Provided is a solid acid catalyst for use in oxidation of a substrate in the coexistence of oxygen and ozone (solid acid catalyst for oxygen-ozone-coexisting oxidation). The solid acid catalyst enables oxidation of the substrate with a high conversion. This solid acid catalyst for oxygen-ozone-coexisting oxidation is a solid acid catalyst for use in an oxidation reaction to oxidize a substrate (A) in the coexistence of oxygen and ozone. The solid acid catalyst includes a transition metal in the form of an elementary substance, a compound, or an ion, and a support supporting the transition metal. The support includes, at least in its surface, a strong acid or super strong acid having a Hammett acidity function (H.sub.0) of −9 or less. The support is preferably a pellet or particle made of a fluorinated sulfonic acid resin, or a support including a solid and a layer of a fluorinated sulfonic acid resin disposed on the solid.

Nanocages are formed by etching nanocubes. The nanocubes are added to an aqueous system having an amphiphilic lipid dissolved in an organic solvent (e.g. a hydrophobic alcohol) to form reverse micelles. As the water evaporates the micelles shrink as etching of the flat surface of the nanocubes occurs. In this fashion hollow nanocages are produced. In one embodiment, the nanocage is covalently attached to a polymer shell (e.g. a dextran shell).

A method and a system for producing a change in a medium. The method places in a vicinity of the medium at least one energy modulation agent. The method applies an initiation energy to the medium. The initiation energy interacts with the energy modulation agent to directly or indirectly produce the change in the medium. The system includes an initiation energy source configured to apply an initiation energy to the medium to activate the energy modulation agent.

The present invention relates to a solid fuel, a system and a method for generating hydrogen. The solid fuel comprises sodium borohydride, catalyst loaded fibres and a binder, wherein the catalyst loaded fibres and the binder form a scaffold structure within which the sodium borohydride is positioned. The system comprises a fuel cartridge containing the solid fuel of the present invention for generating hydrogen gas, a reactor configured to house the fuel cartridge, a tank for storing water, a pump and a liquid conduit for conveying water from the tank to the fuel cartridge housed within the reactor to induce a hydrolysis reaction of the solid fuel contained in the fuel cartridge and a controller for regulating flow of the water.

The porphyrin-based catalysts for water splitting are composites of porphyrin or metalloporphyrin active ingredients, conductive carbon (e.g., graphene sheets, vapor grown carbon fiber, carbon black, etc.), and a polymer or binder that may be coated on a glassy carbon electrode. The polymer or binder may be Nafion oil or polyvinylidine difluoride. The porphyrin may be a porphyrin having a transition metal or hydrogen at its center, and may be halogenated and/or have a thiophene substituent.

The porphyrin-based catalysts for water splitting are composites of porphyrin or metalloporphyrin active ingredients, conductive carbon (e.g., graphene sheets, vapor grown carbon fiber, carbon black, etc.), and a polymer or binder that may be coated on a glassy carbon electrode. The polymer or binder may be Nafion oil or polyvinylidine difluoride. The porphyrin may be a porphyrin having a transition metal or hydrogen at its center, and may be halogenated and/or have a thiophene substituent.

A method and a system for producing a change in a medium disposed in an artificial container. The method places in a vicinity of the medium at least one of a plasmonics agent and an energy modulation agent. The method applies an initiation energy through the artificial container to the medium. The initiation energy interacts with the plasmonics agent or the energy modulation agent to directly or indirectly produce the change in the medium. The system includes an initiation energy source configured to apply an initiation energy to the medium to activate the plasmonics agent or the energy modulation agent.

The invention relates to a material in the form of a cellular solid monolith consisting of an inorganic oxide polymer. Said monolith comprises macropores which have an average size d.sub.A of 4 μm to 50 μm, mesopores that have an average size d.sub.E of 20 to 30 Å, and micropores which have an average size d.sub.1 of 5 à 10 Å, said pores being interconnected. The inorganic oxide polymer has organic groups R of formula —(CH.sub.2).sub.n—R.sup.1, wherein 0≤n≤5, and R.sup.1 is selected from among a thiol group, a pyrrole group, an amino group having one or more optional, optionally substituted alkyl, alkylamino, or aryl substituents, an alkyl group, or a phenyl group optionally having an alkyl-type substituent R.sup.2. The disclosed material can be used as a substrate for a metal catalyst and for decontaminating liquid or gaseous media.

The present invention relates to methods for producing a guest@nanoporous-host materials, and guest@nanoporous-host materials produced according to these methods. Methods according to the invention comprise steps of infiltrating a nanoporous host material with one or more reagents and a target guest precursor in a reaction environment such that a reaction occurs to form the target guest species within the pores of the nanoporous host material. The reagents comprise either a redox reagent and/or a pH modulator. By analysis of appropriate electrochemical potential-pH diagrams and careful selection of suitable reagents and control of process conditions to produce desired target guest particles from selected target guest precursors, the synthesis strategy to form the guests can be more flexible and versatile than known methods, because typically milder reaction conditions can be used than in such known methods.

A vinylpyridine resin for a catalyst support; a method for producing thereof; and a catalyst for carbonylation of methanol are disclosed. The vinylpyridine resin has: content of nitrogen derived from a pyridine group of 3.00% by mass or more and 8.00% by mass or less; degree of crosslinking of 35% by mole or more and 70% by mole or less; molar ratio C/N of carbon atoms to nitrogen atoms of 12.00 or more and 36.00 or less; total pore volume of 0.20 cc/g or more and 0.45 cc/g or less; specific surface area of 70.0 m.sup.2/g or more and 280 m.sup.2/g or less; average pore diameter of 5.0 nm or more and 25.0 nm or less; and proportion of a volume of pores having a pore diameter of 10 nm or more to a volume of the whole pores of 4.0% or more and 90.0% or less.