Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Calcium Folinate on Carboxyl Graphene Modified CuxO/Cu Electrode

Carboxyl graphene modified Cu_xO/Cu electrode was fabricated. The bare copper electrode was firstly anodic polarized in 1.0 mol/L NaOH solution in order to get Cu_xO nanoparticles, then the carboxyl graphene (CG) was electrodeposited on the Cu_xO/Cu electrode by cyclic potential sweeping. The electrocatalytic oxidation behaviors of calcium folinate (CF) at the graphene modified Cu_xO/Cu electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. A positive scan polarization reverse catalytic voltammetry was used to obtain the pure catalytic oxidation current. The graphene modified Cu_xO/Cu electrode was served as the electrochemical sensor of CF, a highly sensitivity of 22.0 μA·(μmol/μL)^-1cm^-2 was achieved, and the current response was linear with increasing CF concentration in the range of 2.0×10^-7 mol/L to 2.0×10^-5 mol/L, which crossed three orders of magnitude, and the detection limit was found 7.6×10^-8 mol/L (S/N=3). In addition, the proposed sensor was successfully applied in determination of CF in drug sample.     

The composite catalysts of Cu/CuxO nanoparticles supported on the carbon fibers were prepared for styrene oxidation reaction

In this paper a novel simple method for preparing two different catalysts with various‐valences copper was reported. Carbon nanofibers supported copper‐cuprous oxide nanoparticles (Cu‐Cu₂O NPs/CNFs) and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs/CNFs) through electrospinning, adsorption and reduction in the high‐pressure hydrogenation and the high‐temperature calcination methods. These catalysts were investigated by a series of characterizations and were applied in reaction in nitrogen atmosphere, which had a good catalytic activity and selectivity of benzaldehyde for the reaction. Above all, the new study has been certified clearly, in which Cu‐Cu₂O NPs/CNFs and CuO NPs/CNFs composite catalysts enhanced the generation of benzaldehydeand the excellent catalytic properties were exhibited.     

Dynamic in situ Formation of Cu2O Sub-Nanoclusters through Photoinduced pseudo-Fehling's Reaction for Selective and Efficient Nitrate-to-Ammonia Photosynthesis

Copper (Cu) is evidenced to be effective for constructing advanced catalysts. In particular, Cu₂O is identified to be active for general catalytic reactions. However, conflicting results regarding the true structure-activity correlations between Cu₂O-based active sites and efficiencies are usually reported. The structure of Cu₂O undergoes dynamic evolution rather than remaining stable under working conditions, in which the actual reaction cannot proceed over the prefabricated Cu₂O sites. Therefore, the dynamic construction of Cu₂O active sites can be developed to promote catalytic efficiency and reveal the true structure-activity correlations. Herein, by introducing the redox pairs of Cu²⁺ and reducing sugar into a photocatalysis system, it is clarified that the Cu₂O sub-nanoclusters (NCs), working as novel active sites, are on-site constructed on the substrate via a photoinduced pseudo-Fehling's route. The realistic interfacial charge separation and transformation capacities are remarkably promoted by the dynamic Cu₂O NCs under the actual catalysis condition, which achieves a milestone efficiency for nitrate-to-ammonia photosynthesis, including the targets of production rate (1.98±0.04 mol g_Cu⁻¹ h⁻¹), conversion ratio (94.2±0.91 %), and selectivity (98.6 %±0.55 %). The current work develops an effective strategy for integrating the active site construction into realistic reactions, providing new opportunities for Cu-based chemistry and catalysis sciences research.     

Electrical Pulse-Driven Periodic Self-Repair of Cu-Ni Tandem Catalyst for Efficient Ammonia Synthesis from Nitrate

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction sustainably produces ammonia and alleviates water pollution, yet is still challenging due to the kinetic mismatch and hydrogen evolution competition. Cu/Cu₂O heterojunction is proven effective to break the rate-determining NO₃⁻-to-NO₂⁻ step for efficient NH₃ conversion, while it is unstable due to electrochemical reconstruction. Here we report a programmable pulsed electrolysis strategy to achieve reliable Cu/Cu₂O structure, where Cu is oxidized to CuO during oxidation pulse, then regenerating Cu/Cu₂O upon reduction. Alloying with Ni further modulates hydrogen adsorption, which transfers from Ni/Ni(OH)₂ to N-containing intermediates on Cu/Cu₂O, promoting NH₃ formation with a high NO₃⁻-to-NH₃ Faraday efficiency (88.0±1.6 %, pH 12) and NH₃ yield rate (583.6±2.4 μmol cm⁻² h⁻¹) under optimal pulsed conditions. This work provides new insights to in situ electrochemically regulate catalysts for NO₃⁻-to-NH₃ conversion.     

Facile Synthesis of Cuprous Oxide/Gold Nanocomposites for Nonenzymatic Amperometric Sensing of Hydrogen Peroxide

In this work, a facile preparation method of cuprous oxide/gold (Cu₂O/Au) nanocomposite was successfully developed. The process consisted of one‐pot co‐reduction of HAuCl₄ and CuSO₄ using ascorbic acid (AA) as a reducing agent at room temperature under magnetic stirring. The structures and compositions of the as‐prepared products were characterized by SEM, EDS, and XRD. Cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry studies revealed that the as‐prepared cubic Cu₂O/Au nanocomposites showed enhanced performance towards the non‐enzymatic catalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) when compared to single‐component Cu₂O nanocubes. The linear range of H₂O₂ determination spanned over 4 orders of magnitude (1 μM∼16.7 mM) and the detection limit was low as 0.45 μM (S/N=3). The enhanced performance of cubic Cu₂O/Au was attributed to: i) the synergistic effect between Cu₂O and Au, ii) the increase in surface area induced by the reduced size of the nanocubes, and iii) the improved electrical conductivity due to the presence of Au in the particles. Overall, the cubic Cu₂O/Au nanocomposites prepared by the proposed method hold great promise for future practical use in H₂O₂ detection.     

Deactivation of Cu‐Exchanged Automotive‐Emission NH3‐SCR Catalysts Elucidated with Nanoscale Resolution Using Scanning Transmission X‐ray Microscopy

To gain insight into the underlying mechanisms of catalyst durability for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x with an ammonia reductant, we employed scanning transmission X‐ray microscopy (STXM) to study Cu‐exchanged zeolites with the CHA and MFI framework structures before and after simulated 135 000‐mile aging. X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) measurements were performed at the Al K‐ and Cu L‐edges. The local environment of framework Al, the oxidation state of Cu, and geometric changes were analyzed, showing a multi‐factor‐induced catalytic deactivation. In Cu‐exchanged MFI, a transformation of Cu^II to Cu^I and Cu_xO_y was observed. We also found a spatial correlation between extra‐framework Al and deactivated Cu species near the surface of the zeolite as well as a weak positive correlation between the amount of Cu^I and tri‐coordinated Al. By inspecting both Al and Cu in fresh and aged Cu‐exchanged zeolites, we conclude that the importance of the preservation of isolated Cu^II sites trumps that of Brønsted acid sites for NH₃‐SCR activity.     

Furfural Hydrogenation on Nickel‐promoted Cu‐containing Catalysts Prepared from Hydrotalcite‐Like Precursors

The nickel‐promoted Cu‐containing catalysts (Cu_xNi_y‐MgAlO) for furfural (FFR) hydrogenation were prepared from the hydrotalcite‐like precursors, and characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction, inductively‐coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, N₂ adsorption‐desorption, UV‐Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and temperature‐programmed reduction with H₂ in the present work. The obtained catalysts were observed to exhibit a better catalytic property than the corresponding Cu‐MgAlO or Ni‐MgAlO samples in FFR hydrogenation, and the CuNi‐MgAlO catalyst with the actual Cu and Ni loadings of 12.5 wt% and 4.5 wt%, respectively, could give the highest FFR conversion (93.2%) and furfuryl alcohol selectivity (89.2%). At the same time, Cu⁰ species from the reduction of Cu²⁺ ions in spinel phases were deduced to be more active for FFR hydrogenation.     

Easy synthesis of three‐dimensionally ordered macroporous CuO–CeO2 mixed oxide catalysts and their high activities for the catalytic combustion of soot

Three‐dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) Cu_xCe‐M (x denote the mole ratio of Cu/[Ce + Cu]) oxide catalysts with large pore sizes and interconnected macroporous frameworks were successfully synthesized using a polymethyl methacrylate template method. The 3DOM structure improves the contact efficiency between catalyst and soot, which benefits soot elimination in the low temperature range. The low redox barriers of the 3DOM Cu–Ce solid solution also facilitate the elimination of the soot. The 3DOM Cu_0.1Ce catalysts exhibit the highest catalytic activity with maximum soot oxidation rate temperatures at 375 and 351 °C in the air and NO _x atmosphere, respectively. The NO _x‐TPD results demonstrate that the NO₂ produced in the Ce_0.1Cu‐M sample plays a curial role in improving the soot oxidation performance. Meanwhile, the NO‐DRIFTs reveal that the nitrates stored in the Cu_0.1Ce‐M sample also had a promotional effect on the soot elimination.     

One‐Step Hydrothermal Synthesis of a Porous Cu2O Film and Its Photoelectrochemical Properties

A cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) film with a novel porous structure is successfully synthesized on Cu foil by using a simple hydrothermal method. A redox reaction occurs between Cu and Cu²⁺ in aqueous solution to form the Cu₂O film. The porous structures are formed as a result of the Ostwald ripening mechanism. In addition, photoluminescence measurements indicate that the porous Cu₂O film may reduce the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. The UV/Vis absorption property of the porous Cu₂O film is better than that of the granular Cu₂O film, and its high photocurrent is expected to make the porous Cu₂O film more suitable for solar energy applications.     

Preparation of porous g‐C3N4/Ag/Cu2O: a new composite with enhanced visible‐light photocatalytic activity

From previous reports, graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C₃N₄) can be used as a photocatalyst, although the low efficiency of solar energy utilization, small specific surface area and high recombination rate of photogenerated electron–hole pairs limit its practical application. For the purpose of increasing photocatalytic activity, especially under irradiation of visible light, we successfully synthesized a new composite, namely porous g‐C₃N₄/Ag/Cu₂O, through chemical adsorption of Ag‐doped Cu₂O on porous g‐C₃N₄, which has not been investigated carefully worldwide. The composition, morphology and optical properties of the composite were investigated through methods including X‐ray diffraction, energy‐dispersive X‐ray, Fourier transform infrared, UV–visible and photoluminescence spectroscopies and transmission electron microscopy. Using rhodamine B as organic pollutant to be degraded under the irradiation of visible light, different mass ratios of Ag/Cu₂O doped on porous g‐C₃N₄ led to enhanced photocatalytic performance of the composite compared to pure porous g‐C₃N₄. When the mass ratio of Ag/Cu₂O is 15%, porous g‐C₃N₄/Ag/Cu₂O exhibits a degradation rate 2.015 times higher than that of pure porous g‐C₃N₄. The reasons for this phenomenon may be attributed to the increased utilization efficiency of visible light, high‐speed separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, accelerated interfacial transfer process of electrons and increased surface area of the composite. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cu/CuxS-Embedded N,S-Doped Porous Carbon Derived in Situ from a MOF Designed for Efficient Catalysis

The reasonable design of the precursor of a carbon-based nanocatalyst is an important pathway to improve catalytic performance. In this study, a simple solvothermal method was used to synthesize [Cu(TPT)(2,5-tdc)] ⋅ 2H₂O (Cu-MOF), which contains N and S atoms, in one step. Further in-situ carbonization of the Cu-MOF as the precursor was used to synthesize Cu/Cu_xS-embedded N,S-doped porous carbon (Cu/Cu_xS/NSC) composites. The catalytic activities of the prepared Cu/Cu_xS/NSC were investigated through catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). The results show that the designed Cu/Cu_xS/NSC has exceptional catalytic activity and recycling stability, with a reaction rate constant of 0.0256 s⁻¹, and the conversion rate still exceeds 90 % after 15 cycles. Meanwhile, the efficient catalytic reduction of dyes (CR, MO, MB and RhB) confirmed its versatility. Finally, the active sites of the Cu/Cu_xS/NSC catalysts were analyzed, and a possible multicomponent synergistic catalytic mechanism was proposed.     

CO2 Reduction Mechanism on the Cu2O(110) Surface: A First-Principles Study

Cu₂O is an attractive catalyst for the selective reduction of CO₂ to methanol. However, the mechanism of the reaction and the role of the Cu species in different oxidation states are not well understood yet. In this work, by first-principles calculations, we investigate the mechanism of the reaction on the Cu₂O(110) surface, which is the most selective for methanol, in different degrees of reduction: ideal surface, slightly reduced surface (SRS), and partially reduced surface (PRS). The most favorable reaction pathways on the three surfaces were identified. We found that Cu(I) on the ideal surface is not capable of chemisorbing CO₂, but surface oxygen serves as the active site which selectively converts CO₂ to CH₃OH with a limiting potential of −0.77 V. The Cu(0) on the SRS and PRS promotes the adsorption and reduction of CO₂, while the removal of the residue O* becomes potential/rate limiting with a more negative limiting potential than the ideal surface. The SRS is selective to methanol while the PRS becomes selective to methane. The result suggests that the key to high methanol selectivity is to avoid the reduction of Cu(I), which provides a new strategy for the design of more efficient catalysts for selective CO₂ reduction to methanol.     

Unexpected high selectivity for acetate formation from CO2 reduction with copper based 2D hybrid catalysts at ultralow potentials

Copper-based catalysts are efficient for CO₂ reduction affording commodity chemicals. However, Cu(i) active species are easily reduced to Cu(0) during the CO₂RR, leading to a rapid decay of catalytic performance. Herein, we report a hybrid-catalyst that firmly anchors 2D-Cu metallic dots on F-doped Cu_xO nanoplates (Cu_xOF), synthesized by electrochemical-transformation under the same conditions as the targeted CO₂RR. The as-prepared Cu/Cu_xOF hybrid showed unusual catalytic activity towards the CO₂RR for CH₃COO⁻ generation, with a high FE of 27% at extremely low potentials. The combined experimental and theoretical results show that nanoscale hybridization engenders an effective s,p-d coupling in Cu/Cu_xOF, raising the d-band center of Cu and thus enhancing electroactivity and selectivity for the acetate formation. This work highlights the use of electronic interactions to bias a hybrid catalyst towards a particular pathway, which is critical for tuning the activity and selectivity of copper-based catalysts for the CO₂RR.

A two-dimensional (2D) copper hybrid catalyst (Cu/Cu_xOF) composed of metallic Cu well dispersed on 2D F-doped Cu_xO nanoplates (Cu_xOF) is reported, which shows high catalytic activity toward the CO₂RR for acetate generation.     

Tailoring Active Cu2O/Copper Interface Sites for N-Formylation of Aliphatic Primary Amines with CO2/H2

Heterogeneously catalyzed N-formylation of amines to formamide with CO₂/H₂ is highly attractive for the valorization of CO₂. However, the relationship of the catalytic performance with the catalyst structure is still elusive. Herein, mixed valence catalysts containing Cu₂O/Cu interface sites were constructed for this transformation. Both aliphatic primary and secondary amines with diverse structures were efficiently converted into the desired formamides with good to excellent yields. Combined ex and in situ catalyst characterization revealed that the presence of Cu₂O/Cu interface sites was vital for the excellent catalytic activity. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated that better catalytic activity of Cu₂O/Cu(111) than Cu(111) is attributed to the assistance of oxygen at the Cu₂O/Cu interface (O_inter) in formation of O_inter-H moieties, which not only reduce the apparent barrier of HCOOH formation but also benefit the desorption of the desired N-formylated amine, leading to high activity and selectivity.     

Three‐Dimensional Bimetal‐Graphene‐Semiconductor Coaxial Nanowire Arrays to Harness Charge Flow for the Photochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide

The photochemical conversion of carbon dioxide provides a straightforward and effective strategy for the highly efficient production of solar fuels with high solar‐light utilization efficiency. However, the high recombination rate of photoexcited electron–hole (e‐h) pairs and the poor photostability have greatly limited their practical applications. Herein, a practical strategy is proposed to facilitate the separation of e‐h pairs and enhance the photostability in a semiconductor by the use of a Schottky junction in a bimetal‐graphene‐semiconductor stack array. Importantly, Au‐Cu nanoalloys (ca. 3 nm) supported on a 3D ultrathin graphene shell encapsulating a p‐type Cu₂O coaxial nanowire array promotes the stable photochemical reduction of CO₂ to methanol by the synergetic catalytic effect of interfacial modulation and charge‐transfer channel design. This work provides a promising lead for the development of practical catalysts for sustainable fuel synthesis.     

TPR investigations on the reducibility of Cu supported on Al2O3, zeolite Y and SAPO-5

Reducibility of Cu supported on Al₂O₃, zeolite Y and silicoaluminophosphate SAPO-5 has been investigated in dependence on the Cu content using a method combining conventional temperature programmed reduction (TPR) by hydrogen with reoxidation in N₂O followed by a second the so-called surface-TPR (s-TPR). The method enables discrimination and a quantitative estimation of the Cu oxidation states +2, +1 and 0. The quantitative results show that the initial oxidation state of Cu after calcination in air at 400 °C, independent on the nature of the support, is predominantly +2. Cu²⁺ supported on Al₂O₃ is quantitatively reduced by hydrogen to metallic Cu⁰. Comparing the TPR of the samples calcined in air and that of samples additionally pre-treated in argon reveals that in zeolite Y and SAPO-5 Cu²⁺ cations are stabilized as weakly and strongly forms. In both systems, strongly stabilized Cu²⁺ ions are not auto-reduced by pre-treatment in argon at 650 °C, but are reduced in hydrogen to form Cu⁺. The weakly stabilized Cu²⁺ ions, in contrast, may be auto-reduced by pre-treatment in argon at 650 °C forming Cu⁺ but are reduced in hydrogen to metallic Cu⁰.     

Continuous Dehydrogenation of n‐Pentanol over a Cr Modified Cu/γ‐Al2O3‐La2O3 Catalyst

The oxidant‐free dehydrogenation of n‐pentanol over copper based catalysts was investigated in this paper. The effect of metal modification on the activity and stability of the copper catalyst supported on γ‐Al₂O₃ and La₂O₃ (Cu/γ‐Al₂O₃‐La₂O₃) was clarified and a Cr modified Cu/Al₂O₃‐La₂O₃ (Cu‐Cr/γ‐Al₂O₃‐La₂O₃) showed the best catalytic performance. The conversion of n‐pentanol was 70.0% and the selectivity for n‐pentanal increased to 97.1% over Cu‐Cr/γ‐Al₂O₃‐La₂O₃. X‐ray diffraction and temperature programmed reduction of H₂ indicated that the addition of Cr favors the formation and reduction of the copper oxide, and the dispersion of the active Cu⁰ species, accounting for the good activity and stability of this catalyst. Furthermore, the lower amount of acidic sites in Cu‐Cr/γ‐Al₂O₃‐La₂O₃ is suggested to suppress the dehydration in oxidant‐free dehydrogenation of n‐pentanol, accounting for the higher selectivity for n‐pentanal.     

Study of nano‐Cu/SiO2 catalysts for highly selective hydrogenation of acetophenone

Hydrogenation of acetophenone over nano‐Cu/SiO₂ catalysts was investigated. The catalysts, prepared by a liquid precipitation method using various precipitating agents, were characterized using low‐temperature nitrogen adsorption, X‐ray diffraction, temperature‐programmed desorption of ammonia, hydrogen temperature‐programmed reduction, transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that the catalysts prepared by a homogeneous precipitation method had better activity and stability than those prepared by a co‐precipitation method. The catalyst prepared using urea as precipitating agent had well‐dispersed copper species, high surface area and abundant pore structure. The catalytic performance and mechanism of the Cu/SiO₂ catalysts were further studied. It was found that the activity and stability of the catalysts could be improved by adjusting the proportion of Cu⁺/(Cu⁺ + Cu⁰). The sample prepared using urea as precipitating agent presented higher activity and selectivity. Also, the catalyst prepared using urea maintained a high catalytic performance while being continuously used for 150 h under the optimal reaction conditions.     

A DFT Study on the Structure and Properties of Cu/Cr2O3 Catalyst

Using DFT method, the stable adsorption configurations of Cu₄ cluster on Cr₂O₃ (0001) surface were investigated. The regular tetrahedron structure and the planar structures were considered as the initial adsorption configuration of Cu₄ cluster, respectively. The adsorption energies of the two structures were also calculated. The simulation result indicated that the adsorption energy of the regular tetrahedron structure was higher than that of the planar structure, and thus the regular tetrahedron structure was confirmed to be the stable adsorption configuration for Cu₄ cluster on Cr₂O₃ (0001) surface. Moreover, it was observed that the Cu₄ cluster showed the definite stable adsorption sites on Cr₂O₃ (0001) surface, namely 3‐fold O sites. During the adsorption process of Cu₄ cluster onto Cr₂O₃ (0001) surface, the Cu₄ cluster could bond with more Cr or O atoms on the surface, and the apparent charge transfer also occurred correspondingly. Meanwhile, the Cu₄ cluster and Cr₂O₃ (0001) surface would bond in the form of local polarization to enhance the stability of adsorption configuration.     

Stability of Cu–Mn bimetal catalysts based on different zeolites for NOx removal from diesel engine exhaust

Cu–Mn bimetal catalysts were prepared to remove nitrogen oxides (NO_x) from diesel engine exhaust at low temperatures. At a Cu/Mn ratio of 3:2, the NO_x conversions at 200 °C reached 65% and 90% on Cu–Mn/ZSM-5 and Cu–Mn/SAPO-34, respectively. After a hydrothermal treatment and reaction in the presence of C₃H₆, the activity of Cu–Mn/SAPO-34 was more stable than that of Cu–Mn/ZSM-5. No obvious variations in the crystal structure or dealumination were observed, whereas the physical structure was best maintained in Cu–Mn/SAPO-34. The atomic concentration of Cu on the surface of Cu–Mn/SAPO-34 was quite stable, and the consumption of octahedrally coordinated Cu²⁺ could be recovered. Conversely, the proportion of octahedrally coordinated Cu²⁺ on the surface of Cu–Mn/ZSM-5 significantly decreased. Therefore, besides the structure, the redox cycle between Cu⁺ and octahedrally coordinated Cu²⁺ played an important role in the stability of the catalysts.