A method of making a multicomponent photocatalyst, includes inducing precipitation from a pre-cursor solution comprising a pre-cursor of a plasmonic material and a pre-cursor of a reactive component to form co-precipitated particles; collecting the co-precipitated particles; and annealing the co-precipitated particles to form the multicomponent photocatalyst comprising a reactive component optically, thermally, or electronically coupled to a plasmonic material.

The invention relates to a composition that contains a first semiconductor SC1, particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state selected from among an element of groups IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB, VIIIB, IB, IIB, IIIA, IVA and VA of the periodic table, and a second semiconductor SC2 that comprises indium oxide, with said first semiconductor SC1 being in direct contact with said particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state, with said particles being in direct contact with said second semiconductor SC2 that comprises indium oxide in such a way that the second semiconductor SC2 covers at least 50% of the surfaces of the particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state. The invention also relates to its preparation method as well as its application of photocatalysis.

A catalyst comprises an active phase constituted by palladium, and a porous support comprising at least one refractory oxide selected from the group constituted by silica, alumina and silica-alumina, in which: the palladium content in the catalyst is in the range 0.0025% to 1% by weight with respect to the total weight of catalyst; at least 80% by weight of the palladium is distributed in a crust at the periphery of the porous support, the thickness of said crust being in the range 25 to 450 m; the specific surface area of the porous support is in the range 70 to 160 m.sup.2/g; the metallic dispersion D of the palladium is less than 20%.

Present subject matter provides a semiconductor nanocrystal comprises a core and a shell. The core is fabricated from a first semiconductor. The shell is fabricated from a second semiconductor. The optical cross section of the semiconductor nanocrystal is in a range of 10.sup.17 cm.sup.2-10.sup.12 cm.sup.2 in a 2-3 eV region. The core is less than 2 nanometers from an outer surface of the shell in at least one region of the semiconductor nanocrystal. Present subject matter also provides method for preparation of the semiconductor nanocrystals and method for photosynthesis of organic compounds.

This disclosure provides compositions and methods directed to thermally stable catalyst systems, which display stable physical properties and/or stable catalytic properties after thermal pretreatment at a temperature in the range of about 600 C. to about 1000 C. The catalyst systems include metal particles which contain a stable metal and a catalytic metal deposited on a porous support. Embodiments of the disclosure include catalyst systems that can be used in high temperature applications such as the hybrid sulfur cycle. The hybrid sulfur cyclic is an elevated temperature and high acid reaction that may be conducted using concentrated sulfuric acid heated to 800 C. Embodiments of the disclosure can provide thermally stable catalysts and methods to produce thermally stable catalysts that remain active for at least 80 hours' exposure to these harsh conditions.

The invention relates to a process for the hydrogenation of vegetable oils that selectively converts polyunsaturated fatty acids into mono-unsaturated fatty acids, and to the products obtained therefrom. Vegetable oils obtained by the process according to the invention have a particularly high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and are suitable for use as raw materials for the synthesis of chemical intermediates.

Multimetal oxide composition comprising Mo, Bi, Fe, Cu and one or more than one of the elements Co and Ni and use thereof.

According to one inventive concept, a method for forming an aerogel includes forming a SiO.sub.2 gel, forming a mixture of the SiO.sub.2 gel and a TiCl.sub.4-derived precursor sol, wherein the TiCl.sub.4 sol is comprised of TiCl.sub.4 and a solvent, forming a SiO.sub.2/TiO.sub.2 wet gel, drying the SiO.sub.2/TiO.sub.2 wet gel, and heating the dried SiO.sub.2/TiO.sub.2 gel.

A method for preparing methyl methacrylate from methacrolein and methanol. The method comprises contacting a mixture comprising methacrolein, methanol and oxygen with a heterogeneous catalyst comprising a support and a noble metal, wherein said catalyst has an average diameter of at least 200 microns and at least 90 wt % of the noble metal is in the outer 70% of catalyst volume, and wherein oxygen concentration at a reactor outlet is from 0.5 to 7.5 mol %.

A method for preparing methyl methacrylate from methacrolein and methanol. The method comprises contacting a mixture comprising methacrolein, methanol and oxygen with a heterogeneous catalyst comprising a support and a noble metal, wherein said catalyst has an average diameter of at least 200 microns and at least 90 wt % of the noble metal is in the outer 50% of catalyst volume.