A highly efficient synthesis of cis-diol compounds through cis-dihydroxylation of olefins using osmate (VI) salt as catalysts is disclosed, which has found important application in efficient large-scale preparation of, among others, α,α-cedranediol from α-cedrene.

Provided is a photocatalytic composition comprising zinc (Zn) doped titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2) nanoparticles, wherein the ratio of titanium dioxide nanoparticles to zinc is from about 5 to about 150. The photocatalytic composition absorbs electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range from about 200 nm to about 500 nm, and the absorbance of light of wavelengths longer than about 450 nm is less than 50% the absorbance of light of wavelengths shorter than about 350 nm.

A catalyst comprising a functionalized substrate having a first charged functional group, a metal dispersed on the substrate, wherein the metal comprises at least one of Pt, Rh, Pd, Ag, Au, Ni, Os, Ir, Mn, Co, alloys thereof, oxides thereof, or mixtures thereof, and an ionomer are disclosed. Methods manufacturing a functionalized catalyst comprising catalyzing a substrate with a metal, functionalizing the catalyzed substrate with a first charged functional group, and add an ionomer to the loaded functionalized catalyst are also disclosed. Also, methods comprising catalyzing a substrate with a metal, functionalizing the substrate with a first charged functional group, and adding an ionomer to the loaded functionalized catalyst are disclosed.

A method for the preparation of isolated noble metal atoms in a solution comprises mixing a protective agent, a precious metal compound, and a reducing agent thoroughly. At certain temperature, isolated noble metal atoms are formed after reaction, thereby leading to isolated noble metal atoms which are stable in the solution. Isolated noble metal atoms on solid material surface can be prepared by impregnating a noble metal atom solution onto a solid medium. Alloys and catalysts etc. can be prepared by using the single atoms solution as raw material. The invention achieves, for the first time, the preparation of reduced single atoms in a solution phase. Formation of metal nanoparticles is avoided compared to the conventional synthesis of metal materials in solution phase. Compared with solid surface supported monoatomic materials, this invention allows for the preparation of materials that are characterized by high metal loading and high stability.

The present invention discloses a novel method and novel compositions comprising well-dispersed particulate metal materials, including metal nanoparticles and/or metal single-atom materials, on various substrates, said method comprising the use of atomic layer deposition (ALD) and optimization of the metal precursor dose time and the number of ALD cycles. Illustrative of the metals are Fe, Ni, Co, Ru, Rh, Ir, Os, Pt, Pd, and the like; and illustrative of the various substrates are carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (including multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), SiO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, alumina, CeO.sub.2, ZnO, ZrO.sub.2, activated carbon, CuO, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO, CaO, graphene, and the like. The density of the dispersed metals on the substrates is significantly higher than the metal density

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.

A polymer-catalyst assembly includes polarized polymeric nanofibers retaining a plurality of catalytic metallic nanoparticles. A method of making the polarized polymer-catalyst assembly may include providing a fiber mat having polymeric nanofibers retaining a plurality of catalytic metallic nanoparticles, stretching the fiber mat in a uniaxial direction, simultaneous with the step of stretching, thermally heating the fiber mat, simultaneous with the steps of stretching and thermally heating, subjecting the fiber mat to an electric field, whereby the simultaneous steps of stretching, thermally heating, and subjecting thereby form a polarized fiber mat.

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.

Catalysts, catalytic systems and related synthetic methods for in situ production of H.sub.2O.sub.2 and use thereof in reaction with oxidizable substrates.

Exhaust gas systems include an oxidation catalyst (OC) capable of receiving exhaust gas and oxidizing one or more of combustible hydrocarbons (HC) and one or more nitrogen oxide (NOx) species, a selective catalytic reduction device (SCR) disposed downstream from and in fluid communication with the OC via a conduit, and an electrically heated catalyst (EHC) disposed at least partially within the conduit downstream from the OC and upstream from the SCR. The EHC comprises a heating element having an outer surface including one or more second oxidation catalyst materials capable of oxidizing CO, HC, and one or more NOx species. The OC includes one or more storage materials individually or collectively capable of storing NOx and/or HC species. Exhaust gas can be supplied by an internal combustion engine which can optionally power a vehicle.