One-Pot Green Synthesis of 1, 4-Dihydropyridine Derivatives Using Polyindole TiO2 Nanocatalyst by Solvent Free Method

This study used a Polyindole in combination with TiO2 nanocatalyst as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst to carry out a multi-component Hantzsch reaction involving different aromatic aldehydes with methyl acetoacetate, and aqueous ammonium to create 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives under solvent free condition at ambient temperature. A broad range of aldehydes and methyl acetoacetates, ranging from heteroaromatic to polyaromatic one, with high level of functional group tolerance can be used to provide the desired products possessing relevant medicinal moiety in high yields. This technology has prospective advantages over current protocols, including the utilization of a cheap, stable, recyclable, and safe catalyst, quicker reaction times with higher yields and simple product isolation.

Effects of Co_3O_4 nanocatalyst morphology on CO oxidation:Synthesis process map and catalytic activity

This study focuses on drawing a hydrothermal synthesis process map for Co3O4 nanoparticles with various morphologies and investigating the effects of Co3O4 nanocatalyst morphology on CO oxidation.A series of cobalt-hydroxide-carbonate nanoparticles with various morphologies（i.e.,nanorods,nanosheets,and nanocubes） were successfully synthesized,and Co3O4 nanoparticles were obtained by thermal decomposition of the cobalt-hydroxide-carbonate precursors.The results suggest that the cobalt source is a key factor for controlling the morphology of cobalt-hydroxide-carbonate at relatively low hydrothermal temperatures（≤ 140℃）.Nanorods can be synthesized in CoCl2 solution,while Co（NO3）2 solution promotes the formation of nanosheets.Further increasing the synthesis temperature（higher than 140 ℃） results in the formation of nanocubes in either Co（NO3）2 or CoCl2 solution.The reaction time only affects the size of the obtained nanoparticles.The presence of CTAB could improve the uniformity and dispersion of particles.Co3O4 nanosheets showed much higher catalytic activity for CO oxidation than nanorods and nanocubes because it has more abundant Co^（3＋） on the surface,much higher reducibility,and better oxygen desorption capacity.

SMFs-supported Pd nanocatalysts in selective acetylene hydrogenation:Pore structure-dependent deactivation mechanism

In the present study,CNFs,ZnO and Al2O3 were deposited on the SMFs panels to investigate the deactivation mechanism of Pd-based catalysts in selective acetylene hydrogenation reaction.The examined supports were characterized by SEM,NH3-TPD and N2adsorption-desorption isotherms to indicate their intrinsic characteristics.Furthermore,in order to understand the mechanism of deactivation,the resulted green oil was characterized using FTIR and SIM DIS.FTIR results confirmed the presence of more unsaturated constituents and then,more branched hydrocarbons formed upon the reaction over alumina-supported catalyst in comparison with the ones supported on CNFs and ZnO,which in turn,could block the pores mouths.Besides the limited hydrogen transfer,N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms results supported that the lowest pore diameters of Al2O3/SMFs close to the surface led to fast deactivation,compared with the other catalysts,especially at higher temperatures.

In situ preparation of well-dispersed CuO nanocatalysts in heavy oil for catalytic aquathermolysis

We developed an in situ synthesis strategy for preparing well-dispersed CuO nanoparticles as aquathermolysis catalyst for viscosity reduction in Shengli heavy oil(China). A Cu(OH)_2-contained microemulsion was employed as a carrier to disperse the precursor Cu(OH)_2 to the heavy oil phase. Under aquathermolysis condition(240 ℃, 2.5 MPa of N_2), the Cu(OH)_2 precursors would first be converted in situ to well-crystallized and size-homogeneous CuO nanoparticles naturally, catalyzed by which the viscosity of Shengli heavy oil could be reduced as much as 94.6%; simultaneously, 22.4% of asphaltenes were converted to light components. The agglomeration of the in situ prepared monoclinic CuO nanoparticles could be negligible throughout the catalytic reaction. Based on the characterization results of ~1 H NMR, elemental analysis and GC-MS of oil samples before and after catalytic aquathermolysis, the mechanism for viscosity reduction of heavy oil in the catalytic system was investigated.

Red Blood Cell-Mimic Nanocatalyst Triggering Radical Storm to Augment Cancer Immunotherapy

Red blood cells(RBCs)have recently emerged as promosing candidates for cancer treatment in terms of relieving tumor hypoxia and inducing oxidative damage against cancer cells,but they are still far from satisfactory due to their limited oxygen transport and reactive oxygen species generation rate in tumor tissue.Herein,artificial RBCs(designated FTP@RBCM)with radical storm production ability were developed for oncotherapy through multidimensional reactivity pathways of Fe-protoporphyrin-based hybrid metal-organic frameworks(FTPs,as the core),including photodynamic/chemodynamic-like,catalase-like and glutathione peroxidase-like activities.Meanwhile,owing to the advantages of long circulation abilities of RBCs provided by their cell membranes(RBCMs),FTP with a surface coated with RBCMs(FTP@RBCM)could enormously accumulate at tumor site to achieve remarkably enhanced therapeutic efficiency.Intriguingly,this ROS-mediated dynamic therapy was demonstrated to induce acute local inflammation and high immunogenic cancer death,which evoked a systemic antitumor immune response when combined with the newly identified T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-containing molecule 3(Tim-3)checkpoint blockade,leading to not only effective elimination of primary tumors but also an abscopal effect of growth suppression of distant tumors.Therefore,such RBC-mimic nanocatalysts with multidimensional catalytic capacities might provide a promising new insight into synergistic cancer treatment.

Catalytic Performance of CeO_2/ZnO Nanocatalysts on the Oxidative Coupling of Methane with Carbon Dioxide and their Fractal Features

CeO2/ZnO nanocatalysts were prepared from the coupling route of homogeneous precipita-tion with microemulsion and the impregnation method. The catalytic performance of these two kinds of catalysts on the oxidative coupling of methane with carbon dioxide was tested and compared; the frac-tal behavior of the nanocatalysts was analyzed using fractal theory. The CeO2/ZnO nanocatalysts had much higher activity than the catalysts prepared by impregnation method. There was no regular relation-ship between the average size of CeO2/ZnO nanocatalysts and their catalytic performance; however, the conversion of methane increased with the increase of the fractal dimension of CeO2/ZnO nanocatalysts.

Silicalite-1 zeolite encapsulated Fe nanocatalyst for Fenton-like degradation of methylene blue

Encapsulation of Fe nanoparticles in zeolite is a promising way to significantly improve the catalytic activity and stability of Fe-based catalysts during the degradation process of organic pollutants.Herein,Fe nanocatalysts were encapsulated into silicalite-1(S-1)zeolite by using a ligand-protected method(with dicyandiamide(DCD)as a organic ligand)under direct hydrothermal synthesis condition.High-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM)results confirmed the high dispersion of Fe nanocatalysts which were successfully encapsulated within the voids among the primary particles of the S-1 zeolite.The developed S-1 zeolite encapsulated Fe nanocatalyst(Fe@S-1)exhibited significantly improved catalytic activity and reusability in the catalytic degradation process of methylene blue(MB).Specifically,the developed Fe0.021@S-1 catalyst showed high catalytic degradation activity,giving a high MB degradation efficiency of 100%in 30 min,outperformed the conventional impregnated catalyst(Fe/S-1).Moreover,the Fe@S-1 catalyst afforded an outstanding stability,showing only ca.7.9%activity loss after five cycling tests,while the Fe/S-1 catalyst presented a significantly activity loss of 50.9%after only three cycles.Notably,the encapsulation strategy enabled a relatively lower Fe loading in the Fe@S-1 catalyst in comparison with that of the Fe/S-1 catalyst,i.e.,0.35%vs.0.81%(mass).Radical scavenging experiments along with electron spin resonance(ESR)measurements confirmed that the major role of
OH in the MB degradation process.Specifically,Fe@S-1 catalyst with high molar ratio of[Fe(DCD)]Cl3 is beneficial to form Fe complexes/nanoclusters in the voids(which has large pore size of 1–2 nm)among the primary particles of the zeolite,and thus improving the diffusion and accessibility of reactants to Fe active sites,and thus exhibiting a relatively higher degradation efficiency.This work demonstrates that zeolite-encapsulated Fe nanocatalysts present potential applications in the advanced oxidation of wastewater treatment.

Oxidative Coupling of Methane over Li/MgO： Catalyst and Nanocatalyst Performance

The Li/MgO catalyst and nanocatalyst were prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation and sol-gel method, respectively. The catalytic performance of the Li/MgO catalyst and nanocatalyst on oxidative coupling of methane was compared. The catalysts prepared in two ways were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface and transmission electron microscope. The catalyst was tested at temperature of 973-1073 K with constant total pressure of 101 kPa. Experimental results showed that Li/MgO nanocatalyst in the oxidative coupling of methane would result in higher conversion of methane, higher selectivity, and higher yield of main products （ethane and ethylene） compared to ordinary catalyst. The results show the improved influence of nanoscale Li/MgO catalyst performance on oxidative coupling of methane.

Kinetic studies on extra heavy crude oil upgrading using nanocatalysts by applying CFD techniques

Regarding the growth of global energy consumption and the paucity of light crude oil, extracting and using heavy and extra heavy crude oil has received much more attention, but the application of this kind of oil is complicated due to its very high molecular weight. High viscosity and low flowability complicate the transportation of heavy and extra heavy crude oil. Accordingly, it is essential to reduce the viscosity of heavy and extra heavy crude oil through in-situ operations or immediate actions after extraction to reduce costs. Numerical simulations are influential methods, because they reduce calculation time and costs. In this study, the cracking of extra heavy crude oil using computational fluid dynamics is simulated, and a unique kinetic model is proposed based on experimental procedures to predict the behavior of extra heavy crude oil cracking reaction. Moreover, the hydrodynamics and heat transfer of the system and influence of nanocatalysts and temperature on the upgrading of crude oil are studied. The geometry of a reactor is produced using commercial software, and some experiments are performed to examine the validity and accuracy of the numerical results. The findings reveal that there is a good agreement between the numerical and experimental results. Furthermore, to investigate the main factors affecting the process, sensitivity analysis is adopted. Results show that type of catalyst and concentration of catalyst are the parameters that influence the viscosity reduction of extra heavy crude oil the most. The findings further revealed that when using a 25 nm SiO_2 nanocatalyst, a maximum viscosity reduction of 98.67% is observed at 623 K. Also, a catalyst concentration of 2.28 wt% is best for upgrading extra heavy crude oil. The results obtained through sensitivity analysis, simulation model, and experiments represent effectual information for the design and development of high performance upgrading processes for energy applications.

A simple kinetic model for oxidative coupling of methane over La_(0.6)Sr_(0.4)Co_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_(3-δ) nanocatalyst

A simplified kinetic model for the oxidative coupling of methane over a La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ nanocatalyst is presented. The kinetic model was developed by experimental data in a catalytic micro-reactor covering a wide range of reaction conditions （0.04〈PO2〈0.15 atm, 0.2〈PCH4〈0.85 atm, 800〈T 〈900 °C）. Power law rate expressions were used for all reactions. The reaction scheme proposed in this work includes the most important reactions of oxidative coupling of methane and those involved in most of the available mechanisms in the literature. From the experimental data, kinetic parameters, i.e., pre-exponential factors, activation energies and power law exponents, were estimated. The compatibility of model results with experimental data was investigated and the accuracy of the model prediction was evaluated. Rates of methane consumption, C2＋ and COx formation, methane conversion, and C2＋ selectivity and yield were compared with experimental data using presented kinetics. The kinetic model was also compared with four previous kinetic models in terms of methane conversion.

In situ XRD Studies on Heat-treated PtRu/C Nanocatalysts

Extremely small PtRu/C nanocatalysts were prepared via a carbonyl route. A thorough in situ reduction X-ray structural characterization of these catalysts was performed. After synthesis and storage under ambient condi- tions, the diffraction patterns of PtRu/C catalysts were seriously modified, indicating the surface oxide formation. In the reduced state, the particle size is around 2 nm. The observed relative fluctuations of lattice constants are 3%, which is far too large to be explained by a compositional fluctuation. Their origin is attributed to strong but isotropic strains and is related to the alloy formation. The annealing experiments show all the catalysts present an exceptional thermal stability when annealed in inert ambient, especially that of the Pt1Ru1/C catalyst. Besides, it is interesting to note that there is no thermal expansion evidence from the patterns.

Improving plasma sterilization by constructing a plasma photocatalytic system with a needle array corona discharge and Au plasmonic nanocatalyst

Efficient sterilization by a plasma photocatalytic system(PPS)requires strong synergy between plasma and photocatalyst to inactivate microorganisms while suppressing the formation of secondary pollutants.Here,we report that a PPS constructed from a needle array corona discharge and Au/TiO2plasmonic nanocatalyst could remarkably improve the sterilization of Escherichia coli(E.coli)and alleviate formation of the discharge pollutant O3.At 6 kV,the combination of corona discharge and Au/TiO2achieves sterilization efficiency of 100%within an exposure time of 5 min.At 5 kV and an exposure time of 8 min,the presence of Au/TiO2improves sterilization efficiency of the corona discharge from 73%to 91%and reduces the O3concentration from 0.38 to 0.04 ppm,whereas the presence of TiO2reduces the sterilization efficiency and O3concentration to 66%and 0.17 ppm,respectively.The Au/TiO2in the PPS enables a uniform corona discharge,enhances the interaction between plasma,E.coli and nanocatalysts,and suppresses the formation of O3.Further,the Au/TiO2can be excited by ultraviolet-visible light emitted from the plasma to generate electron-hole pairs,and thus contributes to the formation of reactive radicals and the oxidative inactivation of E.coli.The PPS constructed from a needle array corona discharge and Au-based plasmonic nanocatalyst provides a promising approach for developing high-efficiency sterilization techniques.

Crystal facet engineering coexposed CuIn(200)and In(101)in CuIn alloy nanocatalysts enabling selective and stable CO_(2)electroreduction

The electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction(eCO_(2)RR)into high-value-added chemicals and fuels is a promising strategy to mitigate global warming.However,it remains a significant stumbling block to the rationally tuning lattice plane of the catalyst with high activity to produce the target product in the eCO_(2)RR process.To attempt to solve this problem,the Culn bimetallic alloy nanocatalyst with specifically exposed lattice planes is modulated and electrodeposited on the nitrogen-doped porous carbon cloth by a simple two-step electrodeposition method,which induces high Faraday efficiency of 80%towards HCOO-(FEHCOO-)with a partial current density of 13.84 mA cm-2at-1.05 V(vs.RHE).Systematic characterizations and theoretical modeling reveal that the specific coexposed Culn(200)and In(101)lattice facets selectively adsorbed the key intermediate of OCHO*,reducing the overpotential of HCOOH and boosting the FEHCOO-in a wide potential window(-0.65--1.25 V).Moreover,a homogeneous distribution of Culn nanoparticles with an average diameter of merely~3.19 nm affords exposure to abundant active sites,meanwhile prohibiting detachment and agglomeration of nanoparticles during eCO_(2)RR for enhanced stability attributing to the self-assembly electrode strategy.This study highlights the synergistic effect between catalytic activity and facet effect,which opens a new route in surface engineering to tune their electrocatalytic performance.

Graphene derivatives supported nanocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

Very recent progress on the graphene derivatives supported variable nanocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in fuel cell is reviewed. First, common electrochemical techniques to characterize graphene-based electrocatalysts are mentioned. Second, recent updates on gra- phene-derived electrocatalysts are introduced. In this part, both electrochemical activity and stabil- ity of Pt catalysts can be improved when they are supported by reduced graphene oxide （RGO）. Other noble-metal catalysts including Pd, Au, and Ag showing comparable performance have been investigated. The stability of Pd catalyst is enhanced by RGO or few-layered graphene support. Syn- thetic approaches for Au or Ag catalysts supported on graphene oxide are discussed. In addition, non-noble transition metals in N4-chelate complexes can reduce oxygen electrochemically. Fe and Co are cheap alternative catalysts for ORR. In most cases, the stability and tolerance issues are overcome well, but their overall performances don＇t seem to surpass Pt/C catalyst yet,

Tungsten-based nanocatalysts with different structures for visible light responsive photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A

Environmental pollution,such as water contamination,is a critical issue that must be absolutely addressed.Here,three different morphologies of tungsten-based photocatalysts(WO_(3)nanorods,WO_(3)/WS_(2)nanobricks,WO_(3)/WS_(2)nanorods)are made using a simple hydrothermal method by changing the solvents(H_(2)O,DMF,aqueous HCl solution).The as-prepared nanocatalysts have excellent thermal stability,large porosity,and high hydrophilicity.The results show all materials have good photocatalytic activity in aqueous media,with WO_(3)/WS_(2)nanorods(NRs)having the best activity in the photodegradation of bisphenol A(BPA)under visible-light irradiation.This may originate from increased migration of charge carriers and effective prevention of electron–hole recombination in WO_(3)/WS_(2)NRs,whereby this photocatalyst is able to generate more reactive·OH and·O_(2)^(–)species,leading to greater photocatalytic activity.About 99.6% of BPA is photodegraded within 60 min when using 1.5 g/L WO_(3)/WS_(2)NRs and 5.0 mg/L BPA at pH 7.0.Additionally,the optimal conditions(pH,catalyst dosage,initial BPA concentration)for WO_(3)/WS_(2)NRs are also elaborately investigated.These rod-like heterostructures are expressed as potential catalysts with excellent photostability,efficient reusability,and highly active effectivity in different types of water.In particular,the removal efficiency of BPA by WO_(3)/WS_(2)NRs reduces by only 1.5% after five recycling runs and even reaches 89.1%in contaminated lake water.This study provides promising insights for the nearly complete removal of BPA from wastewater or different water resources,which is advantageous to various applications in environmental remediation.

Surface engineering of 1D nanocatalysts for value-added selective electrooxidation of organic chemicals

Electrolytic water splitting by renewable energy is a technology with great potential for producing hydrogen(H_(2))without carbon emission,but this technical route is hindered by its huge energy(electricity)cost,which is mainly wasted by the anode oxygen evolution reaction(OER)while the value of the anode product(oxygen)is very limited.Replacing the high-energy-cost OER with a selective organic compound electrooxidation carried out at a relatively lower potential can reduce the electricity cost while producing value-added chemicals.Currently,H_(2) generation coupled with synthesis of value-added organic compounds faces the challenge of low selectivity and slow generation rate of the anodic products.One-dimensional(1D)nanocatalysts with a unique morphology,well-defined active sites,and good electron conductivity have shown excellent performance in many electrocatalytic reactions.The rational design and regulation of 1D nanocatalysts through surface engineering can optimize the adsorption energy of intermediate molecules and improve the selectivity of organic electrooxidation reactions.Herein,we summarized the recent research progress of 1D nanocatalysts applied in different organic electrooxidation reactions and introduced several different fabrication strategies for surface engineering of 1D nanocatalysts.Then,we focused on the relationship between surface engineering and the selectivity of organic electrooxidation reaction products.Finally,future challenges and development prospects of 1D nanocatalysts in the coupled system consisting of organic electrooxidation and hydrogen evolution reactions are briefly outlined.

Insights into the mechanism of multiple Cu-doped Co Fe_(2)O_(4)nanocatalyst activated peroxymonosulfate for efficient degradation of Rhodamine B

The multiple metal catalyst as a promising nanomaterial has shown excellent activity in the peroxymonosulfate(PMS)activation for pollutant degradation.However,the role of special sites and in-depth understanding of the PMS activation mechanism are not fully studied.In this study,a Cu-doped CoFe_(2)O_(4)nanocatalyst(0.5CCF)was synthesized by a sol-gel and calcination method,and used for PMS activation to remove Rhodamine B(RhB).The results showed that the Cu doping obviously enhanced the catalytic performance of CoFe_(2)O_(4),with 99.70%of RhB removed by 0.5CCF while 74.91%in the CoFe_(2)O_(4)within 15 min.Based on the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical analysis,this could be ascribed to the more low valence of Co and Fe species generated on the 0.5CCF and faster electron transfers occurred in the 0.5CCF due to the Cu doping.In addition,Cu doping could provide more reaction sites for the 0.5CCF to activate PMS for RhB removal.The metal species and the surface hydroxyl were the reaction sites of PMS activation,and the surface hydroxyl played an important role in surface-bound reactive species generation.During the PMS activation,the Cu not only activated PMS to produce reactive oxygen species(ROS),but also regenerated Co^(2+)and Fe^(2+)to accelerate the PMS activation.The non-radical of ^(1)O_(2)was the main ROS with a 99.35%of contribution rate,and the SO_(5)^(·–)self-reaction was its major source.This study provides a new insight to enhance the PMS activation performance of multiple metal catalysts by Cu doping in wastewater treatment.

Copper-based nanocatalysts toward chemoselective hydrogenation reaction

Cu-based catalysts are widely used in various heterogeneous catalytic reaction systems,the precise control of their electronic structure is an intrinsic require-ment for the rational design of metal catalysts,and it is also an important basis for clarifying their structure-activity relationships.Changing the electronic structure of Cu-based catalysts is an important way to improve the catalytic hydrogenation performance of Cu-based catalysts by controlling the adsorption intensity be-tween the reaction adsorbate and the active center.In this paper,the application of selective hydrogenation of Cu-based catalysts is reviewed,with a special emphasis on the selective catalytic hydrogenation reduction of p-nitrostyrene and CO_(2).This review particularly emphasizes the application of Cu-based catalysts in the field of selective hydrogenation and discusses the influence of their different properties on selective hydrogenation performance.