Syngas production from methane over CeO2-Fe2O3 mixed oxides using a chemical-looping method

A series of mixed oxides Ce_{1 ? x} Fe _x O₂ was prepared by a hydrothermal method. XRD and Raman spectra were measured to study the structure of the prepared materials. The temperature-programmed reduction was undertaken to estimate reducibility of the oxides. Syngas generation from methane using these materials as oxygen carriers/catalysts via a chemical-looping procedure was investigated in detail. This procedure includes catalytic oxidation and decomposition of methane to produce H₂-rich gas at the first step followed by the production of the CO-rich gas by oxidizing the carbon deposited on deactivated catalysts. The results showed that all iron ions were incorporated into the ceria lattice with the formation of oxygen vacancies in the Ce_0.9Fe_0.1O₂ sample, while isolated Fe₂O₃ particles were distributed on the surface of the Ce_0.8Fe_0.2O₂ sample. TPR measurements and the analysis of the two-step chemical-looping reactions indicated a strong interaction between the Ce and Fe species which accounts for an increased activity of the mixed oxides in the syngas generation compared to that of individual oxides. Among the several samples, the Ce_0.8Fe_0.2O₂ catalyst showed the highest activity for methane partial oxidation due to the synergetic effects caused by the interaction of surface iron entities and Ce-Fe solid solution. In addition, selective oxidation of carbon by oxygen to CO can also be found over this material since gaseous products are formed at the carbon oxidation step with the selectivity to CO reaching 91.2%. Evidence is presented that syngas can be feasibly produced from methane with high selectivity via the chemical-looping procedure over the CeO₂-Fe₂O₃ mixed oxides.     

Practical synthesis of C1–8 fragment of autolytimycin via a chelation-controlled diastereoselective addition of diisopropenylzinc to α-methoxy aldehyde

The C1–8 fragment of autolytimycin was synthesized via a reliable 10-step route capable of delivering 41% overall yield at multi-gram scale. As a key step, a chelation-controlled isopropenylation of α-oxygenated aldehydes was established with a reagent combination of diisopropenylzinc, magnesium halide, and a dichloromethane/toluene mixed solvent. Cram-chelate isopropenylation products dominated for aldehydes with a small α-substituents, such as –OMe and –OBn groups, while the Felkin product could be obtained with a bulky –OTBS group.     

Overexpression of the Formaldehyde Dehydrogenase Gene from Brevibacillus brevis to Enhance Formaldehyde Tolerance and Detoxification of Tobacco

The faldh gene coding for a putative Brevibacillus brevis formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH) was isolated and then transformed into tobacco. A total of three lines of transgenic plants were generated, with each showing 2- to 3-fold higher specific formaldehyde dehydrogenase activities than wild-type tobacco, a result that demonstrates the functional activity of the enzyme in formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation. Overexpression of faldh in tobacco confers a high tolerance to exogenous HCHO and an increased ability to take up HCHO. A ¹³C-nuclear magnetic resonance technique revealed that the transgenic plants were able to oxidize more aqueous HCHO to formate than the wild-type (WT) plants. When treated with gaseous HCHO, the transgenic tobacco exhibited an enhanced ability to transform more HCHO into formate, citrate acid, and malate but less glycine than the WT plants. These results indicate that the increased capacity of the transgenic tobacco to take up, tolerate, and metabolize higher concentrations of HCHO was due to the overexpression of B. brevis FALDH, revealing the essential function of this enzyme in HCHO detoxification. Our results provide a potential genetic engineering strategy for improving the phytoremediation of HCHO pollution.     

Density functional theory studies on covalent functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes with benzenesulfonic acid

The calculated Raman spectra of the covalently functionalized zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes, f-(n,0)-SWCNTs (n = 6–10), with benzenesulfonic acid showed that the radial breathing modes (RBMs) frequencies (ω_RBM) of the sidewall functionalized tubes are red shifted in comparison with the frequencies of their non-functionalized counterparts, (n,0)-SWCNTs. It is also observed that this ω_RBM red-shift is tube-diameter (d_t) dependent, where almost no redshifts are observed for the (10,0)-SWCNT. Moreover, many new Raman bands, which results from the functional group, appear in the low energy region, ranging from 100 to 600 cm⁻¹. In the high frequency region, resulting from the functional group, the Raman spectra of the f-(n,0)-SWCNTs exhibited a few new peaks above the tangential bands of the SWCNTs (ranging from 1580 to 1650 cm⁻¹), which entirely belongs to the CC stretching, including bending deformation of the CCC bonds, and rock of CH in phenyl group of the benzenesulfonic acid as well as many new Raman peaks dispersed through spectrum. The calculated IR spectra also exhibited many new peaks through spectra of the f-(n,0)-SWCNT when comparing these with corresponding IR spectrum of the isolated nanotube. Furthermore, the calculated vertical singlet-singlet electronic transitions of the f-(n,0)-SWCNTs significantly altered in the optical structure of the nanotube and exhibited charge transfer states for both the functionalized (8,0)- and (12,0)-SWCNTs. The small distances among the calculated dipole-allowed and forbidden electronic energy levels also suggested an internal crossing (IC) processes.     

酸性AlCl3-BMIC离子液体中的铝阳极溶解

采用线性扫描伏安法研究了Lewis 酸性AlCl₃-BMIC (BMIC: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride)离子液体中铝电极的溶解. 铝电极在阳极极化时出现了钝化现象, 钝化是由于在铝电极表面形成了固体AlCl₃钝化膜造成的. 铝的电化学溶解过程可以依次分为三个区: 电化学控制区、过渡区和钝化区. 在电化学控制区, 铝的电化学溶解速率随着电位的正移而逐渐增加; 在过渡区, 由于电极表面AlCl₄^-和Al₂Cl₇^-浓度发生改变而析出固体AlCl₃使得铝电化学溶解速率随着电位的正移而逐渐减小; 当钝化膜形成之后, 铝的电化学溶解速率不再随着电位的正移而发生改变, 铝溶解进入钝化区. 增加搅拌、升高温度、降低离子液体AlCl₃摩尔分数都可以增加铝溶解阳极极限电流密度.     

L-脯氨酸修饰的铱催化苯乙酮及其衍生物不对称加氢反应

在温和条件下制备了L-脯氨酸稳定并修饰的负载型金属铱催化剂,用于苯乙酮及其衍生物不对称催化加氢反应. 考察了L-脯氨酸的量、溶剂、碱以及碱的量和氢气压力对苯乙酮不对称催化加氢反应的影响. 结果显示,该催化剂催化苯乙酮不对称加氢反应获得了92.1%的转化率和32.9%的对映选择性(e.e.),催化2′-(三氟甲基)苯乙醇的对映选择性为39.3,这一结果高于目前报道的天然手性修饰剂修饰的负载型金属催化剂. 该催化循环使用5次, 对映选择性只有小幅度下降.     

Synthesis of oxindole-3-acetates through iron-catalyzed oxidative arylalkoxycarbonylation of activated alkenes

An iron-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation/cyclization reaction of N-arylacrylamides with carbazates has been developed. This new alkene difunctionalization reaction provides an efficient and straightforward method to obtain various ester-containing oxindoles.     

Metal-free oxidative arylphosphination of activated N-substituted-N-arylacrylamide derivatives using K2S2O8

A novel metal-free oxidative arylphosphination of activated N-substituted-N-arylacrylamide derivatives by phosphorylation and C–H functionalization cascade process has been developed. This methodology provides an efficient way to construct a variety of phosphorus-containing oxindole moieties.     

Two novel abietane dimers from transformed root cultures of Salvia broussonetii

Broussonetone A (1) and broussonetone B (2), two novel dimeric abietane diterpenes, have been isolated from Salvia broussonetii root cultures transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The structure of broussonetone A was determined from spectroscopic data and confirmed by X-ray analysis. This dimer can be formed by a [4+2]-cycloaddition of two molecules of 13β-hydroxyabieta-8(14),9(11)-dien-12-one. NMR data of broussonetone B indicated that the C-20 methyl in part B of the broussonetone A molecule had been substituted by an aldehyde group. Thus, broussonetone B could be formed by an analogous Diels Alder reaction between 13β-hydroxyabieta-8(14),9(11)-dien-12-one as the dienophile and its 20-oxo derivative as the electrophile.     

A pair of unprecedented cyclohexylethanoid enantiomers containing unusual trioxabicyclo[4.2.1]nonane ring from Clerodendrum bungei

A pair of unprecedented enantiomers (1a/1b) of cyclohexylethanoid bearing an unusual trioxabicyclo[4.2.1]nonane ring, along with two known structurally related cyclohexylethanoids, (+)-rengyolone (2) and cleroindicin E (3), were isolated from the aerial parts of Clerodendrum bungei. The structures and absolute configurations of the enantiomers were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and quantum mechanical calculation of the electronic circular dichroic (ECD) spectra. The postulated biogenetic pathway of 1a/1b was also discussed.