Nonpyrolyzed Fe-N Coordination-Based Iron Triazolate Framework: An Efficient and Stable Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Pyrolyzed base-metal-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with FeNx coordination are emerging as nonprecious metal catalysts for electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, surprisingly, nonpyrolyzed MOFs involving Fe-N coordination have not been explored for the ORR. This study concerns the catalytic performance of a semiconducting nonpyrolyzed iron triazolate framework (FeTa2 ) for ORR in alkaline electrolyte. The FeTa2 catalyst is studied as composites with different amounts of conductive Ketjenblack carbon (KB). The performance of these FeTa2 -x KB (x denotes the KB/FeTa2 weight ratio) composites by onset and half-wave potentials of ORR appears to be superior to most previously documented nonpyrolyzed MOFs. Characterization by elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, XPS, and cyclic voltammetry suggest that N-FeIII -OH- sites at the surface of FeTa2 function as the catalytic active sites. This FeTa2 also shows very stable activity during ORR, as supported by accelerated durability test of the FeTa2 -x KB sample (20 000 cycles, ca. 90 h). The framework structure of FeTa2 remains intact during the durability test, which would help to explain its excellent catalytic durability. This would be the first study demonstrating efficient and stable ORR catalysis by a nonpyrolyzed Fe-N coordination-based MOF material.

3D Quantification of Low-Coordinate Surface Atom Density: Bridging Catalytic Activity to Concave Facets of Nanocatalysts in Fuel Cells.

A protocol to quantify the distribution of surface atoms of concave nanocatalysts according to their coordination number is proposed. The 3D surface of an Au@Pd concave nanocube is reconstructed and segmented. The crystallographic coordinates and low-coordinate surface atom densities of the concave facets are determined. The result shows that 32% of the surface atoms are low-coordinated, which may contribute to the high activity.

Is Ammonium Peroxydisulate Indispensable for Preparation of Aniline-Derived Iron-Nitrogen-Carbon Electrocatalysts?

Iron and nitrogen co-doped carbon (Fe-N-C) materials are among the most active non-precious metal catalysts that could replace Pt-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells and metal-air batteries. The synthesis of the Fe-N-C catalysts often involves the use of aniline as the precursor for both N and C and ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS) as an indispensable oxidative initiator for aniline polymerization. Herein, a detailed structure and catalytic ORR performance comparison of aniline-derived Fe-N-C catalysts synthesized with and without the use of APS is reported. The APS-free preparation, which uses Fe(III) ions as the Fe source as well as the aniline polymerization initiator, results in a simple Fe-N-C catalyst with a high activity for the ORR. We show that APS is not necessary for the preparation and even detrimental to the performance of the catalyst.

Pd-on-Si catalysts prepared via galvanic displacement for the selective hydrogenation of para-chloronitrobenzene.

The direct redox reaction (galvanic displacement) between Pd(2+) and substrate Si was used to deposit Pd on Si, and the Pd-Si catalysts enabled a chemoselective hydrogenation of para-chloronitrobenzene with the selectivity for para-chloroaniline higher than 99.9% at complete conversion of para-chloronitrobenzene.

Sustainable production of acrylic acid: alkali-ion exchanged beta zeolite for gas-phase dehydration of lactic acid.

Gas-phase dehydration of lactic acid (LA) to acrylic acid (AA) was investigated over alkali-exchanged ß zeolite (M(x)Na(1-x)ß, M=Li(+), K(+), Rb(+), or Cs(+)) of different exchange degrees (x). The reaction was conducted under varying conditions to understand the catalyst selectivity for AA production and trends of byproduct formation. The nature and exchange degree of M(+) were found to be critical for the acid-base properties and catalytic performance of the exchanged zeolite. K(x)Na(1-x)ß of x=0.94 appeared to be the best performing catalyst whereas Li(x)Na(1-x)ß and Naß were the poorest in terms of AA selectivity and yield. The AA yield as high as 61 mol % (selectivity: 64 mol %) could be obtained under optimized reaction conditions for up to 8 h over the best performing K0.94Na0.06ß. The acid and base properties of the catalysts were probed, respectively by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of adsorbed NH3 and CO2, and were related to the electrostatic potentials of the alkali ions in the zeolite, which provided a basis for the discussion of the acid-base catalysis for sustainable AA formation from LA.

Direct synthesis of high-valent aryl-Cu(II) and aryl-Cu(III) compounds: mechanistic insight into arene C-H bond metalation.

Copper and its salts are abundant, inexpensive, and eco-friendly and have been used as the surrogates of noble metals to effect arene C-H bond activation and transformations. Despite of the recent significant progress of the study, syntheses of high-valent arylcopper(II-III) compounds are still very rare and mechanisms of copper(II)-catalyzed reactions remain elusive. With the use of azacalix[1]arene[3]pyridines as a platform, a number of arylcopper(II) compounds were synthesized efficiently from the reaction of Cu(ClO4)2 under ambient conditions. The resulting aryl-Cu(II) compounds, which contain an unprecedented (substituted) phenyl-Cu(II) σ-bond, were stable under atmospheric conditions and can undergo facile oxidation reaction by free copper(II) ions or oxone to afford arylcopper(III) compounds in good yields. Both arylcopper(II) and arylcopper(III) compounds were characterized unambiguously by means of XRD, XPS, and NMR methods. Experimental evidence including reaction kinetics, LFER and KIE, and theoretical calculations indicated that the Cu(ClO4)2-mediated arene C-H bond activation proceeds plausibly through an electrophilic aromatic metalation pathway. The synthesis of high-valent arylcopper compounds and the reaction mechanism reported here highlight the diversity and richness of organocopper chemistry.

High quality gold nanorods and nanospheres for surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

Nearly monodisperse Au nanorods (NRs) with different aspect ratios were separated from home-synthesized polydisperse samples using a gradient centrifugation method. The morphology, size and its distribution, and photo-absorption property were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. Subsequently, using colloidal Au NRs (36.2 nm ×10.7 nm) with 97.4% yield after centrifugation and Au nanospheres (NSs) (22.9 ± 1.0 nm in diameter) with 97.6% yield as Au substrates, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were recorded using laser excitation at 632.8 nm. Results show that surface enhancement factors (EF) for Au NRs and NSs are 6.2 × 10(5) and 5.7 × 10(4) using 1.0 × 10(-6) M 2,4-D, respectively, illustrating that EF value is a factor of ~10 greater for Au NRs substrates than for Au NSs substrates. As a result, large EF are a mainly result of chemical enhancement mechanisms. Thus, it is expected that Au NPs can find a comprehensive SERS application in the trace detection of pesticide residues.

Catalytic Pt-on-Au nanostructures: why Pt becomes more active on smaller Au particles.

Platinum is a widely used precious metal in many catalytic nanostructures. Engineering the surface electronic structure of Pt-containing bi- or multimetallic nanostructure to enhance both the intrinsic activity and dispersion of Pt has remained a challenge. By constructing Pt-on-Au (Pt^Au) nanostructures using a series of monodisperse Au nanoparticles in the size range of 2-14 nm, we disclose herein a new approach to steadily change both properties of Pt in electrocatalysis with downsizing of the Au nanoparticles. A combined tuning of Pt dispersion and its surface electronic structure is shown as a consequence of the changes in the size and valence-band structure of Au, which leads to significantly enhanced Pt mass-activity on the small Au nanoparticles. Fully dispersed Pt entities on the smallest Au nanoparticles (2 nm) exhibit the highest mass-activity to date towards formic acid electrooxidation, being 2 orders of magnitude (75-300 folds) higher than conventional Pt/C catalyst. Fundamental relationships correlating the Pt intrinsic activity in Pt^Au nanostructures with the experimentally determined surface electronic structures (d-band center energies) of the Pt entities and their underlying Au nanoparticles are established.

The effect of zinc addition on the oxidation state of cobalt in Co/ZrO2 catalysts.

The effect of zinc promotion on the oxidation state of cobalt in Co/ZrO(2) catalysts was investigated and correlated with the activity and selectivity for ethanol steam reforming (ESR). Catalysts were synthesized by applying incipient wetness impregnation and characterized by using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Higher ethanol conversion and lower CH(4) selectivity are observed for the Co/ZrO(2) catalyst promoted with Zn as compared to the Co/ZrO(2) catalyst alone. Addition of Zn inhibits the oxidation of metallic cobalt (Co(0) ) particles and results in a higher ratio of Co(0) /Co(2+) in the Zn-promoted Co/ZrO(2) catalyst. These results suggest that metallic cobalt (Co(0) ) is more active than Co(2+) in the ethanol conversion through dehydrogenation and that Co(2+) may play a role in the CH(4) formation. TPR measurements, on the other hand, reveal that Zn addition inhibits the reduction of Co(2+) and Co(3+) , which would lead to the false conclusion that oxidized Co is required to reduce the CH(4) formation. Therefore, TPR measurements may not be appropriate to correlate the degree of metal reducibility (in this case Co(0)) with the catalyst activity for reactions, such as ESR, where oxidizing conditions exist.

Carbon-supported Pt

Pt(m)^Ag nanostructures (m being the atomic Pt/Ag ratio, m = 0.1-0.6) were prepared by reflux citrate reduction of PtCl(6)(2-) ions in aqueous solution containing colloidal Ag (6.3 ± 3.9 nm). A distinct alloying of Pt with Ag was detected due to an involvement of the galvanic replacement reaction between PtCl(6)(2-) and metallic Ag colloids. The nanostructure transformed from a structure with an Ag-core and an alloyed PtAg-shell to a hollow PtAg alloy structure with the increase in m. Compared to a commercial E-TEK Pt/C catalyst, the catalytic performance of Pt in the Pt(m)^Ag/C samples for the cathode oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) strongly correlated with the electronic structure of Pt, as a consequence of varied Pt dispersion and Pt-Ag interaction. With either H(2)SO(4) or KOH as an electrolyte, Pt in the Pt(m)^Ag nanostructures with a relatively high m (≥0.4) showed significantly enhanced intrinsic activity whereas Pt in those catalysts with low m (≤0.2) appeared less active than the Pt/C catalyst. These data are used to discuss the role of electronic structure and geometric effects of Pt toward ORR.

Fully dispersed Pt entities on nano-Au dramatically enhance the activity of gold for chemoselective hydrogenation catalysis.

Adding a small amount of fully dispersed Pt entities onto the Au surface in Au/SiO(2) catalyst is found to be an efficient approach to improve the catalytic activity of Au (up to 70-fold) for the hydrogenation of α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, without alternating its selectivity towards C=O or C=C bond hydrogenation.

One-dimensional TiO2 nanomaterials: preparation and catalytic applications.

This work reports on the syntheses of one-dimensional (1D) H2Ti3O7 materials (nanotubes, nanowires and their mixtures) by autoclaving anatase titania (Raw-TiO2) in NaOH-containing ethanol-water solutions, followed by washing with acid solution. The synthesized nanosized materials were characterized using XRD, TEM/HRTEM, BET and TG techniques. The autoclaving temperature (120-180 degrees C) and ethanol-to-water ratio (V(EtOH)/V(H2O) = 0/60 approximately 30/30) were shown to be critical to the morphology of H2Ti3O7 product. The obtained H2Ti3O7 nanostructures were calcined at 400-900 degrees C to prepare 1D-TiO2 nanomaterials. H2Ti3O7 nanotubes were converted to anatase nanorods while H2Ti3O7 nanowires to TiO2(B) nanowires after the calcination at 400 degrees C. The calcination at higher temperatures led to gradual decomposition of the wires to rods and phase transformation from TiO2(B) to anatase then to rutile. Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange was conducted to compare the photocatalytic activity of these 1D materials. These 1D materials were used as new support to prepare Au/TiO2 catalysts for CO oxidation at 0 degrees C and 1,3-butadiene hydrogenation at 120 degrees C. For the CO oxidation reaction, Au particles supported on anatase nanorods derived from the H2Ti3O7 nanotubes (Au/W-180-400) were 1.6 times active that in Au/P25-TiO2, 4 times that in Au/Raw-TiO2, and 8 times that on TiO2(B) nanowires derived from the H2Ti3O7 nanotubes (Au/M-180-400). For the hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene, however, the activity of Au particles in Au/M-180-400 was 3 times higher than those in Au/W-180-400 but similar to those in Au/P25-TiO2. These results demonstrate that the potential of 1D-TiO2 nanomaterials in catalysis is versatile.

Surprisingly strong effect of stabilizer on the properties of Au nanoparticles and Pt

We show that the electrocatalytic properties of nearly monodispersed Au nanoparticles (NPs) and their derived Pt-on-Au (Pt^Au) nanostructures with similarly dispersed Pt entities are dependent on the nature of stabilizers involved in the colloidal syntheses of the Au particles. The effect of stabilizer on the activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of Au NPs significantly outweighed the Au nano-size effect and thus would raise an alert to those reported size-dependent properties of metal NPs carrying various stabilizers in earlier studies. It is also demonstrated that the stabilizer effect on the property of Au NPs can further induce changes in the catalytic properties of their carried Pt. These findings clearly suggest that a proper screening of the stabilizer in the colloidal synthesis of metal NPs would be important for innovative nanomaterials and catalysts.

A key to the storage stability of Au/TiO(2) catalyst.

The effect of Au(3+) percentage in Au/TiO(2) on its storage stability at room temperature was studied by varying the drying temperature and storage duration of a deposition-precipitation prepared Au/TiO(2) sample. Carefully-designed room temperature storage in a desiccator, in the dark to exclude any interference of light irradiation, was referenced to the freezing storage (255 K) in a refrigerator. The samples were characterized by well-calibrated H(2)-TPR, TEM and TG measurements. Reduction of Au(3+) ions and agglomeration of metallic Au particles were shown to be the main reasons for the deterioration of Au/TiO(2) during desiccator-storage. Correlating the percentage of Au(3+) ions, determined by H(2)-TPR, with the storage stability of Au/TiO(2) for CO oxidation at 273 K revealed that Au/TiO(2) samples with higher Au(3+) percentages (>90%) were much more stable during the desiccator-storage than those with higher percentages of metallic Au. Residual water in fresh Au/TiO(2) before storage showed a promotional effect on gold reduction and agglomeration during storage. By maximizing the percentage of Au(3+) ions and minimizing the residual water in the fresh sample, the deterioration of the Au/TiO(2) catalyst was successfully avoided during desiccator-storage of up to 150 days in dark. A possible mechanism of Au/TiO(2) deterioration during the desiccator-storage was also discussed.

Giant vesicle formation through self-assembly of chitooligosaccharide-based graft copolymers.

A simple approach is described for the preparation of chitooligosaccharide-based giant vesicles with variable size by simply tuning the water content in the water-dioxane mixture, by which reactive vesicles with diameters in the range of 0.5-400 microm were easily prepared.

Single-phase titania nanocrystallites and nanofibers from titanium tetrachloride in acetone and other ketones.

Single-phase titania nanomaterials were prepared by autoclaving titanium tetrachloride in acetone at 80-140 degrees C. Depending on the molar ratio of TiCl4 to acetone (TiCl4/Ac), TiO2 materials with different phases and morphologies were obtained. When the TiCl4 concentration was no higher than TiCl4/Ac=1/15, single-phase anatase TiO2 nanocrystals in sizes ranging from 4 to 10 nm were prepared by tuning TiCl4/Ac ratios from 1/90 to 1/15. However, when the TiCl4 concentration was high enough (e.g., TiCl4/Ac>or=1/10), single-phase rutile TiO2 nanofibers were obtained selectively. The materials were characterized comprehensively using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and nitrogen adsorption measurements. With the aid of GC/MS analysis of organic products in the liquid phase, it is shown that the controlled hydrolysis of TiCl4 with water, which was in situ generated from the TiCl4-catalyzed aldol condensation reactions of acetones, played an important role in the formation of the titania nanomaterials. Some of the organic condensates may function to stabilize the phase and morphology of the materials. This mechanism was also supported by our success in using other ketones as alternatives to acetone in the synthesis.

Platinum covering of gold nanoparticles for utilization enhancement of Pt in electrocatalysts.

This work attempts to enhance platinum utilization in a Pt-based electrocatalyst by the tuned covering of gold nanoparticles with small Pt entities. Reductive deposition of Pt on Au nanoparticles of two size ranges (Au-I: 10 +/- 1.2 nm, Au-II: 3 +/- 0.6 nm) up to different atomic Pt : Au ratios (m) was used to prepare two series of samples named Pt(m)insertion markAu-I and Pt(m)insertion markAu-II particles, respectively. The obtained Pt(m)insertion markAu particles were characterized with TEM, XPS, UV-Vis and XRD techniques, and then loaded on conventional Vulcan XC-72 carbon to make Pt(m)insertion markAu/C electrocatalysts. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements showed that the electrochemical active surface area (EAS) and Pt utilization (U(Pt)) in Pt(m)insertion markAu/C were enhanced remarkably at m< or = 0.2 for Pt(m)insertion markAu-I/C or m< or = 0.5 for Pt(m)insertion markAu-II/C, in comparison to conventional Pt/C electrocatalyst. In particular, U(Pt) was enhanced to nearly 100% in Pt(m)insertion markAu-I/C catalysts at m< or = 0.05 and in Pt(m)insertion markAu-II/C at m< or = 0.1. In the CV measurement of methanol electro-oxidation, the specific mass activity of Pt in Pt(m)insertion markAu/C catalysts was found in proportional to U(Pt), confirming that the enhancement of Pt utilization is essential for the development of highly active Pt-based electrocatalysts. The highly dispersed Pt entities on Au nanoparticles proved to be stable during the electro-oxidation of methanol. Our study also showed that the use of smaller Au nanoparticles is advantageous for the generation of more active Pt catalyst at higher atomic Pt : Au ratios.

Remarkable nanosize effect of zirconia in Au/ZrO2 catalyst for CO oxidation.

Nanosize effect of ZrO2 in Au/ZrO2 catalyst was studied by deposition-precipitation of Au nanoparticles in similar sizes (4-5 nm) on ZrO2 nanoparticles of varying sizes. The catalysts were characterized with XRD, TEM, XPS, and nitrogen adsorption to understand the effect of ZrO2 particle size on the catalytic nanostructures. Nanocomposite Au/ZrO2 catalysts consisting of comparably sized Au-metal (4-5 nm) and ZrO2 (5-15 nm) nanoparticles are found advantageous over those containing similarly sized Au-metal but larger ZrO2 (40-200 nm) particles for CO oxidation. This finding may have important implications on the designed preparation of advanced nanostructured catalysts and other chemical materials.