Nano-Structured Heterogenous Catalysts for Sustainable Energy and Environment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 15066

Special Issue Editors

Fachgebiet Keramische Werkstoffe/Chair of Advanced Ceramic Materials, Institut für Werkstoffwissenschaften und -technologien, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 40, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Interests: nanomaterials; catalysis; heterogenous catalysts; porous oxides; oxidative coupling of methane
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Fachgebiet Keramische Werkstoffe/Chair of Advanced Ceramic Materials, Institut für Werkstoffwissenschaften und -technologien, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 40,
10623 Berlin, Germany
Interests: catalysis; photocatalysis; nanomaterials; wastewater treatment; water splitting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Fachgebiet Mehrphasenreaktionstechnik, Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 124, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Interests: catalysis; photocatalysis materials; photocatalytic CO2 reduction; photocatalytic oxidation of pollutant in water and air

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Heterogeneous catalysis refers to processes where the catalyst has a different phase from the reactants and products. These catalysts usually exist in a solid phase with high capability to adsorb the reactant molecules (e.g., gas or liquids) onto their surfaces, which make them applicable for a wide range of chemical applications due to their facile separation from reactant mixtures. The catalytic efficiencies of catalysts can be greatly enhanced by reducing their particle size, often down to nanoscale dimensions, so as to significantly increase their surface area and reduce their cost. Due to environmental issues, the development of more efficient catalysts especially for sustainable industrial processes is attracting increasing attention. Further research into nano-structured catalysts with defined active sites and high stability is needed to develop tailored and stable nanomaterials, which have self-active sites or can be functionalized with active single atoms, clusters or nanoparticles.

We encourage researchers to contribute to the Special Issue on “Nano-Structured Catalysts for Sustainable Energy and the Environment”. The focus of this Special Issue is covering current research and future research trends in inorganic materials with controlled porosities and nano-structured catalysts. We will focus on i) nano-catalysts and ii) porous support materials with controlled micro-, meso- or hierarchical porosities for various catalytic reactions with particular emphasis on i) the conversion of greenhouse relevant gases (e.g., CO2 and CH4), ii) wastewater treatments from organics pollutants, and iii) water splitting applications, with a special interest in novel and innovative synthesis routes, e.g., for bifunctional catalysts and studies of metal–support interactions. In addition, the issue shall focus on in situ characterization techniques and the study of catalyst deactivation mechanisms.

Dr. Ulla Simon
Dr. Maged F. Bekheet
Dr. Minoo Tasbihi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Nanomaterials
  • Porous materials
  • Catalyst supports
  • Polymer-derived ceramics
  • In situ characterization
  • Metal support interaction
  • Heterogenous catalysis
  • Water splitting
  • Wastewater treatments
  • Greenhouse gases

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 22988 KiB  
Article
Highly Active TiO2 Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Production through a Combination of Commercial TiO2 Material Selection and Platinum Co-Catalyst Deposition Using a Colloidal Approach with Green Reductants
by Michael Schwarze, Charly Klingbeil, Ha Uyen Do, Edith Mawunya Kutorglo, Riny Yolandha Parapat and Minoo Tasbihi
Catalysts 2021, 11(9), 1027; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11091027 - 25 Aug 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2373
Abstract
In this contribution, four different commercial TiO2 catalysts (P25, P90, PC105, and PC500) were screened for the photocatalytic production of hydrogen using ethanol as the sacrificial agent. The physico-chemical properties of the TiO2 powders were characterized by using different methods. The [...] Read more.
In this contribution, four different commercial TiO2 catalysts (P25, P90, PC105, and PC500) were screened for the photocatalytic production of hydrogen using ethanol as the sacrificial agent. The physico-chemical properties of the TiO2 powders were characterized by using different methods. The photocatalysts mainly vary in the ratio of anatase and rutile phases, and in the surface area. It was found that the photocatalytic activity is governed by the surface area of the photocatalyst. Pure TiO2,PC500 showed the best performance, and in comparison to P25, the activity was more than twenty times higher due to its high surface area of about 270 m2 g−1. For further improvement of the photocatalytic activity, platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) were immobilized onto TiO2,PC500 using two methods: a colloidal approach and a photodeposition method. For the reduction of the platinum salt precursor in the colloidal approach, different green reducing agents were used in comparison to ascorbic acid. The obtained platinum nanoparticles using natural reductants showed a higher photocatalytic activity due to the formation of smaller nanoparticles, as proven by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The highest activity was obtained when mangosteen was used as the green reducing agent. Compared to ascorbic acid as a classical reducing agent, the photocatalytic activity of the Pt@TiO2,PC500 prepared with mangosteen was about 2–3 times higher in comparison to other as-prepared photocatalysts. The Pt@TiO2,PC500 catalyst was further studied under different operating conditions, such as catalyst and sacrificial agent concentration. Full article
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11 pages, 3201 KiB  
Article
Catalytic CO Oxidation and H2O2 Direct Synthesis over Pd and Pt-Impregnated Titania Nanotubes
by Lucas Warmuth, Gülperi Nails, Maria Casapu, Sheng Wang, Silke Behrens, Jan-Dierk Grunwaldt and Claus Feldmann
Catalysts 2021, 11(8), 949; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11080949 - 08 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2107
Abstract
Titania nanotubes (TNTs) impregnated with Pd and Pt nanoparticles are evaluated as heterogeneous catalysts in different conditions in two reactions: catalytic CO oxidation (gas phase, up to 500 °C) and H2O2 direct synthesis (liquid phase, 30 °C). The TNTs are [...] Read more.
Titania nanotubes (TNTs) impregnated with Pd and Pt nanoparticles are evaluated as heterogeneous catalysts in different conditions in two reactions: catalytic CO oxidation (gas phase, up to 500 °C) and H2O2 direct synthesis (liquid phase, 30 °C). The TNTs are obtained via oxidation of titanium metal and the intermediate layer-type sodium titanate Na2Ti3O7. Thereafter, the titanate layers are exfoliated and show self-rolling to TNTs, which, finally, are impregnated with Pd or Pt nanoparticles at room temperature by using Pd(ac)2 and Pt(ac)2. The resulting crystalline Pd/TNTs and Pt/TNTs are realized with different lengths (long TNTs: 2.0–2.5 µm, short TNTs: 0.23–0.27 µm) and a specific surface area up to 390 m2/g. The deposited Pd and Pt particles are 2–5 nm in diameter. The TNT-derived catalysts show good thermal (up to 500 °C) and chemical stability (in liquid-phase and gas-phase reactions). The catalytic evaluation results in a low CO oxidation light-out temperature of 150 °C for Pt/TNTs (1 wt-%) and promising H2O2 generation with a productivity of 3240 molH2O2 kgPd−1 h−1 (Pd/TNTs, 5 wt-%, 30 °C). Despite their smaller surface area, long TNTs outperform short TNTs with regard to both CO oxidation and H2O2 formation. Full article
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18 pages, 2413 KiB  
Article
The Effect of MoS2 Active Site Dispersion on Suppression of Polycondensation Reactions during Heavy Oil Hydroconversion
by Khusain M. Kadiev, Anton L. Maximov and Malkan Kh. Kadieva
Catalysts 2021, 11(6), 676; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11060676 - 26 May 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2292
Abstract
In this work, the composition, structural and morphological features, and particle size of the active phase of the catalyst (MoS2), synthesized in-situ during the heavy oil hydroconversion performed in continuous flow reactor on lab-scale pilot flow unit at T = 450 [...] Read more.
In this work, the composition, structural and morphological features, and particle size of the active phase of the catalyst (MoS2), synthesized in-situ during the heavy oil hydroconversion performed in continuous flow reactor on lab-scale pilot flow unit at T = 450 °C, P = 6.0–9.0 MPa, V = 1.0 h−1, H2/feed = 1000 nL/L, catalyst concentration C (Mo) = 0.01–0.08%wt have been studied. It has been shown that MoS2 formed during hydroconversion is represented by nanosized particles stabilized by polycondensation products as a result of strong adsorption and aggregation with the components of the hydroconversion reaction medium. The influence of morphological characteristics of catalyst nanoparticles on the feed conversion, the yield of gaseous and liquid products, and the quality of distillate fractions, as well as the yield of polycondensation products, have been studied. It has been established that an increase in MoS2 active site dispersion, both due to a decreased plate length and lower stacking numbers in MoS2 cluster, enhances hydroconversion effectivity, particularly, in suppressing polycondensation reactions. Full article
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19 pages, 22043 KiB  
Article
MOF Embedded and Cu Doped CeO2 Nanostructures as Efficient Catalyst for Adipic Acid Production: Green Catalysis
by Shabahat Bibi, Erum Pervaiz, Minghui Yang and Osama Rabi
Catalysts 2021, 11(3), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11030304 - 26 Feb 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4034
Abstract
Greatly efficient chemical processes are customarily based upon a catalyst activating the process pathway to achieve higher yields of a product with desired specifications. Catalysts capable of achieving good performance without compromising green credentials are a pre-requisite for the development of a sustainable [...] Read more.
Greatly efficient chemical processes are customarily based upon a catalyst activating the process pathway to achieve higher yields of a product with desired specifications. Catalysts capable of achieving good performance without compromising green credentials are a pre-requisite for the development of a sustainable process. In this study, CeO2 nanoparticles were tested for their catalytic activity with two different configurations, one as a hybrid of CeO2 nanoparticles with Zeolitic Immidazole Framework (ZIF-67) and second being doped Cu cations into CeO2 nanoparticles. Physicochemical and catalytic activity was investigated and compared for both systems. Each hybrid was synthesized by embedding the CeO2 nanoparticles into the microporous structure of ZIF-67, and Cu doped CeO2 nanoparticles were prepared by a facile hydrothermal route. As a catalytic test, it was employed for the oxidation of cyclohexene to adipic acid (AA) as an alternative to expensive noble metal-based catalysts. Heterogeneous ZIF-67/CeO2 found catalytical activity towards the oxidation of cyclohexene with nearly complete conversion of cyclohexene into AA under moderate and co-catalyst free reaction conditions, whereas Cu doped CeO2 nanoparticles have shown no catalytic activity towards cyclohexene conversion, depicting the advantages of the porous ZIF-67 structure and its synergistic effect with CeO2 nanoparticles. The large surface area catalyst could be a viable option for the green synthesis of many other chemicals. Full article
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11 pages, 3002 KiB  
Article
Controllable Hydrothermal Synthesis and Photocatalytic Performance of Bi2MoO6 Nano/Microstructures
by Tao Ji, Enna Ha, Mingzhou Wu, Xin Hu, Jie Wang, Yangang Sun, Shijie Li and Junqing Hu
Catalysts 2020, 10(10), 1161; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10101161 - 10 Oct 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3272
Abstract
Bi2MoO6 with a tunable morphology was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal route using different surfactants, including nanosheet-assembled microspheres, smooth microspheres, nanoparticle aggregates and nanoparticles. The morphology, crystal structure and photocatalytic activity of as-obtained Bi2MoO6 were characterized by [...] Read more.
Bi2MoO6 with a tunable morphology was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal route using different surfactants, including nanosheet-assembled microspheres, smooth microspheres, nanoparticle aggregates and nanoparticles. The morphology, crystal structure and photocatalytic activity of as-obtained Bi2MoO6 were characterized by scanning electron microscopes (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and UV–Vis spectrophotometer. Bi2MoO6 flower-like microspheres using cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide (BET) as the surfactant exhibited much better photocatalytic activity than Bi2MoO6 with the other morphologies, with a degradation efficiency of 98.4%. It can be summarized that the photocatalytic activity of Bi2MoO6 samples depends on their morphology and composition. Full article
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