Platinum nanoparticles grown on SrTiO(3) nanocuboids via atomic layer deposition exhibit cube-on-cube epitaxy with the predicted Winterbottom shape, consistent with literature values of the interfacial and surface free energies. This thermodyamically stable configuration should survive the rigors of catalytic conditions to create stable, high surface area, face-selective catalysts.

Supercritical fluids and ionic liquids offer attractive opportunities for modifying and applying zeolites as adsorbents and catalysts. After a brief introduction to the most important properties of these solvents, examples of zeolite applications in supercritical fluids and ionic liquids from the recent literature are discussed. Particular emphasis is put on the influence of reaction media on t...

The low selectivity of heterogeneous catalysts has been one of the critical obstacles to the wider use of heterogeneous processes in the commercial production of high value chemicals. The limited selectivity is related to a number of issues, including the lack of predictive theories that guide the discovery of the optimal catalytic site, the dearth of strategies to synthesize the targeted sites...

Noble metal catalysts have been widely used in many applications because of their high activity and selectivity. However, a controllable preparation of noble metal catalysts still remains as a significant challenge. To overcome this challenge, peptide templates can play a critical role in the controllable syntheses of catalysts owing to their flexible binding with specific metallic surfaces and...

Nanoporous acid catalysts such as zeolites form the backbone of catalytic technologies for refining petroleum. With the promise of a biomass economy, new catalyst systems will have to be discovered, making shape-selective base catalysts especially important because of the high oxygen content in biomass-derived feedstocks. Strongly basic zeolites are attractive candidates, but such materials are...

The encapsulation of noble-metal nanoparticles (NPs) in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with carboxylic acid ligands, the most extensive branch of the MOF family, gives NP/MOF composites that exhibit excellent shape-selective catalytic performance in olefin hydrogenation, aqueous reaction in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, and faster molecular diffusion in CO oxidation. The strategy of using fu...

Multisegment nanowires represent a unique platform for engineering multifunctional nanoparticles for a wide range of applications. For example, the optical and magnetic properties of nanowires can be tailored by modifying the size, shape, and composition of each segment. Similarly, surface modification can be used to tailor chemical and biological properties. In this article, we report on recen...