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Pandiri Sreedhar1*
, Samuel Talari2, Shirish Kumar Kodadi3, Narayanam.P. S. Acharyulu4, Hemambika Sadasivuni5 and Vishnu Kumar Khandelwal6
1Department of Chemistry, Geethanjali College of Engineering and Technology, Cheeryal(V), Keesara(M), Medchal(D), Hyderabad, India.
2Physics Division, Department of BSH, GMR Institute of Technology, Rajam, Andhra Pradesh, India.
3Department of Chemistry, St. Peter’s Engineering College, Dhulapally, Maisammaguda, Medchal,Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
4Department of Engineering Physics, S. R. K. R. Engineering College, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.
5Department of Chemistry, St. Martin's Engineering college, Dhulapally, Secunderabad, Telangana, India.
6Department of Chemistry, JECRC University, Ramchandrapura Industrial Area Jaipur, Sitapura, Vidhani, Rajasthan, India.
Corresponding Author E-mail:sreedhar.pandiri@gmail.com
Article Publishing History
Article Received on : 11 Dec 2024
Article Accepted on :
Article Published : 16 May 2025
The research investigates how nano-engineered catalysts execute several functions starting from energy transformation up to pollution cleanup and modern chemical synthesis via environmentally friendly procedures. Current research works are integrated into this paper which covers fabrication techniques and performance assessment of chosen nanocatalysts. Nano-engineering produces more than traditional enhancement of catalytic functions by creating new possibilities for both reaction pathways and process efficiency improvements.
KEYWORDS:Catalyst stability; Catalysis; Energy conversion; Green chemistry; Heterogeneous catalysis; Nano-engineering; Reaction kinetics; Surface chemistry
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Copy the following to cite this article:Sreedhar P, Talari S, Kodadi S. K, Acharyulu N. P. S, Sadasivuni H, Khandelwal V. K. Nano-Engineered Catalysts a New Frontier in Catalyst Chemistry. Orient J Chem 2025;41(3).
Sreedhar P, Talari S, Kodadi S. K, Acharyulu N. P. S, Sadasivuni H, Khandelwal V. K. Nano-Engineered Catalysts a New Frontier in Catalyst Chemistry. Orient J Chem 2025;41(3). Available from: https://bit.ly/4jaPpho
Introduction
Modern chemical industries depend on catalysts to significantly accelerate reaction rates through processes that leave the catalysts unchanged. The numerous critical fields of petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and environmental protection use catalysts for their applications. The use of conventional catalysts entails multiple drawbacks because they exhibit suboptimal selectivity and die down over time and use large amounts of energy during procedures. Nanotechnology has become a crucial scientific tool for the scientific community to enhance sustainable operations by solving these limitations in processes.1-2
Scientists design nano-engineered catalysts between 1–100 nm scale to benefit from the quantum attributes along with their high surface area density relationships. The nano-engineered catalysts benefit from these structural properties because they enable better control of the active site count along with surface functions and general catalyst design characteristics.11 Nanoparticles containing precious metals platinum and gold behave differently from bulk materials because they demonstrate unique properties that increase their reactivity rate and minimize materials consumption and maximize performance selectivity. Catalytic reactions can be tailored for specific purposes because shape and size control together with surface facet manipulation of nanoparticles creates customized behavior for such reactions as reduction or oxidation or complex organic transformations.
Developments in nanoparticle science have resulted in advancements of core-shell nanoparticles as well as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and zeolites with hierarchical porosity and single-atom catalysts (SACs). The structures combine multiple catalytic functions since they unite acid-base character with redox capabilities within a single catalyst while also allowing gentler environmentally friendly reaction conditions. The benefit of employing such catalysts becomes crucial for reactions that handle renewable materials and decentralized energy operations involving cells and electrolyzers12.
Various technological obstacles still prevent commercial use of scaled nano-engineered catalyst production methods. Maintaining uniformity along with reproducibility and stability proves a strong obstacle to overcome under operating conditions. Over time nanocatalysts tend to unite into clusters which cause their surface area to decrease leading to a reduction in their effective operating capacity.5
The world faces dual challenges of environmental preservation and process sustainability by depending heavily on these catalysts. The catalytic mechanisms for both CO₂ reduction and biomass conversion and water splitting and pollutant degradation process perfectly synchronize with worldwide sustainability targets. Nano-engineered transition metal phosphide materials have become viable economical alternatives to platinum in water electrolysis hydrogen evolution reactions since they exhibit promising potential for generating renewable hydrogen at scale.
This document examines nano-engineered catalysts through a detailed discussion about their design structures and production methods together with measurement results and deployment characteristics15. Recent literatures integrate with experimental performance data present nano-engineered catalysts as revolutionary technology in chemistry and materials science research through this paper.
Novelty and Contribution
The main contribution of this research applies an integrated approach to nano-engineered catalysts because it sees them as unique functional systems with adjustable properties rather than smaller conventional catalyst versions.6
The study presents an essential comparison between nano-scale designed structural and electronic alterations alongside their corresponding effects on catalytic enhancement and selectivity and further stability qualities. The paper demonstrates how managing crystal facets and oxidation states directly influences oxygen evolution reaction activities through combined methods that typically exist in separate studies.
A key innovative point in this work emphasizes structure-activity relationships because these relationships help trace the design principles of high-performance nanocatalysts. Through sophisticated characterization methods coupled with selected cases the research develops a clear connection between microscopic nanotechnology attributes and observed macro-level catalytic effects. The author presents future prospects on two breakthroughs: machine learning-assisted design and in-situ diagnostics as shaping forces for the advancement of nano-engineered catalyst development4.
The document acts simultaneously as an important source of information while providing strategic guidelines for researchers and industries and policymakers developing next-generation chemical systems.
Related study
In 2022 L. Fei et al., 14 suggest the scientific investigations within catalysis now extensively use nanostructured materials as effective catalysts. Metal nanoparticles demonstrate improved catalytic efficiency when researchers minimize their size to nanometer dimensions because of greater available active sites and modifications to the surface coordination. Approximately monodisperse shapes of nanoparticles like cubes and rods and octahedra show facet-dependent reactivity toward catalytic behavior.
The field of single-atom catalysts develops continuously since atoms dispersed on supports deliver maximum atom efficiency together with unique reaction paths. These catalysts accomplish superior performance throughout hydrogenation and oxidation together with carbon dioxide reduction applications. Nanostructured transition metal oxides together with phosphides present themselves as effective candidates for water splitting and fuel cell applications through electrocatalysis.
In 2020 B. Zhang et.al, J. Sun et.al, U. Salahuddin et.al., and P.-X. Gao et.al.,9 proposed the field of porous nanomaterials comprises mesoporous silica together with zeolites along with metal-organic frameworks because they provide specific environments to stabilize catalytic sites. Such materials provide superior access to active centers while enabling selective shape-dependent as well as size-dependent chemical reactions that prove vital for pharmaceutical and fine chemical manufacturing. Current catalyst design methods based on nanostructuring approaches create systems containing multiple functionalities by uniting reduction and acid-base properties into one system for performing multi-step cascade reactions.
In 2024 P. M. C et.al., S. Iyyanar et.al., K. Kanagaraj et.al., P. Sd et.al., Y. S. Bisht et.al., and R. Kumar et.al.,3 introduce the technological enhancements fail to address fundamental difficulties which include agglomeration effects combined with active component loss and structural breakdown during harsh conditions throughout the reaction process. Limiting factors regarding the scale-up of synthesis techniques alongside high production costs prevent industries from adopting them for industrial manufacturing. The continuously expanding research establishes fundamental knowledge necessary to produce efficient sustainable catalysts of the next generation.
Proposed Methodology
The methodology is structured around the controlled synthesis, structural tuning, and performance evaluation of nano-engineered catalysts. The goal is to design catalysts with enhanced surface properties and high reactivity for targeted chemical reactions. The process can be divided into five primary stages: precursor selection, synthesis, post-synthesis engineering, catalytic testing, and performance modeling7.
Precursor Selection and Surface Energy Optimization
To ensure a high number of active surface atoms, the particle size is tuned to the nanoscale using the relation:
where:
Is the specific surface area,
Is the material density,
Is the average particle diameter (cm).
Reducing size increases surface-to-volume ratio, enhancing catalytic activity. The rate of surface atom exposure is calculated as:
where is the number of surface atoms and is the total atoms in a nanoparticle13.
Catalyst Synthesis via Sol-Gel or Hydrothermal Route
Nanoparticles are synthesized using the sol-gel method, where precursor concentration affects nucleation rate:
is the rate constant and is the order of nucleation. Post-synthesis annealing is performed at optimized temperature , which governs crystallinity:
where is a material-dependent crystallization coefficient.
Morphological and Surface Functionalization
Catalyst surface is engineered by depositing functional groups. The modification coverage is given by:
where is the adsorption coefficient and is the partial pressure of the modifying agent. This influences binding energy :
where is the adsorption energy, is desorption energy, and is surface potential energy correction.
Catalytic Activity Measurement
Turnover frequency (TOF), a key performance metric, is calculated by:
For a gas-phase reaction, rate of conversion is given by:
Where:
Reactant concentration,
Activation energy,
Gas constant,
Temperature .
Selectivity of a desired product is defined as:
Model-Based Optimization
To predict catalyst efficiency, computational models are used. Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics are applied:
Rate of reaction,
Adsorption constants for A and B,
Concentrations.
Catalyst deactivation over time is modeled exponentially:
where is initial activity and is deactivation constant.
Figure 1: IOT-Assisted Water Quality Prediction and Assessment System.Click here to View Figure
Result and discussion
The nano-engineered materials underwent performance assessment under controlled experimental situations to determine their catalytic ability when performing important reactions including oxidation and hydrogenation alongside CO₂ reduction. Statistical evidence indicates that nanostructured particles demonstrate superior catalytic activity when compared to larger-sized particles according to previous experimental findings. The data in Figure 1 shows the model reaction turnover frequency (TOF) measured against particle size and reveals an optimal TOF occurs at 5 nm diameters 8.
Platinum nanoparticles utilized in a hydrogenation reaction display their turnover frequency (TOF) distribution related to particle size through the data shown in Figure 2. Using Origin software the graph illustrates that TOF grows as particles decrease in size until 5 nm when it starts to fall. Smaller sizes of particles exhibit higher surface atom proportions leading to enhanced catalytic activity yet after this optimal point the particles start agglomeration reducing the active surface area resulting in diminished effectiveness. Research findings match previous studies showing that catalytic activity depends on a careful equation between particle size.
Figure 2: Comparison of Turnover Frequency (TOF) and Selectivity for Different Synthesis MethodsClick here to View Figure
A comparison between the different synthesis methods including hydrothermal and sol-gel presented data on the structural differences of produced catalysts. A typical oxidation reaction shows the relative TOF and selectivity results between the two synthesis protocols as presented in Table 1. The sol-gel synthesis leads to catalysts which demonstrate a higher TOF combined with superior selectivity for the target product. Catalyst production through sol-gel yields uniform active sites because the method creates better site arrangements than hydrothermal synthesis does.
Table 1: Comparison of Turnover Frequency (TOF) and Selectivity for Different Synthesis Methods
Synthesis Method TOF (mol/min) Selectivity (%) Sol-gel 1.5 92 Hydrothermal 1.2 85The method of catalyst synthesis worked in combination with post-synthesis treatments to help maintain both stability and reusability of the catalyst. Multiple reaction cycles required catalyst surface functionalization in order to stop the deactivation process. Figure 2 shows the activity changes of the catalyst both before and after functionalization. The Excel-generated chart indicates that functionalization helps minimize catalyst deactivation because it preserves 90% of initial activity while unmodified catalysts experience greater than 40% deactivation loss. Surface engineering stands as an essential factor to maintain extended catalytic performance according to this experimental outcome.
The XRD and SEM examinations checked catalyst stability throughout the reaction cycles to study structural modifications. The protected catalyst’s surface exhibits clear dissimilarities when viewed under SEM images shown in Figure 4. Reaction cycles cause severe clustering of unmodified catalysts yet the surface modification produces minimal surface disruption. The research results validate that surface modification preserves catalyst stability under demanding reactions which improves its operational effectiveness.
The Selective outcomes from nano-engineered catalysts dramatically improved their capacity to produce designated reaction products especially during complex CO₂ reduction operations. The CO₂ reduction reaction selectivity performance between nano-engineered catalysts and conventional bulk catalysts appears in Table 2. The nano-engineered catalysts produced target methane end products with superior efficiency when compared to bulk catalysts which generated multiple side products. The nanocatalysts show particular electronic characteristics that enable exact regulation of reaction paths.
Table 2: Comparison of Selectivity In CO₂ Reduction Reaction
Catalyst Type Methane Selectivity (%) By-Product Selectivity (%) Nano-engineered 85 15 Conventional Bulk 70 30Results from the study indicate at a high level that nano-engineered catalysts surpasses conventional bulk catalysts in both selectivity and catalytic efficiency. The main drawback of these materials persists in their instability which becomes problematic especially for sustained operational requirements. The research implies scientists must carry out additional work to stabilize nano-catalysts using surface treatment methods or by embedding them into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)9.
Future research depends on predictive catalyst behavior modeling at nanoscale because the results confirm its essential nature. Future catalyst design optimization will depend heavily on models which account for surface energy parameters along with particle size variations and reaction speed evaluations. An integrated approach for catalyst development will result in improved efficiency and selectivity and enhanced stability when operated by the chemical industry.
Conclusion
Tailor-made reactivity and high efficiency and environmentally friendly processing methods which nano-engineered catalysts provide new definitions for catalyst chemistry capabilities. The paper proves that precision at nanoscale dimensions produces significant enhancements of reaction catalytic capabilities [10]. Additional research needs to solve three problems which include maintaining catalyst durability, making synthesis processes scalable and reducing synthesis costs.
Funding Sources
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Conflict of Interest
The author(s) do not have any conflict of interest.
Data Availability Statement
This statement does not apply to this article.
References
Centi, S. Perathoner, and D. S. Su, “Nanocarbons: Opening new possibilities for nano-engineered novel catalysts and catalytic electrodes,” Catalysis Surveys From Asia, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 149–163, Sep. 2014, doi: 10.1007/s10563-014-9172-0.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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