Conversion of Ethane into Benzene on Re/ZSM-5

The reaction of ethane on pure and Re-containing ZSM-5 has been investigated at 773–973 K. Reaction products were analyzed using gas chromatography. ZSM-5 with Si/Al = 30 exhibited relatively high activity towards dehydrogenation, hydrogenolysis and aromatization of ethane above 773 K, whereas ZSM-5 with Si/Al = 280 showed very low activity. Deposition of 2% Re enhanced the conversion of ethane, the selectivity and the yield of benzene production even on the most effective ZSM-5. Further increase in the Re content did not lead to the improvement of the catalyst. The role of the Re is very likely the activation of ethane and the enhanced production of ethylene. ZSM-5 samples were found to be very active in the aromatization of ethylene, which was only slightly influenced by Re.     

Aromatization of n-hexane on Mo2C catalysts

The deposition-precipitation method was used to prepare gold catalysts based on different supports. Their catalytic activities for combustion of carbon monoxide (CO) and formaldehyde (HCHO) were investigated. All these catalysts showed good activity for the two reactions and the Au/CeO₂-a catalyst exhibited the highest activity for the two reactions. Furthermore, catalysts derived from the as-precipitate hydroxides exhibited higher activity than that from corresponding oxide supports. The BET, XRD, TEM and XPS were carried out. The results indicated that the gold dispersed more homogeneous on the as-precipitate hydroxide supports than that on the corresponding oxide supports.     

Multipurpose modular experimental station for the DiProI beamline of Fermi@Elettra free electron laser

We present a compact modular apparatus with a flexible design that will be operated at the DiProI beamline of the Fermi@Elettra free electron laser (FEL) for performing static and time-resolved coherent diffraction imaging experiments, taking advantage of the full coherence and variable polarization of the short seeded FEL pulses. The apparatus has been assembled and the potential of the experimental setup is demonstrated by commissioning tests with coherent synchrotron radiation. This multipurpose experimental station will be open to general users after installation at the Fermi@Elettra free electron laser in 2011.     

Non‐Toxic Dry‐Coated Nanosilver for Plasmonic Biosensors

The plasmonic properties of noble metals facilitate their use for in vivo bio‐applications such as targeted drug delivery and cancer cell therapy. Nanosilver is best suited for such applications as it has the lowest plasmonic losses among all such materials in the UV‐visible spectrum. Its toxicity, however, can destroy surrounding healthy tissues and thus, hinders its safe use. Here, that toxicity against a model biological system (Escherichia coli) is “cured” or blocked by coating nanosilver hermetically with a about 2 nm thin SiO₂ layer in one‐step by a scalable flame aerosol method followed by swirl injection of a silica precursor vapor (hexamethyldisiloxane) without reducing the plasmonic performance of the enclosed or encapsulated silver nanoparticles (20–40 nm in diameter as determined by X‐ray diffraction and microscopy). This creates the opportunity to safely use powerful nanosilver for intracellular bio‐applications. The label‐free biosensing and surface bio‐functionalization of these ready‐to‐use, non‐toxic (benign) Ag nanoparticles is presented by measuring the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in a model sensing experiment. Furthermore, the silica coating around nanosilver prevents its agglomeration or flocculation (as determined by thermal annealing, optical absorption spectroscopy and microscopy) and thus, enhances its biosensitivity, including bioimaging as determined by dark field illumination.     

改性γ-聚谷氨酸去除重金属Pb2+性能研究

研究了不同改性水平的γ-聚谷氨酸(以下简写为γ-PGA)吸附去除水体中重金属离子Pb2+的性能影响。研究结果表明,交联改性后的γ-PGA与未改性的γ-PGA相比,具有更好的Pb2+吸附性能,在将改性γ-PGA加入到含有Pb2+的水体中并均匀混合之后,随着交联度的提高,改性γ-PGA吸附Pb2+的性能逐渐增加,但在吸附最终结束时,不同改性的γ-PGA对Pb2+吸附去除率均在99%以上。在吸附去除Pb2+影响因素分析中发现Pb2+初始质量浓度和溶液pH对不同改性的γ-PGA吸附去除Pb2+性能的影响较大。随着Pb2+质量浓度的增加,不同改性水平γ-PGA对Pb2+的去除率均略有一定程度的下降。当溶液的pH控制在中性或者偏碱性时,25%改性γ-PGA对Pb2+的去除率能够保持在99%以上,当pH降至4.5和3时,Pb2+去除率分别降为90.76%和78.46%。     

Conversion of methane to benzene over Mo2C and Mo2C/ZSM-5 catalysts

The activation and dehydrogenation of CH₂ on Mo₂C and MO₂C/ZSM-5 have been investigated under non-oxidizing conditions. Unsupported Mo₂C exhibited very little activity towards methane decomposition at 973 K. The main reaction pathway was the decomposition of methane to give hydrogen and carbon with a trace amount of ethane. Mixing Mo₂C with ZSM-5 support somewhat enhanced its catalytic activity, but did not change the products of the reaction. A dramatic change in the product formation occurred on partially oxidized Mo2C/ZSM-5 catalyst; besides some hydrocarbons benzene was produced with a selectivity of 70–80% at a conversion of 5–7%. Carburization of highly dispersed MoO₃ on ZSM-5 also led to a very active catalyst: the conversion of methane at the steady state was 5–6% and the selectivity of benzene formation was 85%.This laboratory is a part of the Center for Catalysis, Surface and Material Science at the University of Szeged.     

Hybrid MCM-41 grafted by a general microwave-assisted procedure: a characterization study

Hybrid materials obtained through a Microwave-assisted grafting of organic functional groups on mesoporous silica (MCM-41 type) have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, TG-DSC, N₂ adsorption, solid state ¹³C- and ²⁹Si-NMR, TEM and SEM. The studied grafting procedure is effective in the preparation of hybrid organosilicas under solvent-free conditions. Microwaves allows an ultra-fast and clean functionalization of the mesoporous materials and the method has been applied to produce a wide series of functional materials. The hybrid materials maintain the original mesoporous structure when the loading of linked organic groups does not exceed 10 %. In this cases, the slight pore volume reduction is linearly correlated to the organic amount in the product. If functional groups able to interact among them through hydrogen bond are used, hybrid materials exhibit high Organic/SiO₂ ratios and low pore volumes due to the formation of a network occluding the pores, where functional groups of free organosilane molecules interacts with the functional groups of molecules linked to the matrix. NMR data confirm that the network is composed by organosilane molecules linked or not to the framework. Acid washing is able to labilize hydrogen bond and open the network. In the case of bulky but chemically inert functionalising agents the network is not produced.     

Smoothing spectral power distribution of daylights

CIE Division 1 entrusted TC 1–74 to investigate the possibility to develop a smooth curve version of the D illuminants. This article investigates the possibility to create such smoothed curves with minimal colorimetric error. Six different smoothing algorithms were investigated; the best method, using a locally weighted regression and smoothing algorithm, enabled a smooth function, where the worst colour difference for a 100 000 sample set was less than ΔE_ab^* = 0.5, comparing calculations using the CIE standard daylight spectrum and the smoothed function. Thus, the smoothed function can be recommended for redefining the daylight spectra for colorimetry without loosing continuity to results using the current calculation tables and for designing daylight simulator spectra. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 38, 316–321, 2013     

Homogenization and crystallization of histidine ammonia-lyase by exchange of a surface cysteine residue

Histidase (histidine ammonia-lyase, EC 4.3.1.3) from Pseudomonasputida was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. In theabsence of thiols the tetrameric enzyme gave rise to undefinedaggregates and suitable crystals could not be obtained. Thesolvent accessibility along the chain was predicted from theamino acid sequence. Among the seven cysteines, only one waslabeled as `solvent-exposed'. The exchange of this cysteineto alanine abolished all undefined aggregations and yieldedreadily crystals diffracting to 1.8 Å resolution.