B07-C-Versatile Soft X-ray beamline: Ambient Pressure XPS and NEXAFS
B18-Core EXAFS
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Huihuang
Fang
,
Simson
Wu
,
Tugce
Ayvali
,
Jianwei
Zheng
,
Joshua
Fellowes
,
Ping-Luen
Ho
,
Kwan Chee
Leung
,
Alexander
Large
,
Georg
Held
,
Ryuichi
Kato
,
Kazu
Suenaga
,
Yves Ira A.
Reyes
,
Ho Viet
Thang
,
Hsin-Yi Tiffany
Chen
,
Shik Chi Edman
Tsang
Open Access
Abstract: Ammonia is regarded as an energy vector for hydrogen storage, transport and utilization, which links to usage of renewable energies. However, efficient catalysts for ammonia decomposition and their underlying mechanism yet remain obscure. Here we report that atomically-dispersed Ru atoms on MgO support on its polar (111) facets {denoted as MgO(111)} show the highest rate of ammonia decomposition, as far as we are aware, than all catalysts reported in literature due to the strong metal-support interaction and efficient surface coupling reaction. We have carefully investigated the loading effect of Ru from atomic form to cluster/nanoparticle on MgO(111). Progressive increase of surface Ru concentration, correlated with increase in specific activity per metal site, clearly indicates synergistic metal sites in close proximity, akin to those bimetallic N2 complexes in solution are required for the stepwise dehydrogenation of ammonia to N2/H2, as also supported by DFT modelling. Whereas, beyond surface doping, the specific activity drops substantially upon the formation of Ru cluster/nanoparticle, which challenges the classical view of allegorically higher activity of coordinated Ru atoms in cluster form (B5 sites) than isolated sites.
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Feb 2023
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Open Access
Abstract: Zeolites have found tremendous applications in the chemical industry. However, it is unclear about the dynamic nature of their active sites under the flow of adsorbate molecules for adsorption and catalysis, especially in operando conditions, which could be different from the as-synthesized structures. In the present study, we report a structural transformation of the adsorptive active sites in SAPO-34 zeolite by using acetone as a probe molecule under various temperatures. The combination of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, in-situ variable-temperature synchrotron x-ray diffraction, and in-situ diffuse-reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy allow a clear identification and quantification that the chemisorption of acetone can convert the classical Brønsted acid site adsorption mode to an induced Frustrated Lewis Pairs adsorption mode at increasing temperatures. Such facile conversion is also supported by the calculations of ab-initio molecular-dynamics simulations. This work sheds new light on the importance of the dynamic structural alteration of active sites in zeolites with adsorbates at elevated temperatures.
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Apr 2022
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B18-Core EXAFS
E01-JEM ARM 200CF
I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[20856]
Abstract: It has only recently been established that doping light elements (lithium, boron, and carbon) into supported transition metals can fill interstitial sites, which can be observed by the expanded unit cell. As an example, interstitial lithium (intLi) can block H filling octahedral interstices of palladium metal lattice, which improves partial hydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes under hydrogen. In contrast, herein, we report intLi is not found in the case of Pt/C. Instead, we observe for the first time a direct ‘substitution’ of Pt with substitutional lithium (subLi) in alternating atomic columns using scanning transmission electron microscopy-annular dark field (STEM-ADF). This ordered substitutional doping results in a contraction of the unit cell as shown by high-quality synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD). The electron donation of d-band of Pt without higher orbital hybridizations by subLi offers an alternative way for ultra-selectivity in catalytic hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds by suppressing the facile CO bond breakage that would form alcohols.
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Jun 2021
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I15-1-X-ray Pair Distribution Function (XPDF)
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Jianwei
Zheng
,
Lilin
Lu
,
Konstantin
Lebedev
,
Simson
Wu
,
Pu
Zhao
,
Ian J.
Mcpherson
,
Tai-Sing
Wu
,
Ryuichi
Kato
,
Yiyang
Li
,
Ping-Luen
Ho
,
Guangchao
Li
,
Linlu
Bai
,
Jianhui
Sun
,
Dharmalingam
Prabhakaran
,
Robert A.
Taylor
,
Yun-Liang
Soo
,
Kazu
Suenaga
,
Shik Chi Edman
Tsang
Abstract: Current industrial production of ammonia from the Haber-Bosch process and its transport concomitantly produces a large quantity of CO2. Herein, we successfully synthesize inorganic-structure-based catalysts with [Fe-S2-Mo] motifs with a connecting structure similar to that of FeMoco (a cofactor of nitrogenase) by placing iron atoms on a single molecular layer of MoS2 at various loadings. This type of new catalytic material functionally mimics the nitrogenase to convert N2 to ammonia and hydrogen in water without adding any sacrificial agent under visible-light illumination. Using the elevated temperature boosts the ammonia yield and the energy efficiency by one order of magnitude. The solar-to-NH3 energy-conversion efficiency can be up to 0.24% at 270°C, which is the highest efficiency among all reported photocatalytic systems. This method of ammonia production and the photocatalytic materials may open up an exciting possibility for the decentralization of ammonia production for fertilizer provision to local farmlands using solar illumination.
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Apr 2021
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B18-Core EXAFS
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[20856]
Open Access
Abstract: The catalytic synthesis of NH3 from the thermodynamically challenging N2 reduction reaction under mild conditions is currently a significant problem for scientists. Accordingly, herein, we report the development of a nitrogenase-inspired inorganic-based chalcogenide system for the efficient electrochemical conversion of N2 to NH3, which is comprised of the basic structure of [Fe–S2–Mo]. This material showed high activity of 8.7 mgNH3 mgFe−1 h−1 (24 μgNH3 cm−2 h−1) with an excellent faradaic efficiency of 27% for the conversion of N2 to NH3 in aqueous medium. It was demonstrated that the Fe1 single atom on [Fe–S2–Mo] under the optimal negative potential favors the reduction of N2 to NH3 over the competitive proton reduction to H2. Operando X-ray absorption and simulations combined with theoretical DFT calculations provided the first and important insights on the particular electron-mediating and catalytic roles of the [Fe–S2–Mo] motifs and Fe1, respectively, on this two-dimensional (2D) molecular layer slab.
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Jan 2021
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B07-C-Versatile Soft X-ray beamline: Ambient Pressure XPS and NEXAFS
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Molly Meng-Jung
Li
,
Hanbo
Zou
,
Jianwei
Zheng
,
Tai-Sing
Wu
,
Ting-Shan
Chan
,
Yun-Liang
Soo
,
Xin-Ping
Wu
,
Xueqing
Gong
,
Tianyi
Chen
,
Kanak
Roy
,
Georg
Held
,
Edman Shik Chi
Tsang
Abstract: Recent years have seen an increasing interest in capturing hydrogen generated from renewables with CO 2 to produce methanol. However, renewable hydrogen production is currently expensive and in limited quantity as compared to CO 2 . Excess CO 2 and limited H 2 in the feedstock gas mixture is not favourable for the CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol reaction, which causes low activity and poor methanol selectivity. Here we report a new class of Rh‐In catalysts with optimal adsorption property to the intermediates of methanol production. The Rh‐In catalyst can effectively catalyse methanol synthesis but inhibit reverse water‐gas shift reaction under H 2 ‐deficient gas flow and shows the best competitive methanol productivity under industrially applicable conditions in comparison with the literature reported values. This work demonstrates a strong potential of Rh‐In bimetallic composition, from which a convenient methanol synthesis based on flexible feedstock compositions (e.g. H 2 /CO 2 from biomass derivatives) with lower energy cost can be established.
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May 2020
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E01-JEM ARM 200CF
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Haohong
Duan
,
Jin-Cheng
Liu
,
Ming
Xu
,
Yufei
Zhao
,
Xue-Lu
Ma
,
Juncai
Dong
,
Xusheng
Zheng
,
Jianwei
Zheng
,
Christopher
Allen
,
Mohsen
Danaie
,
Yung-Kang
Peng
,
Titipong
Issariyakul
,
Dongliang
Chen
,
Angus
Kirkland
,
Jean-Charles
Buffet
,
Jun
Li
,
Shik Chi Edman
Tsang
,
Dermot
O'Hare
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[16969, 17397]
Abstract: Although molecular dinitrogen (N2) is widely used as a carrier or inert gas for many catalytic reactions, it is rarely considered as a catalytic promoter. Here, we report that N2 could be used to reduce the activation energy for catalytic hydrodeoxygenation over ruthenium-based catalysts. Specifically, we report a 4.3-fold activity increase in the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of p-cresol to toluene over a titanium oxide supported ruthenium catalyst (Ru/TiO2) by simply introducing 6 bar N2 under batch conditions at 160 °C and 1 bar hydrogen. Detailed investigations indicate that N2 can be adsorbed and activated on the metallic ruthenium surface to form hydrogenated nitrogen species, which offer protic hydrogen to lower the activation energy of direct carbonaromatic–oxygen bond scission and the hydrogenation of hydroxy groups. Thus, by employing different ruthenium catalysts, including Ru/TiO2, Ru/Al2O3, Ru/ZrO2 and Ru/C, we demonstrate that N2 promotion of hydrodeoxygenation can be regarded as a general strategy.
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Oct 2019
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B18-Core EXAFS
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Abstract: The direct hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol has become a very active research field because CO2 can be prospectively recycled to mitigate greenhouse effect and store clean synthetic fuels. This reaction can be catalyzed by supported Cu catalysts and the catalysts display strong support or promoter effects. Sintering of Cu species accelerates the separation of Cu–oxide interfaces, reduces the active component, and diminishes the methanol selectivity. In this work, we report a Cu catalyst supported on La-modified SBA-15, where the Cu–LaOx interface is generated through the interaction of highly dispersed Cu nanoparticles with LaOx species bedded into the SBA-15 pore wall. The optimized Cu1La0.2/SBA-15 catalyst can achieve methanol selectivity up to 81.2% with no deterioration in activity over 100 h on stream compared with the La-free catalyst. A thorough study reveals that La species not only significantly improve the CO2 adsorption but also enhance Cu dispersion to produce well-dispersed active sites. The H/D exchange experiments show that the methanol synthesis displays a strong thermodynamic isotope effect and the Cu–LaOx interface plays a crucial role for the methanol synthesis rate in CO2/D2 feed. In situ DRIFTS studies reveal that *HCOO and *OCH3 species are the key intermediates formed during the activation of CO2 and methanol synthesis over the Cu1La0.2/SBA-15 catalyst.
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Mar 2019
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Lin
Ye
,
Xinping
Duan
,
Simson
Wu
,
Tai-Sing
Wu
,
Yuxin
Zhao
,
Alex W.
Robertson
,
Hung-Lung
Chou
,
Jianwei
Zheng
,
Tugce
Ayvali
,
Sarah
Day
,
Chiu
Tang
,
Yun-Liang
Soo
,
Youzhu
Yuan
,
Shik Chi Edman
Tsang
Open Access
Abstract: Replacement of Hg with non-toxic Au based catalysts for industrial hydrochlorination of acetylene to vinyl chloride is urgently required. However Au catalysts suffer from progressive deactivation caused by auto-reduction of Au(I) and Au(III) active sites and irreversible aggregation of Au(0) inactive sites. Here we show from synchrotron X-ray absorption, STEM imaging and DFT modelling that the availability of ceria(110) surface renders Au(0)/Au(I) as active pairs. Thus, Au(0) is directly involved in the catalysis. Owing to the strong mediating properties of Ce(IV)/Ce(III) with one electron complementary redox coupling reactions, the ceria promotion to Au catalysts gives enhanced activity and stability. Total pre-reduction of Au species to inactive Au nanoparticles of Au/CeO2&AC when placed in a C2H2/HCl stream can also rapidly rejuvenate. This is dramatically achieved by re-dispersing the Au particles to Au(0) atoms and oxidising to Au(I) entities, whereas Au/AC does not recover from the deactivation.
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Feb 2019
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B18-Core EXAFS
I22-Small angle scattering & Diffraction
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Elizabeth
Raine
,
Adam
Clark
,
Glen
Smales
,
Andrew
Smith
,
Diego
Gianolio
,
Tong
Li
,
Jianwei
Zheng
,
Benjamin
Griffith
,
Timothy I.
Hyde
,
Mark
Feaviour
,
Paul
Collier
,
John V.
Hanna
,
Gopinathan
Sankar
,
Shik Chi Edman
Tsang
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[16316, 16583]
Abstract: The strong directing effects and difficulties in the removal of organic based surfactants makes the templated synthesis of nanoparticles in solid porous structures of defined molecular sizes such as SBA-15, without the use of surfactants, considerably attractive. However, the effects of their internal surface structures, adsorption affinities and lattice mis-match on the particle morphology grown therein have not been fully appreciated. Here, we report the internal surface of the silica preferentially hosts isolated tetrahedrally coordinated oxidic Zn species on the molecular walls of the SBA-15 channels from wet impregnated Zn2+ and Pt2+ species. This leads to less thermodynamic stable but kinetic controlled configuration of atomic zinc deposition on core platinum nanoparticles with unique confined lattice changes and surface properties to both host and guest structures at the interface upon reduction of the composite. This method for the formation templated nanoparticles may generate interests to form new tunable materials as dehydrogenation catalysts.
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Nov 2018
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