A Comparative Study of CO Oxidation on Nitrogen‐ and Phosphorus‐Doped Graphene

The geometry, electronic structure, and catalytic properties of nitrogen‐ and phosphorus‐doped graphene (N‐/P‐graphene) are investigated by density functional theory calculations. The reaction between adsorbed O₂ and CO molecules on N‐ and P‐graphene is comparably studied via Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) and Eley–Rideal (ER) mechanisms. The results indicate that a two‐step process can occur, namely, CO+O₂→CO₂+O_ads and CO+O_ads→CO₂. The calculated energy barriers of the first step are 15.8 and 12.4 kcal mol^?1 for N‐ and P‐graphene, respectively. The second step of the oxidation reaction on N‐graphene proceeds with an energy barrier of about 4 kcal mol^?1. It is noteworthy that this reaction step was not observed on P‐graphene because of the strong binding of O_ads species on the P atoms. Thus, it can be concluded that low‐cost N‐graphene can be used as a promising green catalyst for low‐temperature CO oxidation.     

Reducing the Cost and Preserving the Reactivity in Noble‐Metal‐Based Catalysts: Oxidation of CO by Pt and Al–Pt Alloy Clusters Supported on Graphene

The oxidation mechanisms of CO to CO₂ on graphene‐supported Pt and Pt‐Al alloy clusters are elucidated by reactive dynamical simulations. The general mechanism evidenced is a Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) pathway in which O₂ is adsorbed on the cluster prior to the CO oxidation. The adsorbed O₂ dissociates into two atomic oxygen atoms thus promoting the CO oxidation. Auxiliary simulations on alloy clusters in which other metals (Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni) replace a Pt atom have pointed to the aluminum doped cluster as a special case. In the nanoalloy, the reaction mechanism for CO oxidation is still a LH pathway with an activation barrier sufficiently low to be overcome at room temperature, thus preserving the catalyst efficiency. This provides a generalizable strategy for the design of efficient, yet sustainable, Pt‐based catalysts at reduced cost.     

Hierarchical Ni−Al hydrotalcite supported Pt catalyst for efficient catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde at room temperature

Catalytic oxidation at room temperature is recognized as the most promising method for formaldehyde (HCHO) removal. Pt-based catalysts are the optimal catalyst for HCHO decomposition at room temperature. Herein, flower-like hierarchical Pt/NiAl-LDHs catalysts with different [Ni²⁺]/[Al³⁺] molar ratios were synthesized via hydrothermal method followed by NaBH₄ reduction of Pt precursor at room temperature. The flower-like hierarchical Pt/NiAl-LDHs were composed of interlaced nanoplates and metallic Pt nanoparticles (NPs) approximately 3–4 nm in diameter were loaded on the surface of the Pt/NiAl-LDHs with high dispersion. The as-prepared Pt/NiAl21 nanocomposite was highly efficient in catalyzing oxidation of HCHO into CO₂ at room temperature. The high activity of the hierarchical Pt/NiAl21 nanocomposite was maintained after seven recycle tests, suggesting the high stability of the catalyst. Based on in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) studies, a reaction mechanism was put forward about HCHO decomposition at room temperature. This work provides new insights into designing and fabricating high-performance catalysts for efficient indoor air purification.     

Application of Si‐doped graphene as a metal‐free catalyst for decomposition of formic acid: A theoretical study

Using density functional theory calculations, the adsorption and catalytic decomposition of formic acid (HCOOH) over Si‐doped graphene are investigated. For the stable adsorption geometries of HCOOH over Si‐doped graphene, the electronic structure properties are analyzed by adsorption energy, density of states, and charge density difference. A comparison of the reaction pathways reveals that both dehydration and dehydrogenation of HCOOH can occur over Si‐doped graphene. The estimated reaction energies and the activation barriers suggest that for the dehydration of HCOOH on the Si‐doped graphene, the rate‐controlling step is H + OH → H₂O reaction. For the dehydrogenation of HCOOH, the rate‐determining step is the breaking of the C? H bond of the HCOO group to form the CO₂ molecule and the atomic H. Our results reveal that the low cost Si‐doped graphene can be used as an efficient nonmetal catalyst for O? H bond cleavage of HCOOH. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Formation Mechanism,Geometric Stability and Catalytic Activity of a Single Iron Atom Supported on N-Doped Graphene

Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the formation geometries, stability and catalytic properties of single-atom iron anchored on xN-doped graphene (xN-graphene-Fe, x=1, 2, 3) sheet are systemically investigated. It is found that the different kinds and numbers of gas reactants can effectively regulate the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the 3 N-graphene-Fe system. For NO and CO oxidation reactions, the coadsorption configurations of NO/O₂ and CO/O₂ molecules on a reactive substrate as the initial state are comparably analyzed. The NO oxidation reactions through the Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) and Eley-Rideal (ER) mechanisms have relatively smaller energy barriers than those of the CO oxidation processes. In comparison, the preadsorbed 2NO reacting with 2CO molecules (2NO+2CO→2CO₂+N₂) through ER reactions (<0.4 eV) are energetically more favorable processes. These results can provide beneficial references for theoretical studies on NO and CO oxidation and designing graphene-based catalyst for toxic gas removal.     

The effect of hydrogen reduction of α-MnO2 on formaldehyde oxidation: The roles of oxygen vacancies

A series of α-MnO₂ catalysts with various Mn valence states were treated by hydrogen reduction for different periods of time. Their catalytic capacity for formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation was evaluated. The results indicated that hydrogen reduction dramatically improves the catalytic performance of α-MnO₂ in HCHO oxidation. The α-MnO₂ sample reduced by hydrogen for 2 h possessed superior activity and could completely oxidize 150 ppm HCHO to CO₂ and H₂O at 70 °C. Multiple characterization results illustrated that hydrogen reduction contributed to the production of more oxygen vacancies. The oxygen vacancies on the catalyst surface enhanced the adsorption, activation and mobility of O₂ molecules, and thereby enhanced HCHO catalytic oxidation. This study provides novel insight into the design of outstanding MnO_x catalysts for HCHO oxidation at low temperature.     

First‐principle calculations on CO oxidation catalyzed by a gold nanoparticle

We have elucidated the mechanism of CO oxidation catalyzed by gold nanoparticles through first‐principle density‐functional theory (DFT) calculations. Calculations on selected model show that the low‐coordinated Au atoms of the Au₂₉ nanoparticle carry slightly negative charges, which enhance the O₂ binding energy compared with the corresponding bulk surfaces. Two reaction pathways of the CO oxidation were considered: the Eley–Rideal (ER) and Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH). The overall LH reaction O_2(ads) + CO_(gas) → O_2(ads) + CO_(ads) → OOCO_(ads) → O_(ads) + CO_2(gas) is calculated to be exothermic by 3.72 eV; the potential energies of the two transition states ( TS_LH1 and TS_LH2 ) are smaller than the reactants, indicating that no net activation energy is required for this process. The CO oxidation via ER reaction Au₂₉ + O_2(gas) + CO_(gas) → Au₂₉–O_2(ads) + CO_(gas) → Au₂₉–CO_3(ads) → Au₂₉–O_(ads) + CO_2(gas) requires an overall activation barrier of 0.19 eV, and the formation of Au₂₉–CO_3(ads) intermediate possesses high exothermicity of 4.33 eV, indicating that this process may compete with the LH mechanism. Thereafter, a second CO molecule can react with the remaining O atom via the ER mechanism with a very small barrier (0.03 eV). Our calculations suggest that the CO oxidation catalyzed by the Au₂₉ nanoparticle is likely to occur at or even below room temperature. To gain insights into high‐catalytic activity of the gold nanoparticles, the interaction nature between adsorbate and substrate is also analyzed by the detailed electronic analysis. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

Geometric stability of PtFe/PdFe embedded in graphene and catalytic activity for CO oxidation

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is considered as a promising power source, because of its abundant fuel source, high energy density and environmental friendliness. Among DMFC anode materials, Pt and Pt group metals are considered to be the best electrocatalysts. The combination of Pt with some specific transition metal can reduce the cost and improve the tolerance toward CO poisoning of pure Pt catalysts. In this paper, the geometric stabilities of PtFe/PdFe atoms anchored in graphene sheet and catalytic CO oxidation properties were investigated using the density functional theory method. The results show that the Pt (Pd) and Fe atoms can replace C atoms in graphene sheet. The CO oxidation reaction by molecular O₂ on PtFe–graphene and PdFe–graphene was studied. The results show that the Eley–Rideal (ER) mechanism is expected over the Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism for CO oxidation on both PtFe–graphene and PdFe–graphene. Further, complete CO oxidation on PtFe–graphene and PdFe–graphene proceeds via a two‐step ER reaction: CO(gas) + O₂(ads) → CO₂(ads) + O(ads) and CO(gas) + O(ads) → CO₂(ads). Our results reveal that PtFe/PdFe commonly embedded in graphene can be used as a catalyst for CO oxidation. The microscopic mechanism of the CO oxidation reaction on the atomic catalysts was explored.     

Nitrogen‐doped C60 as a robust catalyst for CO oxidation

The O₂ activation and CO oxidation on nitrogen‐doped C₅₉N fullerene are investigated using first‐principles calculations. The calculations indicate that the C₅₉N fullerene is able to activate O₂ molecules resulting in the formation of superoxide species ( ) both kinetically and thermodynamically. The active superoxide can further react with CO to form CO₂ via the Eley–Rideal mechanism by passing a stepwise reaction barrier of only 0.20 eV. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulation is carried out to evidence the feasibility of the Eley–Rideal mechanism. In addition, the second CO oxidation takes place with the remaining atomic O without any activation energy barrier. The full catalytic reaction cycles can occur energetically favorable and suggest a two‐step Eley–Rideal mechanism for CO oxidation with O₂ catalyzed by the C₅₉N fullerene. The catalytic properties of high percentage nitrogen‐doped fullerene (C₄₈N₁₂) is also examined. This work contributes to designing higher effective carbon‐based materials catalysts by a dependable theoretical insight into the catalytic properties of the nitrogen‐doped fullerene. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Investigation of CO and formaldehyde oxidation over mesoporous Ag/Co3O4 catalysts

CO and formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation reactions were investigated over mesoporous Ag/Co₃O₄ catalysts prepared by one-pot (OP) and impregnation (IM) methods. It was found that the one-pot method was superior to the impregnation method for synthesizing Ag/Co₃O₄ catalysts with high activity for both reactions. It was also found that the catalytic behavior of mesoporous Co₃O₄ and Ag/Co₃O₄ catalysts for the both reactions was different. And the addition of silver on mesoporous Co₃O₄ did not always enhance the catalytic activity of final catalyst for CO oxidation at room temperature (20 °C), but could significantly improve the catalytic activity of final catalyst for HCHO oxidation at low temperature (90 °C). The high surface area, uniform pore structure and the pretty good dispersion degree of the silver particle should be responsible for the excellent low-temperature CO oxidation activity. However, for HCHO oxidation, the addition of silver played an important role in the activity enhancement. And the silver particle size and the reducibility of Co₃O₄ should be indispensable for the high activity of HCHO oxidation at low temperature.     

Platinum-Supported Zirconia Nanotube Arrays Supported on Graphene Aerogels Modified with Metal–Organic Frameworks: Adsorption and Oxidation of Formaldehyde at Room Temperature

Precious-metal catalysts (e.g., Au, Rh, Ag, Ru, Pt, and Pd) supported on transition-metal oxides (e.g., Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, CeO₂, ZrO₂, Co₃O₄, MnO₂, TiO₂, and NiO) can effectively oxidize volatile organic compounds. In this study, porous platinum-supported zirconia materials have been prepared by a “surface-casting” method. The synthesized catalysts present an ordered nanotube structure and exhibited excellent performance toward the catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde. A facile method, utilizing a boiling water bath, was used to fabricate graphene aerogel (GA), and the macroscopic 3D Pt/ZrO₂-GA was modified by introducing an adjustable MOF coating by a surface step-by-step method. The unblocked mesoporous structure of the graphene aerogel facilitates the ingress and egress of reactants and product molecules. The selected 7 wt.% Pt/ZrO₂-GA-MOF-5 composite demonstrated excellent performance for HCHO adsorption. Additionally, this catalyst achieved around 90 % conversion when subjected to a reaction temperature of 70 °C (T_{90 %}=70 °C). The Pt/ZrO₂-GA-MOF-5 composite induces a catalytic cycle, increasing the conversion by simultaneously adsorbing and oxidizing HCHO. This work provides a simple approach to increasing reactant concentration on the catalyst to increase the rate of reaction.     

Cu Atomic Chain Supported on Graphene Nanoribbon for Effective Conversion of CO2 to Ethanol

Cu catalysts are well-known for their good performance in CO₂ conversion. Compared to CO and CH₄ production, C₂ products have higher volumetric energy densities and are more valuable in industrial applications. In this work, we screened the catalytic ability of C₂ production on several 1D Cu atomic chain structures and find that Cu edge-decorated zigzag graphene nanoribbons (Cu−ZGNR) are capable of catalyzing CO₂ conversion to ethanol, and CH₃CH₂OH is the main C₂ product with a maximum free energy change of 0.60 eV. The planar tetracoordinate carbon structures in Cu-ZGNR provide unique chemical bonding features for catalytic reaction on the Cu atoms. Detailed mechanism analyses with transition states search show that CO* dimerization is favored against CHO* formation in the reaction. By adjusting the CO* coverage, the selectivity of the C₂ product can be enhanced owing to less pronounced steric effects for COCHO*, which is feasible under experimental conditions. This study expands the catalyst family for C₂ products from CO₂ based on nano carbon structures with new features.     

Ag@ Fe-TiO2 catalysts for catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde indoor: a further improvement of Fe-TiO2

In this paper, a series of Fe-doped TiO₂ (Fe-TiO₂) catalysts were prepared by ultrasonic hydrothermal method and were used to catalytic oxidation formaldehyde (HCHO) indoor at room temperature. Although the catalytic activity was improved compared with P25, but the final concentration of HCHO was still higher than the Chinese standard (GB 0.08 mg/m³), and the stability was restrict under room temperature. In order to improve the catalytic activity and stability of the catalysts, various concentrations of Ag were loaded on Fe-TiO₂, and good catalytic oxidation effect was obtained and had a good repeat catalytic effect under room condition. UV–Vis, IR, PL, XRD, SEM, BET, XPS were used to characterize the materials. The results showed that the higher dispersion of active Ag, and the synergistic effect between Ag, Fe and TiO₂ nanostructure were helpful to improve the catalytic oxidation ability of Ag@Fe-TiO₂. In the repeat experiments, 0.6%Ag@0.3%Fe-TiO₂ exhibited good catalytic activity and stability. The formaldehyde concentration was reduced to 0.05 mg/m³, after four rounds of tests, the formaldehyde concentration was still below 0.08 mg/m³, applying for long time indoor HCHO degradation at room temperature. Indicating the modification of Ag element can further promote the catalytic activity and stability of Fe-TiO₂.

     

Can Li Atoms Anchored on Boron- and Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Catalyze Dinitrogen Molecules to Ammonia? A DFT Study

The most successful electrochemical conversion of ammonia from dinitrogen molecule reported to date is through a Li mediated mechanism. In the framework of the above fact and that Li anchored graphene is an experimentally feasible system, the present work is a computational experiment to identify the potential of Li anchored graphene as a catalyst for N₂ to NH₃ conversion as a function of (a) minimum number of Li atoms needed for anchoring on graphene sheets and (b) the role of chemical modification of graphene surfaces. The studies bring forth an understanding that Li anchored graphene sheets are potential catalysts for ammonia conversion with preferential adsorption of N₂ through end-on configuration on Li atoms anchored on doped and pristine graphene surfaces. This mode of adsorption being characteristic of Nitrogen Reduction Reaction (NRR) through enzymatic pathway, examination of the same followed by analysis of electronic properties demonstrates that tri-Li atoms (Tri Atom Catalysts, TACs) are more efficient as catalysts for NRR as compared to two Li atoms (Di Atom Catalysts, DACs). Either way, the rate determining step was found to be *NH₂→*NH₃ step (mixed pathway) with ΔG_max=1.02 eV and *NH₂−*NH₃→*NH₂ step (enzymatic pathway) with ΔG_max=1.11 eV for 1B doped TAC and DAC on graphene sheet, respectively. Consequently, this work identifies the viability of Li anchored graphene based 2-D sheets as hetero-atom catalyst for NRR.     

Coordination Chemistry of [Co(acac)2] with N‐Doped Graphene: Implications for Oxygen Reduction Reaction Reactivity of Organometallic Co‐O4‐N Species

Hybridization of organometallic complexes with graphene‐based materials can give rise to enhanced catalytic performance. Understanding the chemical structures within hybrid materials is of primary importance. In this work, archetypical hybrid materials are synthesized by the reaction of an organometallic complex, [Co^II(acac)₂] (acac=acetylacetonate), with N‐doped graphene‐based materials at room temperature. Experimental characterization of the hybrid materials and theoretical calculations reveal that the organometallic cobalt‐containing species is coordinated to heterocyclic groups in N‐doped graphene as well as to its parental acac ligands. The hybrid material shows high electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media, and superior durability and methanol tolerance to a Pt/C catalyst. Based on the chemical structures and ORR experiments, the catalytically active species is identified as a Co‐O₄‐N structure.     

Metal-free Catalyst B2S Sheet for Effective CO2 Electrochemical Reduction to CH3OH

Considering the problems of high costs, low catalytic activity and selectivity in the metal-based catalysts for CO₂ electroreduction, we apply boron-containing metal-free B₂S sheet as an alternative to the traditional metal-based catalysts. Reaction energy calculations identify the preferred “Formate” pathway for CO₂ conversion to CH₃OH on B₂S, in which the thermodynamic energy barrier obtained by using the Computational Hydrogen Electrode model is 0.57 eV, and the kinetic energy barrier obtained by searching the transition states is 1.18 eV. Another possible reaction pathway, “RWGS+CO-hydro”, is suppressed and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) side reaction is nonspontaneous. Compared to Cu(211) with the highest catalytic activity among all transition metals, B₂S sheet exhibits a better catalytic activity with a lower overpotential for CO₂ reduction and a better selectivity that suppresses the non-target reaction.     

基于TiO2的绿色多相催化剂催化CO2与环氧化合物偶联反应

金属离子掺杂纳米TiO2(M-TiO2,M=Zn2+,Cu2+,Co2+,Mn2+,Ni2+)在CO2与环氧化合物的偶联反应中表现出较高的催化活性.反应以四正丁基碘化铵(TBAI)为共催化剂,在无溶剂条件下进行.考察了反应温度、反应时间和CO2压力在Zn-TiO2/TBAI体系中对反应性能的影响.作为无毒的多相催化剂,Zn-TiO2可循环使用5次,其催化活性没有明显降低.     

High-temperature methane oxidation over metallic monolith-supported zeolite catalysts containing Mn,Co, and Pd ions

The high-temperature complete oxidation of methane over metallic monolith-supported zeolite catalysts containing isolated Mn, Co, and Pd ions was studied. The reaction involves heterogeneous and heterogeneous-homogeneous catalytic processes. The ratio between these processes depends on the temperature, feed rate, and the amount of catalyst charged in the reactor. In the heterogeneous catalytic process, the activity of the catalysts supported on the Fe—Cr—Al monolithic alloy decreases in the series Pd > Mn > Co > Fe—Cr—Al monolith and the reaction rate uniformly increases with increasing contact time. In the heterogeneous-homogeneous process, the reaction rate drastically increases and a 100% conversion of methane to CO₂ can be achieved by minor variations of the contact time. In this case, methane oxidation depends not only on the catalyst chemical composition but also on its external surface area and the reaction volume.     

Calcined Mg-Al Layered Double Hydroxide as a Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Synthesis of Urea Derivatives from Amines and CO2

The calcined Mg‐Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with a Mg/Al molar ratio of 3:1 were synthesized and characterized thoroughly by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), temperature‐programmed desorption (TPD) of CO₂, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Thus the calcined Mg‐Al LDHs were used as catalyst for the catalytic synthesis of disubstituted ureas from amines and CO₂. The effects of reaction time, reaction temperature, pressure, solvent and calcined temperature on activity have been investigated. The results indicated that aliphatic amines, cyclohexylamine and benzylamine can be converted to the corresponding ureas selectively over the calcined Mg‐Al LDHs catalysts with N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent without using any dehydrating regent. The catalyst can be recycled several times with only slight loss of activity.     

High Catalytic Activity of Nitrogen and Sulfur Co‐Doped Nanoporous Graphene in the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Chemical doping has been demonstrated to be an effective way to realize new functions of graphene as metal‐free catalyst in energy‐related electrochemical reactions. Although efficient catalysis for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been achieved with doped graphene, its performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is rather poor. In this study we report that nitrogen and sulfur co‐doping leads to high catalytic activity of nanoporous graphene in HER at low operating potential, comparable to the best Pt‐free HER catalyst, 2D MoS₂. The interplay between the chemical dopants and geometric lattice defects of the nanoporous graphene plays the fundamental role in the superior HER catalysis.