Hydrogenation of olefins in supercritical CO(2) catalyzed by palladium nanoparticles in a water-in-CO(2) microemulsion

Nanometer-sized metallic palladium particles can be synthesized by hydrogen reduction of Pd2+ ions dissolved in the water core of a water-in-CO2 microemulsion. The Pd nanoparticles, stabilized by the micromeulsion and uniformly dispersed in the supercritical fluid phase, are effective catalysts for hydrogenation of olefins. Examples of rapid and efficient hydrogenation of water-soluble and CO2-soluble olefins catalyzed by the Pd nanoparticles in supercritical CO2 are given.     

Gold nanoparticles fabricated by pulsed laser ablation in supercritical CO2

Nanosecond pulsed laser ablation (PLA) of gold plate with an excitation wavelength of 532?nm was carried out in supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) to fabricate gold nanoparticles. Surface morphology of the gold plate after irradiation and the crater depth after PLA were observed by scanning electron microscopy and laser scanning microscopy, while extinction spectra of gold nanoparticles collected in the glass slide was measured by UV?CVis spectrophotometer. The gold plate was ablated at various scCO₂ densities and irradiation times at constant temperature of 40??C. The ablation was also conducted at atmospheric condition with air to evaluate the environmental dependence of ablation. Both surface morphology of the irradiated gold plate and crater depth formation were significantly affected by the changes in scCO₂ density, the surrounding environment, and irradiation time. As expected, the increasing scCO₂ density resulted in a deeper ablation crater, however, the deepest crater was obtained at a density of 0.63?g/cm³ or pressure of 10?MPa. Gold nanoparticles generated by PLA in scCO₂ have been confirmed at the spectra band near 530?nm.     

Electrocatalytic reduction of coreactant by highly loaded dendrimer-encapsulated palladium nanoparticles for sensitive electrochemiluminescent immunoassay

Dendrimer-encapsulated palladium nanoparticles anchored on a carbon nanohorn were designed as a nonenzymatic tracing tag for sensitive quantum dot-based electrochemiluminescent immunoassay by electrocatalytic reduction of dissolved O(2) as the coreactant.     

Oxidising CO to CO2 using ceria nanoparticles

We calculate, using simulated amorphisation and recrystallisation (A&R), that ceria (CeO2) nanoparticles, about 8 nm in diameter, comprise a high concentration of labile surface oxygen species, which we suggest will help promote the oxidation of CO to CO2. In particular, the ceria nanoparticle contains a high proportion of reactive {100} surfaces, surface steps and corner sites. When reduced to CeO1.95, the associated Ce3+ species and oxygen vacancies decorate step, corner and {100} sites in addition to plateau positions on {111}. The energetics of CO oxidation to CO2, catalysed by a ceria nanoparticle, is calculated to be lower compared with CO oxidation associated with the lowest energy surface (i.e. CeO2(111)) of the corresponding 'bulk' material. Our calculated morphologies for the ceria nanoparticles are in accord with experiment.     

Molecular simulation of interaction between passivated gold nanoparticles in supercritical CO2

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to study the potential of mean force (PMF) between passivated gold nanoparticles (NPs) in supercritical CO(2) (scCO(2)). The nanoparticle model consists of a 140 atom gold nanocore and a surface self-assembled monolayer, in which two kinds of fluorinated alkanethiols were considered. The molecular origin of the thermodynamics interaction and the solvation effect has been comprehensively studied. The simulation results demonstrate that increasing the solvent density and ligand length can enhance the repulsive feature of the free energy between the passivated Au nanoparticles in scCO(2), which is in good agreement with previous experimental results. The interaction forces between the two passivated NPs have been decomposed to reveal various contributions to the free energy. It was revealed that the interaction between capping ligands and the interaction between the capping ligands and scCO(2) solvent molecules cooperatively determine the total PMF. A thermodynamic entropy-energy analysis for each PMF contribution was used to explain the density dependence of PMF in scCO(2) fluid. Our simulation study is expected to provide a novel microscopic understanding of the effect of scCO(2) solvent on the interaction between passivated Au nanoparticles, which is helpful to the dispersion and preparation of functional metal nanoparticles in supercritical fluids.     

Micelle-hosted palladium nanoparticles catalyze citral molecule hydrogenation in supercritical carbon dioxide

A new approach of employing metal particles in micelles for the hydrogenation of organic molecules in the presence of fluorinated surfactant and water in supercritical carbon dioxide has very recently been introduced. This is allegedly to deliver many advantages for carrying out catalysis including the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as a greener solvent. Following this preliminary account, the present work aims to provide direct visual evidence on the formation of metal microemulsions and to investigate whether metal located in the soft micellar assemblies could affect reaction selectivity. Synthesis of Pd nanoparticles in perfluorohydrocarboxylate anionic micelles in scCO2 is therefore carried out in a stainless steel batch reactor at 40 degrees C and in a 150 bar CO2/H2 mixture. Homogeneous dispersion of the microemulsion containing Pd nanoparticles in scCO2 is observed through a sapphire window reactor at W0 ratios (molar water-to-surfactant ratios) ranging from 2 to 30. It is also evidenced that the use of micelle assemblies as new metal catalyst nanocarriers could indeed exert a great influence on product selectivity. The hydrogenation of a citral molecule that contains three reducible groups (aldehyde, double bonds at the 2,3-position and the 6,7-position) is studied. An unusually high selectivity toward citronellal (a high regioselectivity toward the reduction of the 2,3-unsaturation) is observed in supercritical carbon dioxide. On the other hand, when the catalysis is carried out in the conventional liquid or vapor phase over the same reaction time, total hydrogenation of the two double bonds is achieved. It is thought that the high kinetic reluctance for double bond hydrogenation of the citral molecule at the hydrophobic end (the 6,7-position) is due to the unique micelle environment that is in close proximity to the metal surface in supercritical carbon dioxide that guides a head-on attack of the molecule toward the core metal particle.     

Decorating catalytic palladium nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes in supercritical carbon dioxide

Hydrogen reduction of a Pd(II)-beta-diketone precursor in supercritical carbon dioxide produces palladium nanoparticles on multi-walled carbon nanotubes that exhibit promising catalytic properties for hydrogenation of olefins in carbon dioxide as well as electro-reduction of oxygen in fuel cell applications.     

Pore size engineering in mesoporous silicas using supercritical CO2

In this paper we investigate the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO(2)) for synthesizing calcined mesoporous silicas with tunable pore sizes, wall thickness, and d spacings. Small angle neutron scattering was used to probe the controlled swelling of the triblock copolymer surfactant templating agents, P123 (PEO(20)PPO(69)PEO(20)), P85 (PEO(26)PPO(39)PEO(26)), and F127 (PEO(106)PPO(70)PEO(106)), as a function of CO(2) pressure. The transition from the liquid crystal phase to the calcined mesoporous silicas, formed upon condensation and drying, was also studied in detail. Powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption techniques were used to establish pore diameters, silica wall widths, and the hexagonal packing of the pores within the calcined silicas. Using a direct templating method, the diameters of mesopores and the spacing between the pores could be tuned with a high level of precision. The swelling process was observed to have no detrimental effects on the quality of silica formed, a distinct advantage over conventional swelling techniques, and all of the silicas synthesized in this study were highly ordered over distances of at least 2000 A.     

Quasi-elastic light scattering of platinum dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles

Platinum dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) containing an average 147 atoms were prepared within sixth-generation, hydroxyl-terminated poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (G6-OH). The hydrodynamic radii (R(h)) of the dendrimer/nanoparticle composites (DNCs) were determined by quasi-elastic light scattering (QLS) at high (pH ～10) and neutral pH for various salt concentrations and identities. At high pH, the size of the DNC (R(h) ～4 nm) is close to that of the empty dendrimer. At neutral pH, the size of the DNC approximately doubles (R(h) ～8 nm) whereas that of the empty dendrimer remains unchanged. Changes in ionic strength also alter the size of the DNCs. The increase in size of the DNC is likely due to electrostatic interactions involving the metal nanoparticle.     

皮革的CO2超临界流体脱灰

浸灰和脱灰是皮革制造过程的重要工序。在浸灰工序中,通过高浓度石灰乳液对动物皮的长时间处理,使其纤维介质被溶解,胶原纤维得到分散。脱灰是其后续工序,目的是除去动物皮中吸附和沉积的Ｃａ2+;调节ｐＨ值至中性并使其肿胀状态得以消除;促进鞣铬剂的发渗而与胶原纤维有效结合。常规制革工艺中,铵盐被广泛用作脱灰剂,其缺点是中和作用不充分不能有效除去Ｃａ2+,Ｃａ2+与动物油脂反应会产生“钙斑”,并产生令人不愉快的氨污染环境。而硼酸、甲酸、乙酸、柠檬酸等以单独或组合方式与铵盐一道用于脱灰[1]价格昂贵,还易引起裸皮的酸肿影响皮…     

Porous biomaterials obtained using supercritical CO 2- water emulsions

Highly porous, hydrophilic porous matrices were fabricated by using a high internal phase supercritical-CO2 (scCO2) emulsion templating technique. The novel aspect of the work resides in the combination of a natural biopolymer (dextran) as the building component of the matrices and of an environmentally benign solvent (supercritical-CO2) as the pore-generating phase. The synthetic route to the porous biomaterials involved the preliminary functionalization of the dextran chains with methacrylic moieties, formation of a scCO2-in-water concentrated emulsion, and curing of the external phase of the emulsion by radical polymerization. As the emulsion stabilizer a perfluoropolyether surfactant was chosen. The matrices obtained exhibit highly interconnected, trabecular morphologies. The porous biomaterial morphologies were qualitatively characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the evaluation of void and interconnect sizes was carried out on the micrographs taken with the light microscope. To tailor the morphologies of the porous structures, the influence of the volume fraction of the internal phase and of the surfactant/internal phase ratio was investigated. It was established that the variation of the volume fraction of the internal phase exerted only a limited influence on void and interconnect sizes. On the contrary the increase of surfactant concentration alters dramatically the distribution of void size, a large proportion of the void space enclosed within the matrix being attributable to voids with a diameter exceeding 100 microm. The free toxic solvent process of fabrication of the porous structures, the high water content, the expected biocompatibility, and the mechanical properties that resemble natural tissues make these porous hydrogels potentially useful for tissue engineering applications.     

Building dry powder formulations using supercritical CO2 spray drying

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Electrochemical behavior of CO2 reduction on palladium nanoparticles: Dependence of adsorbed CO on electrode potential

The electrochemical reduction of CO₂ is strongly influenced by both the applied potential and the surface adsorption status of the catalyst. In this work a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) coated with Pd nanoparticles/carbon black (Pd/XC72) was used to study the electrochemical reduction of CO₂. Cyclic voltammetric (CV) analysis of Pd/XC72 between 1.5 V and − 0.6 V (vs. RHE) shows the formation of intermediates and the blocking of hydrogen absorption on the Pd nanoparticles (NPs) under a CO₂ atmosphere. The relationships between the Faradaic efficiency/current density and the applied potential reveal that the onset potential of CO formation is around − 0.4 V. Moreover, the presence of adsorbed CO was confirmed through CV analysis of Pd/XC72 under CO₂ and CO/He atmospheres. This demonstrates that H atoms and CO intermediates co-adsorb on the surface of the Pd NPs at an applied potential of around − 0.4 V. When the applied potential is more negative than − 0.6 V, adsorption of CO intermediates on the surface of the Pd NPs becomes dominant.     

Synthesis, characterization, and applications of dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles

In this article we describe the synthesis, characterization, and applications of dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs). These materials are synthesized by a template approach in which metal ions are extracted into the interior of dendrimers and then subsequently chemically reduced to yield nearly size-monodisperse particles having dimensions of less than 3 nm. Monometallic, bimetallic (including core/shell), and semiconductor nanoparticles have been prepared by this route. The dendrimer component of these composites serves not only as a template for preparing the nanoparticle replica but also to stabilize the nanoparticle, makes it possible to tune solubility, and provides a means for immobilization of the nanoparticle on solid supports. These materials have a number of potential applications, but the focus here is on catalysis. Homogeneous catalytic reactions, including hydrogenations, Heck coupling, and Suzuki reactions, in water, organic solvents, biphasic fluorous/organic solvents, and liquid and supercritical CO2 are discussed. In many cases it is easy to recycle catalytic DENs. DENs can also be immobilized on supports, such as silica and titania, and used for heterogeneous catalysis. Bimetallic DENs are shown to have particularly interesting catalytic properties. In addition to a discussion of current progress in this field, a number of intriguing questions related to the properties and potential applications of these materials are examined.     

Fluorinated surfactants in supercritical CO2

Liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide has important environmental and economic advantages over petrochemical solvents currently used for industrial processes. However, low solubility in CO₂, particularly of polar compounds, is a hurdle to its implementation as an acceptable alternative. These solubility problems have been overcome by employing specialised fluorinated surfactants to stabilise water nano-droplets as water-in-supercritical/liquid CO₂ microemulsions. Such novel microemulsions can now facilitate innovative ‘green-and-clean’ applications of carbon dioxide technology.     

Electrocatalytic O2 reduction at glassy carbon electrodes modified with dendrimer-encapsulated Pt nanoparticles

Platinum dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) were prepared within fourth-generation, hydroxyl-terminated, poly(amidoamine) dendrimers and immobilized on glassy carbon electrodes using an electrochemical coupling strategy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and electrochemical experiments confirmed that the Pt DENs were about 1.4 nm in diameter and that they remained within the dendrimer following surface immobilization. The resulting Pt DEN films were electrocatalytically active for the oxygen reduction reaction. The films were also robust, surviving up to 50 consecutive cyclic voltammograms and sonication.     

General approach for the synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles mediated by supercritical CO2

We report in this paper novel chemistry that addresses the problem of surfactant solubility in supercritical CO2 for metal nanoparticle synthesis. This new approach for the preparation of organic-functionalized inorganic nanoparticles relies on the reduction of a metal precursor in a CO2-containing insoluble polymer. Reduction of the metal with H2 leads to small nanocrystals stabilized by the polymer with a relatively small polydispersity. The functionalized metal nanoparticles are recovered as a dry powder, free of any organic solvents, which can then be resuspended in an appropriate solvent. This approach limits the number of steps for the preparation of functional nanoparticles which are ready for use. To illustrate this, we report results of the preparation of palladium and silver nanoparticles of 3-5 nm size stabilized with hyperbranched polyamines, functionalized with perfluoroalkyl, perfluorooligoether, non-fluorinated alkyl, polysiloxane, or polyethylene glycol moieties.     

Enhanced stability of charged dendrimer-encapsulated Pd nanoparticles in ionic liquids

Highly stable dendrimer-encapsulated Pd nanoparticles in ionic liquids were prepared for the first time by using charged PAMAM dendrimers as templates, which could maintain hydrogenation efficiency for up to at least 12 recycles.     

Oxazoline-based antimicrobial oligomers: synthesis by CROP using supercritical CO2

A method using supercritical CO(2) to obtain biocompatible 2-oxazoline-based oligomers quaternized with different amines is described. The synthesized oligo(2-oxazoline)s display partial carbamic-acid insertion at one end. The syntheses of quaternary oligo(2-bisoxazoline)s and linear oligoethylenimine hydrochlorides are reported. Oligo(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) and oligo(2-bisoxazoline) quaternized with N,N-dimethyldodecylamine are the most efficient biocidal agents showing fast killing rates against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Linear oligoethylenimine hydrochloride shows the lowest MIC values but higher killing times against both bacteria. Based on the antimicrobial activity studies, a cooperative action of carbamic acid with the ammonium end group is proposed.     

Reactivity of palladium nanoparticles supported on a microemulsion-based organogel network in supercritical carbon dioxide

Palladium (Pd) nanoparticles were prepared using the phase transfer method and coated with alkylamines as stabilizing agents stably dispersed in nonpolar solvents. Spherical Pd nanoparticles with an average diameter of 4 nm and a relatively narrow size distribution were obtained using hexylamine or dodecylamine, and they were successfully incorporated in microemulsion-based gelatin organogel (OG); also, an OG network containing Pd nanoparticles was prepared via drying. For the Mizoroki-Heck cross-coupling reaction of iodobenzene with methyl acrylate in supercritical carbon dioxide, the Pd nanoparticles in the OG network exhibited much higher reactivity than those in powder state. Preparation conditions of OG (e.g., gelatin concentration) affected the apparent reactivity of the supported Pd nanoparticles. The Pd nanoparticles in the OG network with high gelatin concentration were recycled with no appreciable change of reactivity. In contrast, the reactivity of the Pd nanoparticles with low gelatin concentration decreased during recycling.