Catalyst Immobilization

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Industrial Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 2567

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Laboratory of Green Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto, 8, Perugia, Italy
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; C-C coupling reactions; reduction reactions; novel reaction media
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a new Special Issue on catalyst immobilization, focusing on its pivotal role in the recovery and reuse of catalytic systems, enhancing sustainability, and reducing environmental impact.

This issue will cover the heterogenization of metal complexes, organocatalysts, metal nanoparticles, and enzymes, transforming homogeneous catalysts into easily separable and reusable heterogeneous systems. The immobilization of these catalysts on various supports, such as inorganic and organic–inorganic supports, polymeric materials, and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), will be explored, showcasing their applications in fine chemical synthesis, biofuel production, and environmental remediation. The heterogenization of catalysts not only addresses the economic and environmental concerns associated with catalyst loss, but also improves the overall performance and stability of catalytic systems.

Special attention will be given to the use of greener solvents and emerging technologies such as flow technologies and alternative energy sources, which enhance sustainability by improving catalyst retention, increasing reaction efficiency, reducing waste, and ensuring safety in large-scale operations.

This Special Issue invites contributions on the latest research and advancements in catalyst immobilization, including but not limited to the following:

  • New immobilization methods for metal complexes, organocatalysts, nanoparticles, and enzymes.
  • Novel supports for catalyst immobilization.
  • Advances in catalyst recovery and reuse.
  • Sustainable applications in fine chemical production and environmental remediation.
  • The integration of flow technologies and their impact on industrial catalysis.

This issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in catalyst immobilization, emphasizing its essential role in sustainable and efficient industrial processes.

Prof. Dr. Oriana Piermatti
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • catalyst immobilization
  • novel supports
  • recovery and reuse
  • waste reduction
  • sustainable applications
  • environmental impact
  • green solvents
  • flow technologies

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1979 KiB  
Article
In Situ Synthesis of Hierarchical Carbon-Encapsulated Pd Nanoparticles as an Efficient Semi-Hydrogenation Catalyst
by Weijie Kong, Wenhui Zhang, Yiming Wang, Xin Chen, Yongjian Ai, Zenan Hu and Hong-Bin Sun
Catalysts 2025, 15(3), 295; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15030295 - 20 Mar 2025
Viewed by 340
Abstract
The process of directly using atmospheric H2 for the catalytic semi-hydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes has significant applications in the polyolefin industry. Herein, we report a facile approach to synthesize a hierarchical carbon-encapsulated Pd catalyst for the highly selective semi-hydrogenation of nitrophenylacetylene. [...] Read more.
The process of directly using atmospheric H2 for the catalytic semi-hydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes has significant applications in the polyolefin industry. Herein, we report a facile approach to synthesize a hierarchical carbon-encapsulated Pd catalyst for the highly selective semi-hydrogenation of nitrophenylacetylene. The catalyst featured a structure of (Pd@NG)/(Pd@C), which demonstrated that an oligo-layer of nitrogen-doped graphene (NG)-encapsulated Pd particles are supported on the carbon matrix, semi-embedded by another type of Pd particle. The catalyst, named Pd@NC, achieved 99% selectivity for nitrostyrene at 97% nitrophenylacetylene conversion and demonstrated an excellent stability. A good selectivity arose from the bridging effect of hierarchical porous carbon, where hydrogen activation and alkyne hemihydrogenation took place on palladium particles and NG, respectively. The NG layer provided excellent protection against the over-hydrogenation of the reaction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyst Immobilization)
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11 pages, 2583 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Stabilization Effect of Cofactor Thiamine Pyrophosphate in the Covalent Immobilization of Formolase
by Shen Yu, Xue-Yong Li, Wen-Jie Si and Ye-Wang Zhang
Catalysts 2024, 14(12), 911; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14120911 - 11 Dec 2024
Viewed by 926
Abstract
Formolase, a thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP)-dependent enzyme, catalyzes the carboligation of three one-carbon formaldehyde molecules into one three-carbon dihydroxyacetone molecule. It has many important functions in the biosynthesis of carbon-based compounds and utilization of CO2. However, the enzyme has low activity and [...] Read more.
Formolase, a thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP)-dependent enzyme, catalyzes the carboligation of three one-carbon formaldehyde molecules into one three-carbon dihydroxyacetone molecule. It has many important functions in the biosynthesis of carbon-based compounds and utilization of CO2. However, the enzyme has low activity and stability in the catalytic process, resulting in high cost in the applications. To improve the stability, formolase was immobilized onto magnetic nanoparticles, which were designed to have functional epoxy groups for covalently binding the enzyme. In the immobilization, effects of pH, temperature, and cofactor TPP on the immobilization were investigated and optimized. The results showed that the retention activity of immobilized formolase was highly related to TPP. In the presence of TPP, the specific activity of the immobilized formolase was 6.8 times higher than that without TPP. The optimal immobilization conditions were as follows: a temperature of 20 °C, a pH of 7.0, an immobilization time of 8 h, and an enzyme loading of 20 mg/g. Molecular docking was used to analyze the effect of TPP on the stabilization of the enzyme in the immobilization, which indicated that TTP could stabilize the enzyme structure during the immobilization. The stabilization effect of TPP could be a reference in the immobilization of other enzymes with TPP as the cofactor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyst Immobilization)
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Review

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22 pages, 6467 KiB  
Review
Recent Research on the Anti-Poisoning Catalysts in the Catalytic Oxidation of VOCs: A Review
by Longfei Wang, Chun Huang, Ziting Gao, Bing Cui, Mingqin Zhao, Menglan Xiao and Xiaolin Yu
Catalysts 2025, 15(3), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15030234 - 28 Feb 2025
Viewed by 905
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and other industries have serious damage to human health and the environment. Catalytic oxidation is a promising method to eliminate air pollution due to its high efficiency, wide application range, and environmental friendliness. However, in the [...] Read more.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and other industries have serious damage to human health and the environment. Catalytic oxidation is a promising method to eliminate air pollution due to its high efficiency, wide application range, and environmental friendliness. However, in the actual industrial environment, the composition of industrial exhaust gases is complex, including VOCs, water vapour, chloride, sulfide and so on. The impurities would have competitive adsorption with reactants or react with the active sites, leading to the decline of catalytic activity, even the deactivation of catalysts. Therefore, this review summarises the recent research on the anti-poisoning ability of catalysts in the catalytic oxidation of VOCs, primarily focusing on the effect of water vapour, chloride, and sulfide. The catalytic oxidation mechanism manifested that the adsorption and activation of reactants are significant in VOCs degradation. On this basis, the mechanism of catalyst poisoning was analysed, and the inhibitory effect of impurities on the oxidation reaction was elucidated. According to the research status, three anti-poisoning strategies are proposed, including building a bimetallic system, modifying supports, and establishing the protected coating. This work provides a theoretical foundation and reference point for the rational construction of anti-poisoning catalysts in VOCs elimination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyst Immobilization)
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