Combining first-principles calculations and in situ photoelectron spectroscopy, we show how the composition and structure of the surface of an alloy catalyst is affected by the temperature and pressure of the reagents. The Ag-Cu alloy, recently proposed as an improved catalyst for ethylene epoxidation, forms a thin Cu-O surface oxide, while a Ag-Cu surface alloy is found not to be stable. Sever...

A rotaxane-based Au catalyst was developed and the effect of the mechanical bond on its behavior was studied. Unlike the non-interlocked thread, the rotaxane requires a catalytically innocent cofactor, the identity of which significantly influences both the yield and diastereoselectivity of the reaction. Under optimized conditions, Au(I) (the catalyst), Ag(I) (to abstract the Cl(-) ligand), and...

Oxidation of functioning copper has restricted its applicability as a catalyst for commercially important epoxidation of propylene to form propylene oxide. Here, we report that steady-state selectivity in propylene epoxidation on copper (Cu) nanoparticles increases sharply when the catalyst is illuminated with visible light. The selectivity increase is accompanied by light-induced reduction of ...

The upcoming more stringent automotive emission legislations and current developments have promoted new technologies for more precise and reliable catalyst control. For this purpose, radio-frequency-based (RF) catalyst state determination offers the only approach for directly measuring the NH₃ loading on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts and the state of other catalysts and filter s...

The variation of the supports on the Cu/SiO2 catalyst plays an important role in the catalytic performance for hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate. The loss of silica in the form of tetramethoxysilane from the support under the reaction conditions is responsible for the deactivation of the Cu/SiO2 catalyst.

Copper catalysts supported on silica or silica-alumina are used to promote the insertion of carbenes, coming from methyl phenyldiazoacetate and ethyl diazoacetate, into one C-H bond of THF, constituting the first example of this reaction promoted by a purely inorganic catalyst. Cu/SiO2-Al2O3 leads to better results, regarding yield and catalyst recovery, than with Cu/SiO2. With the former catal...

Catalytic elimination of formaldehyde (HCHO) was investigated over Cu-Al2O3 catalyst at room temperature. The results indicated that no oxidation of HCHO into CO2 occurs at room temperature, but the adsorption of HCHO occurs on the catalyst surface. With the increase of gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) and inlet HCHO concentration, the time to reach saturation was shortened proportionally. The ...

CeO2 nanooctahedrons, nanorods, and nanocubes were prepared by the hydrothermal method and were then used as supports of Cu-based catalysts for the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction. The chemical and physical properties of these catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption/desorption, UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectro...

Three novel, bifunctional triazine-based ligands, namely , and , containing both a TEMPO and a bipyridine moiety have been synthesized. These bpy/TEMPO-based molecules have been used as catalyst precursors for the copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones, in the presence of tert-BuOK as co-catalyst. The complexes obtained in situ from ligands and with copper(II) b...