Effect of sulfuric and phosphoric acid pretreatments on enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover

The pretreatment of corn stover with H₂SO₄ and H₃PO₄ was investigated. Pretreatments were carried out from 30 to 120 min in a batch reactor at 121°C, with acid concentrations ranging from 0 to 2% (w/v) at a solid concentration of 5% (w/v). Pretreated corn stover was washed with distilled water until the filtrate was adjusted to pH 7.0, followed by surfactant swelling of the cellulosic fraction in a 0–10% (w/v) solution of Tween-80 at room temperature for 12 h. The dilute acid treatment proved to be a very effective method in terms of hemicellulose recovery and cellulose digetibility. Hemicellulose recovery was 62–90%, and enzymatic digestibility of the cellulose that remained in the solid was >80% with 2% (w/v) acid. In all cases studied, the performance of H₂SO₄ pretreatment (hemicellulose recovery and cellulose digestibility) was significantly better than obtained with H₃PO₄. Enzymatic hydrolysis was more effective using surfactant than without it, producing 10–20% more sugar. Furthermore, digestibility was investigated as a function of hemicellulose removal. It was found that digestibility was more directly related to hemicellulose removal than to delignification.     

Ce1-xFexO2复合氧化物催化剂的制备及其对甲烷的催化燃烧性能

采用柠檬酸溶胶-凝胶法和微波技术制备了Ce1-x Fex O2复合氧化物,以甲烷催化燃烧为探针反应测定了催化剂的活性及XRD、DRS、BET和TPR进行了表征。结果表明,Ce1-x Fex O2复合氧化物为介孔材料,所制得的复合氧化物在x≤0．2时以单一立方萤石结构的Ce1-x Fex O2固溶体存在,x〉0．2时形成了立方萤石结构Ce1-x Fex O2固溶体和少量的CeFeO3混合相。Ce1-x Fex O2固溶体的甲烷催化燃烧活性高于单组分CeO2,且随着x的不同而变化,其中以Ce0.9 Fe0.1 O2固溶体的催化活性最高。     

Synthesis,characterization of SiO2 supported-industrial phosphoric acid catalyst for hydrolysis of NaBH4 solution

Abstract

Tunisian industrial phosphoric acid H₃PO₄ was supported on silica gel SiO₂ (SIPA) to catalyze the hydrolysis reaction of aqueous alkaline sodium borohydride (NaBH₄). The SiO₂ was produced from purified quartz sand using alkali fusion-acidification chemical process. The BET surface area results indicate that the prepared silica gel could reach a specific surface area up to 585 m²/g. The addition of PO₃H₂ functional groups resulted in an increase of surface acidity of SiO₂ catalyst as shown by FT-IR and DTA-DTG spectra. The total acidity of SIPA catalyst was determined by titration to be 2.8?mmol H⁺/g. SEM/EDS maps reveal the distribution of heavy metals on the silica surface. The effect of supported PO₃H₂ functional groups and heavy metals on the NaBH₄ hydrolysis reaction was studied for different ratios of SIPA catalyst to NaBH₄. The sample 12SIPA/NaBH₄ leads to a very high hydrogen generation rate (up to 90%). The activation energy of hydrogen generation by NaBH₄ hydrolysis was 25.7?kJ mol^?1.     

Preparation of Al2TiO5-ZrO2 mixed powders via sol-gel process

Sol-gel routes in the ternary system Al₂O₃-TiO₅-ZrO₂ were investigated to prepare Al₂TiO₅-ZrO₂ mixed powders. The preparation of ZrTiO₄ and Al₂TiO₅ was studied before going on with the ternary system. Zirconium titanate precursor gels were prepared from Ti(OPrⁱ)₄ and Zr(OPrⁿ)₄ mixtures. The crystallization of ZrTiO₄ develops at T<700°C. Al₂TiO₅ was prepared by different ways, using mixtures of Al(OBu^s)₂(C₆H₉O₃) with Ti(OPr ⁱ )₄ (i), or with acetic acid addition (ii). Route (i) leads to a separate crystallization of TiO₂ and -Al₂O₃, with subsequent formation of -Al₂TiO₅ at T1360°C. Although the pseudobrookite -Al₂TiO₅ is thermodynamically unstable below 1280°C, route (ii) leads to the crystallization of metastable -Al₂TiO₅ at T800°C. At increasing temperature, -Al₂TiO₅ decomposes into TiO₂ and -Al₂O₃, then the two compounds react to form stable -Al₂TiO₅. For the ternary system, all the preparation routes which were studied lead to ZrTiO₄ and -Al₂O₃ with subsequent reaction (at T1500°C) to give -Al₂TiO₅ and ZrO₂.     

Preparation of monodispersed microporous SiO2 microspheres with high specific surface area using dodecylamine as a hydrolysis catalyst

A novel and simple method for the synthesis of monodispersed microporous SiO₂ microspheres with high specific surface area was developed by hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in a water-ethanol mixed solution and using dodecylamine (DDA) as hydrolysis catalyst and template. The as-prepared products were characterized with differential thermal analysis-thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, small angle X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption. The effects of experimental conditions including hydrolysis temperatures, calcination temperature and concentrations of TEOS and DDA on the morphology and pore parameters of the as-prepared SiO₂ microspheres were investigated and discussed. The results showed that hydrolysis temperature and concentrations of TEOS and DDA are important parameters for the control of size and morphology of particles. The specific surface area and specific pore volume of the as-prepared SiO₂ microspheres increased with increasing DDA concentration and calcination temperature. DDA may act not only as a good hydrolysis catalyst but also as a template for the formation of monodispersed SiO₂ microspheres with high specific surface area. This research may provide new insight into the synthesis of monodispersed microporous SiO₂ microspheres.     

Electrochemical behaviour of SiO2 sol-gel coatings on stainless steel

SiO₂ coatings onto stainless steel substrates have been prepared by sol-gel in order to study the performance and mechanism of attack in different corrosive solutions. The electrochemical behaviour of the samples has been evaluated by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy using NaCl and HCl as electrolytes. Comparative tests have been performed on samples with one and two silica layers as well as on uncoated ones. SiO₂ coatings produce no important protection of stainless steels subjected to electrochemical corrosion. This behaviour may be explained by micropores and microcracks produced during the coating sintering.     

Phase formation and thermal stability of the compounds in the Bi2O3-PbO system

The scientific interest for the Bi₂O₃-PbO system has increased due to the importance of the PbO in the high-T _c superconducting phase formation in the Bi₂O₃-SrO-CaO-CuO system. Also Bi₂O₃-PbO system contains compounds with some specific semiconductor and dielectric properties and Bi₂O₃-based solid solutions are well known as high oxygen ion conductors.Previously, several low melting defined compounds have been identified in the system: 6Bi₂O₃·PbO; 3Bi₂O₃·2PbO; 4Bi₂O₃·5PbO; 4Bi₂O₃·6PbO and Bi₂O₃·3PbO.This work deals with the phase formation and thermal stability of these compounds. Under non-isothermal conditions, in all mixtures regardless of the Bi₂O₃/PbO ratio, the compound 6Bi₂O₃·PbO is preferentially formed, followed by the compound 4Bi₂O₃·5PbO. The formation of the compound 4Bi₂O₃·6PbO was not confirmed while the formation of the compound Bi₂O₃ 3PbO occurs through a complex mechanism which includes an intermediate step in which a solid solution with the litharge structure was identified. Under isothermal conditions in the same temperature range the tendency to form the stoichiometric compounds increases. All compounds form, decompose and melt at temperatures between 530–780°C.     

Photocatalytic activity of TiO2/SnO2/Pt prepared by the sol-gel method

This investigation compares the photodegradation performance of C.I. Reactive Red 2 (RR2) in single- and coupled-photocatalyst systems. The photocatalysts were produced via the sol-gel method. PEG and Pt addition increases the decolorization rate (1.6–2.12 h⁻¹), the amount of sulfate released and the DOC reduction percentage in coupled photocatalyst systems the cause of PEG improving the homogeneity of the final product and incorporating Pt into the lattice reduced the band gap of photocatalysts.     

Alkoxide Derived SrBi2Ta2O9 Phase Pure Powder and Thin Films

Phase pure powder and thin films of the novel ferroelectric materials SrBi₂Ta₂O₉ (SBT) have been prepared using the organic precursors. The xero-gel formed was dried and characterized using TGA and DTA to determine the organic burn out and crystallization temperature of SBT. Powder X-ray diffraction was used systematically to check the crystallinity of SBT. Phase pure SBT powder was formed as low as 650°C and thin films at 600°C in comparison to other earlier reported work. SEM micrographs show a grain size of ≈0.1 μm and show crack free films with a film thickness of 2 μm.     

Synthesis of SiO2 thin films by sol-gel method using photoirradiation and molecular structure analysis

The SiO₂ thin films were prepared by a process which combines a sol-gel method and photoirradiation. The HF etch rate and microhardness of a film prepared by this process were better than those of a film furnace-fired at same temperature. The Raman and ²⁹Si solid state NMR spectra of film prepared by this process were similar to those of a film furnace-fired at higher temperature. There are many unstable folded non-linear SiO₂ species in the film prepared at low temperature. On treatment at higher temperature, unstable folded non-linear Si-O-Si rearranges to the stable linear Si-O-Si bond. Photoirradiation enhances this structure change. The process provided denser and harder SiO₂ thin films, even at low temperature, than the conventional furnace-firing method did.     

Solid State Phase Formation in the Bi2O3-PbO-CaO System

Following our previous research, this work is dedicated to the study of phase formation in the subsolidus domain of the Bi₂O₃-PbO-CaO system. Former investigations performed by DTA/TGA and XRD have pointed out that under non-isothermal conditions only the formation of binary compounds occurs. Under such conditions these compounds could be non-equilibrium phases. In order to establish the conditions of formation of equilibrium phases, a study of the Bi₂O₃-PbO-CaO system, in isothermal conditions, was carried out. The results obtained in isothermal conditions have confirmed the presence of Bi₂O₃-rich solid solutions and Ca₂PbO₄ as main equilibrium phases. An attempt to represent the phase relations of the mentioned system at 700°C should be equally mentioned. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Synthesis and properties of sol-gel submicron silica powders doped with partly oxidized iron particles

Magnetic powders based on metallic iron crystallites encapsulated in submicron-sized spherical silica particles have been obtained and investigated. The metallic iron clusters have been produced by the exploding wire method. The silica shells have been prepared via the modified sol-gel Stöber method and the metallic particles have been entrapped by occlusion during the silica powder formation. The entrapped iron particles are partially oxidized due to the nature of the synthetic methods employed. The obtained hybrid materials have been investigated by electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, magnetic and ζ-potential techniques. Such materials can be employed in such applications as e.g. magnetically-controlled drug vectors or electromagnetic field-shielding.     

Synthesis and thermal evolution of TiO2-RuO2 xerogels

Gels of the Ti Ru O system, where , 0.001, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 (mol), have been synthesized by a polymeric sol-gel route from Ti (IV)-iso-propoxide and Ru (III) acetyl-acetonate (acac). The mechanisms of the hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions were studied by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The evolution of the xerogels as a function of temperature was also determined. At temperatures, as low as 200°C, mixtures of antase Ti Ru O (Ass) solid solution and rutile Ti Ru O solid solution (Rss) were attained for compositions with 0.3. For , only the anatase phase is present (A) and for , mixtures of anatase Ti Ru O (Ass) solid solution, rutile Ti Ru O solid solution (Rss) and Ru Ti O (RuO ss) solid solution were attained. RuO catalyzes the anatase to rutile transformation, even at RuO contents as low as 0.001 mol. Although, from 300 to 400°C the solid solubility of RuO into rutile-TiO phase is located at , from 500°C that value is located in the 0.05 range. This fact could be due to the metastability of the rutile solid solutions containing ruthenium oxide above 400°C. According to semiquantitative transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDX) analyses, at 700°C, there are compositional variations in both solid solutions, Rss and RuO ss. Thus, the system is chemically heterogeneous. The amount of Ti ions hosted into the RuO lattice in the solid solution is lower than that of Ru ions into the rutile-TiO lattice. At this temperature, the contents of these solid solutions are mol% RuO into the TiO lattice (the maximum value found) and around 8.0 mol% TiO (the maximum value found) into RuO . The RuO volatilization can promote the segregation of the ruthenium oxide giving rise to the heterogeneity and the metastability observed in this system.     

Thermal behaviour study of some sol-gel TiO2 based materials

Among the great number of sol-gel materials prepared, TiO₂ holds one of the most important places due to its photocatalytic properties, both in the case of powders and coatings. Impurity doping is one of the typical approaches to extend the spectral response of a wide band gap semiconductor to visible light. This work has studied some un-doped and Pd-doped sol-gel TiO₂ nanopowders, presenting various surface morphologies and structures. The obtained powders have been embedded in vitreous TiO₂ matrices and the corresponding coatings have been prepared by dipping procedure, on glass substrates. The relationship between the synthesis conditions and the properties of titania nanosized materials, such as thermal stability, phase composition, crystallinity, morphology and size of particles, and the influence of dopant was investigated. The influence of Pd on TiO₂ crystallization both for supported and unsupported materials was studied (lattice parameters, crystallite sizes, internal strains). The hydrophilic properties of the films were also connected with their structure, composition and surface morphology. The methods used for the characterization of the materials have been: simultaneous thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy (TEM, SAED) and AFM.     

Preparation and Characterization of Amorphous ZrO2-SiO2 Composite Powders Processed by Sol-Gel Chemistry

Composite ZrO₂-SiO₂ powders, with different ZrO₂ contents, including pure ZrO₂ powders, were prepared by precipitation in SiO₂ suspensions, of zirconia gels from solutions of zirconyl chloride at pH = 11. These products were investigated in connection with the phase changes in ZrO₂ caused by heat-treatments. ZrO₂-SiO₂ mixtures containing 0–100% mol ZrO₂, were studied by differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), temperature programmed desorption combined with mass spectroscopy (TPD-MS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), to obtain information on the morphological and structural features of the particles before and during the heat treatment up to 1200°C. Specific surface areas were determined using nitrogen adsorption by the BET method. The results offer an explanation about some of the factors which can be influencing on the stabilization of metastable-cubic/tetragonal (C/T) phase of ZrO₂ and the evolution of surface areas (vulcano profile) observed in the composites.     

Understanding and improving the deposition conditions of SiO2 thin films obtained by ultrasonic sol-gel procedure

Sol-gel deposition of an ultrasonically atomized aerosol has been proven to be a convenient thin film deposition method. Flexibility of the ultrasonic process allows the use of a large range of source solutions. In this paper we describe and discuss the deposition conditions of SiO₂ films. The chemical parameters are contemplated and we discuss the influence of ultrasonic waves on the reliability of our process. Source solutions and SiO₂ film properties are studied by viscosimetry, Fourier Transform IR spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry.     

Efficient synthesis of xanthenedione derivatives using cesium salt of phosphotungstic acid as a heterogeneous and reusable catalyst in water

Cs_2.5H_0.5PW₁₂O₄₀ has been reported to be an efficient catalyst for the synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthene from aldehydes and 1,3-cyclohexanedione/dimedone in water. This approach is environmentally benign with clean synthetic procedure, short reaction time, easy workup procedure, excellent yield, and regeneration of catalyst, which made this protocol efficient and safe.     

纳米二氧化钛粉末的溶胶-凝胶法合成及晶相转化

Nanosized TiO₂ powder with anatase and rutile structures was synthesized by a sol-gel method using TiCl₄ ethanol solution as a precursor.The grain size of TiO₂ powder was about 63nm after the precursor was calcined at 600℃ for 2 hours .The experimental techniques of XRD,TEM and Particle Distribution were used to characterize the synthesized specimens. Various special effects were investigated for their contribution to crystal structure and the size of TiO₂ powder .The formation of anatase as well as the rutile phase of TiO₂ was indicted from the XRD when the reaction temperature was above 30℃ and when the sol was irradiated by infrared rays .However, an anatase TiO₂ powder formed after the heat treatment of the dried gel in a temperature range from 300℃ to 500℃.Under the vacuum drying and with the calcined time below 3hours ,the anatase phase was gained .As well as with the increase of gelatinizing time, the anatase TiO₂ powder was obtained.     

ZrO_2-Al_2O_3复合氧化物的合成及其性能研究

采用表面活性剂改性的沉淀法合成了系列掺杂钇、镧、钡的氧化锆铝复合氧化物。通过XRD、XRF、低温N2吸附和CO脉冲化学吸附等手段考察了表面活性剂、助剂、焙烧温度对复合材料结构、孔结构以及负载0.5%铑催化剂的分散性能等的影响。研究表明:与采用常规沉淀法合成的氧化锆铝复合氧化物相比,添加表面活性剂合成的样品具有更大的比表面积、孔容和适合的孔径分布。分别或同时掺杂La、Ba、Y合成的氧化锆铝复合氧化物都能抑制氧化铝的α相变,提高复合材料和催化剂表面金属Rh的高温抗烧结能力,特别是同时掺杂La、Ba、Y合成的Rh/LBYZA样品经1100℃4h焙烧后仍有17.82%的金属分散度。以LBYZA为载体制备的新鲜催化剂(600℃4h焙烧样品)在CO选择还原NO反应中NO和CO的起燃温度分别为240、243℃,完全燃烧温度分别为273、280℃,表现出较高的催化活性。     

Preparation and optical properties of Bi2S3 microcrystallite doped glass and thin film by the sol-gel process

The Bi₂S₃ microcrystallite doped thin films and glass lumps have been successfully prepared by the sol-gel process from the hydrolysis of a complex solution of Si(OC₂H₅)₄ Bi(NO₃)₃ · 5H₂O and SC(NH₂)₂, and the size of the microcrystallites in glass heated for different times at 400°C was decided by the method of HRTEM. The optical transmission valley shifted towards longer wavelengths with longer heat-treatment time at 500°C in the Bi₂S₃ doped thin films, showing the experimental evidence of quantum size effects. The red-shift of emission peaks in luminenscence spectrum excited with longer wavelength is attributed to the broad distribution of particle size in Bi₂S₃ doped glass.