How catalysts secretly lose their stability

Covalent organic framework compounds are more active as catalysts than one would expect

28-Nov-2024 - Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are less stable as catalysts than previously thought but remain highly active. COFs are promising designer catalysts, for example for the sustainable production of chemicals and fuels. Their properties can be adjusted very specifically to catalyze a desired ...

Cubes outperform spheres as catalyst particles

The shape of nanoparticles is a decisive factor in their efficiency as catalysts for the production of green hydrogen

12-Jan-2023 - To date, nanoparticles as catalysts for green hydrogen have been like rowers in an eight: researchers could only measure their average performance, but couldn’t determine which one was the best. This has now changed following the development of a new method by the group led by Professor Kristina ...

Unexpected energy storage capability where water meets metal surfaces

Capacitively stored charge at platinum interfaces can be significantly higher than previously assumed

20-Jan-2022 - A new method can measure the electrical (re-)charging of boundary layers between very small, metallic particles and aqueous solutions and understand it at a molecular level. Researchers from the RESOLV Cluster of Excellence at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have used current and voltage ...

New synthetic route for biofuel production

Compared to previous methods, the team has achieved a high yield and selectivity under less aggressive reaction conditions

09-Feb-2021 - A German-Chinese research team has found a new synthetic route to produce biofuel from biomass. The chemists converted the substance 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) produced from biomass into 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), which could be suitable as a biofuel. Compared to previous methods, they achieved ...

Catalytic activity of individual cobalt oxide nanoparticles determined

Using a robotic arm

16-Dec-2020 - Analyzing nanoparticles individually is a challenge precisely because they are so small. A new technique using electron microscopy and a robotic arm could make the process much easier. Precious metal-free nanoparticles could serve as powerful catalysts in the future, for example for hydrogen ...

Water molecules are gold for nanocatalysis

Some catalysts show remarkable high activity - Thanks to water

28-Jul-2020 - Nanocatalysts made of gold nanoparticles dispersed on metal oxides are very promising for the industrial, selective oxidation of compounds, including alcohols, into valuable chemicals. They show high catalytic activity, particularly in aqueous solution. A team of researchers from Ruhr-Universität ...

Determining the activity of noble-metal-free catalyst particles

08-Oct-2019 - Noble-metal-free nanoparticles could serve as catalysts for the production of hydrogen from water. Because they are so small, their properties are difficult to determine. Chemists have developed a new method with which they can characterise individual noble-metal-free nanoparticle catalysts. The ...

Converting carbon dioxide to valuable resources with the help of nanoparticles

30-Sep-2019 - Enzymes use cascade reactions to produce complex molecules from comparatively simple raw materials. Researchers have now copied this principle. An international research team has used nanoparticles to convert carbon dioxide into valuable raw materials. Scientists at Ruhr-Universität Bochum in ...

High reaction rates even without precious metals

21-Jun-2019 - Precious metals are often efficient catalysts. But they are expensive and rare. However, it has so far been difficult to determine how efficient non-precious metal alternatives are. Non-precious metal nanoparticles could one day replace expensive catalysts for hydrogen production. However, it is ...

Applying precious metal catalysts economically

17-May-2019 - Precious metal nanoparticles of platinum and gold are excellent catalysts. But they are expensive and rare. This new method makes it possible to save material. Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum and the Fritz Haber Institute Berlin have developed a new method of using rare and expensive ...