Rh/Cr2O3 and CoOx Cocatalysts for Efficient Photocatalytic Water Splitting by Poly (Triazine Imide) Crystals

In situ photo-deposition of both Pt and CoO_x cocatalysts on the facets of poly (triazine imide) (PTI) crystals has been developed for photocatalytic overall water splitting. However, the undesired backward reaction (i.e., water formation) on the noble Pt surface is a spontaneously down-hill process, which restricts their efficiency to run the overall water splitting reaction. Herein, we demonstrate that the efficiency for photocatalytic overall water splitting could be largely promoted by the decoration of Rh/Cr₂O₃ and CoO_x as H₂ and O₂ evolution cocatalysts, respectively. Results reveal that the dual cocatalysts greatly extract charges from bulk to surface, while the Rh/Cr₂O₃ cocatalyst dramatically restrains the backward reaction, achieving an apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 20.2 % for the photocatalytic overall water splitting reaction.     

Smog chamber study of H2O2 formation in ethene?NOx and propene?NOx mixtures

Hydrogen peroxide formation in the photooxidation of CO? NO_x, ethene? NO_x, and propene? NO_x mixtures has been determined in the TVA 31 cubic meter smog chamber under the following conditions: [NO_x] ca. 22–46 ppb; ethene = 0.22–1.1 ppm, [propene] = 0.12–0.97 ppm; [H₂O] ca. 8 × 10^?3 ppm. Ethene, propene, NO, NO_x, PAN, HCHO, and CH₃CHO were also monitored. Computer modeling was performed using the gas phase ethene and propene mechanism of the Regional Acid Deposition Model. There is good agreement between the model predicted and observed H₂O₂ concentrations. However, to successfully model all the propene? NO_x experimental results, organic nitrate formation from the reaction of peroxy radicals with NO must be included in the mechanism.     

A new bicomponent catalyst for NOx reduction in oxygen-rich atmosphere

The NO_x catalytic reduction in oxygen-rich atmosphere using propene as a reductant is studied. A Mn-perovskite-type catalyst containing rare earth in A site and copper in B site substitution is synthesized. Then, it is supported as clusters on a silicon carbide ceramic sponge, where alumina has previously been deposited. This catalyst is tested for NO_x reduction reaction and the influence of gas space velocity, oxygen and propene concentrations is investigated. NO_x conversion may reach 75 % under certain conditions. The activity of such a catalyst is explained by the formation of carbon on the surface of the alumina and its interaction with the perovskite.     

Porous TiO2 Nanotubes with Spatially Separated Platinum and CoOx Cocatalysts Produced by Atomic Layer Deposition for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes, and associated surface reactions, is a crucial aspect of efficient semiconductor photocatalytic systems employed for photocatalytic hydrogen production. A new CoO_x/TiO₂/Pt photocatalyst produced by template‐assisted atomic layer deposition is reported for photocatalytic hydrogen production on Pt and CoO_x dual cocatalysts. Pt nanoclusters acting as electron collectors and active sites for the reduction reaction are deposited on the inner surface of porous TiO₂ nanotubes, while CoO_x nanoclusters acting as hole collectors and active sites for oxidation reaction are deposited on the outer surface of porous TiO₂ nanotubes. A CoO_x/TiO₂/Pt photocatalyst, comprising ultra‐low concentrations of noble Pt (0.046 wt %) and CoO_x (0.019 wt %) deposited simultaneously with one atomic layer deposition cycle, achieves remarkably high photocatalytic efficiency (275.9 μmol h⁻¹), which is nearly five times as high as that of pristine TiO₂ nanotubes (56.5 μmol h⁻¹). The highly dispersed Pt and CoO_x nanoclusters, porous structure of TiO₂ nanotubes with large specific surface area, and the synergetic effect of the spatially separated Pt and CoO_x dual cocatalysts contribute to the excellent photocatalytic activity.     

Rhodium–Aluminum-Mixed Oxide Catalysts for Selective Reduction of NO x by Hydrocarbons

Rhodium—alumina-mixed oxides have been investigated as catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NO _x by propene, as a part of the R&D Project of Next Generation Catalysts Research Institute. The results indicated that the NO _x reduction activity increases with a decrease in the reducibility of rhodium, suppressing wasteful consumption of propene by the reaction with oxygen. Coprecipitation method for the preparation of Rh-alumina catalysts was effective for the formation of the less-reducible rhodium sites, and the addition of zirconium and gallium further enhanced the formation of those sites and increased the selectivity of NO _x reduction.     

Polymerization behavior of propene with [t-BuNSiMe2Flu]TiMe2: effects of solvents and cocatalysts

The titanum complex [η¹:η³tert-butyldimethylfluorenylsilyl]-amido)dimethyltitanum ([t-BuNSiMe₂Flu]TiMe₂, Cat.A) was synthesized by an alternatively quicker one pot procedure. Polymerization of propene in the presence of [t-BuNSiMe₂Flu]TiMe₂/dried pure methylaluminoxane (d-PMAO) system at 0 °C was investigated in toluene and heptane. A strong enhancement of productivity was observed in toluene compared to heptane. Polymerization of propene was also investigated with Cat.A in heptane, with different cocatalysts, d-PMAO and dried pure modified methylaluminoxane (d-MMAO), which was prepared from the mixture of trimethylaluminum (TMA) and triisobutylaluminum (TIBA). A 10-fold higher number average molecular weight (M_n) and broad molecular weight distribution (MWD) was obtained with d-PMAO in heptane, even though kinetic features and other parameters signified the living nature of the polymerization process. However, the broadening of MWD was attributed to the poor insolubility of d-PMAO in heptane.     

Effect of the rhenium additive to VOx/TiO2 and MoOx/TiO2 catalysts on their properties in oxidative dehydrogenation of propane

VO_x/TiO₂ and MoO_x/TiO₂ catalysts with the addition of Re (Re/V or Mo = 0.5) were synthetized and tested in oxidative dehydrogenation of propane and in reduction by propane. XPS measurements showed depletion of the surface in Re. The Re additive does not affect the total conversion of propane, but increases the selectivity to propene. The effect is more pronounced for the MoO_x/TiO₂ catalyst. The increase in the selectivity to propene is accompanied with the increase in the reducibility of the catalysts.     

A semi-empirical method for prediction of critical concentrations for polymer overlap in solution

The hydrodynamic volumes of solvated polymers shrink with increasing concentrations in solution until a concentration (c_x) is reached at which the effective dimensions are the same as those in a Flory theta solvent. Further increases beyond c_x result in progressively greater overlapping of separate macromolecules. Several theories are available for the prediction of c_x but none is entirely satisfactory. A semi-empirical method is described here for the estimation of c_x, using intrinsic viscosities as input parameters. The magnitude of c_x is shown to be solvent dependent; its lower limit is zero, in a theta solvent.     

Comparative study of coke deposition on catalysts in reactions with and without oxygen

Two types of catalysts, i.e. Pt/γ Al₂O₃ and Cu/Na-ZSM-5, were used to investigate the catalyst activity and amount of coke formation on the spent catalysts. The reactions of particular interest were the hydrocarbon oxidation and the SCR of NO with and without O₂. Propane and propene were used as the hydrocarbon sources. The reaction conditions were as follows: reaction temperature =170–500°C, GHSV=4,000 hr⁻¹, TOS=2 hr, feed composition depending on each reaction, but the composition of gases were fixed as HC=3,000 ppm, NO=1,000 ppm and O₂=2.5%, using He balance. It was found that both the case of Pt/γ Al₂O₃ and the case of Cu/Na-ZSM-5, propene provided higher conversion and coke deposition than propane in the presence or the absence of O₂ and/or NO. For Pt/γ Al₂O₃ catalyst, in case of the absence of oxygen reactions, the propene conversion dropped more rapidly than the propane conversion. Finally the reaction of propene gave a lower percent of hydrocarbon conversion than the reaction of propane. Additionally, propene had a higher percent selectivity of coke formation for the reaction with the absence of oxygen, but propane had a higher percent selectivity of coke formation for the reaction with the presence of oxygen. For Cu/Na-ZSM-5, in the system with absence and presence of oxygen, the addition of oxygen caused a significant change in % coke selectivity. With the presence of NO_x, the percent conversion of both propane and propene decreased and that the % coke selectivity of propane decreased, whereas that of in propene increased.     

AlR2Cl/MgR2 combinations as universal cocatalysts for Ziegler–Natta,metallocene, and post‐metallocene catalysts

Combinations of dialkylaluminum chlorides and dialkylmagnesium compounds, when used at molar [AlR₂Cl]:[MgR₂] ratios ≥ 2, act as universal cocatalysts for all three presently known types of alkene polymerization catalysts—Ziegler–Natta, metallocene, and post‐metallocene. When these cocatalysts are used with supported Ti‐based Ziegler–Natta catalysts, they produce catalyst systems which are 1.5–2 times more active than the systems utilizing AlR₃ compounds as cocatalysts. Combinations of AlR₂Cl/MgR₂ cocatalysts and various metallocene complexes produce single‐center catalyst systems similar to those formed in the presence of MAO. The same cocatalysts activate numerous post‐metallocene Ti complexes containing bidentate ligands of a different nature and produce multicenter systems of very high activity. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3271–3285, 2009     

Development of Cocatalysts for Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting on (Ga1? x Zn x )(N1? x O x ) Solid Solution

The development of cocatalysts promoting overall water splitting on (Ga_1−x Zn _x )(N_1−x O _x ) solid solution photocatalyst is presented. The (Ga_1−x Zn _x )(N_1−x O _x ) is a stable visible-light-driven photocatalyst for stoichiometric water splitting upon loading with a suitable nanoparticulate cocatalyst. Loading with a combination of Cr and Rh oxides, Rh_2−y Cr _y O₃, is demonstrated to raise the quantum efficiency of (Ga_1−x Zn _x )(N_1−x O _x ) for overall water splitting to 2.5% at 420–440 nm. This represents a 10-fold increase in efficiency over the highest efficiency previously obtained using nanoparticulate RuO₂ as a cocatalyst. In addition to the composition, the dispersion and size of cocatalyst nanoparticles are identified as important factors affecting the degree of enhancement for stoichiometric water splitting. Kazuhiko Maeda—Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).     

Interaction of common cocatalysts in Ziegler–Natta-catalyzed olefin polymerization

In this study, density functional theory (DFT) molecular modeling studies were performed to explore mechanisms underlying the interactions of cocatalysts in Ziegler–Natta olefin polymerization using a range of commercially available cocatalysts, namely, trimethylaluminum (in monomeric and dimeric form, Al₂Me₆), dimethylaluminum chloride (in monomeric and dimeric form, Al₂Me₄Cl₂), and triisobutylaluminum. In this regard, after exploring structural and electronic features of cocatalysts, by steric maps and conceptual DFT, their interaction with possible impurities in hydrocarbon solvents and monomer feeds such as NH₃, CH₃OH, H₂O, H₂S, CO₂, and O₂ was considered. Then, activation of Ti species, adsorbed on the (110) and (104) surfaces, with the assistance of cocatalysts was studied as well. In this aspect, two possible reactions were investigated: (i) formation of first vacancy on Ti center and (ii) formation of first Ti–C bond by transalkylation reaction with cocatalysts. Finally, the effect of cocatalysts on the stereospecificity of Ti center adsorbed on the (110) surface was also taken into account by DFT calculations.     

H-ZSM-5分子筛硅铝比对其催化的甲醇转化丙烯选择性的影响

本研究合成了一系列硅铝比不同（SiO₂/Al₂O₃=50-4000），但晶粒粒径相近的ZSM-5分子筛，并考察了硅铝比对甲醇转化反应丙烯选择性的影响。采用XRD、N₂吸附-脱附、NH₃-TPD和Py-FTIR方法对合成的HZSM-5分子筛进行物化性质表征。实验结果表明，随着硅铝比的增大，初始甲醇转化率降低，其中，硅铝比为50-1600的样品可以实现甲醇的完全转化。在甲醇完全转化的条件下，随着硅铝比的增大，丙烯选择性单调增加，从机理角度出发，揭示了甲醇转化制丙烯反应中，甲基化/裂化循环相较于甲基化/脱烷基化循环进行程度更大。此外，本研究提出了在甲醇完全转化条件下，保证最大丙烯选择性所需要的临界酸密度值（[AS]_S），当甲醇进料量为0.162g/min时，该临界值为0.175μmol/m²。     

Thin Heterojunctions and Spatially Separated Cocatalysts To Simultaneously Reduce Bulk and Surface Recombination in Photocatalysts

Efficient charge separation and light absorption are crucial for solar energy conversion over solid photocatalysts. This paper describes the construction of Pt@TiO₂@In₂O₃@MnO_x mesoporous hollow spheres (PTIM‐MSs) for highly efficient photocatalytic oxidation. TiO₂–In₂O₃ double‐layered shells were selectively decorated with Pt nanoparticles and MnO_x on the inner and outer surfaces, respectively. The spatially separated cocatalysts drive electrons and holes near the surface to flow in opposite directions, while the thin heterogeneous shell separates the charges generated in the bulk phase. The synergy between the thin heterojunctions and the spatially separated cocatalysts can simultaneously reduce bulk and surface/subsurface recombination. In₂O₃ also serves as a sensitizer to enhance light absorption. The PTIM‐MSs exhibit high photocatalytic activity for both water and alcohol oxidation.     

Thermal study of glass transitions in binary systems of simple hydrocarbons

Glass transition phenomena of four binary systems composed of simple hydrocarbons were studied by means of the differential thermal analysis (DTA). For all the systems, a definite glass transition was observed and a monotonous relation between the glass transition temperature (T _g) and composition (x) was obtained. The composition dependence ofT _g was analyzed in terms of the entropy theory based on the regular solution model. The theoretical prediction could not reproduce our results other than (1-butene)_x(1-pentene)_1?x system. This disagreement is considered to be due to deviations of the present systems from the regular solution, and the accompanying excess configurational entropy S_c ^E was estimated as a function of composition. Extraordinarily large values of S _c ^E ? were obtained for (propene)_x(propane)_1?x and (propene)inx(1-pentene)_1?x systems.     

Computer modeling of smog chamber data: Progress in validation of a detailed mechanism for the photooxidation of propene and n-butane in photochemical smog

A detailed mechanism is presented for reactions occurring during irradiation of part-per-million concentrations of propene and/or n-butane and oxides of nitrogen in air. Data from an extensive series of well-characterized smog chamber experiments carried out in our 5800-liter evacuable chamber–solar simulator facility designed for providing data suitable for quantitative model validation were used to elucidate several unknown or uncertain kinetic parameters and details of the reaction mechanism. The mechanism was then tested against the data base from the smog chamber runs. In general, most calculated concentration–time profiles agreed with experiments to within the experimental uncertainties. Fits were usually attained to within ～±20% or better for ozone, NO, propene, and n-butane, to within ～±30% or better for NO₂, PAN, methyl ethyl ketone, 2-butyl nitrate, butyraldehyde, and (in runs not containing propene) methyl nitrate, to within ?±50% or better for the minor products 1-butyl nitrate and propene oxide, and to within a factor of 2 for methyl nitrate in propene-containing runs. Propionaldehyde was consistently underpredicted in all runs; it is probably a chamber contaminant. For formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, the major products in both systems, fits to within ?±20% were often obtained, yet for a number of experiments, significantly greater discrepancies were observed, probably as a result of experimental and/or analytical problems. The good fits to experimental data were attained only after adjusting several rate constants or rate constant ratios related to uncertainties concerning chamber effects or the chemical mechanism. The largest uncertainty concerns the necessity to include in the mechanism a significant rate of radical input from unknown sources in the smog chamber. Other areas where fundamental kinetic and mechanistic data are most needed before a predictive, detailed propene + n-butane-NO_x-air smog model can be completely validated concern other chamber effects, the O₃ + propene mechanism, decomposition rates of substituted alkoxy radicals, primary quantum yields for radical production as a function of wavelength for aldehyde and ketone photolyses, and the mechanisms and rates of reactions of peroxy radicals with NO and NO².     

Kinetics and mechanism of the wet oxidation of propene to acetone in the presence of Pd2+ ions and Mo-V-phosphoric heteropoly acids ?

Summary Oxidation of propene to acetone in water solutions in the presence of homogeneous catalysts (Pd²⁺ + HPA-x, where HPA-x = H_3+xPV_xMo_12-xO₄₀, x = 1-4) is studied. This reaction is shown to be of the 1st order with respect to C₃H₆ and of the 0.5th order with respect to Pd. The reaction rate does not depend on the concentration of HPA-x and acidity of the catalyst solution. The apparent activation energy of the reaction is 21 kJ/mol. A reaction mechanism is proposed.     

Surface Coating of Amorphous TiOx Enables Efficient Vapor-fed Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting with Substantial Apparent Quantum Yield

Photocatalytic overall water splitting represents a promising strategy for sustainable hydrogen production. However, photocorrosion and dissolution of photocatalysts and cocatalysts are common concern for the solid-liquid phase reaction. Recently, the above issues could be addressed by Domen and coworkers, when the photocatalytic water splitting was conducted in the presence of water vapor, which dramatically restrain the undesired corrosion of the photocatalysts and cocatalysts. Besides, surface decoration of hygroscopic TiO_x layer promotes adsorption of water molecules and prevents the corrosion process. In addition, vapor-fed photocatalytic water splitting remains considerable apparent quantum yield compared with the liquid water photocatalytic overall water splitting at pressurized condition, which endows great potential in practical application.     

ZSM-5催化丙烯芳构化反应构效关系及反应特性

甲醇两步制芳烃反应中低碳烯烃芳构化反应稳定性优异,为分析其内在机制,制备了不同硅铝比（n_SiO2/n_Al2O3）及Zn负载量的ZSM-5催化剂,以丙烯芳构化为模型反应,分析ZSM-5表面酸性对低碳烯烃芳构化反应性能的影响规律,并探究反应微观特性。发现当硅铝比由150降至75时,增加的酸密度促进了烯烃氢转移芳构化过程,使芳烃选择性由31.0%增至34.4%,但丙烯直接参与的氢转移过程也被强化,使丙烷产物选择性由28.2%增至36.0%。引入Zn助剂可将部分Brønsted酸转变为Zn-Lewis酸,强化烯烃脱氢芳构化过程,使芳烃选择性进一步显著增加到62.4%。丙烯芳构化过程中芳烃烷基化深度比甲醇芳构化过程低,提升总芳烃选择性的同时,也明显抑制了难溶性积碳的形成,使反应稳定性明显提升。由此得出,甲醇两步制芳烃过程中甲醇制低碳烯烃过程对甲醇的预先消耗,抑制了低碳烯烃芳构化反应芳烃产物的深度烷基化,是该反应表现出优异稳定性的重要原因。     

水诱导磷化镍腐蚀及腐蚀抑制

过渡金属磷化物作为助催化剂广泛应用于电催化、光(电)催化、电化学储能等领域,但其在水介质中的稳定性研究较少。我们以磷化镍(Ni_xP)作为研究对象,详细研究了所制备的Ni_xP与水的反应行为。研究结果表明： Ni_xP与水反应生成H₂,同时自身被氧化生成PO₄^3-和Ni²⁺,发生严重的化学腐蚀。腐蚀的程度与Ni_xP的晶体结构、元素比例等因素有关。通过在Ni_xP表面沉积NiO、ZnO、TiO₂保护层可显著抑制Ni_xP的化学腐蚀,提高Ni_xP在水介质中的抗腐蚀能力。