Magdalena Greluk

Surface State and Catalytic Performance of Ceria‐Supported Cobalt Catalysts in the Steam Reforming of Ethanol

The effect of the particle size and the addition of a K promoter on the oxidation state of Co/CeO2 was investigated and correlated with selectivity for ethanol steam reforming performed with various H2O/EtOH molar ratios. Spectroscopic studies showed that the oxidation state of the catalyst components depends on the H2O/EtOH molar ratio. Surface oxygen‐containing species (OH and Kδ+−Oδ−) are necessary to achieve a good catalyst selectivity, to decrease the amount of coke deposited and to change the nature of the product from fully dehydrogenated C=C to CHx. Besides the surface concentration of oxygen‐containing species, the catalyst morphology and the location at which oxygen‐containing species are chemisorbed may be equally important to their abundance; the selective ceria‐supported Co catalyst should have well‐dispersed Co particles deposited on a well‐dispersed support.

P-Arylation of secondary phosphine oxides catalyzed by nickel-supported nanoparticles

A protocol for the cross coupling of aryl halides with secondary phosphine oxides over Ni/CeO2 or Ni/Al2O3 catalysts has been developed for the first time. The advantages offered using this protocol are operational simplicity and the use of an inexpensive heterogeneous nickel catalyst in the absence of any additional ligand. A range of aryl bromides and iodides are coupled with secondary phosphine oxides using low loadings of a catalyst (1 mol%) via this procedure, with good to high yield (up to 86%). Moreover, the influence of nickel particle size and catalyst support on P-arylation of secondary phosphine oxides has also been established.