A new zinc acetate catalyst which was prepared from modified activated carbon exhibited extreme activity towards the synthesis of vinyl acetate. The activated carbon was modified by nitric acid, vitriol and peroxyacet...A new zinc acetate catalyst which was prepared from modified activated carbon exhibited extreme activity towards the synthesis of vinyl acetate. The activated carbon was modified by nitric acid, vitriol and peroxyacetic acid (PAA). The effect on specific area, structure, pH and surface acidity groups of carders by modification was discussed. Amount of carbonyl and carboxyl groups in activated carbon was increased by peroxyacetic acid treatment. The productivity of the new catalyst was 14.58% higher than that of catalyst prepared using untreated activated carbon. The relationship between amount of carbonyl and carboxyl groups (m) and catalyst productivity (P) was P = 1.83 + 2.26 × 10^-3*e^3.17m. Reaction mechanism was proposed. C 2009 Liang Rong Feng. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.展开更多
K-promoted iron/carbon nanotubes composite(i.e., Fe K-OX) was prepared by a redox reaction between carbon nanotubes and K2FeO4followed by thermal treatments on a purpose as the Fischer–Tropsch catalyst for the dire...K-promoted iron/carbon nanotubes composite(i.e., Fe K-OX) was prepared by a redox reaction between carbon nanotubes and K2FeO4followed by thermal treatments on a purpose as the Fischer–Tropsch catalyst for the direct conversion of syngas to lower olefins. Its catalytic behaviors were compared with those of the other two Fe-IM and Fe K-IM catalysts prepared by impregnation method followed by thermal treatments. The novel Fe K-OX composite catalyst is found to exhibit higher hydrocarbon selectivity,lower olefins selectivity and chain growth probability as well as better stability. The catalyst structureperformance relationship has been established using multiple techniques including XRD, Raman, TEM and EDS elemental mapping. In addition, effects of additional potassium into the Fe K-OX composite catalyst on the FTO performance were also investigated and discussed. Additional potassium promoters further endow the catalysts with higher yield of lower olefins. These results demonstrated that the introduction method of promoters and iron species plays a crucial role in the design and fabrication of highly active,selective and stable iron-based composite catalysts for the FTO reaction.展开更多
In this paper several rare earth oxides were added into methanol synthesis catalyst by solid-mixing method to improve the activity of methanol synthesis catalyst. Nd2O3, CeO2, La2O3 and Sm2O3 decrease the catalyst act...In this paper several rare earth oxides were added into methanol synthesis catalyst by solid-mixing method to improve the activity of methanol synthesis catalyst. Nd2O3, CeO2, La2O3 and Sm2O3 decrease the catalyst activity, while Pr2O3, Gd2O3 and Eu2O3 increase the methanol yield.展开更多
Raman peaks at 1951 and 2165 cm^(-1) can be confirmed further by H_2/D_2 isotope exchange as H-adspecies on the doubly promoted iron catalyst for ammonia synthesis and are probably ascribed to two terminally adsorbed ...Raman peaks at 1951 and 2165 cm^(-1) can be confirmed further by H_2/D_2 isotope exchange as H-adspecies on the doubly promoted iron catalyst for ammonia synthesis and are probably ascribed to two terminally adsorbed H-species.展开更多
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 acti...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.)展开更多
The NC310 type catalyst for methanol synthesis developedby the SINOPEC Research Institute of NanjingChemical Company has passed the appraisal of researchachievements organized by the Science and TechnologyDivision of ...The NC310 type catalyst for methanol synthesis developedby the SINOPEC Research Institute of NanjingChemical Company has passed the appraisal of researchachievements organized by the Science and TechnologyDivision of the Sinopec Corp. The group of specialistsattending the appraisal meeting has recognized that thiscatalyst has reached the internationally advanced level interms of its overall catalytic performance.展开更多
The work herein reported is about a rapid and convenient synthetic method of a betal formed from ethylene glycol and cyclohexanone by using H3PW12O40(HPA)as catalyst. It has ben shown that the reaction, by using HPA a...The work herein reported is about a rapid and convenient synthetic method of a betal formed from ethylene glycol and cyclohexanone by using H3PW12O40(HPA)as catalyst. It has ben shown that the reaction, by using HPA as catalyst, can proceed at room temperature and have the high yield of 92% and the catalyst can be used again and again展开更多
A new kind of catalyst WOBr_4,which can be used in the polymerization of phenylacetylene(PhA),has been synthesized.The obtained polyphenylcetylene(PPhA) using WOBr_4 as catalyst is soluble、fusible、with brown-red col...A new kind of catalyst WOBr_4,which can be used in the polymerization of phenylacetylene(PhA),has been synthesized.The obtained polyphenylcetylene(PPhA) using WOBr_4 as catalyst is soluble、fusible、with brown-red colour and has 1831(M n).The analysis of the stucture of PPhA shows that the polymer has cis-transoidal structure,therefore,the reaction mechanism is via complex catalysis.展开更多
Teroolymerization of enichlorohydrin(ECH)-maleic anhydride(MAn)-carbon dioxide(CO;) was carried out by using Y(P;);-Al(i-Bu);as catalyst for the first time.The terpolymersobtained were characterized by IR and;...Teroolymerization of enichlorohydrin(ECH)-maleic anhydride(MAn)-carbon dioxide(CO;) was carried out by using Y(P;);-Al(i-Bu);as catalyst for the first time.The terpolymersobtained were characterized by IR and;H-NMR.It was foundthat the composition of the teroolymer was influenced by theaddition mode,initial monomer charge ratio,etc.展开更多
By using solution combustion synthesis method, several Li-Co delafossite catalysts were prepared via a highly exothermic and self-sustaining reaction. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM and the cata...By using solution combustion synthesis method, several Li-Co delafossite catalysts were prepared via a highly exothermic and self-sustaining reaction. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM and the catalytic activities of the catalysts were evaluated by small sample experiment. It is shown that under loose contact conditions this catalyst can catalyze soot combustion at 360 ℃, and the best prepared catalyst Li Co0.9O2 can ignite soot combustion below 300 ℃. In the incompletely synthesized catalysts the Co cations shift to higher electrovalence, so the number of the surface adsorbed oxygen(O-) of the prepared delafossite catalysts increase and Li Co0.9O2 has the optimum catalytic activity.展开更多
Supported catalysts that are important in technology prominently include atomically dispersed metals and metal clusters.When the metals are noble,they are typically unstablesusceptible to sinteringespecially under red...Supported catalysts that are important in technology prominently include atomically dispersed metals and metal clusters.When the metals are noble,they are typically unstablesusceptible to sinteringespecially under reducing conditions.Embedding the metals in supports such as organic polymers,metal oxides,and zeolites confers stability on the metals but at the cost of catalytic activity associated with the lack of accessibility of metal bonding sites to reactants.An approach to stabilizing noble metal catalysts while maintaining their accessibility involves anchoring them in molecular-scale nests that are in or on supports.The nests include zeolite pore mouths,zeolite surface cups(half-cages),raft-like islands of oxophilic metals bonded to metal oxide supports,clusters of non-noble metals(e.g.,hosting noble metals as single-atom alloys),and nanoscale metal oxide islands that selectively bond to the catalytic metals,isolating them from the support.These examples illustrate a trend toward precision in the synthesis of solid catalysts,and the latter two classes of nested catalysts offer realistic prospects for economical large-scale application.展开更多
In the present work, the highly efficient Erlenmeyer synthesis of azlactones catalyzed by 2- aminopyridine, supported on nano-sphere Si02 is reported. First, the silica nanoparticles were modified with triethoxysilylp...In the present work, the highly efficient Erlenmeyer synthesis of azlactones catalyzed by 2- aminopyridine, supported on nano-sphere Si02 is reported. First, the silica nanoparticles were modified with triethoxysilylpropyl chloride and then 2-aminopyridine was attached to the support via covalent linkages. This new heterogenized catalyst was used for efficient microwave-assisted synthesis of azlactone derivatives with Ac20 as a condensing agent under solvent-free conditions. The present method offers advantages including high yields, short reaction times and simple work-up. Also, the catalyst can be easily recycled and reused several times, which makes this method attractive, economic and environmentally-benign.展开更多
Ammonia(NH3)is mainly produced via the Haber-Bosch process.It was discovered that the performance of a wide variety of catalysts in NH3 synthesis could be considerably enhanced by the addition of rare earth elements(R...Ammonia(NH3)is mainly produced via the Haber-Bosch process.It was discovered that the performance of a wide variety of catalysts in NH3 synthesis could be considerably enhanced by the addition of rare earth elements(REEs).As a result,catalysts promoted by REEs,especially the Ru-based ones have been extensively investigated.In this review,we summarize the progress of utilizing REEs for ammonia synthesis and outline the prospects of using them in the design and development of highly efficient and stable catalysts for ammonia synthesis.展开更多
In this work, we report a simple and inexpensive approach to synthesize effective multicomponent Cu-Cu2O-CuO catalysts for the Rochow process from industrial waste contact masses (WCMs). WCMs from the organosilane i...In this work, we report a simple and inexpensive approach to synthesize effective multicomponent Cu-Cu2O-CuO catalysts for the Rochow process from industrial waste contact masses (WCMs). WCMs from the organosilane industry were treated with acid followed by reduction with metallic iron powder. The obtained copper powder was then subjected to controlled oxidation in air at different temperatures, followed by ball milling. The orthogonal array approach was applied to optimize this process, and the stirring speed and pH were found to significantly affect the leaching ratio and copper yield, respectively. When used for the Rochow process, the optimized ternary Cu-Cu2O-CuO catalyst greatly enhanced the dimethyldichlorosilane selectivity and Si conversion compared with Cu-Cu2O-CuO catalysts prepared without ball milling, bare Cu catalysts, and Cu-Cu2O-CuO catalysts with different compositions. This could be attributed to their small particle size and the strong synergistic effect among the multiple components in the catalyst with the optimized composition.展开更多
A simple and efficient method was developed for fabricating spherical granules of CuO catalyst via a three-step procedure. In the first step, copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal decomposition o...A simple and efficient method was developed for fabricating spherical granules of CuO catalyst via a three-step procedure. In the first step, copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal decomposition of copper nitrate solution under supercritical condition. Then, they were immobilized in the polymeric matrix of calcium alginate, and followed by high-temperature calcination in an air stream as the third step, in which carbonaceous materials were oxidized, to result in a pebble-type catalyst of high porosity. The produced CuO nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that revealed an average size of 5 nm, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and thermo gravimetric (TG) analysis. The catalysts were further investigated by BET test for measurement of their surface area, and by temperature-programmed reduction analysis (H2-TPR) for determination of catalytic activity. The results demonstrated that immobilization of the CuO nanoparticle in the polymeric matrix of calcium alginate, followed by calcination at elevated temperatures, could result in notable mechanical strength and enhanced catalytic activity due to preservation of the high surface area, both valuable for practical applications.展开更多
A green protocol for the synthesis of quinoxalines has been developed from catalytic oxidative cyclization of deoxybenzoins with 1,2-phenylenediamines in water.The optimal conditions are involved in the use of a water...A green protocol for the synthesis of quinoxalines has been developed from catalytic oxidative cyclization of deoxybenzoins with 1,2-phenylenediamines in water.The optimal conditions are involved in the use of a water-soluble mononuclear copper(Ⅱ) complex of a zwitterionic calix[4]arene[Cu(Ⅱ)LCH2O)]I2(1,H4L=[5,ll,17,23-tetrakis(trimethylammonium)-25,26,27,28-tetrahydroxycalix[4]arene]) as a catalyst in alkali solution after refluxing for 15 h in O2.The target quinoxaline and its derivatives were obtained in good yields(up to 88%).The procedure described in this paper is simple,practical and environmentally benign.展开更多
In this work, we present a new versatile strategy to prepare noble metal (Au, Ag and Cu) nanoclusters on TiO2 nanosheets in large scales with exposed (001) facets with controlled size, crystalline interface, and l...In this work, we present a new versatile strategy to prepare noble metal (Au, Ag and Cu) nanoclusters on TiO2 nanosheets in large scales with exposed (001) facets with controlled size, crystalline interface, and loading amount. By precise in situ calcination, the metal (M = Au, Ag, and Cu) nanocrystals with controllable size and better crystalline interface with the TiO2 support have been prepared. The potential application of the as-prepared Au, Ag, and Cu nanoclusters on TiO2 nanosheets as potential heterogeneous catalysts for organic synthesis, such as catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, has been demonstrated. After calcination, Au, Ag, and Cu nanocrystals were found to be proficient cocatalysts for photocatalytic H2 evolution, particularly the Au cocatalyst. Based on precise high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analyses, the flexible control of their size and loading amount as well as their intimate contact with the TiO2 nanosheet enhanced the photocatalytic H2 evolution activity and the sensitivity of the photocurrent response of the film. Furthermore, this aqueous-directed synthesis of metal nanoclusters on a support will generate further interest in the field of nanocatalysis.展开更多
文摘A new zinc acetate catalyst which was prepared from modified activated carbon exhibited extreme activity towards the synthesis of vinyl acetate. The activated carbon was modified by nitric acid, vitriol and peroxyacetic acid (PAA). The effect on specific area, structure, pH and surface acidity groups of carders by modification was discussed. Amount of carbonyl and carboxyl groups in activated carbon was increased by peroxyacetic acid treatment. The productivity of the new catalyst was 14.58% higher than that of catalyst prepared using untreated activated carbon. The relationship between amount of carbonyl and carboxyl groups (m) and catalyst productivity (P) was P = 1.83 + 2.26 × 10^-3*e^3.17m. Reaction mechanism was proposed. C 2009 Liang Rong Feng. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.
基金supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) for the research at Norwegian University of Science and Technologysupported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (21306046)+2 种基金the Open Project of State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering (SKL-Che-15C03)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (WA1514013)the 111 Project of Ministry of Education of China (B08021)
文摘K-promoted iron/carbon nanotubes composite(i.e., Fe K-OX) was prepared by a redox reaction between carbon nanotubes and K2FeO4followed by thermal treatments on a purpose as the Fischer–Tropsch catalyst for the direct conversion of syngas to lower olefins. Its catalytic behaviors were compared with those of the other two Fe-IM and Fe K-IM catalysts prepared by impregnation method followed by thermal treatments. The novel Fe K-OX composite catalyst is found to exhibit higher hydrocarbon selectivity,lower olefins selectivity and chain growth probability as well as better stability. The catalyst structureperformance relationship has been established using multiple techniques including XRD, Raman, TEM and EDS elemental mapping. In addition, effects of additional potassium into the Fe K-OX composite catalyst on the FTO performance were also investigated and discussed. Additional potassium promoters further endow the catalysts with higher yield of lower olefins. These results demonstrated that the introduction method of promoters and iron species plays a crucial role in the design and fabrication of highly active,selective and stable iron-based composite catalysts for the FTO reaction.
文摘In this paper several rare earth oxides were added into methanol synthesis catalyst by solid-mixing method to improve the activity of methanol synthesis catalyst. Nd2O3, CeO2, La2O3 and Sm2O3 decrease the catalyst activity, while Pr2O3, Gd2O3 and Eu2O3 increase the methanol yield.
基金Supported from the State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of the Solid Surface of Xiamen University.
文摘Raman peaks at 1951 and 2165 cm^(-1) can be confirmed further by H_2/D_2 isotope exchange as H-adspecies on the doubly promoted iron catalyst for ammonia synthesis and are probably ascribed to two terminally adsorbed H-species.
文摘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.)
文摘The NC310 type catalyst for methanol synthesis developedby the SINOPEC Research Institute of NanjingChemical Company has passed the appraisal of researchachievements organized by the Science and TechnologyDivision of the Sinopec Corp. The group of specialistsattending the appraisal meeting has recognized that thiscatalyst has reached the internationally advanced level interms of its overall catalytic performance.
文摘The work herein reported is about a rapid and convenient synthetic method of a betal formed from ethylene glycol and cyclohexanone by using H3PW12O40(HPA)as catalyst. It has ben shown that the reaction, by using HPA as catalyst, can proceed at room temperature and have the high yield of 92% and the catalyst can be used again and again
文摘A new kind of catalyst WOBr_4,which can be used in the polymerization of phenylacetylene(PhA),has been synthesized.The obtained polyphenylcetylene(PPhA) using WOBr_4 as catalyst is soluble、fusible、with brown-red colour and has 1831(M n).The analysis of the stucture of PPhA shows that the polymer has cis-transoidal structure,therefore,the reaction mechanism is via complex catalysis.
文摘Teroolymerization of enichlorohydrin(ECH)-maleic anhydride(MAn)-carbon dioxide(CO;) was carried out by using Y(P;);-Al(i-Bu);as catalyst for the first time.The terpolymersobtained were characterized by IR and;H-NMR.It was foundthat the composition of the teroolymer was influenced by theaddition mode,initial monomer charge ratio,etc.
基金Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U1230107)
文摘By using solution combustion synthesis method, several Li-Co delafossite catalysts were prepared via a highly exothermic and self-sustaining reaction. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM and the catalytic activities of the catalysts were evaluated by small sample experiment. It is shown that under loose contact conditions this catalyst can catalyze soot combustion at 360 ℃, and the best prepared catalyst Li Co0.9O2 can ignite soot combustion below 300 ℃. In the incompletely synthesized catalysts the Co cations shift to higher electrovalence, so the number of the surface adsorbed oxygen(O-) of the prepared delafossite catalysts increase and Li Co0.9O2 has the optimum catalytic activity.
基金B.C.G.acknowledges support from the U.S.Department of Energy(DOE),Office of Science,Basic Energy Sciences(BES)(DE-FG02-04ER15513)A.K.acknowledges support from DOE BES(DE-FG02-05ER15696)J.L.acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation,Grant No.1955474(CHE-1955474).
文摘Supported catalysts that are important in technology prominently include atomically dispersed metals and metal clusters.When the metals are noble,they are typically unstablesusceptible to sinteringespecially under reducing conditions.Embedding the metals in supports such as organic polymers,metal oxides,and zeolites confers stability on the metals but at the cost of catalytic activity associated with the lack of accessibility of metal bonding sites to reactants.An approach to stabilizing noble metal catalysts while maintaining their accessibility involves anchoring them in molecular-scale nests that are in or on supports.The nests include zeolite pore mouths,zeolite surface cups(half-cages),raft-like islands of oxophilic metals bonded to metal oxide supports,clusters of non-noble metals(e.g.,hosting noble metals as single-atom alloys),and nanoscale metal oxide islands that selectively bond to the catalytic metals,isolating them from the support.These examples illustrate a trend toward precision in the synthesis of solid catalysts,and the latter two classes of nested catalysts offer realistic prospects for economical large-scale application.
基金financial support from the Research Council of Arak University
文摘In the present work, the highly efficient Erlenmeyer synthesis of azlactones catalyzed by 2- aminopyridine, supported on nano-sphere Si02 is reported. First, the silica nanoparticles were modified with triethoxysilylpropyl chloride and then 2-aminopyridine was attached to the support via covalent linkages. This new heterogenized catalyst was used for efficient microwave-assisted synthesis of azlactone derivatives with Ac20 as a condensing agent under solvent-free conditions. The present method offers advantages including high yields, short reaction times and simple work-up. Also, the catalyst can be easily recycled and reused several times, which makes this method attractive, economic and environmentally-benign.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22038002,21972019)。
文摘Ammonia(NH3)is mainly produced via the Haber-Bosch process.It was discovered that the performance of a wide variety of catalysts in NH3 synthesis could be considerably enhanced by the addition of rare earth elements(REEs).As a result,catalysts promoted by REEs,especially the Ru-based ones have been extensively investigated.In this review,we summarize the progress of utilizing REEs for ammonia synthesis and outline the prospects of using them in the design and development of highly efficient and stable catalysts for ammonia synthesis.
基金The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 21506224). Z.Z. is grateful for support from the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences.
文摘In this work, we report a simple and inexpensive approach to synthesize effective multicomponent Cu-Cu2O-CuO catalysts for the Rochow process from industrial waste contact masses (WCMs). WCMs from the organosilane industry were treated with acid followed by reduction with metallic iron powder. The obtained copper powder was then subjected to controlled oxidation in air at different temperatures, followed by ball milling. The orthogonal array approach was applied to optimize this process, and the stirring speed and pH were found to significantly affect the leaching ratio and copper yield, respectively. When used for the Rochow process, the optimized ternary Cu-Cu2O-CuO catalyst greatly enhanced the dimethyldichlorosilane selectivity and Si conversion compared with Cu-Cu2O-CuO catalysts prepared without ball milling, bare Cu catalysts, and Cu-Cu2O-CuO catalysts with different compositions. This could be attributed to their small particle size and the strong synergistic effect among the multiple components in the catalyst with the optimized composition.
基金for financial and instrumental supports of this project
文摘A simple and efficient method was developed for fabricating spherical granules of CuO catalyst via a three-step procedure. In the first step, copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal decomposition of copper nitrate solution under supercritical condition. Then, they were immobilized in the polymeric matrix of calcium alginate, and followed by high-temperature calcination in an air stream as the third step, in which carbonaceous materials were oxidized, to result in a pebble-type catalyst of high porosity. The produced CuO nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that revealed an average size of 5 nm, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and thermo gravimetric (TG) analysis. The catalysts were further investigated by BET test for measurement of their surface area, and by temperature-programmed reduction analysis (H2-TPR) for determination of catalytic activity. The results demonstrated that immobilization of the CuO nanoparticle in the polymeric matrix of calcium alginate, followed by calcination at elevated temperatures, could result in notable mechanical strength and enhanced catalytic activity due to preservation of the high surface area, both valuable for practical applications.
基金the financial supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.21271134, 21373142,21531006 and 21671144)the State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry,Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry(No.2015kf-07)+2 种基金supports from the "333" Project of Jiangsu Provincethe Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutionsthe "SooChow Scholar" Program of Soochow University
文摘A green protocol for the synthesis of quinoxalines has been developed from catalytic oxidative cyclization of deoxybenzoins with 1,2-phenylenediamines in water.The optimal conditions are involved in the use of a water-soluble mononuclear copper(Ⅱ) complex of a zwitterionic calix[4]arene[Cu(Ⅱ)LCH2O)]I2(1,H4L=[5,ll,17,23-tetrakis(trimethylammonium)-25,26,27,28-tetrahydroxycalix[4]arene]) as a catalyst in alkali solution after refluxing for 15 h in O2.The target quinoxaline and its derivatives were obtained in good yields(up to 88%).The procedure described in this paper is simple,practical and environmentally benign.
文摘In this work, we present a new versatile strategy to prepare noble metal (Au, Ag and Cu) nanoclusters on TiO2 nanosheets in large scales with exposed (001) facets with controlled size, crystalline interface, and loading amount. By precise in situ calcination, the metal (M = Au, Ag, and Cu) nanocrystals with controllable size and better crystalline interface with the TiO2 support have been prepared. The potential application of the as-prepared Au, Ag, and Cu nanoclusters on TiO2 nanosheets as potential heterogeneous catalysts for organic synthesis, such as catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, has been demonstrated. After calcination, Au, Ag, and Cu nanocrystals were found to be proficient cocatalysts for photocatalytic H2 evolution, particularly the Au cocatalyst. Based on precise high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analyses, the flexible control of their size and loading amount as well as their intimate contact with the TiO2 nanosheet enhanced the photocatalytic H2 evolution activity and the sensitivity of the photocurrent response of the film. Furthermore, this aqueous-directed synthesis of metal nanoclusters on a support will generate further interest in the field of nanocatalysis.