Gopinathan Sankar

Bimetallic nanoparticles (Ru(6)Pd(6), Ru(6)Sn, Ru(10)Pt(2), Ru(5)Pt, Ru(12)Cu(4), and Ru(12)Ag(4)) anchored within silica nanopores exhibit high activities and frequently high selectivities, depending upon the composition of the nanocatalyst, in a number of single-step (and often solvent-free) hydrogenations at low temperatures (333-373 K). The selective hydrogenations of polyenes (such as 1,5,9-cyclododecatriene and 2,5-norbornadiene) are especially efficient. Good performance is found with these nanoparticle catalysts in the hydrogenation of dimethyl terephthalate to 1,4 cyclohexanedimethanol and of benzoic acid to cyclohexanecarboxylic acid or to cyclohexene-1-carboxylic acid, and also in the conversion of benzene to cyclohexene (or cyclohexane), the latter being an increasingly important reaction in the context of the production of Nylon. Isolated atoms of noble metals (Pd, Rh, and Pt) in low oxidation states, appropriately complexed and tethered to the inner walls of nanoporous (ca. 3 nm diameter) silica, are very promising enantioselective hydrogenation catalysts. Nanoporous carbons, as well as other nanoporous oxides, may also be used to anchor and tether the kind of catalysts described here.

Depletion of crude oil resources and environmental concerns have driven a worldwide research on alternative processes for the production of commodity chemicals. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is a process for flexible production of key chemicals from synthesis gas originating from non-petroleum-based sources. Although the use of iron-based catalysts would be preferred over the widely used cobalt, manufacturing methods that prevent their fast deactivation because of sintering, carbon deposition and phase changes have proven challenging. Here we present a strategy to produce highly dispersed iron carbides embedded in a matrix of porous carbon. Very high iron loadings (>40 wt %) are achieved while maintaining an optimal dispersion of the active iron carbide phase when a metal organic framework is used as catalyst precursor. The unique iron spatial confinement and the absence of large iron particles in the obtained solids minimize catalyst deactivation, resulting in high active and stable operation.