Ce0.95Cr0.05O2 and Ce0.97Cu0.03O2: active, selective and stable catalysts for selective hydrogen combustion.

Ceria-based materials are promising solid "oxygen reservoirs" for propane oxidative dehydrogenation. The ceria lattice oxygen can selectively combust hydrogen from the dehydrogenation mixture at 550 degrees C. This shifts the dehydrogenation equilibrium to the desired products side, generates heat aiding the endothermic dehydrogenation, and simplifies product separation.

Redox properties of doped and supported copper-ceria catalysts.

Copper-doped ceria catalysts feature in a variety of catalytic reactions. One important application is selective hydrogen combustion via oxygen exchange, which forms the basis of cyclic oxidative dehydrogenation. This paper describes the synthesis of monophasic (doped) and biphasic (supported) Cu-ceria catalysts, that are then characterized using a combination of temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods.

Selective hydrogen oxidation in the presence of C3 hydrocarbons using perovskite oxygen reservoirs.

Perovskite-type oxides, ABO(3), can be successfully applied as solid "oxygen reservoirs" in redox reactions such as selective hydrogen combustion. This reaction is part of a novel process for propane oxidative dehydrogenation, wherein the lattice oxygen of the perovskite is used to combust hydrogen selectively from the dehydrogenation mixture at 550 degrees C. This gives three key advantages: it shifts the dehydrogenation equilibrium to the side of the desired products, heat is generated, thus aiding the endothermic dehydrogenation, and it simplifies product separation (H(2)O vs H(2)).

Redox kinetics of ceria-based mixed oxides in selective hydrogen combustion.

Ceria-based mixed oxides, in which about 10 mol % of the cerium is replaced by another metal, catalyze the selective combustion of hydrogen from a mixture of hydrogen, propane, and propene at 550 degrees C. This makes them attractive catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane. Hydrogen combustion shifts the equilibrium to the products side, supplies energy for the endothermic dehydrogenation, and simplifies product separation.

A "green route" to propene through selective hydrogen oxidation.

The pros and cons of oxidative dehydrogenation of propane are outlined and a new catalytic system based on metal-doped cerianite catalysts is introduced. These novel materials catalyze the selective combustion of hydrogen from a mixture of hydrogen, propane, and propene at 550 degrees C. This gives three key advantages: energy is supplied directly where needed, product separation is made easier, and the dehydrogenation equilibrium is shifted to the desired products.

Clean diesel power via microwave susceptible oxidation catalysts.

The problem of soot emissions from diesel engines is introduced and the possible solution of combining doped perovskites and microwave (mw) irradiation to "clean up" diesel soot filters is outlined. Eighteen doped perovskite catalysts are synthesized and tested for propane and CO oxidation, which are taken as model components for soot. The activity, selectivity, and SO2 tolerance are compared under conventional heating and mw irradiation.

Copper-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling using mixed nanocluster catalysts.

A small library of copper and noble metal nanoclusters is designed and synthesized. These clusters are tested as catalysts in the Suzuki cross-coupling of various aryl halides with phenylboronic acid. It is found that copper and copper/noble metal combination nanoclusters are active catalysts for this reaction, the most active being the combined copper/palladium clusters.