Hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics-based molecular dynamics simulation of acid-catalyzed dehydration of polyols in liquid water

We use the conversion of protonated glycerol to acrolein for a case study of the mechanism of acid-catalyzed dehydration of polyols in aqueous environments. We employ hybrid Quamtum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Molecular Dynamics (QM/MM MD) simulations with biased sampling and perform free energy calculations for the elementary steps of the reaction. We investigate the effects of solvent dynamics and in particular the role of quantum mechanical water in the dehydration mechanism. We present results supporting a mechanism that proceeds via water-mediated proton transfers and thus through an enol intermediate. We find that the first dehydration may take place by two, low-energy pathways requiring, respectively, 20.9 and 18.8 kcal/mol of activation free energy. The second dehydration requires 19.9 kcal/mol of activation free energy while for the overall reaction we compute a free energy change of -8 kcal/mol.     

铜基催化剂上甘油脱水制备羟基丙酮

采用共沉淀法制备了一系列铜基催化剂,在N2中于高压釜中,考察了其催化甘油脱水制备羟基丙酮的反应性能.结果表明,Cu/SiO2催化剂具有较高的催化甘油脱水活性,但目的产物羟基丙酮易与反应产生的H2生成1,2-丙二醇,使得羟基丙酮选择性不高.因此,在固定床反应器上详细考察了在优选的Cu/SiO2催化剂上反应气氛、温度和空速...     

磷酸锆催化甘油气相脱水制备丙烯醛

以沉淀法、水热合成法和浸渍法制备了磷酸锆催化剂,通过X射线衍射、热重分析、氮气物理吸附、红外光谱和Hammett指示剂法对催化剂进行了表征,并将该催化剂用于甘油气相脱水反应.研究表明,由沉淀法得到的磷酸锆经过400℃焙烧后能达到最佳催化活性,在温和条件下,甘油可完全转化,丙烯醛选择性为81%,反应24h内催化剂失活不明显.不同方法制备的磷酸锆其结构和表面酸性显著不同,催化剂表面酸性对催化剂活性、丙烯醛选择性和催化剂的寿命均有较大影响.     

A revisited picture of the mechanism of glycerol dehydration

The dehydration mechanism of neutral glycerol in the gas phase was investigated by means of metadynamics simulations. Structures, vibrational frequencies, Gibbs free energy barriers, and rate constants at 800 K were computed for the different steps involved in the pyrolytic process. In this article, we provide a novel mechanism for the dehydration of neutral glycerol, proceeding via formation of glycidol with a barrier of 66.8 kcal/mol. The formation of glycidol is the rate limiting step of the overall decomposition process. Once formed, glycidol converts into 3-hydroxypropanal with a barrier of 49.5 kcal/mol. 3-Hydroxypropanal can decompose further into acrolein or into formaldehyde and vinyl-alcohol with barriers of 53.9 and 35.3 kcal/mol, respectively. These findings offer new insights to available experimental data based on glycerol pyrolysis studies performed with isotopic labeling and on the interpretation of the chemistry of glycerol and sugars in pyrolytic conditions.     

A study of the preparation conditions of aluminum oxide on its catalytic activity and stability in vapor-phase dehydration of glycerol to acrolein

Effect of the preparation conditions of aluminum oxide on its catalytic activity and stability in the course of vapor-phase dehydration of glycerol to give acrolein was studied. The conditions were determined in which γ-Al₂O₃ is prepared so that the maximum selectivity of acrolein formation (～60%) and glycerol conversion (～80%) is in 10 h. The results of the study suggest that systems based on γ-Al₂O₃ are the most promising catalysts for the process under consideration.     

Deactivation of acid catalysts in vapor-phase dehydration of glycerol into acrolein

An effect of acid properties and structure of catalysts on their deactivation and selectivity of the acrolein formation was studied in dehydration of glycerol. It was found that γ-Al₂O₃ is effective catalyst for vapor-phase dehydration of glycerol into acrolein.     

Photooxidation of 1,3-butadiene containing systems: Rate constant determination for the reaction of acrolein with ⋅OH radicals

The photooxidation of the 1,3-butadiene–NO–air system at 298 ± 2 K was investigated in an environmental chamber under simulated atmospheric conditions. The irradiation gave rise to the formation of acrolein in a 55% yield, based on 1,3-butadiene initial concentration for all the experimental runs. The rate of formation of acrolein was the same as that of 1,3-butadiene consumption, indicating that acrolein is the major product of the 1,3-butadiene oxidation in air. The dependence of acrolein concentration on irradiation time showed thata secondary process, identified as an oxidation of acrolein by ^?OH radicals, was occurring during the photochemical runs. The rate constant of this secondary process was determined by measuring the relative rates of disappearance of acrolein and n-butane during the irradiation of acrolein-n-butane-NO-air mixtures. The so obtained relative rate constant value was placed on an absolute basis using a reported rate constant for the n-butane + ^?OH reaction; a value of (1.6 ± 0.2) × 10¹⁰ M^?1 sec^?1 was obtained.     

Stability of intermediates in the glycerol hydrogenolysis on transition metal catalysts from first principles

The hydrogenolysis reaction catalyzed by a transition metal solid catalyst is a potential way to transform glycerol to 1,2-propylene glycol or 1,3-propylene glycol, two important chemicals. We explore the thermodynamic profile of this reaction from first principle simulation, comparing Ni, Rh and Pd catalysts modeled by (111) surfaces. The stability of adsorbed reactants, dehydrated intermediates, and hydrogenated propylene glycol is compared, with a special focus on the factors controlling the selectivity of the reaction. From a global thermodynamic view point, the formation of 1,2-propylene glycol is favored, and in addition the most stable intermediates in the gas phase (acetol and 1,2-aldol) lead to the formation of this product. The metal catalyst has three roles. First it stabilizes the dehydrated intermediates and renders the dehydration more exothermic. Second, the adsorption on the surface modifies the relative stability of the dehydrated intermediates, with implications on the reaction selectivity. Third it catalyses the hydrogenation step, leading to propylene glycol.     

The Effect of Grafting Zirconia and Ceria onto Alumina as a Support for Silicotungstic Acid for the Catalytic Dehydration of Glycerol to Acrolein

The effect of ceria and zirconia grafting onto alumina (α and θ–δ phases) as supports for silicotungstic acid for the dehydration of glycerol to acrolein was studied. 30 % Silicotungstic acid (STA) supported on 5 % zirconia/δ,θ‐alumina was the best catalyst, producing 85 % selectivity to acrolein at 100 % glycerol conversion, and it showed stable activity without using oxygen as a co‐feed. The catalyst produced a STA of 90 g_(acrolein) kg_(cat)^?1 h^?1, which was greater than the STA simply supported on δ,θ‐alumina, which only demonstrated 75 % selectivity towards acrolein. The effect of grafting on the support material was investigated by means of nitrogen adsorption, ammonia temperature‐programmed desorption, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and powder X‐ray diffraction. A pulsed‐field gradient (PFG) NMR technique was also used to study diffusion processes associated with the catalysts. Diffusion studies of the grafted catalysts showed that zirconia contributes to the formation of more tortuous pathways within the pore structure, leading to the diminution of acid strength and making the catalyst less susceptible to coke formation.     

ZnO与骨架NiMo物理混合用于丙三醇催化重整-氢解制1,2-丙二醇

以骨架NiMo以及与氧化物物理混合, 考察了其在连续固定床反应器中无外加氢气条件下的丙三醇一锅法重整-氢解制1,2-丙二醇(1,2-PDO)的性能.研究发现, 骨架NiMo自身催化活性高, 但对1,2-PDO的选择性一般.当将其与MgO, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, HZSM-5, TiO₂, ZrO₂或CeO₂机械混合时, 丙三醇转化率和1,2-PDO选择性均发生下降.但当与ZnO物理混合时, 催化活性和选择性均有所提高, 1,2-PDO得率可达52.0%, 优于贵金属催化剂在该一锅法反应中得到的结果.物理混合的ZnO与骨架NiMo之间这种独特的协同作用, 归因于重整过程中产生的CO₂在ZnO上发生化学吸附, 原位增强了ZnO的路易斯酸性.这不仅促进了丙三醇在ZnO上脱水生成中间产物丙酮醇, 也促进了丙酮醇在骨架NiMo上加氢生成1,2-PDO.     

常压两步法催化丙三醇脱水-加氢制备 1,2-丙二醇

 在常压 H2 气氛下催化丙三醇脱水-加氢制备了 1,2-丙二醇. 首先在 220 oC 和常压 H2 条件下, 以 Cu/Al2O3 为催化剂催化丙三醇脱水生成中间体丙酮醇, 其选择性高达 86%. 考察了 Cu 负载量、反应温度和反应气氛对催化剂性能的影响. 在随后的丙酮醇加氢反应中, Raney Ni 催化剂显示出优异的催化性能, 在 120 oC 和常压 H2 条件下, 1,2-丙二醇选择性可达 99% 以上, 催化剂连续使用 5 h 未出现失活现象. 考察了反应温度、空速及反应时间对催化剂性能的影响.     

活性炭担载的铂催化剂在碱性条件下选择性氧化甘油制备乳酸

生物柴油是一种环境友好的燃料,随着其生产及应用的快速增长,其生产过程中重要的副产物甘油将会大量过剩.因此,将甘油转化为高附加值的化学品对于提高生物柴油整体竞争力具有重大意义.乳酸是重要的化工原料,可用于制备生物兼容和可降解的聚乳酸塑料,广泛应用于食品和医药等领域.近年来,由甘油制乳酸的研究受到格外关注,相对于水热反应和氢解反应等,催化选择氧化反应因温和的反应条件而更具竞争力.
　　目前,甘油催化选择氧化制乳酸一般需加入较高比例的NaOH,而碱的类型对反应性能的影响鲜有报道.另外,催化剂常采用TiO2和CeO2等氧化物载体,而炭载体具有比表面积较大、在酸碱溶液中稳定及贵金属易于回收等优点,在催化领域有着广泛应用.因此,本文研究了活性炭(AC)担载的Pt催化剂在甘油催化选择氧化制乳酸反应中的催化性能.
　　首先研究了Pt/AC催化剂和碱在甘油催化选择氧化制乳酸过程中的催化作用.实验发现, Pt/AC和碱协同作用才能得到乳酸. Pt/AC催化剂在甘油脱氢生成中间产物(甘油醛和二羟基丙酮)的过程中起主导作用,碱的存在能够促进甘油羟基脱氢;中间产物实验证实,中间产物生成乳酸过程中碱起主导作用,它促进甘油醛和二羟基丙酮脱水反应和坎尼扎罗重排反应获得乳酸.进一步研究发现,中间产物二羟基丙酮比甘油醛更有利于乳酸生成,而Pt/AC催化剂有利于中间产物氧化为甘油酸.
　　进一步研究了不同类型的碱对反应性能的影响.结果表明,碱金属氢氧化物(LiOH, NaOH, KOH)比碱土金属氢氧化物(Ba(OH)2)更有利于提高甘油转化率和乳酸选择性.在加入碱金属氢氧化物条件下,甘油转化率与其离子半径呈正相关,而乳酸选择性则呈相反趋势.在LiOH存在下,乳酸选择性明显高于NaOH和KOH条件.当LiOH：甘油摩尔比为1.5时,甘油转化率和乳酸选择性均最高.在较低的LiOH与甘油摩尔比时,随着反应的消耗,溶液中的OH–减少,其促进甘油脱氢的作用变弱,并且不利于中间产物进行坎尼扎罗反应,故反应活性和乳酸选择性较差;而当LiOH比例过高时,会导致溶解氧浓度迅速降低,从而使甘油转化率和乳酸选择性下降,同时副产物甘油酸的选择性有所提高.这可能是因为较高比例的碱会促进中间产物甘油醛生成,该中间产物在Pt/AC催化作用下发生进一步氧化反应生成甘油酸.
　　研究了反应时间对催化性能的影响.结果表明,反应6 h后,甘油已经完全转化,乳酸选择性最高,达到69.3%;进一步延长反应时间,乳酸选择性有所下降,而副产物乙酸选择性略有增加,这可能是部分乳酸分解所致. Pt/AC催化剂经5次循环使用后仍保持了较高的甘油转化率和乳酸选择性.     

铯钨青铜的合成及其对甘油脱水制丙烯醛的催化性能

以仲钨酸铵、硝酸铯为原料,乙二胺四乙酸(EDTA)为模板剂和还原剂,采用水热法合成了铯钨青铜,考察了EDTA用量、水热前驱液浓度、铯钨比等条件对水热产物组成及形貌的影响,并以所得产物为催化剂在固定床反应器中进行甘油脱水制丙烯醛的反应研究,发现铯含量对催化性能有较大影响,在Cs/W摩尔比为0. 2∶1时催化性能最好,甘油转化率达到81. 3%,丙烯醛的选择性达到92. 9%。     

高选择性和稳定性的CsPW/Nb2O5催化剂用于甘油脱水制备丙烯醛（英文）

以磷钨酸铯盐Cs2.5H0.5PW12O40(CsPW)为活性组分,负载到Nb2O5载体上,并用于甘油脱水制备丙烯醛的反应中.通过调节焙烧温度(400–700°C)以及活性组分负载量(5儃60 wt%),对催化剂酸性进行调节.CsPW负载量为20 wt%,500°C焙烧的CsPW/Nb2O5催化剂性能最佳,甘油转化率为96%,丙烯醛选择性为80%,反应10 h内没有失活现象,并且该催化剂具有良好的热稳定性,可通过烧炭进行再生.     

Glycerol etherification over highly active CaO-based materials: new mechanistic aspects and related colloidal particle formation

Glycerol is an attractive renewable building block for the synthesis of di- and triglycerols, which have numerous applications in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. In this work, the selective etherification of glycerol to di- and triglycerol was studied in the presence of alkaline earth metal oxides and the data are compared with those obtained with Na2CO3 as a homogeneous catalyst. It was found that glycerol conversion increased with increasing catalyst basicity; that is, the conversion increases in the order: MgO90 % at 60 % conversion) are obtained over CaO, SrO, and BaO. For these catalysts no substantial acrolein formation was observed. Furthermore, at the start of the reaction mainly linear diglycerol was produced, whereas at higher conversion degrees branched diglycerol started to form. In another series of experiments different types of CaO materials were prepared. It was found that these CaO-based materials not only differed in their surface area and number of basic sites, but also in their Lewis acid strength. Within this series the CaO material possessing the strongest Lewis acid sites had the highest catalytic activity, comparable to that of BaO, pointing towards the important role of Lewis acidity for this etherification reaction. Based on these observations a plausible alternative reaction scheme for glycerol etherification is presented, which considers the facilitation of the hydroxyl leaving process. Finally, the stability of the catalytic solids under study was investigated and it was found that colloidal CaO particles of about 50-100 nm can be spontaneously generated during reaction. Catalytic testing of these CaO colloids, after isolation from the reaction medium, revealed a very high etherification activity. Understanding the nature of these Ca-based colloids opens new opportunities for investigating supported colloidal particle catalysts to take advantage of both their hetero- and homogeneous nature.     

Liquid-phase dehydration of sorbitol under microwave irradiation in the presence of acidic resin catalysts

Liquid-phase dehydration of sorbitol has been investigated in wide reaction conditions especially under microwave irradiation in the presence of acidic resin catalysts. From the selectivity for sorbitan and isosorbide, it can be understood that the dehydration is a consecutive reaction (sorbitol to sorbitan, and finally to isosorbide) and that the sorbitan is an intermediate of the dehydration. By using microwave irradiation, the dehydration can be accelerated by around 20?C34 times compared with the rate by conventional electric heating at the same temperature, or the reaction temperature can be decreased by around 40 °C for the comparable conversion in a similar reaction time. However, the microwaves do not have noticeable effects on the selectivity for isosorbide or sorbitan. The accelerated dehydration under microwaves is mainly due to decreased activation energy.     

On the Diels-Alder approach to solely biomass-derived polyethylene terephthalate (PET): conversion of 2,5-dimethylfuran and acrolein into p-xylene

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a polymeric material with high global demand. Conventionally, PET is produced from fossil-fuel-based materials. Herein, we explored the feasibility of a sustainable method for PET production by using solely bio-renewable resources. Specifically, 2,5-dimethylfuran (derived from lignocellulosic biomass through 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural) and acrolein (produced from glycerol, a side product of biodiesel production) were converted into the key intermediate p-xylene (a precursor of terephthalic acid). This synthesis consists of a sequential Diels-Alder reaction, oxidation, dehydration, and decarboxylation. In particular, the pivotal first step, the Diels-Alder reaction, was studied in detail to provide useful kinetic and thermodynamic data. Although it was found that this reaction requires low temperature to proceed efficiently, which presents a limitation on economic feasibility on an industrial scale, the concept was realized and bio-derived p-xylene was obtained in 34% overall yield over four steps.     

纤维素快速热裂解机理试验研究 Ⅰ. 试验研究

在热辐射反应器上对纤维素快速热裂解过程中主要一次产物的生成规律进行了研究。结合焦油的GC-MS分析，发现左旋葡聚糖（LG）作为最重要的液体产物，占据了焦油质量的45w%～85w%。LG的生成主要集中在550 ℃～650 ℃中温辐射源区域，其产量随温度的变化存在一最佳值，约在640 ℃左右得到54.4w%的最高产率。乙醇醛(HAA)作为焦油的第二重要组分，在焦油中达到了6w%～14w%的比例，与之含量接近的还有1-羟基-2-丙酮(Acetol)，约为3.5w%～8w%。它们的产率在相当大的范围内随温度的升高而增加，表明高温有利于它们的生成。同时分析表明乙醇醛、1-羟基-2-丙酮是在与LG的竞争过程中作为纤维素热裂解一次产物直接生成的。     

Rate constant measurements for the overall reaction of OH + 1-butanol → products from 900 to 1200 K

The rate constant for the overall reaction OH + 1-butanol → products was determined in the temperature range 900 to 1200 K from measurements of OH concentration time histories in reflected shock wave experiments of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as a fast source of OH radicals with 1-butanol in excess. Narrow-linewidth laser absorption was employed for the quantitative OH concentration measurement. A detailed kinetic mechanism was constructed that includes updated rate constants for 1-butanol and TBHP kinetics that influence the near-first-order OH concentration decay under the present experimental conditions, and this mechanism was used to facilitate the rate constant determination. The current work improves upon previous experimental studies of the title rate constant by utilizing a rigorously generated kinetic model to describe secondary reactions. Additionally, the current work extends the temperature range of experimental data in the literature for the title reaction under combustion-relevant conditions, presenting the first measurements from 900 to 1000 K. Over the entire temperature range studied, the overall rate constant can be expressed in Arrhenius form as 3.24 × 10(-10) exp(-2505/T [K]) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The influence of secondary reactions on the overall OH decay rate is discussed, and a detailed uncertainty analysis is performed yielding an overall uncertainty in the measured rate constant of ±20% at 1197 K and ±23% at 925 K. The results are compared with previous experimental and theoretical studies on the rate constant for the title reaction and reasonable agreement is found when the earlier experimental data were reinterpreted.     

Atmospheric reaction of OH radicals with 1,3-butadiene and 4-hydroxy-2-butenal

The gas-phase reaction of OH radicals with 1,3-butadiene and 4-hydroxy-2-butenal in the presence of NO has been studied in a flow tube operated at 295 +/- 2 K and pressures of 950 mbar of synthetic air or 100 mbar of an O(2)/He mixture. OH radicals were generated using three different experimental approaches, namely, ozonolysis of tetramethylethylene (dark reaction), photolysis of methyl nitrite, or via the reaction of HO(2) with NO (HO(2) from the reaction of H-atoms with O(2)). Products of the reaction of OH radicals with 1,3-butadiene were HCHO (0.64 +/- 0.08), acrolein (0.59 +/- 0.06), 4-hydroxy-2-butenal (0.23 +/- 0.10), furan (0.046 +/- 0.014), and organic nitrates (0.06 +/- 0.02) accounting for more than 90% of the reacted carbon. There was no significant dependence of product yields on experimental conditions which were varied in a wide range. The formation of the 1,4-addition product 4-hydroxy-2-butenal was confirmed unambiguously for the first time. The rate coefficient k(OH + 4-hydroxy-2-butenal) = (5.1 +/- 0.8) x 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) was determined using a relative rate technique (p = 100 mbar, T = 295 +/- 2 K). Products of the reaction of OH radicals with 4-hydroxy-2-butenal were glycolaldehyde (0.40 +/- 0.06), glyoxal (0.17 +/- 0.04), trans-butenedial (0.093 +/- 0.033), and organic nitrates (0.043 +/- 0.015) as well as further carbonylic substances remaining unidentified so far. Corresponding reaction mechanisms describing the formation of the detected products are proposed, and the relevance of these data for atmospheric conditions is discussed.