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Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) has been employed to investigate the catalysts HZSM‐5 and MESO−Y, which play a pivotal role in catalyzing and upgrading plastics, with a primary focus on oxygenated polymers, thereby transforming existing plastic materials into simpler, higher‐quality value‐added products. In this study, PALS was systematically compared with other complementary analytical techniques. The research outcomes have successfully demonstrated the efficacy of PALS in elucidating the morphology and topology of zeolites at micro/meso‐meter scales.

The first experiment focuses on H‐ZSM‐5 zeolite subjected to treatments involving polyurethane and polypropylene. The second experiment delves into H‐ZSM‐5 zeolites with varying Si/Al ratios, both before and after conversion. The third experiment investigates Y zeolites that are surfactant templated to induce meso‐porosity, examining their fresh state as well as their post‐conversion condition.

The PALS analysis was supplemented by BET (Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller) analysis and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectroscopies. Notably, PALS exhibits superior sensitivity, at the sub‐nanometer scale, suggesting its potential as a preferred complementary method for catalysis studies. In conclusion, the integration of PALS into the repertoire of analytical tools enhances our understanding of catalyst behavior and catalytic processes, offering valuable insights for the advancement of plastic recycling and catalysis research.

 

In this study, we elucidate the reaction kinetics for the simultaneous hydrodeoxygenation of xylitol to 1,2-dideoxypentitol and 1,2,5-pentanetriol over a ReOx-Pd/CeO2 (2.0 weight% Re, 0.30 weight% Pd) catalyst. The reaction was determined to be a zero-order reaction with respect to xylitol. The activation energy was elucidated through an Arrhenius relationship as well as non-Arrhenius kinetics. The Arrhenius relationship was investigated at 150–170 °C and a constant H2 pressure of 10 bar resulting in an activation energy of 48.7 ± 10.5 kJ/mol. The investigation of non-Arrhenius kinetics was conducted at 120–170 °C and a sub-Arrhenius relation was elucidated with activation energy being dependent on temperature, and ranging from 10.2–51.8 kJ/mol in the temperature range investigated. Internal and external mass transfer were investigated through evaluating the Weisz–Prater criterion and the effect of varying stirring rate on the reaction rate, respectively. There were no internal or external mass transfer limitations present in the reaction. 

Heterogeneously catalyzed deoxydehydration (DODH) ordinarily occurs over relatively costly oxide supported ReO x sites and is an effective process for the removal of vicinal OH groups that are common in biomass-derived chemicals. Here, through first-principles calculations, we investigate the DODH of 1,4-anhydroerythritol over anatase TiO 2 (101)-supported ReO x and MoO x . The atomistic structures of ReO x and MoO x under typical reaction conditions were identified with constrained thermodynamics calculations as ReO 2 (2O)/6H–TiO 2 and MoO(2O)/3H–TiO 2 , respectively. The calculated energy profile and developed microkinetic reaction model suggest that both ReO 2 (2O)/6H–TiO 2 and MoO(2O)/3H–TiO 2 exhibit a relatively low DODH activity at 413 K. However, at higher temperatures such as 473 K, MoO(2O)/TiO 2 (101) was found to exhibit a reasonably high catalytic activity similar to ReO 2 (2O)/6H–TiO 2 , consistent with a recent experimental study. Mechanistically, the first O–H bond cleavage of 1,4-anhydroerythritol and the dihydrofuran extrusion were found to be the rate-controlling steps for the reaction over ReO 2 (2O)/6H–TiO 2 and MoO(2O)/3H–TiO 2 , respectively. Thus, this study clarifies the mechanism of the DODH over oxide-supported catalysts and provides meaningful insight into the design of low-cost DODH catalysts. 

Deoxydehydration (DODH) is an emerging biomass deoxygenation process whereby vicinal OH groups are removed. Based on DFT calculations and microkinetic modeling, we seek to understand the mechanism of the Re-catalyzed deoxydehydration supported on CeO 2 (111). In addition, we aim at understanding the promotional effect of Pd in a heterogeneous ReO x –Pd/CeO 2 DODH catalyst system. We disentangle the contribution of the oxide support, the oxide-supported single ReO x species, and a co-adsorbed Pd promoter that has no direct interaction with the Re species. In the absence of a nearby Pd cluster, a Re site is able to reduce subsurface Ce-ions of a hydroxylated CeO 2 (111) surface, leading to a catalytically active Re +6 species. The effect of Pd is twofold: (i) Pd catalyzes the hydrogen dissociation and spillover onto CeO 2 , which is an indispensable process for the regeneration of the Re catalyst, and (ii) Pd adsorbed in close proximity to Re on CeO 2 (111) facilitates the oxidation of Re to a +7 oxidation state, which leads to an even more active Re species than the Re +6 site present in the absence of Pd. The latter promotional effect of Pd (and change in oxidation state of Re) disappears with increasing Pd–Re distance and in the presence of oxygen defects on the ceria support. Under these conditions, the ReO x –Pd/CeO 2 catalyst system exhibits appreciable activity consistent with recent experiments. The established mechanism and role of various species in the catalyst system help to better understand the deoxydehydration catalysis. Also, the importance of the Re oxidation state and the identified oxidation state modification mechanisms suggest a new pathway for tuning the properties of metal-oxide supported catalysts. 

The efficient delivery of reactive and toxic gaseous reagents to organic reactions was studied using metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs). The simultaneous cargo vehicle and catalytic capabilities of several MOFs were probed for the first time using the examples of aromatization, aminocarbonylation, and carbonylative Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions. These reactions highlight that MOFs can serve a dual role as a gas cargo vehicle and a catalyst, leading to product formation with yields similar to reactions employing pure gases. Furthermore, the MOFs can be recycled without sacrificing product yield, while simultaneously maintaining crystallinity. The reported findings were supported crystallographically and spectroscopically (e.g., diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy), foreshadowing a pathway for the development of multifunctional MOF‐based reagent‐catalyst cargo vessels for reactive gas reagents as an attractive alternative to the use of toxic pure gases or gas generators.

 

The efficient delivery of reactive and toxic gaseous reagents to organic reactions was studied using metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs). The simultaneous cargo vehicle and catalytic capabilities of several MOFs were probed for the first time using the examples of aromatization, aminocarbonylation, and carbonylative Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions. These reactions highlight that MOFs can serve a dual role as a gas cargo vehicle and a catalyst, leading to product formation with yields similar to reactions employing pure gases. Furthermore, the MOFs can be recycled without sacrificing product yield, while simultaneously maintaining crystallinity. The reported findings were supported crystallographically and spectroscopically (e.g., diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy), foreshadowing a pathway for the development of multifunctional MOF‐based reagent‐catalyst cargo vessels for reactive gas reagents as an attractive alternative to the use of toxic pure gases or gas generators.