Rapid Microwave-Assisted Polyol Reduction for the Preparation of Highly Active PtNi/CNT Electrocatalysts for Methanol Oxidation

PtNi nanoparticle catalysts supported on oxygen functionalized carbon nanotubes were prepared by microwave-assisted polyol reduction using two different modes of irradiation, namely, continuous or pulsed irradiation. The influence of irradiation time or pulse number on catalyst structure and activity in methanol electrooxidation has been studied. Characterization was done with ICP-OES, XRD, TEM, XPS, and XAS to determine composition, morphology, crystal structural and chemical state. The electrocatalytic activity has been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA). PtNi nanoparticles are present in alloy form and are well dispersed on the carbon nanotubes. Pt is in its metallic state, whereas Ni is present in metallic and oxidized form depending on the preparation conditions. The electrocatalytic activity both in terms of surface and mass specific activity is higher than that of the state-of-the-art-catalyst Pt/C (E-TEK). The enhancement of the electrocatalytic activity is discussed with respect to PtNi alloy formation and the resulting modification of the electronic properties of Pt by Ni in the alloy structure. The microwave assisted polyol method with continuous irradiation is more effective in the preparation of PtNi electrocatalysts both in terms of reaction time and activity than the pulsed microwave method

Selective Oxidation of Alcohols to Esters Using Heterogeneous Co₃O₄–N@C Catalysts under Mild Conditions

Novel cobalt-based heterogeneous catalysts have been developed for the direct oxidative esterification of alcohols using molecular oxygen as benign oxidant. Pyrolysis of nitrogen-ligated cobalt­(II) acetate supported on commercial carbon transforms typical homogeneous complexes to highly active and selective heterogeneous Co₃O₄–N@C materials. By applying these catalysts in the presence of oxygen, the cross and self-esterification of alcohols to esters proceeds in good to excellent yields

Selective Catalytic Hydrogenation of Heteroarenes with <i>N</i>‑Graphene-Modified Cobalt Nanoparticles (Co₃O₄–Co/NGr@α-Al₂O₃)

Cobalt oxide/cobalt-based nanoparticles featuring a core–shell structure and nitrogen-doped graphene layers on alumina are obtained by pyrolysis of Co­(OAc)₂/phenanthroline. The resulting core–shell material (Co₃O₄–Co/NGr@α-Al₂O₃) was successfully applied in the catalytic hydrogenation of a variety of <i>N</i>-heteroarenes including quinolines, acridines, benzo­[<i>h</i>], and 1,5-naphthyridine as well as unprotected indoles. The peculiar structure of the novel heterogeneous catalyst enables activation of molecular hydrogen at comparably low temperature. Both high activity and selectivity were achieved in these hydrogenation processes, to give important building blocks for bioactive compounds as well as the pharmaceutical industry

Synthesis of Single Atom Based Heterogeneous Platinum Catalysts: High Selectivity and Activity for Hydrosilylation Reactions

Catalytic hydrosilylation represents a straightforward and atom-efficient methodology for the creation of C–Si bonds. In general, the application of homogeneous platinum complexes prevails in industry and academia. Herein, we describe the first heterogeneous single atom catalysts (SACs), which are conveniently prepared by decorating alumina nanorods with platinum atoms. The resulting stable material efficiently catalyzes hydrosilylation of industrially relevant olefins with high TON (≈10⁵). A variety of substrates is selectively hydrosilylated including compounds with sensitive reducible and other functional groups (N, B, F, Cl). The single atom based catalyst shows significantly higher activity compared to related Pt nanoparticles

Solar Hydrogen Production by Plasmonic Au–TiO₂ Catalysts: Impact of Synthesis Protocol and TiO₂ Phase on Charge Transfer Efficiency and H₂ Evolution Rates

The activity of plasmonic Au–TiO₂ catalysts for solar hydrogen production from H₂O/MeOH mixtures was found to depend strongly on the support phase (anatase, rutile, brookite, or composites thereof) as well as on specific structural properties caused by the method of Au deposition (sol-immobilization, photodeposition, or deposition–precipitation). Structural and electronic rationale have been identified for this behavior. Using a combination of spectroscopic in situ techniques (EPR, XANES, and UV–vis spectroscopy), the formation of plasmonic Au particles from precursor species was monitored, and the charge-carrier separation and stabilization under photocatalytic conditions was explored in relation to H₂ evolution rates. By in situ EPR spectroscopy, it was directly shown that abundant surface vacancies and surface OH groups enhance the stabilization of separated electrons and holes, whereas the enrichment of Ti³⁺ in the support lattice hampers an efficient electron transport. Under the given experimental conditions, these properties were most efficiently generated by depositing gold particles on anatase/rutile composites using the deposition–precipitation technique

Pronounced Size Dependence in Structure and Morphology of Gas-Phase Produced, Partially Oxidized Cobalt Nanoparticles under Catalytic Reaction Conditions

It is generally accepted that optimal particle sizes are key for efficient nanocatalysis. Much less attention is paid to the role of morphology and atomic arrangement during catalytic reactions. Here, we unravel the structural, stoichiometric, and morphological evolution of gas-phase produced and partially oxidized cobalt nanoparticles in a broad size range. Particles with diameters between 1.4 and 22 nm generated in cluster sources are size selected and deposited on amorphous alumina (Al₂O₃) and ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films. A combination of different techniques is employed to monitor particle properties at the stages of production, exposure to ambient conditions, and catalytic reaction, in this case, the oxidative dehydrogenation of cyclohexane at elevated temperatures. A pronounced size dependence is found, naturally classifying the particles into three size regimes. While small and intermediate clusters essentially retain their compact morphology, large particles transform into hollow spheres due to the nanoscale Kirkendall effect. Depending on the substrate, an isotropic (Al₂O₃) or anisotropic (UNCD) Kirkendall effect is observed. The latter results in dramatic lateral size changes. Our results shed light on the interplay between chemical reactions and the catalyst’s structure and provide an approach to tailor the cobalt oxide phase composition required for specific catalytic schemes

Selective CO₂ Reduction to CO in Water using Earth-Abundant Metal and Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Electrocatalysts

Earth-abundant transition metal (Fe, Co, or Ni) and nitrogen-doped porous carbon electrocatalysts (M-N-C, where M denotes the metal) were synthesized from cheap precursors via silica-templated pyrolysis. The effect of the material composition and structure (i.e., porosity, nitrogen doping, metal identity, and oxygen functionalization) on the activity for the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) was investigated. The metal-free N-C exhibits a high selectivity but low activity for CO₂RR. Incorporation of the Fe and Ni, but not Co, sites in the N-C material is able to significantly enhance the activity. The general selectivity order for CO₂-to-CO conversion in water is found to be Ni > Fe ≫ Co with respect to the metal in M-N-C, while the activity follows Ni, Fe ≫ Co. Notably, the Ni-doped carbon exhibits a high selectivity with a faradaic efficiency of 93% for CO production. Tafel analysis shows a change of the rate-determining step as the metal overtakes the role of the nitrogen as the most active site. Recording the X-ray photoelectron spectra and extended X-ray absorption fine structure demonstrates that the metals are atomically dispersed in the carbon matrix, most likely coordinated to four nitrogen atoms and with carbon atoms serving as a second coordination shell. Presumably, the carbon atoms in the second coordination shell of the metal sites in M-N-C significantly affect the CO₂RR activity because the opposite reactivity order is found for carbon supported metal meso-tetraphenylporphyrin complexes. From a better understanding of the relationship between the CO₂RR activity and the material structure, it becomes possible to rationally design high-performance porous carbon electrocatalysts involving earth-abundant metals for CO₂ valorization