High-quality semiconductor supported Au particles have been successfully made using a simple seeded growth approach. The two Au catalysts produced have shown enhanced photocatalytic performance in the reduction of 4-nitropheno. Read on in the recent free-to-access Hot Article:
Synthesis of high-quality I–III–VI semiconductor supported Au particles and their catalytic performance
Xiao Wang, Dapeng Liu, Shuyan Song and Hongjie Zhang
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2CY00372D
Dieter Vogt and co-workers have shown that using water as co-solvent in rhodium-catalysed aldehyde hydrogenation under hydroformylation conditions enhances both rate and selectivity towards primary alcohols. Find out more about this cheap and cheerful advance in their recent Hot Article:
“On-water” rhodium-catalysed hydroformylation for the production of linear alcohols
Olivier Diebolt, Christian Müller and Dieter Vogt
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2CY00450J
Also of interest – further recent research from the Vogt group:
Recent advances in the recycling of homogeneous catalysts using membrane separation
Michèle Janssen, Christian Müller and Dieter Vogt
Green Chem., 2011, 13, 2247-2257
DOI: 10.1039/C1GC15264E, Critical Review
.
.
C–H activation of 2,4,6-triphenylphosphinine: unprecedented formation of cyclometalated [(PC)Ir(III)] and [(PC)Rh(III)] complexes
Leen E. E. Broeckx, Martin Lutz, Dieter Vogt and Christian Müller
Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 2003-2005
DOI: 10.1039/C0CC04660D, Communication
Molecular weight enlargement—a molecular approach to continuous homogeneous catalysis
Michèle Janssen, Christian Müller and Dieter Vogt
Dalton Trans., 2010, 39, 8403-8411
DOI: 10.1039/C0DT00175A, Perspective
From themed issue Bridging the gap in catalysis via multidisciplinary approaches
Piet van Leeuwen is Editor-in-Chief of Catalysis Science & Technology and a Group Leader at ICIQ in Tarragona, Spain. Piet worked with Shell Amsterdam for twenty six years heading the section for basic research in homogeneous catalysis. He also initiated and led the homogeneous catalysis group at the University of Amsterdam as a Professor of Homogeneous Catalysis from 1989 until 2007. He held a chair of Industrial Homogeneous Catalysis at the Technical University of Eindhoven from 2001 till 2006, where he was also director of the National Research School Combination on Catalysis. Piet has authored 350 refereed articles and reviews, many book chapters, edited several books, and is author of a textbook on homogeneous catalysis. He has been at the ICIQ since 2004.
Why did you choose to work in the area of catalysis?
Originally, I chose to work for Shell. In this environment doing organometallic chemistry and coordination chemistry I learned that in the long term the new fundamental knowledge we were uncovering might be useful in catalysis. This idea appealed to me, and it still does. It is nice to combine exciting chemistry with future applications in sight.
.
What role do you see for catalysis in our future?
Catalysis is here to stay! I don´t believe in mature sciences. Before we have completed our wish-list for today’s conversions a whole range of new feedstocks will be available requiring new clean, sustainable conversions. Many multistep syntheses can be improved with the aid of clever catalytic steps. A stronger integration of catalysis research and process engineering, also
What achievement are you most proud of?
I am proud of the many people who worked with me who did good things!I have a patent on a non-toxic soldering resin, the first use of dendrimers in catalysis, the bite angle story, mechanistic stories, “the” book, SPOs in catalysis, …..
What advice would you give to a young scientist?
Take a year’s sabbatical after your PhD defence as later you won’t have time for this! I took only half a year and it was easy to convince my two youngest children to take a year off after their Master.
What is your favourite place to be?
There are many exotic places where we can stay only for a short time. I am happy sitting on my terrace with a book and a drink, or another terrace eating tapas with friends! (This sounds more like Spain than the Netherlands!).
What would you do if you weren’t a scientist?
First I wanted to be a cook like my father, who started working in a kitchen as a teenager. Later when leaving primary school I made an appointment with the local plumber to start with him in September. My father was furious and told the plumber and me “no way”! I still would like to do both but being an organometallic chemist sounds like a good compromise!
Piet's cover of issue 3, 2011 Catal. Sci. & Technol.
More info on Piet’s own research can be found in some of his recent research articles:
SPOs as new ligands in Rh(III) catalyzed enantioselective transfer hydrogenation
Pascal M. Castro, Henrik Gulyás, Jordi Benet-Buchholz, Carles Bo, Zoraida Freixa and Piet W. N. M. van Leeuwen
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, 1, 401-407 DOI: 10.1039/C0CY00022A, Paper
Zn(II) Robson macrocycles as templates for chelating diphosphines
Sergio Ponsico, Henrik Gulyas, Marta Martínez-Belmonte, Eduardo C. Escudero-Adán, Zoraida Freixa and Piet W. N. M. van Leeuwen
Dalton Trans., 2011, 40, 10686-10697 DOI: 10.1039/C1DT10905G, Paper
An approach to bimetallic catalysts by ligand design
Josep M. López-Valbuena, Eduardo C. Escudero-Adan, Jordi Benet-Buchholz, Zoraida Freixa and Piet W. N. M. van Leeuwen
Dalton Trans., 2010, 39, 8560-8574 DOI: 10.1039/C0DT00011F, Paper
Lately, the use of Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBG) carbonates and acetates in organocatalysis has grown exponentially opening new gates for the synthesis of C–C or C-heteroatom bonds in an enantioselective fashion and under mild conditions. This work provides access to many highly functionalized structures. In his recent Hot Perspective article, Ramon Rios covers these exciting reactions, paying special attention on the nature of the MBH adduct……
Organocatalytic enantioselective methodologies using Morita–Baylis–Hillman carbonates and acetates
A Perspective by Ramon Rios
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00387A
Catalysis Science & Technology publishes its first Accepted Manuscript! Read it here now……
Kinetics of Carbon Monoxide Oxidation with Sn0.95M0.05O2-δ (M= Cu, Fe, Mn, Co) Catalysts
Vijay Shinde and Giridhar Madras
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00421B
.
.
Accepted Manuscripts are published online shortly after acceptance, prior to technical editing, formatting and proof reading. This free service from RSC Publishing allows authors to make their results available to the community, in citable form, before publication of the edited article. An Accepted Manuscripts is replaced by the edited and formatted Advance Article as soon as it is available.
Accepted manuscripts can be cited using the permanent Digital Object Identifier (DOI®), which is identical for all formats of publication. So you can now cite Vijay Shinde and Giridhar Madras’ article above using its DOI – 10.1039/C1CY00421B.
Do you still have questions? If so, more information about Accepted Manuscripts can be found in the Information for Authors or email us in the Editorial Office with questions.
Over the past several years, there has been a growing interest in the capture of carbon dioxide emissions and either their permanent immobilization or chemical conversion to industrially relevant products. Though several processes have been developed to capture CO2, many of them are quite expensive since they require either ultra high purity CO2 or are energy intensive. Also, many purely chemical methods show low product selectivity.
This Perspective article, by William Mustain and co-workds, looks at ways in which electrochemical, photoelectrochemical and bioelectrochemical methods could be used for CO2 conversion. Electrochemical processes can reduce cost and increase reaction selectivity because they allow for direct control of the surface free energy.
Find out more about electrochemical solutions to the carbon capture problem in Mustain’s Hot Catalysis Science & Technology Perspective:
Recent progress in the electrochemical conversion and utilization of CO2 
Neil S. Spinner, Jose A. Vega and William E. Mustain
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00314C
You can read this article for free – if you haven’t already why not sign up for free access to Catalysis Science & Technology here.
In their recent Catalysis Science & Technology Hot Article, Andrew Marr and co-workers investigate the amination and dehydration of the key biomass intermediate, 1,3-propanediol, to make commercial chemicals.
Chemicals that can be derived from biomass will be of increasing importance as oil resources become stretched over an ever expanding market. The efficient conversion of intermdiates derived from biomass by fermentation to commercial chemicals is the key to a more sustainable chemical industry. 1,3-Propanediol (1,3-PDO) is one such intermediate, for example the fermentation of glycerol from biodiesel production by Clostridium butyricum produces 1,3-propanediol with good productivity.
In their Hot Article the group, based at Queen’s University Belfast, subjected this 1,3-propanediol to a range of amination conditions and found that an N-heterocyclic carbene piano stool complex was a good catalyst for amination and dehydration. Find out more by reading the article itself below – free to access.
Amination and dehydration of 1,3-propanediol by hydrogen transfer: reactions of a bio-renewable platform chemical
Sophie D. Lacroix, Annie Pennycook, Shifang Liu, Thomas T. Eisenhart and Andrew C. Marr
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00339A
Read the recently published Hot Communication on in Catalysis Science & Technology!
In a collaboration between the UK, Sweden and the US, Clarke, France and Kann have found a way to
produce a range of new phosphine-diamine ligands from phosphino-aldehydes. In the article, they also hypothesise that larger P-substituents would increase the enantioselectivity towards the (S) isomer in Ru-catalysed ketone hydrogenation of acetophenone.
Their investigations confirm the mechanism of operation of these important catalysts….. find out what they found it to be by reading their short communication.
Access to all current articles in Catalysis Science & Technology is free.
Exploring the role of phosphorus substituents on the enantioselectivity of Ru-catalysed ketone hydrogenation using tridentate phosphine-diamine ligands
Scott D. Phillips, Kristian H. O. Andersson, Nina Kann, Michael T. Kuntz, Marcia B. France, Piotr Wawrzyniak and Matthew L. Clarke
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00253H
I am excited to announce that Catalysis Science & Technology is now indexed in Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge SM.
Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge SM (formerly ISI Web of Knowledge) is a premier research platform, helping you quickly find, analyze, and share information in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. Issues 1-6 of Catalysis Science & Technology are already there and many of the articles have already been cited. Already this year, Catalysis Science & Technology was fast-tracked for inclusion in Scopus.
Remember that you can now read all these articles for free!
Congratulations to those whose articles are amongst the first to be cited. Articles already cited include:
Two-dimensional zeolites: dream or reality?
Wieslaw J. Roth and Jiří Čejka
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, 1, 43-53 DOI: 10.1039/C0CY00027B, Perspective
A straightforward zinc-catalysed reduction of sulfoxides to sulfides
Stephan Enthaler
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, 1, 104-110 DOI: 10.1039/C0CY00039F, Paper
Superparamagnetic nanoparticles for asymmetric catalysis—a perfect match
Kalluri V. S. Ranganath and Frank Glorius
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, 1, 13-22 DOI: 10.1039/C0CY00069H, Perspective
2-(1-Aryliminopropylidene)quinolylcobalt(II) dichlorides: synthesis, characterization and catalytic behaviour towards ethylene Tianpengfei Xiao, Jingjuan Lai, Shu Zhang, Xiang Hao and Wen-Hua Sun
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, 1, 462-469 DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00028D, Paper
Shogo Shimazu and colleagues from Chiba University in Japan have made a novel anionic D-valine–Pd(II) complex, which they then intercalated into a NiZn interlayer as an active species for aerobic alcohol oxidation. To create a more efficient heterogeneous catalyst, the team added a Brønsted basic PO43- anion into the NiZn interlayer along with the anionic D-valine–Pd(II) complex. Find how how effecient the resulting catalyst is by reading Shimazu’s recently published Hot Article – free to access until the 16th September.
An anionic D-valine–palladium(II) complex supported on a hydroxy double salt with a Brønsted basic phosphate anion: application for a heterogeneous catalyst toward aerobic alcohol oxidation
Takayoshi Hara, Junya Sawada, Yoshio Nakamura, Nobuyuki Ichikuni and Shogo Shimazu
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00223F
Follow Jamie Humphrey at #EuropacatX in Glasgow this week on Twitter………
