Applications of coupled LC-GC: A review

Although coupled liquid chromatographygas chromatography (LC-GC) was first demonstrated ten years ago, only in the last few years has there been a sudden surge of interest in the technique. Approximately 70% of the total number of LC-GC applications have been published in the last two years (1987–88) alone. This review categorizes LC-GC publications into four main application areas: fossil fuels, foods, environmental samples, biologiical/pharmaceutical samples, and miscellaneous samples. Multidimensional separations carried out using other coupled-column chromatographic techniques (such as supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with GC, and on-line trace enrichment-GC) have also been included in this review.     

Gas chromatographic determination of some phenolic compounds in fuels and engine oil after simultaneous derivatization and microextraction

In this study, a simultaneous derivatization/air‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction method has been developed for sample preparation of some phenolic compounds in fuels and engine oil. Analytes are transferred by back liquid–liquid extraction into NaOH solution and then are derivatized with butyl chloroformate and extracted simultaneously into carbon tetrachloride. The extracted derivatized analytes are analyzed using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The effect of extracting solvent type, derivatization agent and extraction solvent volumes, ionic strength of the aqueous solution, number of extraction cycles, etc., on the extraction efficiency is investigated. The calibration graphs are linear in the range of 3–10 000 μg/L. Enhancement factors, enrichment factors, and extraction recoveries are in the ranges of 497 to 1471, 571 to 991, and 60 to 109%, respectively. Detection limits are obtained in the range of 0.8 to 2.0 μg/L. Relative standard deviations for the extraction of each selected phenols are in the ranges of 2–4% for intraday (n = 6) and 3–6% (n = 5) for interday precisions for 200 μg/L. This technique is successfully applied for the extraction, preconcentration, and determination of the selected phenols in gasoline, kerosene, gas oil, and engine oil.     

Adsorption and preconcentration of divalent metal ions in fossil fuels and biofuels: gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, diesel-like and ethanol by using chitosan microspheres and thermodynamic approach

Biodiesel and diesel-like have been obtained from soybean oil by transesterification and thermal cracking process, respectively. These biofuels were characterized as according to ANP standards by using specific ASTM methods. Ethanol, gasoline, and diesel were purchased from a gas station. Deacetylation degree of chitosan was determined by three distinct methods (conductimetry, FTIR and NMR), and the average degree was 78.95%. The chitosan microspheres were prepared from chitosan by split-coating and these spheres were crosslinked using glutaraldehyde. The surface area of microspheres was determined by BET method, and the surface area of crosslinked microspheres was 9.2 m² g⁻¹. The adsorption isotherms of cooper, nickel and zinc on microspheres of chitosan were determined in petroleum derivatives (gasoline and diesel oil), as well as in biofuels (alcohol, biodiesel and diesel-like). The adsorption order in all fuels was: Cu > Ni > Zn. The elution tests presented the following preconcentration degrees: >4.5 to ethanol, >4.4 to gasoline, >4.0 to diesel, >3.8 to biodiesel and >3.6 to diesel-like. The application of chitosan microspheres in the metal ions preconcentration showed the potential of this biopolymer to enrich fuel sample in order to be analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Effect of Fe-Mo promoters on HZSM-5 zeolite catalyst for 1-hexene aromatization

The promotional effect of Fe-Mo species introduced into HZSM-5 (Zeolyst Int., SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ≈ 30) zeolite catalyst by the wetness impregnation method for the 1-hexene aromatization was investigated. The structure and catalytic performance for the aromatization of 1-hexene over xFeyMo-ZSM-5 catalysts in comparison with unmodified HZSM-5 catalysts were studied. The xFeyMo-ZSM-5 catalysts contain fixed loading (5 wt%) and variable Fe/Mo ratio. The catalysts were characterized by BET, ICP-AES, HRSEM-EDS, HRTEM, XRD, FTIR, H₂-TPR, NH₃-TPD, and pyridine DRIFT spectroscopy. The characterization data confirmed the existence of Fe and Mo species in the zeolite matrix. With Fe and Mo species implementation to HZSM-5 zeolite, the amount of the acid sites decreased, but the selectivities to C₉₊ aromatics increased. The catalyst evaluation was performed at 350 °C for 6 h on-stream at atmospheric pressure using a fixed-bed quartz tube reactor. The selectivity to products of different carbon number was affected by the Fe/Mo ratio within the zeolite. It was found the product distribution of grouped fractions of C₁–C₁₇₊ from the liquid product. The results indicate that the optimum ratio of Fe/Mo is 1–1.5. The highest selectivity for gasoline and distillate ranges was obtained for the 2.5wt%Fe2.5wt%Mo- and 3wt%Fe2wt%Mo-ZSM-5 samples, which was higher than that for parent HZSM-5 catalyst.     

Tin(II)-Based Metal–Organic Frameworks Enabling Efficient,Selective Reduction of CO2 to Formate under Visible Light

Certain metal complexes are known as high-performance CO₂ reduction photocatalysts driven by visible light. However, most of them rely on rare, precious metals as principal components, and integrating the functions of light absorption and catalysis into a single molecular unit based on abundant metals remains a challenge. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which can be regarded as intermediate compounds between molecules and inorganic solids, are potential platforms for the construction of a simple photocatalytic system composed only of Earth-abundant nontoxic elements. In this work, we report that a tin-based MOF enables the conversion of CO₂ into formic acid with a record high apparent quantum yield (9.8 % at 400 nm) and >99 % selectivity without the need for any additional photosensitizer or catalyst. This work highlights a new MOF with strong potential for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction driven by solar energy.     

Spatiotemporal Utilization of Latent Heat in Erythritol-based Phase Change Materials as Solar Thermal Fuels

Solar thermal fuels (STFs) have been particularly concerned as sustainable future energy due to their impressive ability to store solar energy in chemical bonds and controllably release thermal energy. However, currently studied STFs mainly focus on molecule-based materials with high photochemical activity, toxicity, and compromised features, which greatly restricts their applications in practical scenarios of solar energy utilization. Herein, we present a novel erythritol-based composite phase change material (PCM) as a new type of STFs with an outstanding capability to store solar energy as latent heat in its stable supercooling state and release thermal energy as needed. This composite PCM with stored thermal energy can be maintained stably at room temperature and subsequently release latent heat as high as 224.9 J/g during the crystallization process triggered by thermal stimuli. Remarkably, solar energy can be converted into latent heat stored in the composite PCM over months. Through mechanical stimulations, the released latent heat can increase the temperature of the composite up to 91 °C. This work presents a new concept of using spatiotemporal storage and release of latent heat in PCMs for solar energy utilization, making it a potential candidate as STFs for developing future clean energy techniques.     

Low temperature conversion (LTC) of castor seeds—A study of the oil fraction (pyrolysis oil)

The low temperature conversion (LTC) process applied to a castor seed sample at 380 °C produced pyrolysis oil (50%, w/w), pyrolytic char (29%, w/w), water (13%, w/w) and gas (8%, w/w) fractions. The oil fraction was subjected to analysis of by FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, GCMS and physical–chemical analysis such as sulfur content, distillation, density, flash-point, kinematic viscosity, Ramsbottom carbon residue, ash content, corrosivity to copper, water content and sediment, cold filter plugging point, and gross calorific value.     

双通道差分式阻抗谱检测技术及仪器研究

阻抗谱检测的目的在于获取不同物质之间微弱的介电差异信息或同一物质的介电变化信息,并据此对其组成、结构及其变化特征进行分析.常规单通道的阻抗谱检测技术对于物质间的差异和变化信息检测易受传感器和样品体系等基底信号的影响.本研究提出了一种基于AD5933阻抗转换芯片简化阻抗测量的双通道差分式阻抗谱检测技术,并研制了检测仪器,在1 ～ 91 kHz频率范围内,对比分析了基底信号分别为200,400和1000 mV,响应信号增加量0～100 mV时双通道差分和单通道检测的灵敏度,并考察了在激励峰峰值为18 V的条件下,汽油、柴油、喷气燃料及润滑油共7个样品在单通道,以空气及喷气燃料为参比的双通道差分检测的灵敏度差异.结果表明,单通道检测受基底信号影响较大,随基底信号增加,检测灵敏度降低;双通道差分式检测技术的灵敏度为单通道检测的1～2个数量级,且不受基底信号影响;以喷气燃料为参比的差分检测灵敏度分别是以空气为参比的差分检测及单通道检测的5 ～10倍及9～12倍,证实了通过合理选择参比样品,双通道差分检测能够极大地提高阻抗检测灵敏度.     

Borides and vitreous compounds sintered as high-energy fuels

Boron was chosen as fuel in view of its excellent thermodynamic values for combustion, as compared to traditional fuels. The problem of the boron in combustion is the formation of a surface layer of oxide, which delays the ignition process, reducing the performance of the rocket engine. This paper presents a high-energy fuel for rocket engines. It is composed of sintered boron (borides and carbides and vitreous compounds) with a reducing chemical agent. Borides and boron carbide were prepared since the combustion heat of the latter is similar to that of the amorphous boron (in: K.K. Kuo (Ed.), Boron-Based Solid Propellant and Solid Fuel, Vol. 427, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1993). Several chemical reducing elements were used, such as aluminum, magnesium, and coke. As the raw material for boron, different compounds were used: amorphous boron, boric acid and boron oxide.