{"title":"Preparation and catalytic performance study of Pd-Au bimetallic catalysts supported on polyaniline-derived nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon for the selective hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene","authors":"Heshun Jing , Libo Sun , Qingtai Xie, Yuqi Zhai, Caixia Qi, Baorong Duan, Xun Sun, Lijun Zhao, Miao Zhang, Huijuan Su","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120332","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120332","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this paper, an efficient catalyst (0.05 %Pd-0.5 %Au/NPC) was prepared by supporting Pd-Au bimetallic nanoparticles on a phytic acid-doped polyaniline-derived N/P co-doped carbon (NPC) support. The catalytic performance of 0.05 %Pd-0.5 %Au/NPC for the p-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) hydrogenation to p-chloroaniline (p-CAN) was systematically evaluated. Experiments demonstrated that the introduction of trace amounts of Pd significantly enhanced the conversion rate of the Au-based catalyst while maintaining good selectivity. The NPC support optimized the dispersion and surface electronic states of the metal nanoparticles by enhancing the metal-support electronic interaction, enabling the catalyst to achieve complete p-CNB conversion with a good selectivity (>98 %) under conditions of 100 °C and 1.2 MPa H<sub>2</sub>. The P doping induced an electron-deficient state on the metal surface, promoting preferential adsorption of -NO<sub>2</sub> groups in p-CNB and desorption of -NH<sub>2</sub> of products p-CAN, thereby improving catalytic efficiency. This paper provides a new strategy for developing efficient and environmentally friendly catalysts for the hydrogenation of halonitroaromatics and offers a novel method for regulating the electronic structure of noble metals in carbon-based noble metal catalysts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"702 ","pages":"Article 120332"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143928328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaofeng Long , Yujie Peng , Ze Yu , Yuhong Zhang , Xueliang Jiang , Huan Yang
{"title":"Progress of advanced electrocatalysts towards electrochemical selectivity reduction CO2 to formic acid","authors":"Xiaofeng Long , Yujie Peng , Ze Yu , Yuhong Zhang , Xueliang Jiang , Huan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120330","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120330","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrocatalytic reaction can convert carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) into formic acid (HCOOH), which is considered as a promising pathway for sustainable energy conversion and valuable chemicals production. Nevertheless, CO<sub>2</sub> reduction reaction (CO<sub>2</sub>RR) to HCOOH exists high reaction potential, insufficient active site and low product selectivity. In this review, various catalysts, including metal and metal oxides, metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks and carbon-based materials, are summarized from the structure-activity relationship between electrocatalysts and CO<sub>2</sub>RR performance. Then, the regulation strategies of morphology control, defect engineering, and interface engineering, to improve the selectivity and stability of CO<sub>2</sub>RR have been successively analyzed. In addition, the practical application of CO<sub>2</sub>RR to HCOOH in electrochemical energy technologies (formic acid fuel cells and water splitting) are comprehensively discussed. Finally, the perspectives and outlook of advanced catalysts for electrochemical selectivity reduction CO<sub>2</sub> to HCOOH are thoroughly addressed. This review will be helpful to provide new insights for designing high selective and stable CO<sub>2</sub>RR to HCOOH electrocatalysts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"701 ","pages":"Article 120330"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143916802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Leveraging electron distribution reconstruction of spinel MnCo2O4 hollow microflowers for the aerobic oxidation of limonene","authors":"Jiangyong Liu , Chennan Wang , Bing Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120331","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120331","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The utilization of biomass-derived limonene is an emerging field. The heterogeneous oxidation of limonene to high value-added chemicals has been recently considered as a promising way, but still remains a big challenge. Here, we construct a highly active MnCo<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> catalyst with an intriguing hollow microflower-like morphology assembled by uniform porous sheets (HMMF). When employed in the oxidation of limonene to 1,2-limonene oxide (LO), the HMMF catalyst achieves a LO yield of 64.0 % with the limonene conversion of 82.8 % and selectivity of 77.3 % to LO under mild reaction conditions, far outperforming the monometallic Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> catalyst. The high performance can be attributed to the synergistic benefits of bimetallic spinel structure and the unique morphology. Experimental results and theoretical research unveil that the substitution of Mn into Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> to form the well-defined MnCo<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> spinel promotes the establishment of highly active asymmetric Mn−O−Co centers. The reconfigured electronic structure contributes to the generation of oxygen vacancy (OV) and redox couples, facilitating the production of active oxygen species and thus boosting the oxidation kinetics. The mesoporous structure with large surface area can enhance the contact of reactive molecules with the active sites and promote the transportation of reactants and products within the channels. This study offers a successful paradigm for the construction of bimetallic spinels with well-integrated assembled morphology for the applications in the selective oxidation of hydrocarbons and beyond.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"701 ","pages":"Article 120331"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143907950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Catalyst and process for the synthesis of piperidine via reductive amination from biomass derivative δ-valerolactone","authors":"Shuheng Lv , Kaisong Zhao , Xiaolong Li , Hongyu Zhang , Yuecheng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120315","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120315","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Piperidine (PIP) is an important nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound used extensively in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and rubber additives. Conventional synthesis routes often require energy-intensive conditions or noble metal catalysts, posing environmental and economic challenges. This work presents a sustainable chemical process for PIP production, starting from biomass-derived δ-valerolactone. The key reductive amination step employs a bimetallic Ni-Co core-shell catalyst (L7.5-meso-Ni7Co3@Al₂O₃-0.2), prepared via a continuous-flow method. Under optimized conditions, a 100 % conversion of 4-cyanobutanal (4-CB) was achieved with 63.8 % selectivity for PIP. Catalyst synergy between Ni and Co enhanced activity while reducing reliance on noble metals. This study demonstrates a scalable strategy for sustainable PIP production, aligning with green chemistry principles by employing renewable feedstocks, minimizing waste, and achieving high efficiency under mild conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"701 ","pages":"Article 120315"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143912729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Feng Chen , Shuangming Li , Yuanyuan Zhang , Yiwen Wang , Sansan Yu
{"title":"Catalytic performance and deactivation mechanism of FePO4 in the dehydration of glycerol to acrolein","authors":"Feng Chen , Shuangming Li , Yuanyuan Zhang , Yiwen Wang , Sansan Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Iron phosphate (FePO<sub>4</sub>) was employed as a highly efficient solid acid catalyst for the selective gas-phase dehydration of glycerol to acrolein. The influence of calcination temperature (400–700 ℃) on the crystalline phase evolution and catalytic performance of FePO<sub>4</sub> was systematically investigated. Crystal structure, surface properties, and acid site distribution were analyzed via XRD, SEM, BET, XPS, NH<sub>3</sub>-TPD, and Py-FTIR. Results demonstrated that FePO<sub>4</sub> calcined at 600 ℃ showed the highest selectivity (93.2 %) to acrolein. Increasing the calcination temperature induces a phase transition in FePO<sub>4</sub> from tridymite to rodolicoite structure, though the structural change has a minimal impact on the catalytic performance. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the progressive transformation of FePO<sub>4</sub> into Fe<sub>2</sub>P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub> during catalytic reaction represents the primary factor contributing to catalyst deactivation. Interestingly, the deactivated catalyst can be effectively regenerated and its performance restored via in-situ oxidation heat treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"701 ","pages":"Article 120314"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143890630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
JeongHyun Cho , Jimin Yun , Minjae Kim , Kyung Tae Park , Hai Woong Park , Ji Chul Jung
{"title":"Surface engineering of perovskite catalysts: Using acid treatment to enhance CO and CH4 oxidation activity","authors":"JeongHyun Cho , Jimin Yun , Minjae Kim , Kyung Tae Park , Hai Woong Park , Ji Chul Jung","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examined the effects of acid treatment on LaMnO<sub>3</sub> (LMO) and LaCoO<sub>3</sub> (LCO) perovskites and their catalytic performance in CO and CH<sub>4</sub> oxidation. Acid treatment selectively removed La cations, creating oxygen vacancies and altering the electronic properties of surface oxygen species and B-site cations. In LCO, it increased the Co<sup>2</sup><sup>+</sup> concentration while reducing the electron densities of surface oxygen species. These changes reduced T<sub>20</sub> by 39 ℃ and 123 ℃ for CO and CH<sub>4</sub> oxidation, respectively, after 5 h of acid treatment. However, acid-treated LMO for 5 h exhibited improved CO oxidation (T<sub>20</sub> decreased by 49 ℃) owing to enriched surface adsorbed oxygen species but declined CH<sub>4</sub> oxidation activity (T<sub>20</sub> increased by 77 ℃), attributed to the increased Mn<sup>4+</sup> concentration and minimal enhancement in oxygen mobility. This study emphasizes the importance of tailored surface engineering strategies, providing insights into the systematic design of perovskite catalysts for various oxidation reactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"701 ","pages":"Article 120312"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143891101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Continuous production of aminobenzenes by hydrogenation of nitrobenzenes over a TiO2 photocatalyst in a spiral flow reactor","authors":"Hiroshi Kominami , Katusmi Tanimoto , Atsuhiro Tanaka","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120325","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120325","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To overcome the disadvantage associated with a photocatalytic suspension reaction system, it is essential to fabricate a flow-type reactor that can eliminate the need for mixing and separation, thereby enabling continuous photocatalytic reactions. We developed a novel flow reactor that consists of a narrow and long perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA) tube containing small TiO<sub>2</sub>-zircon bead composites (TiO<sub>2</sub>-ZB). The reactor was encircled by a spiral configuration around a fluorescent lamp, facilitating the reduction of nitrobenzene (NB) to aniline (AN). The merits of this novel reactor include the capacity to accommodate a greater quantity of TiO<sub>2</sub>, the efficacy of light supply to TiO<sub>2</sub>, and the utilization of a long fluorescent lamp, i.e., black light, as the light source. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to determine the effects of various parameters, including zircon bead size, tube length and flow rate, on photocatalytic performance. Under optimized conditions, various nitrobenzenes having reducible groups can be reduced chemoselectively to the corresponding anilines with high yields. The results presented in this paper provide a new approach to the design of a flow-type reactor for continuous photocatalytic production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"701 ","pages":"Article 120325"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143899859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
German Araujo-Barahona , Michele De Simone , Carl Brunberg , Kari Eränen , Arne Reinsdorf , Meike Roos , Juan García-Serna , Vincenzo Russo , Dmitry Yu. Murzin , Tapio Salmi
{"title":"Solid raney-type Ni foam catalysts for xylitol production: Continuous and batch operation","authors":"German Araujo-Barahona , Michele De Simone , Carl Brunberg , Kari Eränen , Arne Reinsdorf , Meike Roos , Juan García-Serna , Vincenzo Russo , Dmitry Yu. Murzin , Tapio Salmi","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120324","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120324","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solid activated metal foam catalysts represent a promising alternative for the continuous production of valuable sugar alcohols. Traditionally, sugar alcohols are produced industrially in batch mode using finely dispersed Raney-type nickel catalysts. In this study, novel solid foam Raney-type Ni catalysts (activated metal foam catalysts) were used for the hydrogenation of xylose to xylitol in both batch and continuous operation. Two types of catalysts were investigated: Raney-type Ni foam (Metalyst® MC 911 by Evonik Operations GmbH, Ev-F-Ni) and Raney-type Ni foam promoted with molybdenum (Metalyst® MC 981 by Evonik Operations GmbH, Ev-F-NiMo). Catalyst deactivation was primarily attributed to the accumulation of strongly adsorbed organic species on the active sites and to Ni and Al leaching, which reduced the availability of catalytically active sites. Ev-F-NiMo demonstrated a superior stability and activity compared to Ev-F-Ni, attributed to electronic interactions between Mo and Ni, which stabilize Ni in a lower oxidation state and reduce metal leaching under reaction conditions. In continuous operation, the catalysts exhibited reduced deactivation, likely due to enhanced desorption of poisons under the continuous flow of fresh feed. Although the exposure to xylonic acid, a potential poison forming on the catalyst surface, temporarily reduced the xylitol yield in continuous mode, the Ev-F-NiMo catalyst demonstrated good resilience, recovering its activity after the removal of the poisoning species. These results highlight the very attractive technical solution for the continuous production of sugar alcohols from sugar monomers, utilizing promoted Raney-type Ni catalyst that is highly active, selective and cost-effective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"701 ","pages":"Article 120324"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143899861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Regulation of oxygen reduction pathway on carbon nitride for enhanced H2O2 photosynthesis","authors":"Bo Sheng, Jiarui Li, Jing Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120311","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120311","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to produce H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> on graphitic carbon nitride (CN) has been regarded as a green and sustainable route by using endless solar energy. However, this process is limited by side-reactions of single electron transfer process, thus decreasing the overall efficiency. Herein, we have proposed an effective method to optimize H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> photosynthesis by modulation of oxygen reduction pathway. That is modification of CN by introducing cyano groups and N defect in the presence of NaBH<sub>4</sub>. The H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production rate was 570 μmol/g/h by the optimal photocatalyst of BCN, showing 11-fold enhanced efficiency. Mechanism analysis proved that the convert of the single electron oxygen reduction in pristine CN into two-electron pathway in B<sub>x</sub>CN occurred, which contributed to improved ORR efficiency and accelerated conversion of O<sub>2</sub><sup>•−</sup> on H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> photosynthesis. This work revealed an effective method for optimizing H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> photosynthesis by regulating oxygen reduction reaction pathway.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"701 ","pages":"Article 120311"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143907951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lei Zhu , Qiao Yuan , Xiangen Song , Lihua Shi , Yue Zhang , Siquan Feng , Xingju Li , Yutong Cai , Wenhao Cui , Li Yan , Dan Meng , Yunjie Ding
{"title":"Sulfur-enhanced ethanol dehydrogenation on fully exposed molybdenum clusters catalyst","authors":"Lei Zhu , Qiao Yuan , Xiangen Song , Lihua Shi , Yue Zhang , Siquan Feng , Xingju Li , Yutong Cai , Wenhao Cui , Li Yan , Dan Meng , Yunjie Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ethanol dehydrogenation is of great industrial significance, but remains a challenge to use non-oxidative pathways. In this paper, Mo sites in different states were carefully constructed on sulfur-doped carbon (S-C) by adjusting the thermal treatment conditions, which showed distinct performance in the direct heterogeneous dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate. Among them, Mo<sub>n</sub>/S-C with fully exposed molybdenum clusters anchored by sulfur sites showed the best performance with a space-time yield (STY) of 550 g<sub>acetyl</sub>/kg<sub>cat.</sub>/h and a selectivity of 92 % for the target acetyl product, which can be stable for more than 70 h. The Mo<sup>6 +</sup> species with electronic property modulated by sulfur were the active sites for ethanol dehydrogenation. The coordination-dependent catalytic performance was rationalized through possible reaction pathways, which demonstrated the evolution of active species during the reaction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"701 ","pages":"Article 120316"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143891063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}