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.

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.

A catalyst, useful for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane, comprising molybdenum, vanadium, tellurium, tantalum, and oxygen, prepared using a stage hydrothermal synthesis procedure, is provided. The catalyst comprises from 30 to 50 wt. % amorphous content and may be combined with a support/carrier material to form a catalyst material. The described catalysts and catalyst materials demonstrate high selectivity for ethylene at higher temperatures, show little to no decline in conversion and selectivity over time, and do not appear to be sensitive to low residual oxygen concentrations.

Provided is a method for producing a photocatalyst electrode for water decomposition that exhibits excellent detachability between the substrate and the photocatalyst layer and exhibits high photocurrent density. The method for producing a photocatalyst electrode for water decomposition of the invention includes: a metal layer forming step of forming a metal layer on one surface of a first substrate by a vapor phase film-forming method or a liquid phase film-forming method; a photocatalyst layer forming step of forming a photocatalyst layer by subjecting the metal layer to at least one treatment selected from an oxidation treatment, a nitriding treatment, a sulfurization treatment, or a selenization treatment; a current collecting layer forming step of forming a current collecting layer on a surface of the photocatalyst layer, the surface being on the opposite side of the first substrate; and a detachment step of detaching the first substrate from the photocatalyst layer.

Provided is a method for producing a photocatalyst electrode for water decomposition that exhibits excellent detachability between the substrate and the photocatalyst layer and exhibits high photocurrent density. The method for producing a photocatalyst electrode for water decomposition of the invention includes: a metal layer forming step of forming a metal layer on one surface of a first substrate by a vapor phase film-forming method or a liquid phase film-forming method; a photocatalyst layer forming step of forming a photocatalyst layer by subjecting the metal layer to at least one treatment selected from an oxidation treatment, a nitriding treatment, a sulfurization treatment, or a selenization treatment; a current collecting layer forming step of forming a current collecting layer on a surface of the photocatalyst layer, the surface being on the opposite side of the first substrate; and a detachment step of detaching the first substrate from the photocatalyst layer.

A catalyst comprising: a titanium oxide having an anatase-type crystal structure, and having the vertices and the ridge lines, wherein in a single titanium oxide particle, a vertex density per unit surface area is 8.010.sup.4 nm.sup.2 or more, and a ridge line density per unit surface area is 5.010.sup.2 nm or more, or a ridge line density per unit volume is 8.010.sup.3 nm.sup.2 or more. A complex comprising: a material having a porous structure; and said catalyst. A membrane electrode assembly comprising: an anode; cathode; and an electrolyte membrane, wherein the cathode carries said catalyst on at least a surface of the cathode.

An exhaust gas-purifying catalyst includes a support and a catalytic metal supported thereby. The support includes a composite oxide represented by AO.xB.sub.2-C.sub.O.sub.3, wherein A represents at least one of an element having a valence of 1 and an element having a valence of 2, B represents an element having a valence of 3, C represents one or more elements selected from iridium, ruthenium, tantalum, niobium, molybdenum, and tungsten, x represents a numerical value of 1 to 6, and represents a numerical value greater than 0 and less than 2. The catalytic metal includes one or more precious metals selected from rhodium, palladium, and platinum.

An exhaust gas-purifying catalyst includes a support and a catalytic metal supported thereby. The support includes a composite oxide represented by AO.xB.sub.2-C.sub.O.sub.3, wherein A represents at least one of an element having a valence of 1 and an element having a valence of 2, B represents an element having a valence of 3, C represents one or more elements selected from iridium, ruthenium, tantalum, niobium, molybdenum, and tungsten, x represents a numerical value of 1 to 6, and represents a numerical value greater than 0 and less than 2. The catalytic metal includes one or more precious metals selected from rhodium, palladium, and platinum.

A method for converting an alcohol to hydrocarbons comprises two serially placed catalysts. The fraction of aromatics is reduced to desired levels. The method comprises: a) contacting the alcohol with a first catalyst on a carrier, said carrier is selected from a mixed oxide and a mesoporous carrier, said first catalyst comprises at least one basic oxide and optionally at least one selected from the group consisting of metals and metal oxides, then b) contacting the resulting mixture from step a) with a second catalyst wherein said second catalyst is an etched metal loaded zeolite catalyst wherein the etched metal loaded zeolite catalyst is manufactured with a method comprising etching with subsequent loading of metal onto the catalyst, wherein the metal is in the form of nanoparticles, and wherein at least two different metals are loaded onto the etched zeolite catalyst. The hydrocarbons are recovered and used for instance for fuel including gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and jet propellant, and jet fuel. Naturally, other uses of hydrocarbons should not be excluded.

Hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof are dehydrated using a catalyst and a method to produce bio-acrylic acid, acrylic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof. A method to produce the dehydration catalyst is also provided.