Promotion effects in the oxidation of CO over zeolite-supported Pt nanoparticles

Well-defined Pt-nanoparticles with an average diameter of 1 nm supported on a series of zeolite Y samples containing different monovalent (H+, Na+, K+, Rb+, and Cs+) and divalent (Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+) cations have been used as model systems to investigate the effect of promotor elements in the oxidation of CO in excess oxygen. Time-resolved infrared spectroscopy measurements allowed us to study the temperature-programmed desorption of CO from supported Pt nanoparticles to monitor the electronic changes in the local environment of adsorbed CO. It was found that the red shift of the linear Pt-coordinated CO vibration compared to that of gas-phase CO increases with an increasing cation radius-to-charge ratio. In addition, a systematic shift from linear (L) to bridge (B) bonded CO was observed for decreasing Lewis acidity, as expressed by the Kamlet-Taft parameter alpha. A decreasing alpha results in an increasing electron charge on the framework oxygen atoms and therefore an increasing electron charge on the supported Pt nanoparticles. This observation was confirmed with X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and the intensity of the experimental Pt atomic XAFS correlates with the Lewis acidity of the cation introduced. Furthermore, it was found that the CO coverage increases with increasing electron density on the Pt nanoparticles. This increasing electron density was found to result in an increased CO oxidation activity; i.e., the T(50%) for CO oxidation decreases with decreasing alpha. In other words, basic promotors facilitate the chemisorption of CO on the Pt particles. The most promoted CO oxidation catalyst is a Pt/K-Y sample, which has a T(50%) of 390 K and a L:B intensity ratio of 2.7. The obtained results provide guidelines to design improved CO oxidation catalysts.     

Research of the interaction mechanism between HCl and semiconductor metal oxides

Gas-sensitivity was investigated of n- and p-types conductivity semiconductor sensors based on zinc, indium and chrome oxides with the respect to hydrogen chloride (0.06 – 3 ppm). Disclosed were two mechanisms of interaction between НС1 and above metal oxides. It is demonstrated that HCl chemisorption results in decrease, and chlorine generation by HCl oxidation results in increase of semiconductor sensor resistance of n-type conductivity. Inverse relationship is observed for sensors with p-type conductivity. Calculation results of НСl conversion degree under the conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium of the reaction of HCl to Cl₂ oxidation are in good agreement with the experimental results for different sensor temperatures, gas humidity range and oxygen content.     

Boosting Pt oxygen reduction reaction activity by tuning the tin oxide support

The influence of the dopant element on the physicochemical properties of the SnO₂ support and on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of the supported Pt nanoparticles was systematically studied. The dopant element and concentration significantly influence the SnO₂ crystal structure and the electrical conductivity, as well as the ORR activity in 0.1 M HClO₄ of the supported Pt catalysts. ORR activities significantly exceeding that of Pt deposited on carbon were observed for Pt nanoparticles supported on Nb- and W-doped SnO₂. No linear correlation between the support conductivity and the ORR activity was observed, suggesting that other factors, such as (electronic) metal–support interactions, could play a role in the ORR activity of Pt catalysts supported on metal oxides.     

Graphene Supported Platinum Nanoparticles as Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Graphene supported Pt nanoparticles were fabricated via electrochemical reduction method and the application of them in oxygen reduction reaction was also investigated. The results of field emission scanning electron microscope(SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and Raman spectroscopy reveal that the interaction between Pt nanoparticles and graphene sheets can prevent graphene from agglomeration and improve the electronic conductivity of the composite. And the graphene supported Pt nanoparticles exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction.     

Band structure tuning of ZnO/CuO composites for enhanced photocatalytic activity

The toxic dye pigments, even in small quantities, can damage ecosystems. Removing organic, inorganic, and microbiological contaminants from wastewater via heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising method. Herein, we report the band structure tuning of ZnO/CuO nanocomposites to enhance photocatalytic activity. The nanocomposites were synthesized by a chemical approach using step-wise implantation of p-type semiconductor CuO to n-type semiconductor ZnO. Various characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and UV spectroscopy were used to investigate the crystal structure, surface morphology, elemental composition and optical properties of the synthesized samples. As the CuO content increased from 10% to 50% in ZnO/CuO nanocomposites, the optical bandgap decreased from 3.36 to 2.14 eV. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated against the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible irradiation. Our study demonstrates a novel p–n junction oxide photocatalyst based on wt. 10% CuO/ZnO with superior photocatalytic activity. Effectively 66.6% increase in degradation rate was achieved for wt. 10% CuO/ZnO nanocomposite compared to pure ZnO nanoparticles.     

Nanostructured Pt supported on cocoon-derived carbon as an efficient electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation

Development of suitable supports has been proven as an important preparation process for high active catalysts of fuel cell. In this work, a carbon material was prepared by pyrolyzing cocoons with ferric chloride as activator, and then Pt nanoparticles (ca. 50 wt.%) were deposited on its surface. The characteristics of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy showed that the face-centered cubic structured Pt nanoparticles with nano-sized crystals interconnected each other via grain boundaries were formed on the surface of pyrolyzed cocoons. Afterwards, electrochemical results demonstrate that the nanostructured Pt supported on this support exhibits higher catalytic activity and CO tolerance than Pt nanoparticles supported on Vulcan carbon for methanol oxidation reaction.     

Ni-V-O催化剂的合成、表征及其催化性能

制备了Ni3V2O8, Ni2V2O7, NiV2O6催化剂, 进行了XRD, BET, H2-TPR, XPS和电导等表征, 并测试了这三种结构催化剂对丙烷氧化脱氢制丙烯反应的催化性能, 分析了影响催化性能的因素. 实验结果表明, 当丙烷的转化率为10%时, 在p-型半导体Ni3V2O8和Ni2V2O7催化剂上丙烯的选择性为69.13%和70.21%, 而在n-型半导体NiV2O6上, 丙烯的选择性为64.41%, 表明p-型半导体Ni3V2O8和Ni2V2O7的催化性能优于n-型半导体NiV2O6的催化性能. XPS实验结果表明, 这可能与p-型半导体正钒酸镍(Ni3V2O8)和焦钒酸镍(Ni2V2O7)催化剂表面含较多O-氧物种和V4+有关.     

Efficient photocatalytic degradation of phenol over Co3O4/BiVO4 composite under visible light irradiation

Co3O4/BiVO4 composite photocatalyst with a p-n heterojunction semiconductor structure has been synthesized by the impregnation method. The physical and photophysical properties of the composite photocatalyst have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transimission electron microscopy (TEM), BET surface area, and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra. Co is present as p-type Co3O4 and disperses on the surface of n-type BiVO4 to constitute a heterojunction composite. The photocatalyst exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity for phenol degradation under visible light irradiation. The highest efficiency is observed when calcined at 300 degrees C with 0.8 wt % cobalt content. On the basis of the calculated energy band positions and PL spectra, the mechanism of enhanced photocatalytic activity has been discussed.     

Synthesis of graphitic ordered macroporous carbon with a three-dimensional interconnected pore structure for electrochemical applications

In this study, ordered macroporous carbon with a three-dimensional (3D) interconnected pore structure and a graphitic pore wall was prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of benzene using inverse silica opal as the template. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectrometry, nitrogen adsorption, and thermogravimetric analysis techniques were used to characterize the carbon samples. The electrochemical properties of the carbon materials as a carbon-based anode for lithium-ion batteries and as a Pt catalyst support for room-temperature methanol electrochemical oxidation were examined. It was observed that the CVD method is a simple route to fabrication of desired carbon nanostructures, affording a carbon with graphitic pore walls and uniform pores. The graphitic nature of the carbon enhances the rate performance and cyclability in lithium-ion batteries. The specific capacity was found to be further improved when SnO(2) nanoparticles were supported on the carbon. The specific activity of Pt catalyst supported on the carbon materials for room-temperature methanol electrochemical oxidation was observed to be higher than that of a commercial Pt catalyst (E-TEK).     

A novel Pt/Au/C cathode catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells with simultaneous methanol tolerance and oxygen promotion

A novel Pt/Au/C catalyst was prepared by depositing the Pt and Au nanoparticles on the carbon support. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electrochemically analyzed for activity towards oxygen-reduction reaction and methanol oxidation reaction. EDX and TEM results reveal that Pt nanoparticles supported on carbon supports were separated by Au nanoparticles. The electrochemical analysis indicate that the novel catalyst showed the enhanced methanol tolerance while maintaining a high catalytic activity for the oxygen-reduction reaction, which could be attributed to the less methanol adsorption on Pt/Au/C catalyst.     

The First Principles Investigations of the Thermoelectric Properties of GaN with p- and n-Type Doping

We investigate the thermoelectric properties of GaN with p-and n-type doping by the first principles calculation and the semi-classical Boltzmann theory. We find that the power factors (S2σof p-type GaN (-3500 W/mK2) is about twice that of the n-type (-1750 W/mK2), which indicates the thermoelectric properties of p-type GaN would be better. Thermal conductivity of GaN crystal decreases rapidly as the temperature increases, but it is still too large for thermoelectric applications. The figure of merit (ZT) estimated at 1500 K is 0.134 for p-type GaN crystal and 0.062 for the n-type.     

Ultrasonic assisted polyol synthesis of highly dispersed Pt/MWCNT electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation

A novel chemical method based on ultrasonic assisted polyol synthesis for the fabrication of highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was developed. The simple and green method took only about 10 min at ambient temperature. The structure and chemical nature of the resulting Pt/MWCNT composites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). The results showed that the prepared Pt nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the MWCNT surface. The mean size of Pt nanoparticles was about 2.8 nm. Electrochemical properties of Pt/MWCNT electrode for methanol oxidation were examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and excellent electrocatalytic activities could be observed. The possible formation mechanism of Pt/MWCNTs was also discussed.     

Platinum–titanium intermetallic nanoparticle catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction with enhanced activity and durability

A facile method to prepare Pt–Ti intermetallic nanoparticles supported on carbon was developed. Starting from a commercial Pt/C catalyst, TiO₂ layers were formed on the Pt/C then thermal annealing under a reducing condition successfully produced intermetallic Pt–Ti nanoparticles with an average size of 4.2 nm. The intermetallic Pt–Ti/C showed enhanced activity and durability for oxygen reduction reaction due to the change in electronic structure and less aggregation.     

Tuning supported catalyst reactivity with dendrimer-templated Pt-Cu nanoparticles

The effects of particle composition on heterogeneous catalysis were studied using dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) as precursors to supported Pt-Cu catalysts. Bimetallic Pt-Cu DENs with varying Pt/Cu ratios were prepared in an anaerobic aqueous solution and deposited onto a high-purity commercial alumina support. The dendrimer template was then thermally removed to yield supported nanoparticle catalysts, which were studied with toluene hydrogenation and CO oxidation catalysis as well as infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed CO. Incorporating Cu into Pt nanoparticles had opposite effects on the two test reactions. Cu acted as a mild promoter for CO oxidation catalysis, and the promoting effect was independent of the amount of Cu present. Conversely, Cu acted as a strong poison for toluene hydrogenation catalysis, and the normalized rate tracked inversely with Cu content. Infrared spectroscopy of the supported nanoparticles indicated that electronic effects (electron donation from Cu to Pt) were minimal for these materials. Consequently, the catalysis results are interpreted in terms of potential structural differences as a function of Cu incorporation and reaction conditions.     

棒状CeO_2负载Pt催化剂的合成及其电化学性能研究

通过水热法合成棒状纳米Ce O2(Ce O2-R),并将Pt纳米颗粒负载于Ce O2表面,制得甲醇燃料电池的阳极催化剂Pt/Ce O2-R.通过结构与形貌表征,结果表明,Pt/Ce O2-R中Ce O2的暴露晶面为(111)和(002)晶面,改变了Pt周围的电子结构,进而降低了Pt-COads的键能,释放出更多的活性位.另外,Pt纳米颗粒在Ce O2-R表面分散更均匀.利用电化学工作站测试阳极催化剂Pt/Ce O2-R在酸性溶液中的电化学性能,证明Pt/Ce O2-R催化剂的甲醇电氧化性能与抗CO毒害能力较颗粒状Ce O2负载Pt催化剂(Pt/Ce O2-P)都有很大的提高,证明Ce O2-R作为Pt纳米颗粒的载体用于直接甲醇燃料电池的阳极反应具有发展潜力.     

Magnetic and structural investigation of Mn(2+)-doped ZnSe semiconductor nanoparticles.

X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments on diluted magnetic semiconductor nanocrystals were carried out to study the local electronic structure and magnetic properties of Mn(2+) embedded in the lattice of ZnSe nanoparticles. It is shown that Mn(2+) is exclusively present in the bulk of ZnSe nanoparticles. Neither Mn-Mn coupling nor traces of oxidation to higher Mn oxidation states was observed. This result, which is consistent with EPR spectroscopic data, provides clear proof of the location of Mn(2+) in semiconductor nanoparticles. Further, it is shown that the magnetic ions are highly polarised inside the nanocrystals, where they reach about 50 % of the theoretical value of a pure d(5) state under identical conditions.     

Investigation of electrocatalytic and analytical ability of Pt nanoparticles supported on active carbon modified electrode to analytical determination of glucose

The electrocatalytic and analytical ability to glucose on a highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles supported on active carbon (Pt/C) modified electrode was investigated. The Pt/C nanocomposite was synthesized using a microwave method. The structural characterization and surface morphology of the prepared Pt/C nanocomposite was examined using X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the Pt nanoparticles with 3–10 nm in diameter are well dispersed on the surface of active carbon. The electrocatalytic and analytical ability of Pt nanoparticles supported on active carbon modified electrode (Pt/C/GCE) was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperommetry. The Pt/C/GCE exhibits strong electrocatalytic activity to the glucose oxidation. Under optimal conditions, the Pt/C/GCE performed a current response towards glucose oxidation at a broad concentration range from 0.05 to 11.95 mM. Two linear regions could be observed at 0.05 to 3.5 mM with a sensitivity of 1.29 μA mM^–1 cm^–2 and at 3.5 to 11.95 mM with a sensitivity of 0.85 μA mM^–1 cm^–2, respectively. The Pt/C/GCE exhibits sufficient sensitivity and abilities of anti-interference.     

First-Principles Investigation of the Electronic and Conducting Properties of Oligothienoacenes and their Derivatives

Herein, we calculated reorganization energies, vertical ionization energies, electron affinities, and HOMO–LUMO gaps of fused thiophenes and their derivatives, and analyzed the influence of different substituents on their electronic properties. Furthermore, we simulated the angular resolution anisotropic mobility for both electron- and hole-transport, based on quantum-chemical calculations combined with the Marcus–Hush electron-transfer theory. We showed that: 1) styrene-group substitution can effectively elevate the HOMO energy level and lower the LUMO energy level, and therefore lower both the hole- and electron-injection barriers; and 2) chemical oxidation of the thiophene ring can significantly improve the semiconductor properties of the fused oligothiophenes through a decrease of the injection barrier and an increase in the charge-transfer mobility for electrons but without lowering their hole-transfer mobilities, which suggests that it may be a promising way to convert p-type semiconductors into ambipolar or n-type semiconductor materials.     

Structural evolution of Pt/ceria–zirconia TWC catalysts during the oxidation of carbon monoxide

The structural evolution of two Pt/ceria–zirconia catalysts, characterized by different amounts of supported Pt, was monitored by in situ X-ray diffraction during the anaerobic oxidation of CO at different temperatures. In a first phase, oxygen coming from the surface layers of the ceria–zirconia mixed oxide is consumed and no structural variation of the support is observed. After this induction time, bulk reduction of Pt/ceria–zirconia takes place as a step-like process, while the CO₂ production continues at a nearly constant rate. This behavior is totally different from that of the metal-free support in similar reaction conditions, that show a gradual bulk reduction. In repeated oxidation–reduction cycles, it was observed that the induction time in Pt/ceria–zirconia is a function of the thermal history, of the amount of supported Pt and of the structural evolution of the samples.     

Pt的氧化状态对甲醇氧化活性的影响

采用NaBH4还原法制备了XC-72碳黑负载的Pt电催化剂,并在化学还原后用H2O2处理部分催化剂以改变Pt的氧化状态,以期改善Pt活性中心上水的离解而提高催化活性.X射线光电子能谱结果表明,经H2O2处理的催化剂含有较多的氧化态Pt.通过循环伏安法和记时电流法考察了经处理和未经处理的催化剂在酸性条件下的甲醇氧化的催化...