A Career in Catalysis: Avelino Corma

Abstract

As one of the most influential scientists in the field of heterogeneous catalysis and materials science, Prof. Avelino Corma has made significant contributions in many diverse fields, spanning over solid catalysts for petrochemistry, solid catalysts for production of fine chemicals, synthesis of microporous and mesoporous materials, development of inorganic–organic hybrid materials, supported metal catalysts (from isolated metal atoms to nanoclusters and nanoparticles) and photochemistry with solid materials. These experimental approaches are complemented with characterization of solid materials with advanced spectroscopy and microscopy techniques as well as theoretical calculations/modeling. The aim of this Account is to overview Avelino’s distinguished scientific career and highlight the most remarkable achievements made in his research activities during >40 years. We attempt to show the evolution of Avelino’s research topics in his group throughout his career and the approaches that Avelino has chosen to tackle the challenges encountered. The research paradigm developed by Avelino and his team can be inspiring to the researchers in the field of materials science who are striving to translate the knowledge generated in fundamental studies into practical applications for addressing the new scientific challenges encountered in building a sustainable world.

Bimetallic Sites for Catalysis: From Binuclear Metal Sites to Bimetallic Nanoclusters and Nanoparticles

“…Developing coupled catalytic systems require the combination of knowledge from different disciplines. For instance, one needs to learn the principles of thermal catalysis and electrochemistry in order to develop a hybrid catalytic system based on the coupling of thermal and electrochemical processes. − For instance, the use of high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells and membrane reactor heavily depend on the integration of design of electrochemical devices and application of solid catalysts. , …”

New Opportunities in Metal‐Organic Framework Catalysis: From Bifunctional to Frustrated Lewis Pairs Catalysis

“…The nature and strength of Lewis acid sites was studied for zeolites, but this topic has been much less studied in the case of MOFs. [27] As hybrid inorganic-organic materials, MOFs can modulate the nature of the acid sites by selecting the metal ion, and by the inductive effect of substituents at the linker on the metal ion. [35] In one illustrative example, the influence of different substituents in a series of isostructural UiO-66 solids (UiO-66, UiO-66-NO 2 , UiO-66-NH 2 ) was studied in the acetalization of benzaldehyde with methanol at 30 °C.…”

“…This is particularly important in catalysis, since one way to control product selectivity is to use sites with optimal strength (sites that are too weak cannot promote the reaction and sites that are too strong can form byproducts and poisons). The nature and strength of Lewis acid sites was studied for zeolites, but this topic has been much less studied in the case of MOFs [27] . As hybrid inorganic‐organic materials, MOFs can modulate the nature of the acid sites by selecting the metal ion, and by the inductive effect of substituents at the linker on the metal ion [35] .…”

“…Intimate contact between two sites is avoided by a lack of mobility and spatial separation between the acid and basic centers. In this way, the two types of sites can simultaneously coexist and cooperate with the reaction mechanism in such a way that the reaction proceeds in a solid more efficiently than expected considering the weak acid/base strength of the sites [27] . Figure 1 shows various types of active sites that can be present within the MOF structure and be acid or basic and therefore suitable for building frustrated Lewis acid‐base pairs (FLPs).…”

Highly Dispersed Pt Stabilized by ZnOx-Si on Self-Pillared Zeolite Nanosheets for Propane Dehydrogenation

“…Solid catalysts containing high metal loadings are usually applied in reactions with limited spaces and short retention times. − However, the increase of metal content easily leads to severe metal sintering after thermal treatment in air or a reduction atmosphere, resulting in catalytic activity loss. − It is of vital importance to stabilize metal clusters under harsh reaction conditions especially for catalysts with high metal loadings. Platinum is widely used in petrochemical processes and often supported on inorganic porous materials, such as zeolite, aluminum oxide, and hydrotalcite. − The metal loadings in these works are mostly below 1 wt %, and the sizes of metal nanoparticles are larger than 1 nm with a wide size distribution. − …”