Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tokuhisa Kawawaki, Nobuyuki Shimizu, Yusuke Mitomi, Daichi Yazaki, Sakiat Hossain, Yuichi Negishi
Summary: The research aimed to reduce the use of platinum in catalysts for automobile exhaust-gas purification and fuel cell electrodes. By synthesizing, loading, and studying supported similar to 1-nm-sized Pt clusters, the study revealed methods to achieve this goal effectively. Further exploration into the future prospects of supported similar to 1-nm-sized Pt clusters is discussed in the article.
BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Javier Amaya Suarez, Jose J. Plata, Antonio M. Marquez, Javier Fdez Sanz
Summary: This study utilizes density functional theory calculations to investigate the main reaction steps of CO oxidation at PtCu nanoparticles, revealing the significant role of the intermetallic surface structure in the high catalytic activity of these nanoparticles. By comparing with clean Pt (111) surface and different Cu-doped models, it is found that the presence of Cu induces segregation of CO and O-2 molecules at specific sites, leading to a unique CO-assisted mechanism for O-2 dissociation with a lower kinetic barrier compared to traditional Pt surfaces.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Liang-Jun Li, Yu-Ting Luo, Yi-Qi Tian, Pu Wang, Xiao-Yi Yi, Jun Yan, Yong Pei, Chao Liu
Summary: In this study, a thiacalix[4]arene-protected Ag-30 nanocluster with high stability and catalytic activity was presented. The Ag-30 nanocluster features a metallic core shielded by {Ag-5@(TC4A)(4)} motifs. It was found that the catalytic activity of Ag-30 is higher than that of Ag-1(8)n, possibly due to the greater stability of the dual adsorption mode of the *COOH intermediate on the metallic core.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tongxin Song, Zhen Yao, Guangjun Li, Xiao Cai, Xu Liu, Yang-Gang Wang, Weiping Ding, Yan Zhu
Summary: In this study, a heterodimeric gold cluster, Au-29(SR)(19), composed of two functional units fused by sharing four common Au atoms, is reported. One functional unit derived from the half structure of homodimeric Au(28)(SR)(20) cluster impacts catalytic reactivity, while the other functional unit composed of the half structure of homodimeric Au-30(SR)(18) cluster provides structural stability. The synergistic effect exhibited by this heterodimeric catalyst offers new insights into fundamental catalysis and the potential for improving catalytic properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gang Liu, Jiankang Peng, Baonan Jia, Jinbo Hao, Zhengqin Zhao, Xiaoguang Ma, Weixia Zou, Pengfei Lu
Summary: Currently, finding a new catalyst for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution has become crucial due to the high price and scarcity of the precious metal Pt. In this study, the electrocatalytic activity of Janus MoXTe (X = S, Se) monolayers for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was investigated. By introducing vacancies, the catalytic performance was improved, especially with Te vacancies in 2H phase MoSTe and MoSeTe, which showed the highest exchange current density and enhanced conductivity. Our research provides a strategy for designing MoXTe monolayer electrocatalysts that are predicted to have low cost and high performance for HER.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Han Chang Kwon, Younghwan Park, Jeong Young Park, Ryong Ryoo, Hyeyoung Shin, Minkee Choi
Summary: Based on Pt, bimetallic catalysts have been widely studied in propane dehydrogenation due to their high activity in C-H cleavage and propylene selectivity. Recent research has shown that the selective generation of atomically dispersed Ce3+ on the gamma-Al2O3 surface is crucial for stabilizing Pt-0 species and achieving high catalytic activity, selectivity, and longevity in PDH. Excessive Ce loading can lead to a more severe loss of catalytic activity and selectivity.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
I. Maric, G. Drazic, E. Radin, R. Peter, M. Skrabic, T. Jurkin, A. Pustak, N. Baran, L. Mikac, M. Ivanda, M. Petravic, G. Stefanic, M. Gotic
Summary: The Pt/SnO2 and Pt/alpha-Fe2O3 samples were successfully synthesized mechanochemically and the ultrasmall PtNPs were well dispersed on the supports. The PtNPs had a size ranging from 1.0 to 1.3 nm, and the dispersed platinum on the supports consisted of Pt4+, Pt2+, and Pt0 oxidation states.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Xiaoxue Li, Hangzhou Hua, Yonghong Liu, Lei Yu
Summary: Catalyzed by Se/Fe via hybrid mechanisms, the carbon-carbon double bond in alkenes can break to produce carbonyls under mild conditions. Using O-2 as a partial oxidant, the amount of H2O2 employed can be reduced (90 mol% vs 250 mol%) to avoid peroxide residues, making the process safer for operation.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Adam Kubiak, Tomasz Rozmanowski, Elzbieta Gabala, Piotr Krawczyk
Summary: A novel LED-assisted photodeposition process was used to reduce platinum nanoparticles on the surface of exfoliated graphite. The process was successfully demonstrated for the first time on graphite. The photodeposition process involved the initial adsorption of Pt(IV) ions on the expanded graphite surface, followed by the reduction of Pt under UV radiation. The EG/Pt composite showed good catalytic activity in methanol electro-oxidation, and maintained high activity despite poisoning of the Pt catalyst.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY A-CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhijun Li, Minghui Di, Wei Wei, Leipeng Leng, Zhijun Li, Cheng He, Qiang Tan, Qian Xu, J. Hugh Horton, Li Li, Junfa Zhu
Summary: This paper reports on alkali ion-promoted Pd subnanoclusters supported over defective gamma-Al2O3 nanosheets, which exhibit exceptional catalytic activity for C-H bond activation in the benzene oxidation reaction. The addition of alkali ion greatly retards the diffusion and migration of metal atoms under high-temperature sintering conditions. Density functional theory calculations reveal that alkali ions significantly impact the catalyst's structure and electronic properties, promoting its activity and stability.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
David M. Goggin, Ronghua Bei, Ryther Anderson, Diego A. Gomez-Gualdron, Joseph R. Samaniuk
Summary: Research using molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the stacking behavior of 2D material particles at fluid interfaces is hindered by a free-energy barrier, which was corroborated by experimental evidence.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Gengan Saravanan, R. M. Gnanamuthu, Sanjay Sankaranarayanan
Summary: A simplified electrochemical method was developed to synthesize platinum nanoparticles with three different shapes (spherical, hierarchical, and dendritic). These nanoparticles were decorated on electrochemically reduced graphene oxide sheets and their electrochemical properties and surface morphology were studied. The presence of graphene oxide enhanced the dispersion of platinum nanoparticles, and PtNPs-H modified electrode exhibited better electrocatalytic properties in alkaline media.
Article
Electrochemistry
Paulette A. Loichet Torres, Hany A. El-Sayed, Jan N. Schwaemmlein, Franziska Friedrich, Hubert A. Gasteiger
Summary: A hydrogen-promoted approach was developed to achieve copper underpotential deposition (UPD) on platinum surfaces, forming a reliable self-limiting copper coverage. A well-designed reaction cell can facilitate the gram-scale preparation of CuUPDPt/C catalysts.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yan Dong, Zhenlan Li, Guocheng Zheng, Jiawei Zhang, Jiawei Zhou, Yuki Orikasa, Yoshiharu Uchimoto, Xiaoming Wang
Summary: The use of a quasi-monolayer Pt shell (Pt-qms) on a Pd core (Pd-c) can achieve cost and activity targets for the electrocatalytic oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR). In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy was used to monitor the structural evolution of Pd(c)Pt(qms) during ORR, revealing that Pt-qms undergoes restructuring to form Pt clusters and holes while Pd-c remains stable. Protecting the structure of Pd-c is crucial in the development of high-performance Pd(c)Pt(qms) electrocatalysts.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Zhen Jing, Wenyu Wang, Rong Wan, Xinyi Ma, Yuanyuan Qiao, Yufan Bai, Pengtao Ma, Jingyang Niu, Jingping Wang
Summary: A novel telluroniobate compound has been synthesized through a diffusion strategy and fully characterized. It exhibits efficient catalytic performance and interesting proton conduction properties.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Correction
Chemistry, Physical
Haruki Kusaka, Ryota Ishibiki, Masayuki Toyoda, Takeshi Fujita, Tomoharu Tokunaga, Akiyasu Yamamoto, Masashi Miyakawa, Kyosuke Matsushita, Keisuke Miyazaki, Linghui Li, Satish Laxman Shinde, Mariana S. L. Lima, Takeaki Sakurai, Eiji Nishibori, Takuya Masuda, Koji Horiba, Kenji Watanabe, Susumu Saito, Masahiro Miyauchi, Takashi Taniguchi, Hideo Hosono, Takahiro Kondo
Summary: This correction is regarding the tunable bandgaps of crystalline boron monosulfide nanosheets. The correction article was published by Haruki Kusaka et al. in J. Mater. Chem. A.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiaoni Zhang, Yuki Tsujikawa, Ikuma Tateishi, Masahito Niibe, Tetsuya Wada, Masafumi Horio, Miwa Hikichi, Yasunobu Ando, Kunio Yubuta, Takahiro Kondo, Iwao Matsuda
Summary: The electronic topological transition is achieved by replacing the counter atoms on the non-symmorphic borophene layer.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kotaro Takeyasu, Yasutaka Sawaki, Takumi Imabayashi, Septia Eka Marsha Putra, Harry Handoko Halim, Jiamei Quan, Yuji Hamamoto, Ikutaro Hamada, Yoshitada Morikawa, Takahiro Kondo, Tadahiro Fujitani, Junji Nakamura
Summary: This study investigates the reaction mechanism of CH3OH synthesis on Cu catalysts through a combination of experimental and theoretical methods. It is found that the hydrogenation of HCOOa is a potentially rate-determining step, and the activation energy of the reaction is explained.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yasunobu Ando, Takeru Nakashima, Heming Yin, Ikuma Tateishi, Xiaoni Zhang, Yuki Tsujikawa, Masafumi Horio, Nguyen Thanh Cuong, Susumu Okada, Takahiro Kondo, Iwao Matsuda
Summary: Using first-principles calculations, we discovered a stable cyclic hydrogenated boron molecule with a three-center two-electron bond at the center, named 2:4:6:8:-2H-1,5:1,5-mu H-B8H10, and proposed its existence. This molecule acts as a fundamental unit for the sheets of topological hydrogen boride (borophane), which have been recently theoretically proposed and experimentally discovered. The electronic structure of the cyclic hydrogenated boron molecule is compared with that of cyclic hydrogenated carbon molecules.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiaoni Zhang, Miwa Hikichi, Takushi Iimori, Yuki Tsujikawa, Mei Yuan, Masafumi Horio, Kunio Yubuta, Fumio Komori, Masahiro Miyauchi, Takahiro Kondo, Iwao Matsuda
Summary: We propose an improved method for synthesizing borophane sheets. By incorporating hydrochloric acid into the ion-exchange reaction, we significantly increased the production yield from 20% to over 50%. Through a thorough examination, we gained insights into the underlying mechanisms and discovered that hydrochloric acid accelerates borophene production and isolates high-purity products. This method has the potential to enable the production of novel topological 2D materials with potential industrial applications.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Norinobu Watanabe, Keisuke Miyazaki, Masayuki Toyoda, Kotaro Takeyasu, Naohito Tsujii, Haruki Kusaka, Akiyasu Yamamoto, Susumu Saito, Masashi Miyakawa, Takashi Taniguchi, Takashi Aizawa, Takao Mori, Masahiro Miyauchi, Takahiro Kondo
Summary: Researchers synthesized r-BS and evaluated its performance as a semiconductor by measuring the Seebeck coefficient and photo-electrochemical responses. The results indicate that r-BS is a p-type semiconductor. A distinct Fano resonance was observed in Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy, suggesting intrinsic doping of p-type carriers in r-BS. These findings demonstrate the potential application prospects of r-BS.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Katsuaki Sugawara, Haruki Kusaka, Tappei Kawakami, Koki Yanagizawa, Asuka Honma, Seigo Souma, Kosuke Nakayama, Masashi Miyakawa, Takashi Taniguchi, Miho Kitamura, Koji Horiba, Hiroshi Kumigashira, Takashi Takahashi, Shin-ichi Orimo, Masayuki Toyoda, Susumu Saito, Takahiro Kondo, Takafumi Sato
Summary: Boron-based two-dimensional materials, especially rhombohedral boron monosulfide (r-BS), with its unique layered crystal structure, are being extensively studied for their potential applications in nanoelectronics. However, the analysis of the fundamental electronic properties of r-BS has been limited due to the lack of available large crystals. In this study, we utilize microfocused angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (micro-ARPES) to directly map the band structure of a tiny r-BS powder crystal, revealing that r-BS is a p-type semiconductor with an anisotropic in-plane effective mass and a band gap larger than 0.5 eV. These findings demonstrate the high applicability of micro-ARPES for investigating small powder crystals and provide new insights into the unexplored electronic states of novel materials.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuki Tsujikawa, Xiaoni Zhang, Masafumi Horio, Tetsuya Wada, Masashige Miyamoto, Toshihide Sumi, Fumio Komori, Takahiro Kondo, Iwao Matsuda
Summary: The growth of novel two-dimensional materials, especially boron-based, on Cu(110) substrate has shown great potential in exploring 1D anisotropic ordered phases and understanding their electronic properties. Through the deposition of boron atoms, a 3x1 ordered phase with anisotropic characteristics has been discovered, which exhibits similarity to carbon polymers like bumulene. This finding provides a new platform for investigating the properties of 1D boron materials and deepening our understanding of their potential applications.
Article
Physics, Applied
Soki Kobayashi, Hiroki Koizumi, Hideto Yanagihara, Jun Okabayashi, Takahiro Kondo, Takahide Kubota, Koki Takanashi, Yoshiaki Sonobe
Summary: The study investigates the magnetic anisotropy and magnetic interactions at the interface between Fe and NiO(001). The preferential magnetization direction of the ultrathin Fe layer on NiO(001) changed depending on the growth conditions and post-annealing temperature. The lattice constant of NiO(001) layers parallel to the growth direction increased with O2 flow rate, while those parallel to the in-plane direction were locked onto the MgO(001) substrate. Perpendicular magnetization was observed only when the NiO layer was grown with high O2 flow rates. The magnetic anisotropy energies at the interface were temperature-independent, while the coercivity exhibited a significant temperature dependence. The exchange interaction between the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layers was not negligible, despite NiO(001) being a spin-compensated surface.
PHYSICAL REVIEW APPLIED
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hiroshi Ando, Masafumi Horio, Yoko Takeo, Masahito Niibe, Tetsuya Wada, Yasunobu Ando, Takahiro Kondo, Takashi Kimura, Iwao Matsuda
Summary: We developed a compact system for spectroscopic mapping of microstructures using a nano-focused beam at a synchrotron radiation soft X-ray beamline. The system consists of a Wolter mirror and a sample arranged with two mounting stages. It generates an 800-nm spot beam and maps the chemical distribution of non-uniform materials through near-edge X-ray fine structure spectroscopy. This system is suitable for experiments conducted with a nano-focused X-ray beam at synchrotron radiation beamlines or X-ray free-electron lasers. Additionally, this technical note provides guidelines for actual experiments.
E-JOURNAL OF SURFACE SCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shin-ichi Ito, Miwa Hikichi, Natsumi Noguchi, Mei Yuan, Zihao Kang, Kosei Fukuda, Masahiro Miyauchi, Iwao Matsuda, Takahiro Kondo
Summary: A method for achieving long-term stability of two-dimensional hydrogen boride (HB) sheets was developed by pre-treating the sheets and filtering the dried product. The treated sheets exhibited pure HB characteristics even after nine months of storage. This method is significant for preparing stable HB sheets without reactive species.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ayumi Minoda, Shin-Ichi Miyashita, Takahiro Kondo, Toshihiko Ogura, Jing Sun, Yoshio Takahashi
Summary: Ion-exchange resins and activated carbons used in waste refinement in the electronics industry have low efficiency and high costs, while lyophilized cells of microalga Galdieria sulphuraria can recover palladium from diluted aqua regia more efficiently with higher recovery rates.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION & RECYCLING ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yasunobu Ando, Xiaoni Zhang, Yuki Tsujikawa, Yusuke Sato, Masafumi Horio, Jun Haruyama, Osamu Sugino, Takahiro Kondo, Iwao Matsuda
Summary: We present a homotopic analysis of quantum states in two-dimensional polymorphs, connecting the honeycomb-type and Shastry-Sutherland-type models through a deformable herringbone lattice model with nonsymmorphic group symmetry. The evolution of Dirac fermions is studied in the phase space spanned by deformation parameters. Our tight-binding models, considering single orbitals with and without spin-orbit coupling, demonstrate the significance of spin-orbit coupling in the search and design of 2D topological insulators with homotopic symmetry-protected properties.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yuki Tsujikawa, Masafumi Horio, Xiaoni Zhang, Tomoaki Senoo, Takeru Nakashima, Yasunobu Ando, Taisuke Ozaki, Izumi Mochizuki, Ken Wada, Toshio Hyodo, Takushi Iimori, Fumio Komori, Takahiro Kondo, Iwao Matsuda
Summary: The structure, chemical state, and properties of a boron chain, isoelectronic to polycumulene, were investigated using positron diffraction, photoelectron spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations. The results showed that an array of boron chains exists in a copper boride layer on a metal crystal substrate. The band structure of this material is electronically doped and hybridized by neighboring copper atoms. The unique electrophilic character of these boron atom chains specific to the element was also observed.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shin-Ichi Miyashita, Toshihiko Ogura, Takahiro Kondo, Shin-Ichiro Fujii, Kazumi Inagaki, Yoshio Takahashi, Ayumi Minoda
Summary: The study shows that lyophilized Galdieria sulphuraria cells can effectively adsorb gold with strong selectivity and easy recovery, providing important insights for the cheap and eco-friendly recovery of gold from acidic wastewater.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
