A nanoparticle with well‐defined surfaces, prepared through colloidal chemistry, enables it to be studied as a model heterogeneous catalyst. The colloidal synthetic approach provides versatile tools ...to control the size and shape of nanoparticles. Traditional nucleation and growth mechanisms have been utilized to understand how nanoparticles can be uniformly synthesized and unprecedented shapes can be controlled. Now, the size of metal particles can be controlled to cluster regimes by using dendrimers. By using seeds and foreign atoms, specific synthetic environments such as seeded growth and crystal overgrowth can be induced to generate various shaped mono‐ or bi‐metallic, core/shell, or branched nanostructures. For green chemistry, catalysis in 21st century is aiming for 100 % selectivity to produce only one desired product at high turnover rates. Recent studies on nanoparticle catalysts clearly demonstrate size and shape dependent selectivity in many catalytic reactions. By combining in situ surface characterization techniques, real‐time monitoring of nanoparticles can be performed under reaction environments, thus identifying several molecular factors affecting catalytic activity and selectivity.
Captain of the selectivity ship: Catalysis in 21st century is aiming for 100 % selectivity to produce only one desired product at high turnover rates. Recently, size and shape dependent selectivity in many catalytic reactions has been demonstrated. Combining in situ surface characterization techniques, real‐time monitoring of nanoparticles is performed under reaction environments to identify the molecular factors that affect catalysis.
We show that the activity and selectivity of Cu catalyst can be promoted by a Zr-based metal–organic framework (MOF), Zr6O4(OH)4(BDC)6 (BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate), UiO-66, to have a strong ...interaction with Zr oxide Zr6O4(OH)4(−CO2)12 secondary building units (SBUs) of the MOF for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. These interesting features are achieved by a catalyst composed of 18 nm single Cu nanocrystal (NC) encapsulated within single crystal UiO-66 (Cu⊂UiO-66). The performance of this catalyst construct exceeds the benchmark Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst and gives a steady 8-fold enhanced yield and 100% selectivity for methanol. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data obtained on the surface of the catalyst show that Zr 3d binding energy is shifted toward lower oxidation state in the presence of Cu NC, suggesting that there is a strong interaction between Cu NC and Zr oxide SBUs of the MOF to make a highly active Cu catalyst.
Chemical environment control of the metal nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in nanocrystalline metal–organic frameworks (nMOFs) is useful in controlling the activity and selectivity of catalytic ...reactions. In this report, organic linkers with two functional groups, sulfonic acid (−SO3H, S) and ammonium (−NH3 +, N), are chosen as strong and weak acidic functionalities, respectively, and then incorporated into a MOF Zr6O4(OH)4(BDC)6 (BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate), termed UiO-66 separately or together in the presence of 2.5 nm Pt NPs to build a series of Pt NPs-embedded in UiO-66 (Pt⊂nUiO-66). We find that these chemical functionalities play a critical role in product selectivity and activity in the gas-phase conversion of methylcyclopentane (MCP) to acyclic isomer, olefins, cyclohexane, and benzene. Pt⊂nUiO-66-S gives the highest selectivity to C6-cyclic products (62.4% and 28.6% for cyclohexane and benzene, respectively) without acyclic isomers products. Moreover, its catalytic activity was doubled relative to the nonfunctionalized Pt⊂nUiO-66. In contrast, Pt⊂nUiO-66-N decreases selectivity for C6-cyclic products to <50% while increases the acyclic isomer selectivity to 38.6%. Interestingly, the Pt⊂nUiO-66-SN containing both functional groups gave different product selectivity than their constituents; no cyclohexane was produced, while benzene was the dominant product with olefins and acyclic isomers as minor products. All Pt⊂nUiO-66 catalysts with different functionalities remain intact and maintain their crystal structure, morphology, and chemical functionalities without catalytic deactivation after reactions over 8 h.
Selectivity--the production of one molecule out of many other thermodynamically feasible product molecules--is the key concept in developing clean processes that do not produce by-products (green ...chemistry). Small differences in the potential-energy barriers of single reaction steps control which reaction channel is more likely to yield the desired product molecule (selectivity), while the overall activation energy of the reaction controls the turnover rates (activity). Recent studies have demonstrated that tailoring parameters at the atomic or molecular level--such as the surface structures of active sites--gives turnover rates and reaction selectivities that depend on the nanoparticle size and shape. Here, we highlight seven molecular components that influence the selectivity of heterogeneous catalyst reactions on single-crystal model surfaces and colloid nanoparticles: surface structure, adsorbate-induced restructuring, adsorbate mobility, reaction intermediates, surface composition, charge transport, and oxidation states. We show the importance of the single factors by means of examples and describe in situ analyses that permit their roles in surface reactions to be investigated.
Natural gas (Methane) is currently the primary source of catalytic hydrogen production, accounting for three quarters of the annual global dedicated hydrogen production (about 70 M tons). ...Steam–methane reforming (SMR) is the currently used industrial process for hydrogen production. However, the SMR process suffers with insufficient catalytic activity, low long-term stability, and excessive energy input, mostly due to the handling of large amount of CO2 coproduced. With the demand for anticipated hydrogen production to reach 122.5 M tons in 2024, novel and upgraded catalytic processes are desired for more effective utilization of precious natural resources. In this review, we summarized the major descriptors of catalyst and reaction engineering of the SMR process and compared the SMR process with its derivative technologies, such as dry reforming with CO2 (DRM), partial oxidation with O2, autothermal reforming with H2O and O2. Finally, we discussed the new progresses of methane conversion: direct decomposition to hydrogen and solid carbon and selective oxidation in mild conditions to hydrogen containing liquid organics (i.e., methanol, formic acid, and acetic acid), which serve as alternative hydrogen carriers. We hope this review will help to achieve a whole picture of catalytic hydrogen production from methane.
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•Convert syngas to paraffin and alcohols catalyzed by Co-based catalysts.•Size and support dependence of Co catalysts on Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.•Product distribution controlled by ...the surface compositions.•Chemical transient kinetics experiments to study the non-steady state chemistry.
Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis, converting syngas to hydrocarbons, provides a green alternative for fuel production. Cobalt is one of the most intensively studied F-T catalysts due to its great activity, high stability, and relatively low cost. In this mini review, we summarized some recent advancements in the development of cobalt-based F-T catalysts focusing on the effects of particle size, surface oxidation states, crystallography, and bimetallic particles, with emphasis on the research from our group. Furthermore, non-steady state conditions were investigated to access the initial kinetics using chemical transient kinetics (CTK) experiments, which could bring more insights into the reaction mechanism and catalyst design.
Compositional heterogeneity in shaped, bimetallic nanocrystals offers additional variables to manoeuvre the functionality of the nanocrystal. However, understanding how to manipulate anisotropic ...elemental distributions in a nanocrystal is a great challenge in reaching higher tiers of nanocatalyst design. Here, we present the evolutionary trajectory of phase segregation in Pt-Ni rhombic dodecahedra. The anisotropic growth of a Pt-rich phase along the 〈111〉 and 〈200〉 directions at the initial growth stage results in Pt segregation to the 14 axes of a rhombic dodecahedron, forming a highly branched, Pt-rich tetradecapod structure embedded in a Ni-rich shell. With longer growth time, the Pt-rich phase selectively migrates outwards through the 14 axes to the 24 edges such that the rhombic dodecahedron becomes a Pt-rich frame enclosing a Ni-rich interior phase. The revealed anisotropic phase segregation and migration mechanism offers a radically different approach to fabrication of nanocatalysts with desired compositional distributions and performance.
The growth of nanocrystalline metal–organic frameworks (nMOFs) around metal nanocrystals (NCs) is useful in controlling the chemistry and metric of metal NCs. In this Letter, we show rare examples of ...nMOFs grown in monocrystalline form around metal NCs. Specifically, Pt NCs were subjected to reactions yielding Zr(IV) nMOFs Zr6O4(OH)4(fumarate)6, MOF-801; Zr6O4(OH)4(BDC)6 (BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate), UiO-66; Zr6O4(OH)4(BPDC)6 (BPDC = 4,4′-biphenyldicarboxylate), UiO-67 as a single crystal within which the Pt NCs are embedded. These constructs (Pt⊂nMOF)nanocrystal are found to be active in gas-phase hydrogenative conversion of methylcyclopentane (MCP) and give unusual product selectivity. The Pt⊂nUiO-66 shows selectivity to C6-cyclic hydrocarbons such as cyclohexane and benzene that takes place with 100 °C lower temperature than the standard reaction (Pt-on-SiO2). We observe a pore size effect in the nMOF series where the small pore of Pt⊂nMOF-801 does not produce the same products, while the larger pore Pt⊂nUiO-67 catalyst provides the same products but with different selectivity. The (Pt⊂nMOF)nanocrystal spent catalyst is found to maintain the original crystallinity, and be recyclable without any byproduct residues.
The challenge of chemistry in the 21st century is to achieve 100% selectivity of the desired product molecule in multipath reactions (“green chemistry”) and develop renewable energy based processes. ...Surface chemistry and catalysis play key roles in this enterprise. Development of in situ surface techniques such as high-pressure scanning tunneling microscopy, sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, time-resolved Fourier transform infrared methods, and ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy enabled the rapid advancement of three fields: nanocatalysts, biointerfaces, and renewable energy conversion chemistry. In materials nanoscience, synthetic methods have been developed to produce monodisperse metal and oxide nanoparticles (NPs) in the 0.8−10 nm range with controlled shape, oxidation states, and composition; these NPs can be used as selective catalysts since chemical selectivity appears to be dependent on all of these experimental parameters. New spectroscopic and microscopic techniques have been developed that operate under reaction conditions and reveal the dynamic change of molecular structure of catalysts and adsorbed molecules as the reactions proceed with changes in reaction intermediates, catalyst composition, and oxidation states. SFG vibrational spectroscopy detects amino acids, peptides, and proteins adsorbed at hydrophobic and hydrophilic interfaces and monitors the change of surface structure and interactions with coadsorbed water. Exothermic reactions and photons generate hot electrons in metal NPs that may be utilized in chemical energy conversion. The photosplitting of water and carbon dioxide, an important research direction in renewable energy conversion, is discussed.
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