Issue 1, 2017

Size-dependence of carbon nanotube confinement in catalysis

Abstract

An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that confinement within carbon nanotubes (CNTs) provides an effective approach for the modulation of catalysis. It was generally predicted that confinement became stronger with a decreasing diameter of CNTs. However, our present study here overturns the previous expectation: the influence on catalysis is not monotonic. Instead, it exhibits a volcano relationship with CNT diameter. Taking Pt catalyzing O2 conversion and Re catalyzing N2 conversion as probes using density functional theory, we show that only within tubes with an i.d. of ∼1 nm can the activity of metal clusters be enhanced to its maximum. Furthermore, confinement only enhances the catalytic activity of metals with strong intrinsic binding with reactants, whereas it is suppressed for those with weak binding. These findings shed further light on the fundamental effects of confinement on catalysis, and could guide more rational design of confined catalysts.

Graphical abstract: Size-dependence of carbon nanotube confinement in catalysis

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
24 May 2016
Accepted
05 Aug 2016
First published
05 Aug 2016
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2017,8, 278-283

Size-dependence of carbon nanotube confinement in catalysis

J. Xiao, X. Pan, F. Zhang, H. Li and X. Bao, Chem. Sci., 2017, 8, 278 DOI: 10.1039/C6SC02298G

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