Fuwei Li

Bio: Fuwei Li is an academic researcher from Chinese Academy of Sciences. The author has contributed to research in topics: Catalysis & Carbonylation. The author has an hindex of 35, co-authored 108 publications receiving 3736 citations. Previous affiliations of Fuwei Li include Henan University & Guilin University of Electronic Technology.

Nitrogen-Functionalized Ordered Mesoporous Carbons as Multifunctional Supports of Ultrasmall Pd Nanoparticles for Hydrogenation of Phenol

Abstract: N-functionalized ordered mesoporous carbons could be readily obtained by post-synthesis treatment with nitrogen containing molecules to achieve materials with a nitrogen loading as high as 8.6 wt % and well preserved mesopore structure. Using NH3 as nitrogen source dramatically increased the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and pore volume of the resultant hybrid material; however, N-doping with melamine as a source resulted in the contrary results. The N-doped carbons were used as supports to immobilize small-sized Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs), which provided a unique platform to investigate the influence of metal nanoparticle size, mesostructural properties, and N-functionalized supports on the selective hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone, an important intermediate in the production of nylon 6 and nylon 66 in the chemical industry. The catalyst with ultrasmall (about 1.2 nm) PdNPs gave the best reaction activity and selectivity under mild conditions. In addition, the present multifunctional c...

Immobilized ionic liquid/zinc chloride: Heterogeneous catalyst for synthesis of cyclic carbonates from carbon dioxide and epoxides

Abstract: Chemical fixation of carbon dioxide with epoxides to form cyclic carbonates proceeds very effectively under mild conditions by using immobilized ionic liquid catalyst in conjunction with zinc chloride without any organic solvents. The reaction temperature, carbon dioxide pressure, effects of different metallic complexes and the amount of immobilized ionic liquid were investigated. The optimum reaction conditions were 110 °C and 1.5 MPa, and the catalyst system was recycled and reused.

Efficient and versatile CuNi alloy nanocatalysts for the highly selective hydrogenation of furfural

Abstract: The development of efficient and environmental benign non-noble bimetallic nanocatalysts is highly desirable and attractive in the upgrading of biomass-derived platform compounds to high-valued chemicals. A series of highly dispersed and versatile Cu x Ni y (x/y = 7:1, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, 1:7) alloy supported nanocatalysts derived from layer double hydroxides (LDHs) precursors were fabricated and used for the selective hydrogenation of furfural to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA) and furfuryl alcohol (FOL). It was found that the chemical composition, preparation method and especially the reduction temperature of LDHs precursors greatly affected the properties of the resultant Cu x Ni y /MgAlO catalysts. Systematic characterizations revealed that the reduction temperature of catalyst precursor was closely related to the dispersion and homogeneous composition of CuNi alloy nanoparticle as well as the surface basicity of catalysts, which played crucial roles in achieving excellent catalytic performances. The optimized CuNi/MgAlO and Cu 1 Ni 3 /MgAlO nanocatalysts showed high activity and selectivity for the hydrogenation of furfural to THFA in ethanol compared with the monometallic Ni and the CuNi supported catalysts prepared with other methods, such enhanced catalytic performance was investigated to be enabled by the synergistic effect within the CuNi alloy nanoparticles. Interestingly, our bimetallic nanocatalysts could also realize efficient production of FOL from the selective hydrogenation of furfural at its aldehyde group by simply changing the solvent to methanol. Moreover, the bimetallic nanocatalysts showed good recyclability in the liquid phase hydrogenation. Our efficient and versatile CuNi alloy nanocatalysts not only provide promising candidates for effective upgrading of furfural but also broaden the application of non-noble bimetallic nanocatalysts for hydrogenative transformations.

Reusable N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complex Catalysts and Beyond: A Perspective on Recycling Strategies

Abstract: With the continuous development of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) chemistry during the past decade, NHC metal complexes have gained wide applications in the research field of organometallic catalysis. The recycling and reuse of NHC metal complexes, which have undergone continuous expansion and diversification, can enhance their catalytic performance, extend their range of application, and afford new routes to green chemistry. Taking NHC metal complex catalysts as the main topic, this review intends to present a comprehensive study of recycling strategies of organometallic catalysts. By an elaborative summarization and classification of recycling strategies, a clear picture of all available of recycling strategies for organometallic catalysts is presented and the advantages and disadvantages of various recycling strategies for specific reactions are discussed in detail. This review is written with the hope of serving as a modest spur to induce other scientists’ further contributions in the fields of catalyst...

Transformation of carbon dioxide.

Abstract: 4.3. Reaction Mechanism 2373 4.4. Asymmetric Synthesis 2374 4.5. Outlook 2374 5. Alternating Polymerization of Oxiranes and CO2 2374 5.1. Reaction Outlines 2374 5.2. Catalyst 2376 5.3. Asymmetric Polymerization 2377 5.4. Immobilized Catalysts 2377 6. Synthesis of Urea and Urethane Derivatives 2378 7. Synthesis of Carboxylic Acid 2379 8. Synthesis of Esters and Lactones 2380 9. Synthesis of Isocyanates 2382 10. Hydrogenation and Hydroformylation, and Alcohol Homologation 2382

Understanding the High Activity of Fe-N-C Electrocatalysts in Oxygen Reduction: Fe/Fe3C Nanoparticles Boost the Activity of Fe-N(x).

Abstract: Understanding the origin of high activity of Fe–N–C electrocatalysts in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is critical but still challenging for developing efficient sustainable nonprecious metal catalysts in fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Herein, we developed a new highly active Fe–N–C ORR catalyst containing Fe–Nx coordination sites and Fe/Fe3C nanocrystals (Fe@C-FeNC), and revealed the origin of its activity by intensively investigating the composition and the structure of the catalyst and their correlations with the electrochemical performance. The detailed analyses unambiguously confirmed the coexistence of Fe/Fe3C nanocrystals and Fe–Nx in the best catalyst. A series of designed experiments disclosed that (1) N-doped carbon substrate, Fe/Fe3C nanocrystals or Fe–Nx themselves did not deliver the high activity; (2) the catalysts with both Fe/Fe3C nanocrystals and Fe–Nx exhibited the high activity; (3) the higher content of Fe–Nx gave the higher activity; (4) the removal of Fe/Fe3C nanocrystals sever...

3d Transition Metals for C-H Activation.

Abstract: C–H activation has surfaced as an increasingly powerful tool for molecular sciences, with notable applications to material sciences, crop protection, drug discovery, and pharmaceutical industries, among others. Despite major advances, the vast majority of these C–H functionalizations required precious 4d or 5d transition metal catalysts. Given the cost-effective and sustainable nature of earth-abundant first row transition metals, the development of less toxic, inexpensive 3d metal catalysts for C–H activation has gained considerable recent momentum as a significantly more environmentally-benign and economically-attractive alternative. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview on first row transition metal catalysts for C–H activation until summer 2018.

Transformation of Carbon Dioxide with Homogeneous Transition-Metal Catalysts: A Molecular Solution to a Global Challenge?

Abstract: A plethora of methods have been developed over the years so that carbon dioxide can be used as a reactant in organic synthesis. Given the abundance of this compound, its utilization in synthetic chemistry, particularly on an industrial scale, is still at a rather low level. In the last 35 years, considerable research has been performed to find catalytic routes to transform CO(2) into carboxylic acids, esters, lactones, and polymers in an economic way. This Review presents an overview of the available homogeneous catalytic routes that use carbon dioxide as a C(1) carbon source for the synthesis of industrial products as well as fine chemicals.

CO2 Hydrogenation to Formate and Methanol as an Alternative to Photo- and Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Abstract: Photoand Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Wan-Hui Wang,*,† Yuichiro Himeda,*,‡,§ James T. Muckerman, Gerald F. Manbeck, and Etsuko Fujita* †School of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China ‡National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Central 5-1, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan JST, ACT-C, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan Chemistry Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973-5000, United States