Articles tagged with Catalysis
Using computer modeling, a team discovered that plasmas activate metal catalysts in packed bed reactors, causing faster and more efficient chemical reactions. This process could lead to more efficient processes for removing air pollution, converting CO2 into fuels, and producing fertilizer.
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have developed a laser-based spectroscopy technique to study CO2 reduction in-situ. This method provides critical insights into electrochemical pathways, enabling better understanding of electrocatalysts. The breakthrough could lead to more efficient clean fuel technologies.
A new fuel cell developed by Georgia Institute of Technology researchers can run on cheap methane fuel at lower temperatures, making it more affordable and practical. The breakthrough could lead to the creation of decentralized, cleaner, and cheaper electrical power grids, potentially powering homes and businesses.
Researchers have discovered a new catalyst made from manganese that is comparable in ability to split water as platinum and other metal-based alternatives. The stability of the catalyst makes it potentially suitable for hydrogen fuel cells, which could lead to wide-scale adoption of the technology.
A new study by Gregory Fu and his team demonstrates a method for creating molecules with only one handedness using abundant, inexpensive materials. This technique can make the discovery and synthesis of bioactive compounds like pharmaceuticals less expensive and time-consuming.
Researchers at RUDN University found the mercury test ambiguous and required additional control experiments to verify results. This discovery may lead to reevaluating existing experimental data and improving catalysis mechanisms in chemical reactions.
A team of researchers has discovered a noble metal-free catalyst system that is as active as platinum, thanks to the high entropy effect. The alloy, made up of five elements, forms new active centers that offer entirely new properties and are relevant for catalysis.
Researchers from the University of Queensland recreated 450-million-year-old enzymes to accelerate chemical reactions, offering a cheaper alternative to current processes. The ancient enzymes showed improved performance at high temperatures, lasting about 100 times longer than natural enzymes.
Researchers from Brown University have developed a new alloy catalyst that reduces platinum use and maintains its activity after 30,000 voltage cycles. The catalyst's layered structure enhances reactivity while protecting cobalt atoms from degradation, outperforming traditional platinum alloy catalysts in fuel cell testing.
Matt Jones will use the grant to develop techniques in liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to view chemical processes in real time at the atomic scale. He aims to capture video of nanocrystal synthesis, protein biofouling and catalysis itself.
A new catalyst has been developed to improve Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) performance by forming a self-assembled alloy at the surface. The catalyst was tested using methane gas directly, operating stably for over 500 hours with four times higher reaction efficiency than previous catalysts.
Researchers have developed a stable and pure form of epsilon iron carbide that generates almost no CO2 during the Fischer-Tropsch process. This breakthrough could reduce operating costs by up to 25 million euros per year and facilitate more efficient carbon capture and utilization.
Researchers at Ohio State University developed a new method to generate ketyl radicals, enabling the design of new synthetic drugs. The process uses manganese as a catalyst activated by an LED light, resulting in more controlled, wasteful, and selective product formation.
The UK Catalysis Hub will focus on developing new catalysts for sustainable energy, clean water, and low-carbon manufacturing. The hub aims to leverage its research capabilities to drive innovation and economic growth.
By studying materials down to the atomic level, researchers have found a way to improve catalytic efficiency and reduce environmental impact. They used advanced electron microscopy and computer simulations to optimize atomic spacing in metallic nanoparticles, leading to more energy-efficient catalysts.
Researchers have developed a novel method to determine the cause of catalytic activity in complex catalysts, enabling better control over metal support interactions. The approach utilizes vertically grown carbon nanotubes as 'hydrogen highways' to separate active sites and optimize catalyst performance.
A consortium led by the University of Bath aims to develop technology for chemically breaking down mixtures of plastics into their constituent molecules. This project could make a big difference in increasing plastic recycling rates, with the goal of reaching 75% in the UK by 2035.
The University of Delaware has secured a four-year funding renewal from the U.S. Department of Energy for its Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation, advancing processes for converting biomass into chemicals and fuels. The center has contributed to over 340 publications and trained more than 350 students in sustainable technologies.
Researchers have characterized the electrochemical properties of polyaniline and polyaspartic acid thin films using NMR techniques. They found that PASP outpaces polyaniline in catalyzing hydroquinone and catechol oxidation, suggesting its potential as a catalyst.
Researchers at ASU have made significant advances in catalysis, a crucial energy technology. Their work, featured on the cover of the October edition of ACS Catalysis, explores electrocatalytic properties of binuclear Cu(II) fused porphyrins for hydrogen evolution.
Rice University researchers have created a new catalyst that can convert ammonia into hydrogen fuel at ambient pressure using light energy, significantly lowering the activation barrier. The catalyst, made of copper with trace amounts of ruthenium, uses plasmonic effects to enhance its efficiency.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a new fuel cell concept that uses an organic compound called quinone to shuttle electrons and protons, increasing energy efficiency by 100 times compared to previous designs. The design also reduces costs by using lower-cost metals like cobalt as catalysts.
Researchers at Yale University and Brookhaven National Laboratory developed a new catalyst to break carbon-fluorine bonds, one of the strongest chemical bonds known. Single atoms of platinum were found to be strikingly effective in catalyzing bond cleavage and contaminant breakdown.
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new, porous electrocatalyst that can split water molecules at a higher rate than current industry standards. The material, made from a mixture of metal compounds and perchloric acid, has shown improved stability in acidic environments.
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have created a heterometallic copper-aluminum superatom that exhibits atomic properties. The discovery paves the way for the development of new, cost-effective catalysts for various chemical processes.
Researchers at the University of Delaware's Center for Catalytic Science and Technology have developed a novel two-step process to convert carbon dioxide into smaller molecules, increasing efficiency and producing ethylene and ethanol. The technology has the potential to drive chemical processes more affordably and environmentally-frie...
Researchers discovered Serratia marcescens chitinase A (SmChiA) as a molecular motor that converts energy into unidirectional mechanical motion. It hydrolyzes recalcitrant crystalline chitin to form a water-soluble disaccharide, exhibiting fast and efficient degradation.
Researchers developed Pd@NiO-x nanoparticles with unique core@shell interface structure, achieving high activity, selectivity and stability for direct H2O2 synthesis. The creation of porous NiO shell exposes Pd active sites, enhancing productivity and selectivity.
A team of researchers has developed a new mechanism to protect enzymes from oxygen as biocatalysts in fuel cells. The protective mechanism is based on oxygen-consuming enzymes that draw their energy from sugar, allowing for the production of a functional biofuel cell with high efficiency.
Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding the conversion of CO2 to electrofuels, shifting from trial-and-error to rational catalyst design. They found that CO2 activation begins with one common intermediate, carboxylate CO2, which is attached to the surface with C and O atoms.
A team of researchers from the University of Minnesota and University of Massachusetts Amherst has developed a method to predict molecular motion with high accuracy when confining molecules in small nanocages. This breakthrough discovery could improve the production of fuels and chemicals, as well as capture CO2 from the air.
Researchers at LMU and Würzburg have successfully demonstrated the complete splitting of water into hydrogen fuel and oxygen using an all-in-one catalytic system. The new system, which mimics biological photosynthesis, enables the efficient generation of oxygen while minimizing damage to the nanorods.
Researchers at UTSA made a groundbreaking discovery involving the regulation of thiols in mammals. The study found that human bodies may be capable of breaking fluorine-carbon bonds in drugs, opening new possibilities for pharmaceutical treatments.
Hokkaido University researchers have created an improved catalyst for the conversion of methane gas into syngas, overcoming challenges faced by previous studies. The new catalyst successfully generates syngas at a lower temperature than conventional methods, making it more efficient and cost-effective.
Researchers developed a new type of hydrogen production catalyst with low cost, high catalytic activity, and high stability. The S, N co-doped carbon nanotube-encapsulated CoS2@Co composite exhibits excellent electrocatalytic properties, including rapid water dissociation under various operating currents.
Rutgers researchers discovered a primordial peptide with two types of amino acids and a metal cluster similar to iron-sulfur minerals, suggesting it could have emerged spontaneously on early Earth. The short peptide may have served as a catalyst for life-producing chemistry.
A new method to create single-atom catalysts for fuel cells has been developed at Washington State University, potentially making clean energy technology more economically viable. The catalysts, made from iron or cobalt salts and glucosamine, show improved stability and activity compared to commercial platinum catalysts.
Researchers have developed tools to break down pesticides in the environment using catalytic amyloids. The discovery shows that these molecules can facilitate multiple chemical transformations at once, offering a promising approach for OP detoxification. Catalytic amyloids have been shown to hydrolyze paraoxon by several thousand-fold.
Recent advances in organocalcium-catalyzed hydrofunctionalization reactions of element-H bonds are summarized. The use of calcium compounds as catalysts has been shown to be effective and environmentally friendly, providing a cost-effective solution for industrial applications.
A collaboration between University of Pittsburgh and Lubrizol Corporation has revealed the molecular reaction mechanism of PIB polymer. The team found that a 'superacid' catalyst is required for initiation, which could lead to designing different catalysts and controlling the reaction.
Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University create efficient synthesis of oxo-derivatives of betulin using heterogenic catalysts, eliminating toxic by-products and utilizing environmentally friendly oxidants. The new method reduces catalyst consumption and wastewater, making it a promising direction for green chemistry.
Researchers create nanobot pumps that neutralize nerve agents and administer antidotes, powered by the enzyme's chemical energy. The technology has applications in medicine, manufacturing, robotics, and fluidics, and could be used to treat diseases like diabetes and deliver targeted treatments.
Researchers have developed a new method for making valuable compounds by combining enzymatic and photocatalysts. The study, published in Nature, found that this combination can create important active pharmaceutical intermediates for producing pharmaceutical drugs.
Researchers at EPFL developed a computational method to grow 2D carbon surfaces inside zeolite pores. The resulting structures resemble negatively curved surfaces called Schwarzites, which have unique properties and potential applications in supercapacitors, catalysis, and gas storage.
Researchers used a novel experimental setup with quantum chemical calculations to understand organometallic catalysts. They were able to empirically test and validate calculations for oxidation and reduction processes on the entire molecule, providing new insights into redox processes in complex systems.
A team of researchers from Beihang University has fabricated a new type of nonprecious metal-based electrocatalyst, VNQD-NG, for oxygen reduction reaction. The material exhibits high electrocatalytic activity, long durability, and high selectivity for ORR.
Chemists at the University of Basel have developed a novel synthesis method for terpenes that uses molecular capsules to mimic nature. The method significantly reduces the number of steps and improves yield in the synthesis process.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a flow-based high-throughput screening technology for optimizing hydroformylation reactions. The new technique significantly reduces testing time to about 30 minutes, while also minimizing human interaction with toxic gases and saving money.
Researchers developed a hybrid catalyst that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen efficiently, addressing previous limitations of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. The new material, made of iridium dinuclear heterogeneous catalysts attached to a tungsten oxide substrate, offers improved stability and recyclability.
Prof. Doron Lancet and colleagues propose a new chemical model that supports the 'Lipid World' concept, where lipids can store and transmit information, leading to compositional reproduction and Darwinian evolution. The researchers argue that life could emerge before DNA and RNA.
The US Department of Energy awards Rice University researchers $1.1 million to develop single-particle spectroscopy techniques and analyze mechanisms to improve nanoparticle-based electrocatalysts. The goal is to fine-tune nanoscale electrocatalysts for future applications in various industrial processes.
Researchers created an artificial enzyme that catalyzes a Diels-Alder reaction on the surfaces of living human cells, achieving up to a 50% yield. This breakthrough could lead to the development of therapeutic drugs targeted to specific organs and cells, reducing side effects.
Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum developed a low-cost nickel boride catalyst for plastic production from biorefinery products, offering a sustainable alternative to PET. The catalyst also enables the creation of hydrogen as a potential energy source.
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a ruthenium-based perovskite catalyst that exhibits high performance even at low temperatures and is recyclable. The new catalyst overcomes classic limitations, including the need for additives and high reaction temperatures.
Researchers from Ruhr-University Bochum have developed new phosphine ligands that enhance gold catalysts' activity and stability. These findings allow for more efficient reactions at lower temperatures with reduced catalyst quantities, promising economic benefits in industries.
Researchers have achieved a direct solar water-splitting efficiency of 19.3%, surpassing the theoretical maximum of 23%. The innovation lies in a tandem cell made of III-V semiconductors and a crystalline titanium dioxide layer, which improves anti-reflection properties and enhances catalyst activity.
Researchers at Tohoku University developed a new method to synthesize multi-substituted anilines, enabling further developments in medical and materials science. The catalyst-based domino rearrangement reaction offers improved efficiency and selectivity over conventional methods.
The Department of Energy has selected Argonne National Laboratory to lead an Energy Frontier Research Center focused on advanced materials for energy-water systems. Researchers will explore interface phenomena, fouling, reactivity, and the interconnectedness of water and energy to develop innovative solutions.
Researchers at Osaka University have elucidated the activation mechanism of nanoporous gold catalysts, making poisonous CO gas harmless. The study used atomic-scale resolution environmental transmission electron microscopy and computer simulations to reveal the role of residual impurities in catalyzing chemical reactions.
A new study shows that combining machine learning and quantum chemistry can help chemical engineers at Rice University and Penn State find fundamental correlations in large amounts of data. This allows them to narrow down their search and design more efficient catalysts, which can translate into millions of dollars for companies.