High Catalytic Efficiency of a Nanosized Copper-Based Catalyst for Automotives: A Physicochemical Characterization

The global trend in restrictions on pollutant emissions requires the use of catalytic converters in the automotive industry. Noble metals belonging to the platinum group metals (PGMs, platinum, palladium, and rhodium) are currently used for autocatalysts. However, recent efforts focus on the development of new catalytic converters that combine high activity and reduced cost, attracting the interest of the automotive industry. Among them, the partial substitution of PGMs by abundant non-PGMs (transition metals such as copper) seems to be a promising alternative. The PROMETHEUS catalyst (PROM100) is a polymetallic nanosized copper-based catalyst for automotives prepared by a wet impregnation method, using as a carrier an inorganic mixed oxide (CeO₂-ZrO₂) exhibiting elevated oxygen storage capacity. On the other hand, catalyst deactivation or ageing is defined as the process in which the structure and state of the catalyst change, leading to the loss of the catalyst’s active sites with a subsequent decrease in the catalyst’s performance, significantly affecting the emissions of the catalyst. The main scope of this research is to investigate in detail the effect of ageing on this low-cost, effective catalyst. To that end, a detailed characterization has been performed with a train of methods, such as SEM, Raman, XRD, XRF, BET and XPS, to both ceria–zirconia mixed inorganic oxide support (CZ-fresh and -aged) and to the copper-based catalyst (PROM100-fresh and -aged), revealing the impact of ageing on catalytic efficiency. It was found that ageing affects the Ce–Zr mixed oxide structure by initiating the formation of distinct ZrO₂ and CeO₂ structures monitored by Raman and XRD. In addition, it crucially affects the morphology of the sample by reducing the surface area by a factor of nearly two orders of magnitude and increasing particle size as indicated by BET and SEM due to sintering. Finally, the Pd concentration was found to be considerably reduced from the material’s surface as suggested by XPS data. The above-mentioned alterations observed after ageing increased the light-off temperatures by more than 175 °C, compared to the fresh sample, without affecting the overall efficiency of the catalyst for CO and CH₄ oxidation reactions. Metal particle and CeZr carrier sintering, washcoat loss as well as partial metal encapsulation by Cu and/or CeZrO₄ are identified as the main causes for the deactivation after hydrothermal ageing.     

Switching pathways: room-temperature neutral solvolysis and substitution of amides

Stick or twist: By introducing steric hindrance at the nitrogen atom, stable linear amides bearing an electron-withdrawing α-substituent (Z = Ar, PhSO(2), P(O)(OR)(2), CN, or CO(2)R) can be induced to undergo solvolysis and substitution reactions through an elimination-addition mechanism (see picture). Key to this process is a low barrier to rotation around the amide bond and the α-substituent?Z.     

Facile synthesis of 1-bromo-7-alkoxyl perylene diimide dyes: toward unsymmetrical functionalizations at the 1,7-positions

In this Letter, we report a facile approach to synthesize unsymmetrical 1-bromo-7-alkoxyl perylene diimides by the nucleophilic substitution of one of the two 1,7-dibromo units with an alkyl alcohol using K₂CO₃ as the base. A further replacement of another bromo, for example, by using 4-hydroxylpyridine resulted in unsymmetrical functionalizations at the 1,7-positions. The optical properties of the unsymmetrical PDI derivative were reported and compared with those of the symmetrical derivative.     

Chlorophosphaalkenyl- and chloroalkenylstibanes

Mono-, bis- and tris(chlorophosphaalkenyl)stibanes have been obtained from Mes^∗PC(SiMe₃)Li (Mes^∗ = 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl) or from the phosphaalkene carbenoid Mes^∗PC(X)Li (X = Cl) and SbF₃, Mes^∗Sb(OMes^∗)F or Mes^∗SbF₂. Bis[chloroalkenyl]stibanes [R₂CC(Cl)]₂SbCl (R₂C = fluorenylidene and 2,7-di-tert-butylfluorenylidene) have also been obtained from R₂CC(Cl)Li and SbCl₃.     

A direct link between the Passerini reaction and α-lactams

α-Lactams (aziridinones) can function to replace two of the three reactants, the oxo-compound and the isonitrile, in the Passerini reaction. Four α-lactams (5a-d) were reacted with mono- and dicarboxylic acids of positive pK_a values to give 2-acyloxycarboxamides (4) and bis-2-acyloxycarboxamide products 12 and 13, respectively. The same compounds were also prepared via the Passerini reaction. Acids with a negative pK_a decarbonylate α-lactams to give immonium salts. The main path of the reaction depends on the pK_a of the acid component, the reactivity of the α-lactam, and the reaction conditions.     

Pictet Spengler-type reactions in 3-arylmethylpiperazine-2,5-diones. Synthesis of pyrazinotetrahydroisoquinolines

The behavior of aldehydes and acetals as N-alkylating agents of 1-acetyl-3-arylmethylpiperazine-2,5-diones and the subsequent cyclization of the N-alkylated products was studied. Use of paraformaldehyde in different reaction conditions gave 6-unsubstituted 3,6,11,11a-tetrahydro-2H-pyrazino[1,2-b]isoquinoline-1,4-diones and, in some cases, benzo[f]pyrazino[1,2-c]1,3-oxazepine-1,4-diones. Succesful reactions with benzaldehyde required a first activation of the lactam function and a catalyzed N-alkylation with the aldehyde dimethyl acetal. The isolated O,N-amidoacetals thus obtained were submitted to a diastereoselective Pictet Spengler-type reaction that worked with arenes at several degrees of ring activation and with thiophene to give 6-phenylpyrazinoisoquinolinediones and the corresponding thieno analog.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of dialkyl ω-azidoalkylphosphonates

An efficient and reproducible microwave-assisted synthesis of dialkyl ω-azidoalkylphosphonates via nucleophilic substitution of the appropriate dialkyl ω-bromoalkylphosphonates by sodium azide in water or dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvent has been developed. This process has been optimized for batch reactors. The target, structurally diverse dialkyl ω-azidoalkylphosphonates with different steric hindrance around the phosphonato groups and containing unbranched side carbon chains of different lengths (n?=?2–6), has been obtained in moderate to high yields (39–87%).     

Sol-Gel Synthesis Route for the Preparation of Y(Ba1−x Sr x )2Cu4O8 Superconducting Oxides

Superconducting oxide ceramics of composition Y(Ba_1–x Sr _x )₂Cu₄O₈ (x = 0.00, 0.10, and 0.20) have been prepared by a simple sol-gel method based on the complexation of metal ions in aqueous medium, by chelating acetate and tartarate ligands. Homogeneous sols were obtained by complexing copper ions with tartaric acid, which prevented the flocculation of copper acetate during the gelation process. Single-phase bulk samples were obtained after firing the mixed-metal polymeric acetate-tartarate precursor to 835°C for 70 h in flowing oxygen atmosphere. Thermal decomposition of the gels was studied by thermogravimetry. Effect of strontium substitution on the properties of the compounds was studied by X-ray powder diffraction, electron microscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and resistivity measurements. These data indicate that nearly monophasic Y(Ba_1–x Sr _x )₂Cu₄O₈ superconducting samples were obtained for x < 0.30. The Sr-doping in the YBa₂Cu₄O₈ (Y-124) phase shows a pronounced effect on the superconducting properties enhancing the critical temperature from 78 K (for the non-substituted sample) to 88 K (for Y(Ba_1–x Sr _x )₂Cu₄O₈).     

Mechanistic Studies on the SCS‐Pincer Palladium(II)‐Catalyzed Tandem Stannylation/Electrophilic Allylic Substitution of Allyl Chlorides with Hexamethylditin and Benzaldehydes

This paper describes a mechanistic study of the SCS‐pincer Pd^II‐catalyzed auto‐tandem reaction consisting of the stannylation of cinnamyl chloride with hexamethylditin, followed by an electrophilic allylic substitution of the primary tandem‐reaction product with 4‐nitrobenzaldehyde to yield homoallylic alcohols as the secondary tandem products. As it turned out, the anticipated stannylation product, cinnamyl trimethylstannane, is not a substrate for the second part of the tandem reaction. These studies have provided insight in the catalytic behavior of SCS‐pincer Pd^II complexes in the auto‐tandem reaction and on the formation and possible involvement of Pd⁰ species during prolonged reaction times. This has led to optimized reaction conditions in which the overall tandem reaction proceeds through SCS‐pincer Pd^II‐mediated catalysis, that is, true auto‐tandem catalysis. Accordingly, this study has provided the appropriate reaction conditions that allow the pincer catalysts to be recycled and reused.     

Ruthenium Complexes of Tripodal Ligands with Pyridine and Triazole Arms: Subtle Tuning of Thermal,Electrochemical, and Photochemical Reactivity

Electrochemical and photochemical bond‐activation steps are important for a variety of chemical transformations. We present here four new complexes, [Ru(Lⁿ)(dmso)(Cl)]PF₆ ( 1 – 4 ), where Lⁿ is a tripodal amine ligand with 4?n pyridylmethyl arms and n?1 triazolylmethyl arms. Structural comparisons show that the triazoles bind closer to the Ru center than the pyridines. For L², two isomers (with respect to the position of the triazole arm, equatorial or axial), trans‐ 2 _sym and trans‐ 2 _un, could be separated and compared. The increase in the number of the triazole arms in the ligand has almost no effect on the Ru^II/Ru^III oxidation potentials, but it increases the stability of the Ru?S_dmso bond. Hence, the oxidation waves become more reversible from trans‐ 1 to trans‐ 4 , and whereas the dmso ligand readily dissociates from trans‐ 1 upon heating or irradiation with UV light, the Ru?S bond of trans‐ 4 remains perfectly stable under the same conditions. The strength of the Ru?S bond is not only influenced by the number of triazole arms but also by their position, as evidenced by the difference in redox behavior and reactivity of the two isomers, trans‐ 2 _sym and trans‐ 2 _un. A mechanistic picture for the electrochemical, thermal, and photochemical bond activation is discussed with data from NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and spectroelectrochemistry.