ACCELERATION OF THE WET OXIDATION REACTION OF PIPERAZINE BY HETEROGENEOUS Ru/TiO2 CATALYST

Wet air oxidation is a candidate technique for the effective treatment of wastewater contaminated by nitrogenous organic pollutants. Piperazine (PZ) is a cyclic diamine representing this class of compounds. In the present work, the wet oxidation reaction of PZ was studied for the first time. It was found that, in the studied range of temperatures of 180°–230°C and O₂ partial pressures of 0.69–2.07 MPa, the oxidation process was slow. Total organic carbon (TOC) conversion at 230°C and 0.69 MPa O₂ partial pressure was just 52% after 2 h. The investigated reaction was accelerated by a heterogeneous Ru/TiO₂ catalyst. Maximum TOC conversion (91%) was achieved during catalytic wet oxidation at 210°C and 1.38 MPa O₂ pressure. Kinetic data were collected over the range of temperatures 180°–210°C, O₂ partial pressures 0.34–1.38 MPa, and catalyst loading 0.11–0.66 kg/m³. The lumped TOC concentration decay was a two-step first-order process.     

Ni catalysts supported on activated carbon from petcoke and their activity for toluene hydrogenation

Petroleum coke (petcoke) is an abundant resource that can potentially be converted to catalyst support materials through activation to increase the surface area and reduce the sulphur content. In this work, potassium hydroxide (KOH) catalysed activation was employed with petcoke to produce activated carbons, which were characterised with nitrogen physisorption, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and temperature‐programmed reduction. With activation temperatures between 500 and 800°C, the surface area increased from 4 m²/g to between 200 and 2400 m²/g while the sulphur content was reduced from 6.6 wt% to between 1 and 0.2 wt%. Nickel catalysts (nominally 5 wt%) were prepared on the activated carbon supports using wet impregnation. The activities of these catalysts were measured for toluene hydrogenation in a plug‐flow reactor with a toluene liquid hourly space velocity of 2.4/h, a pressure of 1.38 MPa, and a H₂/toluene mole ratio of 90. The catalytic activity varied between zero for nickel supported on petcoke to 98% conversion, with essentially 100% to methylcyclohexane for nickel supported on carbon activated at 750°C. Thus, activated carbon from petcoke was a suitable support for Ni‐based catalysts when used for toluene hydrogenation as a model reaction. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

Pd-Decorated CNT-Promoted Pd-Ga2O3 Catalyst for Hydrogenation of CO2 to Methanol

Abstract  

A type of Pd-decorated CNT-promoted Pd-Ga catalysts was developed. The catalyst displayed excellent performance for CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol. Under the reaction conditions of 5.0 MPa and 523 K, the observed specific reaction rate of CO₂ hydrogenation reached 2.23 μmol s⁻¹ (m²-Pd)⁻¹, which was 1.39 times that (1.60 μmol s⁻¹ (m²-Pd)⁻¹) of the non-promoted Pd-Ga host. The addition of a small amount of the Pd-decorated CNTs to the Pd-Ga host catalyst did not cause a marked change in the E _a of the CO₂ hydrogenation reaction. The function of the CNT-promoter was mainly in increasing the molar percentage of the catalytically active Pd⁰-species in the total Pd-amount at the surface of the functioning catalyst, and in improving the capability of the catalyst to adsorb and activate H₂ (one of the reactants). Compared to the “Herringbone-type” CNTs, the “Parallel-type” CNTs possess less active surface (with less dangling bonds), and thus, lower capacity for adsorbing H₂, resulting in the rather limited promoter effect.     

Poisoning of Pd–carbon catalysts by sulphur,chloro and heavy metal compounds in liquid phase hydrogenation of o-nitrophenol to o-aminophenol

The poisoning of Pd–carbon (4·1% Pd) catalysts by thiophene, dichloroethane, mercuric chloride and lead, zinc and mercuric acetates at different concentrations (0–5000 g m⁻³) in the liquid phase hydrogenation of o-nitrophenol to o-aminophenol (at 308 K and H₂ pressure of 1508 kPa) in a three-phase stirred slurry reactor has been investigated. The hydrogenation activity of the catalyst is drastically reduced due to the presence of these poisons in the reaction mixture, even at a very low concentration of poison (20 g m⁻³). Among the poisons, mercuric acetate was found to be the most potent. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry     

Catalytic oxidization polymerization of aniline in an H2O2?Fe2+ system

Polyaniline is prepared by chemical polymerization of aniline in an acidic solution using H₂O₂ as an oxidant and ferrous chloride as a catalyst. A wide variety of synthesis parameters are studied, such as the amount of the catalyst, reaction temperature, reaction time, initial molar ratio of oxidant, monomer and catalyst, and aniline and HCl concentrations. The polymerization of aniline can be initiated by a very small amount of catalyst. The yield and the conductivity of product depend on the initial molar ratio of the oxidant and monomer. The polyaniline with a conductivity of about 10° S/cm and a yield of 60% is prepared under optimum conditions. The process of polymerization was studied by in situ ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and open‐circuit potential technology. Compared to the polymerization process in a (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ system, the features of the H₂O₂ Fe²⁺ system are pointed out, and the chain growth mechanism is proposed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 1077–1084, 1999     

Studies in mineralization of aqueous aniline using Fenton and wet oxidation (FENTWO) as a hybrid process

A hybrid process for mineralization of aqueous aniline using Fenton and wet oxidation (FENTWO) is studied. It is important to have maximum conversion of ‘N’ atoms from the waste to N₂. The conversion of input ‘N’ atoms in aniline to N₂ was 15% during wet oxidation without the Fenton process and was improved to 50% with the Fenton process. Therefore, a hybrid process of Fenton followed by wet oxidation was studied for mineralization of the aqueous aniline stream. The parameters for the Fenton process were optimized (pH, catalyst, H₂O₂ to catalyst (FeSO₄) ratio, quantity of H₂O₂). The waste obtained after the Fenton process was then treated by wet oxidation for mineralization by having homogeneous CuSO₄ as the catalyst by keeping FeSO₄ therein. This combined catalyst was found to be more effective for the degradation of the intermediates formed in the Fenton process. Wet oxidation (WO) was studied in the temperature range 473–513 K and the oxygen partial pressure range 0.345–1.38 MPa at pH 6.5. The kinetic data was modeled using a power law rate expression in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD). The optimum temperature for formation of more N₂ gas was found to be 493 K. The treated waste stream was found to contain oxalic acid using HPLC, and NH₄⁺, NO₃^? and NO₂^? ions using ion chromatography analysis. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Selective hydrogenation of nitriles to imines over a multifunctional heterogeneous Pt catalyst

Imines and their derivatives are versatile synthetic intermediates for the industrial preparation of both bulk and fine chemicals and for pharmaceuticals, but preparing these compounds efficiently through direct hydrogenation of nitriles are hindered by overhydrogenation to secondary amines. Here we report a highly efficient multifunctional catalyst system for selective hydrogenation coupling of nitriles to secondary imines using a heterogeneous Pt catalyst that was deposited on a nickel‐based metal‐organic framework (MOF) containing DABCO. The catalyst showed excellent synergy in promoting the hydrogenation of a variety of nitriles, giving significantly improved activity and selectivity (up to >99% yield) even under atmospheric pressure of H₂. It is suggested that the Lewis base (DABCO) sites on the Ni‐MOF inhibit further hydrogenation of the imines. The influence of H₂ pressure, reactant concentration, stirring speed, and reaction temperature was investigated. The kinetics and mechanism of hydrogenation of benzonitrile (BN) by the Pt/Ni‐MOF catalyst has been studied. The reaction showed a first‐order dependence on both BN concentration and H₂ pressure. A kinetic model was proposed based on the mechanism of nitriles hydrogenation and compared with experimental observations. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3565–3576, 2014     

Kinetics of hydrogenation of 4‐chloro‐2‐nitrophenol catalyzed by Pt/carbon catalyst

Hydrogenation of 4‐chloro‐2‐nitrophenol (CNP) was carried out at moderate hydrogen pressures, 7–28 atm, and temperatures in the range 298–313 K using Pt/carbon and Pd/γ‐Al₂O₃ as catalysts in a stirred pressure reactor. Hydrogenation of CNP under the above conditions gave 4‐chloro‐2‐aminophenol (CAP). Dechlorination to form 2‐aminophenol and 2‐nitrophenol is observed when hydrogenation of CNP is carried out above 338 K, particularly with Pd/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst. Among the catalysts tested, 1%Pt/C was found to be an effective catalyst for the hydrogenation of CNP to form CAP, exclusively. To confirm the absence of gas–liquid mass transfer effects on the reaction, the effect of stirring speed (200–1000 rpm) and catalyst loading (0.02–0.16 g) on the initial reaction rate at maximum temperature 310 K and substrate concentration (0.25 mole) were thoroughly studied. The kinetics of hydrogenation of CNP carried out using 1%Pt/C indicated that the initial rates of hydrogenation had first order dependence with respect to substrate, catalyst and hydrogen pressure in the range of concentrations varied. From the Arrhenius plot of ln rate vs 1000/T, an apparent activation energy of 22 kJ mol^?1 was estimated. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Conversion of syngas to hydrocarbons in a tube-wall reactor using CoFe plasma-sprayed catalyst: experimental and modeling studies

Catalyst activity and product selectivity studies of the conversion of synthesis gas to various hydrocarbon fractions were performed in a single-tube tube-wall reactor (TWR) using a CoFe plasma-sprayed catalyst with the operating conditions: temperature 250–275°C, pressure 0.1–1.03 MPa, exposure velocity 139–722 μms⁻¹, and a H₂:CO ratio of 2.0. The catalyst activity in terms of CO conversion was highest (98.5% m/m) at an exposure velocity of 139 μms⁻¹, temperature of 275°C, and in the pressure range 0.69–1.03 MPa. The selectivity to hydrocarbons was 43–50% (m/m) in the pressure range 0.69–1.03 MPa whereas the selectivity to C₅ + hydrocarbons was over 40% of the total hydrocarbons produced. The production of propylene was higher than ethylene under similar process conditions. The performance of the TWR was predicted by a numerical model. The model is based on the complete two-dimensional transport equations and reaction rate equations, developed for the CoFe catalyst. Predictions are made for the temperature along the axis of the reactor, for CO and H₂ conversions as functions of the reactor length and the exposure velocity, and the axial H₂O and CO₂ concentrations.     

Removal of aqueous phenolic compounds from a model system by oxidative polymerization with turnip (Brassica napus L var purple top white globe) peroxidase

Turnip roots, which are readily available in Mexico, are a good source of peroxidase, and because of their kinetic and biochemical properties have a high potential as an economic alternative to horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The efficiency of using turnip peroxidase (TP) to remove several different phenolic compounds as water‐insoluble polymers from synthetic wastewater was investigated. The phenol derivatives studied included phenol, 2‐chlorophenol, 3‐chlorophenol, o‐cresol, m‐cresol, 2,4‐dichlorophenol and bisphenol‐A. The effect of pH, substrate concentration, amount of enzyme activity, reaction time and added polyethylene glycol (PEG) was investigated in order to optimize reaction conditions. A removal efficiency ≥85% was achieved for 0.5 mmol dm^?3 phenol derivatives at pH values between 4 and 8, after a contact time of 3 h at 25 °C with 1.28 U dm^?3 of TP and 0.8 mmol dm^?3 H₂O₂. Addition of PEG (100–200 mg dm^?3) significantly reduced the reaction time required (to 10 min) to obtain >95% removal efficiency and up to 230% increase in remaining TP activity. A relatively low enzyme activity (0.228 U dm^?3) was required to remove >95% of three phenolic solutions in the presence of 100–200 mg dm^?3 PEG. TP showed efficient and fast removal of aromatic compounds from synthetic wastewaters in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and PEG. These results demonstrate that TP has good potential for the treatment of phenolic‐contaminated solutions. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of polyetherimides containing multiple ether linkages and pendent pentadecyl chains

4‐(4‐(4‐(4‐Aminophenoxy)‐2‐pentadecylphenoxy)phenoxy)aniline (APPPA) was synthesized starting from cashew nut shell liquid‐derived bisphenol, i.e. 4‐(4‐hydroxyphenoxy)‐3‐pentadecylphenol, by nucleophilic substitution reaction with 4‐chloronitrobenzene followed by reduction of the formed 4‐(4‐nitrophenoxy)‐1‐(4‐(4‐nitrophenoxy)phenoxy)‐2‐pentadecylbenzene. Three new polyetherimides containing multiple ether linkages and pendent pentadecyl chains were synthesized by one‐step high‐temperature solution polycondensation of APPPA in m‐cresol with three aromatic dianhydrides, i.e. 3,3′,4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride, 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride and 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride. Inherent viscosities and number‐average molecular weights of the polyetherimides were in the ranges 0.66–0.70 dL g^?1 and 17 100–29 700 g mol^?1 (gel permeation chromatography, polystyrene standards), respectively, indicating the formation of reasonably high molecular weight polymers. The polyetherimides were soluble in organic solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, pyridine, m‐cresol, N,N‐dimethylformamide, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, N‐methylpyrrolidone and dimethylsulfoxide, and could be cast into transparent, flexible and tough films from their solutions in chloroform. The polyetherimides exhibited glass transition temperatures (T_g) in the range 113–131 °C. The lowering of T_g could be attributed to the combined influence of flexibilizing ether linkages and pentadecyl chains which act as ‘packing‐disruptive’ groups. The temperature at 10% weight loss (T₁₀), determined from thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen atmosphere, was in the range 460–470 °C demonstrating good thermal stability. The virtues of solubility and large gap between T_g and T₁₀ mean that the polyetherimides containing pendent pentadecyl chains have possibilities for both solution as well as melt processability. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry     

Kinetics of the Selective Hydrogenation of Pyrolysis Gasoline

The kinetics of the selective hydrogenation of pyrolysis gasoline (pygas) over commercial Pd/Al₂O₃ catalyst particles were investigated using a stirred semi‐batch reactor in the absence of transport limitations. The effects of reaction temperature and pressure on the conversion of styrene, cyclopentadiene, cyclopentene and 1‐hexene were obtained over ranges of temperature (313–343 K) and total pressure (2–5 MPa). Competitive hydrogenation between monoolefins and diolefins was extensive, and the reaction rates of diolefins were much faster than those of the monoolefins. A Langmuir‐Hinshelwood type model was proposed and successfully fitted to the experimental data. The kinetic and adsorption parameters were estimated by using the fourth‐order Runge‐Kutta method together with the Levenberg‐Marquardt algorithm, which minimized the residual sum of squares between the experimental concentrations and the calculated values. The orders of the estimated activation energies and the adsorption parameters were consistent with the order of the reaction rates of monoolefins and diolefins.     

Highly Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Quinoline and Pyridine Derivatives with Iridium‐(P‐Phos) Catalyst

The use of a chiral iridium catalyst generated in situ from the (cyclooctadiene)iridium chloride dimer, [Ir(COD)Cl]₂, the P‐Phos ligand [4,4′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐2,2′,6,6′‐tetramethoxy‐3,3′‐bipyridine] and iodine (I₂) for the asymmetric hydrogenation of 2,6‐substituted quinolines and trisubstituted pyridines [2‐substituted 7,8‐dihydroquinolin‐5(6H)‐one derivatives] is reported. The catalyst worked efficiently to hydrogenate a series of quinoline derivatives to provide chiral 1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinolines in high yields and up to 96% ee. The hydrogenation was carried out at high S/C (substrate to catalyst) ratios of 2000–50000, reaching up to 4000 h⁻¹ TOF (turnover frequency) and up to 43000 TON (turnover number). The catalytic activity is found to be additive‐controlled. At low catalyst loadings, decreasing the amount of additive I₂ was necessary to maintain the good conversion. The same catalyst system could also enantioselectively hydrogenate trisubstituted pyridines, affording the chiral hexahydroquinolinone derivatives in nearly quantitative yields and up to 99% ee. Interestingly, increasing the amount of I₂ favored high reactivity and enantioselectivity in this case. The high efficacy and enantioselectivity enable the present catalyst system of high practical potential.     

The cocurrent downflow contactor–a novel reactor for gas-liquid-solid catalysed reactions

The Cocurrent Downflow Contactor (CDC) has been developed as a mass transfer and reactor device, with and without addition of tangential (swirl) flow, giving gas hold-up (E_g) values of 0.5–0.75, interfacial areas in the range 1000–6000 m²m^?3 liquid and k_La values in the range of 0.15–1.55 s^?1 for absorption using the O₂/H₂O system. It has been studied as a catalytic slurry reactor for the hydrogenation of (i) itaconic acid and (ii) triglycerides catalysed by Pd and Ni catalysts. The reactions were observed to be largely surface-reaction rate controlled, due to the very efficient mass transfer (k_La up to 11.75 s^?1 under reaction conditions) and application of swirl flow-enhanced reaction rates. The CDC has recently been found to be capable of operating as a fixed bed reactor, thus eliminating a downstream catalyst separation problem (therefore more cost effective), and is superior in its mass transfer characteristics to other known devices. Scale-up can be undertaken without loss of performance efficiency.     

Selective hydrogenation of nitrile‐butadiene rubber catalyzed by thermoregulated phase transfer phosphine rhodium complex

Hydrogenation of polymer having C?C double bond can be carried out with the metal–organic complex as catalyst, which has the property of themoregulated phase transfer. In this study, a new complex RhCl[PPh[(OCH₂CH₂)_5≤n≤6CH₃]₂]₃ (Rh/AEOPP) was synthesized with a good yield, which was further used as catalyst to selectively hydrogenated nitrile‐butadiene rubber (HNBR). This is the first time that Rh/AEOPP complex was synthesized and applied in nitrile‐butadiene rubber (NBR) hydrogenation. The result shows that hydrogenation degree of product (HNBR) can be extended to 90%, when the condition is [Cat] = 3% (based the weight of NBR), L₂: Cat (Weight Ratio) = 2, [NBR] = 5% (based on the weight of xylene solution), P (H₂) = 1.5 MPa, T = 155°C, and t = 8 h. Also, by adjusting temperature, the catalyst could be easily separated from products with 89% catalyst complex recovery. In addition, ¹H‐NMR and infrared (IR) spectra showed that C?C double bonds in NBR was successfully hydrogenated without causing reduction of the CN group. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Kinetics of Liquid‐Phase Hydrogenation of Iso‐valeraldehyde to Iso‐amyl Alcohol Over A Ru/Al2O3 Catalyst

The liquid‐phase catalytic hydrogenation of iso‐valeraldehyde to iso‐amyl alcohol was studied in a slurry reactor. The kinetics of liquid‐phase hydrogenation of iso‐valeraldehyde over a 5% Ru/Al₂O₃ catalyst was studied in the range of temperature 373‐393 K and H₂ pressure 0.68‐2.72 MPa using 2‐propanol as the solvent. The selectivity to iso‐amyl alcohol was 100%. The kinetic data were analyzed using a simple power law model. A single site Langmuir‐Hinshelwood type model suggesting dissociative adsorption of hydrogen and surface reaction as the rate‐controlling step provided the best fit of the experimental data. The catalyst could be reused thrice without any loss in activity.     

Hydrogenation of cis‐1,4‐polyisoprene catalyzed by Ru(CHCH(Ph))Cl(CO)(PCy3)2

Hydrogenation is a useful method which has been used to improve oxidative and thermal degradation resistance of diene‐based polymers. The quantitative hydrogenation of cis‐1,4‐polyisoprene which leads to an alternating ethylene–propylene copolymer was studied in the present investigation. To examine the influence of key factors on the reaction, such as catalyst concentration, polymer concentration, hydrogen pressure, and temperature, a detailed study of the hydrogenation of cis‐1,4‐polyisoprene catalyzed by the Ru complex, Ru(CH?CH(Ph))Cl(CO)(PCy₃)₂ was carried out by monitoring the amount of hydrogen consumed. Infrared and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopic measurements confirmed the final degree of hydrogenation. The hydrogenation of cis‐1,4‐polyisoprene followed pseudo‐first‐order kinetics in double‐bond concentration up to high conversions of double bond, under all sets of conditions studied. The kinetic results suggested a first‐order behavior with respect to total catalyst concentration as well as with respect to hydrogen pressure. The apparent activation energy for the hydrogenation process, obtained from an Arrhenius plot, was 51.1 kJ mol^?1 over the temperature range of 130 to 180°C. Mechanistic aspects of the catalytic process are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 3259–3273, 2004     

Effects of preparation methods of support on the properties of nickel catalyst for hydrogenation of m-dinitrobenzene

Using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the precursor of silica, the silica aerogel and xerogel, which were used as supports of nickel-based catalysts for liquid hydrogenation of m-dinitrobenzene to m-phenylenediamine, were prepared by the sol-gel method combined with supercritical drying (SCD) and conventional drying, respectively. Then, a series of nickel-based catalyst samples supported on these supports were prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method with an aqueous solution of nickel nitrate as well as lanthanum nitrate as impregnation liquids. Based on the characterization results of nitrogen adsorption-desorption (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), temperature-programmed desorption of hydrogen (H₂-TPD), and catalytic activity evaluation, the physico-chemical properties and catalytic performances of the catalysts were investigated. The results show that the nickel crystallites on the binary nickel catalyst using silica aerogel as support are of smaller particle size. However, compared with the sample supported on silica xerogel, the nickel catalyst supported on the silica aerogel exhibits lower activity and selectivity for the hydrogenation of m-dinitrobenzene because it has a lesser amount of active sites and weaker absorption ability to reactants caused by sintering of the nickel crystallites. The addition of promoter La₂O₃ could increase the activity and selectivity of the catalysts. Among all the nickel-based catalyst samples prepared, the La₂O₃ promoted ternary nickel-based catalyst supported on silica xerogel exhibits the highest activity and selectivity for the hydrogenation of m-dinitrobenzene to m-phenylenediamine, which could be attributed to its highest active surface area and appropriate absorption strength to reactants. Over this promising catalyst, the conversion of m-dinitrobenzene and the yield of m-phenylenediamine could reach 97.0% and 93.1%, respectively, under proper reaction conditions of hydrogen pressure 2.6 MPa, temperature 373 K, and reaction time 1 h. Translated from Journal of Chemical Engineering of Chinese Universities, 2006, 20(5): 723–727 [译自: 高校化学工程学报]     

Hydrogenation of cis‐1,4‐poly(isoprene) catalyzed by OsHCl(CO)(O2)(PCy3)2

The quantitative hydrogenation of cis‐1,4‐poly(isoprene) (CPIP) provides an easy entry to the alternating copolymer of ethylene–propylene, which is difficult to prepare by conventional polymerization. The homogeneous hydrogenation of CPIP, in the presence of OsHCl(CO)(O₂)(PCy₃)₂ as catalyst, has been studied by monitoring the amount of hydrogen consumed during the reaction. The final degree of olefin conversion measured by computer‐controlled gas uptake apparatus was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. Kinetic experiments for CPIP hydrogenation in toluene solvent indicate that the hydrogenation rate is first order with respect to catalyst and carbon–carbon double bond concentration. A second‐order dependence on hydrogen concentration for low values and a zero‐order dependence for higher values of the hydrogen concentration was observed. The apparent activation energy for the hydrogenation of CPIP over the temperature range of 115–140°C was 109.3 kJ/mole. Mechanistic aspects of this catalytic process are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 142–152, 2003