The present development is a metal particle coated nanowire catalyst for use in the hydrodesulfurization of fuels and a process for the production of the catalyst. The catalyst comprises titanium(IV) oxide nanowires wherein the nanowires are produced by exposure of a TiO.sub.2KOH paste to microwave radiation. Metal particles selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, nickel, cobalt, tungsten, or a combination thereof, are impregnated on the metal oxide nanowire surface. The metal impregnated nanowires are sulfided to produce catalytically-active metal particles on the surface of the nanowires The catalysts of the present invention are intended for use in the removal of thiophenic sulfur from liquid fuels through a hydrodesulfurization (HDS) process in a fixed bed reactor. The presence of nanowires improves the HDS activity and reduces the sintering effect, therefore, the sulfur removal efficiency increases.

A process for preparing an electride compound, comprising (i) providing a precursor compound comprising an oxidic compound of the garnet group; (ii) heating the precursor provided in (i) under plasma forming conditions in a gas atmosphere to a temperature of the precursor above the Httig temperature of the precursor, obtaining the electride compound.

Cluster-supporting catalyst having an improved heat resistivity, and method for producing the same are provided. The cluster-supporting catalyst includes boron-substitute zeolite particles, and catalyst metal clusters supported within the pores of the boron-substitute zeolite particles. The method for producing a cluster-supporting catalyst, includes the following steps: providing a dispersion liquid containing a dispersion medium and boron-substitute zeolite particles dispersed in the dispersion medium; and in the dispersion liquid, forming catalyst metal clusters having a positive charge, and supporting the catalyst metal clusters on the acid sites within the pores of the boron-substitute zeolite particles through an electrostatic interaction.

Embodiments of the present invention include a filter element for decomposing contaminants including a substrate, and a photocatalytic composition comprising at least a photocatalyst. The embodiments of the present invention also includes a system for decomposing contaminants including a substrate, and a photocatalytic composition comprising at least a photocatalyst; and a method using the system.

Disclosed herein is a method of depositing a transition metal single-atom catalyst including preparing a carbon carrier, and depositing a transition metal single-atom catalyst on the carbon carrier, in which the carbon carrier is surface-treated by an oxidation process, and wherein the deposition is carried out by an arc plasma process.

A metal oxide catalyst involved in a hydrogenation reaction in which a ketone is converted into an alcohol, a method of preparing the metal oxide catalyst, and a method of preparing an alcohol using the same are provided. The metal oxide catalyst has a spinel structure represented by the following Formula 1:
XAl.sub.2O.sub.4,<Formula 1> wherein X represents nickel or copper.

A photocatalytic system having enhanced photo efficiency/photonic efficacy is provided that includes a thin nucleation material coated on a substrate. The nucleation material enhances lattice matching for a subsequently deposited photocatalytic active material. Such a photocatalytic system may be used as a self-cleaning surface in an application where removal of fingerprints and other residue is desired. In certain aspects, the nucleation material comprises aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) and the photocatalytic material comprises an anatase phase of titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2) deposited over the nucleation material. A photocatalytic activity of the system is about 50% above a comparative photocatalytic activity where the photocatalytic active material is disposed directly on the substrate. Methods of making such photocatalytic systems are also provided.

Titania-based porous nanoparticle coatings are mechanically robust, with low haze, which exhibit short time scales for decomposition of fingerprint oils under ultraviolet light. The mechanism by which a typical dactylogram is consumed combines wicking of the sebum into the nanoporous titania structure followed by photocatalytic degradation. These TiO.sub.2 nanostructured surfaces are also anti-fogging, anti-bacterial, and compatible with flexible glass substrates and remain photocatalytically active in natural sunlight.

In one embodiment, a product includes a nanoporous gold structure comprising a plurality of ligaments, and a plurality of oxide particles deposited on the nanoporous gold structure; the oxide particles are characterized by a crystalline phase.

Provided is a photocatalyst layer that improves the photocatalytic performance while suppressing detachment of photocatalyst particles. The photocatalyst layer has a front surface and a rear surface on the opposite side of the front surface. The photocatalyst layer includes photocatalyst particles and a binder. The photocatalyst layer has a first region containing the photocatalyst particles and a second region containing the binder and not containing the photocatalyst particles. The photocatalyst particles include tungsten oxide particles. The photocatalyst particles have contact points being in contact with the rear surface. The ratio of the thickness of the second region to the number-average secondary particle diameter of the photocatalyst particles is 0.20 or more and 0.80 or less.