Synthesis and characterization of acidic properties of Al-SBA-15 materials with varying Si/Al ratios

Al-SBA-15 of varying Si/Al ratios in the range 11.4–78.4 was synthesized using tri-block copolymer P123. The calcined materials were examined by XRD, pore size distribution, surface area, ²⁷Al NMR spectroscopy. The acidity and acid strength distribution were studied using microcalorimetric adsorption of NH₃. The acidic properties were also examined by cumene cracking reaction as a function of Si/Al ratios. Systematic variation of acidity and activity was observed as a function of Si/Al ratio. The initial heats of NH₃ adsorption correlated well with activity indicate that acid sites with ΔH > 100 kJ/mole is responsible for cumene cracking activity. Linear correlations were obtained with total acidity and cumene cracking activities. The tetrahedral aluminum was found to be responsible for the observed acidities and catalytic activities.     

Studies of substrate specificities of lipases from different sources

Although lipases are widely applied in a wide variety of reactions, available information on the factors that are responsible for the substrate specificities of lipases from different sources is scarce. In this paper, nine lipase‐producing microorganism strains were isolated from oil‐containing samples. The properties of these enzymes, including pH optima, temperature optima, thermal stability, and pH stability, vary significantly with the different sources from which these lipases were isolated. The substrate specificities of the nine lipases, including fatty acid and positional specificities, were also studied. The fatty acid specificities of the nine lipases were observably different toward 15 substrates with different carbon chain lengths, different saturation degrees and different side chains. The lipases from S₃ Penicillium citrinum (PCL), MJ₁ Aspergillus niger (ANL), MJ₂ Aspergillus oryzae (AOL), YM Bacillus coughing (BCL), S₉ Geotrichum candidum (GCL), and S₁₁ Candida lypolytica (CLL) showed the strongest specificities to short‐chain esters, and the other lipases showed strong selectivity for medium‐ or long‐chain and branched esters. The positional specificities were examined by analyzing the hydrolytic products of triolein catalyzed by the nine lipases, using TLC. The lipases can be mainly classified into two groups by their specificities for the ester bond at position 2 of triglycerides; one group can selectively hydrolyze the ester bond at position 2 of the triglycerides, the other group cannot. All these nine lipases were divided into four groups by hierarchical clustering analysis on the basis of the results of fatty acid and positional specificities.     

A study of synthesizing benzaldehydes from propenylbenzenes and cinnamic acid derivatives

Propenylbenzenes and cinnamic acid derivatives yield correspondingly substituted benzaldehydes when oxidized by lead-ruthenium pyrochlore oxide in the presence of sodium hydrochlorite as a co-oxidant at pH 11 under heterogeneous conditions. The reaction of terminal and internal aliphatic alkenes under similar conditions affords no aldehydes.     

Effect of Ammonia on the Gas-Phase Hydration of the Common Atmospheric Ion HSO4?

Hydration directly affects the mobility, thermodynamic properties, lifetime and nucleation rates of atmospheric ions. In the present study, the role of ammonia on the formation of hydrogen bonded complexes of the common atmospheric hydrogensulfate (HSO₄⁻) ion with water has been investigated using the Density Functional Theory (DFT). Our findings rule out the stabilizing effect of ammonia on the formation of negatively charged cluster hydrates and show clearly that the conventional (classical) treatment of ionic clusters as presumably more stable compared to neutrals may not be applicable to pre-nucleation clusters. These considerations lead us to conclude that not only quantitative but also qualitative assessment of the relative thermodynamic stability of atmospheric clusters requires a quantum-chemical treatment.     

The effect of aromatics on paraffin mild hydrocracking reactions (WNiPd/CeY–Al2O3)

The conversion of heavy paraffin and aromatics into a high-quality diesel fraction was performed in a microplant using a WNiPd/CeY-alumina catalyst. The effects of aromatics and naphtheno-aromatics on mild hydrocracking of hexadecane were studied at different concentrations. Two catalysts, with and without Pd and thermal treatment, were characterized by FTIR, XPS, and TPD of ammonia and ammonia plus naphthalene to complement previous study about the surface composition. The hydrocracking activity and selectivity were tested using different amounts and types of aromatics. This study demonstrated the presence of two acid strengths that contribute in different ways to paraffin and aromatics isomerization, ring opening, and cracking reactions. The product distribution obtained by mild hydrocracking of n-C₁₆ is between amorphous (SiO₂Al₂O₃) and Y-zeolite type of support. The aromatic adsorption on acid sites reduces the cracking rate and improves the survival of di- and tri-branched paraffin. A model for the path of reaction is discussed to explain the results.     

Enzymatic biodiesel production: Technical and economical considerations

It is well documented in the literature that enzymatic processing of oils and fats for biodiesel is technically feasible. However, with very few exceptions, enzyme technology is not currently used in commercial‐scale biodiesel production. This is mainly due to non‐optimized process design and a lack of available cost‐effective enzymes. The technology to re‐use enzymes has typically proven insufficient for the processes to be competitive. However, literature data documenting the productivity of enzymatic biodiesel together with the development of new immobilization technology indicates that enzyme catalysts can become cost effective compared to chemical processing. This work reviews the enzymatic processing of oils and fats into biodiesel with focus on process design and economy.     

在以纯碱为原料的非强酸性水溶液体系中采用酸碱滴定分析的误差来源及分析方法的改进

以三聚磷酸钠生产过程为例,论述了在以纯碱为原料的非强酸性水溶液体系中,由于反应不完全导致反应物中存在少量的碳酸盐,这部分碳酸盐干扰了用酸碱滴定法测量的中和度,并据此提出中和度分析改进方法.由此可以推广到其它以纯碱为原料的非强酸性水溶液体系中.     

Separation of weak and strong acids by electro-electrodialysis—Experiment and theory

The experimental results of the separation of acetic acid (HA) from the sulfuric acid by the electro-electrodialysis (EED) method and the modeling of process have been presented. The Neosepta membranes CMX and ACM have been used. It has been found that the efficiency of retention of HA is high (>0.9) when the process is conducted below the limiting current density with respect to HSO₄⁻ or SO₄²⁻ anions. The observed current efficiency of the H₂SO₄ removal was rather low (CE_S = ca. 0.7, when the initial concentration of H₂SO₄ in the mixture was 1 or 2 M) which was caused by the nonideal selectivity of the anion-exchange membrane. The experimental results have been described by the model based on the extended Nernst-Planck equation and the Donnan equilibrium. Since the efficiency of the process depended mainly on the selectivity of anion-exchange membrane (ACM), the concentration of fixed charges of that membrane, , and the ratio of volume fraction of pores to their squared tortuosity, V_p/θ², have been chosen as the main fitting parameters. It has been found that the fitting of the EED data depends mainly on , whereas in the modeling of diffusion experiment (or an EED experiment conducted at low current density) both parameters are important. The best fit has been obtained for , i.e. ca. one order smaller than that determined experimentally. The obtained optimal value of V_p/θ², equal to 0.013, is consistent with those previously obtained for other Neosepta anion-exchange membrane.     

A disposable single-use electrochemical sensor for the detection of uric acid in human whole blood

We report here a non-enzymatic detecting electrode strip for fast monitoring of uric acid in human whole blood. A single-use amperometric uric acid sensor strip, incorporating a three-electrode configuration, has been fabricated on a polypropylene substrate using low cost screen-printing (thick-film) technology. Both the working and counter electrodes were prepared by screen-printing commercial carbon ink. The integration on the same support of pseudo-reference electrode was obtained by screen-printing a commercial silver ink and subsequent electrochemical pretreatment. Simply by placing a 20 μl human whole blood drop on the strip is enough for uric acid analysis by square-wave voltammetry. Real human whole blood samples were analyzed by this method and compared to the phosphotungstic acid clinical test procedure with satisfactory results.