Catalysis Science & Technology Blog

Due to its sustainability appeal, carbon dioxide is gaining popularity as a feedstock for the synthesis of commercially-important chemicals, including fuels for energy applications. Methanol may be formed from carbon dioxide via water splitting with the assistance of photocatalysts. In this study, reverse photofuel cells incorporating tungsten oxide and layered double hydroxide (LDH) photocatalysts were used for the oxidation of water and the reduction of carbon dioxide, respectively. Two different fabrication designs were tested: in one cell, the catalysts were either used alone or mixed with carbon black; in the other, LDH was mounted on copper, tungsten oxide was mounted on carbon, and the photoelectrodes were immersed in hydrochloric acid solution.

The second cell outperformed the first in terms of the amount of photocurrent generated, since the transfer of protons across the Nafion film was more efficient in the acid solution. However, product selectivity differed between the two cells: gaseous carbon dioxide led to the preferential formation of methanol, whereas the second cell predominantly generated hydrogen due to the poor solubility of carbon dioxide in water.

The full paper is available here:
Photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide into methanol in reverse fuel cells with tungsten oxide and layered double hydroxide photocatalysts for solar fuel generation
Motoharu Morikawa, Yuta Ogura, Naveed Ahmed, Shogo Kawamura, Gaku Mikami, Seiji Okamoto, and Yasuo Izumi
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2014, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3CY00959A

Jenna Flogeras obtained her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of New Brunswick (Fredericton), Canada. Currently a Ph.D. student at Memorial University of Newfoundland, she is excited to spend some time outside the laboratory this summer to explore Thailand and Southeast Asia.

The latest issue of CS&T is now online. You can read the full issue here.

The outside front cover features the paper Deactivation studies of a carbon supported AuPt nanoparticulate catalyst in the liquid-phase aerobic oxidation of 1,2-propanediol by Carmine D’Agostino, Yulia Ryabenkova, Peter J. Miedziak, Stuart H. Taylor, Graham J. Hutchings, Lynn F. Gladden and Mick D. Mantle.

The authors gave the following explanation of their cover image: ‘This hand-made drawing represents the essence of our article. There are fishes (reactant molecules) that swim under water (the solvent for the reaction), in marine caves (porous catalyst matrix) looking for pots of gold and platinum (the active components of the catalyst). A cave is accessible (the catalyst mesopores) despite the presence of obstacles (the deposits formed during the reaction) and the smiling fishes rush happily towards the precious metal pots! The other cave (the micropores of the catalyst) is much narrower and the path is blocked by the deposits. What a pity for the fishes, who are unable to access the precious metal pots, showing disappointed faces!’

The drawing was made in collaboration with Chen Xi, a Cambridge local artist whose other works can be seen at: http://chenxi.carbonmade.com/about

Homogeneous catalysis for the conversion of biomass and biomass-derived platform chemicals is the paper highlighted on the inside front cover by Peter J. Deuss, Katalin Barta* and Johannes G. de Vries.

Issue 5 contains a number of excellent Mini-review articles:

Role of microwaves in heterogeneous catalytic systems
Satoshi Horikoshi* and Nick Serpone

Solar photocatalysis for water disinfection: materials and reactor design
Donal A. Keane, Kevin G. McGuigan, Pilar Fernández Ibáñez, M. Inmaculada Polo-López, J. Anthony Byrne, Patrick S. M. Dunlop, Kevin O’Shea, Dionysios D. Dionysiou and Suresh C. Pillai

Catalysis Science & Technology publishes research faster than any other catalysis journal

The average time to publication for Catalysis Science & Technology is shorter than for any other high-impact catalysis journal*. In a recent survey by the Catalysis Science & Technology editorial office, the time between when an article is received and its first online publication was compared for all primary and secondary research articles published in ACS Catalysis, ChemCatChem, Journal of Catalysis and Catalysis Science & Technology in 2013.

The mean time to publication for Catalysis Science & Technology in 2013 was 65 days, more than 10 days faster than the next fastest journal. Our survey also highlighted that Catalysis Science & Technology’s times to publication are getting even shorter, as indicated by a mean time of just 55 days between September and December 2013.

Catalysis Science & Technology publishes 12 issues a year containing primary articles, communications, perspectives and mini reviews covering all fundamental science and technological aspects of catalysis. In addition to rapid publication times, our fair and impartial peer-review process means the content we publish is always of the highest possible quality.

Why not take advantage of the shortest time-to-publication in catalysis science and submit your next article to Catalysis Science & Technology?

* Defined as specialised journals publishing catalysis with an impact factor greater than 3.5