Mechanism of low-temperature CO oxidation on a model Pd/Fe2O3 catalyst

A model Pd/Fe₂O₃ catalyst prepared by the vacuum technique has been studied in the carbon monoxide oxidation in the temperature range of 300–550 K at reagent pressures P(CO)=16 Torr, P(O₂)= 4 Torr. It has been shown that the activity of the fresh catalysts is determined by palladium. According to the XPS data, the reduction with carbon monoxide results in the formation of Fe²⁺ (formally Fe₃O₄) and appearance of the catalytic activity in this reaction at low temperatures (350 K). High low-temperature activity of the catalyst is supposed to be connected with the reaction between oxygen adsorbed on the reduced sites of the support (Fe²⁺) and CO adsorbed on palladium (CO_ads) at the metal–oxide interface.     

Partial oxidation of methane with N2O over Fe2(MoO4)3 catalyst

The product distributions for partial oxidation of methane on Fe₂(MoO₄)₃ catalyst were changed remarkably when the oxidant was switched from oxygen to nitrous oxide. When oxygen was used as the oxidant, the main products were HCHO and CO. However, when nitrous oxide was used, the formation of HCHO was greatly suppressed and C₂ hydrocarbons (C₂H₆ and C₂H₄) were newly produced. The difference in kinetic behaviors between the two reactions using nitrous oxide and oxygen as the oxidant can be explained in terms of the competitive conversions of methyl intermediate into HCHO and C₂H₆. In the case of nitrous oxide as the oxidant, the adsorbed methyl intermediate would be transformed predominantly into C₂H₆ due to a low steady-state concentration of the active oxygen species on Fe₂(MoO₄)₃.     

Structural elucidation and iron oxidation states in situ formed β‐Ca3(PO4)2/α‐Fe2O3 composites

A detailed structural analysis on the in situ synthesized β‐Ca₃(PO₄)₂/α‐Fe₂O₃ composites is demonstrated. Compositional ratios, the influence and occupancy of iron at the β‐Ca₃(PO₄)₂ lattice, oxidation state of iron in the composites are derived from analytical techniques involving XRD, FT‐IR, Raman, refinement of the powder X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Iron exists in the Fe³⁺ state throughout the investigated systems and favors its occupancy at the Ca²⁺(5) site of β‐Ca₃(PO₄)₂ until critical limit, and thereafter crystallizes as α‐Fe₂O₃ at ambient conditions. Fe³⁺ occupancy at the β‐Ca₃(PO₄)₂ lattice yields a Ca₉Fe(PO₄)₇ structure that is isostructural with its counterpart. A strong rise in the soft ferromagnetic behavior of β‐Ca₃(PO₄)₂/α‐Fe₂O₃ composites is obvious that depends on the content of α‐Fe₂O₃ in the composites. Overall, the diverse level of iron inclusions at the calcium phosphate system with a Ca/P ratio of 1.5 yields a structurally stable β‐Ca₃(PO₄)₂/α‐Fe₂O₃ composites with assorted compositional ratios.     

Photo‐Induced atom transfer radical polymerization with nanosized α‐Fe2O3 as photoinitiator

Photo‐induced atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was achieved in poly(ethylene glycol)‐400 with nanosized α‐Fe₂O₃ as photoinitiator. Well‐defined poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was synthesized in conjunction with ethyl 2‐bromoisobutyrate (EBiB) as ATRP initiator and FeCl₃·6H₂O/Triphenylphosphine (PPh₃) as complex catalyst. The photo‐induced polymerization of MMA proceeded in a controlled/living fashion. The polymerization followed first‐order kinetics. The obtained PMMA had moderately controlled number‐average molecular weights in accordance with the theoretical number‐average molecular weights, as well as narrow molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n). In addition, the polymerization could be well controlled by periodic light‐on–off processes. The resulting PMMA was characterized by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography. The brominated PMMA was used further as macroinitiator in the chain‐extension with MMA to verify the living nature of photo‐induced ATRP of MMA. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42389.     

Separation of Uranium from Aqueous Solutions Using Al3+‐ and Fe3+‐modified Titanium‐ and Zirconium Phosphates

Abstract

The ability of four amorphous Al³⁺‐ and Fe³⁺‐doped titanium and zirconium sorbents to separate U(VI) from acidic aqueous solutions (pH_init=3, ionic strength 0.1 M established by NaNO₃) was investigated using a batch technique and instrumental neutron activation analysis. All investigated sorbents were found to be chemically stable and remove considerable amounts of uranium from acidic aqueous solutions (pH_init=3). The scanning electron microscopic and powder‐X‐ray diffraction examination of the grains of the two investigated titanium phosphates after contacting the uranium solutions revealed the formation of sodium autunite (Na₂(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂ · 6‐8H₂O) accompanied, in the case of the Fe³⁺‐doped titanium phosphate, by iron uranyl phosphate hydroxide hydrate (Fe(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂(OH) · 7H₂O). No crystal formation was observed in the cases of uranium sorbed by zirconium phosphates indicating the different sorption mechanism involved.     

Effect of magnetic catalysts on the kinetic behaviour of Reactive Black 5 decomposition by an O3/H2O2 process

BACKGROUND: Particles are often too small to be separated from a reaction system and recycled, especially in waste‐water treatment via a catalytic ozonation process. Therefore, the objective of this study was to prepare a magnetic catalyst (SiO₂/Fe₃O₄) that can be recycled by using an external magnetic field. The characteristics of the magnetic catalyst and kinetics of decomposition of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) using a magnetic catalyst/H₂O₂/O₃ have been investigated. Magnetic catalysts (SiO₂/Fe₃O₄) were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. RESULTS: In the case of the decomposition of RB5 by the SiO₂/Fe₃O₄/H₂O₂/O₃ process, the contribution of the destruction by the indirect oxidation of OH· caused by the chain reaction of H₂O, OH^?, and H₂O₂ was found to be larger than that of the direct attack of O₃. The kinetic behaviour of the reacting species during the decomposition of RB5 by catalytic ozonation could be well modelled under various experimental conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The paramagnetic behaviour of the prepared SiO₂/Fe₃O₄ led to the formation of the magnetic catalyst SiO₂/Fe₃O₄, which could be separated more easily by the application of a magnetic field. More than 90% of the magnetic catalyst was recovered and easily redispersed in a solution for reuse by mixing with a flat‐bladed turbine. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Notable Effects of Aluminum Alkyls and Solvents for Highly Efficient Ethylene (Co)polymerizations Catalyzed by (Arylimido)‐ (aryloxo)vanadium Complexes

The effects of both Al cocatalyst and solvent on catalytic activity in the ethylene polymerization by the (arylmido)(aryloxo)vanadium(V) complex, VCl₂(N‐2,6‐Me₂C₆H₃)(O‐2,6‐Me₂C₆H₃) ( 1 ), have been explored in detail. The activity of 5.84×10⁵ kg PE/mol V⋅h (TOF 2.08×10⁷ h⁻¹) has been achieved by 1 /EtAlCl₂ catalyst in CH₂Cl₂ at 0 °C, and the activity in toluene increased in the order: i‐Bu₂AlCl>EtAlCl₂>Me₂AlCl>Et₂AlCl> Et₂Al(OEt), AlEt₃, AlMe₃ (negligible activities). Both aluminum alkyl cocatalyst and solvent also affected the catalytic activity and the norbornene (NBE) incorporation in the ethylene/NBE copolymerization using complex 1 , whereas the NBE contents were not strongly affected by the kind of aryl oxide ligand in VCl₂(N‐2,6‐Me₂C₆H₃)(OAr) [OAr=O‐2,6‐Me₂C₆H₃ ( 1 ), O‐2,6‐i‐Pr₂C₆H₃ ( 2 ), O‐2,6‐Ph₂C₆H₃ ( 3 )].     

Divalent metal complexes of formylhydrazine: Syntheses and crystal structures of M(CH4N2O)2(H2O)2·2NO3 (M = Zn,Co)

The syntheses and crystal structures of Zn(CH₄N₂O)₂(H₂O)₂·2(NO₃) (1) and Co(CH₄N₂O)₂(H₂O)₂·2(NO₃) (2), the first well-characterised metal complexes of formylhydrazine (fh), are described. In both compounds, the fh acts as an N,O-bidentate ligand in a centrosymmetric [M(fh)₂(H₂O)₂]²⁺ cation, with charge balance supplied by nitrate counter ions. The packing for the two compounds are quite different: in 1, chains of [Zn(fh)₂(H₂O)₂]²⁺ units are seen in the triclinic unit cell, whereas in the monoclinic structure of 2, sheets of cations occur. This might arise because the conformations of the five-membered chelate rings for the ligands are slightly different, with that for 2 showing a greater degree of puckering.     

Electrocatalyst materials for fuel cells based on the polyoxometalates—K7 or H7[(P2W17O61)Fe(H2O)] and Na12 or H12[(P2W15O56)2Fe4(H2O)2]

Free acids of the iron substituted heteropoly acids (HPA), H₇[(P₂W₁₇O₆₁)Fe^III(H₂O)] (HFe1) and H₁₈[(P₂W₁₅O₅₆)₂Fe^III₂(H₂O)₂] (HFe2) were prepared from the salts K₇[(P₂W₁₇O₆₁)Fe^III(H₂O)] (KFe1) and Na₁₂[(P₂W₁₅O₅₆)₂Fe^III₄(H₂O)₂] (NaFe4), respectively. The iron-substituted HPA were adsorbed on to XC-72 carbon based GDLs to form HPA doped GDEs after water washing with HPA loadings of ca. 1 μmol. The HPA was detected throughout the GDL by EDX. Solution electrochemistry of the free acids are reported for the first time in sulfate buffer, pH 1-3. The hydrogen oxidation reaction was catalyzed by KFe1 at 0.33 V, with an exchange current density of 38 mA/cm². Moderate activity for the oxygen reduction reaction was observed for the iron substituted HPA, which was dramatically improved by selectively removing oxygen atoms from the HPA by cycling the fuel cell cathode under N₂ followed by reoxidation to give a restructured oxide catalyst. The nanostructured oxide achieved an OCV of 0.7 V with a Tafel slope of 115 mV/decade. Cycling the same catalysts in oxygen resulted in an improved catalyst/ionomer/carbon configuration with a slightly higher Tafel slope, 128 mV/decade but a respectable current density of 100 mA/cm² at 0.2 V.     

Microwave properties of Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3, Ba(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 and Ba(Co1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramics revealed by Raman scattering

Five Ba(Co_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ samples sintered at different temperatures (form 1350 to 1550 °C), one Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ and a Ba(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ sample were examined by Raman scattering to reveal the correlation of the 1:2 ordered perovskite structure with the microwave properties, such as dielectric constant and Q factors. The Ba(Co_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ sample sintered at 1400 °C, which possesses the highest microwave Q value and the lowest dielectric constant among five Ba(Co_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ samples, has the narrowest width and the highest frequency of the stretch mode of oxygen octahedron (i.e. A_1g(O) near 800 cm⁻¹). We found that the dielectric constant is strongly correlated with the Raman shift of A_1g(O) stretch modes, and the width of A_1g(O) stretch mode reflects the quality factor Q × f value in the 1:2 ordered perovskite materials. This concludes that the oxygen octahedron play an important role of the material's microwave performance. Based on the results of Q × f values and the lineshapes of A_1g(O) stretch mode, we found that the propagation of microwave energy in Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ and Ba(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ shows weak damping behavior, however, Ba(Co_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ samples sintered at different temperature exhibit heavily damped behavior.     

Nickel(II) complexes bearing the bis(β‐ketoamino) ligand for the copolymerization of norbornene with a higher 1‐alkene

A novel bis(β‐ketoamino)Ni(II) complex catalyst, Ni{CF₃C(O)CHC[N(naphthyl)]CH₃}₂, was synthesized, and the structure was solved by a single‐crystal X‐ray refraction technique. The copolymerization of norbornene with higher 1‐alkene was carried out in toluene with catalytic systems based on nickel(II) complexes, Ni{RC(O)CHC[N(naphthyl)]CH₃}₂(R?CH₃, CF₃) and B(C₆F₅)₃, and high activity was exhibited by both catalytic systems. The effects of the catalyst structure and comonomer feed content on the polymerization activity and the incorporation rates were investigated. The reactivity ratios were determined to be r_1‐octene = 0.009 and r_norbornene = 13.461 by the Kelen–Tüdõs method for the Ni{CH₃C(O)CHC[N(naphthyl)]CH₃}₂/B(C₆F₅)₃ system. The achieved copolymers were confirmed to be vinyl‐addition copolymers through the analysis of ¹H‐NMR and ¹³C‐NMR. The thermogravimetric analysis results showed that the copolymers exhibited good thermal stability (decomposition temperature, T_dec > 400°C), and the glass‐transition temperature of the copolymers were observed between 215 and 275°C. The copolymers were confirmed to be noncrystalline by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction analysis and showed good solubility in common organic solvents. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Liquid-phase oxidation of alcohols with oxygen catalysed by modified palladium(II) oxide

Benzyl and trans-cinnamyl alcohols are heterogeneously oxidised to the corresponding aldehydes by O₂ in liquid phase at 100 °C and ambient pressure using hydrous binary Pd^II–M oxides (M=Co^III, Fe^III, Mn^III and Cu^II) as catalysts. Modification of Pd^II oxide with transition metal cations greatly improves the catalytic activity and selectivity to aldehydes, Co^III and Fe^III being the most effective promoters. In benzyl alcohol oxidation in toluene solution, the Pd–Co system gives 85–100% selectivity to aldehydes at 53–95% alcohol conversion in 15–60 min reaction time. The catalyst can be re-used without loss of its activity and selectivity. The presence of a certain amount of water in the catalysts is essential for their performance. From TGA, the composition of the optimal Pd–Co catalyst can be approximated as PdO·(0.13–1.0)CoO(OH)·(2–3)H₂O. The oxidation of alcohols on Pd–M oxide catalysts is accompanied by transfer hydrogenation and decarbonylation side reactions, which is similar to the oxidation on the palladium metal. This indicates that the oxidation of alcohols on Pd–M oxide catalysts occurs via a dehydrogenation mechanism, with hydrogen being present on the catalyst surface.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and crystal structure of a new copper(II) molybdenum(VI) arsenate(III), (C5H5NH)2(H3O)2[(CuO6)Mo6O18(As3O3)2]

A new copper(II) molybdenum(VI) arsenate(III), (C₅H₅NH)₂(H₃O)₂[(CuO₆)Mo₆O₁₈(As₃O₃)₂], has been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and TG analysis. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n with a=9.303(2), b=20.731(4), c=12.617(3) Å, β=104.17(3)°, V=2359.3(8) ų, Z=2 and R1(wR2)=0.0296(0.0683). The structure is composed of pyridinium cations, proton hydrates and [(CuO₆)Mo₆O₁₈(As₃O₃)₂]⁴⁻ polyanions. The polyanion framework derives from the Anderson type; the central octahedron is filled up by copper(II) and is capped on both sides by a cyclic As₃O₆ group.     

X-ray single-crystal structure and magnetic properties of KMn(H2O)5Ru2(CO3)4·5H2O: A layered soft magnet

The temperature manipulation induces the aggregation of Ru₂(CO₃)₄^3 − paddle-wheel precursors and Mn^2 + ions in lower temperature ~ 10 °C forming layer structural complex, K[Mn(H₂O)₄Ru₂(CO₃)₄]·5H₂O (1). It composes of new negative layer {Mn(H₂O)₅Ru₂(CO₃)₄}_nⁿ⁻, and magnetic exchanges between spin centers result in ordering below 3.8 K. The observed critical temperature is like the previously reported 3D hetero-metallic carbonates H_0.3K_0.7Mn[Ru₂(CO₃)₄](H₂O)_5.5, which demonstrates that it is independent of the interlayer connecting in such heterometallic complexes based on square-grid layer {Ru₂(CO₃)₄}_n³ⁿ⁻.     

Synthesis,characterizations, and crystal structure of a novel 2D metal phosphonate: Na2[Cd2(H2O)3(O3PCH(OH)CO2)2] · 2H2O

A novel cadmium phosphonate compound Na₂[Cd₂(H₂O)₃(O₃PCH(OH)CO₂)₂] · 2H₂O (1) has been synthesized by hydrothermal reaction at 120 °C and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction as well as with infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. The structure of compound 1 comprises CdO₆ octahedra and CdO₇ pentagonal bipyramid connected by [O₃PCH(OH)CO₂]³⁻ to form a 2D layered structure with a one-dimensional channel system and the charge-compensating Na⁺ cations being located between two adjacent layers.     

Polymerization of lactides and lactones. III. Ring-opening polymerization of DL-lactide by the (η3-C3H5)2Sm(μ2-Cl)2(μ3-Cl)2Mg(tmed)(μ2-Cl)Mg(tmed) complex

Ring-opening polymerization of DL -lactide (LA) has been initiated with the (η³-C₃H₅)₂Sm(μ₂-Cl)₂(μ₃-Cl)₂Mg(tmed)(η₂-Cl)Mg(tmed) complex both in bulk and solution. The effects of reaction conditions, such as reaction time, reaction temperature, and monomer/initiator molar ratio on the polymerization has been discussed. The results showed that (η³-C₃H₅)₂Sm(μ₂-Cl)₂(μ₃-Cl)₂Mg(tmed)(μ₂-Cl)Mg(tmed) was more effective for the polymerization of LA, and high molecular weight of polylactide was obtained by this initiator. The solvent affected the polymerization significantly. The polymerization mechanism was in agreement with the coordination mechanism. The polymer was characterized by FTIR, ¹H-NMR, and DSC. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 2857–2862, 1999     

First complex of the monoprotonated trioxodinitrate anion: synthesis and characterization of [Hg2(HN2O3)2(NO3)2(Ph2PNHPPh2)2]

The reaction of Hg(NO₃)₂·H₂O with bis(diphenylphosphino)amine, Ph₂PNHPPh₂ (dppam), produces [Hg₂(HN₂O₃)₂(NO₃)₂(dppam)₂] (1), which is the first complex containing the monoprotonated trioxodinitrate anion. 1 has been fully characterized by an X-ray structure analysis, NMR spectroscopy (¹⁹⁹Hg{¹H}, ³¹P{¹H}, ¹H), FAB mass spectrometry, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and melting point. 1 is the unique example of a face-to-face complex of five-coordinate Hg(II) centres with dppam including the first structural characterization of a rare tautomer of the monoprotonated trioxodinitrate anion.     

[{W(O)(O2)2(H2O)}2(μ‐O)]2–‐Catalyzed Epoxidation of Allylic Alcohols in Water with High Selectivity and Utilization of Hydrogen Peroxide

A dinuclear peroxotungstate, K₂[{W(O)(O₂)₂(H₂O)}₂(μ‐O)]⋅2 H₂O, exhibits high catalytic performance for the epoxidation of various allylic alcohols with only one equivalent of hydrogen peroxide at 305 K in water solvent. The effectiveness of this system is evidenced by high chemo‐, regio‐, and diastereoselectivity, and stereospecificity for the epoxidation of allylic alcohols. Furthermore, products/catalyst separation can be easily carried out by simple extraction and the catalyst recovered can be reused with the maintenance of the catalytic performance.     

Low‐lying energy isomers and global minima of aqueous nanoclusters: Structures and spectroscopic features of the pentagonal dodecahedron (H2O)20 and (H3O)+(H2O)20

We rely on a hierarchical approach to identify the low‐lying isomers and corresponding global minima of the pentagonal dodecahedron (H₂O)₂₀ and the H₃O⁺(H₂O)₂₀ nanoclusters. Initial screening of the isomers is performed using classical interaction potentials, namely the Transferable Interaction 4‐site Potential (TIP4P), the Thole‐Type Flexible Model, versions 2.0 (TTM2‐F) and 2.1 (TTM2.1‐F) for (H₂O)₂₀ and the Anisotropic Site Potential (ASP) for H₃O⁺(H₂O)₂₀. The nano‐networks obtained with those potentials were subsequently refined at the density functional theory (DFT) with the Becke‐3‐parameter Lee–Yang–Parr (B3LYP) functional and at the second order Møller–Plesset perturbation (MP2) levels of theory. For the pentagonal dodecahedron (H₂O)₂₀ it was found that DFT (B3LYP) and MP2 produced the same global minimum. However, this was not the case for the H₃O⁺(H₂O)₂₀ cluster, for which MP2 produced a different network for the global minimum when compared to DFT (B3LYP). The low‐lying networks of H₃O⁺(H₂O)₂₀ correspond to structures having 9 ‘free’ OH bonds and the hydronium ion on the surface of the nanocluster. The IR spectra of the various networks are further analysed in the OH stretching (‘fingerprint’) region and the various bands are assigned to structural arrangements of the underlying hydrogen bonding network. © 2012 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

Local structure and superconductivity in (Bi1.6Pb0.4Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ)1-x(Fe3O4)x compounds

In this work, a close correlation between variations of critical temperature (T_c) and the hole concentration of (Bi_1.6Pb_0.4Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_10+δ)_1-x(Fe₃O₄)_x systems was studied. The (Bi_1.6Pb_0.4Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_10+δ)_1-x(Fe₃O₄)_x samples were fabricated using the solid-state reaction method, where x ranged from 0 to 0.2. The T_c values of the samples deduced from magnetization versus temperature measurement gradually decreased with increasing the Fe₃O₄ content (x). To investigate a possible reason for the observed decrease in the values of T_c in the samples, the valence state of copper (V) and the hole concentration (p) in all samples were examined by analyzing the Cu K-edge and Cu L_2,3-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra. The values of V and p monotonously decreased with the increase in Fe₃O₄ doping content (x) and agreed with the behavior of T_c. The existence of Fe³⁺ was confirmed by analyzing Fe L_2,3-edge XANES. Hence, Fe³⁺ ions possibly entered the lattice structure of the samples and filled the holes in CuO₂ planes. The degradation of superconductivity in Fe₃O₄ doped samples was then explained.