0000000000646232
AUTHOR
A.m.
Synergetic effect of gold in Au/Pd catalysts during hydrodesulfurization reactions of model compounds
Abstract The simultaneous formation of colloidal dispersions of Pd and Au metal particles protected by the organic polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in reducing alcohol solution was used for the synthesis of new silica-supported monometallic and bimetallic Au x Pd y catalysts with different x / y ratios. The samples, with a 2 wt% total metal loading, after air calcinations at 673 K to remove the PVP, were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and FTIR spectra of chemisorbed CO. Formation of alloyed Au x Pd y particles of different metal composition with consequent modification of their electronic and geometric properties was ascertained. The catalytic activi…
Interactions of fungi with other organisms.
Living organisms establish complex networks of mutualistic and antagonistic interactions in nature, which impact strongly on their own survival and on the stability of the whole population. Fungi, in particular, can shape natural as well as man-managed ecosystems due to their ubiquitous occurrence and the range of interactions they establish with plants, animals and other microbes. This review describes some examples of mutualistic and antagonistic fungal interactions that are of particular interest for their ecological role, or because they can be exploited by man to improve plant health and/or productivity in sustainable agriculture and forestry.