Gas adsorption process in activated carbon over a wide temperature range above the critical point. Part 2: conservation of mass and energy

Simulations of the thermal effects during adsorption cycles are a valuable tool for the design of efficient adsorption-based systems such as gas storage, gas separation and adsorption-based heat pumps. In this paper, we present simulations of the thermal phenomena associated with hydrogen, nitrogen and methane adsorption on activated carbon for supercritical temperatures and high pressures. The analytical expressions of adsorption and of the internal energy of the adsorbed phase are calculated from a Dubinin-Astakhov adsorption model using solution thermodynamics. A constant adsorption volume is assumed. The isosteric heat is also calculated and discussed. Finally, the mass and energy rate balance equations for an adsorbate/adsorbent pair are presented and are shown to be in agreement with desorption experiments.     

The Partial Molar Heat Capacities and Expansions of Inosine, 2′-Deoxyinosine and 2′-Deoxyguanosine in Aqueous Solution at 298.15 K

Solution densities over the temperature range 288.15 to 313.15 K have been measured for aqueous solutions of the nucleosides inosine, 2′-deoxyinosine, and 2′-deoxyguanosine, from which the partial molar volumes of the solutes at infinite dilution, V ₂^o, were obtained. The partial molar expansions for the nucleosides at infinite dilution and 298.15 K, E ₂^o {E ₂^o=(∂ V ₂^o/∂ T) _p }, were derived from the V ₂^o results. The V ₂^o values at 298.15 K for the two sugars D-ribose and 2-deoxyribose also have been determined. The partial molar heat capacities at infinite dilution for all the solutes, C _p,2^o, have been determined at 298.15 K. These V ₂^o,E ₂^o, and C _p,2^o results are critically compared with all of the results available from the literature, and the use of group additivity to evaluate these solution thermodynamic properties for the sparingly soluble nucleoside guanosine is explored.     

Interaction between Glyoxal-bis-(2-hydroxyanil) and Bovine Serum Albumin in Solution

The interaction between glyoxal-bis-(2-hydroxyanil) (GBH) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by spectroscopic methods including fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) and UV–visible absorption spectra. The mechanism for quenching the fluorescence of BSA by GBH is discussed. The number of binding sites n and observed binding constant K _b were measured by the fluorescence quenching method. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH ^θ , ΔG ^θ , and ΔS ^θ were calculated at different temperatures and the results indicate that hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces played major roles in the reaction. The distance r between the donor (BSA) and acceptor (GBH) molecules was obtained according to Förster’s theory of non-radiation energy transfer. Synchronous fluorescence and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra were used to investigate the structural change of BSA molecules that occur upon addition of GBH, and these results indicate that the secondary structure of BSA molecules is changed by the presence of GBH.     

Facile and Efficient Michael Addition of Indole to Nitroolefins Catalyzed by Zn(OAc)2 · 2H2O

The Zn(OAc)₂2H₂O-catalyed Michael addition reaction of indole to electron-deficient nitroolefins to afford the corresponding adducts in good to excellent yields with high selectivity is reported.     

Volumetric Properties of Aqueous Solutions of L-Glutamic Acid and Magnesium-L-Glutamate

Densities of aqueous solutions of L-glutamic acid and magnesium-L-glutamate were determined from T=288.15 to 333.15 K at 5 K temperature intervals. The measured densities were used to evaluate the apparent molar volumes, V _2,φ (m,T), the cubic expansion coefficients, α(m,T), and the changes of isobaric heat capacities with respect to pressure, (∂ C _p /∂ p) _T,m . They were qualitatively correlated with changes in the structure of water that occur when L-glutamic acid or magnesium-L-glutamate are present.     

Molecularly imprinted adsorbents for preconcentration and isolation of progesterone and testosterone by solid phase extraction combined with HPLC

The use of a novel procedure of solid-phase extraction with molecularly imprinted polymers (MISPE) has been described. A MISPE procedure relying on tailor-made, artificial-mimic materials capable of selectively rebinding target analytes (steroids) based on a combination of recognition mechanisms, such as size, shape and functionality, was custom designed for progesterone and testosterone. The combination of MISPE with LC/DAD is a simple and an efficient method for the determination and quality control of progesterone and testosterone in human urine samples.     

Intramolecular Charge Transfer Reaction in Solutions of Low to High Electrolyte Concentrations: Interplay between Friction and Solvation

Fluorescence emission spectroscopy have been used to investigate the effects of electrolytes on the excited state intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) reaction in 4-(1-azetidinyl)benzonitrile (P4C) in very dilute to concentrated electrolyte solutions of ethyl acetate (EA), acetonitrile (AN) and ethanol (EtOH). In the limit of very low electrolyte concentrations, the reaction rate (=1/τ _rxn, τ _rxn being the reaction time) is found to decrease with increasing electrolyte concentration, the extent of decrease being the maximum in EA and the minimum in AN. At moderate to higher electrolyte concentrations, however, the rate increases upon further addition of electrolyte. The observed non-monotonic electrolyte concentration dependence of rate is believed to occur due to a novel interplay between friction and solvation experienced by the photo-excited reactant in solution. Moreover, the long time decay constant and amplitude of the bi-exponential decay of the time resolved fluorescence emission intensity also show a significant electrolyte concentration dependence which corroborates the relevant steady-state results. Electronic Supplementary Material  The online version of this article () contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Hetero-heptanuclear (Fe–Na) complexes of salicylaldehydes: crystal and molecular structure of [Fe2(3-OCH3-salo)8 · Νa5] · 3OH · 8H2Ο

The reaction of Fe(III) with the substituted salicylaldehydes [X-saloH, where X = 3-OCH₃ (L ¹ ), 5-CH₃ (L ² ), 5-Cl (L ³ ), 5-NO₂ (L ⁴ )] led to the formation of four new iron(III) hetero-heptanuclear complexes (Fe–Na) under the general formula [Fe₂(X-salo)₈Νa₅] · 3OH · zH₂Ο. The two different coordination modes of the ligand, as well as the geometry around the metal ions were deduced by X-ray structure analysis of compound 1, [Fe₂(3-OCH₃-salo)₈Νa₅] · 3OH · 8H₂Ο. The complexes have also been characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic (IR, UV–Vis, Mössbauer) methods.     

Influence of Europium speciation on its accumulation in Brassica napus and over-expressing BnTR1 lines

This study aimed at influence of europium speciation on its accumulation in Brassica napus (CK) and over-expressing BnTR1 lines (OE), and the kinetics of Eu uptake were investigated. These results indicated that the uptake in the roots of OE was higher than that of CK at high concentrations of europium and even the enrichment in the roots of OE was as high as 20,000 mg/kg at 328.9 μΜ Eu, this suggested that OE might have better resistance to uranium than CK. The time kinetics in plants showed that there had the similar trend between CK and OE. The formation of Eu³⁺at pH 5 in deionized water was beneficial to plants enrichment Eu and carbonate could reduce the adsorption of Eu in two group and phosphate almost completely impress the adsorption of Eu in two group, but citric acid could enhance europium root-to-shoot translocation in two group. These results would help understanding the mechanism of Eu uptake in Brassica napus (CK) and over-expressing BnTR1 lines (OE), therefore properly developing efficient europium/americium phytoremediation.     

Adsorption properties and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 and La-doped TiO2

Photocatalysts of TiO₂ and La-doped TiO₂ were prepared by calcining the pure TiO₂ sols and the sols mixed with La(NO₃)₃⋅6H₂O at 873 K, respectively. These photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms measurement. As results, the BET surface area, pore diameter, mesopore volume and micropore volume slightly increased, while the crystallite size and the phase structure were little affected by lanthanum doping. The equilibrium adsorption of methylene blue (MB) on the photocatalysts were measured in a dark room. The adsorption isotherms were confirmed to fit to the Langmuir theory. Photocatalytic activities of the photocatalysts were studied by employing the photocatalytic degradation of MB in water and degradation of acetaldehyde in air under UV-irradiation using a black light. Kinetic analysis revealed that the rate controlling steps could be the surface reaction of the adsorbed MB on the catalyst surface for MB degradation and the reaction of adsorbed acetaldehyde with the gaseous acetaldehyde for degradation of acetaldehyde, respectively.     

One-Pot Reduction of Sulfoxides with NaBH4, CoCl2 · 6H2O Catalyst,and Moist Alumina

Sulfoxides are reduced by a combination of sodium borohydride, a catalytic amount of cobalt(II) chloride hexahydrate, and chromatographic neutral alumina preloaded with a small amount of water (moist alumina) in hexane to produce the corresponding sulfides in good to excellent yields under mild conditions. An interesting structural influence of sulfoxides on their reactivity is observed.

Composition study of CoPt bimetallic nanocrystals of 2 nm

The synthesis of bimetallic alloy nanocrystals with a well-controlled relative composition is a real challenge and requires chemical analysis techniques with high accuracy. A new chemical route has been used to synthesize cobalt–platinum nanocrystals of 2-nm diameter in a wide range of relative stoichiometry. A study of the elemental composition of the nanoalloy was carried out by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. We have developed a set-up for XRF analysis using a silicon wafer as a support to determine the elemental composition with only a small amount of sample. The calibration step and the measurement capabilities are described. In a composition range of 25–75% cobalt, the results of both analytical methods are discussed and compared in detail.     

FeCl3 · 6H2O-Catalyzed Acceleration of the Acylation of Sodium Azide with N-Acylbenzotriazoles

Catalyzed by ferric chloride hexahydrate (FeCl₃ · 6H₂O), the acylation of sodium azide with N-acylbenzotriazoles was greatly accelerated in a mixed solvent of acetone and water. Thus, good to excellent yields of a variety of acyl azides were obtained at room temperature in a short time. Furthermore, because of the complete conversion of N-acylbenzotriazoles and the easy removal of the by-product, purification by column chromatography was no longer required, which made the protocol suitable for large-scale preparation.

Volumetric Study of Aqueous Solutions of Polyethylene Glycol as a Function of the Polymer Molar Mass in the Temperature Range 283.15 to 313.15 K and 0.1 MPa

Density measurements were made for binary aqueous solutions of polyethylene glycol at seven temperatures: 283.15, 288.15, 293.15, 298.15, 303.15, 308.15, and 313.15 K. Polyethylene glycol samples with nominal average molar masses of 3000 g⋅mol⁻¹ (PEG 3000), 6000 g⋅mol⁻¹ (PEG 6000), 10000 g⋅mol⁻¹ (PEG 10000) and 20000 g⋅mol⁻¹ (PEG 20000) were used. These results were used to determine the specific volumes of solutions with solute-to-solvent mass ratios (mass of the solute/mass of the solvent) in the range 0.0546 to 1.4932 for PEG 3000, from 0.0553 to 1.4986 for PEG 6000, from 0.0552 to 1.2241 for PEG 10000, and from 0.0530 to 1.2264 for PEG 20000. The differences between the specific volume of a solution and the specific volume of the pure solvent, at a given temperature, were represented by a virial-type equation in terms of solute concentration. The first-order coefficient of the expansion is the partial specific volume of the solute at infinite dilution. The higher-order coefficients are related to the contribution of pairs, triplets, and higher-order solute aggregates, according to the Constant-Pressure Solution Theory. The functional dependence of the virial coefficients upon temperature is discussed in terms of solute-solute and solute-solvent interactions. The effect of the PEG molar mass on the partial specific volume of solute at infinite dilution, as well as the contributions of pairs of solute molecules to the solution volume, are also investigated. The apparent specific volume, apparent specific expansibility, apparent specific expansibility at infinite dilution and virial coefficients of the apparent specific expansibility are also presented.     

Gas adsorption process in activated carbon over a wide temperature range above the critical point. Part 1: modified Dubinin-Astakhov model

Simulations of the thermal effects during adsorption cycles are valuable tools for the design of efficient adsorption-based systems such as gas storage, gas separation and adsorption-based heat pumps. An analytical representation of the measured adsorption data over the wide operating pressure and temperature swing of the system is necessary for the calculation of complete mass and energy conservation equations. In Part 1, the Dubinin-Astakhov (D-A) model is adapted to model hydrogen, nitrogen, and methane adsorption isotherms on activated carbon at high pressures and supercritical temperatures assuming a constant microporous adsorption volume. The five parameter D-A type adsorption model is shown to fit the experimental data for hydrogen (30 to 293 K, up to 6 MPa), nitrogen (93 to 298 K, up to 6 MPa), and for methane (243 to 333 K, up to 9 MPa). The quality of the fit of the multiple experimental adsorption isotherms is excellent over the large temperature and pressure ranges involved. The model’s parameters could be determined as well from only the 77 K and 298 K hydrogen isotherms without much reducing the quality of the fit.     

Volumetric Properties of Some Aliphatic Mono- and Dicarboxylic Acids in Water at 298.15 K

The apparent molar volumes, V _φ , of two series of homologous aliphatic carboxylic acids, H(CH₂) _n COOH [n=0–5] and (CH₂) _n (COOH)₂ [n=0–5], were determined in dilute aqueous solutions by density measurements at T=298.15 K. Densities were measured using a vibrating-tube densimeter (DMA 5000, Anton Paar, Austria) at T=298.15 K. These results were used to calculate the apparent molar volumes of each solute over the concentration range 0.0050≤m/(mol⋅kg⁻¹)≤0.3000. Values of the apparent molar volumes of undissociated acids V_f(u)⁰V_{\phi (u)}^{0} were also calculated. The variation of V_f(u)⁰V_{\phi (u)}^{0} was determined as a function of the aliphatic chain length of the studied carboxylic acids.     

Buffer Standards for pH Measurement of N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N′-2-ethanesulfonic Acid (HEPES) for I=0.16 mol⋅kg−1 from 5 to 55 °C

The values of the second dissociation constant, pK ₂, of N-(2-hydroxyethyl) piperazine-N′-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) have been reported at twelve temperatures over the temperature range 5 to 55 °C, including 37 °C. This paper reports the results for the pa _H of eight isotonic saline buffer solutions with an I=0.16 mol⋅kg⁻¹ including compositions: (a) HEPES (0.01 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaHEPES (0.01 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaCl (0.15 mol⋅kg⁻¹); (b) HEPES (0.02 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaHEPES (0.02 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaCl (0.14 mol⋅kg⁻¹); (c) HEPES (0.03 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaHEPES (0.03 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaCl (0.13 mol⋅kg⁻¹); (d) HEPES (0.04 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaHEPES (0.04 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaCl (0.12 mol⋅kg⁻¹); (e) HEPES (0.05 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaHEPES (0.05 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaCl (0.11 mol⋅kg⁻¹); (f) HEPES (0.06 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaHEPES (0.06 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaCl (0.10 mol⋅kg⁻¹); (g) HEPES (0.07 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaHEPES (0.07 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaCl (0.09 mol⋅kg⁻¹); and (h) HEPES (0.08 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaHEPES (0.08 mol⋅kg⁻¹) + NaCl (0.08 mol⋅kg⁻¹). Conventional pa _H values, for all eight buffer solutions from 5 to 55 °C, have been calculated. The operational pH values with liquid junction corrections, at 25 and 37 °C have been determined based on the NBS/NIST standard between the physiological phosphate standard and four buffer solutions. These are recommended as pH standards for physiological fluids in the range of pH = 7.3 to 7.5 at I=0.16 mol⋅kg⁻¹.     

Diffusion of linear paraffins in silicalite studied by the ZLC method in the presence of CO2

The diffusion behavior of C₄–C₁₀ n-alkanes in silicalite-1 has been investigated by using the Zero Length Column method. The diffusivities derived from measurements at different purge rates with different purge gases confirming intracrystalline diffusion control. Data are compared with results reported in the literature for MFI zeolites. The diffusivities were found to be consistent and agree well with data previous obtained by ZLC. However, these data showed a remarkable disagreement with other reported techniques (PFG-NMR, QENS and Permeation). The eventual influence of carbon dioxide (CO₂) adsorption on diffusion properties of n-alkanes in silicalite was also investigated. For this purpose, a series of experiments was performed involving hydrocarbons mixed with CO₂. Data were obtained at 303 K and flow rates between 20 and 80 mL/min. The presence of CO₂ does not seem to influence the intracrystalline transport rate of the investigated light hydrocarbons (n-C₄ and n-C₆). On the other hand, the situation for n-C₈ and n-C₁₀ is more complex. The diffusivity values are higher compared to the previously reported values.     

Studies of Partial Molar Volumes of Alkylamines in Non-electrolyte Solvents. IV. Alkyl Amines in Cyclic Ethers at 303.15 K

Apparent molar volumes V _φ,B of n-propylamine, n-butylamine, di-n-propylamine, di-n-butylamine, triethylamine, tri-n-propylamine, and tri-n-butylamine in 1,4-dioxane and in oxolane (tetrahydrofuran) have been determined at 303.15 K using a high-precision Anton Paar vibrating-tube densimeter (model DMA 60/602). The limiting partial molar volumes and limiting excess partial molar volumes are analyzed and interpreted in terms of solute-solvent interactions and structural effects of the molecules. Analyses were made of the contributions of specific interactions to the partial molar volumes of these primary, secondary and tertiary amines in 1,4-dioxane and oxolane using the Terasawa model, scaled particle theory (SPT) and hard-sphere theory (HST). The ERAS model has also been applied to estimate the apparent molar volumes and excess apparent molar volumes of alkylamine solutions in 1,4-dioxane and oxolane.