Precipitation polymerization of ε-caprolactone in water using metal triflates as catalysts

The precipitation polymerization of ε-caprolactone has been assessed in water using various commercial metal triflates as catalysts. The reaction is quantitative at 70 and 100?°C, leading to number-average molecular weights up to 5,400?g/mol and dispersities around 1.5–2.0. A polycondensation mechanism operating from in situ generated 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid is proposed. Among various salts, aluminum and tin(II) triflates lead to the higher molecular weight after 24?h reaction at 70?°C.     

Selective CO oxidation over monolithic Au?MgO/Al2O3 catalysts

BACKGROUND: Selective CO oxidation was studied in a hydrogen‐rich environment over monolithic Au/MgO/Al₂O₃ catalysts at 50–150 °C. The wash‐coating of cordierite monoliths with colloidal Al₂O₃ was followed by wet impregnation of MgO; the subsequent deposition of Au was achieved using various methods. All catalysts were characterized using ICP and ESEM. RESULTS: Homogenous deposition‐precipitation was found to be the best Au loading method among those tested for monoliths. The CO conversion over 1%(w/w) Au/1.25%(w/w) MgO/Al₂O₃ was ca 80% at 90 °C. Increasing the Au content of the catalyst from 0.16 to 1.0%(w/w) increased CO conversion and shifted the required temperature to lower values. A similar trend was also observed for maximum CO conversion at increasing W/F_CO ratios. The addition of MgO was beneficial for CO conversion. CONCLUSION: Although CO conversion of ca 80% was lower than that achieved with particulate catalysts, it is high enough as a starting point for further improvement considering the superiority of monolithic supports for practical applications. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Highly active rare earth catalysts for the solution polymerization of ε-caprolactone

Summary By using -butyrolactone (-BL) as the reaction media, highly active catalysts--light rare earth chloride-epoxidy---BL-for the solution polymerization of -caprolactone, have been obtained for the first time. With these catalyst, PCL with molecular weight as his as 40x10⁴(Mv) can be prepared at 60°C for 1.5 hr. The amount of epoxide in catalyst solution, catalyst aging temperature and time affect the catalyst activity significantly. The mechanism study shows that in -BL, the weakening of Ln-Cl bonds by the donation of coordinated -BL with Ln³⁺ and the homogenous effect promote the reaction between light rare earth chloride and epoxide. The produced rare earth alkoxide initiates CL polymerization via a coordination-insertion mechanism with Acyl-oxygen bond cleavage.     

Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of Pd–Rh alloy hollow nanosphere catalysts for formic acid oxidation

Pd–Rh alloy hollow nanospheres deposited on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized in our study. Initially, Cu nanoparticles were attached onto the MWCNT surface through solvothermal reaction, and then Pd-based alloy hollow nanospheres were formed using Cu nanoparticles as sacrificial template. Electrochemical activity and stability for the oxidation of formic acid were studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results reveal that the alloy hollow nanostructures have high electrochemical activity and good stability for the oxidation of formic acid, which might make them good candidates for direct formic acid fuel cells.     

Catalytic partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas over γ-Al2O2-supported rhodium catalysts

The partial oxidation of methane was studied over -Al₂O₃-supported catalysts for Rh loadings between 0.01 and 5.0 wt%. It was found that the activity and selectivities for loadings between 0.5 and 5.0 wt% are almost the same. As an example, detailed information is presented for the 1.0 wt% Rh/-Al₂O₃, which provides at 750°C (furnace temperature) an activity of 82% and selectivities of 96% to CO and 98% to H₂, at a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 720000 ml g^–1 h^–1. Its activity remained stable during our experiment which lasted 120 h. Possible explanations for this high stability are proposed based on TPR and XRD experiments. Pulse reactions with small pulses of CH₄ and CH₄/O₂ (2/1) were performed over the reduced and unreduced Rh catalysts to probe the mechanistic aspects of the reaction. The partial oxidation of methane to syngas was found to be initiated by metallic rhodium sites, since the CO selectivity increased with increasing number of such sites.     

Partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas over α-Al2O3-supported bimetallic Pt–Co catalysts

The partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas was studied at atmospheric pressure and in the temperature range of 550–800°C over -Al₂O₃-supported bimetallic Pt–Co, and monometallic Pt and Co catalysts, respectively. Both methane conversion and CO selectivity over a bimetallic Pt_0.5Co₁ catalyst were higher than those over monometallic Pt_0.5 and Co₁ catalysts. Furthermore, the addition of platinum in Pt–Co bimetallic catalysts effectively improved their resistance to carbon deposition with no coking occurring on Pt_0.5Co₁ during 80 h reaction. The FTIR study of CO adsorption observed only linearly bonded CO on bimetallic Pt–Co catalysts. TPR and XPS showed enhanced formation of a cobalt surface phase (CSP) in bimetallic Pt–Co catalysts. The origins of the good coking resistivity of bimetallic Pt–Co catalysts were discussed.     

Partial oxidation of methane to syngas over Co/MgO catalysts. Is it low temperature?

Co/MgO catalysts with high Co-loading (>28 wt%) are able to initiate the reaction of methane with oxygen at temperatures around 500 °C. High conversions of methane ( 70%) and very high selectivities for hydrogen and carbon monoxide ( 90%) are obtained at very high reactant gas space velocities (10⁵–10⁶ h^–1). The temperature of the catalyst at the conditions of partial oxidation of methane to form syngas was found to be extremely high (1200–1300 °C); it is about 600–850 °C higher than that previously reported by others. At these temperatures, high temperature homogeneous reactions may prevail. It is suggested that combustion of methane to carbon dioxide occurs on the catalyst with major heat release and that methane and water, respectively methane and carbon dioxide are reformed thermally in an endothermic reaction leading to syngas.     

Simultaneous dehydrogenation and isomerization of n-butane to isobutene over Cr/WO3–ZrO2 catalysts

A series of WO₃-promoted Cr₂O₃-based catalysts were prepared and tested for the simultaneous dehydrogenation and isomerization of n-butane to isobutene. It is found that a Cr₂O₃/WO₃–ZrO₂ system is an effective catalyst for this reaction; however, the catalytic behavior is dependent on Cr₂O₃ and WO₃ contents, space velocity and temperature. 10 wt% Cr₂O₃/20 wt% WO₃–ZrO₂ can give high initial conversion and isobutene selectivity, but it deactivates rapidly due to the variation of surface properties and pore structure caused by carbon deposition. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of Pd loading and precursor on the catalytic performance of Pd/WO3–ZrO2 catalysts for selective oxidation of ethylene

The structure and properties of Pd/WO₃–ZrO₂ (W/Zr = 0.2) catalysts with different Pd loadings and precursors were investigated. The results indicate that Pd/WO₃–ZrO₂ prepared from a PdCl₂ precursor was optimum for high activity and selectivity. Moreover, ethylene conversion increased with the Pd loading. The structure and nature of the catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction, BET N₂ adsorption, H₂ temperature-programmed reduction and H₂ pulse adsorption techniques. The results reveal that the higher catalytic performance of Pd/WO₃–ZrO₂ prepared from PdCl₂ could be related to the formation of polytungstate species and the existence of well-dispersed Pd particles.     

A study of “superacidic” MoO3/ZrO2 catalysts for methane oxidation

A series of zirconia-supported molybdenum oxide catalysts with different molybdenum loadings prepared using conditions reported to generate “superacidity” have been evaluated for their performance as catalysts for methane oxidation. A marked dependence of Mo content on activity has been observed, with the most active material being that with intermediate molybdenum content. 5 wt% MoO₃/ZrO₂ compares favourably with Zr_xCe_1-xO₂ for methane combustion. The presence of MoO₃ is observed to stabilise the tetragonal polymorph of ZrO₂ and, as Mo content is increased, dispersed MoO₃ crystallites are formed as evidenced by Raman spectroscopy. Temperature-programmed reduction studies evidence differences in the reduction behaviour of the materials as a function of loading. The results indicate that molybdenum oxide supported on monoclinic zirconia gives rise to the most active catalyst. It is tentatively suggested that the formation of a MoO₃ monolayer during reaction may be of importance. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Formation of anisaldehyde via hydroxymethylation of anisole over SnO2–CeO2 catalysts

Hydroxymethylation of anisole has been carried out over SnO₂–CeO₂ catalysts in the temperature range 623–723 K. Methoxybenzaldehyde (anisaldehyde) and condensation products were formed along with minor quantities of methoxybenzyl alcohol, o‐cresol, phenol and 2,6‐xylenol. A maximum anisaldehyde selectivity of 64% was obtained at 623 K at an anisole conversion of 46% under optimized conditions. Catalytic activity of these systems in the formation of aldehyde is ascribed to the presence of weak acid sites and redox metal sites. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Strong improvement on CH4 oxidation over Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalysts

A very strong promotion effect of the presence of 1000 ppmV C₃H₈ in the reaction feed on CH₄–O₂ reaction was found over unsulfated 1%Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst. This promotion was further increased on pre-sulfated 1%Pt/γ-Al₂O₃. The promoting effect of pre-sulfation on the activity of 1%Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ for propane combustion results in a further improvement on methane combustion due to propane combustion heat which is generated at lower temperatures, activating methane combustion over pre-sulfated 1%Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ at even lower temperatures relative to unsulfated 1%Pt/γ-Al₂O₃. These results suggest that small amounts of propane in the gas feed during CH₄–O₂ reaction over a pre-sulfated Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst may eliminate methane emissions at low temperatures from lean-burn NGV exhausts without being deactivated by sulfur poisoning as Pd supported catalysts.     

Hydrogen production by partial oxidation of methanol over bimetallic Au–Ru/Fe2O3 catalysts

Hydrogen production by partial oxidation of methanol (POM) was investigated over Au–Ru/Fe₂O₃ catalyst, prepared by deposition–precipitation. The activity of Au–Ru/Fe₂O₃ catalyst was compared with bulk Fe₂O₃, Au/Fe₂O₃ and Ru/Fe₂O₃ catalysts. The reaction parameters, such as O₂/CH₃OH molar ratio, calcination temperature and reaction temperature were optimized. The catalysts were characterized by ICP, XRD, TEM and TPR analyses. The catalytic activity towards hydrogen formation is found to be higher over the bimetallic Au–Ru/Fe₂O₃ catalyst compared to the monometallic Au/Fe₂O₃ and Ru/Fe₂O₃ catalysts. Bulk Fe₂O₃ showed negligible activity towards hydrogen formation. The enhanced activity and stability of the bimetallic Au–Ru/Fe₂O₃ catalyst has been explained in terms of strong metal–metal and metal–support interactions. The catalytic activity was found to depend on the partial pressure of oxygen, which also plays an important role in determining the product distribution. The catalytic behavior at various calcination temperatures suggests that chemical state of the support and particle size of Au and Ru plays an important role. The optimum calcination temperature for hydrogen selectivity is 673 K. The catalytic performance at various reaction temperatures, between 433 and 553 K shows that complete consumption of oxygen is observed at 493 K. Methanol conversion increases with rise in temperature and attains 100% at 523 K; hydrogen selectivity also increases with rise in temperature and reaches 92% at 553 K. The overall reactions involved are suggested as consecutive methanol combustion, partial oxidation, steam reforming and decomposition. CO produced by methanol decomposition is subsequently transformed into CO₂ by the water gas shift and CO oxidation reactions.     

Characterization of CeO2–WO3 catalysts prepared by different methods for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3

In this work, cerium–tungsten oxide catalysts were prepared by three methods: single step sol–gel (SG), impregnation (IM), and solid processing (SP). The catalysts were used for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x with ammonia over a wide temperature range. The results indicated that the catalysts prepared by the SP and IM methods exhibited better SCR activity than that prepared via the SG method in 175–500 °C. The excellent activity can be attributed to larger surface area, higher surface concentrations of Ce and Ce^3 +, enhanced NO oxidization ability, and greater number of surface acid sites.     

Study on Cu–Mn–Si catalysts for synthesis of cyclohexanone and 2-methylfuran through the coupling process

A series of Cu–Mn–Si catalysts for synthesis of cyclohexanone (CHN) and 2-methylfuran (2-MF) through the coupling of cyclohexanol (CHL) dehydrogenation and furfural (FFA) hydrogenation were prepared by co-precipitation method. The catalysts were characterized by using N₂ physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), H₂ temperature programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), N₂O-chemisorption and ammonia temperature-programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD) methods. The results show that metal–silica/or metal–metal interactions are presented in the catalysts, and the contents of copper, manganese and silicon affect the BET surface area, acidity and copper dispersion. The results of the catalytic tests indicate that manganese increases the activity of CHL dehydrogenation and FFA hydrogenation as well as the selectivity of 2-MF. A Cu–Mn–Si catalyst including appropriate copper, manganese and silicon is found to be most active, selective and stable under reaction conditions.     

Novel synthesis of diethyl carbonate over palladium/MCM‐41 catalysts

At 400–650°C, NO_x catalyzes the deep oxidation by dioxygen of a wide range of toxic chloroorganics, including some of the most ubiquitous environmental contaminants, to carbon oxides, water, and inorganic chloride. The catalyst, NO_x, is not consumed in the reactions. Mechanistic studies suggest that the reactions are initiated by an atom abstraction from the substrate by NO₂.     

Selective oxidation of soot over Cu doped ceria/ceria–zirconia catalysts

Copper doped ceria and ceria–zirconia mixed oxides were prepared using the citric acid sol–gel method. The temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) results showed that the Cu modification helped to improve the activity and selectivity of ceria and ceria–zirconia for soot catalytic oxidation. The CO-TPR results showed that Cu–Ce had a better reducibility than pure ceria at low temperatures. After ageing at 800 °C for 20 h in flow air, CuO–CeO₂ showed the maximum soot oxidation rate at 378 and 519 °C under tight and loose contact conditions, respectively, achieving a nearly 100% selectivity to CO₂ production. This effect may be attributed to the existence of well dispersed copper oxide species strongly interacting with the ceria surface, which may decrease the activation energy of soot oxidation. A conceivable mechanism of this synergetic effect was proposed.     

Effect of promoters for n-butane oxidation to maleic anhydride over vanadium–phosphorus‐oxide catalysts: comparison with supported vanadia catalysts

The oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride was investigated over model Nb‐, Si‐, Ti‐, V‐, and Zr‐promoted bulk VPO and supported vanadia catalysts. The promoters were concentrated in the surface region of the bulk VPO catalysts. For the supported vanadia catalysts, the vanadia phase was present as a two‐dimensional metal oxide overlayer on the different oxide supports (TiO₂, ZrO₂, Nb₂O₅, Al₂O₃, and SiO₂). No correlation was found between the electronegativity of the promoter or oxide support cation and the catalytic properties of these two catalytic systems. The maleic anhydride selectivity correlated with the Lewis acidity of the promoter cations and oxide supports. Both promoted bulk VPO and supported vanadia catalysts containing surface niobia species were the most active and selective to maleic anhydride. These findings suggest that the activation of n-butane on both the bulk and supported vanadia catalysts probably requires both surface redox and acid sites, and that the acidity also plays an important role in controlling further kinetic steps of n-butane oxidation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ethyl magnesium bromide as an efficient anionic initiator for controlled polymerization of ε-caprolactone

The ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone initiated by ethyl magnesium bromide was studied. Because ring-opening polymerization is extremely fast in the monomer phase, we focused on solution polymerization in toluene. The solution polymerization of ε-caprolactone was characterized by the linear dependence of degree of conversion on polymerization time, which we described by a first-order kinetic equation. The molar mass, determined by SEC using a light scattering detector, was in agreement with that calculated from the degree of conversion attained and the ratio of ε-caprolactone to ethyl magnesium bromide. On this basis, we propose a mechanism for the effect of ethyl magnesium bromide on ε-caprolactone polymerization and provide evidence for this mechanism by isolating a novel stable complex of magnesium bromide with ε-caprolactone.