We demonstrate the formation of intermixed phases and self assembled molecular templates on the Au(111) surface. The templates are stabilized by hydrogen bonding between melamine molecules with trigonal symmetry and linear PTCDI (perylene tetra-carboxylic di-imide) molecules. When annealed, these molecules spontaneously form either a chiral intermixed phase or a honeycomb arrangement in which vertexes and edges correspond respectively to melamine and PTCDI molecules. We also observe minority phases with more complex intermolecular junctions. The use of these networks as templates is demonstrated by the controlled capture of fullerenes within the pores of the network to form dimers, hexamers, and heptamers. Our results confirm that bimolecular templates can be realized on a range of substrates.

The catalytic performance of Cu/ZnO/Al 2 O 3 (CuZnAl) catalyst for CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol was investigated over a period of 720 h time-on-stream, which showed that the space time yield of CH 3 OH was decreased by 34.5% during the long-term testing. Different characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and N 2 O adsorption experiments, were applied to study the deactivation reasons. XRD and N 2 O adsorption experiments indicated that there were no obvious changes in Cu particle size after the CuZnAl catalyst was exposed to reaction atmosphere for 720 h, while agglomeration took place on ZnO particles. XPS results revealed that part of the metallic Cu was oxidized to Cu 2+ . The CuZnAl catalyst deactivation was proved to be due to the comprehensive effect of Cu oxidation and ZnO species agglomeration during CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol.

We have investigated the ordered phases of the perylene derivatives perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic-3,4,9,10-dianhydride (PTCDA) and the imide analogue PTCDI on the Ag-Si(111)square root(3) x square root(3)R30 degrees surface using scanning tunneling microscopy. We find that PTCDA forms square, hexagonal, and herringbone phases, which coexist on the surface. The existence of a square phase on a hexagonal surface is of particular interest and is a result of a near commensurability between the molecular dimensions and the surface lattice. Contrast variations across the square islands arise from PTCDA molecules binding to different sites on the surface. PTCDI on Ag-Si(111)square root(3) x square root(3)R30 degrees forms extended rows, as well as two-dimensional islands, both of which are stabilized by hydrogen bonding mediated by the presence of imide groups. We present models for the molecular arrangements in all these phases and highlight the role of hydrogen bonding in controlling this order.

Recently, CO 2 hydrogenation for the controlled growth of the carbon chain to produce high-value C 2 or C 2+ products has attracted great interest, where achieving high selectivity for a specific product remains a challenge, especially for ethanol. Herein, we have designed a bifunctional Ir 1 −In 2 O 3 single-atom catalyst, integrating two active catalytic centers by anchoring the monatomic Ir onto the In 2 O 3 carrier. This Ir 1 −In 2 O 3 single-atom catalyst is efficient for the hydrogenation of CO 2 in liquid, yielding a high selectivity for ethanol (>99%) with an excellent initial turnover frequency (481 h −1 ). Characterization shows that the isolated Ir atom couples with the adjacent oxygen vacancy forming a Lewis acid−base pair, which activates the CO 2 and forms the intermediate species of carbonyl (CO*) adsorbed on the Ir atom. Coupling this CO* with the methoxide adsorbed on the In 2 O 3 forms a C−C bond. The strategy of this effective bifunctional single-atom catalyst by synergistically utilizing the distinct catalytic roles of the single-atom site and the substrates provides a new avenue in catalyst design for complex catalysis.