ChemCatChem最新文献

The Cover Feature depicts the hydroxylation of benzene to phenol in the presence of a nickel pentadentate catalyst and hydrogen peroxide. The highly inert nature of the C─H bonds of benzene is represented by a spherical cage secured with a locked chain. However, the powerful nickel catalyst and oxidant act as a key, facilitating the selective oxidation of one of the C─H bonds to produce phenol. More information can be found in the Research Article by M. Sankaralingam and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202401645).

The Front Cover highlights recent advances in tandem strategies for CO₂ electrochemical reduction, spanning electrocatalyst design to reaction systems. The Review by J.-L. Luo and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202401604) summarizes tandem catalysts from the atomic to the macroscale, internal product upgrades during tandem reactions, and tandem multi-physical fields. Various tandem systems, including two-step electrochemical, electrochemical–thermochemical, and electrochemical–microbial tandem systems are discussed, offering insights into rational tandem design and guidance for developing efficient energy conversion systems.

The Front Cover highlights greener systems for CO₂ capture and reduction into CO (CCR) by using bifunctional catalysts. The synergistic effects of a direct-current electric field and developed Na-modified Pt nanoparticles on TiO₂ as a bifunctional catalyst realized selective CO production through CCR under low-temperature isothermal conditions. More information can be found in the Research Article by S. Ogo and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202401775).

As a society journal, co-owned by the cooperative of societies that make up Chemistry Europe. ChemCatChem plays a significant role in the dissemination of catalysis research and is committed to supporting researchers at every stage of their careers. In this Editorial, we present our new Editorial and Early Career Advisory Boards.

The Cover Feature shows the electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction (ECO₂RR), which is crucial for converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals. In their Research Article (DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202401133), Z.-H. He, Z.-T. Liu and co-workers report the synthesis of a ZnO catalyst supported on N-doped Ti₃C₂T_x MXene (ZnO/N-Ti₃C₂T_x) by a simple incipient wetness impregnation method. The FECO reached 96.4% with a current density of 7.2 mA cm^–2 at –0.967 V (vs. RHE) in a 0.5 M KCl electrolyte. These results rank among the top values for similar catalytic systems in aqueous electrolytes and H-type cells.

With the motto “Roots and Wings for a Better World”, the 18^th International Congress on Catalysis, held in Lyon, France, from July 14^th to 19^th, 2024, has been an invaluable forum for the catalysis community to share its most advanced results. The dense and high-quality scientific program along with a vibrant exhibition and friendly social events have made this edition highly memorable.

Confined chemistry is a powerful tool in catalysis. In this study, we report hierarchical structures with controlled morphology able to trap labile intermediates and improve a catalytic cascade reaction. We used alcohol amination via hydrogen borrowing as model, a process that gives substituted amines from alcohols and does not require the addition of hydrogen to reduce the imines or the use of coupling agents. A common problem however in those systems is the loss of the borrowed hydrogen atoms, leading to stagnation of the product at the imine stage. To this end, we encapsulated Al₂O₃/Ru(OH)_x nanocatalysts inside mesoporous silica in a yolk-shell architecture and were able to trap the hydrogens to increase the amine yield from 12% to 82%, with a three-fold increase in selectivity without the need of any additive. We found the presence of mesopores in the silica shells to be essential to enable access to the catalytic sites and the yolk-shell gap size to be the key parameter influencing the reactivity of the catalytic system. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a confined hydrogen borrowing reaction, an approach that can be extended to the other types of cascade reactions that produce labile intermediates.

To enhance the electrochemical synthesis of ammonia performance by accelerating the reaction kinetics of electrocatalytic Nitrate reduction reaction (NO₃⁻RR), it is crucial to develop electrocatalysts with high acitiity and selectivity of NO₃⁻RR. Herein, a Ru-doped Co-Ti₃C₂ catalyst was prepared for NO₃⁻RR in this work. In 0.1 M KOH & 0.1 M KNO₃ electrolyte, the Ru doped Co-Ti₃C₂ (nRu:nCo = 2:8, RuCo-Ti₃C₂-2:8) achieved a Faraday efficiency (FE) of 96.48% and an ammonia yield of 2261.99 µg cm⁻² h⁻¹ at −0.4 V vs. RHE. Compared with the Co-MXene catalyst and the Ru doped Co-Ti₃C₂ catalysts of other compositions, RuCo-Ti₃C₂-2:8 exhibited better ammonia yield and high FE. Moreover, the RuCo-Ti₃C₂-2:8 catalyst exhibited excellent stability of electrocatalytic NO₃⁻RR.

The precision with which atoms can be positioned in 3D space through reticular chemistry imbues metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with the potential to access catalytic performance beyond what is possible with classical heterogeneous manifolds. In this paper, we highlight illustrative examples in which MOF-based catalysts integrate adsorption and catalysis, optimize cooperation, bypass high-energy intermediates, bring about active site regeneration, stabilize unusual active sites or use extended environment effects in order to break new ground in catalyst design.

The Cover Feature depicts the coupling reaction of CO₂ and n-C₁₆ to CO and gasoline at the bifunctional sites of a Ni/β catalyst. In their Research Article (DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202401546), F. Shi, X. Cui, and co-workers report a promising approach to CO₂ utilization—coupling transformation of CO₂ and n-C₁₆ to gasoline. The Brønsted acid was responsible for n-C₁₆ activation, and Ni catalyzed the RWGS reaction and captured the H₂ species produced during aromatization, thereby increasing the yield of aromatics and the octane value of gasoline.