Preparation and characterization of mesoporous TiO2-CeO2 nanopowders respond to visible wavelength

Mesoporous TiO₂-CeO₂ nanopowders responding to visible wavelength were synthesized by using a surfactant assisted sol-gel technique. They were obtained using metal alkoxide precursors modified with acetylacetone (ACA) and laurylamine hydrochloride (LAHC) as surfactant. The samples were characterized by XRD, nitrogen adsorption isotherm, SEM, TEM, and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), respectively. The 95 mol% TiO₂-5 mol% CeO₂ system yielded single anatase phase, however, further addition of the CeO₂ formed cubic CeO₂ structure while anatase TiO₂ decreased. Additions of 5 and 10 mol% CeO₂ increased the surface area, but those of 25, 50, and 75 mol% CeO₂ did not affect it very much. By using this mixed metal oxides system, TiO₂ can be modified to respond to the visible wavelength. The mixed metal oxides had catalytic activity (evaluating the formation rate of I₃⁻) about 2-3 times higher than pure CeO₂, while nanosize anatase type TiO₂ materials had no catalytic activity under visible light. The catalytic activity was almost proportional to the specific surface area. The formation rate of I₃⁻ was much improved by changing the calcination temperature and calcination period. Highest catalytic activity in this study was obtained for the 50 mol% TiO₂-50 mol% CeO₂ nanopowders calcined at 250 °C for 24 h.     

Synthesis of Cumene from Lignin by Catalytic Transformation

Cumene is an important intermediate and chemical in chemical industry.In this work,directional preparation of cumene using lignin was achieved by a three-step cascade process.The mixture aromatics were first produced by the catalytic pyrolysis of lignin at 450℃ over 1% Zn/HZSM-5 catalyst,monocyclic aromatics with the selectivity of 85.7 wt% were obtained.Then,the catalytic dealkylation of heavier aromatics resulted in benzene-rich aromatics with 93.6 wt% benzene at 600℃ over Hβ catalyst.Finally,the cumene synthesis was performed by the aromatic alkylation,giving cumene selectivity of 91.6 C-mol% using the[bmim]Cl-2AlCl₁₃ ionic liquid at room temperature for 15 min.Besides,adding a small amount of methanol to the feed can efficiently suppress the coke yield and enhance the aromatics yield.The proposed transformation potentially provides a useful route for production of cumene using renewable lignin.     

吸附相反应技术制备MnOx/CeO2/SiO2催化剂及其低温选择性催化还原Nox

采用吸附相反应技术制备得到了MnO_x/CeO₂/SiO₂催化剂,通过X 射线衍射（XRD）、透射电子显微镜（TEM）、高分辨透射电子显微镜（HRTEM）、紫外激光拉曼（Raman）等手段对催化剂进行了表征. HRTEM分析表明活性组分MnO_x与CeO₂都均匀分布在载体SiO₂表面;XRD分析表明Mn₃O₄特征峰随着CeO₂含量的增加逐渐减小至完全消失,CeO₂的加入降低了MnO_x的结晶程度,增加了MnO_x的分散性;Raman光谱表明催化剂表面的Mn离子能够进入CeO₂晶格,激发出空穴氧,随着CeO₂负载量的增加,催化剂氧空穴浓度先升高后降低.以NH₃为还原剂,考评催化剂的NO_x低温选择性催化还原（SCR）性能,催化剂催化活性随CeO₂负载量增加先升高后降低,与催化剂氧空穴浓度变化规律一致,说明催化剂活性受氧空穴浓度影响,氧空穴浓度升高,催化剂催化活性升高.     

Metal–Organic Framework (MOF)-Derived Carbon-Mediated Interfacial Reaction for the Synthesis of CeO2−MnO2 Catalysts

CeO₂-based catalysts are widely studied in catalysis fields. Developing one novel synthetic approach to increase the intimate contact between CeO₂ and secondary species is of particular importance for enhancing catalytic activities. Herein, an interfacial reaction between metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived carbon and KMnO₄ to synthesize CeO₂−MnO₂, in which carbon is derived from the pyrolysis of Ce-MOFs under an inert atmosphere, is described. The MOF-derived carbon is found to restrain the growth of CeO₂ crystallites under a high calcination temperature and, more importantly, intimate contact within CeO₂/C is conveyed to CeO₂/MnO₂ after the interfacial reaction; this is responsible for the high catalytic activity of CeO₂−MnO₂ towards CO oxidation.     

Pt/oxide nanocatalysts synthesized via the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis process: engineering metal–oxide interfaces for enhanced catalytic activity

We show that Pt nanoparticles synthesized on oxide nanocatalysts exhibit catalytic activity enhancement depending on the type of the oxide support. To synthesize the Pt/oxide nanocatalysts, we employed a versatile synthesis method using Pt nanoparticles (NPs) supported on various metal oxides (i.e., SiO₂, CeO₂, Al₂O₃, and FeAl₂O₄) utilizing ultrasonic spray pyrolysis. Catalytic CO oxidation was carried out on these catalysts, and it was found that the catalytic activity of the Pt NPs varied depending on the supporting oxide. While Pt/CeO₂ exhibited the highest metal dispersion and active surface area, Pt/FeAl₂O₄ exhibited the lowest active surface area. Among the Pt/oxide nanocatalysts, Pt NPs supported on CeO₂ showed the highest catalytic activity. We ascribe the enhancement in turnover frequency of the Pt/CeO₂ nanocatalysts to strong metal–support interactions due to charge transport between the metal catalysts and the oxide support. Such Pt/oxide nanocatalysts synthesized via spray pyrolysis offer potential possibilities for large-scale synthesis of tailored catalytic systems for technologically relevant applications.     

Enhanced electro-oxidation of ethanol using PtSn/CeO2–C electrocatalyst prepared by an alcohol-reduction process

PtSn/CeO₂–C electrocatalysts were prepared by an alcohol-reduction process using ethylene glycol as solvent and reduction agent and CeO₂ and Vulcan Carbon XC72 as supports. The electrocatalysts were characterized by EDX and XRD. The electro-oxidation of ethanol was studied at room temperature by chronoamperometry. PtSn/CeO₂–C electrocatalyst with 15 wt% of CeO₂ showed a significant increase of performance for ethanol oxidation compared to PtSn/C catalyst. Preliminary tests at 100 °C on a single cell of a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) also confirm the results obtained by chronoamperometry.     

制备方法对CuO/CeO_2-ZrO_2催化CO低温氧化活性的影响

采用微波加热分解法(一步法)和微波加热处理共沉淀+浸渍法(两步法)制备了CuO/CeO2-ZrO2催化剂,并对其进行了X射线衍射、低温氮气吸附/脱附和程序升温还原等表征,采用色谱流动法考察了催化剂的催化CO低温氧化性能.结果表明,一步法比两步法更有利于使催化剂表面CuO高度分散,CuO与CeO2-ZrO2间的相互作用更强,CuO更容易被还原,从而具有更高的催化CO氧化活性.与CeO2-ZrO2有相互作用的高分散和小颗粒CuO有利于催化剂活性的提高,与CeO2-ZrO2无相互作用的大颗粒CuO对催化剂的活性有抑制作用.     

Catalytic combustion of ethyl acetate over ceria-promoted platinum supported on Al2O3 and ZrO2 catalysts

Platinum-supported catalysts prepared by impregnation of mixed CeO₂/Al₂O₃ and CeO₂/ZrO₂ oxides using the sol-gel method were characterized and used in the combustion of ethyl acetate. In each series, the effect of CeO₂ loading (3 and 5 wt%) was studied. Characterization data from the studied catalysts (specific area measurements, hydrogen chemisorption, programmed temperature reduction (TPR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoelectron spectra (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)) revealed significant changes in porosity and metal dispersion in each series. The catalytic activity of the solids, evaluated in the total combustion of ethyl acetate, exhibited a positive effect with the addition of Ce in the zirconia series whereas no significant changes was observed in the alumina series.     

合成方法对Rh/CeO2-ZrO2-La2O3催化剂的结构、表面性能及DeNOx活性的影响

用沉积沉淀法合成两种不同系列的CeO2-ZrO2-La2O3混合氧化物(ZrO2和La2O3沉积CeO2粒子(标记为A-x)以及CeO2和La2O3沉积ZrO2粒子(标记为B-x)),并用作Rh催化剂的载体。XRD、拉曼、TPR、XPS和O2脉冲等表征结果显示出不同的沉积顺序将导致不同的结构和氧化还原性能,且B-x具有更高的氧迁移性、储氧能力和表面Ce浓度。当其负载Rh后,Rh/B-x催化剂具有更高的NO和CO转化率及N2选择性,且Ce的最佳含量为50at%。这可能归因于Rh负载于富铈表面形成更多有利于NO分解的表面Ce3+活性位。     

Roles of Oxygen Vacancies of CeO2 and Mn-Doped CeO2 with the Same Morphology in Benzene Catalytic Oxidation

Mn-doped CeO₂ and CeO₂ with the same morphology (nanofiber and nanocube) have been synthesized through hydrothermal method. When applied to benzene oxidation, the catalytic performance of Mn-doped CeO₂ is better than that of CeO₂, due to the difference of the concentration of O vacancy. Compared to CeO₂ with the same morphology, more oxygen vacancies were generated on the surface of Mn-doped CeO₂, due to the replacement of Ce ion with Mn ion. The lattice replacement has been analyzed through XRD, Raman, electron energy loss spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance technology. The formation energies of oxygen vacancy on the different exposed crystal planes such as (110) and (100) for Mn-doped CeO₂ were calculated by the density functional theory (DFT). The results show that the oxygen vacancy is easier to be formed on the (110) plane. Other factors influencing catalytic behavior have also been investigated, indicating that the surface oxygen vacancy plays a crucial role in catalytic reaction.     

CeO2 Nanoparticle-Loaded MnO2 Nanoflowers for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3 at Low Temperatures

CeO₂ nanoparticle-loaded MnO₂ nanoflowers, prepared by a hydrothermal method followed by an adsorption-calcination technique, were utilized for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x with NH₃ at low temperatures. The effects of Ce/Mn ratio and thermal calcination temperature on the NH₃–SCR activity of the CeO₂-MnO₂ nanocomposites were studied comprehensively. The as-prepared CeO₂-MnO₂ catalysts show high NO_x reduction efficiency in the temperature range of 150–300 °C, with a complete NO_x conversion at 200 °C for the optimal sample. The excellent NH₃–SCR performance could be ascribed to high surface area, intimate contact, and strong synergistic interaction between CeO₂ nanoparticles and MnO₂ nanoflowers of the well-designed composite catalyst. The in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTs) characterizations evidence that the SCR reaction on the surface of the CeO₂-MnO₂ nanocomposites mainly follows the Langmuir–Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanism. Our work provides useful guidance for the development of composite oxide-based low temperature NH₃–SCR catalysts.     

Ordered mesoporous Pt/Fe3O4–CeO2 heterostructure gel particles with enhanced catalytic performance for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol

The unique physicochemical properties of ordered mesoporous transition metal oxides have attracted more and more attention. The hydrolysis process of metal oxide precursors is difficult to control, and it is difficult to synthesize an ordered mesoporous transition metal oxide material using the conventional template method. Ordered mesoporous Pt/Fe₃O₄–CeO₂ heterostructure gel materials with excellent catalytic properties were successfully prepared using aerogel technology and the chemical deposition method. The Pt/Fe₃O₄–CeO₂ material was an n–n combined heterostructured semiconductor material which consisted of a magnetic Fe₃O₄ layer, a CeO₂ core and Pt noble metal doped nanoparticles. A layer of Fe₃O₄ thin film was formed on the surface of ordered mesoporous Pt/CeO₂ gel matrix material using the chemical deposition method. The intriguing heterostructural features could facilitate reactant diffusion and exposure of active sites which could enhance synergistic catalytic effects between the Pt nanoparticles and CeO₂ nanoparticles. Compared with Pt/CeO₂, the prepared Pt/Fe₃O₄–CeO₂ showed enhanced catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol at room temperature. The catalytic activity of the heterostructure catalysts was systematically investigated using 4-nitrophenol reduction as a model reaction. The results showed that the Pt (0.1%)/Fe₃O₄–CeO₂ sample exhibited the optimal catalytic performance toward catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. The study provided a method for the preparation of heterostructure nanocatalysts with high efficiency, which would be effective for application in various catalytic reactions.     

HCl存在下CeO2基催化剂上乙烷氧化脱氢制乙烯

报道了一种HCl存在时温和条件下的乙烷氧化脱氢制乙烯催化转化新途径. 研究发现,在多种金属氧化物催化剂中,CeO₂呈现最佳乙烯生成的催化性能. 与纳米粒子相比,具有棒状和立方体状形貌的CeO₂纳米晶具有较高的乙烷转化率和乙烯选择性. 以MnO_x修饰CeO₂可进一步提高催化性能. 在8 wt% MnO_x-CeO₂催化剂上,723K反应2 h时乙烷转化率和乙烯选择性分别为94%和69%. 该催化剂性能稳定,反应100 h乙烯收率可保持在65%-70%. HCl的存在对乙烯的选择性生成起着至关重要的作用,一部分乙烯来自于氯乙烷的脱HCl反应.     

Efficient electroreduction of CO2 to C2+ products on CeO2 modified CuO

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ into multicarbon (C₂₊) products powered by renewable electricity offers one promising method for CO₂ utilization and promotes the storage of renewable energy under an ambient environment. However, there is still a dilemma in the manufacture of valuable C₂₊ products between balancing selectivity and activity. In this work, cerium oxides were combined with CuO (CeO₂/CuO) and showed an outstanding catalytic performance for C₂₊ products. The faradaic efficiency of the C₂₊ products could reach 75.2% with a current density of 1.21 A cm⁻². In situ experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated that the interface between CeO₂ and Cu and the subsurface Cu₂O coexisted in CeO₂/CuO during CO₂RR and two competing pathways for C–C coupling were promoted separately, of which hydrogenation of *CO to *CHO is energetically favoured. In addition, the introduction of CeO₂ also enhanced water activation, which could accelerate the formation rate of *CHO. Thus, the selectivity and activity for C₂₊ products over CeO₂/CuO can be improved simultaneously.

CO₂ can be efficiently converted into C₂₊ products on CeO₂ modified CuO catalysts and the faradaic efficiency could reach 75.2% with a current density of 1.21 A cm⁻².     

Micro-pyrolysis of technical lignins in a new modular rig and product analysis by GC–MS/FID and GC × GC–TOFMS/FID

A new offline-pyrolysis rig has been designed to allow multifunctional experiments for preparative and analytical purposes. The system conditions can be set and monitored, e.g. temperature, its gradients and heat flux. Some special features include (1) high heating rates up to 120 °C/s with pyrolysis temperatures up to 850 °C at variable pyrolysis times and (2) the selection of different atmospheres during pyrolysis. A complete mass balance of products and reactants (gas, liquids and solids) by gravimetric methods and sequential chromatographic analyses was obtained.The pyrolytic behaviour and the decomposition products of lignin-related compounds were studied under different conditions: heating rates (from 2.6 °C/s up to 120 °C/s), pyrolysis temperatures at 500 °C and 800 °C in different atmospheres (N₂, H₂, and mixtures of N₂ and acetylene). Kraft lignin, soda lignin, organosolv lignin, pyrolytic lignin from pine bio-oil, residues from biomass hydrolysis and fermentation were studied.The obtained pyrolysis products were classified into three general groups: coke, liquid phase and gas phase (volatile organic compounds (VOC) and permanent gases). The liquid fraction was analysed by GC–MS/FID. In addition, comprehensive two-dimensional GC was applied to further characterise the liquid fraction. VOCs were semi-quantified by a modified headspace technique using GC–MS/FID analysis. The micro-pyrolysis rig proved to be an efficient and useful device for complex pyrolysis applications.     

Effect of nanoscale CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> on PVDF-HFP-based nanocomposite porous polymer electrolytes for Li-ion batteries

New poly (vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoro propylene) (PVDF-HFP)/CeO₂-based microcomposite porous polymer membranes (MCPPM) and nanocomposite porous polymer membranes (NCPPM) were prepared by phase inversion technique using N-methyl 2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent and deionized water as a nonsolvent. Phase inversion occurred on the MCPPM/NCPPM when it is treated by deionized water (nonsolvent). Microcomposite porous polymer electrolytes (MCPPE) and nanocomposite porous polymer electrolytes (NCPPE) were obtained from their composite porous polymer membranes when immersed in 1.0 M LiClO₄ in a mixture of ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate (EC/DMC) (v/v = 1:1) electrolyte solution. The structure and porous morphology of both composite porous polymer membranes was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. Thermal behavior of both MCPPM/NCPPM was investigated from DSC analysis. Optimized filler (8 wt% CeO₂) added to the NCPPM increases the porosity (72%) than MCPPM (59%). The results showed that the NCPPE has high electrolyte solution uptake (150%) and maximum ionic conductivity value of 2.47 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at room temperature. The NCPPE (8 wt% CeO₂) between the lithium metal electrodes were found to have low interfacial resistance (760 Ω cm²) and wide electrochemical stability up to 4.7 V (vs Li/Li⁺) investigated by impedance spectra and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), respectively. A prototype battery, which consists of NCPPE between the graphite anode and LiCoO₂ cathode, proves good cycling performance at a discharge rate of C/2 for Li-ion polymer batteries.     

Batch and Flow Synthesis of CeO2 Nanomaterials Using Solid-State Microwave Generators

Microwave-assisted synthesis in combination with flow synthesis offers an interesting approach to develop faster and more sustainable procedures for the preparation of homogeneous nanomaterials. Recently, solid-state generators of microwaves appeared as a tool with improved control over power and frequency. Cerium oxide, despite its excellent catalytic activity, has not been prepared before using solid-state generators or microwave-assisted flow chemistry. We report a procedure for the preparation of nanoparticulated CeO₂ (around 4 nm) under 2.45 GHz microwaves in only 30 s. The materials are further calcined at 800 °C to increase particle size, with a better defined particle size and crystallinity. The procedure was tested in batch at pH 11 and 12 and diverse potencies, and the products were characterized by TEM, XRD, DLS, and N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms. The materials were similar at the diverse pH values and potencies. XRD confirms the crystallinity of the CeO₂ material with a fluorite-like structure. They are composed of particles around 40 nm that aggregate as structures of around 100 nm. The procedure was successfully adapted to flow synthesis, obtaining materials with structure and properties equivalent to batch synthesis. The batch and flow materials offer peroxidase properties, opening the door for their use as ROS scavengers.     

Au/CeO2中强金属-载体相互作用的形貌效应

以Au/CeO₂为研究对象,通过构建不同形貌的CeO₂载体来研究强金属-载体相互作用（SMSI）的形貌效应。分别以纳米立方块和纳米棒作为载体,通过高分辨（扫描）透射电子显微、光电子能谱、氢程序升温还原等一系列表征方法揭示了CeO₂纳米立方块表面更易发生质量传输并形成CeO_2-x包覆层。此包覆层大幅抑制了催化剂对小分子气体的吸附能力,并减少了催化活性位点的暴露,对探针反应（丁二烯选择性催化加氢）的催化活性影响显著。以上研究结果表明CeO₂纳米立方块比CeO₂纳米棒更易构建SMSI体系。     

Lignin-Derived Syringol and Acetosyringone from Palm Bunch Using Heterogeneous Oxidative Depolymerization over Mixed Metal Oxide Catalysts under Microwave Heating

Biomass valorization to building block chemicals in food and pharmaceutical industries has tremendously gained attention. To produce monophenolic compounds from palm empty fruit bunch (EFB), EFB was subjected to alkaline hydrothermal extraction using NaOH or K₂CO₃ as a promotor. Subsequently, EFB-derived lignin was subjected to an oxidative depolymerization using Cu(II) and Fe(III) mixed metal oxides catalyst supported on γ-Al₂O₃ or SiO₂ as the catalyst in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The highest percentage of total phenolic compounds of 63.87 wt% was obtained from microwave-induced oxidative degradation of K₂CO₃ extracted lignin catalyzed by Cu-Fe/SiO₂ catalyst. Main products from the aforementioned condition included 27.29 wt% of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, 19.21 wt% of syringol, 9.36 wt% of acetosyringone, 3.69 wt% of acetovanillone, 2.16 wt% of syringaldehyde, and 2.16 wt% of vanillin. Although the total phenolic compound from Cu-Fe/Al₂O₃ catalyst was lower (49.52 wt%) compared with that from Cu-Fe/SiO₂ catalyst (63.87 wt%), Cu-Fe/Al₂O₃ catalyst provided the greater selectivity of main two value-added products, syringol and acetosyrigone, at 54.64% and 23.65%, respectively (78.29% total selectivity of two products) from the NaOH extracted lignin. The findings suggested a promising method for syringol and acetosyringone production from the oxidative heterogeneous lignin depolymerization under low power intensity microwave heating within a short reaction time of 30 min.     

Features of Joint Thermolysis of Organometallic Compounds of Group III and V Elements

The kinetic data on thermolysis of equimolar gaseous mixtures of organometallic compounds of Group III and V elements show that the thermal stability of the mixture differs from that of the components taken separately, which is mainly due to complexation between the mixture components. The complex is a kinetically active species. The rate of joint thermolysis of the organometallic compounds grows as the number of hydride atoms at the Group V element increases in the order AsMe3 < t-BuPH₂ < AsH₃. The stability of the complexes formed by organometallic compounds of Group III and V elements decreases in the same order. Joint thermolysis of Me₃Ga and AsH₃ yields a solid oligomer Me₂GaAs(H)Ga(Me)AsH₂. The complicated pattern of decomposition of a mixture of trimethylaluminum with various electron donors is due to participation in the pyrolysis of two trimethylaluminum species: monomeric and dimeric. In decomposition of pure trimethylaluminum or its mixtures with organometallic compounds of Group V elements or with ether, solid pyrolysis products deposited on the vessel walls catalyzed further transformations of the mixture components.