基于催化应用调控氧化铈纳米材料的形貌

催化剂的设计、合成和结构调控是获得优异性能的关键.传统的策略主要是尽量减小催化剂颗粒尺寸以增加活性中心的数目,即尺寸效应.近年来,材料科学的快速发展使得在纳米尺度上调变催化剂的尺寸和形貌成为可能,特别是通过形貌调控可暴露更多的高活性晶面,大幅度提高催化性能,即纳米催化中的形貌效应.因此,调节催化剂的尺寸与形貌可以单独或协同优化材料的性能.氧化铈作为催化剂的重要组分与结构、电子促进剂被广泛应用于多相催化剂体系.本文总结了近期氧化铈材料形貌可控合成的进展,包括主要的合成策略和表征方法; 进而分析了氧化铈和金-氧化铈催化材料的形貌效应,指出金-氧化铈之间独特的相互作用与载体形貌密切相关; 阐述了氧化铈纳米材料因暴露晶面的差异而获得不同催化性能的化学机制.     

铜-氧化铈界面:几何及电子结构（英文）

纳米催化材料的性能主要由粒子尺寸、形貌和界面决定,即活性位点的电子及几何结构.尺寸、形貌可控的纳米催化材料的合成及其反应性能的研究,即催化剂的构效关系,一直是催化领域的研究热点.氧化物负载的金属催化剂广泛应用于多相催化反应过程.基于氧化铈优异的氧化还原性能, Cu/CeO_2催化剂在CO氧化、N_2O消除、水气变换、甲醇合成等反应中表现出优异性能.其中,通过铜物种与氧化铈表面化学键合形成的金属-载体界面通常被认为是催化活性中心.铜物种和氧化铈的相互作用主要体现在氧化铈固定铜物种,而铜物种促进氧化铈的氧化还原能力,涉及Cu~(2+)/Cu~+/Cu~0和Ce~(3+)/Ce~(4+)之间电子的传输和转移.Cu/CeO_2催化剂活性位的原子结构与金属-载体相互作用程度密切相关.氧化铈形貌和铜负载量是决定界面电子和几何结构的重要因素.常见的纳米氧化铈形貌包括纳米粒子(多面体)、纳米棒和纳米立方体,可分别选择性暴露(111)、(110)和(100)晶面;这些晶面上原子配位环境和化学性能决定了铜-氧化铈的键合方式和界面结构.与暴露{100}晶面的纳米立方体相比,主要暴露{100}/{110}镜面的氧化铈纳米棒、暴露{111}/{100}晶面的纳米粒子与铜物种具有更强的金属-载体相互作用程度,也更有利于铜物种的分散.铜的负载量也显著影响铜物种在特定氧化铈表面的分散度和化学状态;随着铜负载量的增加,可在氧化铈表面形成层状铜、铜团簇和铜纳米粒子.通常情况下,低负载量有利于单层、双层铜物种的形成,高负载量时则出现多层铜和铜纳米粒子.催化活性位通常是由铜原子与氧化铈上的氧空穴相互作用产生,与氧化铈表面氧空穴的数量和密度密切相关,即氧化铈形貌.本文总结了Cu/CeO_2催化剂的研究进展,讨论了氧化铈形貌和铜负载量对铜物种分散度和化学状态的影响规律,总结了铜氧化铈界面结构的多维度表征结果,比较了Cu/CeO_2催化剂在CO氧化、水气变换及甲醇合成中的活性位结构和反应机制.     

铜-氧化铈界面:几何及电子结构

纳米催化材料的性能主要由粒子尺寸、形貌和界面决定,即活性位点的电子及几何结构.尺寸、形貌可控的纳米催化材料的合成及其反应性能的研究,即催化剂的构效关系,一直是催化领域的研究热点.氧化物负载的金属催化剂广泛应用于多相催化反应过程.基于氧化铈优异的氧化还原性能, Cu/CeO2催化剂在CO氧化、N2O消除、水气变换、甲醇合成等反应中表现出优异性能.其中,通过铜物种与氧化铈表面化学键合形成的金属-载体界面通常被认为是催化活性中心.铜物种和氧化铈的相互作用主要体现在氧化铈固定铜物种,而铜物种促进氧化铈的氧化还原能力,涉及Cu^2+/Cu^+/Cu^0和Ce^3+/Ce^4+之间电子的传输和转移.Cu/CeO2催化剂活性位的原子结构与金属-载体相互作用程度密切相关.氧化铈形貌和铜负载量是决定界面电子和几何结构的重要因素.常见的纳米氧化铈形貌包括纳米粒子(多面体)、纳米棒和纳米立方体,可分别选择性暴露(111)、(110)和(100)晶面;这些晶面上原子配位环境和化学性能决定了铜-氧化铈的键合方式和界面结构.与暴露{100}晶面的纳米立方体相比,主要暴露{100}/{110}镜面的氧化铈纳米棒、暴露{111}/{100}晶面的纳米粒子与铜物种具有更强的金属-载体相互作用程度,也更有利于铜物种的分散.铜的负载量也显著影响铜物种在特定氧化铈表面的分散度和化学状态;随着铜负载量的增加,可在氧化铈表面形成层状铜、铜团簇和铜纳米粒子.通常情况下,低负载量有利于单层、双层铜物种的形成,高负载量时则出现多层铜和铜纳米粒子.催化活性位通常是由铜原子与氧化铈上的氧空穴相互作用产生,与氧化铈表面氧空穴的数量和密度密切相关,即氧化铈形貌.本文总结了Cu/CeO2催化剂的研究进展,讨论了氧化铈形貌和铜负载量对铜物种分散度和化学状态的影响规律,总结了铜氧化铈界面结构的多维度表征结果,比较了Cu/CeO2催化剂在CO氧化、水气变换及甲醇合成中的活性位结构和反应机制.     

各向异性金纳米粒子的制备及其在催化中的应用

尽管有关金纳米粒子催化的研究工作很多,但其中大多数都是采用传统的浸渍法将金盐负载到载体上、共沉淀或沉积-沉淀法制得负载的纳米粒子,但这些方法并未吸收最新的纳米技术。最近,金催化剂的研究者开发了在胶态悬浮液中制取金属纳米粒子,然后进行固载,从而使得单金属和双金属催化剂的催化活性和形貌控制取得较大进展。另一方面,最近十年出现了金纳米粒子合成的高级控制技术,得到了许多各向异性的金纳米粒子,且很容易制得新的形貌,可以控制纳米粒子的表面原子配位数和光学特性(可调的等离子体带),这些都与催化密切相关。这些形貌包括纳米棒、纳米星、纳米花、树枝状纳米结构或多面体纳米粒子等。除了高度关注各向异性金纳米粒子的最新开发的制备方法和性质,本综述也清楚地总结了这些纳米粒子独特的催化性能,以及通过提供更高催化性能的金催化剂、控制暴露的活性位,以及热、电和光催化的鲁棒性和可调性,从而给多相催化领域带来令人惊奇的潜在变革。     

各向异性金纳米粒子的制备及其在催化中的应用（英文）

尽管有关金纳米粒子催化的研究工作很多,但其中大多数都是采用传统的浸渍法将金盐负载到载体上、共沉淀或沉积-沉淀法制得负载的纳米粒子,但这些方法并未吸收最新的纳米技术.最近,金催化剂的研究者开发了在胶态悬浮液中制取金属纳米粒子,然后进行固载,从而使得单金属和双金属催化剂的催化活性和形貌控制取得较大进展.另一方面,最近十年出现了金纳米粒子合成的高级控制技术,得到了许多各向异性的金纳米粒子,且很容易制得新的形貌,可以控制纳米粒子的表面原子配位数和光学特性(可调的等离子体带),这些都与催化密切相关.这些形貌包括纳米棒、纳米星、纳米花、树枝状纳米结构或多面体纳米粒子等.除了高度关注各向异性金纳米粒子的最新开发的制备方法和性质,本综述也清楚地总结了这些纳米粒子独特的催化性能,以及通过提供更高催化性能的金催化剂、控制暴露的活性位,以及热、电和光催化的鲁棒性和可调性,从而给多相催化领域带来令人惊奇的潜在变革.     

Co3O4纳米催化剂催化CO的形貌效应：合成过程和催化活性

通过催化剂将CO转化为无毒气体仍然是目前减少CO污染的主要手段.随着纳米技术的快速发展,纳米催化剂因其在催化反应中呈现出的独特结构效应（如形貌效应、尺寸效应等）而受到人们的广泛关注.已有大量研究表明,纳米Co3O4作为一种非贵金属氧化物催化剂具有强烈的催化形貌效应,展现出优异的CO低温催化活性.因此,通过合理的设计来调控催化剂粒子的形貌,从而进一步改善催化剂的性能已成为近年来催化剂领域的重要研究方向.对于Co3O4纳米催化剂的可控制备,水热法具有反应温和、操作简便和产品形貌易控等特点.早期的研究主要围绕于Co3O4形貌的可控合成以及不同形貌Co3O4催化剂对其催化活性产生的影响,较少有对其形貌形成机制的报道.特别是在水热反应中,系统研究各反应参数对催化剂各异形貌的形成影响鲜有报道.
　　本文在前人的研究基础上,重点研究了水热反应过程中各主要反应参数对产品形貌控制的影响,绘制了一副不同形貌Co3O4材料的合成过程图,并研究了Co3O4纳米催化剂催化CO氧化的形貌效应.通过水热法先成功合成了三种不同形貌(纳米棒、纳米片和纳米立方)的碱式碳酸钴纳米粒子,然后将其焙烧得到了Co3O4纳米粒子.采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM),透射电子显微镜(TEM), X射线粉末衍射仪(XRD),程序升温还原(H2-TPR和CO-TPR),氮气吸附-脱附比表面积测试(BET),氧气程序升温脱附(O2-TPD), X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等表征手段研究了不同反应参数对纳米碱式碳酸钴前驱体形貌形成的作用和各异形貌Co3O4纳米粒子在催化CO氧化反应中催化性能的差异及原因.
　　结果表明, Co3O4较好地继承了碱式碳酸钴的形貌,在较低温度条件下(≤140°C),钴源(CoCl2或Co(NO3)2)是影响前驱体形貌的关键因素,反应时间只对粒子的尺寸产生较大影响.低温下, CoCl2作为钴源易诱导生产纳米棒状碱式碳酸钴,而Co(NO3)2则有利于纳米片状生成.当温度高于140°C后,无论何种钴源,最终均制得纳米立方体.表面活性剂CTAB对前驱体的均一性和粒子的分散性产生重要影响,加入CTAB后得到的产品尺寸更均一,形貌更加规整.对比于其他两种形貌的样品, Co3O4纳米片显示出更好的CO催化氧化活性.
　　 XPS结果表明,各形貌Co3O4纳米材料的表面组成存在明显差异,活性物种Co3+含量的不同是影响催化活性差异的重要原因. Co3O4纳米片具有更多的Co3+活性位,立方纳米Co3O4表面吸附氧含量较高, Co3O4纳米棒则暴露出相对更多的Co2+.因此,在三种形貌催化剂上CO氧化反应中, Co3O4纳米片表现出最优的催化活性,纳米立方次之,而纳米棒最差. H2-TPR, CO-TPR和O2-TPD等结果也表明, Co3O4纳米片拥有更强的还原性能和脱附氧能力,其次是纳米立方Co3O4.这与XPS结果一致,证实了不同形貌Co3O4纳米催化剂上暴露活性位的数量和表面氧物种的不同是造成彼此间催化CO氧化活性差异的重要原因.此外,通过稳定性测试发现Co3O4纳米片具有较高的催化稳定性,在水蒸气存在的情况下Co3O4纳米片逐渐失活,但随后在干燥条件下其催化活性又逐渐得到恢复.     

Co_3O_4纳米催化剂催化CO的形貌效应:合成过程和催化活性（英文）

通过催化剂将CO转化为无毒气体仍然是目前减少CO污染的主要手段.随着纳米技术的快速发展,纳米催化剂因其在催化反应中呈现出的独特结构效应(如形貌效应、尺寸效应等)而受到人们的广泛关注.已有大量研究表明,纳米Co_3O_4作为一种非贵金属氧化物催化剂具有强烈的催化形貌效应,展现出优异的CO低温催化活性.因此,通过合理的设计来调控催化剂粒子的形貌,从而进一步改善催化剂的性能已成为近年来催化剂领域的重要研究方向.对于Co_3O_4纳米催化剂的可控制备,水热法具有反应温和、操作简便和产品形貌易控等特点.早期的研究主要围绕于Co_3O_4形貌的可控合成以及不同形貌Co_3O_4催化剂对其催化活性产生的影响,较少有对其形貌形成机制的报道.特别是在水热反应中,系统研究各反应参数对催化剂各异形貌的形成影响鲜有报道.本文在前人的研究基础上,重点研究了水热反应过程中各主要反应参数对产品形貌控制的影响,绘制了一副不同形貌Co_3O_4材料的合成过程图,并研究了Co_3O_4纳米催化剂催化CO氧化的形貌效应.通过水热法先成功合成了三种不同形貌(纳米棒、纳米片和纳米立方)的碱式碳酸钴纳米粒子,然后将其焙烧得到了Co_3O_4纳米粒子.采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM),透射电子显微镜(TEM),X射线粉末衍射仪(XRD),程序升温还原(H_2-TPR和CO-TPR),氮气吸附-脱附比表面积测试(BET),氧气程序升温脱附(O2-TPD),X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等表征手段研究了不同反应参数对纳米碱式碳酸钴前驱体形貌形成的作用和各异形貌Co_3O_4纳米粒子在催化CO氧化反应中催化性能的差异及原因.结果表明,Co_3O_4较好地继承了碱式碳酸钴的形貌,在较低温度条件下(≤140°C),钴源(CoCl_2或Co(NO3)2)是影响前驱体形貌的关键因素,反应时间只对粒子的尺寸产生较大影响.低温下,CoCl_2作为钴源易诱导生产纳米棒状碱式碳酸钴,而Co(NO3)2则有利于纳米片状生成.当温度高于140°C后,无论何种钴源,最终均制得纳米立方体.表面活性剂CTAB对前驱体的均一性和粒子的分散性产生重要影响,加入CTAB后得到的产品尺寸更均一,形貌更加规整.对比于其他两种形貌的样品,Co_3O_4纳米片显示出更好的CO催化氧化活性.XPS结果表明,各形貌Co_3O_4纳米材料的表面组成存在明显差异,活性物种Co~(3+)含量的不同是影响催化活性差异的重要原因.Co2+3O4纳米片具有更多的Co~(3+)活性位,立方纳米Co_3O_4表面吸附氧含量较高,Co_3O_4纳米棒则暴露出相对更多的Co.因此,在三种形貌催化剂上CO氧化反应中,Co_3O_4纳米片表现出最优的催化活性,纳米立方次之,而纳米棒最差.H2-TPR,CO-TPR和O2-TPD等结果也表明,Co_3O_4纳米片拥有更强的还原性能和脱附氧能力,其次是纳米立方Co_3O_4.这与XPS结果一致,证实了不同形貌Co_3O_4纳米催化剂上暴露活性位的数量和表面氧物种的不同是造成彼此间催化CO氧化活性差异的重要原因.此外,通过稳定性测试发现Co_3O_4纳米片具有较高的催化稳定性,在水蒸气存在的情况下Co_3O_4纳米片逐渐失活,但随后在干燥条件下其催化活性又逐渐得到恢复.     

晶相调控对金属纳米粒子催化性能的影响

尺寸在1–10 nm的金属纳米催化剂广泛地应用于石油化工,精细化学品合成,能源与环境保护等领域。大量研究表明,金属纳米粒子的催化性能与其微观结构,即尺寸、形貌和晶相等密切相关。近年来,对金属纳米粒子的尺寸和形貌效应已经有了较为系统深入的研究,但对晶相效应的研究则较少涉及。这主要是由于介稳晶相的金属纳米粒子在合成过程中或反应条件下极易转化为热力学稳定的晶相结构。根据金属原子密堆积形式,金属纳米粒子的晶相结构主要有立方面心(fcc)、立方体心(bcc)和六方密堆积(hcp)三种晶相;而金属合金由于d带电子存在着多种杂化方式,因而其晶相结构呈现出多样性且与单一金属有很大的不同。金属和合金纳米粒子晶相结构的调控,不仅会改变金属原子的配位环境,调控了其电子分布状态,还可影响反应物和产物的吸附、活化和脱附,进而调变催化性能。首先,我们简要总结了液相合成和固相转变调控金属纳米粒子晶相的原理和方法。纳米粒子的液相合成一般包括前驱体还原成核和晶核生长两个阶段,通过对液相合成条件的优化,尤其是表面活性剂的选择,可有效调控合成过程中的热力学和动力学因素,从而实现金属晶相的可控合成。固相转变则主要是对具有一定晶相结构的纳米粒子于一定气氛和温度条件下进行加热处理,利用金属粒子与活性气体之间(H2, CO等)的化学作用来实现晶相转变。利用上述方法,可以合成出fcc-Co、fcc-Ru、L10-AuCu等热力学介稳的金属或合金纳米粒子。在此基础之上,我们分别以Co纳米粒子(fcc和hcp晶相)催化FT合成, Fe模型催化剂(fcc和bcc晶相)活化N2和CO, Ru纳米粒子(fcc和hcp晶相)催化CO氧化和氨硼烷水解制氢, Pd纳米粒子(PdHx物种)催化加氢等为例分析了晶相对金属纳米粒子催化性能的影响;在合金催化剂方面,以Pt3Co(无序的fcc和有序的L12), AuPdCo(P3–m、Fm3–m和R3–m混合晶相)和FePt纳米粒子(fcc和fct相)催化O2电化学还原、PtRhSn (碲铂矿晶相和fcc晶相)和ZrPt3纳米粒子(hcp和fcc晶相)催化乙醇电氧化、Ag3In合金(无序的Fm3–m相和有序的Pm3–m晶相)催化对硝基苯酚加氢、PdRu纳米粒子(fcc和hcp混合晶相)催化CO氧化等为例分析了合金催化剂的晶相对催化性能的影响。上述研究进展表明,金属纳米粒子的晶相也是影响制备剂高效金属催化剂的主要因素。最后,我们结合纳米催化的发展现状,提出了金属纳米粒子的晶相调控在纳米催化和纳米材料领域可能的发展态势。第一,通过对金属纳米粒子溶液相合成机理的深入研究,有助于发展出尺寸、形貌和晶相同时可控的新合成方法。第二,金属纳米粒子在晶相转化过程中往往伴随着烧结及组分的偏析等难题。利用氧化物包覆的核壳型或蛋壳型纳米结构以及碳纳米管的空间限域效应,或许有助于解决上述难题。第三,具有亚稳晶相结构的金属纳米粒子在反应条件下极易转变为热力学稳定的结构,因此,利用原位、动态、实时的表征技术对催化剂在真实工作状态下的微观结构进行细致的分析是阐明晶相效应的前提。     

晶相调控对金属纳米粒子催化性能的影响（英文）

尺寸在1–10 nm的金属纳米催化剂广泛地应用于石油化工,精细化学品合成,能源与环境保护等领域.大量研究表明,金属纳米粒子的催化性能与其微观结构,即尺寸、形貌和晶相等密切相关.近年来,对金属纳米粒子的尺寸和形貌效应已经有了较为系统深入的研究,但对晶相效应的研究则较少涉及.这主要是由于介稳晶相的金属纳米粒子在合成过程中或反应条件下极易转化为热力学稳定的晶相结构.根据金属原子密堆积形式,金属纳米粒子的晶相结构主要有立方面心(fcc)、立方体心(bcc)和六方密堆积(hcp)三种晶相;而金属合金由于d带电子存在着多种杂化方式,因而其晶相结构呈现出多样性且与单一金属有很大的不同.金属和合金纳米粒子晶相结构的调控,不仅会改变金属原子的配位环境,调控了其电子分布状态,还可影响反应物和产物的吸附、活化和脱附,进而调变催化性能.首先,我们简要总结了液相合成和固相转变调控金属纳米粒子晶相的原理和方法.纳米粒子的液相合成一般包括前驱体还原成核和晶核生长两个阶段,通过对液相合成条件的优化,尤其是表面活性剂的选择,可有效调控合成过程中的热力学和动力学因素,从而实现金属晶相的可控合成.固相转变则主要是对具有一定晶相结构的纳米粒子于一定气氛和温度条件下进行加热处理,利用金属粒子与活性气体之间(H2,CO等)的化学作用来实现晶相转变.利用上述方法,可以合成出fcc-Co、fcc-Ru、L10-Au Cu等热力学介稳的金属或合金纳米粒子.在此基础之上,我们分别以Co纳米粒子(fcc和hcp晶相)催化FT合成,Fe模型催化剂(fcc和bcc晶相)活化N2和CO,Ru纳米粒子(fcc和hcp晶相)催化CO氧化和氨硼烷水解制氢,Pd纳米粒子(Pd Hx物种)催化加氢等为例分析了晶相对金属纳米粒子催化性能的影响;在合金催化剂方面,以Pt3Co(无序的fcc和有序的L12),Au Pd Co(P3–m、Fm3–m和R3–m混合晶相)和Fe Pt纳米粒子(fcc和fct相)催化O2电化学还原、Pt Rh Sn(碲铂矿晶相和fcc晶相)和Zr Pt3纳米粒子(hcp和fcc晶相)催化乙醇电氧化、Ag3In合金(无序的Fm3–m相和有序的Pm3–m晶相)催化对硝基苯酚加氢、Pd Ru纳米粒子(fcc和hcp混合晶相)催化CO氧化等为例分析了合金催化剂的晶相对催化性能的影响.上述研究进展表明,金属纳米粒子的晶相也是影响制备剂高效金属催化剂的主要因素.最后,我们结合纳米催化的发展现状,提出了金属纳米粒子的晶相调控在纳米催化和纳米材料领域可能的发展态势.第一,通过对金属纳米粒子溶液相合成机理的深入研究,有助于发展出尺寸、形貌和晶相同时可控的新合成方法.第二,金属纳米粒子在晶相转化过程中往往伴随着烧结及组分的偏析等难题.利用氧化物包覆的核壳型或蛋壳型纳米结构以及碳纳米管的空间限域效应,或许有助于解决上述难题.第三,具有亚稳晶相结构的金属纳米粒子在反应条件下极易转变为热力学稳定的结构,因此,利用原位、动态、实时的表征技术对催化剂在真实工作状态下的微观结构进行细致的分析是阐明晶相效应的前提.     

Co_3O_4纳米立方体的可控合成及其CO氧化反应性能

在乙醇和三乙胺的混合溶液中,采用溶剂热法制备了尺寸为10 nm的Co3O4立方体.考察了钴盐前驱体和溶解氧对Co3O4纳米立方体结构的影响规律,通过对合成过程中不同阶段产物的结构分析和表征,提出了Co3O4纳米立方体的形成机制是溶解再结晶的过程.将所制备的Co3O4纳米立方体在200°C焙烧处理后,尺寸和形貌均可保持稳定,但400°C焙烧后,变为球形纳米粒子.这种主要暴露{100}晶面的Co3O4纳米立方体催化CO氧化反应的活性低于纳米粒子({111}晶面),验证了四氧化三钴纳米材料在CO氧化反应中的晶面效应.     

Morphology-dependent nanocatalysis on metal oxides

The design and fabrication of solid nanomaterials are the key issues in heterogeneous catalysis to achieve desired performance.Traditionally,the main theme is to reduce the size of the catalyst particles as small as possible for maximizing the number of active sites.In recent years,the rapid advancement in materials science has enabled us to fabricate catalyst particles with tunable morphology.Consequently,both size modulation and morphology control of the catalyst particles can be achieved independently or synergistically to optimize their catalytic properties.In particular,morphology control of solid catalyst particles at the nanometer level can selectively expose the reactive crystal facets,and thus drastically promote their catalytic performance.In this review,we summarize our recent work on the morphology impact of Co3O4,CeO2 and Fe2O3 nanomaterials in catalytic reactions,together with related literature on morphology-dependent nanocatalysis of metal oxides,to demonstrate the importance of tuning the shape of oxide-nanocatalysts for prompting their activity,selectivity and stability,which is a rapidly growing topic in heterogeneous catalysis.The fundamental understanding of the active sites in morphology-tunable oxides that are enclosed by reactive crystal facets is expected to direct the development of highly efficient nanocatalysts.     

Morphology-dependent nanocatalysis: metal particles

The rapid development of materials science now enables tailoring of metal and metal oxide particles with tunable size and shape at the nanometre level. As a result, nanocatalysis is undergoing an explosive growth, and it has been seen that the size and shape of a catalyst particle tremendously affects the reaction performance. The size effect of metal nanoparticles has been interpreted in terms of the variation in geometric and electronic properties that governs the adsorption and activation of the reactants as well as the desorption of the products. At the same time, it has been verified that the morphology of a catalyst particle, determined by the exposed crystal planes, also considerably affects the catalytic behavior. This is termed as morphology-dependent nanocatalysis: a catalyst particle with an anisotropic shape alters the reaction performance by selectively exposing specific crystal facets. This perspective article initially surveys the recent progress on morphology-dependent nanocatalysis of precious metal particles to emphasise the chemical nature of the morphology effect. Then, the fabrication of transition metal particles with controllable size/morphology is examined, and their shape is correlated with their catalytic properties, with the aim to clarify the structure-reactivity relationship. Finally, the future outlook presents our personal perspectives on the concept of morphology-dependent nanocatalysis of metal particles, which is a rapidly growing topic in heterogeneous catalysis.     

The Active Sites of a Rod‐Shaped Hollandite DeNOx Catalyst

The identification of catalytically active sites (CASs) in heterogeneous catalysis is of vital importance to design and develop improved catalysts, but remains a great challenge. The CASs have been identified in the low‐temperature selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides by ammonia (SCR) over a hollandite manganese oxide (HMO) catalyst with a rod‐shaped morphology and one‐dimensional tunnels. Electron microscopy and synchrotron X‐ray diffraction determine the surface and crystal structures of the one‐dimensional HMO rods closed by {100} side facets and {001} top facets. A combination of X‐ray absorption spectra, molecular probes with potassium and nitric oxide, and catalytic tests reveals that the CASs are located on the {100} side facets of the HMO rods rather than on the top facets or in the tunnels, and hence semi‐tunnel structural motifs on the {100} facets are evidenced to be the CASs of the SCR reaction. This work paves the way to further investigate the intrinsic mechanisms of SCR reactions.     

Monitoring surface metal oxide catalytic active sites with Raman spectroscopy

The molecular aspect of the Raman vibrational selection rules allows for the molecular structural and reactivity determinations of metal oxide catalytic active sites in all types of oxide catalyst systems (supported metal oxides, zeolites, layered hydroxides, polyoxometalates (POMs), bulk pure metal oxides, bulk mixed oxides and mixed oxide solid solutions). The molecular structural and reactivity determinations of metal oxide catalytic active sites are greatly facilitated by the use of isotopically labeled molecules. The ability of Raman spectroscopy to (1) operate in all phases (liquid, solid, gas and their mixtures), (2) operate over a very wide temperature (-273 to >1000 °C) and pressure (UHV to ?100 atm) range, and (3) provide molecular level information about metal oxides makes Raman spectroscopy the most informative characterization technique for understanding the molecular structure and surface chemistry of the catalytic active sites present in metal oxide heterogeneous catalysts. The recent use of hyphenated Raman spectroscopy instrumentation (e.g., Raman-IR, Raman-UV-vis, Raman-EPR) and the operando Raman spectroscopy methodology (e.g., Raman-MS and Raman-GC) is allowing for the establishment of direct structure-activity/selectivity relationships that will have a significant impact on catalysis science in this decade. Consequently, this critical review will show the growth in the use of Raman spectroscopy in heterogeneous catalysis research, for metal oxides as well as metals, is poised to continue to exponentially grow in the coming years (173 references).     

Evidence for crystal-face-dependent TiO2 photocatalysis from single-molecule imaging and kinetic analysis

According to the concept of active sites, the activity of heterogeneous catalysts correlates with the number of available catalytic sites and the binding affinity of the substrates. Herein, we report a single-molecule, single-particle fluorescence approach to elucidate the inherent photocatalytic activity of exposed surfaces of anatase TiO(2), a promising photocatalyst, using redox-responsive fluorogenic dyes. A single-molecule imaging and kinetic analysis of the fluorescence from the products shows that reaction sites for the effective reduction of the probe molecules are preferentially located on the {101} facets of the crystal rather than the {001} facets with a higher surface energy. This surprising discrepancy can be explained in terms of face-specific electron-trapping probability. In situ observation of the catalytic events occurring at the solid/solution interfaces reveals the hidden role of the crystal facets in chemical reactions and their impact on the efficiency and selectivity of heterogeneous (photo)catalysts.     

Single-atom catalysis for organic reactions

Metal-based catalysis, including homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, plays a significant role in the modern chemical industry. Heterogeneous catalysis is widely used due to the high efficiency, easy catalyst separation and recycling. However, the metal-utilization efficiency for conventional heterogeneous catalysts needs further improvement compared to homogeneous catalyst. To tackle this, the pursing of heterogenizing homogeneous catalysts has always been attractive but challenging. As a recently emerging class of catalytic material, single-atom catalysts (SACs) are expected to bridge homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic process in organic reactions and have arguably become the most active new frontier in catalysis field. In this review, a brief introduction and development history of single-atom catalysis and SACs involved organic reactions are documented. In addition, recent advances in SACs and their practical applications in organic reactions such as oxidation, reduction, addition, coupling reaction, and other organic reactions are thoroughly reviewed. To understand structure-property relationships of single-atom catalysis in organic reactions, active sites or coordination structure, metal atom-utilization efficiency (e.g., turnover frequency, TOF calculated based on active metal) and catalytic performance (e.g., conversion and selectivity) of SACs are comprehensively summarized. Furthermore, the application limitations, development trends, future challenges and perspective of SAC for organic reaction are discussed.     

Shape Engineering of Oxide Nanoparticles for Heterogeneous Catalysis

The fabrication of oxide particles with tunable sizes and shapes at the nanoscale is one of the most crucial issues for the design and development of highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts. The shape of oxide nanoparticles has been demonstrated to affect their catalytic properties remarkably. Tuning the shape of oxide particles allows preferential exposure of specific reactive facets; this can maximize the number of active sites available to the reactants, which can improve the activity and also mediate the reaction route to a specific channel to achieve higher selectivity for a particular chemical reaction. In addition, the shape of the oxide particles affects their interaction with metal particles or clusters, and this involves interfacial strain and charge transfer. Metal particles or clusters dispersed on the reactive or polar facets of the oxide support often provide superior catalytic performance, primarily because of strong metal–support interactions. However, the geometric and electronic features of the metal‐oxide interface may change during the course of the reaction, induced by chemisorption of reactive molecules at elevated temperatures, which should be taken into account in proposing a structure–reactivity relationship.     

Recent Advances in Multifunctional Capsule Catalysts in Heterogeneous Catalysis?

Capsule catalysts composed of pre-shaped core catalysts and layer zeolites have been widely used in the tandem reactions where multiple continuous reactions are combined into one process. They show excellent catalytic performance in heterogeneous catalysis, including the direct synthesis of middle isoparaffins or dimethyl ether from syngas, as compared to the conventional hybrid catalysts. The present review highlights the recent development in the design of capsule catalysts and their catalytic applications in heterogeneous catalysis. The capsule catalyst preparation methods are introduced in detail, such as hydrothermal synthesis method, dual-layer method, physically adhesive method and single crystal crystallization method. Furthermore, several new applications of capsule catalysts in heterogeneous catalytic processes are presented such as in the direct synthesis of liquefied petroleum gas from syngas, the direct synthesis of para-xylene from syngas and methane dehydroaromatization. In addition, the development in the design of multifunctional capsule catalysts is discussed, which makes the capsule catalyst not just a simple combination of two different catalysts, but has some special functions such as changing the surface hydrophobic or acid properties of the core catalysts. Finally, the future perspectives of the design and applications of capsule catalysts in heterogeneous catalysis are provided.     

Design and applications of a home-built in situ FT-Raman spectroscopic cell

In the field of heterogeneous catalysis, in situ spectroscopy is one of the topics with growing interest. The characterization of a catalyst under working conditions is essential to identify the catalytic active site and to study the relation between the surface structure of a catalyst and its catalytic performance. For the first time, the design of an in situ spectroscopic cell for FT-Raman is presented and its performance is demonstrated by monitoring the thermal conversion of as synthesized mesoporous titanium and by characterizing the molecular surface structure of the vanadium oxides grafted on MCM-48 after exposure to a probe molecule. The results in both cases indicate that the in situ FT-Raman cell is a promising technique for characterizing the molecular surface structure of catalyst materials.