Catalysis Science & Technology Blog

Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis in Industry themed issue – welcoming submissions

26 Mar 2012

We are pleased to welcome submissions for the latest Catalysis Science & Technology themed issue, Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis in Industry, guest edited by Professors Johannes de Vries and David Jackson.

The themed issue will focus on the innovative research required before a catalytic process can be transferred to production. We would love to receive your research in topic areas ranging across catalyst library screening; catalytic mechanisms; inhibition and deactivation phenomena; recycling and catalyst regeneration; and the interplay between catalysis and chemical engineering.

The deadline for submissions is 16th May 2012 and can be made through our online submission system. Please mark on your submission that it is for the Catalysis in Industry themed issue but be aware that all manuscripts received will undergo the normal refereeing procedure. Please note that inclusion in the issue is subject to the discretion of the guest editors.

For further guidance on our article types, visit our author guidelines. And feel welcome to contact us in the Editorial Office for more information.

We hope to receive your submission shortly!

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Specialist Periodical Reports: Catalysis

23 Mar 2012

By Matthew Cude, Development Editor.

There is an increasing need to find cost-effective and environmentally sound methods of converting natural resources into fuels, chemicals and energy; catalysts are pivotal to such processes. Catalysis highlights major developments in this area. Coverage of this Specialist Periodical Report includes all major areas of heterogeneous catalysis. In each volume, specific areas of current interest are reviewed. Examples of topics include experimental methods, acid/base catalysis, materials synthesis, environmental catalysis, and syngas conversion.

CatalysisVolume 24
James J Spivey (Editor), Mayank Gupta (Editor)
ISBN: 978-1-84973-375-5
Copyright: 2012
Format: Hardback
Extent: 370
Volume: 24

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Understanding titania nanotubes for photocatalysis

20 Mar 2012

By Jennifer Newton, Publishing Editor.

Titania nanotubes have promising photo-oxidative and photo-reductive activities.

Kimberly Gray and Kevin Schwartzenberg from Northwestern University present an overview on the synthesis, characterisation and applications of titania nanotubes from a photocatalytic angle in this Hot Perspective. A greater appreciation of the different properties of the inner and outer surfaces of titania nanotubes will aid the fundamental understanding of chemical, optical and electrical processes occurring in applications such as for solar fuel production.

Read the Perspective for free…

Nanostructured Titania: the current and future promise of Titania nanotubes
Kevin C. Schwartzenberg and Kimberly A. Gray
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012
DOI: 10.1039/C2CY00538G

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The quest for cleaner, cheaper, more sustainable energy

12 Mar 2012

By Matthew Cude, Development Editor.

While the earth’s reserves of non-renewable energy are reducing…. our demands for energy are not. Given this is unsustainable, there is a global need to both reduce our energy consumption and develop more sustainable energy sources. Catalysis is a key player in this, potentially providing direct, efficient and economical routes to energy generation.

Here we have selected a few papers from Catalysis Science & Technology which look to develop and review catalyst based technologies for renewable energy. To mark Catalysis Science & Technology‘s recent launch, all articles are free to access for the duration of 2012.

Click here to read more

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Extended application for carbon nitride polymer

07 Mar 2012

By Fiona McKenzie, Executive Editor.

A collaboration of scientists from Germany and China have developed a solid polymeric base catalyst for Knoevenagel condensations and transesterification reactions. The mesoporous catalyst is made from graphitic carbon nitride which has already been shown by the authors as a very promising material due to its remarkable electronic properties and large 2D-surface area (see their recent Chemical Science article here).

In their most recent Catalysis Science & Technology article, they illustrate how the incorporated nitrogen atoms display Lewis-base character that can be exploited for organocatalytic C-C coupling reactions, affording high product yield after numerous cycles.

With its ability to catalyse photoredox reactions already proven, and now its base catalytic properties, this really is a multifunctional catalyst which should find application in cascade reactions.

Read the article now:
mpg-C₃N₄ as a solid base catalyst for Knoevenagel condensations and transesterification reactions
Fangzheng Su, Markus Antonietti and Xinchen Wang

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Biodiesel catalysts

07 Mar 2012

By Fiona McKenzie, Executive Editor.

Karen Wilson and Adam Lee from Cardiff University discuss the recent development of heterogeneous catalysts for synthesising biodiesel.

Biodiesel is synthesised from triglycerides and free fatty acids that have been extracted from plant oil seeds (such as rapeseed, palm, soybean), animal fats, and algae. Transesterification and esterification of triglycerides and free fatty acids, respectively, using simple acid or base catalysis produces the resultant biodiesel alkyl ester.

biodiesel synthesis

Soluble base or acid catalyts can create problems such as reactor corrosion and you also have the added task of having to remove the catalyst from the product which can be somewhat energy intensive (thereby lessening the green-ness of the fuel). It would seem that heterogeneous catalysis is the way forward, providing a more efficient process and also enabling greater purity of the glycerol by-product .

As Wilson and Lee set out in their Perspective article, several considerations should be made when designing solid acid and base catalysts: acid or base strength, tuneable surface polarity, and pore architecture.

To find out the effects these catalytic properties have, download the article now for free…

Rational design of heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel synthesis
Karen Wilson and Adam F. Lee

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Hot Perspective: Lanthanide Doped Photocatalysts

22 Feb 2012

By Matthew Cude, Development Editor.

Photocatalysis is a diverse field of study, bringing together research from a range of disciplines for a variety of applications. These include H₂ production, water remediation, carbon dioxide processing, sterilization and decomposition of unwanted organic compounds. Titania (TiO₂) is the most studied and used photo-catalyst, under UV-light electron-hole pairs are generated which in water produce hydroxyl radicals (^.OH), these are the active species in a number of processes.

One of the major draw-backs in using titania is that UV light constitutes less than 5% of solar energy, if they could be tuned to operate under visible light they would be far more versatile and effective photocatalysts. This Hot Perspective from Ranjit Koodali’s group reviews the doping of these materials with Lanthanides, detailing the structure activity relationships and drawing some interesting conclusions.

All articles in Catalysis Science & Technology are free to access for 2012 so you can download this article today.

Lanthanide modified semiconductor photocatalysts
Amanda S. Weber, Anne M. Grady and Ranjit T. Koodali Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2CY00552B, Perspective

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Minireview: Catalytic Alloys

16 Feb 2012

By Matthew Cude, Development Editor.

In heterogeneous catalysis material surface and surface conformation play a vital role in catalysis. Materials such as alloys often contain a very different chemical composition at the surface compared to the bulk material, referred to as surface segregation this phenomenon is largely controlled by surface energy. Unfortunately surface energy alone cannot accurately predict the alloys catalytic activity as there are a range of other parameters which influence reaction rates.

This review by Spiros Zafeiratos, Simone Piccininb and Detre Teschner discusses the behaviour of some of the most important bimetallic catalysts, looking at the theoretical and practical aspects of their reactions. The authors also discuss the importance of in situ analysis of surfaces to understand reaction mechanisms, looking at how APPES, XANES, FT-IR, STM and theoretical approaches have been used to better understand these alloy surfaces during reaction.

All articles in Catalysis Science & Technology are free to access for the duration of 2012, so you can download this article today for free.

Alloys in catalysis: phase separation and surface segregation phenomena in response to the reactive environment
Spiros Zafeiratos, Simone Piccinin and Detre Teschner
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2CY00487A

You can also keep up to date with the latest news in catalysis by following us on twitter, liking us on facebook or signing up to our e-alert service.

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Catalysis Science & Technology Blog

Top ten most accessed articles in February

Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis in Industry themed issue – welcoming submissions

Specialist Periodical Reports: Catalysis

Understanding titania nanotubes for photocatalysis

The quest for cleaner, cheaper, more sustainable energy

Extended application for carbon nitride polymer

Biodiesel catalysts

Top ten most accessed articles in January

Hot Perspective: Lanthanide Doped Photocatalysts

Minireview: Catalytic Alloys

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