Clustering and activation in reactions of CoCp with hydrogen and methane

Gas-phase clustering reactions of CoCp⁺ with H₂ and with CH₄ were investigated using temperature-dependent equilibrium experiments. In both systems, the CoCp⁺ ion was found to form strong interactions with two ligands. The first and second H₂ groups cluster to CoCp⁺ with bond energies of 16.2 and 16.8 kcal/mol, respectively, while the first and second CH₄ groups cluster to CoCp⁺ with bond energies of 24.1 and 12.1 kcal/mol, respectively. These bond energies are in good agreement with those determined by density functional theory (DFT). Molecular geometries for the four clusters determined with DFT are also presented. Weak experimental bond energies of 0.9 kcal/mol for the third H₂ and 2.2 kcal/mol for the third CH₄ clustering to CoCp⁺ suggest these ligands occupy the second solvation shell of the ion. In addition to clustering in the methane system, H₂-elimination from CoCp(CH₄)₂⁺ was observed. The mechanism for this reaction was investigated by collision-induced dissociation experiments and DFT, which suggest the predominate H₂-elimination product is (c-C₅H₆)Co⁺---C₂H₅. Theory indicates that dehydrogenation requires the active participation of the Cp ring in the mechanism. Transfer of H and CH₃ groups to the C₅-ring ligand allows the metal center to avoid the high-energy Co(IV) oxidation state required when it forms two covalent bonds in addition to its interaction with a C₅-ring ligand.     

Cobalt and nitrogen codoped porous carbon as superior bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline medium

Metal (cobalt)/nitrogen codoped carbon was first fabricated by pyrolysis of coordinated “noncarbonizable” polymer as bifunctional catalyst for ORR and HER, which showed better electrocatalytic performances than most bifunctional doped carbon catalysts in alkaline electrolyte.     

Quantifying temperature and flow rate effects on the performance of a fixed-bed chromatographic reactor

Chromatographic reactors are based on coupling chemical reactions with chromatographic separation in fixed-beds. Temperature and flow rate are important parameters for the performance of such reactors. Temperature affects mainly adsorption, chemical equilibria, mass transfer and reaction kinetics, whereas flow rate influences residence time and dispersion. In order to evaluate the mentioned effects, the hydrolysis reactions of methyl formate (MF) and methyl acetate (MA) were chosen as case studies. These reactions were performed experimentally in a lab-scale fixed-bed chromatographic reactor packed with a strong acidic ion exchange resin. The chosen reactions can be considered to represent a relative fast (MF) and a relative slow (MA) reaction. The processes which take place inside the reactor were described and simulated using an isothermal equilibrium dispersive model. The essential model parameters were determined experimentally at different temperatures and flow rates. The performance of the chromatographic reactor was evaluated at several discrete constant temperature levels by quantifying product purity, productivity and yield. The work provides insight regarding the influence of temperature and flow rate on values of the model parameters and the performance criteria.     

Studies on the preparation of active oxygen-deficient copper ferrite and its application for hydrogen production through thermal chemical water splitting

Hydrogen generation through thermal chemical water splitting technology has recently received in- creasingly international interest in the nuclear hydrogen production field. Besides the main known sulfur-iodine (S-I) cycle developed by the General Atomics Company and the UT3 cycle (iron, calcium, and bromine) developed at the University of Tokyo, the thermal cycle based on metal oxide two-step water splitting methods is also receiving research and development attention worldwide. In this work, copper ferrite was prepared by the co-precipitation method and oxygen-deficient copper ferrite was synthesized through first and second calcination steps for the application of hydrogen production by a two-step water splitting process. The crystal structure, properties, chemical composition and δ were investigated in detail by utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA), atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS), ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV), gas chro- matography (GC), and so on. The experimental two-step thermal chemical cycle reactor for hydrogen generation was designed and developed in this lab. The hydrogen generation process of water splitting through CuFe2O4-δ and the cycle performance of copper ferrite regeneration were firstly studied and discussed.     

Spectrophotometric FIA methods for determination of hydrogen peroxide: Application to evaluation of scavenging capacity

The determination of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and the evaluation of scavenging capacity against this species were performed using five colorimetric reactions, which were adapted to flow injection analysis. The reactions chosen were based on the oxidation of iodide (I⁻ method), on the formation of titanium-peroxide complex (TiP method), on the formation of titanium-xylenol orange-peroxide complex (TiXoP method), on the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB method) and on the co-oxidation of phenol-4-sulfonic acid and 4-aminoantipyrine (PSA/4-AAP method). The operational conditions were studied in order to improve the sensitivity of each method. Concerning to the method sensitivity, the ranking order was TMB method > I⁻ method > TiXoP method ∼PSA/4-AAP method > TiP method. All methods showed an excellent repeatability (RSD < 2%) and, except for I⁻ method, relative deviations from the reference method were <1.9%. The FIA manifolds were adapted to perform the determination of scavenging capacity against H₂O₂ and glutathione (GSH) was applied as model compound. TiP and TiXoP methods were not suitable as no inhibition or an increase of analytical signal was attained. PSA/4-AAP method was chosen for further application to dietary phenolics and pharmaceutical compounds, providing IC₅₀ values for those compounds that are fast reacting antioxidants.     

Cobalt phthalocyanine as a novel molecular recognition reagent for batch and flow injection potentiometric and spectrophotometric determination of anionic surfactants

Cobalt(II) phthalocyanine [Co(II)Pc] is used as both an ionophore and chromogen for batch and flow injection potentiometric and spectrophotometric determination of anionic surfactants (SDS), respectively. The potentiometric technique involves preparation of a polymeric membrane sensor by dispersing [Co(II)Pc] in a plasticized PVC membrane. Under batch mode of operation, the sensor displays a near-Nernstian slope of −56.5 mV decade⁻¹, wide response linear range of 7.8 × 10⁻⁴ to 8.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹, lower detection limit of 2.5 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ and exhibits high selectivity for anionic surfactants in the presence of many common ions. Under hydrodynamic mode of operation (FIA), the slope of the calibration plot, limit of detection, and working linear range are −51.1 mV decade⁻¹, 5.6 × 10⁻⁷ and 1.0 × 10⁻³ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹, respectively. The spectrophotometric method is based on the use of [Co(II)Pc] solution in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as a chromogenic reagent. The maximum absorption of the reagent at 658 nm linearly decreases with the increase of anionic surfactant over the concentration range 2-30 μg mL⁻¹. The lower limit of detection is 1 μg mL⁻¹ and high concentrations of many interfering ions are tolerated. Flow injection spectrophotometric measurements are carried out by injection of the surfactant test solution in a stream of the reagent in DMSO. The sample throughput, working range and lower detection limit are 25-30 samples h⁻¹, 4-60 and 2 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The potentiometric and spectrophotometric techniques are applied to the batch and flow injection measurements of anionic surfactants in some commercial detergent products. The results agree fairly well with data obtained using the standard methylene blue spectrophotometric method.     

Optimizing temperature program and flow rates for apillary GC analysis of EPA-608 pesticides

An approach is described for optimizing chromatographic conditions for dual-column analysis of U.S. EPA Method 608 pesticides. Sample throughput for environmental analysis of pesticides can be increased by performing the screening and confirmation analyses at the same time. This requires simultaneous injection, separation, and detection in a GC with dual inlets, columns, and detectors. Resolution maps for flow rate and temperature relationships of poorly resolved peak pairs for 5%-phenyl methyl silicone and 7%-cyanopropyl 7%-phenyl methyl silicone capillary columns are presented. Resolution of target pesticides on the 5%-phenyl methyl silicone column was much more sensitive to changes in flow and temperature-ramp rates than was the 7%-cyanopropyl 7%-phenyl methyl silicone column. Optimal conditions resulted in a run time of approximately 20 min.     

Gas permeabilities of polyurethane films for fresh produce packaging: Response of O2 permeability to temperature and relative humidity

Thermoplastic shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) polymers were synthesized, cast to films, and their gas barrier properties were characterized. In addition, performance of an optical method was assessed by measuring oxygen permeability (P_O2) of the films. P_O2 of the SMPU film was at least two times higher than that of low density polyethylene (LDPE and increased at higher relative humidity. Permselectivity (P_CO2/P_O2) of the SMPU film was 15, which is approximately three times higher than for LDPE. The film absorbed circa 18% water vapor at 98% relative humidity. The optical method agreed very well (maximum 20% deviation) with a standard carrier gas method in P_O2 measurement. Overall our results show that SMPU is an attractive polymer for fresh produce packaging.     

Dry reforming of methane over Ni/Ce0.62Zr0.38O2 catalysts: Effect of Ni loading on the catalytic activity and on H2/CO production

The activity of ceria–zirconia-supported nickel catalysts (Ni/CZ) with various loadings of nickel (2, 4 and 10 wt. %) was studied in the case of low-temperature dry reforming of methane (DRM). XRD, S_BET, SEM, TPD-CO₂ and thermogravimetry were used to determine the physicochemical properties of the catalysts and of the carbon deposits formed on the surface. It was found that the agglomerates of the Ni-active phase are formed on the surface of the support for high loadings of nickel. The best conversions of CO₂ and CH₄ and an optimum ratio H₂/CO = 1 were obtained for the catalysts with the highest Ni content. It was also found that loading has an influence on the amount of carbon deposits formed in the DRM process.     

Development of a new equipment for applying the constant rate thermal analysis (CRTA) to temperature programmed oxidation (TPO) of catalysis

A new equipment has been developed in order to apply the constant rate thermal analysis method (CRTA) to Temperature Programmed Oxidation (TPO) processes. The exhausted gases flow through an electrochemical oxygen sensor after leaving the reactor in order to monitor the oxygen consumption in the reaction. The control of the sample temperature is carried out by interfacing both the furnace and the electrical signal of the oxygen sensor to a PID controller that allows to monitor the sample temperature in such a way that the consumption of oxygen is a constant value previously selected by the user.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurde eine neue Apparatur zur Anwendung der Konstantgeschwindigkeits-Thermoanalyse (CRTA) auf temperaturprogrammierte Oxidationsprozesse (TPO) entwickelt. Die abgesaugten Gase strömen nach Verlassen des Reaktors zur Bestimmung der während der Reaktion verbrauchten Sauerstoffmenge durch einen elektrochemischen Sauerstoffsensor. Die Überwachung der Probentemperatur erfolgt, indem sowohl das Ofen-als auch das elektrische Signal des Sauerstoffsensors an einen PID-Regler weitergeleitet wird, der die Probentemperatur wiederum so regelt, daß der Sauerstoffverbrauch auf einem zuvor vom Anwender wählbaren Wert konstant gehalten wird.

     

Comparison of particle size and flow rate optimization for chromatography using one-monomer molecularly imprinted polymers versus traditional non-covalent molecularly imprinted polymers

The dependence of enantio-selective chromatographic performance on particle size, as measured by separation factor, was investigated for one-monomer molecularly imprinted polymers (OMNiMIPs) compared to traditionally formed EGDMA/MAA molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). Five particle size ranges were compared (<20 μm, 20-25 μm, 25-38 μm, 38-45 μm, and 45-63 μm), revealing that the particle sizes above 25 μm provided the highest separation factor, and thus the best enantiomer separation, for both imprinted polymers. Other chromatographic parameters such as the number of theoretical plates and resolution exhibited only minor changes for the OMNiMIPs as the particle size changed, except for particles 20 μm and below. However, the number of theoretical plates and resolution for EGDMA/MAA are higher for particles in the 20-25 μm range. Thus, chromatographic factors for the EGDMA/MAA polymers are better in this range, despite better enantioselectivity for particle sizes above 25 μm. In contrast, OMNiMIPs generally show the most favorable performance for particle sizes in the 38-45 μm range. It was also found that decreasing flow rate resulted in improved enantioselectivity for both MIPs for all particle sizes.     

Oxidative reforming of methane for hydrogen and synthesis gas production:Thermodynamic equilibrium analysis

A thermodynamic analysis of methane oxidative reforming was carried out by Gibbs energy minimization (at constant pressure and temperature) and entropy maximization (at constant pressure and enthalpy) methods,to determine the equilibrium compositions and equilibrium temperatures,respectively.Both cases were treated as optimization problems (non-linear programming formulation).The GAMS 23.1 software and the CONOPT2 solver were used in the resolution of the proposed problems.The hydrogen and syngas production were favored at high temperatures and low pressures,and thus the oxygen to methane molar ratio (O 2 /CH 4) was the dominant factor to control the composition of the product formed.For O 2 /CH 4 molar ratios higher than 0.5,the oxidative reforming of methane presented autothermal behavior in the case of either utilizing O 2 or air as oxidant agent,but oxidation reaction with air possessed the advantage of avoiding peak temperatures in the system,due to change in the heat capacity of the system caused by the addition of nitrogen.The calculated results were compared with previously published experimental and simulated data with a good agreement between them.     

Correction of the deviations in the retention times with Chromolith columns associated to the flow rate: implications in the modelling of the retention behaviour

In a previous work (J. Sep. Sci. 2009, 32, 2793-2803), we reported an interpretive optimisation approach to achieve maximal resolution in minimal analysis time, based on models describing the retention and peak shape as a function of mobile phase composition and flow rate. The method was applied to the separation of a group of basic drugs in a Chromolith column. In that work, we found that the retention factors were sensitive to the flow rate. The reason of the observed deviations in retention times is the increase in the column volume at the applied pressure, which decreases the linear velocity inside the column. This behaviour forced to include a correction term in the model that described the retention. We show here how the deviations in retention times can be evaluated, allowing retention models that do not include the flow rate as a variable, similar to isocratic chromatography at fixed flow rate. The logarithm of the deviations in the retention times with flow rate is shown to correlate with the solute polarity. This correlation is compared with similar correlations for the retention factor at fixed mobile phase composition and the extrapolated retention factor in water at fixed flow rate.     

预处理对Ni-Co双金属沼气重整催化剂性能与结构的影响

采用过量浸渍法制备了Ni-Co/La₂O₃-γ-Al₂O₃双金属催化剂, 并使用固定床石英反应器在850℃,0.1MPa和空速为6000mL g_cat^-1 h^-1的条件下考察了预处理对催化剂性能的影响. 运用X射线衍射、热重-差示扫描量热、透射电子显微镜、扫描电镜和X射线能谱分析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,经氢气和二氧化碳预处理后, 催化剂性能明显提高,且能基本消除该催化剂上沼气重整反应的诱导期. 511 h的稳定性实验结果表明,催化剂经氢气和二氧化碳预处理后具有很好的稳定性和抗积碳性,平均积碳速率仅为0.2 mg g_cat^-1 h^-1. 表征结果显示,经氢气和二氧化碳预处理后,催化剂具有更好的抗烧结和抗积碳性能,反应后金属颗粒较小,分布较均匀,粒径分布范围较窄,从而增强了催化剂的稳定性.     

Metrologically based procedures for the temperature, heat and heat flow rate calibration of DSC

Metrologically based measuring procedures and evaluation methods are recommended as guidance for practical temperature, heat and heat flow rate calibration of DSC instruments which are largely independent of instrumental, test and sample parameters. The relevant terms are defined, the measuring procedures and evaluation methods described, calibration materials and their characteristic data stated and guidance for the sample handling provided. Reference is made to three extended papers on calibration. The recommendations were developed by the working group Calibration of Scanning Calorimeters of the German Society of Thermal Analysis (GEFTA).Recommendation of the working group Calibration of scanning calorimeters of the Gesellschaft für Thermische Analyse e.V. (GEFTA)     

Iron Oxide Supported on Al2O3 Catalyst for Methane Decomposition Reaction: Effect of MgO Additive and Calcination Temperature

Production of hydrogen is a challenging task and have significant impact in the recent scenario. The alumina supported iron oxide nanoparticle synthesized using non‐ionic surfactant Triton‐X was found very effective for steady production of hydrogen through methane decomposition reaction. The high surface area, easily reducible catalyst calcined at 500 °C and 800 °C temperature showed steady activity towards methane decomposition reaction. At a higher reaction temperature there was catalyst deactivation. The doping of MgO facilitated particle growth rendering the poor catalytic activity. The TPR study showed that reducibility of TPR was difficult in presence of MgO additive. The formation of Fe? Mg? Al solid solution confirmed by XRD study was found mainly responsible for the lower catalytic activity. The bamboo‐shaped carbon nanotube formed from 20 % Fe/Al₂O₃ catalyst which is mainly because of the poor wetting property of quasi‐liquid metal and carbon nanotube.     

LaXCoO3（X=Mg,Ca,Sr,Ce）催化剂的制备及其催化乙醇水蒸气重整制氢

以PEG 400为分散剂,采用一步柠檬酸络合法制备了LaXCoO3(X=Mg,Ca,Sr,Ce;La:X=3:2)复合催化剂.采用X射线衍射、红外光谱、扫描电镜、X射线光电子能谱、N2吸附-脱附和H2程序升温还原等技术对复合催化剂进行了表征,考察了不同元素A位取代对LaCoO3钙钛矿结构的影响,进而研究了其对乙醇水蒸气重整制氢的催化性能和稳定性.结果表明,在高含量取代时,只有Ce取代的样品能够保持单一的钙钛矿晶型;Ca或Sr取代的样品产生的Co3O4分离相有利于复合催化剂活性中心钴的还原;Sr或Ce取代的样品在反应中表现出较好的活性和稳定性,Sr取代的样品活性更高.     

TheRate: Program for ab initio direct dynamics calculations of thermal and vibrational-state-selected rate constants

We introduce TheRate (THEoretical RATEs), a complete application program with a graphical user interface (GUI) for calculating rate constants from first principles. It is based on canonical variational transition-state theory (CVT) augmented by multidimensional semiclassical zero and small curvature tunneling approximations. Conventional transition-state theory (TST) with one-dimensional Wigner or Eckart tunneling corrections is also available. Potential energy information needed for the rate calculations are obtained from ab initio molecular orbital and/or density functional electronic structure theory. Vibrational-state-selected rate constants may be calculated using a diabetic model. TheRate also introduces several technical advancements, namely the focusing technique and energy interpolation procedure. The focusing technique minimizes the number of Hessian calculations required by distributing more Hessian grid points in regions that are critical to the CVT and tunneling calculations and fewer Hessian grid points elsewhere. The energy interpolation procedure allows the use of a computationally less demanding electronic structure theory such as DFT to calculate the Hessians and geometries, while the energetics can be improved by performing a small number of single-point energy calculations along the MEP at a more accurate level of theory. The CH₄+H↔CH₃+H₂ reaction is used as a model to demonstrate usage of the program, and the convergence of the rate constants with respect to the number of electronic structure calculations. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 19: 1039–1052, 1998     

Multi-wall carbon nanotube supported tungsten hexacarbonyl: an efficient and reusable catalyst for epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide

Highly efficient epoxidation of alkenes with H₂O₂ catalyzed by tungsten hexacarbonyl supported on multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified with 1,2-diaminobenzene is reported. The prepared catalyst, [W(CO)₆@DAB-MWCNT], was characterized by elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, FT-IR, and diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectroscopic methods. The prepared catalyst was applied as an efficient catalyst for green epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide in CH₃CN. This heterogeneous metal carbonyl catalyst showed high stability and reusability in epoxidation without loss of its catalytic activity.     

On-line monitoring of gas-phase bioreactors for biogas treatment: hydrogen sulfide and sulfide analysis by automated flow systems

Biogas is produced by biological processes under anaerobic conditions and may contain up to 20,000 ppm_v hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a corrosive substance that attacks power engines and can affect the health of the industrial staff. H₂S must be removed from the biogas, especially in co-generation facilities where the biogas is burnt for energy production. Nowadays, biofiltration is being studied and considered as an interesting alternative for removing H₂S from the biogas besides classical chemical processes. The novelty of this work is the design and construction of an automated H₂S on-line analyser to assess the composition of the liquid and gas phases of gas-phase bioreactors. The analyser is made of two parallel flow configurations which share the same detection device. The first configuration is a single-channel flow injection analyser (FIA) to detect S²⁻ in the liquid phase. The second configuration is a continuous flow analyser (CFA) with a gaseous diffusion step (GD–CFA) for detecting H₂S in the gas phase. The diffusion step enables separation of the H₂S_(g) from the sample and its conversion into a detectable chemical species (S²⁻). S²⁻ detection was performed with an Ag₂S ion-selective electrode (ISE) selective to . The main response parameters of the FIA system are a linear range between 3 × 10⁻⁵ and 1 × 10⁻¹ mol L⁻¹ S²⁻ (0.61–3,200 mg L⁻¹), with a sensitivity of 27.9 mV decade⁻¹ and a detection limit of 1.93 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ S²⁻. The GD–CFA configuration presents a linear range between 400 and 10,000 ppm_v H₂S_(g) with a sensitivity of 26.1 mV decade⁻¹ and a detection limit of 245 ppm_v H₂S. The proposed analyser was used by analysing real gas and liquid samples with optimal results at a full-scale biotrickling filter for biogas treatment at a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Figure The novelty of this work is the design and construction of an automated H₂S on-line analyzer to assess the composition of the liquid and gas phases of gas-phase bioreactors. The analyser is made of two parallel flow configurations which share the same detection device. The first configuration is a single-channel flow injection analyser (FIA) to detect S^2- in the liquid phase. The second configuration is a continuous flow analyser (CFA) with a gaseous diffusion step (GD-CFA) for detecting H₂S in the gas phase.