Photocatalytic Activity of Supported Metal Nanoparticles and Single Atoms

Photocatalysis has been known as one of the promising technologies due to its eco-friendly nature. However, the potential application of many photocatalysts is limited owing to their large bandgaps and inefficient use of the solar spectrum. One strategy to overcome this problem is to combine the advantages of heteroatom-containing supports with active metal centers to accurately adjust the structural parameters. Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) and single atom catalysts (SACs) are excellent candidates due to their distinctive coordination environment which enhances photocatalytic activity. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) have shown great potential as catalyst support for SACs and MNPs. The numerous combinations of organic linkers with various heteroatoms and metal ions provide unique structural characteristics to achieve advanced materials. This review describes the recent advancement of the modified MOFs, COFs and g-C₃N₄ with SACs and NPs for enhanced photocatalytic applications with emphasis on environmental remediation.     

Palladium Nanoparticles Immobilized on Individual Calcium Carbonate Plates Derived from Mussel Shell Waste: An Ecofriendly Catalyst for the Copper‐Free Sonogashira Coupling Reaction

The conversion of waste into high‐value materials is considered an important sustainability strategy in modern chemical industries. A large volume of shell waste is generated globally from mussel cultivation. In this work, mussel shell waste (Perna viridis ) is transformed into individual calcium carbonate plates (ICCPs) and is applied as a support for a heterogeneous catalyst. Palladium nanoparticles (3–6 nm) are deposited with an even dispersion on the ICCP surface, as demonstrated by X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Using this system, Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions between aryl iodides and terminal acetylenes were accomplished in high yields with the use of 1 % Pd/ICCP in the presence of potassium carbonate without the use of any copper metal or external ligand. The Pd/ICCP catalyst could also be reused up to three times and activity over 90 % was maintained with negligible Pd‐metal leaching. This work demonstrates that mussel shell waste can be used as an inexpensive and effective support for metal catalysts in coupling reactions, as demonstrated by the successful performance of the Pd‐catalyzed, copper‐free Sonogashira cross‐coupling process.     

Mesoscale Characterization of Nanoparticles Distribution Using X‐ray Scattering

The properties of many functional materials depend critically on the spatial distribution of an active phase within a support. In the case of solid catalysts, controlling the spatial distribution of metal (oxide) nanoparticles at the mesoscopic scale offers new strategies to tune their performance and enhance their lifetimes. However, such advanced control requires suitable characterization methods, which are currently scarce. Here, we show how the background in small‐angle X‐ray scattering patterns can be analyzed to quantitatively access the mesoscale distribution of nanoparticles within supports displaying hierarchical porosity. This is illustrated for copper catalysts supported on meso‐ and microporous silica displaying distinctly different metal distributions. Results derived from X‐ray scattering are in excellent agreement with electron tomography. Our strategy opens unprecedented prospects for understanding the properties and to guide the synthesis of a wide array of functional nanomaterials.     

Polymeric Carbon Nitride/Mesoporous Silica Composites as Catalyst Support for Au and Pt Nanoparticles

Small and homogeneously dispersed Au and Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared on polymeric carbon nitride (CN_x)/mesoporous silica (SBA‐15) composites, which were synthesized by thermal polycondensation of dicyandiamide‐impregnated preformed SBA‐15. By changing the condensation temperature, the degree of condensation and the loading of CN_x can be controlled to give adjustable particle sizes of the Pt and Au NPs subsequently formed on the composites. In contrast to the pure SBA‐15 support, coating of SBA‐15 with polymeric CN_x resulted in much smaller and better‐dispersed metal NPs. Furthermore, under catalytic conditions the CN_x coating helps to stabilize the metal NPs. However, metal NPs on CN_x/SBA‐15 can show very different catalytic behaviors in, for example, the CO oxidation reaction. Whereas the Pt NPs already show full CO conversion at 160 °C, the catalytic activity of Au NPs seems to be inhibited by the CN_x support.     

银/铂双金属中空纳米颗粒的制备及光学性质研究

通过以Ag纳米颗粒为模板的置换和沉积反应,制备了Ag/Pt双金属复合纳米颗粒.用透射电子显微镜(TEM)对颗粒的形貌、尺寸和结构进行了表征,发现复合颗粒具有中空结构.紫外可见吸收光谱(UV-Vis)研究表明,Ag/Pt双金属中空复合纳米颗粒具有单峰的表面等离子共振吸收特征,随着反应溶液中氯铂酸和硝酸银摩尔比的增加,吸收峰先红移后蓝移.表面增强拉曼光谱实验结果表明,Ag/Pt双金属复合纳米颗粒对吡啶分子具有较好的增强效果.     

Silica‐Supported Silver Nitrate as a Highly Active Dearomatizing Spirocyclization Catalyst: Synergistic Alkyne Activation by Silver Nanoparticles and Silica

Silica‐supported AgNO₃ (AgNO₃–SiO₂) catalyzes the dearomatizing spirocyclization of alkyne‐tethered aromatics far more effectively than the analogous unsupported reagent; in many cases, reactions which fail using unsupported AgNO₃ proceed effectively with AgNO₃–SiO₂. Mechanistic studies indicate that this is a consequence of silver nanoparticle formation on the silica surface combined with a synergistic effect caused by the silica support itself. The remarkable ease with which the reagent can be prepared and used is likely to be of much synthetic importance, in particular, by making nanoparticle catalysis more accessible to non‐specialists.     

Nanoscale Chemical Imaging of the Reduction Behavior of a Single Catalyst Particle

A closer look : Investigation of the reduction properties of a single Fischer–Tropsch catalyst particle, using in situ scanning transmission X‐ray microscopy with spatial resolution of 35 nm, reveals a heterogeneous distribution of Fe⁰, Fe²⁺, and Fe³⁺ species. Regions of different reduction properties are defined and explained on the basis of local chemical interactions and catalyst morphology.

     

Synthesis and Characterization of Dendrimer‐Encapsulated Bimetallic Core‐Shell PdPt Nanoparticles

Using a successive method, PAMAM dendrimer‐encapsulated bimetallic PdPt nanoparticles have been successfully prepared with core‐shell structures (Pd@Pt DENs). Evidenced by UV‐vis spectra, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and X‐ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), the obtained Pd@Pt DENs are monodispersed and located inside the cavity of dendrimers, and they show a different structure from monometallic Pt or Pd and alloy PdPt DENs. The core‐shell structure of Pd@Pt DENs is further confirmed by infrared measurements with carbon monoxide (IR‐CO) probe. In order to prepare Pd@Pt DENs, a required Pd/Pt ratio of 1:2 is determined for the Pt shell to cover the Pd core completely. Finally, a mechanism for the formation of Pd@Pt DENs is proposed.     

Supported Pd–Cu Bimetallic Nanoparticles That Have High Activity for the Electrochemical Oxidation of Methanol

Monodisperse bimetallic Pd–Cu nanoparticles with controllable size and composition were synthesized by a one‐step multiphase ethylene glycol (EG) method. Adjusting the stoichiometric ratio of the Pd and Cu precursors afforded nanoparticles with different compositions, such as Pd₈₅–Cu₁₅, Pd₅₆–Cu₄₄, and Pd₃₉–Cu₆₁. The nanoparticles were separated from the solution mixture by extraction with non‐polar solvents, such as n‐hexane. Monodisperse bimetallic Pd–Cu nanoparticles with narrow size‐distribution were obtained without the need for a size‐selection process. Capping ligands that were bound to the surface of the particles were removed through heat treatment when the as‐prepared nanoparticles were loaded onto a Vulcan XC‐72 carbon support. Supported bimetallic Pd–Cu nanoparticles showed enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation compared with supported Pd nanoparticles that were fabricated according to the same EG method. For a bimetallic Pd–Cu catalyst that contained 15 % Cu, the activity was even comparable to the state‐of‐the‐art commercially available Pt/C catalysts. A STEM‐HAADF study indicated that the formation of random solid‐solution alloy structures in the bimetallic Pd₈₅–Cu₁₅/C catalysts played a key role in improving the electrochemical activity.     

Silver Nanoparticles Supported on CeO2‐SBA‐15 by Microwave Irradiation Possess Metal–Support Interactions and Enhanced Catalytic Activity

Metal–support interactions (MSIs) and particle size play important roles in catalytic reactions. For the first time, silver nanoparticles supported on CeO₂‐SBA‐15 supports are reported that possess tunable particle size and MSIs, as prepared by microwave (MW) irradiation, owing to strong charge polarization of CeO₂ clusters (i.e., MW absorption). Characterizations, including TEM, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and extended X‐ray absorption fine structure, were carried out to disclose the influence of CeO₂ contents on the Ag particle size, MSI effect between Ag nanoparticles and CeO₂‐SBA‐15 supports, and the strong MW absorption of CeO₂ clusters that contribute to the MSIs during Ag deposition. The Ag particle sizes were controllably tuned from 1.9 to 3.9 nm by changing the loading amounts of CeO₂ from 0.5 to 2.0 wt %. The Ag nanoparticle size was predominantly responsible for the high turnover frequency (TOF) of 0.41 min^?1 in ammonia borane dehydrogenation, whereas both particle size and MSIs contributed to the high TOF of 555 min^?1 in 4‐nitrophenol reduction for Ag/0.5CeO₂‐SBA‐15, which were twice as large as those of Ag/SBA‐15 without CeO₂ and Ag/CeO₂‐SBA‐15 prepared by conventional oil‐bath heating.     

The Synergistic Effect of a Bimetallic Catalyst for the Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube Aerogels and their Predominant Chirality

Synthesis of continuous spinnable carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers is the most promising method for producing CNT fibers for commercial applications. The floating-catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FC-CVD) method is a rapid process that achieves catalyst formation, CNT nucleation and growth, and aerogel-like sock formation within a few seconds. However, the formation mechanism is unknown. Herein, the progress of CNT fiber formation with bimetallic catalysts was studied, and the effect of catalyst composition to CNT fiber synthesis and their structural properties was investigated. In the case of bimetallic catalysts, the carbon source rapidly decomposes and generates various secondary hydrocarbon species, such as CH₄, C₂H₄, C₂H₂, C₃H₆, and C₄H₁₀ whereas monometallic catalysts generate only CH₄ and C₂H₄ on decomposition. CNT fiber formation with Fe₁Ni₀ begins about 400 mm from the reactor entrance, whereas CNT formation with Fe_0.8Ni_0.2 and Fe_0.5Ni_0.5 begins at about 500 and 300 mm, respectively. The formed CNT bundles and individual CNTs are oriented along the gas flow at these locations. The enhanced rate of fiber formation and lowering of growth temperature associated with bimetallic catalysts is explained by the synergistic effects between the two metals. The synthesized CNTs become predominantly semiconducting with increasing Ni contents.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles Prepared with Honey: The Role of Carbohydrates

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using honey at pH 5.0 and 10.0 using a rapid, low cost, and simple technique. The influence of the honey carbohydrates (glucose and fructose) in the synthesis was characterized. Moreover, the kinetic variables in the synthesis at room temperature and at pH 5.0 and 10.0 were analyzed by measuring surface plasmon resonance at 411?nm by absorption spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, and differential thermal analysis were used to characterize the metal nanoparticles and the capping agents. The synthesized nanoparticles were obtained for the first time at pH 5.0. This fact allows evaluating the kinetics and reaction mechanism. The obtained nanoparticles were spherical, monodispersed, and smaller than 20?nm. The results show that glucose serves as a reducing and capping agent while fructose has a limited reducing effect.     

Bimetallic NiCo Functional Graphene: An Efficient Catalyst for Hydrogen‐Storage Properties of MgH2

Bimetallic NiCo functional graphene (NiCo/rGO) was synthesized by a facile one‐pot method. During the coreduction process, the as‐synthesized ultrafine NiCo nanoparticles (NPs), with a typical size of 4–6 nm, were uniformly anchored onto the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The NiCo bimetal‐supported graphene was found to be more efficient than their single metals. Synergetic catalysis of NiCo NPs and rGO was confirmed, which can significantly improve the hydrogen‐storage properties of MgH₂. The apparent activation energy (E_a) of the MgH₂? NiCo/rGO sample decreases to 105 kJ mol^?1, which is 40.7 % lower than that of pure MgH₂. More importantly, the as‐prepared MgH₂? NiCo/rGO sample can absorb 5.5 and 6.1 wt % hydrogen within 100 and 350 s, respectively, at 300 °C under 0.9 MPa H₂ pressure. Further cyclic kinetics investigation indicates that MgH₂? NiCo/rGO nanocomposites have excellent cycle stability.     

In Situ Microfocus Chemical Computed Tomography of the Composition of a Single Catalyst Particle During Hydrogenation of Nitrobenzene in the Liquid Phase

Heterogeneous catalysis performed in the liquid phase is an important type of catalytic process which is rarely studied in situ. Using microfocus X‐ray fluorescence and X‐ray diffraction computed tomography (μ‐XRF‐CT, μ‐XRD‐CT) in combination with X‐ray absorption near‐edge spectroscopy (XANES), we have determined the active state of a Mo‐promoted Pt/C catalyst (NanoSelect) for the liquid‐phase hydrogenation of nitrobenzene under standard operating conditions. First, μ‐XRF‐CT and μ‐XRD‐CT reveal the active state of Pt catalyst to be reduced, noncrystalline, and evenly dispersed across the support surface. Second, imaging of the Pt and Mo distribution reveals they are highly stable on the support and not prone to leaching during the reaction. This study demonstrates the ability of chemical computed tomography to image the nature and spatial distribution of catalysts under reaction conditions.