Temperature programmed reduction of unsupported molybdena and vanadia catalysts by ammonia and hydrogen

Temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) is a valuable tool for the characterisation of catalysts. The reductant mostly used is hydrogen. Hydrogen reduces the catalyst by producing water. The amount of hydrogen reacted is measured by menas of a thermal conductivity detector. In this paper the temperature-programmed reduction of vanadia and molybdena catalysts by ammonia is emphasized. During the temperature-programmed reduction ammonia is consumed. The compounds formed in this process are detected by means of a mass spectrometer. It was found that almost exclusively N₂, H₂O and H₂ were formed. Hydrogen formed by the decomposition of ammonia over vanadia and molybdena above 600° produces hydroxyl groups, which are a source for the formation of water at temperatures above 600°.NH₃-TPR gives more relevant information than H₂-TPR for processes in which ammonia is used as a reactant.     

Preparation of titania-coated polystyrene particles in mixed solvents by ammonia catalysis

A mixed-solvent method was developed to coat polystyrene (PS) spheres with smooth, homogeneous shells of amorphous titania by ammonia catalysis. The TEM images showed that, in the presence of ammonia, the thickness of titania shells could be controlled in the range of 8-65 nm by varying the concentration of titanium tetrabutoxide (TBOT) in the ethanol/acetonitrile mixed solvents with an appropriate volume ratio. The diffusion-controlled mechanism of the mixed solvents and the catalysis mechanism of ammonia were investigated. After the calcination of core-shell particles for 2 h at 500 degrees C, spherical hollow titania shells could be obtained, and the surfaces of the particles remained quite smooth and homogeneous. The XRD analysis indicated that calcination promoted the transformation of amorphous titania into an anatase phase.     

Infrared intensity in small ammonia and water clusters

Helium droplet technique has been used in order to measure the strength of the infrared absorption in small ammonia and water clusters as a function of size. Hydrogen bonding in ammonia and water dimers causes an enhancement of the intensity of the hydrogen stretching bands by a factor of four and three, respectively. Two types of the hydrogen bonded clusters show different size dependence of the infrared intensity per hydrogen bond. In ammonia (NH3)2 and (NH3)3 it is close to the crystal value. In water clusters, it increases monotonically with cluster size being in tetramers, a factor of two smaller than in the ice. The measured infrared intensity in water clusters is found to be a factor of two to three smaller as compared to the results of numerical calculations.     

Determination of ammonium in river water and sewage samples by capillary zone electrophoresis with direct UV detection

We developed capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with direct UV detection for determination of ammonium in environmental water samples. Ammonium in the samples was partly converted into ammonia in the alkaline background electrolyte (BGE) during migration and was detected by molecular absorption of ammonia at 190 nm in approximately 7 min. The limit of detection (LOD) for ammonium was 0.24 mg/l (as nitrogen) at a signal-to-noise ratio of three. The respective values of the relative standard deviation (RSD) of peak area, peak height, and migration time for ammonium were 2.1, 1.8, and 0.46%. Major alkali and alkaline earth metal ions coexisting in the samples did not interfere with ammonium determination by the proposed method. The proposed method determined ammonium in surface water and sewage samples. The results were compared to those obtained using ion chromatography (IC).     

An adsorption and calorimetric study of the interaction of hydrogen with chromium oxide

The chemisorption of hydrogen on porous chromium oxide was studied at temperatures up to 723 K under the conditions of controlled oxygen, hydrogen, and water contents in the samples. The molar heats of chemisorption were measured at temperatures up to 473 K. Hydrogen was found to be chemisorbed (310 kJ/mol) in the form of water and absorbed into oxide volume (165 kJ/mol) in the form of coordination bound atoms. Changes in the molar heat of the processes during chemisorption were caused by changes in the ratio between chemisorption and sorption. The phenomena observed and quantitative results could be explained by simple Langmuir concepts without assumptions of surface heterogeneity.     

Hydride and ammonia dispersion of metals

Chemical (hydride and ammonia) dispergation of Group II–V metals induced by hydrogen and ammonia in the temperature range of 100–500°C at a pressure of 0.5–2.0 MPa was studied. The phase transitions in the M-H₂ and M-NH₃ systems were investigated and conditions for metal hydride and nitride formation as highly dispersed powders were identified. The characteristic features of metal dispergation under the action of hydrogen and ammonia and the degrees of dispersity of the obtained powders were compared.     

Sorption of gaseous ammonia on sulfonated macroreticular ion exchangers

The amount of gaseous ammonia sorbed on dry sulfonated macroreticular ion exchangers with different contents of divinylbenzene was found to be greater than the number of sulfonic acid groups. The excess ammonia could be removed by washing with water. With ion exchangers containing more than 20% of divinylbenzene a certain amount of chemically bonded ammonia could not be removed, even by elution with strong acid. Sorption of ammonia occurred also on dry ion exchangers fully neutralized with sodium ion, and in that case also, ammonia could only partially be removed by water from higher crosslinked samples. On desorption into a gaseous phase the amount of desorbed ammonia was proportional to the surface area of the ion exchanger, since desorption occurred only from surface layers. The results obtained indicate that ammonia migrates among acid groups located within the mass of the ion exchanger.     

Interaction of Chlorine with Hydrogenated Diamond Surface

The interaction of chlorine with the hydrogenated diamond surface has been investigated by diffuse reflectance Fourier-transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The hydrogenated diamond surface is chlorinated by thermal reaction in chlorine. Hydrogen chemisorbed on the diamond surface is abstracted by chlorine and the chemisorption of chlorine is yielded. Hydroxyl groups are produced by treatment of the chlorinated diamond with water vapor at room temperature. Amino groups are produced by treatment of the chlorinated diamond with ammonia at 425 °C.     

Preparation of tritium standard gas by the use of tritiated methane

Tritium standard gas for calibrating radioactivity detectors was prepared by the use of tritiated methane synthesized by the reaction of tritiated water with aluminum carbide at ca. 470 degrees C. A long-path proportional counter was used to standardize the radioactivity of the prepared gas. Tritiated gas of less than 10(4) Bq could be measured by this counter with the overall error of 3.5% (3 sigma). Finally, two types of standard were prepared in a metal cylinder and a glass ampoule. The latter type could be used as a handy calibration source for detectors.     

Optical rubbery ormosils sensor for the detection of ammonia

Rubbery ormosil films with immobilized aminofluorescein (AF) were investigated to develop an optochemical sensor for the determination of ammonia in water. The gel precursors with tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and dimethyldimethoxysilane (DiMeDMOS) were deposited on glass supports, and characterized in terms of response to pH, and to dissolved ammonia at constant pH. After preconditioning the sensing film was stable for 6 months. The detection limit for ammonia in water was 0.2 microg mL(-1) (S/N 2), the response being linearly dependent on concentration in the range of 0.5 to 80 microg mL(-1) ammonia. The response time was less than 5 min. The effects of sodium chloride concentration, temperature, and coexisting metal ions and compounds were investigated.     

Adsorption and thermal reaction of DMMP in nanocrystalline NaY

In this study, FTIR spectroscopy and solid-state magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR were used to investigate the adsorption and thermal reaction of the nerve gas simulant dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) in nanocrystalline NaY with a crystal size of approximately 30 nm. DMMP adsorbs molecularly in nanocrystalline NaY at 25 degrees C. Gas-phase products of the reaction of DMMP and oxygen in nanocrystalline NaY at 200 degrees C were monitored by FTIR spectroscopy and determined to be carbon dioxide (major product), formaldehyde, and dimethyl ether. In the presence of water, the thermal reaction of DMMP in nanocrystalline NaY at 200 degrees C yielded methanol (major product), carbon dioxide, and dimethyl ether. When the thermal reaction of DMMP in nanocrystalline NaY at 200 degrees C was conducted in the presence of water and oxygen, the predominant products were methanol and carbon dioxide. Hydroxyl sites located on the external zeolite surface were consumed during the DMMP thermal reactions as monitored by FTIR spectroscopy and were therefore determined to be the active sites in this reaction. 31P solid-state MAS NMR experiments were used to identify the surface-bound phosphorus complexes. The reactivity per gram of zeolite was comparable to other recently studied metal oxides such as MgO, Al2O3, and TiO2, and was found to have comparable, if not higher reactivity. Future improvements in reactivity may be achieved by incorporating a reactive transition metal ion or metal oxide nanocluster into the nanocrystalline NaY to enhance reaction rates and to achieve complete reaction of DMMP.     

Interaction of water with titania: implications for high-temperature gas sensing

High-temperature gas sensors based on semiconducting metal oxides show potential for optimization of combustion processes, resulting in efficient energy use and minimization of emissions. Such metal oxides can function as gas sensors because of the reaction of the sensing gas (e.g., CO) with ionosorbed oxygen species on the oxide surface with the resulting increase in conductivity. A limitation of metal oxide sensors is their difficulty of distinguishing between different gases. Designing selectivity into sensors necessitates a better understanding of the chemistry of gas-solid interactions at high temperatures. In this paper, we have used in situ infrared spectroscopy to monitor the dehydration of a hydrated anatase surface up to 600 degrees C and also to examine the hydration/dehydration of anatase held at 400 degrees C. When the O-H stretching region (3000-3800 cm(-1)) was primarily focused on, it was found that water loss from the titania surface proceeded at lower temperatures (<200 degrees C) through desorption, whereas at higher temperatures, water dissociation to terminal (approximately 3710 cm(-1)) and bridged (approximately 3660 cm(-1)) hydroxyl groups was noted. With a further increase in temperature to 600 degrees C, the bridged hydroxyl groups disappeared faster than the terminal ones. The electrical resistance of anatase at 600 degrees C was measured in the presence of moist gas streams and resulted in an increase in conductivity in the presence of water. In situ vibrational spectroscopy indicated a temporal correlation between the appearance of the bridging hydroxyl group and the change in electrical resistance. Several possible mechanisms are discussed. The chemical reaction of water with anatase at high temperatures necessitates that water be removed from the gas stream to avoid interference. A strategy involving the use of a hydrophobic microporous filter that can reject water and let gases such as CO pass unimpeded is examined. Successful use of such a concept has been demonstrated with a silicalite filter using moist CO gas streams.     

Gas phase derivatization of ammonia with 4-fluoro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole and its application to urease assay.

An ammonia-specific and rapid fluorometric method for determination of ammonia and urease activity was developed. The method is designed to assay ammonia levels or urease activity for the rapid diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. 4-Fluoro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole was used to derivatize ammonia and 4-amino-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole was analysed by high performance liquid chromatography at an excitation wavelength of 455 nm and an emission wavelength of 520 nm. Derivatization was designed to react with ammonia gas produced in a strong alkaline pH sample. The fluorescent intensity was linear in the range of 0.1-10 mM ammonia per tube when the reaction was carried out for 15 min at 37 degrees C. Urease activity, judged as the amount of ammonia production from urea, could be measured at 25 ng per tube (S/N = 1.5) with Jack bean meal urease. Because of its rapidity, this assay is potentially superior to the current standard method in use in clinical settings.     

Complexity of ammonia interactions on activated carbons modified with V2O5

A micro/mesoporous wood-based activated carbon was modified with different loadings of vanadium pentoxide via incipient impregnation with ammonium vanadate solution followed by heating in nitrogen at 500 degrees C. The materials were used as adsorbents for ammonia. Both adsorption and desorption curves were recorded. The initial and exhausted samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), potentiometric titration, thermal analysis and adsorption of nitrogen. An improvement in ammonia uptake compared to the virgin carbon was observed, and the adsorption capacity was found linearly dependent on the metal content. Water increases ammonia adsorption capacity via dissolution of the gas, but it also competes with ammonia because both of them are preferentially adsorbed on the same vanadium oxide sites (vanadyl oxygens). Even though an increase in the interactions strength between ammonia and the adsorbents' surface has been reached compared to previous studies, some weakly adsorbed ammonia was still released from the surface during air purging.     

Pretreatment with ammonia water for enzymatic hydrolysis of corn husk, bagasse, and switchgrass

Bagasse, corn husk, and switchgrass were pretreated with ammonia water to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis. The sample (2 g) was mixed with 1–6 mL ammonia water (25–28% ammonia) and autoclaved at 120°C for 20 min. After treatment, the product was vacuum-dried to remove ammonia gas. The dried solid could be used immediately in the enzymatic hydrolysis without washing. The enzymatic hydrolysis was effectively improved with more than 0.5 and 1 mL ammonia water/g for corn husk and bagasse, respectively. In bagasse, glucose, xylose, and xylobiose were the main products. The adsorption of CMCase and xylanase was related to the initial rate of enzymatic hydrolysis. In corn husks, arabinoxylan extracted by pretreatment was substantially unhydrolyzed because of the high ratio of arabinose to xylose (0.6). The carbohydrate yields from cellulose and hemicellulose were 72.9% and 82.4% in bagasse, and 86.2% and 91.9% in corn husk, respectively. The ammonia/water pretreatment also benefited from switchgrass (Miscanthus sinensis and Solidago altissima L.) hydrolysis.     

Thermosensitive copolymers of N-vinylimidazole as displacers of proteins in immobilised metal affinity chromatography

Synthetic copolymers of N-vinylcaprolactam (VCL) and N-vinylimidazole (VI) were studied as thermosensitive, reusable displacers for immobilised metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) of proteins. The copolymer with weight-average molecular mass of 11700 g/mol prepared by free radical polymerisation at a 9:1 monomer molar ratio was separated into several fractions by IMAC and thermal precipitation. The fraction with an average VI content of 8.5% was most efficient as a reusable displacer for IMAC of ovalbumin, lysozyme and other proteins of egg white on Cu2+-IDA-Sepharose. The displacer exhibited a sharp breakthrough curve and binding capacity of 16-20 mg/ml gel, depending on the flow-rate. The recovery of egg white proteins in the course of displacement chromatography was >95%. The displacer could be removed quantitatively from the protein fractions by thermal precipitation at 48 degrees C. Co-precipitation of lysozyme with the displacer was minimal in the presence of 3% (v/v) acetonitrile, while the lysozyme enzymatic activity in the supernatant was completely retained. Addition of free imidazole to the mobile phase increased the rate of protein desorption and allowed better separation of egg white proteins and the displacer in the course of chromatography. The displacement profile of the egg white extract consisted of three zones with different distributions of individual proteins characterised by SDS-PAGE. Regeneration of the column was easily performed with 0.02 M EDTA in 0.15 M sodium chloride, pH 8.0, followed by washing with distilled water and reloading with Cu2+. The displacer could also be regenerated by thermal precipitation at 48 degrees C and subsequent dialysis against dilute hydrochloric acid (pH 2.5).     

Adsorptive voltammetric determination of copper with a benzoin oxime graphite paste electrode

A method for the determination of trace amounts of copper with a chemically modified carbon press-formed electrode is described. Copper could be accumulated at the electrode by complexing with benzoin oxime in ammonia buffer, then reduced at a constant potential of −0.4 V (vs. SCE) in nitric acid solution. Finally, a well-defined stripping peak could be obtained by scanning the potential in a positive direction. The response depends on the concentration of copper and accumulation time. For an accumulation time of 5 min the detection limit is about 1 ng/ml and the linear range is from 2 ng/ml to 4000 ng/ml, with a relative standard deviation of 5%. Many common metal ions have little or no effect on the determination of copper. The recommended procedure was applied to the determination of trace amounts of copper in natural water, and the results are in agreement with those of atomic-absorption spectrometry.     

Structure analyses of dodecylated single-walled carbon nanotubes

Alkylation of nanotube salts prepared using either lithium, sodium, or potassium in liquid ammonia yields sidewall-functionalized nanotubes that are soluble in organic solvents. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies of dodecylated SWNTs prepared from HiPco nanotubes and 1-iodododecane show that extensive debundling results from intercalation of the alkali metal into the SWNT ropes. TGA-FTIR analyses of samples prepared from the different metals revealed radically different thermal behavior during detachment of the dodecyl groups. The SWNTs prepared using lithium can be converted into the pristine SWNTs at 180-330 degrees C, whereas the dodecylated SWNTs prepared using sodium require a much higher temperature (380-530 degrees C) for dealkylation. SWNTs prepared using potassium behave differently, leading to detachment of the alkyl groups over the temperature range 180-500 degrees C. These differences can be observed by analysis of the solid-state 13C NMR spectra of the dodecylated SWNTs that have been prepared using the different alkali metals and may indicate differences in the relative amounts of 1,2- and 1,4-addition of the alkyl groups.     

Determination of copper by electrothermal AAS after electrodeposition on a graphite disk electrode

The electrodeposition of copper on a graphite electrode at a constant potential with subsequent atomization in the graphite atomizer HGA-400 has been studied. A special graphite disk electrode is suitable for electrochemical enrichment at E = -0.7 V vs. SCE and the determination of copper by electrothermal-atomic absorption spectrometry (ET-AAS) if atomized at 2300 degrees C. In this way copper was determined in potable water and free Cu(2+) could be distinguished from that bound in chelate speciations after using a suitable deposition potential of the working electrode. This approach seems to be an alternative to the commonly used anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) for the preconcentration and determination of free metal ions.     

硫酸铵-溴化钾铵-正丙醇体系萃取分离和富集锗的研究

研究了硫酸铵-溴化钾铵-正丙醇体系萃取分离和富集锗的行为及与一些金属离子分离的条件.硫酸铵能使正丙醇的水溶液分成两相,在分相过程中,Ge4+与KBr生成(GeBr62-),并与质子化正丙醇(C3H7OH2+)形成缔合物[GeBr62-][C3H7OH2+]2,此缔合物能被正丙醇相完全萃取.当正丙醇、KBr和硫酸铵的浓度分别为30％(V/V)、7.0×10-3mol/L、0.20g/mL时,(GeBr62-)的萃取率达到97.7％以上,而Ni2,Pb2,Cr3+,Co2,Fe3+,Al3+,Mg2+,Ag+,Bi3+,CH2,W(Ⅵ)和V(Ⅴ)基本不被萃取,实现了Ge4+与上述金属离子的分离.