Oxide catalysts for methane transformations in the absence of oxygen

The possibility of methane transformation to higher hydrocarbons in non-oxidizing atmosphere has been studied. It was found that in the presence of the MnO_x–Na/SiO₂-HZSM-5 catalytic system methane can be transformed into aromatics with a yield similar to that reported for oxidative coupling conditions.     

Aromatization of methane over different Mo-supported catalysts in the absence of oxygen

Both acidity and structure of the support are important factors in converting methane to aromatics. Lower SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio seems to favor the aromatization of methane over the Mo/HZSM-5 catalyst. When Pt is added as a modifier the activity of Mo/HZSM-5 catalyst will decrease slightly, but coke formation will enhanced.     

Evidence for oxygen binding at the active site of particulate methane monooxygenase

Particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) is an integral membrane metalloenzyme that converts methane to methanol in methanotrophic bacteria. The enzyme consists of three subunits, pmoB, pmoA, and pmoC, organized in an α(3)β(3)γ(3) trimer. Studies of intact pMMO and a recombinant soluble fragment of the pmoB subunit (denoted as spmoB) indicate that the active site is located within the soluble region of pmoB at the site of a crystallographically modeled dicopper center. In this work, we have investigated the reactivity of pMMO and spmoB with oxidants. Upon reduction and treatment of spmoB with O(2) or H(2)O(2) or pMMO with H(2)O(2), an absorbance feature at 345 nm is generated. The energy and intensity of this band are similar to those of the μ-η(2):η(2)-peroxo-Cu(II)(2) species formed in several dicopper enzymes and model compounds. The feature is not observed in inactive spmoB variants in which the dicopper center is disrupted, consistent with O(2) binding to the proposed active site. Reaction of the 345 nm species with CH(4) results in the disappearance of the spectroscopic feature, suggesting that this O(2) intermediate is mechanistically relevant. Taken together, these observations provide strong new support for the identity and location of the pMMO active site.     

Nature of Cu active sites in zeolite-based catalysts for selective catalytic oxidation of methane

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Though copper-containing zeolites (Cu–zeolites) have shown great potential in the direct conversion of methane to methanol under low temperature, the...     

Histidine in enzyme active centers.

The presence of histidine in the active center of an enzyme can be demonstrated by kinetic measurements, chemical modification, NMR spectroscopy or X-ray structure analysis. Histidine is the only naturally occurring amino acid to contain an imidazole residue as a side chain. The role of histidine in enzyme catalysis depends, inter alia, upon the special features of the imidazole residue: it thus tends to form hydrogen bonds, combines donor and acceptor properties and can take part in either nucleophilic or base catalysis. In some of these enzymes the position of each atom is known; however, the theories as to how the catalysis proceeds at a molecular level are controversial.     

Selective oxidation of methane to formaldehyde by oxygen over silica-supported iron catalysts (Special column of methane transformation, Article)

FeO_x-SiO₂ catalysts prepared by a sol-gel method were studied for the selective oxidation of methane by oxygen. A single-pass formaldehyde yield of 2.0% was obtained over the FeO_x-SiO₂ with an iron content of 0.5 wt% at 898 K. This 0.5 wt% FeO_x-SiO₂ catalyst demonstrated significantly higher catalytic performances than the 0.5 wt% FeO_x/SiO₂ prepared by an impregnation method. The correlation between the catalytic performances and the characterizations with UV-Vis and H₂-TPR suggested that the higher dispersion of iron species in the catalyst prepared by the sol-gel method was responsible for its higher catalytic activity for formaldehyde formation. The modification of the FeO_x-SiO₂ by phosphorus enhanced the formaldehyde selectivity, and a single-pass formaldehyde yield of 2.4% could be attained over a P-FeO_x-SiO₂ catalyst (P/Fe = 0.5) at 898 K. Raman spectroscopic measurements indicated the formation of FePO₄ nanoclusters in this catalyst, which were more selective toward formaldehyde formation.     

Nature of the catalytically labile oxygen at the active site of xanthine oxidase

In this paper we report the results of molybdenum K-edge X-ray absorption studies performed on the oxidized active site of xanthine oxidase at pH 6 and 10. These results indicate that the active site possesses one terminal oxygen ligand (Mo=O), two thiolate ligands (Mo-S), one terminal sulfido ligand (Mo=S), and one Mo-OH moiety. EXAFS analysis demonstrates that the Mo-OH bond shortens from 1.97 A at pH 6 to 1.75 A at pH 10, which is consistent with the generation of a Mo-O- moiety. This study provides convincing structural evidence that the catalytic oxygen donor at the oxidized active site of xanthine oxidase is Mo-OH rather than the Mo-OH2 ligation previously suggested by X-ray crystallography. These results support a mechanism initiated by base-assisted nucleophilic attack of the substrate by Mo-OH.     

Catalysts for the determination of oxygen in organic compounds

Summary Thermal decomposition of metal-organic complexes of nickel, cobalt and iron has given catalysts which are very effective at about 900° for the conversion of carbon dioxide, water and other oxygencontaining sample decomposition products to carbon monoxide in the direct determination of oxygen in organic compounds when using a modified Unterzaucher type apparatus. A copper catalyst similarly prepared required a temperature of 1030° whereas a manganese complex decomposition product was ineffective.

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Katalysatoren zur Sauerstoffbestimmung in organischen Substanzen

Zusammenfassung Durch thermische Zersetzung metallorganischer Komplexe von Ni, Co und Fe erhält man Katalysatoren, die die Umwandlung von CO₂, H₂O und anderen sauerstoffhältigen Zerfallsprodukten zu CO bei etwa 900° C bei der direkten Sauerstoffbestimmung in einer modifizierten Unterzaucher-Apparatur sehr wirksam fördern. Ein ähnlich hergestellter Cu-Katalysator erfordert 1030° C und das Zersetzungsprodukt eines Mn-Komplexes ist unwirksam.

     

Nature of active centers and stereospecificity of tetravalent titanium benzyl derivatives in polymerization of butadiene

Stereospecificity of tetrabenzyltitanium and its halogeno-derivatives in the polymerization of butadiene has been investigated. The content of 1,2-units decreases while the content of 1,4-cis-units increases in the resulting polybutadiene for the series (C₆H₅CH₂)₄Ti, (C₆H₅CH₂)₃TiCl, (C₆H₅CH₂)₃TiBr, (C₆H₅CH₂)₃Til. Tribenzyltitanium iodide exhibits high stereospecificity for the formation of 1,4-cis-units and their content reaches 94–97%. By determining the number of benzyl groups linked with titanium at different degrees of conversion, it has been shown that the active centre formed from tetrabenzyltitanium contains three benzyl groups and one polymer chain. Two benzyl groups, one iodine atom and one polymer chain are attached to a titanium atom in the active centre for the case of tribenzyltitanium iodide. Electron donors sharply change the stereospecificity of tribenzyltitanium iodide: the content of 1,2-units in the polymer rises to 68%.     

Photodegradation of aramids. I. Irradiation in the absence of oxygen

The photolysis reactions of a series of isomeric fully aromatic polyamides (aramids) have been investigated in the absence of oxygen by ultraviolet and luminescence spectroscopy. Several of the aramids were found to undergo photo-Fries rearrangements to give 2-aminobenzophenone backbone units when irradiated either as films, fibers, or dissolved in liquids. Quantum yields for this rearrangement were low, < 1 × 10^?6 mole/einstein, and increased with decreasing aramid glass transition temperature and increasing backbone mobility. The formation of gel, carbon monoxide, and a strong ESR signal were consistent with a free-radical mechanism for the rearrangement.     

Pulse reactions of methane, ethane and ethylene over Li-, La- and Sm-promoted MgO catalysts in the presence and absence of free oxygen

Pulse reaction of methane in the presence and absence of free (or gaseous) oxygen and that of ethane and ethylene in the absence of free oxygen over Li−MgO, La−MgO and Sm−MgO (Li or La or Sm/Mg ratio=0.1) have been investigated for elucidating the role of lattice and free oxygen in oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) over these catalysts. No significant role is played by the lattice oxygen from these catalysts in the OCM process. The presence of free oxygen is essential for all these catalysts to be active and selective in OCM process. However, lattice oxygen plays some role in ethane conversion but a very significant role in ethylene conversion over these catalysts.     

The effect of active oxygen species in nano-ZnCr2O4 spinel oxides for methane catalytic combustion

The nano-ZnCr₂O₄ spinel oxides was synthesized by a ethylene glycol mediated solvothermal method. Catalytic combustion of methane test showed that an excellent activity over nano-ZnCr₂O₄ with T_10% = 300 °C and T_90% = 400 °C. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N₂ adsorption-desorption measurements (BET) indicated that a uniform nano-ZnCr₂O₄ spinel oxides particles with the high surface area (96.2 m²g⁻¹) was successfully synthesized. Oxygen temperature programmed desorption (O₂-TPD) profile revealed there were two obvious desorption of oxygen species from nano-ZnCr₂O₄ in the range of 300–400 °C and 500–700 °C. It was clear that the desorption temperature range of the first oxygen species coincided with the methane catalytic combustion temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis exhibited that Cr⁶⁺ was present in the lattice of ZnCr₂O₄ apart from Cr³⁺. High valence cations of chromium in crystal lattice probable caused the presence of interstitial oxygen species in the structure to maintain the electroneutrality. Additionally, Raman spectra proved that there is the interstitial oxygen species in the crystal lattice of ZnCr₂O₄. Therefore, the excellent catalytic activity for methane combustion was contributed to the flexible interstitial oxygen in the ZnCr₂O₄.     

Kinetics of the reaction between methane and iodine from 830 to 1150 K in the presence and absence of oxygen

The formation of methyl iodide was determined by radiochemical methods and by massspectroscopic analyses in mixtures of Ar–CH₄–I₂ and Ar? CH₄? I₂? O₂, heated by a reflected shock wave to temperatures of 830–1150 K. The rate of formation of CH₃I was consistent with the chain mechanism where the indicated rate constant for reaction between I and CH₄ is given by k₂(cm³/mol · s) = 10^14.17 exp(?32.9 ± 0.8 kcal/mol/RT). No effect on the reaction rate by the presence of O₂ was detected. However, in one experiment at 1097 K with 3.86 mol % O₂ the formation of CH₂O was indicated by the mass-spectroscopic analysis, presumably from the reaction of O₂ with CH₃.     

Nature of the chemical bond in protonated methane

Protonated methane, CH(5)(+), is a key reactive intermediate in hydrocarbon chemistry and a borderline case for chemical structure theory, being the simplest example of hypercoordinated carbon. Early quantum mechanical calculations predicted that the properties of this species could not be associated with only one structure, because it presents serious limitations of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. However, ab initio molecular dynamics and diffusion Monte Carlo calculations showed that the most populated structure could be pictured as a CH(3) tripod linked to a H(2) moiety. Despite this controversy, a model for the chemical bonds involved in this ion still lacks. Here we present a modern valence bond model for the electronic structure of CH(5)(+). The chemical bond scheme derived directly from our calculations pictures this ion as H(3)C...H(2)(+). The fluxionality can be seen as the result of a proton transfer between C-H bonds. A new insight on the vibrational bands at approximately 2400 and approximately 2700 cm(-1) is suggested. Our results show that the chemical bond model can be profitably applied to such intriguing systems.     

Modeling of the kinetics of the heterogeneous-homogeneous conversion of methane into ethane and ethylene in the absence of oxygen in the gas phase

Computer calculations were carried out on the kinetics of the gas phase chain process for the conversion of methyl radicals into higher hydrocarbons in an oxygen-free atmosphere based on a scheme of reactions consisting of 23 homogeneous elementary steps and the heterogeneous stage of methyl radical formation. The results of the calculations are in good agreement with experimental kinetic results obtained for the interaction of methane with the oxidized surface of the perovskite catalyst KNaSrCoO₃. L. V. Pisarzhevskii Institute of Physical Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 31 Prospekt Nauki, Kiev 03039, Ukraine. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 222–225, July–August, 2000.