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Tesis por compendio, [ES] El cambio climático es una de las amenazas de nuestro tiempo. Los gases de efecto invernadero, como el CO2, son los principales causantes de este fenómeno, siendo necesario disminuir urgentemente sus emisiones. En 2019, la Comisión Europa presentó el "Pacto Verde Europeo", que será clave para alcanzar un objetivo tremendamente ambicioso para nuestra región: la neutralidad climática de aquí a 2050. Las estrategias de descarbonización incluidas en su hoja de ruta van a implicar necesariamente la transición energética de los combustibles fósiles a las energías renovables, reduciendo de forma masiva la liberación de CO2. En este sentido, el desarrollo de tecnologías efectivas de Captura, Almacenamiento y Uso del Carbono (CAUC) permitirá la valorización del CO2, evolucionando hacia una economía de carbono circular. La presente Tesis Doctoral se enmarca en el diseño, síntesis y caracterización de sistemas catalíticos heterogéneos innovadores basados en metales capaces de transformar el CO2 en otros productos de valor añadido. Entre un amplio catálogo de reacciones que "conectan" el CO2 con diversos compuestos basados en carbono, esta Tesis se centrará principalmente en la síntesis de dos moléculas C1 plataforma de interés industrial: el metanol y el metano. Los Capítulos 3 y 4 están dedicados a la síntesis de metanol, un proceso exotérmico limitado termodinámicamente debido a la estabilidad inherente de la molécula de CO2, así como a la presencia de la reacción competitiva RWGS. Por un lado, el Capítulo 3 se centra en el efecto promotor del galio sobre las propiedades estructurales, electrónicas y catalíticas de materiales basados en Cu/ZnO (sistemas CZG). Mediante un enfoque espectroscópico-catalítico multidisciplinar se ha comparado el efecto promotor del Ga3+ dopado en la red de un ZnO tipo wurtzita presente en un catalizador Cu/ZnO/Ga2O3 con el de una fase de galato de zinc (ZnGa2O4). Por otro lado, en el Capítulo 4 se muestra un catalizador bifuncional que conti, [CA] El canvi climàtic és una de les amenaces del nostre temps. Els gasos d'efecte d'hivernacle, com el diòxid de carboni, són els principals causants d'aquest fenomen, sent necessari reduir urgentment les seues emissions. En 2019, la Comissió Europea va presentar el "Pacte Verd Europeu", que serà clau per a aconseguir un objectiu tremendament ambiciós per a la nostra regió: la neutralitat climàtica d'ací a 2050. Les estratègies de descarbonització incloses en el seu full de ruta implicaran necessàriament la transició energètica dels combustibles fòssils a les energies renovables, reduint de manera massiva l'alliberament de CO2. En aquest sentit, el desenvolupament de tecnologies efectives de Captura, Emmagatzematge i Ús del Carboni (CEUC) permetrà la valorització del CO2, evolucionant cap a una economia de carboni circular. La present Tesi Doctoral s'emmarca en el disseny, síntesi i caracterització de sistemes catalítics heterogenis innovadors basats en metalls capaços de transformar el CO2 en altres productes de valor afegit. Entre un ampli catàleg de reaccions que "connecten" el CO2 amb diversos compostos basats en carboni, aquesta Tesi se centrarà principalment en la síntesi de dues molècules C1 plataforma d'interés industrial: el metanol i el metà. Els Capítols 3 i 4 estan dedicats a la síntesi de metanol, un procés exotèrmic limitat degut tant a l'estabilitat inherent de la molècula de CO2 com a la presència de la reacció competitiva RWGS. D'una banda, el Capítol 3 se centra en l'efecte promotor del gal·li sobre les propietats estructurals, electròniques i catalítiques de materials basats en Cu/ZnO (sistemes CZG). Mitjançant un enfocament espectroscòpic-catalític multidisciplinari s'ha comparat l'efecte promotor del Ga3+ dopat en la xarxa d'un ZnO (wurtzita) present en un catalitzador Cu/ZnO/Ga2O3 amb el d'una fase de ZnGa2O4. D'altra banda, en el Capítol 4 es mostra un catalitzador bifuncional que conté nanopartícules de Cu de 2 nm i espècies Cu+, amb l'objec, [EN] Climate change is one of the existential threats of our times. Greenhouse gases (GHG), such as carbon dioxide, are primary drivers of this phenomenon, and their emissions need to be urgently reduced. In 2019, the European Commission presented the European Green Deal, which will help the EU to attain an ambitious goal for our region: to become carbon-neutral by 2050. The decarbonization strategies included in the roadmap towards net-zero emissions will imply the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies, with a massive reduction of CO2 deliverance. In this sense, the development of effective Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies will allow the valorization of CO2, evolving into a circular carbon economy. The present Doctoral Thesis focuses on the design, synthesis and characterization of innovative heterogeneous metal-based systems, which are able to transform CO2 into value-added products. Among a wide catalogue of reactions that "connects" CO2 with various carbon-based compounds, this thesis will be devoted to the synthesis of two C1 platform chemicals of industrial interest: methanol and methane. Chapters 3 and 4 are dedicated to methanol synthesis, a highly hampered exothermic process due to the inherent stability of the CO2 molecule and the presence of the competitive reverse water-gas shift reaction (RWSG). On the one hand, Chapter 3 is focused on the promoting effect of gallium on the structural, electronic, and catalytic properties of Cu/ZnO based materials (CZG systems). In particular, the promoting effect of Ga3+-doped in the wurtzite ZnO lattice of a Cu/ZnO/Ga2O3 catalyst is compared to that of a zinc gallate (ZnGa2O4) phase following a multimodal spectroscopic-catalytic approach. In Chapter 4, a bifunctional catalyst containing 2 nm Cu nanoparticles and Cu+ species is presented, to overcome the "assumed" low activity of small copper particles that prevents obtaining high atom efficiency

[ES] De forma general, el trabajo realizado durante la presente tesis doctoral se ha enfocado al diseño y optimización de catalizadores heterogéneos basados en Pd y Ru soportado sobre óxidos metálicos y materiales carbonosos. A fin de optimizar los catalizadores se han relacionado los ensayos catalíticos con las propiedades físico-químicas de los materiales mediante diferentes técnicas (XPS, HAADF-STEM, Fotoluminiscencia, IR, ¿) siguiendo un proceso iterativo de ensayo-caracterización-optimización. En concreto, la presente tesis doctoral se puede dividir en dos partes en función de las reacciones estudiadas: 1. Durante la primera parte, capítulo 3, se han preparado catalizadores basados en Au, Pd y Pd(OH)2 soportado sobre diferentes óxidos metálicos con objeto de realizar el homoacoplamiento oxidativo de benzoato de metilo en ausencia de disolvente y empleando oxígeno como único agente oxidante. Se ha conseguido identificar la especie activa como clústeres de Pd mediante el empleo de espectroscopia de infrarrojo de adsorción de CO y fotoluminiscencia. Con este conocimiento se ha podido diseñar un pre-tratamiento de activación específico para maximizar la actividad catalítica con el cual se ha logrado obtener un rendimiento catalítico similar al del catalizador homogéneo de Pd(OAc)2. 2. En la segunda parte de la tesis, se ha estudiado la hidroformilación de 1-hexeno empleando catalizadores alternativos basados en Ru. En particular, durante el capítulo 4 se han desarrollado catalizadores de Ru soportados sobre una matriz orgánica-inorgánica compuesta por un biopolímero natural, quitosán, y SiO2 detectándose un efecto sinérgico entre las especies lixiviadas de Ru (TON > 3000, TOF > 550 h-1) y los grupos funcionales del quitosán que ha sido estudiado mediante espectroscopia de absorción de rayos-X. Finalmente, el objetivo del capítulo 5 ha sido estabilizar las especies de Ru mediante un tratamiento térmico de pirólisis. Empleando un biopolímero natural se ha conseguido, [CA] This doctoral thesis has focused on the design and optimization of heterogeneous Pd and Ru catalysts supported on metallic oxides and carbon materials. In order to optimize the catalysts a relationship has been stablished between the observed reaction kinetics and the physico-chemical properties of the materials by means of different characterization techniques (XPS, HAADF-STEM, photoluminescence, IR ¿) following an iterative kinetic test-characterization-optimization process. In particular, this thesis can be divided in two different parts depending on the reaction studied: 1. In chapter 3, different catalysts based on Au, Pd and Pd(OH)2 supported on a variety of mixed oxides have been prepared with the aim of performing the oxidative homocoupling of methyl benzoate in absence of solvent with molecular oxygen as the only oxidising agent. In this case, Pd clusters have been identified as the active species by means of photoluminescence and infrared spectroscopy using CO as probe molecule. After identifying the active species, a specific activation pre-treatment could be designed in order to maximize the catalytic activity which is on par with the homogeneous Pd(OAc)2 counterpart. 2. In the next chapter (Chapter 4), the hydroformylation of 1-hexene using alternative Ru based catalysts was studied. In particular, a series of hybrid organic-inorganic Ru catalysts composed of a natural biopolymer, chitosan, and SiO2 were developed which showed and interesting synergistic effect between the lixiviated species of Ru and the functional groups of chitosan. This effect was studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The catalyst showed a high activity (TON > 3000 and TOF > 550 h-1) as well as a high regioselectivity towards formation of lineal aldehyde (S > 95%). 3. Finally, the objective of chapter 5 was to go one step further trying to stabilize the Ru species observed in previous chapter by means of a pyrolytic thermal treatment. Thus, with the aid of a natural biopoly, [EN] En general, el treball realitzat durant la present tesi doctoral s'ha centrat en l'optimització de catalitzadors heterogenis basats en Pd i Ru suportat sobre òxids metàl·lics i materials carbonacis. Amb l'objectiu d'optimitzar els catalitzadors, s'ha establert una relació entre els resultats dels experiments catalítics i les propietats fisicoquímiques dels materials mitjançant la utilització de diferents tècniques (XPS, HAADF - STEM, fotoluminescència, IR,...) seguint un esquema iteratiu d'assaig - caracterització - optimització. En concret, la present tesi doctoral es pot dividir en dos parts, en funció de les reaccions estudiades: 1. En la primera part, capítol 3, s'han preparat catalitzadors basats en Au, Pd i Pd(OH)2 suportat sobre diferents òxids metàl·lics amb l'objectiu de realitzar la reacció d'homoacoblament oxidatiu del benzoat de metil en absència de dissolvent i utilitzant oxigen com a únic agent oxidant. S'ha aconseguit identificar els clústers de Pd com a espècies actives de la reacció gràcies a l'espectroscòpia d'infraroig d'adsorció de CO i a la fotoluminescència. D'aquesta forma, s'ha pogut dissenyar un pretractament d'activació específic per aconseguir maximitzar l'activitat catalítica. S'han aconseguit obtenir uns valors de rendiment catalític similars al presentats pel catalitzador homogeni Pd(OAc)2. 2. En la segona part de la tesi, s'ha estudiat la hidroformilació de l'1-hexè utilitzant catalitzadors alternatius basats en Ru. En concret, en el capítol 4, s'han desenvolupat catalitzadors de Ru suportats sobre una matriu orgànica - inorgànica constituïda per un biopolímer natural, quitosan, i SiO2. Així doncs, s'ha pogut detectar un efecte sinèrgic entre les espècies lixiviades de Ru (TON > 3000 and TOF > 550 h-1) i els grups funcionals del quitosan. Dit efecte s'ha estudiat per mitjà de l'espectroscòpia d'absorció de rajos X. Finalment, l'objectiu del capítol 5 ha consistit en estabilitzar les espècies de Ru per mitjà d'un tractament tèrmic

[EN] In this work, we have studied the catalytic activity of different silicates (MFI, MCM-41, and Beta) containing Lewis acid sites (including Sn, Ti, Zr, and Hf) for the tandem N-alkylation reaction of aniline with benzyl alcohol. The Hf- and Zr-Beta were the most active catalysts for this transformation, showing in both cases selectivities toward the corresponding N-benzylaniline higher than 97%. FTIR and DFT analyses confirm that the active sites in the Hf-Beta catalyst for this process are the open sites where one of the four Hf-O bonds is hydrolyzed. Moreover, the amount of these active species could be notoriously increased with previous thermal treatment of the Lewis acid zeolite with benzyl alcohol. Isotopically labeled experiments and theoretical mechanistic studies reveal that the N-alkylation reaction occurs through a hydrogen borrowing pathway, in which in situ Hf-hydride species were generated. Finally, the Hf-Beta zeolite was reused several times in the N-alkylation reaction without any appreciable deactivation detected. This catalytic system could be expanded to a variety of amines, including aliphatic and biomass-derived amines.

[EN] The structure of UiO-66(Ce) is formed by CeO2-x defective nanoclusters connected by terephthalate ligands. The initial presence of accessible Ce3+ sites in the as-synthesized UiO-66(Ce) has been determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)-CO analyses. Moreover, linear scan voltammetric measurements reveal a reversible Ce4+/Ce3+ interconversion within the UiO-66(Ce) material, while nanocrystalline ceria shows an irreversible voltammetric response. This suggests that terephthalic acid ligands facilitate charge transfer between subnanometric metallic nodes, explaining the higher oxidase-like activity of UiO-66(Ce) compared to nanoceria for the mild oxidation of organic dyes under aerobic conditions. Based on these results, we propose the use of Ce-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as efficient catalysts for the halogenation of activated arenes, as 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene (TMB), using oxygen as a green oxidant. Kinetic studies demonstrate that UiO-66(Ce) is at least three times more active than nanoceria under the same reaction conditions. In addition, the UiO-66(Ce) catalyst shows an excellent stability and can be reused after proper washing treatments. Finally, a general mechanism for the oxidative halogenation reaction is proposed when using Ce-MOF as a catalyst, which mimics the mechanistic pathway described for metalloenzymes. The superb control in the generation of subnanometric CeO2-x defective clusters connected by adequate organic ligands in MOFs offers exciting opportunities in the design of Ce-based redox catalysts.

[EN] Modulating the structures of subnanometric metal clusters at the atomic level is a great synthetic and characterization challenge in catalysis. Here, we show how the catalytic properties of subnanometric platinum clusters (0.5-0.6 nm) confined in the sinusoidal 10R channels of purely siliceous MFI zeolite are modulated upon introduction of partially reduced tin species that interact with the noble metal at the metal/support interface. The platinum-tin clusters are stable in H(2)over an extended period of time (>6 h), even at high temperatures (for example, 600 degrees C), which is determined by only a few additional tin atoms added to the platinum clusters. The structural features of platinum-tin clusters, which are not immediately visible by conventional characterization techniques but can be established after combination of in situ extended X-ray absorption fine structure, high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy and CO infrared data, are key to providing a one-order of magnitude lower deactivation rate in the propane dehydrogenation reaction while maintaining high intrinsic (initial) catalytic activity

[EN] The selective dehydration of glycerol to hydroxyacetone (acetol) was studied with Cu-based mixed oxides derived from hydrotalcite as catalysts in a continuous flow fix-bed reactor. Catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation and characterized by ICP, N-2 adsorption, XRD, NH3-TPD, CO2-TPD, TPR and TEM. Different parameters were investigated to develop the most appropriate material as well as to determine the function of every metallic species. The optimized Cu-Mg-AlOx offered approximate to 60% acetol selectivity at >90% glycerol conversion (approximate to 80% liquid yield, up to TOS = 9 h). The catalyst could be regenerated by calcination, achieving full activity recovery after five re-cycles. "In-situ" FTIR and XPS measurements evidenced that the presence of Cu, specially the most active Cu1+ species, was essential to carry out the dehydration to acetol with high reaction rates, and to form the preferred intermediate (with C=O group); although a minor contribution from Cu-0 and Cu2+ species could not be discarded.

[EN] Understanding and tuning the catalytic properties of metals atomically dispersed on oxides are major stepping-stones toward a rational development of single-atom catalysts (SACs). Beyond individual showcase studies, the design and synthesis of structurally regular series of SACs opens the door to systematic experimental investigations of performance as a function of metal identity. Herein, a series of single-atom catalysts based on various 4d (Ru, Rh, Pd) and Sd (Ir, Pt) transition metals has been synthesized on a common MgO carrier. Complementary experimental (X-ray absorption spectroscopy) and theoretical (Density Functional Theory) studies reveal that, regardless of the metal identity, metal cations occupy preferably octahedral coordination MgO lattice positions under step-edges, hence highly confined by the oxide support. Upon exposure to O-2-lean CO oxidation conditions, FTIR spectroscopy indicates the partial deconfinement of the monatomic metal centers driven by CO at precatalysis temperatures, followed by the development of surface carbonate species under steady-state conditions. These findings are supported by DFT calculations, which show the driving force and final structure for the surface metal protrusion to be metal-dependent, but point to an equivalent octahedral-coordinated M4+ carbonate species as the resting state in all cases. Experimentally, apparent reaction activation energies in the range of 96 +/- 19 kJ/mol are determined, with Pt leading to the lowest energy barrier. The results indicate that, for monatomic sites in SACs, differences in CO oxidation reactivity enforceable via metal selection are of lower magnitude than those evidenced previously through the mechanistic involvement of adjacent redox centers on the oxide carrier, suggesting that tuning of the oxide surface chemistry is as relevant as the selection of the supported metal.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: L. Liu, M. Lopez-Haro, D. M. Meira, P. Concepcion, J. J. Calvino, A. Corma, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 15695, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202005621. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving., [EN] Preparation of supported metal catalysts with uniform particle size and coordination environment is a challenging and important topic in materials chemistry and catalysis. In this work, we report the regioselective generation of single-site Ir atoms and their evolution into stabilized subnanometric Ir clusters in MWW zeolite, which are located at the 10MR window connecting the two neighboring 12MR supercages. The size of the subnanometric Ir clusters can be controlled by the post-synthesis treatments and maintain below 1 nm even after being reduced at 650 degrees C, which cannot be readily achieved with samples prepared by conventional impregnation methods. The high structure sensitivity, size-dependence, of catalytic performance in the alkane hydrogenolysis reaction of Ir clusters in the subnanometric regime is evidenced.

[EN] To achieve high-loading of stable subnanometric metal clusters on solid carriers is a challenge since those small metal clusters have strong tendency to sinter into larger nanoparticles. Development of facile synthesis methodologies to obtain subnanometric metal catalysts with high metal loading and high stability against sintering at high temperature (>500 degrees C) in reductive atmosphere (such as H-2) is critical for the practical applications. In this work, we will present and discuss the generation of high-loading (similar to 1.4 wt%) subnanometric Pt clusters confined in the sinusoidal channels of MFI zeolite, on the basis of the atomic-level understanding on the evolution of Pt and Sn species during high-temperature oxidation-reduction treatments. It will be shown that the structural evolution of Pt and Sn species is dependent on the post-synthesis treatments. The Pt particles on the external surface can disintegrate into subnanometric Pt species and get stabilized in the zeolite channels during high-temperature calcination in air while Sn species migrate from surface region to internal region during high-temperature reduction treatment at 650 degrees C. The resultant material containing bimetallic PtSn clusters confined in the 10MR sinusoidal channels of the purely siliceous MFI zeolite show excellent catalytic activity and stability, as demonstrated for dehydrogenation of light alkanes at high reaction temperature. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[EN] Realizing the full potential of oxide-supported single-atom metal catalysts (SACs) is key to successfully bridge the gap between the fields of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Here we show that the one-pot combination of Ru-1/CeO2 and Rh-1/CeO2 SACs enables a highly selective olefin isomerization-hydrosilylation tandem process, hitherto restricted to molecular catalysts in solution. Individually, monoatomic Ru and Rh sites show a remarkable reaction specificity for olefin double-bond migration and anti-Markovnikov alpha-olefin hydrosilylation, respectively. First-principles DFT calculations ascribe such selectivity to differences in the binding strength of the olefin substrate to the monoatomic metal centers. The single-pot cooperation of the two SACs allows the production of terminal organosilane compounds with high regio-selectivity (>95 %) even from industrially-relevant complex mixtures of terminal and internal olefins, alongside a straightforward catalyst recycling and reuse. These results demonstrate the significance of oxide-supported single-atom metal catalysts in tandem catalytic reactions, which are central for the intensification of chemical processes.

[EN] We present a highly selective and active Pd carbon catalyst prepared by an easy hydrothermal synthesis method. This synthetic procedure allows the stabilization under mild conditions of interstitial carbon atoms on the surface of a Pd-0 carbon catalyst. The so formed Pd carbide phase appears on the upper surface layers of the Pd carbon catalyst, as demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron depth profile analysis using variable synchrotron X-ray energies. The presence of carbon in the palladium carbide species modifies the electronic state of surface Pd atoms, resulting in more electron positive Pd species (Pdd+). This influences the adsorption of reactants and reaction intermediates during the hydrogenation of alkynes, dienes and imines, resulting in high selectivities at practically 100% conversion. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[EN] An efficient process for synthesizing a high added-value N-heterocycle (2-methylpiperazine, 2-MP) via reductive amination of hydroxyacetone or acetol (product of the selective dehydration of glycerol) with ethylenediamine by using Pd supported catalysts under mild reaction conditions is here presented. Catalysts based on Pd nanoparticles supported on metallic oxides and mixed oxides were prepared and characterized by ICP analysis, XRD, HR-TEM, and NH3-TPD, among others. Catalytic activity comparisons of Pd-based materials (also including commercial references) were done and obtained results correlated with metal particle morphology (analyzed by CO-FTIR) and its ability to activate the C = N bond. The best results were attained with Pd/TiO2-Al2O3 and Pd/ZrO2-Al2O3, the former yielding >80% of 2-MP. The Pd/TiO2-Al2O3 catalyst successfully enables the activation of the imine group (C = N), due to a larger number of unsaturated Pd sites in its nanoparticles, while keeping a suitable acidity to effectively and selectively carry out the reductive cyclo-amination reaction even with lower catalyst loadings. This research work offers a new and sustainable catalytic route for the synthesis of organo-nitrogen compounds taking advantage of renewable raw materials (i.e. acetol) as a carbon source and using efficient Pd supported catalysts.

[EN] Although nickel dispersed in mesoporous aluminosilicates are efficient catalysts for the oligomerization of ethylene, the nature of the active nickel sites still remains controversial. Here we applied in situ FTIR-CO spectroscopy during reaction with ethylene combined with reaction kinetics with online MS analysis of reaction products to unravel the nature of the active nickel species in working mesoporous Ni-Al-MCM-41 catalysts. The results revealed that isolated ion-exchanged Ni2+ cations are irreversibly blocked during the initial reaction stages leaving unsaturated Ni2+ cations grafted on silanols and at the surface of small (confined) NiO nanoparticles as the active species in the pseudo-steady state. The low activity of these species in pure silica materials suggested a promotional role of aluminum in the Al-MCM-41 matrix on enhancing the activity of Ni2+ sites, probably through a close interaction between Al species and nearby Ni2+ sites, as inferred from quantitative Al-27 MAS NMR and FTIR spectroscopies

[EN] We first report the systematic control of the reactivity of H2O vapor in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with Pt nanocrystals (NCs) through ligand functionalization. We successfully synthesized Pt NCs covered with a water-stable MOF, UiO-66 (Pt@UiO-66), having different metal ions or functionalized ligands. The ligand functionalization of UiO-66 significantly affected the catalytic performance of the water-gas shift reaction, and the replacement of Zr4+ ions with Hf4+ ions in UiO-66 had no impact on the catalytic activity. The introduction of a -Br group lowered the reactivity of Pt@UiO-66 by nearly half, whereas the substitution of -Br with a -Me2 group triply enhanced the activity. The origin of the enhanced catalytic activity was found to be the change in H2O activity in the UiO-66 pores by the ligand functionalization, which was investigated using H2O sorption, solid-state NMR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and in situ IR measurements. This work opens a new prospect to develop MOFs as a platform to activate H2O.

[EN] A comparative study of the catalytic properties for the oxidation of C2-C3 alkanes and olefins has been carried out over unpromoted and M-promoted NiO catalysts (Me¿=¿K, La, Ce, al, Zr, Sn, Nb). The catalysts have been characterized by several physico-chemical techniques (UV Raman, Visible Raman, FTIR of adsorbed CO and XPS). The characteristics of promoter elements are of paramount importance, since they are able to modify both the nature of the active nickel and the concentration of electrophilic O2¿/O¿ oxygen species. Thus, a relatively high acidity and valence of the promoter oxide (with oxidation state higher than¿+¿3) are necessary to achieve high selectivity to olefins during the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of C2¿C3 alkanes. In addition, an inverse correlation between the selectivity to the corresponding olefin and the concentration of electrophilic oxygen species has been observed, although the selectivity to propene during propane ODH is lower than the selectivity to ethylene achieved during ethane ODH. On the other hand, a very low influence of alkane conversion on the selectivity to the corresponding olefins is observed. This behaviour can be explained by considering that the reaction rate for olefin combustion is lower than the reaction rate for alkane oxidation. However, the comparative study of the oxidation of alkanes and olefins suggest that the differences observed between the ODH of propane and ethane are not related to the reactivity of olefins, but to the different number and reactivity of C¿H bonds in both alkanes. A discussion on the importance of the concentration of active sites and the characteristics of the alkanes fed on the selectivity to olefin during the alkane ODH is also presented.

[EN] Aromatic azoxy compounds have wide applications and they can be prepared by stoichiometric or catalytic reactions with H2O2 or N2H4 starting from anilines or nitroarenes. In this work, we will present the direct chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroarenes with H-2 to give aromatic azoxy compounds under base-free mild conditions, with a bifunctional catalytic system formed by Ni nanoparticles covered by a few layers of carbon (Ni@C NPs) and CeO2 nanoparticles. The catalytic performance of Ni@C-CeO2 catalyst surpasses the state-of-art Au/CeO2 catalyst for the direct production of azoxybenzene from nitrobenzene. By means of kinetic and spectroscopic results, a bifunctional mechanism is proposed in which, the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene can be stopped at the formation of azoxybenzene with >95% conversion and >93% selectivity, or can be further driven to the formation of azobenzene with >85% selectivity. By making a bifunctional catalyst with a non-noble metal, one can achieve chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroarenes not only to anilines, but also to corresponding azoxy and azo compounds. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

[EN] Ruthenium nanoparticles with a core-shell structure formed by a core of metallic ruthenium and a shell of ruthenium carbide have been synthesized by a mild and easy hydrothermal treatment. The dual structure and composition of the nanoparticles have been determined by synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging. According to depth profile synchrotron XPS and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, metallic ruthenium species predominate in the inner layers of the material, ruthenium carbide species being located on the upper surface layers. The ruthenium carbon catalysts presented herein are able to activate both CO2 and H-2, exhibiting exceptional high activity for CO2 hydrogenation at low temperatures (160-200 degrees C) with 100% selectivity to methane, surpassing by far the most active Ru catalysts reported up to now. On the basis of catalytic studies and isotopic (CO)-C-13/(CO2)-C-12/H-2 experiments, the active sites responsible for this unprecedented activity can be associated with surface ruthenium carbide (RuC) species, which enable CO2 activation and transformation to methane via a direct CO2 hydrogenation mechanism. Both the high activity and the absence of CO in the gas effluent confer relevance to these catalysts for the Sabatier reaction, a chemical process with renewed interest for storing surplus renewable energy in the form of methane.

"This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b04462", [EN] P-doped graphene (Phy-G) prepared by pyrolysis of phytic acid at 900 degrees C under inert atmosphere has been evaluated as a metal-free catalyst for the thermochemical water splitting. XPS, solid-state P-31 NMR, and Raman spectroscopy confirm the presence of P atoms bonded to C atoms in the graphene lattice as well as some oxygenated P groups, such as phosphates or phosphonates. HRTEM and AFM images show the characteristic sheet morphology of 2D graphene materials of several micrometers lateral size and exhibiting a high crystallinity with the characteristic hexagonal arrangement of graphenic materials. Phy-G has been submitted to consecutive oxidation/activation thermochemical cycles at 650 and 800 degrees C under H2O-saturated Ar and dry Ar atmospheres, respectively. During the oxidation periods, H-2 evolution up to 21.6 mu mol/min.g was measured. However, no O-2 evolves in the activation steps. Experimental evidence and computational calculations support the formation of P=O bonds during the oxidation steps. The computational calculations suggest that the thermocatalytic H2O splitting occurs on the P atoms of doped graphene through a stepwise process involving an intermediate with a P-OH group and a H attached to a neighboring C atom and subsequent H-2 evolution, leading to the formation of P-O bonds.

"This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Catalysis, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.8b04717.", [EN] Despite the intense investigation on the NH3-SCR-NOx reaction mechanism catalyzed by small pore Cu-CHA zeolites, neither the rate-determining step of the process nor the exact nature of the active sites under reaction conditions are clearly established. In this work, in situ EPR and IR techniques combined with DFT calculations are applied to the study of the oxidation half-cycle of the NH3-SCR-NOx reaction on Cu-SSZ-13 and Cu-SAPO-34 catalysts. EPR and IR spectroscopies unambiguously show that Cu+ is oxidized to Cu2+ at room temperature in the presence of the reaction mixture (NO, O-2, and NH3) or NO and O-2, producing adsorbed NO2, nitrites, and nitrates. Several pathways are proposed from DFT calculations to oxidize Cu+ cations placed in the plane of the 6R ring units of SSZ-13 and SAPO-34 to Cu2+, either by NO2 alone or by a mixture of NO and O-2, with activation energy barriers lower than 70 kJ mol(-1). The results reported here demonstrate that a reaction mechanism invoking the formation of nitrate/nitrite intermediates on copper cations attached to the zeolite framework can be operational in the low-temperature region (T < 350 degrees C). Moreover, different intermediates, nitrites versus nitrates, are preferentially stabilized, depending on the catalyst composition, silicoaluminophosphate vs aluminosilicate.

[EN] Subnanometric metal species (single atoms and clusters) have been demonstrated to be unique compared with their nanoparticulate counterparts. However, the poor stabilization of subnanometric metal species towards sintering at high temperature (>500 degrees C) under oxidative or reductive reaction conditions limits their catalytic application. Zeolites can serve as an ideal support to stabilize subnanometric metal catalysts, but it is challenging to localize subnanometric metal species on specific sites and modulate their reactivity. We have achieved a very high preference for localization of highly stable subnanometric Pt and PtSn clusters in the sinusoidal channels of purely siliceous MFI zeolite, as revealed by atomically resolved electron microscopy combining high-angle annular dark-field and integrated differential phase contrast imaging techniques. These catalysts show very high stability, selectivity and activity for the industrially important dehydrogenation of propane to form propylene. This stabilization strategy could be extended to other crystalline porous materials.

[EN] We first studied the reactivity of H2O vapor in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with Pt nanocrystals (NCs) through the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction. A water-stable MOF, UiO-66, serves as a highly effective support material for the WGS reaction compared with ZrO2. The origin of the high catalytic performance was investigated using in situ IR spectroscopy. In addition, from a comparison of the catalytic activities of Pt on UiO-66, where Pt NCs are located on the surface of UiO-66 and Pt@UiO-66, where Pt NCs are coated with UiO-66, we found that the competitive effects of H2O condensation and diffusion in the UiO-66 play important roles in the catalytic activity of Pt NCs. A thinner UiO-66 coating further enhanced the WGS reaction activity of Pt NCs by minimizing the negative effect of slow H2O diffusion in UiO-66.

[EN] The gas-phase oxidehydration (ODH) of 1,2-propanediol to propionic acid has been studied as an intermediate step in the multi-step transformation of bio-sourced glycerol into methylmethacrylate. The reaction involves the dehydration of 1,2-propanediol into propionaldehyde, which occurs in the presence of acid active sites, and a second step of oxidation of the aldehyde to the carboxylic acid. The two reactions were carried out using a cascade strategy and multifunctional catalysts, made of W-Nb-O, W-V-O and W-Mo-V-O hexagonal tungsten bronzes, the same systems which are also active and selective in the ODH of glycerol into acrylic acid. Despite the similarities of reactions involved, the ODH of 1,2-propanediol turned out to be less selective than glycerol ODH, with best yield to propanoic acid no higher than 13%, mainly because of the parallel reaction of oxidative cleavage, occurring on the reactant itself, which led to the formation of C-1-C-2 compounds.

[EN] Tungsten oxide bronze-based materials show extremely adaptive structural and compositional features that make them suitable for functional properties modulation. Herein we report the preparation of a series of Ti-containing tungsten oxide catalysts presenting a hexagonal tungsten bronze-type structure. The insertion of Ti4+ within the structure (likely in the octahedral framework of the hexagonal tungsten bronze) leads to an increase in the number of strong acid sites, and the disappearance of W5+ surface species found in the undoped tungsten oxide. With the aim of studying the acid-redox properties of the titled catalysts, the catalytic transformation of methanol has been carried out in the presence and the absence of O-2 in the feed. Both catalytic activity and the acid-redox properties of these catalysts are highly dependent on catalyst composition and reaction conditions applied (i.e. in the presence or in the absence O-2 in the feed). Aerobic experiments show the depletion of the redox functionality (i.e. no formaldehyde detected in the products) when Ti4+ is incorporated in the framework (i.e. 100% selectivity to dimethyl ether). On the other hand, all the catalysts show the loss of the redox function and a decrease in the catalytic activity when anaerobic conditions are used. In the absence of oxygen, the catalysts are still active in the dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether, i.e. they maintain their acid functionality even when oxygen is not present in the feed. The results are discussed in terms of the available surface active sites present in each case.

[EN] The catalytic subnanometric metal clusters with a few atoms can be regarded as an intermediate state between single atoms and metal nanoparticles (>1 nm). Their molecule-like electronic structures and flexible geometric structures bring rich chemistry and also a different catalytic behavior, in comparison with the single-atom or nanoparticulate counterparts. In this work, by combination of operando IR spectroscopy techniques and electronic structure calculations, we will show a comparative study on Pt catalysts for CO + NO reaction at a very low temperature range (140-200 K). It has been found that single Pt atoms immobilized on MCM-22 zeolite are not stable under reaction conditions and agglomerate into Pt nanoclusters and particles, which are the working active sites for CO + NO reaction. In the case of the catalyst containing Pt nanoparticles (similar to 2 nm), the oxidation of CO to CO2 occurs in a much lower extension, and Pt nanoparticles become poisoned under reaction conditions because of a strong interaction with CO and NO. Therefore, only subnanometric Pt clusters allow NO dissociation at a low temperature and CO oxidation to occur well on the surface, while CO interaction is weak enough to avoid catalyst poisoning, resulting in a good balance to achieve enhanced catalytic performance.

[EN] Levoglucosenone, directly produced from cellulose-containing residual biomass via pyrolysis treatments, is believed to be a promising bio-renewable platform for both fine and commodity chemicals. In this work, the possibilities given by tuneable catalysts based on Pd and Pt supported on metallic oxides to produce the desired product in the one-pot hydrogenation of levoglucosenone are evaluated. Particularly, the excellent catalytic performance of Pd/ZrO2 and Pt/ZrO2 type materials for the synthesis of dihydrolevoglucosenone (or Cyrene) and levoglucosanol, respectively, during the mild hydrogenation of levoglucosenone is demonstrated. In the Cyrene synthesis, the Pd/t-ZrO2 material showed the best catalytic activity compared to other Pd-supported on metallic oxides. This catalyst achieved nearly 95% yields of Cyrene by working under mild reaction conditions, with very low catalyst loadings (¿3 wt%) and using water as the solvent. On the other hand, the one-pot hydrogenation of levoglucosenone to levoglucosanol is reported for the first time with a Pt-based heterogeneous catalyst (Pt/ZrO2-mix, yield ¿90%), by working at low temperatures and mild H2 pressures with water as the solvent. Comparison of the results attained with other Pt-supported metallic oxides let us to conclude that the metal crystal facets (specifically the 100 facet) play an important role in the hydrogenation process to give levoglucosanol selectively. In addition, the stability and re-usability of both catalysts under operational conditions are also evaluated. Finally, catalytic tests including the use of crude bio-liquids obtained from cellulose-rich biomass pyrolysis and containing ¿66 wt% of levoglucosenone are also assayed, thus demonstrating the possibility of scaling-up the process over these metals supported on zirconia catalysts.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: B. Jurca, C. Bucur, A. Primo, P. Concepción, V. I. Parvulescu, H. García, ChemCatChem 2019, 11, 985, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.201801984. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving., [EN] N-doped, defective graphene obtained by pyrolysis of chitosan at 900 degrees C under Ar exhibits catalytic activity for the Sabatier hydrogenation of CO2 to CH4 at temperatures about 500 degrees C with estimated turnover frequencies and activation energy values of 73.17s(-1) and 24.3 kcal x mol(-1), respectively. It has been found that this enhanced catalytic activity compared to other related doped defective graphenes derives from the presence of pyridinic N atoms that adsorbs CO2 forming carbamate-type adsorbates.

"This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Catalysis, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.8b05042.", [EN] The dynamic behavior of a CuO/ZnO/Ga2O3 catalyst under methanol steam reforming (MSR) reaction conditions promoted by a high dispersion of the copper nanoparticles and defect sites of a nonstoichiometric ZnGa2O4 spinel phase has been observed, where structural changes taking place in the initial state of the reaction determine the final state of the catalyst in stationary reaction conditions. Mass spectrometry (MS) studies under transient conditions coupled to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have shown copper oxidation to Cu+ in the initial state of the reaction (TOS = 4 min), followed by a fast reduction of the outer shell to Cu-0, while keeping dissolved oxygen species in the inner layers of the nanoparticle. The presence of this subsurface oxygen impairs a positive charge to the uppermost surface copper species, that is, Cu delta+, which undoubtedly plays an important role on the MSR catalytic activity. The detection of these features, unperceived by conventional spectroscopic and catalytic studies, has only been possible by combining synchrotron NAP-XPS studies with transient studies performed in a low volume catalytic reactor connected to MS and linked with Raman and laboratory scale XPS studies.

"This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b06631", [EN] N-substituted furfuryl amines are an important class of compounds due to their pharmaceutical activities that can be produced by reductive amination of furfuraldehydes derived from biomass. With supported Pd nanoparticles it is possible to obtain high activities and selectivities for the production of secondary amines. CO adsorption monitored by IR shows the importance of the Pd crystal size and crystal face on catalyst activity and selectivity. When using Pd on carbon the amount of unsaturated Pd sites is very much enhanced with the corresponding increase in selectivity. The role of carbon deposition on metal terraces on catalytic selectivity is discussed. The optimized catalyst has been successfully applied in the reductive amination of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural with different amines and ammonia as well as in the one-pot reductive amination starting from nitrobenzene instead of aniline, giving the different N-substituted-5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfuryl amines with excellent activity and selectivity.

[EN] Oxide-supported copper nanoparticles exhibit promising properties as catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol. Both reaction rate and selectivity depend conspicuously on the nature of the oxide support/promoter at the metal periphery. However, a major challenge is the achievement of a quantitative description of such metal/oxide promotion effects, which is an essential step toward a rational catalyst design. We investigate structure-performance relationships with a series of model catalysts consisting of Cu nanoparticles dispersed on a mesoporous gamma-Al2O3 carrier overlaid with different transition metal oxides spanning a broad range of Lewis acidity (YOx, ScOx, ZrOx, TaOx). Remarkably, the apparent activation energy (E-a) for methanol formation is found to downscale linearly with the relative Lewis acidity of coordinatively unsaturated metal surface sites (cus) exposed on the oxide support, making this single physicochemical parameter a suitable reactivity descriptor in the whole study space. In correspondence with this performance trend, in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals that both the ionic character and the relative reactivity of bidentate formate species, developed on the catalyst surface under reaction conditions, vary systematically with the surface Lewis acidity of the oxide support. These findings support the involvement of oxide-adsorbed bidentate formate species as reaction intermediates and point to the relative electron-accepting character of the Lewis cus on the oxide surface as the factor determining the stability of these intermediates and the overall energy barrier for the reaction. Our results contribute a unifying and quantitative description for support effects in CO2 hydrogenation to methanol on oxide-supported copper nanoparticles and provide a blueprint for a predictive description of metal-oxide promotion effects, which are ubiquitous in heterogeneous catalysis.

[EN] Identification of active sites in heterogeneous metal catalysts is critical for understanding the reaction mechanism at the molecular level and for designing more efficient catalysts. Because of their structural flexibility, subnanometric metal catalysts, including single atoms and clusters with a few atoms, can exhibit dynamic structural evolution when interacting with substrate molecules, making it difficult to determine the catalytically active sites. In this work, Pt catalysts containing selected types of Pt entities (from single atoms to clusters and nanoparticles) have been prepared, and their evolution has been followed, while they were reacting in a variety of heterogeneous catalytic reactions, including selective hydrogenation reactions, CO oxidation, dehydrogenation of propane, and photocatalytic H-2 evolution reaction. By in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, in situ IR spectroscopy, and high-resolution electron microscopy techniques, we will show that some characterization techniques carried out in an inadequate way can introduce confusion on the interpretation of coordination environment of highly dispersed Pt species. Finally, the combination of catalytic reactivity and in situ characterization techniques shows that, depending on the catalyst-reactant interaction and metal-support interaction, singly dispersed metal atoms can rapidly evolve into metal clusters or nanoparticles, being the working active sites for those abovementioned heterogeneous reactions.

[EN] The reactive nature of carbenes can be modulated, and ultimately reversed, by receiving additional electron density from a metal. Here, it is shown that Au nanoparticles (NPs) generate an electron-rich carbene on surface after transferring electron density to the carbonyl group of an in situ activated diazoacetate, as assessed by Fourier transformed infrared (FT¿IR) spectroscopy, magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR), and Raman spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations support the observed experimental values and unveil the participation of at least three different Au atoms during carbene stabilization. The surface stabilized carbene shows an extraordinary stability against nucleophiles and reacts with electrophiles to give new products. These findings showcase the ability of catalytic Au NPs to inject electron density in energetically high but symmetrically allowed valence orbitals of sluggish molecules.

[EN] Alkene hydrosilylation is typically performed with Pt catalysts, but inexpensive base-metal catalysts would be preferred. Here, we report a simple method for the use of air-stable cobalt catalysts for anti-Markovnikov alkene hydrosilylation that can be used under aerobic conditions without dry solvents or additives. These catalysts can be generated from low-cost commercially available materials. In addition, these catalysts possess good catalytic ability for both hydrosilanes and hydroalkoxysilanes. Finally, a mechanistic study demonstrates that the silane and the catalyst generate a Co-H species in the course of the reaction, which has been observed by in situ Raman spectroscopy.

[EN] The hydrogenation of CO2 into hydrocarbons promoted by the action of sunlight has been studied on Co nanoparticles covered by thin carbon layers. In particular, nearly 100% selectivity to hydrocarbons is obtained with increased selectivities towards C2 + hydrocarbons and alcohols (mainly ethanol) when using nanostructured materials comprising metallic cobalt nanoparticles, carbon layers, and sodium as promoter (NaCo@C). In the contrary, larger amount of CH4 and lower selectivity to C2 + hydrocarbons and alcohols were obtained in the conventional thermal catalytic process. When using Co@C nanoparticles in the absence of Na or bare Co3O4 as catalyst, methane is essentially the main product (selectivity > 96%). Control experiments in the presence of methanol as a hole scavenger suggest the role of light in generating charges by photon absorption as promoting factor. The reaction mechanism for photoassisted CO2 hydrogenation on the Co-based catalysts was investigated by near ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron (AP-XPS) and in situ Raman spectroscopies, which provided information on the role of light and Na promoter in the modulation of product distribution for CO2 hydrogenation. Spectroscopic studies suggested that surface CO2 dissociation to CO, the stabilization of CO adsorbed on the surface of Na-Co@C catalyst and the easy desorption of reaction products is a key step for photothermal CO2 hydrogenation to ethanol and C2 + hydrocarbons.

[EN] Higher olefins produced via ethylene oligomerization are versatile commodity chemicals serving a vast range of industries with large global economic impact. Nickel aluminosilicates are promising candidates to replace the homogeneous catalysts employed in industrial ethylene oligomerization processes. The current poor understanding of the true nature of the active nickel centers and the nickel-mediated oligomerization mechanism in these materials, however, hampers the rational design of improved catalysts. Here we applied in situ time- and temperature-resolved FTIR spectroscopy with simultaneous MS analysis of products to disentangle these fundamental issues using nanocrystalline Ni-beta zeolite as catalyst. We elucidate that isolated Ni2+ cations grafted on acidic silanols are the most likely active species in the working catalysts rather than the generally accepted ion-exchanged nickel cations. On the basis of our results, a plausible initiation mechanism involving a nickel vinyl hydride intermediate from which chain propagation proceeds similarly to the Cossee-Arlman pathway is proposed.

[EN] By combining theoretical modelling, in situ spectroscopy and kinetic studies it is possible to understand, at the molecular level, the role that the different types of active centres co-existing on real heterogeneous catalysts play on each elementary step of the global reaction mechanism. The fundamental knowledge acquired by means of this multi-disciplinary approach in two selected reactions, the chemoselective hydrogenation of substituted nitroaromatics and the Sonogashira coupling between aryl halides and alkynes, is applied to direct the rational synthesis of more efficient industrial catalysts based on noble metal particles supported on metal oxides. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[EN] The commercial Al(OH)(BDC) (BDC: 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid) metal organic framework (Basolite A100) is a suitable heterogeneous catalyst for the silylation of benzylic and aliphatic alcohols by hexamethyldisilazane in toluene at room temperature. Al(OH)(BDC) is stable under the reaction conditions as evidenced by powder XRD and can be reused with minimal activity decrease.

Tesis por compendio, During the present PhD thesis, catalysts based on nanoparticles and metallic clusters of different sizes have been designed and synthesized, and their reactivity has been evaluated in selective hydrogenation reactions and in the activation of molecular oxygen. In addition, through the use of different spectroscopic techniques, a fundamental study has been carried out in order to determine and analyze the chemical properties of the active centers of the catalysts. In the case of metallic nanoparticles, the Au promoter effect on Pd catalysts supported on CeO2 in the selective hydrogenation of 1,5-cyclooctadiene has been studied, obtaining a highly active and selective catalyst for the corresponding alkene. In addition, isolated centers of reduced Pd have been identified as active centers in the reaction. This result has led to the interest in the controlled synthesis of metallic clusters of 5, 7 and 20 atoms in average. The synthesis has been carried out following an electrochemical procedure in the absence of protective ligands. Through the use of spectroscopic techniques, the stability of metallic clusters in the presence of oxygen, the activation capacity of molecular oxygen and oxidized species and the subsequent reduction of the cluster have been studied. Cu5 clusters have been identified as the most stable to oxidation. Finally, the catalytic activity of the electrochemical clusters in the Goldberg reaction was evaluated. Comparing the activity of the clusters with other types of copper catalysts, the atomicity of the active centers in the reaction has been determined, finding that it is between 2 and 7 atoms., Durante la presente Tesis doctoral, se han diseñado y sintetizado catalizadores basados en nanopartículas y clústeres metálicos de diferentes tamaños, y se ha evaluado su reactividad en reacciones de hidrogenación selectiva y en la activación del oxígeno molecular. Además, mediante el empleo de diferentes técnicas espectroscópicas, se ha realizado un estudio a nivel fundamental con el fin de determinar y analizar las propiedades químicas de los centros activos del catalizador. En el caso de las nanopartículas metálicas se ha estudiado el efecto promotor del Au en catalizadores de Pd soportados sobre CeO2 en la hidrogenación selectiva de 1,5-ciclooctadieno, obteniéndose un catalizador altamente activo y selectivo al alqueno correspondiente. Además, se ha identificado como centros activos en la reacción centros aislados de Pd reducidos. Este resultado ha dirigido el interés hacia la síntesis controlada de clústeres metálicos de 5, 7 y 20 átomos en promedio. La síntesis se ha llevado a cabo siguiendo un procedimiento electroquímico en ausencia de ligandos protectores. Mediante el empleo de técnicas espectroscópicas, se ha estudiado la estabilidad de los clústeres metálicos en presencia de oxígeno, la capacidad de activación del oxígeno molecular generando especies oxidadas y la posterior reducción del clúster. Se han identificado los clústeres de Cu5 como los más estables a la oxidación. Por último, se ha evaluado la actividad catalítica de los clústeres electroquímicos en la reacción de Goldberg. Comparando la actividad de los clústeres con otros tipos de catalizadores de cobre, se ha determinado la atomicidad de los centros activos en la reacción, estando esta comprendida entre 2 y 7 átomos., En la present Tesi doctoral, s'ha dissenyat i sintetitzat catalitzadors basats en nanopartícules i clústers metàl·lics de diferentstamanys, i s'ha evaluat la seua reactivitat en reaccions d'hidrogenació selectiva i en la activició d'oxigen molecular. Amés, mitjançant l' utilització de diferents tècniques espectroscòpiques, s'hadut a terme un estudi a nivel fonamental per tal de determinar i analitzar les propietats químiques dels centres actius del catalitzador. En el cas de les nanopartícules metàl·liques, s'ha estudiat l'efecte promotor del Au en catalitzadors de Pd suportats sobre CeO2 en la hidrogenació selectiva de 1,5-ciclooctadié, obtenint un catalitzador altament actiu i selectiu al corresponent alcà. També s'ha identificat com centres actius en la reacció centres aïllats de Pd reduït. Aquest resultat ha dirigit l'interés cap a la síntesis controlada de clústers metàl·lics de 5, 7 i 20 àtoms de mitjana. La síntesi d'aquestos s'ha dut a terme emprant un procediment electroquímic en absència de lligants protectors. Mitjançant l'ús de técniques espectroscòpiques, s'ha evaluat l'estabilitat dels clústers metàl·lics en presencia d'oxigen, la capacitat d'activació del oxigen molecular generant espècies oxidades i la posterior reducció del clúster. S'ha identificat els clústers de Cu5 com els més estables a l'oxidació. Per últim, s'ha analitzat l'activitat catalítica dels clústers electroquímics en la reacció de Goldberg. Comparant l'activitat dels clústers amb altre tipus de catalitzadors de cobre, s'ha determinat la atomicitat dels centres actius de la reacció, estant aquesta compresa entre 2 i 7 átoms.

[EN] The thermal transformation of hydrothermally prepared Cs-Nb-W-O mixed oxides has been studied in the 25-1000 degrees C temperature range. Structural evolution of the prepared solids was monitored by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, absorption spectroscopy techniques, conventional powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM and STEM). The as-grown solids show the hexagonal tungsten bronze (HTB) structure, which can be stabilized above 900 degrees C depending on the chemical composition. From this temperature, solids are selectively transformed into the orthorhombic Cs-0.5(Nb2.5W2.5)O-14 structure-type. The same results are obtained for Cs-0.5(Nb2.5W2.5-xMx)O-3, with M = V or Mo (x = 0-1.25). A mechanism for the quantitative transformation at high temperature is proposed in terms of the relative occupancy of the hexagonal channels in the HTB-type phase as well as the Nb/(W + V) ratio.

[EN] Single metal atoms and metal clusters have attracted much attention thanks to their advantageous capabilities as heterogeneous catalysts. However, the generation of stable single atoms and clusters on a solid support is still challenging. Herein, we report a new strategy for the generation of single Pt atoms and Pt clusters with exceptionally high thermal stability, formed within purely siliceous MCM-22 during the growth of a two-dimensional zeolite into three dimensions. These subnanometric Pt species are stabilized by MCM-22, even after treatment in air up to 540 degrees C. Furthermore, these stable Pt species confined within internal framework cavities show size-selective catalysis for the hydrogenation of alkenes. High-temperature oxidation-reduction treatments result in the growth of encapsulated Pt species to small nanoparticles in the approximate size range of 1 to 2 nm. The stability and catalytic activity of encapsulated Pt species is also reflected in the dehydrogenation of propane to propylene.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Vidal, Juan D, Climent Olmedo, María José, Corma Canós, Avelino, Concepción Heydorn, Patricia, Iborra Chornet, Sara. (2017). One-Pot Selective Catalytic Synthesis of Pyrrolidone Derivatives from Ethyl Levulinate and Nitro Compounds .ChemSusChem, 10, 1, 119-128, which has been published in final form at http://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201601333. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving., [EN] N-substituted 5-methyl-2-pyrrolidones were prepared in a one-pot process starting from ethyl levulinate and nitro compounds in the presence of a nanosized Pt-based catalyst. Pt supported on TiO2 nanotubes (Pt/TiO2-NT) catalyzed the synthesis of N-substituted 5-methyl-2-pyrrolidones through a cascade process involving the reduction of nitro compounds, formation of the intermediary imine, hydrogenation, and subsequent cyclization. A bifunctional metal acid system was a suitable catalyst for the process. Pt supported on TiO2 showed lower catalytic activity than Pt/TiO2-NT owing to the strong adsorption of nitro compounds during the first reaction step that poisoned the acidic sites and strongly decreased the rate of amination and cyclization. However, Pt/TiO2-NT with milder acid sites was less affected by the adsorption of nitro compounds and the full cascade process could proceed. The results indicate that the prepared Pt/TiO2-NT is a chemoselective and reusable catalyst that can be applied to the synthesis of a variety of N-substituted 5-methyl-2-pyrrolidones starting from nitro compounds with excellent yields in absence of an additional organic solvent under mild reaction conditions.

[EN] A convenient method for the synthesis of borasiloxanes from silanes and pinacolboranes using Cu-3(BTC)(2) as a heterogeneous catalyst in acetonitrile at 70 degrees C is reported. This procedure is more convenient than Ru and Pd based homogeneous catalysts because it avoids the use of noble metals, easy handling of starting materials and the catalyst can be reused.

[EN] Six isostructural MIL¿101(Cr)¿X (X: H, NO2, SO3H, Cl, CH3, and NH2) materials have been prepared directly by the reaction of CrIII salts and the corresponding terephthalic acid or by postsynthetic treatments of preformed MIL¿101(Cr) following reported procedures. The materials were characterized by using XRD (crystallinity and coincident diffraction pattern), isothermal N2 adsorption (specific surface areas range from 2740¿m2¿g¿1 for MIL¿101(Cr)¿H to 1250¿m2¿g¿1 for MIL¿101(Cr)¿Cl), thermogravimetry (thermal stability up to 400¿°C), and IR spectroscopy (detection of the corresponding substituents), and the results were all in agreement with the reported data for these materials. The MIL¿101(Cr) materials were tested as heterogeneous catalysts for epoxide ring opening by methanol, benzaldehyde acetalization by methanol, and Prins coupling, observing a clear influence of the substituent that in general follows a linear relationship with the Hammett ¿meta constant of the substituent: the catalytic activity increases as the electron¿withdrawing ability of the substituents increases. An up to three orders of magnitude enhancement in the presence of the NO2 substituent was found for some of these reactions. The present study illustrates the versatility that metal¿organic frameworks offer as heterogeneous catalysts that allow the design of actives sites with adequate properties tuned for each reaction.

[EN] The design of suitable catalysts for the one-pot conversion of glycerol into acrylic acid (AA) is a complex matter, as only fine-tuning of the redox and acid properties makes it possible to obtain significant yields of AA. However, fundamental understanding behind the catalytic phenomenon is still unclear. Structure-reactivity correlations are clearly behind these results, and acid sites are involved in the dehydration of glycerol into acrolein with vanadium as the main (or only) redox element. For the first time, we propose an in-depth study to shed light on the molecular-level relations behind the overall catalytic results shown by several types of V-containing catalysts. Different multifunctional catalysts were synthesized, characterized (>X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction, and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia), and tested in a flow reactor. Combining the obtained results with those acquired from an in situ FTIR spectroscopy study with acrolein (a reaction intermediate), it was possible to draw conclusions on the role played by the various physicochemical features of the different oxides in terms of the adsorption, surface reactions, and desorption of the reagents and reaction products.

[EN] Combining IR spectroscopy of NO adsorption on copper exchanged molecular sieves with the chabazite structure, i.e. Cu-SAPO-34 and Cu-SSZ-13, and theoretical calculations, different types of copper species have been identified. On one hand, [Cu¿OH]+ species can be accurately distinguished, characterized by a ¿NO frequency at 1788¿ 1798 cm¿1 depending on their location in the chabazite structure (6R vs. 8R) and composition (Cu-SAPO-34 vs. Cu-SSZ-13). On the other hand, dimeric copper oxo [Cu¿O¿ Cu]2+ species have been properly identified by means of DFT modelling, that proposes a ¿NO stretching frequency of 1887 cm¿1, which has been confirmed experimentally in the Cu-SAPO-34 sample. Finally the location of isolated Cu2+ ions either in the 6R units or in the 8R positions of the chabazite cavity could be accurately defined according to DFT data, and validated in the experimental IR spectra with IR bands between 1907 and 1950 cm¿1. Regarding to Cu+ species, IR spectroscopy of CO reveals different types of Cu+ species as evidenced by their ability to form mono, di and try carbonyls. The unambiguous differentiation of different types of copper species is of great interest in further identification of active sites for the NH3- SCR reaction.

[EN] By a combination of theoretical modeling and XPS and SERS spectroscopic studies, it has been found that it is possible to stabilize metallic copper species under oxidizing reaction conditions by adjusting the atomicity of subnanometer copper clusters. Small Cu-5 clusters display low reactivity toward O-2 dissociation, being less susceptible to oxidation than larger Cu-8 or Cu-20 systems. However, in the presence of water this reactivity is strongly enhanced, leading to oxidized Cu-5 clusters. In that case, the interaction of Cu-5 with atomic O oxygen is weak, favoring recombination and O-2 desorption, suggesting an easier transfer of O atoms to other reactant molecules. In contrast, copper clusters of higher atomicity or nanoparticles, such as Cu-5 and Cu-20, are easily oxidized in the presence of O-2, leading to very stable reactive O atoms, resulting in low reactivity and selectivity in many oxidation reactions. Altogether, Cu-5, clusters are proposed as promising catalysts for catalytic applications where stabilization of metallic copper species is strongly required.

[EN] A series of Co-Ru/TiO2 catalysts (10 wt% Co, 0.5 wt% Ru, nominal loadings) were prepared by impregnation of TiO2-anatase supports synthesized with different specific surface areas (Ti-L: 53 m2 /g, Ti-M: 117 m2 /g, and Ti-H: 148 m2 /g) by tuning the conditions of the hydrothermal synthesis and/or the calcination treatments. The most relevant physicochemical properties of supports and catalysts were determined by a set of techniques including ICP-OES, XRD, N2 physisorption, electron microscopy (FESEM, HAADF-STEM, HR-TEM), H2-TPR, H2 chemisorption, and IR-CO. Oxidized precursors were reduced in-reactor under flowing pure H2 at 400 °C for 10 h and evaluated for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) in a fixed bed reactor at 220 °C, 2.0 MPa, and H2/CO molar ratio of 2. These catalysts exhibited the well-known strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) effect reported for TiO2 materials by which partially reduced TiOx species formed during the catalyst reduction step migrate and decorate the surface of the supported metal phases. The extent to which the SMSI effect occurred was found to increase with the surface area of the TiO2-anatase carrier, as supported by H2 chemisorption, TEM, and IR-CO surface titration experiments. As a consequence, the activity per total mass of cobalt or cobalt-time-yield (CTY) of the Co-Ru/TiO2 catalysts gradually declined with the increase in support surface area: Co-Ru/Ti-L > Co-Ru/ Ti-M > Co-Ru/Ti-H. The catalysts, however, displayed similar initial TOFs, implying a negligible influence of the SMSI effect on the initial intrinsic activity of the surface Co0 sites. The high surface area Co-Ru/Ti-H catalyst exhibiting the most pronounced SMSI also presented the lowest C5+ selectivity. This behavior was explained by considering the contribution of two effects: the lower resistance to the intraparticle diffusion of ¿-olefins when increasing the support surface area, as inferred from the olefin-to-paraffin ratios and the values of the diffusionrelat

[EN] Pure anatase and rutile TiO2 samples were synthesized by thermal treatment of reverse microemulsions and applied as supports for preparing Ru-promoted Co catalysts (0.5 wt% Ru, 10 wt% Co). The catalysts were characterized by ICP-OES,XRD,Raman spectroscopy, N2 physisorption, H2-TPR, electronmicroscopy (FESEM, HAADF-STEM), H2 chemisorption,XPS, and in situ IR-CO after H2 reduction and reaction with syngas, and their catalytic performance for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) studied at industrial conditions (220 ¿C, 2.0 MPa, H2/CO = 2). The two catalysts exhibited comparable mean Co particle sizes (5¿6 nm) as well as high and alike degrees of cobalt reduction (ca. 90%). The SMSI decoration effect arising during H2 reduction was much more pronounced for the anatase-supported catalyst resulting in lower cobalt-timeyield (CTY) compared to that supported on TiO2-rutile. In situ IR-CO under syngas conversion conditions showed equivalent cobalt surface reconstruction and nature of the surface Co0 sites for both catalysts in their working state, and revealed a partial reversibility of the SMSI effect during FTS by which a significant fraction of the decorated Co0 centers in the anatase-based catalyst was uncovered and became available for reaction. The implication of this effect on TOFs is discussed. The C5+ selectivity was higher for the rutile-based catalyst, although a clear impact of the SMSI effect on selectivities was not inferred from our results.

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Catalysis, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see [insert ACS Articles on Request author-directed link to Published Work, see http://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.7b01841, [EN] 2,¿1-¿Benzisoxazoles were produced by reductive heterocyclization of 2-¿nitroacylarenes using supported Pt nanoparticles. The reaction involves a cascade process in which the first step is the redn. of the nitro group into hydroxylamine which subsequently cycles to 2,¿1-¿benzisoxazole through the nucleophilic attack to the carbonyl group in 2-¿position. The reaction was performed on Pt¿/C, Pt¿/TiO2 and Pt¿/MgO using hydrogen as reducing agent under mild reaction conditions. Pt¿/MgO was the most active and selective catalyst. The study of the influence of the crystal size of the metal on the activity and selectivity, combined with the reaction mechanism by in situ FTIR spectroscopy of the adsorbed reactant, showed that max. activity and selectivity to the target compd. can be achieved by controlling the architecture of metal particles and acid-¿base properties of the support. The effect of the temp. on the selectivity, the stability of Pt¿/MgO catalyst, and the scope of the reaction were studied. Finally, the reductive cyclization using different metals (Pd and Au) supported on MgO was also performed.