a-AluminaCatalyst design Ethylene oxide Particle size effect a b s t r a c t Currently, for the industrial ethylene epoxidation a-alumina supported silver catalysts are the only catalyst of choice. We demonstrate a novel method to produce these catalysts with different silver particle sizes, but without changing other key parameters that may affect the catalytic performance such as support specific surface area or metal precursor. a-Alumina was impregnated with a silver oxalate solution, and was subsequently dried and treated in different gas atmospheres and at different temperatures to tune the silver particle sizes in the range of 20-500 nm. Particles of 20 nm exhibited a lower turnover frequency than particles of 70 nm and larger, which exhibit a constant turnover frequency, in accordance with results in literature. However, the selectivity, when measured at constant conversion, was particle size independent. This is the first time that the effect of the particle size on the selectivity of ethylene epoxidation is reported at constant conversion. This was made possible by a new method of producing supported silver catalysts, which we expect that is also applicable for silver catalysts with other supports and for the preparation of other supported metal catalysts.

The catalytic performance and optical properties of bimetallic nanoparticles critically depend on the atomic distribution of the two metals in the nanoparticles. However, at elevated temperatures, during light-induced heating, or during catalysis, atomic redistribution can occur. Measuring such metal redistribution in situ is challenging, and a single experimental technique does not suffice. Furthermore, the availability of a well-defined nanoparticle system has been an obstacle for a systematic investigation of the key factors governing the atomic redistribution. In this study, we follow metal redistribution in precisely tunable, single-crystalline Au-core, Ag-shell nanorods in situ, both at a single particle and an ensemble-averaged level, by combining in situ transmission electron spectroscopy with in situ extended X-ray absorption fine structure validated by ex situ measurements. We show that the kinetics of atomic redistribution in Au–Ag nanoparticles depend on the metal composition and particle volume, such that a higher Ag content or a larger particle size led to significantly slower metal redistribution. We developed a simple theoretical model based on Fick’s first law that can correctly predict the composition- and size-dependent alloying behavior in Au–Ag nanoparticles, as observed experimentally.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Incipient wetness impregnation is used commonly to form supported metal nanoparticle catalysts. Recently, it has been revealed that this approach may induce severe heterogeneity between catalyst granules of the same batch. At least a 10‐fold variation in metal loading was observed, which affect the catalytic performance of individual catalyst granules severely. However, the origin of this heterogeneity is still unclear. Here we show that every elementary step in the preparation procedure of a Ag on silica catalyst has an effect on the resulting interparticle heterogeneity, but the influence of the drying step is the most important. This is because drying by capillary force results in a heterogeneous sample. Specifically, the position of a granule in the stagnant drying bed influences the resulting color and, thus, Ag loading significantly. This is further demonstrated by varying the drying conditions: freeze‐drying and fluidized‐bed drying led to a more homogeneous Ag loading. An investigation of the fluidized‐bed‐dried sample by using optical microscopy revealed a large fraction of transparent granules (94 %), which indicates that almost all the Ag nanoparticles in this sample are confined within the 6 nm pores. The optimized supported Ag on silica catalyst shows a good catalytic performance. This adaptation of the drying step can be implemented easily on a laboratory scale, is scalable, and does not require the use of expensive solvents or metal precursors.

I n the abstract on page 8467, "by combining in situ transmission electron spectroscopy" should read "by combining in situ transmission microscopy". This erratum does not affect any of the experimental results, discussions, or conclusions reported in the paper.