Gianvito Vilé

A Stable Single-Site Palladium Catalyst for Hydrogenations

We report the preparation and hydrogenation performance of a single-site palladium catalyst that was obtained by the anchoring of Pd atoms into the cavities of mesoporous polymeric graphitic carbon nitride. The characterization of the material confirmed the atomic dispersion of the palladium phase throughout the sample. The catalyst was applied for three-phase hydrogenations of alkynes and nitroarenes in a continuous-flow reactor, showing its high activity and product selectivity in comparison with benchmark catalysts based on nanoparticles. Density functional theory calculations provided fundamental insights into the material structure and attributed the high catalyst activity and selectivity to the facile hydrogen activation and hydrocarbon adsorption on atomically dispersed Pd sites.

Ceria in Hydrogenation Catalysis: High Selectivity in the Conversion of Alkynes to Olefins

Active and selective: Ceria shows a high activity and selectivity in the gas-phase hydrogenation of alkynes to olefins. This unprecedented behavior has direct impact on the purification of olefin streams and, more importantly, it opens new perspectives for exploring this fascinating oxide as a catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of other functional groups.

Opposite face sensitivity of CeO2 in hydrogenation and oxidation catalysis

The determination of structure-performance relationships of ceria in heterogeneous reactions is enabled by the control of the crystal shape and morphology. Whereas the (100) surface, predominantly exposed in nanocubes, is optimal for CO oxidation, the (111) surface, prevalent in conventional polyhedral CeO2 particles, dominates in C2H2 hydrogenation. This result is attributed to the different oxygen vacancy chemistry on these facets. In contrast to oxidations, hydrogenations on CeO2 are favored over low-vacancy surfaces owing to the key role of oxygen on the stabilization of reactive intermediates. The catalytic behavior after ageing at high temperature confirms the inverse face sensitivity of the two reaction families.

From the Lindlar Catalyst to Supported Ligand‐Modified Palladium Nanoparticles: Selectivity Patterns and Accessibility Constraints in the Continuous‐Flow Three‐Phase Hydrogenation of Acetylenic Compounds

Site modification and isolation through selective poisoning comprise an effective strategy to enhance the selectivity of palladium catalysts in the partial hydrogenation of triple bonds in acetylenic compounds. The recent emergence of supported hybrid materials matching the stereo- and chemoselectivity of the classical Lindlar catalyst holds promise to revolutionize palladium-catalyzed hydrogenations, and will benefit from an in-depth understanding of these new materials. In this work, we compare the performance of bare, lead-poisoned, and ligand-modified palladium catalysts in the hydrogenation of diverse alkynes. Catalytic tests, conducted in a continuous-flow three-phase reactor, coupled with theoretical calculations and characterization methods, enable elucidation of the structural origins of the observed selectivity patterns. Distinctions in the catalytic performance are correlated with the relative accessibility of the active site to the organic substrate, and with the adsorption configuration and strength, depending on the ensemble size and surface potentials. This explains the role of the ligand in the colloidally prepared catalysts in promoting superior performance in the hydrogenation of terminal and internal alkynes, and short-chain alkynols. In contrast, the greater accessibility of the active surface of the Pd-Pb alloy and the absence of polar groups are shown to be favorable in the conversion of alkynes containing long aliphatic chains and/or ketone groups. These findings provide detailed insights for the advanced design of supported nanostructured catalysts.

Silver Nanoparticles for Olefin Production: New Insights into the Mechanistic Description of Propyne Hydrogenation

The gas‐phase partial hydrogenation of propyne was investigated over supported Ag nanoparticles (2–20 nm in diameter) prepared by using different deposition methods, activation conditions, loadings, and carriers. The excellent selectivities to propene attained over the catalysts, exceeding 90 %, are independent of the particle size but the activity is maximal over approximately 4.5 nm Ag particles. Certain kinetic fingerprints of Ag, such as the positive dependence on the alkyne pressure, the relatively low reaction order in H2, and the low apparent activation energy, deviate from those of conventional hydrogenation metals such as Pd and Ni, questioning the applicability of the classical Horiuti–Polanyi scheme. Periodic dispersion‐corrected density functional theory (DFT‐D) calculations and microkinetic analysis demonstrate the occurrence of an associative mechanism, which features the activation of H2 on the adsorbed propyne at structural step sites. By using the atomistic Wulff model, the number of B5 sites available on the Ag nanoparticles was estimated to be maximal in the size range of 3.5–4.7 nm. The rate of propene production correlates with the density of B5 sites, which suggests that the latter are potential active centers for the reaction. This alternative pathway broadens the mechanistic diversity of hydrogenation reactions over metal surfaces and opens new directions for understanding metals that do not readily activate H2.

Advances in the Design of Nanostructured Catalysts for Selective Hydrogenation

Selective hydrogenations lay at the heart of many industrial processes. The archetypal catalysts for this class of reactions are generally prepared by ‘metal poisoning’ strategies: the active metal is protected and selectively deactivated with various compounds. This approach has been applied for decades, with limited understanding. Low product selectivity and presence of toxic elements in the catalyst pose severe constraints in the utilization of these materials in the future. Thus, to develop more sustainable catalysts, this field has recently gained momentum. This Review analyzes the concepts and frontiers that have been developed in the last decade: from nanostructuring less conventional metals in order to improve their ability to activate H2, to the use of oxides as active phases, from alloying, to the ensemble control in hybrid materials, and site isolation approaches in single‐site heterogeneous catalysts. Particular attention is given to the hydrogenation of alkynes and nitroarenes, two reactions at the core of the chemical industry, importantly applied in the manufacture of polymers, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and agrochemicals. The strategies here identified can be transposed to other relevant hydrogenations and can guide in the design of more advanced materials.

Merging Single-Atom-Dispersed Silver and Carbon Nitride to a Joint Electronic System via Copolymerization with Silver Tricyanomethanide

Herein, we present an approach to create a hybrid between single-atom-dispersed silver and a carbon nitride polymer. Silver tricyanomethanide (AgTCM) is used as a reactive comonomer during templated carbon nitride synthesis to introduce both negative charges and silver atoms/ions to the system. The successful introduction of the extra electron density under the formation of a delocalized joint electronic system is proven by photoluminescence measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations, and measurements of surface ζ-potential. At the same time, the principal structure of the carbon nitride network is not disturbed, as shown by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis. The synthesis also results in an improvement of the visible light absorption and the development of higher surface area in the final products. The atom-dispersed AgTCM-doped carbon nitride shows an enhanced performance in the selective hydrogenation of alkynes in comparison with the performance of other conventional Ag-based materials prepared by spray deposition and impregnation-reduction methods, here exemplified with 1-hexyne.

Stereo‐ and Chemoselective Character of Supported CeO2 Catalysts for Continuous‐Flow Three‐Phase Alkyne Hydrogenation

TiO2‐, Al2O3‐, and ZrO2‐supported CeO2 catalysts with different Ce loadings were prepared by wet impregnation of the carriers with an acidified solution of cerium ammonium nitrate. The calcined catalysts were characterized by bulk and surface‐sensitive techniques, which included microcalorimetry, and evaluated in the three‐phase hydrogenation of alkynes under continuous‐flow conditions at variable temperature (293–413 K) and pressure (1–90 bar). A number of acetylenic compounds, which contain terminal or internal triple bonds, conjugated unsaturations, and additional functionalities, were systematically assessed. The results revealed the full stereo‐ and chemoselective character of the ceria catalysts, which outperform the well‐known Lindlar catalyst, and open promising perspectives for the revolutionary use of a cost‐effective oxide for the production of olefinic compounds in the vitamin and fine chemical industries.

Ligand ordering determines the catalytic response of hybrid palladium nanoparticles in hydrogenation

Supported palladium nanoparticles, prepared by reducing the active metal in the presence of the hexadecyl(2-hydroxyethyl)dimethylammonium dihydrogen-phosphate (HHDMA) ligand and depositing the resulting colloids on titanium silicate (TiSi2O6), represent a proven alternative to the archetypal poisoned catalysts in industrially-relevant selective hydrogenations. To date, a key aspect in the design of these hybrid nanocatalysts remains unaddressed, namely the impact of the ligand content on the catalytic behaviour. In order to assess the structural and associated catalytic implications of this variable, we have prepared a series of Pd-HHDMA/TiSi2O6 catalysts with different HHDMA content (0.3–16.8 wt%), keeping the average particle size (5 nm) and Pd content (0.3 wt%) constant. The materials are characterised with a toolbox of methods, including advanced microscopy and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, in order to assess the structure metal–ligand interface and the mobility of the alkyl chain. Continuous-flow three-phase hydrogenations of short-chain acetylenic compounds, nitriles, and carbonyls reveal an increase in the catalytic activity with the ligand content. Density Functional Theory indicates that the ligand behaves as a self-assembled monolayer, changing its adsorption configuration as a function of the HHDMA concentration. At low coverage, the organic layer lies almost flat on the surface of the metal nanoparticle blocking a large number of metal sites and resembling a two-dimensional catalyst; high HHDMA coverages favour an extended three-dimensional configuration of the alkyl chain, and consequently a lower fraction of Pd sites are poisoned. These results provide new fundamental insights into the role of the ligand on the catalytic activity and can enable the design of hybrid nanocatalysts with optimised performance.

Interfacial acidity in ligand-modified ruthenium nanoparticles boosts the hydrogenation of levulinic acid to gamma-valerolactone

Gamma-valerolactone (GVL), a versatile renewable compound listed among the top 10 most promising platform chemicals by the US Department of Energy, is produced via hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA). The traditional high-loading ruthenium-on-carbon catalyst (5 wt% Ru) employed for this transformation suffers from low metal utilisation and poor resistance to deactivation due to the formation of RuOx species. Aiming at an improved catalyst design, we have prepared ruthenium nanoparticles modified with the water-soluble hexadecyl(2-hydroxyethyl)dimethylammonium dihydrogen phosphate (HHDMA) ligand and supported on TiSi2O6. The hybrid catalyst has been characterised by ICP-OES, elemental analysis, TGA, DRIFTS, H2-TPR, STEM, EDX, 31P and 13C MAS-NMR, and XPS. When evaluated in the continuous-flow hydrogenation of LA, the Ru-HHDMA/TiSi2O6 catalyst (0.24 wt% Ru) displays a fourfold higher reaction rate than the state-of-the-art Ru/C catalyst, while maintaining 100% selectivity to GVL and no sign of deactivation after 15 hours on stream. An in-depth molecular analysis by Density Functional Theory demonstrates that the intrinsic acidic properties at the ligand–metal interface under reaction conditions ensure that the less energy demanding path is followed. The reaction does not obey the expected cascade mechanism and intercalates hydrogenation steps, hydroxyl/water eliminations, and ring closings to ensure high selectivity. Moreover, the interfacial acidity increases the robustness of the material against ruthenium oxide formation. These results provide valuable improvements for the sustainable production of GLV and insights for the rationalisation of the exceptional selectivity of Ru-based catalysts.