Catalytic performance of Ni-Al layered double hydroxides in CO purification processes

Ni-Al layered double hydroxides with Ni²⁺/Al³⁺ molar ratios of 1.5 and 3.0 have been synthesized by co-precipitation and studied as catalyst precursors for purification of CO-containing gas-mixtures by means of CO oxidation to CO₂ and conversion of CO by water vapor (water-gas shift reaction). The influence of the alkali additives (K⁺ ions) on the water-gas shift activity has been also examined. It was established that the catalytic activity of both reactions increases with the temperature and the nickel content. Hypothetic schemes are proposed about activation of the catalysts in the WGSR and CO oxidation including redox Ni²⁺ ? Ni³⁺ transition on the catalyst surface. The activity in WGSR is positively affected by the presence of potassium promoter, depending on its amount. The sample with higher nickel loading is the most effective catalyst as for CO oxidation as well as for WGSR at intermediate temperatures after potassium promotion.     

Photo-Driven Iron-Induced Non-Oxidative Coupling of Methane to Ethane

Photo-driven CH₄ conversion to multi-carbon products and H₂ is attractive but challenging, and the development of efficient catalytic systems is critical. Herein, we construct a solar-energy-driven redox cycle for combining CH₄ conversion and H₂ production using iron ions. A photo-driven iron-induced reaction system was developed, which is efficient at selective coupling of CH₄ as well as conversion of benzene and cyclohexane under mild conditions. For CH₄ conversion, 94 % C₂ selectivity and a C₂H₆ formation rate of 8.4 μmol h⁻¹ is achieved. Mechanistic studies reveal that CH₄ coupling is induced by hydroxyl radical, which is generated by photo-driven intermolecular charge migration of an Fe³⁺ complex. The delicate coordination structure of the [Fe(H₂O)₅OH]²⁺ complex ensures selective C−H bond activation and C−C coupling of CH₄. The produced Fe²⁺ can be used to reduce the potential for electrolytic H₂ production, and then turns back into Fe³⁺, forming an energy-saving and sustainable recyclable system.     

Photocatalytic N2 Fixation by Plasmonic Mo-Doped TiO2 Semiconductor

Photocatalytic N₂ fixation has attracted substantial attention in recent years, as it represents a green and sustainable development route toward efficiently converting N₂ to NH₃ for industrial applications. How to rationally design catalysts in this regard remains a challenge. Here we propose a strategy that uses plasmonic hot electrons in the highly doped TiO₂ to activate the inert N₂ molecules. The synthesized semiconductor catalyst Mo-doped TiO₂ shows a NH₃ production efficiency as high as 134 μmol·g^-1·h^-1 under ambient conditions, which is comparable to that achieved by the conventional plasmonic gold metal. By means of ultrafast spectroscopy we reveal that the plasmonic hot electrons in the system are responsible for the activation of N₂ molecules, enabling improvement the catalytic activity of TiO₂. This work opens a new avenue toward semiconductor plasmon-based photocatalytic N₂ fixation.     

Promotion effect of adsorbed water/OH on the catalytic performance of Ag/activated carbon catalysts for CO preferential oxidation in excess H2

Activated carbon (AC) supported silver catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation method and their catalytic performance for CO preferential oxidation (PROX) in excess H₂ was evaluated. Ag/AC catalysts, after reduction in H₂ at low temperatures (≤200 °C) following heat treatment in He at 200 °C (He200H200), exhibited the best catalytic properties. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) results indicated that silver oxides were produced during heat treatment in He at 200 °C which were reduced to metal silver nanoparticles in H₂ at low temperatures (≤200 °C), simultaneously generating the adsorbed water/OH. CO conversion was enhanced 40% after water treatment following heat treatment in He at 600 °C. These results imply that the metal silver nanoparticles are the active species and the adsorbed water/OH has noticeable promotion effects on CO oxidation. However, the promotion effect is still limited compared to gold catalysts under the similar conditions, which may be the reason of low selectivity to CO oxidation in PROX over silver catalysts. The reported Ag/AC-S-He catalyst after He200H₂00 treatment displayed similar PROX of CO reaction properties to Ag/SiO₂. This means that Ag/AC catalyst is also an efficient low-temperature CO oxidation catalyst.     

The Formation of OH*(<Superscript>2</Superscript>Σ<Superscript>+</Superscript>) Radical in the Reaction of Hydrogen with Oxygen behind a Shock Wave in Nonequilibrium Conditions

The mechanism of formation of the electronically excited radical OH*(A²Σ⁺) has been studied by analyzing calculations quantitatively describing the results of shock wave experiments carried out in order to determine the moment of maximum OH* radiation at temperatures T < 1500 K and pressures P ≤ 2 atm in the H₂ + O₂ mixtures diluted by argon when the vibrational nonequilibrium is a factor determining the mechanism and rate of the overall process. In kinetic calculations, the vibrational nonequilibrium of the initial H₂ and O₂ components, the HO₂, OH(X²Π), O₂*(¹Δ) intermediates, and the reaction product H₂O were taken into account. The analysis showed that under these conditions the main contribution to the overall process of OH* formation is caused by the reactions OH + Ar → OH* + Ar, H₂ + HO₂ → OH* + H₂O, H₂ + O*(¹D) → OH* + H, HO² + O → OH* + O² and H + H²O → OH* + H², which occur in the vibrational nonequilibrium mode (their activation barrier is overcome due to the vibrational excitation of reactants), and by H + O₃ → OH* + O₂ and H + H₂O₂ → OH* + H₂O, which are reverse to the reactions of chemical quenching.     

Hot Electrons at Solid–Liquid Interfaces: A Large Chemoelectric Effect during the Catalytic Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide

The study of energy and charge transfer during chemical reactions on metals is of great importance for understanding the phenomena involved in heterogeneous catalysis. Despite extensive studies, very little is known about the nature of hot electrons generated at solid–liquid interfaces. Herein, we report remarkable results showing the detection of hot electrons as a chemicurrent generated at the solid–liquid interface during decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) catalyzed on Schottky nanodiodes. The chemicurrent reflects the activity of the catalytic reaction and the state of the catalyst in real time. We show that the chemicurrent yield can reach values up to 10^?1 electrons/O₂ molecule, which is notably higher than that for solid–gas reactions on similar nanodiodes.     

Photo-Driven Quasi-Topological Transformation Exposing Highly Active Nitrogen Cation Sites for Enhanced Photocatalytic H2O2 Production

Herein, the exposure of highly-active nitrogen cation sites has been accomplished by photo-driven quasi-topological transformation of a 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione-based covalent organic framework (COF), which contributes to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) synthesis during the 2-electron O₂ photoreduction. The exposed nitrogen cation sites with photo-enhanced Lewis acidity not only act as the electron-transfer motor to adjust the inherent charge distribution, powering continuous and stable charge separation, and broadening visible-light adsorption, but also providing a large number of active sites for O₂ adsorption. The optimal catalyst shows a high H₂O₂ production rate of 11965 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ under visible light irradiation and a remarkable apparent quantum yield of 12.9 % at 400 nm, better than most of the previously reported COF photocatalysts. This work provides new insights for designing photo-switchable nitrogen cation sites as catalytic centers toward efficient solar to chemical energy conversion.     

Mechanisms of the Water–Gas Shift Reaction Catalyzed by Carbonyl Complexes Mo(CO)<Subscript>6</Subscript> and Mo<Subscript>2</Subscript>(CO)<Subscript>10</Subscript>: A Density Functional Theory Study

Four different mechanistic pathways for Mo(CO)₆ and a reaction mechanism for the binuclear species Mo₂(CO)₁₀ catalyzed water–gas shift reaction (WGSR) have been analyzed using density functional method. It turned out that the binuclear catalyst provides more facile transformations through lower barriers in comparison to the mononuclear catalyst, which is explained by the metal–metal cooperativity between the two Mo centers. The energy span model indicates that the higher the TOF calculated, the faster the catalytic rate and the higher the catalytic efficiency. The bimetallic catalyst (Mo₂(CO)₁₀) with the highest value of the calculated TOF (2.60 × 10^?15 s^?1), which is higher than that of Fe₂(CO)₉ (8.96 × 10^?20 s^?1) (see Kuriakose et al. in Inorg Chem 51: 377, 2012). The later prove the WGSR catalyst with high performance. Our conclusions will be useful for the design of improved WGSR catalysts in the future.     

Mechanisms investigation of the WGSR catalyzed by single noble metal atoms supported on vanadium oxide clusters

The redox and carbonyl mechanisms of the water gas shift reaction (WGSR) catalyzed by the single noble metal (NM) atoms of Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag (from the 4d row) and Os, Ir, Pt, Au (from the 5d row) supported on vanadium oxide cluster ion V₂O₆⁺ have been firstly investigated through the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Natural population analysis (NPA) shows NMs possess positive charges in the model systems and usually act as reactant molecule trapper and an effective electron store to accept or release electrons. The carbonyl mechanism avoiding the oxygen vacancy (O_v) formation and directing NM‐H bond cleavage is strongly preferred over the redox mechanism. Our computations identified single‐atom catalysts (SAC), especially RhV₂O₆⁺ and PdV₂O₆⁺ exhibit improved overall catalytic performance because of the lower rate‐control step activation barriers via the associate carbonyl mechanism. This work aims to provide some detailed insights into the effects of NM in bimetallic oxide clusters for WGSR at a molecular level, and serves as a starting point for further theoretical studies on the mechanisms of related SAC catalytic reactions.     

[DBU‐H]+ and H2o as effective catalyst form for 2,3‐dihydropyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4(1H)‐ones: A DFT Study

DFT investigations are carried out to explore the effective catalyst forms of DBU and H₂O and the mechanism for the formation of 2,3‐dihydropyrido[2,3‐d]‐pyrimidin‐4(1H)‐ones. Three main pathways are disclosed under unassisted, water‐catalyzed, DBU and water cocatalyzed conditions, which involves concerted nucleophilic addition and H‐transfer, concerted intramolecular cyclization and H‐transfer, and Dimroth rearrangement to form the product. The results indicated that the DBU and water cocatalyzed pathway is the most favored one as compared to the rest two pathways. The water donates one H to DBU and accepts H from 2‐amino‐nicotinonitrile ( 1 ), forming [DBU‐H]⁺‐H₂O as effective catalyst form in the proton migration transition state rather than [DBU‐H]⁺‐OH^?. The hydrogen bond between [DBU‐H]⁺···H₂O··· 1 ^? decreases the activation barrier of the rate‐determining step. Our calculated results open a new insight for the green catalyst model of DBU‐H₂O. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Photocatalytic Oxidative Coupling of Methane over Au1Ag Single-Atom Alloy Modified ZnO with Oxygen and Water Vapor: Synergy of Gold and Silver

C−H dissociation and C−C coupling are two key steps in converting CH₄ into multi-carbon compounds. Here we report a synergy of Au and Ag to greatly promote C₂H₆ formation over Au₁Ag single-atom alloy nanoparticles (Au₁Ag NPs)-modified ZnO catalyst via photocatalytic oxidative coupling of methane (POCM) with O₂ and H₂O. Atomically dispersed Au in Au₁Ag NPs effectively promotes the dissociation of O₂ and H₂O into *OOH, promoting C−H activation of CH₄ on the photogenerated O⁻ to form *CH₃. Electron-deficient Au single atoms, as hopping ladders, also facilitate the migration of electron donor *CH₃ from ZnO to Au₁Ag NPs. Finally, *CH₃ coupling can readily occur on Ag atoms of Au₁Ag NPs. An excellent C₂H₆ yield of 14.0 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ with a selectivity of 79 % and an apparent quantum yield of 14.6 % at 350 nm is obtained via POCM with O₂ and H₂O, which is at least two times that of the photocatalytic system. The bimetallic synergistic strategy offers guidance for future catalyst design for POCM with O₂ and H₂O.     

Photo-thermal Cooperative Carbonylation of Ethanol with CO2 on Cu2O-SrTiCuO3-x

Carbonylation of ethanol with CO₂ as carbonyl source into value-added esters is of considerable significance and interest, while remains of great challenge due to the harsh conditions for activation of inert CO₂ in that the harsh conditions result in undesired activation of α-C−H and even cleavage of C−C bond in ethanol to deteriorate the specific activation of O−H bond. Herein, we propose a photo-thermal cooperative strategy for carbonylation of ethanol with CO₂, in which CO₂ is activated to reactive CO via photo-catalysis with the assistance of *H from thermally-catalyzed dissociation of alcoholic O−H bond. To achieve this proposal, an interfacial site and oxygen vacancy both abundant SrTiCuO_3-x supported Cu₂O (Cu₂O-SrTiCuO_3-x) has been designed. A production of up to 320 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ for ethyl formate with a selectivity of 85.6 % to targeted alcoholic O−H activation has been afforded in photo-thermal assisted gas-solid process under 3.29 W cm⁻¹ of UV/Vis light irradiation (144 °C) and 0.2 MPa CO₂. In the photo-driven activation of CO₂ and following carbonylation, CO₂ activation energy decreases to 12.6 kJ mol⁻¹, and the cleavage of alcoholic α-C−H bond has been suppressed.     

Synergistic Metal-Nonmetal Active Sites in a Metal-Organic Cage for Efficient Photocatalytic Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide in Pure Water

Photocatalytic synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a potential clean method, but the long distance between the oxidation and reduction sites in photocatalysts hinders the rapid transfer of photogenerated charges, limiting the improvement of its performance. Here, a metal-organic cage photocatalyst, Co₁₄(L−CH₃)₂₄ , is constructed by directly coordinating metal sites (Co sites) used for the O₂ reduction reaction (ORR) with non-metallic sites (imidazole sites of ligands) used for the H₂O oxidation reaction (WOR), which shortens the transport path of photogenerated electrons and holes, and improves the transport efficiency of charges and activity of the photocatalyst. Therefore, it can be used as an efficient photocatalyst with a rate of as high as 146.6 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ for H₂O₂ production under O₂-saturated pure water without sacrificial agents. Significantly, the combination of photocatalytic experiments and theoretical calculations proves that the functionalized modification of ligands is more conducive to adsorbing key intermediates (*OH for WOR and *HOOH for ORR), resulting in better performance. This work proposed a new catalytic strategy for the first time; i.e., to build a synergistic metal-nonmetal active site in the crystalline catalyst and use the host–guest chemistry inherent in the metal-organic cage (MOC)to increase the contact between the substrate and the catalytically active site, and finally achieve efficient photocatalytic H₂O₂ synthesis.     

Easily Scalable Shell-Structured Copper Catalyst with High Activity and Durability for Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation

Inducing strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) has been a useful way to control the structure of surface active sites. The SMSI often causes the encapsulation of metal particles with an oxide layer. Herein, an amorphous ceria shell was formed on Cu nanoparticles under a mild gas condition with high activity and durability for surface reaction. Cu−Ce solid solution promoted the transfer of surface oxygen species, which induced the ceria shell formation on Cu nanoparticles. This catalyst was used for CO₂ hydrogenation, selectively producing CO with high low-temperature activity and good durability for operation at high temperature. CO₂ activation and H₂ spillover could occur at low temperatures, enhancing the activity. The shell prevented the sintering, assuring durability. This catalyst was applied to a bench-scale reactor without loss in performance, resulting in high CO productivity in all temperature ranges.     

Aromatization of Heptene-2 on Pt/Al2O3 Catalysts

Heptene-2 aromatization on Pt/Al₂O₃ in a pulse microcatalytic reactor has been studied under H₂ and N₂ atmosphere at temperatures between 330 to 500°C and at a total pressure of 4.0 kg/cm². Results showed that the production of only cracked products (mainly methane) from deep fragmentation of heptene-2 in H₂ sharply contrasts with the reaction in N₂ in which the catalyst showed aromatic selectivity with the production of methane, benzene and toluene. In H₂-N₂ mixtures, 75% H₂ was required to reduce the aromatization activity of the catalyst to zero. A test of the kinetic data using Sica's method [15] of pulse kinetic analysis suggests a first order in heptene-2 with an activation energy of 102.61 kJ/mol in N₂ and 124.71 kJ/mol in H₂. The difference in activation energies has been attributed to a difference in reaction mechanisms in both gases.     

Suppressive Strong Metal-Support Interactions on Ruthenium/TiO2 Promote Light-Driven Photothermal CO2 Reduction with Methane

Strong metal-support interactions (SMSI) have gained great attention in the heterogeneous catalysis field, but its negative role in regulating light-induced electron transfer is rarely explored. Herein, we describe how SMSI significantly restrains the activity of Ru/TiO₂ in light-driven CO₂ reduction by CH₄ due to the photo-induced transfer of electrons from TiO₂ to Ru. In contrast, on suppression of SMSI Ru/TiO₂−H₂ achieves a 46-fold CO₂ conversion rate compared to Ru/TiO₂. For Ru/TiO₂−H₂, a considerable number of photo-excited hot electrons from Ru nanoparticles (NPs) migrate to oxygen vacancies (OVs) and facilitate CO₂ activation under illumination, simultaneously rendering Ru^δ+ electron deficient and better able to accelerate CH₄ decomposition. Consequently, photothermal catalysis over Ru/TiO₂−H₂ lowers the activation energy and overcomes the limitations of a purely thermal system. This work offers a novel strategy for designing efficient photothermal catalysts by regulating two-phase interactions.     

A Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution and Oxygen Reduction Reactions in Water

Oxygen reduction and water oxidation are two key processes in fuel cell applications. The oxidation of water to dioxygen is a 4 H⁺/4 e^? process, while oxygen can be fully reduced to water by a 4 e^?/4 H⁺ process or partially reduced by fewer electrons to reactive oxygen species such as H₂O₂ and O₂^?. We demonstrate that a novel manganese corrole complex behaves as a bifunctional catalyst for both the electrocatalytic generation of dioxygen as well as the reduction of dioxygen in aqueous media. Furthermore, our combined kinetic, spectroscopic, and electrochemical study of manganese corroles adsorbed on different electrode materials (down to a submolecular level) reveals mechanistic details of the oxygen evolution and reduction processes.     

Theoretical Study of the Water-Gas Shift Reaction Catalyzed by Tungsten Carbonyls

A density functional theory calculation has been carried out to investigate the mechanism of W(CO)₆ and W₂(CO)₁₀ catalyzed water-gas-shift reaction (WGSR). The calculations indicate that the bimetallic catalyst (W₂(CO)₁₀) would be likely to be more highly active than the mononuclear metal-based catalyst (W(CO)₆) due to the possibility of metal–metal cooperativity in reducing the barriers for the WGSR. The energetic span model is a tool to compute catalytic turnover frequencies (TOFs) which is the traditional measure of the efficiency of a catalyst. The one with the highest efficiency usually gives the highest TOF. The bimetallic catalyst (W₂(CO)₁₀) exhibits high catalytic activity towards WGSR due to the highest value of the calculated TOF (3.62 × 10^?12 s^?1, gas phase; 8.74 × 10^?15 s^?1, solvent phase⁾, which is higher than the value of TOF (8.96 × 10^?20 s^?1, gas phase; 3.96 × 10^?19 s^?1, solvent phase) proposed by Kuriakose et al. (Inorg Chem 51:377–385, 2012). Our results will be important for designing a better catalyst for the industrially important reaction.     

Boosting Hydrogen Peroxide Electrosynthesis via Modulating the Interfacial Hydrogen-Bond Environment

Designing highly efficient and stable electrode-electrolyte interface for hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) electrosynthesis remains challenging. Inhibiting the competitive side reaction, 4 e⁻ oxygen reduction to H₂O, is essential for highly selective H₂O₂ electrosynthesis. Instead of hindering excessive hydrogenation of H₂O₂ via catalyst modification, we discover that adding a hydrogen-bond acceptor, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), to the KOH electrolyte enables simultaneous improvement of the selectivity and activity of H₂O₂ electrosynthesis. Spectral characterization and molecular simulation confirm that the formation of hydrogen bonds between DMSO and water molecules at the electrode-electrolyte interface can reduce the activity of water dissociation into active H* species. The suitable H* supply environment hinders excessive hydrogenation of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), thus improving the selectivity of 2 e⁻ ORR and achieving over 90 % selectivity of H₂O₂. This work highlights the importance of regulating the interfacial hydrogen-bond environment by organic molecules as a means of boosting electrochemical performance in aqueous electrosynthesis and beyond.     

Phosphite‐driven, [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H2O)]2+‐catalyzed reduction of nicotinamide and flavin cofactors: characterization and application to promote chemoenzymatic reduction reactions

The organometallic compound [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H₂O)]²⁺ is a versatile catalyst for the in situ regeneration of reduced nicotinamides and flavins by catalyzing the electron transfer between the cathode or formate to the oxidized cofactors and prosthetic groups. In the present contribution we demonstrate the feasibility of phosphite as an alternative source of reducing equivalents. Thus, [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H₂O)]²⁺ combines the catalytic activities of hydrogenases, formate and phosphite dehydrogenases in one catalyst. The catalytic properties of this novel regeneration approach are investigated, demonstrating that the general catalytic properties of [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H₂O)]²⁺ are preserved. The principal applicability to promote alcoholdehydrogenase‐catalyzed reduction reactions is demonstrated. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.