The CH3D absorption spectrum in the 1.58 μm transparency window of methane: Empirical line lists at 81 K and 294 K and temperature dependence

In spite of its low isotopic abundance in methane (about 5×10⁻⁴), CH₃D contributes greatly to the very weak absorption in the 1.58 μm methane transparency window. This methane window deserves to be characterized in details because it is important for planetary applications in particular for Titan and the giant planets. In this work, we recorded the CH₃D spectrum by high sensitivity differential absorption spectroscopy (α_min≈5×10⁻⁸ cm⁻¹) both at room temperature and at 81 K. A list of more than 9000 lines was constructed from the 81 K spectrum for the 6099–6530 cm⁻¹ region. In order to get the temperature dependence of the line intensities, the low energy values have to be determined. The rovibrational assignments available in the literature provide low energy values for about 380 strong transitions of the region. This is insufficient to characterize the temperature dependence of the CH₃D absorption between 6200 and 6400 cm⁻¹. In this interval, a list of 5500 lines was constructed from the room temperature spectrum. The empirical energy values of the transitions were derived from the ratio of the intensities at 81 K and 294 K. The exact and empirical lower state energies included in the final line lists provided as Supplementary Material, allow for accounting for the temperature dependence of the CH₃D spectrum in the entire 6099–6530 cm⁻¹ region.Our measurements have been compared to the spectroscopic parameters and assignments available in the literature in particular those adopted in the HITRAN database. Improvements and corrections are proposed for the wavenumber calibration and for some lower state energies.     

Measurements of self-broadening and self-pressure-induced shift parameters of the methane spectral lines in the 5556-6166 cm range

The absorption spectra of methane at different path lengths and different pressures for three temperatures 180, 240 and 296 K have been recorded in the 5556-6166 cm⁻¹ region using the Bruker IFS 120 HR and 125 HR high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometers. The multispectrum fitting procedure has been applied to these spectra to recover the spectral line parameters. The main goal of this procedure was the determination of self-broadening and self-pressure-induced shift coefficients and the exponents of their temperature dependences. These parameters have been derived for 406 assigned lines with good values of the signal to noise ratio. The rotational dependence of these parameters is discussed.     

A wire microcalorimetric study of catalytic ignition of methane–air mixtures over palladium oxide

Catalytic ignition and heat release of methane oxidation over a Pd wire covered with a 1–2 μm PdO surface layer were investigated by wire microcalorimetry over the temperature range of 600–770 K and pressure range of 0.5–4 atm. Ignition temperatures and heat release rates for different methane concentrations (1–4 vol.% in dry air) were determined, showing that the ignition temperatures decrease with increasing the methane concentration and increasing ambient pressure. At total pressure of 1 atm and 2% methane concentration, the global activation energy for the catalytic reaction is 21.5 ± 0.9 kcal/mol and 14.3 ± 0.2 kcal/mol in the temperature ranges of 600–670 K and 670–770 K, respectively. The reaction order for methane is 0.9 ± 0.1 over the temperature range of 630–770 K.     

Encapsulation of methane molecules into carbon nanotubes

Methane gas (CH₄) is a chemical compound comprising a carbon atom surrounded by four hydrogen atoms, and carbon nanotubes have been proposed as possible molecular containers for the storage of such gases. In this paper, we investigate the interaction energy between a CH₄ molecule and a carbon nanotube using two different models for the CH₄ molecule, the first discrete and the second continuous. In the first model, we consider the total interaction as the sum of the individual interactions between each atom of the molecule and the nanotube. We first determine the interaction energy by assuming that the carbon atom and one of the hydrogen atoms lie on the axis of the tube with the other three hydrogen atoms offset from the axis. Symmetry is assumed with regard to the arrangement of the three hydrogen atoms surrounding the carbon atom on the axis. We then rotate the atomic position into 100 discrete orientations and determine the average interaction energy from all orientations. In the second model, we approximate the CH₄ molecule by assuming that the four hydrogen atoms are smeared over a spherical surface of a certain radius with the carbon atom located at the center of the sphere. The total interaction energy between the CH₄ molecule and the carbon nanotube for this model is calculated as the sum of the individual interaction energies between both the carbon atom and the spherical surface and the carbon nanotube. These models are analyzed to determine the dimensions of the particular nanotubes which will readily suck-up CH₄ molecules. Our results determine the minimum and maximum interaction energies required for CH₄ encapsulation in different tube sizes, and establish the second model of the CH₄ molecule as a simple and elegant model which might be exploited for other problems.     

Methane non-oxidative aromatization on Mo/ZSM-5: Effect of adding triethoxyphenylsilanes into the synthesis system of ZSM-5

A series of ZSM-5 zeolites were synthesized by adding triethoxyphenylsilane (PTEOS) into the initial sol of the synthesis system. The samples were studied by XRD, SEM, N₂ adsorption-desorption and acid assessment of d₃-acetonitrile adsorption. Characterization results showed that the crystal size of the ZSM-5 zeolites could be adjusted in a certain range by introducing different contents of PTEOS. Besides, the resultant materials possess hierarchical porosity in addition to those micropores generated by the MFI channels. Moreover, supported Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts were prepared, and their catalytic performances were investigated in the methane non-oxidative aromatization. It was found that the Mo/ZSM-5 catalyst, bearing suitable crystal size and mesoporous characteristic showed relatively high shape-selectivity to benzene and high stability for the reaction of methane aromatization.     

Short time synthesis of high quality carbon nanotubes with high rates by CVD of methane on continuously emerged iron nanoparticles

We report the variation of yield and quality of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of methane on iron oxide-MgO at 900-1000 °C for 1-60 min. The catalyst was prepared by impregnation of MgO powder with iron nitrate, dried, and calcined at 300 °C. As calcined and unreduced catalyst in quartz reactor was brought to the synthesis temperature in helium flow in a few minutes, and then the flow was switched to methane. The iron oxide was reduced to iron nanoparticles in methane, while the CNTs were growing.TEM micrographs, in accordance with Raman RBM peaks, indicate the formation of mostly single wall carbon nanotubes of about 1.0 nm size. High quality CNTs with I_G/I_D Raman peak ratio of 14.5 are formed in the first minute of CNTs synthesis with the highest rate. Both the rate and quality of CNTs degrades with increasing CNTs synthesis time. Also CNTs quality sharply declines with temperature in the range of 900-1000 °C, while the CNTs yield passes through a maximum at 950 °C. About the same CNTs lengths are formed for the whole range of the synthesis times. A model of continuous emergence of iron nanoparticle seeds for CNTs synthesis may explain the data. The data can also provide information for continuous production of CNTs in a fluidized bed reactor.     

Dioxygen oxidation of hydrocarbons by a methane monooxygenase-like system: diiron complex-O_2-Zn/HOAc-MV~(2 )

The activation of dioxygen and incorporation into hydrocarbons have been achieved under mild conditions by a methane monooxygenase (MMO)-like system using a dinuclear iron complex [Fe_2Dhist(OAc)_2]BPh_4·3H_2O as the model complex, zinc powder as the electron donor, HOAc as the proton source and methylviologen as the electron transfer agent. The results show that styrene is oxygenated predominantly to styrene oxide (1 396 mol/100 mol of the Fe_2 complex), benzaldehyde (16160) and acetophenone (986), and cyclohexane to cyclohexanol (9370) and cyclohexanone (2670). EPR studies indicate that the hypervalent ironoxo spiecs Fe~ⅣFe~Ⅳ(?)O, derived from Fe~ⅢFe~Ⅲ core via reduction, O_2-binding and protonation, is the active intermediate which inserts the activated oxygen atom into C(?)C or C—H bond giving each product. The system closely resembles MMO and its close relative hemerythrin in the aspects of reaction phenomena, EPR characteristics and product distributions. The Mn_2 analog cmplex、Fe-Zn hetero     

Study on mode-filtered light sensor for methane detection

A novel mode-filtered light gas sensor has been reported.It was constructed by inserting an optical fiber deposited by a thin silicone cladding of cryptophane A into a fused-silica capillary.When different concentration of methane gas was introduced to the sensor,the phenomenon that mode-filtered light intensity decreased with the increasing concentration of methane was observed. And a linear relationship was obtained within the methane concentration range of 0.0-16.0%(v/v).The detection limit was 0.06% ...     

Molecular characterization,modeling and docking of CYP107CB2 from Bacillus lehensis G1, an alkaliphile

Cytochrome P450s are a superfamily of heme monooxygenases which catalyze a wide range of biochemical reactions. The reactions involve the introduction of an oxygen atom into an inactivated carbon of a compound which is essential to produce an intermediate of a hydroxylated product. The diversity of chemical reactions catalyzed by cytochrome P450s has led to their increased demand in numerous industrial and biotechnology applications. A recent study showed that a gene sequence encoding a CYP was found in the genome of Bacillus lehensis G1, and this gene shared structural similarity with the bacterial vitamin D hydroxylase (Vdh) from Pseudonocardia autotrophica. The objectives of present study was to mine, for a novel CYP from a new isolate B. lehensis G1 alkaliphile and determine the biological properties and functionalities of CYP in this bacterium. Our study employed the usage of computational methods to search for the novel CYP from CYP structural databases to identify the conserved pattern, functional domain and sequence properties of the uncharacterized CYP from B. lehensis G1. A computational homology model of the protein’s structure was generated and a docking analysis was performed to provide useful structural knowledge on the enzyme’s possible substrate and their interaction. Sequence analysis indicated that the newly identified CYP, termed CYP107CB2, contained the fingerprint heme binding sequence motif FxxGxxxCxG at position 336-345 as well as other highly conserved motifs characteristic of cytochrome P450 proteins. Using docking studies, we identified Ser-79, Leu-81, Val-231, Val-279, Val-383, Ala-232, Thr-236 and Thr-283 as important active site residues capable of stabilizing interactions with several potential substrates, including vitamin D₃, 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ and 1α-hydroxyvitamin D₃, in which all substrates docked proximally to the enzyme’s heme center. Biochemical analysis indicated that CYP107CB2 is a biologically active protein to produce 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ from 1α-hydroxyvitamin D₃. Based on these results, we conclude that the novel CYP107CB2 identified from B. lehensis G1 is a putative vitamin D hydroxylase which is possibly capable of catalyzing the bioconversion of parental vitamin D₃ to calcitriol, or related metabolic products.     

Effect of the order of Ni and Ce addition in SBA-15 on the activity in dry reforming of methane

Dry reforming of methane has been carried out on SBA-15 catalysts containing 5 wt% Ni and 6 wt% Ce. The effect of the order of Ni and Ce impregnation on the catalytic activity has been studied. Both metals were added using the “two-solvent” method that favors metal dispersion inside the pores. Characterizations by XRD (low and high angles), N₂ sorption, SEM and TEM of the materials after metal addition and calcination indicate good preservation of the porosities and high NiO and CeO₂ dispersion inside the porous channels. Reduction was carried out before the catalytic tests and followed by TPR measurements. The most active reduced catalyst was the Ni–Ce/SBA-15 sample prepared by impregnating cerium first, then nickel. All catalysts were highly active and selective towards H₂ and CO at atmospheric pressure. Full CH₄ conversion was obtained below 650 °C. The higher performances compared to those reported in the literature for mesoporous silica with supported Ni and Ce catalysts are discussed.