A Review on Engineering Transition Metal Compound Catalysts to Accelerate the Redox Kinetics of Sulfur Cathodes for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Engineering transition metal compounds(TMCs)catalysts with excellent adsorption-catalytic ability has been one of the most effec-tive strategies to accelerate the redox kinetics of sulfur cathodes.Herein,this review focuses on engineering TMCs catalysts by cation doping/anion doping/dual doping,bimetallic/bi-anionic TMCs,and TMCs-based heterostructure composites.It is obvious that introducing cations/anions to TMCs or constructing heterostructure can boost adsorption-catalytic capacity by regulating the electronic structure including energy band,d/p-band center,electron filling,and valence state.Moreover,the elec-tronic structure of doped/dual-ionic TMCs are adjusted by inducing ions with different electronegativity,electron filling,and ion radius,resulting in electron redistribution,bonds reconstruction,induced vacancies due to the electronic interaction and changed crystal structure such as lat-tice spacing and lattice distortion.Different from the aforementioned two strategies,heterostructures are constructed by two types of TMCs with different Fermi energy levels,which causes built-in electric field and electrons transfer through the interface,and induces electron redistribution and arranged local atoms to regulate the electronic structure.Additionally,the lacking studies of the three strategies to comprehensively regulate electronic structure for improving catalytic performance are pointed out.It is believed that this review can guide the design of advanced TMCs catalysts for boosting redox of lithium sulfur batteries.

PREPARATION OF POLYPROPYLENE/CLAY NANOCOMPOSITES BY in situ POLYMERIZATION WITH TiCl_4/MgCl_2/CLAY COMPOUND CATALYST

TiCl4/MgCl2/clay compound catalyst was prepared by chemical reaction. Exfoliated polypropylene （PP）/clay nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ polymerization with this compound catalyst. Effects of polymerization temperature, polymerization time, propylene pressure, solvent consumption and pre-treat time of catalyst on catalyst activity and catalytic stereospecificity were studied. Under optimal conditions, activity of the nano-compound catalyst is about 88.3 kg/（mol Ti-h）. Isotacticity of PP obtained in the nanocomposites is in the range of 89%-99%, and its melting temperature is about 159℃. The weight-average molecular weight of PP can reach 6.7 × 10^5 - 7.8 × 10^5, and the molecular weight distribution is between 7.7 and 7.9.

Hydrogen production via steam reforming of bio-oil model compounds over supported nickel catalysts

The steam reforming of four bio-oil model compounds（acetic acid,ethanol,acetone and phenol） was investigated over Ni-based catalysts supported on Al2O3 modified by Mg,Ce or Co in this paper.The activation process can improve the catalytic activity with the change of high-valence Ni（Ni2O3,NiO） to low-valence Ni（Ni,NiO）.Among these catalysts after activation,the Ce-Ni/Co catalyst showed the best catalytic activity for the steam reforming of all the four model compounds.After long-term experiment at 700°C and the S/C ratio of 9,the Ce-Ni/Co catalyst still maintained excellent stability for the steam reforming of the simulated bio-oil（mixed by the four compounds with the equal masses）.With CaO calcinated from calcium acetate as CO2 sorbent,the catalytic steam reforming experiment combined with continuous in situ CO2 adsorption was performed.With the comparison of the case without the adding of CO2 sorbent,the hydrogen concentration was dramatically improved from 74.8% to 92.3%,with the CO2 concentration obviously decreased from 19.90% to 1.88%.

SYNTHESIS OF ALLANTOIN USING HETEROPOLY COMPOUNDS AS CATALYSTS

Allantoin was synthesized with the yield as high as 68.5% using H3PW12O40. xH(2)O as catalyst. Optimum conditions for the synthesis were determined. It. was found that the heteropoly compound has higher catalytic activity than conventional inorganic acid catalysts (such as hydrochloric acid, etc.)

Ni-Co/Mg-Al catalyst derived from hydrotalcite-like compound prepared by plasma for dry reforming of methane

Ni-Co bimetallic catalysts with different Ni/Co content were derived from cold plasma jet decomposition and reduction of hydrotalcite-like compounds containing Ni,Co,Mg and Al,and their catalytic performance was investigated with dry reforming of methane.Experimental results showed that the hydrotalcite-like precursors could be completely decomposed and partly reduced by cold plasma jet,and the Nicontained catalysts exhibited much higher activity than the catalyst without Ni.Especially,the catalyst with Ni/Co ratio of 8/2 achieved not only the highest conversions of 80.3%and 69.3%for CH4 and CO2,respectively,but also the best stability in 100 h testing.The catalysts were characterized by XRD,XPS,TEM and N2 adsorption techniques,and the results showed that the better performance of the 8Ni2Co bimetallic catalyst was attributed to its higher metal dispersion,smaller metal particle size,as well as the interaction effect between Ni and Co,which were brought by the special catalyst preparation method.

Reduction of Sulphur-containing Aromatic Nitro Compounds with Hydrazine Hydrate over Iron(III) Oxide-MgO Catalyst

Sulphur-containing aromatic amines were prepared efficiently in good to excellent yields by reduction of the corresponding sulphur-containing aromatic nitro compounds with hydrazine hydrate in the presence of iron（Ⅲ） oxide-MgO catalyst. The catalyst exhibited high activity and stability for the reduction of sulphur-containing aromatic nitro compounds. The yields of sulphur-containing aromatic amines were up to 91-99 % at 355 K after reduction for 1-4 h over this catalyst.

Preparation of Sulphur-containing Aromatic Amines by Reduction of the Corresponding Aromatic Nitro Compounds with Hydrazine Hydrate over Iron Oxide Hydroxide Catalyst

Sulphur-containing aromatic nitro compounds were rapidly reduced to the corresponding amines in high yields by employing hydrazine hydrate as a hydrogen donor in the presence of iron oxide hydroxide catalyst. It was worth noting that the catalyst exhibited extremely high activity. The reduction could be completed within 20-50 min and the yields were up to 97-99 %.

Electronic Effect of Carbon Support on Pt Catalyst Supported on Graphite Intercalation Compound

Graphite intercalation compounds（GIC） were tested as an experimental model for studying the electronic effect of carbon support on the catalytic activity and poisoning tolerance of Pt catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells. The GIC samples with different intercalation degrees were prepared by electrolyzing graphite flake in H2SO4 for varying the periods of time. The GIC-supported Pt catalyst was deposited electrochemically. The catalytic activity and poisoning tolerance of the GIC-supported Pt catalysts were evaluated. It was found that GIC with sulfate anion as intercalate was able to catalyze methanol electrooxidation, which could be related to the positive charges generated on the graphite layer upon intercalation. As intercalation degree increased, the catalytic activity of the GIC-supported Pt catalyst decreased while the poisoning tolerance improved. This suggests that electron donation from support to catalyst had great effect on both catalytic activity and poisoning tolerance of Pt catalyst. And intercalation can be adopted as another important way to make modification on carboneous catalyst support.

I₂/Nanostructured Pyrophosphate : A Mild and Efficient Catalyst for the Selective Protection of Carbonyl Compounds

A new solvent free method for protection of carbonyl compounds as their thioacetals has been accomplished through the use of iodine supported on nanostructured pyrophosphate. Advantages of the methodology include very short reaction time, the requirement for minimum amounts of catalyst, the remarkably simple experimental procedure, and no necessity for solvents or inert atmospheres, excellent yields and recyclability of the catalyst used. An efficient method for the chemoselective thioacetalization of ketones in the presence of aldehydes using I2/nanostructured pyrophosphate is also reported in this article. The nanostructured pyrophosphate was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis, respectively.

Synthesis of Tungstophosphates of Heteropoly Compound and Its Catalytic Property in Oxidative Desulfurization of Diesel

Several kinds of Tungstophosphates of Heteropoly Compounds （TPHC） with different compositions and the same structure were synthesized using the method of solid-phase reaction to change the tool ratio of Na4P2O7·10H2O, WO3 and Na2WO4 · 2H2O. TPHC, as a catalyst, was used in oxidative desulfurization of diesel. The results show that TPHC has catalytic activity. With THPC existing, the highest desulfurization rate reaches 51.85%, 32.6% higher than that yield without TPHC. And the desulfiarization rate increases with decreasing WO3. FT-IR spectra of TPHC shows that the catalytic activity is related to the activity of end oxygen（Od）.The more active Od is, the stronger the capability of obtaining or losing electron is. It means that TPHC has a good catalytic activity. FT-IR spectra of TPHC indicates that desulfurization rate is in linear correlation with Iw-Od/Ip-Od/ Iw-Od is intensity of W-Od vibration band, Ip-Od is intensity of P-Od vibration band） and correlation coefficient reaches 0.965.

Catalytic combustion of ethyl acetate over CeMnO_x and CeMnZrO_x compounds synthesized by coprecipitation method

Ce0.6Mn0.4O2 catalysts with different sources of manganese and Ce0.6-xZrxMn0.4O2 mixed oxide catalysts were prepared by coprecipitation method and were characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption,TPR,XRD,and XPS techniques.The activities of the prepared catalysts for ethyl acetate combustion,and the effects of calcination temperature and space velocity on catalytic activity were investigated.The results showed that partial replacement of Mn（NO3）2 with KMnO4 as sources of manganese could improve activities of catalysts.Ce0.45Zr0.15Mn0.4O2 catalyst exhibited the best catalytic activity and high thermal stability,e.g.,T90 could be still below 210℃ even if space velocity was up to 20000h-1.

Catalytic steam methane reforming enhanced by CO_2 capture on CaO based bi-functional compounds

Sorption enhanced steam methane reforming（SE-SMR） was performed to maximize hydrogen production and contemporary remove COfrom the product stream using bi-functional sorbent-catalyst compounds.Samples were tested at two different scales: micro and laboratory. The CaO amount varied in the CaO-CaAlOsorbent system synthesized by wet mixing(CaO content of 100 wt%, 56 wt%, 30 wt%, or 0 wt% and balance of CaAlO) which were upgraded to bi-functional compounds by impregnation of 3 wt% of Ni. Nitrogen adsorption（BET/BJH）, X-Ray Diffraction（XRD）, Temperature-Programmed Reduction（TPR） and Scanning and Transmission Electronic Microscopy（SEM and TEM, respectively） analyses were performed to characterize structural and textural properties and reducibility of the bi-functional materials and evaluate their catalytic behavior. A fixed sorbent composition CaO-CaAlO(56 wt% of CaO and CaAlObalance), was chosen to study the effect of different weight hourly space times（WHST） and CHstream compositions in SE-SMR activity. Impregnated mayenite at both micro and laboratory scales showed stable Hcontent of almost 74%, with CHconversion of 72% similarly to the values reported by the sample containing 30 wt% of CaO in the post-breakthrough.Sample with 30 wt% of CaO showed promisingly behavior, enhancing Hcontent up to almost 94.5%.When the sorption enhanced reaction is performed roughly 89% of CHconversion is achieved, and after the pre-breakthrough, the catalyst worked at the thermodynamic level. During cycling sorption/regeneration experiments, even if COremoval efficiency slightly decreases, CHconversion and Hyield remain stable.

Efficient production of ethyl levulinate from cassava over Al2(SO4)3 catalyst in ethanol–water system

One-pot achievement of ethyl levulinate from cassava was conducted in ethanol–water system over several simple sulfate salt catalysts. Al2(SO4)3catalyst had the best performance in synthesizing ethyl levulinate comparing with those of a series of sulfate salts. The highest yields of ethyl levulinate was up to 39.27% as well as 7.78% levulinate acid when cassava was catalyzed in ethanol medium by adding 10 wt% water.13C and1H NMR spectroscopic investigations confirmed that isomerization of glucose to fructose over Al2(SO4)3catalyst is an important step in producing ethyl levulinate and levulinate acid. Due to aggregations of Al3+under hydrothermal conditions, tiny amount of Al3+were detected in filtrate at the percentage of 0.32% even if in absolute water. Brønsted and Lewis acids could improve the yield of ethyl levulinate and levulinate acid by synergistic effect. All results suggested that Al2(SO4)3was a simple and efficient catalyst for ethyl levulinate and levulinate acid production. © 2016 Science Press

Catalytic combustion of toluene over Pd-based monolithic catalysts with a novel washcoat Ce_(0.8)Zr_(0.15)La_(0.05)O_δ

Two novel washcoats Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ and Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 was prepared by an impregnation method, which acted as a host for the active Pd component to prepare Pd/Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ/substrate and Pd/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2/substrate monolithic catalysts for toluene combustion. The washcoats was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Brunauner-Emmett-Teller (BET), and H2-temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR). The result indicated that both the washcoats had strong vibration-shock resistance according to ultrasonic test. Doping La3+ into CeO2-ZrO2 solid solution could generate more oxygen vacancies, and could inhibit the sinter of CeO2-ZrO2 solid solution when calcined at high temperatures (800, 900 and 1000 °C). The washcoat Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ had much better redox properties. The reductive temperature of Ce4+ species shifted to low temperature by 60 °C when the washcoats calcined at high temperatures (800, 900 and 1000 °C). The Pd/Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ/substrate monolithic catalyst calcination at 500 °C had the best catalytic activity and the 95% toluene conversion at a temperature as low as 190 °C. When calcined at low temperature (500 and 700 °C), the catalytic activity has little improvement, however, when calcined at high temperature, the catalytic activity of Pd/Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ/substrate monolithic catalysts had significant improvement. As catalyst washcoat, the Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ had better thermal stability than the washcoat Ce0.8Zr0.2O2, the developed Pd/Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ/ substrate monolithic catalyst in this work was promising for eliminating Volatile organic compounds.

High-yield production of 2,5-dimethylfuran from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural over carbon supported Ni–Co bimetallic catalyst

The catalytic conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) has attracted extensive research interests because DMF can be used as potential and competitive renewable transportation fuel or additives. Here we report a non-noble bimetallic catalyst with improved activity for hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis by introducing active carbon as support into a nickel–cobalt catalyst. The characterizations of the catalyst indicate that the Ni and Co species are uniformly dispersed on the active carbon through the wetness impregnation method. The influences of reaction temperature and hydrogen pressure are systematically investigated and an excellent yield (up to 95%) of DMF can be obtained at relatively mild conditions, 130 °C and 1 MPa H2, over the carbon supported Ni–Co bimetallic catalyst. The high catalytic activity originates from the synergistic effect between Ni and CoOxspecies, the high BET surface area of the catalyst, and the uniform dispersion of Ni and Co species on the active carbon. The catalyst could be reused for 5 times without loss of activity in a batch reactor. Futhermore, the conversion of HMF to DMF on a fixed-bed reactor was also investigated and the 2%Ni–20%Co/C catalyst exhibited an excellent yield to DMF (>90%) for 71 h time on stream, indicating the high activity and stability of the catalyst. © 2016 Science Press

Regulated and Speciated Hydrocarbon Emissions from a Dual Fuel Light Duty Vehicle with and Without a Three-Way Catalyst

The regulated pollutants （CO,HC and NOx） and unregulated pollutants （volatile organic compounds and carbonyl compounds）,emitted from a dual fuel vehicle fueled with gasoline and E10 fuel,are measured under a transient cycle and steady modes.The impacts of a three-way catalyst （TWC） are investigated for the two types of fuels.The measured results show that NOx and acetaldehyde emitted from the E10-fueled car are much more than that from the gasoline-fueled car under the same modes.On the basis of maximum incremental reactivity （MIR） factors and emissions of organic gases,the ozone specific reactivity of the tailpipe gases are evaluated.

CoMnMgAl Hydrotalcite-like Compounds and their Complex Oxides: Facile Synthesis and FCC SO_x Removal

The X-CoMnMgAl hydrotalcite-like precursors(X-LDHs) were first synthesized by the coprecipitation method using Cl-, CO32-, NO3- and SO42- as the corresponding guest anions, which were further used to prepare X-CoMnMgAl complex oxides(X-LDOs) through calcination. The structure and the surface morphology of the as-prepared samples were characterized by FT–IR, XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption and SEM. These as-prepared X-LDOs could act as sulfur-transfer catalysts for desulfurization. The activity of SOx adsorption and regeneration was evaluated via a self-assembled fixed-bed reactor simulating the conditions found in the fluid catalytic cracking units. These four types of sulfur-transfer catalysts with the same phase but different structure displayed the following order of desulfurization efficiency: CO3-LDO >Cl-LDO >NO3-LDO > SO4-LDO.

Toluene Combustion over Pd-Ce_(0.4)Zr_(0.6)O_2 Directly Washcoated Monolithic Catalysts

A Ce0.4Zr0.6O2 washcoat was prepared using an impregnation method, which acted as a host for the active Pd component to prepare a Pd-Ce0.4Zr0.6O2/substrate monolithic catalyst for toluene combustion. The catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, Raman spectroscopy, Brunauner-Emmett-Teller （BET）, and carbon monoxide tonperature-programmed reduction （CO-TPR）. It was found that the washcoat had strong vibration-shock resistance according to an ultrasonic test. The Pd-Ce0.4Zr0.6O2/substrate monolithic catalyst calcined at 400 ℃ showed 95% toluene conversion at a temperature as low as 210 ℃. Furthermore, the lowest temperature for 95% toluene conversion was increased by 40℃ after the catalyst calcined at 900℃, indicating that the catalyst had good thermal stability. The results revealed that the developed catalyst in this study was promising for eliminating volatile organic compounds （VOCs）.