Cobalt phthalocyanine promoted copper catalysts toward enhanced electro reduction of CO_(2)to C_(2):Synergistic catalysis or tandem catalysis?

The activity and selectivity of electrocatalytic CO_(2)reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)to C_(2)products on metal catalysts can be regulated by molecular surfactants.However,the mechanism behind it remains elusive and debatable.Herein,copper nanowires(Cu NWs)were fabricated and decorated with cobalt phthalocyanine(CoPc).The electronic interaction between the Cu NWs,CoPc,CO_(2) and CO_(2)RR intermediates were explored by density functional theory(DFT)calculations.It was found that the selectivity and activity of CO_(2)RR towards C_(2)products on Cu NWs were considerably enhanced from 35.2%to 69.9%by surface decoration of CoPc.DFT calculations revealed that CO_(2)RR can proceed in the interphase between Cu substrate and CoPc,and the CO_(2)RR intermediates could synergistically bond with both Cu and Co metal centre in CuNWs-CoPc,which favours the adsorption of CO_(2),CO and CO_(2)RR intermediates,thus reducing the free energy for CO-COcoupling towards C_(2)products.The synergistic interaction was further extended to phthalocyanine(Pc)and other metal phthalocyanine derivatives(MPc),where a relatively weaker synergistic interaction of COintermediates with MPc and Cu substrate and only a slight enhancement of CO_(2)RR towards C_(2) products were observed.This study demonstrates a synergistic catalysis pathway for CO_(2)RR,a novel perspective in interpreting the role of CoPc in enhancing the activity and selectivity of CO_(2)RR on Cu NWs,in contrast to the conventional tandem catalysis mechanism.

Recent advances in VOCs and CO removal via photothermal synergistic catalysis

Currently,air pollution is being exacerbated by rapid social,economic,and industrial development.Major air pollutants include volatile organic compounds(VOCs)and CO.Photocatalytic and thermocatalytic technology can be used to convert VOCs and CO into harmless gases effectively.Recently,photothermal synergistic catalysis has aroused much attention because of its higher performance than those of individual photocatalytic and thermocatalytic processes.There have been many reviews on separate photocatalysts and thermocatalysts for the treatment of VOCs and CO,but few reviews have focused on photothermal synergistic catalysis.In this minireview,we concentrate on recent progress into photothermal synergistic catalysis for the efficient removal of VOCs and CO.The treatment of typical VOCs(such as benzene,toluene,ethanol,formaldehyde,acetone,propylene,and propane)and CO are summarized and analyzed.Furthermore,we discuss the use of conventional reactor technology,such as fixed‐bed quartz reactors,for VOCs and CO removal.We also discuss the mechanism of the photothermal synergistic catalytic removal of VOCs and CO.Finally,we present perspectives for the photothermal synergistic catalytic removal of VOCs and CO.

Nitrogen-Doped Hierarchical Heterostructured Aerophobic MoS_(x)/Ni_(3)S_(2)Nanowires by One-pot Synthesis:System Engineering and Synergistic Effect in Electrocatalysis of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Non-noble metal electrocatalysis has witnessed rapid and profound performance improvements owing to the emergence of advanced nanosynthetic techniques.Integration of these nanotechniques can lead to synergistic performance enhancement,but such system-engineering strategies are difficult to achieve because of the lack of effective synthesis method.We hereby demonstrate an integrated approach that combines most of the existing nanotechniques in a facile one-pot synthesis.Material characterization reveals that the product shows key features intended by techniques including morphological,structural,doping,heterointerface,and surface wetting engineering.The as-obtained nitrogen-doped hierarchical heterostructured MoS_(x)/Ni_(3)S_(2)nanowires show an overpotential that is only50 mV higher than commercial Pt/C for hydrogen evolution reaction over current densities from 10 to 150 mA cm^(-2).Correlations between the adopted nanotechniques and the electrochemical reaction rates are established by evaluating the impacts of individual techniques on the activation energy,pre-exponential factor,and transfer coefficient.This indepth analysis provides a full account of the synergistic effects and the overall improvement in electrocatalytic performance of hydrogen evolution reaction.This work manifests a generic strategy for multipurpose material design in non-noble metal electrocatalysis.

The synthesis of tetracyclic coumarins via decarboxylative asymmetric[4+2]cycloadditions enabled by Pd(0)/Cu(I)synergistic catalysis

Tetracyclic coumarins are a class of important compounds with diverse and superior pharmacolog‐ical activities.However,a direct stereoselective method from simple and readily‐made coumarins derivatives remains challenging due to the inertness of coumarins as dienophiles.Herein,we de‐velop a decarboxylative asymmetric[4+2]cycloaddition of 3‐cyanocoumarins with vinyl benzoxa‐zinones,affording the coumarin‐derived condensed rings bearing three continuous stereocenters in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivities(>20/1 d.r.)and enantioselectivities(up to 99%ee).This direct enantioselective reaction was achieved by a Pd(0)/Cu(I)bimetallic catalytic system.The mechanism studies indicated that the synergistic activation effect,in which chiral Cu(I)as an availa‐ble Lewis acid catalyst activates 3‐cyanocoumarin and chiral Pd(0)complex activates benzoxazi‐none by the formation ofπ‐allyl‐palladium intermediate,plays an important role on the stereoselec‐tive control.The current work provides a new activation modes of Cu catalyst in the Pd/Cu bimetal‐lic catalytic system.

Recent advancement and future challenges of photothermal catalysis for VOCs elimination:From catalyst design to applications

Photothermal catalysis realizes the synergistic effect of solar energy and thermochemistry,which also has the potential to improve the reaction rate and optimize the selectivity.In this review,the research progress of photothermal catalytic removal of volatile organic compounds(VOCs)by nano-catalysts in recent years is systematically reviewed.First,the fundamentals of photothermal catalysis and the fabrication of catalysts are described,and the design strategy of optimizing photothermal catalysis performance is proposed.Second,the performance for VOC degradation with photothermal catalysis is evaluated and compared for the batch and continuous systems.Particularly,the catalytic mechanism of VOC oxidation is systematically introduced based on experimental and theoretical study.Finally,the future limitations and challenges have been discussed,and potential research directions and priorities are highlighted.A broad view of recent photothermal catalyst fabrication,applications,challenges,and prospects can be systemically provided by this review.

Review on Metal-Acid Tandem Catalysis for Hydrogenative Rearrangement of Furfurals to C_(5) Cyclic Compounds

Hydrogenative rearrangement of biomas s-derived furfurals(furfural and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural) to C_(5) cyclic compounds(such as cyclopentanones and cyclopentanols) offers an expedient reaction route for acquiring O-containing value-added chemicals thereby replacing the traditional petroleum-based approaches.The scope for developing efficient bifunctional catalysts and establishing mild reaction conditions for upgrading furfurals to cyclic compounds has stimulated immense deliberation in recent years.Extensive efforts have been made toward developing catalysts for multiple tandem conversions,including those with various metals and supports.In this scientific review,we aim to summarize the research progress on the synergistic effect of the metal-acid sites,including simple metal-supported acidic supports,adjacent metal acid sites-supported catalysts,and in situ H_(2)-modified bifunctional catalysts.Distinctively,the catalytic performance,catalytic mechanism,and future challenges for the hydrogenative rearrangement are elaborated in detail.The methods highlighted in this review promote the development of C_(5) cyclic compound synthesis and provide insights to regulate bifunctional catalysis for other applications.

Highly selective and eco-friendly dihydroisoquinoline synthesis via Cu/Co synergistic catalysis in Cu NPs@MOFs catalyst under mild conditions

3,4-Dihydroisoquinoline(DHIQ)is an important precursor used in the production of drugs for treating cancer,HIV,Alzheimer's disease,etc.Major studies on DHIQ synthesis show low catalytic selectivity due to the susceptible over-oxidation feedstock of1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline(THIQ),which often requires alkali co-catalysts.Therefore,it is desirable yet challenging to explore a highly selective and efficient oxydehydrogenation capacity for DHIQ synthesis under eco-friendly reaction conditions.Herein,a novel framework 1 was synthesized,exhibiting 1D channels with the size of 4.6 A×9.6 A and high solvent/p H/thermal stability.A stable framework allows it to encapsulate Cu nanoparticles(NPs)to form Cu NPs@1-x(x=1,2,3,and 4)with varying loading amounts of Cu NPs at 2.0 wt%,3.0 wt%,4.0 wt%,and 6.0 wt%,respectively.Cu NPs@1-3 could selectively catalyze the reaction from THIQ to DHIQ with a high selectivity of 98%and a recorded turnover frequency(TOF)of 22.1 h-1under eco-friendly mild conditions.The corresponding catalytic activity can maintain at least five recyclings and can be further applied to gram-scale experiments.Additionally,the efficient preparation of DHIQ catalyzed by Cu NPs@1-3 could be realized even under air conditions.Importantly,the anticancer molecule precursor synthesis of 6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline was also selectively catalyzed by Cu NPs@1-3.Mechanism investigations revealed that high catalytic performance can be attributed to the stable framework and the synergistic catalytic effect of the loaded Cu NPs and Co metal centers.More importantly,this work represents the first example of MOF catalysts for selectively thermo-catalytic DHIQ synthesis and demonstrates a simple approach to obtain efficient catalysts for selective oxydehydrogenation in the production of unsaturated compounds.

Decarboxylative Amination with Nitroarenes via Synergistic Catalysis

In this paper,we have developed a decarboxylative amination of carboxylic acids with nitroarenes for the synthesis of secondary amines.The protocol is performed at mild conditions without the use of noble metals as catalysts.A wide range of structurally diverse secondary amines could be obtained in good yields(up to 94%)with good functional group tolerance.This transformation shows good to excellent selectivity,avoiding the generation of over alkylated byproducts.

Regioselective and asymmetric allylic alkylation of vinyl epoxides for the construction of allylic alcohols via synergistic catalysis

A highly efficient asymmetric allylic alkylation of cyclic and acyclic carbon nucleophiles with vinyl epoxides has been developed,which exhibits good functional group compatibility,high atomic and step economy.This protocol utilizes a strategy of synergistic catalysis with a chiral N,N'-dioxide/Ni~Ⅱ complex and an achiral Pd~0 catalyst,generating a series of multisubstituted allylic alcohols with a quaternary carbon stereocenter in high yield and excellent regio-,Z/E-and enantioselectivity under mild conditions.Further transformations of the product demonstrate the potential utility of this protocol in the synthesis of allyl alcohol derivatives and natural product analogues.Experimental studies revealed that the N,N′-dioxide/metal complexes play an important role in controlling the Z/E-and enantioselectivity.The density functional theory(DFT) calculations further demonstrated that multiple C–H···π interactions between the aromatic rings of the two substrates and the amide moiety in the ligand stabilized the dominant transition state.

Importance, features and uses of metal oxide catalysts in heterogeneous catalysis

This short review paper aims at assembling the present state of the art of the multiuses of metal oxides in heterogeneous catalysis, concerning liquid and gaseous phases of the reactant mixtures on solid catalysts. It includes the description of the main types of metal oxide catalysts, of their various preparation procedures and of the main reactions catalysed by them (acid-base type, selective and total oxidations, bi-functional catalysis, photocatalysis, biomass treatments, environmental catalysis and some of the numerous industrial applications). Challenges and prospectives are also discussed.

Application of in-plasma catalysis and post-plasma catalysis for methane partial oxidation to methanol over a Fe_2O_3-CuO/γ-Al_2O_3 catalyst

Methane partial oxidation to methanol （MPOM） using dielectric barrier discharge over a Fe2O3-CuO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was performed.The multicomponent catalyst was combined with plasma in two different configurations,i.e.,in-plasma catalysis （IPC） and post-plasma catalysis （PPC）.It was found that the catalytic performance of the catalysts for MPOM was strongly dependent on the hybrid configuration.A better synergistic performance of plasma and catalysis was achieved in the IPC configuration,but the catalysts packed in the discharge zone showed lower stability than those connected to the discharge zone in sequence.Active species,such as ozone,atomic oxygen and methyl radicals,were produced from the plasma-catalysis process,and made a major contribution to methanol synthesis.These active species were identified by the means of in situ optical emission spectra,ozone measurement and FT-IR spectra.It was confirmed that the amount of active species in the IPC system was greater than that in the PPC system.The results of TG,XRD,and N2 adsorption-desorption revealed that carbon deposition on the spent catalyst surface was responsible for the catalyst deactivation in the IPC configuration.

Amide Ionic Liquids(AILs)/L-Proline Synergistic Catalyzed Asymmetric Mannich Reactions

Amide ionic liquids （MLs）/L-proline synergistic catalyzed Mannich reactions of isovaleraldehyde, methyl ketones, and aromatic amines were carried out in moderate to high yields （ up to 96% ） and high stereo selectivities （ 〉99% e. e. ）. The products were easily isolated by extraction; and the catalyst system was readily recycled at least thrice without significant loss of efficiency. The scope of the substrates was studied and the interpretation of the manifest improvement of the reaction rates and enantio-selectivity of the novel catalyst system was speculated.

Synergistic photo-thermal catalytic NO purification of MnO_x/g-C_3N_4:Enhanced performance and reaction mechanism

Both MnOx and g‐C3N4 have been proved to be active in the catalytic oxidation of NO,and their individual mechanisms for catalytic NO conversion have also been investigated.However,the mechanism of photo‐thermal catalysis of the MnOx/g‐C3N4 composite remains unresolved.In this paper,MnOx/g‐C3N4 catalysts with different molar ratios were synthesized by the precipitation approach at room temperature.The as‐prepared catalysts exhibit excellent synergistic photo‐thermal catalytic performance towards the purification of NO in air.The MnOx/g‐C3N4 catalysts contain MnOx with different valence states on the surface of g‐C3N4.The thermal catalytic reaction for NO oxidation on MnOx and the photo‐thermal catalytic reaction on 1:5 MnOx/g‐C3N4 were investigated by in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy(in situ DRIFTS).The results show that light exerted a weak effect on NO oxidation over MnOx,and it exerted a positive synergistic effect on NO conversion over 1:5 MnOx/g‐C3N4.A synergistic photo‐thermal catalytic cycle of NO oxidation on MnOx/g‐C3N4 is proposed.Specifically,photo‐generated electrons(e?)are transferred to MnOx and participate in the synergistic photo‐thermal reduction cycle(Mn4+→Mn3+→Mn2+).The reverse cycle(Mn2+→Mn3+→Mn4+)can regenerate the active oxygen vacancy sites and inject electrons into the g‐C3N4 hole(h+).The active oxygen(O?)was generated in the redox cycles among manganese species(Mn4+/Mn3+/Mn2+)and could oxidize the intermediates(NOH and N2O2?)to final products(NO2?and NO3?).This paper can provide insightful guidance for the development of better catalysts for NOx purification.

In situ spectroscopic insights into the redox and acid-base properties of ceria catalysts

Cerium oxide(ceria)plays an important and fascinating role in heterogeneous catalysis as illustrated by its versatile use as a catalyst,a catalyst support,or a promotor in various oxidation and reduction reactions.Central to these reactions is the rich defect chemistry,facile redox capability,and unusual acid-base properties of ceria.Understanding the unique redox and acid-base properties of ceria is essential to build the structure-catalysis relationship so that improved catalytic functions can be achieved for ceria-based materials.Among the characterization toolbox,spectroscopic approach indisputably stands out for its unparalleled power in offering chemical insights into the surface properties of ceria at atomic and molecular level.In this review,we summarize advances in revealing the redox and acid-base properties of ceria via a variety of spectroscopic methods including optical,X-ray,neutron,electronic and nuclear spectroscopy.Both direct spectroscopy characterization and its coupling with probe molecules are analyzed to illustrate how the nature,strength and density of different surface sites are influenced by the pretreatment,the morphology and size of ceria nanoparticles.Further directions in taking advantage of in situ/operando spectroscopy for better understanding the catalysis of ceria-based materials are proposed in the summary and outlook section.

Acid-base cooperativity of heterogeneous catalyst containing acidic framework and sterically hindered base for aldol condensation

A bifunctional heterogeneous catalyst containing two mutually incompatible acidic and basic sites, which exhibits cooperative catalytic behavior in the aldol condensation of acetone and various aldehydes, was synthesized by postgrafting of 1,5,7- triazabicyclo[4.4.0] dec-5-ene （TBD, a sterically hindered organic base） onto AI-MCM-41 molecular sieve. 2009 Xiao Bing Lu. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Heterojunction synergistic catalysis of MXene-supported PrF_(3)nanosheets for the efficient hydrogen storage of AlH_(3)

Aluminum hydride is a promising chemical hydrogen storage material that can achieve dehydrogenation under mild conditions as well as high hydrogen storage capacity.However,designing an efficient and cost-effective catalyst,especially a synergistic catalyst,for realizing low-temperature and high-efficiency hydrogen supply remains challenging.In this study,the heterojunction synergistic catalyst of Ti_(3)C_(2)supported PrF_(3)nanosheets considerably improved the dehydrogenation kinetics of AlH_(3)at low temperatures and maintained a high hydrogen storage capacity.In the synergistic catalyst,Pr produced a synergistic coupling interaction through its unique electronic structure.The sandwich structure with close contact between the two phases enhanced the interaction between species and the synergistic effect.The initial dehydrogenation temperature of the composite is reduced to 70.2℃,and the dehydrogenation capacity is 8.6 wt.%at 120℃ in 90 min under the kinetic test,which reached 93%of the theoretical hydrogen storage capacity.The catalyst considerably reduced the activation energy of the dehydrogenation reaction.Furthermore,the multielectron pairs on the surface of the catalyst promoted electron transfer and accelerated the reaction.

Synergistic catalysis for stereocontrol of prochiral nucleophiles in palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution

In contrast to the stereocontrol of the stereocenter at the allyl unit,the asymmetric induction of prochiral nucleophiles remains a challenge in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitutions due to the remote distance between the chiral catalyst and the stereocenter established at prochiral nucleophile.Much effort has been devoted to solving this challenge through the elaborate design of chiral ligands.Recently,synergistic catalysis has gained increasing attention owing to its potential advantages over the traditional single palladium catalysis,such as improvement of reactivity and selectivity.This strategy,including bimetallic catalysis and Pd/organocatalysis,not only broadens the scope of prochiral nucleophiles,but also provides a simple and unified method for the stereocontrol of prochiral nucleophiles.This review summarizes the brief history and advances in this field.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Anti-tuberculosis-specific Drug TBAJ-876 through Synergistic Li/Li Catalysis

TBAJ-876, developed by TB Alliance, a novel anti-tuberculosis-specific drug, has entered Phase II clinical trials. Herein, the first asymmetric synthesis of TBAJ-876 has been realized using synergistic Li/Li catalysis with excellent yield of 95% and 88 : 12 er (99.6 : 0.4 er, 10 : 1 dr after simple recrystallization). Furthermore, DFT calculations and 7Li-NMR analysis illustrated the mechanism of the synergistic reaction: a chiral Li-complex activates the nucleophile to control the stereoselectivity, while the other achiral Li-complex activates the electrophile to catalyze the carbonyl addition reaction. Additionally, this protocol has been successfully carried out at 5 gram-scale, showing its industrial potential.

A critical assessment of the roles of water molecules and solvated ions in acid-base-catalyzed reactions at solid-water interfaces

Solid-aqueous interfaces and phenomena occurring at those interfaces are ubiquitously found in a plethora of chemical systems.When it comes to heterogeneous catalysis,however,our understanding of chemical transformations at solid-aqueous interfaces is relatively limited and primitive.This review phenomenologically describes a selection of water-engendered effects on the catalytic behavior for several prototypical acid-base-catalyzed reactions over solid catalysts,and critically assesses the general and special roles of water molecules,structural moieties derived from water,and ionic species that are dissolved in it,with an aim to extract novel concepts and principles that underpin heterogeneous acid-base catalysis in the aqueous phase.For alcohol dehydration catalyzed by solid Bronsted acids,rate inhibition by water is most typically related to the decrease in the acid strength and/or the preferential solvation of adsorbed species over the transition state as water molecules progressively solvate the acid site and form extended networks wherein protons are mobilized.Water also inhibits dehydration kinetics over most Lewis acid-base catalysts by competitive adsorption,but a few scattered reports reveal substantial rate enhancements due to the conversion of Lewis acid sites to Brønsted acid sites with higher catalytic activities upon the introduction of water.For aldol condensation on catalysts exposing Lewis acid-base pairs,the addition of water is generally observed to enhance the rate when C–C coupling is rate-limiting,but may result in rate inhibition by site-blocking when the initial unimolecular deprotonation is rate-limiting.Water can also promote aldol condensation on Brønsted acidic catalysts by facilitating inter-site communication between acid sites through hydrogen-bonding interactions.For metallozeolite-catalyzed sugar isomerization in aqueous media,the nucleation and networking of intrapore waters regulated by hydrophilic entities causes characteristic enthalpy-entropy tradeoffs as these water moieties interact with kinetically relevant hydride transfer transition states.The discussed examples collectively highlight the utmost importance of hydrogen-bonding interactions and ionization of covalently bonded surface moieties as the main factors underlying the uniqueness of water-mediated interfacial acid-base chemistries and the associated solvation effects in the aqueous phase or in the presence of water.A perspective is also provided for future research in this vibrant field.

Asymmetric α-Pentadienylation of β-Ketocarbonyls and Aldehydes by Synergistic Pd/Chiral Primary Amine Catalysis

Direct alkylation with skipped enynes or cyclopropropylacetylenes represents an ideal process for the installation of pentadienyl group in terms of atom- and step-economy.The development of catalytic asymmetric versions has been frequently pursued and most of the successes have been achieved with enolizable aldehydes.We herein describe a synergistic chiral primary amine/Pd catalysis for asymmetric α-pentadienylation of β-ketocarbonyls and aldehydes with skipped enynes or cyclopropropylacetylenes.The reaction features the construction of acyclic all-carbon quaternary centers with high enantioselectivity,and good functional group tolerance and scalability.