Chemical reaction of nitric oxides with the 5-1DB defect of the single-walled carbon nanotube

In this work, we applied a two-layered ONIOM (B3LYP/6-31G(d):UFF) method to study the reaction of nitric oxides with a 5-1DB defect on the sidewall of the single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT). We have chosen a suitable ONIOM model for the calculation of the SWCNT based on the analyses of the frontier molecular orbitals, local density of states, and natural bond orbitals. Our calculations clearly indicate that the 5-1DB defect is the chemically active center of the SWCNT. In the reaction of nitric oxides with the defected SWCNT, the 5-1DB defect site can capture a nitrogen atom from nitric oxides, yielding the N-substitutionally doped SWCNT. We have explored the reaction pathway in detail. Our work verifies the chemical reactivity of the 5-1DB defects of the SWCNTs, indicates that the 5-1DB defect is a possible site for the functionalization of the SWCNTs, and demonstrates a possible way to fabricate position controllable substitutionally doped SWCNTs with a low doping concentration under mild conditions via some simple chemical reactions.     

One-pot synthesis of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped activated carbon supported AuCl3 as efficient catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination

Commercialization of acetylene hydrochlorination using AuCl₃ catalysts has been impeded by its poor stability. We have been studying that nitrogen-modified Au/NAC catalyst delivered a stable performance which can improve acetylene hydrochlorination activity and has resistance to catalytic deactivation. Here we show that nitrogen and sulfur co-doped activated carbon supported AuCl₃ catalyst worked as efficient catalysts for the hydrochlorination of acetylene to vinyl chloride. Au/NSAC catalyst demonstrated high activity comparative to Au/AC catalyst. Furthermore, it also delivered stable performance within the selectivity of acetylene, reaching more than 99.5%, and there was only a 3.3% C₂H₂ conversion loss after running for 12 h under the reaction conditions of a temperature of 180℃ and a C₂H₂ hourly space velocity of 1480 h 1. The presence of the sulfur atoms may serve to immobilize/anchor the Au and also help prevent reduction and sintering of the Au and hence improve the catalytic activity and stability. The excellent catalytic performance of the Au/NSAC catalyst demonstrated its potential as an alternative to mercury chloride catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination.     

Pyrrolidone ligand improved Cu‐based catalysts with high performance for acetylene hydrochlorination

A series of Cu‐pyrrolidone/spherical activated carbon (SAC) catalysts were prepared via a simple incipient wetness impregnation method and then assessed in acetylene hydrochlorination, and the catalytic evaluation result indicated that the 1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone (NMP) ligand was found to be the most effective one to significantly improve the activity and stability of Cu catalyst. The catalyst with the optimal molar ratio of NMP/Cu = 0.25 showed 94.2% acetylene conversion at 180°C and an acetylene gas hourly space velocity of 180 h^?1. Moreover, the acetylene conversion of Cu‐0.25NMP/SAC remained stable over 99.1% for about 220 h under the industrial condition. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses proved that NMP ligand improved the dispersion of Cu species. In addition, hydrogen temperature‐programmed reduction (H₂‐TPR), X‐ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Brunner–Emmet–Teller (BET) indicated that the additive of NMP was preferential to stabilize the catalytic active Cu⁺ and Cu²⁺ species and inhibit the reduction of Cu^α+ to Cu⁰ during the preparation process and reaction, hence restraining the coke deposition. Furthermore, the steady coordination structure between Cu and NMP was confirmed by Fourier‐transform infrared spectra (FT‐IR) and Raman combining with density functional theory (DFT) calculation, which could effectively lower the adsorption energy of catalyst for C₂H₂ and inhibit the serious carbon deposition caused by excessive acetylene self‐accumulation. Our findings suggest that the efficient, well‐stabilized cost‐effective, and environmentally friendly Cu catalyst has great potential in acetylene hydrochlorination.     

Thermal properties of single walled carbon nanotube‐silicone nanocomposites

The effect of single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) fillers on the low temperature thermal properties and curing behavior of SWCNT‐silicone nanocomposite are reported for the first time. The SWCNT‐silicone composites were prepared by different mixing procedures and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Solution mix, with the aid of sonication and soaking achieved better dispersion of SWCNTs in the silicone. The adding of SWCNTs in polymer seriously hindered the curing of silicone elastomer. The hindrance increased with increasing concentration of SWCNT and the quality of dispersion. The glass transition temperatures (T_g) of the nanocomposites were found to be independent of the SWCNT addition, although, the steps in the heat capacity (Δc_p) of the glass transition were smaller with increasing SWCNTs concentration. The melt crystallization behavior was strongly dependent on the concentration and dispersion of SWCNT in the polymer. The cooling scan showed that the higher concentration and the better dispersion of SWCNTs in the silicone resulted in higher percentage of melt crystallization of this nanocomposite. The correlation of the change of thermal properties to the dispersion of CNT in polymer may be used to determine the quality of SWCNT dispersion in silicone polymer. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1845–1852, 2008     

乙炔氢氯化反应铜系催化剂的反应机理

以电石乙炔法制备氯乙烯的非汞催化反应体系为研究对象,用量子化学密度泛函理论(DFT)研究了以Cu基催化剂为代表的非汞催化剂的反应机理.模拟了以石墨烯为载体的乙炔氢氯化反应在Cu基催化剂作用下的两条反应路径及其过渡态.将该反应机理应用到不同金属氯化物催化剂中,通过计算相应的活化自由能和反应速率常数讨论了不同金属氯化物的活性顺序,与实验结果相比较印证了反应机理的合理性.讨论了Cu基催化剂的失活原因以及在载体中掺杂氮原子或磷原子对反应活性的影响.为非贵金属无汞催化剂的研究提供了一定的理论指导.     

The origin of the extraordinary stability of mercury catalysts on the carbon support: the synergy effects between oxygen groups and defects revealed from a combined experimental and DFT study

Thermal stability of HgCl₂ has a pivotal importance for the hydrochlorination reaction as the loss of mercuric compounds is toxic and detrimental to environment. Here we report a low-mercury catalyst which has durability over 10000 h for acetylene hydrochlorination under the industrial condition. The stability of the catalyst is carefully analyzed from a combined experimental and density functional theory study. The analysis shows that the extraordinary stability of mercury catalyst is resulted from the synergy effects between surface oxygen groups and defective edge sites. The binding energy of HgCl₂ is increased to be higher than 130 kJ/mol when adsorption is at the edge site with a nearby oxygen group. Therefore, the present study revealed that the thermal stability problem of mercury-based catalyst can be solved by simply adjusting the surface chemistry of activated carbon. Furthermore, the reported catalyst has already been successfully applied in the commercialized production of vinyl chloride.     

The activity and stability of PdCl<Subscript>2</Subscript>/C-N catalyst for acetylene hydrochlorination

Carbon supported PdCl₂ is highly active in catalyzing acetylene hydrochlorination reaction, but deactivates rather quickly. Upon nitrogen doping in the carbon structure, the stability of the PdCl₂ catalysts is significantly improved. Furthermore, the results show that 900 °C is a preferred doping temperature. The acetylene conversion keeps above 90% even after 1200 min time on stream whereas the one without nitrogen doping drops to below 10% after 450 min. The stabilizing mechanism of nitrogen doping on catalyst was studied.     

Efficient and stable Ru(III)-choline chloride catalyst system with low Ru content for non-mercury acetylene hydrochlorination

Herein, we report an excellent, supported Ru(III)-ChCl/AC catalyst with lower Ru content, where the ionic complex ChRuCl₄ serves as the active component for acetylene hydrochlorination. The prepared heterogeneous Ru-10%ChCl/AC catalyst shows excellent activity and long-term stability. In this system, ChCl provides an environment for the ChRuCl₄ to be stabilized as Ru(III), thus suppressing the reduction of the active species and the aggregation of ruthenium species during the reaction. The interaction between reactants and catalyst species was investigated by catalyst characterizations in combination with DFT calculations to disclose the effect of the ChRuCl₄ complex and ChCl on the catalytic performance. This inexpensive, efficient, and long-term catalyst is a competitive candidate for application in the hydrochlorination industry.     

Capacitive and Charge Transfer Effects of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in TiO2 Electrodes

The transfer of nanoscale properties from single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to macroscopic systems is a topic of intense research. In particular, inorganic composites of SWCNTs and metal oxide semiconductors are being investigated for applications in electronics, energy devices, photocatalysis, and electroanalysis. In this work, a commercial SWCNT material is separated into fractions containing different conformations. The liquid fractions show clear variations in their optical absorbance spectra, indicating differences in the metallic/semiconducting character and the diameter of the SWCNTs. Also, changes in the surface chemistry and the electrical resistance are evidenced in SWCNT solid films. The starting SWCNT sample and the fractions as well are used to prepare hybrid electrodes with titanium dioxide (SWCNT/TiO₂). Raman spectroscopy reflects the optoelectronic properties of SWCNTs in the SWCNT/TiO₂ electrodes, while the electrochemical behavior is studied by cyclic voltammetry. A selective development of charge transfer characteristics and double-layer behavior is achieved through the suitable choice of SWCNT fractions.     

Sn(II)/PN@AC catalysts: synthesis,physical-chemical characterization,and applications

In this study, the novel tin-based catalysts (Sn(II)/PN@AC) were prepared using the phosphorus and nitrogen dual-modified activated carbon as support and SnCl₂ as active compounds, as well as then evaluated in acetylene hydrochlorination. Under the reaction temperature of 180 °C and an acetylene gas hourly space velocity (GHSV-C₂H₂) of 30 h^–1, the 15%Sn(II)/PN@AC-550 showed the initial acetylene conversion of 100% and vinyl chloride selectivity over 98.5%. Additionally, the deactivation rate of 15%Sn(II)/PN@AC-550 reached 0.47% h^–1, which was lower than that of 15%Sn(II)/AC-550 (1.02% h^–1), suggesting that PN@AC-550 as novel support can retarded the deactivation of Sn(II)/AC-550 catalysts during acetylene hydrochlorination. Based on the catalytic tests and characterization results (XRD, Raman, BET surface area, TEM, C₂H₂-TPD, H₂-TPR, XPS, FT-IR, TGA, and ICP), it demonstrated that PN@AC-550 as support could effectively improve the dispersion of tin species, retard the formation of coke deposition, lessen the oxidation of SnCl₂ during the preparation process, as well as relatively inhibit the leach of tin species during the reaction. By combing the FTIR results and Rideal–Eley mechanism, we proposed that that HSnCl₃ was transition state of SnCl₂ in catalysis acetylene hydrochlorination and then adsorbed the acetylene to produce the vinyl chloride.     

Theoretical investigation of the stability,electronic and magnetic properties of thiolated single‐wall carbon nanotubes

The addition of SH and OH groups to single‐wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was investigated employing first principles calculations. In the case of the semiconducting (10, 0) SWCNT the SWCNT‐SH binding energy is weak, 2–4 kcal/mol. However, for the metallic (5, 5) SWCNT it is larger, 7–9 kcal/mol. Thus metallic SWCNTs seem to be more reactive to SH than the semiconducting ones. Indeed, the (6, 6) SWCNT is more reactive to SH than the (10, 0) SWCNT, by 2–3 kcal/mol, something that can be explained only considering the electronic structure of the tube, because the (6, 6) has a larger diameter. The binding energies are larger for the addition of the OH group, 25 and 30 kcal/mol for the (10, 0) and (5, 5) SWCNTs, respectively. When a single OH or SH group is attached to the metallic SWCNTs, we observe important changes in the DOS at the Fermi level. However, when multiple SH groups are attached, the changes in the electronic and magnetic properties depend on the position of the SH groups. The small binding energy found for the SH addition indicates that the successful functionalization of SWCNTs with SH, SCH₃, and S(CH₂)_nSH groups is mostly due to the presence of defects created after acid treatment and to a minor extent by the metallic tubes present in the samples. Perfect semiconducting SWCNTs showed very low reactivity against the SH group. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009     

掺氮石墨烯-铜基催化剂的制备及催化性能

采用水热法合成掺氮石墨烯(N/GN),通过超声辅助等体积浸渍法制备掺氮石墨烯-铜基催化剂(Cu-N/GN)。通过XRD、SEM、TEM、N2吸附脱附、XPS和XAES对催化剂的微观结构、形貌及元素组成进行表征,并考察Cu-N/GN对乙炔氢氯化反应的催化性能。结果表明:在催化剂中铜颗粒尺寸较小、均匀分布于N/GN片层上,且铜含量较低(3.6%);Cu-N/GN对乙炔氢氯化反应的催化效果良好,乙炔转化率为68%,氯乙烯选择性为99%。     

Controlled growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes on patterned substrates

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have attracted great interest in the last two decades because of their unique electrical, optical, thermal, mechanical properties, etc. One major research field of SWCNTs is the controlled growth of them from the patterned catalysts on substrates, since the integration of SWCNTs into nanoelectronics and other devices requires well-organized SWCNT arrays. This tutorial review describes the commonly used lithographic techniques to pattern catalysts used for controlled growth of SWCNTs, specifically confined to the horizontal direction. Advantages and disadvantages of each method will be briefly discussed. Applications of the SWCNT arrays grown from the catalyst patterns will also be introduced.     

Kinetics of the catalytic hydrochlorination of acetylene on the surface of mechanically preactivated K2PtCl4

The hydrochlorination of acetylene by gaseous HCl is catalyzed at room temperature on the surface of dry K₂PtCl₄ subjected to mechanical preactivation in an acetylene atmosphere. The acetylene hydrochlorination product is formed by trans addition. The kinetic isotope effect (KIE) upon replacing HCl by DCl is 5 ± 1, which is much greater than the KIE found in the catalytic hydrochlorination of acetylene on the surface of mechanically preactivated K₂PtCl₆ (1.9). This discrepancy suggests different reaction mechanisms in these two systems. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 173–177, May–June, 2006.     

Dynamics of local chirality during SWCNT growth: armchair versus zigzag nanotubes

We present an analysis of the dynamics of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) chirality during growth, using the recently developed local chirality index (LOCI) method [ Kim et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2011 , 107 , 175505 ] in conjunction with quantum chemical molecular dynamics (QM/MD) simulations. Using (5,5) and (8,0) SWCNT fragments attached to an Fe(38) catalyst nanoparticle, growth was induced by periodically placing carbon atoms at the edge of the SWCNT. For both armchair and zigzag SWCNTs, QM/MD simulations indicate that defect healing-the process of defect removal during growth-is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for chirality-controlled SWCNT growth. Time-evolution LOCI analysis shows that healing, while restoring the pristine hexagon structure of the growing SWCNT, also leads to changes in the local chirality of the SWCNT edge region and thus of the entire SWCNT itself. In this respect, we show that zigzag SWCNTs are significantly inferior in maintaining their chirality during growth compared to armchair SWCNTs.     

Effect of mechanicochemical treatment on the activity of K<Subscript>2</Subscript>PdCl<Subscript>4</Subscript> in the heterogeneous catalytic hydrochlorination of acetylene

A heterogeneous catalyst for the hydrochlorination of acetylene using gaseous HCl was obtained by prior mechanical activation of K₂PdCl₄ powder in an atmosphere of acetylene or propylene. Active sites are formed during the mechanical treatment in the surface layers of the catalyst, which are Pd(II) complexes with a coordination vacancy.     

Mechanochemical Activation of K2PtCl6: Heterogeneous Catalyst for Gas-Phase Hydrochlorination of Acetylene

A heterogeneous catalyst for hydrochlorination of acetylene by gas-phase HCl is formed as a result of mechanical treatment of the solid salt K₂PtCl₆ under an acetylene, ethylene, or propylene atmosphere. We used X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to prove that under these conditions, in the near-surface layers of the K₂PtCl₆ matrix, there was formation of Pt(II) complexes and platinum complexes with vacancies in the coordination sphere. We hypothesized that the active centers of the catalyst are defects in the K₂PtCl₆ lattice in the form of impurity platinum(II) ions in the K₂PtCl₆ matrix.     

Kinetics and mechanism of catalytic acetylene hydrochlorination with gaseous HCl on the surface of mechanically activated K<Subscript>2</Subscript>PdCl<Subscript>4</Subscript>

The catalyst for acetylene hydrochlorination with gaseous HCl at room temperature is prepared by mechanical pretreatment of K₂PdCl₄ in an acetylene atmosphere. The rate-determining step of the reaction is the chloropalladation of π-coordinated acetylene involving an HCl molecule. As a consequence, the replacement of HCl with DCl brings about a kinetic isotope effect of 2.8 ± 0.4, which differs substantially from that observed in the protodemetalation of the intermediate palladium(II) chlorovinyl derivative yielding vinyl chloride (6.8 ± 0.6).     

Poly(γ‐benzyl‐L‐glutamate)‐functionalized single‐walled carbon nanotubes from surface‐initiated ring‐opening polymerizations of N‐carboxylanhydride

Single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been functionalized with poly(γ‐benzyl‐L ‐glutamate) (PBLG) by ring‐opening polymerizations of γ‐benzyl‐L ‐glutamic acid‐based N‐carboxylanhydrides (NCA‐BLG) using amino‐functionalized SWCNTs (SWCNT‐NH₂) as initiators. The SWCNT functionalization has been verified by FTIR spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The FTIR study reveals that surface‐attached PBLGs adopt random‐coil conformations in contrast to the physically absorbed or bulk PBLGs, which exhibit α‐helical conformations. Raman spectroscopic analysis reveals a significant alteration of the electronic structure of SWCNTs as a result of PBLG functionalization. The PBLG‐functionalized SWCNTs (SWCNT‐PBLG) exhibit enhanced solubility in DMF. Stable DMF solutions of SWCNT‐PBLG/PBLG with a maximum SWCNTs concentration of 259 mg L^?1 can be readily obtained. SWCNT‐PBLG/PBLG solid composites have been characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, wide/small‐angle X‐ray scattering (W/SAXS), scanning electron microscopy, and polarized optical microscopy for their thermal or morphological properties. Microfibers containing SWCNT‐PBLG and PBLG can also be prepared via electrospinning. WAXS characterization reveals that SWCNTs are evenly distributed among PBLG rods in solution and in the solid state where PBLGs form a short‐range nematic phase interspersed with amorphous domains. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2340–2350, 2010     

Synthesis and characterization of polyethylene chains grafted onto the sidewalls of single‐walled carbon nanotubes via copolymerization

Polyethylene (PE) chains grafted onto the sidewalls of SWCNTs (SWCNT‐g‐PE) were successfully synthesized via ethylene copolymerization with functionalized single‐walled carbon nanotubes (f‐SWCNTs) catalyzed by rac‐(en)(THInd)₂ZrCl₂/MAO. Here f‐SWCNTs, in which α‐alkene groups were chemically linked on the sidewalls of SWCNTs, were synthesized by Prato reaction. The composition and microstructure of SWCNT‐g‐PE were characterized by means of ¹H NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), field‐emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Nanosized cable‐like structure was formed in the SWCNT‐g‐PE, in which the PE formed a tubular shell and several SWCNTs bundles existed as core. The formation of the above morphology in the SWCNT‐g‐PE resulted from successfully grafting of PE chains onto the surface of SWCNTs via copolymerization. The grown PE chains grafted onto the sidewall of the f‐SWCNTs promoted the exfoliation of the mass nanotubes. Comparing with pure PE, the physical mixture of PE/f‐SWCNTs and in situ PE/SWCNTs mixture, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of SWCNT‐g‐PE were higher because of the chemical bonding between the f‐SWCNTs and PE chains. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5459–5469, 2007