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July 2008

Supported Palladium-Zinc Catalyst for Methanol Steam Reforming

Cross section of prototype methanol steam microreformer with Pd-Zn/oxide support washcoated in the microchannels. The microreformer supplies a miniature fuel cell power source (Courtesy of Motorola Energy Technologies Lab).

Mixed PGM Oxides Feature in Water Disinfection

Electrochemical disinfection device with four pipe reactors equipped with mixed iridium/ruthenium oxide-coated titanium electrodes, installed in a cooling water system (Courtesy of G.E.R.U.S. mbH).



"The Catalyst Technical Handbook"

Johnson Matthey has published an updated edition of "The Catalyst Technical Handbook". It contains data on heterogeneous and homogeneous pgm catalysts and their reactions, chiral catalysis and non-leachable polymer-linked catalysts. Also included is information on sponge metals and PRICAT support base metal catalysts. The handbook is available in electronic or print formats. For a free copy please contact Connie Schlegel.


Alfa Aesar 2008–2009 Catalog of Research Chemicals, Metals and Materials

Request your copy by completing the Literature Request Form.

The catalog offers nearly 30,000 products available from stock. Over 3000 new products include novel fine organics, nanomaterials, fuel cell catalysts and components, pure metals, alloys, analytical standards and catalyst/ligand kits. There is a new 14-page introduction to the Precious Metal Compounds and Catalysts section, by catalyst expert Martyn Twigg. It briefly covers the history of precious metal catalysis, and there are sections on general catalytic requirements for selected applications.


PGM Catalyst Kits

Johnson Matthey produce three catalyst kits of research amounts of catalyst, aimed at small scale working in academia and industry. Joanne Frankham (U.K. and Europe) and Connie Schlegel (U.S.A. and Asia) will provide information.


Asymmetric Hydrogenation Ligand/Catalyst Kit

A 12-piece kit of 8 ligands (500 mg each) and 4 catalysts (100 mg each) to make catalysts.


Advanced Coupling Kit

A 9-piece kit (1000 mg each) for C-C coupling reactions, aminations, alpha ketone arylation, etc., using sterically hindered substrates, aryl chlorides and electron-rich substrates. A guide is included.


Heterogeneous Catalyst Screening Kit

Contains 40 samples.


Research Chemicals

Small to medium quantities of precious metal salts and solutions are available for early stage R&D from Alfa Aesar: Europe and U.S.A. Packs are sized from grams up to semi-bulk quantities.

Further details from Alfa Aesar, free phone 00800 4566 4566 in Europe. In the U.S.A. go to Alfa Aesar, free phone 800 343 0660.

Welcome to the 52nd Year of Publication of Platinum Metals Review

The quarterly E-journal of research on the platinum metals and of developments in their application in industry

The Journal: Volume 52, Issue 3

The July part of the 2008 journal is now live, as both webpages and PDF files.


Johnson Matthey’s Sustainability Initiative

In an Editorial, Johnson Matthey’s Chief Executive, Neil Carson, outlines the company’s commitment to the principles of sustainable development, and the role of Platinum Metals Review in that initiative.

New Palladium-Based Catalyst for Methanol Steam Reforming in a Miniature Fuel Cell

Researchers at BASF Catalysts LLC, U.S.A., developed a novel palladium-based catalyst for use in a miniature power source for portable applications, employing a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Oleg Ilinich, Ye Liu, Christopher Castellano, Gerald Koermer, Ahmad Moini and Robert Farrauto describe the testing of the new catalyst for the production of the cell's hydrogen fuel, via the catalytic reaction of methanol steam reforming. This catalyst is more durable and stable under operating conditions than are traditional copper oxide, zinc oxide and alumina-containing catalysts.

Noble Metal Catalysts for Mercury Oxidation

The use of noble metals as catalysts for mercury oxidation in flue gas is described. Albert Presto and Evan Granite (National Energy Technology Laboratory, United States Department of Energy, U.S.A.) introduce bench-scale experimental results for gold, palladium and platinum catalysts tested in realistic simulated flue gas. Initial results reveal intriguing characteristics of catalytic mercury oxidation and provide insight for future research into this potentially important process.

Immobilised Ruthenium Complexes for Olefin Metathesis

Ileana Dragutan and Valerian Dragutan (Institute of Organic Chemistry 'Costin D. Nenitescu', Romanian Academy) present the second and final part of their series on new routes for immobilisation of ruthenium alkylidene complexes. They systematically address Schiff bases, arenes, anionic ligands and specifically tagged (ionic liquid tag, fluoro tag) substituents as suitable participants for immobilisation.

Novel Formulations of Potential Platinum Antitumour Drugs

Wei-Ping Liu, Qing-Song Ye, Yao Yu, Xi-Zhu Chen and Shu-Qian Hou (Platinum-Based Drug Lab, Kunming Institute of Precious Metals, P.R. China), Li-Guang Lou and Yong-Ping Yang (Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.R. China) and Yi-Ming Wang and Qiang Su (Tsinghua University, P.R. China) describe the liposomal formulation of a novel lipophilic platinum(II) compound containing salicylate derivative, which shows potential to be developed as a new tumour-target drug.

Water Disinfection Using PGM-Containing Electrodes

Electrodes with pgms or their oxides as active coatings can be used for convenient and efficient electrochemical water disinfection. No chemical compounds need be added to the water to be treated. Alexander Kraft (Gesimat GmbH, Germany) gives a brief historical and technical overview of the process, augmented by some application examples.

Processing of Iridium and Its Alloys

Iridium and its alloys have been regarded as difficult to fabricate due to their high melting temperatures, limited ductility, sensitivity to impurity content and particular chemical properties. Evan Ohriner (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Materials Science and Technology Division, U.S.A.) reviews the available processing methods and techniques, including purification, melting, forming, joining and powder metallurgy. He addresses coating and forming by electroplating, chemical and physical vapour deposition and melt particle deposition.

Accurate and Precise Determination of Platinum by ICPES

In this issue's Final Analysis feature, Peter Ash (Johnson Matthey Technology Centre, Sonning Common, U.K.) describes the use of inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry to quantify platinum and the other pgms in a range of materials, from low loadings, for example in emission control catalysts, to fuel cell catalysts with high percentage loadings.


Other Items in This Issue

"Highly Efficient OLEDs with Phosphorescent Materials" is a new book on organic light emitting diodes, covering complexes of the pgms. Rob Potter (Johnson Matthey Technology Centre, U.K.) reviews the book, which contains in-depth discussions of the design, synthesis, modelling and behaviour of a diverse range of molecules.

Thomas Colacot (Johnson Matthey, Catalysis and Chiral Technologies, U.S.A.) attended the third CRC International Symposium on Cross Coupling and Organometallics on 25th September 2007 at the Université de Lyon, ESCPE Lyon, France. His conference review concentrates on the presentations dealing with palladium- and nickel-catalysed carbon-carbon bond formation.

Johnson Matthey published its latest market review of platinum group metals supply and demand, "Platinum 2008" in May 2008. A summary is offered here.

The issue contains highlights from the scientific and patent literature.



PMR Brochure

A four-page, A5-sized brochure describing the scope and services of Platinum Metals Review is available. View the brochure here.


Journal Archive

The Journal Archive provides access to every issue of Platinum Metals Review (Volume 1 to date). It is available at: http://www.platinummetalsreview.com/dynamic/volume/archive

For articles in issues from Volume 1, Issue 1 to Volume 47, Issue 3, article details and PDF files (including entire issue PDF files) are presented. XHTML full text is not available for these earlier issues.

Articles in issues from Volume 47, Issue 4, onwards are available in both PDF and XHTML full text formats.

Rapid location of articles can be achieved using the Advanced Search

Highlight articles include:

'The Manufacture of Nitric Acid', H. Connor, Platinum Metals Rev., 1967, 11, (1), 2

'Some Biological Effects of Platinum Compounds', B. Rosenberg, Platinum Metals Rev., 1971, 15, (2), 42

'Automobile Emission Control Systems', G. K. Acres and B. J. Cooper, Platinum Metals Rev., 1972, 16, (3), 74

'Fuel Cell Energy Generators', D. S. Cameron, Platinum Metals Rev., 1978, 22, (2), 38

'The Palladium-Hydrogen System', F. A. Lewis, Platinum Metals Rev., 1982, 26, (1), 20 and references cited therein

'Twenty-Five Years of Autocatalysts', M. V. Twigg, Platinum Metals Rev., 1999, 43, (4), 168

'The CativaTM Process for the Manufacture of Acetic Acid', J. H. Jones, Platinum Metals Rev., 2000, 44, (3), 94

Electronic issues of Platinum Metals Review from April 1998 onwards are also freely available on the IngentaConnect website.


The PGM Science Mine

  • Events Calendar – a comprehensive list of scientific meetings on all the disciplines involving the platinum group metals. Events can be filtered by category.

  • The People Directory – for you and your interests in the pgms.

  • The Organisation Directory – for your departmental or company interests in the pgms.

  • Links – the ones we find useful.


A History of Platinum and its Allied Metals

A comprehensive and frequently cited book on the history of platinum and its associated metals. It covers important discoveries and scientific work on the pgms up to the early twentieth century. Increasing knowledge of the six metals is interwoven with the growth in science since the eighteenth century. The book contains twenty-four chapters, 450 pages, over 600 references and 235 illustrations (20 in colour) including 100 portraits.

To order a copy, price U.K.£20, Europe €30 or U.S.$45 to include postage and packing, please complete the contact us form, selecting the category “A History of Platinum and its Allied Metals”.


The PGM Database

The PGM Database contains referenced collections of pgm data. Click on the logo to the right.

The database gives access to information on over 400 alloys, with more than 1000 diagrams and graphs having over 9000 referenced numerical data points. This free database contains properties on the six platinum group metals, their alloy systems and phase diagrams. You are invited to contribute your own published results for inclusion in the database.





Platinum Metals Review is published here by Johnson Matthey PLC, refiner and fabricator of the precious metals and sole marketing agent for the six platinum group metals produced by Anglo Platinum Limited, South Africa.