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

CO2 conversion covers a wide range of possible application areas from fuels to bulk and commodity chemicals and even to specialty products with biological activity such as pharmaceuticals. In the present review, we discuss selected examples in these areas in a combined analysis of the state-of-the-art of synthetic methodologies and processes with their life cycle assessment. Thereby, we attempted to assess the potential to reduce the environmental footprint in these application fields relative to the current petrochemical value chain. This analysis and discussion differs significantly from a viewpoint on CO2 utilization as a measure for global CO2 mitigation. Whereas the latter focuses on reducing the end-of-pipe problem “CO2 emissions” from todays’ industries, the approach taken here tries to identify opportunities by exploiting a novel feedstock that avoids the utilization of fossil resource in transition toward more sustainable future production. Thus, the motivation to develop CO2-based chemistry does...

Sustainable Conversion of Carbon Dioxide: An Integrated Review of Catalysis and Life Cycle Assessment

Opportunities and prospects in the chemical recycling of carbon dioxide to fuels

It is well known that urbanization and industrialization have resulted in the rapidly increasing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are a major contributor to the formation of secondary pollutants (e.g., tropospheric ozone, PAN (peroxyacetyl nitrate), and secondary organic aerosols) and photochemical smog. The emission of these pollutants has led to a large decline in air quality in numerous regions around the world, which has ultimately led to concerns regarding their impact on human health and general well-being. Catalytic oxidation is regarded as one of the most promising strategies for VOC removal from industrial waste streams. This Review systematically documents the progresses and developments made in the understanding and design of heterogeneous catalysts for VOC oxidation over the past two decades. It addresses in detail how catalytic performance is often drastically affected by the pollutant sources and reaction conditions. It also highlights the primary routes for catalyst deactivation and discusses protocols for their subsequent reactivation. Kinetic models and proposed oxidation mechanisms for representative VOCs are also provided. Typical catalytic reactors and oxidizers for industrial VOC destruction are further discussed. We believe that this Review will provide a great foundation and reference point for future design and development in this field.

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Recent Advances in the Catalytic Oxidation of Volatile Organic Compounds: A Review Based on Pollutant Sorts and Sources.

Perovskites as substitutes of noble metals for heterogeneous catalysis: dream or reality.

Morphology changes induced by strong metal–support interaction on a Ni–ceria catalytic system

The objective of the present work has been the study of the physicochemical and catalytic properties of a Ni/La2O3 catalyst obtained by reduction of a lanthanum nickelite, LaNiO3, with perovskite structure. The perovskite, obtained by means of a spray pyrolysis method, provides a Ni/La2O3 system active in different methane reforming reactions. The catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-Ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed reduction and oxidation (TPR, TPO) and catalytic activity tests. Although not evidenced by XRD data, XAS and TPR measurements show the presence of an amorphous NiO phase in the original sample, together with the crystalline LaNiO3 phase. Upon reoxidation treatment of the reduced Ni/La2O3 catalyst, the LaNiO3 structure is partly recovered which provides a convenient way to regenerate a waste catalyst (reoxidation and new reduction in hydrogen). The catalyst is active in several reactions of methane with oxygen, water and CO2, showing a remarkable stability specially under dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction conditions. This quite great catalytic performance has been explained by the high resistance of the nickel particles to be oxidized, as detected by in situ XAS. In the presence of water, as in steam reforming of methane (SRM) reaction conditions, these metallic particles are gradually oxidized, which explains the linear decreasing of the catalytic performance observed for the SRM reaction.

Synthesis and characterization of a LaNiO3 perovskite as precursor for methane reforming reactions catalysts

Two series of Co–Mn samples were prepared by impregnation of silica with aqueous solutions of Co(NO3)2·6H2O and/or Mn(NO3)2·6H2O. Cobalt oxide was the predominant phase in one of the series and manganese was used as the promoter. The major component in the second series was manganese oxide and Co was the promoter. The prepared samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and tested in the reaction of complete n-hexane oxidation. The catalytic activity of both single component cobalt and manganese samples was similar, however, a combination between the two elements changed significantly the activity and this depended on the method of preparation. Catalysts prepared by a common solution of Co- and Mn nitrates manifested a considerable increase in activity as a result of very low crystallinity of the supported metal oxide phases, partial enrichment of the surface with cobalt and uniform distribution of oxide agglomerates on the support.

Complete n-hexane oxidation over supported Mn–Co catalysts

The effect of a reduction process with CO or H2 on the size of nickel particles in Ni/ZrO2 dry methane reforming catalysts have been studied by means of in situ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) and Diffuse Reflectance FTIR Spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Our results clearly indicate that a high temperature treatment with CO increases the dispersion of the nickel metallic phase. XAS results have shown a lower coordination number of Ni in the sample treated with CO than that reduced with H2. From the DRIFTS results, it can be established that, under the CO treatment, the formation of Ni(CO)4 complexes corrodes the nickel particles, decreasing their size. The formation of these gas molecules occurs without measurable losses of nickel from the catalyst which maintains the same nickel content after the hydrogen or the CO treatment at high temperature. Therefore, this airborne nickel compound, by colliding with the zirconia surface, must deposit the nickel metal atoms around onto the support. This behavior is evidenc...

Modifying the Size of Nickel Metallic Particles by H2/CO Treatment in Ni/ZrO2 Methane Dry Reforming Catalysts

Four different mono and bimetallic Ni–Co/ZrO2 catalysts have been studied by means of in situ XAS, X-ray diffraction, TPR, and measurements of the catalytic activity in the dry reforming reaction of methane (DRM). Even though the cobalt monometallic system has no activity for the methane reforming reaction, both bimetallic catalysts (with 1:1 and 1:2 Ni/Co ratio, respectively), showed a better activity and stability than the nickel monometallic system. The XRD data indicate that a mixed cobalt–nickel spinel is formed by calcination of the precursor solids, leading to the formation of an alloy of both metals after reduction in hydrogen. In situ XAS experiments showed a much better resistance of metals in the bimetallic systems to be oxidized under reaction conditions at temperatures until 750 °C. After these results, we proposed the formation in the bimetallic systems of a more reducible nickel–cobalt alloy phase, which remains completely metallic in contact with the CO2/CH4 reaction mixture at any tempera...

Rosa Pereñíguez

Papers

Morphology changes induced by strong metal–support interaction on a Ni–ceria catalytic system

Synthesis and characterization of a LaNiO3 perovskite as precursor for methane reforming reactions catalysts

Complete n-hexane oxidation over supported Mn–Co catalysts

Modifying the Size of Nickel Metallic Particles by H2/CO Treatment in Ni/ZrO2 Methane Dry Reforming Catalysts

In Situ XAS Study of Synergic Effects on Ni–Co/ZrO2 Methane Reforming Catalysts