WorldWideScience

Sample records for carbon catalyst properties

  1. Magnetic properties of carbon nanotubes with and without catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lipert, Kamil; Ritschel, Manfred; Leonhardt, Albrecht; Krupskaya, Yulia; Buechner, Bernd; Klingeler, Ruediger, E-mail: k.lipert@ifw-dresden.d [Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW) Dresden (Germany)

    2010-01-01

    In this paper we report on the magnetic properties of single- and multiwalled carbon nanotubes synthesized using different chemical vapour deposition methods and with variety of catalyst materials (ferromagnetic Fe, FeCo and diamagnetic Re). Different methods yield carbon nanotubes with different morphologies and different quantity of residual catalyst material. Catalyst particles are usually encapsulated in the nanotubes and influence the magnetic respond of the samples. Varying ferromagnetic properties depending on the shape, size and type of catalyst are discussed in detail. The data are compared with M(H) characteristics of carbon nanotubes without catalysts and with nonmagnetic rhenium, as a reference.

  2. The thermal properties of controllable diameter carbon nanotubes synthesized by using AB5 alloy of micrometer magnitude as catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Haiyan; Chen Yiming; Zeng Guoxun; Huang Huiping; Xie Zhiwei; Jie Xiaohua

    2007-01-01

    We have synthesized multi-wall carbon nanotubes by catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CCVD) method using an AB 5 hydrogen storage alloy with diameter ranging from 38 to 150 μm as a catalyst. The H 2 uptake capacity of the carbon nanotubes prepared using an AB 5 alloy as a catalyst is about 4 wt.% through to the pressure of 8 MPa at room temperature. Differential thermal analysis-thermogravimetric analysis (DTA-TGA) technique has been applied to investigate the effect of the diameters of the AB 5 alloy catalyst of micrometer magnitude and the technique conditions in the CCVD process on the thermal properties of carbon nanotubes. As the catalyst diameter increases from 38 to 150 μm, the average diameter of the prepared carbon nanotubes increases and the diameter distribution also enlarges. Electron microscope, Raman spectrum and thermal analysis all indicated that the catalyst sizes affect the diameter and the thermal properties of the carbon nanotubes. When the catalyst diameter increases, the initial weight loss temperature and the differential thermal peak temperature of the carbon nanotubes increases, which shows that the lager the diameter of the carbon nanotubes is, the higher the oxidation temperature, and the better the anti-oxidizablity. However, if the diameter of the catalyst is larger than 100 μm, the anti-oxidizablity does not rise anymore but tend to be invariableness. In the CCVD preparation process, the anti-oxidizability of the carbon nanotubes increases, when raising the ratio of the hydrogen gas in the reaction gas in our experimental range (4:1, 3:1, and 2:1, respectively)

  3. Carbons and carbon supported catalysts in hydroprocessing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Furimsky, Edward

    2009-07-01

    This book is a comprehensive summary of recent research in the field and covers all areas of carbons and carbon materials. The potential application of carbon supports, particularly those of carbon black (CB) and activated carbon (AC) in hydroprocessing catalysis are covered. Novel carbon materials such as carbon fibers and carbon nano tubes (CNT) are also covered, including the more recent developments in the use of fullerenes in hydroprocessing applications. Although the primary focus of this book is on carbons and carbon supported catalysts, it also identifies the difference in the effect of carbon supports compared with the oxidic supports, particularly that of the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The difference in catalyst activity and stability was estimated using both model compounds and real feeds under variable conditions. The conditions applied during the preparation of carbon supported catalysts are also comprehensively covered and include various methods of pretreatment of carbon supports to enhance catalyst performance. The model compounds results consistently show higher hydrodesulfurization and hydrodeoxygenation activities of carbon supported catalysts than that of the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} supported catalysts. Also, the deactivation of the former catalysts by coke deposition was much less evident. Chapter 6.3.1.3 is on carbon-supported catalysts: coal-derived liquids.

  4. Process intensification by combination of activated carbon supported catalysts and alternative energy sources

    OpenAIRE

    Calvino Casilda, Vanesa; Pérez-Mayoral, E.

    2014-01-01

    [EN] Activated carbons are well known for their catalytic properties and for being used as a catalyst support in heterogeneous catalysis. Activated carbons possess most of the desired properties of a catalyst support; inertness towards unwanted reactions, stability under regeneration and reaction conditions, suitable mechanical properties, tunable surface area, porosity, and the possibility of being manufactured in different size and shape. On the other hand, the in...

  5. Effect of glassy carbon properties on the electrochemical deposition of platinum nano-catalyst and its activity for methanol oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SANJA TERZIC

    2007-02-01

    Full Text Available The effects of the properties of glassy carbon on the deposition of platinum particles and the electrocatalytic activity of platinum supported on glassy carbon (GC/Pt for methanol oxidation in alkaline and acidic solutions were studied. Platinum was potentiostatically deposited on two glassy carbon samples, thermally treated at different temperatures, which were either polished or anodicaly polarised in acid (GCOX-AC/Pt and in alkali (GCOX-AL/Pt. Anodic polarisation of glassy carbon, either in alkaline or acidic solution, enhances the activity of both types of GC/Pt electrodes for methanol oxidation. The activity of the catalysts follows the change in the properties of the glassy carbon support upon anodic treatment. The specific activity of the GCOX-AL/Pt electrode for this reaction in alkali is increased only a few times in comparison with the activity of the GC/Pt one. On the other hand, the specific activity of the GCOX-AC/Pt electrode for methanol oxidation in acid is about one order of magnitude higher than that of the GC/Pt electrode. The role of the substrate on the properties of catalyst is discussed in detail.

  6. Catalyst retention in continuous flow with supercritical carbon dioxide

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stouten, S.C.; Noel, T.; Wang, Q.; Hessel, V.

    2014-01-01

    This review discusses the retention of organometallic catalysts in continuous flow processes utilizing supercritical carbon dioxide. Due to its innovative properties, supercritical carbon dioxide offers interesting possibilities for process intensification. As a result of safety and cost

  7. Carbon Nanofibers as Catalyst Support for Noble Metals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toebes, M.L.

    2004-01-01

    In the quest for new and well-defined support materials for heterogeneous catalysts we explored the potential of carbon nanofibers (CNF). CNF belongs to the by now extensive family of synthetic graphite-like carbon materials with advantageous and tunable physico-chemical properties. Aim of the work

  8. Microstructure, elastic, and inelastic properties of biomorphic carbons carbonized using a Fe-containing catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orlova, T. S.; Kardashev, B. K.; Smirnov, B. I.; Gutierrez-Pardo, A.; Ramirez-Rico, J.

    2016-12-01

    The microstructure and amplitude dependences of the Young's modulus E and internal friction (logarithmic decrement δ), and microplastic properties of biocarbon matrices BE-C(Fe) obtained by beech tree carbonization at temperatures T carb = 850-1600°C in the presence of an iron-containing catalyst are studied. By X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy, it is shown that the use of Fe-catalyst during carbonization with T carb ≥ 1000°C leads to the appearance of a bulk graphite phase in the form of nanoscale bulk graphite inclusions in a quasi-amorphous matrix, whose volume fraction and size increase with T carb. The correlation of the obtained dependences E( T carb) and δ( T carb) with microstructure evolution with increasing T carb is revealed. It is found that E is mainly defined by a crystalline phase fraction in the amorphous matrix, i.e., a nanocrystalline phase at T carb 1300°C. Maximum values E = 10-12 GPa are achieved for samples with T carb ≈ 1150 and 1600°C. It is shown that the microplasticity manifest itself only in biocarbons with T carb ≥ 1300°C (upon reaching a significant volume of the graphite phase); in this case, the conditional microyield stress decreases with increasing total volume of introduced mesoporosity (free surface area).

  9. Allotropic Carbon Nanoforms as Advanced Metal-Free Catalysts or as Supports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hermenegildo Garcia

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This perspective paper summarizes the use of three nanostructured carbon allotropes as metal-free catalysts (“carbocatalysts” or as supports of metal nanoparticles. After an introductory section commenting the interest of developing metal-free catalysts and main features of carbon nanoforms, the main body of this paper is focused on exemplifying the opportunities that carbon nanotubes, graphene, and diamond nanoparticles offer to develop advanced catalysts having active sites based on carbon in the absence of transition metals or as large area supports with special morphology and unique properties. The final section provides my personal view on future developments in this field.

  10. Synthesis and field emission properties of carbon nanotubes grown in ethanol flame based on a photoresist-assisted catalyst annealing process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Xiaoxia; Fang Guojia; Liu Nishuang; Wang Chong; Zheng Qiao; Zhou Hai; Zhao Dongshan; Long Hao; Liu Yuping; Zhao Xingzhong

    2009-01-01

    Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been grown directly on a Si substrate without a diffusion barrier in ethanol diffusion flame using Ni as the catalyst after a photoresist-assisted catalyst annealing process. The growth mechanism of as-synthesized CNTs is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission-electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The photoresist is the key for the formation of active catalyst particles during annealing process, which then result in the growth of CNTs. The catalyst annealing temperature has been found to affect the morphologies and field electron emission properties of CNTs significantly. The field emission properties of as-grown CNTs are investigated with a diode structure and the obtained CNTs exhibit enhanced characteristics. This technique will be applicable to a low-cost fabrication process of electron-emitter arrays.

  11. Electrocatalytic properties of carbon-supported Pt-Ru catalysts with the high alloying degree for formic acid electrooxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Yu.; Zhou, Yiming; Tang, Yawen; Lu, Tianhong [College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097 (China)

    2010-07-01

    A series of carbon-supported bimetallic Pt-Ru catalysts with high alloying degree and different Pt/Ru atomic ratio have been prepared by a chemical reduction method in the H{sub 2}O/ethanol/tetrahydrofuran (THF) mixture solvent. The structural and electronic properties of catalysts are characterized using X-ray reflection (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrooxidation of formic acid on these Pt-Ru nanoparticles are investigated by using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and CO-stripping measurements. The results of electrochemical measurements illustrate that the alloying degree and Pt/Ru atomic ratio of Pt-Ru catalyst play an important role in the electrocatalytic activity of the Pt-Ru/C catalyst for formic acid electrooxidation due to the bifunctional mechanism and the electronic effect. Since formic acid is an intermediate in the methanol electrooxidation on Pt electrode in acidic electrolyte, the observation provides an additional fundamental understanding of the structure-activity relationship of Pt-Ru catalyst for methanol electrooxidation. (author)

  12. Ni-SiO2 Catalysts for the Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane: Varying Support Properties by Flame Spray Pyrolysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emma C. Lovell

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Silica particles were prepared by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP as a support for nickel catalysts. The impact of precursor feed rate (3, 5 and 7 mL/min during FSP on the silica characteristics and the ensuing effect on catalytic performance for the carbon dioxide, or dry, reforming of methane (DRM was probed. Increasing the precursor feed rate: (i progressively lowered the silica surface area from ≈340 m2/g to ≈240 m2/g; (ii altered the silanol groups on the silica surface; and (iii introduced residual carbon-based surface species to the sample at the highest feed rate. The variations in silica properties altered the (5 wt % nickel deposit characteristics which in turn impacted on the DRM reaction. As the silica surface area increased, the nickel dispersion increased which improved catalyst performance. The residual carbon-based species also appeared to improve nickel dispersion, and in turn catalyst activity, although not to the same extent as the change in silica surface area. The findings illustrate both the importance of silica support characteristics on the catalytic performance of nickel for the DRM reaction and the capacity for using FSP to control these characteristics.

  13. Fuel cell testing of Pt–Ru catalysts supported on differently prepared and pretreated carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tokarz, Wojciech; Lota, Grzegorz; Frackowiak, Elzbieta; Czerwiński, Andrzej; Piela, Piotr

    2013-01-01

    Proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) testing of Pt–Ru catalysts supported on differently prepared multiwall carbon nanotube (MCNT) supports was performed to elucidate the influence of the different supports on the operating characteristics of the catalysts under real direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) anode and H 2 -PEMFC anode conditions. The MCNTs were either thin, entangled or thick, disentangled. Pretreatment of the MCNTs was also done and it was either high-temperature KOH etching or annealing (graphitization). The performance of the catalysts was compared against the performance of a commercial Pt–Ru catalyst supported on a high-surface-area carbon black. Among the different MCNT supports, the graphitized, entangled support offered the best performance in all tests, which was equal to the performance of the commercial catalyst, despite the MCNT catalyst layer was ca. 2.2 times thicker than the carbon black catalyst layer. Even for an MCNT catalyst layer, which was almost 7 times thicker than the carbon black catalyst layer, the transport limitations were not prohibitive. This confirmed the expected potential of nanotube supports for providing superior reactant transport properties of the PEMFC catalyst layers

  14. Carbon catalysts for electrochemical hydrogen peroxide production in acidic media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Čolić, Viktor; Yang, Sungeun; Révay, Zsolt

    2018-01-01

    Hydrogen peroxide is a commodity chemical, as it is an environmentally friendly oxidant. The electrochemical production of H2O2 from oxygen and water by the reduction of oxygen is of great interest, as it would allow the decentralized, on-site, production of pure H2O2. The ability to run...... the reaction in an acidic electrolyte with high performance is particularly important, as it would allow the use of polymer solid electrolytes and the production of pH-neutral hydrogen peroxide. Carbon catalysts, which are cheap, abundant, durable and can be highly selective show promise as potential catalysts...... for such systems. In this work, we examine the electrocatalytic performance and properties of seven commercially available carbon materials for H2O2 production by oxygen electroreduction. We show that the faradaic efficiencies for the reaction lie in a wide range of 18-82% for different carbon catalysts. In order...

  15. Electrocatalytic properties of graphite nanofibers-supported platinum catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Soo-Jin; Park, Jeong-Min; Seo, Min-Kang

    2009-09-01

    Graphite nanofibers (GNFs) treated at various temperatures were used as carbon supports to improve the efficiency of PtRu catalysts. The electrochemical properties of the PtRu/GNFs catalysts were then investigated to evaluate their potential for application in DMFCs. The results indicated that the particle size and dispersibility of PtRu in the catalysts were changed by heat treatment, and the electrochemical activity of the catalysts was improved. Consequently, it was found that heat treatments could have an influence on the surface and structural properties of GNFs, resulting in enhancing an electrocatalytic activity of the catalysts for DMFCs.

  16. Carbon nanotubes and other nanostructures as support material for nanoparticulate noble-metal catalysts in fuel cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Veltzé, Sune; Larsen, Mikkel Juul; Elina, Yli-Rantala

    or platinum-alloy catalysts in the electrodes are required. To maximize the utilization of the noble metal it is frequently deposited as nanoparticles (1–5 nm) on a stabilizing support of carbon black. Carbon black provides good anchoring of the catalyst particles, but is prone to severe destructive oxidation...... at high electrical potentials encountered occasionally in fuel cells. Other nanostructures of carbon are being investigated as alternatives to carbon black as they have several beneficial properties. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MW-CNT) are an example of one type of these promising materials. Like...... of the fuel-cell electrodes. However, the low concentration of structural defects also poses challenges with regard to anchoring of the catalyst particles on the CNT surface. Thus, activation treatments introducing surface functional groups may be necessary. Also, the surface properties are responsible...

  17. Influence of the Synthesis Method for Pt Catalysts Supported on Highly Mesoporous Carbon Xerogel and Vulcan Carbon Black on the Electro-Oxidation of Methanol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cinthia Alegre

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Platinum catalysts supported on carbon xerogel and carbon black (Vulcan were synthesized with the aim of investigating the influence of the characteristics of the support on the electrochemical performance of the catalysts. Three synthesis methods were compared: an impregnation method with two different reducing agents, sodium borohydride and formic acid, and a microemulsion method, in order to study the effect of the synthesis method on the physico-chemical properties of the catalysts. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were applied. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used for studying carbon monoxide and methanol oxidation. Catalysts supported on carbon xerogel presented higher catalytic activities towards CO and CH3OH oxidation than catalysts supported on Vulcan. The higher mesoporosity of carbon xerogel was responsible for the favored diffusion of reagents towards catalytic centers.

  18. Highly active carbon supported Pd cathode catalysts for direct formic acid fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mikolajczuk-Zychora, A., E-mail: amikolajczuk@ichf.edu.pl [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw (Poland); Borodzinski, A.; Kedzierzawski, P.; Mierzwa, B. [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw (Poland); Mazurkiewicz-Pawlicka, M. [Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Wołoska 141, 02-507 Warsaw (Poland); Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warynskiego 1, Warsaw (Poland); Stobinski, L. [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw (Poland); Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warynskiego 1, Warsaw (Poland); Ciecierska, E. [Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Wołoska 141, 02-507 Warsaw (Poland); Zimoch, A.; Opałło, M. [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw (Poland)

    2016-12-01

    Highlights: • Palladium catalyst used on the cathode DFAFC is comparable to commercial platinum catalyst. • The treatment of carbon supports in nitric acid(V) increases the electrochemically available metal surface area and the catalytic activity in oxygen reduction reaction of catalysts. - Abstract: One of the drawbacks of low-temperature fuel cells is high price of platinum-based catalysts used for the electroreduction of oxygen at the cathode of the fuel cell. The aim of this work is to develop the palladium catalyst that will replace commonly used platinum cathode catalysts. A series of palladium catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were prepared and tested on the cathode of Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cell (DFAFC). Palladium nanoparticles were deposited on the carbon black (Vulcan) and on multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) surface by reduction of palladium(II) acetate dissolved in ethanol. Hydrazine was used as a reducing agent. The effect of functionalization of the carbon supports on the catalysts physicochemical properties and the ORR catalytic activity on the cathode of DFAFC was studied. The supports were functionalized by treatment in nitric acid for 4 h at 80 °C. The structure of the prepared catalysts has been characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Hydrophilicity of the catalytic layers was determined by measuring contact angles of water droplets. The performance of the prepared catalysts has been compared with that of the commercial 20 wt.% Pt/C (Premetek) catalyst. The maximum power density obtained for the best palladium catalyst, deposited on the surface of functionalized carbon black, is the same as that for the commercial Pt/C (Premetek). Palladium is cheaper than platinum, therefore the developed cathode catalyst is promising for future applications.

  19. Active carbon catalyst for heavy oil upgrading

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fukuyama, Hidetsugu; Terai, Satoshi [Technology Research Center, Toyo Engineering Corporation, 1818 Azafujimi, Togo, Mobara-shi, Chiba 297-00017 (Japan); Uchida, Masayuki [Business Planning and Exploring Department, Overseas Business Development and Marketing Division, Toyo Engineering Corporation, 2-8-1 Akanehama, Narashino-shi, Chiba 275-0024 (Japan); Cano, Jose L.; Ancheyta, Jorge [Maya Crude Treatment Project, Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas No. 152, Col. San Bartolo Atepehuacan, Mexico D.F. 07730 (Mexico)

    2004-11-24

    The active carbon (AC) catalyst was studied by hydrocracking of Middle Eastern vacuum residue (VR) for heavy oil upgrading. It was observed that the active carbon has the affinity to heavy hydrocarbon compounds and adsorption selectivity to asphaltenes, and exhibits better ability to restrict the coke formation during the hydrocracking reaction of VR. The mesopore of active carbon was thought to play an important role for effective conversion of heavy hydrocarbon compounds into lighter fractions restricting carbon formation. The performance of the AC catalyst was examined by continuous hydrocracking by CSTR for the removal of such impurities as sulfur and heavy metals (nickel and vanadium), which are mostly concentrated in the asphaltenes. The AC catalyst was confirmed to be very effective for the removal of heavy metals from Middle Eastern VR, Maya/Istmo VR and Maya VR. The extruded AC catalysts were produced by industrial manufacturing method. The application test of the extruded AC catalyst for ebullating-bed reactor as one of the commercially applicable reactors was carried out at the ebullating-bed pilot plant for 500h. The ebullition of the extruded AC catalyst was successfully traced and confirmed by existing {gamma}-ray density meter. The extruded AC catalyst showed stable performance with less sediment formation at an equivalent conversion by conventional alumina catalyst at commercial ebullating-bed unit. The degradation of the AC catalyst at the aging test was observed to be less than that of the conventional alumina catalyst. Thus, the AC catalyst was confirmed to be effective and suitable for upgrading of heavy oil, especially such heavy oils as Maya, which contains much heavy metals.

  20. Biodiesel production from Silybum marianum L. seed oil with high FFA content using sulfonated carbon catalyst for esterification and base catalyst for transesterification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fadhil, Abdelrahman B.; Aziz, Akram M.; Al-Tamer, Marwa H.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • PET was converted to activated carbon and then sulfonated to prepare carbon acid catalyst. • Carbon acid catalyst was used for esterification of high acid value Silybum marianum L. seed oil. • Biodiesel was obtained with 96.98% efficiency. - Abstract: In this research work, waste of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was converted into activated carbon and the latter was used in the preparation of a carbon acid catalyst. Waste of PET was converted into activated carbon via carbonization and steam activation, then the activated carbon was sulfonated using fuming sulfuric acid in order to produce the carbon acid catalyst. The prepared carbon acid catalyst was tested for esterification of high acid value non-edible oil, Silybum marianum L. seed oil (SMSO) via optimized protocol. Amount of the carbon acid catalyst, methanol to oil molar ratio, temperature and time were the experimental variables optimized. Esterification of SMSO with methanol using the prepared carbon acid catalyst reduced its parent acid value (20.0 mg KOH/g) to the acceptable limits for base-catalyzed transesterification (<2.0 mg KOH/g) using 6.0% w/w of the catalyst, 15:1 methanol to oil molar ratio, 68 °C reaction temperature and 180 min of reaction. The performance of the catalyst was reduced gradually during its recycling and reached to 60.0% at the 5th cycle. Kinetics of esterification of SMSO using the prepared carbon acid catalyst followed pseudo first order kinetics, and the activation energy was found to be 70.98 kJ/mol. The esterified oil was converted to biodiesel through optimized base-catalyzed transesterification with methanol. Biodiesel with (96.98% yield and purity of 96.69% w/w) yield was obtained using 0.80% KOH w/w, 6:1 methanol to oil molar ratio, 60 °C reaction temperature, 75 min of reaction and 600 rpm rate of stirring. The biodiesel properties were within the recommended biodiesel standards as prescribed by ASTM D 6751 and EN 14214. Transesterification of

  1. Catalyst Deactivation Simulation Through Carbon Deposition in Carbon Dioxide Reforming over Ni/CaO-Al2O3 Catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Istadi Istadi

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Major problem in CO2 reforming of methane (CORM process is coke formation which is a carbonaceous residue that can physically cover active sites of a catalyst surface and leads to catalyst deactivation. A key to develop a more coke-resistant catalyst lies in a better understanding of the methane reforming mechanism at a molecular level. Therefore, this paper is aimed to simulate a micro-kinetic approach in order to calculate coking rate in CORM reaction. Rates of encapsulating and filamentous carbon formation are also included. The simulation results show that the studied catalyst has a high activity, and the rate of carbon formation is relatively low. This micro-kinetic modeling approach can be used as a tool to better understand the catalyst deactivation phenomena in reaction via carbon deposition. Copyright © 2011 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reserved.(Received: 10th May 2011; Revised: 16th August 2011; Accepted: 27th August 2011[How to Cite: I. Istadi, D.D. Anggoro, N.A.S. Amin, and D.H.W. Ling. (2011. Catalyst Deactivation Simulation Through Carbon Deposition in Carbon Dioxide Reforming over Ni/CaO-Al2O3 Catalyst. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 6 (2: 129-136. doi:10.9767/bcrec.6.2.1213.129-136][How to Link / DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.6.2.1213.129-136 || or local:  http://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/bcrec/article/view/1213 ] | View in  |  

  2. Highly active carbon supported Pd cathode catalysts for direct formic acid fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikolajczuk-Zychora, A.; Borodzinski, A.; Kedzierzawski, P.; Mierzwa, B.; Mazurkiewicz-Pawlicka, M.; Stobinski, L.; Ciecierska, E.; Zimoch, A.; Opałło, M.

    2016-12-01

    One of the drawbacks of low-temperature fuel cells is high price of platinum-based catalysts used for the electroreduction of oxygen at the cathode of the fuel cell. The aim of this work is to develop the palladium catalyst that will replace commonly used platinum cathode catalysts. A series of palladium catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were prepared and tested on the cathode of Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cell (DFAFC). Palladium nanoparticles were deposited on the carbon black (Vulcan) and on multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) surface by reduction of palladium(II) acetate dissolved in ethanol. Hydrazine was used as a reducing agent. The effect of functionalization of the carbon supports on the catalysts physicochemical properties and the ORR catalytic activity on the cathode of DFAFC was studied. The supports were functionalized by treatment in nitric acid for 4 h at 80 °C. The structure of the prepared catalysts has been characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Hydrophilicity of the catalytic layers was determined by measuring contact angles of water droplets. The performance of the prepared catalysts has been compared with that of the commercial 20 wt.% Pt/C (Premetek) catalyst. The maximum power density obtained for the best palladium catalyst, deposited on the surface of functionalized carbon black, is the same as that for the commercial Pt/C (Premetek). Palladium is cheaper than platinum, therefore the developed cathode catalyst is promising for future applications.

  3. Tethered catalysts for the hydration of carbon dioxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valdez, Carlos A; Satcher, Jr., Joe H; Aines, Roger D; Wong, Sergio E; Baker, Sarah E; Lightstone, Felice C; Stolaroff, Joshuah K

    2014-11-04

    A system is provided that substantially increases the efficiency of CO.sub.2 capture and removal by positioning a catalyst within an optimal distance from the air-liquid interface. The catalyst is positioned within the layer determined to be the highest concentration of carbon dioxide. A hydrophobic tether is attached to the catalyst and the hydrophobic tether modulates the position of the catalyst within the liquid layer containing the highest concentration of carbon dioxide.

  4. Carbon a support for sulfide catalysts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vissers, J.P.R.; Lensing, T.J.; Mercx, F.P.M.; Beer, de V.H.J.; Prins, R.

    1983-01-01

    Two types of carbon materials, carbon black composite and carbon covered alumina, were studied for-their use as support for sulfide catalysts. The following parameters were varied: type of carbon black, carbon coverage of the alumina and carbon pretreatment. Pore size distributions were determined

  5. Turbostratic carbon supported palladium as an efficient catalyst for reductive purification of water from trichloroethylene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emil Kowalewski

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This work investigates the catalytic properties of turbostratic carbon supported Pd catalyst in hydrodechlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE HDC in aqueous phase. 1.57 wt% Pd/C was thoroughly characterized by BET, TPHD, CO chemisorption, PXRD, STEM, XPS and used as the catalyst in removal of trichloroethylene from drinking water in batch and continuous-flow reactors. The studies showed that catalytic performance of Pd/C depended on the hydrophobicity and textural properties of carbon support, which influenced noble metal dispersion and increased catalyst tolerance against deactivation by chlorination. Palladium in the form of uniformly dispersed small (~3.5 nm nanoparticles was found to be very active and stable in purification of water from TCE both in batch and continuous-flow operation.

  6. Hydrogenation of carbon monoxide over supported palladium catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujimoto, K.; Hashimoto, H.; Kunugi, T.

    1978-03-01

    An alumina-supported 2% palladium catalyst had higher activity for carbon monoxide hydrogenation than a silica-supported 2% palladium catalyst, at 250/sup 0/-400/sup 0/C and 1 atm. The addition of lanthanum oxide or thorium oxide, but not of potassium oxide, to the silica-supported catalyst increased the conversion at 350/sup 0/C from 1.1% to 81.0% with a selectivity of 56.1% for methane, 1.4% for C/sub 2/ compounds, 0.1% for C/sub 3/ compounds, and 42.5% for carbon dioxide. Temperature-programed desorption of carbon monoxide in a hydrogen stream showed that of two desorption peaks observed for carbon monoxide, the one at higher temperature corresponded to the carbon monoxide species which hydrogenates to methane and that the area of this peak increased with increasing thorium content of the catalyst. Graphs, tables, and 12 references.

  7. Gasification of carbon deposits on catalysts and metal surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Figueiredo, J L

    1986-10-01

    'Coke' deposited on catalysts and reactor surfaces includes a variety of carbons of different structures and origins, their reactivities being conveniently assessed by Temperature Programmed Reaction (TPR). The gasification of carbon deposits obtained in the laboratory under well controlled conditions, and the regeneration of coked catalysts from petroleum refining processes are reviewed and discussed. Filamentary carbon deposits, containing dispersed metal particles, behave as supported metal catalysts during gasification, and show high reactivities. Pyrolytic and acid catalysis carbons are less reactive on their own, as the gasification is not catalysed; however, metal components of the catalyst or metal impurities deposited on the surface may enhance gasification. 26 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.

  8. Magnetism for understanding catalyst analysis of purified carbon nanotubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bellouard, Christine; Mercier, Guillaume; Cahen, Sébastien; Ghanbaja, Jaafar; Medjahdi, Ghouti [Institut Jean Lamour, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, BP 70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy (France); Gleize, Jérôme [Laboratoire de Chimie Physique-Approche Multi-échelle de Milieux Complexes-Université de Lorraine, 1 Bd Arago, 57078 Metz (France); Lamura, Gianrico [CNR-SPIN – Dipartimento di Fisica, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova (Italy); Hérold, Claire [Institut Jean Lamour, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, BP 70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy (France); Vigolo, Brigitte, E-mail: Brigitte.Vigolo@univ-lorraine.fr [Institut Jean Lamour, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, BP 70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy (France)

    2016-08-01

    The precise quantification of catalyst residues in purified carbon nanotubes is often a major issue in view of any fundamental and/or applicative studies. More importantly, since the best CNTs are successfully grown with magnetic catalysts, their quantification becomes strictly necessary to better understand intrinsic properties of CNT. For these reasons, we have deeply analyzed the catalyst content remained in nickel–yttrium arc-discharge single walled carbon nanotubes purified by both a chlorine-gas phase and a standard acid-based treatment. The study focuses on Ni analysis which has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry analysis, and magnetic measurements. In the case of the acid-based treatment, all quantifications result in a decrease of the nanocrystallized Ni by a factor of two. In the case of the halogen gas treatment, analysis and quantification of Ni content is less straightforward: a huge difference appears between X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry results. Thanks to magnetic measurements, this disagreement is explained by the presence of Ni{sup 2+} ions, belonging to NiCl{sub 2} formed during the Cl-based purification process. In particular, NiCl{sub 2} compound appears under different magnetic/crystalline phases: paramagnetic or diamagnetic, or well intercalated in between carbon sheets with an ordered magnetic phase at low temperature. - Highlights: • Cl-gas treatment of Ni catalyst of carbon nanotubes leads to NiCl{sub 2} residue. • Magnetic measurements show the transformation of Ni{sup 0} in Ni{sup 2+}through a purification process. • High temperature Cl treatment removes 75% of metallic impurities. • Cl-purification yields to an amount of metal of 1.5% in arc-discharge CNT samples.

  9. Improved hydrogen generation from alkaline NaBH{sub 4} solution using cobalt catalysts supported on modified activated carbon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Dongyan; Guo, Qingjie; Yue, Xuehai [College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042 (China); Dai, Ping [College of Electromechanical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266061 (China)

    2008-12-15

    Hydrogen production from alkaline sodium borohydride (NaBH{sub 4}) solution via hydrolysis process over activated carbon supported cobalt catalysts is studied. Activated carbons are used in their original form and after liquid phase oxidation with HNO{sub 3}. The changes in surface functional groups of the activated carbon are detected by FTIR spectroscopy. The effects of HNO{sub 3} oxidation on the properties of the activated carbon and the resulting catalyst performance are investigated. FTIR analysis reveals that the oxidative treatment leads to the formation of various functional groups on the surface of the activated carbon. Cobalt catalysts supported on the modified activated carbon are found to exhibit higher activity and stability. (author)

  10. Influence of Synthesis pH on Textural Properties of Carbon Xerogels as Supports for Pt/CXs Catalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Alegre

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Carbon xerogels (CXs have been prepared by polycondensation of resorcinol and formaldehyde. Two synthesis pHs were studied in order to evaluate its influence on the electrochemical behaviour of Pt catalysts supported on previous carbon xerogels, synthesized by conventional impregnation method. Catalysts were also synthesized over a commercial carbon black (Vulcan-XC-72R for comparison purposes. Characterization techniques included nitrogen physisorption, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Catalysts electrochemical activity towards the oxidation of carbon monoxide and methanol was studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry to establish the effect of the carbon support on the catalysts performance. Commercial Pt/C catalyst (E-TEK was analyzed for comparison purposes. It was observed that the more developed and mesopore-enriched porous structure of the carbon xerogel synthesized at a higher initial pH resulted in an optimal utilization of the active phase and in an enhanced and promising catalytic activity in the electrooxidation of methanol, in comparison with commercial catalysts.

  11. Electrooxidation of ethanol on novel multi-walled carbon nanotube supported platinum-antimony tin oxide nanoparticle catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, Dao-Jun [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The Key Laboratory of Life-Organic Analysis, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong 273165 (China)

    2011-01-15

    We synthesize the new Pt based catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cells using novel multi-walled carbon nanotubes supported platinum-antimony tin oxide (Pt-ATO/MWCNT) nanoparticle as new catalyst support for the first time. The structure of Pt-ATO/MWCNT catalyst is characterized by transmission electron micrograph (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrocatalytic properties of Pt-ATO/MWCNT catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation reactions are investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometric experiments in acidic medium. The electrocatalytic activity for ethanol electrooxidation reaction shows that high carbon monoxide tolerance and good stability of Pt-ATO/MWCNT catalyst compared with Pt-SnO{sub 2}/MWCNT and commercial Pt/C are observed. These results imply that Pt-ATO/MWCNT catalyst has promising potential applications in direct alcohol fuel cells. (author)

  12. Catalyst design for carbon nanotube growth using atomistic modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pint, Cary L; Bozzolo, Guillermo; Hauge, Robert

    2008-01-01

    The formation and stability of bimetallic catalyst particles, in the framework of carbon nanotube growth, is studied using the Bozzolo-Ferrante-Smith (BFS) method for alloys. Monte Carlo-Metropolis simulations with the BFS method are utilized in order to predict and study equilibrium configurations for nanoscale catalyst particles which are directly relevant to the catalyst state prior to growth of carbon nanotubes. At the forefront of possible catalyst combinations is the popular Fe-Mo bimetallic catalyst, which we have recently studied experimentally. We explain our experimental results, which indicate that the growth observed is dependent on the order of co-catalyst deposition, in the straightforward interpretation of BFS strain and chemical energy contributions toward the formation of Fe-Mo catalyst prior to growth. We find that the competition between the formation of metastable inner Mo cores and clusters of surface-segregated Mo atoms in Fe-Mo catalyst particles influences catalyst formation, and we investigate the role of Mo concentration and catalyst particle size in this process. Finally, we apply the same modeling approach to other prominent bimetallic catalysts and suggest that this technique can be a powerful tool to understand and manipulate catalyst design for highly efficient carbon nanotube growth

  13. Preparation And Characterization Of Cr/Activated Carbon Catalyst From Palm Empty Fruit Bunch

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zainal Fanani

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Preparation and characterization of Cr/activated carbon catalyst from palm empty fruit bunch had been done. The research were to determine the effect of carbonization temperature towards adsorption of ammonia, iodine number, metilen blue number, and porosity of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst. The determination of porosity include surface area, micropore volume and total pore volume. The results showed the best carbonization temperature activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst at 700°C. The adsorption ammonia of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 6.379 mmol/g and 8.1624 mmol/g. The iodine number of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 1520.16 mg/g and 1535.67 mg/g. The metilen blue number of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 281.71 mg/g and 319.18 mg/g. The surface area of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 1527.80 m2/g and 1652.58 m2/g. The micropore volume of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 0.7460 cm3/g and 0.8670 cm3/g. The total pore volume of activated carbon and Cr/activated carbon catalyst as 0.8243 cm3/g and 0.8970 cm3/g.

  14. Anti-bacteria activity of carbon nanotubes grown on trimetallic catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibrahim, S. O.; Abdulkareem, A. S.; Isah, K. U.; Ahmadu, U.; Bankole, M. T.; Kariim, I.

    2018-06-01

    Trimetallic catalyst was prepared using wet impregnation method to produce carbon nanotubes (CNTs) through the method of catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD). Characterization of the developed catalyst and CNTs were carried out using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), x-ray diffraction (XRD), specific surface area Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM)/energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM)/selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The BET and TGA analysis indicated that the catalyst has a high surface area and is thermally stable. The FTIR of the developed catalyst shows notable functional group with presence of unbound water. The HRSEM of the catalyst revealed agglomerated, homogeneous and porous particles while the HRSEM/HRTEM of the produced CNTs gave the formation of long strand of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and homogeneous crystalline fringe like structure with irregular diameter. EDS revealed the dominance of carbon in the elemental composition. XRD/SAED patterns of the catalyst suggest high dispersion of the metallic particles in the catalyst mixture while that of the CNTs confirmed that the produced MWCNTs were highly graphitized and crystalline in nature with little structural defects. The anti-bacteria activity of the produced MWCNTs on Klebsiella pneumoneae, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was also carried out. It was observed that the produced MWCNTs have an inhibitory property on bacteria; Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoneae from zero day ( and ) through to twelfth day (Nil count) respectively. It has no effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa with too numerous to count at zero-sixth day, but a breakdown in its growth at ninth-twelfth day (). This study implied that MWCNTs with varying diameter and well-ordered nano-structure can be produced from catalyst via CCVD

  15. Valorization of waste Date pits biomass for biodiesel production in presence of green carbon catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abu-Jrai, Ahmad M.; Jamil, Farrukh; Al-Muhtaseb, Ala'a H.; Baawain, Mahad; Al-Haj, Lamya; Al-Hinai, Mohab; Al-Abri, Mohammed; Rafiq, Sikander

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Waste Date pits were utilized to produce green catalyst for biodiesel production. • The optimized yield of biodiesel was 91.6% at 65 °C and 9:1 methanol to oil ratio. • Catalyst activity decreases very less upon reusing it up to three runs. • Produced biodiesel possess competent fuel properties as per ASTM and EN standards. - Abstract: In this study, an efficient utilization of waste Date pits biomass for synthesizing green carbon catalyst as well as production of biodiesel were investigated. The green carbon catalyst was modified by KOH and characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, TEM and BET. Taguchi method in Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to study the effect of several process parameters such as reaction temperature, time, catalysts type and methanol to oil ratio, on the yield of the produced biodiesel. The optimized yield obtained was 91.6% when the process temperature was 65 °C, with catalyst type C3 (6 wt% KOH on carbon) within 1 h and with 9:1 methanol to oil ratio. The produced biodiesel was completely characterized in order to verify its quality, compared with the international standards. Fuel properties of the produced biodiesel were found to be a cetane number 60.31, density 881 kg/m"3, viscosity 4.24 mm"2/s, cloud point 3.9 °C, cold filter plugging point −0.62 °C, pour point −1.4 °C and flash point 141 °C, which lies within the limits specified by the international standards of ASTM and EN. Waste Date pits biomass can be a promising platform for the production of green carbon catalysts as well as biodiesel production.

  16. Pt/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/- carbon nanocomposite as a catalyst for fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naeem, R.; Ahmed, R.; Ansari, M.S.

    2013-01-01

    Catalysts comprising platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) on carbon support are used in fuel cells for the hydrogen and electricity production by electrochemical oxidation of methanol. However, the catalyst is not the best in terms of its performance. Considering role of the support as significant towards efficiency and durability of the catalyst, there is need for introducing novel support materials to replace carbon alone. Deposition of various metallic NPs on ceramic-carbon (hybrid) supports has been reported to improve thermal, mechanical, electrical and chemical properties of different types of catalyst. In search of better performing catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), hybrid supports having different ceramic materials should be synthesized. In this regard Pt/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/-Carbon (nanocomposites) have been synthesized and applied as promising catalysts in the PEMFCs; results obtained for the nanocomposites were compared with Pt/carbon and Pt/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/. Vulcan carbon was purified and functionalized prior to use; presence of oxygen containing functional groups on carbon was established from the FTIR spectrum, Hybrid support (1:8 by weight ratio of ceramic and carbon) were already prepared in aqueous 2-propanol employing sonication method on to which Pt NPs (10% by weight in all the cases) were deposited by simple chemical reduction of PtCl/sub 4/ by NaBH/sub 4/ under controlled conditions. The catalysts were subjected to various characterization techniques like TGA (for thermal stability), EDX (for chemical composition), SEM (for surface morphology) and XRD (for cell-shape and -volume, material density and average crystalline size). Catalysts efficiencies for the methanol oxidation were investigated through cyclic voltammetery (CV) by comparing electrochemical surface area, peak current, exchange current density and rate constant in the acidic and basic media. Pt/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/-carbon exhibited better catalytic efficiencies

  17. Characterization of a surface modified carbon cryogel and a carbon supported Pt catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    BILJANA M. BABIĆ

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available A carbon cryogel, synthesized by carbonization of a resorcinol/formaldehyde cryogel and oxidized in nitric acid, was used as catalyst support for Pt nano-particles. The Pt/C catalyst was prepared by a modified polyol synthesis method in an ethylene glycol (EG solution. Characterization by nitrogen adsorption showed that the carbon cryogel support and the Pt/C catalyst were mesoporous materials with high specific surface areas (SBET > 400 m2 g-1 and large mesoporous volumes. X-Ray diffraction of the catalyst demonstrated the successful reduction of the Pt precursor to metallic form. TEM Images of the Pt/C catalyst and Pt particle size distribution showed that the mean Pt particle size was about 3.3 nm. Cyclic voltammetry (CV experiments at various scan rates (from 2 to 200 mV s-1 were performed in 0.5 mol dm-3 HClO4 solution. The large capacitance of the oxidized carbon cryogel electrode, which arises from a combination of the double-layer capacitance and pseudocapacitance, associated with the participation of surface redox-type reactions was demonstrated. For the oxidized carbon cryogel, the total specific capacitance determined by 1/C vs. ν0.5 extrapolation method was found to be 386 F g-1. The hydrogen oxidation reaction at the investigated Pt/C catalyst proceeded as an electrochemically reversible, two-electron direct discharge reaction.

  18. Heterogeneous Catalysts for VOC Oxidation from Red Mud and Bagasse Ash Carbon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pande, Gaurav

    A range of VOC oxidation catalysts have been prepared in this study from agricultural and industrial waste as the starting point. The aim is to prepare catalysts with non-noble metal oxides as the active catalytic component (iron in red mud). The same active component was also supported on activated carbon obtained from unburned carbon in bagasse ash. Red mud which is an aluminum industry waste and rich in different phases of iron as oxide and hydroxide is used as the source for the catalytically active species. It is our aim to enhance the catalytic performance of red mud which though high in iron concentration has a low surface area and may not have the properties of an ideal catalyst by itself. In one of the attempts to enhance the catalytic performance, we have tried to leach red mud for which we have explored a range of leaching acids for effecting the leaching most efficiently and then precipitated the iron from the leachate as its hydroxide by precipitating with alkali solution followed by drying and calcination to give high surface area metal oxide material. Extensive surface characterization and VOC oxidation catalytic testing were performed for these solids. In a step to further enhance the catalytic activity towards oxidation, copper was introduced by taking another industrial waste from the copper tubing industry viz. the pickling acid. Copper has a more favourable redox potential making it catalytically more effective than iron. To make the mixed metal oxide, red mud leachate was mixed with the pickling acid in a pre-decided ratio before precipitating with alkali solution followed by drying and calcination as was done with the red mud leachate. The results from these experiments are encouraging. The temperature programmed reduction (TPR) of the solids show that the precipitate of red mud leachates show hydrogen uptake peak at a lower temperature than for just the calcined red mud. This could be due to the greatly enhanced surface area of the prepared

  19. New efficient catalyst for ammonia synthesis: barium-promoted cobalt on carbon

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hagen, Stefan; Barfod, Rasmus; Fehrmann, Rasmus

    2002-01-01

    Barium-promoted cobalt catalysts supported on carbon exhibit higher ammonia activities at synthesis temperatures than the commercial, multipromoted iron catalyst and also a lower ammonia......Barium-promoted cobalt catalysts supported on carbon exhibit higher ammonia activities at synthesis temperatures than the commercial, multipromoted iron catalyst and also a lower ammonia...

  20. Investigation of altenative carbon materials for fuel-cell catalyst support

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Mikkel Juul

    In order to ensure high utilization of the catalyst material in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) it is usually fixed in the form of nanoparticles on a supporting material. The catalyst is platinum or a platinum alloy, and the commonly used support is carbon black (CB). Although...... structured carbon forms such as graphitized CBs, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and carbon nanofibres (CNFs). This thesis concerns the investigation of an array of different materials which may prospec-tively replace the conventional materials used in the catalyst. The study comprised 13 carbon samples which...... nanotubes (GMWCNTs), and graphitized carbon nanofibre (CNF), while the Pt/C samples were platinized samples of some of the CNTs and CNFs (Pt/FWCNT, Pt/GMWCNT, and Pt/CNF, respectively) as well as two commercial Pt/CB reference catalysts. Comparative analyses have been performed in order to be able to assess...

  1. Development of Sulfur and Carbon Tolerant Reforming Alloy Catalysts Aided Fundamental Atomistic Insights

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suljo Linic

    2008-12-31

    Current hydrocarbon reforming catalysts suffer from rapid carbon and sulfur poisoning. Even though there is a tremendous incentive to develop more efficient catalysts, these materials are currently formulated using inefficient trial and error experimental approaches. We have utilized a hybrid experimental/theoretical approach, combining quantum Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations and various state-of-the-art experimental tools, to formulate carbon tolerant reforming catalysts. We have employed DFT calculations to develop molecular insights into the elementary chemical transformations that lead to carbon poisoning of Ni catalysts. Based on the obtained molecular insights, we have identified, using DFT quantum calculation, various Ni alloy catalysts as potential carbon tolerant reforming catalysts. The alloy catalysts were synthesized and tested in steam reforming and partial oxidation of methane, propane, and isooctane. We demonstrated that the alloy catalysts are much more carbon-tolerant than monometallic Ni catalysts under nearly stoichiometric steam-to-carbon ratios. Under these conditions, monometallic Ni is rapidly poisoned by sp2 carbon deposits. The research approach is distinguished by two characteristics: (a) knowledge-based, bottomup approach, compared to the traditional trial and error approach, allows for a more efficient and systematic discovery of improved catalysts. (b) the focus is on exploring alloy materials which have been largely unexplored as potential reforming catalysts.

  2. Interfacial charge distributions in carbon-supported palladium catalysts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rao, Radhika G.; Blume, Raoul; Hansen, Thomas Willum

    2017-01-01

    Controlling the charge transfer between a semiconducting catalyst carrier and the supported transition metal active phase represents an elite strategy for fine turning the electronic structure of the catalytic centers, hence their activity and selectivity. These phenomena have been theoretically...... and experimentally elucidated for oxide supports but remain poorly understood for carbons due to their complex nanoscale structure. Here, we combine advanced spectroscopy and microscopy on model Pd/C samples to decouple the electronic and surface chemistry effects on catalytic performance. Our investigations reveal...... treatments can be used to tune the interfacial charge distribution, hereby providing a strategy to rationally design carbon-supported catalysts.Control over charge transfer in carbon-supported metal nanoparticles is essential for designing new catalysts. Here, the authors show that thermal treatments...

  3. Controlling thin film structure for the dewetting of catalyst nanoparticle arrays for subsequent carbon nanofiber growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Randolph, S J; Fowlkes, J D; Melechko, A V; Klein, K L; III, H M Meyer; Simpson, M L; Rack, P D

    2007-01-01

    Vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (CNF) growth is a catalytic chemical vapor deposition process in which structure and functionality is controlled by the plasma conditions and the properties of the catalyst nanoparticles that template the fiber growth. We have found that the resultant catalyst nanoparticle network that forms by the dewetting of a continuous catalyst thin film is dependent on the initial properties of the thin film. Here we report the ability to tailor the crystallographic texture and composition of the nickel catalyst film and subsequently the nanoparticle template by varying the rf magnetron sputter deposition conditions. After sputtering the Ni catalyst thin films, the films are heated and exposed to an ammonia dc plasma, to chemically reduce the native oxide on the films and induce dewetting of the film to form nanoparticles. Subsequent nanoparticle treatment in an acetylene plasma at high substrate temperature results in CNF growth. Evidence is presented that the texture and composition of the nickel thin film has a significant impact on the structure and composition of the formed nanoparticle, as well as the resultant CNF morphology. Nickel films with a preferred (111) or (100) texture were produced and conditions favoring interfacial silicidation reactions were identified and investigated. Both compositional and structural analysis of the films and nanoparticles indicate that the properties of the as-deposited Ni catalyst film influences the subsequent nanoparticle formation and ultimately the catalytic growth of the carbon nanofibers

  4. Optimization of fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies for transition metal ion-chelating ordered mesoporous carbon cathode catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johanna K. Dombrovskis

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Transition metal ion-chelating ordered mesoporous carbon (TM-OMC materials were recently shown to be efficient polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC catalysts. The structure and properties of these catalysts are largely different from conventional catalyst materials, thus rendering membrane electrode assembly (MEA preparation parameters developed for conventional catalysts not useful for applications of TM-OMC catalysts. This necessitates development of a methodology to incorporate TM-OMC catalysts in the MEA. Here, an efficient method for MEA preparation using TM-OMC catalyst materials for PEMFC is developed including effects of catalyst/ionomer loading and catalyst/ionomer-mixing and application procedures. An optimized protocol for MEA preparation using TM-OMC catalysts is described.

  5. Nitrogen-doped carbon-supported cobalt-iron oxygen reduction catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zelenay, Piotr; Wu, Gang

    2014-04-29

    A Fe--Co hybrid catalyst for oxygen reaction reduction was prepared by a two part process. The first part involves reacting an ethyleneamine with a cobalt-containing precursor to form a cobalt-containing complex, combining the cobalt-containing complex with an electroconductive carbon supporting material, heating the cobalt-containing complex and carbon supporting material under conditions suitable to convert the cobalt-containing complex and carbon supporting material into a cobalt-containing catalyst support. The second part of the process involves polymerizing an aniline in the presence of said cobalt-containing catalyst support and an iron-containing compound under conditions suitable to form a supported, cobalt-containing, iron-bound polyaniline species, and subjecting said supported, cobalt-containing, iron bound polyaniline species to conditions suitable for producing a Fe--Co hybrid catalyst.

  6. Thief carbon catalyst for oxidation of mercury in effluent stream

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granite, Evan J [Wexford, PA; Pennline, Henry W [Bethel Park, PA

    2011-12-06

    A catalyst for the oxidation of heavy metal contaminants, especially mercury (Hg), in an effluent stream is presented. The catalyst facilitates removal of mercury through the oxidation of elemental Hg into mercury (II) moieties. The active component of the catalyst is partially combusted coal, or "Thief" carbon, which can be pre-treated with a halogen. An untreated Thief carbon catalyst can be self-promoting in the presence of an effluent gas streams entrained with a halogen.

  7. Carbonized tantalum catalysts for catalytic chemical vapor deposition of silicon films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cheng Shimin [State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China); Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian 116023 (China); Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Gao Huiping; Ren Tong; Ying Pinliang [State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China); Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian 116023 (China); Li Can, E-mail: canli@dicp.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China); Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian 116023 (China)

    2012-06-01

    Catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) has been demonstrated as a promising way to prepare device-quality silicon films. However, catalyst ageing due to Si contamination is an urgency to be solved for the practical application of the technique. In this study, the effect of carbonization of tantalum catalyst on its structure and performance was investigated. The carbonized Ta catalyst has a TaC surface layer which is preserved over the temperature range between 1450 and 1750 Degree-Sign C and no Si contamination occurs on the catalyst after long-term use. Si film prepared using the carbonized Ta catalyst has a similar crystal structure to that prepared by uncarbonized Ta catalyst. Formation of the TaC surface layer can alleviate the ageing problem of the catalyst, which shows great potential as a stable catalyst for Cat-CVD of Si films. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Si films prepared by catalytic chemical vapor deposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Carbonized Ta with a TaC surface layer used as catalyst. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TaC surface structure preserved after long-term use in a wide temperature range. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Help to solve the ageing problem of metal catalysts. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Si film obtained has a similar crystal structure to that prepared by Ta catalyst.

  8. Catalysts for Efficient Production of Carbon Nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Ted X.; Dong, Yi

    2009-01-01

    Several metal alloys have shown promise as improved catalysts for catalytic thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon gases to produce carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Heretofore almost every experiment on the production of carbon nanotubes by this method has involved the use of iron, nickel, or cobalt as the catalyst. However, the catalytic-conversion efficiencies of these metals have been observed to be limited. The identification of better catalysts is part of a continuing program to develop means of mass production of high-quality carbon nanotubes at costs lower than those achieved thus far (as much as $100/g for purified multi-wall CNTs or $1,000/g for single-wall CNTs in year 2002). The main effort thus far in this program has been the design and implementation of a process tailored specifically for high-throughput screening of alloys for catalyzing the growth of CNTs. The process includes an integral combination of (1) formulation of libraries of catalysts, (2) synthesis of CNTs from decomposition of ethylene on powders of the alloys in a pyrolytic chemical-vapor-decomposition reactor, and (3) scanning- electron-microscope screening of the CNTs thus synthesized to evaluate the catalytic efficiencies of the alloys. Information gained in this process is put into a database and analyzed to identify promising alloy compositions, which are to be subjected to further evaluation in a subsequent round of testing. Some of these alloys have been found to catalyze the formation of carbon nano tubes from ethylene at temperatures as low as 350 to 400 C. In contrast, the temperatures typically required for prior catalysts range from 550 to 750 C.

  9. Hydroprocessing catalyst development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boorman, P.M.; Kydd, R.A.; Sorensen, T.S.; Chong, K.; Lewis, J.

    1992-08-01

    Co-Mo and Ni-Mo hydroprocessing catalysts were examined for their activity in removal of sulfur from thiophene in model compounds, and in the cracking and hydrocracking of cumene. Three types of support materials were examined: carbon, modified carbon, and carbon covered alumina. The objective of the study was to examine the correlation between catalyst activity in the hydrodenitrogenation of model compounds, and the resistance of the catalyst to nitrogen poisoning during use in the hydroprocessing of gas oils. The use of model compound testing provided information on the individual catalytic reactions promoted by those materials. Infrared spectroscopy was used to study surface species on the catalysts and to explain many of the trends in activity observed, revealing the role of fluoride and phosphorus as a secondary promoter. Testing of the catalysts in hydrotreating of gas oils allowed comparison of model compound results with those from a real feedstock. The gas oil was also spiked with a model nitrogen compound and the results from catalytic hydrotreating of this material were compared with those from unspiked material. A key finding was that the carbon supported catalysts were the most effective in treating high-nitrogen feeds. The very favorable deactivation properties of carbon and carbon-covered alumina supported catalysts make these promising from an industrial point of view where catalyst deactivation is a limiting factor. 171 refs., 25 figs., 43 tabs.

  10. Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as a metal catalyst support

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Mabena, LF

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available ., which are among the most commonly used heterogeneous catalyst supports (Mart??nez-Me?ndez et al. 2006). Catalyst activity depends on the particle size and appropriate dis- tance between each particle. These catalysts deposited on a support... supported Pt electrodes. Appl Catal B Environ 80:286?295 Maldonado S, Morin S, Stevenson KJ (2006) Structure, composition, and chemical reactivity of carbon nanotubes by selective nitrogen doping. Carbon 44:1429?1437 Mart??nez-Me?ndez S, Henr??quez Y...

  11. Characterizing the structural degradation in a PEMFC cathode catalyst layer : carbon corrosion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Young, A.; Stumper, J. [Ballard Power Systems, Burnaby, BC (Canada); Gyenge, E. [British Columbia Univ., Vancouver, BC (Canada). Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering

    2009-07-01

    The structural degradation resulting from carbon corrosion of a cathode catalyst layer in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was investigated in this study. In order to oxidize the catalyst carbon support, the PEMFC catalyst layer was subjected to a 30 hour accelerated stress test that cycled the cathode potential from 0.1 to 1.5 VRHE at 30 and 150 second intervals. The rate and amount of carbon loss was determined by measuring the carbon dioxide in the exhaust gas. The structural degradation of the catalyst layer was characterized and correlated to the PEMFC performance using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and polarization analyses. This analysis revealed a clear thinning of the cathode catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer carbon sub-layer, and a reduction in the effective platinum surface area due to the carbon support oxidation. The thinned cathode catalyst layer changed the water management, and increased the voltage loss associated with the oxygen mass transport and catalyst layer ohmic resistance. In order to further develop and verify this methodology for other degradation mechanisms, emphasis was placed on EIS measurements.

  12. Effects of Activated Carbon Surface Property on Structure and Activity of Ru/AC Catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, S. K.; Li, L. M.; Guo, N. N.

    2018-05-01

    The activated carbon (AC) was modified by supercritical (SC) methanol, HNO3 oxidation, or HNO3 oxidation plus SC methanol, respectively. Then, the original and the modified AC were used as supports for Ru/AC catalysts prepared via the impregnation method. The results showed that the SC methanol modification decreased the content of surface acidic groups of AC. While HNO3 oxidation displayed the opposite behavior. Furthermore, the dispersion of ruthenium and the activity of catalysts were highly dependent on the content of surface acidic groups, and the SC methanol modified sample exhibited the highest activity for hydrogenation of glucose.

  13. Synthesis of carbon nanotubes by CCVD of natural gas using hydrotreating catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed E. Awadallah

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Carbon nanotubes have been successfully synthesized using the catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD technique over typical refining hydrotreating catalysts (hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrogenation containing Ni–Mo and Co–Mo supported on Al2O3 catalysts at 700°C in a fixed bed horizontal reactor using natural gas as a carbon source. The catalysts and the as-grown CNTs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, HRTEM, X-ray diffraction patterns, EDX and TGA–DTG. The obtained data clarified that the Ni–Mo catalyst gives higher yield, higher purity and selectivity for CNTs compared to Co–Mo catalyst. XRD, TEM and TGA reveal also that the Ni–Mo catalyst produces mostly CNTs with different diameters whereas the Co–Mo catalyst produces largely amorphous carbon.

  14. Influence of plasma treatment of carbon blacks on electrochemical activity of Pt/carbon blacks catalysts for DMFCs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seok; Cho, Mi-Hwa; Lee, Jae-Rock; Park, Soo-Jin

    In this work, in order to improve the dispersion of platinum catalysts deposited on carbon materials, the effects of surface plasma treatment of carbon blacks (CBs) were investigated. The surface characteristics of the CBs were determined by fourier transformed-infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Boehm's titration method. The electrochemical properties of the plasma-treated CBs-supported Pt (Pt/CBs) catalysts were analyzed by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) experiments. From the results of FT-IR and acid-base values, N 2-plasma treatment of the CBs at 300 W intensity led to a formation of a free radical on the CBs. The peak intensity increased with increase of the treatment time, due to the formation of new basic functional groups (such as C-N, C dbnd N, -NH 3 +, -NH, and dbnd NH) by the free radical on the CBs. Accordingly, the basic values were enhanced by the basic functional groups. However, after a specific reaction time, N 2-plasma treatment could hardly influence on change of the surface functional groups of CBs, due to the disappearance of free radical. Consequently, it was found that optimal treatment time was 30 s for the best electro activity of Pt/CBs catalysts and the N 2-plasma treated Pt/CBs possessed the better electrochemical properties than the pristine Pt/CBs.

  15. Pt/glassy carbon model catalysts prepared from PS-b-P2VP micellar templates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Yunlong; St-Pierre, Jean; Ploehn, Harry J

    2008-11-04

    Poly(styrene)-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) diblock copolymer was used as a micellar template to fabricate arrays of Pt nanoparticles on mica and glassy carbon (GC) supports. Polymer micellar deposition yields Pt nanoparticles with tunable particle size and surface number density on both mica and GC. After deposition of precursor-loaded micelles onto GC, oxygen plasma etching removes the polymer shell, followed by thermal treatment with H2 gas to reduce the Pt. Etching conditions were optimized to maximize removal of the polymer while minimizing damage to the GC. Arrays of Pt nanoparticles with controlled size and surface number density can be prepared on mica (for particle size characterization) and GC to make Pt/GC model catalysts. These model catalysts were characterized by tapping mode atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry to measure activity for oxidation of carbon monoxide or methanol. Cyclic voltammetry results demonstrate the existence of a correlation between Pt particle size and electrocatalytic properties including onset potential, tolerance of carbonaceous adsorbates, and intrinsic activity (based on active Pt area from CO stripping voltammetry). Results obtained with Pt/GC model catalysts duplicate prior results obtained with Pt/porous carbon catalysts therefore validating the synthesis approach and offering a new, tunable platform to study catalyst structure and other effects such as aging on proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) reactions.

  16. Hydrogen Production by Steam Reforming of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Over Nickel-Phosphorus-Alumina Xerogel Catalyst Prepared by a Carbon-Templating Epoxide-Driven Sol-Gel Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bang, Yongju; Park, Seungwon; Han, Seung Ju; Yoo, Jaekyeong; Choi, Jung Ho; Kang, Tae Hun; Lee, Jinwon; Song, In Kyu

    2016-05-01

    A nickel-phosphorus-alumina xerogel catalyst was prepared by a carbon-templating epoxide-driven sol-gel method (denoted as CNPA catalyst), and it was applied to the hydrogen production by steam reforming of liquefied natural gas (LNG). For comparison, a nickel-phosphorus-alumina xerogel catalyst was also prepared by a similar method in the absence of carbon template (denoted as NPA catalyst). The effect of carbon template addition on the physicochemical properties and catalytic activities of the catalysts in the steam reforming of LNG was investigated. Both CNPA and NPA catalysts showed excellent textural properties with well-developed mesoporous structure. However, CNPA catalyst retained a more reducible nickel aluminate phase than NPA catalyst. XRD analysis of the reduced CNPA and NPA catalysts revealed that nickel sintering on the CNPA catalyst was suppressed compared to that on the NPA catalyst. From H2-TPD and CH4-TPD measurements of the reduced CNPA and NPA catalysts, it was also revealed that CNPA catalyst with large amount of hydrogen uptake and strong hydrogen-binding sites showed larger amount of methane adsorption than NPA catalyst. In the hydrogen production by steam reforming of LNG, CNPA catalyst with large methane adsorption capacity showed a better catalytic activity than NPA catalyst.

  17. Large-scale synthesis of coiled-like shaped carbon nanotubes using bi-metal catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krishna, Vemula Mohana; Somanathan, T.; Manikandan, E.; Umar, Ahmad; Maaza, M.

    2018-02-01

    Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), especially carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with coiled structure exhibit scientifically fascinating. They may be projected as an innovative preference to future technological materials. Coiled carbon nanotubes (c-CNTs) on a large-scale were successfully synthesized with the help of bi-metal substituted α-alumina nanoparticles catalyst via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. Highly spring-like carbon nanostructures were observed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) examination. Furthermore, the obtained material has high purity, which correlates the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. Raman spectroscopy reveals that the carbon multi layers are well graphitized and crystalline, even if they have defects in its structure due to coiled morphology. High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) describes internal structure and dia of the product. Ultimately, results support the activity of bi-metal impregnated α-alumina nanoparticles catalyst to determine the high yield, graphitization and internal structure of the material. We have also studied the purified c-CNTs magnetic properties at room temperature and will be an added advantage in several applications.

  18. Renewable hydrogen: carbon formation on Ni and Ru catalysts during ethanol steam-reforming

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rass-Hansen, Jeppe; Christensen, Christina Hviid; Sehested, J.

    2007-01-01

    for the production of hydrogen is investigated, along with quantitative and qualitative determinations of carbon formation on the catalysts by TPO and TEM experiments. A Ru/ MgAl2O4 catalyst, a Ni/MgAl2O4 catalyst as well as Ag-and K-promoted Ni/ MgAl2O4 catalysts were studied. The operating temperature was between...... addition was a rapid deactivation of the catalyst due to an enhanced gum carbon formation on the Ni crystals. Contrary to this, the effect of K addition was a prolonged resistance against carbon formation and therefore against deactivation. The Ru catalyst operates better than all the Ni catalysts...

  19. Sulfidation of carbon-supported iron oxide catalysts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ramselaar, W.L.T.M.; Hadders, R.H.; Gerkema, E.; Beer, de V.H.J.; Oers, van E.M.; Kraan, van der A.M.

    1989-01-01

    The sulfidation of carbon-supported iron oxide catalysts was studied by means of in-situ Mössbauer spectroscopy at temperatures down to 4.2 K. The catalysts were dried in two different ways and then sulfided in a flow of 10% H2S in H2 at temperatures between 293 and 773 K. Thiophene

  20. Carbon coated (carbonous) catalyst in ebullated bed reactor for production of oxygenated chemicals from syngas/CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peizheng Zhou

    2002-01-01

    This report summarizes the work completed under DOE's Support of Advanced Fuel Research program, Contract No. DE-FG26-99FT40681. The contract period was October 2000 through September 2002. This R and D program investigated the modification of the mechanical strength of catalyst extrudates using Hydrocarbon Technologies, Inc. (HTI) carbon-coated catalyst technology so that the ebullated bed technology can be utilized to produce valuable oxygenated chemicals from syngas/CO 2 efficiently and economically. Exothermic chemical reactions benefit from the temperature control and freedom from catalyst fouling provided by the ebullated bed reactor technology. The carbon-coated extrudates prepared using these procedures had sufficient attrition resistance and surface area for use in ebullated bed operation. The low cost of carbon coating makes the carbon-coated catalysts highly competitive in the market of catalyst extrudates

  1. Physicochemical investigations of carbon nanofiber supported Cu/ZrO2 catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Din, Israf Ud; Shaharun, Maizatul S.; Subbarao, Duvvuri; Naeem, A.

    2014-01-01

    Zirconia-promoted copper/carbon nanofiber catalysts (Cu‐ZrO 2 /CNF) were prepared by the sequential deposition precipitation method. The Herringbone type of carbon nanofiber GNF-100 (Graphite nanofiber) was used as a catalyst support. Carbon nanofiber was oxidized to (CNF-O) with 5% and 65 % concentration of nitric acid (HNO 3 ). The CNF activated with 5% HNO 3 produced higher surface area which is 155 m 2 /g. The catalyst was characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) and N 2 adsorption-desorption. The results showed that increase of HNO 3 concentration reduced the surface area and porosity of the catalyst

  2. TiO2-anatase modified by carbon as the photo catalyst under visible light

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morawski, A.W.; Janus, M.; Tryba, B.; Kalucki, K.; Tryba, B.; Inagaki, M.

    2006-01-01

    The photo-catalytic oxidation of phenol in water under a visible light over anatase-type titanium dioxide (Tytanpol A11, Poland), modified by carbon deposited via n-hexane carbonization, was investigated. The catalysts, which had small (0-0.2 mass%) and high (0.69-0.85 mass%) contents of carbon showed a little lower catalytic photo-activity than pristine TiO 2 . However, the catalyst with high content of carbon (0.85 mass%) gave almost 14-times lower turbidity in the phenol solution after the photo-catalyst sedimentation. These two factors depend on the carbon content and have an influence on the 'practical efficiency' of the catalysts. The 'practical efficiency' of the catalyst under visible light, calculated from these two factors, was therefore 14-times higher for the catalyst containing 0.85 mass% carbon (whereas for UV radiation, it was found to be lower - 0.2 mass% -; this is the result of a previous work). The surface modification of the catalyst with 0.85% carbon seemed to be stable under visible light. The deposition of carbon on TiO 2 by carbonization of n-hexane was supposed to lead to obtain the catalyst, which could be easily used in a water-treatment system under visible light. (authors)

  3. Synthesis of a carbon-coated NiO/MgO core/shell nanocomposite as a Pd electro-catalyst support for ethanol oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahendiran, C.; Maiyalagan, T.; Scott, K.; Gedanken, A.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Carbon coated on NiO/MgO in a core/shell nanostructure is synthesized by RAPET. → The carbon-coated NiO/MgO is supported by Pd. → The electrocatalytic properties of the Pd/(NiO/MgO-C) catalyst for ethanol oxidation studied. - Abstract: Carbon coated on NiO/MgO in a core/shell nanostructure was synthesized by the single-step RAPET (reaction under autogenic pressure at elevated temperatures) technique, and the obtained formation mechanism of the core/shell nanocomposite was presented. The carbon-coated NiO/MgO and its supported Pd catalyst, Pd/(NiO/MgO-C), were characterized by SEM, HR-TEM, XRD and cyclic voltammetry. The X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the face-centered cubic crystal structure of NiO/MgO. Raman spectroscopy measurements provided structural evidence for the formation of a NiO/MgO composite and the nature of the coated carbon shell. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images showed the core and shell morphologies individually. The electrocatalytic properties of the Pd/(NiO/MgO-C) catalyst for ethanol oxidation were investigated in an alkaline solution. The results indicated that the prepared Pd-NiO/MgO-C catalyst has excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability.

  4. Carbon formation on nickel and nickel-copper alloy catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alstrup, I.; Soerensen, O.; Rostrup-Nielsen, J.R. [Haldor Topsoe Research Labs., Lyngby (Denmark); Tavares, M.T.; Bernardo, C.A.

    1998-05-01

    Equilibrium, kinetic and morphological studies of carbon formation in CH{sub 4} + H{sub 2}, CO, and CO + H{sub 2} gases on silica supported nickel and nickel-copper catalysts are reviewed. The equilibrium deviates in all cases from graphite equilibrium and more so in CO + CO{sub 2} than in CH{sub 4} + H{sub 2}. A kinetic model based on information from surface science results with chemisorption of CH{sub 4} and possibly also the first dehydrogenation step as rate controlling describes carbon formation on nickel catalyst in CH{sub 4} + H{sub 2} well. The kinetics of carbon formation in CO and CO + H{sub 2} gases are in agreement with CO disproportionation as rate determining step. The presence of hydrogen influences strongly the chemisorption of CO. Carbon filaments are formed when hydrogen is present in the gas while encapsulating carbon dominates in pure CO. Small amounts of Cu alloying promotes while larger amounts (Cu : Ni {>=} 0.1) inhibits carbon formation and changes the morphology of the filaments (``octopus`` carbon formation). Adsorption induced nickel segregation changes the kinetics of the alloy catalysts at high carbon activities. Modifications suggested in some very recent papers on the basis of new results are also briefly discussed. (orig.) 31 refs.

  5. Synergistic effect of carbon nanofiber/nanotube composite catalyst on carbon felt electrode for high-performance all-vanadium redox flow battery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Minjoon; Jung, Yang-jae; Kim, Jungyun; Lee, Ho il; Cho, Jeaphil

    2013-10-09

    Carbon nanofiber/nanotube (CNF/CNT) composite catalysts grown on carbon felt (CF), prepared from a simple way involving the thermal decomposition of acetylene gas over Ni catalysts, are studied as electrode materials in a vanadium redox flow battery. The electrode with the composite catalyst prepared at 700 °C (denoted as CNF/CNT-700) demonstrates the best electrocatalytic properties toward the V(2+)/V(3+) and VO(2+)/VO2(+) redox couples among the samples prepared at 500, 600, 700, and 800 °C. Moreover, this composite electrode in the full cell exhibits substantially improved discharge capacity and energy efficiency by ~64% and by ~25% at 40 mA·cm(-2) and 100 mA·cm(-2), respectively, compared to untreated CF electrode. This outstanding performance is due to the enhanced surface defect sites of exposed edge plane in CNF and a fast electron transfer rate of in-plane side wall of the CNT.

  6. Nitrogen controlled iron catalyst phase during carbon nanotube growth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bayer, Bernhard C., E-mail: bernhard.bayer@univie.ac.at [Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom); Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Baehtz, Carsten [Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, D-01314 Dresden (Germany); Kidambi, Piran R.; Weatherup, Robert S.; Caneva, Sabina; Cabrero-Vilatela, Andrea; Hofmann, Stephan [Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom); Mangler, Clemens; Kotakoski, Jani; Meyer, Jannik C. [Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Goddard, Caroline J. L. [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom)

    2014-10-06

    Close control over the active catalyst phase and hence carbon nanotube structure remains challenging in catalytic chemical vapor deposition since multiple competing active catalyst phases typically co-exist under realistic synthesis conditions. Here, using in-situ X-ray diffractometry, we show that the phase of supported iron catalyst particles can be reliably controlled via the addition of NH{sub 3} during nanotube synthesis. Unlike polydisperse catalyst phase mixtures during H{sub 2} diluted nanotube growth, nitrogen addition controllably leads to phase-pure γ-Fe during pre-treatment and to phase-pure Fe{sub 3}C during growth. We rationalize these findings in the context of ternary Fe-C-N phase diagram calculations and, thus, highlight the use of pre-treatment- and add-gases as a key parameter towards controlled carbon nanotube growth.

  7. Development of Sulfur and Carbon Tolerant Reforming Alloy Catalysts Aided by Fundamental Atomistics Insights

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suljo Linic

    2006-08-31

    Current hydrocarbon reforming catalysts suffer from rapid carbon and sulfur poisoning. Even though there is a tremendous incentive to develop more efficient catalysts, these materials are currently formulated using inefficient trial and error experimental approaches. We have utilized a novel hybrid experimental/theoretical approach, combining quantum Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations and various state-of-the-art experimental tools, to formulate carbon tolerant reforming catalysts. We have employed DFT calculations to develop molecular insights into the elementary chemical transformations that lead to carbon poisoning of Ni catalysts. Based on the obtained molecular insights, we have identified, using DFT quantum calculation, Sn/Ni alloy as a potential carbon tolerant reforming catalyst. Sn/Ni alloy was synthesized and tested in steam reforming of methane, propane, and isooctane. We demonstrated that the alloy catalyst is carbon-tolerant under nearly stoichiometric steam-to-carbon ratios. Under these conditions, monometallic Ni is rapidly poisoned by sp2 carbon deposits. The research approach is distinguished by a few characteristics: (a) Knowledge-based, bottom-up approach, compared to the traditional trial and error approach, allows for a more efficient and systematic discovery of improved catalysts. (b) The focus is on exploring alloy materials which have been largely unexplored as potential reforming catalysts.

  8. Electro-oxidation of Ethanol on Carbon Supported PtSn and PtSnNi Catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nur Hidayati

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Even though platinum is known as an active electro-catalyst for ethanol oxidation at low temperatures (< 100 oC, choosing the electrode material for ethanol electro-oxidation is a crucial issue. It is due to its property which easily poisoned by a strong adsorbed species such as CO. PtSn-based electro-catalysts have been identified as better catalysts for ethanol electro-oxidation. The third material is supposed to improved binary catalysts performance. This work presents a study of the ethanol electro-oxidation on carbon supported Pt-Sn and Pt-Sn-Ni catalysts. These catalysts were prepared by alcohol reduction. Nano-particles with diameters between 2.5-5.0 nm were obtained. The peak of (220 crystalline face centred cubic (fcc Pt phase for PtSn and PtSnNi alloys was repositioned due to the presence of Sn and/or Ni in the alloy. Furthermore, the modification of Pt with Sn and SnNi improved ethanol and CO electro-oxidation. Copyright © 2016 BCREC GROUP. All rights reserved Received: 10th November 2015; Revised: 1st February 2016; Accepted: 1st February 2016 How to Cite: Hidayati, N., Scott, K. (2016. Electro-oxidation of Ethanol on Carbon Supported PtSn and PtSnNi Catalysts. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 11 (1: 10-20. (doi:10.9767/bcrec.11.1.394.10-20 Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.11.1.394.10-20

  9. A review of carbon-based and non-carbon-based catalyst supports for the selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthonysamy, Shahreen Binti Izwan; Afandi, Syahidah Binti; Khavarian, Mehrnoush; Mohamed, Abdul Rahman Bin

    2018-01-01

    Various types of carbon-based and non-carbon-based catalyst supports for nitric oxide (NO) removal through selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with ammonia are examined in this review. A number of carbon-based materials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), activated carbon (AC), and graphene (GR) and non-carbon-based materials, such as Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 (ZSM-5), TiO 2 , and Al 2 O 3 supported materials, were identified as the most up-to-date and recently used catalysts for the removal of NO gas. The main focus of this review is the study of catalyst preparation methods, as this is highly correlated to the behaviour of NO removal. The general mechanisms involved in the system, the Langmuir-Hinshelwood or Eley-Riedeal mechanism, are also discussed. Characterisation analysis affecting the surface and chemical structure of the catalyst is also detailed in this work. Finally, a few major conclusions are drawn and future directions for work on the advancement of the SCR-NH 3 catalyst are suggested.

  10. Dimethyl carbonate synthesis via transesterification of propylene carbonate with methanol by ceria-zinc catalysts: Role of catalyst support and reaction parameters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Praveen; Srivastava, Vimal Chandra; Mishra, Indra Mani [Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, Uttarakhand (India)

    2015-09-15

    Ceria and zinc oxide catalyst were impregnated onto various oxide supports, namely Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, TiO{sub 2} and SiO{sub 2}, individually by deposition-coprecipitation method. The synthesized catalysts (CZA, CZS and CZT having supports Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, TiO{sub 2} and SiO{sub 2}, respectively) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), NH{sub 3}- and CO{sub 2}-temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and N2 adsorption. These catalysts were used for synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from methanol and propylene carbonate in a batch reactor. CZS was found to have larger average grain size as compared to CZA and CZT. Composite oxides (catalysts) were found to contain individual phases of ZnO, CeO{sub 2} and some spinel forms of Zn, Ce along with their supports. CZS having highest basicity and surface area showed better catalytic activity as compared to CZA and CZT. Effect of reaction temperature and methanol/PC molar ratio on DMC yield was studied and a reaction mechanism has been discussed. Maximum DMC yield of 77% was observed with CZS catalyst at 170 .deg. C with methanol/PC molar ratio of 10.

  11. Magnetic properties of iron catalyst particles in HiPco single wall carbon nanotubes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bittová, Barbara; Poltierová Vejpravová, Jana; Kalbáč, Martin; Burianová, Simona; Mantlíková, A.; Daniš, S.; Doyle, S.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 115, č. 35 (2011), s. 17303-17309 ISSN 1932-7447 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP204/10/1677 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520; CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : metal catalyst particles * carbon nanotubes * superparamagnet * core - shell model * inter-particle interactions Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 4.805, year: 2011 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jp203365g

  12. Pulsed laser dewetting of nickel catalyst for carbon nanofiber growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guan, Y F; Pearce, R C; Simpson, M L; Rack, P D; Melechko, A V; Hensley, D K

    2008-01-01

    We present a pulsed laser dewetting technique that produces single nickel catalyst particles from lithographically patterned disks for subsequent carbon nanofiber growth through plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Unlike the case for standard heat treated Ni catalyst disks, for which multiple nickel particles and consequently multiple carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are observed, single vertically aligned CNFs could be obtained from the laser dewetted catalyst. Different laser dewetting parameters were tested in this study, such as the laser energy density and the laser processing time measured by the total number of laser pulses. Various nickel disk radii and thicknesses were attempted and the resultant number of carbon nanofibers was found to be a function of the initial disk dimension and the number of laser pulses

  13. Preparation of a Carbon-Based Solid Acid Catalyst by Sulfonating Activated Carbon in a Chemical Reduction Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Yan Liu

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Sulfonated (SO3H-bearing activated carbon (AC-SO3H was synthesized by an aryl diazonium salt reduction process. The obtained material had a SO3H density of 0.64 mmol·g-1 and a specific surface area of 602 m2·g-1. The catalytic properties of AC-SO3H were compared with that of two commercial solid acid catalysts, Nafion NR50 and Amberlyst-15. In a 10-h esterification reaction of acetic acid with ethanol, the acid conversion with AC-SO3H (78% was lower than that of Amberlyst-15 (86%, which could be attributed to the fact that the SO3H density of the sulfonated carbon was lower than that of Amberlyst-15 (4.60 mmol·g-1. However, AC-SO3H exhibited comparable and even much higher catalytic activities than the commercial catalysts in the esterification of aliphatic acids with longer carbon chains such as hexanoic acid and decanoic acid, which may be due to the large specific surface area and mesoporous structures of the activated carbon. The disadvantage of AC-SO3H is the leaching of SO3H group during the reactions.

  14. Morphology-Dependent Properties of Cu/CeO2 Catalysts for the Water-Gas Shift Reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhibo Ren

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available CeO2 nanooctahedrons, nanorods, and nanocubes were prepared by the hydrothermal method and were then used as supports of Cu-based catalysts for the water-gas shift (WGS reaction. The chemical and physical properties of these catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, N2 adsorption/desorption, UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR and in situ diffuse reflectance infra-red fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS techniques. Characterization results indicate that the morphology of the CeO2 supports, originating from the selective exposure of different crystal planes, has a distinct impact on the dispersion of Cu and the catalytic properties. The nanooctahedron CeO2 catalyst (Cu-CeO2-O showed the best dispersion of Cu, the largest amount of moderate copper oxide, and the strongest Cu-support interaction. Consequently, the Cu-CeO2-O catalyst exhibited the highest CO conversion at the temperature range of 150–250 °C when compared with the nanocube and nanorod Cu-CeO2 catalysts. The optimized Cu content of the Cu-CeO2-O catalysts is 10 wt % and the CO conversion reaches 91.3% at 300 °C. A distinctive profile assigned to the evolution of different types of carbonate species was observed in the 1000–1800 cm−1 region of the in situ DRIFTS spectra and a particular type of carbonate species was identified as a potential key reaction intermediate at low temperature.

  15. Application of sodium carbonate prevents sulphur poisoning of catalysts in automated total mercury analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLagan, David S.; Huang, Haiyong; Lei, Ying D.; Wania, Frank; Mitchell, Carl P. J.

    2017-07-01

    Analysis of high sulphur-containing samples for total mercury content using automated thermal decomposition, amalgamation, and atomic absorption spectroscopy instruments (USEPA Method 7473) leads to rapid and costly SO2 poisoning of catalysts. In an effort to overcome this issue, we tested whether the addition of powdered sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) to the catalyst and/or directly on top of sample material increases throughput of sulphur-impregnated (8-15 wt%) activated carbon samples per catalyst tube. Adding 5 g of Na2CO3 to the catalyst alone only marginally increases the functional lifetime of the catalyst (31 ± 4 g of activated carbon analyzed per catalyst tube) in relation to unaltered catalyst of the AMA254 total mercury analyzer (17 ± 4 g of activated carbon). Adding ≈ 0.2 g of Na2CO3 to samples substantially increases (81 ± 17 g of activated carbon) catalyst life over the unaltered catalyst. The greatest improvement is achieved by adding Na2CO3 to both catalyst and samples (200 ± 70 g of activated carbon), which significantly increases catalyst performance over all other treatments and enables an order of magnitude greater sample throughput than the unaltered samples and catalyst. It is likely that Na2CO3 efficiently sequesters SO2, even at high furnace temperatures to produce Na2SO4 and CO2, largely negating the poisonous impact of SO2 on the catalyst material. Increased corrosion of nickel sampling boats resulting from this methodological variation is easily resolved by substituting quartz boats. Overall, this variation enables an efficient and significantly more affordable means of employing automated atomic absorption spectrometry instruments for total mercury analysis of high-sulphur matrices.

  16. Physicochemical investigations of carbon nanofiber supported Cu/ZrO{sub 2} catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Din, Israf Ud, E-mail: drisraf@yahoo.com, E-mail: maizats@petronas.com.my; Shaharun, Maizatul S., E-mail: drisraf@yahoo.com, E-mail: maizats@petronas.com.my [Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (Malaysia); Subbarao, Duvvuri, E-mail: duvvuri-subbarao@petronas.com.my [Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (Malaysia); Naeem, A., E-mail: naeeem64@yahoo.com [National Centre of Excellence in Physical Chemistry, University of Peshawar (Pakistan)

    2014-10-24

    Zirconia-promoted copper/carbon nanofiber catalysts (Cu‐ZrO{sub 2}/CNF) were prepared by the sequential deposition precipitation method. The Herringbone type of carbon nanofiber GNF-100 (Graphite nanofiber) was used as a catalyst support. Carbon nanofiber was oxidized to (CNF-O) with 5% and 65 % concentration of nitric acid (HNO{sub 3}). The CNF activated with 5% HNO{sub 3} produced higher surface area which is 155 m{sup 2}/g. The catalyst was characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) and N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption. The results showed that increase of HNO{sub 3} concentration reduced the surface area and porosity of the catalyst.

  17. Application of aromatization catalyst in synthesis of carbon nanotubes

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    In a typical chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process for synthesizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs), it was found that the aromatization catalysts could promote effectively the formation of CNT. The essence of this phenomenon was attributed to the fact that the aromatization catalyst can accelerate the ...

  18. Sustainable production of acetaldehyde from lactic acid over the carbon catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Congming; Peng, Jiansheng; Li, Xinli; Zhai, Zhanjie; Gao, Hejun; Liao, Yunwen [China West Normal University, Nanchong (China); Bai, Wei; Jiang, Ning [Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu (China)

    2016-01-15

    The synthesis of acetaldehyde from lactic acid over the carbon material catalysts was investigated. The carbon materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy for morphologic features, by X-ray diffraction for crystal phases, by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for functional group structures, by N2 sorption for specific surface area and by ammonia temperature-programed desorption for acidity, respectively. Among the tested carbon catalysts, mesoporous carbon displayed the most excellent catalytic performance. By acidity analysis, the medium acidity is a crucial factor for catalytic performance: more medium acidity favored the formation of acetaldehyde from lactic acid. To verify, we compared the catalytic performance of fresh activated carbon with that of the activated carbon treated by nitric acid. Similarly, the modified activated carbon also displayed better activity due to a drastic increase of medium acidity amount. However, in contrast to fresh carbon nanotube, the treated sample displayed worse activity due to decrease of medium acidity amount. The effect of reaction temperature and time on stream on the catalytic performance was also investigated. Under the optimal reaction conditions, 100% lactic acid conversion and 91.6% acetaldehyde selectivity were achieved over the mesoporous carbon catalyst.

  19. Deactivation by carbon of iron catalysts for indirect liquefaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bartholomew, C.H.

    1990-10-11

    This report describes recent progress in a fundamental, three-year investigation of carbon formation and its effects on the activity and selectivity of promoted iron catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis, the objectives of which are: determine rates and mechanisms of carbon deactivation of unsupported Fe and Fe/K catalysts during CO hydrogenation over a range of CO concentrations, CO:H{sub 2} ratios, and temperatures; model the rates of deactivation of the same catalysts in fixed-bed reactors. During the thirteenth quarter design of software for a computer-automated reactor system to be used in the kinetic and deactivation studies was continued. Further progress was made toward the completion of the control language, control routines, and software for operating this system. Progress was also made on the testing of the system hardware and software. H{sub 2} chemisorption capacities and activity selectivity data were also measured for three iron catalysts promoted with 1% alumina. 47 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

  20. Development of industrial hydrogenating catalyst on rhenium base

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chistyakova, G.A.; Bat', I.I.; Rebrova, V.V.

    1975-01-01

    Processes for forming rhenium catalysts on carbon carrier and their catalytic properties in nitrobenzene (NB) reduction were studied. Application of an ammonia preparation to the carbon surface produced impregnated carbon saturated at room temperature with a water solution of the ammonia preparation, taken in a volume equal to the volumetric capacity of the carbon. With one impregnation, 2% rhenium was taken up. Catalysts containing more than 5% rhenium were obtained by impregnating the carbon with heating and use of more concentrated solutions. Catalysts made in this way and dried at 100 0 C had the composition Re 2 OH/carbon/. The most active catalysts were those reduced at 200-250 0 C; higher temperatures, up to 300-500 0 C, decreased the activity. Study of the catalytic properties of the rhenium catalysts in a liquid phase reduction of NB showed that the specific activity of rhenium depends only slightly on the content of the active component in the catalyst and is close to the specific activity of palladium and considerably exceeds that of nickel. Study of the effect of the NB concentration and hydrogen pressure on the activity and stability of the 5% rhenium catalyst indicated that with NB concentrations from 50 to 10% the process takes place at an essentially constant rate; the order of the reaction was close to zero with an apparent activation energy of about 7000 cal/mole. At pressures of 15-200 atm the yield with the 5% catalyst was proportional to the hydrogen pressure. A big advantage of the rhenium catalysts in the reduction of NB is their high selectivity. With a higher activity than palladium and nickel catalysts, 5% rhenium catalyst produces a high operating capacity in a wide range of contact charges, which has considerable significance for industrial use in contact apparatus of the column type. Comparison of the costs of rhenium catalysts and granular carbon carrier with those of nickel, platinum, and palladium showed that 5% rhenium catalyst can

  1. Chemistry of Fluorinated Carbon Acids: Synthesis, Physicochemical Properties, and Catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanai, Hikaru

    2015-01-01

    The bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]methyl (Tf2CH; Tf=SO2CF3) group is known to be one of the strongest carbon acid functionalities. The acidity of such carbon acids in the gas phase is stronger than that of sulfuric acid. Our recent investigations have demonstrated that this type of carbon acids work as novel acid catalysts. In this paper, recent achievements in carbon acid chemistry by our research group, including synthesis, physicochemical properties, and catalysis, are summarized.

  2. Graphitic Carbon Nitride as a Catalyst Support in Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mansor, Noramalina; Miller, Thomas S.; Dedigama, Ishanka; Jorge, Ana Belen; Jia, Jingjing; Brázdová, Veronika; Mattevi, Cecilia; Gibbs, Chris; Hodgson, David; Shearing, Paul R.; Howard, Christopher A.; Corà, Furio; Shaffer, Milo; Brett, Daniel J.L.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) describes many materials with different structures. • gCNs can exhibit excellent mechanical, chemical and thermal resistance. • A major obstacle for pure gCN catalyst supports is limited electronic conductivity. • Composite/Hybrid gCN structures show excellent performance as catalyst supports. • gCNs have great potential for use in fuel calls and water electrolyzers. - Abstract: Electrochemical power sources, such as polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), require the use of precious metal catalysts which are deposited as nanoparticles onto supports in order to minimize their mass loading and therefore cost. State-of-the-art/commercial supports are based on forms of carbon black. However, carbon supports present disadvantages including corrosion in the operating fuel cell environment and loss of catalyst activity. Here we review recent work examining the potential of different varieties of graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) as catalyst supports, highlighting their likely benefits, as well as the challenges associated with their implementation. The performance of gCN and hybrid gCN-carbon materials as PEMFC electrodes is discussed, as well as their potential for use in alkaline systems and water electrolyzers. We illustrate the discussion with examples taken from our own recent studies.

  3. Study of Supported Nickel Catalysts Prepared by Aqueous Hydrazine Method. Hydrogenating Properties and Hydrogen Storage: Support Effect. Silver Additive Effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wojcieszak, R.

    2006-06-01

    We have studied Ni or NiAg nano-particles obtained by the reduction of nickel salts (acetate or nitrate) by hydrazine and deposited by simple or EDTA-double impregnation on various supports (γ-Al 2 O 3 , amorphous or crystallized SiO 2 , Nb 2 O 5 , CeO 2 and carbon). Prepared catalysts were characterized by different methods (XRD, XPS, low temperature adsorption and desorption of N 2 , FTIR and FTIR-Pyridine, TEM, STEM, EDS, H 2 -TPR, H 2 -adsorption, H 2 -TPD, isopropanol decomposition) and tested in the gas phase hydrogenation of benzene or as carbon materials in the hydrogen storage at room temperature and high pressure. The catalysts prepared exhibited better dispersion and activity than classical catalysts. TOF's of NiAg/SiO 2 or Ni/carbon catalysts were similar to Pt catalysts in benzene hydrogenation. Differences in support acidity or preparation method and presence of Ag as metal additive play a crucial role in the chemical reduction of Ni by hydrazine and in the final properties of the materials. Ni/carbon catalysts could store significant amounts of hydrogen at room temperature and high pressure (0.53%/30 bars), probably through the hydrogen spillover effect. (author)

  4. Phosphorus poisoning of molybdenum sulfide hydrodesulfurization catalysts supported on carbon and alumina

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bouwens, S.M.A.M.; Vissers, J.P.R.; Beer, de V.H.J.; Prins, R.

    1988-01-01

    Phosphorus-containing Mo sulfide catalysts supported on ¿-Al2O3 and activated carbon were evaluated for their thiophene HDS activities. Phosphorus was added as phosphoric acid to the carrier material prior to the molybdenum component. The thiophene HDS activity of the carbon-supported catalysts was

  5. Synthesis and Characterization of Carbon nanofibers on Co and Cu Catalysts by Chemical Vapor Deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Eunsil; Kim, Jongwon; Lee, Changseop

    2014-01-01

    This study reports on the synthesis of carbon nanofibers via chemical vapor deposition using Co and Cu as catalysts. In order to investigate the suitability of their catalytic activity for the growth of nanofibers, we prepared catalysts for the synthesis of carbon nanofibers with Cobalt nitrate and Copper nitrate, and found the optimum concentration of each respective catalyst. Then we made them react with Aluminum nitrate and Ammonium Molybdate to form precipitates. The precipitates were dried at a temperature of 110 .deg. C in order to be prepared into catalyst powder. The catalyst was sparsely and thinly spread on a quartz tube boat to grow carbon nanofibers via thermal chemical vapor deposition. The characteristics of the synthesized carbon nanofibers were analyzed through SEM, EDS, XRD, Raman, XPS, and TG/DTA, and the specific surface area was measured via BET. Consequently, the characteristics of the synthesized carbon nanofibers were greatly influenced by the concentration ratio of metal catalysts. In particular, uniform carbon nanofibers of 27 nm in diameter grew when the concentration ratio of Co and Cu was 6:4 at 700 .deg. C of calcination temperature; carbon nanofibers synthesized under such conditions showed the best crystallizability, compared to carbon nanofibers synthesized with metal catalysts under different concentration ratios, and revealed 1.26 high amorphicity as well as 292 m 2 g -1 high specific surface area

  6. Simple synthesis of mesoporous FeNi/graphitic carbon nanocomposite catalysts and study on their activities in catalytic cracking of toluene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Yangang, E-mail: ygwang8136@gmail.com [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China); Chen, Yuting; Yao, Mingcui [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China); Qin, Hengfei; Kang, Shifei; Li, Xi [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Zuo, Yuanhui; Zhang, Xiaodong [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China); Cui, Li-Feng, E-mail: lifeng.cui@gmail.com [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China)

    2015-11-01

    Mesoporous FeNi alloy/graphitic carbon nanocomposite catalysts with different Fe/Ni molar ratios have been synthesized through a simple solid–liquid grinding/templating method using mesoporous silica SBA-15 as the template. Metal nitrates and natural soybean oil were respectively used as the magnetic particle precursors and carbon source, which can be infiltrated into the silica template after simple impregnation, grinding and subsequent heat treatment. X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption–desorption, transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis techniques were used to characterize the samples. It is observed that high contents of FeNi alloy nanoparticles with the sizes of 3–6 nm are well dispersed into the walls of graphitic mesoporous carbon matrix, and the resulting nanocomposites have a uniform mesostructure with a high specific surface area and large pore volume. Because of these properties, the obtained FeNi/graphitic carbon nanocomposites can be used as novel catalysts for the catalytic cracking of toluene and exhibit a higher activity and stability than FeNi/commercial activated carbon (AC) catalyst. After a period of 810 min reaction at 700 °C, the toluene conversion on the FeNi/graphitic carbon nanocomposites can be maintained at a level of more than 75% and this value is 2.5 times as high as that of the FeNi/AC catalyst. - Highlights: • Mesoporous FeNi alloy/graphitic carbon nanocomposites (FeNi/GCN) were synthesized. • High contents of FeNi alloy nanoparticles are well embedded into the graphitic carbon walls. • The obtained FeNi/GCN catalysts have a high surface area and uniform mesostructure. • The FeNi/GCN catalysts exhibited excellent catalytic performance in the cracking of toluene.

  7. Catalyst deposition for the preparation of carbon nanotubes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2013-01-01

    patterned surface is configured to ensure that no more than a single island of catalyst is formed on each plateau, so that a sub sequent growth of carbon nanotubes from the deposited islands result in that no more than a single carbon nanotube is grown from each plateau....

  8. Hemoglobin-carbon nanotube derived noble-metal-free Fe5C2-based catalyst for highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vij, Varun; Tiwari, Jitendra N.; Lee, Wang-Geun; Yoon, Taeseung; Kim, Kwang S.

    2016-02-01

    High performance non-precious cathodic catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are vital for the development of energy materials and devices. Here, we report an noble metal free, Fe5C2 nanoparticles-studded sp2 carbon supported mesoporous material (CNTHb-700) as cathodic catalyst for ORR, which was prepared by pyrolizing the hybrid adduct of single walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) and lyophilized hemoglobin (Hb) at 700 °C. The catalyst shows onset potentials of 0.92 V in 0.1 M HClO4 and in 0.1 M KOH which are as good as commercial Pt/C catalyst, giving very high current density of 6.34 and 6.69 mA cm-2 at 0.55 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), respectively. This catalyst has been confirmed to follow 4-electron mechanism for ORR and shows high electrochemical stability in both acidic and basic media. Catalyst CNTHb-700 possesses much higher tolerance towards methanol than the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Highly efficient catalytic properties of CNTHb-700 could lead to fundamental understanding of utilization of biomolecules in ORR and materialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells for clean energy production.

  9. Carbon nanotube forests growth using catalysts from atomic layer deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Bingan; Zhang, Can; Esconjauregui, Santiago; Xie, Rongsi; Zhong, Guofang; Robertson, John [Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom); Bhardwaj, Sunil [Istituto Officina dei Materiali-CNR Laboratorio TASC, s.s. 14, km 163.4, I-34012 Trieste (Italy); Sincrotone Trieste S.C.p.A., s.s. 14, km 163.4, I-34149 Trieste (Italy); Cepek, Cinzia [Istituto Officina dei Materiali-CNR Laboratorio TASC, s.s. 14, km 163.4, I-34012 Trieste (Italy)

    2014-04-14

    We have grown carbon nanotubes using Fe and Ni catalyst films deposited by atomic layer deposition. Both metals lead to catalytically active nanoparticles for growing vertically aligned nanotube forests or carbon fibres, depending on the growth conditions and whether the substrate is alumina or silica. The resulting nanotubes have narrow diameter and wall number distributions that are as narrow as those grown from sputtered catalysts. The state of the catalyst is studied by in-situ and ex-situ X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. We demonstrate multi-directional nanotube growth on a porous alumina foam coated with Fe prepared by atomic layer deposition. This deposition technique can be useful for nanotube applications in microelectronics, filter technology, and energy storage.

  10. Synthesis of carbon nanotubes and nanotube forests on copper catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruszka, Bartosz; Terzyk, Artur P; Wiśniewski, Marek; Gauden, Piotr A; Szybowicz, Mirosław

    2014-01-01

    The growth of carbon nanotubes on bulk copper is studied. We show for the first time, that super growth chemical vapor deposition method can be successfully applied for preparation of nanotubes on copper catalyst, and the presence of hydrogen is necessary. Next, different methods of copper surface activation are studied, to improve catalyst efficiency. Among them, applied for the first time for copper catalyst in nanotubes synthesis, sulfuric acid activation is the most promising. Among tested samples the surface modified for 10 min is the most active, causing the growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotube forests. Obtained results have potential importance in application of nanotubes and copper in electronic chips and nanodevices. (paper)

  11. A phenyl-sulfonic acid anchored carbon-supported platinum catalyst for polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selvarani, G.; Sahu, A.K.; Choudhury, N.A.; Sridhar, P.; Pitchumani, S.; Shukla, A.K.

    2007-01-01

    A method, to anchor phenyl-sulfonic acid functional groups with the platinum catalyst supported onto a high surface-area carbon substrate, is reported. The use of the catalyst in the electrodes of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) helps enhancing its performance. Characterization of the catalyst by Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and point-of-zero-charge (PZC) studies suggests that the improvement in performance of the PEFC is facilitated not only by enlarging the three-phase boundary in the catalyst layer but also by providing ionic-conduction paths as well as by imparting negative charge to platinum sites with concomitant oxidation of sulfur present in the carbon support. It is argued that the negatively charged platinum sites help repel water facilitating oxygen to access the catalyst sites. The PEFC with modified carbon-supported platinum catalyst electrodes exhibits 40% enhancement in its power density as compared to the one with unmodified carbon-supported platinum catalyst electrodes

  12. A facile approach towards increasing the nitrogen-content in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes via halogenated catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ombaka, L.M.; Ndungu, P.G.; Omondi, B.; McGettrick, J.D.; Davies, M.L.; Nyamori, V.O.

    2016-01-01

    Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) have been synthesized at 850 °C via a CVD deposition technique by use of three ferrocenyl derivative catalysts, i.e. para-CN, -CF_3 and -Cl substituted-phenyl rings. The synthesized catalysts have been characterized by NMR, IR, HR-MS and XRD. The XRD analysis of the para-CF_3 catalyst indicates that steric factors influence the X-ray structure of 1,1′-ferrocenylphenyldiacrylonitriles. Acetonitrile or pyridine was used as carbon and nitrogen sources to yield mixtures of N-CNTs and carbon spheres (CS). The N-CNTs obtained from the para-CF_3 catalysts, in pyridine, have the highest nitrogen-doping level, show a helical morphology and are less thermally stable compared with those synthesized by use of the para-CN and -Cl as catalyst. This suggests that fluorine heteroatoms enhance nitrogen-doping in N-CNTs and formation of helical-N-CNTs (H-N-CNTs). The para-CF_3 and para-Cl catalysts in acetonitrile yielded iron-filled N-CNTs, indicating that halogens promote encapsulation of iron into the cavity of N-CNT. The use of acetonitrile, as carbon and nitrogen source, with the para-CN and -Cl as catalysts also yielded a mixture of N-CNTs and carbon nanofibres (CNFs), with less abundance of CNFs in the products obtained using para-Cl catalysts. However, para-CF_3 catalyst in acetonitrile gave N-CNTs as the only shaped carbon nanomaterials. - Graphical abstract: Graphical abstract showing the synthesis of N-CNTs using halogenated-ferrocenyl derivatives as catalyst with pyridine or acetonitrile as nitrogen and carbon sources via the chemical vapour deposition technique. - Highlights: • N-CNTs were synthesized from halogenated ferrocenyl catalysts. • Halogenated catalysts promote nitrogen-doping and pyridinic nitrogen in N-CNTs. • Halogenated catalysts facilitate iron filling of N-CNTs.

  13. Synthesis and characterization of nanometal-ordered mesoporous carbon composites as heterogeneous catalysts for electrooxidation of aniline

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duan, Xiaoyue; Chen, Yawen; Liu, Xinyue; Chang, Limin

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: •NM-OMC catalysts were prepared for electrochemical oxidation of aniline. •The oxidation of aniline was studied with NM-OMC catalysts suspended in solution. •The Cu-OMC exhibited the highest catalytic activity for aniline degradation. •The mineralization current efficiency was improved by 2 times with Cu-OMC catalyst. •An electrochemical mineralization pathway of aniline was proposed. -- Abstract: The Cu, Co and Ni nanometal embedded ordered mesoporous carbons (NM-OMCs) were fabricated by a soft-template method using phenol/formaldehyde as carbon source and triblock copolymer F127 as template agent. The morphology, structure, surface physicochemical properties and pore structure of the NM-OMCs were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. Their potential application to the electrocatalytic degradation of aniline was investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and ·OH radicals generation test. Furthermore, the electrochemical oxidation process of aniline was also investigated in the presence of the OMC-based catalyst particles suspended in a Na 2 SO 4 solution using a PbO 2 anode. Results revealed that the NM-OMCs inherited the ordered mesostructure of pristine OMC and the metal nanoparticles (Cu, Co or Ni) were embedded in the carbon framework. The Cu-OMC exhibited significantly higher catalytic activity than OMC and other NM-OMCs for the electrooxidation of aniline. In electrochemical oxidation process of aniline, nearly all of aniline could be degraded after 120 min of electrolysis with Cu-OMC particles as catalyst, while 89%, 92%, and 97% with OMC, Co-OMC and Ni-OMC catalysts, respectively, obviously higher than 76% of electrochemical oxidation without assistance of catalysts. After

  14. Composite catalyst for carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wei; Flytzani-Stephanopoulos, Maria

    1996-01-01

    A method and composition for the complete oxidation of carbon monoxide and/or hydrocarbon compounds. The method involves reacting the carbon monoxide and/or hydrocarbons with an oxidizing agent in the presence of a metal oxide composite catalyst. The catalyst is prepared by combining fluorite-type oxygen ion conductors with active transition metals. The fluorite oxide, selected from the group consisting of cerium oxide, zirconium oxide, thorium oxide, hafnium oxide, and uranium oxide, and may be doped by alkaline earth and rare earth oxides. The transition metals, selected from the group consisting of molybdnum, copper, cobalt, maganese, nickel, and silver, are used as additives. The atomic ratio of transition metal to fluorite oxide is less than one.

  15. HDO of guaiacol over NiMo catalyst supported on activated carbon derived from castor de-oiled cake

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viviana Ospina

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Physical and chemical activation methods were used to prepare two different activated carbons (ACs from castor de-oiled cake. H2O/CO2 mixture was used as the physical activating agent, and for chemical activation potassium carbonate (K2CO3 was used. For both materials, textural and chemical properties were characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR, thermal programmed reduction (TPR, X-ray fluorescence (XRF, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. The ACs were used as supports for NiMo sulfide catalysts, which were prepared by wetness impregnation and in-situ sulfided for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO of guaiacol (GUA as a model compound of bio-oil. The HDO reaction was carried out in a typical batch reactor at 5 MPa of H2 and 350 °C. Under the same test conditions, commercial catalysts were also tested in the reaction. Although the commercial catalysts displayed higher GUA conversion, the prepared catalysts showed higher activity and non-oxygenated and saturated products yield.

  16. Magnetic Carbon Supported Palladium Nanoparticles: An Efficient and Sustainable Catalyst for Hydrogenation Reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnetic carbon supported Pd catalyst has been synthesized via in situ generation of nanoferrites and incorporation of carbon from renewable cellulose via calcination; the catalyst can be used for the hydrogenation of alkenes and reduction of aryl nitro compounds.

  17. Surface treated carbon catalysts produced from waste tires for fatty acids to biofuel conversion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hood, Zachary D.; Adhikari, Shiba P.; Wright, Marcus W.; Lachgar, Abdessadek; Li, Yunchao; Naskar, Amit K.; Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans

    2018-02-06

    A method of making solid acid catalysts includes the step of sulfonating waste tire pieces in a first sulfonation step. The sulfonated waste tire pieces are pyrolyzed to produce carbon composite pieces having a pore size less than 10 nm. The carbon composite pieces are then ground to produce carbon composite powders having a size less than 50 .mu.m. The carbon composite particles are sulfonated in a second sulfonation step to produce sulfonated solid acid catalysts. A method of making biofuels and solid acid catalysts are also disclosed.

  18. Pyrolysis-catalysis of waste plastic using a nickel-stainless-steel mesh catalyst for high-value carbon products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yeshui; Nahil, Mohamad A; Wu, Chunfei; Williams, Paul T

    2017-11-01

    A stainless-steel mesh loaded with nickel catalyst was produced and used for the pyrolysis-catalysis of waste high-density polyethylene with the aim of producing high-value carbon products, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The catalysis temperature and plastic-to-catalyst ratio were investigated to determine the influence on the formation of different types of carbon deposited on the nickel-stainless-steel mesh catalyst. Increasing temperature from 700 to 900°C resulted in an increase in the carbon deposited on the nickel-loaded stainless-steel mesh catalyst from 32.5 to 38.0 wt%. The increase in sample-to-catalyst ratio reduced the amount of carbon deposited on the mesh catalyst in terms of g carbon g -1 plastic. The carbons were found to be largely composed of filamentous carbons, with negligible disordered (amorphous) carbons. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of the filamentous carbons revealed them to be composed of a large proportion (estimated at ∼40%) multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The optimum process conditions for CNT production, in terms of yield and graphitic nature, determined by Raman spectroscopy, was catalysis temperature of 800°C and plastic-to-catalyst ratio of 1:2, where a mass of 334 mg of filamentous/MWCNTs g -1 plastic was produced.

  19. Electroreduction of oxygen on carbon-supported gold catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erikson, Heiki; Juermann, Gea; Sarapuu, Ave; Potter, Robert J.; Tammeveski, Kaido

    2009-01-01

    The electrochemical reduction of oxygen was studied on Au/C catalysts (20 and 30 wt%) in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 and 0.1 M KOH solutions using the rotating disk electrode (RDE) method. The thickness of the Au/C-Nafion layers was varied between 1.5 and 10 μm. The specific activity of Au was independent of catalyst loading in both solutions, indicating that the transport of reactants through the catalyst layer does not limit the process of oxygen reduction under these conditions. The mass activity of 20 wt% Au/C catalysts was higher due to smaller particle size. The number of electrons involved in the reaction and the Tafel slopes were found; the values of these parameters are similar to that of bulk polycrystalline gold and indicate that the mechanism of O 2 reduction is not affected by carbon support or the catalyst configuration.

  20. Conversion of biomass-derived sorbitol to glycols over carbon-materials supported Ru-based catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Xingcui; Guan, Jing; Li, Bin; Wang, Xicheng; Mu, Xindong; Liu, Huizhou

    2015-11-01

    Ruthenium (Ru) supported on activated carbon (AC) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was carried out in the hydrogenolysis of sorbitol to ethylene glycol (EG) and 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD) under the promotion of tungsten (WOx) species and different bases. Their catalytic activities and glycols selectivities strongly depended on the support properties and location of Ru on CNTs, owning to the altered metal-support interactions and electronic state of ruthenium. Ru located outside of the tubes showed excellent catalytic performance than those encapsulated inside the nanotubes. Additionally, the introduction of WOx into Ru/CNTs significantly improved the hydrogenolysis activities, and a complete conversion of sorbitol with up to 60.2% 1,2-PD and EG yields was obtained on RuWOx/CNTs catalyst upon addition of Ca(OH)2. Stability study showed that this catalyst was highly stable against leaching and poisoning and could be recycled several times.

  1. Novel type of carbon-supported catalysts. I.Preparation and characterization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Doorn, J.; Staugaard, P.; Moulijn, J.A.; Beer, de V.H.J.

    1989-01-01

    The exposure of CoO/Al2O3 catalysts to carbon monoxide leads, after reduction to cobalt metal, to the formation of filamentary carbon in addition to a less reactive form of deposited carbon. The filament diameters were determined by scanning electron microscopy. The carbon content was determined by

  2. The effect of alkaline doped catalysts on the CVD synthesis of carbon nanotubes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nemeth, Krisztian; Nemeth, Zoltan; Fejes, Dora

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this work was to develop new doped catalysts for chemical vapour deposition (CVD) synthesis in order to increase the quantity and quality of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Doping compounds such as CsBr, CsCl, KBr and KCl were used to reach higher carbon deposit and carbon yield. The amount o...... of the dopant alkali compounds varied from 1 to 5%. As prepared CNTs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman microscopy. Results revealed that both carbon yield and deposit could be increased over doped catalysts.......The aim of this work was to develop new doped catalysts for chemical vapour deposition (CVD) synthesis in order to increase the quantity and quality of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Doping compounds such as CsBr, CsCl, KBr and KCl were used to reach higher carbon deposit and carbon yield. The amount...

  3. Functionalized Natural Carbon-Supported Nanoparticles as Excellent Catalysts for Hydrocarbon Production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jian; Guo, Lisheng; Ma, Qingxiang; Gao, Xinhua; Yamane, Noriyuki; Xu, Hengyong; Tsubaki, Noritatsu

    2017-02-01

    We report a one-pot and eco-friendly synthesis of carbon-supported cobalt nanoparticles, achieved by carbonization of waste biomass (rice bran) with a cobalt source. The functionalized biomass provides carbon microspheres as excellent catalyst support, forming a unique interface between hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups. The latter, involving hydroxyl and amino groups, can catch much more active cobalt nanoparticles on surface for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis than chemical carbon. The loading amount of cobalt on the final catalyst is much higher than that prepared with a chemical carbon source, such as glucose. The proposed concept of using a functionalized natural carbon source shows great potential compared with conventional carbon sources, and will be meaningful for other fields concerning carbon support, such as heterogeneous catalysis or electrochemical fields. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. A Study of Iron-Nitrogen-Carbon Fuel Cell Catalysts: Chemistry - Nanostructure - Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Workman, Michael J., Jr.

    Fuel cells have the potential to be a pollution-free, low-cost, and energy efficient alternative to the internal combustion engine for transportation and small-scale stationary power applications. The current state of fuel cell technology has already achieved two of these three lofty goals. The remaining barrier to wide-scale deployment is the high cost, which is primarily caused by dependence on large amounts of platinum to catalyze the energy conversion reactions. To overcome this barrier and facilitate the integration of fuel cells into mainstream applications, research into a new class of catalyst materials that do not require platinum is needed. There has been a significant amount of research effort directed toward the development of platinum-group metal free (PGM-free) catalysts, yet there is a lack of consensus on both the engineering parameters necessary to improve the technology and the fundamental science that would facilitate rational design. I have engaged in research on PGM-free catalysts based on inexpensive and abundant reagents, specifically: nicarbazin and iron. Catalysts made from these precursors have previously proven to be among the best PGM-free catalysts, but their continued advancement suffered from the same lack of understanding that besets all catalysts in this class. The work I have performed address both engineering concerns and fundamental underlying principles. I present results demonstrating correlations between physical structure, chemical speciation, and synthesis parameters, as well as addressing active site chemistry and likely locations. My research presented herein introduces new morphology analysis techniques and elucidates several key structure-to-property characteristics of catalysts derived from iron and nicarbazin. I discuss the development and application of a new length-scale specific surface analysis technique that allows for analysis of well-defined size ranges from a few nm to several microns. The existing technique of

  5. A Comparative Study of Carbon Nanotubes Synthesized from Co/Zn/Al and Fe/Ni/Al Catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ezekiel Dixon Dikio

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The catalyst systems Fe/Ni/Al and Co/Zn/Al were synthesized and used in the synthesis of carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotubes produced were characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM, Energy Dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy (EDS, Raman spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM. A comparison of the morphological profile of the carbon nanotubes produced from these catalysts indicates the catalyst system Fe/Ni/Al to have produced higher quality carbon nanotubes than the catalyst system Co/Zn/Al.

  6. Sea urchin-like mesoporous carbon material grown with carbon nanotubes as a cathode catalyst support for fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuo, Ping-Lin; Hsu, Chun-Han; Li, Wan-Ting; Jhan, Jing-Yi; Chen, Wei-Fu [Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101 (China)

    2010-12-15

    A sea urchin-like carbon (UC) material with high surface area (416 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}), adequate electrical conductivity (59.6 S cm{sup -1}) and good chemical stability was prepared by growing carbon nanotubes onto mesoporous carbon hollow spheres. A uniform dispersion of Pt nanoparticles was then anchored on the UC, where the Pt nanoparticles were prepared using benzylamine as the stabilizer. For this Pt loaded carbon, cyclic voltammogram measurements showed an exceptionally high electrochemically active surface area (EAS) (114.8 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}) compared to the commonly used commercial E-TEK catalyst (65.2 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}). The durability test demonstrates that the carbon used as a support exhibited minor loss in EAS of Pt. Compared to the E-TEK (20 wt%) cathode catalyst, this Pt loaded UC catalyst has greatly enhanced catalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction, less cathode flooding and considerably improved performance, resulting in an enhancement of ca. 37% in power density compared with that of E-TEK. Based on the results obtained, the UC is an excellent support for Pt nanoparticles used as cathode catalysts in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. (author)

  7. The kinetics of steam-carbon dioxide conversion, rational ways and production catalysts of process gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khamroev, F.B.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the present work is to study the kinetics of steam-carbon dioxide conversion, rational ways and production catalysts of process gas. The experimental equation of steam-carbon methane conversion, heat stability increasing and catalyst efficiency, decreasing of hydrodynamical resistance of catalyst layer were determined.

  8. EXAFS Determination of the Structure of Cobalt in Carbon-Supported Cobalt and Cobalt-Molybdenum Sulfide Hydrodesulfurization Catalysts.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koningsberger, D.C.; Bouwens, S.M.A.M.; Veen, J.A.R. van; Beer, V.H.J. de; Prins, R.

    1991-01-01

    The structure of the cobalt present in carbon-supported Co and Co-Mo sulfide catalysts was studied by means of X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Co K-edge and by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Thiophene hydrodesulfurization activities were used to measure the catalytic properties of

  9. Methanol-Tolerant Platinum-Palladium Catalyst Supported on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanofiber for High Concentration Direct Methanol Fuel Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jiyoung; Jang, Jin-Sung; Peck, Dong-Hyun; Lee, Byungrok; Yoon, Seong-Ho; Jung, Doo-Hwan

    2016-08-15

    Pt-Pd catalyst supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber (N-CNF) was prepared and evaluated as a cathode electrode of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The N-CNF, which was directly synthesized by the catalytic chemical vapor deposition from acetonitrile at 640 °C, was verified as having a change of electrochemical surface properties such as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities and the electrochemical double layer compared with common carbon black (CB). To attain the competitive oxygen reduction reaction activity with methanol tolerance, the Pt and Pd metals were supported on the CB or the N-CNF. The physical and electrochemical characteristics of the N-CNF-supported Pt-Pd catalyst were examined and compared with catalyst supported on the CB. In addition, DMFC single cells using these catalysts as the cathode electrode were applied to obtain I-V polarization curves and constant current operating performances with high-concentration methanol as the fuel. Pt-Pd catalysts had obvious ORR activity even in the presence of methanol. The higher power density was obtained at all the methanol concentrations when it applied to the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of the DMFC. When the N-CNF is used as the catalyst support material, a better performance with high-concentration methanol is expected.

  10. Methanol-Tolerant Platinum-Palladium Catalyst Supported on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanofiber for High Concentration Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiyoung Kim

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Pt-Pd catalyst supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber (N-CNF was prepared and evaluated as a cathode electrode of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC. The N-CNF, which was directly synthesized by the catalytic chemical vapor deposition from acetonitrile at 640 °C, was verified as having a change of electrochemical surface properties such as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR activities and the electrochemical double layer compared with common carbon black (CB. To attain the competitive oxygen reduction reaction activity with methanol tolerance, the Pt and Pd metals were supported on the CB or the N-CNF. The physical and electrochemical characteristics of the N-CNF–supported Pt-Pd catalyst were examined and compared with catalyst supported on the CB. In addition, DMFC single cells using these catalysts as the cathode electrode were applied to obtain I-V polarization curves and constant current operating performances with high-concentration methanol as the fuel. Pt-Pd catalysts had obvious ORR activity even in the presence of methanol. The higher power density was obtained at all the methanol concentrations when it applied to the membrane electrode assembly (MEA of the DMFC. When the N-CNF is used as the catalyst support material, a better performance with high-concentration methanol is expected.

  11. Synthesis of biodiesel from waste vegetable oil with large amounts of free fatty acids using a carbon-based solid acid catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shu, Qing; Gao, Jixian; Nawaz, Zeeshan; Liao, Yuhui; Wang, Dezheng; Wang, Jinfu [Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Reaction Engineering and Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2010-08-15

    A carbon-based solid acid catalyst was prepared by the sulfonation of carbonized vegetable oil asphalt. This catalyst was employed to simultaneously catalyze esterification and transesterification to synthesis biodiesel when a waste vegetable oil with large amounts of free fatty acids (FFAs) was used as feedstock. The physical and chemical properties of this catalyst were characterized by a variety of techniques. The maximum conversion of triglyceride and FFA reached 80.5 wt.% and 94.8 wt.% after 4.5 h at 220 C, when using a 16.8 M ratio of methanol to oil and 0.2 wt.% of catalyst to oil. The high catalytic activity and stability of this catalyst was related to its high acid site density (-OH, Broensted acid sites), hydrophobicity that prevented the hydration of -OH species, hydrophilic functional groups (-SO{sub 3}H) that gave improved accessibility of methanol to the triglyceride and FFAs, and large pores that provided more acid sites for the reactants. (author)

  12. Effect of catalyst preparation on the yield of carbon nanotube growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Escobar, Mariano; Rubiolo, Gerardo; Candal, Roberto; Goyanes, Silvia

    2009-01-01

    Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on catalytic iron nanoparticles dispersed in a silica matrix, prepared by sol gel method. In this contribution, variation of gelation condition on catalyst structure and its influence on the yield of carbon nanotubes growth was studied. The precursor utilized were tetraethyl-orthosilicate and iron nitrate. The sols were dried at two different temperatures in air (25 or 80 deg. C) and then treated at 450 deg. C for 10 h. The xerogels were introduced into the chamber and reduced in a hydrogen/nitrogen (10%v/v) atmosphere at 600 deg. C. MWCNTs were formed by deposition of carbon atoms from decomposition of acetylene at 700 deg. C. The system gelled at RT shows a yield of 100% respect to initial catalyst mass whereas the yield of that gelled at 80 deg. C was lower than 10%. Different crystalline phases are observed for both catalysts in each step of the process. Moreover, TPR analysis shows that iron oxide can be efficiently reduced to metallic iron only in the system gelled at room temperature. Carbon nanotubes display a diameter of about 25-40 nm and several micron lengths. The growth mechanism of MWCNTs is base growth mode for both catalysts.

  13. Effect of catalyst preparation on the yield of carbon nanotube growth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Escobar, Mariano, E-mail: mescobar@df.uba.a [Dep. Quimica Inorganica, Analitica y Quimica Fisica, FCEyN, UBA, Ciudad Universitaria (1428), Bs As (Argentina); LP and MC, Dep. Fisica, FCEyN, UBA (Argentina); Rubiolo, Gerardo [Unidad de Actividad Materiales, CNEA, Av Gral Paz 1499, San Martin (1650), Bs As (Argentina); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET) (Argentina); Candal, Roberto [Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET) (Argentina); Instituto de Fisico-quimica de Materiales, Ambiente y Energia (INQUIMAE), CONICET - UBA (Argentina); Goyanes, Silvia [LP and MC, Dep. Fisica, FCEyN, UBA (Argentina); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET) (Argentina)

    2009-10-01

    Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on catalytic iron nanoparticles dispersed in a silica matrix, prepared by sol gel method. In this contribution, variation of gelation condition on catalyst structure and its influence on the yield of carbon nanotubes growth was studied. The precursor utilized were tetraethyl-orthosilicate and iron nitrate. The sols were dried at two different temperatures in air (25 or 80 deg. C) and then treated at 450 deg. C for 10 h. The xerogels were introduced into the chamber and reduced in a hydrogen/nitrogen (10%v/v) atmosphere at 600 deg. C. MWCNTs were formed by deposition of carbon atoms from decomposition of acetylene at 700 deg. C. The system gelled at RT shows a yield of 100% respect to initial catalyst mass whereas the yield of that gelled at 80 deg. C was lower than 10%. Different crystalline phases are observed for both catalysts in each step of the process. Moreover, TPR analysis shows that iron oxide can be efficiently reduced to metallic iron only in the system gelled at room temperature. Carbon nanotubes display a diameter of about 25-40 nm and several micron lengths. The growth mechanism of MWCNTs is base growth mode for both catalysts.

  14. Activated Carbon, Carbon Nanofiber and Carbon Nanotube Supported Molybdenum Carbide Catalysts for the Hydrodeoxygenation of Guaiacol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Molybdenum carbide was supported on three types of carbon support—activated carbon; multi-walled carbon nanotubes; and carbon nanofibers—using ammonium molybdate and molybdic acid as Mo precursors. The use of activated carbon as support afforded an X-ray amorphous Mo phase, whereas crystalline molybdenum carbide phases were obtained on carbon nanofibers and, in some cases, on carbon nanotubes. When the resulting catalysts were tested in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO of guaiacol in dodecane, catechol and phenol were obtained as the main products, although in some instances significant amounts of cyclohexane were produced. The observation of catechol in all reaction mixtures suggests that guaiacol was converted into phenol via sequential demethylation and HDO, although the simultaneous occurrence of a direct demethoxylation pathway cannot be discounted. Catalysts based on carbon nanofibers generally afforded the highest yields of phenol; notably, the only crystalline phase detected in these samples was Mo2C or Mo2C-ζ, suggesting that crystalline Mo2C is particularly selective to phenol. At 350 °C, carbon nanofiber supported Mo2C afforded near quantitative guaiacol conversion, the selectivity to phenol approaching 50%. When guaiacol HDO was performed in the presence of acetic acid and furfural, guaiacol conversion decreased, although the selectivity to both catechol and phenol was increased.

  15. Nickel catalysts for internal reforming in molten carbonate fuel cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berger, R.J.; Berger, R.J.; Doesburg, E.B.M.; Doesburg, E.B.M.; van Ommen, J.G.; Ross, J.R.H.; Ross, J.R.H.

    1996-01-01

    Natural gas may be used instead of hydrogen as fuel for the molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) by steam reforming the natural gas inside the MCFC, using a nickel catalyst (internal reforming). The severe conditions inside the MCFC, however, require that the catalyst has a very high stability. In

  16. Nano carbon supported platinum catalyst interaction behavior with perfluorosulfonic acid ionomer and their interface structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Shuang Ma

    2016-01-01

    behavior of Nafion ionomer on platinized carbon nano fibers (CNFs), carbon nano tubes (CNTs) and amorphous carbon (Vulcan). The interaction is affected by the catalyst surface oxygen groups as well as porosity. Comparisons between the carbon supports and platinized equivalents are carried out. It reveals......The interaction between perfluorosulfonic acid ionomer and supported platinum catalyst is essential. It directly influences platinum accessibility, stability of carbon support and platinum, proton conductivity and electron conductivity in an electrode. In this study, we compare the adsorption...... that the platinization step modifies the surface nature of the carbon supports in terms of specific surface area, crystallinity and especially porosity; therefore, ionomer adsorption over carbon is not always representative for the ionomer adsorption over carbon supported catalyst, though indicative. Moreover...

  17. Fe catalysts for methane decomposition to produce hydrogen and carbon nano materials

    KAUST Repository

    Zhou, Lu; Enakonda, Linga Reddy; Harb, Moussab; Saih, Youssef; Aguilar Tapia, Antonio; Ould-Chikh, Samy; Hazemann, Jean-louis; Li, Jun; Wei, Nini; Gary, Daniel; Del-Gallo, Pascal; Basset, Jean-Marie

    2017-01-01

    Conducting catalytic methane decomposition over Fe catalysts is a green and economic route to produce H2 without CO/CO2 contamination. Fused 65wt% and impregnated 20wt% Fe catalysts were synthesized with different additives to investigate their activity, whereas showing Fe-Al2O3 combination as the best catalyst. Al2O3 is speculated to expose more Fe00 for the selective deposition of carbon nano tubes (CNTs). A fused Fe (65wt%)-Al2O3 sample was further investigated by means of H2-TPR, in-situ XRD, HRTEM and XAS to conclude 750°C is the optimized temperature for H2 pre-reduction and reaction to obtain a high activity. Based on density functional theory (DFT) study, a reaction mechanism over Fe catalysts was proposed to explain the formation of graphite from unstable supersaturated iron carbides decomposition. A carbon deposition model was further proposed which explains the formation of different carbon nano materials.

  18. Fe catalysts for methane decomposition to produce hydrogen and carbon nano materials

    KAUST Repository

    Zhou, Lu

    2017-02-21

    Conducting catalytic methane decomposition over Fe catalysts is a green and economic route to produce H2 without CO/CO2 contamination. Fused 65wt% and impregnated 20wt% Fe catalysts were synthesized with different additives to investigate their activity, whereas showing Fe-Al2O3 combination as the best catalyst. Al2O3 is speculated to expose more Fe00 for the selective deposition of carbon nano tubes (CNTs). A fused Fe (65wt%)-Al2O3 sample was further investigated by means of H2-TPR, in-situ XRD, HRTEM and XAS to conclude 750°C is the optimized temperature for H2 pre-reduction and reaction to obtain a high activity. Based on density functional theory (DFT) study, a reaction mechanism over Fe catalysts was proposed to explain the formation of graphite from unstable supersaturated iron carbides decomposition. A carbon deposition model was further proposed which explains the formation of different carbon nano materials.

  19. Efficient selective catalytic reduction of NO by novel carbon-doped metal catalysts made from electroplating sludge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jia; Zhang, Jingyi; Xu, Yunfeng; Su, Huimin; Li, Xiaoman; Zhou, Ji Zhi; Qian, Guangren; Li, Li; Xu, Zhi Ping

    2014-10-07

    Electroplating sludges, once regarded as industrial wastes, are precious resources of various transition metals. This research has thus investigated the recycling of an electroplating sludge as a novel carbon-doped metal (Fe, Ni, Mg, Cu, and Zn) catalyst, which was different from a traditional carbon-supported metal catalyst, for effective NO selective catalytic reduction (SCR). This catalyst removed >99.7% NO at a temperature as low as 300 °C. It also removed NO steadily (>99%) with a maximum specific accumulative reduced amount (MSARA) of 3.4 mmol/g. Gas species analyses showed that NO removal was accompanied by evolving N2 and CO2. Moreover, in a wide temperature window, the sludge catalyst showed a higher CO2 selectivity (>99%) than an activated carbon-supported metal catalyst. Structure characterizations revealed that carbon-doped metal was transformed to metal oxide in the sludge catalyst after the catalytic test, with most carbon (2.33 wt %) being consumed. These observations suggest that NO removal over the sludge catalyst is a typical SCR where metals/metal oxides act as the catalytic center and carbon as the reducing reagent. Therefore, our report probably provides an opportunity for high value-added utilizations of heavy-metal wastes in mitigating atmospheric pollutions.

  20. Multi-Directional Growth of Aligned Carbon Nanotubes Over Catalyst Film Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhou Kai

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The structure of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs severely depends on the properties of pre-prepared catalyst films. Aiming for the preparation of precisely controlled catalyst film, atomic layer deposition (ALD was employed to deposit uniform Fe2O3 film for the growth of CNT arrays on planar substrate surfaces as well as the curved ones. Iron acetylacetonate and ozone were introduced into the reactor alternately as precursors to realize the formation of catalyst films. By varying the deposition cycles, uniform and smooth Fe2O3 catalyst films with different thicknesses were obtained on Si/SiO2 substrate, which supported the growth of highly oriented few-walled CNT arrays. Utilizing the advantage of ALD process in coating non-planar surfaces, uniform catalyst films can also be successfully deposited onto quartz fibers. Aligned few-walled CNTs can be grafted on the quartz fibers, and they self-organized into a leaf-shaped structure due to the curved surface morphology. The growth of aligned CNTs on non-planar surfaces holds promise in constructing hierarchical CNT architectures in future.

  1. Synthesis of 2D Nitrogen-Doped Mesoporous Carbon Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhipeng Yu

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available 2D nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (NMC is synthesized by using a mesoporous silica film as hard template, which is then investigated as a non-precious metal catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR. The effect of the synthesis conditions on the silica template and carbon is extensively investigated. In this work, we employ dual templates—viz. graphene oxide and triblock copolymer F127—to control the textural features of a 2D silica film. The silica is then used as a template to direct the synthesis of a 2D nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon. The resultant nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon is characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM, nitrogen ad/desorption isotherms, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, cyclic voltammetry (CV, and rotating disk electrode measurements (RDE. The electrochemical test reveals that the obtained 2D-film carbon catalyst yields a highly electrochemically active surface area and superior electrocatalytic activity for the ORR compared to the 3D-particle. The superior activity can be firstly attributed to the difference in the specific surface area of the two catalysts. More importantly, the 2D-film morphology makes more active sites accessible to the reactive species, resulting in a much higher utilization efficiency and consequently better activity. Finally, it is noted that all the carbon catalysts exhibit a higher ORR activity than a commercial Pt catalyst, and are promising for use in fuel cells.

  2. Preparation of Carbon-Platinum-Ceria and Carbon-Platinum-Cerium catalysts and its application in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell: Hydrogen, Methanol, and Ethanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzman Blas, Rolando Pedro

    This thesis is focused on fuel cells using hydrogen, methanol and ethanol as fuel. Also, in the method of preparation of catalytic material for the anode: Supercritical Fluid Deposition (SFD) and impregnation method using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a chelating agent. The first part of the thesis describes the general knowledge about Hydrogen Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (HPEMFC),Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) and Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell (DEFC), as well as the properties of Cerium and CeO2 (Ceria). The second part of the thesis describes the preparation of catalytic material by Supercritical Fluid Deposition (SFD). SFD was utilized to deposit Pt and ceria simultaneously onto gas diffusion layers. The Pt-ceria catalyst deposited by SFD exhibited higher methanol oxidation activity compared to the platinum catalyst alone. The linear sweep traces of the cathode made for the methanol cross over study indicate that Pt-Ceria/C as the anode catalyst, due to its better activity for methanol, improves the fuel utilization, minimizing the methanol permeation from anode to cathode compartment. The third and fourth parts of the thesis describe the preparation of material catalytic material Carbon-Platinum-Cerium by a simple and cheap impregnation method using EDTA as a chelating agent to form a complex with cerium (III). This preparation method allows the mass production of the material catalysts without additional significant cost. Fuel cell polarization and power curves experiments showed that the Carbon-Platinum-Cerium anode materials exhibited better catalytic activity than the only Vulcan-Pt catalysts for DMFC, DEFC and HPEMFC. In the case of Vulcan-20%Pt-5%w Cerium, this material exhibits better catalytic activity than the Vulcan-20%Pt in DMFC. In the case of Vulcan-40% Pt-doped Cerium, this material exhibits better catalytic activity than the Vulcan-40% Pt in DMFC, DEFC and HPEMFC. Finally, I propose a theory that explains the reason why the

  3. thesis of high-purity carbon nanotubes over alumina and silica supported bimetallic catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanja Ratković

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Carbon nanotubes (CNTs were synthesized by a catalytic chemical vapor deposition method (CCVD of ethylene over alumina and silica supported bimetallic catalysts based on Fe, Co and Ni. The catalysts were prepared by a precipitation method, calcined at 600 °C and in situ reduced in hydrogen flow at 700 °C. The CNTs growth was carried out by a flow the mixture of C2H4 and nitrogen over the catalyst powder in a horizontal oven. The structure and morphology of as-synthesized CNTs were characterized using SEM. The as-synthesized nanotubes were purified by acid and basic treatments in order to remove impurities such as amorphous carbon, graphite nanoparticles and metal catalysts. XRD and DTA/TG analyses showed that the amounts of by-products in the purified CNTs samples were reduced significantly. According to the observed results, ethylene is an active carbon source for growing high-density CNTs with high yield but more on alumina-supported catalysts than on their silica- supported counterparts. The last might be explained by SMSI formed in the case of alumina-supported catalysts, resulting in higher active phase dispersion.

  4. Metal Nanoparticle Catalysts for Carbon Nanotube Growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pierce, Benjamin F.

    2003-01-01

    Work this summer involved and new and unique process for producing the metal nanoparticle catalysts needed for carbon nanotube (CNT) growth. There are many applications attributed to CNT's, and their properties have deemed them to be a hot spot in research today. Many groups have demonstrated the versatility in CNT's by exploring a wide spectrum of roles that these nanotubes are able to fill. A short list of such promising applications are: nanoscaled electronic circuitry, storage media, chemical sensors, microscope enhancement, and coating reinforcement. Different methods have been used to grow these CNT's. Some examples are laser ablation, flame synthesis, or furnace synthesis. Every single approach requires the presence of a metal catalyst (Fe, Co, and Ni are among the best) that is small enough to produce a CNT. Herein lies the uniqueness of this work. Microemulsions (containing inverse micelles) were used to generate these metal particles for subsequent CNT growth. The goal of this summer work was basically to accomplish as much preliminary work as possible. I strived to pinpoint which variable (experimental process, metal product, substrate, method of application, CVD conditions, etc.) was the determining factor in the results. The resulting SEM images were sufficient for the appropriate comparisons to be made. The future work of this project consists of the optimization of the more promising experimental procedures and further exploration onto what exactly dictated the results.

  5. Catalytic performance of activated carbon supported cobalt catalyst for CO2 reforming of CH4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Guojie; Su, Aiting; Du, Yannian; Qu, Jiangwen; Xu, Ying

    2014-11-01

    Syngas production by CO2 reforming of CH4 in a fixed bed reactor was investigated over a series of activated carbon (AC) supported Co catalysts as a function of Co loading (between 15 and 30wt.%) and calcination temperature (Tc=300, 400 or 500°C). The catalytic performance was assessed through CH4 and CO2 conversions and long-term stability. XRD and SEM were used to characterize the catalysts. It was found that the stability of Co/AC catalysts was strongly dependent on the Co loading and calcination temperature. For the loadings (25wt.% for Tc=300°C), stable activities have been achieved. The loading of excess Co (>wt.% 25) causes negative effects not only on the performance of the catalysts but also on the support surface properties. In addition, the experiment showed that ultrasound can enhance and promote dispersion of the active metal on the carrier, thus improving the catalytic performance of the catalyst. The catalyst activity can be long-term stably maintained, and no obvious deactivation has been observed in the first 2700min. After analyzing the characteristics, a reaction mechanism for CO2 reforming of CH4 over Co/AC catalyst was proposed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Flexible, highly graphitized carbon aerogels based on bacterial cellulose/lignin: Catalyst-free synthesis and its application in energy storage devices

    KAUST Repository

    Xu, Xuezhu

    2015-04-15

    Currently, most carbon aerogels are based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene, which are produced through a catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. Biomass based organic aerogels and carbon aerogels, featuring low cost, high scalability, and small environmental footprint, represent an important new research direction in (carbon) aerogel development. Cellulose and lignin are the two most abundant natural polymers in the world, and the aerogels based on them are very promising. Classic silicon aerogels and available organic resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) or lignin-resorcinol-formaldehyde (LRF) aerogels are brittle and fragile; toughening of the aerogels is highly desired to expand their applications. This study reports the first attempt to toughen the intrinsically brittle LRF aerogel and carbon aerogel using bacterial cellulose. The facile process is catalyst-free and cost-effective. The toughened carbon aerogels, consisting of blackberry-like, core-shell structured, and highly graphitized carbon nanofibers, are able to undergo at least 20% reversible compressive deformation. Due to their unique nanostructure and large mesopore population, the carbon materials exhibit an areal capacitance higher than most of the reported values in the literature. This property makes them suitable candidates for flexible solid-state energy storage devices. Besides energy storage, the conductive interconnected nanoporous structure can also find applications in oil/water separation, catalyst supports, sensors, and so forth. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Growth of carbon nanocone arrays on a metal catalyst: The effect of carbon flux ionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Levchenko, I.; Khachan, J.; Vladimirov, S. V.; Ostrikov, K.

    2008-01-01

    The growth of carbon nanocone arrays on metal catalyst particles by deposition from a low-temperature plasma is studied by multiscale Monte Carlo/surface diffusion numerical simulation. It is demonstrated that the variation in the degree of ionization of the carbon flux provides an effective control of the growth kinetics of the carbon nanocones, and leads to the formation of more uniform arrays of nanostructures. In the case of zero degree of ionization (neutral gas process), a width of the distribution of nanocone heights reaches 360 nm with the nanocone mean height of 150 nm. When the carbon flux of 75% ionization is used, the width of the distribution of nanocone heights decreases to 100 nm, i.e., by a factor of 3.6. A higher degree of ionization leads to a better uniformity of the metal catalyst saturation and the nanocone growth, thus contributing to the formation of more height-uniform arrays of carbon nanostructures.

  8. Phosphorylated mesoporous carbon as effective catalyst for the selective fructose dehydration to HMF

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Villa, Alberto [Universita di Milano, Italy; Schiavoni, Marco [University of Milan and INFN, Milano, Italy; Fulvio, Pasquale F [ORNL; Mahurin, Shannon Mark [ORNL; Dai, Sheng [ORNL; Mayes, Richard T [ORNL; Veith, Gabriel M [ORNL; Prati, Laura [Universita di Milano, Italy

    2013-01-01

    Phosphorylated mesoporous carbons (PMCs) have been synthesized using an already reported one pot methodology. These materials have been applied as acidic catalysts in the dehydration of fructose to hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). PMCs showed better selectivity to HMF compared to sulfonated carbon catalyst (SC) despite lower activity. The concentration of P-O groups correlates to the activity/selectivity of the catalysts; the higher the P-O concentration the higher the activity. However, the higher the P-O content the lower the selectivity to HMF. Indeed a lower concentration of the P-O groups (and even the acidic groups) minimized the degradation of HMF to levulinic acid and the formation of by-products, such as humines. Stability tests showed that these systems deactivate due to the formation of humines, water insoluble by-products derived from the dehydration of fructose, blocking the active site of the catalyst. Increasing the amount of P-O groups, higher amount of humines are formed; therefore carbons containing lower amount of phosphorylated groups, such as P/N-0.25, are less prone to deactivation. Keywords: Phosphorylated mesoporous carbons; fructose dehydration; HMF

  9. Carbon/H-ZSM-5 composites as supports for bi-functional Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Valero-Romero, M.J.; Sartipi, S.; Sun, X.; Rodríguez-Mirasol, J.; Cordero, T.; Kapteijn, F.; Gascon, J.

    2016-01-01

    Mesoporous H-ZSM-5–carbon composites, prepared via tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH) post treatment of H-ZSM-5 followed by deposition of pyrolytic carbon, have been used as the support for the preparation of Co-based Fischer–Tropsch catalysts. The resulting catalysts display an improved

  10. Preparation of SnO{sub 2}-CNTs supported Pt catalysts and their electrocatalytic properties for ethanol oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pang, H.L.; Lu, J.P. [State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Chen, J.H. [State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China)], E-mail: chenjinhua@hnu.cn; Huang, C.T.; Liu, B.; Zhang, X.H. [State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China)

    2009-03-30

    SnO{sub 2}-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composites were prepared by sol-gel method, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Due to high stability in diluted acidic solution, SnO{sub 2}-CNTs composites were selected as the catalyst support and second catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation. The electrocatalytic properties of the SnO{sub 2}-CNTs supported platinum (Pt) catalyst (Pt/SnO{sub 2}-CNTs) for ethanol oxidation have been investigated by typical electrochemical methods. Under the same mass loading of Pt, the Pt/SnO{sub 2}-CNTs catalyst shows higher electrocatalytic activity and better long-term cycle stability than Pt/SnO{sub 2} catalyst. Additionally, the effect of the mass ratio of CNTs to SnO{sub 2} on the electrocatalytic activity of the electrode for ethanol oxidation was investigated, and the optimum mass ratio of CNTs to SnO{sub 2} in the Pt/SnO{sub 2}-CNTs catalyst is 1/6.3.

  11. Temperature-programmed reduction and cyclic voltammetry of Pt/carbon-fibre paper catalysts for methanol electrooxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Attwood, P.A.; McNicol, B.D.; Short, R.T.

    1981-01-01

    Temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies of platinum catalysts supported on pyrographite-coated carbon-fibre paper, and prepared by either ion exchange or impregnation, clearly demonstrate the nature of the interactions between the platinum species and the support. After drying the above catalysts at 120 0 C, the ion-exchanged preparation exhibits the stronger interaction with the carbon support, as might be expected since a chemical interaction with carbon surface groups is known to occur in such catalysts. The presence of a fraction of bulk Pt(NH 3 ) 4 (OH) 2 impregnating salt in the impregnated catalyst has been detected using TPR. After air activation at 300 0 C, subambient reduction peaks were observed and the strength of binding of Pt in the ion-exchanged catalyst was reflected by its increased difficulty of reduction in comparison with that of the impregnated catalyst. The stoichiometry of reduction in ion-exchanged catalysts corresponds to Pt 2+ → Pt 0 in both dried and activated catalysts, with a small amount of Pt 4+ present in the latter. Upon activation the impregnated catalyst showed the presence of some Pt metal, which was thought to arise from the decomposition of the fraction of bulk Pt(NH 3 ) 4 (OH) 2 in the dried catalyst. Activation of ion-exchanged catalysts at temperatures higher than 300 0 C led to a progressive weakening of the Pt-support interaction and consequent smaller Pt surface areas. Activation at 500 0 C in air produced Pt metal exclusively and very low Pt surface areas. The strong interaction between Pt and the carbon support upon activation of the ion-exchanged catalyst at 300 0 C is thought to be the origin of the large metal surface area and the high catalytic activity for methanol electrooxidation found upon reduction

  12. Carbon and Mo transformations during the synthesis of mesoporous Mo2C/carbon catalysts by carbothermal hydrogen reduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Haiyan; Liu, Shida; Liu, Bing; Montes, Vicente; Hill, Josephine M.; Smith, Kevin J.

    2018-02-01

    The synthesis of mesoporous Mo2C/carbon catalysts by carbothermal hydrogen reduction is reported. Petroleum coke (petcoke) was activated with KOH at 800 °C to obtain high surface area microporous activated petcoke (APC; 2000 m2/g). The APC was wet impregnated with ammonium heptamolybdate (AHM: 10 wt% Mo), dried and reduced in H2 at temperatures from 400 to 800 °C, to yield Mo2C/APC catalysts. Increased reduction temperature increased the Mo2C yield and the mesoporous volume of the Mo2C/APC. At a reduction temperature of 750 °C the mesopore volume of the catalyst doubled compared to the APC support and accounted for 37% of the total pore volume. Maintaining the final CHR temperature for 90 min further increased the Mo2C yield and mesoporosity of the catalyst. The role of Mo2C in the catalytic hydrogenation of the APC and mesopore generation is demonstrated. The activity of the Mo2C/carbon catalysts in the hydrodeoxygenation of 4-methyl phenol increased with increased CHR temperature and catalyst mesoporosity.

  13. Flame synthesis of carbon nano onions using liquefied petroleum gas without catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dhand, Vivek; Prasad, J. Sarada; Rao, M. Venkateswara; Bharadwaj, S.; Anjaneyulu, Y.; Jain, Pawan Kumar

    2013-01-01

    Densely agglomerated, high specific surface area carbon nano onions with diameter of 30–40 nm have been synthesized. Liquefied petroleum gas and air mixtures produced carbon nano onions in diffusion flames without catalyst. The optimized oxidant to fuel ratio which produces carbon nano onions has been found to be 0.1 slpm/slpm. The experiment yielded 70% pure carbon nano onions with a rate of 5 g/h. X-ray diffraction, high-resolution electron microscopy and Raman spectrum reveal the densely packed sp 2 hybridized carbon with (002) semi-crystalline hexagonal graphite reflection. The carbon nano onions are thermally stable up to 600 °C. - Highlights: ►Flame synthesized carbon nano onions with 30–40 nm diameters. ►LPG/air, diffusion type flame used in absence of catalyst to produce nano onions. ►Carbon nano onion production rate is 5 g/hr and with 70% purity.

  14. Metal–organic framework-based catalysts: Chemical fixation of CO2 with epoxides leading to cyclic organic carbonates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Hassan eBeyzavi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available As a C1 feedstock, CO2 has the potential to be uniquely highly economical in both a chemical and a financial sense. In particular, the highly atom-economical acid-catalyzed cycloaddition of CO2 to epoxides to yield cyclic organic carbonates (OCs, a functionality having many important industrial applications, is an attractive reaction for the utilization of CO2 as a chemical feedstock. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs are promising candidates in catalysis as they are a class of crystalline, porous and functional materials with remarkable properties including great surface area, high stability, open channels and permanent porosity. MOFs structure tunability and their affinity for CO2, makes them great catalysts for the formation of OCs using CO2 and epoxides. In this review, we examine MOF-based catalytic materials for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to epoxides. Catalysts are grouped based on the location of catalytic sites, i.e., at the struts, nodes, defect sites, or some combination thereof. Additionally, important features of each catalyst system are critically discussed.

  15. Preparation of Monodispersed Fe-Mo Nanoparticles as the Catalyst for CVD Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Li, Yan; Liu, Jie; Wang, Yongqian; Wang, Zhong L

    2001-01-01

    ...particles were systematically studied. The prepared nanoparticles were used as catalysts for single-walled carbon nanotube growth and the results indicate that there is an upper limit for the size of the catalyst particles to nucleate singlewalled carbon nanotubes.

  16. Growth of uniform thin-walled carbon nanotubes with spin-coated Fe catalyst and the correlation between the pre-growth catalyst size and the nanotube diameter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seah, Choon-Ming; Chai, Siang-Piao; Ichikawa, Satoshi; Mohamed, Abdul Rahman

    2013-01-01

    Single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and double-walled CNTs with a selectivity of 93 % were obtained by means of the novel homemade iron catalysts which were spin coated on silicon wafer. The average diameters of the iron particles prepared from the colloidal solutions containing 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 mmol/L of iron nitrate were 8.2, 5.1, 20.8, 32.2, and 34.7 nm, respectively, and growing thin-walled CNTs with the average diameters of 4.1, 2.2, 9.2, 11.1, and 18.1 nm, respectively. The diameters of the CNTs were correlated with the geometric sizes of the pre-growth catalyst particles. Thin-walled CNTs were found to have a catalyst mean diameter-to-CNT average diameter ratio of 2.31. Iron carbide was formed after the growth of CNTs, and it is believed that during the growth of CNTs, carbon source decomposed and deposited on the surface of catalyst, followed by the diffusion of surface carbon into the iron catalyst particles, resulting in carbon supersaturation state before the growth of CNTs.

  17. New sulfide catalysts for the hydroliquefaction of coal

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vissers, J.P.R.; Oers, van E.M.; Beer, de V.H.J.; Prins, R.

    1987-01-01

    Possibilities for the preparation of new metal sulfide catalyst systems based on carbon carriers having favourable textural and surface properties have been explored, and attention has been given to the characterization (structure) and evaluation (hydrosulfurization activity) of these catalysts. Two

  18. Solar-Driven Hydrogen Peroxide Production Using Polymer-Supported Carbon Dots as Heterogeneous Catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gogoi, Satyabrat; Karak, Niranjan

    2017-10-01

    Safe, sustainable, and green production of hydrogen peroxide is an exciting proposition due to the role of hydrogen peroxide as a green oxidant and energy carrier for fuel cells. The current work reports the development of carbon dot-impregnated waterborne hyperbranched polyurethane as a heterogeneous photo-catalyst for solar-driven production of hydrogen peroxide. The results reveal that the carbon dots possess a suitable band-gap of 2.98 eV, which facilitates effective splitting of both water and ethanol under solar irradiation. Inclusion of the carbon dots within the eco-friendly polymeric material ensures their catalytic activity and also provides a facile route for easy catalyst separation, especially from a solubilizing medium. The overall process was performed in accordance with the principles of green chemistry using bio-based precursors and aqueous medium. This work highlights the potential of carbon dots as an effective photo-catalyst.

  19. The role of Ni in sulfided carbon-supported Ni-Mo hydrodesulfurization catalysts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bouwens, S.M.A.M.; Barthe-Zahir, N.; Beer, de V.H.J.; Prins, R.

    1991-01-01

    The thiophene hydrodesulfurization activities of Ni and Ni---Mo sulfide catalysts supported on activated carbon were measured at atmospheric pressure and the catalyst structures were studied by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, dynamic oxygen chemisorption, and chemical sulfur analysis. The

  20. Engineering catalytic activity via ion beam bombardment of catalyst supports for vertically aligned carbon nanotube growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Islam, A. E.; Nikolaev, P.; Amama, P. B.; Zakharov, D.; Sargent, G.; Saber, S.; Huffman, D.; Erford, M.; Semiatin, S. L.; Stach, E. A.; Maruyama, B.

    2015-09-01

    Carbon nanotube growth depends on the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles on alumina or silica supports. The control on catalytic activity is generally achieved by variations in water concentration, carbon feed, and sample placement on a few types of alumina or silica catalyst supports obtained via thin film deposition. We have recently expanded the choice of catalyst supports by engineering inactive substrates like c-cut sapphire via ion beam bombardment. The deterministic control on the structure and chemistry of catalyst supports obtained by tuning the degree of beam-induced damage have enabled better regulation of the activity of Fe catalysts only in the ion beam bombarded areas and hence enabled controllable super growth of carbon nanotubes. A wide range of surface characterization techniques were used to monitor the catalytically active surface engineered via ion beam bombardment. The proposed method offers a versatile way to control carbon nanotube growth in patterned areas and also enhances the current understanding of the growth process. With the right choice of water concentration, carbon feed and sample placement, engineered catalyst supports may extend the carbon nanotube growth yield to a level that is even higher than the ones reported here, and thus offers promising applications of carbon nanotubes in electronics, heat exchanger, and energy storage.

  1. Toward Small-Diameter Carbon Nanotubes Synthesized from Captured Carbon Dioxide: Critical Role of Catalyst Coarsening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douglas, Anna; Carter, Rachel; Li, Mengya; Pint, Cary L

    2018-05-23

    Small-diameter carbon nanotubes (CNTs) often require increased sophistication and control in synthesis processes, but exhibit improved physical properties and greater economic value over their larger-diameter counterparts. Here, we study mechanisms controlling the electrochemical synthesis of CNTs from the capture and conversion of ambient CO 2 in molten salts and leverage this understanding to achieve the smallest-diameter CNTs ever reported in the literature from sustainable electrochemical synthesis routes, including some few-walled CNTs. Here, Fe catalyst layers are deposited at different thicknesses onto stainless steel to produce cathodes, and atomic layer deposition of Al 2 O 3 is performed on Ni to produce a corrosion-resistant anode. Our findings indicate a correlation between the CNT diameter and Fe metal layer thickness following electrochemical catalyst reduction at the cathode-molten salt interface. Further, catalyst coarsening during long duration synthesis experiments leads to a 2× increase in average diameters from 3 to 60 min durations, with CNTs produced after 3 min exhibiting a tight diameter distribution centered near ∼10 nm. Energy consumption analysis for the conversion of CO 2 into CNTs demonstrates energy input costs much lower than the value of CNTs-a concept that strictly requires and motivates small-diameter CNTs-and is more favorable compared to other costly CO 2 conversion techniques that produce lower-value materials and products.

  2. Flame synthesis of carbon nano onions using liquefied petroleum gas without catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dhand, Vivek, E-mail: vivekdhand2012@gmail.com [Centre for Knowledge Management of Nanoscience and Technology, 12-5-32/8, Vijayapuri Colony, Tarnaka, Secunderabad-500 017, A.P (India); Prasad, J. Sarada; Rao, M. Venkateswara [Centre for Environment, Institute of Science and Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kukatpally, Hyderabad 500 085 (India); Bharadwaj, S. [Department of Physics, CVR College of Engineering and Osmania University, Hyderabad 501510, A.P (India); Anjaneyulu, Y. [TLGVRC, Jackson State University, JSU Box 18739, Jackson, MS 39217-0939 (United States); Jain, Pawan Kumar [International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Balapur PO, Hyderabad 500005, Andhra Pradesh (India)

    2013-03-01

    Densely agglomerated, high specific surface area carbon nano onions with diameter of 30-40 nm have been synthesized. Liquefied petroleum gas and air mixtures produced carbon nano onions in diffusion flames without catalyst. The optimized oxidant to fuel ratio which produces carbon nano onions has been found to be 0.1 slpm/slpm. The experiment yielded 70% pure carbon nano onions with a rate of 5 g/h. X-ray diffraction, high-resolution electron microscopy and Raman spectrum reveal the densely packed sp{sup 2} hybridized carbon with (002) semi-crystalline hexagonal graphite reflection. The carbon nano onions are thermally stable up to 600 Degree-Sign C. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Flame synthesized carbon nano onions with 30-40 nm diameters. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer LPG/air, diffusion type flame used in absence of catalyst to produce nano onions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Carbon nano onion production rate is 5 g/hr and with 70% purity.

  3. Metal-free carbon materials-catalyzed sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation processes: A review on heterogeneous catalysts and applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Qingxia; Mao, Qiming; Zhou, Yaoyu; Wei, Jianhong; Liu, Xiaocheng; Yang, Junying; Luo, Lin; Zhang, Jiachao; Chen, Hong; Chen, Hongbo; Tang, Lin

    2017-12-01

    In recent years, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), especially sulfate radical based AOPs have been widely used in various fields of wastewater treatment due to their capability and adaptability in decontamination. Recently, metal-free carbon materials catalysts in sulfate radical production has been more and more concerned because these materials have been demonstrated to be promising alternatives to conventional metal-based catalysts, but the review of metal-free catalysts is rare. The present review outlines the current state of knowledge on the generation of sulfate radical using metal-free catalysts including carbon nanotubes, graphene, mesoporous carbon, activated carbon, activated carbon fiber, nanodiamond. The mechanism such as the radical pathway and non-radical pathway, and factors influencing of the activation of sulfate radical was also be revealed. Knowledge gaps and research needs have been identified, which include the perspectives on challenges related to metal-free catalyst, heterogeneous metal-free catalyst/persulfate systems and their potential in practical environmental remediation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Recent progress in solution plasma-synthesized-carbon-supported catalysts for energy conversion systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lun Li, Oi; Lee, Hoonseung; Ishizaki, Takahiro

    2018-01-01

    Carbon-based materials have been widely utilized as the electrode materials in energy conversion and storage technologies, such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries. In these systems, the oxygen reduction reaction is an important step that determines the overall performance. A novel synthesis route, named the solution plasma process, has been recently utilized to synthesize various types of metal-based and heteroatom-doped carbon catalysts. In this review, we summarize cutting-edge technologies involving the synthesis and modeling of carbon-supported catalysts synthesized via solution plasma process, followed by current progress on the electrocatalytic performance of these catalysts. This review provides the fundamental and state-of-the-art performance of solution-plasma-synthesized electrode materials, as well as the remaining scientific and technological challenges for this process.

  5. Ethanol electrooxidation on novel carbon supported Pt/SnOx/C catalysts with varied Pt:Sn ratio

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang, L.; Colmenares, L.; Jusys, Z.; Sun, G.Q.; Behm, R.J.

    2007-01-01

    Novel carbon supported Pt/SnO x /C catalysts with Pt:Sn atomic ratios of 5:5, 6:4, 7:3 and 8:2 were prepared by a modified polyol method and characterized with respect to their structural properties (X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)), chemical composition (XPS), their electrochemical properties (base voltammetry, CO ad stripping) and their electrocatalytic activity and selectivity for ethanol oxidation (ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR)). The data show that the Pt/SnO x /C catalysts are composed of Pt and tin oxide nanoparticles with an average Pt particle diameter of about 2 nm. The steady-state activity of the Pt/SnO x /C catalysts towards the EOR decreases with tin content at room temperature, but increases at 80 deg. C. On all Pt/SnO x /C catalysts, acetic acid and acetaldehyde represent dominant products, CO 2 formation contributes 1-3% for both potentiostatic and potentiodynamic reaction conditions. With increasing potential, the acetaldehyde yield decreases and the acetic acid yield increases. The apparent activation energies of the EOR increase with tin content (19-29 kJ mol -1 ), but are lower than on Pt/C (32 kJ mol -1 ). The somewhat better performance of the Pt/SnO x /C catalysts compared to alloyed PtSn x /C catalysts is attributed to the presence of both sufficiently large Pt ensembles for ethanol dehydrogenation and C-C bond splitting and of tin oxide for OH generation. Fuel cell measurements performed for comparison largely confirm the results obtained in model studies

  6. Novel synthesis of highly durable and active Pt catalyst encapsulated in nitrogen containing carbon for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyunjoon; Sung, Yung-Eun; Choi, Insoo; Lim, Taeho; Kwon, Oh Joong

    2017-09-01

    Novel synthesis of a Pt catalyst encapsulated in a N-containing carbon layer for use in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell is described in this study. A Pt-aniline complex, formed by mixing Pt precursor and aniline monomer, was used as the source of Pt, C, and N. Heat treatment of the Pt-aniline complex with carbon black yielded 5 nm Pt nanoparticles encapsulated by a N-containing carbon layer originating from aniline carbonization. The synthesized Pt catalyst exhibited higher mass specific activity to oxygen reduction reaction than that shown by conventional Pt/C catalyst because pyridinic N with graphitic carbon in the carbon layer provided active sites for oxygen reduction reaction in addition to those provided by Pt. In single cell testing, initial performance of the synthesized catalyst was limited because the thick catalyst layer increased resistance related to mass transfer. However, it was observed that the carbon layer successfully prevented Pt nanoparticles from growing via agglomeration and Ostwald ripening under fuel cell operation, thereby improving durability. Furthermore, a mass specific performance of the synthesized catalyst higher than that of a conventional Pt/C catalyst was achieved by modifying the synthesized catalyst's layer thickness.

  7. Synthesis of a highly active carbon-supported Ir-V/C catalyst for the hydrogen oxidation reaction in PEMFC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Bing; Qiao Jinli; Yang Daijun; Zheng Junsheng; Ma Jianxin; Zhang Jiujun; Wang Haijiang

    2009-01-01

    The active, carbon-supported Ir and Ir-V nanoclusters with well-controlled particle size, dispersity, and composition uniformity, have been synthesized via an ethylene glycol method using IrCl 3 and NH 4 VO 3 as the Ir and V precursors. The nanostructured catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The catalytic activities of these carbon-supported nanoclusters were screened by applying on-line cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques, which were used to characterize the electrochemical properties of fuel cells using several anode Ir/C and Ir-V/C catalysts. It was found that Ir/C and Ir-V/C catalysts affect the performance of electrocatalysts significantly based on the discharge characteristics of the fuel cell. The catalyst Ir-V/C at 40 wt.% displayed the highest catalytic activity to hydrogen oxidation reaction and, therefore, high cell performance is achieved which results in a maximum power density of 563 mW cm -2 at 0.512 V and 70 deg. C in a real H 2 /air fuel cell. This performance is 20% higher as compared to the commercial available Pt/C catalyst. Fuel cell life test at a constant current density of 1000 mA cm -2 in a H 2 /O 2 condition shows good stability of anode Ir-V/C after 100 h of continuous operation.

  8. Synthesis of Carbon Nano tubes Using Anadara Granosa Shells as Catalyst Support

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd Zobir Hussein; Mohd Zobir Hussein; Salwani Asyikin Zakarya; Siti Halimah Sarijo

    2011-01-01

    The synthesis of carbon nano tubes (CNTs) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method using natural calcite prepared from Anadara granosa shells (CS), as metal catalyst support was studied. Hexane and iron were used as carbon precursor and catalyst, respectively. The as synthesised CNTs was characterized using XRD, TEM and FESEM. From the XRD patterns the CNTs peak can be seen more incisive after purification process and from the FESEM micrographs the CNTs can be seen as a bunch of rope-like structures. (author)

  9. Hydrogen storage in carbon nano-materials. Elaboration, characterization and properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luxembourg, D.

    2004-10-01

    This work deals with hydrogen storage for supplying fuel cells. Hydrogen storage by adsorption in carbon nano-tubes and nano-fibers is a very controversial issue because experimental results are very dispersed and adsorption mechanisms are not yet elucidated. Physi-sorption cannot explain in fact all the experimental results. All the potential adsorption sites, physical and chemical, are discussed as detailed as possible in a state of the art. Experimental works includes the steps of elaboration, characterization, and measurements of the hydrogen storage properties. Nano-fibers are grown using a CVD approach. Single wall carbon nano-tubes (SWNT) synthesis is based on the vaporization/condensation of a carbon/catalysts mixture in a reactor using a fraction of the available concentrated solar energy at the focus of the 1000 kW solar facility of IMP-CNRS at Odeillo. Several samples are produced using different synthesis catalysts (Ni, Co, Y, Ce). SWNT samples are purified using oxidative and acid treatments. Hydrogen storage properties of these materials are carefully investigated using a volumetric technique. The applied pressure is up to 6 MPa and the temperature is 253 K. Hydrogen uptake of the investigated materials are less than 1 % wt. at 253 K and 6 MPa. (author)

  10. Hydrogenation of carbon monoxide on WO/sub 3/-Supported ruthenium catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoshinari, Tomohiro; Suganuma, Fujio; Sera, Chikara

    1988-01-01

    In this study, a WO/sub 3/-supported catalyst was prepared to conduct hydrogenation of CO for examining the product distribution and composition of hydrocarbons, using a gamma-alumina-supported catalyst for comparison. These catalysts were used under pressure to conduct a distributive reaction and the desorbing behavior of CO or H/sub 2/ at elevated temperature was measured to examine the influence of the type of carrier or the method of preparation on the activity and the distribution of products formed. The WO/sub 3/-supported catalyst gave a carbon chain length distribution that did not comply with the rule of Schulz-Flory, giving a composition richer in the isomers. Carbon number distribution is affected by Ru-dispersion, and the selectivity of isomers depends on the acidity of the carrier. Formed products distribution of the WO/sub 3/-supported reaction is attributable to the secondary reaction, which relates to the acidic point of the carrier, of the primary product formed on the metal. (7 figs, 4 tabs, 18 refs)

  11. A review of catalysts for the electroreduction of carbon dioxide to produce low-carbon fuels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Jinli; Liu, Yuyu; Hong, Feng; Zhang, Jiujun

    2014-01-21

    This paper reviews recent progress made in identifying electrocatalysts for carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction to produce low-carbon fuels, including CO, HCOOH/HCOO(-), CH2O, CH4, H2C2O4/HC2O4(-), C2H4, CH3OH, CH3CH2OH and others. The electrocatalysts are classified into several categories, including metals, metal alloys, metal oxides, metal complexes, polymers/clusters, enzymes and organic molecules. The catalyts' activity, product selectivity, Faradaic efficiency, catalytic stability and reduction mechanisms during CO2 electroreduction have received detailed treatment. In particular, we review the effects of electrode potential, solution-electrolyte type and composition, temperature, pressure, and other conditions on these catalyst properties. The challenges in achieving highly active and stable CO2 reduction electrocatalysts are analyzed, and several research directions for practical applications are proposed, with the aim of mitigating performance degradation, overcoming additional challenges, and facilitating research and development in this area.

  12. Carbon Nanofiber Supported Transition-Metal Carbide Catalysts for the Hydrodeoxygenation of Guaiacol

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jongerius, A.; Gosselink, R.W.; Dijkstra, J.; Bitter, J.H.; Bruijnincx, P.C.A.; Weckhuysen, B.M.

    2013-01-01

    Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) studies over carbon nanofiber-supported (CNF) W2C and Mo2C catalysts were performed on guaiacol, a prototypical substrate to evaluate the potential of a catalyst for valorization of depolymerized lignin streams. Typical reactions were executed at 55 bar hydrogen pressure

  13. Pt/XC-72 catalysts coated with nitrogen-doped carbon (Pt/XC-72@C–N) for methanol electro-oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cao, Jun; Chu, Yuanyuan; Tan, Xiaoyao, E-mail: cestanxy@aliyun.com

    2014-03-01

    Pt/XC-72 catalysts coated with N-doped carbon (denoted as Pt/XC-72@C–N) for the electro-oxidation of methanol are prepared through a combined microwave-assisted polyol with in-situ carbonization of N-doped carbon coating process using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), 1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium nitrate (VEIN) or 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide (EMID) ionic liquid as the N-doped carbon precursor. X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive of X-ray, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammograms and accelerated aging test techniques are applied to characterize the structure and the electro-catalytic activity of the catalysts. The results show that the Pt particles with the average size of around 2.5 nm are highly dispersed in face-centered cubic crystal structure in the carbon support. The structure of the N-doped carbon coating precursor has considerable influence on the electro-catalytic performance of the catalysts. The resultant catalyst with EMID ionic liquid as the N-doped carbon source exhibits 115.9 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}Pt electrochemical surface area (ESA) and 0.66 A mg{sup −1}Pt catalytic activity towards the electro-oxidation of methanol, which are 1.37 times the ESA and 1.35 times the catalytic activity of the PVP-derived catalyst, and 2.02 times the electrochemical surface area and 1.94 times the catalytic activity of the VEIN-derived catalyst. The appropriate amount of the EMID ionic liquid used in the catalyst synthesis process is around 10 uL for 100 mg XC-72 support so as to obtain the highest electro-catalytic activity. - Highlights: • N-doped carbon coated Pt/C catalyst is prepared for methanol electro-oxidation. • Pt/XC-72@C–N exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity over uncoated catalysts. • Ionic liquid with anionic cyano groups is most suitable as N-doped carbon precursor. • The appropriate amount of ionic liquid for coating is around 10 μL for 100 mg carbon.

  14. Effect of the reaction medium on the properties of solid catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boreskov, G.K.

    1980-01-01

    The effect of the reaction medium on the properties of solid catalysts, such as bulk or supported metals, alloys, or metal oxides, include variations in surface composition, structure, and catalytic properties due to catalyst interaction with the reactants. This interaction leads to the establishment of a steady state, which is determined by the composition of the reaction medium and temperature, but is independent of the initial state of the catalyst. This steady state for a catalyst of a given chemical composition is characterized by an approximately constant specific activity in most chemical reactions, which is almost independent of the preparation method, surface area, or crystal size of the catalyst. The structurally sensitive reactions, which occur only on limited segments of catalyst surface characterized by specific structures, are the exception. The effects of the variations in catalytic properties caused by the reaction medium on the steady-state and nonsteady-state reaction kinetics are also discussed based on the results obtained for oxidative dehydrogenation of 1-butene over an iron/antimony oxide catalyst.

  15. Durability of Carbon Nanofiber (CNF) & Carbon Nanotube (CNT) as Catalyst Support for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Shuang Ma; Borghei, Maryam; Lund, Peter

    2013-01-01

    a standard polyol method were prepared and fabricated as cathodes of Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEA) for PEMFC. Both the catalysts as such and the MEAs made out of them were evaluated regarding to thermal and electrochemical stability using traditional carbon black (Vulcan XC72) as a reference. Thermal...... gravimetric analysis (TGA), cyclic voltammetry (CV), polarization curve and impedance spectroscopy were applied on the samples under accelerated stress conditions. The carbon nano-materials demonstrated better stability as support for nano-sized platinum catalyst under PEMFC related operating conditions. Due...

  16. Oxidation catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceyer, Sylvia T.; Lahr, David L.

    2010-11-09

    The present invention generally relates to catalyst systems and methods for oxidation of carbon monoxide. The invention involves catalyst compositions which may be advantageously altered by, for example, modification of the catalyst surface to enhance catalyst performance. Catalyst systems of the present invention may be capable of performing the oxidation of carbon monoxide at relatively lower temperatures (e.g., 200 K and below) and at relatively higher reaction rates than known catalysts. Additionally, catalyst systems disclosed herein may be substantially lower in cost than current commercial catalysts. Such catalyst systems may be useful in, for example, catalytic converters, fuel cells, sensors, and the like.

  17. High Performance Fe- and N- Doped Carbon Catalyst with Graphene Structure for Oxygen Reduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Hongliang; Mo, Zaiyong; Liao, Shijun; Liang, Huagen; Yang, Lijun; Luo, Fan; Song, Huiyu; Zhong, Yiliang; Zhang, Bingqing

    2013-05-01

    Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are promising candidates for a clean and efficient energy conversion in the future, the development of carbon based inexpensive non-precious metal ORR catalyst has becoming one of the most attractive topics in fuel cell field. Herein we report a Fe- and N- doped carbon catalyst Fe-PANI/C-Mela with graphene structure and the surface area up to 702 m2 g-1. In 0.1 M HClO4 electrolyte, the ORR onset potential for the catalyst is high up to 0.98 V, and the half-wave potential is only 60 mV less than that of the Pt/C catalyst (Loadings: 51 μg Pt cm-2). The catalyst shows high stability after 10,000 cyclic voltammetry cycles. A membrane electrode assembly made with the catalyst as a cathode is tested in a H2-air single cell, the maximum power density reached ~0.33 W cm2 at 0.47 V.

  18. Upgrading of glycerol from biodiesel synthesis with dimethyl carbonate on reusable Sr–Al mixed oxide catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Algoufi, Y.T.; Akpan, U.G.; Kabir, G.; Asif, M.; Hameed, B.H.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Catalytic transesterification with dimethyl carbonate (DMC) converts glycerol into glycerol carbonate (GLC). • DMC and Sr_x–Al catalysts affect the reaction mechanisms that convert glycerol into GLC. • The morphology and textural structure of Sr_x–Al catalysts perpetuate catalytic activity. • The atomic ratio of Sr/Al has a unique effect on Sr–Al catalytic activity. • Sr_0_._5–Al catalyst exhibits limited leaching after five reaction cycles. - Abstract: The high demand for renewable energy has led to the upsurge of methanol-assisted biodiesel synthesis. Therefore, glycerol as a byproduct entered the waste stream given the oversupply of biodiesel to the market. The dimethyl carbonate (DMC)-assisted transesterification of glycerol on a catalyst has been a popular approach for converting glycerol into valuable glycerol carbonate (GLC). The synthesis of GLC from the DMC-assisted transesterification of glycerol on mixed oxide catalysts (Sr_x–Al) with different Sr/Al ratios was examined in this study. A glycerol conversion of 99.4% and a GLC yield of 100% were achieved in a catalyst with Sr/Al = 0.5 (Sr_0_._5–Al). Both values are higher than those in catalysts synthesized with Sr/Al = 0.25 and 0.75. The Sr_0_._5–Al catalyst withstood five transesterification reaction cycles without a serious deactivation induced by the leaching of active SrO. Therefore, the Sr_0_._5–Al catalyst is suitable for consecutive uses in the DMC-assisted transesterification of glycerol with DMC into GLC.

  19. Surface tailored single walled carbon nanotubes as catalyst support for direct methanol fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kireeti, Kota V. M. K.; Jha, Neetu

    2017-10-01

    A strategy for tuning the surface property of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) for enhanced methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) along with methanol tolerance is presented. The surface functionality is tailored using controlled acid and base treatment. Acid treatment leads to the attachment of carboxylic carbon (CC) fragments to SWNT making it hydrophilic (P3-SWNT). Base treatment of P3-SWNT with 0.05 M NaOH reduces the CCs and makes it hydrophobic (P33-SWNT). Pt catalyst supported on the P3-SWNT possesses enhanced MOR whereas that supported on P33-SWNT not only enhances ORR kinetics but also possess good tolerance towards methanol oxidation as verified by the electrochemical technique.

  20. Formic Acid Oxidation over Hierarchical Porous Carbon Containing PtPd Catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Pastor

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The use of high surface monolithic carbon as support for catalysts offers important advantage, such as elimination of the ohmic drop originated in the interparticle contact and improved mass transport by ad-hoc pore design. Moreover, the approach discussed here has the advantage that it allows the synthesis of materials having a multimodal porous size distribution, with each pore size contributing to the desired properties. On the other hand, the monolithic nature of the porous support also imposes new challenges for metal loading. In this work, the use of Hierarchical Porous Carbon (HPC as support for PtPd nanoparticles was explored. Three hierarchical porous carbon samples (denoted as HPC-300, HPC-400 and HPC-500 with main pore size around 300, 400 and 500 nm respectively, are used as porous support. PtPd nanoparticles were loaded by impregnation and subsequent chemical reduction with NaBH4. The resulting material was characterized by EDX, XRD and conventional electrochemical techniques. The catalytic activity toward formic acid and methanol electrooxidation was evaluated by electrochemical methods, and the results compared with commercial carbon supported PtPd. The Hierarchical Porous Carbon support discussed here seems to be promising for use in DFAFC anodes.

  1. The study on catalytic performance of CuO/CexZr1-xO2 catalyst in carbon monoxide oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Jinhua

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available A series of CuO/CexZr1-xO2 samples were prepared by incipient-wetness impregnation method with CexZr1-xO2 used as the catalyst carrier which was synthesized by co-precipitation method.The influences of the mass ratio of CeO2:ZrO2 and CuO loading were investigated using catalytic activity test,XRD,BET,H2-TPR,and CO-TPR techniques.The results revealed that with a CeO2:ZrO2 mass ratio of 4:1 and 10% CuO loading,10%CuO/Ce0.815Zr0.185O2 catalyst showed a larger surface area and pore volume,a higher dispersity of CuO particles,better reduction property and CO oxidation property.Thus,10% CuO/Ce0.815Zr0.185O2 catalyst exhibited a high catalytic activity in the carbon monoxide oxidation with 100% CO conversion at the temperature as low as 80℃ under atmospheric pressure.

  2. Controlling the number of walls in multi walled carbon nanotubes/alumina hybrid compound via ball milling of precipitate catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nosbi, Norlin [School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), 14300 Nibong Tebal, Seberang Perai Selatan, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Akil, Hazizan Md, E-mail: hazizan@usm.my [School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), 14300 Nibong Tebal, Seberang Perai Selatan, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Cluster for Polymer Composite (CPC), Science and Engineering Research Centre, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), 14300 Nibong Tebal, Seberang Perai Selatan, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia)

    2015-06-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We report that, to manipulate carbon nanotubes geometry and number of walls are by controlling the precipitate catalyst size. • Number of walls and geometry effects depend on the milling time of the precipitate catalyst. • Increasing milling of time will decrease the carbon nanotubes number of walls. • Increasing milling of time will increase the carbon nanotubes thermal conductivity. - Abstract: This paper reports the influence of milling time on the structure and properties of the precipitate catalyst of multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)/alumina hybrid compound, produced through the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process. For this purpose, light green precipitate consisted of aluminium, nickel(II) nitrate hexahydrate and sodium hydroxide mixture was placed in a planetary mill equipped with alumina vials using alumina balls at 300 rpm rotation speed for various milling time (5–15 h) prior to calcinations and CVD process. The compound was characterized using various techniques. Based on high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis, increasing the milling time up to 15 h decreased the diameter of MWCNT from 32.3 to 13.1 nm. It was noticed that the milling time had a significant effect on MWCNT wall thickness, whereby increasing the milling time from 0 to 15 h reduced the number of walls from 29 to 12. It was also interesting to note that the carbon content increased from 23.29 wt.% to 36.37 wt.% with increasing milling time.

  3. Fabrication of Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts by Deposition of Iron Nanocrystals on Carbon Nanotubes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Casavola, Marianna; Hermannsdoerfer, Justus; de Jonge, Niels; Dugulan, A. Iulian; de Jong, Krijn P.

    2015-01-01

    The fabrication of supported catalysts consisting of colloidal iron oxide nanocrystals with tunable size, geometry, and loadinghomogeneously dispersed on carbon nanotube (CNT) supportsis described herein. The catalyst synthesis is performed in a two-step approach. First, colloidal iron and iron

  4. High utilization platinum deposition on single-walled carbon nanotubes as catalysts for direct methanol fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, J.J.; Yin, G.P.; Zhang, J.; Wang, Z.B.; Gao, Y.Z.

    2007-01-01

    This research aims to enhance the activity of Pt catalysts, thus to lower the loading of Pt metal in fuel cell. Highly dispersed platinum supported on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as catalyst was prepared by ion exchange method. The homemade Pt/SWNTs underwent a repetition of ion exchange and reduction process in order to achieve an increase of the metal loading. For comparison, the similar loading of Pt catalyst supported on carbon nanotubes was prepared by borohydride reduction method. The catalysts were characterized by using energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX), transmission electron micrograph (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS). Compared with the Pt/SWNTs catalyst prepared by borohydride method, higher Pt utilization was achieved on the SWNTs by ion exchange method. Furthermore, in comparison to the E-TEK 20 wt.% Pt/C catalyst with the support of carbon black, the results from electrochemical measurement indicated that the Pt/SWNTs prepared by ion exchange method displayed a higher catalytic activity for methanol oxidation and higher Pt utilization, while no significant increasing in the catalytic activity of the Pt/SWNTs catalyst obtained by borohydride method

  5. Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Encapsulated Nickel/Cobalt Nanoparticle Catalysts for Olefin Migration of Allylarenes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kramer, Søren; Mielby, Jerrik Jørgen; Buss, Kasper Spanggård

    2017-01-01

    Olefin migration of allylarenes is typically performed with precious metal-based homogeneous catalysts. In contrast, very limited progress has been made using cheap, earth-abundant base metals as heterogeneous catalysts for these transformations - in spite of the obvious economic and environmental...... advantages. Herein, we report on the use of an easily prepared heterogeneous catalyst material for the migration of olefins, in particular allylarenes. The catalyst material consists of nickel/cobalt alloy nanoparticles encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon shells. The encapsulated nanoparticles are stable...

  6. Oxidation of CO and Methanol on Pd-Ni Catalysts Supported on Different Chemically-Treated Carbon Nanofibers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Carlos Calderón

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In this work, palladium-nickel nanoparticles supported on carbon nanofibers were synthesized, with metal contents close to 25 wt % and Pd:Ni atomic ratios near to 1:2. These catalysts were previously studied in order to determine their activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction. Before the deposition of metals, the carbon nanofibers were chemically treated in order to generate oxygen and nitrogen groups on their surface. Transmission electron microscopy analysis (TEM images revealed particle diameters between 3 and 4 nm, overcoming the sizes observed for the nanoparticles supported on carbon black (catalyst Pd-Ni CB 1:2. From the CO oxidation at different temperatures, the activation energy Eact for this reaction was determined. These values indicated a high tolerance of the catalysts toward the CO poisoning, especially in the case of the catalysts supported on the non-chemically treated carbon nanofibers. On the other hand, apparent activation energy Eap for the methanol oxidation was also determined finding—as a rate determining step—the COads diffusion to the OHads for the catalysts supported on carbon nanofibers. The results here presented showed that the surface functional groups only play a role in the obtaining of lower particle sizes, which is an important factor in the obtaining of low CO oxidation activation energies.

  7. Application in industry and energy production of active carbon/cobalt catalyst for nitrogen oxide neutralization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mekhandzhiev, D.; Nikolov, R.; Lyutskanov, L.; Dushanov, D.; Lakov, L.

    1997-01-01

    A new material for neutralization of nitrogen oxides is presented. Two or three metals containing catalysts with a good activity and selectivity towards NO x have been obtained. Preparation of carbon catalysts by deposition of the active phase precursor on the initial carbon material prior to activation is considered as the most promising method. An active carbon-based catalyst (AC/Co) has been synthesized Apricot shells preliminary impregnated with a water-alcohol solution of Co nitrate have been used as initial carbon material. after drying they have been subjected to one-phase steam pyrolysis using a fix-bed reactor. The catalyst thus obtained has a specific surface area (BET) of 53 m 2 g -1 , a favorable mesopore volume/total volume ratio (about 0.85) determined by nitrogen adsorption, a suitable mesopore distribution, about 70% of the mesopores being characterized by r p larger than 25 A and a high dispersion of the Co oxide phase. In addition the catalyst possesses the necessary mechanical resistance. The catalyst has exhibited a high activity with respect to NO x reduction with CO at low temperatures (at 150-250 o C which are the temperatures of industrial flue gases, nO conversion up to 60-95% occurs) and a high selectivity. No presence of H 2 O has been established over the whole temperature range (100-300 o C). An additional advantage of the catalyst is the fact that the amount of CO above 150 o C is lower than the stoichiometric which indicates parallel participation in the process of both the active phase and the support (active carbon) It is also important that the presented catalyst has a low price due to the use of waste products from agriculture and the elimination of special thermal treatment of the supported Co nitrate. There are possibilities of using of other organic wastes from agriculture as well as wastes obtained during flotation of coal. (author)

  8. Catalytic conversion of xylose and corn stalk into furfural over carbon solid acid catalyst in γ-valerolactone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Tingwei; Li, Wenzhi; Xu, Zhiping; Liu, Qiyu; Ma, Qiaozhi; Jameel, Hasan; Chang, Hou-min; Ma, Longlong

    2016-06-01

    A novel carbon solid acid catalyst was synthesized by the sulfonation of carbonaceous material which was prepared by carbonization of sucrose using 4-BDS as a sulfonating agent. TEM, N2 adsorption-desorption, elemental analysis, XPS and FT-IR were used to characterize the catalyst. Then, the catalyst was applied for the conversion of xylose and corn stalk into furfural in GVL. The influence of the reaction time, temperature and dosage of catalyst on xylose dehydration were also investigated. The Brønsted acid catalyst exhibited high activity in the dehydration of xylose, with a high furfural yield of 78.5% at 170°C in 30min. What's more, a 60.6% furfural yield from corn stalk was achieved in 100min at 200°C. The recyclability of the sulfonated carbon catalyst was perfect, and it could be reused for 5times without the loss of furfural yields. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Tungsten carbide/porous carbon composite as superior support for platinum catalyst toward methanol electro-oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang, Liming; Fu, Honggang; Wang, Lei; Mu, Guang; Jiang, Baojiang; Zhou, Wei; Wang, Ruihong

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The WC nanoparticles are well dispersed in the carbon matrix. The size of WC nanoparticles is about 30 nm. It can be concluded that tungsten carbide and carbon composite was successfully prepared by the present synthesis conditions. - Highlights: • The WC/PC composite with high specific surface area was prepared by a simple way. • The Pt/WC/PC catalyst has superior performance toward methanol electro-oxidation. • The current density for methanol electro-oxidation is as high as 595.93 A g −1 Pt. • The Pt/WC/PC catalyst shows better durability and stronger CO electro-oxidation. • The performance of Pt/WC/PC is superior to the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. - Abstract: Tungsten carbide/porous carbon (WC/PC) composites have been successfully synthesized through a surfactant assisted evaporation-induced-assembly method, followed by a thermal treatment process. In particular, WC/PC-35-1000 composite with tungsten content of 35% synthesized at the carbonized temperature of 1000 °C, exhibited a specific surface area (S BET ) of 457.92 m 2 g −1 . After loading Pt nanoparticles (NPs), the obtained Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst exhibits the highest unit mass electroactivity (595.93 A g −1 Pt) toward methanol electro-oxidation, which is about 2.6 times as that of the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. Furthermore, the Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst displays much stronger resistance to CO poisoning and better durability toward methanol electrooxidation compared with the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. The high electrocatalytic activity, strong poison-resistivity and good stability of Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst are attributed to the porous structures and high specific surface area of WC/PC support could facilitate the rapid mass transportation. Moreover, synergistic effect between WC and Pt NPs is favorable to the higher catalytic performance

  10. Patterned forests of vertically-aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes using metal salt catalyst solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrett, David J; Flavel, Benjamin S; Baronian, Keith H R; Downard, Alison J

    2013-01-01

    A simple method for producing patterned forests of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is described. An aqueous metal salt solution is spin-coated onto a substrate patterned with photoresist by standard methods. The photoresist is removed by acetone washing leaving the acetone-insoluble catalyst pattern on the substrate. Dense forests of vertically aligned (VA) MWCNTs are grown on the patterned catalyst layers by chemical vapour deposition. The procedures have been demonstrated by growing MWCNT forests on two substrates: silicon and conducting graphitic carbon films. The forests adhere strongly to the substrates and when grown directly on carbon film, offer a simple method of preparing MWCNT electrodes.

  11. Starch saccharification by carbon-based solid acid catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamaguchi, Daizo; Hara, Michikazu

    2010-06-01

    The hydrolysis of cornstarch using a highly active solid acid catalyst, a carbon material bearing SO 3H, COOH and OH groups, was investigated at 353-393 K through an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and an artificial neural network (ANN). ANOVA revealed that reaction temperature and time are significant parameters for the catalytic hydrolysis of starch. The ANN model indicated that the reaction efficiency reaches a maximum at an optimal condition (water, 0.8-1.0 mL; starch, 0.3-0.4 g; catalyst, 0.3 g; reaction temperature, 373 K; reaction time, 3 h). The relationship between the reaction and these parameters is discussed on the basis of the reaction mechanism.

  12. Removal of free fatty acid in Palm Fatty Acid Distillate using sulfonated carbon catalyst derived from biomass wastefor biodiesel production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hidayat, Arif; Rochmadi; Wijaya, Karna; Budiman, Arief

    2016-01-01

    In this research, the esterification of PFAD using the sulfonatedcoconut shell biochar catalyst was studied. Carbon solid catalysts were prepared by a sulfonation of carbonized coconut shells. The performances of the catalysts were evaluated in terms of the reaction temperatures, the molar ratios of methanol to PFAD, the catalyst loading and the reaction times. The reusability of the solid acid carbon catalysts was also studied in this work. The results indicated that the FFA conversion was significantly increased with increasing catalyst loading and reaction times. It can be concluded that the optimal conditions were an PFAD to methanol molar ratio of 1:12, the amount of catalyst of 10%w, and reaction temperature of 60oC.At this optimum condition, the conversion to biodieselreached 88%.

  13. Carbon nanocages: a new support material for Pt catalyst with remarkably high durability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiao Xia; Tan, Zhe Hua; Zeng, Min; Wang, Jian Nong

    2014-03-24

    Low durability is the major challenge hindering the large-scale implementation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology, and corrosion of carbon support materials of current catalysts is the main cause. Here, we describe the finding of remarkably high durability with the use of a novel support material. This material is based on hollow carbon nanocages developed with a high degree of graphitization and concurrent nitrogen doping for oxidation resistance enhancement, uniform deposition of fine Pt particles, and strong Pt-support interaction. Accelerated degradation testing shows that such designed catalyst possesses a superior electrochemical activity and long-term stability for both hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction relative to industry benchmarks of current catalysts. Further testing under conditions of practical fuel cell operation reveals almost no degradation over long-term cycling. Such a catalyst of high activity, particularly, high durability, opens the door for the next-generation PEMFC for "real world" application.

  14. Enhanced Activity and Selectivity of Carbon Nanofiber Supported Pd Catalysts for Nitrite Reduction

    KAUST Repository

    Shuai, Danmeng; Choe, Jong Kwon; Shapley, John R.; Werth, Charles J.

    2012-01-01

    Pd-based catalyst treatment represents an emerging technology that shows promise to remove nitrate and nitrite from drinking water. In this work we use vapor-grown carbon nanofiber (CNF) supports in order to explore the effects of Pd nanoparticle size and interior versus exterior loading on nitrite reduction activity and selectivity (i.e., dinitrogen over ammonia production). Results show that nitrite reduction activity increases by 3.1-fold and selectivity decreases by 8.0-fold, with decreasing Pd nanoparticle size from 1.4 to 9.6 nm. Both activity and selectivity are not significantly influenced by Pd interior versus exterior CNF loading. Consequently, turnover frequencies (TOFs) among all CNF catalysts are similar, suggesting nitrite reduction is not sensitive to Pd location on CNFs nor Pd structure. CNF-based catalysts compare favorably to conventional Pd catalysts (i.e., Pd on activated carbon or alumina) with respect to nitrite reduction activity and selectivity, and they maintain activity over multiple reduction cycles. Hence, our results suggest new insights that an optimum Pd nanoparticle size on CNFs balances faster kinetics with lower ammonia production, that catalysts can be tailored at the nanoscale to improve catalytic performance for nitrite, and that CNFs hold promise as highly effective catalyst supports in drinking water treatment. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  15. Enhanced Activity and Selectivity of Carbon Nanofiber Supported Pd Catalysts for Nitrite Reduction

    KAUST Repository

    Shuai, Danmeng

    2012-03-06

    Pd-based catalyst treatment represents an emerging technology that shows promise to remove nitrate and nitrite from drinking water. In this work we use vapor-grown carbon nanofiber (CNF) supports in order to explore the effects of Pd nanoparticle size and interior versus exterior loading on nitrite reduction activity and selectivity (i.e., dinitrogen over ammonia production). Results show that nitrite reduction activity increases by 3.1-fold and selectivity decreases by 8.0-fold, with decreasing Pd nanoparticle size from 1.4 to 9.6 nm. Both activity and selectivity are not significantly influenced by Pd interior versus exterior CNF loading. Consequently, turnover frequencies (TOFs) among all CNF catalysts are similar, suggesting nitrite reduction is not sensitive to Pd location on CNFs nor Pd structure. CNF-based catalysts compare favorably to conventional Pd catalysts (i.e., Pd on activated carbon or alumina) with respect to nitrite reduction activity and selectivity, and they maintain activity over multiple reduction cycles. Hence, our results suggest new insights that an optimum Pd nanoparticle size on CNFs balances faster kinetics with lower ammonia production, that catalysts can be tailored at the nanoscale to improve catalytic performance for nitrite, and that CNFs hold promise as highly effective catalyst supports in drinking water treatment. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  16. Catalytic wet air oxidation of 2-chlorophenol over sewage sludge-derived carbon-based catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tu, Yuting [Institut de recherches sur la catalyse et l’environnement de Lyon (IRCELYON), CNRS – Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 2 Avenue Albert Einstein, 69626 Villeurbanne Cedex (France); School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Xiong, Ya; Tian, Shuanghong [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Kong, Lingjun [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Descorme, Claude, E-mail: claude.descorme@ircelyon.univ-lyon1.fr [Institut de recherches sur la catalyse et l’environnement de Lyon (IRCELYON), CNRS – Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 2 Avenue Albert Einstein, 69626 Villeurbanne Cedex (France)

    2014-07-15

    Highlights: • A sewage sludge derived carbon-supported iron oxide catalyst (FeSC) was prepared. • FeSC exhibited high catalytic activity in the wet air oxidation of 2-chlorophenol. • A strong correlation was observed between the 2-CP conversion, the iron leaching and the pH. • Using an acetate buffer, the iron leaching was suppressed while keeping some catalytic activity. • A simplified reaction pathway was proposed for the CWAO of 2-CP over the FeSC catalyst. - Abstract: A sewage sludge derived carbon-supported iron oxide catalyst (FeSC) was prepared and used in the Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation (CWAO) of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP). The catalysts were characterized in terms of elemental composition, surface area, pH{sub PZC}, XRD and SEM. The performances of the FeSC catalyst in the CWAO of 2-CP was assessed in a batch reactor operated at 120 °C under 0.9 MPa oxygen partial pressure. Complete decomposition of 2-CP was achieved within 5 h and 90% Total Organic Carbon (TOC) was removed after 24 h of reaction. Quite a straight correlation was observed between the 2-CP conversion, the amount of iron leached in solution and the pH of the reaction mixture at a given reaction time, indicating a strong predominance of the homogeneous catalysis contribution. The iron leaching could be efficiently prevented when the pH of the solution was maintained at values higher than 4.5, while the catalytic activity was only slightly reduced. Upon four successive batch CWAO experiments, using the same FeSC catalyst recovered by filtration after pH adjustment, only a very minor catalyst deactivation was observed. Finally, based on all the identified intermediates, a simplified reaction pathway was proposed for the CWAO of 2-CP over the FeSC catalyst.

  17. De-oxygenation of CO2 by using Hydrogen, Carbon and Methane over Alumina-Supported Catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R.Y. Raskar

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The de-oxygenation of CO2 was explored by using hydrogen, methane, carbon etc., over alumina supported catalysts. The alumina-supported ruthenium, rhodium, platinum, molybdenum, vanadium and magnesium catalysts were first reduced in hydrogen atmosphere and then used for the de-oxygenation of CO2. Furthermore, experimental variables for the de-oxygenation of CO2 were temperature (range 50 to 650 oC, H2/CO2 mole ratios (1.0 to 5, and catalyst loading (0.5 to 10 wt %. During the de-oxygenation of CO2 with H2 or CH4 or carbon, conversion of CO2, selectivity to CO and CH4 were estimated. Moreover, 25.4 % conversion of CO2 by hydrogen was observed over 1 wt% Pt/Al2O3 catalyst at 650 oC with 33.8 % selectivity to CH4. However, 8.1 to 13.9 % conversion of CO2 was observed over 1 wt% Pt/Al2O3 catalyst at 550 oC in the presence of both H2 and CH4. Moreover, 42.8 to 79.4 % CH4 was converted with 9 to 23.1 % selectivity to CO. It was observed that the de-oxygenation of CO2 by hydrogen, carbon and methane produced carbon, CO and CH4. © 2012 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reservedReceived: 6th February 2012; Revised: 23rd April 2012; Accepted: 24th April 2012[How to Cite: R. Y. Raskar, K. B. Kale, A. G. Gaikwad. (2011. De-oxygenation of CO2 by using Hydrogen, Carbon and Methane over Alumina-Supported Catalysts. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 7 (1: 59-69.  doi:10.9767/bcrec.7.1.1631.59-69][How to Link / DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.7.1.1631.59-69 ] | View in 

  18. Palm H-FAME Production through Partially Hydrogenation using Nickel/Carbon Catalyst to Increase Oxidation Stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramayeni Elsa

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the methods to improve the oxidation stability of palm biodiesel is through partially hydrogenation. The production using Nickel/Carbon catalyst to speed up the reaction rate. Product is called Palm H-FAME (Hydrogenated FAME. Partial hydrogenation breaks the unsaturated bond on FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester, which is a key component of the determination of oxidative properties. Changes in FAME composition by partial hydrogenation are predicted to change the oxidation stability so it does not cause deposits that can damage the injection system of diesel engine, pump system, and storage tank. Partial hydrogenation is carried out under operating conditions of 120 °C and 6 bar with 100:1, 100:3, 100:5, 100:10 % wt catalyst in the stirred batch autoclave reactor. H-FAME synthesis with 100:5 % wt Ni/C catalyst can decrease the iodine number which is the empirical measure of the number of unsaturated bonds from 91.78 to 82.38 (g-I2/100 g with an increase of oxidation stability from 585 to 602 minutes.

  19. In-situ observations of catalyst dynamics during surface-bound carbon nanotube nucleation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hofmann, S; Sharma, R; Du, G

    2007-01-01

    nanoparticles on SiOx support show crystalline lattice fringe contrast and high deformability before and during nanotube formation. A single-walled carbon nanotube nucleates by lift-off of a carbon cap. Cap stabilization and nanotube growth involve the dynamic reshaping of the catalyst nanocrystal itself...

  20. Graphitized Carbon: A Promising Stable Cathode Catalyst Support Material for Long Term PEMFC Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanta, Paritosh Kumar; Regnet, Fabian; Jörissen, Ludwig

    2018-05-28

    Stability of cathode catalyst support material is one of the big challenges of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) for long term applications. Traditional carbon black (CB) supports are not stable enough to prevent oxidation to CO₂ under fuel cell operating conditions. The feasibility of a graphitized carbon (GC) as a cathode catalyst support for low temperature PEMFC is investigated herein. GC and CB supported Pt electrocatalysts were prepared via an already developed polyol process. The physical characterization of the prepared catalysts was performed using transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis, and their electrochemical characterizations were conducted via cyclic voltammetry(CV), rotating disk electrode (RDE) and potential cycling, and eventually, the catalysts were processed using membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) for single cell performance tests. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SEM) have been used as MEA diagonostic tools. GC showed superior stability over CB in acid electrolyte under potential conditions. Single cell MEA performance of the GC-supported catalyst is comparable with the CB-supported catalyst. A correlation of MEA performance of the supported catalysts of different Brunauer⁻Emmett⁻Teller (BET) surface areas with the ionomer content was also established. GC was identified as a promising candidate for catalyst support in terms of both of the stability and the performance of fuel cell.

  1. Control of carbon nanotube growth using cobalt nanoparticles as catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huh, Yoon; Green, Malcolm L.H.; Kim, Young Heon; Lee, Jeong Yong; Lee, Cheol Jin

    2005-01-01

    We have controllably grown carbon nanotubes using uniformly distributed cobalt nanoparticles as catalyst. Cobalt nanoparticles with a uniform size were synthesized by chemical reaction and colloidal solutions including the cobalt nanoparticles were prepared. The cobalt nanoparticles were uniformly distributed on silicon substrates by a spin-coating method. Carbon nanotubes with a uniform diameter were synthesized on the cobalt nanoparticles by thermal chemical vapor deposition of acetylene gas. The density and vertical alignment of carbon nanotubes could be controlled by adjusting the density of cobalt (Co) nanoparticles

  2. Cobalt doped CuMnOx catalysts for the preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dey, Subhashish; Dhal, Ganesh Chandra; Mohan, Devendra; Prasad, Ram; Gupta, Rajeev Nayan

    2018-05-01

    Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas, recognized as a silent killer for the 21st century. It is produced from the partial oxidation of carbon containing compounds. The catalytic oxidation of CO receives a huge attention due to its applications in different fields. In the present work, hopcalite (CuMnOx) catalysts were synthesized using a co-precipitation method for CO oxidation purposes. Also, it was doped with the cobalt by varying concentration from 1 to 5wt%. It was observed that the addition of cobalt into the CuMnOx catalyst (by the deposition-precipitation method) improved the catalytic performance for the low-temperature CO oxidation. CuMnOx catalyst doped with 3wt% of cobalt exhibited most active performance and showed the highest activity than other cobalt concentrations. Different analytical tools (i.e. XRD, FTIR, BET, XPS and SEM-EDX) were used to characterize the as-synthesized catalysts. It was expected that the introduction of cobalt will introduce new active sites into the CuMnOx catalyst that are associated with the cobalt nano-particles. The order of calcination strategies based on the activity for cobalt doped CuMnOx catalysts was observed as: Reactive calcinations (RC) > flowing air > stagnant air. Therefore, RC (4.5% CO in air) route can be recommended for the synthesis of highly active catalysts. The catalytic activity of doped CuMnOx catalysts toward CO oxidation shows a correlation among average oxidation number of Mn and the position and the nature of the doped cobalt cation.

  3. Synthesis of vertical MnO2 wire arrays on hemp-derived carbon for efficient and robust green catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, MinHo; Kim, Dong Seok; Sim, Jae-Wook; Jeong, Jae-Min; Kim, Do Hyun; Choi, Jae Hyung; Kim, Jinsoo; Kim, Seung-Soo; Choi, Bong Gill

    2017-06-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) carbon materials derived from waste biomass have been attracted increasing attention in catalysis and materials science because of their great potential of catalyst supports with respect to multi-functionality, unique structures, high surface area, and low cost. Here, we present a facile and efficient way for preparing 3D heterogeneous catalysts based on vertical MnO2 wires deposited on hemp-derived 3D porous carbon. The 3D porous carbon materials are fabricated by carbonization and activation processes using hemp (Cannabis Sttiva L.). These 3D porous carbon materials are employed as catalyst supports for direct deposition of vertical MnO2 wires using a one-step hydrothermal method. The XRD and XPS results reveal the crystalline structure of α-MnO2 wires. The resultant composites are further employed as a catalyst for glycolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with high conversion yield of 98%, which is expected to be expressly profitable for plastics recycling industry.

  4. Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition of Methane to Carbon Nanotubes: Copper Promoted Effect of Ni/MgO Catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen Yang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The Ni/MgO and Ni-Cu/MgO catalysts were prepared by sol-gel method and used as the catalysts for synthesis of carbon nanotubes by thermal chemical vapor deposition. The effect of Cu on the carbon yield and structure was investigated, and the effects of calcination temperature and reaction temperature were also investigated. The catalysts and synthesized carbon materials were characterized by temperature programmed reduction (TPR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. Results showed that the addition of Cu promoted the reduction of nickel species, subsequently improving the growth and yield of CNTs. Meanwhile, CNTs were synthesized by the Ni/MgO and Ni-Cu/MgO catalysts with various calcination temperatures and reaction temperatures, and results suggested that the obtained CNTs on Ni-Cu/MgO catalyst with the calcination temperature of 500°C and the reaction temperature of 650°C were of the greatest yield and quantity of 927%.

  5. Tungsten carbide/porous carbon composite as superior support for platinum catalyst toward methanol electro-oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Liming [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Fu, Honggang, E-mail: fuhg@vip.sina.com [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Wang, Lei; Mu, Guang; Jiang, Baojiang; Zhou, Wei; Wang, Ruihong [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China)

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The WC nanoparticles are well dispersed in the carbon matrix. The size of WC nanoparticles is about 30 nm. It can be concluded that tungsten carbide and carbon composite was successfully prepared by the present synthesis conditions. - Highlights: • The WC/PC composite with high specific surface area was prepared by a simple way. • The Pt/WC/PC catalyst has superior performance toward methanol electro-oxidation. • The current density for methanol electro-oxidation is as high as 595.93 A g{sup −1} Pt. • The Pt/WC/PC catalyst shows better durability and stronger CO electro-oxidation. • The performance of Pt/WC/PC is superior to the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. - Abstract: Tungsten carbide/porous carbon (WC/PC) composites have been successfully synthesized through a surfactant assisted evaporation-induced-assembly method, followed by a thermal treatment process. In particular, WC/PC-35-1000 composite with tungsten content of 35% synthesized at the carbonized temperature of 1000 °C, exhibited a specific surface area (S{sub BET}) of 457.92 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}. After loading Pt nanoparticles (NPs), the obtained Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst exhibits the highest unit mass electroactivity (595.93 A g{sup −1} Pt) toward methanol electro-oxidation, which is about 2.6 times as that of the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. Furthermore, the Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst displays much stronger resistance to CO poisoning and better durability toward methanol electrooxidation compared with the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. The high electrocatalytic activity, strong poison-resistivity and good stability of Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst are attributed to the porous structures and high specific surface area of WC/PC support could facilitate the rapid mass transportation. Moreover, synergistic effect between WC and Pt NPs is favorable to the higher catalytic performance.

  6. XPS analysis of the carbon fibers surface modified via HMDSO to carbon nanotube growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardoso, L.D.R.; Gomes, M.C.B.; Trava-Airoldi, V.J.; Corat, E.J.; Lugo, D.C.

    2016-01-01

    Full text: Carbon fibers (CF) have been widely used to reinforce structural composites. Due to their strength-to-weight properties, CF composites are finding increased structural uses in areas such as aerospace, aeronautical, automobile and others. The strength of the fiber-resin interface bond has been found to be the limiting factor to the mechanical properties of CF-epoxy materials, due to their non-polar nature that limit the affinity of CF to bind chemically to any matrix. The growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the surface of CF is a promising approach for improving mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of structural composites. However growing CNTs on CF presents some obstacles, such as diffusion of metal catalyst particles on CF, uneven CNT growth and loss of mechanical properties of CF. To avoid the diffusion of catalyst particles we modified the CF surface with hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) at low temperature (400 °C), also preventing the loss of mechanical properties and allowing uniform CNTs growth. We deposited CNTs via floating catalyst method, with ferrocene providing the catalyst particle and the oxidative dehydrogenation reaction of acetylene providing the carbon. The CF surface modification was analyzed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and CNTs growth via scanning electron microscopy with field emission gun. The XPS analysis showed that HMDSO promotes the binding of oxygen to carbon and silicon present on CF surface, the chemical modification of the surface of the CF enables the uniform growth of carbon nanotubes. (author)

  7. XPS analysis of the carbon fibers surface modified via HMDSO to carbon nanotube growth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cardoso, L.D.R.; Gomes, M.C.B.; Trava-Airoldi, V.J.; Corat, E.J.; Lugo, D.C. [Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), Sao Jose dos Campos, SP (Brazil)

    2016-07-01

    Full text: Carbon fibers (CF) have been widely used to reinforce structural composites. Due to their strength-to-weight properties, CF composites are finding increased structural uses in areas such as aerospace, aeronautical, automobile and others. The strength of the fiber-resin interface bond has been found to be the limiting factor to the mechanical properties of CF-epoxy materials, due to their non-polar nature that limit the affinity of CF to bind chemically to any matrix. The growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the surface of CF is a promising approach for improving mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of structural composites. However growing CNTs on CF presents some obstacles, such as diffusion of metal catalyst particles on CF, uneven CNT growth and loss of mechanical properties of CF. To avoid the diffusion of catalyst particles we modified the CF surface with hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) at low temperature (400 °C), also preventing the loss of mechanical properties and allowing uniform CNTs growth. We deposited CNTs via floating catalyst method, with ferrocene providing the catalyst particle and the oxidative dehydrogenation reaction of acetylene providing the carbon. The CF surface modification was analyzed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and CNTs growth via scanning electron microscopy with field emission gun. The XPS analysis showed that HMDSO promotes the binding of oxygen to carbon and silicon present on CF surface, the chemical modification of the surface of the CF enables the uniform growth of carbon nanotubes. (author)

  8. Low-temperature carbon monoxide oxidation over zirconia-supported CuO–CeO{sub 2} catalysts: Effect of zirconia support properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moretti, Elisa, E-mail: elisa.moretti@unive.it [Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, INSTM Venice Research Unit, Via Torino 155/B, 30172 Mestre Venezia (Italy); Molina, Antonia Infantes [Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071 Málaga (Spain); Sponchia, Gabriele; Talon, Aldo; Frattini, Romana [Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, INSTM Venice Research Unit, Via Torino 155/B, 30172 Mestre Venezia (Italy); Rodriguez-Castellon, Enrique [Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071 Málaga (Spain); Storaro, Loretta [Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, INSTM Venice Research Unit, Via Torino 155/B, 30172 Mestre Venezia (Italy)

    2017-05-01

    Highlights: • CuO-CeO{sub 2}/ZrO{sub 2} materials were investigated in the low temperature CO oxidation. • High surface area ZrO{sub 2} synthetized by sol-gel method. • Low ZrO{sub 2} surface area synthetized by fast precipitation. • Sol-gel samples showed, after impregnation, a severe decrease of surface area. • CuO-CeO{sub 2}/ZrO{sub 2} with precipitated ZrO{sub 2} led to a very active catalyst. - Abstract: A study was conducted to investigate the effect of the preparation route of ZrO{sub 2} in CuO–CeO{sub 2}/ZrO{sub 2} catalysts for the oxidation of carbon monoxide at low temperature (COX). Four ZrO{sub 2} supports were synthetized via either type sol-gel methodology or precipitation. The final Cu-Ce-Zr oxide catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness co-impregnation with copper and cerium solutions (with a loading of 6 wt% of CuO and 20 wt% of CeO{sub 2}). The catalyst crystalline phases, texture and active species reducibility were determined by XRD, N{sub 2} physisorption at −196 °C and H{sub 2}-TPR, respectively; meanwhile the surface composition and copper-cerium electronic states were studied by XPS. The catalytic activity was evaluated in the oxidation of CO to CO{sub 2}, in the 40–215 °C temperature range. Catalytic results evidenced that the samples prepared by a sol-gel methodology showed, after the impregnation, a severe decrease of specific surface area and pore volume attributable to a wide degree of pore blockage caused by the presence of metal oxide particles and a collapse of the structure partially burying the active sites. A simple co-impregnation of a zirconia support, obtained through facile and fast precipitation, provided instead a catalyst with very good redox properties and high dispersion of the active phases, which completely oxidizes CO in the range 115–215 °C with T{sub 50} of 65 °C. This higher observed activity was ascribed to the formation of a larger fraction of highly dispersed and easily reducible Cu

  9. Fe-Ti-O based catalyst for large-chiral-angle single-walled carbon nanotube growth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    He, Maoshuai; Zhang, Lili; Jiang, Hua

    2016-01-01

    Catalyst selection is very crucial for controlled growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Here we introduce a well-designed Fe-Ti-O solid solution for SWNT growth with a high preference to large chiral angles. The Fe-Ti-O catalyst was prepared by combining Ti layer deposition onto premade...... Fe nanoparticles with subsequent high-temperature air calcination, which favours the formation of a homogeneous Fe-Ti-O solid solution. Using CO as the carbon feedstock, chemical vapour deposition growth of SWNTs at 800 °C was demonstrated on the Fe-Ti-O catalyst. Nanobeam electron diffraction...... characterization on a number of individual SWNTs revealed that more than 94% of SWNTs have chiral angles larger than 15°. In situ environmental transmission electron microscopy study was carried out to reveal the catalyst dynamics upon reduction. Our results identify that the phase segregation through reducing Fe...

  10. Transesterification of Jatropha oil with dimethyl carbonate to produce fatty acid methyl ester over reusable Ca–La–Al mixed-oxide catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Syamsuddin, Y.; Murat, M.N.; Hameed, B.H.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Transesterification of Jatropha oil over CaO-based catalyst. • Physicochemical properties of the synthesized catalyst. • Best reaction condition for FAME synthesis. • The catalyst showed high activity and stability for transesterification with Jatropha oil. - Abstract: Jatropha oil (JO) was transesterified with dimethyl carbonate (DMC) to produce fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) over synthesized Ca–La–Al mixed-oxide catalyst. The influence of different parameters on transesterification of Jatropha oil was investigated in a batch reactor. These parameters included reaction temperature (110–160 °C), reaction time (30–240 min), DMC-to-oil molar ratio (4:1–18:1) and catalyst loading amount (1–10 wt.%, based on the oil weight). The mixed-oxide catalyst with a molar ratio of 6:2:1 (Ca–La–Al) showed high catalytic activity for FAME synthesis. More than 90% of FAME was obtained under the following reaction conditions: 150 °C, reaction temperature; 180 min, reaction time; 15:1, DMC-to-oil molar ratio; and 7 wt.% amount of catalyst loading. The catalyst also exhibited high stability and could be reused for up to five cycles with less than 5% yield reduction per cycle.

  11. Design of Polymer-Coated Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube/Carbon Black-based Fuel Cell Catalysts with High Durability and Performance Under Non-humidified Condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Zehui; Berber, Mohamed R.; Nakashima, Naotoshi

    2015-01-01

    To realize a high catalyst utilization, better fuel cell performance and durability as well as low production cost, an efficient design strategy of the catalyst layer that can improve both the oxygen accessibility and structure stability is highly required. Here, we describe the preparation of fuel cell electrocatalysts with an efficient fuel cell performance and better stability based on hybrids of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and carbon black (CB) which were wrapped by a proton conducting polymer, poly[2,2′-(2,6-pyridine)-5,5′-bibenzimidazole], before deposition of the platinum (Pt) metal catalyst. The catalyst mass activity after feeding only 10%-MWNTs to CB increased by 1.5 and 2 times than those of the MWNTs-based- and CB-based catalysts, respectively. The results also demonstrated that 90 wt% of the MWNTs in the catalyst layer allows it to be replaced by CB without any significant change in its durability and performance under 120 °C and non-humidified condition

  12. Catalyst for Carbon Monoxide Oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Patricia; Brown, Kenneth; VanNorman, John; Brown, David; Upchurch, Billy; Schryer, David; Miller, Irvin

    2010-01-01

    catalyst composition in an amount of about 5 to 25 (especially 7) percent by weight, SnO2 is present in an amount of about 30 to 40 (especially 40) percent by weight, and silica gel is present in an amount of 45 to 55 (especially 50) percent by weight. The composition of this catalyst was suggested by preliminary experiments in which a Pt/SnO2 catalyst was needed for bound water to enhance its activity. These experimental results suggested that if the water were bound to the surface, this water would enhance and prolong catalyst activity for long time periods. Because the catalyst is to be exposed to a laser gas mixture, and because a CO2 laser can tolerate only a very small amount of moisture, a hygroscopic support for the catalyst would provide the needed H2O into the gas. Silica gel is considered to be superior because of its property to chemisorb water on its surface over a wide range of moisture content.

  13. Adsorption and Deactivation Characteristics of Cu/ZnO-Based Catalysts for Methanol Synthesis from Carbon Dioxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Natesakhawat, Sittichai; Ohodnicki, Paul R; Howard, Bret H; Lekse, Jonathan W; Baltrus, John P; Matranga, Christopher

    2013-07-09

    The adsorption and deactivation characteristics of coprecipitated Cu/ZnO-based catalysts were examined and correlated to their performance in methanol synthesis from CO₂ hydrogenation. The addition of Ga₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ promoters is shown to increase the Cu surface area and CO₂/H₂ adsorption capacities of the catalysts and enhance methanol synthesis activity. Infrared studies showed that CO₂ adsorbs spontaneously on these catalysts at room temperature as both monoand bi-dentate carbonate species. These weakly bound species desorb completely from the catalyst surface by 200 °C while other carbonate species persist up to 500 °C. Characterization using N₂O decomposition, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis clearly indicated that Cu sintering is the main cause of catalyst deactivation. Ga and Y promotion improves the catalyst stability by suppressing the agglomeration of Cu and ZnO particles under pretreatment and reaction conditions.

  14. Exposure of metallic copper surface on Cu-Al2O3-carbon catalysts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Menon, P.G.; Prasad, J.

    1970-01-01

    The bifunctional nature of Cu---Al2O3-on-carbon catalysts, used in the direct catalytic conversion of ethanol to ethyl acetate, prompted an examination of the dispersion of Cu on the composite catalyst. For this, the N2O-method of Osinga et al. for estimation of bare metallic copper surface on

  15. Nitrogen–doped graphitized carbon shell encapsulated NiFe nanoparticles: A highly durable oxygen evolution catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du, Lei; Luo, Langli; Feng, Zhenxing; Engelhard, Mark; Xie, Xiaohong; Han, Binghong; Sun, Junming; Zhang, Jianghao; Yin, Geping; Wang, Chongmin; Wang, Yong; Shao, Yuyan

    2017-09-01

    Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a crucial role in various energy conversion devices such as water electrolyzers and metal–air batteries. Precious metal catalysts such as Ir, Ru and their oxides are usually used for enhanced reaction kinetics but are limited by their scarce resource. The challenges associated with alternative non–precious metal catalysts such as transition metal oxides and (oxy)hydroxides etc. are their low electronic conductivity and poor durability. Here, we report OER catalysts of NiFe nanoparticles encapsulated by nitrogen–doped graphitized carbon shells derived from bimetallic metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) precursors. The optimal OER catalyst shows excellent activity (360 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm–2GEO) and durability (no obvious degradation after 20 000 cycles). The electron-donation from Fe and tuned electronic structure of metal cores by Ni are revealed to be primary contributors to the enhanced OER activity. We further demonstrated that the structure and morphology of encapsulating carbon shells, which are the key factors influencing the durability, are facilely controlled by chemical state of precursors. Severe metal particle growth probably caused by oxidation of carbon shells and encapsulated nanoparticles is believed to the main mechanism for activity degradation in these catalysts.

  16. Field Emission Property of Double-walled Carbon Nanotubes Related to Purification and Transmittance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, KiTae; Jang, HyunChul; Hong, Wanshick; Park, Kyoungwan; Sok, Junghyun; Lyu, SeungChul; Lee, Hansung; Lee, Naesung; Han, Moonsup; Park, Yunsun

    2011-01-01

    Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) with high purity were produced by the catalytic decomposition of tetrahydrofuran (THF) using a Fe-Mo/MgO catalyst at 800°C. The as-synthesized DWCNTs typically have catalytic impurities and amorphous carbon, which were removed by a two-step purification process consisting of acid treatment and oxidation. In the acid treatment, metallic catalysts were removed in HCl at room temperature for 5 hr with magnetic stirring. Subsequently, the oxidation, using air at 380°C for 5 hr in the a vertical-type furnace, was used to remove the amorphous carbon particles. The DWCNT suspension was prepared by dispersing the purified DWCNTs in the aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate solution with horn-type sonication. This was then air-sprayed on ITO glass to fabricate DWCNT field emitters. The field emission properties of DWCNT films related to transmittance were studied. This study provides the possibility of the application of large-area transparent CNT field emission cathodes.

  17. Ethanol electrooxidation on novel carbon supported Pt/SnO{sub x}/C catalysts with varied Pt:Sn ratio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, L. [Institute of Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Ulm University, D-89069 Ulm (Germany); Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 116023 Dalian (China); Colmenares, L.; Jusys, Z. [Institute of Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Ulm University, D-89069 Ulm (Germany); Sun, G.Q. [Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 116023 Dalian (China)], E-mail: gqsun@dicp.ac.cn; Behm, R.J. [Institute of Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Ulm University, D-89069 Ulm (Germany)], E-mail: juergen.behm@uni-ulm.de

    2007-12-01

    Novel carbon supported Pt/SnO{sub x}/C catalysts with Pt:Sn atomic ratios of 5:5, 6:4, 7:3 and 8:2 were prepared by a modified polyol method and characterized with respect to their structural properties (X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)), chemical composition (XPS), their electrochemical properties (base voltammetry, CO{sub ad} stripping) and their electrocatalytic activity and selectivity for ethanol oxidation (ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR)). The data show that the Pt/SnO{sub x}/C catalysts are composed of Pt and tin oxide nanoparticles with an average Pt particle diameter of about 2 nm. The steady-state activity of the Pt/SnO{sub x}/C catalysts towards the EOR decreases with tin content at room temperature, but increases at 80 deg. C. On all Pt/SnO{sub x}/C catalysts, acetic acid and acetaldehyde represent dominant products, CO{sub 2} formation contributes 1-3% for both potentiostatic and potentiodynamic reaction conditions. With increasing potential, the acetaldehyde yield decreases and the acetic acid yield increases. The apparent activation energies of the EOR increase with tin content (19-29 kJ mol{sup -1}), but are lower than on Pt/C (32 kJ mol{sup -1}). The somewhat better performance of the Pt/SnO{sub x}/C catalysts compared to alloyed PtSn{sub x}/C catalysts is attributed to the presence of both sufficiently large Pt ensembles for ethanol dehydrogenation and C-C bond splitting and of tin oxide for OH generation. Fuel cell measurements performed for comparison largely confirm the results obtained in model studies.

  18. Influence of pore structure and chemical properties of supported Mo catalysts on their performance in upgrading heavy coal liquids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song, C.; Hanaoka, K.; Nomura, M. (Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (USA). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering)

    In the hydroprocessing of solvent-refined coals, both the pore structure and the chemical properties of the catalysts affect the conversion of the heavy materials. Increasing median pore diameter (MPD) of unimodal Ni-Mo/Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] catalysts in the relatively small pore region (up to 150 [angstrom]) enhanced the conversion of both asphaltene and preasphaltene, but further increasing the MPD up to 730 [angstrom] mainly promoted preasphaltene conversion. In the runs of the isolated fractions, however, conversions increased with MPD up to 290 [angstrom] for asphaltene and up to 730 [angstrom] for preasphaltene. The degree of heteroatom removal is also influenced by MPD. There exist preferable pore size ranges for hydrodeoxygenation. Two Mo/SiO[sub 2] and several carbon-coated Ni-Mo/Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] catalysts with different MPD and a commercial Ni-Mo supported on silicated Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] were also compared. The increasing MPD of SiO[sub 2]-supported Mo catalysts increased the conversion of preasphaltene materials. Mo/SiO[sub 2] catalysts are more effective than Ni-Mo supported on Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] and silicated Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] for converting preasphaltene materials, while the latter two are more active for conversion of asphaltene into oil. Another interesting observation is that, for a given MPD range, the carbon-coated Ni-Mo/Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] catalysts gave higher preasphaltene conversions than fresh ones. These results point to the conclusion that larger pore and less acidic hydrogenation catalysts are more effective for preasphaltene conversion, but efficient conversion of asphaltene into oil is facilitated by mild hydrocracking catalysts having appropriate pore size ranges. 43 refs., 8 figs., 9 tabs.

  19. Selective deposition of catalyst nanoparticles using the gravitational force for carbon nanotubes interconnect

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Do-Yoon; Lee, Hyun-Chul; Lee, Jong-Hak; Park, Jae-Hong; Alegaonkar, Prashant S. [Center for Nanotubes and Nanostructured Composites, Sungkyunkwan University, 300 Chunchun-dong, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Yoo, Ji-Beom [Center for Nanotubes and Nanostructured Composites, Sungkyunkwan University, 300 Chunchun-dong, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: jbyoo@skku.ac.kr; Han, In-Taek; Kim, Ha-Jin; Jin, Yong-Wan; Kim, Jong-Min [Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Mt. 14-1, Nongseo-dong, Giheung-gu, Younggin-si Gyunggi-do, 449-712 (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Kee-Won [Department of Semiconducting System, Sungkyunkwan University (Korea, Republic of)

    2008-04-01

    The photolithography process has generally been used for the making of catalyst layers used for the synthesis of CNTs due to its comparative ease. However, this method results in the formation of undesirable catalyst particles, which deteriorate the quality of the devices. Therefore, we tried to form a catalyst layer without using any lift-off or wet etching process, especially for the formation of carbon nanotube interconnects. After spin coating the samples, which were previously fabricated with several vias, with an iron-acetate solution, the catalyst layer was pulled down into the bottom of the holes through the force of gravity. We were able to remove the catalyst layer which was coated over undesirable areas, by TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide, N(CH{sub 3}){sub 4}OH) treatment. After the catalyst deposition process, we synthesized CNTs and observed them by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

  20. PdCo porous nanostructures decorated on polypyrrole @ MWCNTs conductive nanocomposite-Modified glassy carbon electrode as a powerful catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fard, Leyla Abolghasemi; Ojani, Reza; Raoof, Jahan Bakhsh; Zare, Ehsan Nazarzadeh; Lakouraj, Moslem Mansour

    2017-04-01

    In the current study, well-defined PdCo porous nanostructure (PdCo PNS) is prepared by a simple one-pot wet-chemical method and polypyrrole@multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PPy@MWCNTs) nanocomposite is used as a catalyst support. The morphology and the structural properties of the prepared catalyst were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The electrocatalytic performance of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs on glassy carbon electrode has been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The specific activity of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs for ethanol electrooxidation (1.65 mA cm-2) is higher than those of other compared electrocatalysts. Also, PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs catalyst represented higher electrocatalytic activity, better long-term stability and high level of poisoning tolerance to the carbonaceous oxidative intermediates for ethanol electrooxidation reaction in alkaline media. Furthermore, the presence of PPY@MWCNTs on the surface of GCE produce a high activity to electrocatalyst, which might be due to the easier charge transfer at polymer/carbon nanotubes interfaces, higher electrochemically accessible surface areas and electronic conductivity. The superior catalytic activity of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs suggests it to be as a promising electrocatalyst for future direct ethanol fuel cells.

  1. Novel Catalyst for the Chirality Selective Synthesis of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-05-12

    Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 03-April-2013 to 02-April-2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Novel Catalyst for the Chirality Selective...Distribution is unlimited. 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Chiral single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are known to possess unique... chirality control in SWCNT synthesis. A model catalyst based on CoSO4/SiO2 was developed that showed good selectivity to (9,8) nanotubes. Remote plasma

  2. Efficient strategy to Cu/Si catalyst into vertically aligned carbon ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Abstract. Bamboo-shaped vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (bs-VACNTs) were fabricated on Cu/Si catalyst by ... on Si wafer material when compared to the other commer- ..... [3] Li H, Zhao N, He C, Shi C, Du X, Li J and Cui Q 2008 Mater.

  3. Properties and application of noble metal catalysts for heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Horn, G; Frohning, C D; Cornils, B [Ruhrchemie A.G., Oberhausen (Germany, F.R.)

    1976-07-01

    The special properties of the six platinum group elements - ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum - make them useful as active metals for catalytic reactions. Especially valuable is their property of favouring a single reaction even when the possibility of a number of parallel reactions exists under certain reaction conditions. This selectivity of the noble metal catalyst may be directed or enhanced through appropriate choise of the metal, the reaction conditions, the duration of the reaction, the amount of hydrogen etc. Even the physical state of the catalyst - supported or unsupported - is of influence when using noble metal catalysts as described in this report.

  4. Ferromagnetic resonance of cobalt nanoparticles used as a catalyst for the carbon nanotubes synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duraia, El-Shazly M. [Suez Canal University, Faculty of Science, Physics Department, Ismailia (Egypt); Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty (Kazakhstan); Institute of Physics and Technology, Almaty (Kazakhstan)], E-mail: duraia_physics@yahoo.com; Abdullin, Kh.A. [Institute of Physics and Technology, Almaty (Kazakhstan)

    2009-12-15

    Catalyst is considered to be the most crucial parameter for the growth of carbon nanotubes. In this work we study the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra of the catalyst nanoclusters. Moreover we report for the first time the angle FMR studies of catalyst particles with and without CNT layer. The dependencies of the FMR spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, Raman spectra and morphology of the CNT layers on the growth conditions are discussed.

  5. Report on Carbon Nano Material Workshop: Challenges and Opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-22

    trolyte fuel cells ( PEMFCs ) utilize the ability of the catalysts to initiate and maintain the oxygen reduction reaction on the cathode and the fuel...oxidation reaction on the anode. In order to increase the efficiency of the PEMFC catalysts, high-surface-area mesoporous carbons, carbon blacks, carbon...mechanical and thermal properties derived from a three-dimensional intercon- nected nanonetwork structure. The exceptional properties of CAs for PEMFC

  6. Catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane for hydrogen generation using cobalt nanocluster catalyst supported on polydopamine functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arthur, Ernest Evans; Li, Fang; Momade, Francis W.Y.; Kim, Hern

    2014-01-01

    Hydrogen was generated from ammonia borane complex by hydrolysis using cobalt nanocluster catalyst supported on polydopamine functionalized MWCNTs (multi-walled carbon nanotubes). The impregnation-chemical reduction method was used for the preparation of the supported catalyst. The nanocluster catalyst support was formed by in-situ oxidative polymerization of dopamine on the MWCNTs in alkaline solution at room temperature. The structural and physical–chemical properties of the nanocluster catalyst were characterized by FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), SEM (scanning electron microscope), XRD (X-ray diffraction) and TEM (transmission electron microscopy). The nanocluster catalyst showed good catalytic activity for the hydrogen generation from aqueous ammonia borane complex. A reusability test to determine the practical usage of the catalyst was also investigated. The result revealed that the catalyst maintained an appreciable catalytic performance and stability in terms of its reusability after three cycle of reuse for the hydrolysis reaction. Also, the activation energy for the hydrolysis of ammonia borane complex was estimated to be 50.41 kJmol −1 , which is lower than the values of some of the reported catalyst. The catalyst can be considered as a promising candidate in developing highly efficient portable hydrogen generation systems such as PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cells). - Highlights: • Co/Pdop-o-MWCNT (Pdop functionalized MWCNT supported cobalt nanocluster) catalyst was synthesized for hydrogen generation. • It is an active catalyst for hydrogen generation via hydrolysis of ammonia borane. • It showed good stability in terms of reusability for the hydrogen generation

  7. Reactivity of a Carbon-Supported Single-Site Molybdenum Dioxo Catalyst for Biodiesel Synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mouat, Aidan R.; Lohr, Tracy L.; Wegener, Evan C.; Miller, Jeffrey T.; Delferro, Massimiliano; Stair, Peter C.; Marks, Tobin J.

    2016-08-23

    A single-site molybdenum dioxo catalyst, (Oc)2Mo(=O)2@C, was prepared via direct grafting of MoO2Cl2(dme) (dme = 1,2-dimethoxyethane) on high-surface- area activated carbon. The physicochemical and chemical properties of this catalyst were fully characterized by N2 physisorption, ICP-AES/OES, PXRD, STEM, XPS, XAS, temperature-programmed reduction with H2 (TPR-H2), and temperature-programmed NH3 desorption (TPD-NH3). The single-site nature of the Mo species is corroborated by XPS and TPR-H2 data, and it exhibits the lowest reported MoOx Tmax of reduction reported to date, suggesting a highly reactive MoVI center. (Oc)2Mo(=O)2@C catalyzes the transesterification of a variety of esters and triglycerides with ethanol, exhibiting high activity at moderate temperatures (60-90 °C) and with negligible deactivation. (Oc)2Mo(=O)2@C is resistant to water and can be recycled at least three times with no loss of activity. The transesterification reaction is determined experimentally to be first order in [ethanol] and first order in [Mo] with ΔH = 10.5(8) kcal mol-1 and ΔS = -32(2) eu. The low energy of activation is consistent with the moderate conditions needed to achieve rapid turnover. This highly active carbon-supported single-site molybdenum dioxo species is thus an efficient, robust, and lowcost catalyst with significant potential for transesterification processes.

  8. Efficient Cycloaddition Reaction of Carbon Dioxide with Epoxide by Rhodamine Based Catalyst Under 1 atm Pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gong, Qing; Luo, Huadong; Cao, Di; Zhang, Haibo; Wang, Wenjing; Zhou, Xiaohai [Wuhan University, Wuhan (China)

    2012-06-15

    Rhodamine B (RhB) and rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) were employed as catalysts for the synthesis of cyclic carbonate from carbon dioxide and epoxide. It turned out that the catalytic activity of Rh6G was nearly 29 times higher than that of RhB at 1 atm pressure, 90 .deg. C. Furthermore, the catalytic efficiency of RhB and Rh6G was greatly enhanced with triethylamine as co-catalyst. Under the optimized conditions, the best isolated yield (93%) of cyclic carbonate was achieved without organic solvent and metal component

  9. Synthesis of vertical MnO_2 wire arrays on hemp-derived carbon for efficient and robust green catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, MinHo; Kim, Dong Seok; Sim, Jae-Wook; Jeong, Jae-Min; Kim, Do Hyun; Choi, Jae Hyung; Kim, Jinsoo; Kim, Seung-Soo; Choi, Bong Gill

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • The three-dimensional nanocomposites based on vertical MnO_2 array on hemp-derived carbon (HDC) were prepared by hydrothermal method. • The 3D v-MnO_2/HDC nanocomposites showed well-defined porous nature with a high specific surface area of 382.3 m"2 g"−"1. • PET glycolysis was performed using the 3D v-MnO_2/HDC nanocomposites as a catalyst, leading to efficient catalytic performance. - Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) carbon materials derived from waste biomass have been attracted increasing attention in catalysis and materials science because of their great potential of catalyst supports with respect to multi-functionality, unique structures, high surface area, and low cost. Here, we present a facile and efficient way for preparing 3D heterogeneous catalysts based on vertical MnO_2 wires deposited on hemp-derived 3D porous carbon. The 3D porous carbon materials are fabricated by carbonization and activation processes using hemp (Cannabis Sttiva L.). These 3D porous carbon materials are employed as catalyst supports for direct deposition of vertical MnO_2 wires using a one-step hydrothermal method. The XRD and XPS results reveal the crystalline structure of α-MnO_2 wires. The resultant composites are further employed as a catalyst for glycolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with high conversion yield of 98%, which is expected to be expressly profitable for plastics recycling industry.

  10. Enhanced life of proton exchange membrane fuel cell catalysts using perfluorosulfonic acid stabilized carbon support

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng Niancai; Mu Shichun; Chen Xiaojing; Lv Haifeng; Pan Mu; Edwards, Peter P.

    2011-01-01

    We report a new and simple solution to increase life of Pt/C catalysts using the proton-conducting polymer (perfluorosulfonic acid, PFSA) stabilized carbon support (denoted these catalysts as Pt/NFC catalysts) as compared to conventional Pt/C catalysts commonly used in PEM fuel cells. A high catalytic activity of the catalyst is observed by both CV (cyclic voltammetry) and ORR (oxygen reduction reaction) measurements. Especially, our own catalysts have a 60% better life as compared to Pt/C under electrochemically accelerated durability test conditions. The loss rate of electrochemical active area (ECA) for Pt/NFC catalysts is only 0.007 m 2 g -1 cycle -1 , compared to a value of 0.011 m 2 g -1 cycle -1 for Pt/C.

  11. Mesostructured platinum-free anode and carbon-free cathode catalysts for durable proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Xiangzhi; Shi, Jianlin; Wang, Yongxia; Chen, Yu; Zhang, Lingxia; Hua, Zile

    2014-01-01

    As one of the most important clean energy sources, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have been a topic of extensive research focus for decades. Unfortunately, several critical technique obstacles, such as the high cost of platinum electrode catalysts, performance degradation due to the CO poisoning of the platinum anode, and carbon corrosion by oxygen in the cathode, have greatly impeded its commercial development. A prototype of a single PEMFC catalyzed by a mesostructured platinum-free WO3/C anode and a mesostructured carbon-free Pt/WC cathode catalysts is reported herein. The prototype cell exhibited 93% power output of a standard PEMFC using commercial Pt/C catalysts at 50 and 70 °C, and more importantly, CO poisoning-free and carbon corrosion-resistant characters of the anode and cathode, respectively. Consequently, the prototype cell demonstrated considerably enhanced cell operation durability. The mesostructured electrode catalysts are therefore highly promising in the future development and application of PEMFCs. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Surface science approach to Pt/carbon model catalysts: XPS, STM and microreactor studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motin, Abdul Md.; Haunold, Thomas; Bukhtiyarov, Andrey V.; Bera, Abhijit; Rameshan, Christoph; Rupprechter, Günther

    2018-05-01

    Pt nanoparticles supported on carbon are an important technological catalyst. A corresponding model catalyst was prepared by physical vapor deposition (PVD) of Pt on sputtered HOPG (highly oriented pyrolytic graphite). The carbon substrate before and after sputtering as well as the Pt/HOPG system before and after Pt deposition and annealing were examined by XPS and STM. This yielded information on the surface density of defects, which serve as nucleation centres for Pt, and on the size distribution (mean size/height) of the Pt nanoparticles. Two different model catalysts were prepared with mean sizes of 2.0 and 3.6 nm, both turned out to be stable upon UHV-annealing to 300 °C. After transfer into a UHV-compatible flow microreactor and subsequent cleaning in UHV and under mbar pressure, the catalytic activity of the Pt/HOPG model system for ethylene hydrogenation was examined under atmospheric pressure flow conditions. This enabled to determine temperature-dependent conversion rates, turnover frequencies (TOFs) and activation energies. The catalytic results obtained are in line with the characteristics of technological Pt/C, demonstrating the validity of the current surface science based model catalyst approach.

  13. Effect of drying method on properties of vanadium-molybdenum oxide catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorshkova, T.P.; Savchenko, L.A.; Tarasova, D.V.; Tret'yakov, Yu.D.; Olen'kova, I.P.; Nikoro, T.A.; Maksimov, N.G.

    1981-01-01

    Effect of drying method of molybdenum and vanadium salt solutions on physicochemical and catalytical properties of vanadium-molybdenum catalysts is studied. It is shown that the drying method of solutions determines the completeness of vanadium binding into oxide vanadium-molybdenum compounds and thus effects the activity and selectivity of catalysts in acrolein oxidation into acrylic acid. Besides the drying method determines the porous structure of catalysts [ru

  14. Local structure of Iridium organometallic catalysts covalently bonded to carbon nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blasco, J.; Cuartero, V.; Subías, G.; Jiménez, M. V.; Pérez-Torrente, J. J.; Oro, L. A.; Blanco, M.; Álvarez, P.; Blanco, C.; Menéndez, R.

    2016-05-01

    Hybrid catalysts based on Iridium N-heterocyclic carbenes anchored to carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been studied by XAFS spectroscopy. Oxidation of CNT yields a large amount of functional groups, mainly hydroxyl groups at the walls and carboxylic groups at the tips, defects and edges. Different kinds of esterification reactions were performed to functionalize oxidized CNT with imidazolium salts. Then, the resulting products were reacted with an Ir organometallic compound to form hybrid catalysts efficient in hydrogen transfer processes. XANES spectroscopy agree with the presence of Ir(I) in these catalysts and the EXAFS spectra detected differences in the local structure of Ir atoms between the initial Ir organometallic compound and the Ir complexes anchored to the CNT. Our results confirm that the halide atom, present in the Ir precursor, was replaced by oxygen from -OH groups at the CNT wall in the first coordination shell of Ir. The lability of this group accounts for the good recyclability and the good efficiency shown by these hybrid catalysts.

  15. Graphene Carbon Nanotube Carpets Grown Using Binary Catalysts for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Capacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvatierra, Rodrigo Villegas; Zakhidov, Dante; Sha, Junwei; Kim, Nam Dong; Lee, Seoung-Ki; Raji, Abdul-Rahman O; Zhao, Naiqin; Tour, James M

    2017-03-28

    Here we show that a versatile binary catalyst solution of Fe 3 O 4 /AlO x nanoparticles enables homogeneous growth of single to few-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) carpets from three-dimensional carbon-based substrates, moving past existing two-dimensional limited growth methods. The binary catalyst is composed of amorphous AlO x nanoclusters over Fe 3 O 4 crystalline nanoparticles, facilitating the creation of seamless junctions between the CNTs and the underlying carbon platform. The resulting graphene-CNT (GCNT) structure is a high-density CNT carpet ohmically connected to the carbon substrate, an important feature for advanced carbon electronics. As a demonstration of the utility of this approach, we use GCNTs as anodes and cathodes in binder-free lithium-ion capacitors, producing stable devices with high-energy densities (∼120 Wh kg -1 ), high-power density capabilities (∼20,500 W kg -1 at 29 Wh kg -1 ), and a large operating voltage window (4.3 to 0.01 V).

  16. Selective formation of diamond-like carbon coating by surface catalyst patterning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Palnichenko, A.V.; Mátéfi-Tempfli, M.; Mátéfi-Tempfli, Stefan

    2004-01-01

    The selective formation of diamond-like carbon coating by surface catalyst patterning was studied. DLC films was deposited using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, filtered vacuum arc deposition, laser ablation, magnetron sputtering and ion-beam lithography methods. The DLC coatings were...

  17. Catalyst Design Using Nanoporous Iron for the Chemical Vapor Deposition Synthesis of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tarek M. Abdel-Fattah

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs have been synthesized via a novel chemical vapor deposition (CVD approach utilizing nanoporous, iron-supported catalysts. Stable aqueous dispersions of the CVD-grown nanotubes using an anionic surfactant were also obtained. The properties of the as-produced SWNTs were characterized through atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy and compared with purified SWNTs produced via the high-pressure CO (HiPCO method as a reference, and the nanotubes were observed with greater lengths than those of similarly processed HiPCO SWNTs.

  18. Enhanced life of proton exchange membrane fuel cell catalysts using perfluorosulfonic acid stabilized carbon support

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cheng Niancai [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 430070 (China); Mu Shichun, E-mail: msc@whut.edu.c [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 430070 (China); Department of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3QR (United Kingdom); Chen Xiaojing; Lv Haifeng; Pan Mu [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 430070 (China); Edwards, Peter P. [Department of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3QR (United Kingdom)

    2011-02-01

    We report a new and simple solution to increase life of Pt/C catalysts using the proton-conducting polymer (perfluorosulfonic acid, PFSA) stabilized carbon support (denoted these catalysts as Pt/NFC catalysts) as compared to conventional Pt/C catalysts commonly used in PEM fuel cells. A high catalytic activity of the catalyst is observed by both CV (cyclic voltammetry) and ORR (oxygen reduction reaction) measurements. Especially, our own catalysts have a 60% better life as compared to Pt/C under electrochemically accelerated durability test conditions. The loss rate of electrochemical active area (ECA) for Pt/NFC catalysts is only 0.007 m{sup 2} g{sup -1} cycle{sup -1}, compared to a value of 0.011 m{sup 2} g{sup -1} cycle{sup -1} for Pt/C.

  19. Trickle bed reactor for the oxidation of phenol over active carbon catalyst

    OpenAIRE

    Gabbiye, Nigus; Font Capafons, Josep; Fortuny Sanromá, Agustín; Bengoa, Christophe José; Fabregat Llangotera, Azael; Stüber, Frank Erich

    2009-01-01

    The catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol using activated carbon has been performed in a laboratory trickle bed reactor over a wide range of operating variables (PO2, T, FL and Cph,o) and hydrodynamic conditions. The influence of different start-up procedures (saturation of activated carbon) has also been tested. Further improvement of activity and stability has been checked for by using dynamic TBR operation concept or impregnated Fe/carbon catalyst. The results obtained confi...

  20. A palladium-doped ceria@carbon core-sheath nanowire network: a promising catalyst support for alcohol electrooxidation reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Qiang; Du, Chunyu; Sun, Yongrong; Du, Lei; Yin, Geping; Gao, Yunzhi

    2015-08-01

    A novel palladium-doped ceria and carbon core-sheath nanowire network (Pd-CeO2@C CSNWN) is synthesized by a template-free and surfactant-free solvothermal process, followed by high temperature carbonization. This hierarchical network serves as a new class of catalyst support to enhance the activity and durability of noble metal catalysts for alcohol oxidation reactions. Its supported Pd nanoparticles, Pd/(Pd-CeO2@C CSNWN), exhibit >9 fold increase in activity toward the ethanol oxidation over the state-of-the-art Pd/C catalyst, which is the highest among the reported Pd systems. Moreover, stability tests show a virtually unchanged activity after 1000 cycles. The high activity is mainly attributed to the superior oxygen-species releasing capability of Pd-doped CeO2 nanowires by accelerating the removal of the poisoning intermediate. The unique interconnected one-dimensional core-sheath structure is revealed to facilitate immobilization of the metal catalysts, leading to the improved durability. This core-sheath nanowire network opens up a new strategy for catalyst performance optimization for next-generation fuel cells.A novel palladium-doped ceria and carbon core-sheath nanowire network (Pd-CeO2@C CSNWN) is synthesized by a template-free and surfactant-free solvothermal process, followed by high temperature carbonization. This hierarchical network serves as a new class of catalyst support to enhance the activity and durability of noble metal catalysts for alcohol oxidation reactions. Its supported Pd nanoparticles, Pd/(Pd-CeO2@C CSNWN), exhibit >9 fold increase in activity toward the ethanol oxidation over the state-of-the-art Pd/C catalyst, which is the highest among the reported Pd systems. Moreover, stability tests show a virtually unchanged activity after 1000 cycles. The high activity is mainly attributed to the superior oxygen-species releasing capability of Pd-doped CeO2 nanowires by accelerating the removal of the poisoning intermediate. The unique

  1. The electrocatalytic properties of carbon supported PtRu/C nanoalloys in oxidation of small organic molecules: Comparison with Pt/C catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lović Jelena D.

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The electrocatalytic activity of carbon supported PtRu/C catalysts, with different composition, toward the electrooxidation of methanol, CO and formic acid were examined in acid and alkaline solution at ambient temperature using thin-film rotating disk electrode (RDE method and compared with activity of Pt/C. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, AFM and STM techniques. XRD pattern revealed that PtRu-1/C catalyst is consisted of two structures e.g. Pt-Ru-fcc and Ru-hcp (the solid solution of Ru in Pt and the small amount of Ru or solid solution of Pt in Ru, as opposed to PtRu-2/C catalyst which is consisted of one structure mostly, Pt-Ru-fcc. According to STM images, PtRu as well as Pt, particles size were between 2 and 6 nm, which is in a good agreement with the mean particles size determined by XRD. To establish the activity and stability of the catalysts potentiodynamic and quasi steady-state measurements were performed. It was found that the activity of Pt and PtRu for CO and methanol oxidation is a strong function of pH of solution. The kinetics are much higher in alkaline than in acid solution and the difference between Pt/C and PtRu/C is much less pronounced in alkaline media. Results presented in this work indicate that activity of PtRu catalysts depends on catalyst composition, e.g. on Pt/Ru atomic ratio, as well as on alloying degree of catalysts. Comparison of CO, methanol and formic acid oxidation on PtRu-2/C, PtRu-1/C and Pt/C catalysts revealed that PtRu-2/C is the most active one. It was shown that the PtRu-2/C catalyst, due to fact that it is consisted of only one phase, with high alloying degree, through the bifunctional mechanism improved by electronic effect, achieve the activity two times higher related to PtRu-1/C in the oxidation of all organic molecules investigated, and about three times higher compared to Pt/C in the oxidation of methanol and CO, and five times higher in formic acid oxidation.

  2. A combined in situ XAS-XRPD-Raman study of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over a carbon supported Co catalyst

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tsakoumis, Nikolaos E.; Dehghan, Roya; Johnsen, Rune

    2013-01-01

    A cobalt based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalyst, supported on a carbon nanofibers/carbon felt composite (Co/CNF/CF) was studied in situ at realistic conditions. The catalyst was monitored by Xray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction (HR-XRPD) and Raman...... spectroscopy, while changes in the gas phase were observed by mass spectrometry (MS). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was also applied to characterise the catalyst. The catalyst has a bimodal particle size distribution and exhibits a high deactivation rate. During the in situ study the catalyst appears...... to reduce further at the induction period of FTS, while crystallite growth is been detected in the same period. At steady state FTS the amount of metallic Co is constant. A change in the volumetric flow towards higher conversions did not affect the degree of reduction or the crystallite size of the catalyst...

  3. Systematically controlled pore system of ordered mesoporous carbons using phosphoric acid as the in situ generated catalysts for carbonization and activation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jin, Xing; Lee, Chang Hyun; Kim, Jin Hoe; You, Dae Jong; Shon, Jeong Kuk; Kim, Ji Man [Dept. of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Pak, Chan Ho [Fuel Cell Group, Corporate R and D Center, Samsung SDI Co. Ltd., Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-08-15

    We report on a facile synthesis of the ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) materials with systematically controlled microporosity and mesoporosity simultaneously through the nano-replication route using phosphoric acid as the acid catalyst and activation agent. The use of phosphoric acid affects the pore structures of OMC materials, such as the formation of numerous micropores by activation of the carbon framework and the enlargement of mesopores by spontaneous phase separation during the carbonization. The mesopore sizes, surface areas, total pore volumes, and micropore volumes of the OMC materials are highly dependent on the phosphoric acid content and can be systematically controlled in the range 3.7–7.5 nm, 1027–2782 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}, 1.12–3.53 cm{sup 3} g{sup -1} and 0.34–0.95 cm{sup 3} g{sup -1}, respectively. OMC materials with systematically controlled pore structures were successfully synthesized using phosphoric acid as the carbonization catalyst and mesoporous silica materials with cubic Ia3d and 2-D hexagonal mesostructures as the templates. The phosphoric acid in the synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbon materials acts as the chemical activating agent for micropore generation of the carbon framework and pore-expanding agent for controlling of mesopore size, in addition to functioning as the acid catalyst. The present synthesis pathway is very useful for preparing OMC materials with tunable mesopore sizes and well-developed microporosities at the same time.

  4. Nanostructured composite TiO{sub 2}/carbon catalysts of high activity for dehydration of n-butanol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cyganiuk, Aleksandra [Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 87-100 Torun (Poland); Klimkiewicz, Roman [Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research PAN, 50-422 Wroclaw (Poland); Bumajdad, Ali [Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, PO Box 5969 Safat, Kuwait 13060 (Kuwait); Ilnicka, Anna [Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 87-100 Torun (Poland); Lukaszewicz, Jerzy P., E-mail: jerzy_lukaszewicz@o2.pl [Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 87-100 Torun (Poland)

    2015-08-15

    Highlights: • New biotechnological method for fabrication of composite catalysts. • In situ synthesis of nanosized TiO{sub 2} clusters in the carbon matrix. • High dispersion of TiO{sub 2} in carbon matrix. • High catalytic activity achieved for very low active phase content. • Efficient dehydration of n-butanol to butane-1. - Abstract: A novel method of wood impregnation with titanium ions is presented. Titanium(IV) ions were complexed to peroxo/hydroxo complexes which were obtained by treating a TiCl{sub 4} water solution with H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. The solution of chelated titanium ions was used for the impregnation of living stems of Salix viminalis wood. Saturated stems were carbonized at 600–800 °C, yielding a microporous carbon matrix, in which nanoparticles of TiO{sub 2} were uniformly distributed. A series of composite TiO{sub 2}–carbon catalysts was manufactured and tested in the process of n-butanol conversion to butane-1. The composite catalysts exhibited very high selectivity (ca. 80%) and yield (ca. 30%) despite a low content of titanium (ca. 0.5% atomic). The research proved that the proposed functionalization led to high dispersion of the catalytic phase (TiO{sub 2}), which played a crucial role in the catalyst performance. High dispersion of TiO{sub 2} was achieved due to a natural transport of complexed titanium ions in living plant stems.

  5. Exceptionally High Efficient Co-Co2P@N, P-Codoped Carbon Hybrid Catalyst for Visible Light-Driven CO2-to-CO Conversion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Wen Gan

    2018-05-02

    Artificial photosynthesis has attracted wide attention, particularly the development of efficient solar light-driven methods to reduce CO2 to form energy-rich carbon-based products. Because CO2 reduction is an uphill process with a large energy barrier, suitable catalysts are necessary to achieve this transformation. In addition, CO2 adsorption on a catalyst and proton transfer to CO2 are two important factors for the conversion reaction,and catalysts with high surface area and more active sites are required to improve the efficiency of CO2 reduction. Here, we report a visible light-driven system for CO2-to-CO conversion that consists of a heterogeneous hybrid catalyst of Co and Co2P nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanolayers codoped with N and P (Co-Co2P@NPC) and a homogeneous Ru(II)-based complex photosensitizer. The average generation rate of CO of the system was up to 35,000 μmol h-1 g-1 with selectivity of 79.1% in 3 h. Linear CO production at an exceptionally high rate of 63,000 μmol h-1 g-1 was observed in the first hour of reaction. Inspired by this highly active catalyst, we also synthesized Co@NC and Co2P@NPC materials and explored their structure, morphology, and catalytic properties for CO2 photoreduction. The results showed that the nanoparticle size, partially adsorbed H2O molecules on the catalyst surface, and the hybrid nature of the systems influenced their photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Enhancing substrate utilization and power production of a microbial fuel cell with nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel as cathode catalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tardy, Gábor Márk; Lóránt, Bálint; Lóka, Máté; Nagy, Balázs; László, Krisztina

    2017-07-01

    Catalytic efficiency of a nitrogen-doped, mesoporous carbon aerogel cathode catalyst was investigated in a two-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) applying graphite felt as base material for cathode and anode, utilizing peptone as carbon source. This mesoporous carbon aerogel containing catalyst layer on the cathode increased the maximum power density normalized to the anode volume to 2.7 times higher compared to the maximum power density obtained applying graphite felt cathode without the catalyst layer. At high (2 and 3) cathode/anode volume ratios, maximum power density exceeded 40 W m -3 . At the same time, current density and specific substrate utilization rate increased by 58% resulting in 31.9 A m -3 and 18.8 g COD m -3  h -1 , respectively (normalized to anode volume). Besides the increase of the power and the rate of biodegradation, the investigated catalyst decreased the internal resistance from the range of 450-600 to 350-370 Ω. Although Pt/C catalyst proved to be more efficient, a considerable decrease in the material costs might be achieved by substituting it with nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel in MFCs. Such cathode still displays enhanced catalytic effect.

  7. The Mossbauer spectra of carbon nanotubes synthesize using ferrite catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Haiyan; Lin Jiapeng; Peng Zuxiong; Zeng Guoxun; Pang Jinshan; Chen Yiming

    2009-01-01

    The ferrite powder with honeycombed structure obtained by chemical combustion was used as catalyst to synthesize multi-walled carbon nanotubes by chemical vapor deposition. The magnetic components and characters of the the carbon nanotubes synthesized were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mossbauer spectra and vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM). The ferric components of the carbon nanotubes samples can be identified by Mossbauer spectra. The Mossbauer spectra of carbon nanotubes sample after purification contains two ferromagnetic sextet components corresponding to α-Fe species and Fe 3 C (cementite) species. While the Mossbauer spectra of the carbon nanotubes sample before purification contains three ferromagnetic sextet components corresponding to α-Fe species, Fe 3 C species and γ-Fe 2 O 3 . The saturation magnetization intensity Ms of carbon nanotubes sample after purification is decreased from 46.61 to 2.94 emu/g, but the coercive force increasd and reached 328Oe.

  8. Synthesis and properties of catalysts prepared from silicomolybdovanadium heteropoly acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chumachenko, N.N.; Tarasova, D.V.; Nikoro, T.A.; Yaroslavtseva, I.V.

    1984-01-01

    Catalytic properties of samples prepared of silicomolybdovanadium heteropoly acid (HPA) have been investigated. The massive catalyst is shown to be comparatively low effective in the reaction of acrolein oxidation to acrylic acid. Impregnation of coarse-dispersed silica gel by the HPA solution results in the formation of active and selective catalyst, whereas low-active catalyst of deep oxidation is formed on the base of high-dispersed silica gel. The obtained data are explained by the formation and stabilization of different forms of vanadium- and molybdenum-containing compounds on the carrier surface

  9. Synthesis of vertical MnO{sub 2} wire arrays on hemp-derived carbon for efficient and robust green catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, MinHo [Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Kim, Dong Seok; Sim, Jae-Wook [Department of Chemical Engineering, Kangwon National University, 346 Joongang-ro, Samcheok, Gangwon-do 25913 (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Jae-Min; Kim, Do Hyun [Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Jae Hyung [Department of Chemical Engineering, Kangwon National University, 346 Joongang-ro, Samcheok, Gangwon-do 25913 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Chemical Engineering, Pukyong National University, 365 Sinseon-ro, Nam-gu, Busan 48513 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jinsoo [Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1732, Daogyong-daero, Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do 17104 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Seung-Soo, E-mail: sskim2008@kangwon.ac.kr [Department of Chemical Engineering, Kangwon National University, 346 Joongang-ro, Samcheok, Gangwon-do 25913 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Bong Gill, E-mail: bgchoi@kangwon.ac.kr [Department of Chemical Engineering, Kangwon National University, 346 Joongang-ro, Samcheok, Gangwon-do 25913 (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • The three-dimensional nanocomposites based on vertical MnO{sub 2} array on hemp-derived carbon (HDC) were prepared by hydrothermal method. • The 3D v-MnO{sub 2}/HDC nanocomposites showed well-defined porous nature with a high specific surface area of 382.3 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}. • PET glycolysis was performed using the 3D v-MnO{sub 2}/HDC nanocomposites as a catalyst, leading to efficient catalytic performance. - Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) carbon materials derived from waste biomass have been attracted increasing attention in catalysis and materials science because of their great potential of catalyst supports with respect to multi-functionality, unique structures, high surface area, and low cost. Here, we present a facile and efficient way for preparing 3D heterogeneous catalysts based on vertical MnO{sub 2} wires deposited on hemp-derived 3D porous carbon. The 3D porous carbon materials are fabricated by carbonization and activation processes using hemp (Cannabis Sttiva L.). These 3D porous carbon materials are employed as catalyst supports for direct deposition of vertical MnO{sub 2} wires using a one-step hydrothermal method. The XRD and XPS results reveal the crystalline structure of α-MnO{sub 2} wires. The resultant composites are further employed as a catalyst for glycolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with high conversion yield of 98%, which is expected to be expressly profitable for plastics recycling industry.

  10. Characterization and Design of Zeolite Catalysts Solid Acidity, Shape Selectivity and Loading Properties

    CERN Document Server

    Niwa, Miki; Okumura, Kazu

    2010-01-01

    Zeolites are microporous, aluminosilicate minerals commonly used as commercial adsorbents. Zeolite-based catalysts are used by industrial chemical companies in the interconversion of hydrocarbons and the alkylation of aromatic compounds. The current book deals with the characterization of specific properties of Zeolites and calculations for the design of catalysts. Measurements and utilization of solid acidity, shape selectivity, and loading properties, that are three prominent properties of a Zeolite catalyst, are treated in detail. These features concern chemical vapor deposition of silica, shape selectivity, loading properties, solid activity, Brønsted or Lewis character, ammonia temperature programmed desorption, control of the pore-opening size by chemical vapor deposition of silica and XAFS analysis of metals being highly dispersed inside and outside a framework.

  11. Growth Mechanism of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Iron–Copper Catalyst and Chirality Studies by Electron Diffraction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    He, Maoshuai; Liu, Bilu; Chernov, Alexander I.

    2012-01-01

    Chiralities of single-walled carbon nanotubes grown on an atomic layer deposition prepared bimetallic FeCu/MgO catalyst were evaluated quantitatively using nanobeam electron diffraction. The results reveal that the growth yields nearly 90% semiconducting tubes, 45% of which are of the (6,5) type...... by impregnation, showing similar catalytic performance as the atomic layer deposition-prepared catalyst, yielding single-walled carbon nanotubes with a similar narrow chirality distribution....

  12. Catalyst functionalized buffer sorbent pebbles for rapid separation of carbon dioxide from gas mixtures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aines, Roger D

    2015-03-31

    A method for separating CO.sub.2 from gas mixtures uses a slurried media impregnated with buffer compounds and coating the solid media with a catalyst or enzyme that promotes the transformation of CO.sub.2 to carbonic acid. Buffer sorbent pebbles with a catalyst or enzyme coating are provided for rapid separation of CO.sub.2 from gas mixtures.

  13. Catalyst functionalized buffer sorbent pebbles for rapid separation of carbon dioxide from gas mixtures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aines, Roger D.

    2013-03-12

    A method for separating CO.sub.2 from gas mixtures uses a slurried media impregnated with buffer compounds and coating the solid media with a catalyst or enzyme that promotes the transformation of CO.sub.2 to carbonic acid. Buffer sorbent pebbles with a catalyst or enzyme coating are provided for rapid separation of CO.sub.2 from gas mixtures.

  14. Hydrogen adsorption on activated carbon nanotubes with an atomic-sized vanadium catalyst investigated by electrical resistance measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Im, Ji Sun; Yun, Jumi; Kang, Seok Chang; Lee, Sung Kyu; Lee, Young-Seak

    2012-01-01

    Activated multi-walled carbon nanotubes were prepared with appended vanadium as a hydrogen storage medium. The pore structure was significantly improved by an activation process that was studied using Raman spectroscopy, field emission transmission electron microscopy and pore analysis techniques. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction results reveal that the vanadium catalyst was introduced into the carbon nanotubes in controlled proportions, forming V 8 C 7 . The improved pore structure functioned as a path through the carbon nanotubes that encouraged hydrogen molecule adsorption, and the introduced vanadium catalyst led to high levels of hydrogen storage through the dissociation of hydrogen molecules via the spill-over phenomenon. The hydrogen storage behavior was investigated by electrical resistance measurements for the hydrogen adsorbed on a prepared sample. The proposed mechanism of hydrogen storage suggests that the vanadium catalyst increases not only the amount of hydrogen that is stored but also the speed at which it is stored. A hydrogen storage capacity of 2.26 wt.% was achieved with the activation effects and the vanadium catalyst at 30 °C and 10 MPa.

  15. Strength and microplasticity of biocarbons prepared by carbonization in the presence of a catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shpeizman, V. V.; Orlova, T. S.; Smirnov, B. I.; Gutierrez-Pardo, A.; Ramirez-Rico, J.

    2016-04-01

    The microdeformation has been investigated under uniaxial compression of beech-derived biocarbons partially graphitized during carbonization in the presence of a Ni- or Fe-containing catalyst. The strength and ultimate fracture strain have been determined at different temperatures of carbonization of the samples in the absence or in the presence of a catalyst. It has been shown using high-precision interferometry that the deformation of biocarbon samples under uniaxial loading occurs through jumps (in magnitude and rate of deformation) with axial displacements in the nanometer and micrometer ranges. The use of a catalyst leads to a decrease in the size of nanometer-scale jumps and in the number of micrometer-scale jumps. The standard deviations of the strain rate on loading steps from the smooth average dependence of the strain rate on the displacement have been calculated for micrometer-scale jumps. A similar characteristic for nanometer- scale jumps has been determined from the distortion of the shape of beats in the primary interferogram. It has been shown that the variation in the standard deviation of the strain rate with a change in the carbonization temperature is similar to the corresponding dependence of the ultimate fracture strain.

  16. Catalytic oxidation of albendazole using molybdenum supported on carbon nanotubes as catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun-Kou, Maria del Rosario; Vega Carrasco, Edgar R.; Picasso Escobar, Gino I.

    2013-01-01

    The catalytic oxidation reaction of the thioether group (-S-) in the structure to the drug albendazole (C 12 H 15 N 3 O 2 S) was studied in order to obtain a pharmacologically active molecule known as albendazole sulfoxide. With this purpose, three heterogeneous catalysts were prepared using molybdenum (Mo) as active phase and carbon nanotubes as a multiple-layer catalyst support. The incorporation of the active phase was performed by wet impregnation, with subsequent calcination for 4 hours at 400 o C. For the catalytic oxidation reaction was employed hydrogen peroxide-urea (H 2 NCONH 2 ·H 2 O 2 ) as oxidizing agent and methanol (CH 3 OH) as reaction medium. The textural and morphology characterization of carbon nanoparticles and catalysts was carried out by adsorption-desorption of N 2 (BET) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The identification and quantification of the reaction products were followed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. With the yield, selectivity and conversion higher than 90% after 60 minutes of reaction, albendazole sulphoxide was obtained as major product of oxidation reaction. (author)

  17. Activity of Cu-activated carbon fiber catalyst in wet oxidation of ammonia solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, Chang-Mao

    2009-07-30

    Aqueous solutions of 200-1000 mg/L of ammonia were oxidized in a trickle-bed reactor using Cu-activated carbon fiber (ACF) catalysts, which were prepared by incipient wet impregnation with aqueous solutions of copper nitrate that was deposited on ACF substrates. The results reveal that the conversion of ammonia by wet oxidation in the presence of Cu-ACF catalysts was a function of the metal loading weight ratio of the catalyst. The total conversion efficiency of ammonia was 95% during wet oxidation over the catalyst at 463 K at an oxygen partial pressure of 3.0 MPa. Moreover, the effect of the initial concentration of ammonia and the reaction temperature on the removal of ammonia from the effluent streams was also studied at a liquid space velocity of less than 3.0 h(-1).

  18. Activity of Cu-activated carbon fiber catalyst in wet oxidation of ammonia solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hung, Chang-Mao

    2009-01-01

    Aqueous solutions of 200-1000 mg/L of ammonia were oxidized in a trickle-bed reactor using Cu-activated carbon fiber (ACF) catalysts, which were prepared by incipient wet impregnation with aqueous solutions of copper nitrate that was deposited on ACF substrates. The results reveal that the conversion of ammonia by wet oxidation in the presence of Cu-ACF catalysts was a function of the metal loading weight ratio of the catalyst. The total conversion efficiency of ammonia was 95% during wet oxidation over the catalyst at 463 K at an oxygen partial pressure of 3.0 MPa. Moreover, the effect of the initial concentration of ammonia and the reaction temperature on the removal of ammonia from the effluent streams was also studied at a liquid space velocity of less than 3.0 h -1 .

  19. Wet catalyst-support films for production of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez, Noe T; Hamilton, Christopher E; Pint, Cary L; Orbaek, Alvin; Yao, Jun; Frosinini, Aldo L; Barron, Andrew R; Tour, James M; Hauge, Robert H

    2010-07-01

    A procedure for vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VA-CNT) production has been developed through liquid-phase deposition of alumoxanes (aluminum oxide hydroxides, boehmite) as a catalyst support. Through a simple spin-coating of alumoxane nanoparticles, uniform centimer-square thin film surfaces were coated and used as supports for subsequent deposition of metal catalyst. Uniform VA-CNTs are observed to grow from this film following deposition of both conventional evaporated Fe catalyst, as well as premade Fe nanoparticles drop-dried from the liquid phase. The quality and uniformity of the VA-CNTs are comparable to growth from conventional evaporated layers of Al(2)O(3). The combined use of alumoxane and Fe nanoparticles to coat surfaces represents an inexpensive and scalable approach to large-scale VA-CNT production that makes chemical vapor deposition significantly more competitive when compared to other CNT production techniques.

  20. Catalysts for the production of hydrocarbons from carbon monoxide and water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sapienza, R.S.; Slegeir, W.A.; Goldberg, R.I.

    1985-11-06

    A method of converting low H/sub 2//CO ratio syngas to carbonaceous products comprising reacting the syngas with water or steam at 200 to 350/sup 0/C in the presence of a metal catalyst supported on zinc oxide. Hydrocarbons are produced with a catalyst selected from cobalt, nickel or ruthenium and alcohols are produced with a catalyst selected from palladium, platinum, ruthenium or copper on the zinc oxide support. The ratio of the reactants are such that for alcohols and saturated hydrocarbons: (2n + 1) greater than or equal to x greater than or equal to O and for olefinic hydrocarbons: 2n greater than or equal to x greater than or equal to O where n is the number of carbon atoms in the product and x is the molar amount of water in the reaction mixture.

  1. The synthesis of carbon nanocomposites as fuel cell catalyst support and the characterization of fuel cell catalysts by spatially resolved scanning mass spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Nan

    2007-07-01

    Ammonia decomposition over Ni/SiO{sub 2} and Ni/MgO was investigated by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR) in order to produce CO{sub x} free hydrogen fuel for fuel cell application. A highly efficient route for the synthesis of carbon nanocomposites based on electrochemical deposition and iron catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was developed in order to obtain a promising substrate for fuel cell catalysts. The duration of electrochemical deposition, temperature and time for the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) growth had been optimized to achieve higher surface area after the growth. Hierarchically structured CNTs composites had been synthesized and electrochemical studies provided evidence for the strong interaction among the substrate and grown CNTs, which are essential for the application in fuel cells. A straightforward strategy was developed to synthesize well dispersed gold nanoparticles with a diameter of 4 to 6 nm on the sidewall of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). A gas flow set-up was developed for the evaluation of fuel cell catalysts by performing scanning mass spectrometry with integrated constant-distance positioning. Methanol oxidation was identified as a suitable test reaction. The diameter of scanning probe was reduced in order to achieve higher spatial resolution. Spatially resolved scanning mass spectrometry was successfully applied to visualize the catalytic activity over Pt-based catalysts and monitor the local activity of a catalysts coated membrane (CCM). The gas-solid phase reaction results were proved to be accurate, reliable and independent of the sample topography. This analytical method opens the way for fast quality control of the catalyst coating with respect to even coating and absence of damages, and for a better understanding of the CCM degradation in polymer membrane electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFCs). (orig.)

  2. Formation of Platinum Catalyst on Carbon Black Using an In‐Liquid Plasma Method for Fuel Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshiyuki Show

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Platinum (Pt catalyst was formed on the surface of carbon black using an in‐liquid plasma method. The formed Pt catalyst showed the average particle size of 4.1 nm. This Pt catalyst was applied to a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC. The PEMFC showed an open voltage of 0.85 V and a maximum output power density of 216 mW/cm2.

  3. Hydrogen storage of catalyst-containing activated carbon fibers and effect of surface modification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikpyo Hong; Seong Young Lee; Kyung Hee Lee; Sei Min Park

    2005-01-01

    Introduction: The hydrogen storage capacities of many kind of carbon nano materials have been reported with possibility and improbability. It is reported that specific surface area of carbon nano material has not a close relation to hydrogen storage capacity. This result shows that there is difference between specific surface area measured by isothermal nitrogen adsorption and direct measurement of adsorption with hydrogen and suggests that the carbon material with relatively low specific surface area can have high hydrogen storage capacity when they have effective nano pore. In this study, petroleum based isotropic pitch was hybridized with several kinds of transitional metal base organometallic compound solved with organic solvent and spun by electro-spinning method. The catalyst-dispersed ACFs were prepared and characterized and hydrogen storage capacity was measured. The effect of surface modification of ACFs by physical and chemical treatment was also investigated. Experimental: The isotropic precursor pitch prepared by nitrogen blowing from naphtha cracking bottom oil was hybridized with transitional metal based acetyl acetonates and spun by solvent electro-spinning. Tetrahydrofuran and quinoline were used as solvent with various mixing ratio. High voltage DC power generator which could adjust in the range of 0-60000 V and 2 mA maximum current was used to supply electrostatic force. At the solvent electro-spinning, solvent mixing ratio and pitch concentration, voltage and spinning distance were varied and their influences were investigated. The catalyst-dispersed electro-spun pitch fibers were thermal stabilized, carbonized and activated by conventional heat treatment for activated carbon fiber. Prepared fibers were observed by high resolution SEM and pore properties were characterized by Micromeritics ASAP2020 model physi-sorption analyzer. Hydrogen storage capacities were measured by equipment modified from Thermo Cahn TherMax 500 model high pressure

  4. Synthesis of carbon-supported copper catalyst and its catalytic performance in methanol dehydrogenation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shelepova, Ekaterina V. [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, pr. Ac. Lavrentieva, 5, Novosibirsk, 630090 (Russian Federation); National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Lenin av., 30, Tomsk, 634050 (Russian Federation); Vedyagin, Aleksey A., E-mail: vedyagin@catalysis.ru [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, pr. Ac. Lavrentieva, 5, Novosibirsk, 630090 (Russian Federation); National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Lenin av., 30, Tomsk, 634050 (Russian Federation); Ilina, Ludmila Yu.; Nizovskii, Alexander I. [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, pr. Ac. Lavrentieva, 5, Novosibirsk, 630090 (Russian Federation); Tsyrulnikov, Pavel G. [Institute of Hydrocarbon Processing SB RAS, Neftezavodskaya st., 54, Omsk, 644040 (Russian Federation)

    2017-07-01

    Highlights: • Carbon-supported copper catalyst was studied in dehydrogenation of methanol. • Reduction temperature affected size of Cu particles and Cu{sup 0}/Cu{sup 2+} ratio. • Reduction at 400 °C was required to obtain high methyl formate yield. - Abstract: Carbon-supported copper catalyst was prepared by incipient wetness impregnation of Sibunit with an aqueous solution of copper nitrate. Copper loading was 5 wt.%. Temperature of reductive pretreatment was varied within a range of 200–400 °C. The samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopies. Catalytic activity of the samples was studied in a reaction of methanol dehydrogenation. Silica-based catalyst with similar copper loading was used as a reference. It was found that copper is distributed over the surface of support in the form of metallic and partially oxidized particles of about 12–17 nm in size. Diminished interaction of copper with support was supposed to be responsible for high catalytic activity.

  5. Synthesis of carbonate esters by carboxymethylation using NaAlO2 as a highly active heterogeneous catalyst

    OpenAIRE

    Ramesh, Sreerangappa; Indukuri, Kiran; Riant, Olivier; Debecker, Damien

    2018-01-01

    Sodium aluminate is presented as a highly active heterogeneous catalyst able to convert a range of alcohols into the corresponding mixed carbonate esters, in high yield and under green conditions. The reaction is carried out using dimethyl carbonate both as a reactant and solvent, at 90°C. Allylic, aliphatic and aromatic alcohols are converted in good yields. The solid catalyst is shown to be truly heterogeneous, resistant to leaching, and recyclable.

  6. Characterization and evaluation of Pt-Ru catalyst supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes by electrochemical impedance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ocampo, A.L.; Miranda-Hernandez, M.; Sebastian, P.J. [Centro de Investigacion en Energia-UNAM, Temixco, 62580 Morelos (Mexico); Morgado, J.; Montoya, J.A. [IMP, Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 152, 07730 D.F. Mexico (Mexico)

    2006-10-06

    In this work the authors present the results of a systematic characterization and evaluation of the carbon nanotube supported Pt-Ru (Pt-Ru/CNT) for its use as methanol oxidation catalyst. Its activity was compared with that of Pt and Pt-Ru catalysts supported on Vulcan and synthesized from carbonyl precursors, and another commercial Pt-Ru catalyst. The cyclic voltammetry, CO stripping and electrochemical impedance techniques were employed to determine the electrocatalytic activity of the catalysts. The electrochemical studies were performed in 0.5M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} containing different concentrations of methanol (0.05-1M). The results showed a noticeable influence of the catalyst support (CNT) on the performance of the catalyst for CO oxidation. The electrochemical impedance studies allowed us to separate the different steps in the methanol oxidation reaction and to control these steps or reactions by varying the applied potential and the methanol concentration. At low methanol concentration and potentials the de-hydrogenation of methanol predominated. But, at high potential and methanol concentrations, the CO oxidation predominated. These results allowed us to clearly describe at what potential and concentration ranges the bi-functional effect of Ru becomes evident. Our results indicated that the CO oxidation occurs both on Pt and Ru. Compared to other catalysts, Pt-Ru supported on carbon nanotubes showed superior catalytic activity for CO and methanol oxidation. (author)

  7. Chelating agent-assisted heat treatment of a carbon-supported iron oxide nanoparticle catalyst for PEMFC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shyh-Jiun; Huang, Chia-Hung; Huang, Chun-Kai; Hwang, Weng-Sing

    2009-08-28

    Iron complexes were supported on commercial carbon black and heat treated to create FeO(x)/C catalysts that showed a larger normalized current density and normalized power density than commercial Pt/C catalysts; the coordination number of the iron complexes used affected the formation of the active site for oxygen reduction in PEMFC.

  8. Hydrodeoxygenation of prairie cordgrass bio-oil over Ni based activated carbon synergistic catalysts combined with different metals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Shouyun; Wei, Lin; Zhao, Xianhui; Kadis, Ethan; Cao, Yuhe; Julson, James; Gu, Zhengrong

    2016-06-25

    Bio-oil can be upgraded through hydrodeoxygenation (HDO). Low-cost and effective catalysts are crucial for the HDO process. In this study, four inexpensive combinations of Ni based activated carbon synergistic catalysts including Ni/AC, Ni-Fe/AC, Ni-Mo/AC and Ni-Cu/AC were evaluated for HDO of prairie cordgrass (PCG) bio-oil. The tests were carried out in the autoclave under mild operating conditions with 500psig of H2 pressure and 350°C temperature. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results show that all synergistic catalysts had significant improvements on the physicochemical properties (water content, pH, oxygen content, higher heating value and chemical compositions) of the upgraded PCG bio-oil. The higher heating value of the upgraded bio-oil (ranging from 29.65MJ/kg to 31.61MJ/kg) improved significantly in comparison with the raw bio-oil (11.33MJ/kg), while the oxygen content reduced to only 21.70-25.88% from 68.81% of the raw bio-oil. Compared to raw bio-oil (8.78% hydrocarbons and no alkyl-phenols), the Ni/AC catalysts produced the highest content of gasoline range hydrocarbons (C6-C12) at 32.63% in the upgraded bio-oil, while Ni-Mo/AC generated the upgraded bio-oil with the highest content of gasoline blending alkyl-phenols at 38.41%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Nitrogen–doped graphitized carbon shell encapsulated NiFe nanoparticles: A highly durable oxygen evolution catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du, Lei; Luo, Langli; Feng, Zhenxing; Engelhard, Mark; Xie, Xiaohong; Han, Binghong; Sun, Junming; Zhang, Jianghao; Yin, Geping; Wang, Chongmin; Wang, Yong; Shao, Yuyan

    2017-09-01

    Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a crucial role in various energy conversion devices such as water electrolyzers and metal–air batteries. Precious metal catalysts such as Ir, Ru and their oxides are usually used for enhancing reaction kinetics but are limited by their scarce resource. The challenges associated with alternative non–precious metal catalysts such as transition metal oxides and (oxy)hydroxides etc. are their low electronic conductivity and durability. Herein, we report a highly active (360 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm–2GEO) and durable (no degradation after 20000 cycles) OER catalyst derived from bimetallic metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) precursors. This catalyst consists of NiFe nanoparticles encapsulated by nitrogen–doped graphitized carbon shells. The electron-donation/deviation from Fe and tuned electronic structure of metal cores by Ni are revealed to be primary contributors to the enhanced OER activity, whereas N concentration contributes negligibly. We further demonstrated that the structure and morphology of encapsulating carbon shells, which are the key factors influencing the durability, are facilely controlled by the chemical state of precursors.

  10. Influence of the catalyst type on the growth of carbon nanotubes via methane chemical vapor deposition

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jodin, Lucie; Dupuis, Anne-Claire; Rouvière, Emmanuelle; Reiss, Peter

    2006-01-01

    The preparation of the catalyst is one of the key parameters which governs the quality of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grown by catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD). We investigated the influence of three different procedures of catalyst preparation on the type and diameter of CNTs formed under

  11. Evaluation of mechanical properties in metal wire mesh supported selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajath, S.; Siddaraju, C.; Nandakishora, Y.; Roy, Sukumar

    2018-04-01

    The objective of this research is to evaluate certain specific mechanical properties of certain stainless steel wire mesh supported Selective catalytic reduction catalysts structures wherein the physical properties of the metal wire mesh and also its surface treatments played vital role thereby influencing the mechanical properties. As the adhesion between the stainless steel wire mesh and the catalyst material determines the bond strength and the erosion resistance of catalyst structures, surface modifications of the metal- wire mesh structure in order to facilitate the interface bonding is therefore very important to realize enhanced level of mechanical properties. One way to enhance such adhesion properties, the stainless steel wire mesh is treated with the various acids, i.e., chromic acid, phosphoric acid including certain mineral acids and combination of all those in various molar ratios that could generate surface active groups on metal surface that promotes good interface structure between the metal- wire mesh and metal oxide-based catalyst material and then the stainless steel wire mesh is dipped in the glass powder slurry containing some amount of organic binder. As a result of which the said catalyst material adheres to the metal-wire mesh surface more effectively that improves the erosion profile of supported catalysts structure including bond strength.

  12. Hydrodeoxygenation of phenols as lignin models under acid-free conditions with carbon-supported platinum catalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohta, Hidetoshi; Kobayashi, Hirokazu; Hara, Kenji; Fukuoka, Atsushi

    2011-11-28

    Carbon-supported Pt catalysts are highly active and reusable for the aqueous-phase hydrodeoxygenation of phenols as lignin models without adding any acids. It is suggested that Pt/carbon facilitates the hydrogenation of phenols and the hydrogenolysis of the resulting cyclohexanols.

  13. Modeling to study the role of catalyst in the formation of graphitic shells during carbon nanofiber growth subjected to reactive plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Ravi; Gupta, Neha; Sharma, Suresh C.

    2018-04-01

    An analytical model to study the role of a metal catalyst nanofilm in the nucleation, growth, and resulting structure of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in low-temperature hydrogen diluted acetylene plasma has been developed. The model incorporates the nanostructuring of thin catalyst films, growth of CNF, restructuring of catalyst nanoparticles during growth, and its repercussion on the resulting structure (alignment of rolled graphene sheets around catalyst nanoparticles) by taking into account the plasma sheath formalization, kinetics of neutrals and positively charged species in the reactive plasma, flux of plasma species onto the catalyst front surface, and numerous surface reactions for carbon generation. In order to examine the influence of the catalyst film on the growth of CNFs, the numerical solutions of the model equations have been obtained for experimentally determined initial conditions and glow discharge plasma parameters. From the solutions obtained, we found that nanostructuring of thin films leads to the formation of small nanoparticles with high surface number density. The CNF nucleates over these small-sized nanoparticles grow faster and attain early saturation because of the quick poisoning of small-sized catalyst particles, and contain only a few graphitic shells. However, thick nanofilms result in shorter CNFs with large diameters composed of many graphitic shells. Moreover, we found that the inclination of graphitic shells also depends on the extent up to which the catalyst can reconstruct itself during the growth. The small nanoparticles show much greater elongation along the growth axis and also show a very small difference between their tip and base diameter during the growth due to which graphitic shells align at very small angles as compared to the larger nanoparticles. The present study is useful to synthesize the thin and more extended CNFs/CNTs having a smaller opening angle (inclination angle of graphene layers) as the opening angle has a

  14. Carbon-supported cobalt catalyst for hydrogen generation from alkaline sodium borohydride solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Dongyan; Liu, Xinmin; Cao, Changqing; Guo, Qingjie [College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042 (China); Dai, Ping [College of Electromechanical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266061 (China)

    2008-08-01

    Low cost transition metal catalysts with high performance are attractive for the development of on-board hydrogen generation systems by catalytic hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH{sub 4}) in fuel cell fields. In this study, hydrogen production from alkaline NaBH{sub 4} via hydrolysis process over carbon-supported cobalt catalysts was studied. The catalytic activity of the supported cobalt catalyst was found to be highly dependent on the calcination temperatures. The hydrogen generation rate increases with calcination temperatures in the range of 200-400 C, but a high calcination temperature above 500 C led to markedly decreased activity. X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that the catalysts experience phase transition from amorphous Co-B to crystalline cobalt hydroxide with increase in calcination temperatures. The reaction performance is also dependent on the concentration of NaBH{sub 4}, and the hydrogen generation rate increases for lower NaBH{sub 4} concentrations and decreases after reaching a maximum at 10 wt.% of NaBH{sub 4}. (author)

  15. Meso- and macroporous sulfonated starch solid acid catalyst for esterification of palm fatty acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ibrahim M. Lokman

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In the present work, a heterogeneous solid acid catalyst was successfully developed from starch. The catalyst was prepared by a significant two-step process; the initial step was incomplete carbonization of starch (ICS at 400 °C for 12 h and consequently followed by sulfonation process using concentrated H2SO4 to produce sulfonated-incomplete carbonized starch (ICS-SO3H. The characterization of the ICS-SO3H catalyst was done for chemical and physical properties such as X-ray diffraction (XRD, ammonia-temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD, surface area analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA, elemental analysis and morphology analysis by scanning electron microscope (SEM. BET results showed the structure of ICS-SO3H consists of meso- and macro-porous properties, which allowed high density of the SO3H group attached on its carbon networks. The catalytic activity of ICS-SO3H catalyst was determined by analyzing the catalyst performance to esterify palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD and sequentially produced methyl ester. The maximum free fatty acid (FFA conversion and FAME yield were as high as 94.6% and 90.4%, respectively, at 75 °C using 10:1 methanol-to-PFAD molar ratio and 2 wt.% of catalyst within 3 h. The catalyst has sufficient potential to recycle up to 6 reactions without reactivation step and any remarkable loss of catalytic activity. It revealed that the heterogeneous ICS-SO3H catalyst exhibits high stability, reusability and catalytic activity.

  16. Activity of Cu-activated carbon fiber catalyst in wet oxidation of ammonia solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hung, Chang-Mao, E-mail: hungcm1031@gmail.com [Department of Industry Engineering and Management, Yung-Ta Institute of Technology and Commerce, 316 Chung-shan Road, Linlo, Pingtung 909, Taiwan (China)

    2009-07-30

    Aqueous solutions of 200-1000 mg/L of ammonia were oxidized in a trickle-bed reactor using Cu-activated carbon fiber (ACF) catalysts, which were prepared by incipient wet impregnation with aqueous solutions of copper nitrate that was deposited on ACF substrates. The results reveal that the conversion of ammonia by wet oxidation in the presence of Cu-ACF catalysts was a function of the metal loading weight ratio of the catalyst. The total conversion efficiency of ammonia was 95% during wet oxidation over the catalyst at 463 K at an oxygen partial pressure of 3.0 MPa. Moreover, the effect of the initial concentration of ammonia and the reaction temperature on the removal of ammonia from the effluent streams was also studied at a liquid space velocity of less than 3.0 h{sup -1}.

  17. Hydrogen production by dry reforming of methane with carbon dioxide in one-dimensional nickel-based catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez U, A. C.

    2016-01-01

    The main objective of this thesis is development of nickel catalysts supported over 1D matrix of cerium oxide, to be used in dry reforming methane reaction with carbon dioxide for hydrogen production. The catalysts were characterized by: Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR), Scanning Electronic Microscopy (Sem), Surface Area (Bet method) an X Ray Diffraction (XRD). The TPR technique allowed to define reduction temperature of the active phase in the catalyst, Sem technique showed that the CeO_2 matrix had a nano rod morphology. XRD allowed to identify the crystalline phases of the catalysts. Finally, the catalysts were tested in the dry reforming methane reaction, high catalytic activity and hydrogen production were performed at 700 degrees Celsius and the catalyst with 30 wt.% of nickel. (Author)

  18. Carbon material@Chitosan composite as catalyst on the synthesis of FAME from used-cooking oil with electrocatalytic process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syah Putra, Rudy; Antono, Yudi; Pratama, Kharis

    2017-07-01

    The conversion of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) from soybean oil with a carbon@chitosan composite as alkaline catalyst using electrolysis process had been investigated. The carbon was added onto chitosan through sol-gel method. Carbon material@chitosan, featured with high electrical conductivity and large surface area and Scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS) detector was performed to characterize the microstructures as-prepared alcolgels composite. The evaluation of the synthesis process was followed by GC-MS, determining the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) ratio at different operation variables (e.g oil:MeOH molar ratio at 1:6, THF:MeOH ratio at 1:1 v/v, 10 V and 60 mins). The results showed that the incorporation of carbon resulted in an observable change in the porous structure and an obvious increase in the conductivity strength. When compared with graphite@chitosan composite as catalyst, the carbon@chitosan composite exhibits remarkably FAME yields of 100% in 20 wt.% catalyst loading. The application of those processes was also evaluated when using used-cooking oil as a feedstock of biodiesel production.

  19. Carbon nanostructures as catalyst support for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Natarajan, S.K.; Hamelin, J. [Quebec Univ., Trois Rivieres, PQ (Canada). Inst. de recherche sur l' hydrogene

    2008-07-01

    This paper reported on a study that investigated potential alternatives to Vulcan XC-72 as a catalyst supports for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). These included carbon nanostructures (CNS) prepared by high energy ball milling of graphite and transition metal catalysts, followed by heat treatment. Among the key factors discussed were the graphitic content, high surface area, microporous structure, good electrical conductivity and the ability of the material to attach functional groups. Some graphic results supporting the usage of CNS as catalyst support for PEMFCs were presented. Upon chemical oxidation, surface functional groups such as carbonyl, carboxyl, and hydroxyl were populated on the surface of CNS. Nanosized platinum particles with particle size distribution between 3 nm and 5 nm were reduced on the functionalized sites of CNS in a colloidal medium. The paper also presented cyclic voltammograms, XPS, HRTEM and PSD results. 3 refs.

  20. N, S co-doped carbon spheres with highly dispersed CoO as non-precious metal catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Linlin; Guo, Xingpeng; Zhang, Guoan

    2017-08-01

    It is still a great challenge in preparing non-precious metal catalysts with high activity and long-term stability to substitute for precious metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells. Herein, we report a novel and facile catalyst-N, S co-doped carbon spheres with highly dispersed CoO (CoO@NS-CSs), where biomass glucose spheres act as carbon precursor and H2S, NH3 derived from the decomposition of thiourea not only provide N, S sources but also can etch carbon spheres to produce nanoporous structure. CoO@NS-CSs catalyst exhibits excellent ORR activity with a high onset potential of 0.946 V vs. RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode) and a half-wave potential of 0.821 V vs. RHE through a four-electron pathway in alkaline solution, which is comparable to commercial Pt/C catalyst (onset potential: 0.926 V vs. RHE, half-wave potential: 0.827 V vs. RHE). Furthermore, both the long-term stability and methanol-tolerance of CoO@NS-CSs catalyst are superior to those of commercial Pt/C catalyst. The excellent ORR performance of CoO@NS-CSs catalyst can be attributed to its micro-mesopore structure, high specific surface area (667 m2 g-1), and highly dispersed CoO. This work manifests that the obtained CoO@NS-CSs catalyst is promising to be applied to fuel cells.

  1. Catalyst effects of fabrication of carbon nanotubes synthesized by chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian, F.; Li, H.P.; Zhao, N.Q.; He, C.N.

    2009-01-01

    Catalytic effects of the fabrication of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by chemical vapor deposition of methane were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. More specifically, the total yield and thermal stability characteristics of the product were examined with respect to physicochemical characteristics of the catalyst. Three kinds of Ni/Al catalysts with 5 wt%, 10 wt% and 15 wt% Ni, respectively were employed to synthesize CNTs. It was determined that an optimal Ni content of the catalyst resulted in maximum yield and most stable product. With increasing the Ni content, the CNT yield increased but they became less stable during heat treatment in air. According to transmission electron microscopy observations, the defect sites along the walls and at the ends of the raw CNTs facilitated the thermal oxidative destruction of the CNTs.

  2. Pt based PEMFC catalysts prepared from colloidal particle suspensions--a toolbox for model studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speder, Jozsef; Altmann, Lena; Roefzaad, Melanie; Bäumer, Marcus; Kirkensgaard, Jacob J K; Mortensen, Kell; Arenz, Matthias

    2013-03-14

    A colloidal synthesis approach is presented that allows systematic studies of the properties of supported proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) catalysts. The applied synthesis route is based on the preparation of monodisperse nanoparticles in the absence of strong binding organic stabilizing agents. No temperature post-treatment of the catalyst is required rendering the synthesis route ideally suitable for comparative studies. We report work concerning a series of catalysts based on the same colloidal Pt nanoparticle (NP) suspension, but with different high surface area (HSA) carbon supports. It is shown that for the prepared catalysts the carbon support has no catalytic co-function, but carbon pre-treatment leads to enhanced sticking of the Pt NPs on the support. An unwanted side effect, however, is NP agglomeration during synthesis. By contrast, enhanced NP sticking without agglomeration can be accomplished by the addition of an ionomer to the NP suspension. The catalytic activity of the prepared catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction is comparable to industrial catalysts and no influence of the particle size is found in the range of 2-5 nm.

  3. Hierarchical nanostructured hollow spherical carbon with mesoporous shell as a unique cathode catalyst support in proton exchange membrane fuel cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Baizeng; Kim, Jung Ho; Kim, Minsik; Kim, Minwoo; Yu, Jong-Sung

    2009-03-07

    Hierarchical nanostructured spherical carbon with hollow macroporous core in combination with mesoporous shell has been explored to support Pt cathode catalyst with high metal loading in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The hollow core-mesoporous shell carbon (HCMSC) has unique structural characteristics such as large specific surface area and mesoporous volume, ensuring uniform dispersion of the supported high loading (60 wt%) Pt nanoparticles with small particle size, and well-developed three-dimensionally interconnected hierarchical porosity network, facilitating fast mass transport. The HCMSC-supported Pt(60 wt%) cathode catalyst has demonstrated markedly enhanced catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction and greatly improved PEMFC polarization performance compared with carbon black Vulcan XC-72 (VC)-supported ones. Furthermore, the HCMSC-supported Pt(40 wt%) or Pt(60 wt%) outperforms the HCMSC-supported Pt(20 wt%) even at a low catalyst loading of 0.2 mg Pt cm(-2) in the cathode, which is completely different from the VC-supported Pt catalysts. The capability of supporting high loading Pt is supposed to accelerate the commercialization of PEMFC due to the anticipated significant reduction in the amount of catalyst support required, diffusion layer thickness and fabricating cost of the supported Pt catalyst electrode.

  4. Immobilised carbon nanotubes as carrier for Co-Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thiessen, J.; Rose, A.; Kiendl, I.; Jess, A. [Bayreuth Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Curulla-Ferre, D. [Total S.A., Gas and Power, Paris La Defense (France)

    2011-07-01

    A possibility to immobilise carbon nanotubes (CNT) to make them applicable in a technical scale fixed bed reactor is studied. The approach to fabricate millimetre scale composites containing CNT presented in this work is to confine the nano-carbon in macro porous ceramic particles. Thus CNT were grown on the inner surface of silica and alumina pellets and spheres, respectively. Cobalt nano particles were successfully deposited on the carbon surface inside the two types of ceramic carriers and the systems were tested in Fischer - Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The cobalt mass related activity of these novel catalysts is similar to a conventional system. The selectivities of the Co/CNT/ceramic composites were compared with non supported CNT and carbon nanofibres (CNF). (orig.)

  5. High-performance bimetallic alloy catalyst using Ni and N co-doped composite carbon for the oxygen electro-reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Won Suk

    2018-03-15

    In this study, a novel synthesis method for the bimetallic alloy catalyst is reported, which is subsequently used as an oxygen reduction catalyst in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The support prepared from the Ni-chelate complex shows a mesoporous structure with a specific surface area of ca. 400 m 2  g -1 indicating the suitable support for PEMFC applications. Ethylenediamine is converted to the nitrogen and carbon layers to protect the Ni particles which will diffuse into the Pt lattice at 800 °C. The PtNi/NCC catalyst with PtNi cores and Pt-rich shells is successfully formed when acid-treated as evidenced by line scan profiles. The catalyst particles thus synthesized are well-dispersed on the N-doped carbon support, while the average particle size is ca. 3 nm. In the PEMFC test, the maximum power density of the PtNi/NCC catalyst shows approximately 25% higher than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The mass activity of the PtNi/NCC catalyst showed approximately 3-fold higher than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The mass activity strongly depends on the ratio of Pt to Ni since the strain effect can be strong for catalysts due to the mismatch of lattice parameters of the Ni and Pt. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Magnetic porous Fe3O4/carbon octahedra derived from iron-based metal-organic framework as heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wenhui; Wu, Xiaofeng; Li, Shuangde; Tang, Wenxiang; Chen, Yunfa

    2018-04-01

    The synthesis of effective and recyclable Fenton-like catalyst is still a key factor for advanced oxidation processes. Herein, magnetic porous Fe3O4/carbon octahedra were constructed by a two-step controlled calcination of iron-based metal organic framework. The porous octahedra were assembled by interpenetrated Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with graphitic carbon layer, offering abundant mesoporous channels for the solid-liquid contact. Moreover, the oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of graphitic carbon endow the catalysts with hydrophilic nature and well-dispersion into water. The porous Fe3O4/carbon octahedra show efficiently heterogeneous Fenton-like reactions for decomposing the organic dye methylene blue (MB) with the help of H2O2, and nearly 100% removal efficiency within 60 min. Furthermore, the magnetic catalyst retains the activity after ten cycles and can be easily separated by external magnetic field, indicating the long-term catalytic durability and recyclability. The good Fenton-like catalytic performance of the as-synthesized Fe3O4/carbon octahedra is ascribed to the unique mesoporous structure derived from MOF-framework, as well as the sacrificial role and stabilizing effect of graphitic carbon layer. This work provides a facile strategy for the controllable synthesis of integrated porous octahedral structure with graphitic carbon layer, and thereby the catalyst holds significant potential for wastewater treatment.

  7. The acidic properties of mixed tin and antimony oxide catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Irving, E.A.; Taylor, D.

    1978-01-01

    The acidic properties of mixed tin + antimony oxide catalysts were studied in the isomerization of 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene, cyclopropane, 1-butene, and cis-2-butene and the dehydration of isopropanol over the mixed oxides outgassed at room temperature and 698/sup 0/K. Only the zero-order portions of the reaction were used for calculations. With catalysts outgassed at room temperature, weakly acidic sites were present, and all the reactions probably occurred by a carbonium ion mechanism with Broensted acid sites as a source of protons. The rates increased with increasing antimony content to a maximum at approx. 50 at. % and then decreased with further increase in the antimony content. Outgassing of the catalysts at 698/sup 0/K increased the isomerization rate of 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene, but decreased those for cyclopropane and isopropanol due to poisoning by the propylene produced. For 1-butene and cis-2-butene and catalysts outgassed at 698/sup 0/K, only catalysts with less than 50Vertical Bar3< antimony were active. The catalysts were poisoned by treatment with bases or with sodium acetate. A proposed correlation between rates and acidity led to the conclusion that the catalyst composition corresponding to maximum acidity differs from that for maximum selective oxidation activity. Graphs and 10 references.

  8. Synthesis of carbon-supported nickel catalysts for the dry reforming of CH{sub 4}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fidalgo, B.; Zubizarreta, L.; Bermudez, J.M.; Arenillas, A.; Menendez, J.A. [Instituto Nacional del Carbon, CSIC, Apartado 73, 33080 Oviedo (Spain)

    2010-07-15

    A series of carbon-based nickel (Ni) catalysts was prepared in order to investigate the effect of the preparation method on the dispersion of Ni and its final catalytic activity in the dry reforming of methane, i.e. CH{sub 4} + CO{sub 2} 2H{sub 2} + 2CO. Three parameters were studied: (i) the influence of the surface chemistry of the carbon used as support; (ii) the method of drying (conventional vs. microwave drying); and, (iii) the temperature of the reduction stage. In order to study the role of the surface chemistry of the commercial activated carbon used as support, the active carbon was tested as received and oxidized. Although a better Ni dispersion was achieved over the oxidized support, the conversions were much lower. It was also found that microwave drying offers various advantages over conventional drying, the main one being that less time is required to prepare the catalyst. Two reduction temperatures were used (300 and 500 C), being found that it is necessary to adjust this parameter to prevent the Ni particles from sintering. (author)

  9. The Carbonation of Wollastonite: A Model Reaction to Test Natural and Biomimetic Catalysts for Enhanced CO2 Sequestration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fulvio Di Lorenzo

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available One of the most promising strategies for the safe and permanent disposal of anthropogenic CO2 is its conversion into carbonate minerals via the carbonation of calcium and magnesium silicates. However, the mechanism of such a reaction is not well constrained, and its slow kinetics is a handicap for the implementation of silicate mineral carbonation as an effective method for CO2 capture and storage (CCS. Here, we studied the different steps of wollastonite (CaSiO3 carbonation (silicate dissolution → carbonate precipitation as a model CCS system for the screening of natural and biomimetic catalysts for this reaction. Tested catalysts included carbonic anhydrase (CA, a natural enzyme that catalyzes the reversible hydration of CO2(aq, and biomimetic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs. Our results show that dissolution is the rate-limiting step for wollastonite carbonation. The overall reaction progresses anisotropically along different [hkl] directions via a pseudomorphic interface-coupled dissolution–precipitation mechanism, leading to partial passivation via secondary surface precipitation of amorphous silica and calcite, which in both cases is anisotropic (i.e., (hkl-specific. CA accelerates the final carbonate precipitation step but hinders the overall carbonation of wollastonite. Remarkably, one of the tested Zr-based MOFs accelerates the dissolution of the silicate. The use of MOFs for enhanced silicate dissolution alone or in combination with other natural or biomimetic catalysts for accelerated carbonation could represent a potentially effective strategy for enhanced mineral CCS.

  10. Influence of generated intermediates’ interaction on heterogeneous Fenton's degradation of an azo dye 1-diazo-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid by using sludge based carbon as catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu, Lin; Huang, Shouqiang; Zhu, Nanwen; Zhang, Daofang; Yuan, Haiping; Lou, Ziyang

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • End-products have higher tendency to be adsorbed on SC than primarily-formed. • Higher initial H 2 O 2 dosage results in intermediates with strong polarity. • 9 model intermediates differ in their behavior on interactions with catalysts. • Polar surface area dominated their adsorption on SC while K ow acts as a key role on HSC. -- Abstract: Sewage sludge based carbons have recently been used as novel catalyst in heterogeneous Fenton's reactions to degrade azo dye molecules. The carbons, functioning as both catalyst and adsorbent, play an important role in pollutants elimination, especially for those simultaneously generated organic intermediates. Different factors, i.e., H 2 O 2 concentration, may influence the type and properties of those intermediates and may have great impacts on their elimination through the interactions with catalysts’ surface. Thus, techniques including Temperature Programmed Desorption-Mass Spectrometer (TPD-MS), N 2 adsorption isotherm and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were used to probe the ways of the interaction between oxidation products and catalyst by using different initial H 2 O 2 concentrations (10 and 20 mM). The higher Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal with 20 mM H 2 O 2 was found to be related not only to the higher hydroxyl radicals but also the specific interactions between the intermediates and catalyst’ surface. The deep oxidation occurred in the conditions with higher oxidant amount enhances the intermediates’ adsorption on catalyst, thus increasing the COD removal by large margin. Simulated adsorption experiments by using six primarily formed intermediates and three deeply mineralized products on three different catalysts also confirmed the assumption. Results suggested close relations between adsorption capacities and intermediates’ properties such as polar surface area and octanol-water partition coefficient

  11. Removal of dye by immobilised photo catalyst loaded activated carbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zulkarnain Zainal; Chan, Sook Keng; Abdul Halim Abdullah

    2008-01-01

    The ability of activated carbon to adsorb and titanium dioxide to photo degrade organic impurities from water bodies is well accepted. Combination of the two is expected to enhance the removal efficiency due to the synergistic effect. This has enabled activated carbon to adsorb more and at the same time the lifespan of activated carbon is prolonged as the workload of removing organic pollutants is shared between activated carbon and titanium dioxide. Immobilisation is selected to avoid unnecessary filtering of adsorbent and photo catalyst. In this study, mixture of activated carbon and titanium dioxide was immobilised on glass slides. Photodegradation and adsorption studies of Methylene Blue solution were conducted in the absence and presence of UV light. The removal efficiency of immobilised TiO 2 / AC was found to be two times better than the removal by immobilised AC or immobilised TiO 2 alone. In 4 hours and with the concentration of 10 ppm, TiO 2 loaded activated carbon prepared from 1.5 g/ 15.0 mL suspension produced 99.50 % dye removal. (author)

  12. In-Situ Liquid Hydrogenation of m-Chloronitrobenzene over Fe-Modified Pt/Carbon Nanotubes Catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Li

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available In-situ liquid-phase hydrogenation of m-chloronitrobenzene (m-CNB based on aqueous-phase reforming (APR of ethanol and catalytic hydrogenation was carried out over Fe-modified Pt/carbon nanotubes (CNTs catalysts. The effects of Pt loading over CNTs and Fe modification on the catalytic performance of Pt/CNTs catalysts were studied. In-tube loading of Pt particles, compared with out-tube loading, considerably improved the catalytic activity. With in-tube loading, Fe-modified Pt/CNTs catalysts further improved the m-CNB in-situ hydrogenation performance. After Fe modification, Pt–Fe/CNTs catalysts formed, inside CNTs, a Pt–Fe alloy and iron oxides, which both improved catalytic hydrogenation performance and significantly enhanced ethanol APR hydrogen producing performance, thereby increasing the m-CNB in-situ hydrogenation reactivity.

  13. Oxygen-promoted catalyst sintering influences number density, alignment, and wall number of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Wenbo; Li, Jinjing; Polsen, Erik S; Oliver, C Ryan; Zhao, Yikun; Meshot, Eric R; Barclay, Michael; Fairbrother, D Howard; Hart, A John; Plata, Desiree L

    2017-04-20

    A lack of synthetic control and reproducibility during vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) synthesis has stifled many promising applications of organic nanomaterials. Oxygen-containing species are particularly precarious in that they have both beneficial and deleterious effects and are notoriously difficult to control. Here, we demonstrated diatomic oxygen's ability, independent of water, to tune oxide-supported catalyst thin film dewetting and influence nanoscale (diameter and wall number) and macro-scale (alignment and density) properties for as-grown vertically aligned CNTs. In particular, single- or few-walled CNT forests were achieved at very low oxygen loading, with single-to-multi-walled CNT diameters ranging from 4.8 ± 1.3 nm to 6.4 ± 1.1 nm over 0-800 ppm O 2 , and an expected variation in alignment, where both were related to the annealed catalyst morphology. Morphological differences were not the result of subsurface diffusion, but instead occurred via Ostwald ripening under several hundred ppm O 2 , and this effect was mitigated by high H 2 concentrations and not due to water vapor (as confirmed in O 2 -free water addition experiments), supporting the importance of O 2 specifically. Further characterization of the interface between the Fe catalyst and Al 2 O 3 support revealed that either oxygen-deficit metal oxide or oxygen-adsorption on metals could be functional mechanisms for the observed catalyst nanoparticle evolution. Taken as a whole, our results suggest that the impacts of O 2 and H 2 on the catalyst evolution have been underappreciated and underleveraged in CNT synthesis, and these could present a route toward facile manipulation of CNT forest morphology through control of the reactive gaseous atmosphere alone.

  14. Carbon-supported cubic CoSe2 catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Yongjun; Alonso-Vante, Nicolas

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Cubic CoSe 2 a non-precious metal electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in KOH. ► The catalyst shows four-electron transfer pathway in overall reaction. ► Catalyst has higher methanol tolerance than commercial Pt/C catalyst. - Abstract: A Carbon-supported CoSe 2 nanocatalyst has been developed as an alternative non-precious metal electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline medium. The catalyst was prepared via a surfactant-free route and its electrocatalytic activity for the ORR has been investigated in detail in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte at 25 °C using rotating disk electrode (RDE) and rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) techniques. The prepared catalyst showed promising catalytic activity towards ORR in a four-electron transfer pathway and higher tolerance to methanol compared to commercial Pt/C catalyst in 0.1 M KOH. To some extent, the increase of CoSe 2 loading on the electrode favors a faster reduction of H 2 O 2 intermediate to H 2 O.

  15. CATALYTIC WET PEROXIDE OXIDATION OF HYDROQUINONE WITH Co(II)/ACTIVE CARBON CATALYST LOADED IN STATIC BED

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2008-01-01

    Catalysts based on Co(II) supported on active carbon were prepared and loaded in static bed. The hydroquinone would be degraded completely after treated by Catalytic wet peroxide oxidation method with Co(II)/active carbon catalyst. After activate treatment, the active carbon was immerged in cobaltous nitrate solution, then put into a drying oven, Co(II) could be loaded on the micro-surface of carbon. Taking the static bed as the equipment, the absorption of active carbon and catalysis of Co(II) was used to reduce activation energy of hydroquinone. Thus hydroquinone could be drastically degraded and the effluent can be drained under the standard. Referring to Fenton reaction mechanism, experiment had been done to study the heterogeneous catalyzed oxidation mechanism of Co(II). The degradation rate of hydroquinone effluent could be achieved to 92% when treated in four columns at H2O2 concentration 10%, reaction temperature 40℃ , pH 5 and reaction time 2.5h.

  16. Fluorine-doped carbon nanotubes as an efficient metal-free catalyst for destruction of organic pollutants in catalytic ozonation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jing; Chen, Shuo; Quan, Xie; Yu, Hongtao

    2018-01-01

    Metal-free carbon materials have been presented to be potential alternatives to metal-based catalysts for heterogeneous catalytic ozonation, yet the catalytic performance still needs to be enhanced. Doping carbon with non-metallic heteroatoms (e.g., N, B, and F) could alter the electronic structure and electrochemical properties of original carbon materials, has been considered to be an effective method for improving the catalytic activity of carbon materials. Herein, fluorine-doped carbon nanotubes (F-CNTs) were synthesized via a facile method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. The as-synthesized F-CNTs exhibited notably enhanced catalytic activity towards catalytic ozonation for the degradation of organic pollutants. The oxalic acid removal efficiency of optimized F-CNTs was approximately two times as much as that of pristine CNTs, and even exceeded those of four conventional metal-based catalysts (ZnO, Al 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , and MnO 2 ). The XPS and Raman studies confirmed that the covalent CF bonds were formed at the sp 3 C sites instead of sp 2 C sites on CNTs, not only resulting in high positive charge density of C atoms adjacent to F atoms, but remaining the delocalized π-system with intact carbon structure of F-CNTs, which then favored the conversion of ozone molecules (O 3 ) into reactive oxygen species (ROS) and contributed to the high oxalic acid removal efficiency. Furthermore, electron spin resonance (ESR) studies revealed that superoxide radicals (O 2 - ) and singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) might be the dominant ROS that responsible for the degradation of oxalic acid in these catalytic systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. A "catalyst switch" Strategy for the sequential metal-free polymerization of epoxides and cyclic Esters/Carbonate

    KAUST Repository

    Zhao, Junpeng

    2014-06-24

    A "catalyst switch" strategy was used to synthesize well-defined polyether-polyester/polycarbonate block copolymers. Epoxides (ethylene oxide and/or 1,2-butylene oxide) were first polymerized from a monoalcohol in the presence of a strong phosphazene base promoter (t-BuP4). Then an excess of diphenyl phosphate (DPP) was introduced, followed by the addition and polymerization of a cyclic ester (ε-caprolactone or δ-valerolactone) or a cyclic carbonate (trimethylene carbonate), where DPP acted as both the neutralizer of phosphazenium alkoxide (polyether chain end) and the activator of cyclic ester/carbonate. This work has provided a one-pot sequential polymerization method for the metal-free synthesis of block copolymers from monomers which are suited for different types of organic catalysts. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  18. A "catalyst switch" Strategy for the sequential metal-free polymerization of epoxides and cyclic Esters/Carbonate

    KAUST Repository

    Zhao, Junpeng; Pahovnik, David; Gnanou, Yves; Hadjichristidis, Nikolaos

    2014-01-01

    A "catalyst switch" strategy was used to synthesize well-defined polyether-polyester/polycarbonate block copolymers. Epoxides (ethylene oxide and/or 1,2-butylene oxide) were first polymerized from a monoalcohol in the presence of a strong phosphazene base promoter (t-BuP4). Then an excess of diphenyl phosphate (DPP) was introduced, followed by the addition and polymerization of a cyclic ester (ε-caprolactone or δ-valerolactone) or a cyclic carbonate (trimethylene carbonate), where DPP acted as both the neutralizer of phosphazenium alkoxide (polyether chain end) and the activator of cyclic ester/carbonate. This work has provided a one-pot sequential polymerization method for the metal-free synthesis of block copolymers from monomers which are suited for different types of organic catalysts. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  19. A rational design approach to nanostructured catalysts for the oxidation of carbon monoxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karwacki, Christopher

    The extraordinary energetic properties of subnanometer (Gold nanoparticles (Au NP) possess unique reactive properties not present in the bulk state and have served in the past decade as a model for the nanosciences, where molecular species are synthesized, scaled, and engineered into functional materials. Gold nanoparticles as isolated structures are not useful as real catalysts and must co-exist with supports that provide enhanced stability and activity. Support oxides such as TiO2, Fe2O 3, CeO2, SiO2, Al2O3, ZrO 2, and graphitic (active) carbons have been shown to increase the active nature of AuNP and have been the subject of several thousand publications in the past decade. Zirconia compared to titania as a support for Au NP catalysis has been studied with limited success. In fact, the majority of observations show that zirconia is one of the lowest performing metal oxide supports involving Au NP oxidation catalysis. The likely reason for these observations is a lack of understanding of the relationship between structure and surface functionality as it pertains to ambient temperature oxidation catalysis (ATOC). Furthermore, virtually all substrate and catalyst preparations in earlier work were performed at high temperatures, typically 400--900°C, thus forming progressively monomorphic structures containing larger crystals with reduced surface functionality and porosity. In this research, I established the hypothesis based on a structural model that surface functional hydroxides are important to sustained hydrolytic reactions, such as those involving Au NP for the oxidation of CO to CO 2. Theoretical calculations by Ignatchenko, Vittadini, et al. show that zirconia readily dissociates adsorbed water on the most active and stable crystal structures (111) compared to other metal oxides, such as the common anatase (101) form of titania. Also, the support must provide a source of activated oxygen as a means to oxidize intermediate carbonates with CO 2 formation

  20. Structure-activity relationships of carbon-supported platinum-bismuth and platinum-antimony oxidation catalysts

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Maphoru, MV

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Compositional and morphological studies on supported platinum are important for the improvement and expanded use of catalysts for oxidative coupling reactions. Nanocomposites consisting of 5% Pt supported on activated carbon and promoted with 5% Bi...

  1. Application of Ce{sub x}Zr{sub 1-x}O{sub 2} catalysts for the synthesis of diethyl carbonate from ethanol and carbon dioxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prymak, I.; Kalevaru, V.N.; Kollmorgen, P.; Wohlrab, S. [Leibniz-Institut fuer Katalyse e.V. an der Universitaet Rostock (Germany); Martin, A.

    2013-11-01

    The direct synthesis of diethyl carbonate (DEC) from ethanol and CO{sub 2} is indeed an attractive approach from both academic and commercial points of view. In the present study, we report on the synthesis, characterization and catalytic evaluation of Ce-Zr-O solids with varying Ce/Zr ratios. The catalysts were prepared by citrate complexation method, and characterized by various techniques such as N{sub 2} adsorption (BET-SA), XRD, H{sub 2}-TPR, NH{sub 3}-TPD etc. The catalytic performance of these catalysts was evaluated towards the synthesis of DEC from ethanol and CO{sub 2} under suitable reaction conditions. According to thermodynamic data, the reaction is favorable at low reaction temperatures and high reaction pressures. Thus, the catalytic experiments were carried out in a continuous mode using a plug-flow reactor that was operated up to 200 bar and ca. 200 C. The effect of the reaction temperature (30-180 C) and pressure (80-180 bar) on the yield of DEC was investigated. Among various catalysts tested, Ce-Zr-O catalyst with 80 mol% Ce content has exhibited a relatively better performance compared to all other Ce-Zr-O catalysts. DEC yield increased with increasing reaction temperature up to 140 C. The highest yield of DEC obtained from the best case was 0.7 % at 140 C and at 140 bars. Further increase in temperature to 180 C caused a decrease in the DEC formation due to thermodynamic reasons as mentioned above. The ceria proportion has shown a considerable influence on the BET surface areas and thereby catalytic activity as well. The results revealed that the redox properties as well as acidity characteristics of the solids are strongly influenced by the content of Ce in the catalysts, which in turn showed a clear impact on the catalytic performance. (orig.)

  2. Study of Structural Properties of Mesoporous Carbon From Fructose with Zinc Borosilicate Activator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tutik Setianingsih

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Structural properties, including pore structure, functional group of carbon surface, and crystal structure of carbon built by zinc borosilicate (ZBS and ZnCl2 (Z have been investigated in this work. Physically, ZBS and ZnCl2 may act as template of carbon, whereas the Zn(II cation act as chemical activator of carbonization. All precursors of ZBS (silicagel, boric acid, and ZnCl2 may act as catalysts of caramelization. The caramelization was conducted hydrothermally at 85oC and thermally 130oC. The carbonization was conducted at 450oC. The resulted carbons were washed by using HF 48% solution, 1M HCl solution, and aquadest respectively. The solid products were characterized by using nitrogen gas adsorption, infrared spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction, and Transmition Electron Microscopy. Result of research showed that ZBS built larger mesopore volume, larger pore domination of pore size, more hydrophobic carbon, and more amorf than ZnCl2.

  3. MOF derived Ni/Co/NC catalysts with enhanced properties for oxygen evolution reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jiapeng; Chen, Juan; Lin, Hao; Liu, Ruilai; Yang, Xiaobing

    2018-03-01

    Designing efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is very important for renewable energy storage and conversion devices. In this paper, we introduced a new strategy to synthesize Ni doped Co/NC catalysts (NC is the abbreviation of nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon), which were derived from ZIF-67. All catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The results show that Ni was well doped in the Ni/Co/NC catalysts and the doping of Ni has great influence on the OER activity of Ni/Co/NC catalysts. Among these catalysts, 0.50Ni/Co/NC exhibits the highest OER activity. The onset potential of 0.50Ni/Co/NC is 1.47 V, which is superior than the onset potential of Co/NC (1.54 V), 0.25Ni/Co/NC (1.48 V), 1.00Ni/Co/NC (1.53 V). The excellent OER activity of 0.50Ni/Co/NC catalyst makes its potential to be used on renewable energy storage.

  4. Highly efficient nonprecious metal catalyst prepared with metal–organic framework in a continuous carbon nanofibrous network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shui, Jianglan; Chen, Chen; Grabstanowicz, Lauren; Zhao, Dan; Liu, Di-Jia

    2015-01-01

    Fuel cell vehicles, the only all-electric technology with a demonstrated >300 miles per fill travel range, use Pt as the electrode catalyst. The high price of Pt creates a major cost barrier for large-scale implementation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Nonprecious metal catalysts (NPMCs) represent attractive low-cost alternatives. However, a significantly lower turnover frequency at the individual catalytic site renders the traditional carbon-supported NPMCs inadequate in reaching the desired performance afforded by Pt. Unconventional catalyst design aiming at maximizing the active site density at much improved mass and charge transports is essential for the next-generation NPMC. We report here a method of preparing highly efficient, nanofibrous NPMC for cathodic oxygen reduction reaction by electrospinning a polymer solution containing ferrous organometallics and zeolitic imidazolate framework followed by thermal activation. The catalyst offers a carbon nanonetwork architecture made of microporous nanofibers decorated by uniformly distributed high-density active sites. In a single-cell test, the membrane electrode containing such a catalyst delivered unprecedented volumetric activities of 3.3 A⋅cm−3 at 0.9 V or 450 A⋅cm−3 extrapolated at 0.8 V, representing the highest reported value in the literature. Improved fuel cell durability was also observed. PMID:26261338

  5. Growth and field emission properties of one-dimensional carbon composite structure consisting of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nanocones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Hongxin; Feng, Peter X; Fonseca, Luis; Morell, Gerardo; Makarov, Vladimir I; Weiner, Brad R

    2009-01-01

    A simple approach is demonstrated for quickly growing a large-area aligned carbon composite nanostructure consisting of vertically aligned nanotubes and nanocones by the catalyst-assisted pulsed laser deposition techniques. The pyrolytic graphite was used as carbon source. The carbon nanocones were first grown on the molybdenum substrate with Ni catalysts. The carbon nanotubes have a uniform shape and length, aligned vertically on carbon nanocones, and the average diameter is about 7 nm. The special carbon composite arrays exhibit excellent field emission behaviours. The long-term field emission current stability of the one-dimensioned carbon nanostructure has also been investigated. No obvious current density decay was observed after a 10-day continuous experiment, indicating the super stability of the sample as cathode material.

  6. Pt-Fe catalyst nanoparticles supported on single-wall carbon nanotubes: Direct synthesis and electrochemical performance for methanol oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xiaohui; Luo, Liqiang; Zhu, Limei; Yu, Liming; Sheng, Leimei; An, Kang; Ando, Yoshinori; Zhao, Xinluo

    2013-11-01

    Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) supported Pt-Fe nanoparticles have been prepared by one-step hydrogen arc discharge evaporation of carbon electrode containing both Pt and Fe metal elements. The formation of SWCNTs and Pt-Fe nanoparticles occur simultaneously during the evaporation process. High-temperature hydrogen treatment and hydrochloric acid soaking have been carried out to purify and activate those materials in order to obtain a new type of Pt-Fe/SWCNTs catalyst for methanol oxidation. The Pt-Fe/SWCNTs catalyst performs much higher electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation, better stability and better durability than a commercial Pt/C catalyst according to the electrochemical measurements, indicating that it has a great potential for applications in direct methanol fuel cells.

  7. Effect of Different Catalyst Deposition Technique on Aligned Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Grown by Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Shuaib Mohamed Saheed

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper reported the investigation of the substrate preparation technique involving deposition of iron catalyst by electron beam evaporation and ferrocene vaporization in order to produce vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes array needed for fabrication of tailored devices. Prior to the growth at 700°C in ethylene, silicon dioxide coated silicon substrate was prepared by depositing alumina followed by iron using two different methods as described earlier. Characterization analysis revealed that aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes array of 107.9 µm thickness grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition technique can only be achieved for the sample with iron deposited using ferrocene vaporization. The thick layer of partially oxidized iron film can prevent the deactivation of catalyst and thus is able to sustain the growth. It also increases the rate of permeation of the hydrocarbon gas into the catalyst particles and prevents agglomeration at the growth temperature. Combination of alumina-iron layer provides an efficient growth of high density multiwalled carbon nanotubes array with the steady growth rate of 3.6 µm per minute for the first 12 minutes and dropped by half after 40 minutes. Thicker and uniform iron catalyst film obtained from ferrocene vaporization is attributed to the multidirectional deposition of particles in the gaseous form.

  8. Coupling of Carbon Dioxide with Epoxides Efficiently Catalyzed by Thioether-Triphenolate Bimetallic Iron(III) Complexes: Catalyst Structure-Reactivity Relationship and Mechanistic DFT Study

    KAUST Repository

    Della Monica, Francesco; Vummaleti, Sai V. C.; Buonerba, Antonio; Nisi, Assunta De; Monari, Magda; Milione, Stefano; Grassi, Alfonso; Cavallo, Luigi; Capacchione, Carmine

    2016-01-01

    A series of dinuclear iron(III)I complexes supported by thioether-triphenolate ligands have been prepared to attain highly Lewis acidic catalysts. In combination with tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) they are highly active catalysts in the synthesis of cyclic organic carbonates through the coupling of carbon dioxide to epoxides with the highest initial turnover frequencies reported to date for the conversion of propylene oxide to propylene carbonate for iron-based catalysts (5200h-1; 120°C, 2MPa, 1h). In particular, these complexes are shown to be highly selective catalysts for the coupling of carbon dioxide to internal oxiranes affording the corresponding cyclic carbonates in good yield and with retention of the initial stereochemical configuration. A density functional theory (DFT) investigation provides a rational for the relative high activity found for these Fe(III) complexes, showing the fundamental role of the hemilabile sulfur atom in the ligand skeleton to promote reactivity. Notably, in spite of the dinuclear nature of the catalyst precursor only one metal center is involved in the catalytic cycle. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Coupling of Carbon Dioxide with Epoxides Efficiently Catalyzed by Thioether-Triphenolate Bimetallic Iron(III) Complexes: Catalyst Structure-Reactivity Relationship and Mechanistic DFT Study

    KAUST Repository

    Della Monica, Francesco

    2016-08-25

    A series of dinuclear iron(III)I complexes supported by thioether-triphenolate ligands have been prepared to attain highly Lewis acidic catalysts. In combination with tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) they are highly active catalysts in the synthesis of cyclic organic carbonates through the coupling of carbon dioxide to epoxides with the highest initial turnover frequencies reported to date for the conversion of propylene oxide to propylene carbonate for iron-based catalysts (5200h-1; 120°C, 2MPa, 1h). In particular, these complexes are shown to be highly selective catalysts for the coupling of carbon dioxide to internal oxiranes affording the corresponding cyclic carbonates in good yield and with retention of the initial stereochemical configuration. A density functional theory (DFT) investigation provides a rational for the relative high activity found for these Fe(III) complexes, showing the fundamental role of the hemilabile sulfur atom in the ligand skeleton to promote reactivity. Notably, in spite of the dinuclear nature of the catalyst precursor only one metal center is involved in the catalytic cycle. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Central composite design approach towards optimization of flamboyant pods derived steam activated carbon for its use as heterogeneous catalyst in transesterification of Hevea brasiliensis oil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dhawane, Sumit H.; Kumar, Tarkeshwar; Halder, Gopinath

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Activated carbon was prepared from novel precursor flamboyant pods (Delonix regia). • Activation process was optimized using central composite design approach. • Prepared activated carbon at optimized condition was used as support for KOH. • Carbon based heterogeneous catalyst was used in transesterification of HBO. • Effect of catalyst loading and alcohol ratio on biodiesel yield was studied. - Abstract: The present investigation emphasises the preparation of carbon based KOH impregnated heterogeneous catalyst from flamboyant pods (Delonix regia) for the production of biodiesel from novel feedstock Hevea brasiliensis oil (HBO). Initially, carbonized char was physically activated by superheated steam and the process was optimized to study the effects of activation time and temperature by central composite design approach (CCD) using response surface methodology (RSM). Activated carbon was impregnated with KOH at four different ratios. Biodiesel production process was carried out at constant temperature 60 °C, reaction time 1 h, and 5 g of carbon based catalyst at varying quantities of catalyst loading (0.5, 2, 3.5, 5 wt%) and methanol to oil ratio (5:1–20:1). The influence of parameters on the biodiesel yield at varied condition was studied. Maximum yield of 89.3% was obtained at methanol to oil ratio 15:1 and catalyst loading 3.5 wt% and corresponding yield at same process parameters was observed to be 88.7% implying the significant activity of catalyst in reutilization. Produced biodiesel was characterized following ASTM standards. The experimental analysis confirmed that the carbonaceous catalyst developed from flamboyant pods under optimized condition is capable of transesterifying HBO into biodiesel

  11. Immersion Calorimetry for the Characterization of PD Catalysts Supported on Activated Carbon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liliana Giraldo

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Activated carbons obtained from coconut peel were oxidized using hydrogen peroxide. Superficial characteristics of these carbons were determined through N2 and CO2 isotherms and functional groups were characterized by TPD. Finally, the microcalorimetry technique was used in order to obtain the immersion enthalpies in diverse liquids and established the relation between them and the results obtained by the other characterization techniques. The results suggested that the immersion calorimetry allow establishing the difference between the supports and the catalysts.

  12. A smart strategy to fabricate Ru nanoparticle inserted porous carbon nanofibers as highly efficient levulinic acid hydrogenation catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Ying; Sun, Cheng-Jun; Brown, Dennis E.; Zhang, Liqiang; Yang, Feng; Zhao, Hairui; Wang, Yue; Ma, Xiaohui; Zhang, Xin; Ren, Yang

    2016-01-01

    Herein, we first put forward a smart strategy to in situ fabricate Ru nanoparticle (NP) inserted porous carbon nanofibers by one-pot conversion of Ru-functionalized metal organic framework fibers. Such fiber precursors are skillfully constructed by cooperative assembly of different proportional RuCl3 and Zn(Ac)2·2H2O along with trimesic acid (H3BTC) in the presence of N,N-dimethylformamide. The following high-temperature pyrolysis affords uniform and evenly dispersed Ru NPs (ca. 12-16 nm), which are firmly inserted into the hierarchically porous carbon nanofibers formed simultaneously. The resulting Ru-carbon nanofiber (Ru-CNF) catalysts prove to be active towards the liquid-phase hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) to γ-valerolactone (GVL), a biomass-derived platform molecule with wide applications in the preparation of renewable chemicals and liquid transportation fuels. The optimal GVL yield of 96.0% is obtained, corresponding to a high activity of 9.23 molLAh–1gRu–1, 17 times of that using the commercial Ru/C catalyst. Moreover, the Ru-CNF catalyst is extremely stable, and can be cycled up to 7 times without significant loss of reactivity. Our strategy demonstrated here reveals new possibilities to make proficient metal catalysts, and provides a general way to fabricate metal-carbon nanofiber composites available for other applications.

  13. Palladium on Nitrogen-Doped Mesoporous Carbon: A Bifunctional Catalyst for Formate-Based, Carbon-Neutral Hydrogen Storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fanan; Xu, Jinming; Shao, Xianzhao; Su, Xiong; Huang, Yanqiang; Zhang, Tao

    2016-02-08

    The lack of safe, efficient, and economical hydrogen storage technologies is a hindrance to the realization of the hydrogen economy. Reported herein is a reversible formate-based carbon-neutral hydrogen storage system that is established over a novel catalyst comprising palladium nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon. The support was fabricated by a hard template method and nitridated under a flow of ammonia. Detailed analyses demonstrate that this bicarbonate/formate redox equilibrium is promoted by the cooperative role of the doped nitrogen functionalities and the well-dispersed, electron-enriched palladium nanoparticles. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Synthesis of gold nano-catalysts supported on carbon nanotubes by using electroless plating technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma Xicheng; Li Xia; Lun Ning; Wen Shulin

    2006-01-01

    Gold nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes were prepared by using electroless plating technique. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has shown that spherical gold nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed on the surfaces of the carbon nanotubes with a distribution of particle sizes sharply at around 3-4 nm in diameter. The results presented in this work will probably provide new catalysts with better performances

  15. Cobalt-embedded carbon nanofiber derived from a coordination polymer as a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for activating oxone in water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Kun-Yi Andrew; Tong, Wai-Chi; Du, Yunchen

    2018-03-01

    Carbon fiber (CF) supported cobalt nanoparticles (NPs) are promising catalysts for activating Oxone because carbon is non-metal and earth-abundant, and CF-based catalysts exhibit a high aspect ratio, which affords more accessible and dense catalytic sites. Nevertheless, most of CF-supported catalysts are fabricated by post-synthetic methods, which involve complicated preparations. More importantly, metallic NPs are attached to the outer surface of CF rather than embedded within CF. However, there is still a great demand for developing Co-bearing carbon fibers for Oxone activation via simple and effective methods. Thus, this study proposes to develop a cobalt NP-embedded carbon nanofiber (CCNF) by a simple hydrothermal reaction of Co and nitrilotriacetic acid (NA), followed by one-step carbonization. Owing to the coordinative structure of CoNA, the derivative CCNF exhibits a fibrous carbon matrix embedded with evenly distributed and densely packed Co 3 O 4 and magnetic Co 0 nanoparticles. The fibrous structure, magnetism and embedded Co NPs enable CCNF to be a promising catalyst for Oxone activation. As degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) is selected as a model reaction, CCNF not only rapidly activates Oxone to fully degrade RhB but also shows a much higher catalytic activity than the most common Oxone activator, Co 3 O 4 . CCNF also exhibits the lowest activation energy than any reported catalysts for Oxone activation to degrade RhB. In addition, CCNF could be re-used to activate Oxone for RhB degradation. These results indicate that CCNF is a conveniently prepared and highly effective fibrous Co/C hybrid material for activating Oxone to oxidize contaminants in water. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Physico-Chemical and Structural Properties of DeNOx and SO2 Oxidation Catalysts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Masters, Stephen Grenville; Oehlers, Cord; Nielsen, Kurt

    1996-01-01

    Commercial catalysts for NOx removal and SO2 oxidation and their model systems have been investigated by spectroscopic, thermal, electrochemical and X-ray methods. Structural information on the vanadium complexes and compounds as well as physico-chemical properties for catalyst model systems have...

  17. Ni catalysts with different promoters supported on zeolite for dry reforming of methane

    KAUST Repository

    Alotaibi, Raja; Alenazey, Feraih; Alotaibi, Faisal; Wei, Nini; Al-Fatesh, Ahmed; Fakeeha, Anis

    2015-01-01

    Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is considered a high endothermic reaction with operating temperatures between 700 and 1000 °C to achieve high equilibrium conversion of CH4 and CO2 to the syngas (H2 and CO). The conventional catalysts used for DRM are Ni-based catalysts. However, many of these catalysts suffer from the short longevity due to carbon deposition. This study aims to evaluate the effect of La and Ca as promoters for Ni-based catalysts supported on two different zeolite supports, ZL (A) (BET surface area = 925 m2/g, SiO2/Al2O3 mol ratio = 5.1), and ZL (B) (BET surface area = 730 m2/g, SiO2/Al2O3 mol ratio = 12), for DRM. The physicochemical properties of the prepared catalysts were characterized with XRD, BET, TEM and TGA. These catalysts were tested for DRM in a microtubular reactor at reaction conditions of 700 °C. The catalyst activity results show that the catalysts Ni/ZL (B) and Ca-Ni/ZL (B) give the highest methane conversion (60 %) with less time on stream stability compared with promoted Ni on ZL (A). In contrast, La-containing catalysts, La-Ni/ZL (B), show more time on stream stability with minimum carbon content for the spent catalyst indicating the enhancement of the promoters to the Ni/ZL (A) and (B), but with less catalytic activity performance in terms of methane and carbon dioxide conversions due to rapid catalyst deactivation.

  18. Ni catalysts with different promoters supported on zeolite for dry reforming of methane

    KAUST Repository

    Alotaibi, Raja

    2015-07-08

    Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is considered a high endothermic reaction with operating temperatures between 700 and 1000 °C to achieve high equilibrium conversion of CH4 and CO2 to the syngas (H2 and CO). The conventional catalysts used for DRM are Ni-based catalysts. However, many of these catalysts suffer from the short longevity due to carbon deposition. This study aims to evaluate the effect of La and Ca as promoters for Ni-based catalysts supported on two different zeolite supports, ZL (A) (BET surface area = 925 m2/g, SiO2/Al2O3 mol ratio = 5.1), and ZL (B) (BET surface area = 730 m2/g, SiO2/Al2O3 mol ratio = 12), for DRM. The physicochemical properties of the prepared catalysts were characterized with XRD, BET, TEM and TGA. These catalysts were tested for DRM in a microtubular reactor at reaction conditions of 700 °C. The catalyst activity results show that the catalysts Ni/ZL (B) and Ca-Ni/ZL (B) give the highest methane conversion (60 %) with less time on stream stability compared with promoted Ni on ZL (A). In contrast, La-containing catalysts, La-Ni/ZL (B), show more time on stream stability with minimum carbon content for the spent catalyst indicating the enhancement of the promoters to the Ni/ZL (A) and (B), but with less catalytic activity performance in terms of methane and carbon dioxide conversions due to rapid catalyst deactivation.

  19. Practical chemical analysis of Pt and Pd based heterogeneous catalysts with hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoshikawa, H., E-mail: YOSHIKAWA.Hideki@nims.go.jp [National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Matolínová, I.; Matolín, V. [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, V Holešovičkách 2, 18000 Prague 8 (Czech Republic)

    2013-10-15

    Highlights: •Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) enables interface analysis of catalyst. •HAXPES enables overall analysis of porous film of Pt-doped CeO{sub 2} and related catalyst. •HAXPES enables analysis of trace elements for Pd and Pt{sub 3}Ni nanoparticle catalysts. -- Abstract: Interfacial properties including configuration, porosity, chemical states, and atomic diffusion greatly affect the performance of supported heterogeneous catalysts. Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) can be used to analyze the interfaces of heterogeneous catalysts because of its large information depth of more than 20 nm. We use HAXPES to examine Pt-doped CeO{sub 2} and related thin film catalysts evaporated on Si, carbon, and carbon nanotube substrates, because Pt-doped CeO{sub 2} has great potential as a noble metal-based heterogeneous catalyst for fuel cells. The HAXPES measurements clarify that the dopant material, substrate material, and surface pretreatment of substrate are important parameters that affect the interfacial properties of Pt-doped CeO{sub 2} and related thin film catalysts. Another advantage of HAXPES measurement of heterogeneous catalysts is that it can be used for chemical analysis of trace elements by detecting photoelectrons from deep core levels, which have large photoionization cross-sections in the hard X-ray region. We use HAXPES for chemical analysis of trace elements in Pd nanoparticle catalysts immobilized on sulfur-terminated substrates and Pt{sub 3}Ni nanoparticle catalysts enveloped by dendrimer molecules.

  20. Carbon monoxide tolerant anodes for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. 1. Catalyst development approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holleck, G L; Pasquariello, D M; Clauson, S L

    1998-07-01

    PEM fuel cells are highly attractive for distributed power and cogeneration systems. They are efficient and function virtually without noise or pollution. To be competitive PEM fuel cells must operate on fuel mixtures obtained by reforming of widely available natural gas or liquid hydrocarbons. Reformed fuel gas mixtures invariably contain CO, a strong poison for Pt. Therefore CO tolerant anode catalysts are essential for wide spread PEMFC introduction. It is the objective to develop effective CO tolerant fuel cell catalysts based on multi-component platinum-transition metal alloys. Towards this goal the authors have developed a novel approach for the synthesis and performance evaluation of multifunctional ternary alloy fuel cell catalysts. The alloys are prepared as well-defined thin films on standard TFE-bonded carbon substrates via a dc magnetron sputtering technique. The anodes are laminated to Nafion membranes and the electrochemical performance is measured in a representative fuel cell configuration with H{sub 2} and H{sub 2}/CO gas mixtures. The multi-target sputtering technique permits one to reproducibly synthesize true alloy films of controlled composition. The deposit morphology and electrode structure are determined by the standardized TFE bonded carbon substrate. The thin catalyst layer is concentrated at the electrode ionomer interface where it can be fully utilized in a representative fuel cell configuration. Thus, a true comparative fuel cell catalyst evaluation is possible. The effectiveness of this approach will be demonstrated with Pt, Pt-Ru and Pt-Ru-X catalyzed anodes.

  1. Catalytic Growth of Macroscopic Carbon Nanofibers Bodies with Activated Carbon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdullah, N.; Rinaldi, A.; Muhammad, I. S.; Hamid, S. B. Abd.; Su, D. S.; Schlogl, R.

    2009-06-01

    Carbon-carbon composite of activated carbon and carbon nanofibers have been synthesized by growing Carbon nanofiber (CNF) on Palm shell-based Activated carbon (AC) with Ni catalyst. The composites are in an agglomerated shape due to the entanglement of the defective CNF between the AC particles forming a macroscopic body. The macroscopic size will allow the composite to be used as a stabile catalyst support and liquid adsorbent. The preparation of CNT/AC nanocarbon was initiated by pre-treating the activated carbon with nitric acid, followed by impregnation of 1 wt% loading of nickel (II) nitrate solutions in acetone. The catalyst precursor was calcined and reduced at 300° C for an hour in each step. The catalytic growth of nanocarbon in C2H4/H2 was carried out at temperature of 550° C for 2 hrs with different rotating angle in the fluidization system. SEM and N2 isotherms show the level of agglomeration which is a function of growth density and fluidization of the system. The effect of fluidization by rotating the reactor during growth with different speed give a significant impact on the agglomeration of the final CNF/AC composite and thus the amount of CNFs produced. The macrostructure body produced in this work of CNF/AC composite will have advantages in the adsorbent and catalyst support application, due to the mechanical and chemical properties of the material.

  2. Modeling of carbon monoxide oxidation kinetics over NASA carbon dioxide laser catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herz, Richard K.

    1989-01-01

    The recombination of CO and O2 formed by the dissociation of CO2 in a sealed CO2 laser discharge zone is examined. Conventional base-metal-oxide catalysts and conventional noble-metal catalysts are not effective in recombining the low O2/CO ratio at the low temperatures used by the lasers. The use of Pt/SnO2 as the noble-metal reducible-oxide (NMRO), or other related materials from Group VIIIA and IB and SnO2 interact synergistically to produce a catalytic activity that is substantially higher than either componet separately. The Pt/SnO2 and Pd/SnO2 were reported to have significant reaction rates at temperatures as low as -27 C, conditions under which conventional catalysts are inactive. The gas temperature range of lasers is 0 + or - 40 C. There are three general ways in which the NMRO composite materials can interact synergistically: one component altering the properties of another component; the two components each providing independent catalytic functions in a complex reaction mechanism; and the formation of catalytic sites through the combination of two components at the atomic level. All three of these interactions may be important in low temperature CO oxidation over NMRO catalysts. The effect of the noble metal on the oxide is discussed first, followed by the effect of the oxide on the noble metal, the interaction of the noble metal and oxide to form catalytic sites, and the possible ways in which the CO oxidation reaction is catalyzed by the NMRO materials.

  3. Fuels by Waste Plastics Using Activated Carbon, MCM-41, HZSM-5 and Their Mixture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miskolczi Norbert

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Waste material was pyrolyzed in a horizontal tubular reactor at 530-540°C using different catalysts, such as activated carbon, MCM-41, HZSM-5 and their mixtures. Products were investigated by gas-chromatography, EDXRFS and standardized methods. Catalysts significantly affected the yields of volatiles; e.g. HZSM-5 catalyst increased especially the yield of gaseous hydrocarbons, while MCM-41 catalyst was responsible for increasing the pyrolysis oil yield. Synergistic effects were found using mixtures of different catalysts. Furthermore the catalysts modified the main carbon frame of the products. Pyrolysis oil obtained over HZSM-5 catalyst contained large amounts of aromatics, while MCM-41 catalyst mainly isomerized the carbon frame. Regarding contaminants it was concluded, that the sulphur content could be significantly decreased by activated carbon, however it had only a slight effect to the other properties of the products.

  4. Utilization of Cacao Pod Husk (Theobroma cacao l.) as Activated Carbon and Catalyst in Biodiesel Production Process from Waste Cooking Oil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rachmat, Devita; Johar Mawarani, Lizda; Dewi Risanti, Doty

    2018-01-01

    Cocoa pod husk (Theobroma cacao l.) is a waste from cocoa beans processing. In this research we employ cocoa pod husk as activated carbon to decrease the value of FFA (Free Fatty Acid) in waste cooking oil and as K2CO3 catalyst in biodiesel production process from waste cooking oil. Cocoa pod husk was crusched and grounded into powder that passed thorugh 60 mesh-screen. As activated carbon, cocoa pod husk was firstly carbonized at three variant temperatures i.e 250°C, 300°C and 350°C. The activation process was done using HCl 2M as activator. Based on the results of XRD and FTIR, the carbonization at all variant temperatures does not cause a significant changes in terms of crystallite structure and water content. The pore of activated carbon started to form in sample that was carbonized at 350°C resulting in pore diameter of 5.14644 nm. This result was supported by the fact that the ability of this activated carbon in reducing the FFA of waste cooking oil was the most pronounced one, i.e. up to 86.7% of FFA. It was found that the performance of cocoa pod husk’s activated carbon in reducing FFA is more effective than esterification using H2SO4 which can only decrease 80.8%. On the other hand, the utilization as K2CO3 catalyst was carried out by carbonization at temperature 650°C and extraction using aquadest solvent. The extraction of cocoa pod husk produced 7.067% K2CO3 catalyst. According to RD results the fraction of K2CO3 compound from the green catalysts is the same as the commercial (SAP, 99%) that is ≥ 60%. From the obtained results, the best yield percentage was obtained using K2CO3 catalyst from cacao pod husk extract, i.e. 73-85%. To cope with biodiesel conversion efficiency, a two-step process consisting pretreatment with activated carbon carbonized at 350°C and esterification with K2CO3 from cocoa pod husk catalyst was developed. This two-step process could reach a high conversion of 85%. From the results it was clear that the produced

  5. Two Iron Complexes as Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Chemical Fixation of Carbon Dioxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karan, Chandan Kumar; Bhattacharjee, Manish

    2018-04-16

    Two new bimetallic iron-alkali metal complexes of amino acid (serine)-based reduced Schiff base ligand were synthesized and structurally characterized. Their efficacy as catalysts for the chemical fixation of carbon dioxide was explored. The heterogeneous version of the catalytic reaction was developed by the immobilization of these homogeneous bimetallic iron-alkali metal complexes in an anion-exchange resin. The resin-bound complexes can be used as recyclable catalysts up to six cycles.

  6. Dehydrogenation of propane in the presence of carbon dioxide over chromium and gallium oxides catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lapidus, A.L.; Agafonov, Yu.A.; Gaidai, N.A.; Nekrasov, N.V.; Menshova, M.V.; Kunusova, R.M. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation). N.D. Zelinsky Inst. of Organic Chemistry

    2011-07-01

    Effective chromium and gallium oxides supported catalysts were prepared and tested in longduration experiments for propane dehydrogenation in the presence of CO{sub 2}. The optimal concentrations of active metals were found. It was shown that the activity, selectivity and stability of chromium oxides catalysts were higher than these parameters for gallium ones. Mechanism of propane oxidative dehydrogenation was studied over both catalysts using unstationary and spectroscopic methods. The employment of these methods allowed to establish the differences in process mechanism. It was shown that surface hydroxides took participation in propene formation over Cr-catalysts and hydrides - over Ga-ones. Propane and carbon dioxide participated in the reaction from the adsorbed state over both catalysts but they were differed by the adsorption capacity of the reaction components: CO2 was tied more firmly than C{sub 3}H{sub 6} over both catalysts, CO{sub 2} and C{sub 3}H{sub 6} were tied more strongly with Cr-catalysts than with Ga-ones. It was shown that CO{sub 2} took active participation in reverse watergas shift reaction and in oxidation of catalyst surface over chromium oxides catalysts. The main role of CO{sub 2} in propane dehydrogenation over gallium catalysts consisted in a decrease of coke formation. Step-schemes of propene and cracking products formation were proposed on the basis of literature and obtained data: via the redox mechanism over Cr-catalysts and through a heterolytic dissociation reaction pathway over Ga-ones. (orig.)

  7. Influence of generated intermediates’ interaction on heterogeneous Fenton's degradation of an azo dye 1-diazo-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid by using sludge based carbon as catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gu, Lin [School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China); School of Environmental Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Huang, Shouqiang [School of Environmental Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Zhu, Nanwen, E-mail: nwzhu@sjtu.edu.cn [School of Environmental Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Zhang, Daofang, E-mail: Zhangdf-usst@163.com [School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China); Yuan, Haiping; Lou, Ziyang [School of Environmental Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

    2013-12-15

    Highlights: • End-products have higher tendency to be adsorbed on SC than primarily-formed. • Higher initial H{sub 2}O{sub 2} dosage results in intermediates with strong polarity. • 9 model intermediates differ in their behavior on interactions with catalysts. • Polar surface area dominated their adsorption on SC while K{sub ow} acts as a key role on HSC. -- Abstract: Sewage sludge based carbons have recently been used as novel catalyst in heterogeneous Fenton's reactions to degrade azo dye molecules. The carbons, functioning as both catalyst and adsorbent, play an important role in pollutants elimination, especially for those simultaneously generated organic intermediates. Different factors, i.e., H{sub 2}O{sub 2} concentration, may influence the type and properties of those intermediates and may have great impacts on their elimination through the interactions with catalysts’ surface. Thus, techniques including Temperature Programmed Desorption-Mass Spectrometer (TPD-MS), N{sub 2} adsorption isotherm and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were used to probe the ways of the interaction between oxidation products and catalyst by using different initial H{sub 2}O{sub 2} concentrations (10 and 20 mM). The higher Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal with 20 mM H{sub 2}O{sub 2} was found to be related not only to the higher hydroxyl radicals but also the specific interactions between the intermediates and catalyst’ surface. The deep oxidation occurred in the conditions with higher oxidant amount enhances the intermediates’ adsorption on catalyst, thus increasing the COD removal by large margin. Simulated adsorption experiments by using six primarily formed intermediates and three deeply mineralized products on three different catalysts also confirmed the assumption. Results suggested close relations between adsorption capacities and intermediates’ properties such as polar surface area and octanol-water partition coefficient.

  8. Microstructural Properties and HDS Activity of CoMo Catalysts Supported on Activated Carbon, Al2O3, ZrO2 and TiO2

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Soukup, Karel; Procházka, Martin; Kaluža, Luděk

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 43, č. 2015 (2015), s. 841-846 ISSN 1974-9791. [International Conference on Chemical and Process Engineering - ICheaP12 /12./. Milano, 19.05.2015-22.05.2015] R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP106/11/0902 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : CoMo catalysts * surface area * activated carbon Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry

  9. Effect of Gas Flowrate on Nucleation Mechanism of MWCNTs for a Compound Catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Shukrullah

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Activation of the catalyst particles during a CVD process can be anticipated from the carbon feeding rate. In this study, Fe2O3/Al2O3 catalyst was synthesized with uniformly dispersed iron over alumina support for onward production of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs in a fluidized bed chemical CVD reactor. The effect of the ethylene flowrate on catalytic activity of the compound catalyst and morphology of the as-grown MWCNTs was also investigated in this study. The dispersed active phases of the catalyst and optimized gas flowrate helped in improving the tube morphology and prevented the aggregation of the as-grown MWCNTs. The flowrates, below 100 sccm, did not provide sufficient reactants to interact with the catalyst for production of defect-free CNT structures. Above 100 sccm, concentration of the carbon precursor did not show notable influence on decomposition rate of the gas molecules. The most promising results on growth and structural properties of MWCNTs were gained at ethylene flowrate of 100 sccm. At this flowrate, the ratio of G and D intensity peaks (IG/ID was deliberated about 1.40, which indicates the growth of graphitic structures of MWCNTs.

  10. Feasibility study of various sulphonation methods for transforming carbon nanotubes into catalysts for the esterification of palm fatty acid distillate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shuit, Siew Hoong; Tan, Soon Huat

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • First report on the production of biodiesel from low-value industrial by-product using sulphonated MWCNTs as catalyst. • Various sulphonation methods were used to transform MWCNTs into catalysts. • SO 3 H were successfully grafted on the surface of MWCNTs, which resulted in a high biodiesel yield and reuse capacity. • The maximum FAME yield by sulphonated MWCNTs was higher than for other popular solid acid catalysts. - Abstract: Sulphonated multi-walled carbon nanotubes were synthesised and utilised as catalysts to transform palm fatty acid distillate, the low-value by-product of palm oil refineries, into the more valuable product of biodiesel. The most common method to prepare carbon-based solid acid catalysts is thermal treatment with concentrated sulphuric acid, which is a time-consuming and energy-intensive process. Therefore, the feasibility of other sulphonation methods, such as the in situ polymerisation of acetic anhydride and sulphuric acid, the thermal decomposition of ammonium sulphate and the in situ polymerisation of poly(sodium4-styrenesulphonate), were examined in this study. The esterification reaction was performed at 170 °C for 3 h at a methanol to palm fatty acid distillate ratio of 20 and catalyst loading of 2 wt% in a pressurised reactor. The fatty acid methyl esters yields achieved by the sulphonated multi-walled carbon nanotubes prepared via thermal treatment with concentrated sulphuric acid, the in situ polymerisation of acetic anhydride and sulphuric acid, the thermal decomposition of ammonium sulphate and the in situ polymerisation of poly(sodium4-styrenesulphonate) were 78.1%, 85.8%, 88.0% and 93.4%, respectively. All catalysts could maintain a high catalytic activity even during the fifth cycle. Among the sulphonation methods, the in situ polymerisation of poly(sodium4-styrenesulphonate) produced the catalyst with the highest acid group density. In addition, the resonance structures of the benzenesulphonic acid

  11. Synthesis of Dimethyl Glutarate from Cyclobutanone and Dimethyl Carbonate over Solid Base Catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhi, Chen; Dudu, Wu

    2012-01-01

    A facile route for the synthesis of dimethyl glutarate (DMG) from cyclobutanone and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) in the presence of solid base catalysts has been developed. It was found that the intermediate carbomethoxycyclobutanone (CMCB) was produced from cyclobutanone with DMC in the first step, and then CMCB was further converted to DMG by reacting with a methoxide group. The role of the basic catalysts can be mainly ascribed to the activation of cyclobutanone via the abstraction of a proton in the α-position by base sites, and solid bases with moderate strength, such as MgO, favor the formation of DMG

  12. Synthesis of Dimethyl Glutarate from Cyclobutanone and Dimethyl Carbonate over Solid Base Catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhi, Chen; Dudu, Wu [Guangdong Medical College, Dongguan (China)

    2012-06-15

    A facile route for the synthesis of dimethyl glutarate (DMG) from cyclobutanone and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) in the presence of solid base catalysts has been developed. It was found that the intermediate carbomethoxycyclobutanone (CMCB) was produced from cyclobutanone with DMC in the first step, and then CMCB was further converted to DMG by reacting with a methoxide group. The role of the basic catalysts can be mainly ascribed to the activation of cyclobutanone via the abstraction of a proton in the {alpha}-position by base sites, and solid bases with moderate strength, such as MgO, favor the formation of DMG

  13. High yield growth of patterned vertically aligned carbon nanotubes using inkjet-printed catalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beard, James D; Stringer, Jonathan; Ghita, Oana R; Smith, Patrick J

    2013-10-09

    This study reports on the fabrication of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes localized at specific sites on a growth substrate by deposition of a nanoparticle suspension using inkjet printing. Carbon nanotubes were grown with high yield as vertically aligned forests to a length of approximately 400 μm. The use of inkjet printing for catalyst fabrication considerably improves the production rate of vertically aligned patterned nanotube forests compared with conventional patterning techniques, for example, electron beam lithography or photolithography.

  14. Nanostructured, mesoporous Au/TiO2 model catalysts – structure, stability and catalytic properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthias Roos

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Aiming at model systems with close-to-realistic transport properties, we have prepared and studied planar Au/TiO2 thin-film model catalysts consisting of a thin mesoporous TiO2 film of 200–400 nm thickness with Au nanoparticles, with a mean particle size of ~2 nm diameter, homogeneously distributed therein. The systems were prepared by spin-coating of a mesoporous TiO2 film from solutions of ethanolic titanium tetraisopropoxide and Pluronic P123 on planar Si(100 substrates, calcination at 350 °C and subsequent Au loading by a deposition–precipitation procedure, followed by a final calcination step for catalyst activation. The structural and chemical properties of these model systems were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, N2 adsorption, inductively coupled plasma ionization spectroscopy (ICP–OES and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS. The catalytic properties were evaluated through the oxidation of CO as a test reaction, and reactivities were measured directly above the film with a scanning mass spectrometer. We can demonstrate that the thin-film model catalysts closely resemble dispersed Au/TiO2 supported catalysts in their characteristic structural and catalytic properties, and hence can be considered as suitable for catalytic model studies. The linear increase of the catalytic activity with film thickness indicates that transport limitations inside the Au/TiO2 film catalyst are negligible, i.e., below the detection limit.

  15. Metal-Carbon-CNF Composites Obtained by Catalytic Pyrolysis of Urban Plastic Residues as Electro-Catalysts for the Reduction of CO2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jesica Castelo-Quibén

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Metal–carbon–carbon nanofibers composites obtained by catalytic pyrolysis of urban plastic residues have been prepared using Fe, Co or Ni as pyrolitic catalysts. The composite materials have been fully characterized from a textural and chemical point of view. The proportion of carbon nanofibers and the final content of carbon phases depend on the used pyrolitic metal with Ni being the most active pyrolitic catalysts. The composites show the electro-catalyst activity in the CO2 reduction to hydrocarbons, favoring all the formation of C1 to C4 hydrocarbons. The tendency of this activity is in accordance with the apparent faradaic efficiencies and the linear sweep voltammetries. The cobalt-based composite shows high selectivity to C3 hydrocarbons within this group of compounds.

  16. Development of CuxFe/Al2O3 catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide guided by magnetic methods, Moessbauer and infrared spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boellaard, E.; Geus, J.W.; Bruggen, J.M. van; Kraan, A.M. van der

    1993-01-01

    A copper-iron catalyst for the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide has been prepared using a supported stoichiometric cyanide complex. Conversion of the cyanide precursor to a metallic catalyst appeared to be a precious process. Copper and iron in the bimetallic particles easily separate by thermal treatment and upon exposure to carbon monoxide, as revealed from Moessbauer and infrared spectroscopy. During Fischer-Tropsch reaction the catalyst exhibits a rapid decline of activity. Magnetisation measurements on spent catalysts indicate that the deactivation is caused by a fast conversion of metallic iron to initially unstable carbides which transform ultimately to more stable carbides. (orig.)

  17. Fabrication of aligned carbon nanotubes on Cu catalyst by dc plasma-enhanced catalytic decomposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang Zhejuan [Department of Physics, Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics and Advanced Instrument, East China Normal University, North Zhongshan Road 3663, 200062 Shanghai (China); Shakerzadeh, Maziar; Tay, Beng Kang; Li Xiaocheng; Tan Chongwei [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue 50, 639798 Singapore (Singapore); Lin Lifeng; Guo Pingsheng; Feng Tao [Department of Physics, Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics and Advanced Instrument, East China Normal University, North Zhongshan Road 3663, 200062 Shanghai (China); Sun Zhuo, E-mail: zsun@phy.ecnu.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics and Advanced Instrument, East China Normal University, North Zhongshan Road 3663, 200062 Shanghai (China)

    2009-04-01

    Aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (ACNTs) are deposited using copper (Cu) catalyst on Chromium (Cr)-coated substrate by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at temperature of 700 deg. C. Acetylene gas has been used as the carbon source while ammonia is used for diluting and etching. The thicknesses of Cu films on Cr-coated Si (100) substrates are controlled by deposition time of magnetron sputtering. The growth behaviors and quality of ACNTs are investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy. The different performance of ACNTs on various Cu films is explained by referring to the graphitic order as detected by Raman spectroscopy. The results indicate that the ACNTs are formed in tip-growth model where Cu is used as a novel catalyst, and the thickness of Cu films is responsible to the diameter and quality of synthesized CNTs.

  18. Catalyst systems and uses thereof

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozkan, Umit S [Worthington, OH; Holmgreen, Erik M [Columbus, OH; Yung, Matthew M [Columbus, OH

    2012-07-24

    A method of carbon monoxide (CO) removal comprises providing an oxidation catalyst comprising cobalt supported on an inorganic oxide. The method further comprises feeding a gaseous stream comprising CO, and oxygen (O.sub.2) to the catalyst system, and removing CO from the gaseous stream by oxidizing the CO to carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) in the presence of the oxidation catalyst at a temperature between about 20 to about 200.degree. C.

  19. Flexible, highly graphitized carbon aerogels based on bacterial cellulose/lignin: Catalyst-free synthesis and its application in energy storage devices

    KAUST Repository

    Xu, Xuezhu; Zhou, Jian; Nagaraju, Doddahalli H.; Jiang, Long; Marinov, Val R.; Lubineau, Gilles; Alshareef, Husam N.; Oh, Myungkeun

    2015-01-01

    Currently, most carbon aerogels are based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene, which are produced through a catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. Biomass based organic aerogels and carbon aerogels, featuring low cost, high

  20. Electrocatalytic activity of carbon-supported catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cell applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodriguez Varela, F.J. [CINVESTAV-Unidad Saltillo, Coahuila, (Mexico). Grupo de Investigacion en Energia; Savadogo, O. [Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Montreal, PQ (Canada). Laboratoire de nouveaux materiaux pour l' energie et l' electrochimie

    2008-07-01

    Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) can be fueled with hydrogen, alcohols, hydrocarbons and acetals. Ethanol is an important fuel candidate because it can be electro-oxidized to carbon dioxide on platinum (Pt)-based electrocatalysts in a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) at relatively low temperatures. This study investigated the electrocatalytic activity of some carbon-supported electrocatalysts towards the ethanol oxidation (EOR) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the presence of ethanol. Compared to other anode catalysts such as Pt, PtRu and Pt oxide, anodes based on PtSn alloys have a higher catalytic activity for the EOR. When tested in a DEFC, the current density at 0.4V and 90 degrees C based on a PtSn/C anode and a Pt/C cathode was 2 times higher than that of a cell based on a PtRu/C-Pt/C membrane electrode assembly (MEA) configuration. In addition, cathode catalysts based on Ru/C had good catalytic activity for the ORR and exhibited high selectivity for this reaction in the presence of ethanol. The results showed that in the presence of 0.125, 0.25 or 0.5 M ethanol concentrations, a decrease in onset potential of about 60, 62 and 68 mV emerged, respectively. These values were about 10 times lower than those measured for some Pt-based cathode catalysts tested in this study in the presence of 0.125 M EtOH. 20 refs., 5 figs.

  1. Magnetic properties of NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/carbon nanofibers from Venezuelan petcoke

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Briceño, Sarah, E-mail: sbriceno@ivic.gob.ve [Laboratorio de Física de la Materia Condensada, Centro de Física, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas IVIC, Apartado 20632, Caracas 1020-A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Silva, Pedro; Molina, Wilmer; Brämer-Escamilla, Werner; Alcalá, Olgi [Laboratorio de Física de la Materia Condensada, Centro de Física, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas IVIC, Apartado 20632, Caracas 1020-A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Cañizales, Edgard [Área de Análisis Químico Inorgánico, PDVSA, INTEVEP, Los Teques 1070-A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of)

    2015-05-01

    NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/carbon nanofibers (NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/CNFs) have been successfully synthesized by hydrotermal method using Venezuelan petroleum coke (petcoke) as carbon source and NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} as catalyst. The morphology, structural and magnetic properties of nanocomposite products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). XRD analysis revealed a cubic spinel structure and ferrite phase with high crystallinity. HR-TEM reveals the presence of CNFs with diameters of 4±2 nm. At room temperature, NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/CNFs show superparamagnetic behavior with a maximum magnetization of 15.35 emu/g. Our findings indicate that Venezuelan petroleum coke is suitable industrial carbon source for the growth of magnetic CNFs. - Highlights: • NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/CNFs have been synthesized by hydrothermal method using petroleum coke. • Nickel ferrite nanoparticles were used as the catalyst. • HR-TEM reveals the presence of CNFs with diameters of 4±2 nm. • The size of the nanoparticles defines the diameter of the CNFs.

  2. Graphene Derivative in Magnetically Recoverable Catalyst Determines Catalytic Properties in Transfer Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes to Anilines with 2-Propanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Vijay Kumar; Mazhar, Sumaira; Gregor, Lennon; Stein, Barry D; Morgan, David Gene; Maciulis, Nicholas A; Pink, Maren; Losovyj, Yaroslav; Bronstein, Lyudmila M

    2018-06-14

    Here, we report transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes to aminoarenes using 2-propanol as a hydrogen source and Ag-containing magnetically recoverable catalysts based on partially reduced graphene oxide (pRGO) sheets. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data demonstrated that, during the one-pot catalyst synthesis, formation of magnetite nanoparticles (NPs) is accompanied by the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) to pRGO. The formation of Ag 0 NPs on top of magnetite nanoparticles does not change the pRGO structure. At the same time, the catalyst structure is further modified during the transfer hydrogenation, leading to a noticeable increase of sp 2 carbons. These carbons are responsible for the adsorption of substrate and intermediates, facilitating a hydrogen transfer from Ag NPs and creating synergy between the components of the catalyst. The nitroarenes with electron withdrawing and electron donating substituents allow for excellent yields of aniline derivatives with high regio and chemoselectivity, indicating that the reaction is not disfavored by these functionalities. The versatility of the catalyst synthetic protocol was demonstrated by a synthesis of an Ru-containing graphene derivative based catalyst, also allowing for efficient transfer hydrogenation. Easy magnetic separation and stable catalyst performance in the transfer hydrogenation make this catalyst promising for future applications.

  3. Oxygen reduction on carbon supported platinum catalysts in high temperature polymer electrolytes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Qingfeng, Li; Bergqvist, R. S.; Hjuler, H. A.

    1999-01-01

    Oxygen reduction on carbon supported platinum catalysts has been investigated in H3PO4, H3PO4-doped Nafion and PBI polymer electrolytes in a temperature range from 80 to 190°C. Compared with pure H3PO4, using the H3PO4 doped Nafion and PBI polymer electrolytes can significantly improve the oxygen...

  4. Dispersed catalysts for co-processing and coal liquefaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bockrath, B.; Parfitt, D.; Miller, R. [Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, PA (United States)

    1995-12-31

    The basic goal is to improve dispersed catalysts employed in the production of clean fuels from low value hydrocarbons. The immediate objective is to determine how the properties of the catalysts may be altered to match the demands placed on them by the properties of the feedstock, the qualities of the desired end products, and the economic constraints put upon the process. Several interrelated areas of the application of dispersed catalysts to co-processing and coal conversion are under investigation. The first involves control of the selectivity of MoS{sub 2} catalysts for HDN, HDS, and hydrogenation of aromatics. A second area of research is the development and use of methods to evaluate dispersed catalysts by means of activity and selectivity tests. A micro-flow reactor has been developed for determining intrinsic reactivities using model compounds, and will be used to compare catalysts prepared in different ways. Micro-autoclaves will also be used to develop data in batch experiments at higher partial pressures of hydrogen. The third area under investigation concerns hydrogen spillover reactions between MoS{sub 2} catalysts and carbonaceous supports. Preliminary results obtained by monitoring H{sub 2}/D{sub 2} exchange reactions with a pulse-flow microreactor indicate the presence of spillover between MoS{sub 2} and a graphitic carbon. A more complete study will be made at a later stage of the project. Accomplishments and conclusions are discussed.

  5. Support Screening Studies on the Hydrogenation of Levulinic Acid to γ-Valerolactone in Water Using Ru Catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Piskun

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available γ-Valerolactone (GVL has been identified as a sustainable platform chemical for the production of carbon-based chemicals. Here we report a screening study on the hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA to GVL in water using a wide range of ruthenium supported catalysts in a batch set-up (1 wt. % Ru, 90 °C, 45 bar of H2, 2 wt. % catalyst on LA. Eight monometallic catalysts were tested on carbon based(C, carbon nanotubes (CNT and inorganic supports (Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2, ZrO2, Nb2O5 and Beta-12.5. The best result was found for Ru/Beta-12.5 with almost quantitative LA conversion (94% and 66% of GVL yield after 2 h reaction. The remaining product was 4-hydroxypentanoic acid (4-HPA. Catalytic activity for a bimetallic RuPd/TiO2 catalyst was by far lower than for the monometallic Ru catalyst (9% conversion after 2 h. The effects of relevant catalyst properties (average Ru nanoparticle size, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET surface area, micropore area and total acidity on catalyst activity were assessed.

  6. Rational control on floating catalysts for the growth of carbon nanotube assemblies: From vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays to carbon nanotube films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Hongyuan; Chen, Minghai; Zhang, Yongyi; Li, Qingwen

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Floating catalyst CVD for the growth of CNT films and arrays was investigated. • The structure of CNT array grown in floating catalyst CVD was revealed. • Temperature was proved as a key for the growth of different CNT assemblies. • The increase of growth temperature induced the growth of single-walled CNT film. - Abstract: Floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) has been widely used for the growth of various carbon nanotube (CNT) macrostructures, mainly including vertically aligned CNT (VACNT) arrays and none-woven CNT films. However, it is still unclear for the reason why these CNT macrostructures with largely different morphologies were received via the similar method. In this research, it revealed that the growth temperature largely affected the nucleation status of floating catalysts and thus controlled the morphologies of CNT macrostructures from VACNT arrays to none-woven CNT films. In low temperatures (below 800 °C), VACNTs were grown by bottom-up mechanism with several CNTs, but not one individual from bottom to up along the array height direction. Furthermore, VACNT arrays were only grown on some substrates that can induce iron atoms aggregating to catalyst particles with a suitable size. When increasing the growth temperature higher than 800 °C, more catalyst particles were nucleated in the gas flow, which induced the formation of none-woven CNT films composed of thin CNTs (single-walled CNTs and double-walled CNTs). This research was significative for understanding CNT growth mechanism via FCCVD process and the synthesis of different CNT macrostructures by this strategy.

  7. Rational control on floating catalysts for the growth of carbon nanotube assemblies: From vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays to carbon nanotube films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Hongyuan; Chen, Minghai, E-mail: mhchen2008@sinano.ac.cn; Zhang, Yongyi; Li, Qingwen

    2015-10-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Floating catalyst CVD for the growth of CNT films and arrays was investigated. • The structure of CNT array grown in floating catalyst CVD was revealed. • Temperature was proved as a key for the growth of different CNT assemblies. • The increase of growth temperature induced the growth of single-walled CNT film. - Abstract: Floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) has been widely used for the growth of various carbon nanotube (CNT) macrostructures, mainly including vertically aligned CNT (VACNT) arrays and none-woven CNT films. However, it is still unclear for the reason why these CNT macrostructures with largely different morphologies were received via the similar method. In this research, it revealed that the growth temperature largely affected the nucleation status of floating catalysts and thus controlled the morphologies of CNT macrostructures from VACNT arrays to none-woven CNT films. In low temperatures (below 800 °C), VACNTs were grown by bottom-up mechanism with several CNTs, but not one individual from bottom to up along the array height direction. Furthermore, VACNT arrays were only grown on some substrates that can induce iron atoms aggregating to catalyst particles with a suitable size. When increasing the growth temperature higher than 800 °C, more catalyst particles were nucleated in the gas flow, which induced the formation of none-woven CNT films composed of thin CNTs (single-walled CNTs and double-walled CNTs). This research was significative for understanding CNT growth mechanism via FCCVD process and the synthesis of different CNT macrostructures by this strategy.

  8. Polymeric carbon nitride nanomesh as an efficient and durable metal-free catalyst for oxidative desulfurization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Lijuan; Lei, Ganchang; Fang, Yuanxing; Cao, Yanning; Wang, Xinchen; Jiang, Lilong

    2018-03-06

    We report the first use of polymeric carbon nitride (CN) for the catalytic selective oxidation of H 2 S. The as-prepared CN with unique ultrathin "nanomeshes" structure exhibits excellent H 2 S conversion and high S selectivity. In particular, the CN nanomesh also displays better durability in the desulfurization reaction than traditional catalysts, such as carbon- and iron-based materials.

  9. Fabrication of magnetic carbon composites from peanut shells and its application as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst in removal of methylene blue

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Lincheng, E-mail: zhoulc@lzu.edu.cn; Ma, Junjun; Zhang, He; Shao, Yanming; Li, Yanfeng

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Peanut shell magnetic carbon (PMC) were fabricated by carbonized the mixture of peanut shells and (NH{sub 4}){sub 3}Fe(C{sub 2}O{sub 4}){sub 3}. The obtained PMC exhibit high efficiency in catalysis oxidation methylene blue with the help of K{sub 2}S{sub 2}O{sub 8} and it can be easily separated from aqueous by external magnetic field. Meanwhile, the catalyst can be reused for seven times almost without decreased of activity. - Highlights: • Novel peanut shell magnetic carbon (PMC) catalysts were successfully synthesized. • PMC exhibited superior activity as a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst. • A high efficient Fenton-like system was set up for removal MB. • PMC posed excellent catalysis oxidation quality, stability and good reusability. - Abstract: Magnetic carbons were prepared from agricultural waste peanut shells and Ferric ammonium oxalate via a simple impregnation and carbonization process. The obtained composites were characterized by element analysis, MÖssbauer spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area method, respectively. The magnetic carbon material was used as catalyst of heterogeneous Fenton reaction to remove methylene blue with the help of persulfate in waste water. The results indicated that both the removal rate and removal efficiency of this catalytic system are very excellent. The degradation efficiency was best (90% within 30 min) using initial concentrations of 0.5 g L{sup −1} persulfate and 40 mg L{sup −1} methylene blue. The removal mechanism was investigated by LC-MS. The catalyst retained its activity after seven reuses, indicating its good stability and reusability. It is inexpensive because it consists mainly of agricultural waste. Its porosity contributed to its high activity, which was achieved without any additional activation process. These indicating that the catalyst is

  10. Revealing the Dynamics of Platinum Nanoparticle Catalysts on Carbon in Oxygen and Water Using Environmental TEM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luo, Langli [Environmental; Engelhard, Mark H. [Environmental; Shao, Yuyan [Environmental; Wang, Chongmin [Environmental

    2017-10-02

    Deactivation of supported metal nanoparticle catalysts, especially in relevant gas condition, is a critical challenge for many technological applications, including heterogeneous catalysis, electrocatalysis, fuel cells, biomedical imaging and drug delivery. It has been far more commonly realized that deactivation of catalysts stems from surface area loss due to particle coarsening, however, for which the mechanism remains largely unclear. Herein, we use aberration corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy, at atomic level, to in-situ observe the dynamics of Pt catalyst in fuel cell relevant gas conditions. Particles migration and coalescence is observed to be the dominant coarsening process. As compared with the case of H2O, O2 promotes Pt nanoparticle migration on carbon surface. Surprisingly, coating Pt/carbon with a nanofilm of electrolyte (Nafion ionomer) leads to a faster migration of Pt in H2O than in O2, a consequence of Nafion-carbon interface water “lubrication” effect. Atomically, the particles coalescence is featured by re-orientation of particles towards lattice matching, a process driven by orientation dependent van der Waals force. These results provide direct observations of dynamics of metal nanoparticles at critical surface/interface under relevant conditions and yield significant insights into the multi-phase interaction in related technological processes.

  11. Nitrogen and Fluorine co-doped carbon catalyst with high oxygen reduction performance, prepared by pyrolyzing a mixture of melamine and PTFE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Hongliang; Liu, Fangfang; Qiao, Xiaochang; Xiong, Ziang; Li, Xiuhua; Shu, Ting; Liao, Shijun

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: A novel N and F co-doped metal-free doped carbon catalyst with three dimensional vesicles structures and ultra thin walls are prepared by pyrolyzing the mixture of melamine and PTFE. The catalyst has high N and F contents (13 and 6 at.%), and exhibits high ORR activity, high stability, and high limitation current density in both alkaline and acid medium. - Highlights: • N and F co-doped carbon catalyst was derived from the mixture of PTFE and melamine. • The N and F contents of the catalyst are up to 13 and 6 at.%, respectively. • The catalyst has three dimensional vesicles structure with ultra thin walls. • ORR activity of the catalyst is superior to that of Pt/C catalyst in alkaline medium. - Abstract: A novel nitrogen and fluorine co-doped carbon catalyst (C-Mela-PTFE) is prepared by pyrolyzing a mixture of melamine and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the catalyst has a three-dimensional vesicular structure with ultrathin wall, and exhibits excellent ORR performance in both alkaline and acidic mediums. In an alkaline medium, the catalyst exhibits superior ORR activity to that of commercial Pt/C catalyst. Notably, the ORR activity of the catalyst is just slightly lower than that of Pt/C catalyst in acidic medium. It is interesting that the ORR limiting current density of our C-Mela-PTFE catalyst is much higher than that of Pt/C catalyst. The effects of the melamine/PTFE ratio and the pyrolysis temperature on the catalyst's ORR performance are investigated. The optimal melamine/PTFE ratio by weight is 1:1.5, and the optimal pyrolysis temperature is 950 °C. The catalyst samples are characterized by XRD, SEM/TEM, Raman analysis, and XPS, the results reveal the ultra-thin-walled vesicular structure, high surface area and porosity, and high doping amounts of N and F of the catalyst. For the optimal sample, the N and F contents are up to 13 and 6 at.%, respectively, the proportion of pyridinic N is up to 45 at.% according to the

  12. CATALYSTS BASED ON UKRAINIAN NATURAL SORBENTS FOR LOW-TEMPERATURE CARBON MONOXIDE OXIDATION MEANT FOR INDIVIDUAL RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. L. Rakyts’ka

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available In spite of a great number of patented formulas of catalysts for neutralization of carbon monoxide (CO which is the most widespread atmospheric pollutant, only batch-produced hopcalite and alumina supported palladium (Pd/Al2O3 are used in practice. The named catalysts have significant defects: hopcalite is poisonable in the presence of water vapor and Pd/Al2O3 is characterized by the great content of palladium. We have found the possibility of using inexpensive Ukrainian natural sorbents differing by their mineralogical and chemical compositions, i.e. zeolites, bentonites, basalt tuffs, and disperse silicas, as supports for development and subsequent application of palladium(II and copper(II based catalysts for carbon monoxide oxidation. Acid-thermally modified Ukrainian sorbents have been found to be proper for obtaining supported copper-palladium complexes the most catalytically active in the reaction. Application of Ukrainian natural tripolis permitted to avoid the step of acid-thermal modification complicating the technique of catalyst production. As was found, the origin and phase composition of tripolis affect the activity of catalysts supported on them in the reaction of low-temperature Co oxidation. The most active catalyst permitting sanitary purification of air from CO to a level permissible for atmosphere of populated areas have been obtained in the case of insignificantly (thermally or hydrothermally modified tripoli from Konoplianskoe deposit.

  13. Heterogeneous electrochemical CO2 reduction using nonmetallic carbon-based catalysts: current status and future challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Tao; Fan, Qun; Tao, Hengcong; Han, Zishan; Jia, Mingwen; Gao, Yunnan; Ma, Wangjing; Sun, Zhenyu

    2017-11-01

    Electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECR) offers an important pathway for renewable energy storage and fuels production. It still remains a challenge in designing highly selective, energy-efficient, robust, and cost-effective electrocatalysts to facilitate this kinetically slow process. Metal-free carbon-based materials have features of low cost, good electrical conductivity, renewability, diverse structure, and tunability in surface chemistry. In particular, surface functionalization of carbon materials, for example by doping with heteroatoms, enables access to unique active site architectures for CO2 adsorption and activation, leading to interesting catalytic performances in ECR. We aim to provide a comprehensive review of this category of metal-free catalysts for ECR, providing discussions and/or comparisons among different nonmetallic catalysts, and also possible origin of catalytic activity. Fundamentals and some future challenges are also described.

  14. Tuning the Composition of Electrodeposited Bimetallic Tin-Lead Catalysts for Enhanced Activity and Durability in Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction to Formate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Colin E; Gyenge, Előd L

    2017-09-11

    Bimetallic Sn-Pb catalysts with five different Sn/Pb atomic ratios were electrodeposited on Teflonated carbon paper and non-Teflonated carbon cloth using both fluoroborate- and oxide-containing deposition media to produce catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 (ERC) to formate (HCOO - ). The interaction between catalyst composition, morphology, substrate, and deposition media was investigated by using cyclic voltammetry and constant potential electrolysis at -2.0 V versus Ag/AgCl for 2 h in 0.5 m KHCO 3 . The catalysts were analyzed before and after electrolysis by using SEM and XRD to determine the mechanisms of Faradaic efficiency loss and degradation. Catalysts that are mainly Sn with 15-35 at % Pb generated Faradaic efficiencies up to 95 % with a stable performance. However, pure Sn catalysts showed high initial stage formate production rates but experienced an extensive (up to 30 %) decrease of the Faradaic efficiency. The XRD results demonstrated the presence of polycrystalline SnO 2 after electrolysis using Sn-Pb catalysts with 35 at % Pb and its absence in the case of pure Sn. It is proposed that the presence of Pb (15-35 at %) in mainly Sn catalysts stabilized SnO 2 , which is responsible for the enhanced Faradaic efficiency and catalytic durability in the ERC. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Effect of cobalt sources on properties of co-b catalysts synthesized by sol-gel method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Figen, Aysel Kantürk; Co ú kuner, Bilge; Özdemir, Özgül Dere [Department of Chemical Engineering, Yildiz Technical University Istanbul (Turkey); Burçin Pi ú kin, Mehmet [Department of Bioengineering, Y Õ ld Õ z Technical University, Istanbul (Turkey)

    2013-07-01

    In this studying, Co-B catalysts were prepared by sol-gel method via kinds of cobalt source for clarifying the effect of these for characteristic properties of Co-B catalysts. Co sources, cobalt(II)chloride (CoCl{sub 2} .6H{sub 2}O), cobalt(II)sulfate (CoSO{sub 4} .7H{sub 2}O) and cobalt(II)nitrate (Co(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} .6H{sub 2}O), were used as a metal source with boron oxide (B{sub 2}O{sub 3} ) while citric acid (C{sub 6}H{sub 8}O{sub 7} ) used as organic ligand to forming sol-gel structure. The crystalline structures of Co-B catalysts were determined by X-ray diffraction. The N{sub 2} sorption technique was used for analyzing catalysts surface area. The variety of Co-B catalysts morphological properties were investigated via scanning electron microscope. By the effect of cobalt sources the Co-B catalyst’s properties were altered that clarified from analysis results. The amorphous Co-B catalyst produced from CoCl{sub 2}.6H{sub 2} O as metal source had the largest porous surface area with 122.7 m 2 .g -1 . Investigation of hydrolysis were performed under variety of temperatures (22, 40 and 60 o C), NaOH concentrations (1-15 wt. %) and NaBH 4 /Co-B catalyst ratio (2-40 wt./wt.) ratios in order to investigate the activation of Co-B catalyst. The maximum hydrogen generation rate 0.84L H 2 .min -1 .g -1 was obtained under 40 °C, 10 wt. % NaOH and 9.52wt./wt. NaBH{sub 4}/Co-B catalyst ratio. Yet the kinetic investigations, the reaction order was found that zero order with 0.9954 coefficient of correlation and 51.83 kJ/mol activation energy. Key words: Sol-gel, Co-B Catalyst, Boron.

  16. Pt Nanostructures/N-Doped Carbon hybrid, an Efficient Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution/Oxidation Reactions: Enhancing its Base Media Activity through Bifunctionality of the Catalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barman, Sudip; Kundu, Manas; Bhowmik, Tanmay; Mishra, Ranjit

    2018-06-04

    Design and synthesis of active catalyst for HER/HOR are important for the development of hydrogen based renewable technologies. We report synthesis of Pt nanostructures-N-doped carbon hybrid (Pt-(PtO2)-NSs/C) for HER/HOR applications. The HER activity of this Pt-(PtOx)-NSs/C catalyst is 4 and 6.5 times better than commercial Pt/C in acid and base. The catalyst exhibits a current density of 10 mA/cm2 at overpotentials of 5 and 51 mV with tafel slopes of 29 and 64mV/dec in in 0.5 M H2SO4 and 0.5 M KOH. This catalyst also showed superior HOR activity at all pH values. The HER/HOR activity of Pt-(PtOx)-NSs/C and PtOx-free Pt-Nanostructures/C (PtNSs/C) catalysts are comparable in acid. The presence of PtOx in Pt-(PtOx)-NSs/C makes this Pt-catalyst more HER/HOR active in base media. The activity of Pt-(PtOx)NSs/C catalyst is 5 fold higher than that of PtNSs/C catalyst in basic medium although their activity is comparable in acid. Hydrogen binding energy and oxophilicity are the two equivalent descriptors for HER/HOR in basic media. We propose a bi-functional mechanism for the enhanced alkaline HER/HOR activity of Pt(PtOx)-NSs/C catalyst. In bi-functional Pt-(PtOx)-NSs/C catalyst, PtOx provide an active site for OH- adsorption to form OHads which reacts with hydrogen intermediate (Hads), present at neighbouring Pt sites to form H2O leading to enhancement of HOR activity in basic medium This work may provide opportunity to develop catalysts for various renewable energy technologies. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. A Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Conversion to CO with High Selectivity and Current Density.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jhong, Huei-Ru Molly; Tornow, Claire E; Smid, Bretislav; Gewirth, Andrew A; Lyth, Stephen M; Kenis, Paul J A

    2017-03-22

    We report characterization of a non-precious metal-free catalyst for the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 to CO; namely, a pyrolyzed carbon nitride and multiwall carbon nanotube composite. This catalyst exhibits a high selectivity for production of CO over H 2 (approximately 98 % CO and 2 % H 2 ), as well as high activity in an electrochemical flow cell. The CO partial current density at intermediate cathode potentials (V=-1.46 V vs. Ag/AgCl) is up to 3.5× higher than state-of-the-art Ag nanoparticle-based catalysts, and the maximum current density is 90 mA cm -2 . The mass activity and energy efficiency (up to 48 %) were also higher than the Ag nanoparticle reference. Moving away from precious metal catalysts without sacrificing activity or selectivity may significantly enhance the prospects of electrochemical CO 2 reduction as an approach to reduce atmospheric CO 2 emissions or as a method for load-leveling in relation to the use of intermittent renewable energy sources. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Comparison of Electronic Structure and Magnetic Properties of Few Layer Graphene and Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sekhar Chandra Ray

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A comparative study has been made for the non-catalyst based few layer graphene (FLG and Fe-catalyst based multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs. Magnetic and electronic properties of FLG and MWCNTs were studied using magnetic M-H hysteresis loops and synchrotron radiation based X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy measurements. Structural defects and electronic and bonding properties of FLG/MWCNTs have been studied using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS. The work functions of FLG and MWCNTs are 4.01 eV and 3.79 eV, respectively, obtained from UPS (He-I spectra. UPS (He-II results suggest that the density of states (DOS of MWCNTs is higher than FLG and is consistent with Raman spectroscopy result that shows the defect of MWCNTs is higher than FLG. The magnetic coercivity (Hc of the MWCNTs (~750 Oe is higher than FLG (~85 Oe which could be used for various technological magnetic applications.

  19. New Method to Synthesize Highly Active and Durable Chemically Ordered fct-PtCo Cathode Catalyst for PEMFCs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Won Suk; Popov, Branko N

    2017-07-19

    In the bottom-up synthesis strategy performed in this study, the Co-catalyzed pyrolysis of chelate-complex and activated carbon black at high temperatures triggers the graphitization reaction which introduces Co particles in the N-doped graphitic carbon matrix and immobilizes N-modified active sites for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the carbon surface. In this study, the Co particles encapsulated within the N-doped graphitic carbon shell diffuse up to the Pt surface under the polymer protective layer and forms a chemically ordered face-centered tetragonal (fct) Pt-Co catalyst PtCo/CCCS catalyst as evidenced by structural and compositional studies. The fct-structured PtCo/CCCS at low-Pt loading (0.1 mg Pt cm -2 ) shows 6% higher power density than that of the state-of-the-art commercial Pt/C catalyst. After the MEA durability test of 30 000 potential cycles, the performance loss of the catalyst is negligible. The electrochemical surface area loss is less than 40%, while that of commercial Pt/C is nearly 80%. After the accelerated stress test, the uniform catalyst distribution is retained and the mean particle size increases approximate 1 nm. The results obtained in this study indicated that highly stable compositional and structural properties of chemically ordered PtCo/CCCS catalyst contribute to its exceptional catalyst durability.

  20. Selective-catalyst formation for carbon nanotube growth by local indentation pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yasui, T. [Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188 (Japan)], E-mail: yst@mech.nagaokaut.ac.jp; Nakai, Y.; Onozuka, Y. [Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188 (Japan)

    2008-01-15

    We studied the selective formation of Co catalyst particles as a function of indentation pressure. We subjected a Co (8 nm thickness)/Si substrate pre-annealed at 600 deg. C to indentation processing. The catalytic function was confirmed in the indentations by the selective growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) at 800 deg. C. The number density of CNTs against the indentation pressure was investigated against indentation loads for two types of indenter: a Berkovich indenter with a ridge angle of 115{sup o} and a Berkovich indenter with a ridge angle of 90{sup o}. The pressures above 7 GPa applied by the former indenter enhanced Co atomization acting as a catalyst function for CNT growth (35 CNTs in one indentation). In contrast to this, the number of CNTs was markedly reduced when the latter indenter was used with pressures less than 3 GPa. The pop-out phenomenon was observed in unloading curves at pressures above 7 GPa. These results indicate that metastable Si promotes the self-aggregation of catalyst particles (Co) leading to the selective growth of CNTs within indentations at pressures above 7 GPa.

  1. Platinum catalyst formed on carbon nanotube by the in-liquid plasma method for fuel cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Show, Yoshiyuki; Hirai, Akira; Almowarai, Anas; Ueno, Yutaro

    2015-12-01

    In-liquid plasma was generated in the carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersion fluid using platinum electrodes. The generated plasma spattered the surface of the platinum electrodes and dispersed platinum particles into the CNT dispersion. Therefore, the platinum nanoparticles were successfully formed on the CNT surface in the dispersion. The platinum nanoparticles were applied to the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) as a catalyst. The electrical power of 108 mW/cm{sup 2} was observed from the fuel cell which was assembled with the platinum catalyst formed on the CNT by the in-liquid plasma method. - Highlights: • The platinum catalyst was successfully formed on the CNT surface in the dispersion by the in-liquid plasma method. • The electrical power of 108 mW/cm{sup 2} was observed from the fuel cell which was assembled with the platinum catalyst formed on the CNT by the in-liquid plasma method.

  2. Preparation and characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs)-supported Pt-Ru catalyst for methanol electrooxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang Chunwei [Department of Applied Chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)], E-mail: cw.yang@hit.edu.cn; Wang Dianlong; Hu Xinguo; Dai Changsong [Department of Applied Chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Zhang Liang [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China)

    2008-01-10

    Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a support of PtRu catalyst nanocomposites were prepared by colloid method in this work. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) all indicate that ultrasonic treatment can effectively functionalize MWCNTs, endowing them with groups that can act as nucleation sites which can favor well-dispersed deposition of PtRu clusters on their surface. The PtRu/MWCNTs catalysts have a high and homogeneous dispersion of spherical PtRu metal particles with a narrow particle-size distribution. From XPS tests, in PtRu/MWCNTs catalysts Ru can weaken the out-shell electrons of Pt because a part of Ru form alloy with Pt. The remnant Ru exists in oxidation and provides abundant oxygen to nearby Pt, as accelerated desorption and oxidation of intermediate products of methanol oxidation at surface of Pt. By a series of electrochemistry measurements, the PtRu/MWCNTs catalysts display significantly higher performance than the PtRu/XC-72 catalysts. Finally, schematic procedures for the oxidation of MWCNTs and synthesis of PtRu/MWCNTs catalysts were given.

  3. Preparation and characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs)-supported Pt-Ru catalyst for methanol electrooxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Chunwei; Wang Dianlong; Hu Xinguo; Dai Changsong; Zhang Liang

    2008-01-01

    Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a support of PtRu catalyst nanocomposites were prepared by colloid method in this work. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) all indicate that ultrasonic treatment can effectively functionalize MWCNTs, endowing them with groups that can act as nucleation sites which can favor well-dispersed deposition of PtRu clusters on their surface. The PtRu/MWCNTs catalysts have a high and homogeneous dispersion of spherical PtRu metal particles with a narrow particle-size distribution. From XPS tests, in PtRu/MWCNTs catalysts Ru can weaken the out-shell electrons of Pt because a part of Ru form alloy with Pt. The remnant Ru exists in oxidation and provides abundant oxygen to nearby Pt, as accelerated desorption and oxidation of intermediate products of methanol oxidation at surface of Pt. By a series of electrochemistry measurements, the PtRu/MWCNTs catalysts display significantly higher performance than the PtRu/XC-72 catalysts. Finally, schematic procedures for the oxidation of MWCNTs and synthesis of PtRu/MWCNTs catalysts were given

  4. Covalent versus Charge Transfer Modification of Graphene/Carbon-Nanotubes with Vitamin B1: Co/N/S-C Catalyst toward Excellent Oxygen Reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vij, Varun; Tiwari, Jitendra N; Kim, Kwang S

    2016-06-29

    High-performance nonprecious cathodic catalysts for oxygen reduction are highly demanded for low-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Here, we report a noble-meta- free, nitrogen and sulfur codoped graphene(G)/carbon-nanotube(CNT) material decorated with Co nanoparticles (NPs), which serve as catalytic sites for excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in basic and acidic media. Out of the cathodic catalysts synthesized by either covalent (cov) or charge transfer (CT) modification of graphen oxide (GO) with thiamine (Th: Vitamin B1), ThG/CNT/Co-cov shows more promising ORR properties than ThG/CNT/Co-CT. Catalyst ThG/CNT/Co-cov exhibits onset/halfwave potentials of 0.95/0.86 V in 0.1 M KOH and 0.92/0.83 V in 0.1 M HClO4, which are comparable to those of commercial catalyst Pt/C (0.95/0.86 V). As compared to Pt/C, our catalyst shows higher current densities of 6.72 mA cm(-2) in basic medium and 7.08 mA cm(-2) in acidic medium at 0.55 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)). It also exhibits better catalytic stability and methanol tolerance. High catalytic efficiency and stability of ThG/CNT/Co-cov show a promising prospect of materialization of PEMFCs for clean energy production.

  5. Synthesis of honeycomb-like mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres as Pt catalyst supports for methanol oxidation in alkaline media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yunmao; Liu, Yong; Liu, Weihua; Li, Xiying; Mao, Liqun

    2017-06-01

    This paper reports the convenient synthesis of honeycomb-like mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon spheres (MNCS) using a self-assembly strategy that employs dopamine (DA) as a carbon and nitrogen precursor and a polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS173-b-PEO170) diblock copolymer as a soft template. The MNCS have large BET surface areas of up to 554 m2 g-1 and high nitrogen contents of up to 6.9 wt%. The obtained MNCS are used as a support for Pt catalysts, which promote methanol oxidation in alkaline media. The MNCS-supported Pt (Pt/MNCS) catalyst has a larger electrochemically active surface area (ESA) (89.2 m2 g-1) than does a commercially available Vulcan XC-72R supported Pt/C catalyst. Compared to the Pt/C catalyst, Pt/MNCS displays a higher peak current density (1007 mA mg-1) and is more stable during methanol oxidation. These improvements are attributed to the honeycomb-like porous structure of the MNCS and the introduction of nitrogen to the carbon support. The MNCS effectively stabilize Pt nanoparticles and assuage the agglomeration of the nanoparticles, suggesting that MNCS are potential and promising application as electrocatalyst supports in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells.

  6. Catalyst for microelectromechanical systems microreactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morse, Jeffrey D [Martinez, CA; Sopchak, David A [Livermore, CA; Upadhye, Ravindra S [Pleasanton, CA; Reynolds, John G [San Ramon, CA; Satcher, Joseph H [Patterson, CA; Gash, Alex E [Brentwood, CA

    2010-06-29

    A microreactor comprising a silicon wafer, a multiplicity of microchannels in the silicon wafer, and a catalyst coating the microchannels. In one embodiment the catalyst coating the microchannels comprises a nanostructured material. In another embodiment the catalyst coating the microchannels comprises an aerogel. In another embodiment the catalyst coating the microchannels comprises a solgel. In another embodiment the catalyst coating the microchannels comprises carbon nanotubes.

  7. The effect of promoters on the electronic structure of ruthenium catalysts supported on carbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guraya, Monica; Sprenger, Susanne; Rarog-Pilecka, Wioletta; Szmigiel, Dariusz; Kowalczyk, Zbigniew; Muhler, Martin

    2004-01-01

    Alkali- and earth-alkali-promoted ruthenium catalysts supported on graphitized carbon were investigated by means of X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and UPS) in order to study the effect of promoters on the electronic structure of this metal-support system. Samples were measured as prepared and after thorough reduction in hydrogen. The C 1s spectra of reduced alkali-promoted catalysts showed a shift towards higher binding energies and an asymmetric broadening. Neither non-promoted nor Ba-promoted Ru/C samples exhibited such a behaviour after similar treatments. The most important feature in the UP spectra of the reduced alkali-promoted catalysts was the appearance of a well defined Fermi edge absent in the semimetal-like electronic structure of graphite. No significant effects appeared in the case of non-promoted or Ba-promoted catalysts. The increase in the density of occupied states at the Fermi energy indicates a shift of this level into the conduction band, due to a charge transfer from the promoter to the support. This interpretation also provides an explanation for the observed higher C 1s binding energy and asymmetric broadening, due to the off-set introduced in the binding energy scale and the increasing probability of inelastic excitations near the Fermi level. In addition to photoelectron spectroscopy, low energy ion scattering (ISS) was used to obtain information about the localisation of the promoters. Based on the mild sputtering effect during prolonged series of spectra, it was possible to conclude that potassium covers both the carbon support and the Ru metal particles

  8. Production of carbon nanotubes: Chemical vapor deposition synthesis from liquefied petroleum gas over Fe-Co-Mo tri-metallic catalyst supported on MgO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Setyopratomo, P., E-mail: puguh-sptm@yahoo.com; Wulan, Praswasti P. D. K., E-mail: wulanmakmur@gmail.com; Sudibandriyo, M., E-mail: msudib@che.ui.ac.id [Chemical Engineering Department, University of Indonesia, Depok Campus, Depok 16424 (Indonesia)

    2016-06-03

    Carbon nanotubes were produced by chemical vapor deposition method to meet the specifications for hydrogen storage. So far, the various catalyst had been studied outlining their activities, performances, and efficiencies. In this work, tri-metallic catalyst consist of Fe-Co-Mo supported on MgO was used. The catalyst was prepared by wet-impregnation method. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was used as carbon source. The synthesis was conducted in atmospheric fixed bed reactor at reaction temperature range 750 – 850 °C for 30 minutes. The impregnation method applied in this study successfully deposed metal component on the MgO support surface. It found that the deposited metal components might partially replace Mg(OH){sub 2} or MgO molecules in their crystal lattice. Compare to the original MgO powder; it was significant increases in pore volume and surface area has occurred during catalyst preparation stages. The size of obtained carbon nanotubes is ranging from about 10.83 nm OD/4.09 nm ID up to 21.84 nm OD/6.51 nm ID, which means that multiwall carbon nanotubes were formed during the synthesis. Yield as much as 2.35 g.CNT/g.catalyst was obtained during 30 minutes synthesis and correspond to carbon nanotubes growth rate of 0.2 μm/min. The BET surface area of the obtained carbon nanotubes is 181.13 m{sup 2}/g and around 50 % of which is contributed by mesopores. Micropore with half pore width less than 1 nm contribute about 10% volume of total micro and mesopores volume of the carbon nanotubes. The existence of these micropores is very important to increase the hydrogen storage capacity of the carbon nanotubes.

  9. Effect of Electric Discharge on Properties of Nano-Particulate Catalyst for Plasma-Catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chung Jun; Kim, Jip; Kim, Taegyu

    2016-02-01

    Heterogeneous catalytic processes have been used to produce hydrogen from hydrocarbons. However, high reforming temperature caused serious catalyst deteriorations and low energy efficiency. Recently, a plasma-catalyst hybrid process was used to reduce the reforming temperature and to improve the stability and durability of reforming catalysts. Effect of electric discharges on properties of nanoparticulate catalysts for plasma-catalysis was investigated in the present study. Catalyst-bed porosity was varied by packing catalyst beads with the different size in a reactor. Discharge power and onset voltage of the plasma were measured as the catalyst-bed porosity was varied. The effect of discharge voltage, frequency and voltage waveforms such as the sine, pulse and square was investigated. We found that the optimal porosity of the catalyst-bed exists to maximize the electric discharge. At a low porosity, the electric discharge was unstable to be sustained because the space between catalysts got narrow nearly close to the sheath region. On the other hand, at a high porosity, the electric discharge became weak because the plasma was not sufficient to interact with the surface of catalysts. The discharge power increased as the discharge voltage and frequency increased. The square waveform was more efficient than the sine and pulse one. At a high porosity, however, the effect of the voltage waveform was not considerable because the space between catalysts was too large for plasma to interact with the surface of catalysts.

  10. Iron ore catalysts for methane decomposition to make CO x free hydrogen and carbon nano material

    KAUST Repository

    Zhou, Lu

    2018-03-27

    In this work, for the first time, iron ores with 91.7%–96.2% FeO, 1.3%–2.3% AlO, 1.2%–4.5% SiO, 1.3%–3.9% NaO, were studied directly as bulk catalysts for methane decomposition. By hydrogen pre-reduction at 850 °C, FeO species on iron ores were gradually reduced into FeO, FeO and then finally into Fe species. After reduction of 1.6 g of iron ore catalysts of 50 µm particle size with 100 mL/min pure H for 3.5 h at 850 °C, CMD life testing was conducted at 850 °C and GHSV of 3.75 L/g h and the catalyst showed a stable methane conversion for 5 h. When methane decomposition proceeded on Fe sites, FeC species would be formed to deposit graphite around themselves to finally form carbon nano onions. This carbon nano onions material showed excellent application for wastewater purification. All samples were fully characterized with XRF, XRD, H-TPR, TEM and Raman.

  11. The influence of Mn species on the SO2 removal of Mn-based activated carbon catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qu, Yi-Fan; Guo, Jia-Xiu; Chu, Ying-Hao; Sun, Ming-Chao; Yin, Hua-Qiang

    2013-01-01

    Using Mn(NO 3 ) 2 as precursor, a series of Mn-based activated carbon catalysts were prepared by ultrasound-assisted excessive impregnation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and temperature programmed reduction (TPR). The influences of Mn species and nitric acid pretreatment on the removal role of SO 2 were investigated. MnO and Mn 3 O 4 coexist in catalysts calcined at 650 and 800 °C and exhibit best SO 2 removal ability, whereas Mn 2 O 3 formed in the catalyst calcined at 500 °C and shows poor activity. After treatment by nitric acid, the C=O of activated carbon support increases and the crystal size of MnO decreases, resulting in the enhancement of the catalytic activity. During reaction process, manganese oxides are gradually transferred into MnO 2 . And this change directly results in a decrease of activity. But the SO 2 removal rate has been maintained in the range of 30–40%, indicating that MnO 2 still has a certain SO 2 removal ability.

  12. Durability test with fuel starvation using a Pt/CNF catalyst in PEMFC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Juhae; Park, Byungil; Kim, Junbom

    2012-01-05

    In this study, a catalyst was synthesized on carbon nanofibers [CNFs] with a herringbone-type morphology. The Pt/CNF catalyst exhibited low hydrophilicity, low surface area, high dispersion, and high graphitic behavior on physical analysis. Electrodes (5 cm2) were prepared by a spray method, and the durability of the Pt/CNF was evaluated by fuel starvation. The performance was compared with a commercial catalyst before and after accelerated tests. The fuel starvation caused carbon corrosion with a reverse voltage drop. The polarization curve, EIS, and cyclic voltammetry were analyzed in order to characterize the electrochemical properties of the Pt/CNF. The performance of a membrane electrode assembly fabricated from the Pt/CNF was maintained, and the electrochemical surface area and cell resistance showed the same trend. Therefore, CNFs are expected to be a good support in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.

  13. Catalysts for oxidation of mercury in flue gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granite, Evan J [Wexford, PA; Pennline, Henry W [Bethel Park, PA

    2010-08-17

    Two new classes of catalysts for the removal of heavy metal contaminants, especially mercury (Hg) from effluent gases. Both of these classes of catalysts are excellent absorbers of HCl and Cl.sub.2 present in effluent gases. This adsorption of oxidizing agents aids in the oxidation of heavy metal contaminants. The catalysts remove mercury by oxidizing the Hg into mercury (II) moieties. For one class of catalysts, the active component is selected from the group consisting of iridium (Ir) and iridum-platinum (Ir/Pt) alloys. The Ir and Ir/Pt alloy catalysts are especially corrosion resistant. For the other class of catalyst, the active component is partially combusted coal or "Thief" carbon impregnated with Cl.sub.2. Untreated Thief carbon catalyst can be self-activating in the presence of effluent gas streams. The Thief carbon catalyst is disposable by means of capture from the effluent gas stream in a particulate collection device (PCD).

  14. Direct Fabrication of Carbon Nanotubes STM Tips by Liquid Catalyst-Assisted Microwave Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fa-Kuei Tung

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Direct and facile method to make carbon nanotube (CNT tips for scanning tunneling microscopy (STM is presented. Cobalt (Co particles, as catalysts, are electrochemically deposited on the apex of tungsten (W STM tip for CNT growth. It is found that the quantity of Co particles is well controlled by applied DC voltage, concentration of catalyst solution, and deposition time. Using optimum growth condition, CNTs are successfully synthesized on the tip apex by catalyst-assisted microwave-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CA-MPECVD. A HOPG surface is clearly observed at an atomic scale using the present CNT-STM tip.

  15. PdCo porous nanostructures decorated on polypyrrole @ MWCNTs conductive nanocomposite—Modified glassy carbon electrode as a powerful catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fard, Leyla Abolghasemi [Electroanalytical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Mazandaran, 3rd Kilometer of Air Force Road, 47416-95447, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ojani, Reza, E-mail: fer-o@umz.ac.ir [Electroanalytical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Mazandaran, 3rd Kilometer of Air Force Road, 47416-95447, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Raoof, Jahan Bakhsh [Electroanalytical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Mazandaran, 3rd Kilometer of Air Force Road, 47416-95447, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zare, Ehsan Nazarzadeh; Lakouraj, Moslem Mansour [Polymer Research Laboratory Department of Organic-Polymer Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Mazandaran, 3rd Kilometer of Air Force Road, 47416-95447, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2017-04-15

    Highlights: • The PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNT electrocatalyst was easily prepared. • The electrocatalyst exhibits high electrocatalytic activity and stability toward the EOR. • The specific activity of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs for ethanol electrooxidation (1.65 mA cm{sup −2}) is higher than those of other compared electrocatalysts. • The high electrocatalytic performance is attributed to concerted effects of Porous nature, Co and PPy@MWCNT. • The PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNT electrocatalyst has never been reported. - Abstract: In the current study, well-defined PdCo porous nanostructure (PdCo PNS) is prepared by a simple one-pot wet-chemical method and polypyrrole@multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PPy@MWCNTs) nanocomposite is used as a catalyst support. The morphology and the structural properties of the prepared catalyst were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The electrocatalytic performance of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs on glassy carbon electrode has been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The specific activity of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs for ethanol electrooxidation (1.65 mA cm{sup −2}) is higher than those of other compared electrocatalysts. Also, PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs catalyst represented higher electrocatalytic activity, better long-term stability and high level of poisoning tolerance to the carbonaceous oxidative intermediates for ethanol electrooxidation reaction in alkaline media. Furthermore, the presence of PPY@MWCNTs on the surface of GCE produce a high activity to electrocatalyst, which might be due to the easier charge transfer at polymer/carbon nanotubes interfaces, higher electrochemically accessible surface areas and electronic conductivity. The superior catalytic activity of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs suggests it to be as a promising electrocatalyst for future direct ethanol fuel cells.

  16. Phase composition and catalytic properties of oxide multicomponent molybdenum-containing catalysts for partial oxidation of propylene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malakhov, V.V.; Vlasov, A.A.; Boldyreva, N.N.; Dovlitova, L.S.; Plyasova, L.M.; Andrushkevich, T.V.; Kuznetsova, T.G.

    1996-01-01

    The catalytic properties and phase composition of multicomponent molybdenum-containing catalyst treated under various redox conditions have been studied. The phase composition has been considered by the methods of X-ray phase analysis and noncalibrated methods of differentiating dissolution (DD). Using the DD method the data on element composition, stoichiometry and quantitative content of phases of complex molybdates have been obtained for the first time. Data on modification of basic phases of the catalyst-cobalt and iron molybdates - by other cations from its composition suggest that the mechanism of action of the multicomponent catalyst is defined by the properties of one or several formed modified phases combining all the functions of an effective catalyst. 18 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs

  17. Electrocatalytic activity of atomic layer deposited Pt-Ru catalysts onto N-doped carbon nanotubes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Johansson, A.-C.; Larsen, J.V.; Verheijen, M.A.; Haugshøj, K.B.; Clausen, H.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Christensen, L.H.; Thomsen, E.V.

    2014-01-01

    Pt-Ru catalysts of various compositions, between 0 and 100 at.% of Ru, were deposited onto N-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at 250 C. The Pt and Ru precursors were trimethyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)platinum (MeCpPtMe3) and

  18. Synthesis of subnanometer-diameter vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes with copper-anchored cobalt catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Kehang; Kumamoto, Akihito; Xiang, Rong; An, Hua; Wang, Benjamin; Inoue, Taiki; Chiashi, Shohei; Ikuhara, Yuichi; Maruyama, Shigeo

    2016-01-01

    We synthesize vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (VA-SWNTs) with subnanometer diameters on quartz (and SiO2/Si) substrates by alcohol CVD using Cu-anchored Co catalysts. The uniform VA-SWNTs with a nanotube diameter of 1 nm are synthesized at a CVD temperature of 800 °C and have a thickness of several tens of μm. The diameter of SWNTs was reduced to 0.75 nm at 650 °C with the G/D ratio maintained above 24. Scanning transmission electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS-STEM) and high angle annular dark field (HAADF-STEM) imaging of the Co/Cu bimetallic catalyst system showed that Co catalysts were captured and anchored by adjacent Cu nanoparticles, and thus were prevented from coalescing into a larger size, which contributed to the small diameter of SWNTs. The correlation between the catalyst size and the SWNT diameter was experimentally clarified. The subnanometer-diameter and high-quality SWNTs are expected to pave the way to replace silicon for next-generation optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices.We synthesize vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (VA-SWNTs) with subnanometer diameters on quartz (and SiO2/Si) substrates by alcohol CVD using Cu-anchored Co catalysts. The uniform VA-SWNTs with a nanotube diameter of 1 nm are synthesized at a CVD temperature of 800 °C and have a thickness of several tens of μm. The diameter of SWNTs was reduced to 0.75 nm at 650 °C with the G/D ratio maintained above 24. Scanning transmission electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS-STEM) and high angle annular dark field (HAADF-STEM) imaging of the Co/Cu bimetallic catalyst system showed that Co catalysts were captured and anchored by adjacent Cu nanoparticles, and thus were prevented from coalescing into a larger size, which contributed to the small diameter of SWNTs. The correlation between the catalyst size and the SWNT diameter was experimentally clarified. The subnanometer-diameter and high

  19. Single Pot Selective Hydrogenation of Furfural to 2-Methylfuran Over Carbon Supported Iridium Catalysts

    KAUST Repository

    Date, Nandan S; Hengne, Amol Mahalingappa; Huang, Kuo-Wei; Chikate, Rajeev C.; Rode, C. V.

    2018-01-01

    Various iridium supported carbon catalysts were prepared and screened for direct hydrogenation of furfural (FFR) to 2-methyl furan (2-MF). Amongest these, 5% Ir/C showed excellent results with complete FFR conversion and highest selectivity of 95% to 2-MF at very low H2 pressure of 100 psig. Metallic (Iro) and oxide ( IrO2) phases of Ir catalyzed first step hydrogenation involving FFR to FAL and subsequent hydrogenation to 2-MF,respecively. This was confirmed by XPS analysis and some controlled experiments. At low temperature of 140 oC, almost equal selectivities of FAL (42%) and 2-MF (43%) were observed, while higher temperature (220oC) favored selective hydrodeoxygenation. At optimized temperature, 2-MF formed selectively while higher pressure and higher catalyst loading favored ring hydrogenation of furfural rather than side chain hydrogenation. With combination of several control experimental results and detailed catalyst characterization, a plausible reaction pathway has been proposed for selective formation of 2-MF. The selectivity to various other products in FFR hydrogenation can be manipulated by tailoring the reaction conditions over the same catalyst.

  20. Single Pot Selective Hydrogenation of Furfural to 2-Methylfuran Over Carbon Supported Iridium Catalysts

    KAUST Repository

    Date, Nandan S

    2018-03-20

    Various iridium supported carbon catalysts were prepared and screened for direct hydrogenation of furfural (FFR) to 2-methyl furan (2-MF). Amongest these, 5% Ir/C showed excellent results with complete FFR conversion and highest selectivity of 95% to 2-MF at very low H2 pressure of 100 psig. Metallic (Iro) and oxide ( IrO2) phases of Ir catalyzed first step hydrogenation involving FFR to FAL and subsequent hydrogenation to 2-MF,respecively. This was confirmed by XPS analysis and some controlled experiments. At low temperature of 140 oC, almost equal selectivities of FAL (42%) and 2-MF (43%) were observed, while higher temperature (220oC) favored selective hydrodeoxygenation. At optimized temperature, 2-MF formed selectively while higher pressure and higher catalyst loading favored ring hydrogenation of furfural rather than side chain hydrogenation. With combination of several control experimental results and detailed catalyst characterization, a plausible reaction pathway has been proposed for selective formation of 2-MF. The selectivity to various other products in FFR hydrogenation can be manipulated by tailoring the reaction conditions over the same catalyst.

  1. Electro and photo-assisted carbon dioxide reduction on molecular catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stanbury, Matthew

    2016-01-01

    The general context of this thesis is on CO 2 valorisation, and recounts fundamental research aimed at finding new molecular catalysts in order to achieve CO 2 conversion. The results obtained provide additional knowledge in view of developing an efficient and selective catalytic CO 2 reduction process. The first chapter begins with the general picture of CO 2 utilisation and contains a bibliographical overview on the use of molecular catalysts for CO 2 photo- and electroreduction. This short review demonstrates the wide variety of transition metal complexes used as catalysts, in particularly those based on rhenium. An analysis on the current state of CO 2 reduction research using molecular catalyst complexes of the manganese carbonyl type is then reported. In Chapter II, the discussion begins with a brief overview of the research developed during this thesis relating to new complexes of the general formula: [Mn(L)(CO) 3 (X)] (X = Br, n = 0 ou CH 3 CN, n = 1; L = terpyridine derivatives). The interest in these complexes is twofold, as their physico-chemical properties give them potential catalytic CO 2 reduction applications, as well as applications in the field relating to controlled CO release molecules. Developing new complexes based on ligands derived from terpy is one of the main routes that were chosen for catalyst performance optimisation and improvement. In this context, Mn complexes were synthesised, their photo- and electrochemical properties were studied in detail, before testing their activity with respect to catalytic CO 2 reduction. The most remarkable result comes from the unique ability of these species to release one of their carbonyl ligands in a controlled fashion, which led to the discovery of novel Mn dicarbonyl complexes which are selective catalysts for CO 2 reduction, and also to new molecules which are applicable in the release of small quantities of CO for therapeutic purposes. Chapter III covers the study of the complex [Mn

  2. A Simple Synthesis of an N-Doped Carbon ORR Catalyst: Hierarchical Micro/Meso/Macro Porosity and Graphitic Shells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eisenberg, D.; Stroek, W.; Geels, N.J.; Sandu, C.S.; Heller, A.; Yan, N.; Rothenberg, G.

    2016-01-01

    Replacing platinum as an oxygen reduction catalyst is an important scientific and technological challenge. Herein we report a simple synthesis of a complex carbon with very good oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity at pH 13. Pyrolysis of magnesium nitrilotriacetate yields a carbon with

  3. Controllable synthesis of carbon nanotubes by changing the Mo content in bimetallic Fe-Mo/MgO catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Xiangju; Huang Shaoming; Yang Zhi; Zou Chao; Jiang Junfan; Shang Zhijie

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → Increasing the Mo content in the Fe-Mo/MgO catalysts resulted in an increase in wall number, diameter and growth yield of carbon nanotubes. → The Fe interacts with MgO to form complex (MgO) x (FeO) 1-x (0 4 and relative large metal Mo particles can be generated after reduction. → The avalanche-like reduction of MgMoO 4 makes the catalyst particles to be small thus enhances the utilize efficiency of Fe nanoparticles. - Abstract: A series of Fe-Mo/MgO catalysts with different Mo content were prepared by combustion method and used as catalysts for carbon nanotube (CNT) growth. Transmission electron microscopy studies of the nanotubes show that the number of the CNT walls and the CNT diameters increase with the increasing of Mo content in the bimetallic catalyst. The growth yield determined by thermogravimetric analysis also follows the trend: the higher the Mo content, the higher the yield of the CNTs. However, the increase of Mo content leads to the lower degree of graphitization of CNTs. A comparative study on the morphology and catalytic functions of Fe/MgO, Mo/MgO and Fe-Mo/MgO catalysts was carried out by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. It is found that the Fe interacts with MgO to form complexes and is then dispersed into the MgO support uniformly, resulting in very small Fe nanoparticles after reduction. The Mo interacts with MgO to form stoichiometry compound MgMoO 4 and relative large metal Mo particles can be generated after reduction. High yield CNTs with small diameter can be generated from Fe-Mo/MgO because the avalanche-like reduction of MgMoO 4 makes the catalyst particles to be small thus enhances the utilize efficiency of Fe nanoparticles.

  4. Effect of reverse Boudouard reaction catalyst on the performance of solid oxide carbon fuel cells integrated with a dry gasifier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Sun-Kyung; Mehran, Muhammad Taqi; Mushtaq, Usman; Lim, Tak-Hyoung; Lee, Jong-Won; Lee, Seung-Bok; Park, Seok-Joo; Song, Rak-Hyun

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The addition of K_2CO_3 catalyst in carbon fuel improves the performance of SO-CFC. • Thermal and electrochemical analyses done to elucidate the catalytic enhancement. • Material characterization of SO-CFC performed after long-term degradation test. - Abstract: A solid oxide carbon fuel cell (SO-CFC) integrated with a dry gasifier was operated on activated carbon fuel and the effect of adding a reverse Boudouard gasification catalyst on the performance and long-term operation characteristics of the SO-CFC was investigated. The reactivity of the carbon fuels for the Boudouard gasification reaction was analyzed by a thermal analysis at various operating conditions. The SO-CFC was then operated on gasified fuel gas consisting of CO_2 and CO obtained from the integrated dry gasifier. The SO-CFC operated on activated carbon fuel with 5 wt.% K_2CO_3 achieved a maximum power density of 202, 262, and 271 mW/cm"2 at 750, 800, and 850 °C, respectively; the SO-CFC fueled with activated carbon fuel without a catalyst meanwhile yielded maximum power density of 168 mW/cm"2 at 850 °C. By using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the effect of adding the catalyst on the gasification products and subsequently on the performance of the SO-CFC was studied. A long-term degradation test was conducted by continuously operating the SO-CFC at 50 mA/cm"2 for 518 h at 750 °C. During the long-term degradation test, the average degradation rate of the SO-CFC was found to be 183 mV/kh. The post-mortem SEM and XRD analyses of the SO-CFC after the long-term test revealed the presence of carbon deposits and oxidation of Ni at the anode, causing a relatively higher degree of degradation in the SO-CFC integrated with the dry gasifier during the long-term operation. The addition of the K_2CO_3 based dry gasification catalyst significantly enhances the performance of the SO-CFC integrated with dry gasification, but during long-term operation, the degradation rate is found

  5. Effect of iron catalyst thickness on vertically aligned carbon nanotube forest straightness for CNT-MEMS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moulton, Kellen; Jensen, Brian D; Morrill, Nicholas B; Konneker, Adam M; Vanfleet, Richard R; Allred, David D; Davis, Robert C

    2012-01-01

    This paper examines the effect of iron catalyst thickness on the straightness of growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for microelectromechanical systems fabricated using the CNT-templated-microfabrication (CNT-M) process. SEM images of samples grown using various iron catalyst thicknesses show that both straight sidewalls and good edge definition are achieved using an iron thickness between 7 and 8 nm. Below this thickness, individual CNTs are well aligned, but the sidewalls of CNT forests formed into posts and long walls are not always straight. Above this thickness, the CNT forest sidewalls are relatively straight, but edge definition is poor, with significantly increased sidewall roughness. The proximity of a device or feature to other regions of iron catalyst also affects CNT growth. By using an iron catalyst thickness appropriate for straight growth, and by adding borders of iron around features or devices, a designer can greatly improve straightness of growth for CNT-MEMS. (paper)

  6. Surface heterogeneity and ionization of Cs promoter in carbon-based ruthenium catalyst for ammonia synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotarba, Andrzej; Dmytrzyk, Jaromir; Rarog-Pilecka, Wioletta; Kowalczyk, Zbigniew

    2003-01-01

    Second-generation ammonia synthesis cesium-doped ruthenium catalyst supported on turbostratic carbon was investigated by the species resolved thermal alkali desorption method (SR-TAD). Energetic barriers for cesium ions (2.86 eV), ground state (1.96 eV) and electronically excited atoms (5.76 eV) desorbing from the Cs-Ru/C catalyst were determined. In the case of ruthenium-free Cs/C system, cesium desorbs as ground state atoms only, with an energy barrier of 2.87 eV. The work functions determined by the thermionic emission of electrons from Cs/C and Cs-Ru/C were of the same value (2.9 eV). It was concluded that ruthenium induces heterogeneous distribution of cesium on the catalyst surface. The promoter stability is reduced on low work function areas and its surface ionization on high work function areas opens the ionic desorption channel. The Cs desorption from the catalyst is discussed in terms of the literature data for the cesium/graphite system

  7. Chemically modified carbon fibers and their applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ermolenko, I.N.; Lyubliner, I.P.; Gulko, N.V.

    1990-01-01

    This book gives a comprehensive review about chemically modified carbon fibers (e.g. by incorporation of other elements) and is structured as follows: 1. Types of carbon fibers, 2. Structure of carbon fibers, 3. Properties of carbon fibers, 4. The cellulose carbonization process, 5. Formation of element-carbon fiber materials, 6. Surface modification of carbon fibers, and 7. Applications of carbon fibers (e.g. adsorbents, catalysts, constituents of composites). (MM)

  8. Patterned growth of carbon nanotubes on Si substrates without predeposition of metal catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Y.; Yu, J.

    2005-07-01

    Aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be readily synthesized on quartz or silicon-oxide-coated Si substrates using a chemical vapor deposition method, but it is difficult to grow them on pure Si substrates without predeposition of metal catalysts. We report that aligned CNTs were grown by pyrolysis of iron phthalocyanine at 1000°C on the templates created on Si substrates with simple mechanical scratching. Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray energy spectroscopy analysis revealed that the trenches and patterns created on the surface of Si substrates were preferred nucleation sites for nanotube growth due to a high surface energy, metastable surface structure, and possible capillarity effect. A two-step pyrolysis process maintained Fe as an active catalyst.

  9. Phosphate-Doped Carbon Black as Pt Catalyst Support: Co-catalytic Functionality for Dimethyl Ether and Methanol Electro-oxidation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yin, Min; Huang, Yunjie; Li, Qingfeng

    2014-01-01

    ). The supported Pt catalysts show significant improvement in catalytic activity towards the direct oxidation of methanol and DME, attributable to the enhanced adsorption and dehydrogenation of methanol and DME, as well as the presence of activated OH species in the catalysts. The latter is demonstrated......Niobium-phosphate-doped (NbP-doped) carbon blacks were prepared as the composite catalyst support for Pt nanoparticles. Functionalities of the composite include intrinsic proton conductivity, surface acidity, and interfacial synergistic interactions with methanol and dimethyl ether (DME...... to facilitate the removal of CO intermediates formed during the oxidation reactions....

  10. Carbon Nitride Materials as Efficient Catalyst Supports for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Belen Jorge

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Carbon nitride materials with graphitic to polymeric structures (gCNH were investigated as catalyst supports for the proton exchange membrane (PEM water electrolyzers using IrO2 nanoparticles as oxygen evolution electrocatalyst. Here, the performance of IrO2 nanoparticles formed and deposited in situ onto carbon nitride support for PEM water electrolysis was explored based on previous preliminary studies conducted in related systems. The results revealed that this preparation route catalyzed the decomposition of the carbon nitride to form a material with much lower N content. This resulted in a significant enhancement of the performance of the gCNH-IrO2 (or N-doped C-IrO2 electrocatalyst that was likely attributed to higher electrical conductivity of the N-doped carbon support.

  11. Preparation and Performance Validation of Nano-Perovskite Type for Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Taegyu; Park, Daeil

    2018-02-01

    This paper describes the La0.8Sr0.2NiO3 perovskite-type catalysts supported on α-Al2O3 that were prepared by polyol method and used as a catalyst for the carbon dioxide reforming of methane. The effect of the molar concentration of polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) on the reducibility, structural properties and carbon deposition was characterized by XRD, and TGA. The carbon dioxide reforming of methane on the catalyst was performed at the different concentration of PVP. At the 1 M PVP, main characteristic peaks of perovskite structure were established without impurities, thus showing the highest catalytic activity; 87.7% and 92.1% in CH4 and CO2 conversion, respectively. After the reaction, carbon deposition was 0.4-0.6%, while 6.2% on the existing Ni catalyst, indicating the perovskite-type catalyst has a superior characteristic preventing it from the carbon deposition at the carbon dioxide reforming of methane.

  12. Dissolved oxygen removal in a column packed with catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Han Soo; Chung, Hong Suk; Cho, Young Hyun; Ahn, Do Hee; Kim, Eun Kee

    1996-01-01

    The dissolved oxygen removed by H 2 -O 2 reaction in column packed with various catalysts was examined. The catalysts employed were the prepared polymeric catalyst, platinum on activated carbon, and Lewatit OC-1045 which is available commercially. The column experiments with the prepared polymeric catalyst showed the dissolved oxygen reduced to 35 ppb which is below the limit in feel water of power plants. This implies the likely application of the prepared catalyst for practical use. The activated carbon required the pre-treatment for the removed of dissolved oxygen, since the surface of activated carbon contains much oxygen adsorbed initially. The Lewatit catalyst exposed the best performance, however, the aged one showed the gradual loss of catalytic activity due to degradation of resin catalyst. 14 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs. (author)

  13. Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotube and Graphene Materials for Oxygen Reduction Reactions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiliang Wei

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Nitrogen-doped carbon materials, including nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs and nitrogen-doped graphene (NG, have attracted increasing attention for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR in metal-air batteries and fuel cell applications, due to their optimal properties including excellent electronic conductivity, 4e− transfer and superb mechanical properties. Here, the recent progress of NCNTs- and NG-based catalysts for ORR is reviewed. Firstly, the general preparation routes of these two N-doped carbon-allotropes are introduced briefly, and then a special emphasis is placed on the developments of both NCNTs and NG as promising metal-free catalysts and/or catalyst support materials for ORR. All these efficient ORR electrocatalysts feature a low cost, high durability and excellent performance, and are thus the key factors in accelerating the widespread commercialization of metal-air battery and fuel cell technologies.

  14. Polymer-modified copper catalysts on carbon-containing support for reactions of H2O2 decomposition and cyclohexane oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Auezkhanova

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Polymer-copper catalysts supported on a carbon-containing sorbent(CS, obtained by rice husk pyrolysis have been studied in the reactions of hydrogen peroxide decomposition and cyclohexane oxidation by hydrogen peroxide at 40°C and atmospheric pressure. The effect of the polymer nature on the activity of the developed catalysts have been shown. Polyhexamethyleneguanidine (PHMG was an optimal modifier for the developed catalysts. The calculated number of catalytic cycles (TON for 7% Cu-PGMG/CS was 450.

  15. Effect of solvent on Se-modified ruthenium/carbon catalyst for oxygen reduction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chuanxiang Zhang

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Se-modified ruthenium supporting on carbon (Sex–Ru/C electrocatalyst was prepared by solvothermal one-step synthesis method. The reaction mechanism was revealed after discussing impact of different solvents (i-propanol and EG in solvotermal reaction. The result showed that the grain size of Se-modified ruthenium electrocatalyst was as small as 1 to 3 nm and highly dispersed on carbon surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS presented that selenium mainly existed in the catalyst in the form of elemental selenium and selenium oxides when the solvent was EG and i-propanol, respectively. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR performance was improved by appearance of selenium oxides.

  16. Intermetallic nickel silicide nanocatalyst-A non-noble metal-based general hydrogenation catalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryabchuk, Pavel; Agostini, Giovanni; Pohl, Marga-Martina; Lund, Henrik; Agapova, Anastasiya; Junge, Henrik; Junge, Kathrin; Beller, Matthias

    2018-06-01

    Hydrogenation reactions are essential processes in the chemical industry, giving access to a variety of valuable compounds including fine chemicals, agrochemicals, and pharmachemicals. On an industrial scale, hydrogenations are typically performed with precious metal catalysts or with base metal catalysts, such as Raney nickel, which requires special handling due to its pyrophoric nature. We report a stable and highly active intermetallic nickel silicide catalyst that can be used for hydrogenations of a wide range of unsaturated compounds. The catalyst is prepared via a straightforward procedure using SiO 2 as the silicon atom source. The process involves thermal reduction of Si-O bonds in the presence of Ni nanoparticles at temperatures below 1000°C. The presence of silicon as a secondary component in the nickel metal lattice plays the key role in its properties and is of crucial importance for improved catalytic activity. This novel catalyst allows for efficient reduction of nitroarenes, carbonyls, nitriles, N-containing heterocycles, and unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds. Moreover, the reported catalyst can be used for oxidation reactions in the presence of molecular oxygen and is capable of promoting acceptorless dehydrogenation of unsaturated N-containing heterocycles, opening avenues for H 2 storage in organic compounds. The generality of the nickel silicide catalyst is demonstrated in the hydrogenation of over a hundred of structurally diverse unsaturated compounds. The wide application scope and high catalytic activity of this novel catalyst make it a nice alternative to known general hydrogenation catalysts, such as Raney nickel and noble metal-based catalysts.

  17. Effects of Thickness and Amount of Carbon Nanofiber Coated Carbon Fiber on Improving the Mechanical Properties of Nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaemi, Ferial; Ahmadian, Ali; Yunus, Robiah; Ismail, Fudziah; Rahmanian, Saeed

    2016-01-01

    In the current study, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were grown on a carbon fiber (CF) surface by using the chemical vapor deposition method (CVD) and the influences of some parameters of the CVD method on improving the mechanical properties of a polypropylene (PP) composite were investigated. To obtain an optimum surface area, thickness, and yield of the CNFs, the parameters of the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, such as catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, reaction time, and hydrocarbon flow rate, were optimized. It was observed that the optimal surface area, thickness, and yield of the CNFs caused more adhesion of the fibers with the PP matrix, which enhanced the composite properties. Besides this, the effectiveness of reinforcement of fillers was fitted with a mathematical model obtaining good agreement between the experimental result and the theoretical prediction. By applying scanning electronic microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy, the surface morphology and structural information of the resultant CF-CNF were analyzed. Additionally, SEM images and a mechanical test of the composite with a proper layer of CNFs on the CF revealed not only a compactness effect but also the thickness and surface area roles of the CNF layers in improving the mechanical properties of the composites. PMID:28344263

  18. Efficient Dual-Site Carbon Monoxide Electro-Catalysts via Interfacial Nano-Engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhen; Huang, Zhongyuan; Cheng, Feifei; Guo, Zhanhu; Wang, Guangdi; Chen, Xu; Wang, Zhe

    2016-01-01

    Durable, highly efficient, and economic sound electrocatalysts for CO electrooxidation (COE) are the emerging key for wide variety of energy solutions, especially fuel cells and rechargeable metal−air batteries. Herein, we report the novel system of nickel−aluminum double layered hydroxide (NiAl-LDH) nanoplates on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) network. The formulation of such complexes system was to be induced through the assistance of gold nanoparticles in order to form dual-metal active sites so as to create a extended Au/NiO two phase zone. Bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (NTf2) anion of ionic liquid electrolyte was selected to enhance the CO/O2 adsorption and to facilitate electro-catalyzed oxidation of Ni (OH)2 to NiOOH by increasing the electrophilicity of catalytic interface. The resulting neutral catalytic system exhibited ultra-high electrocatalytic activity and stability for CO electrooxidation than commercial and other reported precious metal catalysts. The turnover frequency (TOF) of the LDH-Au/CNTs COE catalyst was much higher than the previous reported other similar electrocatalysts, even close to the activity of solid-gas chemical catalysts at high temperature. Moreover, in the long-term durability testing, the negligible variation of current density remains exsisting after 1000 electrochemistry cycles. PMID:27650532

  19. Ultrasonically treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as PtRu catalyst supports for methanol electrooxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Chunwei; Hu, Xinguo; Wang, Dianlong; Dai, Changsong [Department of Applied Chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Zhang, Liang; Jin, Haibo [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China); Agathopoulos, Simeon [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR-451 10 Ioannina (Greece)

    2006-09-29

    In the quest of fabricating supported catalysts, experimental results of transmission electron microscopy, Raman and infrared spectroscopy indicate that ultrasonic treatment effectively functionalizes multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), endowing them with groups that can act as nucleation sites which can favor well-dispersed depositions of PtRu clusters on their surface. Ultrasonic treatment seems to be superior than functionalization via regular refluxing. This is confirmed by the determination of the electrochemistry active surface area (ECA) and the CO-tolerance performance of the PtRu catalysts, measured by adsorbed CO-stripping voltammetry in 0.5M sulfuric acid solution, and the real surface area of the PtRu catalysts, evaluated by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) measurements. Finally, the effectiveness for methanol oxidation is assessed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in a sulfuric acid and methanol electrolyte. (author)

  20. Structure and Reactivity of Zeolite- and Carbon-Supported Catalysts for the Oxidative Carbonylation of Alcohols

    OpenAIRE

    Briggs, Daniel Neal

    2010-01-01

    AbstractStructure and Reactivity of Zeolite- and Carbon-Supported Catalysts for the Oxidative Carbonylation of AlcoholsbyDaniel Neal BriggsDoctor of Philosophy in Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, BerkeleyProfessor Alexis T. Bell, Chair The oxidative carbonylation of alcohols to produce dialkyl carbonates is a process that takes place commercially in a slurry of cuprous chloride in the appropriate alcohol. While this process is chemically efficient, it incurs costs in terms of ene...

  1. Continuous synthesis of methanol: heterogeneous hydrogenation of ethylene carbonate over Cu/HMS catalysts in a fixed bed reactor system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xi; Cui, Yuanyuan; Wen, Chao; Wang, Bin; Dai, Wei-Lin

    2015-09-18

    Continuous fixed-bed catalytic hydrogenation of ethylene carbonate (EC) to methanol and ethylene glycol (EG), an emerging synthetic process of methanol via indirect conversion of CO2, was successfully performed over Cu/HMS catalysts prepared by the ammonia evaporation (AE) method. The catalysts possessed superb performance with a conversion of 100% and a selectivity to methanol of 74%.

  2. Kinetics of carbon monoxide oxidation over modified supported CuO catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loc, Luu Cam; Tri, Nguyen; Cuong, Hoang Tien; Thoang, Ho Si [Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam). Inst. of Chemical Technology; Agafonov, Yu.A.; Gaidai, N.A.; Lapidus, A.L. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation). N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry

    2013-11-01

    The following supported on {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalysts: 10(wt.)%CuO (CuAl), 10%CuO+10%Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} (CuCrAl) and 10%CuO+20%CeO{sub 2} (CuCeAl) were under the investigation. Physico-chemical characteristics of the catalysts were determined by the methods of BET, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Temperature-Programmed Reduction (TPR). A strong interaction of copper with support in CuAl resulted in the formation of low active copper aluminates. The bi-oxide CuCrAl was more active than CuAl owing to the formation of high catalytically active spinel CuCr{sub 2}O{sub 4}. The fact of very high activity of the sample CuCeAl can be explained by the presence of the catalytically active form of CuO-CeO{sub 2}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The kinetics of CO total oxidation was studied in a gradientless flow-circulating system at the temperature range between 200 C and 270 C. The values of initial partial pressures of carbon monoxide (P{sup o}{sub CO}), oxygen (P{sup o}{sub O2}), and specially added carbon dioxide (P{sup o}{sub CO{sub 2}}) were varied in ranges (hPa): 10 / 45; 33 / 100, and 0 / 30, respectively. (orig.)

  3. Dehydrogenation of Ethylbenzene with Carbon Dioxide as Soft Oxidant over Supported Vanadium-Antimony Oxide Catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Do Young; Vislovskiy, Vladislav P.; Yoo, Jin S.; Chang, Jong San [Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Sang Eon [Inha University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Min Seok [Mongolia International University, Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)

    2005-11-15

    This work presents that carbon dioxide, which is a main contributor to the global warming effect, could be utilized as a selective oxidant in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. The dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene over alumina-supported vanadium-antimony oxide catalyst has been studied under different atmospheres such as inert nitrogen, steam, oxygen or carbon dioxide as diluent or oxidant. Among them, the addition of carbon dioxide gave the highest styrene yield (up to 82%) and styrene selectivity (up to 97%) along with stable activity. Carbon dioxide could play a beneficial role of a selective oxidant in the improvement of the catalytic behavior through the oxidative pathway.

  4. Niobium(v) chloride and imidazolium bromides as efficient dual catalyst systems for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide

    KAUST Repository

    Wilhelm, Michael E.; Anthofer, Michael H.; Reich, Robert M.; D'Elia, Valerio; Basset, Jean-Marie; Herrmann, Wolfgang A.; Cokoja, Mirza; Kü hn, Fritz

    2014-01-01

    The application of niobium(v) chloride and several imidazolium bromides as catalyst systems for the cycloaddition of propylene oxide (PO) with carbon dioxide to propylene carbonate (PC) is reported. A set of 31 different imidazolium bromides has been synthesized with varying substituents at all five imidazolium ring atoms, of which 17 have not been reported before. The impact of different substitution patterns (steric and electronic changes and solubility in PO) at the imidazolium ring on the catalytic activity was investigated. The optimisation of the catalyst structure allows for the valorisation of carbon dioxide under mild reaction conditions with high reaction rates in very good yield and selectivity for PC. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.

  5. Niobium(v) chloride and imidazolium bromides as efficient dual catalyst systems for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide

    KAUST Repository

    Wilhelm, Michael E.

    2014-02-19

    The application of niobium(v) chloride and several imidazolium bromides as catalyst systems for the cycloaddition of propylene oxide (PO) with carbon dioxide to propylene carbonate (PC) is reported. A set of 31 different imidazolium bromides has been synthesized with varying substituents at all five imidazolium ring atoms, of which 17 have not been reported before. The impact of different substitution patterns (steric and electronic changes and solubility in PO) at the imidazolium ring on the catalytic activity was investigated. The optimisation of the catalyst structure allows for the valorisation of carbon dioxide under mild reaction conditions with high reaction rates in very good yield and selectivity for PC. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.

  6. Effect of temperature for synthesizing single-walled carbon nanotubes by catalytic chemical vapor deposition over Mo-Co-MgO catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niu Zhiqiang; Fang Yan

    2008-01-01

    The influence of temperature on synthesizing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by catalytic chemical vapor deposition of methane over Mo-Co-MgO catalyst was studied by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Raman scattering. The Mo-Co-MgO bimetallic catalyst was prepared by decomposing the mixture of magnesium nitrate, ammonium molybdate, citric acid, and cobalt nitrate. The results show that Mo-Co-MgO bimetallic catalyst is effective to synthesize SWCNTs. By using Mo-Co-MgO bimetallic catalyst, generation of SWCNTs even at 940 K was demonstrated. The optimum temperature of synthesizing SWCNTs over Mo-Co-MgO bimetallic catalyst may be about 1123 K. At 1123 K, the diameters of SWCNTs are in the range of 0.75-1.65 nm. The content of SWCNTs is increased with the increase of temperature below 1123 K and the carbon yield rate is also increased with the increase of synthesis temperature. Therefore, the amount of SWCNTs increases with the increase of temperature below 1123 K. However, above 1123 K, the content of SWCNTs is decreased with the increase of temperature; therefore, it is not effective to increase the amount of SWCNTs through increasing synthesis temperature above 1123 K

  7. Bimetallic catalysts for HI decomposition in the iodine-sulfur thermochemical cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Laijun; Hu Songzhi; Xu Lufei; Li Daocai; Han Qi; Chen Songzhe; Zhang Ping; Xu Jingming

    2014-01-01

    Among the different kinds of thermochemical water-splitting cycles, the iodine-sulfur (IS) cycle has attracted more and more interest because it is one of the promising candidates for economical and massive hydrogen production. However, there still exist some science and technical problems to be solved before industrialization of the IS process. One such problem is the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen iodide. Although the active carbon supported platinum has been verified to present the excellent performance for HI decomposition, it is very expensive and easy to agglomerate under the harsh condition. In order to decrease the cost and increase the stability of the catalysts for HI decomposition, a series of bimetallic catalysts were prepared and studied at INET. This paper summarized our present research advances on the bimetallic catalysts (Pt-Pd, Pd-Ir and Pt-Ir) for HI decomposition. In the course of the study, the physical properties, structure, and morphology of the catalysts were characterized by specific surface area, X-ray diffractometer; and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The catalytic activity for HI decomposition was investigated in a fixed bed reactor under atmospheric pressure. The results show that due to the higher activity and better stability, the active carbon supported bimetallic catalyst is more potential candidate than mono metallic Pt catalyst for HI decomposition in the IS thermochemical cycle. (author)

  8. Influencing Mechanism of Electrochemical Treatment on Preparation of CNTs-grafted on Carbon Fibers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SONG Lei

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Based on electrochemical anodic oxidation, an innovative technique was developed to efficiently obtain the uniform catalyst coating on continuous carbon fibers. Through systematic investigation on the effect of electrochemical modified strength on the physical and chemical characteristics of carbon fiber surface, catalyst particles and the morphology of CNTs-grafted carbon fibers, tensile strength of multi-scale reinforcement and the interlaminar shear strength of its reinforced composites, the electrochemical modification process on carbon fibre surface was optimized. The results show that the morphology and distribution of catalyst particles not only affect the morphology of CNTs deposited on the surface of carbon fibres,but also affect the mechanical properties of multi-scale reinforcement and its reinforced composites of CNTs-grafted carbon fibers.

  9. Cationic Zn-Porphyrin Polymer Coated onto CNTs as a Cooperative Catalyst for the Synthesis of Cyclic Carbonates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayakumar, Sanjeevi; Li, He; Chen, Jian; Yang, Qihua

    2018-01-24

    The development of solid catalysts containing multiple active sites that work cooperatively is very attractive for biomimetic catalysis. Herein, we report the synthesis of bifunctional catalysts by supporting cationic porphyrin-based polymers on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using the direct reaction of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-pyridyl)porphyrin zinc(II), di(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methane, and 1,4-bis(bromomethyl)benzene in the presence of CNTs. The bifunctional catalysts could efficiently catalyze the cycloaddition reaction of epoxides and CO 2 under solvent-free conditions with porphyrin zinc(II) as the Lewis acid site and a bromine anion as a nucleophilic agent working in a cooperative way. Furthermore, a relative amount of porphyrin zinc(II) and quaternary ammonium bromide could be facilely adjusted for facilitating cooperative behavior. The bifunctional catalyst with a TOF up to 2602 h -1 is much more active than the corresponding homogeneous counterpart and is one of the most active heterogeneous catalysts ever reported under cocatalyst-free conditions. The high activity is mainly attributed to the enhanced cooperation effect of the bifunctional catalyst. With a wide substrate scope, the bifunctional catalyst could be stably recycled. This work demonstrates a new approach for the generation of a cooperative activation effect for solid catalysts.

  10. Tuning CNT Properties for Metal-Free Environmental Catalytic Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel P. Rocha

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs as metal-free catalysts is a novel approach for heterogeneous liquid phase catalytic systems. Textural and chemical modifications by liquid/gas phase or mechanical treatments, as well as solid state reactions, were successfully applied to obtain carbon nanotubes with different surface functionalities. Oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur are the most common heteroatoms introduced on the carbon surface. This short-review highlights different routes used to develop metal-free carbon nanotube catalysts with enhanced properties for Advanced Oxidation Processes.

  11. Selective recovery of molybdenum from spent HDS catalyst using oxidative soda ash leach/carbon adsorption method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Kyung Ho; Mohapatra, D.; Reddy, B. Ramachandra

    2006-01-01

    The petroleum refining industry makes extensive use of hydroprocessing catalysts. These catalysts contain environmentally critical and economically valuable metals such as Mo, V, Ni and Co. In the present study, a simple hydrometallurgical processing of spent hydrodesulphurization (HDS) catalyst for the recovery of molybdenum using sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide mixture was investigated. Recovery of molybdenum was largely dependent on the concentrations of Na 2 CO 3 and H 2 O 2 in the reaction medium, which in turn controls the pH of leach liquor and the presence of Al and Ni as impurities. Under the optimum leaching conditions (40 g L -1 Na 2 CO 3 , 6 vol.% H 2 O 2 , room temperature, 1 h) about 85% recovery of Mo was achieved. The leach liquor was processed by the carbon adsorption method, which selectively adsorbs Mo at pH around 0.75. Desorption of Mo was selective at 15 vol.% NH 4 OH. With a single stage contact, it was found possible to achieve >99%, adsorption and desorption efficiency. Using this method, recovery of molybdenum as MoO 3 product of 99.4% purity was achieved

  12. Impact of Precipitants on the Structure and Properties of Fe-Co-Ce Composite Catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongli Zhang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Fe-Co-Ce composite catalysts were prepared by coprecipitation method using CO(NH22, NaOH, NH4HCO3, and NH3·H2O as precipitant agents. The effects of the precipitant agents on the physicochemical properties of the Fe-Co-Ce based catalysts were investigated by SEM, TEM, BET, TG-DTA, and XRD. It was found that the precipitant agents remarkably influenced the morphology and particle size of the catalysts and affected the COD removal efficiency, decolorization rate, and pH of methyl orange for catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO. The specific surface area of the Fe-Co-Ce composite catalysts successively decreased in the order of NH3·H2O, NH4HCO3, NaOH, and CO(NH22, which correlated to an increasing particle size that increased for each catalyst. For the CWAO of a methyl orange aqueous solutions, the effects of precipitant agents NH3·H2O and NaOH were superior to those of CO(NH22 and NH4HCO3. The catalyst prepared using NH3·H2O as the precipitant agent was mostly composed of Fe2O3, CoO, and CeO2. The COD removal efficiency of methyl orange aqueous solution for NH3·H2O reached 92.9% in the catalytic wet air oxidation. Such a catalytic property was maintained for six runs.

  13. Energy storage applications of activated carbons: supercapacitors and hydrogen storage

    OpenAIRE

    Sevilla Solís, Marta; Mokaya, Robert

    2014-01-01

    Porous carbons have several advantageous properties with respect to their use in energy applications that require constrained space such as in electrode materials for supercapacitors and as solid state hydrogen stores. The attractive properties of porous carbons include, ready abundance, chemical and thermal stability, ease of processability and low framework density. Activated carbons, which are perhaps the most explored class of porous carbons, have been traditionally employed as catalyst s...

  14. Size and Promoter Effects on Stability of Carbon-Nanofiber-Supported Iron-Based Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Xie, Jingxiu; Torres Galvis, Hirsa; Koeken, Ard C J; Kirilin, Alexey; Dugulan, A Iulian; Ruitenbeek, Matthijs; de Jong, Krijn P

    2016-01-01

    The Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis converts synthesis gas from alternative carbon resources, including natural gas, coal, and biomass, to hydrocarbons used as fuels or chemicals. In particular, iron-based catalysts at elevated temperatures favor the selective production of C2-C4 olefins, which are

  15. Influence of Catalyst Acid/Base Properties in Acrolein Production by Oxidative Coupling of Ethanol and Methanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lilić, Aleksandra; Bennici, Simona; Devaux, Jean-François; Dubois, Jean-Luc; Auroux, Aline

    2017-05-09

    Oxidative coupling of methanol and ethanol represents a new route to produce acrolein. In this work, the overall reaction was decoupled in two steps, the oxidation and the aldolization, by using two consecutive reactors to investigate the role of the acid/base properties of silica-supported oxide catalysts. The oxidation of a mixture of methanol and ethanol to formaldehyde and acetaldehyde was performed over a FeMoO x catalyst, and then the product mixture was transferred without intermediate separation to a second reactor, in which the aldol condensation and dehydration to acrolein were performed over the supported oxides. The impact of the acid/base properties on the selectivity towards acrolein was investigated under oxidizing conditions for the first time. The acid/base properties of the catalysts were investigated by NH 3 -, SO 2 -, and methanol-adsorption microcalorimetry. A MgO/SiO 2 catalyst was the most active in acrolein production owing to an appropriate ratio of basic to acidic sites. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. A facile template approach for the synthesis of mesoporous Fe3C/Fe-N-doped carbon catalysts for efficient and durable oxygen reduction reaction

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Shuai Li; Bo Li; Liang Ma; Jia Yang; Hangxun Xu

    2017-01-01

    Facile synthetic approaches toward the development of efficient and durable nonprecious metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are very important for commercializing advanced electrochemical devices such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries.Here we report a novel template approach to synthesize mesoporous Fe-N-doped carbon catalysts encapsulated with Fe3C nanoparticles.In this approach,the layer-structured FeOCl was first used as a template for the synthesis of a three-dimensional polypyrrole (PPy) structure.During the removal of the FeOCl template,the Fe3+ can be absorbed by PPy and then converted into Fe3C nanoparticles and Fe-N-C sites during the pyrolyzing process.As a result,the as-prepared catalysts could exhibit superior electrocatalytic ORR performance to the commercial Pt/C catalyst in alkaline solutions.Furthermore,the Zn-air battery assembled using the mesoporous carbon catalyst as the air electrode could surpass the commercial Pt/C catalyst in terms of the power density and energy density.

  17. Synthesis of carbon nanotubes by CVD method using iron and molybdenum-based catalysts supported on ceramic matrices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teixeira, Ana Paula de Carvalho

    2010-01-01

    Molybdenum is known for its synergistic effect in the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNs) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD method). When added to typical catalysts like iron, nickel, and cobalt, even in small quantities, it is increases the yield of these nanostructures. The presence of Mo also has an influence on the type and number of CN walls formed. Although this effect is widely documented in the literature, there is not yet a consensus about the mechanism of action of molybdenum in catalytic systems. The objective of the present work is to study the influence of molybdenum on the catalytic activity of iron nanoparticle-based catalysts supported on magnesium oxide (Fe/MgO system) in the synthesis of carbon nanotubes by the CVD method. The Mo concentration was systematically varied from null to molar ratio values four times greater than the quantity of Fe, and the obtained material (catalysts and carbon nanotubes) were broadly characterized by different techniques. In order to also study the influence of the preparation method on the final composition of the catalytic system phases, the catalytic systems (Fe/MgO e FeMo x /MgO) were synthesized by two different methods: co-precipitation and impregnation. The greatest CN yields were observed for the catalysts prepared by coprecipitation. The difference was attributed to better dispersion of the Fe and Mo phases in the catalyst ceramic matrix. In the precipitation stage, it was observed the formation of layered double hydroxides whose concentration increased with the Mo content up to the ratio of Mo/Fe equal to 0.2. This phase is related to a better distribution of Fe and Mo in this concentration range. Another important characteristic observed is that the ceramic matrix is not inert. It can react both with Fe and Mo and form the iron solid solution in the magnesium oxide and the phases magnesium-ferrite (MgFe 2 0 4 ) and magnesium molybdate (MgMo0 4 ). The MgFe 2 0 4 phase is observed in all catalytic systems

  18. Investigation of the Characteristic Properties of Glacial Acetic Acid-Catalyzed Carbon Xerogels and Their Electrochemical Performance for Use as Electrode Materials in Electrical Double-Layer Capacitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nguyen Khanh Nguyen Quach

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Glacial acetic acid was used as a catalyst in the preparation process of carbon xerogels from the condensation of resorcinol and formaldehyde for shortening significantly the gelation time. The effect of the resorcinol/catalyst ratio over a large range of 2 to 500, the solvent exchange manner with acetone, and the pyrolysis temperature of 700 to 1000°C on the characteristic properties of the carbon xerogels were investigated. A resorcinol/catalyst ratio of 2 and a pyrolysis temperature at 800°C were found to be the optimal condition for the preparation of carbon xerogels with a well-balanced porosity between micro- and mesopores, high surface area (577.62 m2g−1, and large pore volume (0.97 cm3g−1, which are appropriate for use as electrode materials in an electrical double-layer capacitor. The carbon xerogel electrodes that were prepared under these optimal conditions exhibited a good electrochemical performance with the highest specific capacitance of 169 Fg−1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte at a scan rate of 5 mVs−1 from cyclic voltammetry.

  19. Synthesis of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes from Plastic Waste Using a Stainless-Steel CVD Reactor as Catalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripathi, Pranav K; Durbach, Shane; Coville, Neil J

    2017-09-22

    The disposal of non-biodegradable plastic waste without further upgrading/downgrading is not environmentally acceptable and many methods to overcome the problem have been proposed. Herein we indicate a simple method to make high-value nanomaterials from plastic waste as a partial solution to the environmental problem. Laboratory-based waste centrifuge tubes made of polypropylene were chosen as a carbon source to show the process principle. In the process, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized from plastic waste in a two-stage stainless steel 316 (SS 316) metal tube that acted as both reactor vessel and catalyst. The steel reactor contains Fe (and Ni, and various alloys), which act as the catalyst for the carbon conversion process. The reaction and products were studied using electron probe microanalysis, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Optimization studies to determine the effect of different parameters on the process showed that the highest yield and most graphitized MWCNTs were formed at 900 °C under the reaction conditions used (yield 42%; Raman I D / I G ratio = 0.48). The high quality and high yield of the MWCNTs that were produced in a flow reactor from plastic waste using a two stage SS 316 chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace did not require the use of an added catalyst.

  20. Synthesis of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes from Plastic Waste Using a Stainless-Steel CVD Reactor as Catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pranav K. Tripathi

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The disposal of non-biodegradable plastic waste without further upgrading/downgrading is not environmentally acceptable and many methods to overcome the problem have been proposed. Herein we indicate a simple method to make high-value nanomaterials from plastic waste as a partial solution to the environmental problem. Laboratory-based waste centrifuge tubes made of polypropylene were chosen as a carbon source to show the process principle. In the process, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs were synthesized from plastic waste in a two-stage stainless steel 316 (SS 316 metal tube that acted as both reactor vessel and catalyst. The steel reactor contains Fe (and Ni, and various alloys, which act as the catalyst for the carbon conversion process. The reaction and products were studied using electron probe microanalysis, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Optimization studies to determine the effect of different parameters on the process showed that the highest yield and most graphitized MWCNTs were formed at 900 °C under the reaction conditions used (yield 42%; Raman ID/IG ratio = 0.48. The high quality and high yield of the MWCNTs that were produced in a flow reactor from plastic waste using a two stage SS 316 chemical vapor deposition (CVD furnace did not require the use of an added catalyst.

  1. Carbon-supported co-pyridine as non-platinum cathode catalyst for alkaline membrane fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiao, Jinli; Xu, Li; Liu, Yuyu; Xu, Pan; Shi, Jingjing; Liu, Shiyao; Tian, Binglun

    2013-01-01

    Development of high-performance cost-effective electrocatalyts that can replace Pt catalyst have been a central theme in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) including direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Here we show that carbon-supported pyridine–cobalt nanoparticles (CoPy/C) can generate a high catalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The catalysts are synthesized using cobalt sulfate heptahydrate (CoSO 4 ·7H 2 O) and pyridine (Py) as the Co and N precursors via a solid state reaction by heat-treatment in an inert atmosphere at 800 °C. In particular, the ORR kinetics on these catalyst materials are evaluated using rotating disk electrode (RDE) technique in electrolytes of various KOH concentrations, ranging from 0.05 to 12 M. The Koutecky–Levich equation analyses indicate that the transferred electron number, n, per oxygen molecule on CoPy/C electrode depend on the low negative ovevrpotentials in low KOH concentrations, whereas in high KOH concentrations the values of n for oxygen reduction depend on the high negative overpotentials, and varies between 3.5 and 4.0. These catalysts exhibit the superior methanol tolerance to commercial 40%Pt/C catalyst, and the negative effect of high KOH concentration is much less for CoPy/C than for Pt/C, suggesting the promising utilization of CoPy/C as electrocatalysts for alkaline polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

  2. Co-deposition of Pt and ceria anode catalyst in supercritical carbon dioxide for direct methanol fuel cell applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    You, Eunyoung; Guzmán-Blas, Rolando; Nicolau, Eduardo; Aulice Scibioh, M.; Karanikas, Christos F.; Watkins, James J.; Cabrera, Carlos R.

    2012-01-01

    Pt and mixed Pt-ceria catalysts were deposited onto gas diffusion layers using supercritical fluid deposition (SFD) to fabricate thin layer electrodes for direct methanol fuel cells. Dimethyl (1,5-cyclooctadiene) platinum (II) (CODPtMe 2 ) and tetrakis (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl 3,5-heptanedionato) cerium (IV) (Ce(tmhd) 4 ) were used as precursors. Hydrogen-assisted Pt deposition was performed in compressed carbon dioxide at 60 °C and 17.2 MPa to yield high purity Pt on carbon-black based gas diffusion layers. During the preparation of the mixed Pt-ceria catalyst, hydrogen reduction of CODPtMe 2 to yield Pt catalyzed the deposition of ceria from Ce(tmhd) 4 enabling co-deposition at 150 °C. The catalyst layers were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectral (SEM-EDS) analyses. Their electrochemical performance toward methanol oxidation was examined in half cell mode using a three electrode assembly as well as in fuel cell mode. The thin layer electrodes formed via SFD exhibited higher performance in fuel cell operations compared to those prepared by the conventional brush-paint method. Furthermore, the Pt-ceria catalyst with an optimized composition exhibited greater methanol oxidation activity than pure platinum.

  3. Syngas production from ethanol dry reforming over Rh/CeO2 catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shulin Zhao

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Carbon dioxide reforming of ethanol over Rh/CeO2 catalyst was deeply investigated at different reaction temperatures of 450–700 °C and reactant ratios (CO2/ethanol from 1 to 3 under atmospheric pressure. The obtained results indicated that Rh/CeO2 catalyst presented a promising activity and stability for syngas production from renewable bio-ethanol instead of conventional methane. Typically, CO2-rich conditions (CO2/ethanol = 3 were favorable for reaction process and dynamic coke cleaning, which led to remarkably stable performance over 65 h on stream. The strong redox capacity of CeO2 support might also accelerate CO2 activation and prevent the carbon accumulation over the catalyst surface. Additionally, tunable H2/CO ratios were available by changing the CO2/ethanol ratios. The results from characterization of samples before and after catalytic tests allowed to establish the relationship between textural properties and catalytic performance.

  4. exchanged Mg-Al hydrotalcite catalyst

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    ) catalysts, ... The catalyst can be easily separated by simple filtration ... surface area by the single-point N2 adsorption method ... concentration of carbonate anions (by treating the cat- .... hydrotalcite phase along with copper hydroxide and.

  5. Revisiting the electrochemical oxidation of ammonia on carbon-supported metal nanoparticle catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Zhe-Fei; Wang, Yuxuan; Botte, Gerardine G.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A procedure to pretreat electrocatalysts to study the ammonia oxidation is provided. • N ads and O/OH ads were identified as the major deactivation species that prevent ammonia oxidatoin. • The electrocatalytic activity, thermodynamics, and possible deactivation mechanisms for ammonia oxidation were elucidated. • The onset potential for ammonia oxidation is related to the hydrogen binding energy of the catalyst. • Ammonia electro-oxidation involves a complex decoupled electron and proton transfer process. - Abstract: The ammonia electro-oxidation reaction (AOR) has been studied due to its promising applications in ammonia electrolysis, wastewater remediation, direct ammonia fuel cells, and sensors. However, it is difficult to compare and analyze the reported electrocatalytic activity of AOR reliably, likely due to the variation in catalyst synthesis, electrode composition, electrode morphology, and testing protocol. In this paper, the electro-oxidation of ammonia on different carbon-supported precious metal nanoparticle catalysts was revisited. The effect of experimental conditions, electrochemical test parameters, electrocatalytic activity, thermodynamics, and possible deactivation mechanism of the catalysts were investigated. Pt/C catalyst possesses the highest electrocatalytic activity, while Ir/C and Rh/C show lower overpotential. The onset potential of the AOR is related to the hydrogen binding energy of the catalyst. N ads is one major cause of deactivation accompanied with the formation of surface O/OH ads at high potentials. The coulombic efficiency of N ads formation on Pt is about 1% initially and gradually decreases with reaction time. Increase in ammonia concentration leads to increase in current density, while increase in hydroxyl ions concentration can enhance the current density and reduce the overpotential simultaneously. The slopes of AOR onset potential and hydrogen adsorption/desorption potential of Pt/C as a function of p

  6. Fabrication of Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensors Based on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes with Bimetallic Pt-M (M = Ru and Sn Catalysts by Radiolytic Deposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sun-Young Kwon

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Nonenzymatic glucose sensors employing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs with highly dispersed Pt-M (M = Ru and Sn nanoparticles (Pt-M@PVP-MWNTs were fabricated by radiolytic deposition. The Pt-M nanoparticles on the MWNTs were characterized by transmittance electron microscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction. They were found to be well dispersed and to exhibit alloy properties on the MWNT support. Electrochemical testing showed that these nonenzymatic sensors had larger currents (mA than that of a bare glassy carbon (GC electrode and one modified with MWNTs. The sensitivity (A mM−1, linear range (mM, and detection limit (mM (S/N = 3 of the glucose sensor with the Pt-Ru catalyst in NaOH electrolyte were determined as 18.0, 1.0–2.5, 0.7, respectively. The corresponding data of the sensor with Pt-Sn catalyst were 889.0, 1.00–3.00, and 0.3, respectively. In addition, these non-enzymatic sensors can effectively avoid interference arising from the oxidation of the common interfering species ascorbic acid and uric acid in NaOH electrolyte. The experimental results show that such sensors can be applied in the detection of glucose in commercial red wine samples.

  7. Formation of isolated carbon nanofibers with hot-wire CVD using nanosphere lithography as catalyst patterning technique

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Houweling, Z.S.; Verlaan, V.; ten Grotenhuis, G.T.; Schropp, R.E.I.

    2008-01-01

    Recently the site-density control of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has attracted much attention as this has become critical for its many applications. To obtain an ordered array of catalyst nanoparticles with good monodispersity nanosphere lithography (NSL) is used. These nanoparticles are tested as

  8. Palm Frond and Spikelet as Environmentally Benign Alternative Solid Acid Catalysts for Biodiesel Production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yahaya Muhammad Sani

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available A carbonization-sulfonation method was utilized in synthesizing sulfonated mesoporous catalysts from palm tree biomass. Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX, and field emission scanning emission microscopy (FE-SEM analyses were used to evaluate the structural and textural properties of the catalysts. Further, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR spectroscopy and titrimetric analyses measured the strong acid value and acidity distribution of the materials. These analyses indicated that the catalysts had large mesopore volume, large surface area, uniform pore size, and high acid density. The catalytic activity exhibited by esterifying used frying oil (UFO containing high (48% free fatty acid (FFA content further indicated these properties. All catalysts exhibited high activity, with sPTS/400 converting more than 98% FFA into fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs. The catalyst exhibited the highest acid density, 1.2974 mmol/g, determined by NaOH titration. This is outstanding considering the lower reaction parameters of 5 h, 5:1 methanol-to-oil ratio, and a moderate temperature range between 100 and 200 °C. The study further illustrates the prospect of converting wastes into highly efficient, benign, and recyclable solid acid catalysts.

  9. Influence of the synthesis parameters on the physico-chemical and catalytic properties of cerium oxide for application in the synthesis of diethyl carbonate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leino, Ewelina; Kumar, Narendra; Mäki-Arvela, Päivi; Aho, Atte; Kordás, Krisztián; Leino, Anne-Riikka; Shchukarev, Andrey; Murzin, Dmitry Yu.; Mikkola, Jyri-Pekka

    2013-01-01

    Synthesis of cerium (IV) oxide by means of room temperature precipitation method was carried out. The effect of preparation variables such as synthesis time, calcination temperature and pH of the solution on resulting CeO 2 properties was discussed. Moreover, the comparison of CeO 2 samples prepared in a static and rotation mode of synthesis is presented. The solid catalysts were characterized by means of X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, nitrogen physisorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy using pyridine as a probe molecule and temperature programmed desorption of CO 2 . Significant variations in physico-chemical properties of CeO 2 by varying the preparation conditions were observed. Furthermore, the catalytic performances of CeO 2 catalysts were compared in the synthesis of diethyl carbonate starting from ethanol and CO 2 using butylene oxide as a dehydrating agent. The dependence of CeO 2 properties on its catalytic activity is evaluated in detail. - Highlights: • Synthesis of cerium (IV) oxide by precipitation method. • Influence of synthesis time, calcination temperature, mode of stirring and solution pH on properties. • Characterization by XRD, SEM, TEM, nitrogen physisorption, XPS, FTIR. • Catalytic performance diethyl carbonate synthesis from ethanol and CO 2

  10. Highly stable and active Ni-doped ordered mesoporous carbon catalyst on the steam reforming of ethanol application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Josh Y.Z. Chiou

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available A novel one-step direct synthesis of nickel embedded in an ordered mesoporous carbon catalyst (NiOMC is done in a basic medium of nonaqueous solution by a solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly process. The NiOMC sample is characterized by a variety of analytical and spectroscopy techniques, e.g., N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM and temperature-programed reduction (TPR. In this study, the NiOMC catalyst is found to exhibit superior catalytic activity for the steam reforming of ethanol (SRE, showing high hydrogen selectivity and durability. Ethanol can be completely converted at 350 °C over the NiOMC catalyst. Also, the durability of the NiOMC catalyst on the SRE reaction exceeds 100 h at 450 °C, with SH2 approaching 65% and SCO of less than 1%.

  11. Facile preparation of hierarchically porous carbon using diatomite as both template and catalyst and methylene blue adsorption of carbon products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dong; Yuan, Peng; Tan, Daoyong; Liu, Hongmei; Wang, Tong; Fan, Mingde; Zhu, Jianxi; He, Hongping

    2012-12-15

    Hierarchically porous carbons were prepared using a facile preparation method in which diatomite was utilized as both template and catalyst. The porous structures of the carbon products and their formation mechanisms were investigated. The macroporosity and microporosity of the diatomite-templated carbons were derived from replication of diatom shell and structure-reconfiguration of the carbon film, respectively. The macroporosity of carbons was strongly dependent on the original morphology of the diatomite template. The macroporous structure composed of carbon plates connected by the pillar- and tube-like macropores resulted from the replication of the central and edge pores of the diatom shells with disk-shaped morphology, respectively. And another macroporous carbon tubes were also replicated from canoe-shaped diatom shells. The acidity of diatomite dramatically affected the porosity of the carbons, more acid sites of diatomite template resulted in higher surface area and pore volume of the carbon products. The diatomite-templated carbons exhibited higher adsorption capacity for methylene blue than the commercial activated carbon (CAC), although the specific surface area was much smaller than that of CAC, due to the hierarchical porosity of diatomite-templated carbons. And the carbons were readily reclaimed and regenerated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Microstructural study of Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst: addition effects of CeO2 on carbon dioxide reforming of methane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valentini, Antoninho; Probst, Luiz Fernando Dias; Carreno, Neftali L. V.; Leite, Edson R.; Pontes, Fenelon M.; Longo, Elson; Schreiner, Wido H.; Lisboa-Filho, Paulo N.

    2003-01-01

    The carbon dioxide reforming of methane was carried out over nickel catalysts supported on the γ-Al 2 O 3 /CeO 2 system prepared by wet impregnation. With the increase of the Co2 weight in the catalyst, a higher stability was observed in the catalytic activity, together with an excellent resistance to carbon deposition and a better Ni dispersion. The catalysts were characterized by means of surface area measurements, TPR, H 2 chemisorption, XRD, SEM, EDX, XPS and TEM. An interaction between Ni and CeO 2 was observed to the Ni/CeO 2 sample after activation in a H 2 atmosphere above 300 deg C. Such behavior has a significantly influence on the catalytic activity. (author)

  13. Silver/iron oxide/graphitic carbon composites as bacteriostatic catalysts for enhancing oxygen reduction in microbial fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Ming; You, Shijie; Gong, Xiaobo; Dai, Ying; Zou, Jinlong; Fu, Honggang

    2015-06-01

    Biofilms from anode heterotrophic bacteria are inevitably formed over cathodic catalytic sites, limiting the performances of single-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Graphitic carbon (GC) - based nano silver/iron oxide (AgNPs/Fe3O4/GC) composites are prepared from waste pomelo skin and used as antibacterial oxygen reduction catalysts for MFCs. AgNPs and Fe3O4 are introduced in situ into the composites by one-step carbothermal reduction, enhancing their conductivity and catalytic activity. To investigate the effects of Fe species on the antibacterial and catalytic properties, AgNPs/Fe3O4/GC is washed with sulfuric acid (1 mol L-1) for 0.5 h, 1 h, and 5 h and marked as AgNPs/Fe3O4/GC-x (x = 0.5 h, 1 h and 5 h, respectively). A maximum power density of 1712 ± 35 mW m-2 is obtained by AgNPs/Fe3O4/GC-1 h, which declines by 4.12% after 17 cycles. Under catalysis of all AgNP-containing catalysts, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) proceeds via the 4e- pathway, and no toxic effects to anode microorganisms result from inhibiting the cathodic biofilm overgrowth. With the exception of AgNPs/Fe3O4/GC-5 h, the AgNPs-containing composites exhibit remarkable power output and coulombic efficiency through lowering proton transfer resistance and air-cathode biofouling. This study provides a perspective for the practical application of MFCs using these efficient antibacterial ORR catalysts.

  14. Development of Coke-tolerant Transition Metal Catalysts for Dry Reforming of Methane

    KAUST Repository

    Al-Sabban, Bedour E.

    2016-11-07

    Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is an attractive and promising process for the conversion of methane and carbon dioxide which are the most abundant carbon sources into valuable syngas. The produced syngas, which is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, can be used as intermediates in the manufacture of numerous chemicals. To achieve high conversion, DRM reaction is operated at high temperatures (700-900 °C) that can cause major drawbacks of catalyst deactivation by carbon deposition, metal sintering or metal oxidation. Therefore, the primary goal is to develop a metal based catalyst for DRM that can completely suppress carbon formation by designing the catalyst composition. The strategy of this work was to synthesize Ni-based catalysts all of which prepared by homogeneous deposition precipitation method (HDP) to produce nanoparticles with narrow size distribution. In addition, control the reactivity of the metal by finely tuning the bimetallic composition and the reaction conditions in terms of reaction temperature and pressure. The highly endothermic dry reforming of methane proceeds via CH4 decomposition to leave surface carbon species, followed by removal of C with CO2-derived species to give CO. Tuning the reactivity of the active metal towards these reactions during DRM allows in principle the catalyst surface to remain active and clean without carbon deposition for a long-term. The initial attempt was to improve the resistance of Ni catalyst towards carbon deposition, therefore, a series of 5 wt.% bimetallic Ni9Pt1 were supported on various metal oxides (Al2O3, CeO2, and ZrO2). The addition of small amount of noble metal improved the stability of the catalyst compared to their monometallic Ni and Pt catalysts, but still high amount of carbon (> 0.1 wt.%) was formed after 24 h of the reaction. The obtained results showed that the catalytic performance, particle size and amount of deposited carbon depends on the nature of support. Among the tested

  15. The influence of Mn species on the SO{sub 2} removal of Mn-based activated carbon catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qu, Yi-Fan [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Guo, Jia-Xiu, E-mail: guojiaxiu@scu.edu.cn [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); National Engineering Technology Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization, Chengdu 610065 (China); Chu, Ying-Hao [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); National Engineering Technology Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization, Chengdu 610065 (China); Sun, Ming-Chao [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Yin, Hua-Qiang, E-mail: hqyin@scu.edu.cn [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); National Engineering Technology Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization, Chengdu 610065 (China)

    2013-10-01

    Using Mn(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} as precursor, a series of Mn-based activated carbon catalysts were prepared by ultrasound-assisted excessive impregnation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and temperature programmed reduction (TPR). The influences of Mn species and nitric acid pretreatment on the removal role of SO{sub 2} were investigated. MnO and Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} coexist in catalysts calcined at 650 and 800 °C and exhibit best SO{sub 2} removal ability, whereas Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3} formed in the catalyst calcined at 500 °C and shows poor activity. After treatment by nitric acid, the C=O of activated carbon support increases and the crystal size of MnO decreases, resulting in the enhancement of the catalytic activity. During reaction process, manganese oxides are gradually transferred into MnO{sub 2}. And this change directly results in a decrease of activity. But the SO{sub 2} removal rate has been maintained in the range of 30–40%, indicating that MnO{sub 2} still has a certain SO{sub 2} removal ability.

  16. Template-Assisted Wet-Combustion Synthesis of Fibrous Nickel-Based Catalyst for Carbon Dioxide Methanation and Methane Steam Reforming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aghayan, M; Potemkin, D I; Rubio-Marcos, F; Uskov, S I; Snytnikov, P V; Hussainova, I

    2017-12-20

    Efficient capture and recycling of CO 2 enable not only prevention of global warming but also the supply of useful low-carbon fuels. The catalytic conversion of CO 2 into an organic compound is a promising recycling approach which opens new concepts and opportunities for catalytic and industrial development. Here we report about template-assisted wet-combustion synthesis of a one-dimensional nickel-based catalyst for carbon dioxide methanation and methane steam reforming. Because of a high temperature achieved in a short time during reaction and a large amount of evolved gases, the wet-combustion synthesis yields homogeneously precipitated nanoparticles of NiO with average particle size of 4 nm on alumina nanofibers covered with a NiAl 2 O 4 nanolayer. The as-synthesized core-shell structured fibers exhibit outstanding activity in steam reforming of methane and sufficient activity in carbon dioxide methanation with 100% selectivity toward methane formation. The as-synthesized catalyst shows stable operation under the reaction conditions for at least 50 h.

  17. An introduction to catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeon, Hak Je

    1988-11-01

    This book explains basic conception of catalyst such as definition, velocity of chemical reaction and velocity of catalyst reaction, absorption with absorption energy and chemical absorption, pore structure with the role of pore and measurement of pore structure, catalyst activity on solid structure, electrical property on catalyst activity, choice and design of catalyst, catalytic reaction with reaction velocity and chemical equilibrium and reaction velocity model, measurement of reaction velocity and material analysis, catalyst for mixed compound, catalyst for solid acid and catalyst for supported metal.

  18. Study of Supported Nickel Catalysts Prepared by Aqueous Hydrazine Method. Hydrogenating Properties and Hydrogen Storage: Support Effect. Silver Additive Effect; Catalyseurs de nickel supportes prepares par la methode de l'hydrazine aqueuse. Proprietes hydrogenantes et stockage d'hydrogene. Effet du support. Effet de l'ajout d'argent

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wojcieszak, R

    2006-06-15

    We have studied Ni or NiAg nano-particles obtained by the reduction of nickel salts (acetate or nitrate) by hydrazine and deposited by simple or EDTA-double impregnation on various supports ({gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, amorphous or crystallized SiO{sub 2}, Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5}, CeO{sub 2} and carbon). Prepared catalysts were characterized by different methods (XRD, XPS, low temperature adsorption and desorption of N{sub 2}, FTIR and FTIR-Pyridine, TEM, STEM, EDS, H{sub 2}-TPR, H{sub 2}-adsorption, H{sub 2}-TPD, isopropanol decomposition) and tested in the gas phase hydrogenation of benzene or as carbon materials in the hydrogen storage at room temperature and high pressure. The catalysts prepared exhibited better dispersion and activity than classical catalysts. TOF's of NiAg/SiO{sub 2} or Ni/carbon catalysts were similar to Pt catalysts in benzene hydrogenation. Differences in support acidity or preparation method and presence of Ag as metal additive play a crucial role in the chemical reduction of Ni by hydrazine and in the final properties of the materials. Ni/carbon catalysts could store significant amounts of hydrogen at room temperature and high pressure (0.53%/30 bars), probably through the hydrogen spillover effect. (author)

  19. Optical and structural properties of carbon dots/TiO2 nanostructures prepared via DC arc discharge in liquid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biazar, Nooshin; Poursalehi, Reza; Delavari, Hamid

    2018-01-01

    Synthesis and development of visible active catalysts is an important issue in photocatalytic applications of nanomaterials. TiO2 nanostructures coupled with carbon dots demonstrate a considerable photocatalytic activity in visible wavelengths. Extending optical absorption of a wide band gap semiconductor such as TiO2 with carbon dots is the origin of the visible activity of carbon dots modified semiconductor nanostructures. In addition, carbon dots exhibit high photostability, appropriate electron transport and chemical stability without considerable toxicity or environmental footprints. In this study, optical and structural properties of carbon dots/TiO2 nanostructures prepared via (direct current) DC arc discharge in liquid were investigated. Crystal structure, morphology and optical properties of the samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-visible spectroscopy respectively. SEM images show formation of spherical nanoparticles with an average size of 27 nm. In comparison with pristine TiO2, optical transmission spectrum of carbon dots/TiO2 nanostructures demonstrates an absorption edge at longer wavelengths as well a high optical absorption in visible wavelengths which is significant for visible activity of nanostructures as a photocatalyst. Finally, these results can provide a flexible and versatile pathway for synthesis of carbon dots/oxide semiconductor nanostructures with an appropriate activity under visible light.

  20. Preparation and physical properties of vapour-deposited carbon-carbon composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loll, Philippe

    1976-01-01

    In its first part, this research thesis reports a bibliographical study on methods of preparation of various types of vapour-deposited (CVD) carbons, and the author notices that only structure and texture properties of these macroscopically homogeneous pyro-carbons have been studied in detail. For a better understanding of the behaviour of carbon-carbon composites, this thesis thus reports the study of the relationships between physical properties, macroscopic texture and microscopic structure. A densification installation and methods of characterisation have been developed. The fabrication process and its installation are presented (oven with its temperature and gas rate controls, study of its thermal gradient, substrate, heat treatments), and the study and characterisation of carbon-carbon composites are reported: structure and texture properties (studied by optic and scanning electronic microscopy, density measurements, and X-ray diffraction), physical properties (electronic paramagnetic resonance, static magnetism, electric and thermal conductivity). In the last part, the author comments and discusses the obtained results: conditions of preparation, existence, physical properties of the different observed microstructures [fr

  1. Oxygen reduction on carbon supported platinum catalysts in high temperature polymer electrolytes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Qingfeng, Li; Hjuler, Hans Aage; Bjerrum, Niels

    2000-01-01

    Oxygen reduction on carbon supported platinum catalysts has been investigated in H3PO4, H3PO4-doped Nafion and polybenzimidazole (PBI) polymer electrolytes in a temperature range up to 190 degrees C. Compared with pure H3PO4, the combination of H3PO4 and polymer electrolytes can significantly...... membrane fuel cell based on H3PO4-doped PBI for operation at temperatures between 150 and 200 degrees C. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved....

  2. Continuous-Flow O-Alkylation of Biobased Derivatives with Dialkyl Carbonates in the Presence of Magnesium-Aluminium Hydrotalcites as Catalyst Precursors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cattelan, Lisa; Perosa, Alvise; Riello, Piero; Maschmeyer, Thomas; Selva, Maurizio

    2017-04-10

    The base-catalysed reactions of OH-bearing biobased derivatives (BBDs) including glycerol formal, solketal, glycerol carbonate, furfuryl alcohol and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol with non-toxic dialkyl carbonates (dimethyl and diethyl carbonate) were explored under continuous-flow (CF) conditions in the presence of three Na-exchanged Y- and X-faujasites (FAUs) and four Mg-Al hydrotalcites (HTs). Compared to previous etherification protocols mediated by dialkyl carbonates, the reported procedure offers substantial improvements not only in terms of (chemo)selectivity but also for the recyclability of the catalysts, workup, ease of product purification and, importantly, process intensification. Characterisation studies proved that both HT30 and KW2000 hydrotalcites acted as catalyst precursors: during the thermal activation pre-treatments, the typical lamellar structure of the hydrotalcite was broken down gradually into a MgO-like phase (periclase) or rather a magnesia-alumina solid solution, which was the genuine catalytic phase. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. A facile self-assembly approach to prepare palladium/carbon nanotubes catalyst for the electro-oxidation of ethanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Cuilian; Zhang, Xinyuan; Wei, Ying; Zhang, Teng; Chen, Changxin

    2018-02-01

    A facile self-assembly approach is reported to prepare palladium/carbon nanotubes (Pd/CNTs) catalyst for the electro-oxidation of ethanol. In this method, the Pd-oleate/CNTs was decomposed into the Pd/CNTs at an optimal temperature of 195 °C in air, in which no inert gas is needed for the thermal decomposition process due to the low temperature used and the decomposed products are also environmental friendly. The prepared Pd/CNTs catalyst has a high metallic Pd0 content and the Pd particles in the catalyst are disperse, uniform-sized with an average size of ˜2.1 nm, and evenly distributed on the CNTs. By employing our strategy, the problems including the exfoliation of the metal particles from the CNTs and the aggregation of the metal particles can be solved. Comparing with the commercial Pd/C one, the prepared Pd/CNTs catalyst exhibits a much higher electrochemical activity and stability for the electro-oxidation of ethanol in the direct ethanol fuel cells.

  4. Thermal and electrochemical stability of tungsten carbide catalyst supports

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chhina, H. [Ballard Power Systems, 9000 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, BC (Canada); Department of Materials Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Campbell, S. [Ballard Power Systems, 9000 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, BC (Canada); Kesler, O. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

    2007-02-10

    The thermal and electrochemical stability of tungsten carbide (WC), with and without a catalyst dispersed on it, have been investigated to evaluate the potential suitability of the material as an oxidation-resistant catalyst support. Standard techniques currently used to disperse Pt on carbon could not be used to disperse Pt on WC, so an alternative method was developed and used to disperse Pt on both commercially available WC and on carbon for comparison of stability. Electrochemical testing was performed by applying oxidation cycles between +0.6 V and +1.8 V to the support-catalyst material combinations and monitoring the activity of the supported catalyst over 100 oxidation cycles. Comparisons of activity change with cumulative oxidation cycles were made between C and WC supports with comparable loadings of catalyst by weight, solid volume, and powder volume. WC was found to be more thermally and electrochemically stable than currently used carbon support material Vulcan XC-72R. However, further optimization of the particle sizes and dispersion of Pt/WC catalyst/support materials and of comparison standards between new candidate materials and existing carbon-based supports are required. (author)

  5. Heterogeneous catalytic ozonation of ciprofloxacin in water with carbon nanotube supported manganese oxides as catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sui, Minghao, E-mail: suiminghao.sui@gmail.com [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Xing, Sichu; Sheng, Li; Huang, Shuhang; Guo, Hongguang [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China)

    2012-08-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ciprofloxacin in water was degraded by heterogeneous catalytic ozonation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MnOx were supported on MWCNTs to serve as catalyst for ozonation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MnOx/MWCNT exhibited highly catalytic activity on ozonation of ciprofloxacin in water. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MnOx/MWCNT resulted in effective antibacterial activity inhibition on ciprofloxacin. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MnOx/MWCNT promoted the generation of hydroxyl radicals. - Abstract: Carbon nanotube-supported manganese oxides (MnOx/MWCNT) were used as catalysts to assist ozone in degrading ciprofloxacin in water. Manganese oxides were successfully loaded on multi-walled carbon nanotube surfaces by simply impregnating the carbon nanotube with permanganate solution. The catalytic activities of MnOx/MWCNT in ciprofloxacin ozonation, including degradation, mineralization effectiveness, and antibacterial activity change, were investigated. The presence of MnOx/MWCNT significantly elevated the degradation and mineralization efficiency of ozone on ciprofloxacin. The microbiological assay with a reference Escherichia coli strain indicated that ozonation with MnOx/MWCNT results in more effective antibacterial activity inhibition of ciprofloxacin than that in ozonation alone. The effects of catalyst dose, initial ciprofloxacin concentration, and initial pH conditions on ciprofloxacin ozonation with MnOx/MWCNT were surveyed. Electron spin resonance trapping was applied to assess the role of MnOx/MWCNT in generating hydroxyl radicals (HO{center_dot}) during ozonation. Stronger 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide-OH signals were observed in the ozonation with MnOx/MWCNT compared with those in ozonation alone, indicating that MnOx/MWCNT promoted the generation of hydroxyl radicals. The degradation of ciprofloxacin was studied in drinking water and wastewater process samples to gauge the potential effects of water background matrix on

  6. Carbon-Supported Pd and PdFe Alloy Catalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Cathodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis M. Rivera Gavidia

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs are electrochemical devices that efficiently produce electricity and are characterized by a large flexibility for portable applications and high energy density. Methanol crossover is one of the main obstacles for DMFC commercialization, forcing the search for highly electro-active and methanol tolerant cathodes. In the present work, carbon-supported Pd and PdFe catalysts were synthesized using a sodium borohydride reduction method and physico-chemically characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM and X-ray techniques such as photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, diffraction (XRD and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX. The catalysts were investigated as DMFC cathodes operating at different methanol concentrations (up to 10 M and temperatures (60 °C and 90 °C. The cell based on PdFe/C cathode presented the best performance, achieving a maximum power density of 37.5 mW·cm−2 at 90 °C with 10 M methanol, higher than supported Pd and Pt commercial catalysts, demonstrating that Fe addition yields structural changes to Pd crystal lattice that reduce the crossover effects in DMFC operation.

  7. Mesoporous nitrogen-rich carbon materials as cathode catalysts in microbial fuel cells

    KAUST Repository

    Ahn, Yongtae

    2014-12-01

    The high cost of the catalyst material used for the oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathodes is one of the factors limiting practical applications of this technology. Mesoporous nitrogen-rich carbon (MNC), prepared at different temperatures, was examined as an oxygen reduction catalyst, and compared in performance to Pt in MFCs and electrochemical cells. MNC calcined at 800 °C produced a maximum power density of 979 ± 131 mW m-2 in MFCs, which was 37% higher than that produced using MNC calined at 600 °C (715 ± 152 mW m-2), and only 14% lower than that obtained with Pt (1143 ± 54 mW m-2). The extent of COD removal and coulombic efficiencies were the same for all cathode materials. These results show that MNC could be used as an alternative to Pt in MFCs. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Graphene supported heterogeneous catalysts for Li–O{sub 2} batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alaf, M., E-mail: mirac.alaf@bilecik.edu.tr [Bilecik Seyh Edebali University, Engineering Faculty, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Gulumbe Campus, Bilecik 11210 (Turkey); Tocoglu, U.; Kartal, M.; Akbulut, H. [Sakarya University, Engineering Faculty, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Esentepe Campus, Sakarya 54187 (Turkey)

    2016-09-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Free-standing and flexible electrodes were prepared for Li–air batteries. • α-MnO{sub 2} nanorods, Pt nanoparticles and graphene were used. • α-MnO{sub 2} and Pt catalyst improved OER/ORR kinetics. - Abstract: In this study production and characterization of free-standing and flexible (i) graphene, (ii) α-MnO{sub 2}/graphene, (iii) Pt/graphene (iv) α-MnO{sub 2}/Pt/graphene composite cathodes for Li–air batteries were reported. Graphene supported heterogeneous catalysts were produced by a facile method. In order to prevent aggregation of graphene sheets and increase not only interlayer distance but also surface area, a trace amount multi-wall carbon nano tube (MWCNT) was introduced to the composite structure. The obtained composite catalysts were characterized by SEM, X-ray diffraction, N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption analyze and Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical characterization tests including galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement of catalyst were carried out by using an ECC-Air test cell. These highly active graphene supported heterogeneous composite catalysts provide competitive properties relative to other catalyst materials for Li–air batteries.

  9. Influences of species of metals and supports on the hydrogenation activity of carbon-supported metal sulfides catalysts; Tanso biryushi tanji shokubai no suisoka kassei ni taisuru kassei kinzoku oyobi tantaishu no eikyo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sakanishi, K.; Hasuo, H.; Taniguchi, H.; Nagamatsu, T.; Mochida, I. [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Institute of Advanced Material Study

    1996-10-28

    In order to design catalysts suitable for primary liquefaction stage and secondary upgrading stage respectively in the multi-stage liquefaction process, various carbon-supported catalysts were prepared. Catalytic activities of them were investigated for the hydrogenation of 1-methylnaphthalene, to discuss the influences of metals and carbon species on the catalytic activity. Various water soluble and oil soluble Mo and Ni salts were used for NiMo supported catalysts. Among various carbon supports, Ketjen Black (KB) was effective for preparing the catalyst showing the most excellent hydrogenation activity. The KB and Black Pearl 2000 (BP2000) showing high hydrogenation activity were fine particles having high specific surface area more than 1000 m{sup 2}/g and primary particle diameter around 30 nm. This was inferred to contribute to the high dispersion support of active metals. Since such fine particles of carbon exhibited hydrophobic surface, they were suitable for preparing catalysts from the methanol-soluble metals. Although Ni and Mo added iron-based catalysts provided lower aromatic hydrogenation activity, they exhibited liquefaction activity competing with the NiMo/KB catalyst. 3 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs.

  10. DOE Award No. DE-FC36-03GO13108 NOVEL NON-PRECIOUS METAL CATALYSTS FOR PEMFC: CATALYST SELECTION THROUGH MOLECULAR MODELING AND DURABILITY STUDIES Final Report (September 2003 – October 2008)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Branko N. Popov

    2009-02-20

    The objective of this project is to develop novel non-precious metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and demonstrate the potential of the catalysts to perform at least as good as conventional Pt catalysts currently in use in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with a cost at least 50 % less than a target of 0.2 g (Pt loading)/peak kW and with durability > 2,000 h operation with less than 10 % power degradation. A novel nitrogen-modified carbon-based catalyst was obtained by modifying carbon black with nitrogen-containing organic precursor in the absence of transition metal precursor. The catalyst shows the onset potential of approximately 0.76 V (NHE) for ORR and the amount of H2O2 of approximately 3% at 0.5 V (NHE). Furthermore, a carbon composite catalyst was achieved through the high-temperature pyrolysis of the precursors of transition metal (Co and Fe) and nitrogen supported on the nitrogen-modified carbon-based catalyst, followed by chemical post-treatment. This catalyst showed an onset potential for ORR as high as 0.87 V (NHE), and generated less than 1 % of H2O2. The PEM fuel cell exhibited a current density of 2.3 A cm-2 at 0.2 V for a catalyst loading of 6.0 mg cm-2. No significant performance degradation was observed for 480 h continuous operation. The characterization studies indicated that the metal-nitrogen chelate complexes decompose at the temperatures above 800 oC. During the pyrolysis, the transition metals facilitate the incorporation of pyridinic and graphitic nitrogen groups into the carbon matrix, and the carbon surface modified with nitrogen is active for ORR. In order to elucidate the role of transition metal precursor played in the formation of active sites in the non-precious metal catalysts, a novel ruthenium-based chelate (RuNx) catalyst was synthesized by using RuCl3 and propylene diammine as the Ru and N precursors, respectively, followed by high-temperature pyrolysis. This catalyst exhibited comparable

  11. DOE Award No. DE-FC36-03GO13108 NOVEL NON-PRECIOUS METAL CATALYSTS FOR PEMFC: CATALYST SELECTION THROUGH MOLECULAR MODELING AND DURABILITY STUDIES Final Report (September 2003 – October 2008)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Branko N. Popov

    2009-03-03

    The objective of this project is to develop novel non-precious metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and demonstrate the potential of the catalysts to perform at least as good as conventional Pt catalysts currently in use in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with a cost at least 50 % less than a target of 0.2 g (Pt loading)/peak kW and with durability > 2,000 h operation with less than 10 % power degradation. A novel nitrogen-modified carbon-based catalyst was obtained by modifying carbon black with nitrogen-containing organic precursor in the absence of transition metal precursor. The catalyst shows the onset potential of approximately 0.76 V (NHE) for ORR and the amount of H2O2 of approximately 3% at 0.5 V (NHE). Furthermore, a carbon composite catalyst was achieved through the high-temperature pyrolysis of the precursors of transition metal (Co and Fe) and nitrogen supported on the nitrogen-modified carbon-based catalyst, followed by chemical post-treatment. This catalyst showed an onset potential for ORR as high as 0.87 V (NHE), and generated less than 1 % of H2O2. The PEM fuel cell exhibited a current density of 2.3 A cm-2 at 0.2 V for a catalyst loading of 6.0 mg cm-2. No significant performance degradation was observed for 480 h continuous operation. The characterization studies indicated that the metal-nitrogen chelate complexes decompose at the temperatures above 800 oC. During the pyrolysis, the transition metals facilitate the incorporation of pyridinic and graphitic nitrogen groups into the carbon matrix, and the carbon surface modified with nitrogen is active for ORR. In order to elucidate the role of transition metal precursor played in the formation of active sites in the non-precious metal catalysts, a novel ruthenium-based chelate (RuNx) catalyst was synthesized by using RuCl3 and propylene diammine as the Ru and N precursors, respectively, followed by high-temperature pyrolysis. This catalyst exhibited comparable

  12. Bosch Reactor Development for High Percentage Oxygen Recovery from Carbon Dioxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, David; Abney, Morgan

    2015-01-01

    This next Generation Life Support Project entails the development and demonstration of Bosch reaction technologies to improve oxygen recovery from metabolically generated oxygen and/or space environments. A primary focus was placed on alternate carbon formation reactor concepts to improve useful catalyst life for space vehicle applications, and make use of in situ catalyst resources for non-terrestrial surface missions. Current state-of-the-art oxygen recovery systems onboard the International Space Station are able to effectively recover approximately 45 percent of the oxygen consumed by humans and exhausted in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2). Excess CO2 is vented overboard and the oxygen contained in the molecules is lost. For long-duration missions beyond the reaches of Earth for resupply, it will be necessary to recover greater amounts of constituents such as oxygen that are necessary for sustaining life. Bosch technologies theoretically recover 100 percent of the oxygen from CO2, producing pure carbon as the sole waste product. Challenges with this technology revolve around the carbon product fouling catalyst materials, drastically limiting catalyst life. This project successfully demonstrated techniques to extend catalyst surface area exposure times to improve catalyst life for vehicle applications, and demonstrated the use of Martian and lunar regolith as viable catalyst Bosch Reactor Development for High Percentage Oxygen Recovery From Carbon Dioxide materials for surface missions. The Bosch process generates carbon nanotube formation within the regolith, which has been shown to improve mechanical properties of building materials. Production of bricks from post reaction regolith for building and radiation shielding applications were also explored.

  13. Activated carbon from orange peels as supercapacitor electrode and catalyst support for oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Dhelipan

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Activated carbon is synthesized using orange peel as precursor through chemical activation using H3PO4 and its ability as electrocatalyst support for ORR reaction is examined. The prepared material was subjected to various structural, compositional, morphological and electrochemical studies. For ORR activity, the platinum loaded on activated carbon (Pt/OP-AC was investigated by cyclic voltammograms (CVs recorded in N2 and O2 saturated 0.1 M aqueous HClO4. For supercapacitor performance, three electrode systems was tested in aqueous H2SO4 for feasibility determination and showed electrochemical double layer capacitance (EDLC behaviour which is expected for activated carbon like materials. Electrochemical surface area (ECSA of the activated carbon from orange peel is measured using CV. The physical properties of the prepared carbon are studied using SEM (scanning electron microscope, XRD (X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The AC derived from orange peels delivered a high specific capacitance of 275 F g−1 at 10 mV s-1 scan rate. Hence, this study suggested that orange peels may be considered not only as a potential alternative source for synthesizing carbon supported catalyst for fuel cell application but also highlight the production of low-cost carbon for further applications like supercapacitors.

  14. Reduction and reoxidation of cobalt Fischer-Tropsch catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hilmen, Anne-Mette

    1996-12-31

    The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis involves the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide to produce mainly hydrocarbons, water and carbon dioxide, but also alcohols, aldehydes and acids are formed. The distribution of these products is determined by the choice of catalyst and synthesis conditions. This thesis studies the reduction and reoxidation of 17%Co/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and 17%Co-1%Re/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} by means of several characterization techniques. The effect of small amounts of Re on the reduction properties of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-supported Co catalysts has been studied by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). An intimate mixture of CoAl{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Re/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalysts showed a promoting effect of Re similar to that for co impregnated CoRe/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. A loose mixture of Co/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} + Re/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} did not show any effect of Re on the reduction of Co. But a promoting effect was observed if the mixture had been pre-treated with Ar saturated with water before the TPR. It is suggested that Re promotes the reduction of Co oxide by hydrogen spillover. It is shown that a high temperature TPK peak at 1200K assigned to Co aluminate is mainly caused by the diffusion of Co ions during the TPR and not during calcination. The Co particle size measured by x-ray diffraction on oxidized catalysts decreased compared to the particle size on the calcined catalysts, while the dispersion measured by volumetric chemisorption decreased somewhat after the oxidation-reduction treatment. The role of water in the deactivation of Co/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and CoRe/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} Fischer-Tropsch catalysts has been extensively studied. There were significant differences in the reducibility of the phases formed for the two catalysts during exposure to H{sub 2}O/He. 113 refs., 76 figs., 18 tabs.

  15. Low-temperature catalyst activator: mechanism of dense carbon nanotube forest growth studied using synchrotron radiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akito Takashima

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The mechanism of the one-order-of-magnitude increase in the density of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs achieved by a recently developed thermal chemical vapor deposition process was studied using synchrotron radiation spectroscopic techniques. In the developed process, a Ti film is used as the underlayer for an Fe catalyst film. A characteristic point of this process is that C2H2 feeding for the catalyst starts at a low temperature of 450°C, whereas conventional feeding temperatures are ∼800°C. Photoemission spectroscopy using soft and hard X-rays revealed that the Ti underlayer reduced the initially oxidized Fe layer at 450°C. A photoemission intensity analysis also suggested that the oxidized Ti layer at 450°C behaved as a support for nanoparticle formation of the reduced Fe, which is required for dense CNT growth. In fact, a CNT growth experiment, where the catalyst chemical state was monitored in situ by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, showed that the reduced Fe yielded a CNT forest at 450°C. Contrarily, an Fe layer without the Ti underlayer did not yield such a CNT forest at 450°C. Photoemission electron microscopy showed that catalyst annealing at the conventional feeding temperature of 800°C caused excess catalyst agglomeration, which should lead to sparse CNTs. In conclusion, in the developed growth process, the low-temperature catalyst activation by the Ti underlayer before the excess Fe agglomeration realised the CNT densification.

  16. Nanocarbons as catalyst for selective oxidation of acrolein to acrylic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frank, B.; Blume, R.; Rinaldi, A.; Trunschke, A.; Schloegl, R. [Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Berlin (Germany). Dept. of Inorganic Chemistry

    2011-07-01

    Selective oxidations are key steps of industrial oil and gas processing for the synthesis of high-value chemicals. Mixed metal oxides based on redox active V or Mo are frequently used for oxidative C-H bond activation. However, multiple processes require precious metals or suffer from low product selectivity demanding an ongoing search for cost-effective alternatives. Recently, the nanostructured carbon was reported to catalyze the metal-free selective alkane activation by oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH). Electron-rich surface carbonyls coordinate this reaction and mimic the active oxygen species in metal oxide catalysts. Here we show that the graphitic carbon, beyond ODH, has the potential to selectively mediate the insertion of an oxygen atom into an organic molecule, i.e., acrolein. Multi-step atom rearrangements considerably exceed the mechanistic complexity of hydrogen abstraction and were so far believed to be the exclusive domain of metal (oxide) catalysis. In the carbon catalyzed process, the nucleophilic oxygen atoms terminating the graphite (0001) surface abstract the formyl hydrogen and the activated aldehyde gets oxidized by epoxide-type mobile oxygen, thus the sp{sup 2} carbon acts as a bifunctional catalyst. Substantial similarities between the metal oxide- and carbon-catalyzed reactions could be identified. Our results shed light on a rarely known facet of applications of nanostructured carbon materials being decorated with diverse oxygen functionalities to coordinate complex catalytic processes. We could successfully transfer the results obtained from the graphite model to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) providing a higher surface area, defect density, and intrinsic activity, to substantially increase the reactivity per catalyst volume. Indeed, low dimensional nanostructured carbon is a highly flexible and robust material which can be modified in a multiple manner to optimize its properties with respect to the intended application. The exploration of

  17. Microwave heating processes involving carbon materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Menendez, J.A.; Arenillas, A.; Fidalgo, B.; Fernandez, Y.; Zubizarreta, L.; Calvo, E.G.; Bermudez, J.M. [Instituto Nacional del Carbon, CSIC, Apartado 73, 33080 Oviedo (Spain)

    2010-01-15

    Carbon materials are, in general, very good absorbents of microwaves, i.e., they are easily heated by microwave radiation. This characteristic allows them to be transformed by microwave heating, giving rise to new carbons with tailored properties, to be used as microwave receptors, in order to heat other materials indirectly, or to act as a catalyst and microwave receptor in different heterogeneous reactions. In recent years, the number of processes that combine the use of carbons and microwave heating instead of other methods based on conventional heating has increased. In this paper some of the microwave-assisted processes in which carbon materials are produced, transformed or used in thermal treatments (generally, as microwave absorbers and catalysts) are reviewed and the main achievements of this technique are compared with those obtained by means of conventional (non microwave-assisted) methods in similar conditions. (author)

  18. Thermally oxidized aluminum as catalyst-support layer for vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotube growth using ethanol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Azam, Mohd Asyadi, E-mail: asyadi@jaist.ac.jp [School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan); Fujiwara, Akihiko [Research and Utilization Division, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Shimoda, Tatsuya [School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan)

    2011-11-01

    Characteristics and role of Al oxide (Al-O) films used as catalyst-support layer for vertical growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were studied. EB-deposited Al films (20 nm) were thermally oxidized at 400 deg. C (10 min, static air) to produce the most appropriate surface structure of Al-O. Al-O catalyst-support layers were characterized using various analytical measurements, i.e., atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and spectroscopy ellipsometry (SE). The thermally oxidized Al-O has a highly roughened surface, and also has the most suitable surface chemical states compared to other type of Al-O support layers. We suggest that the surface of thermally oxidized Al-O characterized in this work enhanced Co catalyst activity to promote the vertically aligned SWCNT growth.

  19. Carbon dioxide conversion over carbon-based nanocatalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khavarian, Mehrnoush; Chai, Siang-Piao; Mohamed, Abdul Rahman

    2013-07-01

    The utilization of carbon dioxide for the production of valuable chemicals via catalysts is one of the efficient ways to mitigate the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is known that the carbon dioxide conversion and product yields are still low even if the reaction is operated at high pressure and temperature. The carbon dioxide utilization and conversion provides many challenges in exploring new concepts and opportunities for development of unique catalysts for the purpose of activating the carbon dioxide molecules. In this paper, the role of carbon-based nanocatalysts in the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide and direct synthesis of dimethyl carbonate from carbon dioxide and methanol are reviewed. The current catalytic results obtained with different carbon-based nanocatalysts systems are presented and how these materials contribute to the carbon dioxide conversion is explained. In addition, different strategies and preparation methods of nanometallic catalysts on various carbon supports are described to optimize the dispersion of metal nanoparticles and catalytic activity.

  20. Polymer-supported CuPd nanoalloy as a synergistic catalyst for electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to methane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Sheng; Kang, Peng; Bakir, Mohammed; Lapides, Alexander M; Dares, Christopher J; Meyer, Thomas J

    2015-12-29

    Developing sustainable energy strategies based on CO2 reduction is an increasingly important issue given the world's continued reliance on hydrocarbon fuels and the rise in CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. An important option is electrochemical or photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction to carbon fuels. We describe here an electrodeposition strategy for preparing highly dispersed, ultrafine metal nanoparticle catalysts on an electroactive polymeric film including nanoalloys of Cu and Pd. Compared with nanoCu catalysts, which are state-of-the-art catalysts for CO2 reduction to hydrocarbons, the bimetallic CuPd nanoalloy catalyst exhibits a greater than twofold enhancement in Faradaic efficiency for CO2 reduction to methane. The origin of the enhancement is suggested to arise from a synergistic reactivity interplay between Pd-H sites and Cu-CO sites during electrochemical CO2 reduction. The polymer substrate also appears to provide a basis for the local concentration of CO2 resulting in the enhancement of catalytic current densities by threefold. The procedure for preparation of the nanoalloy catalyst is straightforward and appears to be generally applicable to the preparation of catalytic electrodes for incorporation into electrolysis devices.

  1. Controlled growth of carbon nanofibers using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition: Effect of catalyst thickness and gas ratio

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saidin, M.A.R.; Ismail, A.F.; Sanip, S.M.; Goh, P.S.; Aziz, M.; Tanemura, M.

    2012-01-01

    The characteristics of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) grown, using direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system reactor under various acetylene to ammonia gas ratios and different catalyst thicknesses were studied. Nickel/Chromium-glass (Ni/Cr-glass) thin film catalyst was employed for the growth of CNF. The grown CNFs were then characterized using Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Raman spectroscopy showed that the Ni/Cr-glass with thickness of 15 nm and gas ratio acetylene to ammonia of 1:3 produced CNFs with the lowest I D /I G value (the relative intensity of D-band to G-band). This indicated that this catalyst thickness and gas ratio value is the optimum combination for the synthesis of CNFs under the conditions studied. TEM observation pointed out that the CNFs produced have 104 concentric walls and the residual catalyst particles were located inside the tubes of CNFs. It was also observed that structural morphology of the grown CNFs was influenced by acetylene to ammonia gas ratio and catalyst thickness.

  2. Controlled growth of carbon nanofibers using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition: Effect of catalyst thickness and gas ratio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saidin, M.A.R. [Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor Bahru (Malaysia); Ismail, A.F., E-mail: afauzi@utm.my [Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor Bahru (Malaysia); Sanip, S.M.; Goh, P.S.; Aziz, M. [Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor Bahru (Malaysia); Tanemura, M. [Department of Frontier Material, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan)

    2012-01-31

    The characteristics of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) grown, using direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system reactor under various acetylene to ammonia gas ratios and different catalyst thicknesses were studied. Nickel/Chromium-glass (Ni/Cr-glass) thin film catalyst was employed for the growth of CNF. The grown CNFs were then characterized using Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Raman spectroscopy showed that the Ni/Cr-glass with thickness of 15 nm and gas ratio acetylene to ammonia of 1:3 produced CNFs with the lowest I{sub D}/I{sub G} value (the relative intensity of D-band to G-band). This indicated that this catalyst thickness and gas ratio value is the optimum combination for the synthesis of CNFs under the conditions studied. TEM observation pointed out that the CNFs produced have 104 concentric walls and the residual catalyst particles were located inside the tubes of CNFs. It was also observed that structural morphology of the grown CNFs was influenced by acetylene to ammonia gas ratio and catalyst thickness.

  3. Influence of DC electric field on the Lennard-Jones potential and phonon vibrations of carbon nanotube on catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saeidi, Mohammadreza; Vaezzadeh, Majid; Badakhshan, Farzaneh

    2011-01-01

    Influence of DC electric field on carbon nanotube (CNT) growth in chemical vapor deposition is studied. Investigation of electric field effect in van der Waals interaction shows that increase in DC electric field raises the magnitude of attractive term of the Lennard-Jones potential. By using a theoretical model based on phonon vibrations of CNT on catalyst, it is shown that there is an optimum field for growth. Also it is observed that CNT under optimum electric field is longer than CNT in the absence of field. Finally, the relation between optimum DC electric field and type of catalyst is investigated and for some intervals of electric field, the best catalyst is introduced, which is very useful for experimental researches. -- Research highlights: → Influence of DC electric field on CNT growth in CVD. → Effect of electric field on van der Waals interaction between CNT and its catalyst. → Applying DC electric field increases attractive term of Lennard-Jonespotential. → There is an optimum DC field for CNT growth. → For catalyst with stronger van der Waals interaction, optimum field is smaller.

  4. Properties of Amorphous Carbon Microspheres Synthesised by Palm Oil-CVD Method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zobir, S. A. M.; Zainal, Z.; Sarijo, S. H.; Rusop, M.

    2011-01-01

    Amorphous carbon microspheres were synthesized using a dual-furnace chemical vapour deposition method at 800-1000 deg. C. Palm oil-based cooking oil (PO) and zinc nitrate solution was used as a carbon source and catalyst precursor, respectively with PO to zinc nitrate ratio of 30:20 (v/v) and a silicon wafer as the sample target. Regular microsphere shape of the amorphous carbons was obtained and a uniform microsphere structure improved as the carbonization temperature increased from 800 to 1000 deg. C. At 800 deg. C, no regular microspheres were formed but more uniform structure is observed at 900 deg. C. Generally the microspheres size is uniform when the heating temperature was increased to 1000 deg. C, but the presence of mixed sizes can still be observed. X-ray diffraction patterns show the presence of oxide of carbon, ZnO phase together with Zn oxalate phase. Raman spectra show two broad peaks characteristic to amorphous carbon at 1344 and 1582 cm -1 for the D and G bands, respectively. These bands become more prominent as the preparation temperature increased from 800 to 1000 deg. C. This is in agreement with the formation of amorphous carbon microspheres as shown by the FESEM study and other Zn-based phases as a result of the oxidation process of the palm oil as the carbon source and the zinc nitrate as the catalyst precursor, respectively.

  5. Fe(III)-functionalized carbon dots—Highly efficient photoluminescence redox catalyst for hydrogenations of olefins and decomposition of hydrogen peroxide

    KAUST Repository

    Bourlinos, Athanasios B.

    2017-03-21

    We present the first bottom-up approach to synthesize Fe(III)-functionalized carbon dots (CDs) from molecular precursors without the need of conventional thermal or microwave treatment and additional reagents. Specifically, sonication of xylene in the presence of anhydrous FeCl3 results in oxidative coupling of the aromatic substrate towards Fe(III)-functionalized CDs. The as-prepared CDs are spherical in shape with a size of 3–8 nm, highly dispersible in organic solvents and display wavelength-dependent photoluminescence (PL). The iron ions attached to the surface endow the CDs with superior catalytic activity for olefin hydrogenation with excellent conversion and selectivity (up to 100%). The Fe(III)-CDs are more effective in the hydrogenation of a series of electron donating or withdrawing olefin substrates compared to conventional homogeneous or heterogeneous Fe(III)-based catalysts. The as-prepared heterogeneous nanocatalyst can be used repeatedly without any loss of catalytic activity. Importantly, the stability of the new catalysts can be easily monitored by PL intensity or quantum yield measurements, which certainly opens the doors for real time monitoring in a range of applications. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, the oxidative property of Fe-CDs was also explored in decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in water with the first order rate constant of 0.7 × 10−2 min−1, proving the versatile catalytic properties of such hybrid systems.

  6. Fe(III)-functionalized carbon dots—Highly efficient photoluminescence redox catalyst for hydrogenations of olefins and decomposition of hydrogen peroxide

    KAUST Repository

    Bourlinos, Athanasios B.; Rathi, Anuj K.; Gawande, Manoj B.; Hola, Katerina; Goswami, Anandarup; Kalytchuk, Sergii; Karakassides, Michael A.; Kouloumpis, Antonios; Gournis, Dimitrios; Deligiannakis, Yannis; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.; Zboril, Radek

    2017-01-01

    We present the first bottom-up approach to synthesize Fe(III)-functionalized carbon dots (CDs) from molecular precursors without the need of conventional thermal or microwave treatment and additional reagents. Specifically, sonication of xylene in the presence of anhydrous FeCl3 results in oxidative coupling of the aromatic substrate towards Fe(III)-functionalized CDs. The as-prepared CDs are spherical in shape with a size of 3–8 nm, highly dispersible in organic solvents and display wavelength-dependent photoluminescence (PL). The iron ions attached to the surface endow the CDs with superior catalytic activity for olefin hydrogenation with excellent conversion and selectivity (up to 100%). The Fe(III)-CDs are more effective in the hydrogenation of a series of electron donating or withdrawing olefin substrates compared to conventional homogeneous or heterogeneous Fe(III)-based catalysts. The as-prepared heterogeneous nanocatalyst can be used repeatedly without any loss of catalytic activity. Importantly, the stability of the new catalysts can be easily monitored by PL intensity or quantum yield measurements, which certainly opens the doors for real time monitoring in a range of applications. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, the oxidative property of Fe-CDs was also explored in decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in water with the first order rate constant of 0.7 × 10−2 min−1, proving the versatile catalytic properties of such hybrid systems.

  7. Catalyst design for clean and efficient fuels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Šaric, Manuel

    cobalt promoted MoS2 catalyst. Reactivity of a series of model molecules, found in oil prior to desulfurization, is studied on cobalt promoted MoS2. Such an approach has the potential to explain the underlying processes involved in the removal of sulfur at each specific site of the catalyst. The goal...... is to identify which sites are active towards specific molecules and in getting insight to what the ideal catalyst should look like in terms of morphology. Dimethyl carbonate is an environmentally benign compound that can be used as a solvent and precursor in chemical synthesis or as a fuel and fuel additive...... processes currently used. It is found that noble metals can be used as electrocatalysts for the synthesis of dimethyl carbonate, significantly lowering the potential when using copper instead of gold. Besides being active, copper was found to be selective towards dimethyl carbonate. A non-selective catalyst...

  8. Dosimetric properties of new formulation of PRESAGE® with tin organometal catalyst: Development of sensitivity and stability to megavoltage energy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khezerloo, Davood; Nedaie, Hassan Ali; Takavar, Abbas; Zirak, Alireza; Farhood, Bagher; Banaee, Nooshin; Alidokht, Eisa

    2018-01-01

    Tin-base catalyst is one of the widely used organometallic catalysts in polyurethane technology. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of tin organometallic catalyst in the radiation response and radiological properties of a new formula of PRESAGE ® . In the study, two types of PRESAGE were fabricated. A very little amount of dibutyltindillaurate (DBTDL) (0.07% weight) was used as a catalyst in the fabrication of new PRESAGE (i.e., PRESAGE with catalyst), which components were: 93.93% weight polyurethane, 5% weight tetrachloride, and 1% weight leucomalachite green (LMG). For PRESAGE without catalyst, 94% weight polyurethane, 4% weight tetrachloride, and 2% weight LMG were used. Radiochromic response and postirradiation stability of PRESAGEs were determined. Also, radiological characteristics of PRESAGEs, such as mass density, electron density, mass attenuation coefficient, and mass stopping power in different photon energies were assessed and compared with water. The absorption peak of new PRESAGE compared to PRESAGE without catalyst was observed without change. Sensitivity of new PRESAGE was higher than PRESAGE without catalyst and its stability after the first 1 h was relatively constant. Also, Mass attenuation coefficient of new PRESAGE in energy ranges catalyst in very low concentration can be used in fabrication of radiochromic polymer gel to achieve high sensitivity and stability as well as good radiological properties in the megavoltage photon beam.

  9. Catalysts for synthetic liquid fuels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruce, L.A.; Turney, T.W.

    1987-12-01

    Fischer-Tropsch catalysts have been designed, characterized and tested for the selective production of hydrocarbons suitable as synthetic liquid transport fuels from synthesis gas (i.e., by the reduction of carbon monoxide with hydrogen). It was found that hydrocarbons in the middle distillate range, or suitable for conversion to that range, could be produced over several of the new catalyst systems. The various catalysts examined included: (1) synthetic cobalt clays, mainly cobalt chlorites; (2) cobalt hydrotalcites; (3) ruthenium metal supported on rare earth oxides of high surface area; and (4) a novel promoted cobalt catalyst. Active and selective catalysts have been obtained, in each category. With the exception of the clays, reproducibility of catalyst performance has been good. Catalysts in groups 2 and 4 have exhibited very high activity, with long lifetimes and easy regeneration.

  10. Controllable pt nanoparticle deposition on carbon nanotubes as an anode catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Yongyan; Liang, Hanpu; Hu, Jinsong; Jiang, Li; Wan, Lijun

    2005-12-01

    We report a novel process to prepare well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles on CNTs. Pt nanoparticles, which were modified by the organic molecule triphenylphosphine, were deposited on multiwalled carbon nanotubes by the organic molecule, which acts as a cross linker. By manipulating the relative ratio of Pt nanoparticles and multiwalled carbon nanotubes in solution, Pt/CNT composites with different Pt content were achieved. The so-prepared Pt/CNT composite materials show higher electrocatalytic activity and better tolerance to poisoning species in methanol oxidation than the commercial E-TEK catalyst, which can be ascribed to the high dispersion of Pt nanoparticles on the multiwalled carbon nanotube surface.

  11. Mathematical Modelling of Catalytic Fixed-Bed Reactor for Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane over Rh/Al2O3 Catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    New Pei Yee

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available A one-dimensional mathematical model was developed to simulate the performance of catalytic fixed bedreactor for carbon dioxide reforming of methane over Rh/Al2O3 catalyst at atmospheric pressure. The reactionsinvolved in the system are carbon dioxide reforming of methane (CORM and reverse water gas shiftreaction (RWGS. The profiles of CH4 and CO2 conversions, CO and H2 yields, molar flow rate and molefraction of all species as well as reactor temperature along the axial bed of catalyst were simulated. In addition,the effects of different reactor temperature on the reactor performance were also studied. The modelscan also be applied to analyze the performances of lab-scale micro reactor as well as pilot-plant scale reactorwith certain modifications and model verification with experimental data. © 2008 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reserved.[Received: 20 August 2008; Accepted: 25 September 2008][How to Cite: N.A.S. Amin, I. Istadi, N.P. Yee. (2008. Mathematical Modelling of Catalytic Fixed-Bed Reactor for Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane over Rh/Al2O3 Catalyst. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering and Catalysis, 3 (1-3: 21-29. doi:10.9767/bcrec.3.1-3.19.21-29

  12. Down-flow moving-bed gasifier with catalyst recycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halow, John S.

    1999-01-01

    The gasification of coal and other carbonaceous materials by an endothermic gasification reaction is achieved in the presence of a catalyst in a down-flow, moving-bed gasifier. Catalyst is removed along with ash from the gasifier and is then sufficiently heated in a riser/burner by the combustion of residual carbon in the ash to volatilize the catalyst. This volatilized catalyst is returned to the gasifier where it uniformly contacts and condenses on the carbonaceous material. Also, the hot gaseous combustion products resulting from the combustion of the carbon in the ash along with excess air are introduced into the gasifier for providing heat energy used in the endothermic reaction.

  13. Oxygen reduction reaction of (C-PCTNB@CNTs): A nitrogen and phosphorus dual-doped carbon electro-catalyst derived from polyphosphazenes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dar, Sami Ullah; Ud Din, Muhammad Aizaz; Hameed, Muhammad Usman; Ali, Shafqat; Akram, Raheel; Wu, Zhanpeng; Wu, Dezhen

    2018-01-01

    This research describes the synthesis of a novel type of poly [cyclotriphosphazene-co-1,3,5-triol nitrobenzene] (PCTNB) microspheres with uniform size and diameter of more than 2 μm having well characterization. These microspheres are further used to wrap the CNTs by a facile route using template based non-covalent method to form PCTNB@CNTs composite. This composite is further well analyzed before it is subjected to pyrolysis. The direct carbonization of the PCTNB@CNTs is performed at 600 °C at a rate of 5 °C/min under N2 atmosphere to render the N, P, O doped carbonized PCTNB@CNTs having enhanced electronic features to be applied as an ORR electrocatalysts in fuel cells accompanied by TEM, XPS, Raman, FT-IR, TGA and BET analyses. Here, we have designed a metal-free, N, P, O doped (C-PCTNB@CNTs) electro-catalyst which exhibit significantly high ORR performance in acidic PEM cells showing much higher onset potential of (0.94 V) and half-wave potential of (0.85 V) with electron transfer number (n) 3.9 at 0.4-0.7 V as compared to other non-metallic electro-catalysts. Thus, (C-PCTNB@CNTs) is a metal-free, methanol tolerant carbon-based ORR catalyst, and it opens up new avenues for clean energy generation for affordable and durable fuel cells.

  14. THE THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT OF SUPPORTED METAL-COMPLEX CATALYSTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. L. Rakitskaya

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Some results of the investigations for the purpose of development of supported metal-complex catalysts for phosphine and carbon monoxide oxidation as well as for ozone decomposition are summarized. The activity of such catalysts has been found to depend not only on a nature of a central atom and ligands but also on a nature of supports. The theoretical model explaining mechanisms of surface complex formation taking into account the influence of physicochemical and structural-adsorption properties of the supports (SiO2, Al2O3, carbon materials, zeolites, dispersed silicas, lamellar aluminosilicates, etc. has been proposed. For quantitative description of the support effect, such a thermodynamic parameter as the adsorbed water activity assignable with the help of water vapor adsorption isotherms has been introduced. Successive stability constants of the surface metal complexes have been calculated by the kinetic method and, hence, compositions and partial catalytic activity of the latter have been determined. Taking into account the competitive adsorption of metal ions on the supports, some schemes of formation of surface bimetallic complexes have been suggested. The compositions of the supported metal-complex catalysts have been optimized to meet requirements of their use in respirators and plants for air purification from foregoing gaseous toxicants.

  15. One-step liquid phase chemical method to prepare carbon-based amorphous molybdenum sulfides: As the effective hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Mengmeng; Wu, Qikang; Yu, Miaomiao; Wang, Yinling; Li, Maoguo

    2017-01-01

    Two different kinds of carbon-based amorphous molybdenum sulfide composite catalysts (activated carbon supported amorphous molybdenum sulfide and acetylene black supported amorphous molybdenum sulfide) had been prepared in a facile and scalable one-step liquid phase chemical method. The morphological and structural information of catalysts was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and it’s electro-catalytic HER activity were evaluated by linear sweep voltammetry(LSV), amperometric i-t technology and AC impedance technology. The as-prepared carbon-based amorphous molybdenum sulfides showed greatly enhanced electro-catalytic activity for HER compared with pure amorphous molybdenum sulfides. Especially, the nano-sized acetylene black supported molybdenum sulfide exhibited excellent electro-catalytic HER performances with a low onset potential of −116 mV versus reverse hydrogen electrode (RHE) and a small Tafel slope of 51 mV per decade.

  16. Freestanding bucky paper with high strength from multi-wall carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Zhonglai; Xu, Ju; O'Byrne, Justin P.; Chen, Lan; Wang, Kaixue; Morris, Michael A.; Holmes, Justin D.

    2012-01-01

    Bucky papers have been investigated by some research groups, however, due to different qualities of carbon nanotubes used, various results of strength and electronic properties were reported in the literatures. In this article, the effects of carbon nanotubes synthesized over different catalysts on the qualities of bucky papers were systemically investigated. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes were synthesized over a series of MgO supported catalysts with different weight ratios of Mo and Co. As the ratios of Mo/Co in the catalysts were increased from 0 to 3, the yields of carbon nanotubes were enhanced from 7 wt% to 400 wt%. However, the yield enhancement of carbon nanotubes was achieved at the expense of higher proportion of structural defects within carbon nanotubes, which has been proved by Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetry analysis. It was demonstrated that the tensile strength of bucky paper composed of numerous MCNTs bundles strongly depends on the structure of carbon nanotubes used. By optimizing reaction conditions, a bucky paper with high strain up to 15.36 MPa and electrical conductivity of 61.17 S cm −1 was obtained by Supercritical Fluid (SCF) drying technique. -- Highlights: ► Multi-wall carbon nanotube bucky paper. ► Structural defects of carbon nanotubes. ► CoMo catalyst. ► Tensile strength of bucky paper.

  17. Low platinum catalyst and method of preparation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Di-Jia; Chong, Lina

    2017-11-21

    A low platinum catalyst and method for making same. The catalyst comprises platinum-transition metal bimetallic alloy microcrystallites over a transition metal-nitrogen-carbon composite. A method of making a catalyst comprises preparation of transition metal organic frameworks, infusion of platinum, thermal treatment, and reduction to form the microcrystallites and composite.

  18. Growth of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes with metallic chirality through faceted FePt-Au catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohashi, Toshiyuki; Iwama, Hiroki; Shima, Toshiyuki

    2016-02-01

    Direct synthesis of vertically aligned metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes (m-SWCNT forests) is a difficult challenge. We have successfully synthesized m-SWCNT forests using faceted iron platinum-gold catalysts epitaxially grown on a single crystalline magnesium oxide substrate. The metallic content of the forests estimated by Raman spectroscopy reaches 90%. From the standpoint of growth rate of the forests, the growth mechanism is probably based on the catalyst of solid state. It is suggested that preferential growth of m-SWCNTs is achieved when both factors are satisfied, namely, {111} dominant octahedral facet and ideal size (fine particles) of FePt particles.

  19. Iron-tellurium-selenium mixed oxide catalysts for the selective oxidation of propylene to acrolein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, B.M.; Price, G.L.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports on iron-tellurium-selenium mixed oxide catalysts prepared by coprecipitation from aqueous solution investigated for the propylene to acrolein reaction in the temperature range 543-773 K. Infrared spectroscopy, electron dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction, and isotopic tracer techniques have also been employed to characterize this catalytic system. Properties of the Fe-Te-Se mixed oxide catalysts have been compared with Fe-Te mixed oxides in an effort to deduce the functionality of Se. The selenium in the Fe-Te-Se-O catalyst has been found to be the hydrocarbon activating site. The activation energies for the acrolein and carbon dioxide formation are 71 and 54 kJ/mol, respectively. Reactions carried out with 18 O 2 have shown lattice oxygen to be primarily responsible for the formation of both acrolein and carbon dioxide. The initial and rate-determining step for acrolein formation is hydrogen abstraction as determined by an isotope effect associated with the C 3 D 6 reaction. No isotope effect is observed for carbon dioxide formation from C 3 D 6 suggesting that CO 2 is formed by parallel, not consecutive, oxidation of propylene

  20. Life Support Catalyst Regeneration Using Ionic Liquids and In Situ Resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abney, Morgan B.; Karr, Laurel; Paley, Mark S.; Donovan, David N.

    2016-01-01

    Oxygen recovery from metabolic carbon dioxide is an enabling capability for long-duration manned space flight. Complete recovery of oxygen (100%) involves the production of solid carbon. Catalytic approaches for this purpose, such as Bosch technology, have been limited in trade analyses due in part to the mass penalty for high catalyst resupply caused by carbon fouling of the iron or nickel catalyst. In an effort to mitigate this challenge, several technology approaches have been proposed. These approaches have included methods to prolong the life of the catalysts by increasing the total carbon mass loading per mass catalyst, methods for simplified catalyst introduction and removal to limit the resupply container mass, methods of using in situ resources, and methods to regenerate catalyst material. Research and development into these methods is ongoing, but only use of in situ resources and/or complete regeneration of catalyst material has the potential to entirely eliminate the need for resupply. The use of ionic liquids provides an opportunity to combine these methods in a technology approach designed to eliminate the need for resupply of oxygen recovery catalyst. Here we describe the results of an initial feasibility study using ionic liquids and in situ resources for life support catalyst regeneration, we discuss the key challenges with the approach, and we propose future efforts to advance the technology.

  1. Ionic liquids as transesterification catalysts: applications for the synthesis of linear and cyclic organic carbonates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurizio Selva

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The use of ionic liquids (ILs as organocatalysts is reviewed for transesterification reactions, specifically for the conversion of nontoxic compounds such as dialkyl carbonates to both linear mono-transesterification products or alkylene carbonates. An introductory survey compares pros and cons of classic catalysts based on both acidic and basic systems, to ionic liquids. Then, innovative green syntheses of task-specific ILs and their representative applications are introduced to detail the efficiency and highly selective outcome of ILs-catalyzed transesterification reactions. A mechanistic hypothesis is discussed by the concept of cooperative catalysis based on the dual (electrophilic/nucleophilic activation of reactants.

  2. Growth of carbon nanoflowers on glass slides using sparked iron as a catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thongtem, Somchai; Singjai, Pisith; Thongtem, Titipun; Preyachoti, Suksawat

    2006-01-01

    Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grown on glass slides using iron as a catalyst. By using 6 kV voltage, iron wire with 0.5 mm in diameter was sparked for 1, 2, 10 and 100 times to form iron dots/islands on the slides. CNTs were subsequently grown in a gas mixture of 10 ml/s Ar and 0.1 ml/s C 2 H 2 at a temperature range of 700-900 K for 300 s (5 min). In scanning and transmission electron microscopies, the CNTs grown on iron dots appear like flowers composed of carbon with hexagonal structure. In addition, the effects of oxide and gold sputtering on the growth of CNTs were studied. Both have no major influence on the growth

  3. [Study on influence between activated carbon property and immobilized biological activated carbon purification effect].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guang-zhi; Li, Wei-guang; He, Wen-jie; Han, Hong-da; Ding, Chi; Ma, Xiao-na; Qu, Yan-ming

    2006-10-01

    By means of immobilizing five kinds of activated carbon, we studied the influence between the chief activated carbon property items and immobilized bioactivated carbon (IBAC) purification effect with the correlation analysis. The result shows that the activated carbon property items which the correlation coefficient is up 0.7 include molasses, abrasion number, hardness, tannin, uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter; the activated carbon property items which the correlation coefficient is up 0.5 include pH, iodine, butane and tetrachloride. In succession, the partial correlation analysis shows that activated carbon property items mostly influencing on IBAC purification effect include molasses, hardness, abrasion number, uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter. The causation of these property items bringing influence on IBAC purification is that the activated carbon holes distribution (representative activated carbon property item is molasses) provides inhabitable location and adjust food for the dominance bacteria; the mechanical resist-crash property of activated carbon (representative activated carbon property items: abrasion number and hardness) have influence on the stability of biofilm; and the particle diameter size and distribution of activated carbon (representative activated carbon property items: uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter) can directly affect the force of water in IBAC filter bed, which brings influence on the dominance bacteria immobilizing on activated carbon.

  4. Hydrogen production via reforming of biogas over nanostructured Ni/Y catalyst: Effect of ultrasound irradiation and Ni-content on catalyst properties and performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharifi, Mahdi [Chemical Engineering Faculty, Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Reactor and Catalysis Research Center (RCRC), Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Haghighi, Mohammad, E-mail: haghighi@sut.ac.ir [Chemical Engineering Faculty, Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Reactor and Catalysis Research Center (RCRC), Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Abdollahifar, Mozaffar [Chemical Engineering Faculty, Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Reactor and Catalysis Research Center (RCRC), Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2014-12-15

    Highlights: • Synthesis of nanostructured Ni/Y catalyst by sonochemical and impregnation methods. • Enhancement of size distribution and active phase dispersion by employing sonochemical method. • Evaluation of biogas reforming over Ni/Y catalyst with different Ni-loadings. • Preparation of highly active and stable catalyst with low Ni content for biogas reforming. • Getting H{sub 2}/CO very close to equilibrium ratio by employing sonochemical method. - Abstract: The effect of ultrasound irradiation and various Ni-loadings on dispersion of active phase over zeolite Y were evaluated in biogas reforming for hydrogen production. X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, Fourier transform infrared analysis and TEM analysis were employed to observe the characteristics of nanostructured catalysts. The characterizations implied that utilization of ultrasound irradiation enhanced catalyst physicochemical properties including high dispersion of Ni on support, smallest particles size and high catalyst surface area. The reforming reactions were carried out at GHSV = 24 l/g.h, P = 1 atm, CH{sub 4}/CO{sub 2} = 1 and temperature range of 550–850 °C. Activity test displayed that ultrasound irradiated Ni(5 wt.%)/Y had the best performance and the activity remained stable during 600 min. Furthermore, the proposed reaction mechanism showed that there are three major reaction channels in biogas reforming.

  5. Alkali resistant Ni-loaded yolk-shell catalysts for direct internal reforming in molten carbonate fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Won-Jun; Hong, Young Jun; Kim, Hak-Min; Shim, Jae-Oh; Roh, Hyun-Seog; Kang, Yun Chan

    2017-06-01

    A facile and scalable spray pyrolysis process is applied to synthesize multi-shelled Ni-loaded yolk-shell catalysts on various supports (Al2O3, CeO2, ZrO2, and La(OH)3). The prepared catalysts are applied to direct internal reforming (DIR) in a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC). Even on exposure to alkali hydroxide vapors, the Ni-loaded yolk-shell catalysts remain highly active for DIR-MCFCs. The Ni@Al2O3 microspheres show the highest conversion (92%) of CH4 and the best stability among the prepared Ni-loaded yolk-shell catalysts. Although the initial CH4 conversion of the Ni@ZrO2 microspheres is higher than that of the Ni@CeO2 microspheres, the Ni@CeO2 microspheres are more stable. The catalytic performance is strongly dependent on the surface area and acidity and also partly dependent on the reducibility. The acidic nature of Al2O3 combined with its high surface area and yolk-shell structure enhances the adsorption of CH4 and resistance against alkali poisoning, resulting in efficient DIR-MCFC reactions.

  6. Effect of thermal treatment conditions on properties of vanadium molybdenum oxide catalyst in acrolein oxidation reaction to acrylic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorshkova, T.P.; Tarasova, D.V.; Olen'kova, I.P.; Andrushkevich, T.V.; Nikoro, T.A.

    1984-01-01

    The effect of thermal treatment conditions (temperature and gas medium) on properties of vanadium molybdenum oxide catalyst in acrolein oxidation reaction to acrylic acid is investigated. It is shown that active and selective catalysts are formed in the course of thermal decomposition of the drying product of ammonium metavanadate and paramolybdate under the conditions ensuring the vanadium ion reduction up to tetravalent state with conservation of molybdenum oxidation degree equal to 6. It is possible to realize it either by treatment of the catalyst calcinated in the air flow at 300 deg by the reaction mixture at the activation stage or by gas-reducer flow treatment at 280 deg. Thermal treatment in the reducing medium of the oxidized catalyst does not lead to complete regeneration of its properties

  7. Metal-Doped Nitrogenated Carbon as an Efficient Catalyst for Direct CO2 Electroreduction to CO and Hydrocarbons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varela, Ana Sofia; Ranjbar Sahraie, Nastaran; Steinberg, Julian; Ju, Wen; Oh, Hyung-Suk; Strasser, Peter

    2015-09-07

    This study explores the kinetics, mechanism, and active sites of the CO2 electroreduction reaction (CO2RR) to syngas and hydrocarbons on a class of functionalized solid carbon-based catalysts. Commercial carbon blacks were functionalized with nitrogen and Fe and/or Mn ions using pyrolysis and acid leaching. The resulting solid powder catalysts were found to be active and highly CO selective electrocatalysts in the electroreduction of CO2 to CO/H2 mixtures outperforming a low-area polycrystalline gold benchmark. Unspecific with respect to the nature of the metal, CO production is believed to occur on nitrogen functionalities in competition with hydrogen evolution. Evidence is provided that sufficiently strong interaction between CO and the metal enables the protonation of CO and the formation of hydrocarbons. Our results highlight a promising new class of low-cost, abundant electrocatalysts for synthetic fuel production from CO2 . © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Ni-CeO2/C Catalysts with Enhanced OSC for the WGS Reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Pastor-Pérez

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In this work, the WGS performance of a conventional Ni/CeO2 bulk catalyst is compared to that of a carbon-supported Ni-CeO2 catalyst. The carbon-supported sample resulted to be much more active than the bulk one. The higher activity of the Ni-CeO2/C catalyst is associated to its oxygen storage capacity, a parameter that strongly influences the WGS behavior. The stability of the carbon-supported catalyst under realistic operation conditions is also a subject of this paper. In summary, our study represents an approach towards a new generation of Ni-ceria based catalyst for the pure hydrogen production via WGS. The dispersion of ceria nanoparticles on an activated carbon support drives to improved catalytic skills with a considerable reduction of the amount of ceria in the catalyst formulation.

  9. Relating FTS Catalyst Properties to Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Wenping; Ramana Rao Pendyala, Venkat; Gao, Pei; Jermwongratanachai, Thani; Jacobs, Gary; Davis, Burton H.

    2016-01-01

    During the reporting period June 23, 2011 to August 31, 2013, CAER researchers carried out research in two areas of fundamental importance to the topic of cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS): promoters and stability. The first area was research into possible substitute promoters that might be used to replace the expensive promoters (e.g., Pt, Re, and Ru) that are commonly used. To that end, three separate investigations were carried out. Due to the strong support interaction of ?-Al2O3 with cobalt, metal promoters are commonly added to commercial FTS catalysts to facilitate the reduction of cobalt oxides and thereby boost active surface cobalt metal sites. To date, the metal promoters examined have been those up to and including Group 11. Because two Group 11 promoters (i.e., Ag and Au) were identified to exhibit positive impacts on conversion, selectivity, or both, research was undertaken to explore metals in Groups 12 - 14. The three metals selected for this purpose were Cd, In, and Sn. At a higher loading of 25%Co on alumina, 1% addition of Cd, In, or Sn was found to-on average-facilitate reduction by promoting a heterogeneous distribution of cobalt consisting of larger lesser interacting cobalt clusters and smaller strongly interacting cobalt species. The lesser interacting species were identified in TPR profiles, where a sharp low temperature peak occurred for the reduction of larger, weakly interacting, CoO species. In XANES, the Cd, In, and Sn promoters were found to exist as oxides, whereas typical promoters (e.g., Re, Ru, Pt) were previously determined to exist in an metallic state in atomic coordination with cobalt. The larger cobalt clusters significantly decreased the active site density relative to the unpromoted 25%Co/Al2O3 catalyst. Decreasing the cobalt loading to 15%Co eliminated the large non-interacting species. The TPR peak for reduction of strongly interacting CoO in the Cd promoted catalyst occurred at a measurably lower temperature

  10. Photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction with rhodium-based catalysts in solution and heterogenized within metal-organic frameworks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambers, Matthew B; Wang, Xia; Elgrishi, Noémie; Hendon, Christopher H; Walsh, Aron; Bonnefoy, Jonathan; Canivet, Jérôme; Quadrelli, Elsje Alessandra; Farrusseng, David; Mellot-Draznieks, Caroline; Fontecave, Marc

    2015-02-01

    The first photosensitization of a rhodium-based catalytic system for CO2 reduction is reported, with formate as the sole carbon-containing product. Formate has wide industrial applications and is seen as valuable within fuel cell technologies as well as an interesting H2 -storage compound. Heterogenization of molecular rhodium catalysts is accomplished via the synthesis, post-synthetic linker exchange, and characterization of a new metal-organic framework (MOF) Cp*Rh@UiO-67. While the catalytic activities of the homogeneous and heterogeneous systems are found to be comparable, the MOF-based system is more stable and selective. Furthermore it can be recycled without loss of activity. For formate production, an optimal catalyst loading of ∼10 % molar Rh incorporation is determined. Increased incorporation of rhodium catalyst favors thermal decomposition of formate into H2 . There is no precedent for a MOF catalyzing the latter reaction so far. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Improved capacitance characteristics of electrospun ACFs by pore size control and vanadium catalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Ji Sun; Woo, Sang-Wook; Jung, Min-Jung; Lee, Young-Seak

    2008-11-01

    Nano-sized carbon fibers were prepared by using electrospinning, and their electrochemical properties were investigated as a possible electrode material for use as an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC). To improve the electrode capacitance of EDLC, we implemented a three-step optimization. First, metal catalyst was introduced into the carbon fibers due to the excellent conductivity of metal. Vanadium pentoxide was used because it could be converted to vanadium for improved conductivity as the pore structure develops during the carbonization step. Vanadium catalyst was well dispersed in the carbon fibers, improving the capacitance of the electrode. Second, pore-size development was manipulated to obtain small mesopore sizes ranging from 2 to 5 nm. Through chemical activation, carbon fibers with controlled pore sizes were prepared with a high specific surface and pore volume, and their pore structure was investigated by using a BET apparatus. Finally, polyacrylonitrile was used as a carbon precursor to enrich for nitrogen content in the final product because nitrogen is known to improve electrode capacitance. Ultimately, the electrospun activated carbon fibers containing vanadium show improved functionality in charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry, and specific capacitance compared with other samples because of an optimal combination of vanadium, nitrogen, and fixed pore structures.

  12. A study on the properties of blended regenerated spent catalyst and cement sandcrete blocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amissah, Emmanuel Kofi

    2016-07-01

    Sandcrete is widely used as building material. Its properties greatly depend on the properties and proportions of its constituents. The main binder material to produce sandcrete is the Portland cement. The uncertainty about future availability of commonly used Portland materials concomitantly with the environmental problems such as greenhouse gases emissions and high cost of clinker consumption are highlighting the need of identifying other materials for the construction industry, which will aid in minimizing the clinker consumption and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and cost in the production of cement. The purpose of this study is to examine the properties of sandcrete blocks produced with blended Regenerated Spent Catalyst and cement. In this work, two different series of sandcrete mixtures in which cement was partially replaced with Regenerated Spent Catalyst(RSC) within the range of 5% to 20% (by mass) with an increment of 5%. 100% cement sandcrete was also prepared as reference sandcrete. The physical properties studied were compressive strength, water absorption and setting time. Chemical property studied was chloride content. Comparison of data between the control and that of cement with additives were made. The results obtained in this study clearly indicated that substituting Portland cement up to 20wt. % RSC gave sandcrete strengths higher than the 32.5N/mm 2 , which corresponds to that of Portland cement. The replacement of Portland cement with 10 wt. % of RSC gave the highest strength of 34.0 N/mm 2 . Thus, Regenerated Spent Catalyst may be utilized as effective mineral additive for designing durable sandcrete structures. The optimum amount of RSC recommended to be added as an additive to the Portland cement is 10%. (au)

  13. Adsorption and desorption of hydrogen and carbon monoxide were studied on alumina-supported iridium catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Etherton, B.P.

    1980-01-01

    The adsorption and desorption of hydrogen and carbon monoxide were studied on alumina-supported iridium catalysts which were examined by a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). The metal particle size and number of particles per area of catalyst increased with increasing metal loading. The particles were approx. 10 A. in diameter, cubo-octahedral shaped, and approx. 80-90% disperse. The STEM electron beam caused negligible damage to the samples. Hydrogen adsorption measurements showed that the hydrogen-iridium atom ratio was 1.2:1-1.3:1 and increased with decreasing metal loading. Temperature-programed desorption showed four types of adsorbed hydrogen desorbing at -90/sup 0/C (I), 15/sup 0/C (IV), 115/sup 0/C (II), and 245/sup 0/C (III). Types II and IV desorb from single atom sites and Types I and III from multiple atom sites. Type I is in rapid equilibrium with the gas phase. All desorption processes appear to be first order. Carbon monoxide adsorbed nondissociatively at 25/sup 0/C with approx. 0.7:1 CO/Ir atom ratio. It adsorbed primarily in linear forms at low coverage, but a bridged form appeared at high coverage.

  14. Sabatier Catalyst Poisoning Investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nallette, Tim; Perry, Jay; Abney, Morgan; Knox, Jim; Goldblatt, Loel

    2013-01-01

    The Carbon Dioxide Reduction Assembly (CRA) on the International Space Station (ISS) has been operational since 2010. The CRA uses a Sabatier reactor to produce water and methane by reaction of the metabolic CO2 scrubbed from the cabin air and the hydrogen byproduct from the water electrolysis system used for metabolic oxygen generation. Incorporating the CRA into the overall air revitalization system has facilitated life support system loop closure on the ISS reducing resupply logistics and thereby enhancing longer term missions. The CRA utilizes CO2 which has been adsorbed in a 5A molecular sieve within the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly, CDRA. There is a potential of compounds with molecular dimensions similar to, or less than CO2 to also be adsorbed. In this fashion trace contaminants may be concentrated within the CDRA and subsequently desorbed with the CO2 to the CRA. Currently, there is no provision to remove contaminants prior to entering the Sabatier catalyst bed. The risk associated with this is potential catalyst degradation due to trace organic contaminants in the CRA carbon dioxide feed acting as catalyst poisons. To better understand this risk, United Technologies Aerospace System (UTAS) has teamed with MSFC to investigate the impact of various trace contaminants on the CRA catalyst performance at relative ISS cabin air concentrations and at about 200/400 times of ISS concentrations, representative of the potential concentrating effect of the CDRA molecular sieve. This paper summarizes our initial assessment results.

  15. From ionic liquid-modified cellulose nanowhiskers to highly active metal-free nanostructured carbon catalysts for the hydrazine oxidation reaction

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Fragal, E.H.; Fragal, V.H.; Huang, X.; Martins, A.C.; Cellet, T.S.P.; Pereira, G.M.; Mikmeková, Eliška; Rubira, A.F.; Silva, R.; Asefa, T.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 5, č. 3 (2017), s. 1066-1077 ISSN 2050-7488 Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : carbonization * catalysts Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 8.867, year: 2016

  16. Methanol conversion to hydrocarbons using modified clinoptilolite catalysts. Investigation of catalyst lifetime and reactivation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hutchings, G J; Themistocleous, T; Copperthwaite, R G

    1988-10-17

    A study of the deactivation and reactivation of modified clinoptilolite catalysts for methanol conversion to hydrocarbons is reported. Clinoptilolite catalysts, modified by either ammonium ion exchange or hydrochloric acid treatment, exhibit a short useful catalyst lifetime for this reaction (ca. 2-3 h) due to a high rate of coke deposition (3-5.10/sup -3/ g carbon/g catalyst/h). A comparative study of reactivation using oxygen, nitrous oxide and ozone/oxygen as oxidants indicated that nitrous oxide reactivation gives improved catalytic performance when compared to the activity and lifetime of the fresh catalyst. Both oxygen and ozone/oxygen were found to be ineffective for the reactivation of clinoptilolite. Initial studies of in situ on-line reactivation are also described. 3 figs., 15 refs., 4 tabs.

  17. Electrically conductive aluminum oxide thin film used as cobalt catalyst-support layer in vertically aligned carbon nanotube growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azam, Mohd Asyadi; Ismail, Syahriza; Mohamad, Noraiham; Isomura, Kazuki; Shimoda, Tatsuya

    2015-01-01

    This paper will present the unique characteristics of aluminum oxide (Al–O) and cobalt catalyst included in aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) electrode system of energy storage device, namely electrochemical capacitor. Electrical conductivity and nanostructure of the thermally oxidized Al–O used as catalyst-support layer in vertically grown single-walled CNTs were studied. Al–O films were characterized by means of current–voltage measurement and high resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis. The Al–O support layer was found to be conductive, with a relatively low resistance and, approximately 20 nm film thickness of Al–O is suggested to be too thin to form insulating barrier. The scanning TEM—annular dark field analysis confirmed that the nanosized cobalt catalyst particles distributed on Al–O surfaces and also embedded inside the Al–O film structure. (paper)

  18. An efficient fabrication of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on flexible aluminum foils by catalyst-supported chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshikawa, Naoki; Kishi, Naoki; Sugai, Toshiki; Shinohara, Hisanori; Asari, Takuma; Hayashi, Shigeo

    2008-01-01

    An efficient and versatile growth of thin-layer carbon nanotubes on a flexible aluminum foil (for kitchen use) by catalyst-supported chemical vapor deposition is reported. The aluminum foil used in the present experiment is commercially available for kitchen use. The electron-beam vapor deposition and dip-coating have been used for preparing catalysts on the aluminum foil. Vertically aligned thin-layer CNTs with typical diameters of 2.5-6.0 nm and lengths up to 90 μm are obtained when ethanol is used in combination with Fe and Co catalyst particles at a growth temperature of around 650 deg. C under an Ar/H 2 gas flow. Thermo-gravimetric analyses together with HR-TEM observations indicate that the purity of the CNTs synthesized by the current technique is very high

  19. Density controlled carbon nanotube array electrodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Zhifeng F [Newton, MA; Tu, Yi [Belmont, MA

    2008-12-16

    CNT materials comprising aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with pre-determined site densities, catalyst substrate materials for obtaining them and methods for forming aligned CNTs with controllable densities on such catalyst substrate materials are described. The fabrication of films comprising site-density controlled vertically aligned CNT arrays of the invention with variable field emission characteristics, whereby the field emission properties of the films are controlled by independently varying the length of CNTs in the aligned array within the film or by independently varying inter-tubule spacing of the CNTs within the array (site density) are disclosed. The fabrication of microelectrode arrays (MEAs) formed utilizing the carbon nanotube material of the invention is also described.

  20. Influence of Chemical and Physical Properties of Activated Carbon Powders on Oxygen Reduction and Microbial Fuel Cell Performance

    KAUST Repository

    Watson, Valerie J.; Nieto Delgado, Cesar; Logan, Bruce E.

    2013-01-01

    Commercially available activated carbon (AC) powders made from different precursor materials (coal, peat, coconut shell, hardwood, and phenolic resin) were electrochemically evaluated as oxygen reduction catalysts and tested as cathode catalysts

  1. Tailoring the properties of Platinum supported catalysts by irreversible adsorbed adatoms toward ethanol oxidation for direct ethanol fuel cells

    OpenAIRE

    Costa Figueiredo, Marta; Santasalo-Aarnio, A.; Vidal-Iglesias, F.J.; Solla-Gullón, J.; Feliu, J.M.; Kontturi, K.; Kallio, T.

    2013-01-01

    In this work ethanol oxidation on carbon supported Pt catalysts modified with irreversibly adsorbed adatoms is reported. This study concerns understanding of the effect of a second metal on real catalysts in conditions as close as possible to those applied in fuel cells systems. The results were acquired using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and in situ infra-red techniques always taking into account the future application of the electrocatalyst materials in fuel cells. Foreign adatoms,...

  2. Esterification of fatty acids using sulfated zirconia and composites activated carbon/sulfated zirconia catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brum, Sarah S.; Santos, Valeria C. dos; Destro, Priscila; Guerreiro, Mario Cesar

    2011-01-01

    In this work sulfated zirconia (SZr) and activated carbon/SZr composites produced by impregnation method with or without heating treatment step (CABC/SZr-I and CABC/SZr-I SC) and by the method of synthesis of SZr on the carbon (CABC/SZr-S) was used as catalysts in the esterification reactions of fatty acids. The SZr presented very active, conversions higher than 90% were obtained after 2 h of reaction. The activity of the composite CABC/SZr-I20%SC was up to 92%, however, this was directly related to time and temperature reactions. CABC/SZr-I and CABC/SZr-S were less active in esterification reactions, what could be attributed to its low acidity. (author)

  3. Comparison study of catalyst nanoparticle formation and carbon nanotube growth: Support effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yunyu; Luo Zhiquan; Li Bin; Ho, Paul S.; Yao Zhen; Shi Li; Bryan, Eugene N.; Nemanich, Robert J.

    2007-01-01

    A comparison study has been conducted on the formation of catalyst nanoparticles on a high surface tension metal and low surface tension oxide for carbon nanotube (CNT) growth via catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD). Silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and tantalum have been deposited as supporting layers before deposition of a thin layer of iron catalyst. Iron nanoparticles were formed after thermal annealing. It was found that densities, size distributions, and morphologies of iron nanoparticles were distinctly different on the two supporting layers. In particular, iron nanoparticles revealed a Volmer-Weber growth mode on SiO 2 and a Stranski-Krastanov mode on tantalum. CCVD growth of CNTs was conducted on iron/tantalum and iron/SiO 2 . CNT growth on SiO 2 exhibited a tip growth mode with a slow growth rate of less than 100 nm/min. In contrast, the growth on tantalum followed a base growth mode with a fast growth rate exceeding 1 μm/min. For comparison, plasma enhanced CVD was also employed for CNT growth on SiO 2 and showed a base growth mode with a growth rate greater than 2 μm/min. The enhanced CNT growth rate on tantalum was attributed to the morphologies of iron nanoparticles in combination with the presence of an iron wetting layer. The CNT growth mode was affected by the adhesion between the catalyst and support as well as CVD process

  4. ZIF-67 incorporated with carbon derived from pomelo peels: A highly efficient bifunctional catalyst for oxygen reduction/evolution reactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Hao; Yin, Feng-Xiang; Chen, Biao-Hua; He, Xiao-Bo; Lv, Peng-Liang; Ye, Cai-Yun; Liu, Di-Jia

    2017-05-01

    Developing carbon catalyst materials using natural, abundant and renewable resources as precursors plays an increasingly important role in clean energy generation and environmental protection. In this work, N-doped pomelo-peel-derived carbon (NPC) materials were prepared using a widely available food waste-pomelo peels and melamine. The synthetic NPC exhibits well-defined porosities and a highly doped-N content (e.g. 6.38 at% for NPC-2), therefore affords excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalytic activities in alkaline electrolytes. NPC was further integrated with ZIF-67 to form ZIF-67@NPC hybrids through solvothermal reactions. The hybrid catalysts show substantially enhanced ORR catalytic activities comparable to that of commercial 20 wa Pt/C. Furthermore, the catalysts also exhibit excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic activities. Among all prepared ZIF-67@NPC hybrids, the optimal composition with ZIF-67 to NPC ratio of 2:1 exhibits the best ORR and OER bifunctional catalytic performance and the smallest Delta E (E-OER@10 mA cm(-2)-E-ORR@-1 mA cm(-2)) value of 0.79 V. The catalyst also demonstrated desirable 4-electron transfer pathways and superior catalytic stabilities. The Co-N-4 in ZIF-67, electrochemical active surface area, and the strong interactions between ZIF-67 and NPC are attributed as the main contributors to the bifunctional catalytic activities. These factors act synergistically, resulting in substantially enhanced bifunctional catalytic activities and stabilities; consequently, this hybrid catalyst is among the best of the reported bifunctional electrocatalysts and is promising for use in metal-air batteries and fuel cells. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Ammonia and water sorption properties of the mineral-layered nanomaterials used as the catalysts for NOx removal from exhaust gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olszewska, D.

    2006-01-01

    The object of the study is the influence of acidity and hydrophilic properties of the surface of catalyst of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides by NH 3 . A series of catalysts prepared with the ZrO 2 -pillared montmorillonite from Jelsovy Potok have been promoted with manganese oxides. A part of the Na + -montmorillonite form has provisionally been treated with the 20% HCl. The acidity of materials was studied by the ammonia adsorption method at the temperature of 273 and 373K. Acidic properties of catalysts depend on the step of the support preparation-the acidic activation. The activity of the SCR reaction of acid untreated support and the catalyst with MnO x which had few stronger acid centres was lower than the activity of the acid pre-treated catalyst. In this case the support had more strong acid centres. The active material of MnO x increased the NO conversion but not the influence on the amount of ammonia sorption. These centres are probably not acidic centers. The hydrophilic properties were studied by water vapour sorption at the temperature of 298K. All the samples adsorbed the same amount of water, which suggests that the NO conversion does not influence hydrophilic properties. Water molecules were physically sorbed on the surface of materials and they were replaced with NH 3 in the presence of ammonia. (author)

  6. Carbon filter property detection with thermal neutron technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng Zhongbo; Han Jun; Li Wenjie

    2003-01-01

    The paper discussed the mechanism that the antigas property of the carbon filter will decrease because of its carbon bed absorbing water from the air while the carbon filter is being stored, and introduced the principle and method of detection the amount of water absorption with thermal neutron technique. Because some certain relation between the antigas property of the carbon filter and the amount of water absorption exists, the decrease degree of the carbon filter antigas property can be estimated through the amount of water absorption, offering a practicable facility technical pathway to quickly non-destructively detect the carbon filter antigas property

  7. Effects of γ- and x-irradiation upon activity and selectivity of a supported silver catalyst in the oxidation of ethylene and carbon monoxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mora Vallejo, R.J.

    1975-01-01

    Effects of γ and x-radiation on catalytic selectivity of supported silver catalysts for production of ethylene oxide via ethylene oxidation were compared by determination of radio-induced changes in conversion-yield profiles. Influence of photon energy on the kinetics of the irradiation process was studied by determination of conversion-yield profiles, using samples of catalyst exposed to x-rays of different mean photon energy and γ-rays for different cumulative periods of time. The effect of γ-radiation on catalytic activity of the same silver catalysts for carbon monoxide oxidation was analyzed by determination of the reaction kinetics before and after catalyst irradiation

  8. The Electrochemical Performance and Durability of Carbon Supported Pt Catalyst in Contact with Aqueous and Polymeric Proton Conductors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Shuang Ma; Skou, Eivind Morten

    2014-01-01

    Significant differences in catalyst performance and durability are often observed between the use of a liquid electrolyte (e.g. sulfuric acid), and a solid polymer electrolyte (e.g. Nafion®). To understand this phenomenon, we studied the electrochemical behavior of a commercially available carbon...

  9. Microstructure, elastic and inelastic properties of partially graphitized biomorphic carbons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orlova, T. S.; Kardashev, B. K.; Smirnov, B. I.; Gutierrez-Pardo, A.; Ramirez-Rico, J.; Martinez-Fernandez, J.

    2015-03-01

    The microstructural characteristics and amplitude dependences of the Young's modulus E and internal friction (logarithmic decrement δ) of biocarbon matrices prepared by beech wood carbonization at temperatures T carb = 850-1600°C in the presence of a nickel-containing catalyst have been studied. Using X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, it has been shown that the use of a nickel catalyst during carbonization results in a partial graphitization of biocarbons at T carb ≥ 1000°C: the graphite phase is formed as 50- to 100-nm globules at T carb = 1000°C and as 0.5- to 3.0-μm globules at T carb = 1600°C. It has been found that the measured dependences E( T carb) and δ( T carb) contain three characteristic ranges of variations in the Young's modulus and logarithmic decrement with a change in the carbonization temperature: E increases and δ decreases in the ranges T carb 1300°C; in the range 1000 biocarbons carbonized in the presence of nickel correlates with the evolution of their microstructure. The largest values of E are obtained for samples with T carb = 1000 and 1600°C. However, the samples with T carb = 1600°C exhibit a higher susceptibility to microplasticity due to the presence of a globular graphite phase that is significantly larger in size and total volume.

  10. Production of perovskite catalysts on ceramic monoliths with nanoparticles for dual fuel system automobiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khanfekr, A.; Arzani, K.; Nemati, A.; Hosseini, M.

    2009-01-01

    (Lanthanum, Cerium)(Iron, Manganese, Cobalt, Palladium)(Oxygen) 3 ,-Perovskite catalyst was prepared by the citrate route and deposited on ceramic monoliths via dip coating procedure. The catalyst was applied on a car with X U 7 motors and the amount of emission was monitored with vehicle emission test systems in Sapco company. The results were compared with the imported catalyst with noble metals such as Palladium, Platinum and Rhodium by Iran Khodro company based on the Euro III standards. The catalysts were characterized by specific surface area measurements, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, line scan and map. In the results, obtained in the home made sample, the amount of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons were lower than imported catalyst with Iran Khodro company with nobel metals. The illustration shows nano particles size on coat. The microstructure evaluation showed that the improved properties can be related to the existence of nano particles on coating

  11. Study of (La, Ce)(Pd, Mn, Fe, Co) O3-Perovskite catalysts characterization with nanoparticles produced by compressor and vacuum until 20/000 km and comparison with imported catalyst of Iran Khodro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khanfekr, A.; Arzani, K.; Nemati, A.; Hossaini, M.

    2009-01-01

    (La,Ce)(Pd,Mn,Fe,Co)O 3 - Perovskite catalyst was prepared by the citrate route and deposited on ceramic monoliths via dip coating procedure by compressor and vacuum method. The catalyst was applied on Rd car with XU7 motors model and the amount of emission was monitored with vehicle emission test systems in Sapco Company after 10000 and 20/000 Km. The results indicate low emission in catalyst with vacuum method and were compared with the imported catalyst with noble metals such as Palladium, Platinum and Rhodium by Iran Khodro Company b ased on the Euro III standards . The catalysts were characterized by specific surface area measurements, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, line scan and map. In the results indicated in the home made sample, the amount of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons were lower than imported catalyst with Iran Khodro company with nobel metals. The illustration shows Nano Particles size on coat. The microstructure evaluation showed that the improved properties can he related to the existence of nano particles on coating.

  12. Production of 4He in D2-Loaded Palladium-Carbon Catalyst I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clarke, W. Brian

    2003-01-01

    A series of lead vials of internal volume 1.0 cm 3 were charged with ∼200 mg of carbon catalyst containing 0.5% Pd and 0.4% Pd. The vials were clamped to stainless steel manifolds on a vacuum line, then pumped out and filled with high-purity H 2 or D 2 at a pressure of 152 cm Hg and a temperature of 23 deg. C. Several vials contained ordinary activated carbon instead of palladium-carbon, and some vials contained only H 2 or D 2 . All the vials were stored in a sandbox heated to ∼ 200 deg. C for times up to 45 days before mass spectrometer measurements of 3 He and 4 He were made. No evidence was found for the high concentrations of 4 He claimed in similar experiments by several other researchers. The upper limit for the concentration excess of 4 He in D 2 in vials containing palladium-carbon is 11 ppt (parts per trillion) at the 95% confidence level. This limit for 4 He may be compared with previous claims in similar experiments of 100 ppm (parts per million) by Case and 11 ppm by George and McKubre et al

  13. Synthesis and characterization of catalysts for the selective transformation of biomass-derived materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghampson, Isaac Tyrone

    The experimental work in this thesis focuses on generating catalysts for two intermediate processes related to the thermal conversion of lignocellulosic biomass: the synthesis and characterization of mesoporous silica supported cobalt catalysts for the Fischer-Tropsch reaction, and an exploration of the reactivity of bulk and supported molybdenum-based nitride catalysts for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol, a lignin model compound. The first section of the work details the synthesis of a series of silica-supported cobalt Fischer-Tropsch catalysts with pore diameters ranging from 2-23 nm. Detailed X-ray diffraction measurements were used to determine the composition and particle diameters of the metal fraction, analyzed as a three-phase system containing Cofcc, Cohcp and CoO particles. Catalyst properties were determined at three stages in catalyst history: (1) after the initial calcination step to thermally decompose the catalyst precursor into Co3O4, (2) after the hydrogen reduction step to activate the catalyst to Co and (3) after the FT reaction. From the study, it was observed that larger pore diameters supported higher turnover frequency; smaller pore diameters yielded larger mole fraction of CoO; XRD on post-reduction and post-FTS catalyst samples indicated significant changes in dispersivity after reduction. In the next section, the catalytic behaviors of unsupported, activated carbon-, alumina-, and SBA-15 mesoporous silica-supported molybdenum nitride catalysts were evaluated for the hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol (2-methoxy phenol) at 300°C and 5 MPa. The nitride catalysts were prepared by thermal decomposition of bulk and supported ammonium heptamolybdate to form MoO 3 followed by nitridation in either flowing ammonia or a nitrogen/hydrogen mixture. The catalytic properties were strongly affected by the nitriding and purging treatment as well as the physical and chemical properties of support. The overall reaction was influenced by the

  14. Organoactinides-new type of catalysts for carbon-silicon bond formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dash, Aswini K.; Wang, Ji.Q.; Wang, Jiaxi; Gourevich, Ilya; Eisen, Moris S.

    2002-01-01

    Organoactinide complexes of the type Cp 2 * AnMe 2 (An=Th, U) have been found to be efficient catalysts for the hydrosilylation of terminal alkynes. The chemoselectivity and regiospecificity of the reactions depend strongly on the nature of the catalyst, the nature of the alkyne, the silane substituents, the ratio between the silane and alkyne, the solvent and the reaction temperature. The hydrosilylation reaction of the terminal alkynes with PhSiH 3 at room temperature produces the trans-vinylsilane as the major product along with the silylalkyne and the corresponding alkene. At higher temperatures the cis-vinylsilane and the double hydrosilylated alkene, in which the two silicon moieties are connected at the same carbon atom, are also obtained. Replacing the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligand by the bridge ligation [Me 2 SiCp'' 2 ] 2- 2[Li] + (Cp''=C 5 Me 4 ) affords the synthesis of ansa-Me 2 SiCp'' 2 ThBu 2 , which was found to react extremely fast for the hydrosilylation of terminal alkynes or alkenes with PhSiH 3 . Besides the rapidity of the processes using the bridge organoactinide, as compared to Cp * 2 ThMe 2 , the chemo- and regio-selectivity of the products were increased allowing the production of only the trans-vinylsilane and the 1-silylated alkane for the hydrosilylation of alkyne and alkene, respectively. (author)

  15. Mo-Co catalyst nanoparticles: Comparative study between TiN and Si surfaces for single-walled carbon nanotube growth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morant, C., E-mail: c.morant@uam.es [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, C-XII, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Campo, T. [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, C-XII, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Marquez, F. [School of Science and Technology, University of Turabo, 00778-PR (United States); Domingo, C. [Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC, Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Sanz, J.M.; Elizalde, E. [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, C-XII, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain)

    2012-06-01

    Highly pure single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) were synthesized by alcohol catalytic chemical vapor deposition on silicon substrates partially covered by a thin layer of TiN. The TiN coating selectively prevented the growth of carbon nanotubes. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of high purity vertically aligned SWNT in the Si region. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy indicated that Co nanoparticles are present on the Si regions, and not on the TiN regions. This clearly explains the obtained experimental results: the SWNT only grow where the Co is presented as nanoparticles, i.e. on the Si regions. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) ontained by catalytic chemical vapor-deposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Substrate/Co-Mo catalyst behaviour plays a key role in the SWNT growth. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Co nanoparticles (the effective catalyst) have been only observed on the Si region. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High purity SWNT were spatially confined in specific locations (Si regions). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TiN-coated surfaces, adjacent to a Si oxide region, prevent the growth of SWNT.

  16. Kinetics of methane decomposition to CO{sub x}-free hydrogen and carbon nanofiber over Ni-Cu/MgO catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borghei, Maryam; Karimzadeh, Ramin [Chemical Engineering Department, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran (Iran); Rashidi, Alimorad; Izadi, Nosrat [Research Center of Nanotechnology, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Tehran (Iran)

    2010-09-15

    Kinetic modeling of methane decomposition to CO{sub x}-free hydrogen and carbon nanofiber has been carried out in the temperature range 550-650 C over Ni-Cu/MgO catalyst from CH{sub 4}-H{sub 2} mixtures at atmospheric pressure. Assuming the different mechanisms of the reaction, several kinetic models were derived based on Langmuir-Hinshelwood type. The optimum value of kinetic parameters has been obtained by Genetic Algorithm and statistical analysis has been used for the model discrimination. The suggested kinetic model relates to the mechanism when the dissociative adsorption of methane molecule is the rate-determining stage and the estimated activation energy is 50.4 kJ/mol in agreement with the literature. The catalyst deactivation was found to be dependent on the time, reaction temperature, and partial pressures of methane and hydrogen. Inspection of the behavior of the catalyst activity in relation to time, led to a model of second order for catalyst deactivation. (author)

  17. Method of synthesizing small-diameter carbon nanotubes with electron field emission properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jie (Inventor); Du, Chunsheng (Inventor); Qian, Cheng (Inventor); Gao, Bo (Inventor); Qiu, Qi (Inventor); Zhou, Otto Z. (Inventor)

    2009-01-01

    Carbon nanotube material having an outer diameter less than 10 nm and a number of walls less than ten are disclosed. Also disclosed are an electron field emission device including a substrate, an optionally layer of adhesion-promoting layer, and a layer of electron field emission material. The electron field emission material includes a carbon nanotube having a number of concentric graphene shells per tube of from two to ten, an outer diameter from 2 to 8 nm, and a nanotube length greater than 0.1 microns. One method to fabricate carbon nanotubes includes the steps of (a) producing a catalyst containing Fe and Mo supported on MgO powder, (b) using a mixture of hydrogen and carbon containing gas as precursors, and (c) heating the catalyst to a temperature above 950.degree. C. to produce a carbon nanotube. Another method of fabricating an electron field emission cathode includes the steps of (a) synthesizing electron field emission materials containing carbon nanotubes with a number of concentric graphene shells per tube from two to ten, an outer diameter of from 2 to 8 nm, and a length greater than 0.1 microns, (b) dispersing the electron field emission material in a suitable solvent, (c) depositing the electron field emission materials onto a substrate, and (d) annealing the substrate.

  18. Comprehensive characterization of hydrothermal liquefaction products obtained from woody biomass under various alkali catalyst concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Hyewon; Lee, Jae Hoon; Choi, In-Gyu; Choi, Joon Weon

    2018-01-29

    Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of lignocellulosic biomass has been widely investigated for the production of renewable and alternative bio-crude oil. In this study, catalytic hydrothermal processing of two biomasses (larch and Mongolian oak) was performed using different K 2 CO 3 concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 wt% of solvent) to improve fuel yield and properties. HTL oil, hydrochar, water-soluble fraction (WSF) and gas were characterized, and carbon balance was investigated. As a result, the maximum yield of HTL oil, 27.7 wt% (Mongolian oak) and 25.7 wt% (larch), and the highest carbon conversion ratio was obtained with 0.5 wt% of catalyst. The high catalyst concentration also resulted in an increase in higher heating values up to 31.9 MJ/kg. In addition, the amount of organic compounds in HTL oil also increased, specifically for lignin-derived compounds including catechol and hydroquinone which can be derived from secondary hydrolysis of lignin. On the other hand, formation of hydrochar was suppressed with the addition of alkali catalyst and the yield dramatically decreased from 30.7-40.8 wt.% to 20.0-21.8 wt.%. Furthermore, it was revealed that WSF had low organic carbon content less than 3.4% and high potassium content mostly derived from alkali catalyst, indicating that it may be reusable with simple purification. This work suggests that the addition of the proper amount of alkali catalyst can improve the production efficiency and quality of bio-crude oil, and another potential of WSF to be recyclable in further work.

  19. High-performance oxygen reduction catalysts in both alkaline and acidic fuel cells based on pre-treating carbon material and iron precursor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song, Ping; Barkholtz, Heather M.; Wang, Ying; Xu, Weilin; Liu, Dijia; Zhuang, Lin

    2017-12-01

    We demonstrate a new and simple method for pre-treating the carbon material and iron precursor to prepare oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts, which can produce super-high performance and stability in alkaline solution, with high performance in acid solution. This strategy using cheap materials is simply controllable. Moreover, it has achieved smaller uniform nanoparticles to exhibit high stability, and the synergetic effect of Fe and N offered much higher performance in ORR than commercial Pt/C, with high maximum power density in alkaline and acid fuel cell test. So it can make this kind of catalysts be the most promising alternatives of Pt-based catalysts with best performance/price.

  20. Synthesis and Electrochemical Evaluation of Carbon Supported Pt-Co Bimetallic Catalysts Prepared by Electroless Deposition and Modified Charge Enhanced Dry Impregnation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Meynard M. Tengco

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Carbon-supported bimetallic Pt-Co cathode catalysts have been previously identified as higher activity alternatives to conventional Pt/C catalysts for fuel cells. In this work, a series of Pt-Co/C catalysts were synthesized using electroless deposition (ED of Pt on a Co/C catalyst prepared by modified charge enhanced dry impregnation. X-ray diffraction (XRD and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM characterization of the base catalyst showed highly dispersed particles. A basic ED bath containing PtCl62− as the Pt precursor, dimethylamine borane as reducing agent, and ethylenediamine as stabilizing agent successfully targeted deposition of Pt on Co particles. Simultaneous action of galvanic displacement and ED resulted in Pt-Co alloy formation observed in XRD and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XEDS mapping. In addition, fast deposition kinetics resulted in hollow shell Pt-Co alloy particles while particles with Pt-rich shell and Co-rich cores formed with controlled Pt deposition. Electrochemical evaluation of the Pt-Co/C catalysts showed lower active surface but much higher mass and surface activities for oxygen reduction reaction compared to a commercial Pt/C fuel cell catalyst.