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Catalysts
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Rare Metal Catalysis: From Synthesis to Sustainable Applications
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Rare Metal Catalysis: From Synthesis to Sustainable Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 8016

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Changjin Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210098, China
Interests: environmental catalysis; rare earth-based catalysts; porous materials
Prof. Dr. Qiulin Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Interests: environmental catalysis; rare earth absorbent; design and construction of catalytic materials
Dr. Wenxiang Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Interests: nanomaterials science and engineering for energy and environment applications: hierarchical low-dimensional nanostructures and porous materials synthesis; manufacturing of nanomaterials; environmental catalysis; industrial waste gas purification; indoor air purification; composite functional films; catalytic reactor design; nanoscale chemical sensors; bacteria-killing nanomaterials
Dr. Jixing Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Interests: hydrodesulfurization; oxidative desulfurization; metal oxides; supported catalysts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Haidi Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of New Energy and Low-Carbon Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; functional materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Catalysis plays an essential role in achieving the fascinating goal of sustainable development of our society. Rare metal oxides, one kind of the most famous heterogeneous catalysts, have found wide application in many industrial important processes ranging from water-gas-shift (WGS) to fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) to three-way catalysis (TWC). In addition to the production of industrial chemicals and abatement of environment pollutants, rare metal catalysis also holds great promise in fulfilling the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality. It is well known that the catalytic efficiency of rare metal catalysts relies heavily on their preparation. With the rapid development of catalyst preparation technology and the upgrading of advanced characterization technology, recent years have witnessed a tremendous progress in the preparation, characterization, and application of rare earth catalysts.

Under this background, this Special Issue is devoted to the synthesis of rare metal catalysts and their applications in such sustainable fields as environment protection, energy generation, and the production of chemicals. The main attention will be focused on comprehensive experimental studies of synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of catalyst performance in areas such as, but not limited to, CO oxidation, NO reduction, N2O decomposition, NH3 partial oxidation, NH3 synthesis, NH3 decomposition, water–gas–shift (WGS), CH4 conversion, CO2 reduction, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The proposed topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Preparation of rare metal catalysts;
  • Characterization of rare metal catalysts;
  • Rare metal catalysis in environment protection (CO oxidation, NO reduction, VOCs elimination and et al.);
  • Rare metal catalysis in energy generation (CO2 reduction, H2 generation);
  • Rare metal catalysis for chemicals production.

Prof. Dr. Changjin Tang
Prof. Dr. Qiulin Zhang
Dr. Wenxiang Tang
Dr. Jixing Liu
Dr. Haidi Xu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Catalysts is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • rare metal catalysts
  • environment protection
  • energy generation
  • chemicals production
  • porous materials
  • interface control
  • synergistic effect

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3806 KiB  
Article
Charge Transfer and Synergy on Mn-Mn Dimer Sites in Manganese Oxides: Activity for NO Oxidation
by Huan Li, Rui Wen, Anqi Dong, Wanying Wang, Jinchao Xu, Shen Zhang, Gang Chen, Wen Wang, Ruiting Hao, Xiang Wan, Chunning Zhao and Weichao Wang
Catalysts 2025, 15(4), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15040307 - 24 Mar 2025
Viewed by 309
Abstract
The Mn-Mn dimer has been found to be catalytically active in various manganese oxides for NO oxidation. However, to date, it remains unclear how the dimer determines catalytic performance. Herein, we employed a combination of DFT theoretical calculations and an experimental approach to [...] Read more.
The Mn-Mn dimer has been found to be catalytically active in various manganese oxides for NO oxidation. However, to date, it remains unclear how the dimer determines catalytic performance. Herein, we employed a combination of DFT theoretical calculations and an experimental approach to investigate the O2 dissociation capability and NO oxidation activity of single Mn sites and Mn-Mn dimer sites with varying bond lengths. Our results indicate that Mn-Mn dimer sites outperform single Mn active sites in both O2 activation and NO oxidation. This enhancement is primarily attributed to the short-range ordered geometry of the Mn-Mn dimers, which suppresses the formation of NO3* intermediates and promotes NO2* desorption. Among the three types of Mn-Mn dimers examined, the Mn-Mn dimer in BaMnO3, with the shortest Mn-Mn bond length, aligns most favorably with O-O, supporting the most efficient O2 activation. Conversely, MnO2, characterized by the longest Mn-Mn bond length, exhibits greater charge transfer and synergistic effects at the local active site, achieving the highest NO catalytic activity. Furthermore, we found that dual-site exposure of Mn-Mn dimers is more effective for catalytic reactions than single-site exposure. This study provides important insights into the structure–activity relationship between the geometric structure of catalytic active sites and the adsorption of intermediates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rare Metal Catalysis: From Synthesis to Sustainable Applications)
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14 pages, 2707 KiB  
Article
Revealing the Electronic Effects Between Pt and W on the Performance of Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with H2 over Pt-W/SSZ-13
by Hongyan Zhao, Yan Li, Yan Huang, Jianli Wang, Yaoqiang Chen and Haidi Xu
Catalysts 2025, 15(3), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15030269 - 12 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 614
Abstract
Selective catalytic reduction of NOx with H2 (H2-SCR) is crucial for eliminating NOx emissions from hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2-ICE). Although 1 wt.% Pt/SSZ-13 (Pt/SZ) is a promising H2-SCR catalyst, it faces challenges such [...] Read more.
Selective catalytic reduction of NOx with H2 (H2-SCR) is crucial for eliminating NOx emissions from hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2-ICE). Although 1 wt.% Pt/SSZ-13 (Pt/SZ) is a promising H2-SCR catalyst, it faces challenges such as a narrow operating window and low N2 selectivity. Herein, the effects of WO3 on improving the H2-SCR performance of Pt/SZ was investigated. Results showed that incorporating 5 wt.% WO3 significantly widened the temperature window for 80% NOx conversion and enhanced N2 selectivity at 90–180 °C. Several characterizations revealed that electrons transfer from W to Pt, so more active Pt0 species were formed on 1 wt.% Pt-5 wt.% W/SZ (Pt-5W/SZ). In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) analysis indicated that more active monodentate nitrates, nitrites, and NH4+ species were generated on Pt-5W/SZ, which are key intermediates for N2 formation. Consequently, the temperature windows for NOx conversion (over 80%) and N2 selectivity (over 70%) were widened by 65 °C and 66 °C, respectively. This work provides insights into the developing H2-SCR catalysts with broader operating windows and higher N2 selectivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rare Metal Catalysis: From Synthesis to Sustainable Applications)
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11 pages, 4547 KiB  
Article
Enhanced the Catalytic Performance of Samarium and Cerium Co-Modified Mn-Based Oxide Catalyst for Soot Oxidation
by Long Tang, Danfeng He, Wenyi Wang, Zhongxin Jin, Qiang Song, Xiangshi Gu, Zheng Li and Baofang Jin
Catalysts 2025, 15(2), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15020149 - 5 Feb 2025
Viewed by 729
Abstract
Manganese-based oxides with good redox properties exhibit high soot oxidation activity. To further enhance their catalytic performance, introducing additional metal elements into manganese-based oxides is considered an effective approach. Herein, two rare earth elements (Sm and Ce)-modified MnOx catalysts were prepared by [...] Read more.
Manganese-based oxides with good redox properties exhibit high soot oxidation activity. To further enhance their catalytic performance, introducing additional metal elements into manganese-based oxides is considered an effective approach. Herein, two rare earth elements (Sm and Ce)-modified MnOx catalysts were prepared by the co-precipitation method. The synthesized MnOx catalyst primarily consists of the Mn3O4 phase, with trace amounts of Mn5O8. The addition of Sm or Ce maintains the predominance of the Mn3O4 phase, increases the proportion of Mn5O8, and enhances the redox properties, thereby boosting the catalytic activity for NO and soot oxidation. Notably, the coexistence of Sm and Ce achieves optimal soot oxidation activity, with T10 reaching 306 °C. Comprehensive physicochemical characterization elucidates the underlying structure–performance relationships of these catalysts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rare Metal Catalysis: From Synthesis to Sustainable Applications)
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15 pages, 3911 KiB  
Article
Insights into the Reactivation Process of Thermal Aged Bimetallic Pt-Pd/CeO2-ZrO2-La2O3 Catalysts at Different Treating Temperatures and Their Structure–Activity Evolutions for Three-Way Catalytic Performance
by Jie Wan, Kai Chen, Qi Sun, Yuanyuan Zhou, Yanjun Liu, Jin Zhang, Jiancong Dong, Xiaoli Wang, Gongde Wu and Renxian Zhou
Catalysts 2024, 14(5), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14050299 - 1 May 2024
Viewed by 1357
Abstract
CeO2-ZrO2-La2O3 supported Pt-Pd bimetallic three-way catalysts (0.6Pt-0.4Pd/CZL) were synthesized through the conventional impregnation method and then subjected to severe thermal aging. Reactivating treatments under different temperatures were then applied to the aged catalysts above. Three-way catalytic [...] Read more.
CeO2-ZrO2-La2O3 supported Pt-Pd bimetallic three-way catalysts (0.6Pt-0.4Pd/CZL) were synthesized through the conventional impregnation method and then subjected to severe thermal aging. Reactivating treatments under different temperatures were then applied to the aged catalysts above. Three-way catalytic performance evaluations and dynamic operation window tests along with detailed physio-chemical characterizations were carried out to explore possible structure–activity evolutions during the reactivating process. Results show that the reactivating process conducted at proper temperatures (500~550 °C) could effectively restore the TWC catalytic performance and widen the operation window width. The suitable reactivating temperature ranges are mainly determined by the decomposing temperature of PMOx species, the thermal stability of PM-O-Ce species, and the encapsulation temperature of precious metals by CZL support. Reactivating under appropriate temperature helps to restore the interaction between Pt and CZL support to a certain extent and to re-expose part of the encapsulated precious metals. Therefore, the dynamic oxygen storage/release capacity, redox ability, as well as thermal stability of PtOx species, can be improved, thus benefiting the TWC catalytic performances. However, the excessively high reactivating temperature would cause further embedment of Pd by CZL support, thus leading to a further decrease in both dynamic oxygen storage/release capacity and the TWC catalytic performance after reactivating treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rare Metal Catalysis: From Synthesis to Sustainable Applications)
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19 pages, 5532 KiB  
Article
Influence of Particle Size of CeO2 Nanospheres Encapsulated in SBA-15 Mesopores on SO2 Tolerance during NH3-SCR Reaction
by Xinyu Han, Mengyao Bian, Kaijie Liu, Xin Yang, Daying Zheng, Xiangguang Yang and Yibo Zhang
Catalysts 2024, 14(2), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14020151 - 18 Feb 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2155
Abstract
Ce-based selective catalytic reductions with an NH3 (NH3-SCR) catalyst have emerged as a focal point in denitrification catalyst research. However, the correlation between the structural characteristics of Ce-based catalysts and the influence of CeO2 nanoparticle size on SO2 [...] Read more.
Ce-based selective catalytic reductions with an NH3 (NH3-SCR) catalyst have emerged as a focal point in denitrification catalyst research. However, the correlation between the structural characteristics of Ce-based catalysts and the influence of CeO2 nanoparticle size on SO2 resistance remains unclear. CeO2 nanospheres with different sizes of less than 10 nm were synthesized, and a series of supported CeO2/SBA-15 catalysts were prepared according to the 10 nm pore size of SBA-15. These catalysts were used to explore the influence of the size of the CeO2 nanospheres on these catalysts, specifically on their SO2 resistance in NH3-SCR reactions. With the increase in size, their SO2 resistance became stronger. The results of NH3-TPD, H2-TPR, and XPS indicated that the catalyst with the largest particle size had the lowest adsorption of SO2, which was attributed to more acid sites and a mutual effect between Si and Ce, resulting in the best SO2 resistance. It was also observed that there was less sulfate deposition on the catalyst by thermogravimetric analysis. In situ DRIFTs revealed that after SO2 poisoning, the NH3-SCR reaction on the catalyst predominantly follows the E-R mechanism. This study offers recommendations for the development of Ce-based SO2-resistant NH3-SCR catalysts, specifically focusing on the synthesis and interaction of nanomaterials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rare Metal Catalysis: From Synthesis to Sustainable Applications)
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16 pages, 7713 KiB  
Article
Improvement of NH3-SCR Performance by Exposing Different Active Components in a VCeMn/Ti Catalytic System
by Shifei Gu, Chengheng Huang, Xiaorong Han, Qiuju Qin, Donghai Mo, Chen Li, Yuhua You, Lihui Dong and Bin Li
Catalysts 2024, 14(2), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14020131 - 7 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1802
Abstract
The physicochemical properties of active components play a key role in enhancing catalytic performance. In multi-component catalysts, different components offer a wide range of structural possibilities and catalytic potential. However, determining the role of specific components in enhancing efficiency may be blurry. This [...] Read more.
The physicochemical properties of active components play a key role in enhancing catalytic performance. In multi-component catalysts, different components offer a wide range of structural possibilities and catalytic potential. However, determining the role of specific components in enhancing efficiency may be blurry. This study synthetized a range of catalysts with various metal compositions on their external surfaces to investigate their catalytic activity on NH3-SCR. The V/CeMn/Ti catalysts exhibited exceptional catalytic efficiency and strong tolerance to SO2 during the SCR process. In the system, Mn and Ce facilitated electron transfer during the catalytic removal of NOx. As an assisting agent, increased the number of active species and acidic sites, playing a crucial role in oxidizing NO to NO2 and facilitating the denitrogenation reaction process at low temperatures. Further studies showed that the three ingredients exhibited unique adsorbent behaviors on the reacting gases, which provided different catalytic possibilities. This work modeled the particular catalysis of V and Ce (Mn) species, respectively, and offers experimental instruction for improving the activity and excellent tolerance to SO2 by controlling active ingredients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rare Metal Catalysis: From Synthesis to Sustainable Applications)
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