New Gelation Process for Pt/Al2O3 Catalysts Preparation

Gel of platinum and aluminum was prepared by an anhydrous gelation process using a mixture of aluminum sec butoxid, platinum acetylacetonate and Butanol-2. The investigation of this gelation by FTIR, UV-vis and ²⁷Al NMR spectroscopies suggest that a slow polymerization of aluminum precursors occurs according to an etheration mecanism likely catalysed by metallic platinum which could be formed by the reduction of platinum in Pt(acac)₂ by sBuOH in the mixture during aging.     

Improvement of the Pd/Al2O3 Catalyst by the Control of the Sol-Gel Preparative Parameters

In this work, the metal dispersion of the Pd/Al₂O₃ catalyst prepared by sol-gel method is improved by an adequate optimisation of the preparative variables. First, the gelation temperature and the ageing time are selected, in order to avoid the reduction of the metal precursor (palladium acetylacetonate, Pd(acac)₂) by the solvent (sec-butanol, sB). The metal sintering effect on the catalysts treated in oxygen at 500°C is then minimized when the alumina pore size is controlled by the variation of the alumium alkoxide (AsB) concentration and the acetic acid amount ([AcA]/[AsB]). The appearance of new palladium particles on the alumina surface and the matching between the particle diameters and the pore sizes were also effective for the metallic surface area improvement on the samples treated in oxygen at 800°C. Compared to the reference catalysts, the higher metal dispersion obtained on the sol-gel ones was the determinant factor for their higher catalytic activity in methane combustion.     

Oxidative thermolysis of Mn(acac)3 on the surface of γ-alumina support

Precipitated γ-alumina support was decorated with Mn(acac)₃ by incipient wetness impregnation with toluene solutions containing Mn(acac)₃ in amount equivalent to loading of 0.35, 0.74, 1.38, 2.38 and 3.50 Mn(acac)₃ moleculs per nm² of the support. In order to evaluate the mechanism of Mn(acac)₃ interaction with the surface of γ-alumina support and subsequent transformations of the supported Mn(acac)₃ species, oxidative thermolysis of Mn(acac)₃/Al₂O₃ samples in air was studied by diffuse reflectance FTIR, thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTG), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and XRD. It has been found out that decoration of γ-Al₂O₃ support with Mn(acac)₃ results in the formation of surface bound Mn(acac)_3−x species when Mn(acac)₃ loading does not exceed 1.38 Mn(acac)₃/nm². At higher Mn(acac)₃ loading the formation of the supported bulk-like Mn(acac)₃ species also occurs. The interaction of Mn(acac)₃ molecules with the support surface occurs via substitution of acetylacetonate ligand(s) with the oxygen atom of surface hydroxyl group(s) accompanied by elimination of acetylacetone molecules. The evolved acetylacetone reacts with the alumina surface that results in the formation of surface Al(acac)_3−x species. The oxidative thermolysis of Mn(acac)_3−x species on the surface of γ-alumina proceeds via partial elimination of acetylacetonate ligands and partial oxidation of the remaining ligands without destruction of their cyclic structure within 425-550 K. The complete oxidative destruction of acetylacetonate ligands takes place within 600-700 K and results in the formation of manganese oxide species on the alumina surface. The dispersed surface manganese oxide species originate upon the oxidative thermolysis of the surface bound Mn(acac)_3−x species while crystalline Mn₂O₃ phase results from the supported bulk-like Mn(acac)₃ species.     

Cyclometallated compounds II. Proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectral assignments of cyclopalladated compounds

The ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of nineteen cyclopalladated acetylacetonate complexes are reported. Definitve spectral assignments are made on the basis of selective proton decoupling experiments, difference NOE spectra and both homo- and hetero-nuclear two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy. The Pd(acac) substituent is shown to induce characteristic chemical shift changes in both proton and carbon spectra. These effects, however, vary from those of differently substituted palladium and other metal substituents.     

Fabrication of covalently functionalized mesoporous silica core–shell magnetite nanoparticles with palladium(II) acetylacetonate: application as a magnetically separable nanocatalyst for Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction of acyl halides with boronic acids

We report the preparation of supported palladium(II) acetylacetonate, Pd(acac)₂, coordinated by pendant acac groups, by reacting palladium acetate with acac‐functionalized doubly silica‐coated magnetic nanoparticles. The solid support consists of an amorphous silica‐coated (as magnetite protecting layer) magnetite core and a mesoporous silica shell. The magnetically separable palladium nanocatalyst is active for Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction of acyl halides with boronic acids. The catalyst is simply isolated from the reaction mixture that allows fast and efficient isolation of product and catalyst compared to traditional methods that generally make use of time‐ and solvent‐consuming procedures. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sol-Gel Preparation of Highly Active Sulfated Zirconia Supported by Alumina Catalysts

A series of sulfated mixed oxides of alumina and zirconia having a relative composition of 5% and 10% of ZrO₂ was prepared by means of sol-gel methods using zirconium propoxide or zirconium acetylacetone as precursor. The characterization of the physicochemical properties was carried out using ²⁷Al NMR, XRD, N₂ adsorption at 77 K, thermogravimetry, FTIR analysis of adsorbed pyridine, ²⁷Al NMR-MAS and XPS. The catalytic properties were studied by means of isomerization of n-hexane at 250°C. Results obtained allowed to propose that the use of Zr(acac)₄ as a zirconium precursor leads to a better retention of sulfate species which seems to form polymeric superficial sites. The symmetry of aluminium undergo an increase from tetrahedral to octahedral coordination and Zirconium atoms seems to be located in the second coordination sphere of Al. XRD analysis indicated an amorphous structure of obtained solids calcined at 650°C. The sulfated solids presented both Lewis and Brönsted acidic sites. Catalytic results showed that both activity and selectivity towards isomerization products were better using Zr (acac)₄ as precursor. Furthermore, the increase of the Zr loading affected considerably the catalytic properties of sulfated zirconia supported by alumina.     

Preparation and Spectroscopic Characterization of Blue CoAl2O4 Coatings

Optically selective thin films of CoAl₂O₄ with a spinel structure were produced for an automotive lamps application by the sol-gel process using aluminum sec-butoxide, ethylacetoacetate chelating agent and cobalt nitrate hexahydrate. The use of two metal-oxide precursors is advantageous over the single bimetallic alkoxide precursor (aluminum cobalt isopropoxide), because it allows us to vary the Co/Al ratio in the precursor solution. We found that the Co/Al ratio should not exceed 0.3 if we are to achieve films with the characteristic blue colour at 700°C. The structural characteristics of the oxide powders were determined from infrared (IR) spectra and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, while the optical properties of the films were investigated with UV-VIS spectroscopy.     

Mechanism of Formation of Nanocrystalline ZnO Particles through the Reaction of [Zn(acac)2] with NaOH in EtOH

The mechanism of formation of nanocrystalline ZnO particles from the reaction of zinc acetylacetonate ([Zn(acac)₂]) with 2-equivalent NaOH in boiling EtOH was investigated by characterizing the particles and following the transformation of acac moieties. The reaction was found to proceed via hydrolysis of zinc ethoxide derivatives, followed by dehydration–condensation reactions. High-resolution solid-state CP-MAS¹³C NMR measurements indicate that the ZnO particles are produced through Zn (acac)(OZn)_n(acac) (3). Furthermore, it was suggested that acac⁻ligands play an important role in the generation of nanocrystalline ZnO particles by suppressing the hydrolysis–condensation of Zn(acac)(OZn)_n(acac).     

Novel mixed-ligand palladium complexes [Pd2(acac)3NO3] and [Pd(acac)NO3]n involving O,O- and γ-C-bonded acetylacetonate linkers

The reaction of the palladium nitrate trans-[Pd(NO₃)₂(H₂O)₂] with acetylacetone affords mononuclear [Pd(acac)₂] (acac = acetylacetonate), mixed-ligand binuclear [Pd₂(acac)₃NO₃] (1) and polynuclear [Pd(acac)NO₃]_n (2) complexes depending on the Pd:acetylacetone ratio in the reaction mixture. The binuclear 1 and insoluble polynuclear 2 were isolated and studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (1) and solid-state ¹³C MAS NMR (1 and 2). It was found that in both compounds the Pd ions are linked together through bridging acetylacetonate ligands where one metal atom is connected to the usual O,O-donor sites, whereas the other metal atom forms a bond with the γ-carbon center. Based on a topological quantum-chemical method, the Pd-γ-C bond was classified as a strained dative bond.     

Oxidation of C-labeled ethyl linoleate monitored and quantitatively analyzed by C NMR

The oxidation of ¹³C-labeled ethyl linoleate (¹³C-EL), a model compound for alkyd resins, was investigated by ¹³C NMR in the presence of Co(II)-2-ethylhexanoate (Co-EH), Mn(acac)₃ (acac = acetylacetonate), and Mn(acac)₃ in combination with 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy), respectively. The use of ¹³C-EL allows us, in an unprecedented way, to reveal the individual evolution of hydroperoxides (ROOH) and peroxy (ROOR) links by ¹³C NMR and to quantify the oxidation intermediates during the oxidation. Mn(acac)₃ appeared to be less effective in decomposing ROOH than Co-EH and the Mn(acac)₃/bpy combination. Quantitative analyses were attempted for a few major ¹³C peaks.     

Effect of Zirconia Precursor on the Properties of ZrO2-SiO2 Sol-Gel Oxides

Sol-gel zirconia-silica oxides were synthesized with two zirconium precursors, zirconium n-butoxide and zirconium acetylacetonate, and two different hydrolysis catalysts, HCl and H₂SO₄. The samples prepared with HCl were additionally sulfated with a 1 M solution of H₂SO₄. Characterization was performed with FTIR and ²⁹Si-MAS-NMR spectroscopy, as well as with nitrogen adsorption. Because zirconium and silicon alkoxides have different hydrolysis rates, it was necessary to perform a pre-hydrolysis of the silicon alkoxide before mixing. The atom distribution in the ZrO₂-SiO₂ system depended on the zirconium precursor, which also determined the zirconium incorporation in the silica lattice, which was greater for zirconium acetylacetonate. The zirconium precursor also was responsible for the silanol concentration, which increases when samples were sulfated. Sulfating stabilizes the specific surface area. On sulfate samples calcined at 800°C BET areas larger than 500 m²/g were obtained.     

A Facile One‐Pot Synthesis and Enhanced Formic Acid Oxidation of Monodisperse Pd–Cu Nanocatalysts

Highly monodisperse spherical 3 nm Pd–Cu alloy nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in high yield through the coreduction of [Pd(acac)₂] (acac=acetylacetonate) and [Cu(acac)₂] in nonhydrolytic solutions by using trioctylamine and oleic acid. The relative compositions of Pd and Cu could be tuned by controlling the molar ratios between the metal precursors in the raw solutions. The carbon‐supported Pd–Cu NPs (Pd–Cu/C) were chemically dealloyed by acetic acid washing, which resulted in the formation of porous structures. The prepared Pd–Cu/C catalysts exhibited at least threefold enhancement of Pd mass activities compared with a commercial Pd/C catalyst toward formic acid oxidation in an acidic medium, and also showed outstanding electrocatalytic stabilities. The improved electrocatalytic properties of the Pd–Cu NPs are attributed to the presence of a large number of active sites on their surfaces owing to their small particle sizes and chemically dealloyed porous structures.     

A sol-gel route for the development of rare-earth aluminum borate nanopowders and transparent thin films

A new sol-gel route was applied to obtain Y_0.9Er_0.1Al₃(BO₃)₄ crystalline powders and amorphous thin films by using Al(acac)₃, B(OPrⁱ)₃, Y(NO₃)₃·6H₂O, and Er(NO₃)₃·5H₂O as starting materials dissolved in propionic acid and ethyl alcohol mixtures. Our study shows that propionic acid acts as good chelant agent for yttrium and erbium ions while ethyl alcohol allows to dissolve Al(acac)₃. This process makes the resulting sols very stable to obtain homogeneous gels and transparent amorphous thin films. In addition, the propionic acid prevents the sol precipitation, making easy porous- and crack-free thin film depositions. Chemical reactions involved in the complexation were discussed. As-prepared powders and films are amorphous and present a good thermal stability due to their high glass transition (746 °C) and crystallization temperatures (830 °C). This new sol-gel route showed to be adequate to obtain dense and crack-free thin films free of organic and hydroxyl groups that can be considered as promising materials to be used in integrated optical systems.     

Synthesis and characterization of Fe2O3/SiO2 nanocomposites

Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ nanocomposites based on fumed silica A-300 (S_BET = 337 m²/g) with iron oxide deposits at different content were synthesized using Fe(III) acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)₃) dissolved in isopropyl alcohol or carbon tetrachloride for impregnation of the nanosilica powder at different amounts of Fe(acac)₃ then oxidized in air at 400–900 °C. Samples with Fe(acac)₃ adsorbed onto nanosilica and samples with Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ including 6–17 wt% of Fe₂O₃ were investigated using XRD, XPS, TG/DTA, TPD MS, FTIR, AFM, nitrogen adsorption, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and quantum chemistry methods. The structural characteristics and phase composition of Fe₂O₃ deposits depend on reaction conditions, solvent type, content of grafted iron oxide, and post-reaction treatments. The iron oxide deposits on A-300 (impregnated by the Fe(acac)₃ solution in isopropanol) treated at 500–600 °C include several phases characterized by different nanoparticle size distributions; however, in the case of impregnation of A-300 by the Fe(acac)₃ solution in carbon tetrachloride only α-Fe₂O₃ phase is formed in addition to amorphous Fe₂O₃. The Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ materials remain loose (similar to the A-300 matrix) at the bulk density of 0.12–0.15 g/cm³ and S_BET = 265–310 m²/g.     

Nanosized hydrogenation catalyst based on palladium bisacetylacetonate and phosphine: Formation,the origin of activity,and properties

The nature and catalytic properties of a hydrogenation catalyst based on Pd(acac)₂ and PH₃ are considered. As demonstrated by a variety of physicochemical methods (IR and UV spectroscopy, ³¹P and ¹H NMR, electron microscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction), nanoparticles consisting of various palladium phosphides (Pd₆P, Pd_4.8P, and Pd₅P₂) and Pd(0) clusters form under the action of dihydrogen during catalyst preparation. The promoting effect of phosphine at low PH₃: Pd(acac)₂ ratios is mainly due to the ability of phosphine to increase the extent of dispersion of the catalyst.     

Influence of Pd precursors on the catalytic performance of Pd–H4SiW12O40/SiO2 in the direct oxidation of ethylene to acetic acid

The effects of palladium precursors (PdCl₂, (NH₄)₂PdCl₄, Pd(NH₃)₂Cl₂, Pd(NO₃)₂ and Pd(CH₃COO)₂) on the catalytic properties in the selective oxidation of ethylene to acetic acid have been investigated for 1.0 wt% Pd–30 wt% H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀/SiO₂. The structures of the catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption, H₂-pulse chemical adsorption, infrared spectrometry of the adsorbed pyridine, H₂ temperature-programmed reduction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The present study demonstrates that the different palladium precursors can lead to the significant changes in the dispersion of palladium. It is found that Pd dispersion decreases as follows: PdCl₂ > (NH₄)₂PdCl₄ > Pd(NO₃)₂ > Pd(NH₃)₂Cl₂ > Pd(C₂H₃O₂)₂, which is nearly identical to the catalytic activity. This indicates that the dispersion of palladium plays an important role in the catalytic activity. Furthermore, density of Lewis (L) and Brönsted (B) acid sites are also strongly dependent on the palladium precursors. It is also demonstrated that an effective catalyst should possess a well combination of Brönsted acid sites with dispersion of palladium.     

Zinc oxide nanowires in chemical bath on seeded substrates: Role of hexamine

Ceria-doped alumina sol-gel materials were obtained by two synthesis methods at low temperature; using method A, 2-propanol-diluted cerium precursor was slowly added at the time of the aluminum sol formation in acidic environment; using method B, the cerium salt was mixed with the aluminum alkoxide before sol formation in a basic environment. The supports were characterized by N₂ physisorption, thermogravimetric and thermal differential analyses (TGA and DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ²⁷Al Magic Angle Spinning-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (MAS-NMR), 2-propanol reactions, and ammonia temperature-programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD). The samples obtained by Method B present similar values in properties such as specific areas, pore volumes, pore size distribution, and acidity compared to those of pure alumina; the alumina structure was not modified, but segregated crystallites of CeO₂ were found in samples calcined at 1000 ^∘C, as observed by XRD. The ceria-containing materials synthesized by method A show a thermal behavior similar to that of alumina, with no appreciable segregation of CeO₂ detected by XRD and modifications in the amounts of tetra, penta, and octa-hedral aluminum coordination as determined by NMR. 2-propanol reactions showed a good correlation with acid density determined by NH₃-TPD. As the percentage of ceria in the material increases, surface area, pore volume, and acidity decrease. These changes can be correlated with an increase of pentacoordinated aluminum content. The results indicate that CeO₂ is well dispersed in the alumina framework when method A is used, but synthesis method B does not have the same effect on the CeO₂incorporation.     

Studies of the oxidation of palladium complexes by the advanced oxidation process Pretreatment of model catalysts for precious metal analysis

The advanced oxidation process (AOP) for the pretreatment of model palladium catalysts has been studied. Most standard metal analysis techniques are for metal ions free of organic ligands. Spent palladium catalysts contain organic ligands that need to be removed prior to analysis. AOP uses a combination of hydrogen peroxide and UV light to generate radicals that decompose such ligands, freeing up metals for further analysis. Palladium acetate Pd(OAc)₂, palladium acetylacetonate Pd(acac)₂, and tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium (Pd₂(dba)₃) were chosen as model precious metal catalysts for investigation. AOP was found to decompose ligands in Pd(OAc)₂, Pd(acac)₂ and give accurate Pd(II) quantification, while ligand decomposition and oxidation of Pd(0) to Pd(II) were demonstrated in treatments involving Pd₂(dba)₃. The effects of solubility of the palladium complexes, continuous addition of H₂O₂ during AOP treatments, sample pH, concentration of H₂O₂, and length of UV irradiation are reported.     

FT-IR photoacoustic spectra of the surface of Ru3(CO)12/Al2O3 system

The FT-IR photoacoustic spectra of Ru₃(CO)₁₂/Al₂O₃ (acidic and basic alumina) system have been measured for different ageing times. The behaviors of oxidation states of Ru on the surface of basic or acidic alumina and their difference are discussed on the ground of CO stretching bands of their spectra.     

Bi- and trinuclear oxalamidinate complexes of palladium as catalysts in the copper-free Sonogashira reaction and in the Negishi reaction

The binuclear complex [(acac)Pd(oxam)Pd(acac)] 1 (oxam: tetraphenyl oxalic amidinate) has been prepared from H₂oxam and Pd(acac)₂ in excellent yield. The complex was characterized by elemental analyses, mass spectroscopy, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and in the solid state by X-ray single crystal diffraction analyses. 1 consists of a bimetallic centrosymmetric unit in which the planar oxam ligand acts in a bis-chelating fashion. Each palladium center is in a planar environment.The complex 1 acts as highly selective pre-catalyst in the copper-free Sonogashira reaction between 4-bromoacetophenone and phenylacetylene. Its long-time catalytic activity is higher than that of the related binuclear complex 2 (oxam: tetra-p-tolyl oxalic amidinate) or that of the trinuclear compound [(acac)Pd(oxam)Zn(oxam)Pd(acac)] (3), the solid-state structure of which was also determined by an X-ray structural analysis of single crystals. In addition, 2 is an active and extremely selective pre-catalyst for the Negishi reaction between 3,5,6,8-tetrabromophenanthroline and R-CC-ZnCl (R: Ph, (ⁱprop)₃Si) to form tetra-alkyne-substituted derivatives.