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Title: A Facile Molecular Precursor Route to Metal Phosphide Nanoparticles and Their Evaluation as Hydrodeoxygenation Catalysts

Journal Article · · Chemistry of Materials
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). National Bioenergy Center
  2. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). Chemistry and Nanoscience Center

Metal phosphides have been identified as a promising class of materials for the catalytic upgrading of bio-oils, which are renewable and potentially inexpensive sources for liquid fuels. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of a series of solid, phase-pure metal phosphide nanoparticles (NPs) (Ni2P, Rh2P, and Pd3P) utilizing commercially available, air-stable metal–phosphine complexes in a one-pot reaction. This single-source molecular precursor route provides an alternative method to access metal phosphide NPs with controlled phases and without the formation of metal NP intermediates that can lead to hollow particles. The formation of the Ni2P NPs was shown to proceed through an amorphous Ni–P intermediate, leading to the desired NP morphology and metal-rich phase. This low-temperature, rapid route to well-defined metal NPs is expected to have broad applicability to a variety of readily available or easily synthesized metal–phosphine complexes with high decomposition temperatures. Hydrodeoxygenation of acetic acid, an abundant bio-oil component, was performed to investigate H2 activation and deoxygenation pathways under conditions that are relevant to ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis (high temperatures, low pressures, and near-stoichiometric H2 concentrations). The catalytic performance of the silica-supported metal phosphide NPs was compared to the analogous incipient wetness (IW) metal and metal phosphide catalysts over the range 200–500 °C. Decarbonylation was the primary pathway for H2 incorporation in the presence of all of the catalysts except NP-Pd3P, which exhibited minimal productive activity, and IW-Ni, which evolved H2. The highly controlled NP-Ni2P and NP-Rh2P catalysts, which were stable under these conditions, behaved comparably to the IW-metal phosphides, with a slight shift to higher product onset temperatures, likely due to the presence of surface ligands. Most importantly, the NP-Ni2P catalyst exhibited H2 activation and incorporation, in contrast to IW-Ni, indicating that the behavior of the metal phosphide is significantly different from that of the parent metal, and more closely resembles that of noble metal catalysts.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1233677
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5100-64399
Journal Information:
Chemistry of Materials, Vol. 27, Issue 22; ISSN 0897-4756
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 54 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (15)

An Efficient Anti‐poisoning Catalyst against SO x , NO x , and PO x : P, N‐Doped Carbon for Oxygen Reduction in Acidic Media journal November 2018
From an Fe 2 P 3 complex to FeP nanoparticles as efficient electrocatalysts for water-splitting journal January 2018
Direct synthesis of furfuryl alcohol from furfural: catalytic performance of monometallic and bimetallic Mo and Ru phosphides journal January 2019
Influence of Synthesis Conditions on the Structure of Nickel Nanoparticles and their Reactivity in Selective Asymmetric Hydrogenation journal January 2020
Homoleptic mono-, di-, and tetra-iron complexes featuring phosphido ligands: a synthetic, structural, and spectroscopic study journal January 2020
Evaluation of Silica-Supported Metal and Metal Phosphide Nanoparticle Catalysts for the Hydrodeoxygenation of Guaiacol Under Ex Situ Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Conditions journal September 2015
Transition Metal Phosphides for the Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation of Waste Oils into Green Diesel journal March 2019
Synthesis of α-MoC 1− x Nanoparticles with a Surface-Modified SBA-15 Hard Template: Determination of Structure-Function Relationships in Acetic Acid Deoxygenation journal June 2016
Valorization of Biomass‐derived Small Oxygenates: Kinetics, Mechanisms and Site Requirements of H 2 ‐involved Hydrogenation and Deoxygenation Pathways over Heterogeneous Catalysts journal February 2019
Preparation and Catalytic Performance of Metal-Rich Pd Phosphides for the Solvent-Free Selective Hydrogenation of Chloronitrobenzene journal February 2019
Halide ion influence on the formation of nickel nanoparticles and their conversion into hollow nickel phosphide and sulphide nanocrystals text January 2019
Synthesis and characterization of Co 2−x Rh x P nanoparticles and their catalytic activity towards the oxygen evolution reaction journal January 2018
Synthesis of α-MoC 1− x Nanoparticles with a Surface-Modified SBA-15 Hard Template: Determination of Structure-Function Relationships in Acetic Acid Deoxygenation journal June 2016
An Efficient Anti‐poisoning Catalyst against SO x , NO x , and PO x : P, N‐Doped Carbon for Oxygen Reduction in Acidic Media journal October 2018
From an Fe2P3 complex to FeP nanoparticles as efficient electrocatalysts for water-splitting text January 2018