Preparation of nitrogen-doped carbon as metal-free catalysts having various functions.

• Project/Area Number: 17K06911
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Catalyst/Resource chemical process
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Fujita Shinichiro 北海道大学, 工学研究院, 講師 (80156869)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,550,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,050,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
• Keywords: 炭素触媒 / 触媒調製 / 固体塩基触媒 / 空気酸化 / 還元 / 触媒反応 / 炭酸ジメチル / 炭素 / ヒドラジン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Nitrogen-doped carbon materials were prepared from different sources, which included activated carbon, polyacrylonitrile, polyaniline, and melamine, and used for dimethyl carbonate synthesis via the transesterification of ethylene carbonate and methanol. It was found that nitrogen-doped carbon prepared from polyaniline was highly active even at 80℃, which was much lower than the temperature required for conventional solid base catalysts reported so far. Those nitrogen-doped carbon catalysts were further employed for other reactions of aerobic oxidation and reduction with hydrazine. Among the catalysts, the one prepared from melamine was the most active for the reduction of nitrobenzene with hydrazine. At present, what type of nitrogen atoms contribute for the reactions is unclear, but it may be clarified by computational studies in future.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は炭素と窒素を組み合わせることで，これらの化学的性質が広範に変わりうることを示している。まださらなる検討が必要な段階であるが，この機構を明らかにできれば，触媒化学への寄与は大きく，本研究の学術的意義は大きい。
触媒は様々な分野で重要な役割を果たしているが，これらの多くには高価な希少元素が含まれている。我国は希少元素の供給量減少，高価格化への対応が迫られている。まだ適応例は限られているが，安価で大量入手な容易な炭素を高価な希少元素の代替しうるという本研究の成果は，このような社会的要請に応えるものである。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Porous graphitic carbon nitride nanoplates obtained by a combined exfoliation strategy for enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity (2019)
  • Author(s): Wei Liua, Nobuhiro Iwasa, Shinichiro Fujita, Hitoshi Koizumi, Makoto Yamaguchi, Toshihiro Shimada
  • Journal Title: Applied Surface Science Volume: 499 Pages: 143901-143901
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.143901
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Nitrogen-Doped Activated Carbon as Metal-Free Catalysts Having Various Functions (2017)
  • Author(s): Fujita Shin-Ichiro、Yoshida Hiroshi、Arai Masahiko
  • Journal Title: C Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Pages: 31-31
  • DOI: 10.3390/c3040031
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] Nitrogen-doped carbon as solid base catalyst for dimethyl carbonate production from ethylene carbonate and methanol (2019)
  • Author(s): Haruka Mori, Shinichiro Fujita
  • Organizer: 8 th Asia-Pacific Congress on Catalysis
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 窒素ドープメタルフリー炭素触媒を用いたアルコールの選択的空気酸化反応-触媒調製条件の影響と貴金属触媒との比較- (2018)
  • Author(s): 浅野沙也加，渡部博之，荒井正彦，藤田進一郎
  • Organizer: 第27回化学工学・粉体工学研究発表会