Power‐Law Kinetic Models for Synthesis of Ammonia Borane

In the past few years, there have been increasing numbers of studies for the production and dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (NH₃BH₃, AB), which has become a significant hydrogen storage material. However, kinetic model studies based on the synthesis of AB in the literature have not been encountered, though there are many kinetic modeling studies on dehydrogenation of AB (Akbayrak et al., Appl Catal B 2016, 198, 162–170; Choi et al., Phys Chem Chem Phys 2014, 16(17), 7959–7968; Esteruelas et al., Inorg Chem 2016, 55(14), 7176–7181; Park et al., Int J Hydrogen Energy 2015, 40(46), 16316–16322; Rakap, Appl Catal B 2015, 163, 129–134; Tonbul et al., Int J Hydrogen Energy 2016, 41(26), 11154–11162; Zhang et al., Int J Hydrogen Energy 2016, 41(39), 17208–17215). The paper describes the development of a kinetic model for synthesis of ammonia borane by using borohydride (NaBH₄) and ammonium salt (NH₄)₂SO₄. The synthesis of AB experiments was carried out at different temperature ranges between 25 and 50°C, different inlet molar ratios (NaBH₄/(NH₄)₂SO₄ = 1–4), and different molarities with respect to NaBH₄ (0.11–0.67 M NaBH₄). After the parametric experiments were conducted, empirical power law was evaluated for the synthesis reaction. The power‐law model represented the trends of the kinetics of the synthesis reaction and was reproduced as .     

Application of GC-PPC-SAFT EoS to amine mixtures with a predictive approach

The GC-PPC-SAFT equation of state (EoS) is a combination of a group contribution method [S. Tamouza et al., Fluid Phase Equilib. 222-223 (2004) 67-76; S. Tamouza et al., Fluid Phase Equilib. 228-229 (2005) 409-419] and the PC-SAFT EoS [J. Gross, G. Sadowski, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 40 (2001) 1244-1260] which was adapted to the polar molecules [D. Nguyen-Huynh et al., Fluid Phase Equilib. 264 (2008) 62-75]. It is here applied to the vapour pressure and liquid molar volume of primary, secondary and tertiary amines and their mixtures with n-alkanes, primary and secondary alcohols, using previously published group parameters. The mixing enthalpy is also evaluated for the binary systems. Binary interaction parameters k_ij are computed using a group-contribution pseudo-ionization energy, as proposed by Nguyen-Huynh [D. Nguyen-Huynh et al., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 47 (2008) 8847-8858]. A unique corrective parameter for the cross-association energy between amines and alcohols is used.The agreement with experimental data in correlation and prediction were found rather encouraging. The mean absolute average deviation (AAD) on bubble pressure is about 3.5% for pure amines. The mean AAD on the vapour-liquid equilibria (VLE) are respectively 2.2% and 5.5% for the amine mixtures with n-alkanes and alcohols. The AADs on saturated liquid volume are about 0.7% for the pure compounds and 0.9% for the mixtures. Prediction results are qualitatively and quantitatively accurate and they are comparable to those obtained with GC-PPC-SAFT on previously investigated systems.     

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in label-free biosensor applications: multivariate data analysis for an objective interpretation

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy plays an important role in biosensor science thanks to the possibility of finding specific information from processes with different kinetics at a chosen electrode potential in one experiment. In this paper we briefly discuss label-free impedimetric biosensors described in the literature. A novel method for neutral interpretation of impedance data is presented that includes complex number chemometrics. Three examples are given based on impedance measurements on synthetic biomembranes, in this case a lipid monolayer deposited on a mercury electrode. The interaction of various compounds with the monomolecular lipid layer is illustrated with the following: (1) different concentrations of magainin (Geladi et al. in Proc. Int. Fed. Med. Biomed. Eng. 9:219–220, 2005); (2) different derivatives of gramicidin A (Lindholm-Sethson et al. in Langmuir 24:5029–5032, 2007), and (3) an antimicrobial peptide (Ringstad et al. in Langmuir 24:208–216, 2008).     

Development of a Joint Hydrogen and Syngas Combustion Mechanism Based on an Optimization Approach

A comprehensive and hierarchical optimization of a joint hydrogen and syngas combustion mechanism has been carried out. The Kéromnès et al. (Combust Flame, 2013, 160, 995–1011) mechanism for syngas combustion was updated with our recently optimized hydrogen combustion mechanism (Varga et al., Proc Combust Inst, 2015, 35, 589–596) and optimized using a comprehensive set of direct and indirect experimental data relevant to hydrogen and syngas combustion. The collection of experimental data consisted of ignition measurements in shock tubes and rapid compression machines, burning velocity measurements, and species profiles measured using shock tubes, flow reactors, and jet‐stirred reactors. The experimental conditions covered wide ranges of temperatures (800–2500 K), pressures (0.5–50 bar), equivalence ratios (? = 0.3–5.0), and C/H ratios (0–3). In total, 48 Arrhenius parameters and 5 third‐body collision efficiency parameters of 18 elementary reactions were optimized using these experimental data. A large number of directly measured rate coefficient values belonging to 15 of the reaction steps were also utilized. The optimization has resulted in a H₂/CO combustion mechanism, which is applicable to a wide range of conditions. Moreover, new recommended rate parameters with their covariance matrix and temperature‐dependent uncertainty ranges of the optimized rate coefficients are provided. The optimized mechanism was compared to 19 recent hydrogen and syngas combustion mechanisms and is shown to provide the best reproduction of the experimental data.     

Glycyl‐L‐alanine: a multi‐temperature neutron study

Neutron diffraction data have been collected at 12, 50, 150 and 295 K for the dipeptide glycyl‐L‐alanine, C₅H₁₀N₂O₃, in order to obtain accurate positional and anisotropic displacement parameters for the H atoms. The values of these parameters serve as a benchmark for assessing the equivalent parameters obtained from a so‐called Hirshfeld‐atom refinement of X‐ray diffraction data described elsewhere [Capelli et al. (2014). IUCrJ, 1 , 361–379]. The flexibility of the glycyl‐L‐alanine molecule in the solid and the hydrogen‐bonding interactions as a function of temperature are also considered.     

Volumetric and Transport Properties of Ternary Mixtures Containing 1-Butanol or 1-Pentanol,Triethylamine and Cyclohexane at 303.15 K: Experimental Data,Correlation and Prediction by the ERAS Model

The excess molar volumes, V _m^E, viscosity deviations, Δη, and excess Gibbs energies of activation, ΔG ^*E, of viscous flow have been investigated from density and viscosity measurements for two ternary mixtures, 1-butanol + triethylamine + cyclohexane and 1-pentanol + triethylamine + cyclohexane, and corresponding binaries at 303.15 K and atmospheric pressure over the entire range of composition. The empirical equations due to Redlich-Kister, Kohler, Rastogi et al., Jacob-Fitzner, Tsao-Smith, Lark et al., Heric-Brewer, and Singh et al. have been employed to correlate V _m^E, Δη and ΔG ^*E of the ternary mixtures with their corresponding binary parameters. The results are discussed in terms of the molecular interactions between the components of the mixture. Further, the Extended Real Associated Solution, ERAS, model has been applied to V _m^E for the present binary and ternary mixtures, and the results are compared with experimental data.     

Characterization of the diffusion path in micro- and meso-porous materials from ZLC analysis

It has been demonstrated that the main diffusion paths of micro- and meso-porous UL-zeolites could be characterized from the Zero Length Column (ZLC) desorption curves with an appropriate theoretical analysis (Malekian et al., in Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 46:5067, 2007). The present work extends this method to study the ZLC desorption data of n-heptane/cumene/mesitylene in three mesoporous SBA-15 samples, 1-methylnaphthalene in MCM-48, cumene in SBA-16 and toluene/cumene in a microporous one-dimensional boron SSZ-42. The investigation results revealed that the structure of SBA-15, MCM-48 and SBA-16 behaved approximately as three-dimensional (isotropic) diffusion system, while SSZ-42 behaved as one-dimensional (anisotropic) diffusion systems. The diffusion path did not change within the measured temperature range, and by using different sorbate molecules. This work confirmed that this effective and relatively inexpensive method can be used as an additional tool for the characterization of porous materials.     

A comprehensive kinetic mechanism for CO,CH2O,and CH3OH combustion

New experimental profiles of stable species concentrations are reported for formaldehyde oxidation in a variable pressure flow reactor at initial temperatures of 850–950 K and at constant pressures ranging from 1.5 to 6.0 atm. These data, along with other data published in the literature and a previous comprehensive chemical kinetic model for methanol oxidation, are used to hierarchically develop an updated mechanism for CO/H₂O/H₂/O₂, CH₂O, and CH₃OH oxidation. Important modifications include recent revisions for the hydrogen–oxygen submechanism (Li et al., Int J Chem Kinet 2004, 36, 565), an updated submechanism for methanol reactions, and kinetic and thermochemical parameter modifications based upon recently published information. New rate constant correlations are recommended for CO + OH = CO₂ + H ( R23 ) and HCO + M = H + CO + M ( R24 ), motivated by a new identification of the temperatures over which these rate constants most affect laminar flame speed predictions (Zhao et al., Int J Chem Kinet 2005, 37, 282). The new weighted least‐squares fit of literature experimental data for ( R23 ) yields k₂₃ = 2.23 × 10⁵T^1.89exp(583/T) cm³/mol/s and reflects significantly lower rate constant values at low and intermediate temperatures in comparison to another recently recommended correlation and theoretical predictions. The weighted least‐squares fit of literature results for ( R24 ) yields k₂₄ = 4.75 × 10¹¹T^0.66exp(?7485/T) cm³/mol/s, which predicts values within uncertainties of both prior and new (Friedrichs et al., Phys Chem Chem Phys 2002, 4, 5778; DeSain et al., Chem Phys Lett 2001, 347, 79) measurements. Use of either of the data correlations reported in Friedrichs et al. (2002) and DeSain et al. (2001) for this reaction significantly degrades laminar flame speed predictions for oxygenated fuels as well as for other hydrocarbons. The present C₁/O₂ mechanism compares favorably against a wide range of experimental conditions for laminar premixed flame speed, shock tube ignition delay, and flow reactor species time history data at each level of hierarchical development. Very good agreement of the model predictions with all of the experimental measurements is demonstrated. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 39: 109–136, 2007     

Evaluation of Combustion Mechanisms Using Global Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analyses: A Case Study for Low‐Temperature Dimethyl Ether Oxidation

A global uncertainty analysis is performed for three current mechanisms describing the low‐temperature oxidation of dimethyl ether (Aramco Mech 1.3, Metcalfe et al., Int J Chem Kinet 2013, 45, 638–675; Zheng et al., Proc Combust Inst 2005, 30, 1101–1109; Liu et al., Combust Flame 2013, 160, 2654–2668) with application to simulations of species concentrations (CH₂O, H₂O₂, CH₃OCHO) corresponding to existing data from an atmospheric pressure flow reactor and high‐pressure ignition delays. When incorporating uncertainties in reaction rates within a global sampling approach, the distributions of predicted targets can span several orders of magnitude. The experimental profiles, however, fall within the predictive uncertainty limits. A variance‐based sensitivity analysis is then undertaken using high dimensional model representations. The main contributions to predictive uncertainties come from the CH₃OCH₂ + O₂ system, with isomerization, propagation, chain‐branching, secondary OH formation, and peroxy–peroxy reactions all playing a role. The response surface describing the relationship between sampled reaction rates and predicted outputs is complex in all cases. Higher order interactions between parameters contribute significantly to output variance, and no single reaction channel dominates for any of the conditions studied. Sensitivity scatter plots illustrate that many different parameter combinations could lead to good agreement with specific sets of experimental data. The Aramco scheme is then updated based on data from a recent study by Eskola et al. (J Phys Chem A, in press), which presents quite different temperature and pressure dependencies for the rates of CH₃OCH₂O₂ → CH₂OCH₂O₂H and CH₂OCH₂O₂H → OH+2CH₂O compared with currently used values and includes well skipping channels. The updates from Eskola worsen the agreement with experiments when used in isolation. However, if the rate of the CH₂OCH₂O₂H + O₂ channel is subsequently reduced, very good agreement can be achieved. Owing to the complex nature of the response surface, the tuning of this channel remains speculative. Further detailed studies of the temperature and pressure dependence of the CH₃OCH₂O₂ + O₂, CH₂OCH₂O₂H + O₂ system are recommended to reduce uncertainties within current dimethyl ether mechanisms for low‐temperature conditions.     

Water Catalysis of the Reaction of Methanol with OH Radical in the Atmosphere is Negligible

Faced with the contradictory results of two recent experimental studies [Jara‐Toro et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017 , 56, 2166 and Chao et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019 , 58, 5013] of the possible catalytic effect of water vapor on CH₃OH + OH reaction, we report calculations that corroborate the conclusion made by Chao et al. and extend the rate constant evaluation down to 200 K. The rate constants of the CH₃OH + OH reaction catalyzed by a water molecule are computed as functions of temperature and relative humidity using high‐level electronic structure and kinetics calculations. The Wuhan–Minnesota Scaling (WMS) method is used to provide accurate energetics to benchmark a density functional for direct dynamics. Both high‐frequency and low‐frequency anharmonicities are included. Variational and tunneling effects are treated by canonical variational transition state theory with multidimensional small‐curvature tunneling. And, most significantly, we include multistructural effects in the rate constant calculations. Our calculations show that the catalytic effect of water vapor is not observable at 200–400 K.     

Development of Activity-based Cost Functions for Cellulase, Invertase, and Other Enzymes

As enzyme chemistry plays an increasingly important role in the chemical industry, cost analysis of these enzymes becomes a necessity. In this paper, we examine the aspects that affect the cost of enzymes based upon enzyme activity. The basis for this study stems from a previously developed objective function that quantifies the tradeoffs in enzyme purification via the foam fractionation process (Cherry et al., Braz J Chem Eng 17:233–238, 2000). A generalized cost function is developed from our results that could be used to aid in both industrial and lab scale chemical processing. The generalized cost function shows several nonobvious results that could lead to significant savings. Additionally, the parameters involved in the operation and scaling up of enzyme processing could be optimized to minimize costs. We show that there are typically three regimes in the enzyme cost analysis function: the low activity prelinear region, the moderate activity linear region, and high activity power-law region. The overall form of the cost analysis function appears to robustly fit the power law form.     

Liquid–liquid equilibria of copolymer mixtures based on an equation of state

Liquid–liquid equilibria of copolymer mixtures were studied by an equation of state (EoS) for chain-like fluids. The equation consists of a reference term for hetero-nuclear hard-sphere chain fluids developed by Hu et al. where the next-to-nearest-neighbor correlations have been taken into account; and a perturbation term from Alder et al.’s square-well attractive potential. The segment parameters, including number of segments, segment diameter and interaction energy between segments, are obtained by fitting pVT data of pure homopolymer. For the case of different species in the same copolymer, the interaction parameters for unlike segment pairs are obtained by fitting pVT data of pure copolymer. For the interaction between segment of homopolymer and different species in copolymer, the parameters are treated as adjustable by fitting liquid–liquid equilibria data. In the latter case, the difference between different species in a copolymer is simply neglected as an approximation. Therefore, in general, only one pair of adjustable interaction parameter is determined from LLE data. To model miscibility maps of copolymer mixtures having two or three kinds of species, the interaction parameters are obtained from the boundary between miscible and immiscible regions. The EoS used in this work can correlate phase behavior including coexistence curves, miscibility windows and miscibility maps.     

Production and Characterization of Polyclonal and Monoclonal Abs Against the RNA-Binding Protein QKI

RNA-binding protein QKI, a member of the Signal Transduction and Activation of RNA family, is found to be essential in the blood vessel development and postnatal myelination in central nervous system (Woo et al., Oncogene 28:1176–1186, 2009; Lu et al., Nucleic Acids Res 31(15):4616–4624, 2003; Bohnsack et al., Genesis 44(2):93–104, 2006). However, its wide expression pattern suggests other fundamental roles in vivo (Kondo et al., Mamm Genome 10(7):662–669, 1999). To facilitate the understanding of QKI function in various systems, we prepared the polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against QKI. To obtain the antigen, recombinant His-tagged QKI was expressed in Escherichia coli and highly purified by Ni²⁺-chelated column combined with hydrophobic and ion exchange methods. Following three types of immunizations with different adjuvants, including Freund’s, PAGE gel, and nitrocellulose membrane, only the antiserum produced with Freund’s adjuvant is effective for Western blot detection. Several McAb clones are able to recognize both endogenous and over-expressed QKI with high affinity in Western blot and immunofluorescence. The specificity of Ab was validated as weakening, and no specific signals were observed in cells with QKI knocking down. Immunohistochemistry analysis further showed positive staining of QKI in kidney where QKI mRNA was abundantly expressed, ensuring the wide applications of the QKI Abs in the ongoing mechanistic studies.     

Characterization of coal fly ash components by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

The high sensitivity of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the detection of most of the fly ash components enables the analysis of these residues produced during the combustion of coal. Fly ash consists of oxides (SiO₂, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, CaO…) and unburnt carbon which is the major determinant of combustion efficiency in coal fired boilers. For example, an excessive amount of residual carbon dispersed in the fly ash means a significant loss of energy (Styszko et al., 2004 [1]). Standard methods employed for the analysis of fly ash make not possible a control of boiler in real time. LIBS technique can significantly reduce the time of analysis, in some cases even an online detection can be performed. For this reason, some studies have been addressed in order to demonstrate the capability of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy technique for the detection of carbon content in high pressure conditions typical of thermal power plants (Noda et al., 2002 [2]) and for the monitoring of unburnt carbon for the boiler control in real time (Kurihara et al., 2003[3]).In particular, the content of unburnt carbon is a valuable indicator for the control of fly ash quality and for the boiler combustion. Depending on this unburnt carbon content, fly ash can be disposed as an industrial waste or as a raw material for the production of concrete in the construction sector. In this study, analyses were performed on specimens of various forms of preparation. Pressed pellets were prepared with two different binders. Presented results concern the nature and amount of the binder used to pelletize the powder, and the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy parameters and procedure required to draw calibration curves of elements from the fly ash. Analysis “on tape” was performed in order to establish the experimental conditions for the future “online analysis”.     

A New Analytical Solution of the Binary Copolymer Composition Equation and Suggested Procedure for Deriving the Monomer Reactivity Ratios

Abstract

An absolute analytical procedure is found for obtaining the parameters of the differential, binary, copolymer composition equation, setting up a least-squares condition that places equal weight on all experimental lines of the Mayo-Lewis plot. The values of monomer reactivity ratios for the system ethyl methacrylate (M₁-vinylidene chloride (M₂), studied by Agron et al., are r₁ = 2.052 ± 0.043 and r₂ = 0.346 ± 0.052. These values, especially r₁, differ from the estimates by Agron et al. The new solution, however, appears to yield the estimate of maximum likelihood for the reactivity ratios based on the given experimental data.     

Vapor–liquid equilibria in the ternary system isobutyl alcohol + isobutyl acetate + butyl propionate and the binary systems isobutyl alcohol + butyl propionate,isobutyl acetate + butyl propionate at 101.3 kPa

Consistent vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) data at 101.3 kPa have been determined for the ternary system isobutyl alcohol (IBA) + isobutyl acetate (IBAc) + butyl propionate (BUP) and two constituent binary systems: IBA + BUP and IBAc + BUP. The IBA + BUP system show lightly positive deviation from Raoult's law and IBAc + BUP system exhibits no deviation from ideal behaviour. The activity coefficients of the solutions were correlated with its composition by the Wilson, NRTL, UNIQUAC models. The ternary system is very well predicted from binary interaction parameters. BUP eliminates the IBA–IBAc binary azeotrope. The change of phase equilibria behaviour is significant therefore this solvent seems to be an effective agent for that azeotrope mixture separation. In fact, the mean relative volatility on a solvent free basis is 1.8.The binary VLE data measured in the present study passed the thermodynamic consistency test of Fredenslund et al. [A. Fredenslund, J. Gmehling, P. Rasmussen, Vapor–Liquid Equilibria Using UNIFAC, A Group Contribution Method, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1977], and were correlated by the Wilson, NRTL and UNIQUAC models to relate activity coefficients with mole fractions. The VLE data obtained for the ternary system passed both the Wisniak L–W [J. Wisniak, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 32 (1993) 1531–1533] and McDermott–Ellis [C. McDermott, S.R. Ellis, Chem. Eng. Sci. 20 (1965) 293–296] consistency test. The parameters obtained from binary data were utilized directly to predict the phase behaviour of the ternary system. The results showed an excellent agreement with experimental values.     

Viscosity Prediction for Oxygen,Nitrogen and Their Mixtures at Zero and Moderately Dense Regimes via Semi‐Empirically Based Assessment

The viscosity coefficients for the gaseous states of N₂ and O₂ and their mixtures are determined at zero and moderately density regimes. The Lennard‐Jones 12–6 (LJ 12–6) potential energy function is used as the initial model potential required y the technique. The interaction potential energies from the inversion procedure reproduce the viscosity commensurate to the best measurements. The initial density dependence of gaseous viscosity coefficient according to the Rainwater‐Friend theory, which was given by Najafi et al., has been considered for pure N₂ and pure O₂.     

Dilational rheology of protein films adsorbed at fluid interfaces

This report aims at (i) presenting a quantitative interpretation of interfacial dilational moduli (|E|) for four proteins at three different interfaces and (ii) identifying the main parameters responsible. The proteins were adsorbed from aqueous solution against air, n-tetradecane and sunflower seed oil, as a function of protein concentration and adsorption time.Experimentally, a dynamic drop tensiometer is a convenient instrument to generate the required sinusoidal oscillations for compression/expansion of interfaces (Benjamins et al., 1996 [1]).Theoretically, a simple two-dimensional solution model with a constant molecular area of the protein described the data only at fairly low pressures. Much better agreement over the entire elastic range was found with a recent extension of the model. This extension accounted for adsorbed proteins adopting smaller molecular areas with increasing surface pressure.Three factors dominated the values of the dilational modulus: (i) rigidity of protein molecules, (ii) degree of interfacial non-ideality and (iii) tension of the clean interface (Benjamins et al., 2006 [2]). The last factor is clearly of great relevance to food emulsions.For each protein at different interfaces, the elasticity increased with the enthalpy parameter (Η^S) of the equation of state. Elasticity and Η^S both increased with the clean-interface tension, γ⁰, i.e., with decreasing polarity of the interface (Benjamins et al., 2006 [2]; Fainerman et al., 2003 [3]). The elasticity of the different proteins also increased with increasing rigidity of the molecules, indicating a lower compressibility of the molecular area at the interface.Pure viscosities were never observed in our experience. However, viscoelastic behaviour was found at high pressures, i.e., in densely packed surfaces. The measured viscous phase angles strongly decreased at still higher pressures, indicating that the active relaxation mechanism slowed down with increasing molecular packing density. Specific kinetic models are yet to be developed for such mechanisms.