Boric Acid-Assisted Pyrolysis for High-Loading Single-Atom Catalysts to Boost Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Zn-Air Batteries

The emerging of single-atom catalysts(SACs)offers a great opportunity for the development of advanced energy storage and conversion devices due to their excellent activity and durability,but the actual mass production of high-loading SACs is still challenging.Herein,a facile and green boron acid(H_(3)BO_(3))-assisted pyrolysis strategy is put forward to synthesize SACs by only using chitosan,cobalt salt and H_(3)BO_(3)as precursor,and the effect of H_(3)BO_(3)is deeply investigated.The results show that molten boron oxide derived from H_(3)BO_(3)as ideal high-temperature carbonization media and blocking media play important role in the synthesis process.As a result,the acquired Co/N/B tri-doped porous carbon framework(Co-N-B-C)not only presents hierarchical porous structure,large specific surface area and abundant carbon edges but also possesses high-loading single Co atom(4.2 wt.%),thus giving rise to outstanding oxygen catalytic performance.When employed as a catalyst for air cathode in Zn-air batteries,the resultant Co-N-B-C catalyst shows remarkable power density and long-term stability.Clearly,our work gains deep insight into the role of H_(3)BO_(3)and provides a new avenue to synthesis of high-performance SACs.

RuO_(2)/CoMO_(2)O_(x) Catalyst with Low Ruthenium Loading for Long-Term Acidic Oxygen Evolution

We must urgently synthesize highly efficient and stable oxygen-evolution reaction(OER) catalysts for acidic media. Herein, we constructed a series of Ti mesh(TM)-supported RuO_(2)/CoMo_(y)O_(x) catalysts(RuO_(2)/CoMo_(y)O_(x)/TM) with heterogeneous structures. By optimizing the ratio of Co to Mo, RuO_(2)/CoMO_(2)O_(x)/TM with low Ru loading(0.079 mg/cm^(2)) achieves remarkable OER performance(η = 243 mV at 10 mA/cm^(2)) and high stability(300 h @ 10 mA/cm^(2)) in 0.5 mol/L H_(2)SO_(4) electrolyte. The activity of RuO_(2)/CoMo_yO_x/TM can be maintained for 50 h at 100 mA/cm^(2), and a water electrolyzer with RuO_(2)/CoMO_(2)O_(x)/TM as anode can operate for 40 h at 100 mA/cm~2, suggesting the remarkable OER durability of RuO_(2)/CoMo__(y)O__(x)/TM in acidic electrolyte. Owing to the heterogeneous interface between CoMO_(2)O_(x) and RuO_(2), the electronic structure of Ru atoms was optimized and electron-rich Ru was formed. With modulated electronic properties, the dissociation energy of H_(2)O is weakened, and the OER barrier is lowered. This study provides the design of low-cost noble metal catalysts with long-term stability in an acidic environment.

Enhancing selectivity in acidic CO_(2) electrolysis:Cation effects and catalyst innovation

The electrochemical reduction of CO_(2)(eCO_(2)R)under ambient conditions is crucial for reducing carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality.Despite progress with alkaline and neutral electrolytes,their efficiency is limited by(bi)carbonates formation.Acidic media have emerged as a solution,addressing the(bi)carbonates challenge but introducing the issue of the hydrogen evolu-tion reaction(HER),which reduces CO_(2) conversion efficiency in acidic environments.This review focuses on enhancing the selectivity of acidic CO_(2) electrolysis.It commences with an overview of the latest advancements in acidic CO_(2) electrolysis,focusing on product selectivity and electrocatalytic activity enhancements.It then delves into the critical factors shaping selectivity in acidic CO_(2) electrolysis,with a special emphasis on the influence of cations and catalyst design.Finally,the research challenges and personal perspectives of acidic CO_(2) electrolysis are suggested.

Effects of alkaline additives on the formation of lactic acid in sorbitol hydrogenolysis over Ni/C catalyst

Lactic acid is produced as a major byproduct during sorbitol hydrogenolysis under alkaline conditions.We investigated the effects of two different alkaline additives,Ca（OH）2 and La（OH）3,on lactic acid formation during sorbitol hydrogenolysis over Ni/C catalyst.In the case of Ca（OH）2,the selectivity of lactic acid was 8.9%.In contrast,the inclusion of La（OH）3 resulted in a sorbitol conversion of 99% with only trace quantities of lactic acid being detected.In addition,the total selectivity towards the C2 and C4 products increased from 20.0% to 24.5% going from Ca（OH）2 to La（OH）3.These results therefore indicated that La（OH）3 could be used as an efficient alkaline additive to enhance the conversion of sorbitol.Pyruvic aldehyde,which is formed as an intermediate during sorbitol hydrogenolysis,can be converted to both 1,2-propylene glycol and lactic acid by hydrogenation and rearrangement reactions,respectively.Notably,these two reactions are competitive.When Ca（OH）2 was used as an additive for sorbitol hydrogenolysis,both the hydrogenation and rearrangement reactions occurred.In contrast,the use of La（OH）3 favored the hydrogenation reaction,with only trace quantities of lactic acid being formed.

Influence of the structure of TiO_2 , CeO_2 , and CeO_2-TiO_2 supports on the activity of Ru catalysts in the catalytic wet air oxidation of acetic acid

Ru catalysts, supported on TiO 2 , CeO 2 , and CeO 2 -TiO 2 , were prepared by the impregnation method. The effect of the structure of the supports on the activity of Ru catalysts was investigated in the catalytic wet air oxidation （CWAO） of acetic acid under 230℃ and 5 MPa in a batch reactor. Physical properties including the surface area, crystalline phase, and surface components of the Ru catalysts were characterized by N 2 adsorption, X-ray powder diffraction （XRD）, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）. The CeO 2 -based Ru catalysts had good activity, and the prepared RuO 2 /CeO 2 catalyst showed markedly higher activity than the RuO 2 /CeO 2 -TiO 2 catalyst. The surface structure, the high amount of chemisorbed oxygen on the catalyst surface, and the suitable pH pzc value of the supports played an important role in the activity of the Ru catalysts in CWAO of acetic acid.

Preparation and Catalytic Application of Novel Water Tolerant Solid Acid Catalysts of Zirconium Sulfate/HZSM-5

Esterification of acrylic acid（AA） to produce AA esters has widespread application in the chemical industry. A series of water tolerant solid acid catalysts was prepared, and characterized by XRD, nitrogen adsorption, TGA-DTA, XPS, and ammonia adsorption FTIR. The effects of Si/Al ratio, zirconium sulfate（ZS） loading on HZSM-5 and calcination temperature on the esterification were investigated. When 20% （mass fraction） ZS is loaded on HZSM-5, the conversion of AA reaches 100%. XRD analysis indicates that ZS is highly dispersed on HZSM-5 because no crystalline structure assigned to ZS is found. Catalytic activity and hydrophobicity of ZS supported on HZSM-5 are higher compared with those of parent ZS or HZSM-5. Results show that this kind of novel catalysts is an efficient water tolerant solid acid catalyst for esterification reactions.

Synthesis and Performance of Mesoporous Phosphotungstic Acid/Alumina Composite as a Novel Oxidative Desulfurization Catalyst

A series of mesoporous phosphotungstic acid/alumina composites （HPW/Al_2O_3） with various HPW contents were synthesized by evaporation-induced self-assembly method. These composites were characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption, TEM, FTIR, and UV-vis, and were tested as catalysts in oxidation desulfurization of model fuel composed of dibenzothiophene （DBT） and hydrocarbon, using H202 as the oxidant. These composites exhibited high activity in catalytic oxidation of DBT in model fuel and good reusing ability. The best performance was achieved by using the mesoporous HPW/Al_2O_3 with 15wt% HPW content, which resulted in a DBT conversion of 98% after 2 h reaction at 343 K, and it did not show significant activity degradation after 3 recycles. Characterization results showed that the mesoporous structure of alumina and the Keggin structure of HPW were preserved in the formed composite. These results suggested that HPW/ Al_2O_3 could be a promising catalyst in oxidative desulfurization process.

Steam reforming of acetic acid over Ni-Ba/Al2O3 catalysts:Impacts of barium addition on coking behaviors and formation of reaction intermediates

The influence of barium addition to a Ni/Al2O3 catalyst on the reaction intermediates formed,the activity,resistance of the catalyst to coking,and properties of the coke formed after acetic acid steam reforming were investigated in this study.The results showed the drastic effects of barium addition on the physicochemical properties and performances of the catalyst.The solid-phase reaction between alumina and BaO formed BaAl2O4,which re-constructed the alumina structure,resulting in a decrease in the specific surface area and an increase in the resistance of metallic Ni to sintering.The addition of barium was also beneficial for enhancing the catalytic activity,resulting from the changed catalytic reaction network.The in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) study of the acetic acid steam reforming indicated that barium could effectively suppress the accumulation of the reaction intermediates of carbonyl,formate,and C=C functional groups on the catalyst surface,attributed to its relatively high ability to cause the gasification of these species.In addition,coking was considerably more significant over the Ba-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst.Moreover,the Ba-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst was more stable than the Ni/Al2O3catalyst,owing to the distinct forms of coke formed (carbon nanotube form over the Ba-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst,and the amorphous form over the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst).

Oxidation of glyoxal to glyoxylic acid by oxygen over V_2O_5/C catalyst

A novel vanadium oxide catalyst supported on active carbon was prepared by an incipient wetness impregnation method, and the precursor was obtained from oxalic acid aqueous solutions of NH4VO3. The catalyst was applied liquid phase oxidation of glyoxal to glyoxylic acid. It was found that V2O5/C catalyst exhibited obvious activity for glyoxal oxidation. Glyoxylic acid could be obtained without pH regulation during the reaction. By using this catalyst, the conversion of glyoxal and the yield of glyoxalic acid were 29.2% and 13.6%, respectively at 313 K and oxygen flow 0.1 L/rain after reaction for 10 h.

Preparation of Ultrafine and High Dispersion Pd/C Catalyst and Its Electrocatalytic Performance for Formic Acid Oxidation

A carbon supported Pd（Pd/C） catalyst used as the anodic catalyst in the direct formic acid fuel cells（DFAFC） was prepared via the improved complex reduction method with sodium ethylenediamine tetracetate（EDTA） as stabilizer and complexing agent. This method is very simple. The average size of the Pd particles in the Pd/C catalyst prepared with the improved complex reduction method is as small as about 2.1 nm and the Pd particles in the Pd/C catalyst possess an excellent uniformity. The Pd/C catalyst shows a high electrocatalytic activity and stability for the formic acid oxidation.

Preparation of solid acid catalyst SO4^2-/TiO2/γ-Al2O3 for esterification: A study on catalytic reaction mechanism and kinetics

In this work, a series of SO4^2-/TiO2/γ-Al2O3 solid acid catalysts were synthesized by impregnation method, in which nano-TiO2 was prepared by sol–gel method, and then the nano-TiO2 sol was loaded on porous γ-Al2O3 supporter through impregnation. The structure and property of catalyst were characterized by XRD, N2-BET,SEM, TEM, XPS, NH3-TPD, Pyridine-IR and FT-IR. In addition, the catalyst of chelate bidentate coordination acid center model was established. The catalytic performance test was carried out in the esterification of n-butyl alcohol with lauric acid and the catalyst showed excellent activity. The experimental results showed that the medium strength acid sites were more dominant active sites than the strong and weak acid sites for the rapid esterification reaction. Its kinetic behaviors and activation energy were studied for the esterification under the catalytic reaction condition.

Effects of Calcination Temperature on the Acidity and Catalytic Performances of HZSM-5 Zeolite Catalysts for the Catalytic Cracking of n-Butane

The acidic modulations of a series of HZSM-5 catalysts were successfully made by calcination at different treatment temperatures, i.e. 500, 600, 650, 700 and 800 ℃, respectively. The results indicated that the total acid amounts, their density and the amount of B-type acid of HZSM-5 catalysts rapidly decreased, while the amounts of L-type acid had almost no change and thus the ratio of L/B was obviously enhanced with the increase of calcination temperature （excluding 800 ℃）. The catalytic performances of modified HZSM-5 catalysts for the cracking of n-butane were also investigated. The main properties of these catalysts were characterized by means of XRD, N2 adsorption at low temperature, NH3-TPD, FTIR of pyridine adsorption and BET surface area measurements. The results showed that HZSM-5 zeolite pretreated at 800 ℃ had very low catalytic activity for n-butane cracking. In the calcination temperature range of 500-700 ℃, the total selectivity to olefins, propylene and butene were increased with the increase of calcination temperature, while, the selectivity for arene decreased with the calcination temperature. The HZSM-5 zeolite calcined at 700 ℃ produced light olefins with high yield, at the reaction temperature of 650 ℃ the yields of total olefins and ethylene were 52.8% and 29.4%, respectively. Besides, the more important role is that high calcination temperature treatment improved the duration stability of HZSM-5 zeolites. The effect of calcination temperature on the physico-chemical properties and catalytic performance of HZSM-5 for cracking of n-butane was explored. It was found that the calcination temperature had large effects on the surface area, crystallinity and acid properties of HZSM-5 catalyst, which further affected the catalytic performance for n-butane cracking.

Selective oxidation of propane to acrylic acid over mixed metal oxide catalysts

The effects of metal atomic ratio, water content, oxygen content, and calcination temperature on the catalytic performances of MoVTeNbO mixed oxide catalyst system for the selective oxidation of propane to acrylic acid have been investigated and discussed. Among the catalysts studied, it was found that the MoVTeNbO catalyst calcined at a temperature of 600 ℃ showed the best performance in terms of propane conversion and selectivity for acrylic acid under an atmosphere of nitrogen. An effective MoVTeNbO oxide catalyst for propane selective oxidation to acrylic acid was obtained with a combination of a preferred metal atomic ratio （Mo1V0.31Te0.23Nb0.12）. The optimum reaction condition for the selective oxidation of propane was the molar ratio of C3H8 ：O2 ： H2O ： N2 = 4.4： 12.8 ： 15.3 ： 36.9. Under such conditions, the conversion of propane and the maximum yield of acrylic acid reached about 50% and 21%, respectively.

A new solid acid SO_4^(2-)/TiO_2 catalyst modified with tin to synthesize 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate

A new solid acid catalyst,SO4^2-/TiO2 modified with tin,was prepared using a sol-gel method and its physicochemical properties were revealed by nitrogen adsorption-desorption,X-ray powder diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine,temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia and thermal gravimetric analysis.The structure,acidity and thermal stability of the SO4^2-/TiO2-SnO2 catalyst were studied.Incorporating tin enlarged the specific surface area and decreased crystallite size of the SO4^2-/TiO2 catalyst.The total acid sites of the modified catalyst increased and Bronsted acid strength remarkably increased with increasing tin content.The decomposition temperature of sulfate radical in the modified catalyst was 100 ℃ greater and its mass loss was more than twice that of the SO4^2-/TiO2 catalyst.The SO4^2-/TiO2-SnO2 catalyst was designed to synthesize 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate by esterification of 1,6-hexanediol with crylic acid.The yield of 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate exceeded 87% under the optimal reaction conditions：crylic acid to 1,6-hexanediol molar ratio = 3.5,catalyst loading = 7%,reaction temperature = 130 ℃ and reaction time = 3 h.The modified catalyst exhibited excellent reusability and after 10 cycles the conversion of 1,6-hexanediol was above 81%.

Reaction Kinetics of Biodiesel Synthesis from Waste Oil Using a Carbon-based Solid Acid Catalyst

The kinetics of simultaneous transesterification and esterification with a carbon-based solid acid catalyst was studied.Two solid acid catalysts were prepared by the sulfonation of carbonized vegetable oil asphalt and petroleum asphalt.These catalysts were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis,acidity site concentration,the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller（BET）surface area and pore size.The kinetic parameters with the two catalysts were determined,and the reaction system can be described as a pseudo homogeneous catalyzed reaction.All the forward and reverse reactions follow second order kinetics.The calculated concentration values from the kinetic equations are in good agreement with experimental values.

Acidic Montmorillonite/Cordierite Monolithic Catalysts for Cleavage of Cumene Hydroperoxide

In this work,a series of acidic montmorillonite/cordierite monolithic catalysts were prepared by a coating method using silica sol as the binder.The morphology and structure of the acidic montmorillonite/cordierite samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD),N_2 adsorption/desorption isotherms,and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide(CHP) in a conventional fixed-bed reactor was chosen as a model reaction to evaluate the catalytic activity of the monolithic catalysts.The influences of acidic montmorillonite loading,reaction temperature.CHP concentration,and weight hourly space velocity(WHSV) on the catalytic activity and selectivity of phenol were studied.The results indicated that the obtained acidic montmorillonite/cordierite monolithic catalysts were firm and compact,and the loading of acidic montmorillonite was found to reach 40%(by mass) after three coating operations.The surface area of acidic montmorillonite/cordierite catalysts increases greatly as acidic montmorillonite loading increases due to higher surface area of acidic montmorillonite.Under the optimal reaction conditions(acidic montmorillonite loading of 32.5%(by mass),temperature of 80 ℃,a mass ratio of CHP to acetone of 1:3,and WHSV of CHP of 90 h^(-1)),the conversion of CHP can reach 100%,and the selectivity of phenol is up to 99.8%.

Acid-activated and WO_x-loaded montmorillonite catalysts and their catalytic behaviors in glycerol dehydration

The use of H2SO4‐,HCl‐,H3PO4‐,and CH3COOH‐activated montmorillonite(Mt)and WOx/H3PO4‐activated Mt as catalysts for the gas‐phase dehydration of glycerol was investigated.The WOx/H3PO4‐activated Mt catalysts were prepared by an impregnation method using H3PO4‐activated Mt(Mt‐P)as the support.The catalysts were characterized using powder X‐ray diffraction,Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy,N2adsorption‐desorption,diffuse reflectance ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy,temperature‐programmed desorption of NH3,and thermogravimetric analysis.The acid activation of Mt and WOx loaded on Mt‐P affected the strength and number of acid sites arising from H+exchange,the leaching of octahedral Al3+cations from Mt octahedral sheets,and the types of WOx(2.7≤x≤3)species(i.e.,isolated WO4/WO6‐containing clusters,two‐dimensional[WO6]polytungstates,or three‐dimensional WO3crystals).The strong acid sites were weakened,and the weak and medium acid sites were strengthened when the W loading on Mt‐P was12wt%(12%W/Mt‐P).The12%W/Mt‐P catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity.It gave a glycerol conversion of89.6%and an acrolein selectivity of81.8%at320°C.Coke deposition on the surface of the catalyst led to deactivation.

Conversion of Glucose to Valuable Platform Chemicals over Graphene Solid Acid Catalyst

Biomass-derived hexose sugars, the most abundant renewable resources in the world, have potential to be the sustainable resources for production of platform chemicals. Here, con- version of glucose is investigated by using sulfonated graphene （rGO-SOaH） as solid acid catalyst in water without any organic solvent. At first, graphene functionalized with sulfonic acid groups is prepared by using Nail and propane sultone, and then it is characterized by means of XPS, FT-IR, and TEM to confirm the existence of the sulfonic acid groups. The catalytic activity of rGO-SOaH in the conversion of glucose to valuable chemicals is studied under different reaction conditions. The maximum yield of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural （HMF） is 28.8%, and the total yield of formic acid, lactic acid and HMF is 51.94% when the reaction is conducted at the optimized reaction condition. In addition, the rGO-SOaH gives a rela- tively high total yield of the three kinds of products after five run experiments, indicating that the catalyst shows good thermal stability.

Mechanism explanation for SO_2 oxidation rate of Cs-Rb-V series sulfuric acid catalyst at low temperature

The reaction kinetics of SO 2 oxidation on Cs Rb V series sulfuric acid catalyst promoted by alkali salts such as cesium and rubidium was studied. A three step reaction mechanism of SO 2 oxidation was proposed, in which it was assumed that oxidation of quadrivalent vanadium complex was a controlling step. Then, a mechanism model equation was concluded according to the three step reaction mechanism. The SO 2 oxidation rate was measured with a non gradient reactor under the conditions of temperature of 380～520?℃ and space velocity of 3?600～7?200?h -1 . Through calculating with Powell nonlinear regression method, the parameters of model equation were obtained: K 1=0.152?exp(-62?073/ (RT) ), K 2=8.18?exp(-2?384/ (RT) ), K 3=0.221?exp(-18?949/ (RT) ). It was found that the model equation could fit with all the experimental reaction rate data very well. [

An efficient and reusable bimetallic Ni_3Fe NPs@C catalyst for selective hydrogenation of biomass-derived levulinic acid toγ-valerolactone

Bimetallic nanostructures have attracted great interest as efficient catalyst to enhance activity,selectivity and stability in catalytical conversion.Herein,we report a facile one‐pot carbothermal route to in‐situ controllable synthesize heterogeneous bimetallic Ni3Fe NPs@C nanocatalyst.The X‐ray diffraction,transmission electron microscopy,X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and N2 adsorption‐description results reveal that the Ni3Fe alloy nanoparticles are evenly embedded in carbon matrix.The as‐prepared Ni3Fe NPs@C catalyst shows excellent selective hydrogenation catalytic performance toward the conversion of levulinic acid(LA)toγ‐valerolactone(GVL)via both direct hydrogenation(DH)and transfer hydrogenation(TH).In DH of LA,the bimetallic catalyst achieved a 93.8%LA conversion efficiency with a 95.5%GVL selectivity and 38.2 mmol g–1 h–1 GVL productivity(under 130°C,2MPa H2 within 2 h),which are 6 and 40 times in comparison with monometallic Ni NPs@C and Fe NPs@C catalysts,respectively.In addition,the identical catalyst displayed a full conversion of LA with almost 100%GVL selectivity and 167.1 mmol g–1 h–1 GVL productivity at 180°C within 0.5 h in TH of LA.Under optimal reaction conditions,the DH and TH catalytic performance of 500‐Ni3Fe NPs@C(3:1)catalyst for converting LA to GVL is comparable to the state‐of‐the‐art noble‐based catalysts.The demonstrated capability of bimetallic catalyst design approach to introduce dual‐catalytic functionality for DH and TH reactions could be adoptable for other catalysis processes.