Provided herein are compositions and methods for use of an organosilica material comprising a copolymer of at least one monomer of Formula [R.sup.1R.sup.2SiCH.sub.2].sub.3 (I), wherein, R.sup.1 represents a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkoxy group; and R.sup.2 is a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkoxy group or a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl group; and at least one other monomer of Formula [(Z.sup.1O).sub.xZ.sup.2.sub.3-xSiZ.sup.3SZ.sup.4] (II), wherein, Z.sup.1 represents a hydrolysable functional group; Z.sup.2 represents a C.sub.1-C.sub.10 alkyl or aryl group; Z.sup.3 represents a C.sub.2-C.sub.11 cyclic or linear hydrocarbon; Z.sup.4 is either H or O.sub.3H; and x represents any one of integers 1, 2, and 3. The composition may be used as a support material to covalently attach transition metal cations, as a sorbent for olefin/paraffin separations, as a catalyst support for hydrogenation reactions, as a precursor for highly dispersed metal nanoparticles, or as a polar sorbent for crude feeds.

Systems and methods of synthesizing nanoparticles on substrates using rapid, high temperature thermal shock. A method involves depositing micro-sized particles or salt precursors on a substrate, and applying a rapid, high temperature thermal pulse or shock to the micro-sized particles or the salt precursors and the substrate to cause the micro-sized particles or the salt precursors to become nanoparticles on the substrate. A system may include a rotatable member that receives a roll of a substrate sheet having micro-sized particles or salt precursors; a motor that rotates the rotatable member so as to unroll consecutive portions of the substrate sheet from the roll; and a thermal energy source that applies a short, high temperature thermal shock to consecutive portions of the substrate sheet that are unrolled from the roll by rotating the first rotatable member. Some systems and methods produce nanoparticles on existing substrate. The nanoparticles may be metallic, ceramic, inorganic, semiconductor, or compound nanoparticles. The substrate may be a carbon-based substrate, a conducting substrate, or a non-conducting substrate. The high temperature thermal shock process may be enabled by electrical Joule heating, microwave heating, thermal radiative heating, plasma heating, or laser heating.

The present invention relates generally to gas phase processes for producing carboxylic acids or alkyl esters. In one embodiment, a gas phase process for producing a carboxylic acid or an alkyl ester comprises (a) providing a catalyst support comprising deposits of cobalt thiocyanate on at least a portion of the catalyst support; (b) heating the catalyst support to convert the cobalt thiocyanate on the support to cobalt sulfide to form a supported cobalt sulfide catalyst; and (c) reacting alkene gas, steam or an alkanol gas, and a carbon-containing gas in the presence of the supported cobalt sulfide catalyst in a reactor to form a product stream, wherein the carbon-containing gas comprises carbon monoxide or a mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, wherein when steam is used as a reactant, the product stream comprises a carboxylic acid, and wherein when alkanol gas is used as a reactant, the product stream comprises an alkyl ester.

The present invention relates generally to gas phase processes for producing carboxylic acids or alkyl esters. In one embodiment, a gas phase process for producing a carboxylic acid or an alkyl ester comprises (a) providing a catalyst support comprising deposits of cobalt thiocyanate on at least a portion of the catalyst support; (b) heating the catalyst support to convert the cobalt thiocyanate on the support to cobalt sulfide to form a supported cobalt sulfide catalyst; and (c) reacting alkene gas, steam or an alkanol gas, and a carbon-containing gas in the presence of the supported cobalt sulfide catalyst in a reactor to form a product stream, wherein the carbon-containing gas comprises carbon monoxide or a mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, wherein when steam is used as a reactant, the product stream comprises a carboxylic acid, and wherein when alkanol gas is used as a reactant, the product stream comprises an alkyl ester.

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to catalyst compositions including metal chalcogenides, processes for producing such catalyst compositions, processes for enhancing catalytic active sites in such catalyst compositions, and uses of such catalyst compositions in, e.g., processes for producing conversion products. In an aspect, a process for forming a catalyst composition is provided. The process includes introducing an electrolyte material and an amphiphile material to a metal chalcogenide to form the catalyst composition. In another aspect, a catalyst composition is provided. The catalyst composition includes a metal chalcogenide, an electrolyte material, and an amphiphile material. Devices for hydrogen evolution reaction are also provided.

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to catalyst compositions including metal chalcogenides, processes for producing such catalyst compositions, processes for enhancing catalytic active sites in such catalyst compositions, and uses of such catalyst compositions in, e.g., processes for producing conversion products. In an aspect, a process for forming a catalyst composition is provided. The process includes introducing an electrolyte material and an amphiphile material to a metal chalcogenide to form the catalyst composition. In another aspect, a catalyst composition is provided. The catalyst composition includes a metal chalcogenide, an electrolyte material, and an amphiphile material. Devices for hydrogen evolution reaction are also provided.

Process and catalyst for upgrading gasoline comprising durene (1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene) and pseudodocumene, the process comprises hydroisomerization of durene (1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene) and pseudocumene (1,2,4-trimethylbenzene) contained in the gasoline in presence of a catalyst comprising a sulfided base metal supported on an acidic carrier, thereby converting durene (1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene) to isodurene (1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene) and prehnitene (1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene) and converting pseudocumene (1,2,4-trimethylbenzene) to mesitylene (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene).

Process and catalyst for upgrading gasoline comprising durene (1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene) and pseudodocumene, the process comprises hydroisomerization of durene (1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene) and pseudocumene (1,2,4-trimethylbenzene) contained in the gasoline in presence of a catalyst comprising a sulfided base metal supported on an acidic carrier, thereby converting durene (1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene) to isodurene (1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene) and prehnitene (1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene) and converting pseudocumene (1,2,4-trimethylbenzene) to mesitylene (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene).

Disclosed are nickel-containing complexation precursors having high complexation activity for bidentate phosphite ligands. Also disclosed are methods of making the complexation precursors. The disclosed method of generating the nickel-containing complexation precursor includes including contacting a nickel starting material with a reductant under conditions sufficient to generate a nickel-containing complexation precursor having at least about 1,500 ppmw sulfur in the form of sulfide.

A robust and general method is provided to synthesize noble metal-based amorphous-crystalline heterophase nanoparticles, each having an amorphous noble metal core and a crystalline semiconductor/metal shell or a Janus structure with an amorphous noble metal domain and a crystalline metal domain attached side by side with the amorphous noble metal domain (i.e., snowman-like structure). The as-synthesized heterophase nanoparticles not only exhibit superior activities in diverse catalytic reactions but also show unexpected high stability, which could be used as ideal templates for the seeded growth of other nanostructures, thus show tremendous potential in different applications including electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. With efficiently separated photo-induced electron and photo-induced holes, superior catalytic performance of amorphous nanomaterials, efficient solar energy conversion ability of crystalline semiconductors, as well as the synergistic effect between them, the controlled construction of amorphous noble metal-crystalline semiconductor heterostructures can be a promising route to development of high-performance catalysts towards photocatalytic reactions.