Conversion of xylose and xylan into furfural in biorenewable choline chloride–oxalic acid deep eutectic solvent with the addition of metal chloride

An environmentally benign processing approach for furfural production from xylose and xylan under very mild conditions(353–373 K) was developed with the addition of metal chlorides in ChCl–oxalic acid(a deep eutectic solvent(DES)) synthesized from cheap and renewable starting materials). ChCl–oxalic acid acted as both a Br?nsted acid catalyst and a reaction medium in this catalytic route. In addition, a biphasic system with methyl isobutyl ketone as an extracting reagent(DES/MIBK) to further increase furfural yield was also proposed. This processing approach for producing furfural eliminated the large energy consumption for high pressure saturated steam and the generation of acidic effluent, which was very difficult to handle. The whole catalytic system was more environmentally friendly compared with the commercial process for furfural production.     

Henry’s constant of carbon dioxide-aqueous deep eutectic solvent (choline chloride/ethylene glycol,choline chloride/glycerol,choline chloride/malonic acid) systems

In this study, we present a new set of Henry’s constant data for the system carbon dioxide-aqueous deep eutectic solvent (DES) (20 to 80 wt% DES) at T = (303.15, 308.15, and 313.15) K. The DESs used were choline chloride-based: ethaline (choline chloride/ethylene glycol), glyceline (choline chloride/glycerol), and maline (choline chloride/malonic acid). A differential Henry’s coefficient model was used to describe the behaviour of Henry’s constant, and correlate it with temperature and concentration of DES in the aqueous DES solution. The correlation was found satisfactory such that the proposed model can be used in engineering calculations with reasonable accuracy.     

A novel digestion method based on a choline chloride–oxalic acid deep eutectic solvent for determining Cu,Fe, and Zn in fish samples

A novel and efficient digestion method based on choline chloride–oxalic acid (ChCl–Ox) deep eutectic solvent (DES) was developed for flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) determination of Cu, Zn, and Fe in biological fish samples. Key parameters that influence analyte recovery were investigated and optimized, using the fish protein certified reference material (CRM, DORM-3) throughout the procedure. In this method, 100 mg of the sample was dissolved in ChCl–Ox (1:2, molar ratio) at 100 °C for 45 min. Then, 5.0 mL HNO₃ (1.0 M) was added. After centrifugation, the supernatant solution was filtered, diluted to a known volume, and analyzed by FAAS. Under optimized conditions, an excellent agreement between the obtained results and the certified values was observed, using Student's t-test (P = 0.05); the extraction recovery of the all elements was greater than 95.3%. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of analytes in different tissues (muscle, liver, and gills) having a broad concentration range in a marine fish sample. The reproducibility of the method was validated by analyzing all samples by our method in a different laboratory, using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). For comparison, a conventional acid digestion (CAD) method was also used for the determination of analytes in all studied samples. The simplicity of the proposed experimental procedure, high extraction efficiency, short analysis time, lack of concentrated acids and oxidizing agents, and the use of safe and inexpensive components demonstrate the high potential of ChCl–Ox (1:2) for routine trace metal analysis in biological samples.     

Electrochemical preparation and spectroelectrochemical study of neptunium chloride complexes in LiCl–KCl eutectic melts

Lyoluminescence (LL) is a good technique for radiation dosimetry of high-energy radiations. Dosimetry of γ rays from ⁶⁰Co radioactive source has been done using MgB₄O₇:Mn²⁺ phosphor material. It was synthesized by simple solid state diffusion method. The material shows good linear LL response with the γ rays for the dose rage of 10 Gy–10 kGy. The studies have also been done for different particle sizes (250–45 µm) and particles having average size ~85 µm were found to be the most suitable for this dosimetry. Effect of solvent pH on LL and fading on storage has also been studied.     

Physical–chemical properties of nickel analogs ionic liquid based on choline chloride

In this paper, a homogeneous, green analogs ionic liquid containing choline chloride and nickel chloride hexahydrate is formed. The structure of the analogs ionic liquid is preliminary investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It is shown that the nickel chloride hexahydrate bond via hydrogen bonds with choline chloride and urea. The physico-chemical properties of the analogs ionic liquid such as viscosity, conductivity, density, and thermal stability are measured as a function of temperature and composition. The thermal expansion coefficients (r), the molar Gibbs energy of activation (ΔG*) for viscous flow, the molar enthalpy of activation (ΔH*), and the molar entropy of activation (ΔS*) for viscous flow have been calculated. A straight-line equation is used to fit the density data while the Arrhenius equation is used to fit both viscosity and conductivity. Thermal stability of analogs ionic liquid was carried out from room temperature to 973.15 K. It indicates that analogs ionic liquid is stable from room temperature to 488.2 K.     

Hydration of α-alanine in aqueous sodium chloride and urea solutions

The hydration number of α-alanine in aqueous urea solutions is greater than in aqueous NaCl solutions; the ratio of the hydration numbers increases from 0.2 (m = 1) to ≈2 (m = 6). Given the same partial volumes of water, the hydration numbers of α-alanine in the two systems are close to each other.     

One-pot α-nucleophilic fluorination of acetophenones in a deep eutectic solvent

Two methods of nucleophilic fluorination to prepare α-fluoroacetophenones from α-bromoacetophenones by using KF with PEG-400 or TBAF with ZnF₂ are described. On the fundamental of nucleophilic fluorination, a novel method of one-pot fluorination to prepare α-fluoroacetophenones directly from acetophenones in DES was developed.     

Theoretical picture of positive electrode–solid electrolyte interface in all-solid-state battery from electrochemistry and semiconductor physics viewpoints

All-solid-state battery has attracted significant attention as a promising next-generation energy storage. However, interfacial resistance of ion transport between the positive electrode and solid electrolyte is still a crucial issue for the all-solid-state battery commercialization. Although some mechanisms such as space charge layer and reaction layer effects have been suggested, the ionic and electronic behaviors at the solid–solid interfaces have not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we address theoretical microscopic understanding of the interfacial ionics and electronics from the viewpoints of electrochemistry and semiconductor physics, in conjunction with the results of recent density functional theory calculations.     

Photophysics and electrochemistry relevant to photocatalytic water splitting involved at solid–electrolyte interfaces

Direct photon to chemical energy conversion using semiconductor–electrocatalyst–electrolyte interfaces has been extensively investigated for more than a half century. Many studies have focused on screening materials for efficient photocatalysis. Photocatalytic efficiency has been improved during this period but is not sufficient for industrial commercialization. Detailed elucidation on the photocatalytic water splitting process leads to consecutive six reaction steps with the fundamental parameters involved: The photocatalysis is initiated involving photophysics derived from various semiconductor properties(1: photon absorption, 2: exciton separation). The generated charge carriers need to be transferred to surfaces effectively utilizing the interfaces(3: carrier diffusion, 4: carrier transport). Consequently, electrocatalysis finishes the process by producing products on the surface(5: catalytic efficiency, 6: mass transfer of reactants and products). Successful photocatalytic water splitting requires the enhancement of efficiency at each stage. Most critically, a fundamental understanding of the interfacial phenomena is highly desired for establishing "photocatalysis by design" concepts, where the kinetic bottleneck within a process is identified by further improving the specific properties of photocatalytic materials as opposed to blind material screening. Theoretical modeling using the identified quantitative parameters can effectively predict the theoretically attainable photon-conversion yields. This article provides an overview of the state-of-the-art theoretical understanding of interfacial problems mainly developed in our laboratory.Photocatalytic water splitting(especially hydrogen evolution on metal surfaces) was selected as a topic,and the photophysical and electrochemical processes that occur at semiconductor–metal, semiconductor–electrolyte and metal–electrolyte interfaces are discussed.     

Synthesis,growth and characterization of nonlinear optical urea–ammonium chloride crystals

Semi-organic nonlinear optical urea–ammonium chloride (UAC) crystals have been grown from aqueous solution by slow evaporation technique. The lattice parameters of the grown crystals were determined by X-ray diffraction studies. The presence of functional groups was determined using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The thermal analysis studies indicate that the material possess optimum thermal stability. Optical absorption studies show low absorption in the entire visible region and UV cut – off is found to be at 240 nm. The presence of second harmonic generation (SHG) for the grown crystal was confirmed by Kurtz powder technique.     

An acid-free Pictet–Spengler reaction using deep eutectic solvents (DES)

Deep eutectic solvents (such as the combination of either urea or glycerol with choline chloride) are effective solvents/organocatalysts for Pictet–Spengler condensations to form carbolines. The reaction conditions are quite mild and do not require additional Bronsted or Lewis acid catalyst. Given the inexpensive, non-toxic, and recyclable nature of the DES, these reaction conditions are simple and highly environmentally friendly.     

Electrodeposition of Zn–Mn alloys at high current densities from chloride electrolyte

The Zn–Mn alloy electrodeposition on a steel electrode in chloride electrolyte was investigated with the aim of obtaining deposits with as high as possible Mn percent. It was found that the deposition current density and concentration of Mn²⁺ ion in the chloride electrolyte significantly affect the Mn content in the alloy coating as well as the coating surface morphology. There was a transition from dendritic and spongy to smooth, bright, and amorphous structure of Zn–Mn deposits, when some critical deposition current density was reached, probably due to the metal oxyhydroxide inclusion in the coatings. Several plating additives were tested in order to decrease the hydroxide content and to improve surface appearance of the deposits. The 4-hydroxy-benzaldehyde was found to decrease oxygen and increase Mn percent in the coatings, and to significantly improve their surface morphology.     

Preparation and characterization of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride–based gel polymer electrolyte in electrochemical double-layer capacitors

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) have recently received an enormous attraction due to their ability to produce higher power density without...     

Sulfonated Kraft lignin addition in urea–formaldehyde resin

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Urea–formaldehyde (UF) resins are widely used over the world as an adhesive, principally in the civil construction, but its use leads to...     

Selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides with cyanuric chloride and urea–hydrogen peroxide adduct

Although a number of methods have been developed for the selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides, the need remains for alternative efficient, reliable strategies that can be generally applied to various sulfides and that use readily available reagents under mild reaction conditions. Herein, we report the use of urea–hydrogen peroxide adduct (UHP) and cyanuric chloride in CH₃CN at room temperature to convert sulfides to sulfoxides in excellent yields. In particular, this protocol produced sulfoxides with aromatic rings bearing electron-withdrawing groups in excellent yields.     

Thermal, UV and FTIR spectral studies of urea–thiourea zinc chloride single crystal

A single crystal of urea–thiourea was grown by slow evaporation of aqueous solution at room temperature. The bright and transparent crystals obtained were characterised by TG–DTA, UV and FTIR spectral analyses. A fitting decomposition pattern for the title compound was formulated on the TG curve which shows a two stage mass loss between 200 and 750 °C. DTA curve shows exothermic peaks supporting the formulated decomposition pattern in this temperature range. The UV and FTIR spectra show the characteristic absorption, vibration frequencies due to urea–thiourea zinc chloride crystals. Detailed structural analysis of the compound is under progress.     

Are deep eutectic solvents a real alternative to ionic liquids in metal-catalysed reactions?

This microreview tries to answer the question: Are Deep Eutectic Solvents a real alternative to Ionic Liquids in metal-catalysed reactions? We have gathered the outstanding results of the use of DES in metal-catalysed processes and we have compared them to the ones with ILs. The huge possibilities of combinations of the components of the DES provide a vast number of different solvents with tunable properties. These DES have been successfully applied to different reactions such as, couplings or hydrogenations, among others. But additional work is still be necessary to explore the use of DES in other reactions and to go in depth in the study of the influence of the nature of the DES. Finally, we also present the rise in a new family of solvents, bio-based ionic liquids, complementary to the use of DES in order to fully substitute traditional ILs.     

Densities,refractive indices,and viscosities of N,N-diethylethanol ammonium chloride–glycerol or –ethylene glycol deep eutectic solvents and their aqueous solutions

In this work, we report new experimental data on density, ρ, refractive index, n_D, and viscosity, η, of two deep eutectic solvents, N,N-diethylethanol ammonium chloride–glycerol (DEACG) and N,N-diethylethanol ammonium chloride–ethylene glycol (DEACEG), and their aqueous solutions, over the complete composition range, at temperatures from (298.15 to 343.15) K. Densities and viscosities were measured using the vibrating tube and the falling ball techniques, respectively, while the refractive index at the sodium D line was measured using an automatic refractometer. We aimed to represent the measured properties as a function of temperature and composition, and correlated them using the Redlich–Kister-type equation, for density, a polynomial function, for refractive index, and the Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann (VFT) equation, for viscosity.     

Phase equilibria in binary subsystems of urea–biuret–water system

Joint results of the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG) experiments were the basis for the fusion enthalpy and temperature determination of the biuret (NH₂CO)₂NH (synthesis by-product of the urea fertilizer (NH₂)₂CO). Recommended values are Δ_m H = (26.1 ± 0.5) kJ mol⁻¹, T _m = (473.8 ± 0.4) K. The DSC method allowed for the phase diagrams of “water–biuret,” “water–urea,” “urea–biuret” binary systems to be studied; as a result, liquidus and solidus curves were precisely defined. Stoichiometry and decomposition temperature of the biuret hydrate identified, composition of the compound in “urea–biuret” system was suggested.     

Solvent-catalyzed umpolung carbonsulfur bond-forming reactions by nucleophilic addition of thiolate and sulfinate ions to in situ–derived nitrosoalkenes in deep eutectic solvents

The low transition temperature mixture formed by lactic acid and choline chloride proved to be effective for an umpolung carbonsulfur bond formation at the α-position of α-chloro oximes. Aliphatic, aromatic, and heteroaromatic thiolate and sulfinate ions can be smoothly added to in situ–derived nitrosoalkenes affording the corresponding sulfenylated or sulfonylated adducts, respectively, in a very good yield (up to >98%). This methodology offers the advantage of working at room temperature and under air in biodegradable and cost-effective reaction mixtures, which can be used both as solvents and catalysts (20 mol %), thereby avoiding the use of anhydrous, hazardous volatile organic solvents and an inert atmosphere.