Propane oxidative dehydrogenation over V-containing mixed oxides derived from decavanadate-exchanged ZnAl–layered double hydroxides prepared by a sol–gel method

The catalytic properties of ZnAlVO mixed oxides derived from decavanadate-exchanged ZnAl–layered double hydroxide (LDH) precursors prepared by a sol–gel method (ZnAlVO–LDHx,y) were investigated in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane and compared with those of supported catalysts obtained by conventional impregnation of NH₄VO₃ on ZnO (ZnVO-I,y) and ZnAlO mixed oxide (ZnAlVO-I,y) supports. The effects of composition and calcination time on the catalytic behavior were particularly examined. Higher propane conversions were achieved at higher vanadium content and calcination time of the precursors. The LDH-derived catalysts were the most active ones in all the temperature range studied (300–425 °C). The order of activity for propane conversion for the different catalyst families varies as ZnAlVO–LDHx,y > ZnAlVO-I > ZnVO-I and follows the strength of the Lewis and Brønsted acid sites determined by monitoring of pyridine adsorption by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, whereas the propene selectivities are close together in agreement with the similar densities of basic sites determined by CO₂–temperature-programmed desorption measurements. It was indeed established that the acidity, rather than the nature of the crystalline phases, the reducibility, or the specific surface area of the samples, governs the catalytic activity.     

Photobleaching of Arterial Fluorescent Compounds: Characterization of Elastin, Collagen and Cholesterol Time-resolved Spectra during Prolonged Ultraviolet Irradiation

To study the photobleaching of the main fluorescent compounds of the arterial wall, we repeatedly measured the time-resolved fluorescence of elastin, collagen and cholesterol during 560 s of excitation with nitrogen laser pulses. Three fluence rate levels were used: 0.72, 7.25 and 21.75 microW/mm2. The irradiation-related changes of the fluorescence intensity and of the time-resolved fluorescence decay constants were characterized for the emission at 390, 430 and 470 nm. The fluorescence intensity at 390 nm decreased by 25-35% when the fluence delivered was 4 mJ/mm2, a common value in fluorescence studies of the arterial wall. Cholesterol fluorescence photobleached the most, and elastin fluorescence photobleached the least. Photobleaching was most intense at 390 nm and least intense at 470 nm such that the emission spectra of the three compounds were markedly distorted by photobleaching. The time-resolved decay constants and the fluorescence lifetime were not altered by irradiation when the fluence was below 4 mJ/mm2. The spectral distortions associated with photobleaching complicate the interpretation of arterial wall fluorescence in terms of tissue content in elastin, collagen and cholesterol. Use of the time-dependent features of the emission that are not altered by photobleaching should increase the accuracy of arterial wall analysis by fluorescence spectroscopy.     

BaTiO3 and PbTiO3 perovskite as catalysts for methane combustion

Unsupported and γ-Al₂O₃-supported Ba and Pb titanate catalysts were prepared, characterized and studied in the combustion of methane, as a test reaction for VOCs’ catalytic combustion. They present good catalytic activities, and after dispersion (5%) on γ-Al₂O₃ the specific activity of the supported perovskite phase increased 25 and 30 times, respectively, compared with the unsupported samples. PbTiO₃/γ-Al₂O₃ shows the best catalytic properties among the tested samples.     

Esterification of acetic acid with n-Butanol using vanadium oxides supported on γ-alumina

Esterification of acetic acid with n-Butanol has been studied in a heterogeneous reaction system using two γ-alumina-supported vanadium oxide catalysts with different V loadings, which were prepared by the impregnation of a precipitated alumina. The alumina support and the supported catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption, EDX analysis and NH₃-TPD techniques. The effects of the reaction time, of the molar ratio of the reactants, of the speed of agitation and of the mass fraction of the catalyst on the catalytic properties were studied. In the presence of the supported catalyst containing 10 wt % V₂O₅ (10V-Al₂O₃ sample) the conversion reached 87.7% after 210 min of reaction at 100 °C with an n-Butanol-to-acetic acid mole ratio equal to one. The conversion as well as the total acidity measured by TPD of NH₃ increased in the following order: Al₂O₃ < 5V-Al₂O₃ (5 wt % V₂O₅/Al₂O₃) < 10V-Al₂O₃. In all cases the reaction was completely selective to n-butyl acetate. Nevertheless, a loss in catalytic activity after three reaction cycles with 10 V₂O₅–Al₂O₃ catalyst was observed.     

Photoelectrochemical etching of compound semiconductors: Wavelength dependence

Argon-ion-laser photoetching was performed at various wavelengths, around the absorption edge of ZnSe and CdS. The surface etch pit density is observed to decrease with increasing penetration depth of the light. This observation is explained in terms of the recent theory of non-uniform charge flow within semiconductor junctions.Incumbent of Helen and Milton A. Kitmmelman Career Development Chair in perpetuity, established by Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman, N.Y.Formerly: Department of Plastics ResearchIncumbent of Jacob and Alphonse Laniado (Montreal, Canada) Career Development Chair     

Complexation of three uranium(IV) ions at two α-B-[SbW9O33]9- trilacunary Keggin units: A spectroscopic investigation

The sandwich-type uranium(IV)-polyoxometalate Na₆ [U₃ (SbW₉ O₃₃ )₂ ]·22H₂ O was prepared and investigated by FT-IR and UV-VIS methods. The uranium(IV) coordination at the trilacunary Keggin units shifts the _as (W-O_b,c -W), _as (W=O_d ), _as (W-O_a ) antisymmetric stretching vibration bands in the 700 ÷ 950 cm^-1 region of the FT-IR spectrum of U(IV)-complex. The visible electronic absorption spectrum of the complex indicates a ³ H₄ electronic ground state of uranium ions and a quasicubic local symmetry around them. The UV electronic spectra of the U(IV)-POM complex and of the ligand present the broad bands assigned to p -d electronic transitions in the W=O bonds (at 46640 cm^-1 for the ligand and 47280 cm^-1 for the complex) and d -p -d transitions in tricentric W-O-W bonds (at 40880 cm^-1 for the ligand and 39920 cm^-1 for the complex).     

Synthesis and Characterization of New α,ω-Bis(Maleimide-Ester) Substituted Siloxane Oligomers

Abstract

Organofunctional siloxane oligomers containing maleimide were synthesized by condensation reaction of α. ω-hydroxypropylsiloxane oligomers with n-[4-(chlorocarbonyl)phenyl]maleimide. A model compound [bis(maleimide-ester)disiloxane] was obtained to facilitate the characerization of the oligomers. Then, the heterogeneous catalyzed ring-opening cationic polymerization technique was applied to obtain an oligomer starting from the model compound and octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane.

The structures of the resulting oligomers were confirmed by elemental analysis, IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. They were characterized by determining softening points, solubility and studying their thermal behavior by thermogravimetric (TGA and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements.