Search

cited By 0; International audience; Ceria is one of the world's most prominent material for applications in heterogeneous catalysis, as catalyst support or catalyst itself. Despite an exhaustive literature on the structure of reactive facets of CeO2 in line with its catalytic mechanisms, the temporal evolution of the atomic surface structure exposed to realistic redox conditions remains elusive. Here, we provide a direct visualization of the atomic mobility of cerium atoms on 100 surfaces of CeO2 nanocubes at room temperature in high vacuum, O2, and CO2 atmospheres in an environmental transmission electron microscope. Through quantification of the cationic mobility, we demonstrate the control of the surface dynamics under exposure to O2 and CO2 atmospheres, providing opportunities for a better understanding of the intimate catalytic mechanisms. © 2017 American Chemical Society.

Although perovskite catalysts are well-known for their excellent redox property, their acid–base reactivity remains largely unknown. To explore the potential of perovskites in acid–base catalysis, we made a comprehensive investigation in this work on the acid–base properties and reactivity of a series of selected perovskites, SrTiO3, BaTiO3, SrZrO3, and BaZrO3, via a combination of various approaches including adsorption microcalorimetry, in situ FTIR spectroscopy, steady state kinetic measurements, and density functional theory (DFT) modeling. The perovskite surfaces are shown to be dominated with intermediate and strong basic sites with the presence of some weak Lewis acid sites, due to the preferred exposure of SrO/BaO on the perovskite surfaces as evidenced by low energy ion scattering (LEIS) measurements. Using the conversion of 2-propanol as a probe reaction, we found that the reaction is more selective to dehydrogenation over dehydration due to the dominant surface basicity of the perovskites. Furt...

We study methyl formate formation during methanol conversion on the fully oxidized and partially reduced ceria (111) surface using density functional theory. Starting from methanol and formaldehyde adsorbed on the surface, we consider two pathways of methyl formate production. Pathway 1 consists of formaldehyde dehydrogenation followed by oxygen–carbon bond formation. Along pathway 2, the oxygen–carbon bond is established prior to intermediate dehydrogenation. Formaldehyde production is observed at elevated temperature at which we expect both pathways to be energetically attainable on the fully oxidized surface. However, the probability of both reactants being adsorbed next to each other is low. This probability can be increased by the reduction of the surface. The partially reduced ceria surface is modeled by the introduction of an oxygen vacancy in the surface. If formaldehyde adsorbs over a vacancy, both pathways potentially contribute to methyl formate formation. In contrast, if methoxide that is obta...

1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to study hydroxylic surface species on ceria nanocubes, a crystalline, high-surface-area CeO2 that presents mostly (100) facets. Water adsorption and desorption experiments in combination with fast magic angle spinning (MAS, 20–40 kHz) 1H NMR provide high-resolution 1H spectra that allow the observation of ten resonance bands (water or hydroxyl) on or under the (100) surface. Assignments were made using a combination of adsorption and temperature-programmed desorption, quantitative spin counting, deuterium exchange, spin–lattice (T1) and spin–spin (T2) relaxation, and DFT calculations. In air, the (100) surface exists as a fully hydroxylated surface. Water adsorption and dissociation on dry ceria surfaces occur first at oxygen vacancies, but Ce3+ centers are not required since water dissociation is barrier-less on the fully oxidized surface. Surface −OH functionality occurs in two resolved bands representing isolated −OH (1 ppm) and hydrogen-bonded...

The surface properties of CeO2, Pr-CeO2, and 5% and 15% Cu-doped Pr-CeO2 were investigated using methanol as a probe molecule through adsorption and desorption studies carried out using in situ DRIFTS. It was revealed that the surfaces of the 5% and 15% Cu materials were dominated by reduced cations/vacancies and that the 15% Cu material contained the highest concentration of these active species. The high oxygen storage capacity (OSC) of the 15% Cu material, as determined using TGA, reflects the available vacant sites for oxygen adsorption. Formates were formed on all materials, with those formed on the Cu-doped materials present at temperatures as low as 25 °C, hence showing their superior reactivity toward methoxy oxidation. During formate dehydrogenation, H2, CO, CO2, and H2O evolved as the surface cations were simultaneously reduced. It was also observed that, for the Cu-containing materials, H2 was not formed and the high surface mobility determined through isotopic exchange simultaneously generated...

Investigation of atomically precise Au nanoclusters provides a route to understand the roles of coordination, size, and ligand effects on Au catalysis. Herein, we explored the catalytic behavior of a newly synthesized Au22(L8)6 nanocluster (L = 1,8-bis(diphenylphosphino) octane) with in situ uncoordinated Au sites supported on TiO2, CeO2, and Al2O3. Stability of the supported Au22 nanoclusters was probed structurally by in situ extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), and their ability to adsorb and oxidize CO was investigated by IR absorption spectroscopy and a temperature-programmed flow reaction. Low-temperature CO oxidation activity was observed for the supported pristine Au22(L8)6 nanoclusters without ligand removal. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the eight uncoordinated Au sites in the intact Au22(L8)6 nanoclusters can chemisorb both CO and O2. Use of isotopically labeled O2...

We report an efficient electrochemical conversion of CO2 to CO on surface-activated bismuth nanoparticles (NPs) in acetonitrile (MeCN) under ambient conditions, with the assistance of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([bmim][OTf]). Through the comparison between electrodeposited Bi films (Bi-ED) and different types of Bi NPs, we, for the first time, demonstrate the effects of catalyst’s size and surface condition on organic phase electrochemical CO2 reduction. Our study reveals that the surface inhibiting layer (hydrophobic surfactants and Bi3+ species) formed during the synthesis and purification process hinders the CO2 reduction, leading to a 20% drop in Faradaic efficiency for CO evolution (FECO). Bi particle size showed a significant effect on FECO when the surface of Bi was air-oxidized, but this effect of size on FECO became negligible on surface-activated Bi NPs. After the surface activation (hydrazine treatment) that effectively removed the native inhibiting layer, activated 3...

Methanol decomposition to formaldehyde catalyzed by the ceria (111) surface was investigated using the DFT + U method. Our results rationalize experimental temperature programmed desorption experiments on the fully oxidized surface. Particular attention was paid to the effect of coadsorption of methoxy and hydrogen on various aspects of the conversion process. This issue had been raised by the experimental observation of water desorption at low temperature removing hydrogen from the system. Within this context, we also investigated hydrogen diffusion on the ceria surface. The hydrogen/methoxy interaction on ceria was shown to be ionic regardless of separation distance. The barrier for dehydrogenation of methoxy using the ionic model system, where hydrogen is coadsorbed, is above 1 eV. This barrier becomes negligible if an incorrect neutral model without coadsorbed hydrogen is employed. While water formation from isolated surface hydrogen is unlikely at low temperature, the presence of coadsorbed methoxy reduces the reaction energy for water formation considerably. For the dehydrated surface, we observed that the preference of the electron to locate at the methoxy oxygen instead of the cerium atom results in a surface that does not contain Ce3 + ions, despite the existence of a vacancy.

Here the catalysis research at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Laboratories covers a wide range of research topics in heterogeneous catalysis, homogeneous/molecular catalysis, biocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and surface science. Since much of the work at National Laboratories is funded by DOE, the research is largely focused on addressing DOE's mission to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.

Support plays a complex role in catalysis by supported metal oxides and the exact support effect still remains elusive. One of the approaches to gain fundamental insights into the support effect is to utilize model support systems. In this study, we employed for the first time titania nanoshapes as the model supports and investigated how the variation of surface structure of the support (titania, TiO2) impacts the catalysis of supported oxide (vanadia, VOx). TiO2 truncated rhombi, spheres and rods were synthesized via hydrothermal method and characterized with XRD and TEM. These TiO2 nanoshapes represent different mixtures of surface facets including [1 0 1], [0 1 0] and [0 0 1] and were used to support vanadia. The structure of supported VOx species was characterized in detail with in situ Raman spectroscopy as a function of loading on the three TiO2 nanoshapes. Oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of isobutane to isobutene was used as a model reaction to test how the support shape influences the activity, selectivity and activation energy of the surface VOx species. It was shown that the shape of TiO2 support does not pose evident effect on either the structure of surface VOx species or the catalytic performance of surfacemore » VOx species in isobutane ODH reaction. Finally, this insignificant support shape effect was ascribed to the small difference in the surface oxygen vacancy formation energy among the different TiO2 surfaces and the multi-faceting nature of the TiO2 nanoshapes.« less

We have used density functional theory calculations to investigate the temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of methanol from CeO2(111). For the first time, low-temperature water formation and high-temperature methanol desorption are explained by our calculations. High coverages of methanol, which correspond to experimental conditions, are required to properly describe these features of the TPD spectrum. We identify a mechanism for the low-temperature formation of water involving the dissociation of two methanol molecules on the same surface O atom and filling of the resulting surface vacancy with one of the methoxy products. After water desorption, methoxy groups are stabilized on the surface and react at higher temperatures to form methanol and formaldehyde by a disproportionation mechanism. Alternatively, the stabilized methoxy groups undergo sequential C–H scission reactions to produce formaldehyde. Calculated energy requirements and methanol/formaldehyde selectivity agree with the experimental data.

A series of mesoporous xEr2O3·CoTiO3 composite oxide catalysts have been prepared using a template method and tested as a new type of catalyst for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene by using CO2 as a soft oxidant. Among the catalysts tested, the 0.25Er2O3·CoTiO3 sample with a ratio of 1 : 4 : 4 content and calcined at 600 °C exhibited the highest ethylbenzene conversion (58%) and remarkable styrene selectivity (95%) at low temperature (450 °C).

We have explored the dehydrogenation of methoxy on pristine and defective (111), (100), and (110) ceria surfaces with density functional methods. Methanol conversion is used as a probe reaction to understand structure sensitivity of the oxide catalysis. Differences in reaction selectivity have been observed experimentally as a function of crystallographically exposed faces and degree of reduction. We find that the barrier for carbon-hydrogen cleavage in methoxy is similar for the pristine and defective (111), (100), and (110) surfaces. However, there are large differences in the stability of the surface intermediates on the different surfaces. The variations in experimentally observed product selectivities are a consequence of the interplay between barrier controlled bond cleavage and desorption processes. Subtle differences in activation energies for carbon-hydrogen cleavage on the different crystallographic faces of ceria could not be correlated with structural or electronic descriptors.

International audience

MXenes are a new class of two-dimensional materials with properties that make them important for applications that include batteries, capacitive energy storage, and electrocatalysis. These materials can be exfoliated and delaminated to create high surface areas with interlayers accessibility. Intercalation is known to be possible, and it is critical for many applications including electrochemical energy storage, water purification, and sensing. However, little is known about the nature of the intercalant and bonding interactions between the intercalant within the MXene. We have investigated urea interaction within a titanium carbide based MXene using inelastic neutron scattering (INS) to probe the state of intercalated species. By comparison with reference materials, we find that under intercalation conditions urea decomposes readily, leading to intercalation of ammonium cations observable by INS and evolving carbon dioxide detected by infrared spectroscopy. Reactive molecular dynamics calculations were conducted to provide atomistic insights about reaction pathways and their energetics. These results have implications for understanding intercalation in active layered materials.

Catalytic performance and the nature of surface adsorbates were investigated for high-surface-area ceria during the ethylbenzene oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) reaction using CO2 as a soft oxidant. The high surface area ceria material was synthesized using a template-assisted method. The interactions among ethylbenzene, styrene, and CO2 on the surface of ceria and the role of CO2 for the ethylbenzene ODH reaction have been investigated in detail by using activity test, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared and Raman spectroscopy. CO2 as an oxidant not only favored the higher yield of styrene but also inhibited the deposition of coke during the ethylbenzene ODH reaction. Ethylbenzene ODH reaction over ceria followed a two-step pathway: ethylbenzene is first dehydrogenated to styrene with H2 formed simultaneously, and then CO2 reacts with H2 via the reverse water gas shift. The produced styrene can easily undergo polymerization to form polystyrene, which is a key intermediate for coke formation. In the abse...

Adsorption and reaction of acetic acid on a CeO2(1 1 1) surface was studied by a combination of ultra-high vacuum based methods including temperature desorption spectroscopy (TPD), soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (sXPS), near edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and reflection absorption IR spectroscopy (RAIRS), together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. TPD shows that the desorption products are strongly dependent upon the initial oxidation state of the CeO2 surface, including selectivity between acetone and acetaldehyde products. The combination of sXPS and NEXAFS demonstrate that acetate forms upon adsorption at low temperature and is stable to above 500 K, above which point ketene, acetone and acetic acid desorb. DFT and RAIRS show that below 500 K, bridge bonded acetate coexists with a moiety formed by adsorption of an acetate at an oxygen vacancy, formed by water desorption.

In addition to their well-known redox character, the acid–base property is another interesting aspect of ceria-based catalysts. Herein, the effect of surface structure on the acid–base property of ceria was studied in detail by utilizing ceria nanocrystals with different morphologies (cubes, octahedra, and rods) that exhibit crystallographically well-defined surface facets. The nature, type, strength, and amount of acid and base sites on these ceria nanoshapes were investigated via in situ IR spectroscopy combined with various probe molecules. Pyridine adsorption shows the presence of Lewis acid sites (Ce cations) on the ceria nanoshapes. These Lewis acid sites are relatively weak and similar in strength among the three nanoshapes according to the probing by both pyridine and acetonitrile. Two types of basic sites, hydroxyl groups and surface lattice oxygen are present on the ceria nanoshapes, as probed by CO2 adsorption. CO2 and chloroform adsorption indicate that the strength and amount of the Lewis bas...

Palladium supported on high-surface-area ceria effectively catalyzes the hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. Activation of H2 at Pd sites and phenol at surface ceria sites was investigated by probing the redox properties of the catalyst and studying the mechanism of phenol adsorption. Temperature-programmed reduction and pulsed chemisorption were used to examine the effects of prereduction temperature on catalyst dispersion and reducibility. A sharp effect of prereduction temperature on catalytic activity was observed. This dependence is rationalized as a result of interactions between palladium and ceria, which under reducing conditions enhance palladium dispersion and create different types of environments around the Pd active sites and of encapsulation of the catalyst caused by support sintering at high temperatures. Temperature-programmed diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy revealed that phenol undergoes dissociative adsorption...

We have performed computations to better understand how surface structure affects selectivity in dehydrogenation and dehydration reactions of alcohols. Ethanol reactions on the (111) and (100) ceria surfaces were studied starting from the dominant surface species, ethoxy. We used DFT (PBE+U) to explore reaction pathways leading to ethylene and acetaldehyde and calculated estimates of rate constants employing transition state theory. To assess pathway contributions, we carried out kinetic analysis. Our results show that intermediate and transition state structures are stabilized on the (100) surface compared to the (111) surface. Formation of acetaldehyde over ethylene is kinetically and thermodynamically preferred on both surfaces. Our results are consistent with temperature-programmed surface reaction and steady-state experiments, where acetaldehyde was found as the main product and evidence was presented that ethylene formation at higher temperature originates from changes in adsorbate and surface struc...

Gas-solid interfaces enable a multitude of industrial processes, including heterogeneous catalysis; however, there are few methods available for studying the structure of this interface under operating conditions. Here, we present a new sample environment for interrogating materials under gas-flow conditions using time-of-flight neutron scattering under both constant and pulse probe gas flow. Outlined are descriptions of the gas flow cell and a commissioning example using the adsorption of N2 by Ca-exchanged zeolite-X (Na78−2xCaxAl78Si144O384,x ≈ 38). We demonstrate sensitivities to lattice contraction and N2 adsorption sites in the structure, with both static gas loading and gas flow. A steady-state isotope transient kinetic analysis of N2 adsorption measured simultaneously with mass spectrometry is also demonstrated. In the experiment, the gas flow through a plugged-flow gas-solid contactor is switched between N215 and N214 isotopes at a temperature of 300 K and a constant pressure of 1 atm; the gas flo...

International audience

Hierarchically superstructured Prussian blue analogues (hexacyanoferrate, M=Ni(II) , Co(II) and Cu(II) ) are synthesized through a spontaneous assembly technique. In sharp contrast to macroporous-only Prussian blue analogues, the hierarchically superstructured porous Prussian blue materials are demonstrated to possess a high capacitance, which is similar to those of the conventional hybrid graphene/MnO2 nanostructured textiles. Because sodium or potassium ions are involved in energy storage processes, more environmentally neutral electrolytes can be utilized, making the superstructured porous Prussian blue analogues a great contender for applications as high-performance pseudocapacitors.

Oxidation catalysts in emissions control systems generally contain Pd/Pt and require exhaust temperatures above 200 °C to operate, but under low-temperature conditions, oxidation of CO and hydrocarbons are challenging. As engine efficiency improves and exhaust temperature decreases, there is an increasing demand for high emissions control performance at low temperatures. Therefore, it becomes imperative to design new catalysts that are active at low operating temperatures. Au–CuOx catalysts, made through the oxidation of AuCu alloy nanoparticles, have been found to be highly active for the oxidation of CO at low reaction temperatures. The catalytic activity for the conversion of CO using Au–CuOx/SiO2 was evaluated under simulated lean exhaust conditions (CO, C3H6, NO, H2O, O2 and Ar). It was found that the oxidation of CO over the Au–CuOx/SiO2 catalyst was inhibited when C3H6 or NO was introduced into the reaction stream. Interestingly, a physical mixture of Au–CuOx/SiO2 and Pt/Al2O3 worked in synergy to enhance the oxidation of NO to NO2 with 90% conversion near 300 °C in the presence of CO. This reactivity is on par with Pt/Al2O3 NO oxidation activity in the absence of CO. The Au–CuOx/SiO2 catalysts were also found to be thermally stable after being aged up to 700 °C for 10 h. The resistance to particle sintering can be attributed to the CuOx “anchoring” the Au particles to the silica support.

CeO2 cubes with {100} facets, octahedra with {111} facets, and wires with highly defective structures were utilized to probe the structure-dependent reactivity of acetaldehyde. Using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), temperature-programmed surface reactions (TPSR), and in situ infrared spectroscopy, it was determined that acetaldehyde desorbs unreacted or undergoes reduction, coupling, or C–C bond scission reactions, depending on the surface structure of CeO2. Room-temperature FTIR indicates that acetaldehyde binds primarily as η1-acetaldehyde on the octahedra, in a variety of conformations on the cubes, including coupling products and acetate and enolate species, and primarily as coupling products on the wires. The percent consumption of acetaldehyde ranks in the following order: wires > cubes > octahedra. All the nanoshapes produce the coupling product crotonaldehyde; however, the selectivity to produce ethanol ranks in the following order: wires ≈ cubes ≫ octahedra. The selectivity and other dif...

The general consensus in the studies of nanostructured carbon catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of alkanes to olefins is that the oxygen functionalities generated during synthesis and reaction are responsible for the catalytic activity of these nanostructured carbons. Identification of the highly active oxygen functionalities would enable engineering of nanocarbons for ODH of alkanes. Few-layered graphenes were used as model catalysts in experiments to synthesize reduced graphene oxide samples with varying oxygen concentrations, to characterize oxygen functionalities, and to measure the activation energies for ODH of isobutane. Periodic density functional theory calculations were performed on graphene nanoribbon models with a variety of oxygen functionalities at the edges to calculate their thermal stability and to model reaction mechanisms for ODH of isobutane. Comparing measured and calculated thermal stability and activation energies leads to the conclusion that dicarbonyls at the zigzag edges and quinones at armchair edges are appropriately balanced for high activity, relative to other model functionalities considered herein. In the ODH of isobutane, both dehydrogenation and regeneration of catalytic sites are relevant at the dicarbonyls, whereas regeneration is facile compared with dehydrogenation at quinones. The catalytic mechanism involves weakly adsorbed isobutane reducing functional oxygen and leaving as isobutene, and O2 in the feed, weakly adsorbed on the hydrogenated functionality, reacting with that hydrogen and regenerating the catalytic sites.

Shaped CeO2 nanoparticles have been used to explore the effect of surface structure upon the surface chemistry and catalytic selectivity for the ethanol selective oxidation reaction. CeO2 octahedra, cubes, and rods were synthesized using previously published methods. Adsorption and desorption behavior on these nanoshapes was determined by a combination of temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and in situ DRIFTS. Activity and selectivity were measured in steady-state reaction and in temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR). Shape-dependent differences are observed in surface adsorbates, their transformation temperatures, and the selectivity for dehydration, dehydrogenation, and decomposition. Ethoxide and acetate are the primary surface species present under both TPD and TPSR conditions for all shapes. Different rates of α- and β-CH bond scission on the different shapes are responsible for different product selectivity. Structure-dependent, reductive vacancy formation and availability of reactant O2 combine to control surface H which in turn plays a role in controlling product selectivity.

Onion-like carbon, also known as carbon onions, is a highly conductive material enabling supercapacitor electrodes with a very high power density. However, the moderate specific capacitance (circa 30 F/g) is insufficient for many energy storage applications. In our study, we show how decoration of carbon onions with quinones provides a facile method to increase the energy density up to one order of magnitude, namely, from 0.5 Wh/kg to 4.5 Wh/kg, while retaining a high power density and long lifetime. We present data for carbon onions modified with three different kinds of quinones: 1,4-naphthoquinone, 9,10-phenanthrenequinone, and 4,5-pyrenedione. Quinone-decorated carbon onion electrodes are investigated considering the actual quinone loading and the resulting electrochemical performance is probed in 1 M H2SO4 as the electrolyte using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge. The maximum capacitance, 264 F/g, is found for carbon onions modified with 4,5-pyrenedione, which also shows the smallest fade in specific capacitance, namely 3%, over 10,000 charge and discharge cycles at a high current density of 1.3 A/g.

Supported AuCu and AuCuPd catalysts were synthesized through the diffusion of Pd and Cu into Au nanoparticle seeds. When supported on SiO2, the AuCuPd nanoparticles were found to be the most active for the oxidation of CO after being exposed to reductive pretreatment conditions as opposed to oxidative pretreatment conditions. In contrast, AuCu/SiO2 was found to be more active for CO oxidation after the alloy phase was segregated into a Au–CuO x heterostructure. In situ XRD and EXAFS were used to monitor the structural changes of AuCu and AuCuPd catalysts as they were subjected to different pretreatment conditions.

The orientation and bonding of adsorbed 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PQ) on onion-like carbon (OLC) were determined by combining spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated relatively strong bonding of PQ to the OLC as indicated by persistent and reversible features in the cyclic voltammetry. Spectra of bulk solid and adsorbed PQ were obtained by inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and Raman spectroscopy, and the bands were compared with vibrational energies calculated from DFT. At energy losses (frequencies) above 400 cm−1, no band shifts in INS or Raman spectra were observed between bulk solid and adsorbed PQ. However, adsorption of PQ resulted in shifts in the lowest frequency modes (

Investigation of atomically precise Au nanoclusters provides a route to understand the roles of coordination, size, and ligand effects on Au catalysis. Herein, we explored the catalytic behavior of a newly synthesized Au

Depositing size-selected nanoclusters on a well-defined support surface provides a way to probe the metal–support interaction and the size dependence of the catalytic activity; however, the detailed structural information at such interface is often missing. Here we examine from density functional theory the interfacial structure of Pt4 to Pt8 clusters on rutile TiO2(110). We find that Pt4 prefers a flat, nearly square structure on TiO2(110), while larger clusters such as Pt5, Pt6, Pt7, and Pt8 have a two-layer structure with the top layer not interacting with the support directly. The interaction strength generally increases with the contact area between Ptn and TiO2(110). The interfacial structure is a result of optimizing the Pt–Pt, Pt–O, and Pt–Ti interactions: Pt4 prefers the square planar configuration on TiO2(110) with more Pt–Ti interaction over a two-layer, bi-triangle configuration of more Pt–Pt bonds; Pt8 prefers a hut-like two-layer structure over an edge-sharing bi-pyramid structure of greater...

Methanol has been considered as a “smart” molecule in studying the surface sites of metal oxide catalysts. In this work, methanol was utilized to probe the nature of surface sites of ceria nanocrystals with defined surface planes (nanoshapes), including rods (containing {110}), cubes ({100}), and octahedra ({111}). The adsorption and desorption of methanol were followed by in situ IR and Raman spectroscopy as well as mass spectrometry. Upon methanol adsorption at room temperature, on-top, bridging and three-coordinate methoxy species are formed on the surface of rods and cubes, whereas only on-top methoxy is present on the octahedra surface. The distribution of the methoxy species is believed to be determined not only by the coordination status of surface Ce cations but also by the number of defect sites on the three nanoshapes. During the desorption process, the methoxy species are gradually dehydrogenated into H2 and CO via formate species as intermediates on the three ceria surfaces. A second intermedi...

This study reports and compares the adsorption and dissociation of water on oxidized and reduced CeO2(100) and CeO2(111) thin films. Water adsorbs dissociatively on both surfaces. On fully oxidized...

The support effect has long been an intriguing topic in catalysis research. With the advancement of nanomaterial synthesis, the availability of faceted oxide nanocrystals provides the opportunity to gain unprecedented insights into the support effect by employing these well-structured nanocrystals. In this Letter, we show by utilizing ceria nanoshapes as supports for vanadium oxide that the shape of the support poses a profound effect on the catalytic performance of metal oxide catalysts. Specifically, the activation energy of VOx/CeO2 catalysts in oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutane was found to be dependent on the shape of ceria support, rods < octahedra, closely related to the surface oxygen vacancy formation energy and the numbe of defects of the two ceria supports with different crystallographic surface planes.

This paper reports the synthesis of 2.5 nm gold clusters on the oxygen free and chemically labile support carbon nitride (C3N4). Despite having small particle sizes and high enough water partial pressure these Au/C3N4 catalysts are inactive for the gas phase and liquid phase oxidation of carbon monoxide. The reason for the lack of activity is attributed to the lack of surface −OH groups on the C3N4. These OH groups are argued to be responsible for the activation of CO in the oxidation of CO. The importance of basic −OH groups explains the well documented dependence of support isoelectric point versus catalytic activity.

Co–Cu–ZnO nanowire/tube catalysts were synthesized using pulse electrodeposition technique from a single aqueous electrolyte solution using a template synthesis technique. They were then tested as catalysts for the hydrogenation of CO to alcohols and higher hydrocarbons. Nanowires/tubes were grown inside the pores of membranes using a three-step sequential deposition process. First, a low current of −6.9 mA/cm2 was applied for 300 ms for Cu deposition, then a high current density of −11.5 mA/cm2 for t ms (t = 500, 600, 750 ms) was applied for Co deposition, and finally no current was applied for 1200 ms so that the ions near the cathode replenish. The surface had a significantly different composition than the bulk. On the surface, there was more Co, less Cu, and more Zn. The catalyst showed the alcohol (C1–C4) selectivity of 20.9 %C at H2/CO = 3/1, GHSV = 16 000 scc/h gcat, temperature = 270 °C, pressure = 15 bar, and time-on-stream = 65 h.

Graphitic mesoporous carbon (GMC), prepared through high-temperature graphitization of soft-templated amorphous mesoporous carbon (AMC), was used as the support for Mn, Li, and Fe triple-promoted Rh catalysts for CO hydrogenation to ethanol. The use of GMC results in C2H5OH selectivity and formation rate comparable to nonporous SiO2 support along with a significant inhibition on the formation of undesired CH4 and light hydrocarbons at the expense of appreciable amounts of CO2 produced. The better catalytic performance of promoted-Rh/GMC than those supported on other carbon allotropes (AMC and non-porous graphitic carbon black) seems to be associated with the specific graphitic structure and mesoporosity of GMC. The surface modification of GMC by wet oxidation leads to considerable increases in C2H5OH selectivity and formation rate. The modified GMC as a support shows substantially greater CO2-free selectivity for C2H5OH than the SiO2.

CO oxidation is a model reaction for probing the redox property of ceria-based catalysts. In this study, CO oxidation was investigated over ceria nanocrystals with defined surface planes (nanoshapes) including rods ({1 1 0} + {1 0 0}), cubes ({1 0 0}), and octahedra ({1 1 1}). To understand the strong dependence of CO oxidation observed on these different ceria nanoshapes, in situ techniques including infrared and Raman spectroscopy coupled with online mass spectrometer, and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) were employed to reveal how CO interacts with the different ceria surfaces, while the mobility of ceria lattice oxygen was investigated via oxygen isotopic exchange experiment. CO adsorption at room temperature leads to strongly bonded carbonate species on the more reactive surfaces of rods and cubes but weakly bonded ones on the rather inert octahedra surface. CO-TPR, proceeding via several channels including CO removal of lattice oxygen, surface water–gas shift reaction, and CO disproportionation reaction, reveals that the reducibility of these ceria nanoshapes is in line with their CO oxidation activity, i.e., rods > cubes > octahedra. The mobility of lattice oxygen also shows similar dependence. It is suggested that surface oxygen vacancy formation energy, defect sites, and coordinatively unsaturated sites on ceria play a direct role in facilitating both CO interaction with ceria surface and the reactivity and mobility of lattice oxygen. The oxygen vacancy formation energy, nature and amount of the defect and low coordination sites are intrinsically affected by the surface planes of the ceria nanoshapes. Several reaction pathways for CO oxidation over the ceria nanoshapes are proposed, and certain types of carbonates, especially those associated with reduced ceria surface, are considered among the reaction intermediates to form CO 2 , while the majority of carbonate species observed under CO oxidation condition are believed to be spectators.

In this paper, a solid molecular basket sorbent, 50 wt% PEI/SBA-15, was studied for CO(2) capture from gas streams with low CO(2) concentration under ambient conditions. The sorbent was able to effectively and selectively capture CO(2) from a gas stream containing 1% CO(2) at 75 °C, with a breakthrough and saturation capacity of 63.1 and 66.7 mg g(-1), respectively, and a selectivity of 14 for CO(2)/CO and 185 for CO(2)/Ar. The sorption performance of the sorbent was influenced greatly by the operating temperature. The CO(2)-TPD study showed that the sorbent could be regenerated under mild conditions (50-110 °C) and was stable in the cyclic operations for at least 20 cycles. Furthermore, the possibility for CO(2) capture from air using the PEI/SBA-15 sorbent was studied by FTIR and proved by TPD. A capacity of 22.5 mg g(-1) was attained at 75 °C via a TPD method using a simulated air with 400 ppmv CO(2) in N(2).

The structure of vanadium oxide species supported on ceria (VOx/CeO2) was investigated under various conditions by in situ multiwavelength Raman spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, isotopic labeling, and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). For the first time, the detailed structure of dehydrated VOx species was revealed on the polycrystalline ceria support. VOx species can coexist on ceria surface in the structure of monomer, dimer, trimer, polymer, crystalline V2O5, and CeVO4 as a function of VOx loading. These species interact strongly with both the defect sites and labile surface oxygen of ceria, passivating the redox property of ceria. Under ambient condition, the dispersed VOx species are hydrated into polyvanadate species that can be reversibly dehydrated back to the original structure forms. The ceria support with defect sites facilitates the interaction between water (H218O) and V16Ox species, leading to very facile isotopic oxygen exchange between the two even at room temperature. During H2 reduct...

The effect of Li and Mn promoters on the structure and selectivity of supported Rh catalysts for CO hydrogenation reaction was examined. Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray absorption were used to inve...

We explore the interaction between gold nanoclusters and a fully hydroxylated surface, Mg(OH)2's basal plane, by using a density functional theory-enabled local basin-hopping technique for global-minimum search. We find strong interaction of gold nanoclusters with the surface hydroxyls via a short bond between edge Au atoms and O atoms of the -OH groups. We expect that this strong interaction is ubiquitous on hydroxylated support surfaces and helps the gold nanoclusters against sintering, thereby contributing to their CO-oxidation activity at low temperatures.

Previous work has shown that Au supported on FePO 4 can be stable and active for CO oxidation and that oxygen from the FePO 4 can participate in the CO oxidation. In this paper, we have used gas transient DRIFTS-QMS, Raman, temperature-programmed reduction and CO oxidation activity measurements to compare adsorption and oxidation of CO on two comparably loaded Au catalysts supported on both a reducible phosphate support, FePO 4 , and a non-reducible support, LaPO 4 . H 2 -TPR confirms that the Au/FePO 4 catalyst is highly reducible and that the reduction is strongly promoted by the Au, while neither LaPO 4 nor Au/LaPO 4 are reducible up to 500 °C. The nature of Au species was determined by CO adsorption. For Au/FePO 4 , cationic Au is present after oxidative treatment, and metallic Au dominates after reductive treatment. The majority of the cationic Au observed on the FePO 4 support undergoes in situ reduction to metallic Au during rt CO adsorption. For Au/LaPO 4 , no cationic Au is observed, but metallic Au is present after both oxidative and reductive treatment. In addition, metallic Au is accompanied by anionic Au, not seen on Au/FePO 4 , which accumulates during CO exposure, even after an oxidative pretreatment. Unexpectedly, CO interacts rapidly with Au/LaPO 4 to evolve CO 2 and form both adsorbed CO 2 and “carbonate-like” species, even though the LaPO 4 is non-reducible and Raman fails to find evidence for loss of structural oxygen. H 2 coevolves with CO 2 during CO-TPR of Au/LaPO 4 (but not for Au/FePO 4 ) leading to the conclusion that surface hydroxyl is the source of oxygen during CO exposure to Au/LaPO 4 . Anionic Au is associated with the vacancies remaining after reaction of hydroxyl with CO.

Graphitic mesoporous carbon was modified with phosphorous heteroatoms in order to tune the catalytic selectivity and to investigate the roles of different oxygen species for the oxidative dehydrogenation reaction of isobutane to isobutene. Small changes in the isobutane apparent activation energy are consistent with the notion that the phosphorous groups do not change the nature of the active sites but they interfere with the availability of the sites. Our results show that the improvement on selectivity is not proportional to the amount of phosphorous added. Small phosphorous content improved the selectivity by suppressing the combustion of isobutane. However, a higher amount of phosphorous groups lead to coverage of selective quinone sites and/or creation of active sites favorable to total oxidation.