Defect-enriched heterointerfaces N–MoO2–Mo2C supported Pd nanocomposite as a novel multifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction and overall water splitting

Developing highly efficient, cost-saving, and durable multifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) continues to be a significant challenge in the energy field. In this work, we decide to prepare an unusual multifunctional electrocatalyst, such as icosahedral palladium nanocrystals (PdNCs) encapsulating on N–MoO₂–Mo₂C half-hollow nanotube (HHNT) heterointerface, using an in-situ chemical reaction and following sonic probe irradiation method. All the experiments demonstrate that special defect-enriched heterointerfaces N–MoO₂–Mo₂C supported Pd nanocomposite can greatly improve the ORR activity (E_onset = 1.01 V and E_1/2 = 0.90 V) with good stability, outstanding HER (η₁₀ = 65 mV) and OER (η₁₀ = 180 mV) performances than those of commercial precious electrocatalysts (Platinum on carbon [Pt/C] and ruthenium oxide [RuO₂]). The overall water splitting electrolyzer fabricates by Pd/N–MoO₂–Mo₂C as both anode and cathode electrodes to achieve a current density of 10 Ma/cm² at a cell voltage of 1.56 V, which surpasses the most recent reported electrocatalysts.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and photocatalytic property of porous CuO hollow microspheres via PS latex as templates

Porous copper oxide (CuO) hollow microspheres have been fabricated through a simple hydrothermal method using PS latex as templates. The as-obtained samples were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The influences of the mole ratio of Ethylenediamine (C₂H₈N₂) and copper acetate (Cu(Ac)₂·H₂O), hydrothermal temperature and time on the size and morphologies of the final products have been investigated. The possible formation mechanism of porous CuO hollow microspheres has been proposed and the specific surface area of the hollow microspheres with 81.71 m²/g is measured by BET method. The band gap value calculated from a UV–vis absorption spectrum of porous CuO hollow microspheres is 2.71 eV. The as-synthesized product exhibits high photocatalytic activity during the photodegradation of an organic dyestuff, rhodamine B (RhB), under UV-light illumination.     

Luminescent core–shell Ca2MoO5:Eu3+-MCM-41 structure for sustained drug release

The spherical mesoporous MCM-41 coated with a novel Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺ phosphor layer was prepared for the first time. The obtained Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺-MCM-41 was characterized via XRD and FT-IR. The crystal system of the Ca₂MoO₅ phase was determined to be orthorhombic, and its space group was found to be Ima2 (46), and its cell parameters were a = 16.175, b = 5.1514, c = 5.6977 A°; α = β = γ = 90°. The particle dimensions of MCM-41 and Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺-MCM-41 nanoparticles were determined to be 260 nm and 229 nm via scanning electron microscopy analysis. Bortezomib was loaded into the Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺-MCM-41 nanoparticles under scCO₂ at 200 bars and 40 °C. The results of the TG analysis showed that the amount of drug-loaded to MCM-41 and Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺-MCM-41 nanoparticles were determined to be 14.02% and 3.02%, respectively. The BET analysis showed that while the specific surface area and pore volume of MCM-41 and Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺ before Bortezomib (BTZ) loading were 1,506 m²/g and 267 m²/g, respectively, after drug loading these values were found to decrease to 488 m²/g and 7.883 m²/g. It was determined that BTZ was released from the nanoparticles in a sustained manner over 66 h. The R² value, which was calculated to be 0.9739, indicated that the release kinetic of BTZ followed the Korsmeyer–Peppas model.     

Electrochemical hydrogen evolution over MoO3 nanowires produced by microwave-assisted hydrothermal reaction

Molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) nanowire with unprecedentedly high aspect ratios (>200) and good crystallinity was prepared via decomposition of (NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄·4H₂O under a microwave-assisted hydrothermal (MH) process. The nanowire was orthorhombic MoO₃ with 50 nm in diameter and 10–12 μm in length. The conventional hydrothermal (CH) reaction required higher temperature and longer reaction times to produce one-dimensional MoO₃, yet its quality was lower. In the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction in a H₂SO₄ solution, MoO₃ nanowire from MH process showed much higher electrocatalytic activity than MoO₃ prepared from CH method and commercial bulk MoO₃ particles. The facile vectorial electron transport along the nanowire axis was considered to be responsible for the excellent electrocatalytic activity of the MH–MoO₃ nanowire.     

Acetalization of glycerol using mesoporous MoO3/SiO2 solid acid catalyst

Acetalization of glycerol with various aldehydes has been carried out using mesoporous MoO₃/SiO₂ as a solid acid catalyst. A series of MoO₃/SiO₂ catalysts with varying MoO₃ loadings (1–20 mol%) were prepared by sol–gel technique using ethyl silicate-40 and ammonium heptamolybdate as silica and molybdenum source respectively. The sol–gel derived samples were calcined at 500 °C and characterized using various physicochemical characterization techniques. The XRD of the calcined samples showed the formation of amorphous phase up to 10 mol% MoO₃ loading and at higher loading of crystalline α-MoO₃ on amorphous silica support. TEM analyses of the materials showed the uniform distribution of MoO₃ nanoparticles on amorphous silica support. Raman spectroscopy showed the formation of silicomolybdic acid at low Mo loading and a mixture of α-MoO₃ and polymolybdate species at high Mo loadings. Moreover the Raman spectra of intermediate loading samples also suggest the presence of β-MoO₃. Acetalization of glycerol with benzaldehyde was carried out using series of MoO₃/SiO₂ catalysts with varying MoO₃ loadings (1–20 mol%). Among the series, MoO₃/SiO₂ with 20 mol% MoO₃ loadings was found to be the most active catalyst in acetalization under mild conditions. Maximum conversion of benzaldehyde (72%) was obtained in 8 h at 100 °C with 60% selectivity for the six-membered acetal using 20% MoO₃/SiO₂. Interestingly with substituted benzaldehydes under same reaction conditions the conversion of aldehydes decreased with increase in selectivity for six-membered acetals. These results indicate the potential of this catalyst for the acetalization of glycerol for an environmentally benign process.     

Molybdic acid doped polyaniline micro/nanostructures via a self-assembly process

Molybdic acid (H₂MoO₄, MA) doped polyaniline (PANI) micro/nanostructures were prepared by a self-assembly process in the presence of ammonium persulfate ((NH₄)₂S₂O₈, APS) as the oxidant. The morphology of PANI-MA changed from nanofibers or nanotubes (～160 nm in diameter) to co-existence of nanofibers and microspheres (～3 μm in diameter) and that accompanied an enhancement of the conductivity from 5.42 × 10^?3 S cm^?1 to 2.8 × 10^?1 S cm^?1as the molar ratio of MA to aniline varied from 0.01 to 1.5. With increasing the polymerization time, moreover, the pH value of the reaction solution not only decreased due to sulfuric acid produced during the course of the polymerization, but also accompanied a change in morphology from microspheres to nanofibers. All above-mentioned observations could be interpreted by spherical and cylindrical micelle composed of MA as the “soft-template” in forming the micro/nanostructures.     

Excellent Electrochemical Properties of Yolk–Shell MoO3 Microspheres Formed by Combustion of Molybdenum Oxide–Carbon Composite Microspheres

Yolk–shell MoO₃ microspheres are prepared by a two‐step process in which molybdenum oxide–carbon (MoO_x–C) composite microspheres are first obtained by spray pyrolysis, followed by combustion at 400 °C in air. The yolk–shell microspheres exhibit excellent electrochemical properties and structural stability.     

Enhanced sulfur‐resistant methanation performance over MoO3–ZrO2 catalyst prepared by solution combustion method

Sulfur‐resistant methanation of syngas was studied over MoO₃–ZrO₂ catalysts at 400°C. The MoO₃–ZrO₂ solid‐solution catalysts were prepared using the solution combustion method by varying MoO₃ content and temperature. The 15MoO₃–ZrO₂ catalyst achieved the highest methanation performance with CO conversion up to 80% at 400°C. The structure of ZrO₂ and dispersed MoO₃ species was characterized using X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The energy‐dispersive spectrum of the 15MoO₃–ZrO₂ catalyst showed that the solution combustion method gave well‐dispersed MoO₃ particles on the surface of ZrO₂. The structure of the catalysts depends on the Mo surface density. It was observed that in the 15MoO₃–ZrO₂ catalyst the Mo surface density of 4.2 Mo atoms nm^?2 approaches the theoretical monolayer capacity of 5 Mo atoms nm^?2. The addition of a small amount of MoO₃ to ZrO₂ led to higher tetragonal content of ZrO₂ along with a reduction of particle size. This leads to an efficient catalyst for the low‐temperature CO methanation process.     

Spectroscopic,mechanical and magnetic characterization of some bismuth borate glasses containing gadolinium ions

The ultrasonic parameters, the optical parameters along with the IR spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility studies have been employed to explore the role of Gd₂O₃ in the structure of the glasses xGd₂O₃–60B₂O₃–10MoO₃–(30-x)Bi₂O₃, with 0 ≤ x ≤ 7 mol %. IR analysis indicates that Gd₂O₃ is preferentially incorporated into the borate network-forming BO₄ units. It is assumed that Bi₂O₃ and MoO₃ enter the structure as modifiers in the form of BiO₆ and MoO₆ only. The compositional dependence of the mechanical and the optical parameters are interpreted in terms of the transformation of the structural units BO₃ into BO₄, the increase in the number of bridging oxygen atoms, and the substitution of high bond strength Gd–O, in the place of low bond strength Bi–O bond. The results of the magnetic susceptibility reveal the paramagnetic behavior as described by the Curie-Weiss law and indicating the presence of weak antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between Gd³⁺ ions. The magnetic entropy change of the glasses was determined according to the temperature and magnetic field dependence of magnetization.     

核壳结构MoOx/C微球的制备及储锂性能

采用水热法合成了MoO_3/酚醛树脂前驱体,然后在空气中进行煅烧处理,成功制备了一种新型核壳MoOx/C微球。对材料的晶体结构、形貌和元素价态进行分析表明,该材料的主要成分是单斜相MoO_2、正交晶系MoO_3和碳。树脂在空气中的煅烧碳化将MoO_3/酚醛树脂前驱体中的六方晶系的MoO_3还原为单斜相MoO_2。其中少量的MoO_2会在空气中重新被氧化成正交晶系的MoO_3,形成了MoO_2/MoO_3异质结构。在这一系列反应的综合作用下,形成这种表面有裂纹的核壳MoOx/C微球复合材料。将该材料用作锂离子电池负极材料,表现出了循环稳定性高、倍率性能好等优异的电化学性能。在100 mA·g-1的电流密度下充放电循环100次之后,可逆容量达640.6 mAh·g-1。     

Methanol-to-hydrocarbons conversion over MoO3/H-ZSM-5 catalysts prepared via lower temperature calcination: a route to tailor the distribution and evolution of promoter Mo species,and their corresponding catalytic properties

A series of MoO₃/H-ZSM-5 (Si/Al = 25) catalysts were prepared via calcination at a lower-than-usual temperature (400 °C) and subsequently evaluated in the methanol-to-hydrocarbon reaction at that same temperature. The catalytic properties of those catalysts were compared with the sample prepared at the more conventional, higher temperature of 500 °C. For the lower temperature preparations, molybdenum oxide was preferentially dispersed over the zeolite external surface, while only the higher loading level of MoO₃ (7.5 wt% or higher) led to observable inner migration of the Mo species into the zeolite channels, with concomitant partial loss of the zeolite Brønsted acidity. On the MoO₃ modified samples, the early-period gas yield, especially for valuable propylene and C₄ products, was noticeably accelerated, and is gradually converted into an enhanced liquid aromatic formation. The 7.5 wt% MoO₃/H-ZSM-5 sample prepared at 400 °C thereby achieved a balance between the zeolite surface dispersion of Mo species, their inner channel migration and the corresponding effect on the intrinsic Brønsted acidity of the acidic zeolite. That loading level also possessed the highest product selectivity (after 5 h reaction) to benzene, toluene and xylenes, as well as higher early-time valuable gas product yields in time-on-stream experiments. However, MoO₃ loading levels of 7.5 wt% and above also resulted in earlier catalyst deactivation by enhanced coke accumulation at, or near, the zeolite channel openings. Our research illustrates that the careful adoption of moderate/lower temperature dispersion processes for zeolite catalyst modification gives considerable potential for tailoring and optimizing the system''s catalytic performance.     

Atomic layer deposition of crystalline molybdenum oxide thin films and phase control by post-deposition annealing

Molybdenum forms a range of oxides with different stoichiometries and crystal structures, which lead to different properties and performance in diverse applications. Herein, crystalline molybdenum oxide thin films with controlled phase composition are deposited by atomic layer deposition. The MoO₂(thd)₂ and O₃ as precursors enable well-controlled growth of uniform and conformal films at 200–275 °C. The as-deposited films are rough and, in most cases, consist of a mixture of α- and β-MoO₃ as well as an unidentified suboxide MoO_x (2.75 ≤ x ≤ 2.89) phase. The phase composition can be tuned by changing deposition conditions. The film stoichiometry is close to MoO₃ and the films are relatively pure, the main impurity being hydrogen (2–7 at-%), with ≤1 at-% of carbon and nitrogen. Post-deposition annealing is studied in situ by high-temperature X-ray diffraction in air, O₂, N₂, and forming gas (10% H₂/90% N₂) atmospheres. Phase-pure films of MoO₂ and α-MoO₃ are obtained by annealing at 450 °C in forming gas and O₂, respectively. The ability to tailor the phase composition of MoO_x films deposited by scalable atomic layer deposition method represents an important step towards various applications of molybdenum oxides.     

Study on the formation process of MoO3/Fe2(MoO4)3 by mechanochemical synthesis and their catalytic performance in methanol to formaldehyde

Mechanochemical method has applied to the green preparation of iron-molybdenum catalyst efficiently, and their catalytic performance was evaluated by the oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde. In order to investigate the formation process of iron-molybdenum catalyst based on mechanochemical method, various characterization techniques have been employed. Results indicate that iron-molybdenum catalyst could not be generated during ball milling process without calcining, and calcination is crucial step to regulate the ratio of MoO₃ and Fe₂(MoO₄)₃. For the formation of MoO₃ and Fe₂(MoO₄)₃ phase, 180 °C could be the key turning temperature point. Fe₂(MoO₄)₃ and MoO₃ phases are concurrently emerged when Mo/Fe atomic ratio exceeds 1.5. The aggregation of Fe₂(MoO₄)₃ is severe with the increasing calcination temperature. Fe₂(MoO₄)₃ is stable below 600 °C, while MoO₃ phase could be subliming with the increasing temperature. The catalytic performance of iron-molybdenum catalyst has closely correlation with the phase compositions, which can be controlled by synthesis temperature and Mo/Fe molar ratio. The iron-molybdenum catalyst with Mo/Fe atomic ratio of 2.6 calcined at 500 °C for 4 h showed the best methanol conversion (100%) and formaldehyde yield (92.27%).

     

Template‐Free Synthesis and Mechanistic Study of Porous Three‐Dimensional Hierarchical Uranium‐Containing and Uranium Oxide Microspheres

A novel type of uranium‐containing microspheres with an urchin‐like hierarchical nano/microstructure has been successfully synthesized by a facile template‐free hydrothermal method with uranyl nitrate hexahydrate, urea, and glycerol as the uranium source, precipitating agent, and shape‐controlling agent, respectively. The as‐synthesized microspheres were usually a few micrometers in size and porous inside, and their shells were composed of nanoscale rod‐shaped crystals. The growth mechanism of the hydrothermal reaction was studied, revealing that temperature, ratios of reactants, solution pH, and reaction time were all critical for the growth. The mechanism study also revealed that an intermediate compound of 3 UO₃?NH₃?5 H₂O was first formed and then gradually converted into the final hydrothermal product. These uranium‐containing microspheres were excellent precursors to synthesize porous uranium oxide microspheres. With a suitable calcination temperature, very uniform microspheres of uranium oxides (UO_2+x, U₃O₈, and UO₃) were successfully synthesized.     

Diesel soot oxidation by nitrogen dioxide,oxygen and water under engine exhaust conditions: Kinetics data related to the reaction mechanism

Experimental studies on diesel soot oxidation under a wide range of conditions relevant for modern diesel engine exhaust and continuously regenerating particle trap were performed. Hence, reactivity tests were carried out in a fixed bed reactor for various temperatures and different concentrations of oxygen, NO₂ and water (300–600 °C, 0–10% O₂, 0–600 ppm NO₂, 0–10% H₂O). The soot oxidation rate was determined by measuring the concentration of CO and CO₂ product gases. The parametric study shows that the overall oxidation process can be described by three parallel reactions: a direct C–NO₂ reaction, a direct C–O₂ reaction and a cooperative C–NO₂–O₂ reaction. C–NO₂ and C–NO₂–O₂ are the main reactions for soot oxidation between 300 and 450 °C. Water vapour acts as a catalyst on the direct C–NO₂ reaction. This catalytic effect decreases with the increase of temperature until 450 °C. Above 450 °C, the direct C–O₂ reaction contributes to the global soot oxidation rate. Water vapour has also a catalytic effect on the direct C–O₂ reaction between 450 °C and 600 °C. Above 600 °C, the direct C–O₂ reaction is the only main reaction for soot oxidation. Taking into account the established reaction mechanism, a one-dimensional model of soot oxidation was proposed. The roles of NO₂, O₂ and H₂O were considered and the kinetic constants were obtained. The suggested kinetic model may be useful for simulating the behaviour of a diesel particulate filter system during the regeneration process.     

Synthesis of glycerol carbonate with high surface area ZrO2–KOH catalyst

High surface area ZrO₂–KOH sample was prepared and used the catalyst for the synthesis of glycerol carbonate (GC) from dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and glycerol. The structure properties of ZrO₂–KOH were characterized by XRD, BET, CO₂-TPD, XPS, and ICP-OES. It was found that the strong basicity of ZrO₂–KOH might be attributed to the oxygen vacancies as well as the big surface area. Experiments were developed to evaluate the effects of catalysis loading, proportion of reactants, temperature and reaction time on the conversion of glycerol to GC. The consequences showed that ZrO₂–KOH was a highly efficient basic catalyst for synthesis of GC from glycerol. The catalytic performance of ZrO₂–KOH is much better than that of ZrO₂–KOH–CP, ZrO₂–NH₄OH, and some reported heterogeneous catalysts. And the higher performance of ZrO₂–KOH was ascribed to the strong basicity. 99.43% conversion was obtained in a particular situation of catalyst/glycerol weight ratio of 3 wt%, DMC/glycerol molar ratio of 3:1, reaction temperature of 80 °C, and reaction time of 2 h. The plausible reaction mechanism for the transesterification on the strong basic active sites was discussed.

     

Thermal analysis on conversion of MoO3 to MoO2 and its silicothermic reduction

The present paper deals with differential thermal analysis studies conducted to find out the onset temperature for silicothermic reduction of MoO₂ to Mo. The reaction kinetics of Si–MoO₂ system has been analyzed by a model-free Kissinger method. X-ray diffraction analysis has confirmed the formation of Mo metal and SiO₂ as the slag phase after silicothermic reduction of MoO₂. The activation energy for silicothermic reduction of MoO₂ to Mo was evaluated to be 309 kJ mol^?1.     

Studies on the formation of manganese molybdate

The reaction of MoO₃ with various oxides of manganese (MnO, Mn₂O₃, Mn₃O₄ and MnO₂) and with MnCO₃ has been studied in air and nitrogen atmospheres employing DTA, TG and X-ray diffraction methods, with a view to elucidating the conditions for the formation of MnMoO₄. Thermal decomposition of MnCO₃ has also been studied in air and nitrogen atmospheres to help understand the mechanism of the reaction between MnCO₃ and MoO₃. The studies reveal that, whereas MnO, Mn₂O₃ and MnO₂ react smoothly with MoO₃ to form MnMoO₄, Mn₃O₄ does not react with MoO₃ in the temperature range investigated (48O–6OO°C). An equimolar mixture of MnCO₃ and MoO₃ reacts in air to yield MnMoO₄, while only a mixture of Mn₃O₄ and MoO₃ remains as final product when the same reaction is carried out in nitrogen. Marker studies reveal that manganese ions are the main diffusing species in the reaction between MoO₃ and manganese oxides that result in MnMoO₄.     

Synthesis,crystal structure and pseudocapacitor electrode properties of γ-Bi2MoO6 nanoplates

Nanoplate-like bismuth molybdates (γ-Bi₂MoO₆) is prepared for the first time by urea assisted solution combustion synthesis (SCS) and studied the structural and electrochemical properties to explore the possibility of using as negative electrodes in pseudocapacitors. The formation of single phase γ-Bi₂MoO₆ and plate-like morphology is revealed from XRD Rietveld refinement and FESEM, respectively. The pseudocapacitive behaviour of γ-Bi₂MoO₆ is analyzed by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge techniques. The effect of Na based aqueous electrolytes on capacitance of the Aurvillius type structured Bi₂MoO₆ is investigated. As prepared γ-Bi₂MoO₆ nanoplates provide the high specific capacitance (519 F g⁻¹) compared with the high-temperature monoclinic phase γ(H) Bi₂MoO₆ in 1 M NaOH electrolyte. The obtained high specific capacitance of as prepared Bi₂MoO₆ could be attributed to the decrease in particle size, increase in active sites, and nanoplate-like structure of as prepared γ-Bi₂MoO₆.     

Rare direct imidation of aromatic metallacycle by reaction of CpCo(dithiolene) complex with N-halosuccinimide

The aromatic [CpCo(S₂C₂(R)(H))] (R = Ph, Me, 9-phenanthryl, H) complexes reacted with N-halosuccinimides (NXS; X = Cl, Br, I) in carbon tetrachloride at room temperature to undergo the N-succinimide substitution reaction on the dithiolene ring, but no halogenated dithiolene complex was obtained. The imidation products [CpCo(S₂C₂(R)(N-sccinimide))] were yielded up to 64% where X = I and R = 9-phenanthryl. The reaction of [CpCo(S₂C₂(Ph)(H))] with N-bromophthalimide (NBP) also gave the imidation product [CpCo(S₂C₂(Ph)(N-phthalimide))]. This is the rare direct imidation reaction to an aromatic metallacycle by NXS. The reaction of [CpCo(S₂C₂H₂)] (R = H) with NIS afforded the double imidation product. One by-product in this reaction was the dithiolene-dithiolene homo-coupling product [CpCo(S₂C₂(R))]₂ (R = Ph, Me, 9-phenanthryl). The microwave-enhanced (MW) reactions were attempted in the carbon tetrachloride solution. Although the solution temperature increased up to only 43 °C by MW irradiation, the imidation reaction worked with short reaction time.