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Retraction: Investigation of the effect of thermal annealing of Ni-cobaltite nanoparticles on their structure, electronic properties and performance as catalysts for the total oxidation of dimethyl ether
Daniel Onana
Mevoa
a,
Stephane
Kenmoe
*b,
Muhammad
Waqas
c,
Dick Hartmann
Douma
d,
Daniel
Manhouli Daawe
e,
Katia
Nchimi Nono
f,
Ralph
Gebauer
g and
Patrick Mountapmbeme
Kouotou
*eh
aDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Maroua, P.O. Box 55, Cameroon
bDepartment of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 2, D-45141 Essen, Germany. E-mail: stephane.kenmoe@uni-due.de
cDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
dGroupe de Simulations Numériques en Magnétisme et Catalyse, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville B.P. 69, Congo
eNational Advanced School of Engineering, University of Maroua, P.O. Box. 46, Maroua, Cameroon. E-mail: mkpatrick1982@gmail.com
fInstitute fur Anorganische Chemie Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Max-Eyth-Strasse 2, 24118 Kiel, Germany
gThe Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Strada Costiera 11, 34151 Trieste, Italy
hHigher Institute of Agriculture, Wood, Water and Environment, University of Ebolowa, P.O. Box 746, Ebolowa, Cameroon
First published on 20th May 2025
Abstract
Retraction of ‘Investigation of the effect of thermal annealing of Ni-cobaltite nanoparticles on their structure, electronic properties and performance as catalysts for the total oxidation of dimethyl ether’, by Mevoa et al., Catal. Sci. Technol., 2023, 13, 6041–6058, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CY00807J.
The Royal Society of Chemistry, after several exchanges on this issue with the authors, hereby wholly retracts this Catalysis Science & Technology article due to concerns with the reliability of the data.
In Fig. 1c and e, the XRD patterns contain unexpected features. In addition, segments of the XRD pattern in Fig. 1b have been duplicated from a previously published work by Zigla et al.1
In Fig. 5 the EDS spectrum contains repeating patterns and evidence of irregularities in the background.
Patrick Mountapmbeme Kouotou has provided corrected figures from the original data but they have been unable to satisfactorily explain the irregularities.
Given the significance of the concerns about the data, the findings presented in this paper are no longer reliable.
The authors have been informed about the retraction of this article.
Stephane Kenmoe, Dick Hartmann Douma, Katia Nchimi Nono, Ralph Gebauer and Patrick Mountapmbeme Kouotou agree with the decision to retract this article. Muhammad Waqas and Daniel Manhouli Daawe did not respond to any correspondence regarding this retraction. Daniel Onana Mevoa could not be contacted.
Ralph Gebauer, Stephane Kenmoe and Dick Hartmann Douma have stated that as theoreticians involved in the computational part of the work, they cannot comment on the irregularities of the XRD and EDS spectra.
Patrick Mountapmbeme Kouotou has stated he was involved in designing the experimental conditions, improving the explanation and revising the context, but was not involved in taking and evaluating the XRD/EDS data nor drawing the figures. As the supervisor of the experimental part he strongly apologizes for not paying enough attention to detect the anomalies in question.
Katia Nchimi Nono has stated that her role in the preparation of this article was limited to reviewing the manuscript draft, and she was not involved in the experimental work and data collection. Therefore, she cannot comment on the irregularities of the XRD and EDS spectra.
Signed: Ralph Gebauer, Stephane Kenmoe, Dick Hartmann Douma, Patrick Mountapmbeme Kouotou, Katia Nchimi Nono
Date: 1st May 2025
Retraction endorsed by Maria Southall, Executive Editor, Catalysis Science & Technology
References
A. A. Zigla, T. Kox, D. Meova, H. T. Assaouka, I. N. Nsangou, D. M. Daawe and P. K. Kouotou, Catalysis, 12, 2022, 411.| This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2025 |