Tuning the textural and surface properties of carbon xerogels to be used as supports for gold catalysts

Supported Gold Nanoparticles as Catalysts for the Oxidation of Alcohols and Alkanes

Supporting gold nanoparticles have shown to be extremely active for many industrially important reactions, including oxidations. Two representative examples are the oxidation of alcohols and alkanes, that are substrates of industrial interest, but whose oxidation is still challenging. This review deals with these reactions, giving an insight of the first studies performed by gold based catalysts in these reactions and the most recent developments in the field.

Synthesis of N-doped Carbon Xerogel (N-CX) and its Applications for Adsorption Removal of Microcystin-LR

N-doped carbon xerogel (N-CX) is synthesized and used for adsorption removal of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) from aqueous solution. Characterizations including N2 physisorption, TEM and XPS indicate that N atoms are doped into the N-CX and the material has porous structure. Adsorption tests show that the N-CX is efficient for MC-LR adsorption, with adsorption capacity of 1916.2 μg g−1, which is higher than that of commercial activated carbon (1034.13 μg g−1) and graphene oxide (1700 μg g−1). The material is recyclable after desorption treatment by washing with NaOH solution, with no loss of uptake within five cycles. Effect of initial MC-LR concentration, temperature, and pH on the adsorption behavior is further investigated, to realize the adsorption process, showing that the adsorption process obeys the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order equation. Thermodynamical calculation indicates that the adsorption of MC-LR onto N-CX is a spontaneous and exothermic process, with the Gibbs free energy (ΔG) of −16.1 kJ mol−1 and enthalpy (ΔH) of −18.45 kJ mol−1.