Micro-mesoporous aluminosilicates based on ZSM-5 zeolite, obtained by a dual template method, as well as in the presence of a dual-functional template (i.e. a Gemini-type surfactant), were tested in the oxidation of furfural with hydrogen peroxide. Even substantial changes in acidity and porosity of the catalysts result in minor variations of selectivity towards the desired products. Application of the synthesized zeolite-based materials in the oxidation of furfural with hydrogen peroxide leads to formation of 2(5H)-furanone (yield up to 28.5%) and succinic acid (up to 19.5%) as the main C4 reaction products. The kinetic model developed previously to treat the results for oxidation of furfural over sulfated zirconia was able to describe the data also for micro-mesoporous aluminosilicates.
Graphical AbstractA monolithic complexed catalyst composed of a piece of Co foam decorated with Ru nanosheets has been fabricated. This catalyst has demonstrated excellent performance in catalyzing NaBH4 hydrolysis under alkaline conditions. Most importantly, the bulky size of the developed catalyst provides convenience to control the start and stop of hydrogen production by manipulating the attachment and detachment between the catalyst and NaBH4 solution. These features endow this catalyst with great potential for on-site hydrogen supply.
Graphic AbstractAPO-11 aluminophosphate molecular sieve was prepared by hydrothermal method of aluminum hydroxide with diisopropylamine. Ni–P/APO-11 amorphous alloy catalysts were prepared by chemical reduction method and used for the hydrogenation of α-pinene reaction. The catalysts were characterized by X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms (BET), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR).The prepared conditions of the Ni–P/APO-11 catalysts played important roles on the hydrogenation of α-pinene reaction. It was found that the preparation temperature, P/Ni molar ratio and pH value had great influence on the reduction dosage, dispersion and particle sizes of the catalysts, thus affecting the reactivity of the catalysts. The appropriate reaction conditions explored were at 30 °C, n(P/Ni)?=?5 and pH?=?8, obtaining a 90.65% conversion of α-pinene and 97.87% selectivity to cis-pinane. Under these conditions, the catalysts exhibited better repeatability and stability.
Graphic AbstractIn this study, the porous ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride (CN) nanosheets with rich C and nitrogen defects were prepared by one-step calcining the mixture of melamine and glucose (Glu) in air atmosphere (Glu-CN). Introducing simultaneously rich C atoms and nitrogen defects into CN structures continuously modulates the bandgaps from 2.67 to 1.81 eV of CN photocatalysts. Due to large surface area, more active sites, remarkably longer lifetime of charge carriers and adjustable band gap structure, the prepared ultrathin porous CN nanosheets show the enhanced photocatalytic performance for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light. The degradation efficiency of optimal CN nanosheet photocatalyst for MO is 5.75 times that of bulk CN. This work provides a facile and universal relevance approach to engineer the band structures of CN by introduction of rich C and porous morphology for high-performance photocatalytic, which can provide informative principles for the design of efficient photocatalysis systems for solar energy conversion.
Graphic AbstractRegularly dispersed Pt particles on SBA-15 supported catalysts were synthesized with a Pt loading of 5 wt% by a sol-immobilisation method, wherein various Pt particle sizes within 1–5 nm were finely controlled via the adjustment of the addition amount of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). A high PVA/Pt ratio of the initial solution tended to generate small Pt particles on the SBA-15 support due to intense protection against Pt particle aggregation. In addition, the effect of Pt particle size on naphthalene hydrogenation was investigated in terms of catalytic performance. Compared with the performance of other catalysts with Pt particle sizes greater or less than 3.5 nm, Pt nanoparticles with sizes centered at 3.5 nm exhibited excellent catalytic performance towards decalin. This excellent catalytic performance was mainly attributed to a suitable ratio of the edge sites to flat sites on these Pt nanoparticles, benefitting the rapid adsorption of naphthalene and dissociation of hydrogen.
Graphical AbstractThe Pt/SBA-15 catalysts were prepared by sol-immobilisation method. The highest performance was attributed to the Pt-nanoparticles with suitable flat/edge sites ratio.
An efficient solvent-free catalyst system for hydrosilylation of aldehydes and ketones was developed based on iron pre-catalyst Fe2(CO)9/C6H4-o-(NCH2PPh2)2BH. The reactions were tolerant of many functional groups and the corresponding alcohols were isolated in good to excellent yields following basic hydrolysis of the reaction products. The reaction is likely catalyzed by an in situ generated pincer ligated iron hydride complex.
Graphic AbstractThe magic number clusters Au102(p-MBA)44 and Au144(p-MBA)60 were synthesized and tested for their ability to catalyze the reduction of 4-nitrophenol. Kinetic and thermodynamic analyses demonstrate that both clusters are effective catalysts with activation energies less than 10 kJ/mol and turnover frequencies approaching 103 h–1 per surface gold atom.
Graphic AbstractAlthough numerous efforts have been made in direct syngas conversion to higher alcohols via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, the higher alcohols distribution remains a challenge. Here, we introduce alkaline earth metal oxide as promoter into activated carbon supported cobalt catalyst to tune distribution of higher alcohols. With the addition of Mg, the distribution of C2-5 alcohols increase from 41.2 to 75.8% accompanying with distribution of C6-18 alcohols decrease from 52.8 to 14.0%. Ba-promoted Co based catalyst (CoBa/AC) presents similar alcohols distribution to un-promoted catalyst, while the alcohol selectivity over CoBa/AC is higher than Co/AC. For promoted catalysts, the distribution of C6-18 alcohols increased in the order of Mg?<?Ca?<?Sr?<?Ba. The characterization results exhibit that the promoter addition facilitates the cobalt carbide formation, which leads to enhancement of selectivity to higher alcohols. The available active cobalt sites of promoted Co based catalysts increase in the same above order of Mg?<?Ca?<?Sr?<?Ba.
Graphic AbstractThis work proposed a new path to synthesize Ni-phyllosilicate through the reaction of nickel hydroxide and silica sol on the surface of Ni-foam to form the monolithic Ni-phyllosilicate/Ni-foam catalyst. Ni-phyllosilicate could reprint the morphology of nickel hydroxid and firmly anchor on the framework of Ni-foam, which obtained fine Ni particles of 2.8 nm after reduction in H2 at 650 °C, resulting in high catalytic activity for CO2 methanation. In addition, the Ni-phyllosilicate/Ni-foam catalyst showed high long-term stability in a 100 h-lifetime test owing to the combined effects of surface confinement of Ni-phyllosilicate, firm anchoring between Ni-phyllosilicate and Ni-foam, as well as the high heat transfer property of Ni-foam.
Graphical AbstractSolid base metal oxide catalysts such as MgO offer utility in a wide variety of syntheses from pharmaceuticals to fuels. The (111) facet of MgO shows enhanced, unique properties relative to the other facets. Carbon coatings have emerged as a promising modification to impart metal oxide catalyst stability. Here, we report the synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties of commercial MgO, MgO(111), and carbon coated derivatives thereof for 2-pentanone condensation. The dimer and trimer products of this reaction can be used as precursors for biofuels upon oxygen removal and thus have relevance in environmental sustainability. MgO(111) maintained impressive selectivity towards the dimer product after carbon coating, whereas the other catalysts experienced a decrease in conversion and selectivity as a consequence of the carbon coating. Our findings highlight the catalytic efficacy of MgO(111), provide insight into carbon coating for catalyst stability, and pave the way for continued mechanistic investigations.
Graphical AbstractIn this study, we describe the synthetic of uranyl nitrate ion functionalized MOFs linked by carboxyl, which displays block shape crystals structure. The as-prepared uranyl-MOF has been efficiently utilized as heterogeneous catalyst for selective aerobic oxidation of sulfides under visible-light irradiation. Photochemistry of extended MOFs including uranyl nitrate ion has been examined. The sulfoxidation reaction proceeds with good yields for a large variety of different sulfides. This process is carried out under visible light conditions, methanol as single solvent, and the uranyl-MOF material can be recycled up to five times. Sulfoxidation reaction mainly proceeds through an electron and energy transfer mechanism of oxygen in uranyl nitrate ion.
Graphic AbstractIn this study, we describe the synthetic of uranyl nitrate ion functionalized MOFs. The as-prepared uranyl-MOF was efficiently utilized as heterogeneous catalyst for selective aerobic oxidation of sulfides under visible-light irradiation. Photochemistry of extended MOFs including uranyl nitrate ion has been examined.
In this paper, we have produced carboxylic acids by the oxidation of various alcohols in the presence of CO2 using SBA-15/IL supported Cu(II) (SBA-15/IL/Cu(II)) as nanocatalyst. The obtained products showed to have excellent yields by taking into account of SBA-15/IL/Cu(II) nanocatalyst. In addition, the analysis of EDX, SEM, TGA, TEM, XPS, and FT-IR showed the heterogeneous structure of SBA-15/IL/Cu (II) catalyst. It is determined that, after using SBA-15 excess, the catalytic stability of the system was enhanced. Moreover, hot filtration provided a full vision in the heterogeneous catalyst nature. The recycling as well as reuse of the catalyst were studied in cases of coupling reactions many times. Moreover, we have studied the mechanism of the coupling reactions.
Graphic AbstractIn this study, g-C3N4-TiO2 nanocomposite structure has been loaded with Co3O4 via electroless plating and thermal annealing to form Co3O4@g-C3N4-TiO2 catalyst material for H2 generation from NaBH4 hydrolysis. The material characterizations of the fabricated catalyst have been performed before and after exposure to an aqueous NaBH4 solution to understand the changes in catalytic performance and material properties. The Arrhenius activation energies have been determined to be 58 kJ mol?1. The hydrogen generation rates have been observed as 180 and 1200 mL min?1 gcat?1 for the catalyst hydrolysis of NaBH4 at 30 °C and 60 °C, respectively. The catalytic activity performed in NaBH4 solution exhibited good reusability.
Graphical AbstractIn order to further improve the catalytic activity and stability of heterogeneous acid catalysts, a polystyrene microspheres modified sulfonic acid-based catalyst (PS-SO3H) was prepared. PS-SO3H was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, N2 adsorption–desorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Catalytic efficiency was determined using the reaction of furfuryl alcoholysis to ethyl levulinate (EL). The obtained results showed that PS-SO3H had excellent catalytic performance, with EL yield of 94.7%. In addition, PS-SO3H was easily separated from the reaction system and recycled multiple times without significant reduction in activity. High catalytic activity stemmed from the effect of Brønsted acid sites and appropriate structural properties.
Graphical AbstractIn this work, density functional theory is used to study the mechanism of propane dehydrogenation over non-metallic C3N catalyst. The structure, electrostatic potential and density of state of C3N are introduced, as well as the adsorption of reactants on catalyst is studied. The propane dehydrogenation reaction is divided into the first dehydrogenation and the second dehydrogenation (deep dehydrogenation). We explore the possible dehydrogenation pathways in two-step dehydrogenation. The rate control step of the first dehydrogenation is the removal of methylene hydrogen atom from propane, and its energy barrier is 47.79 kcal/mol, which reflected the catalytic activity of the catalyst. The rate control step of deep dehydrogenation is the process of removing the first hydrogen atom of the product propylene to produce the by-product. The energy barrier is 72.80 kcal/mol, which is much larger than that of the first step of dehydrogenation, reflecting the excellent selectivity of the catalyst.
Graphic AbstractLignocellulosic biofuels are the most promising sustainable fuels for supplementing shrinking fossil resources. In this work, acid-modified vermiculite (AVM)-supported Pd–Ni bimetallic catalyst (Pd–Ni/AVM) was investigated for the hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oil and its model compounds to assess its reactivity. Pd–Ni/AVM was found to efficiently hydrodeoxygenate the investigated model compound (phenol). The phenol conversion reached 94% at 0.5% of Ni loading and temperatures beyond 513 K. Using these parameters, the phenolic hydroxyl group was removed, and the C?=?C bonds were saturated. This catalyst was also efficient in the hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oil. H2-TPR experiments elucidated the synergistic effects between the active component and the carrier, which were considered the main reason for the catalytic activity. Strong influences of the Ni loading and temperature on the hydrogenation of phenol were also observed when the Pd loading was fixed at 1 wt%.
Graphic AbstractHeterogeneous catalysts based on metallic nanoparticles are promising candidates for wastewater treatment. However, they aggregate easily as a result of their high surface energy. Polymers are very popular supporting catalyst materials because they can stabilize the metallic nanoparticles to prevent aggregation. In this study, aniline-pentamer-based electroactive polyurea (EPU) was synthesized by oxidative coupling, and Au nanoparticles were anchored to the EPU via its aniline segments. Electrochemical redox behavior of the as-synthesized EPU was monitored by electrochemical cyclic voltammetry. The Au/EPU composite was characterized by FTIR, UV–vis, TGA, SEM, TEM, XRD XPS, and ICP-OES. SEM showed that the EPU had a flower-like structure, and the Au nanoparticles were uniformly immobilized on the EPU surface. The reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by NaBH4 was used as a model reaction to evaluate the catalytic properties of the Au/EPU composite. Moreover, the optimization of the reaction conditions for the reduction of 4-NP to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) were also studied in detail. The Au/EPU composite catalyzed the reduction of 4-NP to 4-AP within 4 min with a rate constant of 2.4?×?10–2 s?1 and an activation energy of 40.17 kJ/mol. The Au/EPU composite demonstrated high conversion (98%) after 20 successive cycles.
Graphical abstractThis work addresses the reduction of NOx by H2 under O2-rich conditions using Al2O3/SiO2-supported Pt catalysts with different loads of WOx promotor. The samples were thoroughly characterised by N2 physisorption, temperature-programmed desorption of CO, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, laser raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy with probe molecule CO. The catalytic studies of the samples without WOx showed pronounced NOx conversion below 200 °C, whereas highest efficiency was related to small Pt particles. The introduction of WOx provided increasing deNOx activity as well as N2 selectivity. This promoting effect was referred to an additional reaction path at the Pt-WOx/Al2O3/SiO2 interface, whereas an electronic activation of Pt by strong metal support interaction was excluded.
Graphic AbstractIn this research, four cholines supported on core–shell iron oxides, Fe2O3@MgO@Ch.OAc (choline acetate), Fe2O3@MgO@Ch.OH (choline hydroxide), Fe3O4@Ch.OAc, Fe3O4@Ch.OH, were synthesized. The synthesized catalysts were tested in 1,2,3-triazoles synthesis by the reaction of nitromethane, aldehyde, and benzyl azide in EtOH as a green solvent. Among four synthesized heterogeneous catalysts, the Fe2O3@MgO@ch.OAc showed superior catalytic activity for the reaction and afforded the desired triazoles in good isolated yields under mild reaction conditions.
Graphic AbstractThe efficient SBA-15 supported silver catalysts(Ag/SBA-15) were prepared and characterized by ICP-OES, XRD, TEM, SEM, XPS and N2 adsorption–desorption techniques. The catalysts exhibited an excellent catalytic activity for the aerobic oxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde under solvent-free conditions. Conversion of toluene and selectivity of benzaldehyde were 50% and 89% respectively over catalyst with 9.1 wt% Ag loading (10Ag/SBA-15). A wide range of substrates were tolerated under the selected reaction conditions. The kinetic study shows that the oxidation of toluene over 10Ag/SBA-15 is pseudo-first-order reaction and the activation energy Ea is 45.1 kJ/mol. A plausible mechanism involving oxygen free radicals was proposed for the aerobic oxidation reaction. Compared with the traditional method, the newly designed heterogeneous catalytic system shows better economic applicability, environmental friendliness and broader application prospects.
Graphical abstract