Hydrogenation Reactions Research Articles

Multidimensional Engineering to Construct Ru/TiO2 Catalysts Enriched with Pores and Ti3+ Defects for Highly Efficient Selective Hydrogenation of Benzene

AbstractStructural engineering, coupled with crystalline phase engineering and surface engineering, serves as a practical and effective strategy for enhancing catalytic performance through the fine design of catalysts in terms of their structure, physical phases and surface defects. In this work, a set of strategies were employed for structural transformation and crystalline phase transition of Ru/TiO2 catalysts, utilizing multidimensional regulation. Ru nanoparticles loaded on a unique TiO2 nanosheet flowers (Ru/TSFs) enriched with pores and Ti3+ defects were prepared by solvothermal and impregnation‐chemical reduction methods. The Ru/TSFs exhibited an outstanding catalytic performance in the reaction of selective hydrogenation of benzene for the preparation of cyclohexene, with a selectivity of 79 % and a maximum yield of 52.8 % along with a benzene conversion of 45.9 % and a good stability. The excellent catalytic performance attributes to the distinctive structure of three‐dimensional nanosheet flowers, which offers a high specific surface area and improvs the effective contact between the catalyst and the reaction substrate. Meanwhile, the porous Ru/TSFs exhibit exceptional hydrophilicity and abundant Ti3+ defects on their surface, which is quite favorable for the desorption of cyclohexene from the reaction system, thus improving the selectivity of cyclohexene. The multidimensional engineering may provide an efficient approach for constructing high‐performance loaded catalysts for potential industrial applications.

Ag nanoparticles on arginine-cyanoguanidine functionalized magnetic g-C3N4: A catalyst for nitroaromatic hydrogenation and regioselective click reactions

This study describes the development of a novel hybrid nanocatalyst that was obtained by doping magnetic g-C3N4 with Ag nanoparticles and modifying it with arginine and cyanoguanidine (Ag@Fe3O4-g-C3N4-Arg-CG). Comprehensive characterization of the nanocatalyst using techniques such as FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TGA confirmed its structural and morphological properties. The catalytic efficiency of the synthesized nanostructure was evaluated in two key reactions: the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds and a click reaction for 1,2,3-triazole synthesis. The results demonstrate that Ag@Fe3O4-g-C3N4-Arg-CG effectively reduced various nitroaromatic compounds to substituted anilines at room temperature using NaBH4 as the reducing agent. Nitrobenzene reduction did not proceed in aprotic solvents such as acetonitrile, CH2Cl2, and dimethylformamide, whereas it exhibited a high reaction yield in protic solvents such as ethanol and water. The highest yield (100 %) was observed in water at 50 °C using H2O solvent. Additionally, the nanohybrid exhibited significant potential for “green” click chemistry by efficiently synthesizing 1,2,3-triazoles under mild conditions, with low catalyst loading. Its magnetic properties facilitated easy recovery, and the catalyst maintained high activity over six cycles, making it suitable for sustainable applications in organic transformations.

X-ray and photoelectron spectroscopy of surface chemistry; from bonding via femtosecond to operando

For the 60th anniversary of Surface Science, I present here a personal account of some of the most significant contributions I have made to the field over the past three decades. The utilisation of X-rays serves as the foundation for these studies, encompassing X-ray spectroscopy for the mapping of surface chemical bonds, probing of surface reactions on ultrafast timescales, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy under operando conditions. The direct projection of electronic states onto the adsorbed atom allowed the detection of bonding and anti-bonding states within the d-band model. The selective probing of orbitals of different symmetries on the two atoms in adsorbed N2 provided a fundamental understanding of the nature of diatomic bonding to surfaces. Ultrafast optical pumping and X-ray laser techniques allowed the study of CO undergoing desorption leading to the observation of the precursor state. Pump-probed studies of co-adsorbed CO and O on Ru enabled the means to detect transition state species during catalytic CO oxidation. The use of operando X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at near-atmospheric pressures opened the door to probe the surface chemistry and gain insight into the reaction mechanism during hydrogenation reactions to produce ammonia, hydrocarbons, methanol and ethanol. By inserting an electrochemical cell into the spectroscopic chamber, both fuel cell and water splitting electrocatalysis could be studied giving insight about the reaction mechanism.

Efficient corn stover-derived metal-supported biochar catalyst for hydrogenation of xylose to xylitol

Xylitol, one of the top twelve chemical building blocks, is commercially synthesized through the xylose hydrogenation reaction using a metal catalyst. Biochar has emerged as an eco-efficient catalyst support material. In this study, biochar derived from corn stover (BCS) was first used as a metal catalyst support material for xylose hydrogenation into xylitol. The catalyst was prepared by carbonizing corn stover (CS), impregnating the resulting biochar with metal, and reducing the metal-impregnated BCS. The catalyst characteristics were comprehensively explored. The Ru/BCS catalyst was employed in xylose conversion to xylitol at different process temperatures (100 – 160 °C), retention times (3 – 12 h), H2 pressures (2 – 5 MPa), and Ru contents (1 – 5 %). The highest xylitol yield (87.0 wt.%) and selectivity (91.6 %) were derived at 120 °C for 6 h under 4 MPa H2 using 5 % Ru. Interestingly, the Ru/BCS catalyst showed high stability under the promising process condition. Additionally, xylitol production from hydrolysates enriched with CS xylose was subsequently explored. On the other hand, the catalyst characterization results revealed that the superior catalytic efficiency of 5Ru/BCS was mainly due to the metal nanoparticles embedded in the biochar. Additionally, BCS proved to be an outstanding support material for a bimetallic hydrogenation catalyst (Ru-Ni/BCS). Therefore, these results indicate that BCS can be a competitive support material for metal hydrogenation catalysts, enhancing environmental friendliness and potentially being employed in industrial-scale xylitol production.

NiMo-MMO catalyst derived from LDHs precursors toward the deep hydrogenation of pyrene

A series of Ni-based catalysts were prepared via structural topological transformation from the Ni@Al2O3 layered double hydroxides (LDHs) precursors, and applied for the deep catalytic hydrogenation saturation of pyrene in a high-pressure reactor. The pore structures, active species dispersion, surface morphology, amount and type of acid of the prepared catalysts were characterized by BET, XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, SEM, NH3-TPD and Py-IR. We studied the influence of physicochemical properties of Ni-based catalysts on the regularity and mechanism of deep hydrogenation of pyrene. Meanwhile, the synergy between Ni and Mo, and the interaction between active metals and support were discussed to further reveal the constitutive relationship during the hydrogenation reaction of pyrene. The results of the evaluation of the catalytic hydrogenation of pyrene show that the as-prepared NiMo mixed metal oxide (MMO) catalyst showed excellent catalytic activity: ∼95% pyrene conversion, 90.12% for the selectivity of deep hydrogenation products (hexahydropyrene, decahydropyrene and hexadecahydropyrene). It was expected that the successfully preparation and utilization of NiMo-MMO catalyst could provide a theoretical basis for the design of this kind of catalysts for deep catalytic hydrogenation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Cu-Bi Bimetallic Catalysts Derived from Metal-Organic Framework Arrays on Copper Foam for Efficient Glycine Electrosynthesis.

Glycine as one of the most abundant amino acids in human proteins, with extensive applications in both life and industry, is conventionally synthesized through complex procedures or toxic feedstocks. In this study, we present a facile and benign electrochemical pathway for synthesis of glycine through reductive coupling of glyoxylic acid and nitrate over a copper-bismuth bimetal catalyst derived from a metal-organic framework (MOF) array on copper foam (Cu/Bi-C@CF). Remarkably, Cu/Bi-C@CF achieves a fantastic selectivity of 89%, corresponding a high Faraday efficiency of 65.9%. From control experiments, introduction of Bi caused the binding energy of Cu shift to lower state, which leads to a high selectivity towards the formation of key hydroxylamine intermediate rather than ammonia product, facilitating the formation of oxime and providing additional sites for subsequent hydrogenation reaction on the way to glycine. Moreover, the MOF array derivation ensures the effective dispersion of Bi and enhances the stability of Cu/Bi-C@CF. This innovative approach not only presents sustainable pathways for the production of value-added organonitrogen compounds utilizing readily available carbon and nitrogen sources, but also provides novel insights into the design of multistage structural catalysts for sequential reactions.

XPS study of the stability variations of [M(COD)Cl]<SUB>2</SUB> (M = Ir, Rh) complexes anchored on modified silica in reactions of spin-selective hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons by parahydrogen

Changes in the composition of anchored [M(COD)Cl]2–NH2–C3H6–SiO2 and [M(COD)Cl]2–P(Ph)2–C2H4–SiO2 (where M = Ir, Rh) catalysts in reactions of gas-phase selective hydrogenation of propene, propyne and 1,3-butadiene with parahydrogen (p-H2) were studied using XPS. The atomic ratio M/Cl has been proposed as an indicator of the stability of the structure of the anchored complex, both at the stage of sample preparation and in the reaction. Based on a comparison of XPS data and the results of catalytic testing using parahydrogen-induced polarization, it is shown that the stability of the anchored {[M(COD)Cl]2–Linker–SiO2} complex during hydrogen activation is a key factor in the catalytic behavior of systems. Such stability is influenced not only by the chosen metal and linker, but also by the nature of the hydrogenated substrate.

(1,2,5,6-η)-Cyclo-octa-1,5-diene](1-ethyl-4-iso-butyl-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl-idene)(tri-phenyl-phosphane)iridium(I) tetra-fluorido-borate di-chloro-methane hemisolvate.

A new triazole-based N-heterocyclic carbene IrI cationic complex with a tetra-fluorido-borate counter-anion and hemi-solvating di-chloro-methane, [Ir(C8H12)(C8H15N3)(C18H15P)]BF4·0.5CH2Cl2, has been synthesized and structurally characterized. There are two independent ion pairs in the asymmetric unit and one di-chloro-methane solvent mol-ecule per two ion pairs. The cationic complex exhibits a distorted square-planar conformation around the IrI atom, formed by a bidentate cyclo-octa-1,5,diene (COD) ligand, a tri-phenyl-phosphane ligand, and an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC). There are several close non-standard H⋯F hydrogen-bonding inter-actions that orient the tetra-fluorido-borate anions with respect to the IrI complex mol-ecules. The complex shows promising catalytic activity in transfer hydrogenation reactions. The structure was refined as a non-merohedral twin, and one of the COD mol-ecules is statistically disordered.

Fully Exposed Ru Clusters for the Efficient Multi-Step Toluene Hydrogenation Reaction.

Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) are attractive platform molecules that play an important role in hydrogen energy storage and utilization. The multi-step hydrogenation of toluene (TOL) to methylcyclohexane (MCH) has been widely studied in the LOCHs systems, due to their relatively low toxicity and reasonable hydrogen storage capacity. Noble metal catalysts such as Ru has exhibited good performance in multi-step hydrogenation reactions, while the application is still hindered by their high cost and low specific activity. Therefore, the primary challenge lies in the development of noble metal catalysts with both robust activity and efficient atomic utilization. In this study, a series of Ru species ranging from single atoms, fully exposed clusters to nanoparticles were fabricated to investigate their structural evolution in the TOL multi-step hydrogenation reaction. The fully exposed and atomically dispersed Ru clusters, composed of an average of 3 Ru atoms, exhibit superior catalytic performance and recycle ability in TOL multi-step hydrogenation. Moreover, it delivers a high turnover frequency of 9850.3 h-1 under the relatively mild reaction (100 °C, 1.5 MPa), compared with those of single atoms and nanoparticles, and shows a notable advantage over catalysts reported in previous studies. From density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the overall barrier of the TOL multi-step hydrogenation reaction over the fully exposed Ru clusters is significantly lower than that of single atoms and nanoparticles, resulting in its higher activity. The present work provides an efficient strategy to regulate the reaction pathway of multi-step complicated catalytic reactions by designing fully exposed metal cluster catalysts.

Research on modeling the lignin waste molecular structure and pyrolytic reactions using ReaxFF MD method

The lack of clarity in characterizing the chemical structure model of lignin waste hinders the comprehensive understanding of its pyrolysis reaction mechanism. The characterization results revealed that the de–alkalized lignin sample contained larger amounts of aliphatic and aromatic carbons compared to carbonyl carbons. Additionally, the aliphatic carbon molecules exhibited a higher presence of oxygenated carbons. The degree of aromaticity (fa) was determined to be 63.93 %. The resulting single–molecule structural model exhibited a molecular formula of C33H26O11 and a molecular weight of 598.56. Furthermore, the evolutions patterns and formation pathways of primary volatile components (H2, CH4, CO, and CO2) in pyrolysis reactions were revealed. The number of H2 molecules exhibited a positive correlation with the rise in pyrolysis reaction temperature. CH4 molecules exhibited a pattern of initially increasing and subsequently decreasing. The number of CO molecules exhibited a positive correlation with the rise in pyrolysis temperature. Conversely, the number of CO2 molecules demonstrated an initial increase followed by a decrease as the pyrolysis temperature increased. Finally, the generation pathway analysis of pyrolysis products shows that the H2 molecule is composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded together that have been dissociated from the carboxyl group. Alternatively, it can be produced through hydrogenation reactions involving hydrogen atoms detached from the carboxyl group and methyl groups. CH4 is primarily generated through the reaction between –CH3 and free hydrogen ions. CO is primarily produced through the cleavage of the carbonyl group. CO2 is primarily produced through the cleavage of carboxyl and ester groups.

Formation path and kinetics of caking components from modified lignite in subcritical H2O–CO system

ABSTRACT Modification reaction of lignite in subcritical H2O–CO system can significantly increase its caking index to more than 90. Separating and extracting the caking components from modified lignite, exploring the formation path of caking components, and establishing a kinetic model for the generation of these components are of significant importance for lignite hydrogenation reaction control. The lignite modified reaction was carried out in subcritical D2O–CO systems using the isotope tracer method. The formation path of caking components was defined by solvent extraction–IRMS–GPC combination technology. The results show that the soluble substances of tetrahydrofuran (TS) and benzene (BS) are the main caking components causing the structural transformation of lignite (A). The separation of n-hexane soluble (NS) also has an effect on the caking index of the modified coal. In the hydrogenation caking component formation stage, the lignite pyrolysis fragments combine with active hydrogen generated by water gas shift reaction to form caking substances, that is, A → TS + BS + NS. The formation activation energy of caking components is in the range of 0.39–58.24 kJ/mol. In the polycondensation caking component conversion stage, three soluble substances are converted in the order of TS → BS → NS, and the activation energy for the formation of caking components is 31.710–57.616 kJ/mol.

Revisiting the Reviewed: A Meta‐Analysis of Computational Studies on Transition Metal‐Catalyzed Hydrogenation Reactions

AbstractThis review of reviews attempts to systematically analyze the recent advancements in transition metal‐catalyzed hydrogenation reactions as discussed in previous review articles, emphasizing the computational insights that enhance our understanding of reaction mechanisms. It highlights the efficacy of density functional theory (DFT) in calculating free energies, exploring the mechanistic pathways and kinetics of hydrogenation processes and, focusing on substrates such as alkenes, alkynes, amides, imines, nitriles, and carbon dioxide. The review details significant studies where computational models help predict reaction outcomes and aid in catalyst design. Notable discussions include the role of solvent effects and metal‐ligand interactions, which are crucial for reactivity and selectivity but often underestimated in computational models. The review concludes with current computational challenges and prospects, suggesting enhanced models and experimental collaborations to refine catalyst design.

Design and Understanding of Adaptive Hydrogenation Catalysts Triggered by the H2/CO2-Formic Acid Equilibrium.

An adaptive catalytic system for selective hydrogenation was developed exploiting the H2+CO2HCOOH equilibrium for reversible, rapid, and robust on/off switch of the ketone hydrogenation activity of ruthenium nanoparticles (Ru NPs). The catalyst design was based on mechanistic studies and DFT calculations demonstrating that adsorption of formic acid to Ru NPs on silica results in surface formate species that prevent C═O hydrogenation. Ru NPs were immobilized on readily accessible silica supports modified with guanidinium-based ionic liquid phases (Ru@SILPGB) to generate in situ sufficient amounts of HCOOH when CO2 was introduced into the H2 feed gas for switching off ketone hydrogenation while maintaining the activity for hydrogenation of olefinic and aromatic C═C bonds. Upon shutting down the CO2 supply, the C═O hydrogenation activity was restored in real time due to the rapid decarboxylation of the surface formate species without the need for any changes in the reaction conditions. Thus, the newly developed Ru@SILPGB catalysts allow controlled and alternating production of either saturated alcohols or ketones from unsaturated substrates depending on the use of H2 or H2/CO2 as feed gas. The major prerequisite for design of adaptive catalytic systems based on CO2 as trigger is the ability to shift the H2+CO2HCOOH equilibrium sufficiently to exploit competing adsorption of surface formate and targeted functional groups. Thus, the concept can be expected to be more generally applicable beyond ruthenium as the active metal, paving the way for next-generation adaptive catalytic systems in hydrogenation reactions more broadly.

Understanding the Role of H2O in Heterogeneous Catalysis of COx Hydrogenation

AbstractThe effects of H2O in heterogeneous catalysis of COx (CO2, CO) hydrogenation have been intricate and controversial for many years. On the one hand, H2O molecules and their derivatives (O, H, OH) serve as reactants or co‐reactants, playing a role in modulating the reaction pathway through specific mechanisms. On the other hand, the presence of H2O can influence the catalytic performance by altering the physicochemical properties of the catalyst, such as particle size and chemical state, among others. More importantly, the dual role of H2O leads to both positive and negative outcomes, challenging our understanding of its impact. In this mini review, the relevant research results are summarized in terms of the promoting and inhibiting effects of H2O of the COx hydrogenation reaction (e. g., synthesis of methanol, Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis, methanation, etc.) and discussed from the perspective of catalyst and reaction mechanism, which may provide a certain theoretical basis for the design and development of high‐performance catalysts and referable experience for the further exploration and utilization of H2O effects on related fields as well.

Stable and Versatile Pd Precursors for the Preparation of Robust Pd Catalysts Under Continuous-Flow.

To achieve global sustainability, the chemical and engineering communities require the development of versatile precursors that can be used to synthesize robust catalysts. To meet this demand, we developed a new Pd precursor for highly efficiently incorporating fine Pd-metal into supports. An atmospherically stable Pd precursor (Pd-80) was prepared by thermally promoting the aerobic oxidation of tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium. The physical properties of Pd-80 were investigated by NMR spectroscopy, SEM, XPS, solvent-relaxation NMR spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments. We also prepared a cordierite-supported Pd catalyst (Pd/cordierite) by stirring Pd-80 and cordierite powder in chloroform at room temperature. Pd/cordierite selectively catalyzed the hydrogenation of various reducible functional groups, including alkynes, azides, nitro groups, olefins, CO2Bn, N-Cbz, O-Bn, aromatic ketones, and styrene oxide, in continuous-flow hydrogenation reactions. The Pd/cordierite-catalyzed continuous-flow hydrogenation of nitrobenzene derivatives afforded the corresponding anilines, with catalytic activities maintained for over 250 h of continuous operation with a turnover number (TON) of 61,090.

Effective CO2 Thermocatalytic Hydrogenation with High Coke Resistance on Ni-CZ/Attapulgite Composite

Converting CO2 into methane is considered a promising and economically viable technology for global transportation and utilization of this greenhouse gas. This study involves the preparation of a Ni-CZ (CeO2-ZrO2)/ATP (attapulgite) catalyst through the co-precipitation and impregnation methods. XRD, SEM, TEM, N2 absorption-desorption isotherms, XPS, H2-TPR, CO2-TPD, TG/DSC, and Raman were adapted to characterize the obtained samples. Real-time GC was used to measure the catalytic performances and to intensively study the impact of Ni loading content and ATP to CZ ratio on the catalytic performance of the products. DRIFTs was used to monitor the interstitial radicals in the catalytic reactions and to deduce the catalytic mechanisms. The results indicate that the composite catalytic matrix composed of CZ assembled on ATP demonstrated higher CO2 methanation stability and better carbon deposition resistance ability than the single CZ or ATP as the carrier, which should be attributed to the improved specific surface area and pore volume of the ATP assembled matrix and the enhanced dispersibility of the CZ and Ni species. The adoption of CZ solid solutions improves the oxygen storage capability of the catalyst, thereby providing continued mobile O2− in the matrix and accelerating the molecular exchange rate in the catalytic reactions. The ideal loading quantity of nickel contents on the CZA matrix is 15%, as the CO2 conversion decreases at elevated temperatures when the Ni loading content reaches 20%. Among the tested samples, the 15Ni-0.8CZA sample showed the best catalytic performance of 75% CO2 conversion and 100% CH4 selectivity at 400 °C. After 50 h of stability tests, the CO2 conversion rate still remained 70.84%, and the CH4 selectivity obtained 97.46%. No obvious coke was detected according to the Raman spectra of the used catalyst. The in situ DRIFTS experiment showed that formate is the main intermediate of the CO2 hydrogenation reaction on the 15Ni-0.8CZA catalyst.

Sustainable Liquid‐Organic‐Hydrogen‐Carrier‐Based Hydrogen‐Storage Technology Using Crude or Waste Feedstock/Hydrogen

For liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology to be competitive with other H2‐storage methods, it is crucial to reduce the cost of LOHC materials occupying the high proportion of the embodied energy required for system implementation. Promising approaches are to convert crude or waste feedstock into LOHC materials and to utilize crude hydrogen sources obtained from various routes. Thus, in this review, the state‐of‐the‐art advances in sustainable LOHC‐based hydrogen storage using crude or waste feedstock, associated with their conversion into LOHC materials, and coupling crude hydrogen with LOHC system to obtain high‐purity H2 without separation and purification are highlighted. Petroleum sources like light cycle oil and pyrolysis fuel oil are used after liquid–liquid extraction, combined distillation/hydroprocessing, and one‐pot hydrotreating–hydrocracking. In case of converting renewable resources (e.g., biomass and plastic waste), depolymerization followed by hydrodeoxygenation is an effective approach. To utilize crude hydrogen sources for hydrogen storage, catalysts should be designed and synthesized toward activating LOHC hydrogenation reaction at lower temperatures, along with high CO resistance. Consequently, this context provides guidance for the development of LOHC technology to accelerate its commercialization.

Catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of Azolla filiculoides into hydrocarbon rich bio-oil over a nickel catalyst in supercritical ethanol

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is one of the most promising thermochemical techniques for converting wet biomass into crude oil-like products (bio-oil). In this study, Catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of Azolla filiculoides (AZ) was performed over a various loading of nickel (Ni) on magnesium oxide (MgO) catalyst for the higher and quality bio-oil production. The key operating parameters such as temperature, reaction holding time, amount of Ni on MgO supports catalyst, and reaction solvents were investigated in the presence of a hydrogen environment. There was a 12.8 wt% increase in bio-oil yield and a 6.3 wt% decrease in biochar yield with addition of 15 wt% Ni catalysts compared to the non-catalytic reaction bio-oil yield (44.0 wt%). Results confirmed the highest total bio-oil yield of 56.8 wt% was attained at 280 °C with the catalyst amount of 15 wt% at a residence time of 45 min. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), FT-IR, CHNS, TGA, and NMR analyses were performed on the bio-oil, identifying 32.8 % long-chain hydrocarbons (C12-C16) along with small amounts of alcohols, alkanes, and esters. The boiling point distribution revealed that bio-oil produced using the Ni/MgO catalyst contained a significantly higher proportion of diesel-range hydrocarbons (42.4 %). Furthermore, the bio-oil yield under ethanol solvent and Ni catalysts showed higher heating value (HHV) 42.2 MJ/kg. Overall in the presence of Ni hydrogenation efficient catalysts on MgO in the liquefaction reaction promoted the deoxygenation and hydrogenation reaction.

Synthesis and Investigation of Catalytic Properties of Metal-Polymer Nanocomposites Based on Unsaturated Polyester Resins

This paper focuses on the hydrogenation process in metal-polymer complexes based on copolymers of polypropylene glycol fumarate phthalate and polypropylene glycol maleate phthalate, using acrylic acid and immobilized cobalt metal particles as catalysts. A classical reaction of the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of pyridine to piperidine was applied. SEM and dynamic light scattering were utilized to investigate the average size and dispersity of cobalt metal nanoparticles. The experimental findings show that the efficiency of hydrogenation can be improved by increasing the temperature from 25 to 40 °C and the current to 2 A. More specifically, increasing the temperature to 40 °C promotes swelling of the polymer and its transition from a globular collapsed state to an open one, which leads to an increase in the number of active catalytic centers and, as a consequence, acceleration of the hydrogenation process. Increasing the current strength to 2 A also helps to increase the rate of the hydrogenation process. Further increasing the current to 3 A is undesirable due to an increase in the yield of by-products and a decrease in the yield of the target product, piperidine. Based on a comparative analysis, it was established that the use of a copolymer of polypropylene glycol maleate phthalate with acrylic acid as the polymer matrix base is the most preferable for obtaining polymer-metal complexes with nanosized cobalt.

Boosting Electroreduction of Nitrate and CO2 to Urea on a Tandem Fe1/MoS2 Catalyst.

Urea electrosynthesis by coelectrolysis of NO3- and CO2 (UENC) holds enormous promise for sustainable urea production, while the efficient UENC process relies on the rational design of high-performance catalysts to facilitate the electrocatalytic C-N coupling efficiency and the hydrogenation reaction process. Herein, Fe single atoms supported on MoS2 (Fe1/MoS2) are developed as a highly effective and robust catalyst for UENC. Theoretical calculations and operando spectroscopic measurements reveal a tandem catalysis mechanism of the Fe1-S3 motif and MoS2-edge to jointly promote the UENC process, where the Fe1-S3 motif drives the early C-N coupling and subsequent *CO2NO2-to-*CO2NH2 step. The generated *CO2NH2 is then migrated from the Fe1-S3 motif to the nearby MoS2-edge, which facilitates the *CO2NH2 → *COOHNH2 step for urea formation. Noticeably, Fe1/MoS2 assembled in a flow cell reaches a maximum urea Faraday efficiency of 54.98% with a corresponding urea yield rate of 18.98 mmol h-1 g-1, performing at the top level among all of the UENC catalysts reported to date.