Oxidative methylation of toluene with methane catalyzed by lithium modified molecular sieves

Lithium modified molecular sieves with different structures (X, Y, ZSM-5 and AlPO₄-5) were studied as catalysts for oxidative methylation of toluene with methane. LiX zeolite was the most active catalyst for attaining best yields of ethylbenzene and styrene. The effects of basicity, crystallinity and type of structure were examined.     

On the Convergence of Rational Functions of Best Lp-Approximation

In the present paper, for sequences of rational functions, analytic in some domain, a theorem of Montel’s type is proved. As an application, sequences of rational functions of best Lp — approximation of a function ?(z) ∈ L_p(Γ), with Γ being a closed rectifiable analytic curve, are considered. The case ?(z) ∈ Hp is discussed, too.     

Basic zeolite and zeolite-type catalysts for the oxidative methylation of toluene with methane

The oxidative methylation of toluene with methane is used as a test reaction for determining the activity, selectivity and yield of C₈ hydrocarbons (ethylbenzene and styrene) over different zeolite and zeolite-type catalysts, viz., X, Y, mordenite, ZSM-5, silicalite and AlPO₄-5. Selectivity and basicity increase with decreasing Si/Al atomic ratio within the series of the same structural type. The basicity, surface structure and structural integrity are characterized by TPD of CO₂, XPS and IRS, respectively. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Comparative study of biogenic and abiotic iron-containing materials

Series of iron-based biogenic materials prepared by cultivation of Leptothrix group of bacteria in different feeding media (Sphaerotilus-Leptothrix group of bacteria isolation medium, Adler, Lieske and silicon-iron-glucose-peptone) were studied. Control samples were obtained in the same conditions and procedures but the nutrition media were not infected with bacteria, i.e. they were sterile. Room and low temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and infrared spectroscopy (IRS) were used to reveal the composition and physicochemical properties of biomass and respective control samples. Comparative analysis showed differences in their composition and dispersity of present phases. Sample composition included different ratio of nanodimensional iron oxyhydroxide and oxide phases. Relaxation phenomena such as superparamagnetism or collective magnetic excitation behaviour were registered for some of them. The experimental data showed that the biogenic materials were enriched in oxyhydroxides of high dispersion. Catalytic behaviour of a selected biomass and abiotic material were studied in the reaction of CO oxidation. In situ diffuse-reflectance (DR) IRS was used to monitor the phase transformations in the biomass and CO conversion.     

Oxidative conversion of methane over MgO/ZSM-5 catalysts with different Si/Al ratios

It is found that the lower the Si/Al ratio of ZSM-5 in the catalytic system MgO/ZSM-5, the higher is the activity and selectivity in the reaction of oxidative conversion of methane. The catalytic properties reflect quite closely the basic properties of the samples, studied by means of temperature-programmed desorption of CO₂.     

Bulgarian archaeomagnetic studies: A review of methodologicalprogress and applications in archaeology

Archaeomagnetic studies in Bulgaria have a long history and the well established secular variation curves of the three elements of the ancient geomagnetic field (declination, inclination and intensity) for the last 8000 years enable the dating of archaeological features of burnt clay, independently of other methods. The determination of ancient palaeointensity is the most difficult characteristic and requires very cautious evaluation of the suitability of the burnt clay material. The present paper is an overview of the methodological progress in studying the suitability of the materials for archaeomagnetic investigations. The main rock-magnetic methods and summary of the most common results are presented involving the archaeomagnetic practice in the palaeomagnetic laboratory in Sofia. In addition, supplementary information obtained by magnetic measurements, which can be helpful for archaeology, are discussed. An example of archaeomagnetic dating procedure is also presented.     

Deposition and characterization of La2Ti2O7 thin films via spray pyrolysis process

Thin films of La₂Ti₂O₇ have been deposited on fused silica and Si substrates by a spray pyrolysis method using ethylene glycol solution of La(III)-Ti(IV)-citrate complexes as starting material and O₂ as a carrier gas. The composition, crystal structure and morphology of the films are studied.     

Influence of ThO<Subscript>2</Subscript> on the photocatalytic activity of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Microcomposites consisting of TiO₂ (or Ce-doped TiO₂) and ThO₂ (0.5–2% of the TiO₂ mass) are produced by sol-gel synthesis of TiO₂ in presence of ThO₂. X-ray diffraction study reveals the effects of ThO₂ (compared to the ThO₂-free TiO₂, obtained by the same method) on the anatase interplanar distances, crystallites size and phase composition. The photocatalytic tests in presence of the composites under UV irradiation reveal an increase of the Malachite Green degradation rate constant. The effect depends on the Th relative content, temperature of annealing of the catalyst and addition of other doping agent. The highest photocatalytic activity is observed for TiO₂ obtained at 550°C and containing 1% ThO₂. The composite exhibits activity in dark, also. The presence of Ce⁴⁺ ions is not an obligatory requirement for the realization of the ThO₂ effect. The reported results suggest that the radioactivity of the Th and/or its decay products is one of the main factors responsible for the increased photocatalytic activity of TiO₂.      

Growth Behavior and Zero Distribution of Rational Approximants

We investigate the growth and the distribution of zeros of rational uniform approximations with numerator degree ≤n and denominator degree ≤m _n for meromorphic functions f on a compact set E of ℂ where m _n =o(n/log n) as n→∞. We obtain a Jentzsch–Szegő type result, i.e., the zero distribution converges weakly to the equilibrium distribution of the maximal Green domain E _ρ(f) of meromorphy of f if f has a singularity of multivalued character on the boundary of E _ρ(f). The paper extends results for polynomial approximation and rational approximation with fixed degree of the denominator. As applications, Padé approximation and real rational best approximants are considered.     

Distribution of zeros of the Hermite-Padé polynomials for a system of three functions,and the Nuttall condenser

The well-known approach of J. Nuttall to the derivation of strong asymptotic formulas for the Hermite-Padé polynomials for a set of m multivalued functions is based on the conjecture that there exists a canonical (in the sense of decomposition into sheets) m-sheeted Riemann surface possessing certain properties. In this paper, for m = 3, we introduce a notion of an abstract Nuttall condenser and describe a procedure for constructing (based on this condenser) a three-sheeted Riemann surface $\Re _3$ that has a canonical decomposition. We consider a system of three functions $\mathfrak{f}_1 ,\mathfrak{f}_2 ,\mathfrak{f}_3$ that are rational on the constructed Riemann surface and satisfy the independence condition det . In the case of m = 3, we refine the main theorem from Nuttall’s paper of 1981. In particular, we show that in this case the complement ?? \ B of the open (possibly, disconnected) set B ? ?? introduced in Nuttall’s paper consists of a finite number of analytic arcs. We also propose a new conjecture concerning strong asymptotic formulas for the Padé approximants.