Optimization of biodiesel production via transesterification of soybean oil using α-MoO3 catalyst obtained by the combustion method

A catalyst based on MoO₃ was synthesized by a simple and fast pilot-scale combustion reaction method and applied to the conversion of soybean oil to biodiesel via transesterification. For that, the statistical analysis of the catalyst amount and temperature, factors that influence the process, was evaluated by means of central composite design 2². MoO₃ was characterized in terms of structure by X-ray diffraction (XRD), textural characterization Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), density by helium pycnometry (DE), particle size analysis (DG) and acidity tests by temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH₃-TPD), chemical analysis by X-ray fluorescence (EDX), morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and catalytic properties. The transesterification products were characterized by gas chromatography (GC), acidity index (AI) and kinematic viscosity (KV). The results indicate the catalyst formation with a surface area of 1.36 m²g^?1, and density of 4.5 g/cm³ which consists of a single crystalline phase of orthorhombic configuration, with total NH₃ acidity of 33.61 μ.mol/g. Morphological characterization revealed that the catalyst is formed by irregular plates of various sizes and shapes, with a wide sizes range of agglomerated particles. In the soybean oil transesterification reactions, the catalyst was active showing 96.9% conversion to ethyl esters. The experimental design was meaningful and predictive, with a reliability level of 95%. The statistical analysis identified temperature as a significant variable for the adopted planning. To conclude, a new single-phase catalyst (α-MoO₃) has been developed and successfully applied to the biodiesel Synthesis from soybean oil. These results have a positive and promising impact for biodiesel production by transesterification of soybean oil against ethanol.     

Ultrahigh Loading Copper Single Atom Catalyst for Palladium-free Wacker Oxidation

Wacker oxidation is an industry-adopted process to transform olefins into value-added epoxides and carbonyls. However, traditional Wacker oxidation involves the use of homogeneous palladium and copper catalysts for the olefin addition and reductive elimination. Here, we demonstrated an ultrahigh loading Cu single atom catalyst(14% Cu, mass fraction) for the palladium-free Wacker oxidation of 4-vinylanisole into the corresponding ketone with N-methylhydroxylamine hydrochloride as an additive under mild conditions. Mechanistic studies by ¹⁸O and deuterium isotope labelling revealed a hydrogen shift mechanism in this palladium-free process using N-methylhydroxylamine hydrochloride as the oxygen source. The reaction scope can be further extended to Kucherov oxidation. Our study paves the way to replace noble metal catalysts in the traditional homogeneous processes with single atom catalysts.     

核壳Fenton催化剂CuFe_2O_4@PDA-Cu的制备、表征及其活化H_2O_2降解染料的性能

为得到新型高效多相催化剂,有效去除废水中的染料,以Cu(Ac)_2与CuFe_2O_4@PDA为原料制备了催化剂CuFe_2O_4@PDA-Cu.通过IR、XRD、XPS、UV-Vis、DRS技术对催化剂的性能进行了表征,考察了温度、H_2O_2用量、催化剂用量、pH值、盐等对催化活性的影响.利用HPLC测定降解产物,采用自由基捕获和抑制实验进行机理验证,发现催化剂是核壳结构.温度升高、pH值升高、H_2O_2和催化剂用量的增加均有利于提高催化活性;氯化物、硫酸盐、硝酸盐和磷酸盐不影响催化效果,溴化物和亚硝酸盐降低了催化效果.得到的最优降解条件为:T=30℃,催化剂用量10mg·L~(-1),pH=9,过氧化氢用量10mmol·L~(-1),染料浓度30mg·L~(-1).最优条件下催化剂可循环使用4次以上;甲基橙、茜素红和罗丹明B的去除率为100%;染料R0213、O0118和B0115的去除率大于60%.降解产物有草酸、马来酸和CO_2.甲基橙、茜素红和罗丹明B降解后COD_(Mn)=2~4mg·L~(-1).水杨酸捕获·OH生成2.5-二羟基苯甲酸,叔丁醇抑制染料降解.结果表明,催化剂可活化H_2O_2产生·OH,·OH攻击染料分子开环降解直至矿化.该研究为开发高效多相催化剂,有效去除废水中的染料提供了科学依据.     

Influence of ionic liquid counterions on activity and selectivity of ethylene trimerization using chromium-based catalysts in biphasic media

In recent years ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted much interest because of their widespread use in various fields. Several trimerization and oligomerization catalysts have been evaluated in ILs with different organic–inorganic hybrid structures. High catalytic activity and selectivity, easy product separation, and recycling of the catalyst are the advantages of a biphasic catalyst system compared to the homogeneous catalysts. In this study, the influence of IL counter-anions on activity and selectivity of the ethylene trimerization catalysts based on Cr-SNS-R was investigated. All synthesized materials were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, UV–Vis. spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography, and elemental analysis (CHNS). In ethylene trimerization reaction, the dodecyl substituent in the SNS ligand exhibited better activity and selectivity than the butyl substituent. The results revealed that the presence of BF₄⁻ as a counter-anion in the IL led to an increase in activity and selectivity compared to Br⁻ and I⁻ counter-anions. It was found that the BF₄⁻ counter-anion plays a conclusive role in the development of 1-hexene activity and selectivity to a maximum amount of 71,132 g_1-C6/(g_Cr × h) and more than 99%, respectively. Finally, the catalyst was reused thrice without losing its 1-hexene selectivity.     

An organoantimony nitrate complex with azastibocine framework as water tolerant Lewis acid catalyst for the synthesis of 1,2-disubstitued benzimidazoles

A novel organoantimony complex of 6-cyclohexyl-6,7-dihydrodibenzo[c,f] [1,5]azastibocin-12(5H)-yl nitrate ( 2 ) was synthesized and systematically characterized by techniques such as NMR spectra, TG-DSC, and X-ray diffraction. It was found that the complex 2 exhibits relatively strong Lewis acidity (3.3 < Ho ≤ 4.8) and could be employed as a water tolerant Lewis acid catalyst for the synthesis of synthetically valuable benzimidazole derivatives starting from aldehydes and arylenediamines. This catalytic system shows excellent tolerance toward a wide variety of functional groups, such as methyl, methoxyl, fluoro, chloro, bromo, nitro, cyan, trifluoromethyl, 1-naphthaldehyde, furfural and n-butyl, together with facile reusability in 5 times scale enlarged synthesis.     

Catalytic Generation and Chemoselective Transfer of Nucleophilic Hydrides from Dihydrogen

Copper(I)–N-heterocyclic-carbene (NHC) complexes enabled the catalytic generation of nucleophilic hydrides from dihydrogen (H₂) and their subsequent transfer to allylic chlorides. The highly chemoselective catalyst displayed no concomitant hydrogenation reactivity; in fact, the terminal double bond formed in the hydride transfer remained intact. Switching to deuterium gas (D₂) allowed for regioselective monodeuteration with excellent isotope incorporation.     

Stereoselective Insertion of Benzynes into Lawsones: Synthesis of Biologically Important Benzannulated Bicyclo[3.3.0]octanes

An ideal stereoselective insertion of in situ generated benzynes into lawsones through domino formal [2+2]-cycloaddition followed by rearrangement is disclosed. The reaction allowed for the preparation of biologically important benzannulated bicyclo[3.3.0]octanes in good yields and with excellent selectivities by using simple substrates and conditions.     

Rate and Computational Studies for Pd-NHC-Catalyzed Amination with Primary Alkylamines and Secondary Anilines: Rationalizing Selectivity for Monoarylation versus Diarylation with NHC Ligands

The relative rates of arylation of primary alkylamines with different Pd-NHC catalysts have been measured, as have the relative rates of arylation of the secondary aniline product in an attempt to understand the key ligand design features necessary to have high selectivity for the monoarylated amine product. As the substituents on the N-aryl ring of the NHC increase in size, selectivity for monoarylation increases and this is further enhanced by chlorinating the back of the NHC ring. Computations have been performed on the catalytic cycle of this transformation in order to understand the selectivity obtained with the different catalysts.     

Benzo[7,8]indolizinoquinoline scaffolds based on Mg(ClO4)2-promoted regiospecific imide reduction and π-cyclization of N-acyliminium species. Analogues of the topo-1 poison rosettacin and 22-hydroxyacuminatine alkaloids

A general five-step synthesis of a short library of benzo[7,8]indolizinoquinolinine analogues of the topoisomerase-1 (topo-1) poison rosettacin and 22-hydroxyacuminatine alkaloids from DMAD and ortho-ketoanilines is reported. This consists on successively, the tandem aza-Michael addition/cyclodehydration, the hydrolysis of the resulting diesters into corresponding o-dicarboxylic acids, and the tandem intermolecular amidation/cyclodehydration into N-substituted imides. The regioselective reduction of one imide carbonyl into corresponding α-hydroxy lactams promoted by a Lewis acid Mg(ClO₄)₂ was followed ultimately with TFA-promoted π-cationic cyclization via stable N-acyliminiums species as an important key step.     

IDPi Catalysis

High acidity and structural confinement are pivotal elements in asymmetric acid catalysis. The recently introduced imidodiphosphorimidate (IDPi) Brønsted acids have met with remarkable success in combining those features, acting as powerful Brønsted acid catalysts and “silylium” Lewis acid precatalysts in numerous thus far inaccessible transformations. Substrates as challenging to activate as simple olefins were readily transformed, ketones were employed as acceptors in aldolizations allowing sub‐ppm level catalysis, whereas enolates of the smallest donor aldehyde, acetaldehyde, did not polymerize but selectively added a single time to a variety of acceptor aldehydes.