Catalysis Science & Technology Blog

In this Catalysis Science & Technology Hot Article, Miguel José-Yacamán at the University of Texas, San Antonio and colleagues from Portugal and Mexico investigated the synthesis and catalytic activity of molybdenum disulfide nanoplates.

The authors found that the optimum synthesis and annealing temperatures for producing the most hexagonal nanoplates with no impurities were 700 and 1000 °C respectively and the optimum reaction time was 2.5 hours.

The catalytic activity of the nanoparticles in the hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene was tested and the activity was found to be comparable to, or higher than, other molybdenum disulfide-based catalysts. The nanoplates, however, showed greater selectivity for the biphenyl (desulfurization) product rather than the direct hydrogenation products preferred by the other catalysts.

Theoretical studies revealed that the rotated state of the catalyst, with a tendency to more metallic behavior, is favored, which could explain the improved catalytic activity of the nanoplates.

Read more for FREE until 15th June 2011:
Structure and catalytic properties of hexagonal molybdenum disulfide nanoplates
Carlos Fernando Castro-Guerrero, Francis Leonard Deepak, Arturo Ponce, Juan Cruz-Reyes, Mario Del Valle-Granados, Sergio Fuentes-Moyado, D. H. Galván and Miguel José-Yacamán
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00055A, Paper

In this Catalysis Science & Technology Hot Article, Hiroshi Kominami and colleagues examined the photocatalytic dechlorination of chlorobenzene.

The dechlorination reaction, carried out in a 2-propanol suspension of titanium oxide powder in the presence of NaOH with palladium co-catalyst, resulted in almost quantitative formation of benzene and acetone in a very short time.

The reaction could be applicable to the recovery of useful aromatic compounds from chlorinated organic waste.

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Stoichiometric formation of benzene and ketones by photocatalytic dechlorination of chlorobenzene in secondary alcohol suspensions of palladium-loaded titanium(IV) oxide powder in the presence of sodium ion sources
Kojirou Fuku, Keiji Hashimoto and Hiroshi Kominami
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/c0cy00040j, Paper

Wei-Ping Deng and colleagues from Shanghai in collaboration with John Fossey from the University of Birmingham have developed new chiral Cu complexes that catalyse the formation of 3-aryl glutamic acid derivatives in this Catalysis Science & Technology HOT Article.

Glutamic acid and its derivatives are biologically important because they are essential components of peptides and proteins and also work as signal mediators.

The synthesis was carried out via catalytic asymmetric 1,4-addition reactions of glycine derivatives to
various alkylidene malonates with good yields and high stereoselectivities under the control of new N,O ligands.

Read more for free until 22nd March 2011
Novel N,O-Cu(OAc)₂ complex catalysed diastereo- and enantioselective 1,4-addition of glycine derivatives to alkylidene malonates
Ming Wang, Yu-Hua Shi, Jun-Fei Luo, Wenting Du, Xiao-Xin Shi, John S. Fossey and Wei-Ping Deng
Catal. Sci. Technol, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0CY00001A, Paper