Selective oxidation of ethylbenzene to acetophenone over Cr(III) Schiff base complex intercalated into layered double hydroxide

A new heterogeneous catalyst, Cr(III) Schiff base‐containing layered double hydroxide, was synthesized using the intercalation method. The Cr(III) Schiff base complex derived from 2‐hydroxy‐1‐naphthaldehyde and 4‐aminobenzoic acid was intercalated into the layered double hydroxide. The synthesized materials were characterized using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, diffuse reflectance UV–visible spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The catalytic activity was investigated for the oxidation of ethylbenzene with tert‐butylhydroperoxide as an oxidant under solvent‐free conditions as well as with lower chromium concentrations. In the oxidation reaction, ethylbenzene was oxidized to acetophenone and benzaldehyde. The catalyst was recycled ten times without significant loss of catalytic activity. Leaching studies performed with hot filtration experiments showed that the chromium catalyst was heterogeneous in nature and stable under the reaction conditions.     

Synthesis of pyranopyrazoles using nano‐Fe‐[phenylsalicylaldiminemethylpyranopyrazole]Cl2 as a new Schiff base complex and catalyst

By the condensation reaction of benzaldehyde with ethyl acetoacetate, malononitrile and hydrazine hydrate in the presence of FeCl₂, a pyranopyrazole derivative was prepared which was then reacted with salicylaldehyde to afford nano‐Fe‐[phenylsalicylaldiminemethylpyranopyrazole]Cl₂ (nano‐[Fe‐PSMP]Cl₂). The prepared nano‐Schiff base complex was fully characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy and UV–visible spectroscopy, and was used as an efficient and catalyst for the preparation of pyranopyrazoles.     

Magnetic nanoparticle‐tethered Schiff base–palladium(II): Highly active and reusable heterogeneous catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling and reduction of nitroarenes in aqueous medium at room temperature

As a continuation of our efforts to develop new heterogeneous nanomagnetic catalysts for greener reactions, we identified a Schiff base–palladium(II) complex anchored on magnetic nanoparticles (SB‐Pd@MNPs) as a highly active nanomagnetic catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reactions between phenylboronic acid and aryl halides and for the reduction of nitroarenes using sodium borohydride in an aqueous medium at room temperature. The SB‐Pd@MNPs nanomagnetic catalyst shows notable advantages such as simplicity of operation, excellent yields, short reaction times, heterogeneous nature, easy magnetic work up and recyclability. Characterization of the synthesized SB‐Pd@MNPs nanomagnetic catalyst was performed with various physicochemical methods such as attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, powder X‐ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis.     

Nano palladium supported on high‐surface‐area metal–organic framework MIL‐101: an efficient catalyst for Sonogashira coupling of aryl and heteroaryl bromides with alkynes

Palladium nanoparticle‐incorporated metal–organic framework MIL‐101 (Pd/MIL‐101) was successfully synthesized and characterized using X‐ray diffraction, nitrogen physisorption, X‐ray photoelectron, UV–visible and infrared spectroscopies, and transmission electron microscopy. The characterization techniques confirmed high porosity and high surface area of MIL‐101 and high stability of nano‐size palladium particles. Pd/MIL‐101 nanocomposite was investigated for the Sonogashira cross‐coupling reaction of aryl and heteroaryl bromides with various alkynes under copper‐free conditions. The reusability of the catalyst was tested for up to four cycles without any significant loss in catalytic activity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ni‐W Catalysts Supported on HZSM‐5/HMS for the Hydrogenation Reaction of Aromatic Compounds: Effect of Ni/W Ratio on Activity,Stability, and Kinetics

Ni‐W/HZSM5‐HMS catalysts were evaluated for the benzene hydrogenation reaction at 130–190°C. To study the catalyst characterization, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared, UV–vis, diffuse reflectance spectra, temperature‐programmed desorption of NH₃, FT‐IR of adsorbed pyridine measurements (Py‐IR), H₂ chemisorption, nitrogen adsorption–desorption, and TGA techniques were used. Kinetics of benzene hydrogenation was investigated under various hydrogen and benzene pressures, and the effect of reaction conditions on catalytic performance was studied. The results showed that bimetallic catalysts have better ability than a monometallic catalyst (Ni/HZSM5‐HMS) for this reaction, such as maximum benzene conversion (100%), minimum toluene conversion (1.76–40%), very low converted xylene, benzene selectivity (100%), good catalytic stability against coke deposition, and appropriate kinetic parameters.     

Visible‐light photocatalytic activity of Ag@MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres

Ag nanoparticle (NP)‐decorated MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres (Ag@MIL‐125(Ti)) were firstly fabricated via a facile hydrothermal and following photo‐reduction method. The photocatalysts were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The characterization results indicated that Ag NPs were dispersed on the surface of MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres, and the Ag NPs had a uniform diameter of about 40 nm. The composites exhibited excellent visible‐light absorption, due to the modification with the Ag NPs. The photocatalytic activity for the visible‐light‐promoted degradation of Rhodamine B was improved through the optimization of the amount of Ag loaded as a co‐catalyst, this amount being determined as 3 wt%. Additionally, studies performed using radical scavengers indicated that O₂^? and e^? served as the main reactive species. The catalyst can be reused at least five times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. Furthermore, a photocatalytic mechanism for degradation of organics over Ag@MIL‐125(Ti) is also proposed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrochemical Fabrication and Properties of Highly Ordered Fe‐Doped TiO2 Nanotubes

Highly‐ordered Fe‐doped TiO₂ nanotubes (TiO₂nts) were fabricated by anodization of co‐sputtered Ti–Fe thin films in a glycerol electrolyte containing NH₄F. The as‐sputtered Ti–Fe thin films correspond to a solid solution of Ti and Fe according to X‐ray diffraction. The Fe‐doped TiO₂nts were studied in terms of composition, morphology and structure. The characterization included scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, UV/Vis spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Mott–Schottky analysis. As a result of the Fe doping, an indirect bandgap of 3.0 eV was estimated using Tauc’s plot, and this substantial red‐shift extends its photoresponse to visible light. From the Mott–Schottky analysis, the flat‐band potential (E_fb) and the charge carrier concentration (N_D) were determined to be ?0.95 V vs Ag/AgCl and 5.0 ×10¹⁹ cm^?3 respectively for the Fe‐doped TiO₂nts, whilst for the undoped TiO₂nts, E_fb of ?0.85 V vs Ag/AgCl and N_D of 6.5×10¹⁹ cm^?3 were obtained.     

Novel nano molten salt tetra‐2,3‐pyridiniumporphyrazinato‐oxo‐vanadium tricyanomethanide as a vanadium surface‐free phthalocyanine catalyst: Application to Strecker synthesis of α‐aminonitrile derivatives

Efficient and recyclable novel nano tetra‐2,3‐pyridiniumporphyrazinato‐oxo‐vanadium tricyanomethanide, {[VO(TPPA)][C(CN)₃]₄}, as a vanadium surface‐free phthalocyanine‐based molten salt catalyst was successfully designed, produced and used for the Strecker synthesis of α‐aminonitrile derivatives through a one‐pot three‐component reaction between aromatic aldehydes, trimethylsilyl cyanide and aniline derivatives under neat conditions at 50 °C. This catalyst was well characterized using Fourier transform infrared, UV–visible, X‐ray photoelectron and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopies, X‐ray diffraction, scanning and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopies, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and thermogravimetric analysis. The catalyst can be simply recovered and reused several times without significant loss of catalytic activity.     

A practical innovative method for highly selective oxidation of alkenes and alkanes using Fe (III) and Mn (III) porphyrins supported onto multi‐wall carbon nanotubes as reusable heterogeneous catalysts

Functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes were used for covalent immobilization of meso‐tetrakis(4‐carboxyphenyl) porphyrinatoiron (III) chloride [Fe (TCPP)Cl] and meso‐tetrakis(4‐carboxyphenyl) porphyrinatomanganese (III) acetate [Mn (TCPP)OAc]. The full characterization of the hybrid porphyrinic nanomaterials, by Fourier transform‐infrared and UV–Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetry and flame atomic absorption spectrometry is described. The oxidation of alkenes and alkanes with molecular oxygen as green oxidant in the presence of Mn‐ and Fe‐catalysts has been studied in a comparative manner. The Fe‐catalyst was shown to have higher catalytic activity compared with the Mn‐catalyst. In addition, both separable solid catalysts can be recovered and reused at least 10 times along with good yields.     

Zeolite‐Supported Gold Nanoparticles for Selective Photooxidation of Aromatic Alcohols under Visible‐Light Irradiation

With new photocatalysts of gold nanoparticles supported on zeolite supports (Au/zeolite), oxidation of benzyl alcohol and its derivatives into the corresponding aldehydes can proceed well with a high selectivity (99 %) under visible‐light irradiation at ambient temperature. Au/zeolite photocatalysts were characterised by UV/Vis, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), TEM, XRD, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Brauner–Emmet–Teller (BET) analyses, IR and Raman techniques. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of gold nanoparticles, the adsorption capability of zeolite supports and the molecular polarities of aromatic alcohols were demonstrated to have an essential correlation with the photocatalytic performances. In addition, the effects of light intensity, wavelength range and the role of molecular oxygen were investigated in detail. The kinetic study indicated that the visible‐light irradiation required much less apparent activation energy for photooxidation compared with thermal reaction. Based on the characterisation data and the photocatalytic performances, we proposed a possible photooxidation mechanism.     

Preparation of Novel Arrays Silver Nanoparticles Modified Polyrutin Coat‐Paraffin‐Impregnated Graphite Electrode for Tyrosine and Tryptophan's Oxidation

A novel array silver nanoparticles and Rutin complex film modified paraffin‐impregnated graphite electrode was proposed in this work (denoted as Ag/Rutin/WGE). The characteristics were investigated by the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), infrared spectra (IR), UV‐visible (UV), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical techniques. Silver ions were gradually chelated by polyrutin film at 4′‐oxo‐5′‐OH and 5‐OH‐4‐oxo sites accompanying adsorption, then. Silver nanoparticles were highly‐dispersed electrodeposited on polyrutin film. The electrochemical behaviors of tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp) were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques. The Ag/Rutin/WGE electrode shows overlapping catalysis for the oxidation of Tyr and Trp. The linear response of Tyr and Trp were 0.3–10.0 and 0.7–70.0 μM with detection limit of 0.07 and 0.1 μM in a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3.     

Fe-Mn/Al2O3催化剂低温 NH3选择性催化还原 NO的性能

本文制备了一系列 Fe-Mn/Al2O3催化剂,并在固定床上考察了其 NH3低温选择性催化还原 NO的性能.首先考察了不同 Fe负载量制备的催化剂的脱硝性能,优选出最佳的 Fe负载量;在此基础上,研究了 Mn负载量对催化剂脱硝效率的影响;最后,对优选催化剂的抗 H2O和抗 SO2性能进行了实验研究;同时,对催化剂由于 SO2所造成的失活机制进行了考察.采用 N2吸附-脱附、X射线衍射、透射电镜、能量弥散 X射线谱、程序升温还原、程序升温脱附、X射线光电子能谱、热重和傅里叶变换红外光谱等方法对催化剂进行了表征.结果表明,最佳的 Fe和 Mn负载量均为8%,所制的8Fe-8Mn/Al2O3催化剂在150°C的脱硝效率可达近99%;同时,在整个低温测试区间(90–210°C)的脱硝效率均超过了92.6%. Fe在催化剂表面主要以 Fe3+形态存在,而 Mn主要包括 Mn4+和 Mn3+; Mn的添加提高了 Fe在催化剂表面的积累,促进了催化剂比表面积增大和活性物种分散,改善了催化剂氧化还原性能和对 NH3的吸附能力.催化剂的高活性主要是由于其具有较大的比表面积、高度分散的活性物种、增加的还原特性和表面酸性、较低的结合能、较高的 Mn4+/Mn3+和增强的表面吸附氧.此外,8Fe-8Mn/Al2O3的催化性能受 H2O和 SO2影响较小,抗 H2O和 SO2能力较强.同时,反应温度对催化剂的抗硫性有重要影响,在较低的反应温度下,催化剂抗硫性更好; SO2造成催化剂活性降低主要是由于催化剂表面硫酸盐物种的生成.一方面,表面硫酸铵盐的生成造成催化剂孔道堵塞和比表面积降低,减少了反应中的气固接触从而导致活性降低;另一方面,催化剂表面的活性物种被硫酸化,造成反应中的有效活性位减少,从而降低了催化剂活性.     

Improved Photocatalytic Activity and Stability of Nano‐sized Ag/Ag2CO3 Plasmonic Photocatalyst by Surface Modification of Fe(III) Nanocluster

The surface modification of Ag/Ag₂CO₃ with Fe(III) ions has been achieved through simply photoreduction‐impregnation method. The obtained products were characterized by means of X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV‐vis absorption spectroscopy. Under visible‐light irradiation (γ>420 nm), the Fe(III)/Ag/Ag₂CO₃ sample displays a higher photocatalytic activity and stability than pure Ag₂CO₃ and Ag/Ag₂CO₃ samples for the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The improved photocatalytic activity and stability of this ternary system could be ascribed to the synergetic effect between Ag nanoparticles and Fe(III) nanocluster. The metallic Ag nanoparticles cause an obviously enhanced visible‐light absorption to produce more photogenerated charges, while the Fe(III) works as an active site for the following oxygen reduction to reduce the recombination rate of photogenerated electrons and holes.     

Mn‐[4‐Chlorophenyl‐Salicylaldimine‐Methylpyranopyrazole]Cl2 as a Novel Nanostructured Schiff Base Complex and Catalyst

Mn‐[4‐chlorophenyl‐salicylaldimine‐methylpyranopyrazole]Cl₂ ([Mn‐4CSMP ]Cl₂) as nano‐Schiff base complex was prepared and fully characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, derivative thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The reactivity of nano‐[Mn‐4CSMP ]Cl₂ as a catalyst was tested on the tandem cyclocondensation–Knoevenagel condensation–Michael reaction between phenylhydrazine and ethyl acetoacetate with various aromatic aldehydes to give 4,4′‐(arylmethylene)‐bis‐(3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H ‐pyrazol‐5‐ol)s derivatives.     

Facile fabrication of ZnO/N‐doped helical carbon nanotubes composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity toward organic pollutant degradation

Novel ZnO/N‐doped helical carbon nanotubes (ZnO/N‐HCNTs) composites were successfully synthesized via a facile chemical precipitation approach at room temperature. The sample was well characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS). The photocatalytic activity was evaluated in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution under UV light irradiation. It is found that ZnO nanoparticles were highly and uniformly anchored on the surface and inner tubes of the N‐HCNTs with size of about 5 nm, and significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity compared to pure ZnO. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnO/N‐HCNTs composites can be ascribed to the integrative synergistic effect of effective interfacial hybridization between N‐HCNTs and ZnO nanoparticles and the prolonged lifetime of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Moreover, the ZnO/N‐HCNTs could be easily recycled without any obvious decrease in photocatalytic activity and could be promote their application in the area of environmental remediation.     

Photocatalytic Activity of Fe and Ce Co‐doped Mesoporous TiO2 Catalyst under UV and Visible Light

The catalysts of un‐doped, single‐doped and co‐doped mesoporous titanium dioxide (MTiO₂) were prepared by a template method with tetrabutyltitanate (Ti(OC₄H₉)₄) as a Ti source material and Pluronic P123 as a template. The photo‐absorbance of the obtained catalysts was measured by UV‐vis absorption spectroscopy, and the photocatalytic activities of the prepared samples under UV and visible light were estimated by measuring the degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) (50 mg/L) in an aqueous solution. It was shown that the co‐doped MTiO₂ could be activated by visible light and could thus be used as an effective catalyst in photo‐oxidation reactions. The effect of Fe and Ce co‐dopants on the material properties was investigated by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N₂ adsorption‐desorption isotherm measurement. The characterizations indicated that the photocatalysts possessed a homogeneous pore diameter of ca. 10 nm with high surface area of ca. 150 m²/g. The photocatalytic activity of MTiO₂ co‐doped with Fe and Ce was markedly improved due to the synergistic actions of the two dopants.     

Biosynthesis of Pd/MnO2 nanocomposite using Solanum melongena plant extract and its application for the one‐pot synthesis of 5‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles from aryl halides

In this work, for the first time, Solanum melongena plant extract was used for the green synthesis of Pd/MnO₂ nanocomposite via reduction osf Pd(II) ions to Pd(0) and their immobilization on the surface of manganese dioxide (MnO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) as an effective support. The synthesized nanocomposite were characterized by various analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of Pd/MnO₂ nanocomposite was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the one‐pot synthesis of 5‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles from aryl halides containing various electron‐donating or electron‐withdrawing groups in the presence of K ₄ [Fe (CN) ₆ ] as non‐toxic cyanide source and sodium azide. The products were obtained in good yields via a simple methodology and easy work‐up. The nanocatalyst can be recycled and reused several times with no remarkable loss of activity.     

A highly active multi‐usable palladium pyridylfluorene film‐based catalyst for C–C cross‐coupling reactions

The two terminal pyridyl nitrogen atoms of 2,7‐bis(4‐pyridyl)fluorene ( 1 ) were coordinated to Pd(II) ions to give self‐assembled, multilayer films using the layer‐by‐layer (LbL) method. The films were prepared by alternately dipping the substrate, pre‐coated with a polyethyleneimine layer, in aqueous solutions of PdCl₂ and ethanol solutions of 1 . The resulting films were characterized using UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP‐AES). UV–visible spectra and SEM images show almost uniform growth of the film in a near ideal LbL manner. AFM images show that nanostructured aggregates of Pd(II) complexes form on the surface. With an increase in the number of Pd(II)/ 1 bilayers, more particulate aggregates are distributed on the surface. When released from the substrate, the Pd(II) complex nanostructure shows high catalytic activity for Suzuki–Miyaura and Mizoroki–Heck cross‐coupling reactions. The catalyst loading is as low as 9.1 × 10^?3 mol% Pd, as measured using ICP‐AES, and high turnover numbers of up to 1.08 × 10⁴ are obtained. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of iron‐based metal organic framework and its visible light‐driven photocatalytic degradation of dye pollutants

A novel metal–organic compound [Fe (ox)(phen)]_n (phen = 1,10‐Phennannthroline, ox = oxalate acid) has been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction, X‐ray diffraction, IR, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The compound crystallized in monoclinic,space group P2₁ with a = 0.92289 (3) nm, b = 1.35719 (3) nm, c = 1.02012 (4) nm,β = 94.372 (2)°,V = 1.27402(8)nm³,Z = 2,and exhibited a 2D layer structure. The photocatalytic activities of the compound were evaluated by decomposing Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) under the visible light irradiation. In addition, the mechanism of the photocatalytic properties were proposed during this process.     

Electrocatalytic Investigations of Cu(II) and Fe(III) Complexes of Salophen Derivative Schiff Bases on the Pencil Graphite Electrode

This present study describes a pencil graphite electrode surface covered with Cu(II) and Fe(III) complexes based on Salophen derivative Schiff bases in acetonitrile solution containing LiClO₄ as a supporting electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry method was used for the surface modification procedure with 25 cycle at a sweep rate of 50 mV s^?1. Some characterization methods were used to identify of the prepared modified surfaces including cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), Ultraviolet‐visible Spectroscopy (UV‐Vis), and Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X‐ray Spectroscopy (SEM/SEM‐EDX). The catalytic activity of these modified surfaces on the electrochemical oxidation of catechol (CC) was investigated and they compared with each other. The results demonstrated that these modified electrodes showed perfect electrocatalytic activity on the catechol determination, however the modified electrode prepared with the Cu(II) complex has higher catalytic activity than this prepared with the Fe(III) complex thanks to its the lower detection limit.