Metal species with different size (single atoms, nanoclusters, and nanoparticles) show different catalytic behavior for various heterogeneous catalytic reactions. It has been shown in the literature that many factors including the particle size, shape, chemical composition, metal–support interaction, and metal–reactant/solvent interaction can have significant influences on the catalytic properties of metal catalysts. The recent developments of well-controlled synthesis methodologies and advanced characterization tools allow one to correlate the relationships at the molecular level. In this Review, the electronic and geometric structures of single atoms, nanoclusters, and nanoparticles will be discussed. Furthermore, we will summarize the catalytic applications of single atoms, nanoclusters, and nanoparticles for different types of reactions, including CO oxidation, selective oxidation, selective hydrogenation, organic reactions, electrocatalytic, and photocatalytic reactions. We will compare the results o...

Metal Catalysts for Heterogeneous Catalysis: From Single Atoms to Nanoclusters and Nanoparticles.

Colloidal nanoparticles are being intensely pursued in current nanoscience research. Nanochemists are often frustrated by the well-known fact that no two nanoparticles are the same, which precludes the deep understanding of many fundamental properties of colloidal nanoparticles in which the total structures (core plus surface) must be known. Therefore, controlling nanoparticles with atomic precision and solving their total structures have long been major dreams for nanochemists. Recently, these goals are partially fulfilled in the case of gold nanoparticles, at least in the ultrasmall size regime (1–3 nm in diameter, often called nanoclusters). This review summarizes the major progress in the field, including the principles that permit atomically precise synthesis, new types of atomic structures, and unique physical and chemical properties of atomically precise nanoparticles, as well as exciting opportunities for nanochemists to understand very fundamental science of colloidal nanoparticles (such as the s...

Atomically Precise Colloidal Metal Nanoclusters and Nanoparticles: Fundamentals and Opportunities

The applications of copper (Cu) and Cu-based nanoparticles, which are based on the earth-abundant and inexpensive copper metal, have generated a great deal of interest in recent years, especially in the field of catalysis. The possible modification of the chemical and physical properties of these nanoparticles using different synthetic strategies and conditions and/or via postsynthetic chemical treatments has been largely responsible for the rapid growth of interest in these nanomaterials and their applications in catalysis. In addition, the design and development of novel support and/or multimetallic systems (e.g., alloys, etc.) has also made significant contributions to the field. In this comprehensive review, we report different synthetic approaches to Cu and Cu-based nanoparticles (metallic copper, copper oxides, and hybrid copper nanostructures) and copper nanoparticles immobilized into or supported on various support materials (SiO2, magnetic support materials, etc.), along with their applications i...

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00482

Cu and Cu-Based Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Applications in Catalysis.

Cerium dioxide (CeO2, ceria) is becoming an ubiquitous constituent in catalytic systems for a variety of applications. 2016 sees the 40th anniversary since ceria was first employed by Ford Motor Company as an oxygen storage component in car converters, to become in the years since its inception an irreplaceable component in three-way catalysts (TWCs). Apart from this well-established use, ceria is looming as a catalyst component for a wide range of catalytic applications. For some of these, such as fuel cells, CeO2-based materials have almost reached the market stage, while for some other catalytic reactions, such as reforming processes, photocatalysis, water-gas shift reaction, thermochemical water splitting, and organic reactions, ceria is emerging as a unique material, holding great promise for future market breakthroughs. While much knowledge about the fundamental characteristics of CeO2-based materials has already been acquired, new characterization techniques and powerful theoretical methods are dee...

Fundamentals and Catalytic Applications of CeO2-Based Materials

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.

3d Transition Metals for C-H Activation.

Oxidant‐Free Alcohol Dehydrogenation Using a Reusable Hydrotalcite‐Supported Silver Nanoparticle Catalyst

The interaction of metals with ligands is the key factor in the design of catalysts and much effort has been devoted to the rational control of metal–ligand interactions in order to exploit catalytic properties. Quite sophisticated heterogeneous catalysts have been produced by controlling the size and shape of active metal species, and by screening and altering the composition of the supports. The supports can be considered as “macro ligands” for supported active metals, and the fine-tuning of the interactions between active metal species and supports is the most important factor through which high catalytic performance can be attained. Despite many intrinsic advantages of heterogeneous catalysts over homogeneous ones, such as their durability at high temperatures and reusability, the fine-tuning of metal–ligand interactions in heterogeneous catalysts is more difficult than in homogeneous catalysts, and remains a challenging objective. Our research group has recently reported that silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on a basic support of hydrotalcite (Ag/HT) catalyzed the chemoselective reductions of nitrostyrenes and epoxides to the corresponding anilines and alkenes when using alcohols or CO/H2O as a reducing reagent while retaining the reducible C=C bonds. During the reductions, polar species of hydrides and protons were formed in situ at the interface of AgNPs/HT through a cooperative effect between the AgNPs and basic sites (BS) of HT, which were then exclusively active for the reduction of the polar functional groups (Figure 1). However, the use of H2 instead of alcohols or CO/H2O in our Ag catalyst system caused reductions of both the polar groups (nitro and epoxide) and the nonpolar C=C bonds. This nonselective reduction was due to the formation of nonpolar hydrogen species through the homolytic cleavage of H2 at the AgNPs surface, which is active for C=C bond reduction (Figure 2a).

Design of a Silver–Cerium Dioxide Core–Shell Nanocomposite Catalyst for Chemoselective Reduction Reactions†

Vanadium-catalyzed epoxidation of cyclic allylic alcohols. Stereoselectivity and stereocontrol mechanism

Hydrotalcite-supported gold nanoparticles (Au/HT) were found to be a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the aerobic oxidation of alcohols under mild reaction conditions (40°C, in air). This catalyst system does not require any additives and is applicable to a wide range of alcohols, including less reactive cyclohexanol derivatives. This Au/HT catalyst could also function in the oxidation of 1-phenylethanol under neat conditions; the turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) reached 200,000 and 8,300 h -1 , respectively. These values are among the highest values compared to those of other reported catalyst systems at high conversion. Moreover, the Au/HT can be recovered by simple filtration and reused without any loss of its activity and selectivity.

Koichiro Jitsukawa

Papers

Oxidant‐Free Alcohol Dehydrogenation Using a Reusable Hydrotalcite‐Supported Silver Nanoparticle Catalyst

Design of a Silver–Cerium Dioxide Core–Shell Nanocomposite Catalyst for Chemoselective Reduction Reactions†

Vanadium-catalyzed epoxidation of cyclic allylic alcohols. Stereoselectivity and stereocontrol mechanism

Efficient Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols using a Hydrotalcite-Supported Gold Nanoparticle Catalyst

Copper nanoparticles on hydrotalcite as a heterogeneous catalyst for oxidant-free dehydrogenation of alcohols.