Crystallization of ZSM-12 Zeolite with Different Si/Al Ratio

In this work the acid properties of a series of HZSM-12 zeolites with different Si/Al ratio were studied. The ZSM-12 crystals were synthesized by the hydrothermal method starting from a gel with the following molar composition: 20MTEA:10Na₂O:x Al₂O₃:100SiO₂:2000H₂O, with x = 0.50, 0.67, 1, 1.25 and 2, respectively. The gels were crystallized at 140^∘C for 6 days, then washed, dried and calcined to remove the MTEA template. The samples were ion-exchanged with an ammonium chloride solution and calcined again to obtain the zeolites in the acid form. The materials thus obtained were characterized by XRD, SEM, BET, TG and n-butylamine adsorption. The Si/Al ratio in the reaction mixture affects the amount of zeolite produced and the size of the particles. The XRD analysis indicated that the ZSM-12 zeolite crystallizes in a pure form only with Si/Al ratio above 33. The SEM analysis showed the presence of crystallites with very well defined prismatic shapes. The removal of the MTEA of the pores of the ZSM-12 by TG indicated that there are two kinds of internal sites occupied by MTEA inside the structure. The BET area of the ZSM-12 decreases proportionally with the crystallinity of materials. The desorption of n-butylamine showed that the acid site density is proportional to aluminum content, but the Si/Al ratio shows little influence on the relative strengths of these sites.     

The chemical behaviour of di(2-pyridyl)sulphide,dps. Crystal and molecular structure of μ-di(2-pyridyl)sulphidebis(trans-dichlorotriethylphosphine platinum(II)), [{Pt(PEt3)Cl2}2μ-dps] and its reactivity towards stannylated species

The coordinating ability of the ligand di(2-pyridyl)sulphide, dps, was studied in several situations. Dps behaved as a bidentate chelating agent with SnX4 (X=Cl or Br) and also with Pd and Pt (PdCl2 and K2PtCl4), whereas with [Pt2(PR3)2Cl4], (R = Et or Ph), it formed bridging complexes: [{Pt(PR3)Cl2}2-dps]. The crystal and molecular structure of [{Pt(PEt3)Cl2}2-dps] was determined. This complex, as well as [M(dps)Cl2], (M = Pd or Pt), underwent reactions with SnCl2, which inserts into the M–Cl bonds producing heterobimetallic products, which are important in catalysis.     

Study of the Adsorption Properties of MCM-41 Molecular Sieves Prepared at Different Synthesis Times

The variation of surface properties of SiMCM-41 and AlMCM-41 nanoporous materials as function of synthesis time was examined. The main properties studied were: surface area, pore diameter, pore volume, mesoporous parameter, and wall thickness. Siliceous MCM-41 molecular sieves were synthesized starting from hydrogels with the following molar compositions: 4.58SiO₂:0.435Na₂O:1 CTMABr:200 H₂O for SiMCM-41, and 4.58SiO₂:0.485 Na₂O:1 CTMABr:0.038 Al₂O₃:200 H₂O, for AlMCM-41. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMABr) was used as the structural template. The crystallographic parameters were obtained from XRD data and by nitrogen adsorption using the BET and BJH methods. The results obtained showed a significant variation of the surface properties of the MCM-41 materials as a function of the synthesis time reaching silica wall thickness of ca. 2 nm on the fourth day.     

Strategy for the determination of mixtures of alpha and beta emitters in water samples with a combination of rapid methods

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Quantification of several alpha and beta emitters in mixtures of radionuclides arouses great interest in many fields such as surveillance around...     

Multi-parametric disaggregation technique for global optimization of polynomial programming problems

This paper discusses a power-based transformation technique that is especially useful when solving polynomial optimization problems, frequently occurring in science and engineering. The polynomial nonlinear problem is primarily transformed into a suitable reformulated problem containing new sets of discrete and continuous variables. By applying a term-wise disaggregation scheme combined with multi-parametric elements, an upper/lower bounding mixed-integer linear program can be derived for minimization/maximization problems. It can then be solved to global optimality through standard methods, with the original problem being approximated to a certain precision level, which can be as tight as desired. Furthermore, this technique can also be applied to signomial problems with rational exponents, after a few effortless algebraic transformations. Numerical examples taken from the literature are used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

Production and characterization of a new dextrin based hydrogel

Dextrin is a polymer composed of α-(1→4) d-glucose units produced by partial hydrolysis of starch. In this work, the transesterification of the soluble polysaccharide with vinyl acrylate (VA) was carried out in anhydrous dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The effect of the water activity and of the enzyme Proleather, on the reaction rates, was analysed. Different degrees of substitution (DS) ranging from ca. 10% to 70% were obtained by controlling the molar ratio of VA to dextrin. Gels were obtained by free radical polymerization of dextrin-VA, with different degrees of substitution and monomer concentration, in water. A comprehensive solid state-NMR analysis of the hydrogels was performed. These hydrogels are being developed as scaffold materials for bioactive molecule and cell delivery, tissue engineering and a variety of other biomedical applications.     

Mean distance of closest approach of ions: Lithium salts in aqueous solutions

Numerical values for the mean distance of closest approach of ions, “a”, for lithium salts in aqueous solutions are presented and discussed. These values were obtained from both experimental activity and diffusion coefficients, and estimated by using different theoretical approaches.     

Structural Batteries: A Review

Structural power composites stand out as a possible solution to the demands of the modern transportation system of more efficient and eco-friendly vehicles. Recent studies demonstrated the possibility to realize these components endowing high-performance composites with electrochemical properties. The aim of this paper is to present a systematic review of the recent developments on this more and more sensitive topic. Two main technologies will be covered here: (1) the integration of commercially available lithium-ion batteries in composite structures, and (2) the fabrication of carbon fiber-based multifunctional materials. The latter will be deeply analyzed, describing how the fibers and the polymeric matrices can be synergistically combined with ionic salts and cathodic materials to manufacture monolithic structural batteries. The main challenges faced by these emerging research fields are also addressed. Among them, the maximum allowable curing cycle for the embedded configuration and the realization that highly conductive structural electrolytes for the monolithic solution are noteworthy. This work also shows an overview of the multiphysics material models developed for these studies and provides a clue for a possible alternative configuration based on solid-state electrolytes.     

Carbohydrate particles as protein carriers and scaffolds: physico-chemical characterization and collagen stability

We report a simple and effective supercritical fluid route to uniformly load ultrafine metal nanoparticles on the hydrophobic surfaces of graphene sheets. In the presence of supercritical carbon dioxide, PtRu alloy nanoparticles are decorated evenly on functionalized graphene sheets (FGSs) upon the reduction of organic platinum (II) and ruthenium (III) precursors, and its application as an electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation is studied. Transmission electron microscopy observation shows that highly dispersed PtRu metallic nanoparticles with an average size of about 3.11?nm are uniformly and densely distributed on the hydrophobic surface of FGSs. X-ray diffraction patterns demonstrate that the particles had a face-centered cubic crystal structure, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicates the existence of zero-valence metals. Compared with the widely used Vulcan XC-72 carbon black, the PtRu/FGS composites exhibit superior catalytic activity and stability for methanol oxidation. The huge surface area of graphene and uniform distribution of nanosized metal particles are two critical factors for the significantly enhanced electrocatalytic efficiency. The findings suggest that the supercritical fluid method is highly efficient in preparing graphene-supported metallic catalysts, and FGSs serve as a favorable electrocatalytic carrier for direct methanol fuel cells.