Fine Dry Grinding of Zeolite in a Laboratory Ball Mill

This paper presents the importance and usage of natural zeolites, which was recently recognized in the industry. Therefore, the grinding properties of natural zeolite were studied with the emphasis on a kinetic study in a ball mill. The experimental mill employed was laboratory sized, 200 mm diameter, 191 mm length, providing a total mill volume of 6000 cm³, with a total mass of 5.62 kg of steel balls of 25 mm diameter with a charge of 20% of the mill volume and with a rotation speed of 76 rpm. The breakage parameters were determined by using single sized feed fractions of ?850+600 μm, ?600+425 μm, and ?425+300 μm for the zeolite samples. The S_i (specific rate of breakage) and B_{i, j} (primary breakage distribution) values were obtained for those feed size fractions in order to predict the product size distributions by simulation for comparison to the experimental data. From the experimental results, S_i values increased as the feed sizes became coarser, i.e., the highest S_i value was 0.85 min^?1 for ?850+600 μm, while the lowest S_i value was 0.65 min^?1 for ?425+300 μm feed ground in the mill. The B_{i, j} values obtained for the zeolite sample were γ=0.84, ?=0.61, and β=4.25. The breakage parameters obtained showed that the zeolite is broken faster than quartz and slower than calcite and barite in terms of the a_T values reported previously at the same experimental conditions. The simulations of the product size distributions of zeolite were in good agreement with the experimental data using a standard ball mill simulation program. The slowing‐down effect was also seen in the mill after 4 min. of grinding.     

Characterization of active sites over reduced Ni-Mo/Al(2)O(3) catalysts for hydrogenation of linear aldehydes

Reduced Ni-Mo/Al(2)O(3) catalysts exhibit a behavior analogous to that of sulfided Ni-Mo/Al(2)O(3) catalysts in hydrogenation of linear aldehydes to alcohols. Similar to what has been previously reported for sulfided catalysts, NO and CO(2) can be used over the reduced Ni-Mo catalysts as probe molecules for the active sites responsible for two competing reactions -- aldehyde hydrogenation to alcohols and condensation reactions to heavy products, respectively. Reduced catalysts have a higher aldehyde conversion activity and alcohol selectivity than their sulfided counterparts. The reduction temperature has a strong effect on the surface density of anion vacancies, which are responsible for alcohol formation. Reduction temperature also plays a role in determining the abundance of OH groups on the alumina surface. The effect of reduction temperature also manifests itself through the differences seen in the oxidation states of Mo and Ni species.     

Determination of the critical surface tension of wetting of minerals treated with surfactants by shear flocculation approach

This paper contributes the shear flocculation method as a new approach to determine the critical surface tension of wetting of minerals treated with surfactants. This newly developed approach is based on the decrease of the shear flocculation of the mineral suspension, with decreasing of the surface tension of the liquids used. The solution surface tension value at which shear flocculation does not occur can be defined as the critical surface tension of wetting (gamma c) of the mineral. By using the shear flocculation method, the critical surface tensions of wetting (gamma c) for calcite and barite minerals, treated with surfactants, were obtained as 30.9 and 35.0 mN/m, respectively. These values are in good agreement with data reported previously on the same minerals obtained by the contact angle measurement and flotation methods. The chemical agents used for the treatment of calcite and barite particles were sodium oleate and sodium dodecyl sulfate, respectively.     

Oxygen evolution reaction: a perspective on a decade of atomic scale simulations

Multiple strategies to overcome the intrinsic limitations of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been proposed by numerous research groups. Despite the substantial efforts, the driving force required for water oxidation is largely making the reaction inefficient. In the present work, we collected published studies involving DFT calculations for the OER, with the purpose to understand why the progress made so far, for lowering the overpotential of the reaction, is relatively small. The data revealed that the universal scaling relationship between HO* and HOO* intermediates is still present and robust, despite the variety in methods and structures used for calculating the binding energies of the intermediates. On the other hand, the data did not show a clear trend line regarding the O* binding. Our analysis suggested that trends in doped semiconducting oxides behave very differently from those in other oxides. This points towards a computational challenge in describing doped oxides in a realistic manner. We propose a way to overcome these computational challenges, which can be applied to simulations corresponding to doped semiconductors in general.

Multiple strategies to overcome the intrinsic limitations of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been proposed by numerous research groups.     

Synthesis of 2-ferrocenylidene-4-cyclopentene-1,3-diones

A squarate-based synthesis of 2-ferrocenylidene-4-cyclopentene-1,3-diones is described. When refluxed in dioxane at 100 °C, heated with silica gel as a solvent free grinded solid mixture at 125 °C or stirred with silica gel in ethyl acetate at room temperature, 4-ferrocenylethynyl-4-hydroxy-2-cyclobutenones, prepared from ethynylferrocene and 3-cyclobutene-1,2-diones, afforded 2-ferrocenylidene-4-cyclopentene-1,3-diones as the major or single product of the reaction. In some cases, ferrocenyl quinones also resulted from these reactions as the minor products. The major or exclusive formation of 2-ferrocenylidene-4-cyclopentene-1,3-diones is attributed to the radical-stabilizing ability of the ferrocenyl group.     

Neuron-based microarray sensors for environmental sensing

We present a novel sensing scheme for detecting the effects of unburned fossil fuels by integrating microarray technology and dielectrophoresis to develop single-neuron arrays. These arrays have the capability to sense and identify the two fuels, at parts per billion (ppb) concentrations, as well to determine the associated physiological changes at the single-cell level. Identification is achieved through frequency domain analysis of the measured changes to the extracellular electrical activity due to the effect of the fossil fuels. This yields unique electrical identifiers known as "signature patterns". Simultaneous optical visualization to the physiological changes is obtained by specific fluorescent staining. The correlation between the signature patterns and the cellular biological behavior establishes the veracity of this identification technique.     

Development of chromium-free iron-based catalysts for high-temperature water-gas shift reaction

Chromium-free iron-based catalysts were prepared and studied in regard to their performance in the high-temperature water-gas shift reaction (HTS). The effects of various catalyst preparation variables (i.e., Fe/promoter ratio, pH of precipitation medium, calcination and reduction temperatures) and preparation methods were investigated. Aluminum is a potential chromium replacement in HTS catalysts. Further improvement in WGS activity of Fe–Al catalysts can be achieved by the addition of small amounts of copper or cobalt. Catalysts were characterized using BET surface area measurements, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). As a textural promoter, aluminum and chromium prevent the sintering of iron oxides and stabilize magnetite phase by retarding its further reduction to FeO and metallic Fe. The promotional effect of Cu is found to be strongly dependent on the preparation method.     

New Methacrylate Copolymers Based on the Benzofurane Ring: Synthesis,Characterization, Monomer Reactivity Ratios and Biological Activity

The free radical copolymerization of (5-bromo-1-Benzofuran-2-yl)(phenyl)-O-methacrylketoxime (BPMKO) with 2-(4-acetylphenoxy)-2-oxoethyl-2-methylacrylate(AOEMA) has been carried out in 1, 4-dioxane at 65°C ± 1 and was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and gel permeation chromatography. Elemental analysis was used to determine the molar fractions of BPMKO and AOEMA in the copolymers. The monomer–reactivity ratios were calculated according to the general copolymerization equation using Kelen-Tüdõs and Finemann-Ross linearization methods. The reactivity ratios indicated a tendency toward random copolymerization. The polydispersity indices of the polymers were determined by gel permeation chromatography and suggested a strong tendency for chain termination by disproportionation. The thermal behaviors of copolymers with various compositions were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The glass-transition temperature of the copolymers increased with increasing BPMKO content in the copolymers. All the products showed moderate activity against different strains of bacteria and fungi.     

Sensitive Nucleic Acid Detection at NH2‐MWCNTs Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode and its Application for Monitoring of Gemcitabine‐DNA Interaction

An electrochemical dsDNA nanobiosensor was fabricated using amino‐functionalized multi walled carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode (NH₂fMWCNTs/GCE) for the sensitive detection of DNA bases and electrochemical monitoring of drug‐DNA interaction. The influence of functional groups on MWCNT was studied by MWCNT functionalized with NH₂ (NH₂fMWCNTs) and COOH (COOHfMWCNT) groups based on the signal of DNA bases. The modified electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. One layer of calf thymus double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ct‐dsDNA) was immobilized onto the NH₂fMWCNTs/GCE (dsDNA/NH₂fMWCNTs/GCE). The dsDNA/NH₂fMWCNTs/GCE were used to investigate the interaction between the dsDNA and the anticancer drug gemcitabine by differential pulse voltammetry in acetate buffer of pH 4.70. For the confirmation of interaction, the lowering in intensity of the current signals of guanine and adenine was considered as an indicator. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies were performed for the comparison of the modified surfaces. In order to define and visualize the interaction mechanism between gemcitabine and dsDNA/NH₂fMWCNTs/GCE at the molecular level, in silico methods including docking and molecular dynamics simulations were employed.