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- The influence of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and graphene oxide additives on the catalytic activity of 3d metal catalysts towards 1-phenylethanol oxidationPublication . Da Costa Ribeiro, Ana Paula; Fontolana, Emmanuele; Alegria, Elisabete; Kopylovich, Maximilian; Bertani, Roberta; Pombeiro, Armando3d metal (Cu, Fe, Co, V) containing composite catalysts for the solvent-free microwave-assisted trans-formation of 1-phenylethanol to acetophenone with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as oxidant wereprepared by ball milling. The influence of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene oxide (GO)additives on the catalytic activity of the catalysts was studied. CNTs or GO were mixed by ball millingwith the metal salts (CoCl2), oxides (CuO, Fe2O3, V2O5) or binary systems (Fe2O3-CoCl2, CoCl2-V2O5, CuO-Fe2O3). For CoCl2-based catalytic systems, addition of small amounts (0.1–5%) of CNTs or GO leads tosignificant improvement in catalytic activity, e.g. 1% of the CNTs additive allows to rise yields from 28to 77%, under the same catalytic conditions. The CoCl2-5%CNTs composite is the most active among thestudied ones with 85% yield and TON of 43 after 1 h
- Effect of phenolic compounds on the synthesis of gold nanoparticles and its catalytic activity in the reduction of nitro compoundsPublication . Alegria, Elisabete; Da Costa Ribeiro, Ana Paula; Mendes, Marta; Ferraria, Ana Maria; Rego, Ana; Pombeiro, ArmandoGold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were prepared using an eco-friendly approach in a single step by reduction of HAuCl4 with polyphenols from tea extracts, which act as both reducing and capping agents. The obtained AuNPs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). They act as highly efficient catalysts in the reduction of various aromatic nitro compounds in aqueous solution. The effects of a variety of factors (e.g., reaction time, type and amount of reducing agent, shape, size, or amount of AuNPs) were studied towards the optimization of the processes. The total polyphenol content (TPC) was determined before and after the catalytic reaction and the results are discussed in terms of the tea extract percentage, the size of the AuNPs, and their catalytic activity. The reusability of the AuNP catalyst in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol was also tested. The reactions follow pseudo first-order kinetics.
- ZnO nanoparticles: An efficient catalyst for transesterification reaction of alpha-keto carboxylic estersPublication . Soliman, Mohamed Mostafa Aboelhassan; Karmakar, Anirban; Alegria, Elisabete; Da Costa Ribeiro, Ana Paula; Rubio, Guilherme; Saraiva, Marta S.; Guedes Da Silva, M. Fátima C.; Pombeiro, ArmandoPure ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by a sustainable precipitation method using zinc nitrate and sodium hydroxide in aqueous medium at room temperature. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The XRD patterns indicate the formation of the hexagonal wurtzite phase with high purity and SEMEDS analysis confirm the purity and a homogenous distribution of the nanostructures. The ZnO nanostructures present plate-like agglomerates, resulting in a quasi-spherical morphology. The catalytic activity of the formed ZnO nanoparticles was evaluated towards the transesterification reaction of different carboxylic esters in the presence of various alcohols. This catalyst is highly selective for the transesterification of alpha-keto carboxylic ester (methyl benzoylformate) and leads to ca. 97% of product yield within 24 h of reaction time.