The invention concerns a method for manufacturing of an electrocatalyst comprising a porous carbon support material, a catalytic material in the form of at least one type of metal, and macrocyclic compounds chemically bound to the carbon support and capable of forming complexes with single metal ions of said metal or metals, said method comprising the steps of: i) providing a template capable of acting as pore structure directing agent during formation of a highly porous electrically conducting templated carbon substrate, ii) mixing the template with one or several precursor substances of the catalytic material, the macrocyclic compounds and carbon, iii) exposing the mixture of the template and the precursor substances to a carbonization process during which the precursors react and transform the mixture into a carbonized template composite in which the carbon part of the composite is chemically bound to macrocyclic compounds present in complexes with the metal or metals. The invention also concerns an electrocatalyst for electrochemical reactions, a method for manufacturing of a membrane electrode assembly using such an electrocatalyst and to a fuel cell making use of such an electrocatalyst.

Novel compositions of matter based on homopiperazine precursor materials and forming a homopiperazine-based ligand are disclosed, along with suitable techniques and materials for the synthesis and utilization thereof. In particular various synthetic schemes and techniques for applying the disclosed compositions of matter as a decontaminating agent. The decontaminating agents include homopiperazine-based ligand-metal complexes that are particularly effective at neutralizing toxicity of nerve agents, pesticides, and other toxic organophosphorus-based compounds. In preferred approaches, the homopiperazine-based ligand-metal complexes act as catalysts to facilitate substitution of a leaving group of the organophosphorus-based compound with a functional group that does not permit the organophosphorus-based compound to inactivate acetylcholinesterase upon introduction of the organophosphorus-based compound to a living organism such as insects and mammals. Advantageously, the catalytic homopiperazine-based ligand-metal complexes are formed using inexpensive, readily-available precursor materials, and may be utilized to neutralize toxins without relying on damaging caustic reactants or environmentally unfriendly organic solvents.

A catalyst includes a plurality of amphiphiles. Each of the amphiphiles includes a polar head and a non-polar tail. At least a portion of the amphiphiles are functionalized amphiphiles. Each of the functionalized amphiphiles has a catalytic center coupled to the polar head. The catalytic center is disposed at an internal hydrophilic environment, which is encapsulated within a hydrophobic shell formed by the non-polar tails of the amphiphiles.

A process for preparing a catalyst material, includes the steps of: (a) providing a support material having surface hydroxyl (OH) groups, wherein the support material is ceria (CeO.sub.2), zirconia (ZrO.sub.2) or a combination of thereof; (b) reacting the support material having surface hydroxyl (OH) groups of step (a) with a precursor containing two transition metal atoms, each chosen independently from the group consisting of: W, Mo, Cr, Ta, Nb, V, Mn; (c) calcining the product obtained in step (b) in order to provide a catalyst material showing dual site surface species containing pairs of transition metal atoms derived from the precursor that are present in oxide form on the support material. Additionally, a catalyst material is obtained by the process set out above, and the catalyst material is used as an ammonia selective catalytic reduction (NH.sub.3-SCR) catalyst for nitrogen oxides (NOx) reduction.

A method for making a magnetic-nanoparticle-supported catalyst includes reacting a ferrocenyl phosphine compound with an amino alcohol compound to form a ligand having a phosphine group, an amine group and at least one hydroxyl group; anchoring the ligand to a surface of magnetic nanoparticles via an oxygen atom of the hydroxyl group to form a ligand complex; combining the ligand complex with a metal precursor comprising Rh to bind the metal precursor with the ligand complex and form the magnetic-particle-supported catalyst. The magnetic-particle-supported catalyst is a Rh complex of magnetic-Fe.sub.3O.sub.4-nanoparticle-supported ferrocenyl phosphine catalyst.

The present embodiments provide a reduction catalyst realizing high reaction efficiency and a reduction reactor employing the catalyst. The reduction catalyst of the embodiment comprises an electric conductor and an organic layer having organic modifying groups placed on the surface of the conductor. The organic modifying groups have an aromatic ring having two or more nitrogen atoms. The reduction catalyst is used in a reduction reactor, and the reactor is also provided.

Provided herein are bi-metallic catalysts, methods of making, and uses thereof. In some embodiments, the bi-metallic catalyst contains two different metal catalysts that can be used in hydrocarbon metathesis reactions, in some embodiments, the methods of making the bi-metallic catalysts can include two steps utilizing a surface organometallic chemistry approach in which the two different metal catalysts are sequentially grafted onto a support.

Disclosed herein are dual catalyst compositions containing an unbridged metallocene compound, a bridged metallocene compound, a chemically-treated solid oxide, and an optional co-catalyst. These catalyst compositions can be used for the oligomerization of propylene to produce an oligomer product. For example, a heavy propylene oligomer can be recovered from the oligomer product, and the heavy propylene oligomer can be characterized by a high flash point and viscosity index, and a low pour point.

A heterogeneous catalyst composition for para-hydrogen induced polarization includes ligand-capped nanoparticles dispersed in water. The ligand-capped nanoparticles include metal nanoparticles that are surface functionalized with organic ligands, a molecular weight of the organic ligands is no greater than 300 g/mol, and the organic ligands each includes multiple binding moieties as coordinates sites for binding to a nanoparticle surface.

Disclosed is a method of oxidizing a substrate comprising contacting the substrate, an oxidant, and a solid phase comprising a plurality of pendant groups having affinity for a substrate to be oxidised and an oxidation catalyst. Also disclosed is a solid phase and membrane for use in the method. Also disclosed is a method for preparing the solid phase, and system for oxidizing a substrate.