Zirconium Phosphate Catalysts in the XXI Century: State of the Art from 2010 to Date

Abstract

An overview on the developments of zirconium phosphate (ZrP) and its organic derivatives in heterogeneous catalysis in recent years is reported in the present review. Two basic aspects have been emphasized: first, the catalytic properties of zirconium phosphates were discussed, with particular attention to the effect of surface acidity and hydrophobic/hydrophilic character, textural properties, and particle morphology on the catalytic performances. Then, the use of zirconium phosphates as support for catalytic active species was reported, including organometallic complexes, metal ions, noble metal, and metal oxide nanoparticles. Zirconium phosphate plays, in those cases, a dual role, since it promotes the dispersion and stabilization of the catalysts, thanks to their interaction with the active sites on the surface of ZrP, and facilitates the recovery and reuse of the catalytic species due to their immobilization on the solid support.

Use of Zirconium Phosphate-Sulphate as Acid Catalyst for Synthesis of Glycerol-Based Fuel Additives

“…Among the recent literature, it is worth mentioning a short review highlighting the application of zirconium phosphate and its derivatives in the field of heterogeneous catalysis, especially in acid-catalyzed reactions such as dehydration, isomerization, and ester hydrolysis reactions [20]. By tuning the surface area and acidic properties, the material porosity and the functional groups anchored at the surface, it is possible to design and synthesize tailored catalysts with optimized properties for specific catalytic process.…”

De-Ethylation and Cleavage of Rhodamine B by a Zirconium Phosphate/Silver Bromide Composite Photocatalyst

“…Solid supports for active species in heterogeneous catalysis include alumina, silica, titania, zeolites, metal oxides, activated carbons, and polymers. These have been extensively studied [3], together with layered Zr(IV) phosphates and phosphonates [4].…”

“…Zirconium monohydrogenphosphate of α-type (α-Zr(HPO 4 ) 2 ·H 2 O, α-ZrP) is a layered material with each layer consisting of ZrO 6 octahedra sharing oxygens with six HPO 4 tetrahedra through vertices. The POH groups point in the interlayer region and form hydrogen bonds with the water molecules [4][5][6]. It is a cation exchanger and has been used as a solid acid catalyst for several organic reactions.…”

“…It is a cation exchanger and has been used as a solid acid catalyst for several organic reactions. α-ZrP has been also used as solid support for catalytic species such as metal cations, noble metal nanoparticles and metal complexes [4,7]. In 2015, composite photocatalysts made of α-ZrP and AgCl particles were tested in the photo-assisted degradation of Rhodamine B [8].…”

α‐ZrP/Uracil/Cu2+ nanoparticles as an efficient catalyst in the Morita‐Baylis‐Hillman reaction

“…Finally, the desorption peak at 450-650°C shows the strong acidic sites on the surface of α-ZrP. [46][47][48] This indicates that the acidity of the α-ZrP is in the moderate range (1.65 mmol NH 3 g −1 ) which is attributed to the presence of P-OH groups on the surface of α-ZrP.…”