Competition between H and CO for Active Sites Governs Copper‐Mediated Electrosynthesis of Hydrocarbon Fuels

The dynamics of carbon monoxide on Cu surfaces was investigated during CO reduction, providing insight into the mechanism leading to the formation of hydrogen, methane, and ethylene, the three key products in the electrochemical reduction of CO₂. Reaction order experiments were conducted at low temperature in an ethanol medium affording high solubility and surface‐affinity for carbon monoxide. Surprisingly, the methane production rate is suppressed by increasing the pressure of CO, whereas ethylene production remains largely unaffected. The data show that CH₄ and H₂ production are linked through a common H intermediate and that methane is formed through reactions among adsorbed H and CO, which are in direct competition with each other for surface sites. The data exclude the participation of solution species in rate‐limiting steps, highlighting the importance of increasing surface recombination rates for efficient fuel synthesis.     

Production of Hydrogen from Methane by a CO2 Emission-Suppressed Process: Methane Decomposition and Gasification of Carbon Nanofibers

Catalytic methane decomposition into hydrogen and carbon nanofibers and the oxidations of carbon nanofibers with CO₂, H₂O and O₂ were overviewed. Supported Ni catalysts (Ni/SiO₂, Ni/TiO₂ and Ni/carbon nanofiber) were effective for the methane decomposition. The activity and life of the supported Ni catalysts for methane decomposition strongly depended on the particle size of Ni metal on the catalysts. The modification of the catalysts with Pd enhanced the catalytic activity and life for methane decomposition. In particular, the supported Ni catalysts modified with Pd showed high turnover number of hydrogen formation at temperatures higher than 973 K with a high one-pass methane conversion (>70%). However, sooner or later, every catalyst completely lost their catalytic activities due to the carbon layer formation on active metal surfaces. In order to utilize a large quantity of the carbon nanofibers formed during methane decomposition as a chemical feedstock or a powdered fuel for heat generation, they were oxidized with CO₂, H₂O and O₂ into CO, synthesis gas and CO₂, respectively. In every case, the conversion of carbon was greater than 95%. These oxidations of carbon nanofibers recovered or enhanced the initial activities of the supported Ni catalysts for methane decomposition.     

The Origin of the Catalytic Activity of a Metal Hydride in CO2 Reduction

Atomic hydrogen on the surface of a metal with high hydrogen solubility is of particular interest for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide. In a mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, methane was markedly formed on the metal hydride ZrCoH_x in the course of the hydrogen desorption and not on the pristine intermetallic. The surface analysis was performed by means of time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy and near‐ambient pressure X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, for the in situ analysis. The aim was to elucidate the origin of the catalytic activity of the metal hydride. Since at the initial stage the dissociation of impinging hydrogen molecules is hindered by a high activation barrier of the oxidised surface, the atomic hydrogen flux from the metal hydride is crucial for the reduction of carbon dioxide and surface oxides at interfacial sites.     

High-temperature pyrolysis of ethanol

A small, heated alumina tube was used as a pyrolysis reactor to study the thermal decomposition of ethanol at residence times of about 5 ms and temperatures from 1050 to 1275 K. The gas mixture leaving the reactor was analysed by molecular beam sampling mass spectroscopy. The products observed were ethene, water, hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide and acetaldehyde as an intermediate. The ratio of the amounts of ethene and water formed to the other products was ca. 2:1. The experimental results are discussed in terms of a reaction mechanism and compared with other literature data. The disappearance of ethanol can be modelled by a first-order overall reaction.     

Temperature programmed decomposition studies: high-sensitivity determination of carbon monoxide,carbon dioxide and methane by gas chromatography

Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane, evolved in very low amount during temperature programmed decomposition of transition metal cluster catalysts, can be determined quickly (<3 min) by gas chromatography on a Porapak S column. Catalytic conversion of the CO and CO₂ to methane makes it possible to use a hydrogen fiame ionization detector. The advantages are that the limit of detection is about 1 ppm (ca. 4.4 × 10^?11 mol cm^?3, STP) and that the procedure is applicable to decompositions studied in helium/oxygen or other reactive gas mixtures.     

Reforming of Carbon Dioxide to Methane and Methanol by Electric Impulse Low-Pressure Discharge with Hydrogen

Basic phenomena of the reduction of carbon dioxide to reusable organic materials including methane and methanol were investigated by using a radio frequency impulse discharge in a low gas pressure range without catalysis. The discharge took place under different discharge parameters such as voltage, gas flow rate, gas-mixing ratio, and gas residence time, where the carbon dioxide was mixed with hydrogen at total gas pressure of 1–10 Torr. Organic materials such as methane and methanol were observed. Carbon monoxide was a major product from carbon dioxide. Methane was the dominant organic species produced by the discharge. The concentration of methane increased with discharge voltage, and its volume fraction attained 10–20% of the products containing carbon that came from carbon dioxide. This fraction was also dependent on the mixing ratio of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. We also observed the formation of methanol, though its fraction was low, a few %, compared with methane.     

NMR spectra of oriented 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (CF3CH2OH)

Photolysis of hydrogen sulphide in argon, nitrogen and carbon monoxide matrices at 20 K produces HS radicals and S atoms. On warming the matrix, H₂S₂ and S₂ molecules are formed as a result of recombination reactions. The latter are identified by a blue-purple emission observed during warm-up of the matrix.     

Synthesis of Vanadium Carbide by Temperature Programmed Reaction

Vanadium carbide powders are prepared with moderate surface areas of 60 m² g^-1 (particle size 17 nm) by a temperature programmed reaction between solid vanadium pentoxide (19 m² g^-1) and a methane-hydrogen mixture. The synthesis involves two steps. In the first step a single suboxide intermediate, V₂O₃, is formed by reduction of V₂O₅ by hydrogen at 800 K. In the second step the V₂O₃ is reduced and carburized by methane with production of CO at 1180 K. In the early stages, the synthesis is found to be limited by the activation of hydrogen as found from experiments with Pt/V₂O₅. The transformation is accompanied by retention of external shape and size, and so is pseudomorphic, but does not conserve orientation of crystallographic planes, so is not topotactic. The results are compared and contrasted to those of nitridation with ammonia and reduction by pure hydrogen.     

CO2 reforming of methane over zirconia-supported nickel catalysts, II. Thermogravimetric analysis

Thermogravimetric analysis has been used to study carbon deposition during the CO₂ reforming of methane over Ni/ZrO₂ catalysts. The carbon deposits form on the reduced catalyst at a very fast rate during temperature-programmed surface reaction of reforming, and reach a steady state below 973 K. So, the amount of deposited carbon remains constant on the catalyst during the reaction at 973 K. A relationship between the amount of deposited carbon and the activity reveals that the initially formed carbon acts as a reaction intermediate and reacts with CO₂ to produce CO.     

Thermal and chromatographic behaviour of metal complexes. Part II. Complexes of platinum(II) with dipeptide ester

Experimental measurements of the rate of reduction of particles of Carol Lake and Kiruna ores have been made using pure hydrogen and pure carbon monoxide and mixtures of these two gases. The temperature range covered was 773–1143 K and throughout this range the reduction rate with hydrogen was greater than that with carbon monoxide. A retracting core model was found to best fit the experimental data even when granules of 9 × 10^?4 m diameter were used. Reduction with gas mixtures of hydrogen and carbon monoxide give rates intermediate between those of the pure gases.     

Syngas Production from Propane Using Atmospheric Non-thermal Plasma

Propane steam reforming using a sliding discharge reactor was investigated under atmospheric pressure and low temperature (420 K). Non-thermal plasma steam reforming proceeded efficiently and hydrogen was formed as a main product (H₂ concentration up to 50%). By-products (C₂-hydrocarbons, methane, carbon dioxide) were measured with concentrations lower than 6%. The mean electrical power injected in the discharge is less than 2 kW. The process efficiency is described in terms of propane conversion rate, steam reforming and cracking selectivity, as well as by-products production. Chemical processes modelling based on classical thermodynamic equilibrium reactor is also proposed. Calculated data fit quiet well experimental results and indicate that the improvement of C₃H₈ conversion and then H₂ production can be achieved by increasing the gas fraction through the discharge. By improving the reactor design, the non-thermal plasma has a potential for being an effective way for supplying hydrogen or synthesis gas.     

Studies on Carbon Deposition on Hexaaluminate LaNiAl11O19 Catalysts during CO2 Reforming of Methane

The amount of carbon deposited on hexaaluminate LaNiAl₁₁O₁₉ catalyst in CH₄ decomposition and CO₂ reforming of methane was determined by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The properties of carbon formed on the catalysts were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed CO₂ reaction (TPR-CO₂), and temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) techniques. The experimental results showed that hexaaluminate LaNiAl₁₁O₁₉ catalyst possessed high resistance to carbon deposition in CO₂ reforming of methane to synthesis gas at high temperatures, and CO₂ played an important role in eliminating carbon during the reaction. At least two forms of the deposited carbon, graphite and carbide, were produced during methane reforming with CO₂.     

Photoreduction of carbon dioxide by hydrogen and methane

Zirconium oxide is active for photoreduction of gaseous carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide with hydrogen. A stable surface species arises under the photoreduction of CO₂ on zirconium oxide, and it is identified as surface formate by infrared spectroscopy. Adsorbed CO₂ is converted to formate by photoreaction with hydrogen. The surface formate is a true reaction intermediate since CO is formed by the photoreaction of formate and CO₂; surface formate works as a reductant of carbon dioxide to yield carbon monoxide. The dependence on the wavelength of irradiation light shows that a bulk ZrO₂ is not a photoactive species. When ZrO₂ adsorbs CO₂ a new band appears in photoluminescence excitation spectrum. The photoactive species in the reaction that CO₂+H₂ yields HCOO⁻ is presumably formed by the adsorption of CO₂ on ZrO₂ surface. Hydrogen molecules play a role to supply an atomic hydrogen. Therefore, methane molecules can also be used as a reductant of carbon dioxide.     

Estimation of ultra-stability of methane hydrate at 1 atm by thermal conductivity measurement

Thermal conductivity of methane hydrate was measured in hydrate dissociation self-preservation zone by means of the transient plane source (TPS) technique developed by Gustafsson. The sample was formed from 99.9% (volume ratio) methane gas with 280 ppm sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution under 6.6 MPa and 273.15 K. The methane hydrate sample was taken out of the cell and moved into a low temperature chamber when the conversion ratio of water was more than 90%. In order to measure the thermal conductivity, the sample was compacted into two columnar parts by compact tool at 268.15 K. The measurements are carried out in the temperature ranging from 263.15 K to 271.15 K at atmospheric pressure. Additionally, the relationship between thermal conductivity and time is also investigated at 263.15 K and 268.15 K, respectively. In 24 h, thermal conductivity increases only 5.45% at 268.15 K, but thermal conductivity increases 196.29% at 263.15 K. Methane hydrates exhibit only minimal decomposition at 1 atm and the temperature ranging from 263.15 K to 271.15 K. At 1 atm and 268.15 K, the total gas that evolved after 24 h was amounted to less than 0.71% of the originally stored gas, and this ultra-stability was maintained if the test was lasted for more than two hundreds hours before terminating.     

预处理方法对Ni-Co双金属催化剂性能与结构的影响

浸渍法制备了Ni-Co/La₂O₃-γ-Al₂O₃双金属催化剂, 经氢气还原预处理后, 再分别由一氧化碳、甲烷和二氧化碳进行再次预处理, 考察了预处理方法对该催化剂上沼气重整制氢性能的影响, 并运用X射线衍射(XRD)、热重-差示扫描量热(TG-DSC)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)等手段对催化剂进行了表征. 结果表明, 与传统氢气还原预处理相比, 经氢气与一氧化碳预处理后, 催化剂性能无明显变化; 经氢气与甲烷预处理后, 催化剂性能明显变差; 而经氢气和二氧化碳预处理后, 催化剂性能明显变优, 且能基本消除该催化剂上沼气重整反应的诱导期. 分析结果表明, 经氢气和二氧化碳预处理后, 催化剂中金属颗粒较小, 分布较均匀, 粒径分布范围较窄, 从而减少了催化剂表面碳的沉积, 增强了催化剂的抗积炭性能, 可延长催化剂的使用寿命.     

氧化铁(Ⅲ)还原动力学研究

氧化铁是制造磁性材料、涂料和催化剂的基本原料,用途广泛。许多工业过程如钢铁冶炼以及催化剂活化均与其价态和还原行为密切相关。因此,研究其还原动力学,不仅具有理论意义,而且有很重要的应用价值。金属氧化物包括氧化铁的还原反应,前人已作了不少研究,然而有些基本问题还不够明确,或存在分歧意见。本文通过等温和程序升温还原实验,考察了α-Fe_2O_3和γ-Fe_2O_3的还原行为,对动力学模型和还原机制加以探讨。     

Nickel-copper-chromium catalyst for selective methane oxidation to synthesis gas at short residence times

Data on the selective oxidation of methane to synthesis gas on a 9% NiCuCr/2% Ce/(ϑ + α)-Al₂O₃ catalyst in dilute mixtures with Ar at short residence times (2–3 ms) are presented. The composition, structure, morphology, and adsorption properties of the catalyst with respect to oxygen and hydrogen before and after reaction were studied using XRD, BET, electron microscopy with electron microdiffraction, TPR, TPO, and TPD of oxygen and hydrogen. The following optimum conditions for the preparation and pretreatment of the catalyst for selective methane reduction were found: the incipient wetness impregnation of a support with aqueous nitrate solutions; drying; and heating in air at 873 and then at 1173 K (for 1 h at either temperature) followed by reduction with an H₂-Ar mixture at 1173 K for 1 h. At a residence time of 2–3 ms (space velocity to 1.5 × 10⁶ h⁻¹) and 1073–1173 K, the resulting catalyst afforded an 80–100% CH₄ conversion in mixtures with O₂ (CH₄/O₂ = 2: 1) diluted with argon (97.2–98.0%) to synthesis gas with H₂/CO = 2: 1. The selectivity of CO and H₂ formation was 99.6–100 and 99–100%, respectively; CO₂ was almost absent from the reaction products. The catalyst activity did not decrease for 56 h; carbon deposition was not observed. A possible mechanism of the direct oxidation of CH₄ to synthesis gas is considered.     

PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES-IV. GASEOUS PRODUCTS FROM THE PHOTOLYSIS OF ALANINE PEPTIDES IN THE SOLID STATE

Abstract— Earlier studies based on ESR measurements of the photodamage induced by 254 nm irradiation of solid state alanine peptides have been supplemented by a new mechanistic probe involving mass spectrometric and gas-solid-chromatographic analyses of the gaseous products viz., carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane and ethane. Decarboxylation, a major reaction, is temperature sensitive and independent of carbon monoxide formation. Carbon monoxide does not arise from the carboxyl group but rather by peptide bond rupture, which may lead to the generation of at least some of the hydrogen gas detected. The use of N-deuterated-DL-alanyl-DL-alanine shows that the methyl radicals generated can abstract hydrogen atoms from the solid state peptide, and the formation of H₂ and HD implicate an imine intermediate in the photodegradation.     

Unravelling the Enigma of Nonoxidative Conversion of Methane on Iron Single-Atom Catalysts

The direct, nonoxidative conversion of methane on a silica-confined single-atom iron catalyst is a landmark discovery in catalysis, but the proposed gas-phase reaction mechanism is still open to discussion. Here, we report a surface reaction mechanism by computational modeling and simulations. The activation of methane occurs at the single iron site, whereas the dissociated methyl disfavors desorption into gas phase under the reactive conditions. In contrast, the dissociated methyl prefers transferring to adjacent carbon sites of the active center (Fe₁©SiC₂), followed by C−C coupling and hydrogen transfer to produce the main product (ethylene) via a key −CH−CH₂ intermediate. We find a quasi Mars–van Krevelen (quasi-MvK) surface reaction mechanism involving extracting and refilling the surface carbon atoms for the nonoxidative conversion of methane on Fe₁©SiO₂ and this surface process is identified to be more plausible than the alternative gas-phase reaction mechanism.     

Study on thermal decomposition of polymers by evolved gas analysis using photoionization mass spectrometry (EGA-PIMS)

Photoionization mass spectrometry (PIMS) with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light source provides an efficient and fragmentation-free method for the soft ionization of gaseous compounds, in order to facilitate an understanding of thermal decomposition behavior and chemical composition of polymeric materials. The PIMS was applied to the evolved gas analysis (EGA) system equipped with a skimmer interface which is constituted based upon a jet separator principle between a vacuum MS chamber and an atmospheric sample chamber in a furnace. A photoionization source with a deuterium (D₂) lamp was closely installed to the vacuum ionization chamber of a mass spectrometer to improve the ionization efficiency. The thermal decomposition of typical polymers in inert gas atmosphere was investigated by the EGA-PIMS and the resulting PI mass spectrum was characterized satisfactorily by only the parent ions with no contribution as a result of fragmentation during the ionization. The results suggested that the EGA-PIMS was an especially powerful and desirable in situ thermal analysis method for polymeric materials which evolve organic gases simultaneously and concurrently. The combination of EGA equipped with skimmer interface with no change of evolved gaseous species and PIMS with fragmentation-free during the ionization is described briefly, and the effective results are presented by comparing with EGA using conventional electron impact ionization mass spectrometry.