Quantification of Redox Sites during Catalytic Propane Oxychlorination by Operando EPR Spectroscopy

Low-nuclearity CuZn ensembles on ZnZrOx catalyze methanol synthesis from CO2

Metal promotion could unlock high performance in zinc-zirconium catalysts, ZnZrOx, for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. Still, with most efforts devoted to costly palladium, the optimal metal choice and necessary atomic-level architecture remain unclear. Herein, we investigate the promotion of ZnZrOx catalysts with small amounts (0.5 mol%) of diverse hydrogenation metals (Re, Co, Au, Ni, Rh, Ag, Ir, Ru, Pt, Pd, and Cu) prepared via a standardized flame spray pyrolysis approach. Cu emerges as the most effective promoter, doubling methanol productivity. Operando X-ray absorption, infrared, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic analyses and density functional theory simulations reveal that Cu0 species form Zn-rich low-nuclearity CuZn clusters on the ZrO2 surface during reaction, which correlates with the generation of oxygen vacancies in their vicinity. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that this catalytic ensemble promotes the rapid hydrogenation of intermediate formate into methanol while effectively suppressing CO production, showcasing the potential of low-nuclearity metal ensembles in CO2-based methanol synthesis.

Dynamic EPR Studies of the Formation of Catalytically Active Centres in Multicomponent Hydrogenation Systems

The formation of catalytically active nano-sized cobalt-containing structures in multicomponent hydrogenation systems based on Co(acac)2 complex and various cocatalysts, namely, AlEt3, AlEt2(OEt), Li-n-Bu, and (PhCH2)MgCl, has been studied for the first time in detail using dynamic EPR spectroscopy. It is shown that after mixing the initial components, paramagnetic structures are formed, which include a fragment containing Co(0) with the electronic configuration 3d9, as well as a fragment bearing an aluminium, lithium, or magnesium atom, depending on the nature of the used cocatalyst. Such bimetallic paramagnetic sites are stabilized by acetylacetonate ligands. In addition, the paramagnetic complex contains the arene molecule(s), and the cobalt atom is bonded with the atom of the corresponding non-transition through the alkyl group of the co-catalyst, in particular through the carbon atom in the α-position with respect to the atom of the non-transition element. Due to the high reactivity of the described intermediates, they, under the conditions of hydrogenation catalysis, are transformed into nano-sized cobalt-containing structures that act as carriers of the catalytically active sites. Furthermore, because of the high reactivity and paramagnetism, such intermediates can be detected only by the EPR technique. The paper describes the whole experimental way of interpreting the EPR signals corresponding to the intermediates, precursors of catalytically active structures. In addition, a possible mathematical model based on the obtained experimental EPR data is presented.

Electrocatalysis Mechanism and Structure-Activity Relationship of Atomically Dispersed Metal-Nitrogen-Carbon Catalysts for Electrocatalytic Reactions

Atomically dispersed metal-nitrogen-carbon catalysts (M-N-C) have been widely used in the field of energy conversion, which has already attracted a huge amount of attention. Due to their unsaturated d-band electronic structure of the center atoms, M-N-C catalysts can be applied in different electrocatalytic reactions by adjusting their own microscopic electronic structures to achieve the optimization of the structure-activity relationship. Consequently, it is of great significance for the revelation of electrocatalytic mechanism and structure-activity relationship of M-N-C catalysts. Thus, this review first introduces the relative research methods, including in situ/operando characterization techniques and theoretical calculation methods. Furthermore, clarifying the electrocatalytic mechanism and structure-activity relationship of M-N-C catalysts in different electrochemical energy conversion reactions is focused. Moreover, the future research directions are pointed out based on the discussion. This review will provide good guidance to systematically study the catalytic mechanism of single-atom catalysts and reasonably design the single-atom catalysts.

Bifunctional Europium for Operando Catalyst Thermometry in an Exothermic Chemical Reaction

Often the reactor or the reaction medium temperature is reported in the field of heterogeneous catalysis, even though it could vary significantly from the reactive catalyst temperature. The influence of the catalyst temperature on the catalytic performance and vice versa is therefore not always accurately known. We here apply EuOCl as both solid catalyst and thermometer, allowing for operando temperature determination. The interplay between reaction conditions and the catalyst temperature dynamics is studied. A maximum temperature difference between the catalyst and oven of +16 °C was observed due to the exothermicity of the methane oxychlorination reaction. Heat dissipation by radiation appears dominating compared to convection in this set-up, explaining the observed uniform catalyst bed temperature. Application of operando catalyst thermometry could provide a deeper mechanistic understanding of catalyst performances and allow for safer process operation in chemical industries.

Flame-made ternary Pd-In2O3-ZrO2 catalyst with enhanced oxygen vacancy generation for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol

Palladium promotion and deposition on monoclinic zirconia are effective strategies to boost the performance of bulk In₂O₃ in CO₂-to-methanol and could unlock superior reactivity if well integrated into a single catalytic system. However, harnessing synergic effects of the individual components is crucial and very challenging as it requires precise control over their assembly. Herein, we present ternary Pd-In₂O₃-ZrO₂ catalysts prepared by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) with remarkable methanol productivity and improved metal utilization, surpassing their binary counterparts. Unlike established impregnation and co-precipitation methods, FSP produces materials combining low-nuclearity palladium species associated with In₂O₃ monolayers highly dispersed on the ZrO₂ carrier, whose surface partially transforms from a tetragonal into a monoclinic-like structure upon reaction. A pioneering protocol developed to quantify oxygen vacancies using in situ electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals their enhanced generation because of this unique catalyst architecture, thereby rationalizing its high and sustained methanol productivity.

Assembling multicomponent catalysts to harness synergic effects is challenging. Now, flame spray pyrolysis permits the synthesis of ternary Pd-In₂O₃-ZrO₂ catalysts with an optimal architecture and an enriched density of oxygen vacancies for maximal performance in CO₂-based methanol synthesis.

Elucidation of radical- and oxygenate-driven paths in zeolite-catalysed conversion of methanol and methyl chloride to hydrocarbons

Understanding hydrocarbon generation in the zeolite-catalysed conversions of methanol and methyl chloride requires advanced spectroscopic approaches to distinguish the complex mechanisms governing C-C bond formation, chain growth and the deposition of carbonaceous species. Here operando photoelectron photoion coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy enables the isomer-selective identification of pathways to hydrocarbons of up to C₁₄ in size, providing direct experimental evidence of methyl radicals in both reactions and ketene in the methanol-to-hydrocarbons reaction. Both routes converge to C₅ molecules that transform into aromatics. Operando PEPICO highlights distinctions in the prevalence of coke precursors, which is supported by electron paramagnetic resonance measurements, providing evidence of differences in the representative molecular structure, density and distribution of accumulated carbonaceous species. Radical-driven pathways in the methyl chloride-to-hydrocarbons reaction(s) accelerate the formation of extended aromatic systems, leading to fast deactivation. By contrast, the generation of alkylated species through oxygenate-driven pathways in the methanol-to-hydrocarbons reaction extends the catalyst lifetime. The findings demonstrate the potential of the presented methods to provide valuable mechanistic insights into complex reaction networks.

Dynamics of Heterogeneous Catalytic Processes at Operando Conditions

The rational design of high-performance catalysts is hindered by the lack of knowledge of the structures of active sites and the reaction pathways under reaction conditions, which can be ideally addressed by an in situ/operando characterization. Besides the experimental insights, a theoretical investigation that simulates reaction conditions-so-called operando modeling-is necessary for a plausible understanding of a working catalyst system at the atomic scale. However, there is still a huge gap between the current widely used computational model and the concept of operando modeling, which should be achieved through multiscale computational modeling. This Perspective describes various modeling approaches and machine learning techniques that step toward operando modeling, followed by selected experimental examples that present an operando understanding in the thermo- and electrocatalytic processes. At last, the remaining challenges in this area are outlined.

Single-Atom Engineering to Ignite 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Based Catalysis: Fundamentals, Progress, and Beyond

Single-atom catalysis has been recognized as a pivotal milestone in the development history of heterogeneous catalysis by virtue of its superior catalytic performance, ultrahigh atomic utilization, and well-defined structure. Beyond single-atom protrusions, two more motifs of single-atom substitutions and single-atom vacancies along with synergistic single-atom motif assemblies have been progressively developed to enrich the single-atom family. On the other hand, besides traditional carbon material based substrates, a wide variety of 2D transitional metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been emerging as a promising platform for single-atom catalysis owing to their diverse elemental compositions, variable crystal structures, flexible electronic structures, and intrinsic activities toward many catalytic reactions. Such substantial expansion of both single-atom motifs and substrates provides an enriched toolbox to further optimize the geometric and electronic structures for pushing the performance limit. Concomitantly, higher requirements have been put forward for synthetic and characterization techniques with related technical bottlenecks being continuously conquered. Furthermore, this burgeoning single-atom catalyst (SAC) system has triggered serial scientific issues about their changeable single atom-2D substrate interaction, ambiguous synergistic effects of various atomic assemblies, as well as dynamic structure-performance correlations, all of which necessitate further clarification and comprehensive summary. In this context, this Review aims to summarize and critically discuss the single-atom engineering development in the whole field of 2D TMD based catalysis covering their evolution history, synthetic methodologies, characterization techniques, catalytic applications, and dynamic structure-performance correlations. In situ characterization techniques are highlighted regarding their critical roles in real-time detection of SAC reconstruction and reaction pathway evolution, thus shedding light on lifetime dynamic structure-performance correlations which lay a solid theoretical foundation for the whole catalytic field, especially for SACs.

Mechanistic Insights into the Lanthanide-Catalyzed Oxychlorination of Methane as Revealed by Operando Spectroscopy

Commercialization of CH₄ valorization processes is currently hampered by the lack of suitable catalysts, which should be active, selective, and stable. CH₄ oxychlorination is one of the promising routes to directly functionalize CH₄, and lanthanide-based catalysts show great potential for this reaction, although relatively little is known about their functioning. In this work, a set of lanthanide oxychlorides (i.e., LnOCl with Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho) and Er- and Yb-based catalysts were synthesized, characterized, and tested. All lanthanide-based catalysts can directly activate CH₄ into chloromethanes, but their catalytic properties differ significantly. EuOCl shows the most promising catalytic activity and selectivity, as very high conversion levels (>30%) and chloromethane selectivity values (>50%) can be reached at moderate reaction temperatures (∼425 °C). Operando Raman spectroscopy revealed that the chlorination of the EuOCl catalyst surface is rate-limiting; hence, increasing the HCl concentration improves the catalytic performance. The CO selectivity could be suppressed from 30 to 15%, while the CH₄ conversion more than doubled from 11 to 24%, solely by increasing the HCl concentration from 10 to 60% at 450 °C. Even though more catalysts reported in this study and in the literature show a negative correlation between the S _CO and HCl concentration, this effect was never as substantial as observed for EuOCl. EuOCl has promising properties to bring the oxychlorination one step closer to an economically viable CH₄ valorization process.

Iron phosphate nanoparticle catalyst for direct oxidation of methane into formaldehyde: effect of surface redox and acid–base properties

The surface redox and the weakly basic properties of FePO4 nanoparticles would contribute to the selective CH4 oxidation to HCHO and the suppression of over-oxidation, respectively.