Precise Size Determination of Supported Catalyst Nanoparticles via Generative AI and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy.

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) plays a crucial role in heterogeneous catalysis for assessing the size distribution of supported metal nanoparticles. Typically, nanoparticle size is quantified by measuring the diameter under the assumption of spherical geometry, a simplification that limits the precision needed for advancing synthesis-structure-performance relationships. Currently, there is a lack of techniques that can reliably extract more meaningful information from atomically resolved TEM images, like nuclearity or geometry. Here, cycle-consistent generative adversarial networks (CycleGANs) are explored to bridge experimental and simulated images, directly linking experimental observations with information from their underlying atomic structure. Using the versatile Pt/CeO2 (Pt particles centered ≈2 nm) catalyst synthesized by impregnation, large datasets of experimental scanning transmission electron micrographs and physical image simulations are created to train a CycleGAN. A subsequent size-estimation network is developed to determine the nuclearity of imaged nanoparticles, providing plausible estimates for ≈70% of experimentally observed particles. This automatic approach enables precise size determination of supported nanoparticle-based catalysts overcoming crystal orientation limitations of conventional techniques, promising high accuracy with sufficient training data. Tools like this are envisioned to be of great use in designing and characterizing catalytic materials with improved atomic precision.

Mechanochemically-derived iron atoms on defective boron nitride for stable propylene production.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs), possessing a uniform metal site structure, are a promising class of materials for selective oxidations of hydrocarbons. However, their design for targeted applications requires careful choice of metal-host combinations and suitable synthetic techniques. Here, we report iron atoms stabilised on defective hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) via mechanochemical activation in a ball mill as an effective catalyst for propylene production via N2O-mediated oxidative propane dehydrogenation (N2O-ODHP), reaching 95% selectivity at 6% propane conversion and maintaining stable performance for 40 h on stream. This solvent-free synthesis allows simultaneous carrier exfoliation and surface defect generation, creating anchoring sites for catalytically-active iron atoms. The incorporation of a small metal quantity (0.5 wt%) predominantly generates a mix of atomically-dispersed Fe2+ and Fe3+ species, as confirmed by combining advanced microscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance, UV-vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. Single-atom iron favours selective propylene formation, while metal oxide nanoparticles yield large quantities of CO x and cracking by-products. The lack of acidic functionalities on h-BN, hindering coke formation, and firm stabilisation of Fe sites, preventing metal sintering, ensure stable operation. These findings showcase N2O-ODHP as a promising propylene production technology and foster wider adoption of mechanochemical activation as a viable method for SACs synthesis.

Lattice-Stabilized Chromium Atoms on Ceria for N2O Synthesis.

The development of selective catalysts for direct conversion of ammonia into nitrous oxide, N2O, will circumvent the conventional five-step manufacturing process and enable its wider utilization in oxidation catalysis. Deviating from commonly accepted catalyst design principles for this reaction, reliant on manganese oxide, we herein report an efficient system comprised of isolated chromium atoms (1 wt %) stabilized in the ceria lattice by coprecipitation. The latter, in contrast to a simple impregnation approach, ensures firm metal anchoring and results in stable and selective N2O production over 100 h on stream up to 79% N2O selectivity at full NH3 conversion. Raman, electron paramagnetic resonance, and in situ UV-vis spectroscopies reveal that chromium incorporation enhances the density of oxygen vacancies and the rate of their generation and healing. Accordingly, temporal analysis of products, kinetic studies, and atomistic simulations show lattice oxygen of ceria to directly participate in the reaction, establishing the cocatalytic role of the carrier. Coupled with the dynamic restructuring of chromium sites to stabilize intermediates of N2O formation, these factors enable catalytic performance on par with or exceeding benchmark systems. These findings demonstrate how nanoscale engineering can elevate a previously overlooked metal into a highly competitive catalyst for selective ammonia oxidation to N2O, paving the way toward industrial implementation.

Evidence of bifunctionality of carbons and metal atoms in catalyzed acetylene hydrochlorination.

Carbon supports are ubiquitous components of heterogeneous catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination to vinyl chloride, from commercial mercury-based systems to more sustainable metal single-atom alternatives. Their potential co-catalytic role has long been postulated but never unequivocally demonstrated. Herein, we evidence the bifunctionality of carbons and metal sites in the acetylene hydrochlorination catalytic cycle. Combining operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy with other spectroscopic and kinetic analyses, we monitor the structure of single metal atoms (Pt, Au, Ru) and carbon supports (activated, non-activated, and nitrogen-doped) from catalyst synthesis, using various procedures, to operation at different conditions. Metal atoms exclusively activate hydrogen chloride, while metal-neighboring sites in the support bind acetylene. Resolving the coordination environment of working metal atoms guides theoretical simulations in proposing potential binding sites for acetylene in the support and a viable reaction profile. Expanding from single-atom to ensemble catalysis, these results reinforce the importance of optimizing both metal and support components to leverage the distinct functions of each for advancing catalyst design.

Low-Valent Manganese Atoms Stabilized on Ceria for Nitrous Oxide Synthesis.

Nitrous oxide, N2 O, exhibits unique reactivity in oxidation catalysis, but the high manufacturing costs limit its prospective uses. Direct oxidation of ammonia, NH3 , to N2 O can ameliorate this issue but its implementation is thwarted by suboptimal catalyst selectivity and stability, and the lack of established structure-performance relationships. Systematic and controlled material nanostructuring offers an innovative approach for advancement in catalyst design. Herein low-valent manganese atoms stabilized on ceria, CeO2 , are discovered as the first stable catalyst for NH3 oxidation to N2 O, exhibiting two-fold higher productivity than the state-of-the-art. Detailed mechanistic, computational and kinetic studies reveal CeO2 as the mediator of oxygen supply, while undercoordinated manganese species activate O2 and facilitate N2 O evolution via NN bond formation between nitroxyl, HNO, intermediates. Synthesis via simple impregnation of a small metal quantity (1 wt%) predominantly generates isolated manganese sites, while full atomic dispersion is achieved upon redispersion of sporadic oxide nanoparticles during reaction, as confirmed by advanced microscopic analysis and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Subsequently, manganese speciation is maintained, and no deactivation is observed over 70 h on stream. CeO2 -supported isolated transition metals emerge as a novel class of materials for N2 O production, encouraging future studies to evaluate their potential in selective catalytic oxidations at large.

Unraveling Radical and Oxygenate Routes in the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane over Boron Nitride.

Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODHP) is an emerging technology to meet the global propylene demand with boron nitride (BN) catalysts likely to play a pivotal role. It is widely accepted that gas-phase chemistry plays a fundamental role in the BN-catalyzed ODHP. However, the mechanism remains elusive because short-lived intermediates are difficult to capture. We detect short-lived free radicals (CH3•, C3H5•) and reactive oxygenates, C2-4 ketenes and C2-3 enols, in ODHP over BN by operando synchrotron photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy. In addition to a surface-catalyzed channel, we identify a gas-phase H-acceptor radical- and H-donor oxygenate-driven route, leading to olefin production. In this route, partially oxidized enols propagate into the gas phase, followed by dehydrogenation (and methylation) to form ketenes and finally yield olefins by decarbonylation. Quantum chemical calculations predict the >BO dangling site to be the source of free radicals in the process. More importantly, the easy desorption of oxygenates from the catalyst surface is key to prevent deep oxidation to CO2.

Performance descriptors of nanostructured metal catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination.

Controlling the precise atomic architecture of supported metals is central to optimizing their catalytic performance, as recently exemplified for nanostructured platinum and ruthenium systems in acetylene hydrochlorination, a key process for vinyl chloride production. This opens the possibility of building on historically established activity correlations. In this study, we derived quantitative activity, selectivity and stability descriptors that account for the metal-dependent speciation and host effects observed in acetylene hydrochlorination. To achieve this, we generated a platform of Au, Pt, Ru, Ir, Rh and Pd single atoms and nanoparticles supported on different types of carbon and assessed their evolution during synthesis and under the relevant reaction conditions. Combining kinetic, transient and chemisorption analyses with modelling, we identified the acetylene adsorption energy as a speciation-sensitive activity descriptor, further determining catalyst selectivity with respect to coke formation. The stability of the different nanostructures is governed by the interplay between single atom-support interactions and chlorine affinity, promoting metal redispersion or agglomeration, respectively.

Ceria-Supported Gold Nanoparticles as a Superior Catalyst for Nitrous Oxide Production via Ammonia Oxidation.

The production of nitrous oxide, N2 O, via NH3 oxidation is not on a practical scale due to the lack of a suitable catalyst. Instead, it is produced via thermal decomposition of NH4 NO3 , rendering N2 O too costly and limiting its prospective uses. Herein, we report CeO2 -supported Au nanoparticles (2-3 nm) as a highly selective catalyst for low-temperature NH3 oxidation to N2 O, exhibiting two orders of magnitude higher space-time yield than the state-of-the-art Mn-Bi/α-Al2 O3 and remarkable stability over 70 h on stream. The reaction proceeds via a Mars-van Krevelen mechanism, with the density of interfacial Auδ+ species and the oxygen storage capacity of CeO2 identified as the key performance descriptors. The latter could be enhanced by cobalt doping, improving the catalytic activity and setting a new benchmark for N2 O productivity. These findings establish NH3 oxidation as an efficient process for N2 O manufacture and facilitate its broader utilization in selective oxidations.

Design of carbon supports for metal-catalyzed acetylene hydrochlorination.

For decades, carbons have been the support of choice in acetylene hydrochlorination, a key industrial process for polyvinyl chloride manufacture. However, no unequivocal design criteria could be established to date, due to the complex interplay between the carbon host and the metal nanostructure. Herein, we disentangle the roles of carbon in determining activity and stability of platinum-, ruthenium-, and gold-based hydrochlorination catalysts and derive descriptors for optimal host design, by systematically varying the porous properties and surface functionalization of carbon, while preserving the active metal sites. The acetylene adsorption capacity is identified as central activity descriptor, while the density of acidic oxygen sites determines the coking tendency and thus catalyst stability. With this understanding, a platinum single-atom catalyst is developed with stable catalytic performance under two-fold accelerated deactivation conditions compared to the state-of-the-art system, marking a step ahead towards sustainable PVC production.