A catalyst comprising one or more metal oxides, wherein the catalyst has a total pore volume equal to or greater than 0.3 cm.sup.3/g and a mean pore diameter greater than or equal to 90 Å, where in the pore volume is measured using N.sub.2 adsorption porosimetry and the mean pore diameter is measured using N.sub.2 BET adsorption porosimetry.

A photocatalytic functional film has a structure of a substrate, a barrier layer and a photocatalytic layer stacked one on another. The barrier layer is an amorphous TiO.sub.2 film, the photocatalyst layer comprises an amorphous TiO.sub.2 film, and particles of visible light responsive photocatalytic material formed on the surface of the amorphous TiO.sub.2 film. A method for producing a photocatalytic functional film includes: adding an alcohol solvent and an acid to a titanium precursor to obtain a TiO.sub.2 amorphous sol by dehydration and de-alcoholization reaction; applying and drying the TiO.sub.2 amorphous sol on a substrate to form a barrier layer; and applying and drying a composition formed by mixing particles of visible light responsive photocatalyst material with the TiO.sub.2 amorphous sol on the barrier layer, to form a photocatalyst layer.

Methods of producing an isomerization catalyst include preparing a catalyst precursor solution, hydrothermally treating the catalyst precursor solution to produce a magnesium oxide precipitant, calcining the magnesium oxide precipitant to produce an isomerization catalyst precursor, soaking the isomerization catalyst precursor in an acid solution comprising sulfuric acid to product a isomerization catalyst precursor precipitant, and calcining the isomerization catalyst precursor precipitant to produce the isomerization catalyst. The catalyst precursor solution includes at least a magnesium precursor, a hydrolyzing agent, and cetrimonium bromide. Methods of producing 1-butene from a 2-butene-containing feedstock with the isomerization catalyst are also disclosed.

A fuel synthesis catalyst of an embodiment for hydrogenating a gas includes at least one selected from the group consisting of; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, the catalyst comprising, an oxide base material containing at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of; Al.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO, TiO.sub.2, and SiO.sub.2, first metal particles containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of; Ni, Co, Fe, and Cu and brought into contact with the oxide base material, and a porous oxide layer containing at least one selected from the group consisting of; CeO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, and SiO.sub.2 and having an interface with each of the first metal particles and the oxide base material.

Disclosed is a visible light responsive photocatalyst that simultaneously realizes high crystallinity and refinement of primary particles. Also disclosed is a photocatalyst composed of secondary particles that have a high porosity and are aggregates of fine primary particles. Rhodium-doped strontium titanate that is a visible light responsive photocatalyst of the present invention has a primary particle diameter of not more than 70 nm and has a absorbance at a wavelength of 570 nm of not less than 0.6 and a absorbance at a wavelength of 1800 nm of not more than 0.7, each absorbance determining by measuring a diffuse reflection spectrum, the rhodium-doped strontium titanate having a high water-splitting activity as a photocatalyst.

Provided is a method for directly preparing dimethyl ether by synthesis gas, the method comprises: the synthesis gas is passed through a reaction zone carrying a catalyst, and reacted under the reaction conditions sufficient to convert at least a portion of the raw materials to obtain the reaction effluent comprising dimethyl ether; and the dimethyl ether is separated from the reaction effluent, wherein the catalyst is zinc aluminum spinel oxide. In the present invention, only one zinc aluminum spinel oxide catalyst is used, which can make the synthesis gas to highly selectively form dimethyl ether, the catalyst has good stability and can be regenerated. The method of the present invention realizes the production of dimethyl ether in one step by the synthesis gas, and reduces the large energy consumption problem caused by step-by-step production.

Despite significant progress in the synthesis of nanocomposite materials, integration of several components with various functions remains a big challenge, which significantly limits control over nanocomposite properties. The disclosure provides a multifunctional micro particle based on incorporation of titania nanoparticles combined into a porous polylactic acid (PLA) matrix. PLA is used as a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer and titania nanoparticles represent photocatalytically active nanofillers capable of degradation of organic compounds under solar irradiation. Titania nanoparticles are integrated with PLA by using ‘mixed’ and ‘in situ grown’ approaches. The hybrid systems effectively absorbed and degraded organic impurities from water. The sorption capacity, dye degradability, and PLA disintegration were controlled by varying the concentration of incorporated titania. The hybrid degradable systems can be applied as novel non-toxic photocatalytic materials for such as environmental cleanup of contaminated waters.

Cellulose and hemicellulose from biomass can be broken down to C6 and C5 sugars and further converted to corresponding sugar alcohols. It is now found that a new catalyst, MoS2, is active for the hydrogenation of sugar alcohols to hydrocarbons. Combining the technologies listed above allows us to convert the cellulose/hemicellulose to liquid hydrocarbons.

Cu.sub.y/MMgO.sub.x interfacial catalyst for selective alkyne hydrogenation and its preparation method are disclosed. The preparation method of the catalyst includes: the mixture of salt and alkali solution is nucleated momentarily by nucleation/crystallization isolation method, preparing the composite metal hydroxide Cu.sub.yMMg.sub.4-LDHs as precursor, which has typical hexagonal morphology of the double hydroxide; the precursor is topologically transformed by heat treatment to produce unsaturated oxide; the catalyst with Cu.sub.y-MMgO.sub.x interface structure is prepared by separating and electronically modifying Cu particles. By adjusting the ratio of Cu.sup.2+/M.sup.3+ in LDHs, the electronic and geometric structure of Cu.sub.y-MMgO.sub.x interface can be flexibly controlled, thus enhancing the reaction activity, product selectivity and stability. The catalyst can be used in the selective hydrogenation of various alkynes in the fields of petrochemical and fine chemical industry, with the outstanding catalytic activity and C═C double bond selectivity. The catalyst also has good reusability.

An embodiment provides a catalyst for water electrolysis which includes an iridium mixed phase formed by physical mixing of two or more selected from metal iridium (Ir), iridium(III) oxide (Ir.sub.2O.sub.3), or iridium(IV) oxide (IrO.sub.2) and has a structure in which nanosheets composed of the iridium mixed phase are stacked. The catalyst for water electrolysis may exhibit high activity and stability for the oxygen evolution reaction in water electrolysis.