A p-n WO_(3)/SnSe_(2) Heterojunction for Efficient Photo-assisted Electrocatalysis of the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Water splitting is important to the conversion and storage of renewable energy,but slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)greatly limits its utility.Here,under visible light illumination,the p-n WO_(3)/SnSe_(2)(WS)heterojunction significantly activates OER catalysis of CoFe-layered double hydroxide(CF)/carbon nanotubes(CNTs).Specifically,the catalyst achieves an overpotential of 224 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2)and a small Tafel slope of 47 mV dec^(-1),superior to RuO_(2)and most previously reported transition metal-based OER catalysts.The p-n WS heterojunction shows strong light absorption to produce photogenerated carriers.The photogenerated holes are trapped by CF to suppresses the charge recombination and facilitate charge transfer,which accelerates OER kinetics and boost the activity for the OER.This work highlights the possibility of using heterojunctions to activate OER catalysis and advances the design of energy-efficient catalysts for water oxidation systems using solar energy.

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.

Is a catalyst always beneficial in plasma catalysis? Insights from the many physical and chemical interactions

Plasma-catalytic dry reforming of CH_(4)(DRM) is promising to convert the greenhouse gasses CH_(4) and CO_(2) into value-added chemicals, thus simultaneously providing an alternative to fossil resources as feedstock for the chemical industry. However, while many experiments have been dedicated to plasma-catalytic DRM, there is no consensus yet in literature on the optimal choice of catalyst for targeted products,because the underlying mechanisms are far from understood. Indeed, plasma catalysis is very complex,as it encompasses various chemical and physical interactions between plasma and catalyst, which depend on many parameters. This complexity hampers the comparison of experimental results from different studies, which, in our opinion, is an important bottleneck in the further development of this promising research field. Hence, in this perspective paper, we describe the important physical and chemical effects that should be accounted for when designing plasma-catalytic experiments in general, high-lighting the need for standardized experimental setups, as well as careful documentation of packing properties and reaction conditions, to further advance this research field. On the other hand, many parameters also create many windows of opportunity for further optimizing plasma-catalytic systems.Finally, various experiments also reveal the lack of improvement in plasma catalysis compared to plasma-only, specifically for DRM, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, we present our newly developed coupled plasma-surface kinetics model for DRM, to provide more insight in the underlying reasons. Our model illustrates that transition metal catalysts can adversely affect plasmacatalytic DRM, if radicals dominate the plasma-catalyst interactions. Thus, we demonstrate that a good understanding of the plasma-catalyst interactions is crucial to avoiding conditions at which these interactions negatively affect the results, and we provide some recommendations for improvement. For instance, we believe that plasma-catalytic DRM may benefit more from higher reaction temperatures,at which vibrational excitation can enhance the surface reactions.

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 REACTION OF AROMATIC ALDEHYDES WITH p-NITROBENZYLLIBUTYLTELLURONIUM BROMIDE BY PHASE TRANSFER CATALYSIS

Under the condition of solid-liquid phase transfer catalysis, olefins were obtained by the reaction of p-nitrobenzyldibutyltelluronium bromide with aromatic aldehyde.Under the condition of liquid-liquid phase transfer catalysis,however,different products were obtained due to the reactivity of different bases or aldehydes.

Rational design of MXene-based vacancy-confined single-atom catalyst for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides(MXenes) have been demonstrated to be promising supports for single-atom catalysts(SACs) to enable efficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER).However,the rational design of MXene-based SACs depends on an experimental trial-and-error approach.A theoretical guidance principle is highly expected for the efficient evaluation of MXene-based SACs.Herein,highthroughput screening was performed through first-principles calculations and machine learning techniques.Ti_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),V_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),Zr_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),Nb_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),Hf_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),Ta_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),and W_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x) were screened out based on their excellent stability.Zn,Pd,Ag,Cd,Au,and Hg were proposed to be promising single atoms anchored in MXenes based on cohesive energy analysis.Hf_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x) with a Pd single atom delivers a theoretical overpotential of 81 mV.Both moderate electron-deficient state and high covalency of metal-carbon bonds were critical features for the high OER reactivity.This principle is expected to be a promising approach to the rational design of OER catalysts for metal-air batteries,fuel cells,and other OER-based energy storage devices.

REACTIONS OF 1-ACETOXY ALLYLIC PHOSPHONATES UNDER PALLADIUM(0) CATALYSIS

l-Acetoxy allylic phosphonates rearrange regioselectively to γ-acetoxy α,β-unsaturated phosphonates under the catalysis of Pd(0). l-Acetoxy allylic phosphonates act as the precursors of phosphonatedπ-allylic cations in palladium(0) catalyzed reactions[1]. The reactions of l-acetoxy allylic phosphonates under palladium(0) catalysis with nucleophiles have been reported. 1-4 These reactions are highly regio- and stereoselective. We wish to report here the palladium(0) catalyzed reaction of l-acetoxy allylic phosphonates in the absence of a nucleophile.

First-Principles Study of Pd Single-Atom Catalysis to Hydrogen Desorption Reactions on MgH2（110） Surface

MgH2 is a promising and popular hydrogen storage material.In this work,the hydrogen desorption reactions of a single Pd atom adsorbed MgH2(110)surface are investigated by using first-principles density functional theory calculations.We find that a single Pd atom adsorbed on the MgH2(110)surface can significantly lower the energy barrier of the hydrogen desorption reactions from 1.802 eV for pure MgH2(110)surface to 1.154 eV for Pd adsorbed MgH2(110)surface,indicating a strong Pd single-atom catalytic effect on the hydrogen desorption reactions.Furthermore,the Pd single-atom catalysis significantly reduces the hydrogen desorption temperature from 573K to 367K,which makes the hydrogen desorption reactions occur more easily and quickly on the MgH2(110)surface.We also discuss the microscopic process of the hydrogen desorption reactions through the reverse process of hydrogen spillover mechanism on the MgH2(110)surface.This study shows that Pd/MgH2 thin films can be used as good hydrogen storage materials in future experiments.

REACTION OF ETHYL N-CYANOMETHYLBENZEHECARBOXIMIDATE WITH ALIPHATIC ALDEHYDES UNDER THE SOLID-LIQUID PHASE TRANSFER CATALYSIS

Ethyl N-cyanomethytbenzenecarboximidate reacted with aliphatic aldehydes under the solid-liquid PTC condition to gire a-ethoxyphenylmethylene- aminoacrylonitrile derivatives and oxazoline derivatives.It is a convenient and new method for synthesis of β,β'-dihyroxy-a-amino acids by hydrolysis of the oxazoline derivatives.

STUDIES ON THE REACTION OF SULFUR,SELENIUM AND TELLURIUM WITH SODIUM HYDROXIDE UNDER PHASE TRANSFER CATALYSIS(Ⅱ).A CONVENIENT METHOD FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF BI(ACYL)DISULFIDES

A simple and general method for the synthesis of bi(acyl)disulfides is reported.Sulfur is allowed to react with sodium hydroxide to give sodium disulfide at 65℃ under PTC,which can react with acyl halides to afford bi(acyl)disulfides in good to excellent isolated yields.The effects of solvents and phase transfer catalysts are discussed.

Nitrogen ligands in two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks for metal catalysis

We introduced bipyridine ligands into a series of two‐dimensional （2D） covalent organic frame‐works （COFs） using 2,2’‐bipyridine‐5,5’‐dicarbaldehyde （2,2’‐BPyDCA） as a component in the mixed building blocks. The framework of the COFs was formed by the linkage of imine groups. The ligand content in the COFs was synthetically tuned by the content of 2,2’‐BPyDCA, and thus the amount of metal, palladium（II） acetate, bonded to the nitrogen ligands could be manipulated. Both the bipyri‐dine ligands and imine groups can coordinate with Pd（II） ions, but the loading position can be var‐ied, with one ligand favoring binding in the space between adjacent COFs’ layers and the other lig‐and favoring binding within the pores of the COFs. The Pd（II）‐loaded COFs exhibited good catalytic activity for the Heck reaction.

Tandem catalysis of Cu/Ni multi-sites promotes oxygen reduction reaction

The special electronic characteristics and high atom usage efficiency of metal-nitrogen-carbon(M-N-C)materials have made them extremely attractive for oxygen reduction reactions(ORRs).However,it is inevitable that hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))will be formed via the two-electron pathway in ORRs.Herein,the Cu nanoparticles(NPs)have been encapsulated into Ni doped hollow mesoporous carbon spheres(Ni-HMCS)to reduce the generation of H_(2)O_(2)in ORR.Electrochemical tests confirm that the introduction of Cu NPs improves the ORR performance greatly.The obtained Cu/Ni-HMCS exhibits a half-wave potential of 0.82 V vs.reversible hydrogen electrode and a limited current density of 5.5 mA cm^(-2),which is comparable with the commercial Pt/C.Moreover,Cu/Ni-HMCS has been used in Zn-air battery,demonstrating a high power density of 161 mW cm^(-2)and a long-term recharge capability(50 h at 5 mA cm^(-2)).The theoretical calculation proposes a tandem catalysis pathway for Cu/Ni multi-sites catalysis,that is,H_(2)O_(2)released from the Ni-N_(4)and Cu-N_(4)sites migrates to the Cu(111)face,on which the captive H_(2)O_(2)is further reduced to H_(2)O.This work demonstrates an interesting tandem catalytic pathway of dual-metal multi-sites for ORR,which provides an insight into the development of effective fuel cell electrocatalysts.

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.

Direct carbon dioxide hydrogenation to produce bulk chemicals and liquid fuels via heterogeneous catalysis

The hydrogenation of carbon dioxide(CO_(2))to produce chemicals and transportation liquid fuels in huge demand via heterogeneous thermochemical catalysis achieved using renewable energy has received increasing attention,and substantial advances have been made in this research field in recent years.In this study,we summarize our progress in the rational design and construction of highly efficient catalysts for CO_(2) hydrogenation to methanol,lower olefins,aromatics,and gasolineand jet fuel-range hydrocarbons.The structure‐performance relationship,nature of the active sites,and mechanism of the reactions occurring over these catalysts are explored by combining computational and experimental evidence.The results of this study will promote further fundamental studies and industrial applications of heterogeneous catalysts for CO_(2) hydrogenation to produce bulk chemicals and liquid fuels.

C(sp^2)-H/O-H cross-dehydrogenative coupling of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with alcohols under visible-light photoredox catalysis

An efficient and practical route to various 3-alkoxylquinoxalin-2(1 H)-ones through visible-light photocatalytic C(sp^2)-H/O-H cross-dehydrogenation coupling of quinoxalin-2(1 H)-ones and alcohols,employing ambient air as an oxidant at room temperature under metal-free conditions,was developed.

Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil by Enzymatic Catalysis Process

Biodiesel is an excellent option for reducing dependence on fossil fuels with environmental advantages by reducing hazardous emissions. The enzymatic transesterification has attracted the attention of researchers in the last decade and the advantages of enzymatic catalysis show that the production of biodiesel by this route has good potential, mainly because it is friendly environment. For biodiesel, production process by enzyme catalysis is chosen the response surface methodology. It is an experimental strategy to find the best operating conditions oftransesterification reaction to improve the biodiesel quality. The Process has three variables： temperature, molar ratio oil-alcohol and catalyst quantity. The process was monitored by GC-FID （gas chromatography with flame ionization detector）. The yield of the transesterification reaction by enzymatic catalysis decreases with increasing temperature, and may be due to inactivation of the enzyme by denaturation at temperatures above 50 ℃. The second-order design used was the ＂CDC （central design composition）＂ which produced a maximum yield of 95.5% in the transesterification reaction by enzymatic catalysis obtained at a temperature of 45 ℃, molar ratio methanol：oil of 8：1 and a catalyst loading of 8% wt.

For more and purer hydrogen-the progress and challenges in water gas shift reaction

The water gas shift(WGS) reaction is a standard reaction that is widely used in industrial hydrogen production and removal of carbon monoxide. The improved catalytic performance of WGS reaction also contributes to ammonia synthesis and other reactions. Advanced catalysts have been developed for both high and low-temperature reactions and are widely used in industry. In recent years, supported metal nanoparticle catalysts have been researched due to their high metal utilization. Low-temperature catalysts have shown promising results, including high selectivity, high shift rates, and higher activity potential. Additionally, significant progress has been made in removing trace CO through the redox reaction in electrolytic cell. This paper reviews the development of WGS reaction catalysts, including the reaction mechanism, catalyst design, and innovative research methods. The catalyst plays a crucial role in the WGS reaction, and this paper provides an instant of catalyst design under different conditions. The progress of catalysts is closely related to the development of advanced characterization techniques.Furthermore, modifying the catalyst surface to enhance activity and significantly increase reaction kinetics is a current research direction. This review goals to stimulate a better understanding of catalyst design, performance optimization, and driving mechanisms, leading to further progress in this field.

Understanding the hydrogen evolution reaction activity of doped single-atom catalysts on two-dimensional GaPS_(4) by DFT and machine learning

As a zero-carbon fuel,hydrogen can be produced via electrochemical water splitting using clean electric energy by the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)process.The ultimate goal of HER catalyst is to replace the expensive Pt metal benchmark with a cheap one with equivalent activities.In this work,we investigated the possibility of HER process on single-atom catalysts(SACs)doped on two-dimensional(2D)GaPS_(4)materials,which have a large intrinsic band gap that can be regulated by doping and tensile strain.Based on the machine learning regression analysis,we can expand the prediction of HER performance to more catalysts without expensive DFT calculation.The electron affinity and first ionization energy are the two most important descriptors related to the HER behavior.Furthermore,constrain molecular dynamics with solvation models and constant potentials were applied to understand the dynamics barrier of HER process of Pt SAC on GaPS_(4)materials.These findings not only provide important insights into the catalytic properties of single-atom catalysts on GaPS_(4)2D materials,but also provides theoretical guidance paradigm for exploration of new catalysts.

Enhanced Acid/Base Catalysis in High Temperature Liquid Water

Two novel and environmentally benign solvent systems, organic acids-ennchea high temperature liquid water （HTLW） and NH3-enriched HTLW, were developed, which can enhance the reaction rate of acid/base-catalyzed organic reactions in HTLW. We investigated the decomposition of fructose in organic acids-enriched HTLW, hydrolysis of cinnamaldehyde and aldol condensation of phenylaldehyde with acetaldehyde in NH3-enriched HTLW. The experimental results demonstrated that organic acids-enriched or NH3-enriched HTLW can greatly accelerate acid/base-catalyzed organic reactions in HTLW.