Efficiently Integrated Desulfurization from Natural Gas over Zn-ZIF-Derived Hierarchical Lamellar Carbon Frameworks

Catalytic hydrolysis of methyl mercaptan and methyl thioether on hydroxyl-modified ZrO2: a density functional theory study

The purification and removal of organic sulfur from natural gas is conducive to increasing the added value of natural gas and reducing environmental pollution. In this study, the adsorption properties of methyl mercaptan (CH3SH), dimethyl sulfide (C2H6S) and H2O on the surface of hydroxyl-modified ZrO2 were investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Additionally, a reaction mechanism was proposed for hydroxyl-modified ZrO2 catalyzing the hydrolysis of CH3SH and C2H6S. The chemisorption of H2O molecules on the catalyst surface is attributed to H-O and H-Zr bonds. The chemisorption of CH3SH and C2H6S on the catalyst surface is attributed to Zr-S bonds. Competitive adsorption between the three gases exists only between CH3SH and C2H6S. It reveals the water-resistant properties of hydroxyl-modified ZrO2 in desulfurization. The adsorption energies of the three gas molecules on the hydroxyl-modified ZrO2 surface are in the order of CH3SH - (Zr) > C2H6S - (Zr) > H2O - (OH). The natural hydrolysis of CH3SH and C2H6S is a heat-absorbing process that cannot occur spontaneously. The rate-determining step for CH3SH catalytic hydrolysis is the formation of CH3O. The fracture of CH3SHO is the rate-determining step for C2H6S catalytic hydrolysis. The depletion of the surface hydroxyl groups can be replenished by the dissociation of H2O molecules. Hydroxyl-modified ZrO2 facilitated the hydrolysis process of CH3SH to a greater extent than that of C2H6S. This study provides theoretical guidance for industrial applications and the design of hydroxyl-containing hydrolysis catalysts.

Triple Templates Directed Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Hierarchically Porous Carbons from Pyridine Rich Monomer as Efficient and Reversible SO2 Adsorbents

Herein, a variety of 2,6-diaminopyridine (DAP) derived nitrogen-doped hierarchically porous carbon (DAP-NHPC-T) prepared from carbonization-induced structure transformation of DAP-Zn-SiO2-P123 nanocomposites are reported, which are facilely prepared from solvent-free co-assembly of block copolymer templates P123 with pyridine-rich monomer of DAP, Zn(NO3)2 and tetramethoxysilane. In the pyrolysis process, P123 and SiO2 templates promote the formation of mesoporous and supermicroporous structures in the DAP-NHPC-T, while high-temperature volatilization of Zn contributed to generation of micropores. The DAP-NHPC-T possess large BET surface areas (≈956-1126 m2 g-1), hierarchical porosity with micro-supermicro-mesoporous feature and high nitrogen contents (≈10.44-5.99 at%) with tunable density of pyridine-based nitrogen sites (≈5.99-3.32 at%), exhibiting good accessibility and reinforced interaction with SO2. Consequently, the DAP-NHPC-T show high SO2 capacity (14.7 mmol g-1, 25 °C and 1.0 bar) and SO2/CO2/N2 IAST selectivities, extraordinary dynamic breakthrough separation efficiency and cycling stability, far beyond any other reported nitrogen-doped metal-free carbon. As verified by in situ spectroscopy and theoretical calculations, the pyridine-based nitrogen sites of the DAP-NHPC-T boost SO2 adsorption via the unique charge transfer, the adsorption mechanism and reaction model have been finally clarified.

Hierarchical Porous N-Doped Carbon Particles Derived from ZIF-8 as Highly Efficient H2S Selective Oxidation Catalysts

In the selective oxidation of H2S, the catalytic activity over N-doped carbon-based catalysts is significantly influenced by the accessibility of active sites and the mass transfer rates of reactant molecules (e.g., H2S and O2) as well as generated sulfur monomers. Therefore, it is crucial for enhancing the initial performance via the controlled synthesis of carbon-based catalysts with highly exposed active sites and unique porous structures. Herein, we reported on an efficient strategy to synthesize nanosized N-doped carbon particles with hierarchical porous structures by directly pyrolyzing an oversaturated NaCl-encapsulated ZIF-8 precursor mixture. The introduction of NaCl not only serves as a pollution-free template to promote the formation of graphitic carbon layers but also acts as an intercalating agent to guide the derivation of hierarchical porous structures, as well as enhances the amount of active nitrogen species in the catalysts. As a result, the as-prepared H-NC800 catalyst shows excellent H2S selective oxidation performance (sulfur formation rate is 794 gsulfur·kgcat-1·h-1), good stability (>80 h), and antiwater vapor properties. The characterization results and DFT calculations indicate the crucial role of pyridinic N in the adsorbing and activating reactant molecules (H2S, O2). Furthermore, nanoscale N-doped carbon particles accelerated the rapid transport of generated sulfur monomers under a hierarchical porous structure. This investigation introduces a distinctive strategy for synthesizing ZIF-8-derived N-doped carbon nanosized with a hierarchical porous structure, while its efficient and stable H2S selective oxidation performance highlights significant potential for practical implementation in the industrial desulfurization process.

Does inorganic carbon species alter chromium reduction mechanism in sulfur-based autotrophic biosystem?

Sulfur-based autotrophic bioremediation is recognized as an environmentally-friendly and effective method for the treatment of Cr(VI) in groundwater. However, inorganic carbon (IC), especially IC-rich solid kitchen waste, has rarely been reported as an important factor in the autotrophic process. In China, kitchen waste containing IC is generated in large quantities, and in combination with Cr(VI) autotrophic treatment technology in groundwater can achieve a win-win situation. Herein, the efficiency of Cr(VI)-bioreduction coupling solid inorganic carbon (SIC) (e.g. marble, egg shell, oyster shell, and NSAD synthetic material) and liquid inorganic carbon (LIC) was compared for the first time. After 18 d incubation, there were significant differences in Cr(VI) reduction efficiency and microbial community between SIC-bioreactors and LIC-bioreactors. Higher electron transfer activity, greater bioavailability of organics, and multiple Cr(VI) reductases were detected in SIC-biosystems, which effectively promoted Cr(VI) energy metabolism and enzyme-mediated biological reduction. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveled multiple cooperative mechanism in different substrate biosystems. This study not only advances the understanding of SIC coupled with Cr(VI) autotrophic bioreduction, but also provides new insights for the treatment of solid kitchen waste and groundwater bioremediation.

Catalysts for gaseous organic sulfur removal

Organic sulfur gases (COS, CS₂ and CH₃SH) are widely present in reducing industrial off-gases, and these substances pose difficulties for the recovery of carbon monoxide and other gases. The reaction pathways and reaction mechanisms of organic sulfur on different catalyst surfaces have yet to be fully summarized. The literature shows that many factors, such as catalyst synthesis method, loaded metal composition, number of surface hydroxyl groups, number of acid-base sites and methods of surface modification, have important effects on the catalytic performance of metal catalysts. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive review of the research on the application of catalysts such as zeolites, metal oxides, carbon-based materials, and hydrotalcite-like derivatives in the field of organic sulfur removal. Future research prospects are summarized, more in situ characterization experiments and theoretical calculations are needed for the catalytic decomposition of methanethiol to analyze the coke generation pathways at the microscopic level, while the simultaneous removal of multiple organic sulfur gases needs to be focused on. Based on previous catalyst research, we propose possible innovations in catalyst design, desulfurization technology and organic sulfur resource utilization technology.