Gold Nanoclusters Confined in a Supercage of Y Zeolite for Aerobic Oxidation of HMF under Mild Conditions

Au nanoclusters with an average size of approximately 1 nm size supported on HY zeolite exhibit a superior catalytic performance for the selective oxidation of 5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐furfural (HMF) into 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). It achieved >99 % yield of 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid in water under mild conditions (60 °C, 0.3 MPa oxygen), which is much higher than that of Au supported on metal oxides/hydroxide (TiO₂, CeO₂, and Mg(OH)₂) and channel‐type zeolites (ZSM‐5 and H‐MOR). Detailed characterizations, such as X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N₂‐physisorption, and H₂‐temperature‐programmed reduction (TPR), revealed that the Au nanoclusters are well encapsulated in the HY zeolite supercage, which is considered to restrict and avoid further growing of the Au nanoclusters into large particles. The acidic hydroxyl groups of the supercage were proven to be responsible for the formation and stabilization of the gold nanoclusters. Moreover, the interaction between the hydroxyl groups in the supercage and the Au nanoclusters leads to electronic modification of the Au nanoparticles, which is supposed to contribute to the high efficiency in the catalytic oxidation of HMF to FDCA.     

Avoiding Self‐Poisoning: A Key Feature for the High Activity of Au/Mg(OH)2 Catalysts in Continuous Low‐Temperature CO Oxidation

Au/Mg(OH)₂ catalysts have been reported to be far more active in the catalytic low‐temperature CO oxidation (below 0 °C) than the thoroughly investigated Au/TiO₂ catalysts. Based on kinetic and in situ infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) measurements, we demonstrate that the comparatively weak interaction of Au/Mg(OH)₂ with CO₂ formed during the low‐temperature reaction is the main reason for the superior catalyst performance. This feature enables rapid product desorption and hence continuous CO oxidation at temperatures well below 0 °C. At these temperatures, Au/TiO₂ also catalyzes CO₂ formation, but does not allow for CO₂ desorption, which results in self‐poisoning. At higher temperatures (above 0 °C), however, CO₂ formation is rate‐limiting, which results in a much higher activity for Au/TiO₂ under these reaction conditions.     

Correlation of the Catalytic Activity for Oxidation Taking Place on Various TiO2 Surfaces with Surface OH Groups and Surface Oxygen Vacancies

Three catalytic oxidation reactions have been studied: The ultraviolet (UV) light induced photocatalytic decomposition of the synthetic dye sulforhodamine B (SRB) in the presence of TiO₂ nanostructures in water, together with two reactions employing Au/TiO₂ nanostructure catalysts, namely, CO oxidation in air and the decomposition of formaldehyde under visible light irradiation. Four kinds of TiO₂ nanotubes and nanorods with different phases and compositions were prepared for this study, and gold nanoparticle (Au‐NP) catalysts were supported on some of these TiO₂ nanostructures (to form Au/TiO₂ catalysts). FTIR emission spectroscopy (IES) measurements provided evidence that the order of the surface OH regeneration ability of the four types of TiO₂ nanostructures studied gave the same trend as the catalytic activities of the TiO₂ nanostructures or their respective Au/TiO₂ catalysts for the three oxidation reactions. Both IES and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) proved that anatase TiO₂ had the strongest OH regeneration ability among the four types of TiO₂ phases or compositions. Based on these results, a model for the surface OH group generation, absorption, and activation of molecular oxygen has been proposed: The oxygen vacancies at the bridging O^2? sites on TiO₂ surfaces dissociatively absorb water molecules to form OH groups that facilitate adsorption and activation of O₂ molecules in nearby oxygen vacancies by lowering the absorption energy of molecular O₂. A new mechanism for the photocatalytic formaldehyde decomposition with the Au/TiO₂ catalysts is also proposed, based on the photocatalytic activity of the Au‐NPs under visible light. The Au‐NPs absorb the light owing to the surface plasmon resonance effect and mediate the electron transfers that the reaction needs.     

Development of versatile and silver-free protocols for gold(I) catalysis

The use of a versatile N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) gold(I) hydroxide precatalyst, [Au(OH)(IPr)], (IPr=N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) permits the in situ generation of the [Au(IPr)]⁺ ion by simple addition of a Brønsted acid. This cationic entity is believed to be the active species in numerous catalytic reactions. ¹H NMR studies in several solvent media of the in situ generation of this [Au(IPr)]⁺ ion also reveal the formation of a dinuclear gold hydroxide intermediate [{Au(IPr)}₂(μ‐OH)], which is fully characterized and was tested in gold(I) catalysis.     

Soft,Oxidative Stripping of Alkyl Thiolate Ligands from Hydroxyapatite‐Supported Gold Nanoclusters for Oxidation Reactions

A strategy for the mild deprotection of alkyl‐thiolated (6‐mercaptohexanoic acid, MHA, and 3‐mercaptopropanoic acid, MPA) gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) supported on hydroxyapatite (HAP) has been developed by employing a peroxide (tert‐butyl hydroperoxide, TBHP, or hydrogen peroxide, H₂O₂) as an oxidant. The thiol ligands on the supported Au NCs were removed after oxidation, and the size and integrity of the supported clusters were well‐preserved. The bare gold clusters on HAP after removal of the ligands were catalytically effective for the epoxidation of styrene and the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol. These two reactions were also investigated on calcined Au NCs that were supported on HAP for comparison, and the resulting Au NCs that were prepared by using this new strategy showed superior catalytic activity.     

Carbon Monoxide Oxidation by Polyoxometalate‐Supported Gold Nanoparticulate Catalysts: Activity,Stability, and Temperature‐ Dependent Activation Properties

Nanoparticulate gold supported on a Keggin‐type polyoxometalate (POM), Cs₄[α‐SiW₁₂O₄₀]?n H₂O, was prepared by the sol immobilization method. The size of the gold nanoparticles (NPs) was approximately 2 nm, which was almost the same as the size of the gold colloid precursor. Deposition of gold NPs smaller than 2 nm onto POM (Au/POM) was essential for a high catalytic activity for CO oxidation. The temperature for 50 % CO conversion was ?67 °C. The catalyst showed extremely high stability for at least one month at 0 °C with full conversion. The catalytic activity and the reaction mechanism drastically changed at temperatures higher than 40 °C, showing a unique behavior called a U‐shaped curve. It was revealed by IR measurement that Au^δ+ was a CO adsorption site and that adsorbed water promoted CO oxidation for the Au/POM catalyst. This is the first report on CO oxidation utilizing Au/POMs catalysts, and there is a potential for expansion to various gas‐phase reactions.     

Carbon Monoxide Oxidation by Polyoxometalate‐Supported Gold Nanoparticulate Catalysts: Activity,Stability, and Temperature‐ Dependent Activation Properties

Nanoparticulate gold supported on a Keggin‐type polyoxometalate (POM), Cs₄[α‐SiW₁₂O₄₀]⋅n H₂O, was prepared by the sol immobilization method. The size of the gold nanoparticles (NPs) was approximately 2 nm, which was almost the same as the size of the gold colloid precursor. Deposition of gold NPs smaller than 2 nm onto POM (Au/POM) was essential for a high catalytic activity for CO oxidation. The temperature for 50 % CO conversion was −67 °C. The catalyst showed extremely high stability for at least one month at 0 °C with full conversion. The catalytic activity and the reaction mechanism drastically changed at temperatures higher than 40 °C, showing a unique behavior called a U‐shaped curve. It was revealed by IR measurement that Au^δ+ was a CO adsorption site and that adsorbed water promoted CO oxidation for the Au/POM catalyst. This is the first report on CO oxidation utilizing Au/POMs catalysts, and there is a potential for expansion to various gas‐phase reactions.     

Magnesium Oxide-Catalyzed Conversion of Chitin to Lactic Acid

Although chitin, an N-acetyl-D-glucosamine polysaccharide, can be converted to valuable products by means of homogeneous catalysis, most of the chitin generated by food processing is treated as industrial waste. Thus, a method for converting this abundant source of biomass to useful chemicals, such as lactic acid, would be beneficial. In this study, we determined the catalytic activities of various metal oxides for chitin conversion at 533 K and found that MgO showed the highest activity for lactic acid production. X-ray diffraction analysis and thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis showed that the MgO was transformed to Mg(OH)₂ during chitin conversion. The highest yield of lactic acid (10.8 %) was obtained when the reaction was carried out for 6 h with 0.5 g of the MgO catalyst. The catalyst could be recovered as a solid residue after the reaction and reused twice with no decrease in the lactic acid yield.     

Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Impedance Study of Glucose Oxidation on a Nickel Hydroxide Modified Au Electrode in Alkaline Solution

The electrochemical quartz crystal impedance (EQCI) technique has been applied to investigate glucose oxidation on bare and Ni(OH)₂‐modified Au electrodes in 0.2 mol L^?1 KOH aqueous solution. The EQCI responses suggest different contributions of H⁺‐release and OH^?‐incorporation reactions of the Ni(OH)₂‐film redox process in 0.2 mol L^?1 aqueous KOH at different potentials. Glucose adsorption on the Ni(OH)₂‐modified Au electrode was studied. A mechanism for potential cyclic redox process of glucose at Ni(OH)₂‐modified Au electrode is suggested, mainly based on a comparative EQCI analysis with direct glucose oxidation on bare gold and glucose ad‐/desorption on Ni(OH)₂ film.     

Catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide over Au/Fe2O3 preparations

Low temperature catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide has been studied over Au/Fe₂O₃. On the coprecipitated samples the catalytic activity shows a maximum at a gold content of about 5%. Calcination of Au/Fe₂O₃ decreases the catalytic activity and the stability. The catalytic activity measured is the highest ever reported in the literature on Au/Fe₂O₃ preparations.     

XPS studies on the gold oxide surface layer formation

The initial stage of gold oxide layer formation on the gold electrode surface was investigated in 0.5 M H₂SO₄. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of pure gold and the anodically polarized gold electrode surface were compared quantitatively. It was found that gold anodic polarization in the E range from ∼1.3 to 2.1 V causes increase in intensity of the XPS spectra at an electron binding energy ε_b=85.9 eV for gold and at ε_b=530 eV for oxygen. These ε_b values correspond to Au³⁺ and O²⁻ oxidation states in hydrous or anhydrous gold oxide. The larger the amount of the anodically formed surface substance the higher is the intensity of the spectrum at the ε_b values mentioned above. It was concluded that gold anodic oxidation, yielding most likely an Au(III) hydroxide surface layer, takes place in the E range of the anodic current wave beginning at E≈1.3 V. At E_B=1.7 V (the potential of the Burshtein minimum) the stationary surface layer consists of 2.5 to 3 molecular layers of Au(OH)₃. The theoretical amount of charge required for the reduction of one molecular layer of Au(OH)₃ is ∼0.15 mC cm⁻², since the Au(OH)₃ molecule is planar and occupies about four atomic sites on the electrode surface.     

Mg-Al类水滑石负载金催化醇选择氧化中Mg/Al比例的影响

为研究Mg/Al比例对Mg-Al类水滑石(LDH)负载Au催化醇选择氧化的影响,采用共沉淀—水热晶化法合成了不同Mg/Al比的y Mg-Al LDH,采用液相还原法负载纳米Au颗粒.对样品进行XRD、N_2物理吸附、ICP-AES、AAS、TEM、CO_2-TPD、CO_2-In-situ DRIFTS和XPS等表征.在无附加碱条件下,Au/yMg-Al LDH催化剂催化1-苯乙醇选择氧化的催化活性随Mg/Al比增大呈现递增趋势,Au/4Mg-Al LDH活性最佳.载体表面弱碱性强度随Mg/Al比增大变化不大,弱碱位略有增多,对醇羟基脱氢有促进作用.载体层板Mg_3OH基团随Mg/Al比增大而增多有利于Au在层板边缘沉积,二者可形成有效协同,促进醇氧化过程进行.     

Gold catalysts supported on ZnO/Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> for low-temperature CO oxidation

Gold catalysts with loadings ranging from 0.5 to 7.0 wt% on a ZnO/Al₂O₃ support were prepared by the deposition–precipitation method (Au/ZnO/Al₂O₃) with ammonium bicarbonate as the precipitation agent and were evaluated for performance in CO oxidation. These catalysts were characterized by inductively coupled plasma-atom emission spectrometry, temperature programmed reduction, and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The catalytic activity for CO oxidation was measured using a flow reactor under atmospheric pressure. Catalytic activity was found to be strongly dependent on the reduction property of oxygen adsorbed on the gold surface, which related to gold particle size. Higher catalytic activity was found when the gold particles had an average diameter of 3–5 nm; in this range, gold catalysts were more active than the Pt/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst in CO oxidation. Au/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst with small amount of ZnO is more active than Au/Al₂O₃ catalyst due to higher dispersion of gold particles.     

Catalytic performance and structural characterization of ferric oxide and its composite oxides supported gold catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation

The preparation and catalytic activity of ferric oxide and its composite oxides supported gold catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation were investigated detailedly, and characterized extensively by XRD, XPS, TPR, EC and XAFS techniques. It was found that containing highly dispersed Au of partially oxidized state, these nano-structured oxides supported Au/Fe2O3 and Au/NiFe2O4 catalysts had higher low-temperature activities. The possible catalytic active center is the gold of partially oxidized state (Auζ+).     

Catalytic oxidation of glyoxal to glyoxalic acid over Au-Pd alloy nanoparticles on hydrotalcite

Synthesis of glyoxalic acid by selective oxidation of glyoxal at ambient temperatures with O₂ as an oxidant is an important problem. We found that gold nanoparticles supported on hydrotalcite (Au/HT) exhibit an appreciable catalytic activity for this reaction in the liquid phase. Moreover, Au-Pd/HT, prepared by the deposition-precipitation method is superior in the catalytic behavior to monometallic Au/HT and Pd/HT catalysts. Introduction of palladium enhances ability of the catalysts to oxidize carbonyl to carboxyl, weakens the power to rupture C-C bond and in this way improves the catalytic performance. Furthermore, the Au: Pd ratio also influences the properties of the alloy catalysts. The 1.5Au-1.5Pd/HT catalysts show the highest activity for the selective oxidation at ambient temperature producing glyoxalic acid in 13.4% yield at pH 7.7. Moreover, due to basic properties of hydrotalcite, glyoxalic acid could be synthesized over 1.5Au-1.5Pd/HT in 8.0% yield without adding a base. It is hoped that results of this study can fuel further research in designing new catalysts with alloy nanoparticles supported by hydrotalcite that can be used for the selective oxidation of other useful compounds.     

Synthesis of Pb(OH)2/rGO Catalyst for Conversion of Sugar to Lactic Acid in Water

Conversion of sugars from biomass to platform chemicals or fuels is an attracting topic for the utilization of biomass. Pb²⁺ ion is an efficient catalyst for the degradation of sugar to lactic acid, and it will be better to fix lead on a solid catalyst to reduce the risk of exposure of Pb²⁺ to environment. Here, a simple method has been developed to prepare a composite catalyst of Pb(OH)₂/rGO, where the nanoparticles of Pb(OH)₂ in size of 2-5 nm were prepared and fixed over the as-prepared reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets. The as-obtained catalyst showed an efficient catalytic activity to degrade glucose, fructose, and cellulose in aqueous solution, and the major product is lactic acid. The yield of lactic acid reached 58.7% when fructose was used as the feedstock (433 K and 2.5 MPa N₂), and the catalyst can be recycled with high activity. Cellulose can also be directly converted into lactic acid in aqueous solution over the catalyst without extra acid or alkali, and the maximum yield of lactic acid is 31.7%.     

Comparative studies of gold catalysts prepared via solvated metal atom impregnation and conventional impregnation: characterization and low-temperature co oxidation

Supported Au catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation were prepared by solvated metal atom impregnation (SMAI) and conventional impregnation (CI). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations indicated that gold in all the samples was in the metallic state. TEM and XRD measurements showed that the mean diameter of Au particles prepared by SMAI was smaller than that of those prepared by CI with the same gold content. Catalytic tests showed that SMAI catalysts had higher CO oxidation activity than CI catalysts with the same compositions. Both SMAI and CI Au/TiO₂catalysts exhibited high activities in low temperature CO oxidation. Full CO conversion was obtained at 323 K for 3.1 wt.% Au/TiO₂ (SMAI) catalyst, which displayed higher activity than the 3.1 wt.% Au/D-72(SMAI) and 3.1 wt.% Au/TiO₂(CI). Although the sizes of gold particles prepared by the same method and supported on both TiO₂ and resin were comparable, the Au/TiO₂ catalysts showed significantly higher activities than the Au/resin catalysts with the same Au contents under the same reaction conditions. These results prove that not only the gold particle size, but also the support plays a key role in CO oxidation. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Au/FeOx-羟基磷灰石催化CO氧化反应中羟基磷灰石和FeOx的作用

近期我们报道了Au/FeO_x-羟基磷灰石(HAP, Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂)催化剂应用于CO氧化反应的研究结果,该催化剂不仅具有很高的低温CO氧化活性和反应稳定性, 同时也具有很好的高温抗烧结性能, 即使600℃焙烧后依然能够维持很好的CO氧化反应活性. 为了进一步研究Au/FeO_x-HAP催化CO氧化反应中HAP和FeO_x的作用, 本文对该催化剂进行了更加深入的表征. X射线光电子能谱结果表明, HAP能与Au和FeO_x形成强相互作用, 进而在高温条件下稳定Au和FeO_x纳米粒子. 根据原位漫反射红外结果, FeO_x则主要通过改变反应路径和中间产物的方式起到促进催化剂CO氧化活性的作用. 结合透射电镜, 穆斯堡尔谱和原位漫反射红外结果可知, Au/FeO_x-HAP催化剂良好的反应稳定性源于其优异的抗碳酸盐累积能力.     

Al Electrode Modified by Au Atoms as a Novel Electrode for Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Thiosulfate

An aluminum electrode modified with gold atoms was introduced as a novel electrode. Gold atoms were deposited both chemically and electrochemically onto the aluminum electrode to make an aluminum/gold (Al/Au) modified electrode (ME). The experimental results showed that the Al/Au modified electrode prepared by chemical deposition, exhibits much more current than the electrochemical deposition method. The electrochemical behavior of the Al/Au modified electrode was studied by cyclic voltammometry. This modified electrode showed two pairs of peaks, a₁c₁ and a₂c₂, with surface‐confined characteristics in a 0.5 M phosphate buffer. The dependence of E_pa of the second peak (a₂c₂) on pH shows a Nernestian behavior with a slope of 55 mV per unit pH. The effect of different supporting electrolytes, solution's pH and different scan rates on electrochemical behavior of Al/Au modified electrode was studied. Au deposited electrochemically on a Pt electrode (Pt/Au) was also used as another modified electrode. A comparative study of electrochemical behavior of bare Al, Pt/Au and Al/Au modified electrodes showed that both Pt/Au and Al/Au electrodes have the ability of electrocatalytic oxidation of S₂O₃^2?, but the electrocatalytic oxidation on the latter was better than the former. The kinetics of the catalytic reaction was investigated by using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry techniques. The average value of the rate constant for the catalytic reaction and the diffusion coefficient were evaluated by means of chronoamperometry technique.     

Synthesis of metal-doped tio2 nanotubes and their catalytic performance for low-temperature co oxidation

Summary Gold-, gold and copper-doped TiO₂ nanotubes (Au/TiO₂ NTs, Au-Cu/TiO₂ NTs) are prepared by impregnation-reduction method. The doped nanotubes are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Their catalytic performance for CO oxidation is also examined