutralizing the greenhouse gas emission. For the industrial application of CO2RR, high-performance electrocatalysts featuring high activities and selectivities are essential. It has been demonstrated that customizing the catalyst surface/interface structures allows for high-precision control over the microenvironment for catalysis as well as the adsorption/desorption behaviors of key reaction intermediates in CO2RR, thereby elevating the activity, selectivity and stability of the electrocatalysts. In this paper, we review the progress in customizing the surface/interface structures for CO2RR electrocatalysts (including atomic-site catalysts, metal catalysts, and metal/oxide catalysts). From the perspectives of coordination engineering, atomic interface design, surface modification, and hetero-interface construction, we delineate the resulting specific alterations in surface/interface structures, and their effect on the CO2RR process. At the end of this review, we present a brief discussion and outlook on the current challenges and future directions for achieving high-efficiency CO2RR via surface/interface engineering.

Selective Upcycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate towards High-valued Oxygenated Chemical Methyl p-Methyl Benzoate using a Cu/ZrO2 Catalyst

Upgrading of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste into valuable oxygenated molecules is a fascinating process, yet it remains challenging. Herein, we developed a two-step strategy involving methanolysis of PET to dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), followed by hydrogenation of DMT to produce the high-valued chemical methyl p-methyl benzoate (MMB) using a fixed-bed reactor and a Cu/ZrO2 catalyst. Interestingly, we discovered the phase structure of ZrO2 significantly regulates the selectivity of products. Cu supported on monoclinic ZrO2 (5 %Cu/m-ZrO2 ) exhibits an exceptional selectivity of 86 % for conversion of DMT to MMB, while Cu supported on tetragonal ZrO2 (5 %Cu/t-ZrO2 ) predominantly produces p-xylene (PX) with selectivity of 75 %. The superior selectivity of MMB over Cu/m-ZrO2 can be attributed to the weaker acid sites present on m-ZrO2 compared to t-ZrO2 . This weak acidity of m-ZrO2 leads to a moderate adsorption capability of MMB, and facilitating its desorption. Furthermore, DFT calculations reveal Cu/m-ZrO2 catalyst shows a higher effective energy barrier for cleavage of second C-O bond compared to Cu/t-ZrO2 catalyst; this distinction ensures the high selectivity of MMB. This catalyst not only presents an approach for upgrading of PET waste into fine chemicals but also offers a strategy for controlling the primary product in a multistep hydrogenation reaction.

Cu-Modified Palladium Catalysts: Boosting Formate Electrooxidation via Interfacially OHad-Driven Had Removal

Direct formate fuel cells have gained traction due to their eco-friendly credentials and inherent safety. However, their potential is hampered by the kinetic challenges of the formate oxidation reaction (FOR) on Pd-based catalysts, chiefly due to the unfavorable adsorption of hydrogen species (Had). These species clog the active sites, hindering efficient catalysis. Here, we introduce a straightforward strategy to remedy this bottleneck by incorporating Pd with Cu to expedite the removal of Pd-Had in alkaline media. Notably, Cu plays a pivotal role in bolstering the concentration of hydroxyl adsorbates (OHad) on the surface of catalyst. These OHad species can react with Had, effectively unblocking the active sites for FOR. The as-synthesized catalyst of PdCu/C exhibits a superior FOR performance, boasting a remarkable mass activity of 3.62 A mg-1. Through CO-stripping voltammetry, we discern that the presence of Cu in Pd markedly speeds up the formation of adsorbed hydroxyl species (OHad) at diminished potentials. This, in turn, aids the oxidative removal of Pd-Had, leveraging a synergistic mechanism during FOR. Density functional theory computations further reveal intensified interactions between adsorbed oxygen species and intermediates, underscoring that the Cu-Pd interface exhibits greater oxyphilicity compared to pristine Pd. In this study, we present both experimental and theoretical corroborations, unequivocally highlighting that the integrated copper species markedly amplify the generation of OHad, ensuring efficient removal of Had. This work paves the way, shedding light on the strategic design of high-performing FOR catalysts.

An in situ exsolved Cu-based electrocatalyst from an intermetallic Cu5Si compound for efficient CH4 electrosynthesis

A Cu-based electrocatalyst (e-Cu5Si) is developed by in situ exsolving ultrathin SiOx layer-coated CuO/Cu nanoparticles (<100 nm) on the surface of a conductive intermetallic Cu5Si parent. This specially designed e-Cu5Si catalyst exhibits high performance for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), which affords an excellent CH4 faradaic efficiency (FE) of 49.0% with partial current density of over 140.1 mA cm-2 at -1.2 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in a flow cell, with outstanding stability. The strongly coupled multiphase interfaces among the SiOx layer, CuO/Cu species, and substrate contribute to fast interfacial electron transfer for the CO2RR. Moreover, in situ Raman analysis suggests that the ultrathin SiOx layer simultaneously stabilizes the active Cu1+ species and promotes the protonation of *CO to form *CHxO, thereby greatly improving overall selectivity and activity of CH4 production.

Dealuminated Beta zeolite reverses Ostwald ripening for durable copper nanoparticle catalysts

Copper nanoparticle-based catalysts have been extensively applied in industry, but the nanoparticles tend to sinter into larger ones in the chemical atmospheres, which is detrimental to catalyst performance. In this work, we used dealuminated Beta zeolite to support copper nanoparticles (Cu/Beta-deAl) and showed that these particles become smaller in methanol vapor at 200°C, decreasing from ~5.6 to ~2.4 nanometers in diameter, which is opposite to the general sintering phenomenon. A reverse ripening process was discovered, whereby migratable copper sites activated by methanol were trapped by silanol nests and the copper species in the nests acted as new nucleation sites for the formation of small nanoparticles. This feature reversed the general sintering channel, resulting in robust catalysts for dimethyl oxalate hydrogenation performed with supported copper nanoparticles for use in industry.

Clever Nanomaterials Fabrication Techniques Encounter Sustainable C1 Catalysis

ConspectusC1 catalysis, which refers to the conversion of molecules with a single carbon atom, such as CO, CO2, and CH4, into clean fuels and basic building blocks for chemical industries, has built a bridge between carbon resource utilization and valuable chemical supply. With respect to the goal of carbon neutrality, C1 catalysis also plays an essential role owing to its integrated functions in the green catalytic process with fewer CO2 emissions and even direct high-value-added utilization of greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4). However, the inert nature of the C-O or C-H bond in C1 molecules as well as uncontrollable C-C coupling render C1 catalysis challenging. The rational design of highly active catalytic materials (denoted as C1 catalysts) with strong capacities for C-O or C-H bond activation and C-C coupling by convenient nanomaterials fabrication methods to boost the catalytic performance of C1 molecule conversion, including targeted product selectivity and long-term stability, is the cornerstone of C1 catalysis.Notably, the familiar concepts in heterogeneous catalysis, such as tandem catalysis and confinement catalysis, are applicable for C1 catalysis and have been successfully used to design a C1 catalyst. Regarding the tandem catalysis concept that integrates multiple reactions in a single-pass via a bi- or multifunctional catalyst, it is promising to shed new light on the oriented conversion of C1 molecules, especially for C2+ hydrocarbon or oxygenate synthesis. The confinement effect is powerful for controlling the product distribution and enhancing activation efficiency of inert chemical bonds in C1 catalysis due to the unique reactants/intermediate adsorption and evolution behaviors on the confined catalytic interface with a special electronic environment. Moreover, metal-support interactions (MSIs), electronic properties of the active site, and catalytic engineering issues are also susceptible to the C1 molecule conversion performance. Therefore, under the guidance of basic and novel rules in heterogeneous catalysis, the innovation of catalytic materials with the aid of advanced catalytic materials fabrication techniques has always been a hot research topic in C1 catalysis.In this Account, we briefly describe the challenges in thermal-catalytic C1 molecule (mainly CO, CO2, and CH4) conversion. At the same time, the synergistic functioning of the physicochemical properties of the catalytic materials on the performance in C1 molecule conversion is highlighted. More importantly, we summarize our progress in rationally designing tailor-made C1 catalysts to enhance C1 molecule activation efficiency and targeted product selectivity via powerful nanomaterials fabrication techniques, such as traditional wet-chemistry strategies, the magnetron sputtering method, and 3D printing technology. Specifically, the ingenious capsule catalyst and ammonia pools in zeolites fabricated by a wet chemistry process possess an extraordinary effect on the transformation of CO, CO2, and CH4 molecules. Also, the sputtering method is reliable in modulating the electronic properties of metallic active sites for C1 molecule conversion, thereby tailoring the final product selectivity. Furthermore, we showcase the strong capability of metal 3D printing technology in fabricating a self-catalytic reactor, by which the functions of the reaction field and nanoscale active sites are well integrated. Finally, we predict the future research opportunities in highly efficient C1 catalyst design with the assistance of clever nanomaterials fabrication techniques.

Durability and Surface Oxidation States of Antiviral Nano-Columnar Copper Thin Films

Antiviral coatings that inactivate a broad spectrum of viruses are important in combating the evolution and emergence of viruses. In this study, nano-columnar Cu thin films have been proposed, inspired by cicada wings (which exhibit mechano-bactericidal activity). Nano-columnar thin films of Cu and its oxides were fabricated by the sputtering method, and their antiviral activities were evaluated against envelope-type bacteriophage Φ6 and non-envelope-type bacteriophage Qβ. Among all of the fabricated films, Cu thin films showed the highest antiviral activity. The infectious activity of the bacteriophages was reduced by 5 orders of magnitude within 30 min by the Cu thin films, by 3 orders of magnitude by the Cu₂O thin films, and by less than 1 order of magnitude by the CuO thin films. After exposure to ambient air for 1 month, the antiviral activity of the Cu₂O thin film decreased by 1 order of magnitude; the Cu thin films consistently maintained a higher antiviral activity than the Cu₂O thin films. Subsequently, the surface oxidation states of the thin films were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Cu thin films exhibited slower oxidation to the CuO than Cu₂O thin films. This oxidation resistance could be a characteristic property of nanostructured Cu fabricated by the sputtering method. Finally, the antiviral activity of the nano-columnar Cu thin films against infectious viruses in humans was demonstrated by the binding inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor within 10 min.

Scalable synthesis of Cu clusters for remarkable selectivity control of intermediates in consecutive hydrogenation

Subnanometric Cu clusters that contain only a small number of atoms exhibit unique and, often, unexpected catalytic behaviors compared with Cu nanoparticles and single atoms. However, due to the high mobility of Cu species, scalable synthesis of stable Cu clusters is still a major challenge. Herein, we report a facile and practical approach for scalable synthesis of stable supported Cu cluster catalysts. This method involves the atomic diffusion of Cu from the supported Cu nanoparticles to CeO₂ at a low temperature of 200 °C to form stable Cu clusters with tailored sizes. Strikingly, these Cu clusters exhibit high yield of intermediate product (95%) in consecutive hydrogenation reactions due to their balanced adsorption of the intermediate product and dissociation of H₂. The scalable synthesis strategy reported here makes the stable Cu cluster catalysts one step closer to practical semi-hydrogenation applications.

Boosted Heterogeneous Catalysis by Surface-Accumulated Excess Electrons of Non-Oxidized Bare Copper Nanoparticles on Electride Support

Engineering active sites of metal nanoparticle-based heterogeneous catalysts is one of the most prerequisite approaches for the efficient production of chemicals, but the limited active sites and undesired oxidation on the metal nanoparticles still remain as key challenges. Here, it is reported that the negatively charged surface of copper nanoparticles on the 2D [Ca₂ N]⁺ ∙e^- electride provides the unrestricted active sites for catalytic selective sulfenylation of indoles and azaindoles with diaryl disulfides. Substantial electron transfer from the electride support to copper nanoparticles via electronic metal-support interactions results in the accumulation of excess electrons at the surface of copper nanoparticles. Moreover, the surface-accumulated excess electrons prohibit the oxidation of copper nanoparticle, thereby maintaining the metallic surface in a negatively charged state and activating both (aza)indoles and disulfides under mild conditions in the absence of any further additives. This study defines the role of excess electrons on the nanoparticle-based heterogeneous catalyst that can be rationalized in versatile systems.

Recent advances in the routes and catalysts for ethanol synthesis from syngas

Ethanol, as one of the important bulk chemicals, is widely used in modern society. It can be produced by fermentation of sugar, petroleum refining, or conversion of syngas (CO/H₂). Among these approaches, conversion of syngas to ethanol (STE) is the most environmentally friendly and economical process. Although considerable progress has been made in STE conversion, control of CO activation and C-C growth remains a great challenge. This review highlights recent advances in the routes and catalysts employed in STE technology. The catalyst designs and pathway designs are summarized and analysed for the direct and indirect STE routes, respectively. In the direct STE routes (i.e., one-step synthesis of ethanol from syngas), modified catalysts of methanol synthesis, modified catalysts of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, Mo-based catalysts, noble metal catalysts and multifunctional catalysts are systematically reviewed based on their catalyst designs. Further, in the indirect STE routes (i.e., multi-step processes for ethanol synthesis from syngas via methanol/dimethyl ether as intermediates), carbonylation of methanol/dimethyl ether followed by hydrogenation, and coupling of methanol with CO to form dimethyl oxalate followed by hydrogenation, are outlined according to their pathway designs. The goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive perspective on STE technology and inspire the invention of new catalysts and pathway designs in the near future.

Converting waste PET plastics into automobile fuels and antifreeze components

With the aim to solve the serious problem of white plastic pollution, we report herein a low-cost process to quantitatively convert polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into p-xylene (PX) and ethylene glycol (EG) over modified Cu/SiO₂ catalyst using methanol as both solvent and hydrogen donor. Kinetic and in-situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies demonstrate that the degradation of PET into PX involves tandem PET methanolysis and dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) selective hydro-deoxygenation (HDO) steps with the in-situ produced H₂ from methanol decomposition at 210 °C. The overall high activities are attributed to the high Cu⁺/Cu⁰ ratio derived from the dense and granular copper silicate precursor, as formed by the induction of proper NaCl addition during the hydrothermal synthesis. This hydrogen-free one-pot approach allows to directly produce gasoline fuels and antifreeze components from waste poly-ester plastic, providing a feasible solution to the plastic problem in islands.

To solve the serious problem of white plastic pollution many degradation routes are being investigated. Here the authors show a H₂-free low-cost Cu/SiO₂ catalyzed process to quantitatively convert polyethylene terephthalate into p-xylene and ethylene glycol in one pot with methanol as both the solvent and hydrogen source at 210 °C.

Ambient-pressure synthesis of ethylene glycol catalyzed by C60-buffered Cu/SiO2

Bulk chemicals such as ethylene glycol (EG) can be industrially synthesized from either ethylene or syngas, but the latter undergoes a bottleneck reaction and requires high hydrogen pressures. We show that fullerene (exemplified by C₆₀) can act as an electron buffer for a copper-silica catalyst (Cu/SiO₂). Hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate over a C₆₀-Cu/SiO₂ catalyst at ambient pressure and temperatures of 180° to 190°C had an EG yield of up to 98 ± 1%. In a kilogram-scale reaction, no deactivation of the catalyst was seen after 1000 hours. This mild route for the final step toward EG can be combined with the already-industrialized ambient reaction from syngas to the intermediate of dimethyl oxalate.

Organogel-assisted porous organic polymer embedding Cu NPs for selectivity control in the semi hydrogenation of alkynes

Heteroatom-rich porous-organic-polymers (POPs) comprising highly cross-linked robust skeletons with high physical and thermal stability, high surface area, and tunable pore size distribution have garnered significant research interest owing to their versatile functionalities in a wide range of applications. Here, we report a newly developed organogel-assisted porous-organic-polymer (POP) supported Cu catalyst (Cu@TpRb-POP). The organogel was synthesized via a temperature induced gelation strategy, employing Schiff-base coupling between 2,4,6-triformylphloroglucinol aldehyde (Tp) and pararosaniline base (Rb). The gel is subsequently transformed to hierarchical porous organic structures without the use of any additive, thereby offering advantageous features including extremely low density, high surface area, a highly cross-linked framework, and a heteroatom-enriched backbone of the polymer. During the semi-hydrogenation of terminal and internal alkynes, the Cu@TpRb-POP-B catalyst with Cu embedded in the TpRb-POP structure consistently demonstrated improved selectivity towards alkenes compared to Cu@TpRb-POP-A, which contains Cu NPs exposed at the exterior surfaces of the POP support. Additionally, Cu@TpRb-POP-B showed higher stability and reusability than Cu@TpRb-POP-A. The superior performance of the Cu@TpRb-POP-B catalyst is attributed to the steric hindrance effect, which controls the product selectivity, as well as the synergistic interaction between the heteroatom-rich POP framework and the embedded Cu NPs. Both the effects are corroborated by experimental characterization of the catalysts and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Ultra-high thermal stability of sputtering reconstructed Cu-based catalysts

The rational design of high-temperature endurable Cu-based catalysts is a long-sought goal since they are suffering from significant sintering. Establishing a barrier on the metal surface by the classical strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) is supposed to be an efficient way for immobilizing nanoparticles. However, Cu particles were regarded as impossible to form classical SMSI before irreversible sintering. Herein, we fabricate the SMSI between sputtering reconstructed Cu and flame-made LaTiO₂ support at a mild reduction temperature, exhibiting an ultra-stable performance for more than 500 h at 600 °C. The sintering of Cu nanoparticles is effectively suppressed even at as high as 800 °C. The critical factors to success are reconstructing the electronic structure of Cu atoms in parallel with enhancing the support reducibility, which makes them adjustable by sputtering power or decorated supports. This strategy will extremely broaden the applications of Cu-based catalysts at more severe conditions and shed light on establishing SMSI on other metals.

Intercalating lithium into the lattice of silver nanoparticles boosts catalytic hydrogenation of carbon-oxygen bonds

Coinage metal nanoparticles with high dispersion can serve as highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts. However, owing to their low melting point, poor thermal stability remains a major obstacle towards their application under reaction conditions. It is a common practice to use porous inorganic templates such as mesoporous silica SBA-15 to disperse Ag nanoparticles (NPs) against aggregation but their stability is far from satisfactory. Here, we show that the catalytic activity for hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate (DMO) to methyl glycolate (MG) over Ag NPs dispersed on SBA-15 silica can be further promoted by incorporation of alkali metal ions at small loading, which follows the inverse order of their cationic size: Li+ > Na+ > K+ > Rb+. Among these, 5Ag1-Li0.05/SBA-15 can double the MG yield compared to pristine 5Ag/SBA-15 under identical conditions with superior thermal stability. Akin to the effect of an ionic surfactant on stabilization of a micro-emulsion, the cationic charge of an alkali metal ion can maintain dispersion and modulate the surface valence of Ag NPs. Interstitial Li in the octahedral holes of the face center packed Ag lattice is for the first time confirmed by X-ray pair distribution function and electron ptychography. It is believed that this interstitial-stabilization of coinage metal nanoparticles could be broadly applicable to multi-metallic nanomaterials for a broad range of C-O bond activating catalytic reactions of esters.

Ti3+ Tuning the Ratio of Cu+ /Cu0 in the Ultrafine Cu Nanoparticles for Boosting the Hydrogenation Reaction

Hydrogenation of diesters to diols is a vital process for chemical industry. The inexpensive Cu⁺ /Cu⁰ -based catalysts are highly active for the hydrogenation of esters, however, how to efficiently tune the ratio of Cu⁺ /Cu⁰ and stabilize the Cu⁺ is a great challenge. In this work, it is demonstrated that doped Ti ions can tune the ratio of Cu⁺ /Cu⁰ and stabilize the Cu⁺ by the TiOCu bonds in Ti-doped SiO₂ supported Cu nanoparticle (Cu/Ti-SiO₂ ) catalysts for the high conversion of dimethyl adipate to 1,6-hexanediol. In the synthesis of the catalysts, the Ti⁴⁺ OCu²⁺ bonds promote the reduction of Cu²⁺ to Cu⁺ by forming Ti³⁺ O_V Cu⁺ (O_V : oxygen vacancy) bonds and the amount of Ti doping can tune the ratio of Cu⁺ /Cu⁰ . In the catalytic reaction, the O vacancy activates CO in the ester by forming new Ti^{3+ δ} O_R Cu^{1+ δ} bonds (O_R : reactant oxygen), and Cu⁰ activates hydrogen. After the products are desorbed, the Ti^{3+ δ} O_R Cu^{1+ δ} bonds return to the initial state of Ti³⁺ O_V Cu⁺ bonds. The reversible TiOCu bonds greatly improve the activity and stability of the Cu/Ti-SiO₂ catalysts. When the content of Ti is controlled at 0.4 wt%, the conversion and selectivity can reach 100% and 98.8%, respectively, and remain stable for 260 h without performance degradation.

CNT-Assembled Octahedron Carbon-Encapsulated Cu3P/Cu Heterostructure by In Situ MOF-Derived Engineering for Superior Lithium Storage: Investigations by Experimental Implementation and First-Principles Calculation

Conspicuously, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) serve as homogenously and periodically atom-dispersed self-sacrificial template for in situ engineering of hierarchical porous carbon-encapsulated micro/nanoheterostructure materials, integrating the merits of micro/nanostructure to high-volumetric energy storage. Copper phosphide represents a promising candidate due to its compact material density compared to commercial graphite. Herein, micro/nanostructured Cu3P/Cu encapsulated by carbon-nanotube-assembled hierarchical octahedral carbonaceous matrix (Cu3P/Cu@CNHO) is constructed by an in situ MOF-derived engineering for novel anode material in LIBs, which achieves an extraordinary cycling stability (a well-maintained gravimetric/volumetric capacity of 463.2 mAh g-1/1878.4 mAh cm-3 at 1 A g-1 up to 1600 cycles) and distinguished rate capability (an ameliorated capacity of 317.7 mAh g-1 even at 10 A g-1), together with unprecedented heat-resistant capability (an elevated temperature of 50 °C for 1000 cycles maintaining 434.7 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1). The superior electrochemical performance of Cu3P/Cu@CNHO is credited to the large specific surface area, conductive carbon matrix and metallic copper dopants, synergistic effects of the intrinsic Cu3P/Cu heterostructure, and well-defined micro/nanostructure, facilitating a boosted electrochemical conductivity and accelerated diffusion kinetics.

Single-atom nickel confined nanotube superstructure as support for catalytic wet air oxidation of acetic acid

Single-atom confined materials (SACMs) have been widely researched as catalysts in many fields within recent years. However, this class of materials may not only serve as a catalyst but also as a support material for certain reactions. Here we propose a general strategy to use SACMs as supports for tuning loaded noble metal (e.g., Ru) nanoparticles with enhanced catalytic activity. As a proof of concept, a nickel single-atom confined nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube (NCNT) superstructure is prepared as a support to load noble metal Ru for catalytic wet air oxidation of acetic acid. Improved catalytic activity with a mineralization rate of ~97.5% is achieved. Further, adsorption configurations based on DFT calculations also confirm our deduction that the introduction of single-atom Ni changes the intrinsic property of NCNTs and affects the loaded active Ru nanoparticles.

Nanoporous Ni3P Evolutionarily Structured onto a Ni Foam for Highly Selective Hydrogenation of Dimethyl Oxalate to Methyl Glycolate

Methyl glycolate (MG) is a versatile platform molecule to produce numerous important chemicals and materials, especially new-generation biocompatible and biodegradable poly(glycolic acid). In principle, it can be massively produced from syngas (CO + H₂) via gas-phase hydrogenation of CO-derived dimethyl oxalate (DMO), but the groundbreaking catalyst represents a grand challenge. Here, we report the discovery of a Ni-foam-structured nanoporous Ni₃P catalyst, evolutionarily transformed from a Ni₂P/Ni-foam engineered from nano- to macro-scale, being capable of nearly fully converting DMO into MG at >95% selectivity and stable for at least 1000 h without any sign of deactivation. As revealed by kinetic experiments and theoretical calculations, in comparison with Ni₂P, Ni₃P achieves a higher surface electron density that is favorable for MG adsorption in a molecular manner rather than in a dissociative manner and has much higher activation energy for MG hydrogenation to ethylene glycol (EG), thereby markedly suppressing its overhydrogenation to EG.

Recent Advances in Catalytic Hydrogenation of Furfural

Furfural has been considered as one of the most promising platform molecules directly derived from biomass. The hydrogenation of furfural is one of the most versatile reactions to upgrade furanic components to biofuels. For instance, it can lead to plenty of downstream products, such as (tetrahydro)furfuryl alcohol, 2-methyl(tetrahydro)furan, lactones, levulinates, cyclopentanone(l), or diols, etc. The aim of this review is to discuss recent advances in the catalytic hydrogenation of furfural towards (tetrahydro)furfuryl alcohol and 2-methyl(tetrahydro)furan in terms of different non-noble metal and noble metal catalytic systems. Reaction mechanisms that are related to the different catalytic materials and reaction conditions are properly discussed. Selective hydrogenation of furfural could be modified not only by varying the types of catalyst (nature of metal, support, and preparation method) and reaction conditions, but also by altering the reaction regime, namely from batch to continuous flow. In any case, furfural catalytic hydrogenation is an open research line, which represents an attractive option for biomass valorization towards valuable chemicals and fuels.

Toward rational catalyst design for partial hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate to methyl glycolate: a descriptor-based microkinetic analysis

A descriptor-based microkinetic analysis has been performed to provide a basis for the catalyst screening for DMO hydrogenation to MG.