A three-way catalyst article, and its use in an exhaust system for internal combustion engines, is disclosed. The catalyst article for treating exhaust gas comprising: a substrate comprising an inlet end and an outlet end with an axial length L; and a first catalytic region on the substrate; wherein the first catalytic region comprises a first PGM component and a first alumina, wherein the first alumina is doped with a first dopant of at least 5 wt. %, and wherein the first dopant is selected from the group consisting of Zr, Ta, Mo, W, Ti, Nb, and a combination thereof.

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.

A catalyst for producing light aromatics with heavy aromatics, a method for preparing the catalyst, and a use thereof are disclosed. The catalyst comprises a carrier, component (1), and component (2), wherein component (1) comprises one metal element or more metal elements selected from a group consisting of Pt, Pd, Ir, and Rh, and component (2) comprises one metal element or more metal elements selected from a group consisting of IA group, IIA group, IIIA group, IVA group, IB group, IIB group, IIIB group, IVB group, VB group, VIB group, VIIB group, La group, and VIII group other than Pt, Pd, Ir, and Rh. The catalyst can be used for producing light aromatics with heavy aromatics, whereby heavy aromatics hydrogenation selectivity and light aromatics yield can be improved.

The present invention relates to a method to synthesize ammonia at moderate conditions. The present invention also relates to a new chemical reactor configuration to achieve ammonia synthesis at moderate pressures and temperatures, and methods to make membranes for use in ammonia synthesis.

The present particles, compositions and methods are Nb-oxide embedded carbon based electrocatalysts. In one embodiment, a carbon based support particle is provided having NbO.sub.x (0 x2 is average value of amorphous low-oxidation-state niobium oxides) and a catalytically active metal deposited thereupon. In one embodiment, a method is provided of embedding niobium oxides into pores of carbon black, which involves filling about 4 nm pores on Ketjenblack EC 600JD (KB) with Nb(V) ethoxide by sonication, and decomposing/reducing dried Nb(V) precursor in carbon to 5 nm particles of NbO.sub.x. The embedded, small metal or metal oxide particles over porous carbon surface may find applications in fuel cell and battery technologies. The present compositions can be used for fabricating active and durable catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

The present invention is concerned with the use of certain oxygen storage components. In particular, the use of special mixed oxides as oxygen storage components in exhaust catalysis is disclosed.

The present invention is concerned with oxygen storage materials. In particular an oxygen storage material (OSM) is proposed which comprises a certain mixed oxide as the oxygen storage component. The oxygen storage material can be used in conventional manner in three-way catalysts or NOx-storage catalysts for example.

A photocatalytic member comprises a base and a photocatalytic layer fixed on the base. The photocatalytic layer comprises first photocatalyst particles being visible light responsive photocatalyst particles for hydrogen generation, second photocatalyst particles being visible light responsive photocatalyst particles for oxygen generation, and conductive particles which are provided between the first photocatalyst particle and the second photocatalyst particle, have Fermi level at a negative position relative to an electronic energy level at the upper end of the valence band of the first photocatalyst particle and at a positive position relative to an electronic energy level at the bottom end of the conduction band of the second photocatalyst particle, and are able to store an electron and a hole. In the photocatalytic layer, the conductive particles are located to be coupled to both the first photocatalyst particles and the second photocatalyst particles.

A process for selective removal of hydroxyl groups from phenolic compounds is disclosed. The process uses a combination of catalytic hydrodeoxygenation and catalytic direct deoxygenation to convert alkylphenols into alkylbenzenes.

A method of operating a fuel cell having an anode, a cathode and a polymer electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, includes feeding the anode with an impure hydrogen stream having low levels of carbon monoxide up to 5 ppm, and wherein the anode includes an anode catalyst layer including a carbon monoxide tolerant catalyst material, wherein the catalyst material includes: (i) a binary alloy of PtX, wherein X is a metal selected from the group consisting of rhodium and osmium, and wherein the atomic percentage of platinum in the alloy is from 45 to 80 atomic % and the atomic percentage of X in the alloy is from 20 to 55 atomic %; and (ii) a support material on which the PtX alloy is dispersed; wherein the total loading of platinum group metals (PGM) in the anode catalyst layer is from 0.01 to 0.2 mgPGM/cm.sup.2.