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Abstract Herein, we report on the synthesis of ultrasmall Pd nanoclusters (∼2 nm) protected by L‐cysteine [HOCOCH(NH2)CH2SH] ligands (Pdn(L‐Cys)m) and supported on the surfaces of CeO2, TiO2, Fe3O4, and ZnO nanoparticles for CO catalytic oxidation. The Pdn(L‐Cys)mnanoclusters supported on the reducible metal oxides CeO2, TiO2and Fe3O4exhibit a remarkable catalytic activity towards CO oxidation, significantly higher than the reported Pd nanoparticle catalysts. The high catalytic activity of the ligand‐protected clusters Pdn(L‐Cys)mis observed on the three reducible oxides where 100 % CO conversion occurs at 93–110 °C. The high activity is attributed to the ligand‐protected Pd nanoclusters where the L‐cysteine ligands aid in achieving monodispersity of the Pd clusters by limiting the cluster size to the active sub‐2‐nm region and decreasing the tendency of the clusters for agglomeration. In the case of the ceria support, a complete removal of the L‐cysteine ligands results in connected agglomerated Pd clusters which are less reactive than the ligand‐protected clusters. However, for the TiO2and Fe3O4supports, complete removal of the ligands from the Pdn(L‐Cys)mclusters leads to a slight decrease in activity where the T100%CO conversion occurs at 99 °C and 107 °C, respectively. The high porosity of the TiO2and Fe3O4supports appears to aid in efficient encapsulation of the bare Pdnnanoclusters within the mesoporous pores of the support.
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Ultrasmall Cu Nanoparticles Supported on Crystalline, Mesoporous ZnO for Selective CO 2 Hydrogenation
Abstract Converting CO2to value‐added chemicals,e. g., CH3OH, is highly desirable in terms of the carbon cycling while reducing CO2emission from fossil fuel combustion. Cu‐based nanocatalysts are among the most efficient for selective CO2‐to‐CH3OH transformation; this conversion, however, suffers from low reactivity especially in the thermodynamically favored low temperature range. We herein report ultrasmall copper (Cu) nanocatalysts supported on crystalline, mesoporous zinc oxide nanoplate (Cu@mZnO) with notable activity and selectivity of CO2‐to‐CH3OH in the low temperature range of 200–250 °C. Cu@mZnO nanoplates are prepared based on the crystal‐crystal transition of mixed Cu and Zn basic carbonates to mesoporous metal oxides and subsequent hydrogen reduction. Under the nanoconfinement of mesopores in crystalline ZnO frameworks, ultrasmall Cu nanoparticles with an average diameter of 2.5 nm are produced. Cu@mZnO catalysts have a peak CH3OH formation rate of 1.13 mol h−1per 1 kg under ambient pressure at 246 °C, about 25 °C lower as compared to that of the benchmark catalyst of Cu−Zn−Al oxides. Our new synthetic strategy sheds some valuable insights into the design of porous catalysts for the important conversion of CO2‐to‐CH3OH.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1705566
- PAR ID:
- 10481121
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ChemCatChem
- Volume:
- 16
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 1867-3880
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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