Pentacoordinated Aluminum Species: New Frontier for Tailoring Acidity-Enhanced Silica-Alumina Catalysts

Regulating Ion Transport Through Direct Coordination in Composite Gel Polymer Electrolytes Toward High-Voltage and High-Loading Quasi-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries

Poly(ethylene oxide)-based composite gel polymer electrolyte is widely used in lithium metal batteries to address dendrite growth and side reactions. However, the low oxidative decomposition potential (<4.0 V) of poly(ethylene oxide) limits the cyclic stability with Ni-rich layered cathodes. What's more, poor interface compatibility between fillers and polymer severely deteriorates lithium-ion pathways, which cannot achieve lithium metal batteries with high-load cathode. Herein, polyether monomers coordinate with aluminum ethoxide nanowires via in situ ultraviolet curing, stabilizing the lone pair electrons of ethereal oxygen atoms and suppressing oxidative degradation. This coordination also forms abundant and tight interfaces as the predominant lithium-ion conduction pathways, contributing to ordered lithium-ion fluxes and dendrite-free deposition on the lithium anode. In addition, a robust solid electrolyte interphase containing aluminum-based species enhances the interfacial stability of lithium anode. Meanwhile, the good compatibility between the electrolyte and the cathode effectively suppresses side reactions and contributes to the structural stabilization of the cycled cathode. The delicate design allows the Li||LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cells to present excellent cycling stability from -20 °C to 60 °C. Specially, cells with 8.8 mg cm-2 cathode cycle stably for over 120 cycles. This molecular structure engineering will greatly promote the practical application of solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Mineral-Mediated Epitaxial Growth of CoO Nanoparticles for Efficient Electrochemical H2O2 Activation

Solution-phase epitaxy is a versatile method to synthesize functional nanomaterials with customized properties, where supports play a central role as they not only serve as nucleation templates but also greatly affect the local electronic structures. However, developing functional supports remains a great challenge. Herein, inspired by the commonly observed epitaxy of minerals in the natural environment, we report using calcination-modified kaolinite as the support for the epitaxial growth of hexagonal CoO nanoparticles (h-CoO NPs), which enables over 40 times higher mass-specific activity toward H2O2 electrochemical activation than the counterpart without the support. High-resolution electron microscopy, magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, and X-ray absorption fine structure results prove that the Al sites in kaolinite play a crucial role in the formation of h-CoO NPs. Moreover, the five-coordinate Al (AlV) sites produced by the dehydration of kaolinite are indispensable for forming the epitaxial interface. Theoretical calculations reveal that the local electron densities around AlV sites are lower than those of general six-coordinate Al sites, which render AlV sites with strong adsorption capability that facilitates the nucleation of h-CoO NPs. Also, the AlV sites induce the electron transfer from h-CoO to the kaolinite support that results in the upshift of the Co 3d band center and hence improve the H2O2 activation kinetics. Our results demonstrate the superiority of nanoclay as functional supports and could offer a more benign strategy to the solution-phase epitaxy production of functional nanomaterials for diverse applications.

Adsorbate-driven dynamic active sites in stannosilicate zeolites

Elucidating the nature of the active sites in heterogeneous catalysts is fundamental for understanding their reactivity and catalytic performances. Although stannosilicate zeolites have tremendous application potential for catalyzing biomass-related compounds in aqueous media, the detailed local structures and features of the real active sites and their possible structural variations under reaction conditions are poorly understood to date. In this study, a dynamic transformation of framework Sn-O-Si sites to Sn-OH/Si-OH pairs and subsequently a pseudo-Brønsted acid in stannosilicate zeolites upon molecular adsorption, which is analogous to various adsorbates/reactants under working conditions, was identified by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for the first time, which challenges the widespread assumption that the active center structures remain rigid/stable during the catalytic process. These results provide new comprehensive insights for the fundamental understanding of the dynamic and flexible active centers and involved reaction mechanisms of novel zeolite catalysts with heterometal atoms, such as Sn, Ti, and Zr.

New Insights into Thermal Degradation Products of Long-Chain Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Their Mineralization Enhancement Using Additives

The products of incomplete destruction (PIDs) of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a substantial ambiguity when employing thermal treatments to remediate PFAS-contaminated materials. In this study, we present new information on PIDs produced in both inert and oxidative environments from five long-chain PFAS, including three now regulated under the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act, one cationic precursor compound, and one C10 PFAS. The data did not support the generation of tetrafluoromethane from any of the studied PFAS, and carbonyl fluoride was found only from potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate (K-PFOS) when heated in air in a narrow temperature range. Oxidative conditions (air) were observed to facilitate PFAS thermal degradation and accelerate the mineralization of K-PFOS. Spectroscopic data suggest that PFAS thermal degradation is initiated by the cleavage of bonds that form perfluoroalkyl radicals, leading to organofluorine PIDs (e.g., perfluoroalkenes). In air, perfluoroalkyl radicals react with oxygen to form oxygen-containing PIDs. The mineralization of PFAS was enhanced by adding solid additives, which were categorized as highly effective (e.g., granular activated carbon (GAC) and certain noble metals), moderately effective, and noneffective. Remarkably, simply by adding GAC, we achieved >90% mineralization of perfluorooctanoic acid at 300 °C and ∼1.9 atm within just 60 min without using water or solvents.

A Comparative Study of Ni-Based Catalysts Prepared by Various Sol-Gel Routes

The use of heterogeneous catalysts to increase the development of green chemistry is a rapidly growing area of research to save industry money. In this paper, mesoporous SiO2-Al2O3 mixed oxide supports with various Si/Al ratios were prepared using two different sol-gel routes: hydrolytic sol-gel (HSG) and non-hydrolytic sol-gel (NHSG). The HSG route was investigated in both acidic and basic media, while the NHSG was explored in the presence of ethanol and diisopropyl ether as oxygen donors. The resulting SiO2-Al2O3 mixed oxide supports were characterized using EDX, N2 physisorption, powder XRD, 29Si, 27Al MAS-NMR and NH3-TPD. The mesoporous SiO2-Al2O3 supports prepared by NHSG seemed to be more regularly distributed and also more acidic. Consequently, a simple one-step NHSG (ether and alcohol routes) was selected to prepare mesoporous and acidic SiO2-Al2O3-NiO mixed oxide catalysts, which were then evaluated in ethylene oligomerization. The samples prepared by the NHSG ether route showed better activity than those prepared by the NHSG alcohol route in the oligomerization of ethylene at 150 °C.

Selective and Controllable Cracking of Polyethylene Waste by Beta Zeolites with Different Mesoporosity and Crystallinity

Waste plastics bring about increasingly serious environmental challenges, which can be partly addressed by their interconversion into valuable compounds. It is hypothesized that the porosity and acidity of a zeolite-based catalyst will affect the selectivity and effectiveness, enabling a controllable and selective conversion of polyethylene (PE) into gas-diesel or lubricating base oil. A series of embryonic, partial- and well-crystalline zeolites beta with adjustable porosity and acidity are prepared from mesoporous SBA-15. The catalysts and catalytic systems are studied with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and adsorption kinetics and catalytic reactions. The adjustable porosity and acidity of zeolite-beta-based catalysts achieve a controllable selectivity toward gas-diesel or lubricating base oil for PE cracking. With a catalyst with mesopores and appropriate acid sites, a fast escape and reduced production of cracking of intermediates are observed, leading to a significant fraction (88.7%) of lubricating base oil. With more micropores, a high acid density, and strong acid strength, PE is multiply cracked into low carbon number hydrocarbons. The strong acid center of the zeolite is confirmed to facilitate significantly the activation of hydrogen (H2), and, an in situ ammonia poisoning strategy can significantly inhibit hydrogen transfer and effectively regulate the product distribution.

Hollow Core-Shell Bismuth Based Al-Doped Silica Materials for Powerful Co-Sequestration of Radioactive I2 and CH3I

Developing pure inorganic materials capable of efficiently co-removing radioactive I2 and CH3I has always been a major challenge. Bismuth-based materials (BBMs) have garnered considerable attention due to their impressive I2 sorption capacity at high-temperature and cost-effectiveness. However, solely relying on bismuth components falls short in effectively removing CH3I and has not been systematically studied. Herein, a series of hollow mesoporous core-shell bifunctional materials with adjustable shell thickness and Si/Al ratio by using silica-coated Bi2O3 as a hard template and through simple alkaline-etching and CTAB-assisted surface coassembly methods (Bi@Al/SiO2) is successfully synthesized. By meticulously controlling the thickness of the shell layer and precisely tuning of the Si/Al ratio composition, the synthesis of BBMs capable of co-removing radioactive I2 and CH3I for the first time, demonstrating remarkable sorption capacities of 533.1 and 421.5 mg g-1, respectively is achieved. Both experimental and theoretical calculations indicate that the incorporation of acid sites within the shell layer is a key factor in achieving effective CH3I sorption. This innovative structural design of sorbent enables exceptional co-removal capabilities for both I2 and CH3I. Furthermore, the core-shell structure enhances the retention of captured iodine within the sorbents, which may further prevent potential leakage.

Are the Brønsted acid sites in amorphous silica-alumina bridging?

Competing models exist to explain the differences in the activity of zeolites and amorphous silica-aluminas. Some postulate that silica-alumina contains dilute zeolitic bridging acid sites, while others favor a pseudo-bridging silanol model. We employed a selective isotope labeling strategy to assess the existence of Si-O(H)-Al bonds using NMR-based distance measurements.

Design of Bifunctional Nanocatalysts Based on Zeolites for Biomass Processing

Bifunctional catalysts consisting of metal-containing nanoparticles (NPs) and zeolite supports have received considerable attention due to their excellent catalytic properties in numerous reactions, including direct (biomass is a substrate) and indirect (platform chemical is a substrate) biomass processing. In this short review, we discuss major approaches to the preparation of NPs in zeolites, concentrating on methods that allow for the best interplay (synergy) between metal and acid sites, which is normally achieved for small NPs well-distributed through zeolite. We focus on the modification of zeolites to provide structural integrity and controlled acidity, which can be accomplished by the incorporation of certain metal ions or elements. The other modification avenue is the adjustment of zeolite morphology, including the creation of numerous defects for the NP entrapment and designed hierarchical porosity for improved mass transfer. In this review, we also provide examples of synergy between metal and acid sites and emphasize that without density functional theory calculations, many assumptions about the interactions between active sites remain unvalidated. Finally, we describe the most interesting examples of direct and indirect biomass (waste) processing for the last five years.

Highly Selective and Stable Cu Catalysts Based on Ni-Al Catalytic Systems for Bioethanol Upgrading to n-Butanol

The catalytic upgrading of ethanol into butanol through the Guerbet coupling reaction has received increasing attention recently due to the sufficient supply of bioethanol and the versatile applications of butanol. In this work, four different supported Cu catalysts, i.e., Cu/Al2O3, Cu/NiO, Cu/Ni3AlOx, and Cu/Ni1AlOx (Ni2+/Al3+ molar ratios of 3 and 1), were applied to investigate the catalytic performances for ethanol conversion. From the results, Ni-containing catalysts exhibit better reactivity; Al-containing catalysts exhibit better stability; but in terms of ethanol conversion, butanol selectivity, and catalyst stability, a corporative effect between Ni-Al catalytic systems can be clearly observed. Combined characterizations such as XRD, TEM, XPS, H2-TPR, and CO2/NH3-TPD were applied to analyze the properties of different catalysts. Based on the results, Cu species provide the active sites for ethanol dehydrogenation/hydrogenation, and the support derived from Ni-Al-LDH supplies appropriate acid-base sites for the aldol condensation, contributing to the high butanol selectivity. In addition, catalysts with strong reducibility (i.e., Cu/NiO) may be easily deconstructed during catalysis, leading to fast deactivation of the catalysts in the Guerbet coupling process.

Hydrolytic vs. Nonhydrolytic Sol-Gel in Preparation of Mixed Oxide Silica-Alumina Catalysts for Esterification

The development of green and sustainable materials for use as heterogeneous catalysts is a growing area of research in chemistry. In this paper, mesoporous SiO₂-Al₂O₃ mixed oxide catalysts with different Si/Al ratios were prepared via hydrolytic (HSG) and nonhydrolytic sol-gel (NHSG) processes. The HSG route was explored in acidic and basic media, while NHSG was investigated in the presence of diisopropylether as an oxygen donor. The obtained materials were characterized using EDX, N₂-physisorption, powder XRD, ²⁹Si, ²⁷Al MAS-NMR, and NH₃-TPD. This approach offered good control of composition and the Si/Al ratio was found to influence both the texture and the acidity of the mesoporous materials. According to ²⁷Al and ²⁹Si MAS NMR analyses, silicon and aluminum were more regularly distributed in NHSG samples that were also more acidic. Silica–alumina catalysts prepared via NHSG were more active in esterification of acetic acid with n-BuOH.

A dual-function liquid electrolyte additive for high-energy non-aqueous lithium metal batteries

Engineering the formulation of non-aqueous liquid electrolytes is a viable strategy to produce high-energy lithium metal batteries. However, when the lithium metal anode is combined with a Ni-rich layered cathode, the (electro)chemical stability of both electrodes could be compromised. To circumvent this issue, we report a combination of aluminum ethoxide (0.4 wt.%) and fluoroethylene carbonate (5 vol.%) as additives in a conventional LiPF₆-containing carbonate-based electrolyte solution. This electrolyte formulation enables the formation of mechanically robust and ionically conductive interphases on both electrodes’ surfaces. In particular, the alumina formed at the interphases prevents the formation of dendritic structures on the lithium metal anode and mitigate the stress-induced cracking and phase transformation in the Ni-rich layered cathode. By coupling a thin (i.e., about 40 μm) lithium metal anode with a high-loading (i.e., 21.5 mg cm⁻²) LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂-based cathode in coin cell configuration and lean electrolyte conditions, the engineered electrolyte allows a specific discharge capacity retention of 80.3% after 130 cycles at 60 mA g⁻¹ and 30 °C which results in calculated specific cell energy of about 350 Wh kg⁻¹.

Lithium metal batteries suffer from poor (electro)chemical stability of the electrodes during prolonged cycling. Here, the authors report a dual function liquid electrolyte additive to form protective interphases on both electrodes to produce lab-scale high energy lithium metal batteries.

Promoting Aromatic C-H Activation through Reactive Brønsted Acid-Base Pairs on Penta-Coordinated Al-Enriched Amorphous Silica-Alumina

The surface acidity and local coordination environment of zeolites and amorphous silica-aluminas (ASAs) can promote acid-catalyzed C-H activation in many important hydrocarbon conversion reactions. Acid sites generated by penta-coordinated Al species (Al^V) can lead to enhanced acidity and changes in the surface coordination. We evaluated the potential of flame-derived ASAs with enriched Al^V for C-H activation using hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange with benzene-d₆. With increasing Al content of ASAs, the exchange rate increased, whereas the activation energy (E_a) slightly decreased due to the enhanced Brønsted acidity. The ASAs exhibited significantly higher exchange rates and lower E_a values than the sol-gel-derived ASAs and zeolite H-ZSM-5. The superior activity is attributed to the fact that more oxygen coordinated with Al^V species on flame-made ASAs, which can act as acceptors for D⁺, enhancing the deuterium displacement. These findings could offer a valuable alternative strategy for tailoring high-performance solid acids to promote hydrocarbon conversion reactions.