CO2-Assisted Sugar Cane Gasification Using Transition Metal Catalysis: An Impact of Metal Loading on the Catalytic Behavior

To meet the increasing needs of fuels, especially non-fossil fuels, the production of "bio-oil" is proposed and many efforts have been undertaken to find effective ways to transform bio-wastes into valuable substances to obtain the fuels and simultaneously reduce carbon wastes, including CO2. This work is devoted to the gasification of sugar cane bagasse to produce CO in the process assisted by CO2. The metals were varied (Fe, Co, or Ni), along with their amounts, in order to find the optimal catalyst composition. The materials were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron diffraction, and were tested in the process of CO2-assisted gasification. The catalysts based on Co and Ni demonstrate the best activity among the investigated systems: the conversion of CO2 reached 88% at ~800 °C (vs. 20% for the pure sugarcane bagasse). These samples contain metallic Co or Ni, while Fe is in oxide form.

Liquid-Phase Partial Hydrogenation of Phenylacetylene at Ambient Conditions Catalyzed by Pd-Fe-O Nanoparticles Supported on Silica

Catalysts with no hazardous or toxic components are required for the selective hydrogenation of acetylenic bonds in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and fragrances. The present work demonstrates that a high selectivity to alkene can be reached over a Pd-Fe-O/SiO2 system prepared by the co-impregnation of a silica support with a solution of the metal precursors (NH4)3[Fe(C2O4)3] and [Pd(NH3)4]Cl2 followed by thermal treatment in hydrogen or in air at 400 °C. A DRIFT spectroscopic study of CO adsorption revealed large shifts in the position of the Pdn+-CO bands for this system, indicating the strong effect of Fen+ on the Pd electronic state, resulting in a decreased rate of double C=C bond hydrogenation and an increased selectivity of alkyne hydrogenation to alkene. The prepared catalysts consisted of mono- and bimetallic nanoparticles on an SiO2 carrier and exhibited a selectivity as high as that of the commonly used Lindlar catalyst (which contains such hazardous components as lead and barium), while the activity of the Fe-Pd-O/SiO2 catalyst was an order of magnitude higher. The hydrogenation of a triple bond over the proposed Pd-Fe catalyst opens the way to selective hydrogenation over nontoxic catalysts with a high yield and productivity. Taking into account a simple procedure of catalyst preparation, this direction provides a rationale for the large-scale implementation of these catalysts.

Recent Studies on the Application of Microwave-Assisted Method for the Preparation of Heterogeneous Catalysts and Catalytic Hydrogenation Processes

Currently, microwave radiation is widely used in various chemical processes in order to intensify them and carry out processes within the framework of "green" chemistry approaches. In the last 10 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of scientific publications on the application of microwaves in catalytic reactions and synthesis of nanomaterials. It is known that heterogeneous catalysts obtained under microwave activation conditions have many advantages, such as improved catalytic characteristics and stability, and the synthesis of nanomaterials is accelerated several times compared to traditional methods used to produce catalysts. The present review article is to summarize the results of modern research on the use of microwave radiation for the synthesis of heterogeneous catalytic nanomaterials and discusses the prospects for research in the field of microwave-induced liquid-phase heterogeneous catalysis in hydrogenation.

IR-spectroscopic study of complex formation of nitrogen oxides (NO, N2O) with strong Lewis acid sites and the reactivity of adsorbed species in CO and CH4 oxidation

The formation of complexes and transformations of nitrogen oxides (NO, N₂O) on strong Lewis acid sites of HZSM-5, H[Ga]ZSM-5, ZnO/HZSM-5 zeolites and dealuminated mordenites was investigated by diffuse-reflectance IR spectroscopy. Adsorbed N₂O that is formed by disproportionation of NO is capable of oxidizing CO and CH₄ molecules to CO₂. The behaviour of strong Lewis acid sites in zeolites and cationic forms of zeolites in the NO disproportionation and CO or CH₄ oxidation was comparatively studied.

Rhodium-Based Catalysts: An Impact of the Support Nature on the Catalytic Cyclohexane Ring Opening

Because of the growing demand for high-quality fuels, the light cycle oil fraction improvement including cetane number improvement is important. The main way to reach this improvement is the ring opening of cyclic hydrocarbons, and a highly effective catalyst should be found. Cyclohexane ring openings are a possible option to investigate the catalyst activity. In this work, we investigated rhodium-loaded catalysts prepared using the commercially available industrial supports: single-component ones, SiO₂ and Al₂O₃; and mixed oxides CaO + MgO + Al₂O₃ and Na₂O + SiO₂ + Al₂O₃. The catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation and investigated by N₂ low-temperature adsorption-desorption, XRD, XPS, DRS UV-Vis and DRIFT spectroscopy, SEM, and TEM with EDX. The catalytic tests were performed in cyclohexane ring opening in the range of 275-325 °C. The best result was demonstrated by the sample 1Rh/CaMgAlO: the selectivity to n-hexane was about 75% while the cyclohexane conversion was about 25% at 275 °C. The space-time yield was up to 12 mmol_n-hexane g_cat^-1h^-1.

Activity of Mono-, Bi-, and Trimetallic Catalysts Pt-Ni-Cr/C in the Bicyclohexyl Dehydrogenation Reaction

The influence of metals with different redox properties and a carbon carrier on the activity of mono-, bi- and trimetallic Pt-Ni-Cr/C catalysts has been studied in the bicyclohexyl dehydrogenation reaction as the hydrogen release stage in hydrogen storage. An increase in the conversion (X > 62%) of bicyclohexyl and selectivity for biphenyl (S > 84%) was observed on trimetallic catalysts Pt-Ni-Cr/C compared with the monometallic catalyst Rt/C (X > 55%; S > 68%). It has been established that the increase in the conversion of bicyclohexyl and selectivity for biphenyl in the dehydrogenation reaction on trimetallic catalysts is due to an increase in the activity of Pt nanoparticles in the vicinity of local Cr-Ni clusters of solid substitution solutions.

Microwave-Assisted Conversion of Carbohydrates

Catalytic conversion of carbohydrates into value-added products and platform chemicals became a trend in recent years. Microwave activation used in the processes of carbohydrate conversion coupled with the proper choice of catalysts makes it possible to enhance dramatically the efficiency and sometimes the selectivity of catalysts. This mini-review presents a brief literature survey related to state-of-the-art methods developed recently by the world research community to solve the problem of rational conversion of carbohydrates, mostly produced from natural resources and wastes (forestry and agriculture wastes) including production of hydrogen, synthesis gas, furanics, and alcohols. The focus is made on microwave technologies used for processing carbohydrates. Of particular interest is the use of heterogeneous catalysts and hybrid materials in processing carbohydrates.

Hydroamination of Phenylacetylene with Aniline over Gold Nanoparticles Embedded in the Boron Imidazolate Framework BIF-66 and Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework ZIF-67

The hydroamination of alkynes is an atom-economy process in the organic synthesis for the C-N bond formation, thereby allowing the production of fine chemicals and intermediates. However, direct interaction between alkynes and amines is complicated due to the electron enrichment of both compounds. Therefore, efficient hydroamination catalysts, especially heterogeneous ones, are in great demand. This work aimed at the development of novel heterogeneous catalysts based on zeolite-like metal-organic frameworks for phenylacetylene hydroamination. The sodalite (SOD) type zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-67 (Co(meim)₂, meim = 2-methylimidazolate) and boron imidazolate framework BIF-66 ({Co[B(im)₄]₂}_n, im = imidazolate) were studied as the carriers for the gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs). Au-NPs were embedded in the ZIF-67 and BIF-66 matrices by incipient wetness impregnation. Au@ZIF-67 and Au@BIF-66 hybrids were studied for the first time in the liquid phase hydroamination of phenylacetylene with aniline in an air atmosphere and have shown high activity and selectivity in respect to imine in this process. The pronounced impact of the nature of the metal-organic carrier, Au source, and reducing agent on the catalytic performance of the synthesized nanomaterials was found. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first example of using the zeolitic imidazolate framework and boron-imidazolate framework as the components of the gold-containing catalytic systems for the alkyne hydroamination.

IR-Spectroscopic Study of Complex Formation of Nitrogen Oxides (NO, N2O) with Cationic Forms of Zeolites and the Reactivity of Adsorbed Species in CO and CH4 Oxidation

The formation of complexes and disproportionation of nitrogen oxides (NO, N2O) on cationic forms of LTA, FAU, and MOR zeolites was investigated by diffuse-reflectance IR spectroscopy. N2O is adsorbed on the samples under study in the molecular form and the frequencies of the first overtone of the stretching vibrations ν10-2 and the combination bands of the stretching vibrations with other vibrational modes for N2O complexes with cationic sites in zeolites (ν30-1 + ν10-1, ν10-1 + δ0-2) are more significantly influenced by the nature of the zeolite. The presence of several IR bands in the region of 2400-2600 cm-1 (the ν10-1 + δ0-2 transitions) for different zeolite types was explained by the availability of different localization sites for cations in these zeolites. The frequencies in this region also depend on the nature of the cation (its charge and radius). The data can be explained by the specific geometry of the N2O complex formed, presumably two-point adsorption of N2O on a cation and a neighboring oxygen atom of the framework. Adsorption of CO or CH4 on the samples with preliminarily adsorbed N2O at 20-180 °C does not result in any oxidation of these molecules. NO+ and N2O3 species formed by disproportionation of NO are capable of oxidizing CO and CH4 molecules to CO2, whereas NOx is reduced simultaneously to N2 or N2O. The peculiarities in the behavior of cationic forms of different zeolites with respect to adsorbed nitrogen oxides determined by different density and localization of cations have been established.

Modern Carbon-Based Materials for Adsorptive Removal of Organic and Inorganic Pollutants from Water and Wastewater

Currently, a serious threat for living organisms and human life in particular, is water contamination with persistent organic and inorganic pollutants. To date, several techniques have been adopted to remove/treat organics and toxic contaminants. Adsorption is one of the most effective and economical methods for this purpose. Generally, porous materials are considered as appropriate adsorbents for water purification. Conventional adsorbents such as activated carbons have a limited possibility of surface modification (texture and functionality), and their adsorption capacity is difficult to control. Therefore, despite the significant progress achieved in the development of the systems for water remediation, there is still a need for novel adsorptive materials with tunable functional characteristics. This review addresses the new trends in the development of new adsorbent materials. Herein, modern carbon-based materials, such as graphene, oxidized carbon, carbon nanotubes, biomass-derived carbonaceous matrices-biochars as well as their composites with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and MOF-derived highly-ordered carbons are considered as advanced adsorbents for removal of hazardous organics from drinking water, process water, and leachate. The review is focused on the preparation and modification of these next-generation carbon-based adsorbents and analysis of their adsorption performance including possible adsorption mechanisms. Simultaneously, some weak points of modern carbon-based adsorbents are analyzed as well as the routes to conquer them. For instance, for removal of large quantities of pollutants, the combination of adsorption and other methods, like sedimentation may be recommended. A number of efficient strategies for further enhancing the adsorption performance of the carbon-based adsorbents, in particular, integrating approaches and further rational functionalization, including composing these adsorbents (of two or even three types) can be recommended. The cost reduction and efficient regeneration must also be in the focus of future research endeavors. The targeted optimization of the discussed carbon-based adsorbents associated with detailed studies of the adsorption process, especially, for multicomponent adsorbate solution, will pave a bright avenue for efficient water remediation.

Ozonation of Decalin as a Model Saturated Cyclic Molecule: A Spectroscopic Study

Ozonolysis is used for oxidation of a model cyclic molecule-decalin, which may be considered as an analog of saturated cyclic molecules present in heavy oil. The conversion of decalin exceeds 50% with the highest yield of formation of acids about 15–17%. Carboxylic acids, ketones/aldehydes, and alcohols are produced as intermediate products. The methods of UV-visible, transmission IR, attenuated total reflection IR-spectroscopy, NMR and mass-spectrometry were used to identify reaction products and unravel a possible reaction mechanism. The key stage of the process is undoubtedly the activation of the first C-H bond and the formation of peroxide radicals.

Carbon Dioxide Reduction with Hydrogen on Fe, Co Supported Alumina and Carbon Catalysts under Supercritical Conditions

Reduction of CO₂ with hydrogen into CO was studied for the first time on alumina-supported Co and Fe catalysts under supercritical conditions with the goal to produce either CO or CH₄ as the target products. The extremely high selectivity towards methanation close to 100% was found for the Co/Al₂O₃ catalyst, whereas the Fe/Al₂O₃ system demonstrates a predominance of hydrogenation to CO with noticeable formation of ethane (up to 15%). The space–time yield can be increased by an order of magnitude by using the supercritical conditions as compared to the gas-phase reactions. Differences in the crystallographic phase features of Fe-containing catalysts cause the reverse water gas shift reaction to form carbon monoxide, whereas the reduced iron phases initiate the Fischer–Tropsch reaction to produce a mixture of hydrocarbons. Direct methanation occurs selectively on Co catalysts. No methanol formation was observed on the studied Fe- and Co-containing catalysts.

Ethanol to Acetaldehyde Conversion under Thermal and Microwave Heating of ZnO-CuO-SiO2 Modified with WC Nanoparticles

The nonoxidative conversion of ethanol to acetaldehyde under thermal and microwave heating was studied on mixed oxide ZnO-CuO-SiO₂ catalysts modified with additives of tungsten carbide nanoparticles. The results revealed that the WC-modified catalyst exhibited superior activity and selectivity under microwave heating conditions. It is assumed that when microwave heating is used, hot zones can appear at the contact points of WC nanoparticles and active centers of the mixed oxide ZnO-CuO-SiO₂ catalyst, which intensively absorb microwave energy, allowing the more efficient formation of acetaldehyde at moderate temperatures. Thermodynamic calculations of equilibrium concentrations of reagents and products allowed us to identify the optimal conditions for effective acetaldehyde production. The initial catalyst and the catalyst prepared by the coprecipitation of the oxides with the addition of WC were characterized by physicochemical methods (TPR-H₂, XRD, DRIFTS of adsorbed CO). The active centers of the oxide catalyst can be Cu⁺ cations.