Ester Reduction with H2 on Bifunctional Metal-Acid Catalysts: Implications of Metal Identity on Rates and Selectivities

Esters reduce to form ethers and alcohols on contact with metal nanoparticles supported on Brønsted acidic faujasite (M-FAU) that cleave C−O bonds by hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis pathways. Rates and selectivities for each pathway depend on the metal identity (M=Co, Ni, Cu, Ru, Rh, Pd, and Pt). Pt-FAU gives propyl acetate consumption rates up to 100 times greater than other M-FAU catalysts and provides an ethyl propyl ether selectivity of 34 %. Measured formation rates, kinetic isotope effects, and site titrations suggest that ester reduction involves a bifunctional mechanism that implicates the stepwise addition of H* atoms to the carbonyl to form hemiacetals on the metal sites, followed by hemiacetal diffusion to a nearby Brønsted acid site to dehydrate to ethers or decompose to alcohol and aldehyde. The rates of reduction of propyl acetate appear to be determined by the H* addition to the carbonyl and by the C−O cleavage of hemiacetal.     

Spectroscopic Observation of a Hydrogenated CO Dimer Intermediate During CO Reduction on Cu(100) Electrodes

Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide can be electrochemically reduced to useful products such as ethylene and ethanol on copper electrocatalysts. The process is yet to be optimized and the exact mechanism and the corresponding reaction intermediates are under debate or unknown. In particular, it has been hypothesized that the C−C bond formation proceeds via CO dimerization and further hydrogenation. Although computational support for this hypothesis exists, direct experimental evidence has been elusive. In this work, we detect a hydrogenated dimer intermediate (OCCOH) using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy at low overpotentials in LiOH solutions. Density functional theory calculations support our assignment of the observed vibrational bands. The formation of this intermediate is structure sensitive, as it is observed only during CO reduction on Cu(100) and not on Cu(111), in agreement with previous experimental and computational observations.     

Cu Single-Atom Catalysts for High-Selectivity Electrocatalytic Acetylene Semihydrogenation

The site isolation strategy has been employed in thermal catalytic acetylene semihydrogenation to inhibit overhydrogenation and C−C coupling. However, there is a dearth of analogous investigations in electrocatalytic systems. In this work, density functional theory (DFT) simulations demonstrate that isolated Cu metal sites have higher energy barriers on overhydrogenation and C−C coupling. Following this result, we develop Cu single-atom catalysts highly dispersed on nitrogen-doped carbon matrix, which exhibit high ethylene selectivity (>80 % Faradaic efficiency for ethylene, <1 % Faradaic efficiency for C₄, and no ethane) at high concentrations of acetylene. The superior performance observed in the electrocatalytic selective hydrogenation of acetylene can be attributed to the weak adsorption of ethylene intermediates and highly energy barriers on C−C coupling at isolated sites, as confirmed by both DFT calculations and experimental results. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the isolated sites inhibiting the side reactions of electrocatalytic acetylene semihydrogenation.     

Highly Efficient Electroreduction of CO2 to C2+ Alcohols on Heterogeneous Dual Active Sites

Electroreduction of CO₂ to liquid fuels such as ethanol and n‐propanol, powered by renewable electricity, offers a promising strategy for controlling the global carbon balance and addressing the need for the storage of intermittent renewable energy. In this work, we discovered that the composite composed of nitrogen‐doped graphene quantum dots (NGQ) on CuO‐derived Cu nanorods (NGQ/Cu‐nr) was an outstanding electrocatalyst for the reduction of CO₂ to ethanol and n‐propanol. The Faradaic efficiency (FE) of C2+ alcohols could reach 52.4 % with a total current density of 282.1 mA cm^?2. This is the highest FE for C2+ alcohols with a commercial current density to date. Control experiments and DFT studies show that the NGQ/Cu‐nr could provide dual catalytic active sites and could stabilize the CH₂CHO intermediate to enhance the FE of alcohols significantly through further carbon protonation. The NGQ and Cu‐nr had excellent synergistic effects for accelerating the reduction of CO₂ to alcohols.     

Atomic Layer Deposition of ZnO on CuO Enables Selective and Efficient Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide to Liquid Fuels

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, if powered by renewable electricity, could serve as a sustainable technology for carbon recycling and energy storage. Among all the products, ethanol is an attractive liquid fuel. However, the maximum faradaic efficiency of ethanol is only ≈10 % on polycrystalline Cu. Here, CuZn bimetallic catalysts were synthesized by in situ electrochemical reduction of ZnO‐shell/CuO‐core bi‐metal‐oxide. Dynamic evolution of catalyst was revealed by STEM‐EDS mapping, showing the migration of Zn atom and blending between Cu and Zn. CuZn bimetallic catalysts showed preference towards ethanol formation, with the ratio of ethanol/ethylene increasing over five times regardless of applied potential. We achieved 41 % faradaic efficiency for C₂₊ liquids with this catalyst. Transitioning from H‐cell to an electrochemical flow cell, we achieved 48.6 % faradaic efficiency and ?97 mA cm^?2 partial current density for C₂₊ liquids at only ?0.68 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in 1 m KOH. Operando Raman spectroscopy showed that CO binding on Cu sites was modified by Zn. Free CO and adsorbed *CH₃ are believed to combine and form *COCH₃ intermediate, which is exclusively reduced to ethanol.     

Selective matching of catalyst element and carbon source in single-walled carbon nanotube synthesis on silicon substrates

We have studied the compatibility of various catalysts for ethylene and ethanol chemical vapor deposition (CVD) syntheses of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on Si substrates. A strong selectivity between the catalyst elemental species and carbon source was found; SWNT yield for Fe (Co) catalysts was much higher for ethylene (ethanol) CVD than for ethanol (ethylene) CVD. This strong and completely opposite selectivity implies significantly different SWNT growth mechanisms for ethanol and ethylene CVD on Si substrates.     

Regulating Efficient and Selective Single-atom Catalysts for Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction

Anchoring transition metal (TM) atoms on suitable substrates to form single-atom catalysts (SACs) is a novel approach to constructing electrocatalysts. Graphdiyne with sp−sp² hybridized carbon atoms and uniformly distributed pores have been considered as a potential carbon material for supporting metal atoms in a variety of catalytic processes. Herein, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to study the single TM atom anchoring on graphdiyne (TM₁−GDY, TM=Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co and Cu) as the catalysts for CO₂ reduction. After anchoring metal atoms on GDY, the catalytic activity of TM₁−GDY (TM=Mn, Co and Cu) for CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) are significantly improved comparing with the pristine GDY. Among the studied TM₁−GDY, Cu₁−GDY shows excellent electrocatalytic activity for CO₂ reduction for which the product is HCOOH and the limiting potential (U_L) is −0.16 V. Mn₁−GDY and Co₁−GDY exhibit superior catalytic selectivity for CO₂ reduction to CH₄ with U_L of −0.62 and −0.34 V, respectively. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by TM₁−GDY (TM=Mn, Co and Cu) occurs on carbon atoms, while the active sites of CO₂RR are the transition metal atoms . The present work is expected to provide a solid theoretical basis for CO₂ conversion into valuable hydrocarbons.     

Revealing Isolated M−N3C1 Active Sites for Efficient Collaborative Oxygen Reduction Catalysis

Single atom catalysts (SACs) are of great importance for oxygen reduction, a critical process in renewable energy technologies. The catalytic performance of SACs largely depends on the structure of their active sites, but explorations of highly active structures for SAC active sites are still limited. Herein, we demonstrate a combined experimental and theoretical study of oxygen reduction catalysis on SACs, which incorporate M−N₃C₁ site structure, composed of atomically dispersed transition metals (e.g., Fe, Co, and Cu) in nitrogenated carbon nanosheets. The resulting SACs with M−N₃C₁ sites exhibited prominent oxygen reduction catalytic activities in both acidic and alkaline media, following the trend Fe−N₃C₁ > Co−N₃C₁ > Cu−N₃C₁. Theoretical calculations suggest the C atoms in these structures behave as collaborative adsorption sites to M atoms, thanks to interactions between the d/p orbitals of the M/C atoms in the M−N₃C₁ sites, enabling dual site oxygen reduction.     

Modulating Coordination of Iron Atom Clusters on N,P,S Triply-Doped Hollow Carbon Support towards Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction

Constructing atom-clusters (ACs) with in situ modulation of coordination environment and simultaneously hollowing carbon support are critical yet challenging for improving electrocatalytic efficiency of atomically dispersed catalysts (ADCs). Herein, a general diffusion-controlled strategy based on spatial confining and Kirkendall effect is proposed to construct metallic ACs in N,P,S triply-doped hollow carbon matrix (M_ACs/NPS−HC, M=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu). Thereinto, Fe_ACs/NPS−HC with the best catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is thoroughly investigated. Unlike the benchmark sample of symmetrical N-surrounded iron single-atoms in N-doped carbon (Fe_SAs/N−C), Fe_ACs/NPS−HC comprises bi-/tri-atomic Fe centers with engineered S/N coordination. Theoretical calculation reveals that proper Fe gathering and coordination modulation could mildly delocalize the electron distribution and optimize the free energy pathways of ORR. In addition, the triple doping and hollow structure of carbon matrix could further regulate the local environment and allow sufficient exposure of active sites, resulting in more enhanced ORR kinetics on Fe_ACs/NPS−HC. The zinc-air battery assembled with Fe_ACs/NPS−HC as cathodic catalyst exhibits all-round superiority to Pt/C and most Fe-based ADCs. This work provides an exemplary method for establishing atomic-cluster catalysts with engineered S-dominated coordination and hollowed carbon matrix, which paves a new avenue for the fabrication and optimization of advanced ADCs.     

Highly Selective Production of Ethylene by the Electroreduction of Carbon Monoxide

Conversion of carbon monoxide to high value‐added ethylene with high selectivity by traditional syngas conversion process is challenging because of the limitation of Anderson‐Schulz–Flory distribution. Herein we report a direct electrocatalytic process for highly selective ethylene production from CO reduction with water over Cu catalysts at room temperature and ambient pressure. An unprecedented 52.7 % Faradaic efficiency of ethylene formation is achieved through optimization of cathode structure to facilitate CO diffusion at the surface of the electrode and Cu catalysts to enhance the C?C bond coupling. The highly selective ethylene production is almost without other carbon‐based byproducts (e.g. C₁–C₄ hydrocarbons and CO₂) and avoids the drawbacks of the traditional Fischer–Tropsch process that always delivers undesired products. This study provides a new and promising strategy for highly selective production of ethylene from the abundant industrial CO.     

Relationship between the catalytic properties of the products of the oxidative thermolysis of certain complexes and the porous structures of samples in the oxidation reactions of volatile organic compounds

The rate of the gas-phase oxidation of ethanol, 2-propanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, dioxane, and benzene with atmospheric oxygen is studied on surfaces of bimetallic oxide catalysts Co–Fe, Cu–Fe, Cr–Co, and Ni–Fe, prepared via thermal decomposition of double complex compounds in air. It is found that the rate of oxidation of volatile compounds depends on the volume of the transient pores in the catalyst sample. The rate of oxidation on the same catalyst at 350°C depends on the nature of the substance in the order: acetone > ethyl acetate > ethanol > propanol > dioxane, benzene.     

Fabrication of Trimetallic Pt−Pd−Co Porous Nanostructures on Reduced Graphene Oxide by Galvanic Replacement: Application to Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Ethylene Glycol

In present work, reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (rGO) decorated with trimetallic three‐dimensional (3D) Pt−Pd−Co porous nanostructures was fabricated on glassy carbon electrode (Pt−Pd−Co/rGO/GCE). First, GO suspension was drop‐casted on the electrode surface, then GO film reduction was carried out by cycling the potential in negative direction to form the rGO film modified GCE (rGO/GCE). Then, electrodeposition of the cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) as sacrificial seeds was performed onto the rGO/GCE by using cyclic voltammetry. Afterward, Pt−Pd−Co 3D porous nanostructures fabrication occurs through galvanic replacement (GR) method based on a spontaneous redox process between PtCl₂, PdCl_2, and CoNPs. The morphology and structure of the Pt−Pd−Co/rGO porous nanostructure film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction method. The performance of the prepared electrode was investigated by various electrochemical methods including, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrocatalytic activity of the as‐prepared modified electrode with high surface areas was evaluated in anodic oxidation of ethylene glycol. The study on electrocatalytic performances revealed that, in comparison to various metal combinations in modified electrodes, trimetallic Pt−Pd−Co/rGO/GCE exhibit a lower onset potential, significantly higher peak current density, high durability and stability for the anodic oxidation of ethylene glycol. The excellent performances are attributed to the rGO as catalysts support and resulting synergistic effects of the trimetallic and appropriate characteristics of the resulted 3D porous nanostructures. Moreover, the influence of various concentrations of ethylene glycol, the potential scan rate and switching potential on the electrode reaction, in addition, long‐term stability have been studied by chronoamperometric and cyclic voltammetric methods.     

Acetaldehyde as an Intermediate in the Electroreduction of Carbon Monoxide to Ethanol on Oxide‐Derived Copper

Oxide‐derived copper (OD‐Cu) electrodes exhibit unprecedented CO reduction performance towards liquid fuels, producing ethanol and acetate with >50 % Faradaic efficiency at ?0.3 V (vs. RHE). By using static headspace‐gas chromatography for liquid phase analysis, we identify acetaldehyde as a minor product and key intermediate in the electroreduction of CO to ethanol on OD‐Cu electrodes. Acetaldehyde is produced with a Faradaic efficiency of ≈5 % at ?0.33 V (vs. RHE). We show that acetaldehyde forms at low steady‐state concentrations, and that free acetaldehyde is difficult to detect in alkaline solutions using NMR spectroscopy, requiring alternative methods for detection and quantification. Our results represent an important step towards understanding the CO reduction mechanism on OD‐Cu electrodes.     

MIL-100(Fe) Supported Pt−Co Nanoparticles as Active and Selective Heterogeneous Catalysts for Hydrogenation of 1,3-Butadiene

Superior catalytic performance for selective 1,3-butadiene (1,3-BD) hydrogenation can usually be achieved with supported bimetallic catalysts. In this work, Pt−Co nanoparticles and Pt nanoparticles supported on metal–organic framework MIL-100(Fe) catalysts (MIL=Materials of Institut Lavoisier, PtCo/MIL-100(Fe) and Pt/MIL-100(Fe)) were synthesized via a simple impregnation reduction method, and their catalytic performance was investigated for the hydrogenation of 1,3-BD. Pt1Co1/MIL-100(Fe) presented better catalytic performance than Pt/MIL-100(Fe), with significantly enhanced total butene selectivity. Moreover, the secondary hydrogenation of butenes was effectively inhibited after doping with Co. The Pt1Co1/MIL-100(Fe) catalyst displayed good stability in the 1,3-BD hydrogenation reaction. No significant catalyst deactivation was observed during 9 h of hydrogenation, but its catalytic activity gradually reduces for the next 17 h. Carbon deposition on Pt1Co1/MIL-100(Fe) is the reason for its deactivation in 1,3-BD hydrogenation reaction. The spent Pt1Co1/MIL-100(Fe) catalyst could be regenerated at 200 °C, and regenerated catalysts displayed the similar 1,3-BD conversion and butene selectivity with fresh catalysts. Moreover, the rate-determining step of this reaction was hydrogen dissociation. The outstanding activity and total butene selectivity of the Pt1Co1/MIL-100(Fe) catalyst illustrate that Pt−Co bimetallic catalysts are an ideal alternative for replacing mono-noble-metal-based catalysts in selective 1,3-BD hydrogenation reactions.     

Tuning C1/C2 Selectivity of CO2 Electrochemical Reduction over in-Situ Evolved CuO/SnO2 Heterostructure

Heterostructured oxides with versatile active sites, as a class of efficient catalysts for CO₂ electrochemical reduction (CO₂ER), are prone to undergo structure reconstruction under working conditions, thus bringing challenges to understanding the reaction mechanism and rationally designing catalysts. Herein, we for the first time elucidate the structural reconstruction of CuO/SnO₂ under electrochemical potentials and reveal the intrinsic relationship between CO₂ER product selectivity and the in situ evolved heterostructures. At −0.85 V_RHE, the CuO/SnO₂ evolves to Cu₂O/SnO₂ with high selectivity to HCOOH (Faradaic efficiency of 54.81 %). Mostly interestingly, it is reconstructed to Cu/SnO_2-x at −1.05 V_RHE with significantly improved Faradaic efficiency to ethanol of 39.8 %. In situ Raman spectra and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the synergetic absorption of *COOH and *CHOCO intermediates at the interface of Cu/SnO_2-x favors the formation of *CO and decreases the energy barrier of C−C coupling, leading to high selectivity to ethanol.     

乙酸乙酯在Al2O3-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2负载的金属氧化物催化剂上的催化燃烧

制备了Fe, Co, Cu, Cr和Mn金属氧化物催化剂, 所用载体为Al2O3-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2复合氧化物. 利用X射线衍射(XRD), 程序升温还原(TPR), 储氧量测试, BET比表面测试和光电子能谱(XPS)表征了催化剂. 并利用活性测试表征了各种催化剂对乙酸乙酯催化燃烧能力. 各种表征结果证实, 由于催化剂Mn/Al2O3-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2(1:2, 质量比)具有最多的可还原物种, Cu/Al2O3-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2(1:2)具有较多的可还原物种和最强的可还原能力, 使它们对乙酸乙酯催化燃烧表现出了最好的活性. 在催化剂Cu/Al2O3-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2(1:2)和Mn/Al2O3-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2(1:2)上, 乙酸乙酯于245 ℃转化了99%, 表明这两种催化剂具有广泛的应用潜力.     

Synthesis of Ethanol via Syngas on Cu/SiO(2) Catalysts with Balanced Cu(0)-Cu(+) Sites

This paper describes an emerging synthetic route for the production of ethanol (with a yield of ～83%) via syngas using Cu/SiO(2) catalysts. The remarkable stability and efficiency of the catalysts are ascribed to the unique lamellar structure and the cooperative effect between surface Cu(0) and Cu(+) obtained by an ammonia evaporation hydrothermal method. Characterization results indicated that the Cu(0) and Cu(+) were formed during the reduction process, originating from well-dispersed CuO and copper phyllosilicate, respectively. A correlation between the catalytic activity and the Cu(0) and Cu(+) site densities suggested that Cu(0) could be the sole active site and primarily responsible for the activity of the catalyst. Moreover, we have shown that the selectivity for ethanol or ethylene glycol can be tuned simply by regulating the reaction temperature.     

A mild and efficient palladium–triethylsilane system for reduction of olefins and carbon–carbon double bond isomerization

The versatility of palladium(II) acetate and palladium on activated charcoal catalysts with triethylsilane has been investigated in the hydrogenation and the isomerization of carbon–carbon double bond of 1‐alkenes. The reduction of 1‐alkenes was carried out in the presence of triethylsilane, ethanol and a catalytic amount of palladium(II) acetate or palladium on activated charcoal, at room temperature. This facile and efficient method affords high yields for hydrogenation of unsaturated alkenes to the corresponding alkanes. Then the carbon–carbon double bond isomerization of 1‐alkenes was tested using the same catalysts in the absence of solvent. The system palladium(II) acetate‐triethylsilane was found to be more effective compared with palladium on an activated charcoal–triethylsilane system at room temperature, while comparable results were obtained at 50 °C for both catalysts. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Syngas reactions XII. The selective preparation of acetaldehyde,alkanols, esters and acetic acid from synthesis gas

Several classes of commercially important oxygenates, including acetaldehyde, ethanol, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate and acetic acid as well as C₁–C₃ alcohol/acetate ester mixtures, may each be selectivelygenerated from synthesis gas through the application of novel classes of ruthenium-containing bimetallic catalysts particularly those of ruthenium and cobalt (Ru? Co). A particular feature of these versatile catalysts is that all precursors are iodidefree. Products are formed through a combination of carbon monoxide hydrogenation, methanol homologation, methyl acetate homologation and methanol carbonylation reaction sequences.     

镍盐前驱体对Ni/C催化剂乙醇气相羰化活性的影响

采用等体积浸渍法制备了分别以乙酰丙酮镍、氯化镍、硝酸镍和醋酸镍为前驱体负载在活性炭上的四种催化剂。用BET、金属分散度、H2-TPR、CO-TPD和XRD等方法研究了四种催化剂的结构特点和乙醇气相羰化活性。结果表明,以醋酸镍制备的Ni/C催化剂的羰化活性最高,乙醇转化率和丙酸选择性分别为96.1%和95.7%,而以乙酰丙酮镍制备的Ni/C催化剂的羰化活性最低,乙醇转化率和丙酸选择性分别为68.9%和27.1%。这种活性的差异与镍盐前驱体和活性炭之间的相互作用强弱有着密切关系。醋酸镍组分与活性炭之间的相互作用较强,浸渍组分易在活性炭表面充分吸附,活性中心Ni0在240－340 ℃温度范围内对CO吸附量最大,还原后金属镍的分散度较好且晶粒较小。