Catalytic Aerobic Oxidation of Biomass‐based Furfural into Maleic Acid in Aqueous Phase with Metalloporphyrin Catalysts

Catalytic oxidation of renewable furfural into valuable maleic acid in aqueous solutions using metalloporphyrin catalysts was investigated for the first time. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by FT‐IR , UV –vis, ¹H NMR , elemental analysis, and TGA . The catalysts varied in metal active sites and functional groups, which had different effects on their catalytic activity. Furthermore, the effects of temperatures, reaction time, catalyst loading, and oxygen pressure were studied in detail. Maleic acid could be achieved in 44% yield by using FeT (p‐Cl)PPCl as catalyst under optimal conditions. Finally, FeT (p‐Cl)PPCl could be reused in five consecutive runs without a significant loss of activity.     

Nanosized cationic and anionic manganese porphyrins as mesoporous catalysts for the oxidation of olefins: Nano versus bulk aggregates

In this study, catalytic activity of bulk and nano‐sized meso‐tetrakis(4‐sulfonatophenyl)porphyrinatomanganese(III) acetate, MnTPPS₄(OAc), (ammonium salt) and meso‐tetrakis(3‐methylpyridyl)porphyrinatomanganese(III) acetate, MnT(3‐MePy)P(OAc) (tosylate salt) for the oxidation of olefins with tetra‐n‐butylammonium Oxone has been studied and compared with that of the bulk counterparts. The nanoparticles were prepared by mixing solvent techniques using water, (triethyleneglycol) monomethyl ether and dimethylsulfoxide or acetonitrile. The formation of nano‐sized catalysts was confirmed by UV‐Vis spectroscopy, DLS and AFM. Nitrogen porosimetry measurements indicated the homogeneous pore size distribution in the bulk and nano‐sized manganese porphyrins. In spite of the high oxidizability of Oxone, the heterogenized manganese porphyrins showed a significantly higher oxidative stability relative to their homogeneous counterparts within a reaction time of 6 h. The increase in the catalytic activity induced by the formation of nano‐sized catalysts was more pronounced in the case of MnT(3‐MePy)P(OAc). MnT(3‐MePy)P(OAc) may be recovered and reused for at least 4 times without any significant decrease in the catalyst efficiency. In the case of MnTPPS₄(OAc) a large decrease in the catalytic activity was observed after the first use of the catalyst. The latter was attributed to higher degrees of catalyst degradation in the case of MnTPPS₄(OAc).     

Iron promotion of V‐HMS mesoporous catalysts for ultra‐deep oxidative desulfurization

Bimetallic Fe‐V‐HMS (HMS, hexagonal mesoporous silica) catalysts with various molar ratios of iron to vanadium were synthesized using a co‐synthesis method, and investigated for oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) using tert‐butyl hydroperoxide as an oxidant. The catalysts were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, temperature‐programmed desorption of ammonia, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and N₂ physical adsorption–desorption techniques. The Fe‐V‐HMS catalyst with a 2:1 molar ratio of iron to vanadium exhibited the highest total acidity and the highest catalytic activity. DBT was almost completely oxidized to dibenzothiophenesulfone, a species with a higher polarity that could be subsequently adsorbed on the Fe‐V‐HMS, and therefore the Fe‐V‐HMS acts as both a catalyst and an adsorbent simultaneously. The desulfurization rate was 98.1%. A pseudo‐first‐order model was fitted to the experimental data, and the activation energy was found to be 38.79 kJ mol^?1. The encouraging performance of Fe‐V‐HMS offers the prospect of the design of a one‐pot oxidative desulfurization process without needing extraction of sulfones from fuel oil with a chemical solvent.     

Catalytic activity of Mn(III) and Fe(III) complexes of meso-tetra(n-propyl)porphyrin in oxidation of olefins: Meso-alkyl substituent in comparison with the alkenyl and aryl ones

Catalytic activity of Mn(III) and Fe(III) complexes of meso-tetra(n-propyl)porphyrin, MnT(n-Pr)P(X) and FeT(n-Pr)P(X) (X = Cl, SCN, OAc) in oxidation of olefins with tetra-n-butylammonium periodate at room temperature has been studied. The influence of different parameters including the molar ratio of catalyst to imidazole, type of counter ion (X) and oxidative stability of metalloporphyrins on the efficiency of the catalysts was investigated. The results of competitive oxidation of cis- and trans-stilbene suggest the presence of a high-valent Mn-oxo as the predominant oxidant species in equilibrium with a six coordinate complex, MnT(n-Pr)P(ImH)(IO₄) in the case of MnT(n-Pr)P(OAc). An unusual preference for trans-stilbene over cis-stilbene was observed in the reaction catalyzed by FeT(n-Pr)P(OAc). Control reaction indicated a significant cis- to trans-isomerization (81%) in oxidation of cis-stilbene catalyzed by FeT(n-Pr)P(OAc) which may explain the observed unusual cis to trans-stilbene oxide ratio. While oxidation of cyclooctene and styrene led to the exclusive formation of the corresponding epoxides, oxidation of cyclohexene gave 2-cyclohexe-1-ol and cyclohexene oxide as the products. However, the results of this study clearly demonstrate the key role played by the group substituted at the meso positions of metalloporphyrins on their catalytic activity, apart from the electron-donating or electron-withdrawing properties of the substituents.     

Highly Dispersed and Small‐Sized Nickel(II) Hydroxide Co‐Catalyst Prepared by Photodeposition for Hydrogen Production

Photodeposition has been widely used as a mild and efficient synthetic method to deposit co‐catalysts. It is also worth studying how to synthesize non‐noble metal photocatalysts with uniform dispersion. Different synthetic conditions in photodeposition have a certain influence on particle size distribution and photocatalytic activity. Therefore, we designed experiments to prepare the inexpensive composite photocatalyst Ni(OH)₂/g‐C₃N₄ by photodeposition. The Ni(OH)₂ co‐catalysts disperse uniformly with particle sizes of about 10 nm. The photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of Ni(OH)₂/g‐C₃N₄ reached about 19 mmol g^?1 h^?1, with the Ni(OH)₂ deposition amount about 1.57 %. During 16 h stability testing, the rate of hydrogen production did not decrease significantly. The composite catalyst also revealed a good hydrogen production performance under sunlight. The Ni(OH)₂ co‐catalyst enhanced the separation ability of photogenerated carriers, which was proved by surface photovoltage and fluorescence analysis.     

Influence of FeCl3‐modified chloroaluminate ionic liquids on long‐chain alkenes alkylation

The influence of anhydrous ferric chloride on the catalytic properties of chloroaluminate ionic liquids catalyst for Friedel–Crafts alkylation was investigated. The catalysts were characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) (acetonitrile molecule as probe), specific gravity, and ²⁷Al NMR. Besides, the effect of the mass ratio of FeCl₃ to AlCl₃, catalysts dosage, toluene/olefin molar ratio, reaction temperature, and reaction time on long‐chain alkenes alkylation were investigated thoroughly. And bromine value and high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were employed as the evaluation method for alkylation products. It was observed that the addition of anhydrous ferric chloride results in improvement in terms of Lewis acid and its catalytic recyclability. Among these catalysts studied, the catalyst modified with 1.0 wt.% anhydrous FeCl₃ showed the best catalytic performance in terms of yield and stability, which can be attributed to the formation of new stronger acidic ions [Al₂FeCl_l0]^? when the added ferric chloride reacts with acidic ions [Al₂Cl₇]^?.     

Manganese porphyrins/mesoporous amberlyst 15 nanocomposites: Robust biomimetic catalysts for aqueous oxidation of olefins

In this study, the manganese complexes of N-methylated meso-tetra(2-, 3-, or 4 pyridyl)porphyrins, immobilized into the pores of the sodium salt of mesoporous amberlyst 15 nanoparticles (nanoAmbSO₃Na), nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(2-MePy)P (OAc), nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(3-MePy)P (OAc), and nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(4-MePy)P (OAc), were synthesized and characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), nitrogen adsorption/desorption porosimetry analysis, and diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectroscopy. FESEM images revealed a particle size less than ~40 nm for the nanocomposites. The results of BET are in accord with the occupation of the larger pores of the polymer matrix in the case of MnT(2-MePy)P (OAc) as the most sterically demanding metalloporphyrin of the series, and the smaller pores in the case of the other ones. The immobilized manganese porphyrins were used as catalysts for the oxidation of olefins with sodium periodate in the presence of imidazole (ImH) as the co-catalyst. The negligible oxidative destructions of the immobilized manganese porphyrins under the oxidative conditions allowed the comparison of the inherent catalytic activity of the metalloporphyrins, decreased as nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(4-MePy)P (OAc) > nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(3-MePy)P (OAc) ≫ nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(2-MePy)P (OAc). Contrary to the general belief that electron-deficient metalloporphyrins are more efficient catalysts than the electron-rich ones, the most electron-deficient metalloporphyrin of the series, that is, nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(2-MePy)P (OAc), showed the lowest catalytic activity. Due to the high oxidative stability of the immobilized manganese porphyrins, ring opening of epoxide competes with the epoxidation reaction to decrease the yield of epoxide at longer reaction times than the optimized one.     

Electrocatalytic Dioxygen Reduction by Carbon Electrodes Noncovalently Modified with Iron Porphyrin Complexes: Enhancements from a Single Proton Relay

Oxygen reduction in acidic aqueous solution mediated by a series of asymmetric iron (III)‐tetra(aryl)porphyrins adsorbed to basal‐ and edge‐ plane graphite electrodes is investigated. The asymmetric iron porphyrin systems bear phenyl groups at three meso positions and either a 2‐pyridyl, a 2‐benzoic acid, or a 2‐hydroxyphenyl group at the remaining meso position. The presence of the three unmodified phenyl groups makes the compounds insoluble in water, enabling catalyst retention during electrochemical experiments. Resonance Raman data demonstrate that catalyst layers are maintained, but can undergo modification after prolonged catalysis in the presence of O₂. The introduction of a single proton relay group at the fourth meso position makes the asymmetric iron porphyrins markedly more robust catalysts; these molecules support higher sustained current densities than the parent iron tetraphenylporphyrin. Iron porphyrins bearing a 2‐pyridyl group are the most active catalysts and operate at stable current densities ≥1 mA cm^?2 for over 5 h. Comparative analysis of the catalysts with different proton relays also is reported.     

Fast and Simple Preparation of Iron‐Based Thin Films as Highly Efficient Water‐Oxidation Catalysts in Neutral Aqueous Solution

Water oxidation is the key step in natural and artificial photosynthesis for solar‐energy conversion. As this process is thermodynamically unfavorable and is challenging from a kinetic point of view, the development of highly efficient catalysts with low energy cost is a subject of fundamental significance. Herein, we report on iron‐based films as highly efficient water‐oxidation catalysts. The films can be quickly deposited onto electrodes from Fe^II ions in acetate buffer at pH 7.0 by simple cyclic voltammetry. The extremely low iron loading on the electrodes is critical for improved atom efficiency for catalysis. Our results showed that this film could catalyze water oxidation in neutral phosphate solution with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 756 h^?1 at an applied overpotential of 530 mV. The significance of this approach includes the use of earth‐abundant iron, the fast and simple method for catalyst preparation, the low catalyst loading, and the large TOF for O₂ evolution in neutral aqueous media.     

Catalytic Electron‐Transfer Oxygenation of Substrates with Water as an Oxygen Source Using Manganese Porphyrins

Manganese(V)–oxo–porphyrins are produced by the electron‐transfer oxidation of manganese–porphyrins with tris(2,2′‐bipyridine)ruthenium(III) ([Ru(bpy)₃]³⁺; 2 equiv) in acetonitrile (CH₃CN) containing water. The rate constants of the electron‐transfer oxidation of manganese–porphyrins have been determined and evaluated in light of the Marcus theory of electron transfer. Addition of [Ru(bpy)₃]³⁺ to a solution of olefins (styrene and cyclohexene) in CH₃CN containing water in the presence of a catalytic amount of manganese–porphyrins afforded epoxides, diols, and aldehydes efficiently. Epoxides were converted to the corresponding diols by hydrolysis, and were further oxidized to the corresponding aldehydes. The turnover numbers vary significantly depending on the type of manganese–porphyrin used owing to the difference in their oxidation potentials and the steric bulkiness of the ligand. Ethylbenzene was also oxidized to 1‐phenylethanol using manganese–porphyrins as electron‐transfer catalysts. The oxygen source in the substrate oxygenation was confirmed to be water by using ¹⁸O‐labeled water. The rate constant of the reaction of the manganese(V)–oxo species with cyclohexene was determined directly under single‐turnover conditions by monitoring the increase in absorbance attributable to the manganese(III) species produced in the reaction with cyclohexene. It has been shown that the rate‐determining step in the catalytic electron‐transfer oxygenation of cyclohexene is electron transfer from [Ru(bpy)₃]³⁺ to the manganese–porphyrins.     

A novel catalytic system—NdCl3 · HMPA/AI(i‐6u)3 for copolymerization of isoprene and styrene

Co polymerization of styrene (St) and isoprene (IP) was carried out with a catalyst system composed of anhydrous lanthanide chloride hexamethyl phosphor amide complex (LnC1₃‐HMPA) and aluminum organic compound (AOC). Among the catalysts examined, catalyst NdC1₃*HMPA/Al(i‐Bu)₃ showed a high activity in the copolymerization under certain conditions giving copolymers (5%‐158 St content) with high cis‐1, 4 microstructure in IP Units (>95%). The effects of HMPA/Nd molar ratio, Al/Nd molar ratio, monomer/Nd molar ratio, St feed ratio, and the reaction time on copolymerization were examined with this catalytic system. The obtained copolymers were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies and gel‐permeation chromatography (GPC).     

Enhanced Catalytic Activity and Unexpected Products from the Oxidation of Cyclohexene by Organic Nanoparticles of 5,10,15,20‐Tetrakis‐(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorophenyl)porphyrinatoiron(III) in Water by Using O2

The catalytic oxidation of alkenes by most iron porphyrins using a variety of oxygen sources, but generally not dioxygen, yields the epoxide with minor quantities of other products. The turnover numbers for these catalysts are modest, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand depending on the porphyrin structure, axial ligands, and other reaction conditions. Halogenation of substituents increases the activity of the metalloporphyrin catalyst and/or makes it more robust to oxidative degradation. Oxidation of cyclohexene by 5,10,15,20‐tetrakis‐(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorophenyl)porphyrinato iron(III), ([Fe^III(tppf₂₀)]) and H₂O₂ is typical of the latter: the epoxide is 99 % of the product and turnover numbers are about 350. 1 – 4 Herein, we report that dynamic organic nanoparticles (ONPs) of [Fe^III(tppf₂₀)] with a diameter of 10 nm, formed by host–guest solvent methods, catalytically oxidize cyclohexene with O₂ to yield only 2‐cyclohexene‐1‐one and 2‐cyclohexene‐1‐ol with approximately 10‐fold greater turnover numbers compared to the non‐aggregated metalloporphyrin in acetonitrile/methanol. These ONPs facilitate a greener reaction because the reaction solvent is 89 % water and O₂ is the oxidant in place of synthetic oxygen sources. This reactivity is unexpected because the metalloporphyrins are in close proximity and oxidative degradation of the catalyst should be enhanced, thus causing a significant decrease in catalytic turnovers. The allylic products suggest a different oxidative mechanism compared to that of the solvated metalloporphyrins. These results illustrate the unique properties of some ONPs relative to the component molecules or those attached to supports.     

A Single‐Atom Iridium Heterogeneous Catalyst in Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Combining the advantages of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, single‐atom catalysts (SACs) are bringing new opportunities to revolutionize ORR catalysis in terms of cost, activity and durability. However, the lack of high‐performance SACs as well as the fundamental understanding of their unique catalytic mechanisms call for serious advances in this field. Herein, for the first time, we develop an Ir‐N‐C single‐atom catalyst (Ir‐SAC) which mimics homogeneous iridium porphyrins for high‐efficiency ORR catalysis. In accordance with theoretical predictions, the as‐developed Ir‐SAC exhibits orders of magnitude higher ORR activity than iridium nanoparticles with a record‐high turnover frequency (TOF) of 24.3 e^? site^?1 s^?1 at 0.85 V vs. RHE) and an impressive mass activity of 12.2 A mg^?1_Ir, which far outperforms the previously reported SACs and commercial Pt/C. Atomic structural characterizations and density functional theory calculations reveal that the high activity of Ir‐SAC is attributed to the moderate adsorption energy of reaction intermediates on the mononuclear iridium ion coordinated with four nitrogen atom sites.     

Synthesis of three‐armed poly(trans‐4‐hydroxy‐N‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐L‐proline)‐block‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) copolymers

A series of novel types of three‐armed poly(trans‐4‐hydroxy‐N‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐L ‐proline)‐block‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PHpr‐b‐PCL) copolymers were successfully synthesized via melt block copolymerization of trans‐4‐hydroxy‐N‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐L ‐proline (N‐CBz‐Hpr) and ε‐caprolactone (ε‐CL) with a trifunctional initiator trimethylolpropane (TMP) and stannous octoate (SnOct₂) as a catalyst. For the homopolycondensation of N‐CBz‐Hpr with TMP initiator and SnOct₂ catalyst, the number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of prepolymer increases from 530 to 3540 g mol^?1 with the molar ratio of monomer to initiator (3–30), and the molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n) is between 1.25 to 1.32. These three‐armed prepolymer PHpr were subsequently block copolymerized with ε‐caprolactone (ε‐CL) in the presence of SnOct₂ as a catalyst. The M_n of the copolymer increased from 2240 to 18,840 g mol^?1 with the molar ratio (0–60) of ε‐CL to PHpr. These products were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), ¹H NMR, and gel permeation chromatography. According to DSC, the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) of the three‐armed polymers depended on the molar ratio of monomer/initiator that were added. In vitro degradation of these copolymers was evaluated from weight‐loss measurements and the change of M_n and M_w/M_n. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 1708–1717, 2005     

One‐Pot Synthesis of Carbon‐Supported Dendritic Pd‐Au Nanoalloys for Electrocatalytic Ethanol Oxidation

One‐pot synthesis of carbon‐supported Pd‐Au alloy nanoparticles with well‐defined dendritic shape (Pd‐Au_den/C) was achieved by co‐reduction of K₂PdCl₄/HAuCl₄ mixtures in a molar ratio of 1:1 with hydrazine in the presence of Vulcan XC‐72R. The prepared Pd‐Au_den/C exhibited significantly enhanced performance in the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol compared with dendritic Pd nanoparticles and a commercial Pd/C catalyst. Pd‐Au_den/C even showed higher durability in electro‐oxidation of ethanol than the supported catalyst prepared by the deposition of presynthesized dendritic Pd‐Au nanoparticles on the carbon support. The experimental results clearly indicate that enhanced interaction between nanoparticle catalysts and carbon support through the one‐pot synthesis protocol can improve the durability of the electrocatalysts.     

A Versatile Iron–Tannin‐Framework Ink Coating Strategy to Fabricate Biomass‐Derived Iron Carbide/Fe‐N‐Carbon Catalysts for Efficient Oxygen Reduction

The conversion of biomass into valuable carbon composites as efficient non‐precious metal oxygen‐reduction electrocatalysts is attractive for the development of commercially viable polymer electrolyte membrane fuel‐cell technology. Herein, a versatile iron–tannin‐framework ink coating strategy is developed to fabricate cellulose‐derived Fe₃C/Fe‐N‐C catalysts using commercial filter paper, tissue, or cotton as a carbon source, an iron–tannin framework as an iron source, and dicyandiamide as a nitrogen source. The oxygen reduction performance of the resultant Fe₃C/Fe‐N‐C catalysts shows a high onset potential (i.e. 0.98 V vs the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)), and large kinetic current density normalized to both geometric electrode area and mass of catalysts (6.4 mA cm^?2 and 32 mA mg^?1 at 0.80 V vs RHE) in alkaline condition. This method can even be used to prepare efficient catalysts using waste carbon sources, such as used polyurethane foam.     

Catalytic activities of polymer‐supported metal complexes in oxidation of phenol and epoxidation of cyclohexene

The metal complexes of N, N′‐bis (o‐hydroxy acetophenone) propylene diamine (HPPn) Schiff base were supported on cross‐linked polystyrene beads. The complexation of iron(III), copper(II), and zinc(II) ions on polymer‐anchored HPPn Schiff base was 83.4, 85.7, and 84.5 wt%, respectively, whereas the complexation of these metal ions on unsupported HPPn Schiff base was 82.3, 84.5, and 83.9 wt%. The iron(III) complexes of HPPn Schiff base were octahedral in geometry, whereas copper(II) and zinc(II) ions complexes were square planar and tetrahedral. Complexation of metal ions increased the thermal stability of HPPn Schiff base. Catalytic activity of metal complexes was tested by studying the oxidation of phenol and epoxidation of cyclohexene in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The polymer‐supported HPPn Schiff base complexes of iron(III) ions showed 73.0 wt% conversion of phenol and 90.6 wt% conversion of cyclohexene at a molar ratio of 1:1:1 of substrate to catalyst and hydrogen peroxide, but unsupported complexes of iron(III) ions showed 63.8 wt% conversion for phenol and 83.2 wt% conversion for cyclohexene. The product selectivity for catechol (CTL) and epoxy cyclohexane (ECH) was 93.1 and 98.3 wt%, respectively with supported HPPn Schiff base complexes of iron(III) ions but was lower with HPPn Schiff base complexes of copper(II) and zinc(II) ions. Activation energy for the epoxidation of cyclohexene and phenol conversion with unsupported HPPn Schiff base complexes of iron(III) ions was 16.6 kJ mol^?1 and 21.2 kJ mol^?1, respectively, but was lower with supported complexes of iron(III) ions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strong‐Base‐Assisted Synthesis of a Crystalline Covalent Triazine Framework with High Hydrophilicity via Benzylamine Monomer for Photocatalytic Water Splitting

Methods to synthesize crystalline covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are limited and little attention has been paid to development of hydrophilic CTFs and photocatalytic overall water splitting. A route to synthesize crystalline and hydrophilic CTF‐HUST‐A1 with a benzylamine‐functionalized monomer is presented. The base reagent used plays an important role in the enhancement of crystallinity and hydrophilicity. CTF‐HUST‐A1 exhibits good crystallinity, excellent hydrophilicity, and excellent photocatalytic activity in sacrificial photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (hydrogen evolution rate up to 9200 μmol g^?1 h^?1). Photocatalytic overall water splitting is achieved by depositing dual co‐catalysts in CTF‐HUST‐A1, with H₂ evolution and O₂ evolution rates of 25.4 μmol g^?1 h^?1 and 12.9 μmol g^?1 h^?1 in pure water without using sacrificial agent.     

Chloride‐Induced Highly Active Au Catalyst for Methyl Esterification of Alcohols

Chloride is generally regarded as a harmful species for the heterogeneous catalysts, especially Au catalysts. In this work, a series of active Au/NiO_x catalysts were successfully prepared with co‐precipitation method by tracking the concentrations of chloride in the re‐dispersed aqueous solutions. For methyl esterification of alcohols, the highest active Au/NiO_x catalysts could be prepared from aqueous solutions containing 8‐13 ppm chloride, the yield of methyl benzoate of catalyst Au/NiO_x‐9 was 99%. The catalyst structures and the role of chloride in catalysts were explored by ICP, BET, XPS, TEM and EXAFS characterizations. It was found that the appropriate amount of residual chloride in Au catalysts was beneficial to their catalytic activities. Especially for Au/NiO_x‐9, the appropriate amount of residual chloride had positive effects on the physicochemical properties of Au/NiO_x catalyst, the position of Au nanoparticles (NPs) located on NiO_x crystallites and the ratio of Au^δ+/Au⁰ in catalyst, which together resulted in its high reactivity.     

Bifunctional Catalysts Based on m‐Phenylene‐Bridged Porphyrin Dimer and Trimer Platforms: Synthesis of Cyclic Carbonates from Carbon Dioxide and Epoxides

Highly active bifunctional diporphyrin and triporphyrin catalysts were synthesized through Stille coupling reactions. As compared with a porphyrin monomer, both exhibited improved catalytic activities for the reaction of CO₂ with epoxides to form cyclic carbonates, because of the multiple catalytic sites which cooperatively activate the epoxide. Catalytic activities were carefully investigated by controlling temperature, reaction time, and catalyst loading, and very high turnover number and turnover frequency were obtained: 220 000 and 46 000 h^?1, respectively, for the magnesium catalyst, and 310 000 and 40 000 h^?1, respectively, for the zinc catalyst. Results obtained with a zinc/free‐base hybrid diporphyrin catalyst demonstrated that the Br^? ions on the adjacent porphyrin moiety also function as nucleophiles.