Catalytic Activity Of Metal Nanoparticles Research Articles

Edge‐Effect Modulated Noble Metal Electrocatalysts for Efficient and pH‐Universal Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

AbstractThe catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles is closely pertinent to the substrate, while the influence of the support on the catalytic activity is acquainted scarcely. Herein, the edge selective decoration of noble metal nanoparticles into an edge‐rich carbon foam (CF) matrix for efficient pH‐universal hydrogen evolution (HER) reaction is reported. The highly localized density of states of the graphene edges enables increased reactivity to noble metal nanoparticles and tunes their electronic states. As expected, the Pt nanoparticles decorated on CF (Pt NPs@CF) exhibit low overpotentials (η10) of only 35, 49, and 53 mV under acidic, alkaline, and neutral conditions, respectively. Moreover, it can deliver the ampere‐level current density of 1000 mA cm−2 with an overpotential of 97 mV in acidic solutions. Above all, the other noble metal NPs decorated on CF also possess efficient pH‐universal HER performance. This work presents a new avenue for developing high‐activity electrocatalysts via support engineering.

A strategy toward enhancing the lithium-storage performance of anode materials of ZIF-67-derived Co/N-doped carbon nanocubes by Ni-Co3ZnC

Metal-organic framework draws widespread interest on account of its large specific surface areas, which could be employed as sacrificial templates to synthesize Co/N-doped carbon nanocubes. Herein, Ni-Co3ZnC is used as an additive for improving the electrical conductivity as well as lithium-storage performance of Co/N-doped carbon because of the conductivity and catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles. Co/N-doped carbon nanocubes and Co/N-doped carbon-Ni-Co3ZnC anode materials are prepared through one-step precipitation and high-temperature calcination methods. The lithium-storage capabilities of Co/N-doped carbon and Co/N-doped carbon-Ni-Co3ZnC are investigated. Co/N-doped carbon-Ni-Co3ZnC manifests good electrochemical performance at 2.0 A g−1 compared to Co/N-doped carbon. The initial reversible capacities of Co/N-doped carbon and Co/N-doped carbon-Ni-Co3ZnC are 877.4/548.4 and 1, 170.5/557.3 mAh g−1, and the reversible capacities could be maintained at 152.6/152.4 and 276.8/276.5 mAh g−1 after 2, 000 cycles. The electrode kinetic results evidence that Ni-Co3ZnC could enhance the conductivity of Co/N-doped carbon. The data provide a theoretical basis for improving the lithium-storage performance of prevalent anode materials.

Facile preparation and catalytic property of a sandwich composite membrane

Membrane as a support for metal nanocatalysts, can greatly enhance the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles and promote the efficient production and separation of products. In this study, a novel sandwich-structured composite membrane was designed and facilely fabricated by using palladium nanocatalysts as the core catalytic layer and two different structured PVDF layers as the outer layers. The composite membrane was used as a reaction interface as well as a separation barrier between reactants and products, efficiently realizing the catalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol and convenient separation of the product benzaldehyde. The membrane was characterized in detailed and the effects of the membrane structure and various reaction conditions on the catalytic oxidation were systematically investigated. The results indicated that the reaction could be conveniently carried out under very mild experimental conditions, obtaining the product benzaldehyde at as high selectivity as 93.17 %. The successful implementation of the sandwich membrane for the production of chlorine-free benzaldehyde provides a new method for the interface reaction.

High or Low Coordination: Insight into the Active Site of Pt Nanoparticles toward CO Oxidation.

The catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles (NPs) is highly dependent on the coordination environment of the surface sites. Understanding the role of different sites in reactions is essential for gaining insights into catalytic activity and the precise design of catalysts. Herein, we used first-principles calculation-based kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to investigate correlations between different sites on Pt NPs in CO oxidation reactions. Low-coordinated (LC) sites favor the CO adsorption and reaction, whereas the oxygen mainly adsorbs on high-coordinated (HC) sites and diffuses to LC sites for reaction at low temperatures. Compared with step-dominated and terrace-dominated structures, the step-terrace structures exhibit higher activities. This reveals that the catalytic performance is not simply determined by the sites where the reaction occurs but is dramatically affected by the kinetic synergies between different sites. A proper way to optimize the activity of Pt catalysts is to balance the LC and HC sites.

Correlating O-Vacancy and Hydrogen Spillover with Activity and Selectivity in Furfural Hydrogenation Using Nanocatalysts Comprised of Ru Nanoparticles Supported on TiO2–SiO2

The nanoengineering of efficient and stable nanocatalysts is highly desired for sustainable biomass valorization toward the selective hydrogenation of furfural. The interaction of supports with metallic nanoparticles and oxygen vacancies has a significant role in the catalytic activity of oxide nanocatalysts. Here, by combining density functional theory (DFT) calculations and catalytic experimental data, we demonstrated that the presence of TiO2 in Ru–SiO2 catalysts might allow an association between oxygen vacancies and the hydrogen spillover effect. Specifically, Ru–TiO2–SiO2 and Ru–SiO2 nanocatalysts displayed improved activities and selectivities toward the reaction mentioned above. The nanomaterials were prepared by a simple, versatile, and single-step modified sol–gel process build upon two different stabilizing agents (P123 and CTAB), which afforded entirely covered surfaces of TiO2–SiO2 and SiO2 supports with uniform small Ru nanoparticles generated in situ. The Ru-TSdc nanocatalyst displayed several interesting promising nanoscale features for hydrogenation of furfural: (i) uniform distribution of Ru, Ti, and Si elements over the entire catalyst surface, (ii) deposition of small Ru nanoparticles with no significant particle agglomeration, (iii) facilitated hydrogen spillover from Ru NPs to the TiO2 support, and (iv) a significant amount of oxygen vacancies at the nanoparticle surface. For these reasons, the Ru-TSdc sample afforded the optimal performance toward the selective hydrogenation of furfural (up to 99% of selectivity), maintaining good conversions in certain reaction conditions. This work demonstrates how the catalytic activity of metallic nanoparticles could be improved by the structural addition of a reducible oxide, leading to more efficient inorganic supports and for preparing nanocatalysts.

Catalytic degradation of methyl orange using bimetallic nanoparticles loaded into poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) microgels

The health of living organisms is greatly endangered by the rising concentration of hazardous substances in water, such as organic dyes. A catalytic system containing bimetallic nanoparticles loaded in polymer microgels was designed to degrade the organic dyes in aqueous medium. First, the poly( N -isopropylmethacrylamide) [P(NM)] microgel particles were synthesized using free radical precipitation polymerization method, and then Ag/Co nanoparticles were incorporated into the crosslinked network of P(NM) using the in-situ reduction via NaBH 4 . The P(NM) microgels and Ag/Co nanoparticles encapsulated in P(NM) microgels were characterized by TGA, FTIR, EDX, UV-Vis. and STEM results. The catalytic efficiency of Ag/Co-P(NM) towards degradation of methyl orange (MeOr) was evaluated under various reaction conditions. It was found that Ag/Co-P(NM) had remarkable catalytic efficiency. The catalytic efficiency of Ag/Co-P(NM) was found to be 90% even after recycling process. • The silver and cobalt nanoparticles loaded into microgels have been synthesized successfully. • Catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles loaded microgels were also studied in detail. • pH responsive behavior of hybrid microgels was also studied. • Catalytic efficiency of Ag/Co nanoparticles loaded microgels was observed after recycling.

Spherical covalent organic framework supported Cu/Ag bimetallic nanoparticles with highly catalytic activity for reduction of 4-nitrophenol

4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) is water pollutant with good stability, high toxicity and difficult degradation, which will cause great harm to the environment. Thus, the development of high efficiency and rapid catalysts for the degradation of 4-NP will be an urgent problem to be solved. Herein, we synthesized covalent organic framework supporting Cu/Ag bimetallic nanoparticles (Cu/Ag–COF), which had better catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-NP. The porous COF possess large surface area of approximately 737.8 ​m2/g, so it can provide abundant sites for loading metal nanoparticles. At the same time, COF could also improve the stability and catalytic effect of nanocatalyst under flexible condition. The prepared Cu/Ag–COF exhibited the higher catalytic reduction of 4-NP into 4-aminophenol (4-AP) under the condition that the molar ratio of NaBH4 to 4-NP was 147 and achieved an apparent rate constant of kCu/Ag–COF ​= ​0.0073 s−1. The apparent rate constant of Cu/Ag–COF was higher than that of Ag–COF (kAg-COF ​= ​0.0032 s−1) and Cu–COF (kCu-COF ​= ​0.0047 s−1), indicating that this system had a synergistic catalytic effect to improve the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles. Moreover, Cu/Ag–COF still had good catalytic effect after eight cycles, which indicated that it had good stability and reusability. This work provides a novel strategy to fabricate COF supported nanoparticles for outstanding performance in treating wastewater containing 4-NP.

Precious metals can be green

In this chapter, a general view of metallic alloys nanoparticles from the atomic-scale view using advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques such as aberration-corrected electron microscopy (Cs-corrected) and high-resolution electron microscopy, is covered. It is well established that catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles is increased by roughness at the atomic scale. Indeed a flat smooth surface will be less active than its stepped counterpart. Metal nanoparticles have in most cases facets with different Miller indexes. However, the control of the shape and crystal structure is not easy to achieve. The possibility of passivizing the nanoparticle surface with organic molecules is a way to control the nanoparticle shape. Using separation techniques such as electrophoresis, it is possible to obtain a batch of particles with the same mass in average and hence the same number of atoms. Passivized particles still have enough free sites to allow catalytic activity. Then, it is possible by using aberration-corrected electron microscopy to obtain the structure and surface structure of nanoparticles. In this work, we will report those methods and demonstrate its application for mono- and multimetallic clusters. The surface of the metallic nanoparticles plays a crucial role in the catalytic activity and interaction between elements in the surface and in the core of the core-shell structures. In this way, the analysis of chemical composition and chemical bonding needs to be obtained using analytic techniques such as X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Herein, we also present quantitative analysis of particles with few atoms by atomic counting using a statistical method applied in Cs-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy images.

Modulating the Chemical Microenvironment of Pt Nanoparticles within Ultrathin Nanosheets of Isoreticular MOFs for Enhanced Catalytic Activity.

The catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) embedded in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is affected by the electronic interactions between MNPs and MOFs. In this report, we fabricate a series of ultrathin nanosheets of isoreticular MOFs (NMOFs) with different metal nodes as supports and successfully encapsulate Pt NPs within these NMOFs, affording Pt@NMOF-Co, Pt@NMOF-Ni1Co1, Pt@NMOF-Ni3Co1, and Pt@NMOF-Ni nanocomposites. The microchemical environment on the surface of Pt NPs can be modulated by varying the metal nodes of NMOFs. The catalytic activity of the nanocomposites toward liquid-phase hydrogenation of 1-hexene shows obvious difference, in which Pt@NMOF-Ni possesses the highest activity followed by Pt@NMOF-Ni3Co1, Pt@NMOF-Ni1Co1, and Pt@NMOF-Co in a decreasing order of activity. Obviously, increasing gradually the amount of Ni2+ nodes in the carriers can improve the catalytic activity. The difference of catalytic activity of the nanocomposites might originate from the distinct electron interactions between Pt NPs and NMOFs, as ascertained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum and density functional theory calculations. This work provides a rare example that the catalytic activity of MNPs could be controlled by accurately regulating the microchemical environment using ultrathin NMOFs as supports.

Immobilization of Gold‐on‐Carbon Catalysts Onto Perfluorocarbon Emulsion Droplets to Promote Oxygen Delivery in Aqueous Phase D‐Glucose Oxidation

AbstractThe catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles (NPs) supported on porous supports can be controlled by various factors, such as NPs size, shape, or dispersivity, as well as their interaction with the support or the properties of the support material itself. However, these intrinsic properties are not solely responsible for the catalytic behavior of the overall reaction system, as the local environment and surface coverage of the catalyst with reactants, products, intermediates and other invloved species often play a crucial role in catalytic processes as well. Their contribution can be particularly critical in liquid‐phase reactions with gaseous reactants that often suffer from low solubiltiy. One example is D‐glucose oxidation with molecular oxygen over gold nanoparticles supported on porous carbons. The possibility to promote oxygen delivery in such aqueous phase oxidation reactions via the immobilization of heterogenous catalysts onto the interface of perfluorocarbon emulsion droplets is reported here. Gold‐on‐carbon catalyst particles can stabilize perfluorocarbon droplets in the aqueous phase and the local concentration of the oxidant in the surroundings of the gold nanoparticles accelerates the rate‐limiting step of the reaction. Consequently, the reaction rate of a system with the optimal volume fraction of fluorocarbon is higher than a reference emulsion system without fluorocarbon, and the effect is observed even without additional oxygen supply.

Kinetic Analysis of 4-Nitrophenol Reduction by "Water-Soluble" Palladium Nanoparticles.

The most important model catalytic reaction to test the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles is the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by sodium borohydride as it can be precisely monitored by UV–vis spectroscopy with high accuracy. This work presents the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-Nip) to 4-aminophenol (4-Amp) in the presence of Pd nanoparticles and sodium borohydride as reductants in water. We first evaluate the kinetics using classical pseudo first-order kinetics. We report the effects of different initial 4-Nip and NaBH4 concentrations, reaction temperatures, and mass of Pd nanoparticles used for catalytic reduction. The thermodynamic parameters (activation energy, enthalpy, and entropy) were also determined. Results show that the kinetics are highly dependent on the reactant ratio and that pseudo first-order simplification is not always fit to describe the kinetics of the reaction. Assuming that all steps of this reaction proceed only on the surface of Pd nanoparticles, we applied a Langmuir−Hinshelwood model to describe the kinetics of the reaction. Experimental data of the decay rate of 4-nitrophenol were successfully fitted to the theoretical values obtained from the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model and all thermodynamic parameters, the true rate constant k, as well as the adsorption constants of 4-Nip, and BH4− (K4-Nip and KBH4−) were determined for each temperature.

Effect of brush length of stabilizing grafted matrix on size and catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles

The rationale of this work is to investigate the effect of chain length of stabilizing polymer brushes attached to silica surface on the formation and catalytic activity of metallic palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs). Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) brushes forming a very thin shell were grafted on silica microparticles (PVP@SiO2) via RAFT mediated graft polymerization, thus controlling the molecular weights and structures of PVP grafts. Pd nanoparticles were formed in PVP stabilizing matrix by gamma-induced reduction of polymer-bound Pd(II) ions to yield Pd(0) decorated core-shell particles (PVP-PdNP@SiO2). SEC and TGA results indicated the formation of PVP brushes with different molecular weights on silica substrate. DLS and TEM measurements revealed that particle growth was sterically blocked by the increase in PVP brush length, thereby forming a greater number of small Pd nanoparticles rather than larger ones. PVP-PdNP@SiO2 samples with different PVP chain lengths and Pd sizes were evaluated for their catalytic activity and reusability in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. Although the nanoparticles formed in the presence of longer grafted chains are smaller, their leakage into the solution has been found to be more effectively prevented by these long grafts. Thus, PVP-PdNP@SiO2 samples with longer PVP grafts showed more stable catalytic activity in repeated reaction cycles. These findings are particularly important for heterogeneous catalysis systems in that they show the effect of the size of surface-bound polymeric stabilizers on metal NP formation and catalytic activity.

Do polymer ligands block the catalysis of metal nanoparticles? Unexpected importance of binding motifs in improving catalytic activity

Polymer NHC ligands enhance the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles despite the increase of surface crowdedness.

Mesoporous Silica Nanosheets with Tunable Pore Lengths Supporting Metal Nanoparticles for Enhanced Hydrogenation Reactions

The channel lengths of mesoporous materials have a crucial impact on the catalytic performances of as-loaded active components. However, it remains a challenge to precisely tune the mesochannel length in a wide range from ≤50 nm to 200 nm. In this paper, we developed a top-down strategy, that is to say, crushing hollow microspheres, for preparing mesoporous silica nanosheets (MSSs) with perpendicular mesochannels and tunable thicknesses. Owing to the heterogeneous growth of the mesoporous silica layer on the surfaces of polystyrene microspheres (hard template), it was achieved to regulate the mesochannel length continuously in the range of 20–200 nm. The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen sorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effect of channel lengths on the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles was then investigated in the selective hydrogenation reaction of nitroarenes. It was found that a short channel not only favored dispersing metal nanoparticles uniformly and then avoiding pore blocking, but also improved the accessibility of metal nanoparticles largely during reactions.

Quantitatively loaded ultra-small Ag nanoparticles on molecularly imprinted mesoporous silica for highly efficient catalytic reduction process

Noble metal nanoparticles are widely applied in the catalytic reactions with projected superior activity and selectivity. Usually, the surface atomic species function as active sites, and tailoring the size of the nanoparticles can control the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles. However, it is still of great challenge to synthesize ultra-small metallic nanoparticles owing to the Ostwald ripening. Herein, confinement of molecularly imprinted cavities strategy was utilized to quantitatively load ultra-small Ag nanoparticles in the mesoporous silica matrix. The average particle size of the Ag nanoparticles was calculated to be around 2 nm, and these nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed in the skeleton of silica matrix without blocking the mesopores. The contents of Ag nanoparticles can be accurately adjusted according to the incorporated organosilica in the mesoporous silica matrix. As expected, the supported Ag nanoparticles exhibited highly efficient catalytic performance towards 4-nitrophenol hydrogenation reactions and showed considerable recycling stability without loss of Ag species.

QbD approached comparison of reaction mechanism in microwave synthesized gold nanoparticles and their superior catalytic role against hazardous nirto‐dye

Microwave irradiation (MI) process characteristically enables extremely rapid “in‐core” heating of dipoles and ions, in comparison to conventional thermal (conductance) process of heat transfer. During the process of nanoparticles synthesis, MI both modulates functionality behaviors as well as dynamic of reaction in favorable direction. So, MI providing a facile, favorable and alternative approach during nanoparticles synthesis nanoparticles with enhanced catalytic performances.Although, conventionally used reducing and capping reagents of synthetic origin, are usually environmentally hazardous and toxic for living organism. But, in absence of suitable capping agent; stability, shelf life and catalytic activity of metallic nanoparticles adversely affected. However, polymeric templates which emerged as suitable choice of agent for both reducing and capping purposes; bearing additional advantages in terms of catalyst free one step green synthesis process with high degree of biosafety and efficiency.Another aspect of current works was to understand role of process variables in growth mechanism and catalytic performances of microwave processed metallic nanoparticles, as well as comparison of these parameters with conventional heating method. However, due to poor prediction ability with previously published architect OFAT (One factor at a time) design with these nanoparticles as well as random selection of process variables with their different levels, such comparison couldn't be possible.Hence, using gum Ghatti (Anogeissus latifolia) as a model bio‐template and under simulated reaction conditions; architect of QbD design systems were integrated in microwave processed nanoparticles to establish mechanistic role these variables. Furthermore, in comparison to conventional heating; we reported well validated mathematical modeling of process variables on characteristic of nanoparticles as well as synthesized gold nanoparticles of desired and identical dimensions, in both thermal and microwave‐based processes. Interestingly, despite of identical dimension, MI processed gold nanoparticles bearing higher efficiency (kinetic rate) against remediation of hazardous nitro dye (4‐nitrophenol), into safer amino (4‐aminophenol) analogues.

Ultra‐small and highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles inside the pores of ZIF‐8: Sustainable approach to waste‐minimized Mizoroki–Heck cross‐coupling reaction based on reusable heterogeneous catalyst

The rapid development of nanomaterials, particularly advanced hybrid nanoparticles, has made new opportunities for the design and fabrication of high‐performance metal‐based catalysts. However, generating metal nanoparticles of desired size without aggregation is an important challenge for enhancing the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles supported in the host matrix. In this work, a hybrid nanoporous material, namely Pd nanoparticles@N‐heterocyclic carbene@ZIF‐8, with a high internal surface area was successfully prepared using a dispersed anionic sulfonated N‐heterocyclic carbene–Pd(II) precursor inside the cavities of zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF‐8) using an impregnation approach followed by reduction with NaBH4. The anionic sulfonated N‐heterocyclic carbene was found to be a superb ligand for the stabilization of Pd nanoparticles in the pores of ZIF‐8. The resulting system was applied to the Mizoroki–Heck cross‐coupling reaction, in which the catalyst showed high catalytic activity under mild reaction conditions.

A Broader‐scope Analysis of the Catalytic Reduction of Nitrophenols and Azo Dyes with Noble Metal Nanoparticles

AbstractIn addition to the broad environmental implications associated with the removal of nitroaromatics from industrial effluent, the catalytic reduction of 4‐nitrophenol (4NP) has emerged as a benchmark model for quantifying catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles. Here we present a series of noble metal nanoparticles immobilized on amorphous carbon (Au@C, Ag@C, Pt@C and Pd@C). All materials show competitive catalytic activity over 4NP, amino‐substituted nitrophenols (ANPs) and azo dyes. Overall, Pd@C exhibits superior activity that increases further when exposed to recycling protocol. Moreover, testing all materials synthesized over a broader substrate scope with added functionalities reveals inconsistencies in the prognosticating ability of the ubiquitous 4NP model reaction. By incorporating variably substituted ANPs into the substrate scope and averaging performance, the resulting rank of catalyst activity more accurately reflects activity trends when applied to other reducible functionalities, such as ‐N=N‐ groups in azo dyes.

Ru@Pt Core–Shell Nanoparticles: Impact of the Atomic Ordering of the Ru Metal Core on the Electrocatalytic Activity of the Pt Shell

Constructing core–shell nanostructures is demonstrated to be an effective strategy to improve catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles. However, the impact of the atomic ordering of the metal core...

Work Function Based Catalytic Activity of Metallic Nanoparticles for Dye Degradation

An environmentally benign, simple and mild approach has been adopted for the biogenic fabrication of Ag, Cu and Au MNPs (Metal nanoparticles) using Syzygium cumini leaf extract, at room temperature. This is an aqueous phase synthesis and excludes the use of toxic organic solvents. The TEM images revealed that the as-prepared MNPs possess spherical morphology with an average diameter of 6 nm. Application of these MNPs as nanocatalyst was investigated in decomposition of two organic dyes CR (Congo red) and RB (Rose bengal) in the presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH4), which is otherwise extremely slow. The rate constants of decomposition reactions were determined and found to follow the order—kAg > kCu > > kAu > kuncat, for both the dyes. Difference in the catalytic activity arise from the difference in their work function values. High catalytic activity of Ag NPs, as compared to Cu and Au, is attributed to its least work function value.