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Design, Synthesis and Application of Heterogeneous Catalysts

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 5114

Special Issue Editors

Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Studies, Zhejiang Normal University, 1108 Gengwen Road, Hangzhou 311231, China
Interests: gold catalysis; nanomaterials; nanostructured catalysis; heterogeneous catalysis; catalytic hydrogenation; selective oxidation; biomass conversion

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Guest Editor
Hangzhou Institute of Advanced studies, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; selective hydrogenation; non-precious metal catalyst; fine chemicals synthesis

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Guest Editor
CAS Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Applied Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; nanocatalyst; single-atom catalysis; strong metal-support interaction; clean energy conversion and utilization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last few decades, increasing number of researches have focused on design and synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts, since over 90% of industrial processes for chemical synthesis use heterogeneous systems. In comparison with traditional homogeneous catalysts, heterogeneous catalysts are quite stable and easy to separate from the reaction system. However, due to the multiple components of heterogeneous systems, the  reactivity and selectivity of catalysts are sometimes low. Presently, heterogeneous catalyst have been widely used in various types of catalytic process, including thermocatalysis, electro-catalysis, photocatalysis and biocatalysis. Given the widespread use of heterogeneous catalysts and the growing needs of environmental protection and green chemistry, it is necessary to develop good-to-excellent catalysts for various reactions and investigate how heterogeneous catalysts work with good performacens.  

This Special Issue will cover topics including, but not restricted to, the recent advances in heterogeneous catalysis for new energy catalysis, biomass transformation and fine chemicals synthesis by using supported metal catalysts or mixed metal oxides. Short communications, full research articles and review articles are all respectfully welcomed to submit in the Specisl Issue.    

Dr. Yuan Tan
Dr. Xingkun Chen
Prof. Dr. Botao Qiao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • heterogeneous catalyst
  • energy catalysis
  • metal catalyst
  • metal oxides
  • nanocatalyst
  • hydrogenation
  • oxidation
  • characterization

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 5518 KiB  
Article
Au-Based Bimetallic Catalysts for Aerobic Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid under Base-Free Reaction Conditions
by Juan Su, Zongyang Liu, Yuan Tan, Yan Xiao, Nannan Zhan and Yunjie Ding
Molecules 2024, 29(12), 2724; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29122724 - 7 Jun 2024
Viewed by 956
Abstract
The aerobic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) plays a pivotal role in the synthesis of renewable, biodegradable plastics and sustainable chemicals. Although supported gold nanoclusters (NCs) exhibit significant potential in this process, they often suffer from low selectivity. To address [...] Read more.
The aerobic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) plays a pivotal role in the synthesis of renewable, biodegradable plastics and sustainable chemicals. Although supported gold nanoclusters (NCs) exhibit significant potential in this process, they often suffer from low selectivity. To address this challenge, a series of gold-M (M means Ni, Fe, Cu, and Pd) bimetallic NCs catalysts were designed and synthesized to facilitate the selective oxidation of HMF to FDCA. Our findings indicate that the introduction of doped metals, particularly Ni and Pd, not only improves the reaction rates for HMF tandem oxidation but also promotes high yields of FDCA. Various characterizations techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy of CO adsorption (CO-DRIFTS), and temperature-programmed desorption of oxygen (O2-TPD), were employed to scrutinize the structural and electronic properties of the prepared catalysts. Notably, an electronic effect was observed across the Au-based bimetallic catalysts, facilitating the activation of reactant molecules and enhancing the catalytic performance. This study provides valuable insights into the alloy effects, aiding in the development of highly efficient Au-based bimetallic catalysts for biomass conversions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Synthesis and Application of Heterogeneous Catalysts)
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16 pages, 6149 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles over CoAl Mixed Oxide for Ethanol Oxidation Reaction
by Guillaume Rochard, Eric Genty, Jean-Marc Giraudon, Christophe Poupin, Jean-François Lamonier, Stéphane Siffert, Valeria La Parola, Leonarda Francesca Liotta and Renaud Cousin
Molecules 2024, 29(10), 2285; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29102285 - 12 May 2024
Viewed by 1297
Abstract
Catalytic total oxidation is an effective technique for the treatment of industrial VOCs principally resulting from industrial processes using solvents and usually containing mono-aromatics (BTEX) and oxygenated compounds (acetone, ethanol, butanone). The aim of this work is to deposit gold nanoparticles on CoAl [...] Read more.
Catalytic total oxidation is an effective technique for the treatment of industrial VOCs principally resulting from industrial processes using solvents and usually containing mono-aromatics (BTEX) and oxygenated compounds (acetone, ethanol, butanone). The aim of this work is to deposit gold nanoparticles on CoAl mixed oxide issued from layered double hydroxide (LDH) precursor by using the deposition precipitation (DP) method, which is applied with two modifications, labeled method (A) and method (B), in order to enhance the interaction of the HAuCl4 precursor with the support. Method (A) involves the hydrolysis of the HAuCl4 precursor after addition of the support, while in method (B), the gold precursor is hydrolyzed before adding the support. The two methods were applied using as support the CoAl mixed oxide and the LDH precursor. Samples were characterized by several physical chemical techniques and evaluated for ethanol total oxidation. Method (B) allowed the ethanol oxidation activity to be enhanced for the resulting Au/CoAlOx catalysts thanks to the high surface concentration of Co2+ and improved reducibility at low temperature. The presence of gold permits to minimize the formation of by-products, notably, methanol, allowed for a total oxidation of ethanol at lower temperature than the corresponding support. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Synthesis and Application of Heterogeneous Catalysts)
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13 pages, 5297 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Hydrophobic Au Catalyst and Application in One-Step Oxidative Esterification of Methacrolein to Methyl Methacrylate
by Yanxia Zheng, Yubo Yang, Yixuan Li, Lu Cai, Xuanjiao Zhao, Bing Xue, Yuchao Li, Jiutao An and Jialiang Zhang
Molecules 2024, 29(8), 1854; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29081854 - 19 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1070
Abstract
The water produced during the oxidative esterification reaction occupies the active sites and reduces the activity of the catalyst. In order to reduce the influence of water on the reaction system, a hydrophobic catalyst was prepared for the one-step oxidative esterification of methylacrolein [...] Read more.
The water produced during the oxidative esterification reaction occupies the active sites and reduces the activity of the catalyst. In order to reduce the influence of water on the reaction system, a hydrophobic catalyst was prepared for the one-step oxidative esterification of methylacrolein (MAL) and methanol. The catalyst was synthesized by loading the active component Au onto ZnO using the deposition–precipitation method, followed by constructing the silicon shell on Au/ZnO using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) to introduce hydrophobic groups. Trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) was used as a hydrophobic modification reagent to prepare hydrophobic catalysts, which exhibited a water droplet contact angle of 111.2°. At a temperature of 80 °C, the hydrophobic catalyst achieved a high MMA selectivity of over 95%. The samples were characterized using XRD, N2 adsorption, ICP, SEM, TEM, UV-vis, FT-IR, XPS, and water droplet contact angle measurements. Kinetic analysis revealed an activation energy of 22.44 kJ/mol for the hydrophobic catalyst. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Synthesis and Application of Heterogeneous Catalysts)
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18 pages, 3961 KiB  
Article
Upgrading Pyrolytic Residue from End-of-Life Tires to Efficient Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Conversion of Glycerol to Acetins
by Anna Malaika, Jolanta Kowalska-Kuś, Klaudia Końska, Karolina Ptaszyńska, Aldona Jankowska, Agnieszka Held, Krzysztof Wróblewski and Mieczysław Kozłowski
Molecules 2023, 28(24), 8137; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28248137 - 17 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1337
Abstract
Recovered carbon blacks (rCBs) produced from end-of-life tires using pyrolysis were transformed into solid acid catalysts for the synthesis of acetins, i.e., products with a wide spectrum of practical applications. Tuning the chemical properties of the surface of samples and introducing specific functional [...] Read more.
Recovered carbon blacks (rCBs) produced from end-of-life tires using pyrolysis were transformed into solid acid catalysts for the synthesis of acetins, i.e., products with a wide spectrum of practical applications. Tuning the chemical properties of the surface of samples and introducing specific functional groups on the rCBs were achieved through carbon functionalization with concentrated H2SO4. The initial and modified rCBs were thoroughly characterized using techniques such as elemental analysis, potentiometric back titration, thermogravimetric technique, scanning and transmission microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, etc. The catalytic activities of the samples were measured via batch mode glycerol acetylation performed at 110 °C and compared to the catalytic performance of the functionalized commercial carbon black. The modified rCBs were found to show a significant catalytic effect in the tested reaction, giving high glycerol conversions (above 95%) and satisfactory combined yields of diacetins and triacetin (~72%) within 4 h; this behavior was attributed to the presence of -SO3H moieties on the surface of functionalized rCBs. The reusability tests indicated that the modified samples were catalytically stable in subsequent acetylation runs. The obtained results evidenced the feasibility of using end-of-life tires for the production of effective acid catalysts for glycerol valorization processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Synthesis and Application of Heterogeneous Catalysts)
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