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Oh, Jinwon

Publications and source records attributed to Oh, Jinwon.

A General Approach for Metal Nanoparticle Encapsulation Within Porous Oxides

Abstract Encapsulation of metal nanoparticles within oxide materials has been shown as an effective strategy to improve activity, selectivity, and stability in several catalytic applications. Several approaches have been proposed to encapsulate nanoparticles, such as forming core‐shell structures, growing ordered structures (zeolites or metal‐organic frameworks) on nanoparticles, or directly depositing support materials on nanoparticles. Here, a general nanocasting method is demonstrated that can produce diverse encapsulated metal@oxide structures with different compositions (Pt, Pd, Rh) and multiple types of oxides (Al 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 ‐CeO 2 , ZrO 2 , ZnZrO x , In 2 O 3 , Mn 2 O 3 , TiO 2 ) while controlling the size and dispersion of nanoparticles and the porous structure of the oxide. Metal@polymer structures are first prepared, and then the oxide precursor is infiltrated into such structures and the resulting material is calcined to form the metal@oxide structures. Most Pt@oxides catalysts show similar catalytic activity, demonstrating the availability of surface Pt sites in the encapsulated structures. However, the Pt@Mn 2 O 3 sample showed much higher CO oxidation activity, while also being stable under aging conditions. This work demonstrated a robust nanocasting method to synthesize metal@oxide structures, which can be utilized in catalysis to finely tune metal‐oxide interfaces.

Zhou, Chengshuang↗

Steam‐Assisted Selective CO 2 Hydrogenation to Ethanol over Ru−In Catalysts

Abstract Multicomponent catalysts can be designed to synergistically combine reaction intermediates at interfacial active sites, but restructuring makes systematic control and understanding of such dynamics challenging. We here unveil how reducibility and mobility of indium oxide species in Ru‐based catalysts crucially control the direct, selective conversion of CO 2 to ethanol. When uncontrolled, reduced indium oxide species occupy the Ru surface, leading to deactivation. With the addition of steam as a mild oxidant and using porous polymer layers to control In mobility, Ru−In 2 O 3 interface sites are stabilized, and ethanol can be produced with superior overall selectivity (70 %, rest CO). Our work highlights how engineering of bifunctional active ensembles enables cooperativity and synergy at tailored interfaces, which unlocks unprecedented performance in heterogeneous catalysts.

Zhou, Chengshuang↗

Steam-Assisted Selective CO 2 Hydrogenation to Ethanol over Ru–In Catalysts

Multicomponent catalysts can be designed to synergistically combine reaction intermediates at interfacial active sites, but restructuring makes systematic control and understanding of such dynamics challenging. In this work, we unveil how reducibility and mobility of indium oxide species in Ru-based catalysts crucially control the direct, selective conversion of CO 2 to ethanol. When uncontrolled, reduced indium oxide species occupy the Ru surface, leading to deactivation. With the addition of steam as a mild oxidant and using porous polymer layers to control In mobility, Ru–In 2 O 3 interface sites are stabilized, and ethanol can be produced with superior overall selectivity (70 %, rest CO). Our work highlights how engineering of bifunctional active ensembles enables cooperativity and synergy at tailored interfaces, which unlocks unprecedented performance in heterogeneous catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A semi-continuous process for co-production of CO 2 -free hydrogen and carbon nanotubes via methane pyrolysis

Heterogeneous catalytic pyrolysis of hydrocarbons to produce CO 2 -free hydrogen and high-quality solid carbon have historically been stymied by issues related to catalyst deactivation by carbon formed during pyrolysis on the catalyst surface. In addition, a system that demonstrates sustained performance in terms of high conversion, high H 2 yield, and high quality of produced carbon has remained elusive. Here, we propose and demonstrate a semi-continuous methane pyrolysis process to H 2 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) consisting of repeated pyrolysis and in situ (i.e., within the reactor) CNT dislodging by vigorous steam/argon fluidization. With this process, we demonstrate 10 process cycles with high H 2 yield from CH 4 and CNT dislodging in a fluidized-bed reactor with an Fe/q-Al 2 O 3 catalyst synthesized by an easily scalable incipient wetness impregnation process. We also identify and present opportunities for future catalyst and process development.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Steam-created grain boundaries for methane C–H activation in palladium catalysts

Defects may display high reactivity because the specific arrangement of atoms differs from crystalline surfaces. We demonstrate that high-temperature steam pretreatment of palladium catalysts provides a 12-fold increase in the mass-specific reaction rate for carbon-hydrogen (C–H) activation in methane oxidation compared with conventional pretreatments. Through a combination of experimental and theoretical methods, we demonstrate that an increase in the grain boundary density through crystal twinning is achieved during the steam pretreatment and oxidation and is responsible for the increased reactivity. The grain boundaries are highly stable during reaction and show specific rates at least two orders of magnitude higher than other sites on the palladium on alumina (Pd/Al 2 O 3 ) catalysts. Theoretical calculations show that strain introduced by the defective structure can enhance C–H bond activation. Introduction of grain boundaries through laser ablation led to further rate increases.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗