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Peer-reviewedCC BYApplied Catalysis A General

Leaching, redistribution, and dynamic heterogeneity in supported catalysts

  • Arjun Neyyathala1
  • Stephan A. Schunk2,3,4
  • Schirin Hanf1
4 affiliations
  1. 1Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Inorganic Chemistry, Engesserstr. 15, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany
  2. 2BASF SE, Carl-Bosch Str. 38, Ludwigshafen 67056, Germany
  3. 3Leipzig University, Institute of Chemical Technology, Linnéstr. 3, Leipzig 04103, Germany
  4. 4hte GmbH, the High Throughput Experimentation Company, Kurpfalzring 104, Heidelberg 69123, Germany
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Abstract

Supported metal catalysts are often regarded as purely heterogeneous systems, yet under liquid-phase reaction conditions many undergo elemental leaching, leading to the loss of active species, catalyst deactivation and product contamination. Beyond deactivation, leached metal and non-metal species can affect turnover numbers and modify surface active sites. In some cases, a transition from solid catalysts to active species in the liquid phase is observed, or coupled “release and capture” mechanisms operate. These effects blur the boundaries between heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis and complicate structure-activity relationships. Herein we summarize the most common elemental leaching pathways in supported metal catalysts and critically evaluate the diagnostic tools used to determine the true nature of the active species. Diagnostic approaches are organized into three categories: reaction progress-based diagnostics (e.g., hot filtration test, poisoning experiments, three-phase test, kinetic signatures), spectroscopy-based diagnostics (e.g., ICP-OES/MS, UV-Vis, NMR, IR/Raman, and in-situ / operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy), and theory-based (indicative) diagnostics (e.g., density functional theory, Pourbaix-type diagrams). We highlight key benefits and limitations, and emphasize the need for converging evidence from complementary diagnostic techniques. Finally, we discuss strategies to mitigate leaching and propose a structured workflow to reduce ambiguity regarding catalyst heterogeneity and guide the design of leaching-resistant supported catalysts.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{neyyathala2026leaching,
  title = {{Leaching, redistribution, and dynamic heterogeneity in supported catalysts}},
  author = {Arjun Neyyathala and Stephan A. Schunk and Schirin Hanf},
  journal = {Applied Catalysis A General},
  year = {2026},
  month = may,
  doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2026.121035},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcata.2026.121035},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Leaching, redistribution, and dynamic heterogeneity in supported catalysts
AU  - Arjun Neyyathala
AU  - Stephan A. Schunk
AU  - Schirin Hanf
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/16
JO  - Applied Catalysis A General
DO  - 10.1016/j.apcata.2026.121035
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcata.2026.121035
AB  - Supported metal catalysts are often regarded as purely heterogeneous systems, yet under liquid-phase reaction conditions many undergo elemental leaching, leading to the loss of active species, catalyst deactivation and product contamination. Beyond deactivation, leached metal and non-metal species can affect turnover numbers and modify surface active sites. In some cases, a transition from solid catalysts to active species in the liquid phase is observed, or coupled “release and capture” mechanisms operate. These effects blur the boundaries between heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis and complicate structure-activity relationships. Herein we summarize the most common elemental leaching pathways in supported metal catalysts and critically evaluate the diagnostic tools used to determine the true nature of the active species. Diagnostic approaches are organized into three categories: reaction progress-based diagnostics (e.g., hot filtration test, poisoning experiments, three-phase test, kinetic signatures), spectroscopy-based diagnostics (e.g., ICP-OES/MS, UV-Vis, NMR, IR/Raman, and in-situ / operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy), and theory-based (indicative) diagnostics (e.g., density functional theory, Pourbaix-type diagrams). We highlight key benefits and limitations, and emphasize the need for converging evidence from complementary diagnostic techniques. Finally, we discuss strategies to mitigate leaching and propose a structured workflow to reduce ambiguity regarding catalyst heterogeneity and guide the design of leaching-resistant supported catalysts.
SN  - 0926-860X
SN  - 1873-3875
ER  -