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Abstract: The tailored chemical synthesis of binary and ternary alloy nanoparticles with a uniform elemental composition is presented. Their dual use as magnetic susceptors for induction heating and catalytic agent for steam reforming of methane to produce hydrogen at temperatures near and above 800 °C is demonstrated. The heating and catalytic performance of two chemically synthesized samples of CoNi and Cu⊂CoNi are compared and held against a traditional Ni‐based reforming catalyst. The structural, magnetic, and catalytic properties of the samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, elemental analysis, magnetometry, and reactivity measurements. For induction‐heated catalysts, the conversion rate of methane is limited by chemical reactivity, as opposed to the case of traditional externally heated reformers where heat transport limitations are the limiting factor. Catalyst production by the synthetic route allows controlled doping with miniscule concentrations of auxiliary metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delamination of layered crystals that produces single or few-layered nanosheets while enabling exotic physical and chemical properties, particularly for semiconductor functions in optoelectronic applications, remains a challenge. Here, we report a facile and green approach to prepare few-layered polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) semiconductors by a one-step carbon/nitrogen steam reforming reaction. Bulky PCN, obtained from typical precursors including urea, melamine, dicyandiamide, and thiourea, are exfoliated into few-layered nanosheets, while engineering its surface carbon vacancies. The unique sheet structures with strengthened surface properties endow PCNs with more active sites, and an increased charge separation efficiency with a prolonged charge lifetime, drastically promoting their photoredox performance. After an assay of a H2 evolution reaction, an apparent quantum yield of 11.3 % at 405 nm was recorded for the PCN nanosheets, which is much higher than those of PCN nanosheets. This delamination method is expandable to other carbon-based 2D materials for advanced applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu-Al spinel oxide, which contains a small portion of the CuO phase, has been successfully used in methanol steam reforming (MSR) without prereduction. The omission of prereduction not only avoids the copper sintering prior to the catalytic reaction, but also slows down the copper-sintering rate in MSR. During this process, the CuO phase can initiate MSR at a lower temperature, and CuAl2O4 releases active copper gradually. The catalyst CA2.5-900, calcined at 900 °C with n(Al)/ n(Cu)=2.5, has a higher CuAl2O4 content, higher BET surface area, and smaller CuAl2O4 crystal size. Its activity first increases and then decreases during MSR. Furthermore, both fresh and regenerated CA2.5-900 showed better catalytic performance than the commercial Cu-Zn-Al catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]