Palladium Nanoclusters Confined in MOF@COP as a Novel Nanoreactor for Catalytic Hydrogenation

Confining metal nanoparticles and nanoclusters in covalent organic frameworks for biosensing and biomedicine

Metal nanoscale particles, primarily including metal nanoparticles (MNPs) and nanoclusters (MNCs), have garnered substantial interests owing to their unique electronic configurations and distinct physicochemical properties. However, practical applications are frequently constrained by their limited stability and aggregation tendency. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), featuring highly ordered periodic architectures, have emerged as ideal porous matrices for hosting metal nanoparticles. The resulting metal-embedded COFs synthesized through adsorption methods (M/COFs) or in-situ reduction (M@COFs) not only mitigate nanoparticle aggregation and enhance stability but also demonstrate synergistic effects that generate enhanced or novel functionalities, significantly broadening their application potential. This review firstly examines adsorption-based synthesis strategies for M/COFs through physical and chemical approaches. Subsequently, we analyze in-situ reduction methods for M@COFs, categorizing them by reduction pathways: deposition, impregnation-pyrolysis, and "one-step" synthesis. Special attention is given to an emerging pore wall engineering strategy within in-situ reduction approach. The biosensing and biomedical applications of metal-embedded COFs are systematically examined, highlighting their comparative advantages over conventional nanomaterials in sensing and antimicrobial applications. While metal-embedded COFs remain in their developmental infancy and face considerable challenges, the controlled synthesis of multifunctional variants promises transformative potential across biomedical domains.

Reducing the excition binding energy of covalent-organic frameworks via spatial-confined NiCo-NC as internal nanoreactors for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

COFs (covalent-organic frameworks) are regarded as ideal photocatalyst for hydrogen-evolution, due to their structural controllability, but they possess poor electrical conductivity and high exciton binding energy, which limits their photocatalytic activity. Here, the NiCo-ZIF-67 derived NiCo-nitrogen-doped carbon (NiCo-NC) with superior conductivity and high light-absorption capacity was spatially confined in the channels of TP-BD COF (TP: 2, 4, 6-triformylphloroglucino; BD: 4, 4'-biphenylenediamin) by constructing hydrogen bonds to form NiCo-NC@TP-BD COF core@shell heterojunctions and NiCo-NC acts as internal highly active nanoreactor, which could accelerate the photocatalytic efficiency. Specifically, the optimal catalyst NiCo-NC@TP-BD-0.6 (NT-0.6) exhibits the maximum H2 evolution rate of 78.97mmol g-1 h-1 without Pt cocatalyst, which is approximately 395 times higher than that of bare TP-BD COF. Systematic investigations imply that the NiCo-NC as a high active nanoreactor was stably encapsulated in the pore of TP-BD by hydrogen bonds and formed a close interfacial contact, which is revealed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). Meanwhile, the charge transfer and Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) are revealed by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation. This work offers a promising strategy to reduce the high excitation binding energy of COFs-based catalysts in photocatalytic H2 evolution.

Nanoclusters Embedded in Phthalocyanine Covalent Organic Polymer Enhance the Cycloaddition Reaction of Carbon Dioxide

Photocatalytic cycloaddition of carbon dioxide and epoxides under mild conditions is important for green chemistry, while metal clusters loaded on a variety of carriers are widely used in energy and biology. However, under long-term illumination, the light stability of metal clusters at the carrier interface is poor, which usually leads to the loss of catalytic performance. Covalent organic polymers (COPs) with periodic and ultrasmall pore structures are ideal carriers for dispersing and stabilizing metal clusters. Through a simple nitrogen purge process, embedding Mn2Dy2 clusters on a hydroxy-containing COP was successfully achieved, which makes it an effective photocatalyst for CO2 cycloaddition. By introducing adjacent hydroxyl and imine bonds in the COP unit, periodic dispersed adsorption sites of metal clusters were constructed, generating a large number of active photogenerated electrons. The photoelectric measurement results indicate that the catalyst is excellent, with good charge separation efficiency. The Mn2Dy2 clusters widely presented on COP expose large active surfaces, greatly promoting electron transfer. The highest cycloaddition conversion rate at room temperature and normal pressure is 99%, and the TON value is 2352. This is of great significance for the study of novel photocatalytic cycloaddition of carbon dioxide.

Porous Pd-Loaded IRMOF-9 as Highly Efficient Recyclable Material Towards the Reduction of Nitroaromatics in Aqueous Media

Nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) cause severe hazardous impacts on human health as well as on the environment. Therefore, there is dire need to develop a robust material to reduce the toxicity of these organic pollutants. In this regard, our group developed a series of porous MOF materials viz., Pdx@IRMOF-9 (x=2 %, 5 % and 10 %) by loading different concentration of Pd(II) on IRMOF-9 and explored them towards reduction of different nitroaromatic compounds. Pd10%@IRMOF-9showed ~30 % greater efficiency for the reduction of 4-NP as compared to Pd2%@IRMOF-9. Pd10%@IRMOF-9showed excellent reduction ability (>85 %) towards 4-NP, 2-NP, 2-NA, 3-NA and 2,4-DNPH. The kinetic studies indicates that the reduction follows the pseudo-first-order kinetics. Moreover, the rate constant value for reduction of 3-NA was ~9 times higher than that of 2-NP. Based on the kinetic parameters, the t1/2 values for all the nitroaromatics have been calculated. The kinetic parameters, Km and Vmax have been calculated from double reciprocal Lineweaver-Burk plot and found to be 65.984 μM and 116×10-6 Mmin-1 respectively. Pd10%@IRMOF-9showed excellent recyclability towards the reduction of 4-NP for few consecutive cycles without any remarkable loss in its activity. Thus, highly efficient, porous and robust material for the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds in aqueous media have been demonstrated.

CO2/N2 Triggered Aqueous Recyclable Surfactants for Biphasic Catalytic Reactions in the Pickering Emulsions

The utilization of Pickering emulsions in interfacial catalysis offers a promising environmental platform for biphasic reactions. However, complicated surface coating or chemical grafting methods are always required to prepare the surface-active catalysts for the Pickering emulsions, since most of them are commercially unavailable. Here, we report CO2-switchable Pickering emulsions for biphasic reactions, in which Pd@Al2O3 nanoparticles are in situ modified by a CO2/N2 responsive surfactant. Compared with the chemical grafted methods, the in situ formed Pickering interfacial catalysts avoid complex chemical modification. Furthermore, efficient demulsification and separation of the oil phase and the products without surfactant contaminations can be achieved by CO2 trigger. The Pickering interfacial catalysis system can also be reformed after the aqueous phase containing the catalyst nanoparticles, and the surfactant is recycled and reused. The strategy is universal for nitrobenzene reductions and alcohol oxidations, providing a convenient and green method for the preparation of Pickering catalysts with commercially available nanoparticles, efficient emulsion separation, and recovery of the catalyst nanoparticles and emulsifiers in various two-phase organic reactions.

Zr-based multivariate metal-organic framework for rapid extraction of sulfonamide antibiotics from water and food samples

Based on multiple ligands strategy, a series of multivariate metal organic frameworks (MTV-MOFs) named as PCN-224-DCDPSx were prepared using one-pot solvothermal method to extract and remove sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs). The pore structure and adsorption performance can be further regulated by modulating the doping ratios of medium-tetra(4-carboxylphenyl) porphyrin and 4,4'-dicarboxydiphenyl sulfones. The MTV-MOFs of PCN-224-DCDPS1.0 possesses very large specific surface area (1625 m2/g). Using PCN-224-DCDPS1.0 as sorbent, a dispersive solid-phase extraction method was developed to extract and preconcentrate SAs from water, eggs, and milk prior to high performance liquid chromatography analysis. The limits of detection of method were determined between 0.17 and 0.27 ng/mL with enrichment factors ranging 214-327. The adsorption can be finished within 30 s, and the recovery rate remains above 80 % after 10 repeated uses. The adsorption capacities of sorbent were determined from 300 to 621 mg/g for sulfadiazine, sulphapyridine, sulfamethoxydiazine, sulfachlorpyridazine, sulfabenzamide, and sulfadimethoxine. The adsorption mechanisms were investigated and can be attributed to π-π interactions, hydrogen bonds, and electrostatic interactions. This work represents a method for preparation of MTV-MOFs and uses as sorbent for extraction and enrichment of trace pollutants from complex samples.

Comparative Study of Catalytic Activity of Recyclable Au/Fe3O4 Microparticles for Reduction Of 2,4-Dinitrophenol and Anionic, Cationic Azo Dyes

We synthesized Au/Fe3O4 microparticles. Initially, citrate-capped Fe3O4 micro-sized particles were synthesized by the co-precipitation method with an excess amount of trisodium citrate. Gold ions were reduced on the surface of citrate-capped Fe3O4 and grew as gold sub-microparticles with an average diameter of 210 nm on the surface. The characteristic SPR peak of gold nanoparticles on the surface of Fe3O4 was detected at 584 nm, whereas the absorption in the near-infrared region was increased. SEM images has proved that the synthesized Au/Fe3O4 composite microparticles has an average diameter of 1.7 micrometers. The results of XRD patterns proved the existence of both crystal phases of Fe3O4 and Au particles. To investigate the catalytic activity, the reaction rate constant of reduction of 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) and degradation of Congo red (CR), and methylene blue (MB) with NaBH4 in the presence of Au/Fe3O4 catalyst was monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The initial reaction rate constant calculated from the change in characteristic peak absorptions of 2,4-dinitrophenol was 3.97×10-3 s-1, while the reaction rate constants for the degradation of CR and MB were 9.72×10-3 s-1 and 14.25×10-3 s-1 respectively. After 5 cycles, Au/Fe3O4 microparticles preserved 99 % of the reaction rate constant, exhibiting considerable recycling efficiency in the reduction of nitro groups.

Photoluminescent Characterization of Metal Nanoclusters: Basic Parameters, Methods, and Applications

Metal nanoclusters (MNCs) can be synthesized with atomically precise structures and molecule formulae due to the rapid development of nanocluster science in recent decades. The ultrasmall size range (normally < 2 nm) endows MNCs with plenty of molecular-like properties, among which photoluminescent properties have aroused extensive attention. Tracing the research and development processes of luminescent nanoclusters, various photoluminescent analysis and characterization methods play a significant role in elucidating luminescent mechanism and analyzing luminescent properties. In this review, it is aimed to systematically summarize the normally used photoluminescent characterizations in MNCs including basic parameters and methods, such as excitation/emission wavelength, quantum yield, and lifetime. For each key parameter, first its definition and meaning is introduced and then the relevant characterization methods including measuring principles and the revelation of luminescent properties from the collected data are discussed. Then, it is discussed in details how to explore the luminescent mechanism of MNCs and construct NC-based applications based on the measured data. By means of these characterization strategies, the luminescent properties of MNCs and NC-based designs can be explained quantitatively and qualitatively. Hence, this review is expected to provide clear guidance for researchers to characterize luminescent MNCs and better understand the luminescent mechanism from the measured results.

Integrated Optimization of Crystal Facets and Nanoscale Spatial Confinement toward the Boosted Catalytic Performance of Pd Nanocrystals

Tuning the surface chemical property and the local environment of nanocrystals is crucial for realizing a high catalytic performance in various reactions. Herein, we aim to elucidate the structure sensitivity of Pd facets on the surface catalytic hydrogenation reaction and to identify what role the nanoconfinement effect plays in the catalytic properties of Pd nanocrystal catalysts. By controlling the coating structures of mesoporous silica (mSiO2) on Pd nanocrystals with different exposed facets that include {100}, {111}, and {hk0}, we present a series of Pd@mSiO2 nanoreactors in core-shell and yolk-shell structures and the discovery of a partial-coated structure, which can provide different types of nanoconfinement, and we propose a seed size-dominated growth mechanism. We demonstrate that a superior activity was exhibited in Pd nanocrystals enclosed by the {hk0} facet as compared to the Pd{100} and Pd{111} facets, and substantially enhanced efficiency and stability were achieved in Pd@mSiO2 particles with yolk-shell structures, indicating a crucial superiority of optimizing the configuration of crystal facets and nanoconfinement. Our study provides an efficient strategy to rationally design and optimize nanocatalysts for promoting catalytic performance.

An interfacial synergism effect of Pd-g-C3N4 in Pd/g-C3N4 for highly active and selective hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol

Herein, we report that Pd nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on graphitic nitride carbon (Pd/g-C3N4) catalysts with various Pd contents (1.55 wt%, 0.14 wt%, 0.04 wt%) are successfully prepared via a simple NaBH4 reduction method, exhibiting excellent catalytic activity and selectivity toward 4-aminophenol (4-AP) in 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) selective hydrogenation. 4-NP is completely converted to 4-AP (yield ∼ 100%) under quite moderate reaction conditions (40 °C, 2.0 MPa H2 and 5 min) over the 1.55 wt% Pd/g-C3N4 catalyst, with a high reaction rate r = 134.4 mol4-NP molPd-1 min-1. The excellent catalytic performance can be attributed to the following reasons: (1) a higher ratio of Pd(0)/Pdn+ provides much more exposed active sites for the potential adsorption and activation of the reactants, which is beneficial for increasing the reaction rate and catalytic activity; (2) Pd NPs are highly dispersed on g-C3N4 due to the strong interaction of Pd-N or Pd-C; (3) the interfacial synergism effect between Pd NPs and g-C3N4 enables the effective adsorption and activation of H2 (4-NP) at Pd (g-C3N4), promoting the catalytic hydrogenation of 4-NP and improving their catalytic properties. In addition, this catalyst has superior reusability.

Anionic polymer-coated magnetic nanocomposites for immobilization with palladium nanoparticles as catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol

This study focuses on the synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles (MNP) coated with poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (PPEGMA) and/or poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) to anchor palladium nanoparticles (Pd) for their application as recyclable catalysts in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4NP). It was hypothesized that the abundance of oxygen atoms in PPEGMA enabled coordination with the Pd and provided good water dispersibility of the nanocomposites, while anionic PAA stabilized Pd and reduced the catalyst aggregation through electrostatic repulsion. Three different polymer coatings on MNP (PAA, PPEGMA, and PAA-co-PPEGMA polymers) were investigated to assess their influence on both the catalytic activity and reusability of the catalysts. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis indicated the distribution of spherical Pd nanoparticles (3-5 nm in diameter) and MNP (9-12 nm in diameter). Photocorrelation spectroscopy (PCS) revealed an average hydrodynamic size of the catalysts ranging from 540 to 875 nm in diameter, with a negative charge on their surface. The Pd content of the catalysts ranged from 4.30 to 6.33% w/w. The nanocomposites coated with PAA-co-PPEGMA polymers exhibited more favorable catalytic activity in the 4NP reduction than those coated with PAA or PPEGMA homopolymers. Interestingly, those containing PAA (e.g., PAA and PAA-co-PPEGMA polymers) exhibited good reusability for the 4NP reduction with a slight decrease in their catalytic performance after 26 cycles. This indicates the important role of carboxyl groups in PAA in maintaining high tolerance after multiple uses.

Ionothermal synthesis of magnetic N-doped porous carbon to immobilize Pd nanoparticles as an efficient nanocatalyst for the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds

Carbon materials play important roles as catalysts or catalyst supports for reduction reactions owing to their high porosity, large specific surface area, great electron conductivity, and excellent chemical stability. In this paper, a mesoporous N-doped carbon substrate (exhibited as N-C) has been synthesized by ionothermal carbonization of glucose in the presence of histidine. The N-C substrate was modified by Fe3O4 nanoparticles (N-C/Fe3O4), and then Pd nanoparticles were stabilized on the magnetic substrate to synthesize an eco-friendly Pd catalyst with high efficiency, magnetic, reusability, recoverability, and great stability. To characterize the Pd/Fe3O4-N-C nanocatalyst, different microscopic and spectroscopic methods such as FT-IR, XRD, SEM/EDX, and TEM were applied. Moreover, Pd/Fe3O4-N-C showed high catalytic activity in reducing nitroaromatic compounds in water at ambient temperatures when NaBH4 was used as a reducing agent. The provided nanocatalyst's great catalytic durability and power can be attributed to the synergetic interaction among well-dispersed Pd nanoparticles and N-doped carbonaceous support.

Two-Dimensional Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks as a Platform for Sensing Pollutant and Nitrophenols Reduction

The discharge of harmful and toxic pollutants in water is destroying the ecosystem balance and human being health at an alarming rate. Therefore, the detection and removal of water pollutants by using stable and efficient materials are significant but challenging. Herein, three novel lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs), [La(L)(DMF)2(H2O)2]·H2O (LCUH-104), [Nd(L)(DMF)2(H2O)2]·H2O (LCUH-105), and [Pr(L)(DMF)2(H2O)2]·H2O (LCUH-106) [H3L = 5-(4-(tetrazol-5-yl)phenyl)isophthalic acid (H3TZI)] were solvothermally constructed and structurally characterized. In the three Ln-MOFs, dinuclear metallic clusters {Ln2} were connected by deprotonated tetrazol-containing dicarboxylate TZI3- to obtain a 2D layered framework with a point symbol of {42·84}·{46}. Their excellent chemical and thermal stabilities were beneficial to carry out fluorescence sensing and achieve the catalytic nitrophenols (NPs) reduction. Especially, the incorporation of the nitrogen-rich tetrazole ring into their 2D layered frameworks enables the fabrication of Pd nanocatalysts (Pd NPs@LCUH-104/105/106) and have dramatically enhanced catalytic activity by using the unique metal-support interactions between three Ln-MOFs and the encapsulating palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs). Specifically, the reduction of NPs (2-NP, 3-NP, and 4-NP) in aqueous solution by Pd NPs@LCUH-104 exhibits exceptional conversion efficiency, remarkable rate constants (k), and outstanding cycling stability. The catalytic rate of Pd NPs@LCUH-104 for 4-NP is nearly 8.5 times more than that of Pd/C (wt 5%) and its turnover frequency value is 0.051 s-1, which indicate its excellent catalytic activity. Meanwhile, LCUH-105, as a multifunctional fluorescence sensor, exhibited excellent fluorescence detection of norfloxacin (NFX) (turn on) and Cr2O72- (turn off) with high selectivity and sensitivity at a low concentration, and the corresponding fluorescence enhancement/quenching mechanism has also been systematically investigated through various detection means and theoretical calculations.

Review: Synthesis of metal organic framework-based composites for application as immunosensors in food safety

Ensuring food safety continues to be one of the major global challenges. For effective food safety monitoring, fast, sensitive, portable, and efficient food safety detection strategies must be devised. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystalline materials that have attracted attention for use in high-performance sensors for food safety detection owing to their advantages such as high porosity, large specific surface area, adjustable structure, and easy surface functional modification. Immunoassay strategies based on antigen-antibody specific binding are one of the important means for accurate and rapid detection of trace contaminants in food. Emerging MOFs and their composites with excellent properties are being synthesized, providing new ideas for immunoassays. This article summarizes the synthesis strategies of MOFs and MOF-based composites and their applications in the immunoassays of food contaminants. The challenges and prospects of the preparation and immunoassay applications of MOF-based composites are also presented. The findings of this study will contribute to the development and application of novel MOF-based composites with excellent properties and provide insights into advanced and efficient strategies for developing immunoassays.

A Novel Synthesized 1D Nanobelt-like Cobalt Phosphate Electrode Material for Excellent Supercapacitor Applications

In the present report, we synthesized highly porous 1D nanobelt-like cobalt phosphate (Co₂P₂O₇) materials using a hydrothermal method for supercapacitor (SC) applications. The physicochemical and electrochemical properties of the synthesized 1D nanobelt-like Co₂P₂O₇ were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The surface morphology results indicated that the deposition temperatures affected the growth of the 1D nanobelts. The SEM revealed a significant change in morphological results of Co₂P₂O₇ material prepared at 150 °C deposition temperature. The 1D Co₂P₂O₇ nanobelt-like nanostructures provided higher electrochemical properties, because the resulting empty space promotes faster ion transfer and improves cycling stability. Moreover, the electrochemical performance indicates that the 1D nanobelt-like Co₂P₂O₇ electrode deposited at 150 °C deposition temperature shows the maximum specific capacitance (Cs). The Co₂P₂O₇ electrode prepared at a deposition temperature 150 °C provided maximum Cs of 1766 F g^-1 at a lower scan rate of 5 mV s^-1 in a 1 M KOH electrolyte. In addition, an asymmetric hybrid Co₂P₂O₇//AC supercapacitor device exhibited the highest Cs of 266 F g^-1, with an excellent energy density of 83.16 Wh kg^-1, and a power density of 9.35 kW kg^-1. Additionally, cycling stability results indicate that the 1D nanobelt-like Co₂P₂O₇ material is a better option for the electrochemical energy storage application.

Pd single-atom-site stabilized by supported phosphomolybdic acid: design, characterizations and tandem Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling/nitro hydrogenation reaction

Herein, a single-metal (Pd) site with high surface energy was stabilized and dispersed on a support (zirconia) via a stabilizing agent (phosphomolybdic acid) using a wet chemistry method. HRTEM and HAADF-STEM showed a highly uniform dispersion of Pd SASc on PMA/ZrO2. The Pd SASc showed superior catalytic activity (>99% conversion) for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction, which was further feasible for catalyzing mechanistically different nitro hydrogenation reactions in tandem fusion under mild reaction conditions. This catalyst showed outstanding activity (100% conversion and 99% selectivity) with a substrate/catalyst ratio of 927 and TON of 918 using a very low amount of Pd (0.94 × 10-3 mmol) for the tandem Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling/nitro hydrogenation reaction. It also exhibited superior stability and reusability for up to three cycles without any change in its activity.

Magnetically separable nickel ferrite supported palladium nanoparticles: Highly reusable catalyst in Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction

There is an increasing attention in developing highly efficient and reusable palladium-based catalysts used for the coupling reactions due to the high cost of palladium metal salts. Magnetically separable palladium nanoparticles have a high potential to be used as catalysts in numerous organic reactions due to their facile separation from the reaction medium by an external magnet. Herein, NiFe₂O₄ supported palladium nanoparticles (Pd/NiFe₂O₄) were successfully prepared by impregnation and reduction method in water and used as catalysts for Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions. Magnetically separable Pd/NiFe₂O₄ catalysts were found to be highly active and reusable in this reaction. Pd/NiFe₂O₄ provided an outstanding turnover frequency value (106.4 h^-1) in the reaction between phenylacetylene and iodobenzene in ethanol at 70 °C and it was also found to be highly active in the water. Magnetically separable Pd/NiFe₂O₄ exhibited high catalytic performance even after the tenth use in this reaction.

Controllable Synthesis of Cobalt-Containing Nanosheet Array-Like Ternary CuCoAl-LDH/rGO Hybrids To Boost the Catalytic Efficiency for 4-Nitrophenol Reduction

A series of Co-doped ternary Cu_xCo_3-xAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH)/rGO nanosheet array hybrids (x = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) were successfully prepared using the preconditioned pH value aqueous-phase coprecipitation strategy. The Cu_xCo_3-xAl-LDH/rGO hybrids are featured as hexagonal CuCoAl-LDH nanosheets in situ anchoring onto both sides of the rGO surface in an ab-plane vertically interlaced growth pattern. The Cu_xCo_3-xAl-LDH/rGO hybrids show excellent activity for the complete conversion of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, especially Cu_1.5Co_1.5Al-LDH/rGO with the highest k_app value of 49.2 × 10^-3 s^-1 and TOF of 232.8 h^-1, clearly higher than most copper-containing samples in the literature and even some precious ones. Thermodynamic analysis was carried out, and the values of Ea, ΔH^#, ΔS^#, and ΔG^# were estimated. The best activity of Cu_1.5Co_1.5Al-LDH/rGO can be mainly ascribed to the in situ-formed ultrafine Cu₂O NPs (∼4.3 nm) along with a small amount of Cu⁰ species, the electron transfer effect induced by atomically dispersed Co²⁺ species leading to the formation of electron-rich Cu species along with the Co²⁺/Co³⁺ redox couple, the strong Cu₂O-CuCoAl-LDH-rGO synergy upon the nanosheet array morphology with a high surface area and pore volume, and enhanced adsorption of reactants upon π-π stacking via an rGO layer. Meanwhile, the Cu_1.5Co_1.5Al-LDH/rGO exhibits an excellent universality and good cycling stability for 10 continuous runs. The Cu_1.5Co_1.5Al-LDH/rGO also shows superior efficiency in the catalytic reduction of 4-NP solution with a high concentration (20 mM) and displays excellent reduction performance in the fixed-bed test, implying the potential applications of the current Co-doped hierarchical ternary Cu-based LDH/rGO hybrids in the continuous treatment of practical wastewater.

Uniform H-CdS@NiCoP core-shell nanosphere for highly efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic H2 evolution

Constructing highly efficient and cost-effective photocatalyst system has been a big challenge for photocatalysis. Herein, CdS nanosphere (N-CdS), hollow CdS (H-CdS) and a series of H-CdS@NiCoP core-shell nanospheres have been successfully prepared via a facile hydrothermal method. The activity test showed that H-CdS exhibited higher photocatalytic activity (3.34 mmol g^-1h^-1) compared with N-CdS (0.99 mmol g^-1h^-1) under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 420 nm), suggesting that hollow structure could effectively improve photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the H-CdS@NiCoP-7 wt% displayed a maximum photocatalytic H₂ evolution rate of 13.47 mmol g^-1h^-1, which was about 4 times and 2.5 times higher than that of pristine H-CdS and H-CdS@Pt-3 wt%, respectively. Furthermore, H-CdS@NiCoP-7 wt% exhibited a good stability during 20 h test. The physicochemical properties were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, UV-vis DRS, PL and photoelectrochemical technique. The results showed that NiCoP addition can construct p-n junction with H-CdS and effectively promote the charge transfer from CdS to NiCoP, which improved the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity. This work revealed that NiCoP could react as an excellent co-catalyst for enhancing H-CdS photocatalytic activity.

Series of Stable Anionic Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks as a Platform for Pollutant Separation and Efficient Nanoparticle Catalysis

Eight new stable porous lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-OFs), namely, [Ln₂(BPTC)₂][(CH₃)₂NH₂]₂ [Ln = Ho (1), Eu (2), Gd (3), Dy (4), Er (5), Tm (6), Yb (7), Lu (8)], were prepared by 3,3',5,5'-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid (H₄BPTC) and lanthanide ions by solvothermal reactions. Complexes 1-8 show a three-dimensional (3D) 6,6-connected network {4¹²·6³}·{4⁸·6⁶·8} topology based on binuclear (Ln₂) clusters and feature a one-dimensional curving porous channel occupied by exchangeable dimethylamine cations ([(CH₃)₂NH₂]⁺) in the 3D anionic frameworks. The occupied [(CH₃)₂NH₂]⁺ in the anionic channels exhibited excellent ion-exchange ability, which is favorable to Pd²⁺ and cationic dye adsorption. Consequently, 1-8 were used to load Pd nanoparticles to catalyze the reduction of nitrophenols and adsorb and desorb methyl blue (MB). The catalytic reaction efficiencies of Pd@1-8 were higher than that of Pd/C (5 wt %) in the hydrogenation reaction of p-nitrophenol (p-NP). Moreover, Pd@1 exhibited good cycle stability and achieved nearly 100% p-NP conversion after eight cycles. Meanwhile, compound 1 also exhibited a high adsorption ability of MB, possessing an adsorption capacity of 1.41 g·g^-1 (second only to 1.49 g·g^-1 reported in the literature) selectively over rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solutions. Remarkably, the skeleton of 1 remained stable after four adsorption-desorption cycles of MB in aqueous solution.

Highly efficient catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol and organic dyes by ultrafine palladium nanoparticles anchored on CeO2 nanorods

Uniformly dispersed Pd nanoparticles on certain supports exhibit exceptional catalytic performance toward various environmental applications. In this work, ultrafine Pd nanoparticles anchored on CeO₂ nanorods were synthesized via an absorption-in situ reduction method. The activity of the CeO₂/Pd nanocomposites was systematically investigated toward reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and organic dyes including methyl blue, rhodamine B, methyl orange, and Congo red. The results indicated that the CeO₂/Pd nanocomposites with different weight ratios of Pd nanoparticles (10.23 wt%, 11.01 wt%, and 14.27 wt%) can almost completely reduce 4-NP with a rate constant of 3.31×10^-1, 3.22×10^-1, and 2.23×10^-1 min^-1. Besides, the 10.23 wt% CeO₂/Pd nanocomposites exhibit remarkable enhanced catalytic activity toward reduction of organic dyes. The catalysts display ideal stability after being used for three times for the reduction of 4-NP. We believe that our strategy demonstrated here offers insights into the design and fabrication of novel Pd-based nanocomposites for various heterogeneous catalysis applications.

MOF-enabled confinement and related effects for chemical catalyst presentation and utilization

A defining characteristic of nearly all catalytically functional MOFs is uniform, molecular-scale porosity. MOF pores, linkers and nodes that define them, help regulate reactant and product transport, catalyst siting, catalyst accessibility, catalyst stability, catalyst activity, co-catalyst proximity, composition of the chemical environment at and beyond the catalytic active site, chemical intermediate and transition-state conformations, thermodynamic affinity of molecular guests for MOF interior sites, framework charge and density of charge-compensating ions, pore hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, pore and channel rigidity vs. flexibility, and other features and properties. Collectively and individually, these properties help define overall catalyst functional behaviour. This review focuses on how porous, catalyst-containing MOFs capitalize on molecular-scale confinement, containment, isolation, environment modulation, energy delivery, and mobility to accomplish desired chemical transformations with potentially superior selectivity or other efficacy, especially in comparison to catalysts in homogeneous solution environments.

A facile synthesis of monodisperse cobalt–ruthenium alloy nanoparticles as catalysts for the dehydrogenation of morpholine borane and the hydrogenation of various organic compounds

A novel method for the synthesis of CoRu alloy nanoparticles is developed and their catalysis was studied in the hydrolysis of morpholine-borane (MB) and the transfer hydrogenation of unsaturated organic compounds using MB as a new hydrogen donor.

An yttrium-organic framework based on a hexagonal prism second building unit for luminescent sensing of antibiotics and highly effective CO2 fixation

An yttrium-organic framework based on a hexagonal prism second building unit was constructed from nonanuclear yttrium(iii) and 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)pyrazine for the luminescent sensing of antibiotics and highly effective CO2 fixation.

Uniform decoration of UiO-66-NH2 nanooctahedra on TiO2 electrospun nanofibers for enhancing photocatalytic H2 production based on multi-step interfacial charge transfer

Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials have been extensively incorporated with inorganic semiconductor photocatalysts to improve their photocatalytic activity through an efficient charge transfer process across their heterointerface. In this work, octahedral UiO-66-NH2 MOFs with edge-lengths of 110-330 nm are uniformly decorated on the surface of TiO2 electrospun nanofibers by a traditional solvothermal method combined with activation pretreatment. Before the solvothermal growth of UiO-66-NH2, the TiO2 electrospun nanofibers were activated in NaOH solution to etch the TiO2 surface for allowing the exposure of lattice oxygen. The exposed lattice oxygen on the TiO2 surface could interact with the MOF precursor of Zr4+ ions, thus enabling octahedral UiO-66-NH2 to grow uniformly on the surface of TiO2 nanofibers with an intimate Ti-O-Zr hetero-interface. Such an intimate hetero-interface provides an effective channel for boosting the electron transfer between UiO-66-NH2 and TiO2 in their heterostructure. Thus, the UiO-66-NH2/TiO2(anatase) heterostructures exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for H2 production as compared to either TiO2(anatase) nanofibers or UiO-66-NH2 nanooctahedra in the presence of Rhodamine B (RhB) as a sensitizer under visible light irradiation. In particular, the decoration of UiO-66-NH2 nanooctahedra on anatase/rutile mixed TiO2 nanofibers could induce further enhancement of the photocatalytic H2 production. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the multi-step continuous interfacial transfer of photoinduced electrons with the way of RhB → UiO-66-NH2 → TiO2(anatase) → TiO2(rutile).

Three-Dimensional Network Pd-Ni/γ-Al2O3 Catalysts for Highly Active Catalytic Hydrogenation of Nitrobenzene to Aniline under Mild Conditions

In view of the current situation of high cost and low catalytic efficiency of the commercial Pd-based catalysts, adding transition metals (Ni, Co, etc.) to form the Pd-M bimetallic catalyst not only reduces the consumption of Pd but also greatly improves the catalytic activity and stability, which has attracted increasing attention. In this work, the three-dimensional network Pd-Ni bimetallic catalysts were prepared successfully by a liquid-phase in situ reduction method with the hydroxylated γ-Al₂O₃ as the support. Through investigating the effects of the precursor salt amount, reducing agent concentration, stabilizer concentration, and reducing stirring time on the synthesis of the Pd-Ni nanocatalyst, the three-dimensional network Pd-Ni bimetallic nanostructures with four different atomic ratios were prepared under an optimal condition. The obtained wire-like Pd-Ni catalysts have a uniform diameter size of about 5 nm and length up to several microns. After closely combining with the hydroxylated γ-Al₂O₃, the supported Pd-Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts exhibit nearly 100% conversion rate and selectivity for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to aniline at low temperature and normal pressure. The stability testing of the supported Pd-Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts shows that the conversion rate still remained above 99% after 10 cycles. There is no doubt that the supported catalysts show significant catalytic efficiency and recyclability, which provides important theoretical basis and technical support for the preparation of low-cost, highly efficient catalysts for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to aniline.

Synthesis and characterization of supported stabilized palladium nanoparticles for selective hydrogenation in water at low temperature

Zirconia supported vacant phosphotungstate stabilized Pd nanoparticles (Pd-PW11/ZrO2) were prepared using a simple impregnation and post reduction method, characterized and their efficiency for selective C[double bond, length as m-dash]C hydrogenation of unsaturated compounds explored. The establishment of a hydrogenation strategy at low temperature using water as solvent under mild conditions makes the present system environmentally benign and green. The catalyst shows outstanding activity (96% conversion) with just a small amount of Pd(0) (0.0034 mol%) with high substrate/catalyst ratio (29 177/1), TON (28 010) and TOF (14 005 h-1) for cyclohexene (as a model substrate) hydrogenation. The catalyst was recovered by simple centrifugation and reused for up to five catalytic cycles without alteration in its activity. The present catalyst was found to be viable towards different substrates with excellent activity and TON (18 000 to 28 800). A study on the effect of addenda atom shows that the efficiency of the catalyst can be enhanced greatly by increasing the number of counter protons. This challenging strategy would greatly benefit sustainable development in chemistry as it diminishes the use of organic solvents and offers economic and environmental benefits as water is cheap and non-toxic.

Metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived catalysts for chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroarenes

The MOFs derived catalysts conducted in the chemoselective hydrogenation of substituted nitroarenes, including pyrolysis and confined catalyst, are reviewed.

Emerging new-generation hybrids based on covalent organic frameworks for industrial applications

This review highlights the advancement of COF hybrid-based materials for diverse industrial applications.