Pyrrolidone ligand improved Cu‐based catalysts with high performance for acetylene hydrochlorination

A series of Cu‐pyrrolidone/spherical activated carbon (SAC) catalysts were prepared via a simple incipient wetness impregnation method and then assessed in acetylene hydrochlorination, and the catalytic evaluation result indicated that the 1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone (NMP) ligand was found to be the most effective one to significantly improve the activity and stability of Cu catalyst. The catalyst with the optimal molar ratio of NMP/Cu = 0.25 showed 94.2% acetylene conversion at 180°C and an acetylene gas hourly space velocity of 180 h^?1. Moreover, the acetylene conversion of Cu‐0.25NMP/SAC remained stable over 99.1% for about 220 h under the industrial condition. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses proved that NMP ligand improved the dispersion of Cu species. In addition, hydrogen temperature‐programmed reduction (H₂‐TPR), X‐ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Brunner–Emmet–Teller (BET) indicated that the additive of NMP was preferential to stabilize the catalytic active Cu⁺ and Cu²⁺ species and inhibit the reduction of Cu^α+ to Cu⁰ during the preparation process and reaction, hence restraining the coke deposition. Furthermore, the steady coordination structure between Cu and NMP was confirmed by Fourier‐transform infrared spectra (FT‐IR) and Raman combining with density functional theory (DFT) calculation, which could effectively lower the adsorption energy of catalyst for C₂H₂ and inhibit the serious carbon deposition caused by excessive acetylene self‐accumulation. Our findings suggest that the efficient, well‐stabilized cost‐effective, and environmentally friendly Cu catalyst has great potential in acetylene hydrochlorination.     

Furfural Hydrogenation on Nickel‐promoted Cu‐containing Catalysts Prepared from Hydrotalcite‐Like Precursors

The nickel‐promoted Cu‐containing catalysts (Cu_xNi_y‐MgAlO) for furfural (FFR) hydrogenation were prepared from the hydrotalcite‐like precursors, and characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction, inductively‐coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, N₂ adsorption‐desorption, UV‐Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and temperature‐programmed reduction with H₂ in the present work. The obtained catalysts were observed to exhibit a better catalytic property than the corresponding Cu‐MgAlO or Ni‐MgAlO samples in FFR hydrogenation, and the CuNi‐MgAlO catalyst with the actual Cu and Ni loadings of 12.5 wt% and 4.5 wt%, respectively, could give the highest FFR conversion (93.2%) and furfuryl alcohol selectivity (89.2%). At the same time, Cu⁰ species from the reduction of Cu²⁺ ions in spinel phases were deduced to be more active for FFR hydrogenation.     

A one‐pot method for synthesis of reduced graphene oxide‐supported Cu–Cu2O and catalytic application in tandem reaction of halides and sodium azide with terminal alkynes

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO)‐supported Cu–Cu₂O nanocomposite material (Cu‐Cu₂O@RGO) was prepared through a one‐pot reflux synthesis method. The morphology, crystal structure and composition of the prepared Cu‐Cu₂O@RGO were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and X‐ray photoelectron, infrared and Raman spectroscopies. Cu‐Cu₂O@RGO as a heterogeneous catalyst was applied to tandem reactions of halides and sodium azide with terminal alkynes to synthesize effectively 1,4‐disubstituted 1,2,3‐triazoles. Moreover, the catalyst showed excellent recyclability performance with very little leaching of the metal. Compared with homogeneous catalysts, Cu‐Cu₂O@RGO as a green and efficient catalyst was recoverable, easy to separate and highly stable in the tandem method for the synthesis of 1,2,3‐triazole compounds.     

Cu‐Based Catalyst Resulting from a Cu,Zn,Al Hydrotalcite‐Like Compound: A Microstructural,Thermoanalytical, and In Situ XAS Study

A Cu‐based methanol synthesis catalyst was obtained from a phase pure Cu,Zn,Al hydrotalcite‐like precursor, which was prepared by co‐precipitation. This sample was intrinsically more active than a conventionally prepared Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst. Upon thermal decomposition in air, the [(Cu_0.5Zn_0.17Al_0.33)(OH)₂(CO₃)_0.17] ? mH₂O precursor is transferred into a carbonate‐modified, amorphous mixed oxide. The calcined catalyst can be described as well‐dispersed “CuO” within ZnAl₂O₄ still containing stabilizing carbonate with a strong interaction of Cu²⁺ ions with the Zn–Al matrix. The reduction of this material was carefully analyzed by complementary temperature‐programmed reduction (TPR) and near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) measurements. The results fully describe the reduction mechanism with a kinetic model that can be used to predict the oxidation state of Cu at given reduction conditions. The reaction proceeds in two steps through a kinetically stabilized Cu^I intermediate. With reduction, a nanostructured catalyst evolves with metallic Cu particles dispersed in a ZnAl₂O₄ spinel‐like matrix. Due to the strong interaction of Cu and the oxide matrix, the small Cu particles (7 nm) of this catalyst are partially embedded leading to lower absolute activity in comparison with a catalyst comprised of less‐embedded particles. Interestingly, the exposed Cu surface area exhibits a superior intrinsic activity, which is related to a positive effect of the interface contact of Cu and its surroundings.     

Effect of copper precursors on the catalytic activity of Cu/ZSM-5 catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The Cu/ZSM-5 catalysts prepared by different copper precursors were used for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO _x with NH₃. The Cu/ZSM-5 catalyst prepared by the copper nitrate (Cu/ZSM-5-N) presented the best performance among the Cu/ZSM-5 catalysts and showed above 90 % NO _x conversion at 225–405 °C. The average particle size of CuO was 5.82, 9.20, and 11.01 nm over Cu/ZSM-5-N, Cu/ZSM-5-S (prepared by copper sulfate), and Cu/ZSM-5-C (prepared by copper chloride), respectively. The Cu/ZSM-5-N catalyst showed the highly dispersed copper species, the strong surface acidity, and the excellent redox ability compared with the Cu/ZSM-5-C and Cu/ZSM-5-S catalysts. The Cu⁺ and Cu²⁺ existed in the Cu/ZSM-5 catalysts and the abundant Cu⁺ over Cu/ZSM-5-N might be responsible for the superior SCR activity.     

Novel Flower‐Like Ag‐SiO2‐MgO‐Al2O3 Material: Preparation,Characterization and Catalytic Application in Methanol Dehydrogenation

Catalytic direct dehydrogenation of methanol to formaldehyde was carried out over Ag‐SiO₂‐MgO‐Al₂O₃ catalysts prepared by sol‐gel method. The optimal preparation mass fractions were determined as 8.3% MgO, 16.5% Al₂O₃ and 20% silver loading. Using this optimum catalyst, excellent activity and selectivity were obtained. The conversion of methanol and the selectivity to formaldehyde both reached 100%, which were much higher than other previously reported silver supported catalysts. Based on combined characterizations, such as X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), diffuse reflectance ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy (UV‐Vis, DRS), nitrogen adsorption at low temperature, temperature programmed desorption of ammonia (NH₃‐TPD), desorption of CO₂ (CO₂‐TPD), etc., the correlation of the catalytic performance to the structural properties of the Ag‐SiO₂‐ MgO‐Al₂O₃ catalyst was discussed in detail. This perfect catalytic performance in the direct dehydrogenation of methanol to formaldehyde without any side‐products is attributed to its unique flower‐like structure with a surface area less than 1 m²/g, and the strong interactions between neutralized support and the nano‐sized Ag particles as active centers.     

Characterization and catalytic behavior of silica-supported copper catalysts prepared by impregnation and ion-exchange methods

Two kinds of Cu/SiO₂ catalysts were prepared by impregnation (IM) and ion-exchange (IE) methods, and tested in dehydrogenation of 2-butanol to methyl-ethyl-ketone. Some kinds of Cu²⁺ on the IE catalyst could not be reduced during the reaction, and it produced the butene. The copper oxide over the IM catalyst could be reduced during the reaction, and showed stable dehydrogenation activity for 2-butanol.     

Characterization and Activity of Cu‐MnOx/γ‐Al2O3 Catalyst for Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide

The effect of manganese on the dispersion, reduction behavior and active states of surface of supported copper oxide catalysts have been investigated by XRD, temperature‐programmed reduction and XPS. The activity of methanol synthesis from CO₂/H₂ was also investigated. The catalytic activity over CuO‐MnO_x/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst for CO₂ hydrogenation is higher than that of CuO/γ‐Al₂O₃. The adding of manganese is beneficial in enhancing the dispersion of the supported copper oxide and make the TPR peak of the CuO‐MnK_x/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst different from the individual supported copper and manganese oxide catalysts, which indicates that there exists strong interaction between the copper and manganese oxide. For the CuO/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst there are two reducible copper oxide species; α and β peaks are attributed to the reduction of highly dispersed copper oxide species and bulk CuO species, respectively. For the CuO‐MnO_x/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst, four reduction peaks are observed, α peak is attributed to the dispersed copper oxide species; β peak is ascribed to the bulk CuO; γ peak is attributed to the reduction of high dispersed CuO interacting with manganese; δ peak may be the reduction of the manganese oxide interacting with copper oxide. XPS results show that Cu⁺ mostly existed on the working surface of the Cu‐Mn/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalysts. The activity was promoted by Cu with positive charge which was formed by means of long path exchange function between Cu? O? Mn. These results indicate that there is synergistic interaction between the copper and manganese oxide, which is responsible for the high activity of CO₂ hydrogenation.     

Synthesis new Co–Mn mixed oxide catalyst for the production of light olefins by tuning the catalyst structure

In order to increase the catalyst activity for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS), the preparation methods of two new catalysts were studied. The chemically identical bimetallic Co–Mn/Al₂O₃ catalysts were synthesized by different synthetic methods: (a) via thermal decomposition of the complex [Co_1.33Mn_0.667(C₇H₃NO₄)₂(H₂O)₅].2H₂O ( 1 ) and (b) by the impregnation technique. The complex was characterized by the single‐crystal analysis, elemental analysis, and Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy. Both catalysts were characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry (EDS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area, hydrogen temperature‐programmed reduction (H₂‐TPR), and H₂‐chemisorption. The catalysts' activity was investigated for the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis in a fixed bed microreactor. Higher activity was obtained for the catalyst prepared by thermal decomposition of the inorganic precursor due to its small particle size, superior dispersion, and higher surface area. The results show that the catalyst prepared thermal decomposition has 21% ethylene, 10% propylene, and 50% C₅⁺ selectivity, while methane selectivity of this catalyst is 11% at 250°C. On the other hand, the catalyst obtained by the impregnation method displays 15% ethylene, 8% propylene, 29% C₅⁺_, and 29% methane selectivity at the same temperature.     

A Highly Stable Copper‐Based Catalyst for Clarifying the Catalytic Roles of Cu0 and Cu+ Species in Methanol Dehydrogenation

Identification of the active copper species, and further illustration of the catalytic mechanism of Cu‐based catalysts is still a challenge because of the mobility and evolution of Cu⁰ and Cu⁺ species in the reaction process. Thus, an unprecedentedly stable Cu‐based catalyst was prepared by uniformly embedding Cu nanoparticles in a mesoporous silica shell allowing clarification of the catalytic roles of Cu⁰ and Cu⁺ in the dehydrogenation of methanol to methyl formate by combining isotope‐labeling experiment, in situ spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. It is shown that Cu⁰ sites promote the cleavage of the O?H bond in methanol and of the C?H bond in the reaction intermediates CH₃O and H₂COOCH₃ which is formed from CH₃O and HCHO, whereas Cu⁺ sites cause rapid decomposition of formaldehyde generated on the Cu⁰ sites into CO and H₂.     

Continuous Dehydrogenation of n‐Pentanol over a Cr Modified Cu/γ‐Al2O3‐La2O3 Catalyst

The oxidant‐free dehydrogenation of n‐pentanol over copper based catalysts was investigated in this paper. The effect of metal modification on the activity and stability of the copper catalyst supported on γ‐Al₂O₃ and La₂O₃ (Cu/γ‐Al₂O₃‐La₂O₃) was clarified and a Cr modified Cu/Al₂O₃‐La₂O₃ (Cu‐Cr/γ‐Al₂O₃‐La₂O₃) showed the best catalytic performance. The conversion of n‐pentanol was 70.0% and the selectivity for n‐pentanal increased to 97.1% over Cu‐Cr/γ‐Al₂O₃‐La₂O₃. X‐ray diffraction and temperature programmed reduction of H₂ indicated that the addition of Cr favors the formation and reduction of the copper oxide, and the dispersion of the active Cu⁰ species, accounting for the good activity and stability of this catalyst. Furthermore, the lower amount of acidic sites in Cu‐Cr/γ‐Al₂O₃‐La₂O₃ is suggested to suppress the dehydration in oxidant‐free dehydrogenation of n‐pentanol, accounting for the higher selectivity for n‐pentanal.     

Structure‐activity relationship of supported Au catalysts with high catalytic activity by modifying the inactive supports

Three supported Au catalysts have been prepared by the deposition‐precipitation method by using the active carbon (AC), SiO₂‐AC, and SiO₂‐AC‐hollowed. The 3 supports were characterized by Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller and scanning electron microscopy. Meanwhile, the supported Au nanoparticles were also characterized in detail by X‐ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, H₂‐TRP, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and their catalytic activity and stability in CO oxidation was evaluated. The results demonstrated that Au supported on SiO₂‐AC‐hollowed exhibited much higher catalytic activity with acceptable stability for 72 hours than the other 2. We attributed to finer supported Au nanoparticles with abundant low‐coordinated Au atoms on the surfaces of hollowed supports with large special surface area and abundant pore structure. In summary, we successfully found an efficient and cheap method to prepare catalysts with high catalytic activity and acceptable stability by modifying the inactive supports.     

TPR investigations on the reducibility of Cu supported on Al2O3, zeolite Y and SAPO-5

Reducibility of Cu supported on Al₂O₃, zeolite Y and silicoaluminophosphate SAPO-5 has been investigated in dependence on the Cu content using a method combining conventional temperature programmed reduction (TPR) by hydrogen with reoxidation in N₂O followed by a second the so-called surface-TPR (s-TPR). The method enables discrimination and a quantitative estimation of the Cu oxidation states +2, +1 and 0. The quantitative results show that the initial oxidation state of Cu after calcination in air at 400 °C, independent on the nature of the support, is predominantly +2. Cu²⁺ supported on Al₂O₃ is quantitatively reduced by hydrogen to metallic Cu⁰. Comparing the TPR of the samples calcined in air and that of samples additionally pre-treated in argon reveals that in zeolite Y and SAPO-5 Cu²⁺ cations are stabilized as weakly and strongly forms. In both systems, strongly stabilized Cu²⁺ ions are not auto-reduced by pre-treatment in argon at 650 °C, but are reduced in hydrogen to form Cu⁺. The weakly stabilized Cu²⁺ ions, in contrast, may be auto-reduced by pre-treatment in argon at 650 °C forming Cu⁺ but are reduced in hydrogen to metallic Cu⁰.     

Highly dispersed Cu supported on mesoporous Al-KIT-6 for oxidative carbonylation of methanol to dimethyl carbonate

Microporous NaY zeolite is a common support of Cu catalysts for oxidative carbonylation of methanol, but the dispersion of Cu species on NaY is usually subjected to its micropore size. Here, ordered mesoporous KIT-6 was employed as the support for Cu catalyst and Al was incorporated into its framework to increase the surface acidity, which eventually improves the surface exchange capacity and Cu dispersion. The evolution of the state of Cu species on KIT-6 was analyzed combined with control of Cu loading. The physicochemical properties of the supports and corresponding catalysts were characterized by N₂ adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction, ammonia temperature programmed desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectra, transmission electron microscopy, hydrogen temperature programmed reduction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that mesoporous KIT-6 showed better Cu dispersion than microporous NaY zeolite. Agglomerated CuO, dispersed CuO, and Cu²⁺ are the major Cu species observed on the catalyst surface. The increased surface acidic sites of KIT-6 by Al incorporation promoted the formation of Cu²⁺ and dispersion of CuO. With the increase in Cu loading, the Cu²⁺ content in the catalyst was decreased gradually along with increase in the bulk CuO. It was speculated that some exchanged Cu²⁺ could be transformed into highly dispersed CuO and even bulk CuO after calcination at a high Cu loading. Combined with the catalyst evaluation results, it was deduced that highly dispersed Cu²⁺ and CuO particles play significant roles in catalytic activity. The catalyst Cu/Al-K-10 achieved the highest space time yield of dimethyl carbonate of 135.4 mg/(g·h), which is 2.7 times the Cu/K-10 owing to its more dispersed Cu species. This laid the basis for preparing highly dispersed Cu species on mesoporous silica supports.     

Effect of the Nature of the Precursor on the Activity of Copper-Containing Catalysts Based on Erionite in Oxidation of CO

We have studied the catalytic activity of copper-containing zeolite catalysts based on erionite (ERI) in oxidation of CO. We have established that the activity of Cu-ERI systems is due to isolated coordination unsaturated Cu²⁺ cations which are stabilized in the catalyst on sites with strong tetragonal distortion and are reduced to Cu⁺ during catalysis. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), diffuse reflection electronic spectra, and temperature programmed reduction by hydrogen (TPR-H₂) spectra, activity differences between 3% Cu-ERI catalysts obtained from different precursors are determined by the different numbers of Cu²⁺ cations capable of being reduced during the reaction at T < 400 °C: the higher the content of such cations in the samples, the higher the activity of the Cu-ERI systems. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Eksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 41, No. 5, pp. 317–322, September–October, 2005.     

Relationship between Pt particle size and catalyst activity for catalytic oxidation of ultrahigh‐concentration formaldehyde

The effects of particle size and kinetics of Pt/activated carbon (AC) catalysts on catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde (HCHO) were investigated. AC, f‐SiO₂ and MCM‐41 were used as supports to prepare low‐Pt‐content catalysts using H₂ reduction. Pt/AC catalyst shows the highest activity with the largest Pt particle size. By contrast, 0.1 wt% Pt/AC reduced using KBH₄ has much higher activity than that reduced using H₂, which can oxidize HCHO completely over 6000 ppm at 60°C in a fixed bed reactor. Transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate that Pt/AC‐KBH₄ has larger Pt particles and lower valence state than Pt/AC‐H₂, which may be attributed to the ligand effect between Pt⁴⁺ and the AC support. The result of O₂ temperature‐programmed oxidation suggests that highly dispersed Pt⁴⁺ ions have stronger interaction with AC support and thus are harder to be reduced by H₂. Furthermore, Pt/AC is structure‐sensitive and larger‐sized Pt particles result in a high conversion of HCHO. Investigation of kinetics indicated that it is a zero‐order reaction for such a high HCHO concentration condition for Pt/AC‐KBH₄.     

Stability of Cu–Mn bimetal catalysts based on different zeolites for NOx removal from diesel engine exhaust

Cu–Mn bimetal catalysts were prepared to remove nitrogen oxides (NO_x) from diesel engine exhaust at low temperatures. At a Cu/Mn ratio of 3:2, the NO_x conversions at 200 °C reached 65% and 90% on Cu–Mn/ZSM-5 and Cu–Mn/SAPO-34, respectively. After a hydrothermal treatment and reaction in the presence of C₃H₆, the activity of Cu–Mn/SAPO-34 was more stable than that of Cu–Mn/ZSM-5. No obvious variations in the crystal structure or dealumination were observed, whereas the physical structure was best maintained in Cu–Mn/SAPO-34. The atomic concentration of Cu on the surface of Cu–Mn/SAPO-34 was quite stable, and the consumption of octahedrally coordinated Cu²⁺ could be recovered. Conversely, the proportion of octahedrally coordinated Cu²⁺ on the surface of Cu–Mn/ZSM-5 significantly decreased. Therefore, besides the structure, the redox cycle between Cu⁺ and octahedrally coordinated Cu²⁺ played an important role in the stability of the catalysts.     

High efficiency of Mn–Ce‐modified TiO2 catalysts for the low‐temperature oxidation of Hg0 under a reducing atmosphere

Manganese‐ and cerium oxide‐modified titania catalysts were prepared by the deposition precipitation for the removal of elemental mercury (Hg⁰) from simulated yellow phosphorus off‐gas at low temperature. In addition, these catalysts were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller measurements, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and field‐emission scanning electron microscope to determine the surface morphology of the obtained compounds and explore their formation mechanism. The results revealed that a Mn–Ce loading and reaction temperature of 10% and 150 °C, respectively, as well as a Mn/Ce molar ratio of 2:1, led to an optimal efficiency for the oxidation of elemental mercury. Furthermore, the effects of flue gas components were investigated. The presence of O₂ clearly promoted the oxidation of Hg⁰. A CO atmosphere did not affect the Hg⁰ oxidation, when compared with N₂, whereas the presence of H₂S and water vapor inhibited the oxidation process. Furthermore, the X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra of Hg 4f revealed that the elemental mercury adsorbed by the catalyst is present as HgO. Finally, the Hg⁰ catalytic oxidation mechanism was discussed on the basis of the experimental results and characterization analysis.     

Approach to De-NOx-ing photocatalysis. II excited state of copper ions supported on silica and photocatalytic activity for no decomposition

Cu²⁺ ions supported on SiO₂ (Cm²⁺ /SiO₂) prepared by an ion-exchange method are reduced to Cu⁺ when Cu²⁺/SiO₂ samples are evacuated at temperatures higher than 573 K Reduced Cu²⁺ ions on SiO₂ (Cu⁺/SiO₂ catalyst) decomposes NO molecules photocatalytically and stoichiometrically into N₂ and O₂ at 275 K. The physicochemical and photochemical properties of copper ions anchored onto SiO₂ have been investigated by means of ESR and dynamic photoluminescence spectroscopies, as well as the analysis of photoreaction products. These results indicate that the excited state of the copper ions (Cu⁺ species) plays a significant role in the photocatalytic decomposition of NO molecules and the photoreaction involves an electron transfer from the excited state of the Cu⁺ ion into an anti-bonding π orbital of NO molecule within the lifetime of its excited state. Thus, the present results obtained with the Cu⁺/SiO₂ catalysts imply the possibility of their utilization as a potentially promising type of photocatalysts in gas-solid systems.     

不同沉淀剂制备CuO-ZnO催化剂甲醛乙炔化反应性能

分别以NaOH、Na₂CO₃、NaHCO₃为沉淀剂,采用共沉淀法制备了Cu：Zn摩尔比为2：1的CuO-ZnO催化剂,利用氢气程序升温还原（H₂-TPR）、热重（TG）、X射线衍射（XRD）及拉曼光谱（Raman）等技术对催化剂进行了表征,结合甲醛乙炔化活性评价,研究了沉淀剂对催化剂结构及催化性能的影响.结果表明,不同沉淀剂对催化剂中活性组分分散度有较大影响,进而在甲醛乙炔化合成1,4-丁炔二醇反应中表现出不同的催化活性.以Na₂CO₃为沉淀剂制备的催化剂中形成CuO-ZnO固溶体,提高了CuO的分散度及Cu⁺在还原性气氛下的稳定性,经活化后可生成较多的活性物种炔化亚铜,表现出最佳的炔化反应活性与1,4-丁炔二醇选择性.