A nanomaterial catalyst comprising a partially crystalline porous magnesium silicate support and gold nanoparticles, the catalyst being useful for oxidative cracking of hydrocarbons, specifically the production of light olefins from propane. Methods of producing the nanomaterial catalyst as well as a method of oxidative cracking of a hydrocarbon to produce light olefins are provided.

A nanomaterial catalyst comprising a partially crystalline porous magnesium silicate support and gold nanoparticles, the catalyst being useful for oxidative cracking of hydrocarbons, specifically the production of light olefins from propane. Methods of producing the nanomaterial catalyst as well as a method of oxidative cracking of a hydrocarbon to produce light olefins are provided.

Described is a method of reducing CO.sub.2 to CO using visible radiation and plasmonic photocatalysts. The method includes contacting CO.sub.2 with a catalyst, in the presence of H.sub.2, wherein the catalyst has plasmonic photocatalytic reductive activity when exposed to radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm. The catalyst, CO.sub.2, and H.sub.2 are exposed to non-coherent radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm such that the catalyst undergoes surface plasmon resonance. The surface plasmon resonance increases the rate of CO.sub.2 reduction to CO as compared to the rate of CO.sub.2 reduction to CO without surface plasmon resonance in the catalyst.

Described is a method of reducing CO.sub.2 to CO using visible radiation and plasmonic photocatalysts. The method includes contacting CO.sub.2 with a catalyst, in the presence of H.sub.2, wherein the catalyst has plasmonic photocatalytic reductive activity when exposed to radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm. The catalyst, CO.sub.2, and H.sub.2 are exposed to non-coherent radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm such that the catalyst undergoes surface plasmon resonance. The surface plasmon resonance increases the rate of CO.sub.2 reduction to CO as compared to the rate of CO.sub.2 reduction to CO without surface plasmon resonance in the catalyst.

Processes are disclosed for the conversion of 1,6-hexanediol to adipic acid employing a chemocatalytic reaction in which 1,6-hexanediol is reacted with oxygen in the presence of particular heterogeneous catalysts including at least one of platinum or gold. The metals are preferably provided on a support selected from the group of titania, stabilized titania, zirconia, stabilized zirconia, silica or mixtures thereof, most preferably zirconia stabilized with tungsten. The reaction with oxygen is carried out at a temperature from about 100° C. to about 300° C. and at a partial pressure of oxygen from about 50 psig to about 2000 psig.

Disclosed herein are organic-inorganic hybrid materials, in particular polyionic nanoclays, along with methods of making and using the same. The functionalized organic-inorganic hybrid materials are preferably of a phyllosilicate structure and comprise an octahedral ionic layer sandwiched between two tetrahedral layers, one or more charged chemical moieties covalently bonded to the tetrahedral layers, and optionally one or more counterions or functional groups associated with the hybrid materials. Methods of producing the same, by contacting a silane with a nucleophile and hydrolyzing the product thereof in the presence of a metal salt, are also provided.

Disclosed herein are organic-inorganic hybrid materials, in particular polyionic nanoclays, along with methods of making and using the same. The functionalized organic-inorganic hybrid materials are preferably of a phyllosilicate structure and comprise an octahedral ionic layer sandwiched between two tetrahedral layers, one or more charged chemical moieties covalently bonded to the tetrahedral layers, and optionally one or more counterions or functional groups associated with the hybrid materials. Methods of producing the same, by contacting a silane with a nucleophile and hydrolyzing the product thereof in the presence of a metal salt, are also provided.

The present disclosure relates to methods of combining chemical enhancement and physical enhancement to produce a combined synergistic total enhancement, and more specifically to methods of irradiating samples containing nanomaterials capable of producing chemical or physical enhancement to produce combined synergistic total enhancement.

The present disclosure relates to methods of combining chemical enhancement and physical enhancement to produce a combined synergistic total enhancement, and more specifically to methods of irradiating samples containing nanomaterials capable of producing chemical or physical enhancement to produce combined synergistic total enhancement.

A visible light sensitive photocatalyst including a compound represented by Formula 1:
A.sub.a-xM.sup.1.sub.xSi.sub.b-yM.sup.2.sub.yO.sub.c  Formula 1
wherein A is one or more metals selected from Ag, Cu, and Au; M.sup.1 is one or more metals selected from Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs; M.sup.2 is one or more metals selected from Ge, Sn, Ti, Zr, and Hf, and 1.7≦a≦2.3, 0.7≦b≦1.3, 2.7≦c≦3.3, 0≦x<a, and 0≦y<b.