Issue 24, 2012
From the journal:

Chemical Society Reviews

Designing bimetallic catalysts for a green and sustainable future†

Meenakshisundaram Sankar,a   Nikolaos Dimitratos,bc   Peter J. Miedziak,d   Peter P. Wells,bc   Christopher J. Kielye  and  Graham J. Hutchings*d  

* Corresponding authors

a Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis Group, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
Fax: +31 302-534328

b Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AJ London, UK

c Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK

d School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
E-mail: Hutch@Cardiff.ac.uk
Fax: +44 (0)2920-874-030
Tel: +44 (0)29-2087-4059

e Department of Material Science and Engineering, Lehigh University, 5 Easter Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, USA

Abstract

This Critical Review provides an overview of the recent developments in the synthesis and characterization of bimetallic nanoparticles. Initially the review follows a materials science perspective on preparing bimetallic nanoparticles with designer morphologies, after which the emphasis shifts towards recent developments in using these bimetallic particles for catalysing either oxidation or reduction. In the final part of this review we present an overview of the utilization of bimetallic catalyst systems for the transformation of bio-renewable substrates and reactions related to the realization of a bio-refinery. Because of the sheer number of examples of transformations in this area, a few key examples, namely selective oxidation, hydrogenation/hydrogenolysis and reforming of biomass derived molecules, have been chosen for this review. Reports of bimetallic catalysts being used for the aforementioned transformations are critically analysed and the potential for exploiting such bimetallic catalysts have also been highlighted. A specific objective of this review article is to motivate researchers to synthesize some of the “designer” bimetallic catalysts with specific nanostructures, inspired from recent advances in the area of materials chemistry, and to utilize them for the transformation of biomass derived materials that are very complex and pose different challenges compared to those of simple organic molecules. We consider that supported bimetallic nanoparticles have an important role to play as catalysts in our quest for a more green and sustainable society.

Graphical abstract: Designing bimetallic catalysts for a green and sustainable future

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C2CS35296F
Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
31 Jul 2012
First published
23 Oct 2012

Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012,41, 8099-8139

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Designing bimetallic catalysts for a green and sustainable future

M. Sankar, N. Dimitratos, P. J. Miedziak, P. P. Wells, C. J. Kiely and G. J. Hutchings, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012, 41, 8099 DOI: 10.1039/C2CS35296F

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