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Additional file 1: Appendix S1. The complete list of MATCH members and sites.

Phosphoryl functionalized mesoporous silica (TBP-SBA-15) was synthesized by modified mesoporous silica with γ-amino propyl triethoxy silane and tributyl phosphate. The obtained samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD), thermo-gravimetric/differential thermalanalyzer (TG/DTA), N2 adsorption–desorption (BET) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. Results showed that TBP-SBA-15 had large surface areas with ordered channel structure. Moreover, the effects of adsorption time, sorbent dose, solution pH, initial uranium concentration and temperature on the uranium adsorption behaviors were investigated. TBP-SBA-15 showed a high uranium adsorption capacity in a broad range of pH values. The U(VI) adsorption rate of TBP-SBA-15 was fast and nearly achieved completion in 10 min with the sorbent dose of 1 g/L. The U(VI) adsorption of TBP-SBA-15 followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm model, indicating that the process was belonged to chemical adsorption. Furthermore, the thermodynamic parameters (ΔG0, ΔH0 and ΔS0) confirmed that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous.

MgO-, ZrO 2 -, and hydroxyapatite (HAP)-supported metallic copper catalysts prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method were used to catalyze the alkaline hydrothermal conversion of glycerol to lactic acid. The supported copper catalysts were characterized by XRD, XPS, BET, TPR, and CO 2 -TPD techniques. CuO species was completely reduced to metallic copper (Cu 0 ), which was the active site for the catalytic conversion of glycerol. Cu/MgO and Cu/HAP catalysts with high basicity exhibited higher catalytic activities for the hydrothermal conversion of glycerol to lactic acid than Cu/ZrO 2 catalyst with low basicity. The lactic acid selectivity of 90% was obtained at the glycerol conversion of 91% in the hydrothermal conversion of glycerol over Cu(16)/HAP catalyst at 230 °C for 2 h with the initial glycerol and NaOH concentrations of 1.0 and 1.1 mol L −1 , respectively. The Cu(16)/HAP catalyst exhibited good recycling performance in the hydrothermal conversion of glycerol to lactic acid. A power-law expression kinetic equation was used to evaluate the effect of glycerol and NaOH concentrations and reaction temperature on the alkaline hydrothermal conversion of glycerol to lactic acid over the Cu(16)/HAP catalyst. The intrinsic reaction activation energy, E a , was 117.2 kJ mol −1 .

Catalytic dehydrogenation of methanol to methyl formate over SiO 2 -, hydroxyapatite (HAP)-, and MgO-supported copper catalysts was investigated. Metallic copper (Cu 0 ) was the active site for the methanol dehydrogenation to methyl formate. Cu/SiO 2 catalyst with low basicity and weak-strength basic site effectively catalyzed the methanol dehydrogenation to methyl formate. Cu/HAP and Cu/MgO catalysts with high basicities and strong-strength basic sites caused the degradation of the resultant methyl formate to CO and H 2 . Over Cu(5)/SiO 2 catalyst, the reaction activation energies for methanol dehydrogenation to methyl formate and methyl formate degradation to CO and H 2 were 58.3 and 91.1 kJ mol −1 , respectively.

MCM-41, Y, ZSM-5, and β zeolite-supported copper catalysts prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method were used for the coupling reaction between methanol dehydrogenation and maleic anhydride hydrogenation in a fixed bed reactor. The Cu/MCM-41 catalyst with low acidity favoured methanol dehydrogenation to methyl formate and maleic anhydride hydrogenation to γ-butyrolactone, while Cu/Y, Cu/ZSM-5, and Cu/β catalysts with high acidities favoured methanol dehydration to dimethyl ether and the formation of dimethyl succinate. When the coupling reaction over the Cu/MCM-41 catalyst was carried out at 240–300 °C, the selectivities of methyl formate and γ-butyrolactone reached 88 % and 72 %, respectively. The coupling reaction over the Cu/MCM-41 catalyst had good compensation for hydrogen and reaction heat.

1,2-Propanediol co-produced in the dimethyl carbonate production is oversupplied in market. 1,2-Propanediol can also be facilely produced starting from glycerol, which is oversupplied in the biodiesel production. Catalytic conversion of low-valued 1,2-propanediol to high-valued and environmental benign lactic acid was investigated under mild reaction conditions over Au–Pd/Mg(OH)2 catalysts in our present work. The Au–Pd/Mg(OH)2 catalysts were prepared by the sol-immobilization method and characterized by XRD, SEM, HRTEM, UV–vis DRS, and O2-TPD techniques. Small-sized Au and Pd nanoparticles were coalesced together to form secondary nanoparticles, which were well dispersed on the surfaces of Mg(OH)2 nanoslices. The Au and Pd nanoparticles synergistically catalyzed the oxidation of 1,2-propanediol with O2 to lactic acid in an alkaline solution. When the catalytic oxidation of 1,2-propanediol was carried out over Au0.75Pd0.25/Mg(OH)2 catalyst at 60 °C for 240 min, the lactic acid selectivity of 88% was obtained at the 1,2-propanediol conversion of 97.5%. A power-function type reaction kinetic model well fitted the experimental data, r = − d C P / d t = k C P 0.8 P O 2 1 .4 W cat 1 .0 . The reaction activation energy was 64 kJ mol−1.

Catalytic oxidation of oversupplied and low-valued 1,2-propanediol with O2 to high-valued and environmental benign lactic acid was investigated over hydroxylapatite nanorod-supported Au/Pd bimetallic nanoparticles (Au–Pd/HAP) under atmospheric pressure. The Au–Pd/HAP catalysts were prepared by the sol-immobilization method and characterized by XRD, HRTEM, XPS, and CO2-TPD techniques. Small-sized Au and Pd nanoparticles coalesced to form secondary bimetallic nanoparticles and well dispersed on the surfaces of HAP nanorods. When the catalytic oxidation of 1,2-propanediol was carried out over Au0.75Pd0.25/HAP catalyst at 353 K for 5 h in an alkaline solution, the lactic acid selectivity was 97.1% at the 1,2-propanediol conversion of 96.6%. The Au and Pd nanoparticles synergistically catalyzed the oxidation of 1,2-propanediol to lactic acid in an alkaline solution probably due to the electron transfer between Au and Pd atoms. The kinetics for the oxidation of 1,2-propanediol over Au–Pd/HAP bimetallic catalysts were different from those over Au/HAP and Pd/HAP monometallic catalysts.

Cu/MOx (MOx = Al2O3, ZrO2, and ZnO) catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation method. Al2O3, ZrO2, and ZnO crystallites existed in both calcined and reduced Cu/MOx catalysts. After reduction, CuO were reduced to Cu0, which was considered as an active site in both ethanol dehydrogenation and maleic anhydride hydrogenation. The basicities of Cu/MOx catalysts were in the order of Cu/Al2O3 > Cu/ZrO2 > Cu/ZnO. The coupling reaction between ethanol dehydrogenation and maleic anhydride hydrogenation catalyzed by Cu/MOx catalysts was carried out at reaction temperatures ranging from 240 to 300 °C. In the coupling reaction, Cu/ZrO2 and Cu/ZnO catalysts with large crystallite-sized Cu0 nanoparticles favored the dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde with the maximum selectivity of 67.6% and the hydrogenation of diethyl maleate to diethyl succinate with the maximum selectivity of 99.6%. Cu/Al2O3 catalysts with small crystallite-sized Cu0 nanoparticles favored the dehydrogenation of ethanol to ethyl acetate and the hydrogenation of diethyl succinate to γ-butyrolactone with the maximum selectivity of 95.4% at maleic anhydride conversion of 98% and 300 °C. The Cu/MOx catalysts also favored the dehydration of ethanol to n-butanol due to their basicity. Coupling ethanol dehydrogenation and maleic anhydride hydrogenation had good compensation for both reaction heat and hydrogen.