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MAX phases are layered ternary carbides or nitrides that are attractive for catalysis applications due to their unusual set of properties. They show high thermal stability like ceramics, but they are also tough, ductile, and good conductors of heat and electricity like metals. Here, we study the potential of the Ti 3 AlC 2 MAX phase as a support for molybdenum oxide for the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction, comparing this new catalyst to more traditional materials. The catalyst showed higher turnover frequency values than MoO 3 /TiO 2 and MoO 3 /Al 2 O 3 catalysts, due to the outstanding electronic properties of the Ti 3 AlC 2 support. We observed a charge transfer effect from the electronically rich Ti 3 AlC 2 MAX phase to the catalyst surface, which in turn enhances the reducibility of MoO 3 species during reaction. The redox properties of the MoO 3 /Ti 3 AlC 2 catalyst improve its RWGS intrinsic activity compared to TiO 2 - and Al 2 O 3 -based catalysts., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

MAX (M n+1 AX n ) phases are layered carbides or nitrides with a high thermal and mechanical bulk stability. Recently, it was shown that their surface structure can be modified to form a thin non-stoichiometric oxide layer, which can catalyze the oxidative dehydrogenation of butane. Here, the use of a Ti 2 AlC MAX phase as a support for cobalt oxide was explored for the dry reforming of butane with CO 2 , comparing this new catalyst to more traditional materials. The catalyst was active and selective to synthesis gas. Although the surface structure changed during the reaction, the activity remained stable. Under the same conditions, a titania-supported cobalt oxide catalyst gave low activity and stability due to the agglomeration of cobalt oxide particles. The Co 3 O 4 /Al 2 O 3 catalyst was active, but the acidic surface led to a faster deactivation. The less acidic surface of the Ti 2 AlC was better at inhibiting coke formation. Thanks to their thermal stability and acid-base properties, MAX phases are promising supports for CO 2 conversion reactions., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Forging customizable compounds into arbitrary shapes and structures has the potential to revolutionize functional materials, where independent control over shape and composition is essential. Current self-assembly strategies allow impressive levels of control over either shape or composition, but not both, as self-assembly inherently entangles shape and composition. Herein, independent control over shape and composition is achieved by chemical conversion reactions on nanocrystals, which are first self-assembled in nanocomposites with programmable microscopic shapes. The multiscale character of nanocomposites is crucial: nanocrystals (5-50 nm) offer enhanced chemical reactivity, while the composite layout accommodates volume changes of the nanocrystals (≈25%), which together leads to complete chemical conversion with full shape preservation. These reactions are surprisingly materials agnostic, allowing a large diversity of chemical pathways, and development of conversion pathways yielding a wide selection of shape-controlled transition metal chalcogenides (cadmium, manganese, iron, and nickel oxides and sulfides). Finally, the versatility and application potential of this strategy is demonstrated by assembling: 1) a scalable and highly reactive nickel catalyst for the dry reforming of butane, 2) an agile magnetic-controlled particle, and 3) an electron-beam-controlled reversible microactuator with sub-micrometer precision. Previously unimaginable customization of shape and composition is now achievable for assembling advanced functional components., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

CO 2 is a promising renewable, cheap, and abundant C1 feedstock for producing valuable chemicals, such as CO and methanol. In conventional reactors, because of thermodynamic constraints, converting CO 2 to methanol requires high temperature and pressure, typically 250 °C and 20 bar. Nonthermal plasma is a better option, as it can convert CO 2 at near-ambient temperature and pressure. Adding a catalyst to such plasma setups can enhance conversion and selectivity. However, we know little about the effects of catalysts in such systems. Here, we study CO 2 hydrogenation in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma-catalysis setup under ambient conditions using MgO, γ-Al 2 O 3 , and a series of Co x O y /MgO catalysts. While all three catalyst types enhanced CO 2 conversion, Co x O y /MgO gave the best results, converting up to 35% of CO 2 and reaching the highest methanol yield (10%). Control experiments showed that the basic MgO support is more active than the acidic γ-Al 2 O 3 , and that MgO-supported cobalt oxide catalysts improve the selectivity toward methanol. The methanol yield can be tuned by changing the metal loading. Overall, our study shows the utility of plasma catalysis for CO 2 conversion under mild conditions, with the potential to reduce the energy footprint of CO 2 -recycling processes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2020 American Chemical Society.)

One of the main initiatives for fighting climate change is to use carbon dioxide as a resource instead of waste. In this respect, thermocatalytic carbon dioxide hydrogenation to high-added-value chemicals is a promising process. Among the products of this reaction (alcohols, alkanes, olefins, or aromatics), light olefins are interesting because they are building blocks for making polymers, as well as other important chemicals. Olefins are mainly produced from fossil fuel sources, but the increasing demand of plastics boosts the need to develop more sustainable synthetic routes. This review gives a critical overview of the most recent achievements in direct carbon dioxide hydrogenation to light olefins, which can take place through two competitive routes: the modified Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and methanol-mediated synthesis. Both routes are compared in terms of catalyst development, reaction performance, and reaction mechanisms. Furthermore, practical aspects of the commercialization of this reaction, such as renewable hydrogen production and carbon dioxide capture, compression, and transport, are discussed. It is concluded that, to date, the catalysts used in the carbon dioxide hydrogenation reaction give a wide product distribution, which reduces the specific selectivity to lower olefins. More efforts are needed to reach better control of the C/H surface ratio and interactions within the functionalities of the catalyst, as well as understanding the reaction mechanism and avoiding deactivation. Renewable H 2 production and carbon dioxide capture and transport technologies are being developed, although they are currently still too expensive for industrial application., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)