Phenol is produced mainly by the cumene process composed of three steps involving decomposition of explosive intermediate with sulfuric acid, which has several economic and ecologic disadvantages.  Direct phenol synthesis from benzene with O2 in a one-step gas-phase reaction is still a difficult challenge but a most desirable catalytic reaction.  We report selective Pt/zeolites and a new process promoted with NH3 for the benzene hydroxylation.  We also report Pt-M/C fuel cell catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR), which is coupled with the structural and electronic kinetics/dynamics of Pt-M nanoparticles in fuel cells as characterized by in situ real time XAFS.  Identifying the key issues relevant to the ORR activity and degradation of the catalysts under the fuel cell operating conditions is still a difficult challenge.

Selective catalyses and in situ real time XAFS characterizations of Pt/zeolites for direct phenol synthesis and Pt-M/carbons for acidic polymer electrolyte fuel cells

245th National Meeting (2013)

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