Subsurface Fe, Co, and Ni can promote the Pt-catalyzed propane dehydrogenation while exposed adversely on the surface.

The design and synthesis of fine Pt@TiO2@MnOx hollow spheres is described. Pt and MnOx are spatially separated by TiO2 shells. The catalyst exhibits high efficiency of charge-separation and surface-reaction.

Fine gold nanorod@TiO2 yolk-shell catalysts are synthesized by an improved silica template method. With a hollow TiO2 shell and a unique tunable cylindrical gold core, the catalyst exhibits a high surface area and a wide range of photoabsorption, from ultraviolet to near infrared. The remarkable photochemical activity is obtained when such catalyst is utilized to oxidize benzyl alcohol.

Mixed-metal oxides are one of the most frequently used catalysts in chemical industry, because the superior catalytic reactivity can be achieved by taking advantage of the synergetic effects of their parent oxides. However, the interfacial electronic interactions between metal oxides remain unclear, because of their structural complexity. This paper describes the modulation of catalytic performance of mixed RuO 2 /TiO 2 catalysts via adjusting the loading amount of RuO 2 . We show that, at very low loadings, the majority of RuO 2 catalysts can be anchored at the defective sites of TiO 2 substrates. Spectroscopic studies, combined with density functional calculations, indicate that electrons transfer from defective sites of substrates to RuO 2 , causing an increase in the apparent reaction barrier of CO oxidation. As the loading of Ru increases, RuO 2 starts to appear on the terrace of TiO 2 , and the apparent reaction barrier of CO oxidation decreases. At the medium loading of ∼0.75 wt %, the lowest apparent reaction barrier is achieved. The phenomenon can be attributed to the electron transfer from RuO 2 to the terrace of TiO 2 . By further increasing the loading of Ru, the apparent reaction barrier rises again. When the loading of Ru is more than 2 wt %, the apparent reaction barrier is found to be very comparable to that over RuO 2 catalysts supported on an inert substrate, indicating that the electronic effect of TiO 2 is isolated underneath thick RuO 2 overlayers. The demonstrated loading−electron transfer−reaction barrier relationship at RuO 2 /TiO 2 catalysts provides an insight into the interfacial interaction between mixed oxides and can be readily extended to many other catalytic systems.

Selective oxidation of alcohols to corresponding aldehydes and ketones is an essential process for the synthesis of various chemicals. J. Gong and co‐workers describe the design and synthesis of gold nanorod@TiO2 yolk–shell catalysts via an improved silica template method as an efficient visible light‐driven photocatalyst. On page 1892, with a hollow TiO2 shell and a tunable cylindrical gold core, the catalyst exhibits a high surface area and wide absorption range from UV to NIR. A remarkable photochemical activity is obtained when such catalyst applied to the oxidation of benzyl alcohol.