Konstantin V. Klementiev

Methanol synthesis over ZnO: A structure-sensitive reaction?

In order to identify active sites on ZnO powdered catalysts in methanol synthesis a total of five ZnO samples with different degrees of crystallinity were characterized by means of N2 physisorption, XRD, TEM, and EXAFS. With respect to catalysis, high-pressure methanol synthesis was performed as a test reaction. A linear area-activity relationship for the highly crystalline materials was obtained, but at high BET surface areas a strong deviation from linearity was found. The observed phenomena provide evidence for a structure-sensitivity, suggesting that a specific active site is favored for methanol formation. Based on earlier work with polycrystalline ZnO powder and with respect to the current theoretical and experimental work with ZnO single crystals, the polar ZnO faces are assumed to be highly relevant for the catalytic activity under methanol synthesis conditions.

Synthesis and characterization of silica MCM-48 as carrier of size-confined nanocrystalline metal oxides particles inside the pore system

Abstract The interpenetrating 3-dimensional channel system of silica MCM-48 has been selected for the deposition of Cu/Zn/O mixed metal oxide particles. With the wet impregnation technique aqueous solutions of metal acetates have been used to load the calcined form of the mesoporous silica. Successive impregnation yielded metal contents of ca. 9 wt.%. Calcination of the composite transformed the acetates to the metal oxides. X-ray powder diffraction and solid-state MAS NMR showed the uptake of the metal salt inside the pore system. N 2 -adsorption, X-ray diffraction and TEM confirmed the mesoporous structure. XPS measurements and EXAFS analysis (Cu K- and Zn K-edges) confirmed the metal uptake. Whereas nano-disperse CuO particles have been obtained ZnO shows no regular structure and seems to have reacted with the silicate channel surface by coating the channel wall.

Nano-brass colloids: synthesis by co-hydrogenolysis of [CpCu(PMe3)] with [ZnCp*2] and investigation of the oxidation behaviour of α/β-CuZn nanoparticles

A novel, non-aqueous organometallic access to colloidal copper and copper/zinc (brass) nanoparticles is described. Hydrogenolysis of the precursor [CpCu(PMe3)] (1) in mesitylene at 150 °C and 3 bar H2 quantitatively gives elemental Cu. Analogously, a solution of [ZnCp*2] (2) reacts with H2 to give elemental Zn in 100% yield. Co-hydrogenolysis of 1 and 2 in exactly equimolar quantities selectively yields the intermetallic phase β-CuZn characterised by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Deep red colloidal solutions of nano-Cu as well as red to violet colloids of nano-brass alloys (α/β-CuZn) are obtained by co-hydrogenolysis of 1 and 2 in the presence of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) as surfactant. All samples of the general formula Cu1−xZnx (0.09 ≤ x ≤ 0.50) were characterised by means of elemental analysis, PXRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, EDX and SAED) and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The presence and alloying of metallic Cu and Zn in the β-CuZn sample as a representative example of the series was confirmed by extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS). The oxidation behaviour of the nanoparticles was investigated by EXAFS, PXRD and UV-Vis spectroscopy indicating, that CuOx@Cu core–shell type particles were formed for pure copper particles, while in the case of brass particles preferential oxidation of the Zn component takes place, which results in core–shell particles of the type (ZnO)δ@Cu1−xZnx−δ.

The reduction of copper in porous matrices

Abstract The reduction of copper oxide species dispersed in microporous and mesoporous matrices has been studied by TPR, XPS/XAES, and XAFS. While the reduction of bulk CuO and of Cu(II) in mesoporous MCM-48 (5.6 wt-%) proceeded in one step without intermediate Cu(I) being detectable under the experimental conditions, Cu(II) in microporous matrices was reduced in two steps. The two-step scheme cannot be identified with the reduction steps Cu(II)→Cu(I) and Cu(I)→Cu(0). Instead, highly disperse Cu(0) may be present already after the first reduction step. In siliceous matrices, coexistence of Cu(0), and Cu ions was observed over a wide temperature range, obviously due to the absence of an autocatalytic reduction process. The latter occurred in Cu-ZSM-5, apparently involving simultaneous segregation of Cu metal from the matrix. This suggests that very small (oligomeric) Cu metal clusters are unable to activate hydrogen. The reduction behaviour of Cu in Y zeolite depends critically on the thermal history of the sample due to the population of hidden sites by copper upon calcination. Highly disperse Cu particles are stable in MCM-48 up to 500°C.

Study of the formation and stability of the Pd and Pt metallic nanoparticles on carbon support

Catalysts containing Pd and Pt on a Sibunit carbon support were studied by the temperature-programmed reduction, in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS). The reduction of Pd and Pt species in samples 2%Pd/C and 2%Pt/C calcined in an air flow at 370°C was studied. Reduction of the 2%Pd/C sample begins at 50—60 °C and is completed at 250—300°C. Particles of various dispersion are formed during reduction. Long-distance peaks observed in the EXAFS spectra point to the presence of a fraction of relatively large crystallites. The average Pd—Pd coordination number (∼5) at 200 °C gives evidence that a number of very small Pd nanoparticles, oligomeric clusters, is present. Reduction at T > 200°C results in sintering of a small fraction of the Pd particles. Reduction of Pt in 2%Pt/C sample begins at 120—150 °C and is completed at 300—350°C. The sintering-resistant monodispersed Pt particles are formed under these conditions.