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Catalysis

Catalysis

The presence of a catalyst affects the rate of a chemical reaction. A catalyst is a substance that can increase the reaction rate without being consumed during the process. A basic comprehension of a catalysts’ role during chemical reactions can be understood from the concept of reaction mechanisms and energy diagrams.

Heterogeneous Catalysis

Heterogeneous Catalysis

Heterogeneous catalysis involves a catalyst in a different phase from the reactants. It is a process where the catalyst and the reactants are in distinct phases, typically solid and gas or liquid.Most heterogeneous catalysts are metals, metal oxides, or acids. The list includes transition metals like iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), tungsten (W), silver (Ag), and copper (Cu). These metals possess partially vacant d orbitals that...

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Alkenes undergo reduction by the addition of molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. Because the process generally occurs in the presence of a transition-metal catalyst, the reaction is called catalytic hydrogenation.
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation

Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes is a transition-metal catalyzed reduction of the double bond using molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. The mode of hydrogen addition follows syn stereochemistry.
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...

Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Introduction
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.

Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Unlike the easy catalytic hydrogenation of an alkene double bond, hydrogenation of a benzene double bond under similar reaction conditions does not take place easily. For example, in the reduction of stilbene, the benzene ring remains unaffected while the alkene bond gets reduced. Hydrogenation of an alkene double bond is exothermic and a favorable process. In contrast, to hydrogenate the first unsaturated bond of benzene, an energy input is needed; that is, the process is endothermic. This is...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Multiscale Sampling of a Heterogeneous Water/Metal Catalyst Interface using Density Functional Theory and Force-Field Molecular Dynamics

Multiscale Sampling of a Heterogeneous Water/Metal Catalyst Interface using Density Functional Theory and Force-Field Molecular Dynamics

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Hydrogen Evolution Catalyzed by Cu₂WS₄ at Liquid-Liquid Interfaces.

Faruk Ozel¹, Emre Aslan², Adem Sarilmaz¹

¹Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University , Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, 70200 Karaman, Turkey.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

|September 10, 2016

Summary

Researchers developed a simple method to create copper tungsten sulfide (Cu₂WS₄) nanocubes. These nanocubes significantly boost the hydrogen evolution reaction, showing a 1000-fold increase compared to uncatalyzed reactions.

Keywords:

4-electrode voltammetry Cu2WS4 nanocubes catalytic hydrogen evolution hot injection liquid/liquid interfaces two-phase reactions

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Published on: August 23, 2018

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Electrochemistry
Catalysis

Background:

Developing efficient catalysts for hydrogen evolution is crucial for clean energy.
Ternary metal sulfides are promising but require facile synthesis methods.
Biomembrane-like interfaces offer unique environments for catalytic reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

To report the first facile synthesis of ternary copper tungsten sulfide (Cu₂WS₄) nanocubes.
To investigate the catalytic activity of Cu₂WS₄ nanocubes for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
To explore HER at a polarized water/1,2-dichloroethane interface.

Main Methods:

Facile and low-cost hot-injection synthesis of Cu₂WS₄ nanocubes.
Electrochemical measurements of hydrogen evolution reaction at a biomembrane-like interface.
Comparison of catalyzed versus uncatalyzed reaction rates.

Main Results:

Successfully synthesized Cu₂WS₄ nanocubes using a hot-injection method.
Cu₂WS₄ nanocubes demonstrated significant catalytic activity for HER.
The hydrogen evolution reaction rate increased approximately 1000-fold with Cu₂WS₄ nanocubes compared to the uncatalyzed reaction.

Conclusions:

Cu₂WS₄ nanocubes are effective catalysts for hydrogen evolution.
The hot-injection method provides a facile and scalable route for Cu₂WS₄ synthesis.
Cu₂WS₄ nanocatalysts show great potential for applications in electrocatalysis and renewable energy.