Synthesis,Characterization and Catalytic Activity of Propionamide Complexes of Rare Earth Chlorides

Propionamide complexes of rare earth chlorides were synthesized. Formula of the complexes is LnCl 3·3PA. The ligand is shown to behave as a normal amide donor with the oxygen of the carbonyl group coordinated to the metal ions. Binary system composed of propionamide and aluminum alkyl shows higher activity and stereospecificity for butadiene polymerization. The cis 1,4 content of polybutadiene is more than 98%.

Understanding the Pt-like Catalytic Activity of Transition Metal Carbide Ta4C_(3) for I_(3)^(-) Reduction

This paper attempts to understand the Pt-like catalytic activity of transition metal carbide Ta4C_(3) for IRR(I_(3)^(-)reduction reaction)based on the correlation of adsorption energy to d-band center(εd).Ta4C_(3) was prepared by carbothermal reduction method with a template.Its photoelectrochemical properties were investigated as a CE(counter electrode)in DSSC(dye-sensitized solar cell).Its surface electronic structures,including DOS(density of state)andεd,and adsorption energy were computed by first-principle DFT(density functional theory).In TMC(transition metal carbide)Ta4C_(3),the interaction between Ta and C atoms makes the d-band of Ta broaden and results in the downward shift of itsεd.A moderate absorption energy corresponding to theεd is achieved,which is the nature of the Pt-like catalytic activity of Ta4C_(3).Appropriate change of adsorption energy by adjustingεd is a promising strategy to improve catalytic activity.This work is of great significance to the fundamental and application researches.

Highly Sensitive Ammonia Gas Sensors at Room Temperature Based on the Catalytic Mechanism of N,C Coordinated Ni Single-Atom Active Center

Significant challenges are posed by the limitations of gas sensing mechanisms for trace-level detection of ammonia(NH3).In this study,we propose to exploit single-atom catalytic activation and targeted adsorption properties to achieve highly sensitive and selective NH3 gas detection.Specifically,Ni singleatom active sites based on N,C coordination(Ni-N-C)were interfacially confined on the surface of two-dimensional(2D)MXene nanosheets(Ni-N-C/Ti_(3)C_(2)Tx),and a fully flexible gas sensor(MNPE-Ni-N-C/Ti_(3)C_(2)Tx)was integrated.The sensor demonstrates a remarkable response value to 5 ppm NH3(27.3%),excellent selectivity for NH3,and a low theoretical detection limit of 12.1 ppb.Simulation analysis by density functional calculation reveals that the Ni single-atom center with N,C coordination exhibits specific targeted adsorption properties for NH3.Additionally,its catalytic activation effect effectively reduces the Gibbs free energy of the sensing elemental reaction,while its electronic structure promotes the spill-over effect of reactive oxygen species at the gas-solid interface.The sensor has a dual-channel sensing mechanism of both chemical and electronic sensitization,which facilitates efficient electron transfer to the 2D MXene conductive network,resulting in the formation of the NH3 gas molecule sensing signal.Furthermore,the passivation of MXene edge defects by a conjugated hydrogen bond network enhances the long-term stability of MXene-based electrodes under high humidity conditions.This work achieves highly sensitive room-temperature NH3 gas detection based on the catalytic mechanism of Ni single-atom active center with N,C coordination,which provides a novel gas sensing mechanism for room-temperature trace gas detection research.

Biocatalytic enhancement of laccase immobilized on ZnFe_(2)O_(4) nanoparticles and its application for degradation of textile dyes

Efficient and convenient treatment of industrial dyeing wastewater is of great significance to guarantee human and animal health.This work presented the enhanced catalytic activity at pH 3.0 of laccase immobilized on amino-functionalized ZnFe_(2)O_(4) nanoparticles(ZnFe_(2)O_(4)-laccase)and its application for the degradation of textile dyes.Due to the existence of a large number of oxygen vacancies on the surface of the ZnFe_(2)O_(4) nanoparticles,negative ions accumulated on the magnetic carriers,which resulted in a harsh optimal pH value of the ZnFe_(2)O_(4)-laccase.Laccase activity assays revealed that the ZnFe_(2)O_(4)-laccase possessed superior pH and thermal stabilities,excellent reusability,and noticeable organic solvent tolerance.Meanwhile,the ZnFe_(2)O_(4) laccase presented efficient and sustainable degradation of high concentrations of textile dyes.The initial decoloration efficiencies of malachite green(MG),brilliant green(BG),azophloxine,crystal violet(CV),reactive blue 19(RB19),and procion red MX-5B were approximately 99.1%,95.0%,93.3%,87.4%,86.1%,and 85.3%,respectively.After 10 consecutive reuses,the degradation rates of the textile dyes still maintained about 98.2%,92.5%,83.2%,81.5%,79.8%and 65.9%,respectively.The excellent dye degradation properties indicate that the ZnFe_(2)O_(4)-laccase has a technical application in high concentrations of dyestuff treatment.

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

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

Effect of Precipitation Method and Ce Doping on the Catalytic Activity of Copper Manganese Oxide Catalysts for CO Oxidation

The influence of Ce doping and the precipitation method on structural properties and the catalytic activity of copper manganese oxides for CO oxidation at ambient temperature have been investigated. The catalysts were characterized by means of the powder X-ray diffraction and N2 adsorption-desorption, the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, the temperature programmed reduction, diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectra, and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that after doping little amount of Ce in copper manganese oxide, CeO2 phase was highly dispersed and could prevent sintering and aggregating of the catalyst, the size of the catalytic material was decreased, the reducibility was enhanced, the specific surface area was increased and the formation of the active sites for the oxidation of CO was improved significantly. Therefore, the activity of the rare earth promoted catalyst was enhanced remarkably.

Size-dependent peroxidase-like catalytic activity of Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles

Peroxidase-like catalytic properties of Fe3O4 nanoparficles （NPs） with three different sizes, synthesized by chemical coprecipitation and sol-gel methods, were investigated by UV-vis spectrum analysis. By comparing Fe3O4 NPs with average diameters of 11, 20, and 150 nm, we found that the catalytic activity increases with the reduced nanoparticle size. The electrochemical method to characterize the catalytic activity of Fe3O4 NPs using the response currents of the reaction product and substrate was also developed.

Synthesis of Hierarchically Porous CaFe204/Carbon Fiber Hybrids and Microwave Induced Catalytic Activity

Hierarchically porous CaFe204/carbon fiber hybrids with enhanced microwave induced cat- alytic activity for the degradation of methyl violet （MV） from water were synthesized from kapok by a novel two-step process coupling pore-fabricating and nanoparticles assembling. The as-prepared samples exhibited characteristic hollow fiber morphology, CaFe204 nanopar- ticles dispersed uniformly on the surface of hollow carbon fibers （HCF）. The effects of various factors such as CaFe204 loading, microwave power, catalyst doses, initial concen- tration of MV solution and pH value on the microwave induced degradation of MV over CaFe204/HCF were evaluated. It was found that the microwave induced degradation of MV over CaFe204/HCF had high reaction rate and short process time. The kinetic study indicated that the degradation of MV over CaFe204/HCF followed pseudo-first-order kinet- ics model. The high catalytic activity of CaFe204/HCF was facilitated by the synergistic relationship between microwave induced catalytic reaction and adsorption characteristics.

Preparation of SO_4^(2-)/TiO_2-WO_3 solid superacid and its catalytic activity in acetalation and ketaltion

SO_4^(2-)/TiO_2-WO_3 was prepared and its catalytic activity under differentsynthetic conditions was discussed with esterification of n-butanoic acid and n-butyl alcohol asprobing reaction. The optimum conditions are found that the mass fraction of H_2WO_4 used in thecompound is 12.5 percent, the calcination temperature is 580 deg C, the calcination time is 3 h, andthe soaked consistency of H_2SO_4 is 1.0 mol centre dot L^(-1). Then SO_4^(2-)/TiO_2-WO_3 wasapplied as the catalyst in the catalytic synthesis of eight similar important ketals and acetalsunder the optimum conditions and revealed high catalytic activity. On condition that the molar ratioof aldehyde/ketone to glycol is 1:1.5, the mass fraction of the catalyst used in the reactants is0.5 percent, and the reaction time is 1.0 h, the yields of ketals and acetals can reach 64.2percent-95.1 percent. Moreover, it can be easily recovered and reused.

Study on Hydrothermal Stability and Catalytic Activity of Al-SBA-15 Mesoporous Materials Prepared by Impregnation Method

The mesoporous Al-SBA-15 zeolite was obtained via impregnation of pure silica-based SBA-15 zeolite with aluminum nitrate.The Al-SBA-15 sample was calcined in air at 800 ℃ for 6 h and hydrothermally treated at near 100 ℃ for 120 h,respectively,and then the thermal and hydrothermal stability of Al-SBA-15 sample was investigated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD),scanning electron microscopy (SEM),transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption and desorption techniques.The Al-SBA-15 sample was also studied by 27 Al nuclear magnetic resonance (27 Al NMR) and ammonia temperature programmed desorption (NH 3-TPD) techniques.In addition,the catalytic activity of Al-SBA-15 zeolite was investigated by the Friedel-Crafts reactions of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol with cinnamyl alcohol.The test results showed that the thermal and hydrothermal stability of Al-SBA-15 zeolite was better than that of SBA-15 zeo-lite.The Al-SBA-15 zeolite sample prepared by impregnation method exhibits more framework aluminum species and Al-O-Si units.Therefore,the number of the surface hydroxyl groups was reduced,resulting in the stabilization of framework structure ofAl-SBA-15 zeolite.The aluminum species can form weak and medium-strong acid sites with catalytic activity.

Influence of alkali metal doping on surface properties and catalytic activity/selectivity of CaO catalysts in oxidative coupling of methane

Surface properties （viz. surface area, basicity/base strength distribution, and crystal phases） of alkali metal doped CaO （alkali metal/Ca= 0.1 and 0.4） catalysts and their catalytic activity/selectivity in oxidative coupling of methane （OCM） to higher hydrocarbons at different reaction conditions （viz. temperature, 700 and 750 ℃; CH4/O2 ratio, 4.0 and 8.0 and space velocity, 5140-20550 cm^3 ·g^-1·h^-1） have been investigated. The influence of catalyst calcination temperature on the activity/selectivity has also been investigated. The surface properties （viz. surface area, basicity/base strength distribution） and catalytic activity/selectivity of the alkali metal doped CaO catalysts are strongly influenced by the alkali metal promoter and its concentration in the alkali metal doped CaO catalysts. An addition of alkali metal promoter to CaO results in a large decrease in the surface area but a large increase in the surface basicity （strong basic sites） and the C2＋ selectivity and yield of the catalysts in the OCM process. The activity and selectivity are strongly influenced by the catalyst calcination temperature. No direct relationship between surface basicity and catalytic activity/selectivity has been observed. Among the alkali metal doped CaO catalysts, Na-CaO （Na/Ca = 0.1, before calcination） catalyst （calcined at 750 ℃）, showed best performance （C2＋ selectivity of 68.8% with 24.7% methane conversion）, whereas the poorest performance was shown by the Rb-CaO catalyst in the OCM process.

One-step fabrication of TiO2/graphene hybrid mesoporous film with enhanced photocatalytic activity and photovoltaic performance

We synthesized a mesoporous film based on TiO2-reduced graphene oxide(RGO)hybrids using a one-step vapor-thermal method without the need for an additional annealing process.The vapor-thermally prepared TiO2-graphene hybrid(VTH)features unique structures with an ultra-large specific surface area of^260 m^2 g^-1 and low aggregation,giving rise to enhanced light harvesting and increased charge generation and separation efficiency.It was observed that a mesoporous film with uniform pore distribution is simultaneously obtained during the VTH growth process.When a 5.0 wt%RGO VTH film was used as the active layer in photocatalysis,the highest photocatalytic activity for degradation of methyl orange was achieved.For another,when a 0.75 wt%RGO VTH film was used as the photoanode in a dye-sensitized solar cell,the power conversion efficiency reached 7.58%,which represents an increase of 73.1%compared to a solar cell using an a photoanode of pure TiO2 synthesized by a traditional solvothermal method.It is expected that this facile method for the synthesis of TiO2/graphene hybrid mesoporous films will be useful in practical applications for preparing other metal oxide/graphene hybrids with ultra-high photocatalytic activity and photovoltaic performance.

Effects of Colloidal Silica Binder on Catalytic Activity and Adhesion of HZSM-5 Coatings for Structured Reactors

HZSM-5 coating using three colloidal silica binders, acidic colloidal silica （ACS）, neutral colloidal silica （NCS） and basic colloidal silica （BCS）, was prepared to study the effect of hinders on their adhesion and catalytic activity. Scanning electron microscopy characterization indicated that the zeolite coating using BCS shows the smoothest surface with higher homogeneity and adherence strength. The specific surface area, relative crystallization and acid site strength of zeolites are also dependent on the binder used. Catalytic cracking of supercritical n- dodecane over the series of zeolite coating with various binders indicated that HZSM-5 coating with BCS exhibits the highest and the most stable catalytic activity compared with other kinds of binders, and also exhibits a stable catalytic activity ascribed to its proper acid property and microstructure.

Theoretical Study on the Catalytic Activity and Sulfur Resistibility of Amorphous Alloy Ni-B-P

In the present paper, one hundred cluster models NinBP （n = 1-6） have been designed and studied by density functional theory （DFT） to get an insight into the local structure, catalytic properties and sulfur resistibility of amorphous alloy Ni-B-P. The configurations in triplet state are found more stable than those in the singlet state. It is found： that as the content of Ni in the clusters increases, the value of Fermi level in clusters fluctuated, which shows that the content of Ni can influence the Fermi level to a certain extent. Based on the Fermi level and DOS, we consider the activity of catalyst in hydrogenation reaction is the best in cluster Ni3BP. On the basis of the charge of clusters NinBP （n = 1 -6）, we conclude the amorphous alloy Ni-B-P with high Ni content has better sulfur resistibility and the best hydrogenation activity, strong sulfur resistibility appears in clusters Ni3BP, and the amorphous alloy Ni60B20P20 with similar proportion is expected to prepare in the future.

A new method to improve surface morphology of Ni-Fe-Mo-Co alloy electrode and its catalytic activity for HER

A new pretreatment method has been developed to improve the catalytic activity of the Ni-Fe-Mo-Co alloy electrode for hydrogen evolution reaction （HER）. The procedure involves pre-electrolyzing the Ni-Fe-Mo-Co alloy electrode in 30% KOH solution containing 10% potassium sodium tartrate at 70℃ for 2 h, until some of the Mo and Fe elements are leached out. The surface morphology of the Ni-Fe-Mo-Co alloy demonstrates a unique hive-like structure after the pre- treatment, which has the pore size in a nanometer range （about 50 nm）, a very large real surface area, and good stability. The results of the electrochemical studies show that compared to other similar electrode materials and the treated Ni-Fe-Mo-Co electrode by leaching method, the pre-treated Ni-Fe-Mo-Co electrode has a much lower overpotential and much higher exchange current density for HER. In addition, a long-term continuous electrolysis test with a current interruption shows that the Ni-Fe-Mo-Co alloy has excellent catalytic stability.

Evolution of catalytic activity driven by structural fusion of icosahedral gold cluster cores

Atomically precise gold cluster catalysts have emerged as a new frontier in catalysis science,owing to their unexpected catalytic properties.In this work,we explore the evolution of the catalytic activity of clusters formed by the structural fusion of icosahedral Au13 units,namely Au25(SR)18,Au38(SR)24,and Au25(PPh3)10(SC2H4Ph)5Cl2,in the oxidation of pyrrolidine toγ-butyrolactam.We demonstrate that the structural fusion of icosahedral Au13 units,forming vertex-fused(vf),face-fused(ff),and body-fused(bf)clusters,can induce a decrease in the catalytic activity in the following order:Aubf>Auff>Auvf.The structural fusion of icosahedral Au13 units in the clusters does not distinguish the adsorption modes of pyrrolidine over the three clusters from each other,but modulates the chemical adsorption capacity and electronic properties of the three clusters,which is likely to be the key reason for the observed changes in catalytic reactivity.Our results are expected to be extendable to study and design atomically defined catalysts with elaborate structural patterns,in order to produce desired products.

Preparation and Acid Catalytic Activity of TiO2 Grafted Silica MCM-41 with Sulfate Treatment

TiO2 grafted silica MCM-41 catalyst with and without sulfate treatment were prepared. The structural and acid properties of these materials were investigated by XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, element analysis, thermal analysis, Raman and FTIR measurements. Their acid-catalytic activities were evaluated using the cyclization reaction of pseudoionone. It was found that the obtained materials possess well-ordered mesostructure, and the grafted TiO2 components were in highly dispersed amorphous form. T/MCM41 without sulfation contained only Lewis acid sites, while Brφnsted and Lewis acidities were remarkably improved for the sulfated materials ST/MCM41 and d-ST/MCM41. T/MCM-41 was not active for the cyclization reaction of pseudoionone, but ST/MCM-41 and d-ST/MCM-41 possessed favorable catalytic activities. The catalytic performance of ST/MCM-41 was comparable with that of the commercial solid acid catalyst of Amberlyst-15, and better than that of d-ST/MCM-41, although the latter underwent a second TiO2 grafting process and accordingly had higher Ti and S content. The specific surface structure of Si-O-Ti-O-S=O in ST/MCM-41 and the bilateral induction effect of Si and S=O on Si-O-Ti bonds were speculated to account for its higher acid catalytic activity.

Density Functional Theory for the Investigation of Catalytic Activity of X@Cu_(12)(X = Cu, Ni, Co, or Fe) for N_2O Decomposition

We have investigated the reaction mechanism for N20 decomposition on Cu13 via density functional theory. It is found that N20 decomposition on the cluster is more prone to be along the Eley-Rideal （ER） pathway in comparison with the Langmuir-Hinshelwood （LH） channel. There exists structural relaxation for Cu13 cluster in the reaction, which may influence the catalytic activity of cluster for the subsequent N2O decomposition. The core atom in the Cu13 cluster is substituted with the Fe, Co, or Ni to enhance structural stability and prevent from the obvious configuration relaxation in the reaction. Note that these bimetallic clusters are of icosahedra as the Cu13. They have activities for N2O dissociation along ER pathway and the heteroatorn in the cluster can prevent configuration from relaxation. Finally, the Ni@Cu12 cluster can be as a superior catalyst in a complete catalytic cycle via comparison in this study.

Electron Donating Property and Catalytic Activity ofPerovskite-type Mixed Oxides (ABO_3) Consisting of Rare Earth and 3d Transition Metals

The catalytic activity of Perovskite-type mixed oxides (LaCoO3, PrCoO3 and SmCoO3) for the reduction of cyclohexanone to cyclohexanol with 2-propanol (Meerwein-PonndorfVerley reduction) has been studied. The data have been correlated with the surface electron donor properties of these mixed oxides

SURFACE STATE AND CATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF ACTIVATED AMORPHOUS Fe_(80)Zr_(12)B_8 ALLOY

The depth profile of composition,chemical state of elements and morphology of as- received and activated amorphous Fe_(80)Zr_(12)B_8 alloy ribbons have been studied by means of Auger electron spectroscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning Auger microprobe combined with Ar ion bombardment.Both dull and free sides of the as- received ribbons were covered with an iron oxide layer.While a pronounced surface segregation and oxidation of B and precipitation of microcrystalline α-Fe particles were observed on both sides of activated ribbons,B and Zr were oxidized selectively in subsurface layer.On both sides of ribbons,a porous surface structure formed. The BET surface area was measured to be increasing from 0.11 to 2.68 m^2/g.The principal mechanism of in situ activation has been discussed.