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Sample records for synthesis fts catalytic

  1. Incorporation of catalytic dehydrogenation into fischer-tropsch synthesis to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huffman, Gerald P.

    2012-11-13

    A new method of producing liquid transportation fuels from coal and other hydrocarbons that significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions by combining Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with catalytic dehydrogenation is claimed. Catalytic dehydrogenation (CDH) of the gaseous products (C1-C4) of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) can produce large quantities of hydrogen while converting the carbon to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). Incorporation of CDH into a FTS-CDH plant converting coal to liquid fuels can eliminate all or most of the CO.sub.2 emissions from the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction that is currently used to elevate the H.sub.2 level of coal-derived syngas for FTS. Additionally, the FTS-CDH process saves large amounts of water used by the WGS reaction and produces a valuable by-product, MWCNT.

  2. Peptidoglycan synthesis drives an FtsZ-treadmilling-independent step of cytokinesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monteiro, João M; Pereira, Ana R; Reichmann, Nathalie T; Saraiva, Bruno M; Fernandes, Pedro B; Veiga, Helena; Tavares, Andreia C; Santos, Margarida; Ferreira, Maria T; Macário, Vânia; VanNieuwenhze, Michael S; Filipe, Sérgio R; Pinho, Mariana G

    2018-02-22

    Peptidoglycan is the main component of the bacterial wall and protects cells from the mechanical stress that results from high intracellular turgor. Peptidoglycan biosynthesis is very similar in all bacteria; bacterial shapes are therefore mainly determined by the spatial and temporal regulation of peptidoglycan synthesis rather than by the chemical composition of peptidoglycan. The form of rod-shaped bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis or Escherichia coli, is generated by the action of two peptidoglycan synthesis machineries that act at the septum and at the lateral wall in processes coordinated by the cytoskeletal proteins FtsZ and MreB, respectively. The tubulin homologue FtsZ is the first protein recruited to the division site, where it assembles in filaments-forming the Z ring-that undergo treadmilling and recruit later divisome proteins. The rate of treadmilling in B. subtilis controls the rates of both peptidoglycan synthesis and cell division. The actin homologue MreB forms discrete patches that move circumferentially around the cell in tracks perpendicular to the long axis of the cell, and organize the insertion of new cell wall during elongation. Cocci such as Staphylococcus aureus possess only one type of peptidoglycan synthesis machinery, which is diverted from the cell periphery to the septum in preparation for division. The molecular cue that coordinates this transition has remained elusive. Here we investigate the localization of S. aureus peptidoglycan biosynthesis proteins and show that the recruitment of the putative lipid II flippase MurJ to the septum, by the DivIB-DivIC-FtsL complex, drives peptidoglycan incorporation to the midcell. MurJ recruitment corresponds to a turning point in cytokinesis, which is slow and dependent on FtsZ treadmilling before MurJ arrival but becomes faster and independent of FtsZ treadmilling after peptidoglycan synthesis activity is directed to the septum, where it provides additional force for cell envelope

  3. Roles for both FtsA and the FtsBLQ subcomplex in FtsN-stimulated cell constriction in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Bing; Persons, Logan; Lee, Lynda; de Boer, Piet A J

    2015-03-01

    Escherichia coli FtsN is a bitopic membrane protein that is essential for triggering active cell constriction. A small periplasmic subdomain ((E) FtsN) is required and sufficient for function, but its mechanism of action is unclear. We isolated extragenic (E) FtsN*-suppressing mutations that restore division in cells producing otherwise non-functional variants of FtsN. These mapped to the IC domain of FtsA in the cytoplasm and to small subdomains of the FtsB and FtsL proteins in the periplasm. All FtsB and FtsL variants allowed survival without (E) FtsN, but many then imposed a new requirement for interaction between the cytoplasmic domain of FtsN ((N) FtsN) and FtsA. Alternatively, variants of FtsA, FtsB or FtsL acted synergistically to allow cell division in the complete absence of FtsN. Strikingly, moreover, substitution of a single residue in FtsB (E56) proved sufficient to rescue ΔftsN cells as well. In FtsN(+) cells, (E) FtsN*-suppressing mutations promoted cell fission at an abnormally small cell size, and caused cell shape and integrity defects under certain conditions. This and additional evidence support a model in which FtsN acts on either side of the membrane to induce a conformational switch in both FtsA and the FtsBLQ subcomplex to de-repress septal peptidoglycan synthesis and membrane invagination. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Formulation and catalytic performance of MOF-derived Fe@C/Al composites for high temperature Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

    KAUST Repository

    Oar-Arteta, Lide; Valero-Romero, Marí a José ; Wezendonk, Tim; Kapteijn, Freek; Gascon, Jorge

    2017-01-01

    High productivity towards C-2-C-4 olefins together with high catalyst stability are key for optimum operation in high temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (HT-FTS). Here, we report the fabrication of Fe@C/Al composites that combine both the outstanding catalytic properties of the Fe-BTC MOF-derived Fe catalyst and the excellent mechanical resistance and textural properties provided by the inorganic AlOOH binder. The addition of AlOOH to Fe-BTC followed by pyrolysis in N-2 atmosphere at 500 degrees C results in composites with a large mesoporosity, a high Fe/Fe3O4 ratio, 10-35 nm average Fe crystallite size and coordinatively unsaturated Al3+ sites. In catalytic terms, the addition of AlOOH binder gives rise to enhanced C-2-C-4 selectivity and catalyst mechanical stability in HT-FTS, but at high Al contents the activity decreases. Altogether, the productivity of these Fe@C/Al composites is well above most known Fe catalysts for this process.

  5. Formulation and catalytic performance of MOF-derived Fe@C/Al composites for high temperature Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

    KAUST Repository

    Oar-Arteta, Lide

    2017-11-15

    High productivity towards C-2-C-4 olefins together with high catalyst stability are key for optimum operation in high temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (HT-FTS). Here, we report the fabrication of Fe@C/Al composites that combine both the outstanding catalytic properties of the Fe-BTC MOF-derived Fe catalyst and the excellent mechanical resistance and textural properties provided by the inorganic AlOOH binder. The addition of AlOOH to Fe-BTC followed by pyrolysis in N-2 atmosphere at 500 degrees C results in composites with a large mesoporosity, a high Fe/Fe3O4 ratio, 10-35 nm average Fe crystallite size and coordinatively unsaturated Al3+ sites. In catalytic terms, the addition of AlOOH binder gives rise to enhanced C-2-C-4 selectivity and catalyst mechanical stability in HT-FTS, but at high Al contents the activity decreases. Altogether, the productivity of these Fe@C/Al composites is well above most known Fe catalysts for this process.

  6. Incorporation of catalytic dehydrogenation into Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to lower carbon dioxide emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huffman, Gerald P

    2012-09-18

    A method for producing liquid fuels includes the steps of gasifying a starting material selected from a group consisting of coal, biomass, carbon nanotubes and mixtures thereof to produce a syngas, subjecting that syngas to Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) to produce a hyrdrocarbon product stream, separating that hydrocarbon product stream into C1-C4 hydrocarbons and C5+ hydrocarbons to be used as liquid fuels and subjecting the C1-C4 hydrocarbons to catalytic dehydrogenation (CDH) to produce hydrogen and carbon nanotubes. The hydrogen produced by CDH is recycled to be mixed with the syngas incident to the FTS reactor in order to raise the hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio of the syngas to values of 2 or higher, which is required to produce liquid hydrocarbon fuels. This is accomplished with little or no production of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. The carbon is captured in the form of a potentially valuable by-product, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT), while huge emissions of carbon dioxide are avoided and very large quantities of water employed for the water-gas shift in traditional FTS systems are saved.

  7. Catalytic synthesis of diesel from syngas: Theoretical and practical aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khalid, N.; Saeed, M.M.

    2013-01-01

    The world energy needs have been increasing tremendously resulting in the depletion of the resources of fossil fuel and increase in the prices of crude oil. To meet the required needs or decrease the dependency at least in parts, the attention of the scientists is being focused on the generation of alternate sources for the diesel fuel and other valued products. The catalytic based Fisher-Tropsch process for the generation of liquid chemicals, specially the diesel fuels from syngas is gaining attention since the products formed are of relatively low cost, high quality and environmental friendly due to low aromaticity and sulphur contents. Two main characteristics of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) are the unavoidable production of a wide range of hydrocarbon products (olefins, paraffins, and oxygenated products) and the liberation of large amount of heat from the highly exothermic synthesis reactions. FT synthesis products are influenced by various factors like temperature and pressure of syngas, nature of the catalyst, and the type of reactors. All these parameters are discussed by focusing special attention to the synthesis of cobalt catalyst for the production of diesel fuel. (author)

  8. NDK Interacts with FtsZ and Converts GDP to GTP to Trigger FtsZ Polymerisation--A Novel Role for NDK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishra, Saurabh; Jakkala, Kishor; Srinivasan, Ramanujam; Arumugam, Muthu; Ranjeri, Raghavendra; Gupta, Prabuddha; Rajeswari, Haryadi; Ajitkumar, Parthasarathi

    2015-01-01

    Nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK), conserved across bacteria to humans, synthesises NTP from NDP and ATP. The eukaryotic homologue, the NDPK, uses ATP to phosphorylate the tubulin-bound GDP to GTP for tubulin polymerisation. The bacterial cytokinetic protein FtsZ, which is the tubulin homologue, also uses GTP for polymerisation. Therefore, we examined whether NDK can interact with FtsZ to convert FtsZ-bound GDP and/or free GDP to GTP to trigger FtsZ polymerisation. Recombinant and native NDK and FtsZ proteins of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were used as the experimental samples. FtsZ polymersation was monitored using 90° light scattering and FtsZ polymer pelleting assays. The γ32P-GTP synthesised by NDK from GDP and γ32P-ATP was detected using thin layer chromatography and quantitated using phosphorimager. The FtsZ bound 32P-GTP was quantitated using phosphorimager, after UV-crosslinking, followed by SDS-PAGE. The NDK-FtsZ interaction was determined using Ni2+-NTA-pulldown assay and co-immunoprecipitation of the recombinant and native proteins in vitro and ex vivo, respectively. NDK triggered instantaneous polymerisation of GDP-precharged recombinant FtsZ in the presence of ATP, similar to the polymerisation of recombinant FtsZ (not GDP-precharged) upon the direct addition of GTP. Similarly, NDK triggered polymerisation of recombinant FtsZ (not GDP-precharged) in the presence of free GDP and ATP as well. Mutant NDK, partially deficient in GTP synthesis from ATP and GDP, triggered low level of polymerisation of MsFtsZ, but not of MtFtsZ. As characteristic of NDK's NTP substrate non-specificity, it used CTP, TTP, and UTP also to convert GDP to GTP, to trigger FtsZ polymerisation. The NDK of one mycobacterial species could trigger the polymerisation of the FtsZ of another mycobacterial species. Both the recombinant and the native NDK and FtsZ showed interaction with each other in vitro and ex vivo, alluding to the possibility of direct

  9. NDK Interacts with FtsZ and Converts GDP to GTP to Trigger FtsZ Polymerisation - A Novel Role for NDK

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishra, Saurabh; Jakkala, Kishor; Srinivasan, Ramanujam; Arumugam, Muthu; Ranjeri, Raghavendra; Gupta, Prabuddha; Rajeswari, Haryadi; Ajitkumar, Parthasarathi

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK), conserved across bacteria to humans, synthesises NTP from NDP and ATP. The eukaryotic homologue, the NDPK, uses ATP to phosphorylate the tubulin-bound GDP to GTP for tubulin polymerisation. The bacterial cytokinetic protein FtsZ, which is the tubulin homologue, also uses GTP for polymerisation. Therefore, we examined whether NDK can interact with FtsZ to convert FtsZ-bound GDP and/or free GDP to GTP to trigger FtsZ polymerisation. Methods Recombinant and native NDK and FtsZ proteins of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were used as the experimental samples. FtsZ polymersation was monitored using 90° light scattering and FtsZ polymer pelleting assays. The γ32P-GTP synthesised by NDK from GDP and γ32P-ATP was detected using thin layer chromatography and quantitated using phosphorimager. The FtsZ bound 32P-GTP was quantitated using phosphorimager, after UV-crosslinking, followed by SDS-PAGE. The NDK-FtsZ interaction was determined using Ni2+-NTA-pulldown assay and co-immunoprecipitation of the recombinant and native proteins in vitro and ex vivo, respectively. Results NDK triggered instantaneous polymerisation of GDP-precharged recombinant FtsZ in the presence of ATP, similar to the polymerisation of recombinant FtsZ (not GDP-precharged) upon the direct addition of GTP. Similarly, NDK triggered polymerisation of recombinant FtsZ (not GDP-precharged) in the presence of free GDP and ATP as well. Mutant NDK, partially deficient in GTP synthesis from ATP and GDP, triggered low level of polymerisation of MsFtsZ, but not of MtFtsZ. As characteristic of NDK’s NTP substrate non-specificity, it used CTP, TTP, and UTP also to convert GDP to GTP, to trigger FtsZ polymerisation. The NDK of one mycobacterial species could trigger the polymerisation of the FtsZ of another mycobacterial species. Both the recombinant and the native NDK and FtsZ showed interaction with each other in vitro and ex vivo, alluding

  10. Direct interaction of FtsZ and MreB is required for septum synthesis and cell division in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenton, Andrew K; Gerdes, Kenn

    2013-07-03

    How bacteria coordinate cell growth with division is not well understood. Bacterial cell elongation is controlled by actin-MreB while cell division is governed by tubulin-FtsZ. A ring-like structure containing FtsZ (the Z ring) at mid-cell attracts other cell division proteins to form the divisome, an essential protein assembly required for septum synthesis and cell separation. The Z ring exists at mid-cell during a major part of the cell cycle without contracting. Here, we show that MreB and FtsZ of Escherichia coli interact directly and that this interaction is required for Z ring contraction. We further show that the MreB-FtsZ interaction is required for transfer of cell-wall biosynthetic enzymes from the lateral to the mature divisome, allowing cells to synthesise the septum. Our observations show that bacterial cell division is coupled to cell elongation via a direct and essential interaction between FtsZ and MreB.

  11. On the deactivation of cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moodley, D.J.

    2008-01-01

    The catalytic conversion of synthesis gas, derived from natural gas, into liquid hydrocarbon fuel via the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS), is currently receiving much attention due to the demand for environmentally friendly liquid fuel and the rising costs of crude oil. From an industrial

  12. Determination of transcriptional units and gene products from the ftsA region of Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutkenhaus, J F; Wu, H C

    1980-01-01

    Lambda transducing phage gamma 16-2 carries the genes envA, ftsZ, ftsA, ddl, and murC and directs the synthesis of six unique proteins in ultraviolet-irradiated cells. Various derivatives of gamma 16-2 carrying smaller segments of the bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid have also been analyzed for their capacity to direct protein synthesis in ultraviolet-irradiated cells. These results, in combination with genetic results, have allowed the gene product of each of these genes to be assigned. In addition, an unidentified gene was located counterclockwise to murC between murC and murF. Analysis of the direction of transcription indicates that murC, ddl, ftsA, and ftsZ are transcribed clockwise on the Escherichia coli genetic map, and envA is transcribed counterclockwise. In addition, it is shown that each of the genes envA, ftsZ, and ftsA can be expressed independently. Images PMID:6447690

  13. Two dynamin-like proteins stabilize FtsZ rings during Streptomyces sporulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlimpert, Susan; Wasserstrom, Sebastian; Chandra, Govind; Bibb, Maureen J; Findlay, Kim C; Flärdh, Klas; Buttner, Mark J

    2017-07-25

    During sporulation, the filamentous bacteria Streptomyces undergo a massive cell division event in which the synthesis of ladders of sporulation septa convert multigenomic hyphae into chains of unigenomic spores. This process requires cytokinetic Z-rings formed by the bacterial tubulin homolog FtsZ, and the stabilization of the newly formed Z-rings is crucial for completion of septum synthesis. Here we show that two dynamin-like proteins, DynA and DynB, play critical roles in this process. Dynamins are a family of large, multidomain GTPases involved in key cellular processes in eukaryotes, including vesicle trafficking and organelle division. Many bacterial genomes encode dynamin-like proteins, but the biological function of these proteins has remained largely enigmatic. Using a cell biological approach, we show that the two Streptomyces dynamins specifically localize to sporulation septa in an FtsZ-dependent manner. Moreover, dynamin mutants have a cell division defect due to the decreased stability of sporulation-specific Z-rings, as demonstrated by kymographs derived from time-lapse images of FtsZ ladder formation. This defect causes the premature disassembly of individual Z-rings, leading to the frequent abortion of septum synthesis, which in turn results in the production of long spore-like compartments with multiple chromosomes. Two-hybrid analysis revealed that the dynamins are part of the cell division machinery and that they mediate their effects on Z-ring stability during developmentally controlled cell division via a network of protein-protein interactions involving DynA, DynB, FtsZ, SepF, SepF2, and the FtsZ-positioning protein SsgB.

  14. A comparison of co-current and counter-current modes of operation for a novel hydrogen-permselective membrane dual-type FTS reactor in GTL technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rahimpour, M.R.; Forghani, A.A.; Mostafazadeh, A. Khosravanipour; Shariati, A. [Chemical Engineering Department, School of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71345 (Iran)

    2010-01-15

    In this work, a comparison of co-current and counter-current modes of operation for a novel hydrogen-permselective membrane reactor for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) has been carried out. In both modes of operations, a system with two-catalyst bed instead of one single catalyst bed is developed for FTS reactions. In the first catalytic reactor, the synthesis gas is partly converted to products in a conventional water-cooled fixed-bed reactor, while in the second reactor which is a membrane fixed-bed reactor, the FTS reactions are completed and heat of reaction is used to preheat the feed synthesis gas to the first reactor. In the co-current mode, feed gas is entered into the tubes of the second reactor in the same direction with the reacting gas stream in shell side while in the counter-current mode the gas streams are in the opposite direction. Simulation results for both co-current and counter-current modes have been compared in terms of temperature, gasoline and CO{sub 2} yields, H{sub 2} and CO conversion, selectivity of components as well as permeation rate of hydrogen through the membrane. The results showed that the reactor in the co-current configuration operates with lower conversion and lower permeation rate of hydrogen, but it has more favorable profile of temperature. The counter-current mode of operation decreases undesired products such as CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} and also produces more gasoline. (author)

  15. WebFTS: File Transfer Web Interface for FTS3

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2014-01-01

    WebFTS is a web-delivered file transfer and management solution which allows users to invoke reliable, managed data transfers on distributed infrastructures. The fully open source solution offers a simple graphical interface through which the power of the FTS3 service can be accessed without the installation of any special grid tools. Created following simplicity and efficiency criteria, WebFTS allows the user to access and interact with multiple grid and cloud storage. The “transfer engine” used is FTS3, the service responsible for distributing the majority of LHC data across WLCG infrastructure. This provides WebFTS with reliable, multi-protocol, adaptively optimised data transfers.The talk will focus on the recent development which allows transfers from/to Dropbox and CERNBox (CERN ownCloud deployment)

  16. A Polymerization-Associated Structural Switch in FtsZ That Enables Treadmilling of Model Filaments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James M. Wagstaff

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial cell division in many organisms involves a constricting cytokinetic ring that is orchestrated by the tubulin-like protein FtsZ. FtsZ forms dynamic filaments close to the membrane at the site of division that have recently been shown to treadmill around the division ring, guiding septal wall synthesis. Here, using X-ray crystallography of Staphylococcus aureus FtsZ (SaFtsZ, we reveal how an FtsZ can adopt two functionally distinct conformations, open and closed. The open form is found in SaFtsZ filaments formed in crystals and also in soluble filaments of Escherichia coli FtsZ as deduced by electron cryomicroscopy. The closed form is found within several crystal forms of two nonpolymerizing SaFtsZ mutants and corresponds to many previous FtsZ structures from other organisms. We argue that FtsZ’s conformational switch is polymerization-associated, driven by the formation of the longitudinal intersubunit interfaces along the filament. We show that such a switch provides explanations for both how treadmilling may occur within a single-stranded filament and why filament assembly is cooperative.

  17. [E75, R78 and D82 of Escherichia coli FtsZ are key residues for FtsZ cellular self-assembly and FtsZ-MreB interaction].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huo, Yujia; Lu, Qiaonan; Zheng, Xiaowei; Ma, Yuanfang; Lu, Feng

    2016-02-04

    To explore effects of FtsZ mutants FtsZ(E75A), FtsZ(R78G) and FtsZ(D82A) on FtsZ self-assembly and interaction of FtsZ with MreB in Escherichia coli strains. METHODS) We constructed FtsZ and its mutant's plasmids by molecular clone and site-directed mutagenesis methods, and purified targeted proteins by affinity chromatography. QN6(ftsZ::yfp-cat), QN7(tsZ::yfp-cat), QN8(ftsZ(R78G)::yfp-cat) and QN9 (ftsZ(D82A):.:yfp-cat) strains were constructed by linear DNA homologous recombination. We observed cellular localization pattern of FtsZ and its mutants in E. coli by living cell imaging experiments, examined interaction of FtsZ/FtsZ*-FtsZ* and FtsZ/FtsZ*-MreB by Coimmunoprecipitation and bacteria two hybrid, and analyzed assembly characteristics of FtsZ mutants by Light scattering. RESULTS) The Yfp-labeled FtsZ(E75A), FtsZ(R78G) and FtsZ(D82A) mutant proteins failed to assemble into functional Z-ring structure and localize correctly in E. coli strains. Interaction of FtsZ with its mutants, or FtsZ*-FtsZ* and FtsZ*-MreB interaction were weakened or completely disappeared. In addition, in vitro experiments show that E75A, R78G and D82A mutations decreased the polymerization efficiency of FtsZ monomer. FtsZ E75, R78 and D82 are critical amino acids in the assembly, function of FtsZ protein and FtsZ-MreB interaction in E. coli strains.

  18. Influence of Cobalt Precursor on Efficient Production of Commercial Fuels over FTS Co/SiC Catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Raquel de la Osa

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available β-SiC-supported cobalt catalysts have been prepared from nitrate, acetate, chloride and citrate salts to study the dependence of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS on the type of precursor. Com/SiC catalysts were synthetized by vacuum-assisted impregnation while N2 adsorption/desorption, XRD, TEM, TPR, O2 pulses and acid/base titrations were used as characterization techniques. FTS catalytic performance was carried out at 220 °C and 250 °C while keeping constant the pressure (20 bar, space velocity (6000 Ncm3/g·h and syngas composition (H2/CO:2. The nature of cobalt precursor was found to influence basic behavior, extent of reduction and metallic particle size. For β-SiC-supported catalysts, the use of cobalt nitrate resulted in big Co crystallites, an enhanced degree of reduction and higher basicity compared to acetate, chloride and citrate-based catalysts. Consequently, cobalt nitrate provided a better activity and selectivity to C5+ (less than 10% methane was formed, which was centered in kerosene-diesel fraction (α = 0.90. On the contrary, catalyst from cobalt citrate, characterized by the highest viscosity and acidity values, presented a highly dispersed distribution of Co nanoparticles leading to a lower reducibility. Therefore, a lower FTS activity was obtained and chain growth probability was shortened as observed from methane and gasoline-kerosene (α = 0.76 production when using cobalt citrate.

  19. Identification and Partial Characterization of Potential FtsL and FtsQ Homologs of Chlamydia

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    Scot P Ouellette

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Chlamydia is amongst the rare bacteria that lack the critical cell division protein FtsZ. By annotation, Chlamydia also lacks several other essential cell division proteins including the FtsLBQ complex that links the early (e.g. FtsZ and late (e.g. FtsI/Pbp3 components of the division machinery. Here, we report chlamydial FtsL and FtsQ homologs. Ct271 aligned well with E. coli FtsL and shared sequence homology with it, including a predicted leucine-zipper like motif. Based on in silico modeling, we show that Ct764 has structural homology to FtsQ in spite of little sequence similarity. Importantly, ct271/ftsL and ct764/ftsQ are present within all sequenced chlamydial genomes and are expressed during the replicative phase of the chlamydial developmental cycle, two key characteristics for a chlamydial cell division gene. GFP-Ct764 localized to the division septum of dividing transformed chlamydiae, and, importantly, over-expression inhibited chlamydial development. Using a bacterial two-hybrid approach, we show that Ct764 interacted with other components of the chlamydial division apparatus. However, Ct764 was not capable of complementing an E. coli FtsQ depletion strain in spite of its ability to interact with many of the same division proteins as E. coli FtsQ, suggesting that chlamydial FtsQ may function differently. We previously proposed that Chlamydia uses MreB and other rod-shape determining proteins as an alternative system for organizing the division site and its apparatus. Chlamydial FtsL and FtsQ homologs expand the number of identified chlamydial cell division proteins and suggest that Chlamydia has likely kept the late components of the division machinery while substituting the Mre system for the early components.

  20. Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of the alkaloid (+)-myrtine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pizzuti, Maria Gabriefla; Minnaard, Adriaan J.; Feringa, Ben L.

    2008-01-01

    A new protocol for the asymmetric synthesis of trans-2,6-disubstituted-4-piperidones has been developed using a catalytic enantioselective conjugate addition reaction in combination with a diastereoselective lithiation-substitution sequence; an efficient synthesis of (+)-myrtine has been achieved

  1. Research trends in Fischer-Tropsch catalysis for coal to liquids technology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hensen, E.J.M.; Wang, P.; Xu, W.

    2016-01-01

    Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) constitutes catalytic technology that converts synthesis gas to synthetic liquid fuels and chemicals. While synthesis gas can be obtained from any carbonaceous feedstock, current industrial FTS operations are almost exclusively based on natural gas. Due to the energy

  2. Effects of rhodomyrtone on Gram-positive bacterial tubulin homologue FtsZ

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dennapa Saeloh

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Rhodomyrtone, a natural antimicrobial compound, displays potent activity against many Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria, comparable to last-defence antibiotics including vancomycin and daptomycin. Our previous studies pointed towards effects of rhodomyrtone on the bacterial membrane and cell wall. In addition, a recent molecular docking study suggested that the compound could competitively bind to the main bacterial cell division protein FtsZ. In this study, we applied a computational approach (in silico, in vitro, and in vivo experiments to investigate molecular interactions of rhodomyrtone with FtsZ. Using molecular simulation, FtsZ conformational changes were observed in both (S- and (R-rhodomyrtone binding states, compared with the three natural states of FtsZ (ligand-free, GDP-, and GTP-binding states. Calculations of free binding energy showed a higher affinity of FtsZ to (S-rhodomyrtone (−35.92 ± 0.36 kcal mol−1 than the GDP substrate (−23.47 ± 0.25 kcal mol−1 while less affinity was observed in the case of (R-rhodomyrtone (−18.11 ± 0.11 kcal mol−1. In vitro experiments further revealed that rhodomyrtone reduced FtsZ polymerization by 36% and inhibited GTPase activity by up to 45%. However, the compound had no effect on FtsZ localization in Bacillus subtilis at inhibitory concentrations and cells also did not elongate after treatment. Higher concentrations of rhodomyrtone did affect localization of FtsZ and also affected localization of its membrane anchor proteins FtsA and SepF, showing that the compound did not specifically inhibit FtsZ but rather impaired multiple divisome proteins. Furthermore, a number of cells adopted a bean-like shape suggesting that rhodomyrtone possibly possesses further targets involved in cell envelope synthesis and/or maintenance.

  3. Radioimmunological dosage of FTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pleau, J.M.; Pasques, D.; Bach, J.F.; Gros, C.; Dray, F.

    1977-01-01

    The FTS (serum thymidine factor) is a polypeptide implicated in the differentiation of T lymphocytes, the primary sructure of which has been determined. Preliminary studies using a semi-quantitative biological test have shown that the serum FTS level is modified in certain immunological disturbances. A radioimmunological assay of this factor has been developed by the authors. The FTS was made immunogenic by coupling to bovine albumin and labelled with 125 I pre-alkylated with the agent of BOLTON HUNTER. The assay is sensitive enough for the detection of 2 pg FTS. The presence of interfering molecules in the serum therefore makes it necessary to develop an extraction method for the FTS serum assay. (AJ) [de

  4. ZipA binds to FtsZ with high affinity and enhances the stability of FtsZ protofilaments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anuradha Kuchibhatla

    Full Text Available A bacterial membrane protein ZipA that tethers FtsZ to the membrane is known to promote FtsZ assembly. In this study, the binding of ZipA to FtsZ was monitored using fluorescence spectroscopy. ZipA was found to bind to FtsZ with high affinities at three different (6.0, 6.8 and 8.0 pHs, albeit the binding affinity decreased with increasing pH. Further, thick bundles of FtsZ protofilaments were observed in the presence of ZipA under the pH conditions used in this study indicating that ZipA can promote FtsZ assembly and stabilize FtsZ polymers under unfavorable conditions. Bis-ANS, a hydrophobic probe, decreased the interaction of FtsZ and ZipA indicating that the interaction between FtsZ and ZipA is hydrophobic in nature. ZipA prevented the dilution induced disassembly of FtsZ polymers suggesting that it stabilizes FtsZ protofilaments. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled ZipA was found to be uniformly distributed along the length of the FtsZ protofilaments indicating that ZipA stabilizes FtsZ protofilaments by cross-linking them.

  5. Analytical applications of ICP-FTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faires, L.M.; Palmer, B.A.; Cunningham, P.T.

    1986-01-01

    The Analytical Chemistry Group of the Chemistry Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory has been investigating the analytical utility of the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) - Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) combination. While a new state-of-the-art FTS facility is under construction at Los Alamos, preliminary data has been obtained on the one-meter FTS at the National Solar Observatory at Kitt Peak, Arizona. This paper presents an update of the Los Alamos FTS facility, which is expected to be completed in 1986, and presents data showing the analytical potential of an ICP-FTS system. Some of the potential problems of the multiplex disadvantage are discussed, and the advantages of the high resolution obtainable with the FTS are illustrated

  6. FTS2000 network architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klenart, John

    1991-01-01

    The network architecture of FTS2000 is graphically depicted. A map of network A topology is provided, with interservice nodes. Next, the four basic element of the architecture is laid out. Then, the FTS2000 time line is reproduced. A list of equipment supporting FTS2000 dedicated transmissions is given. Finally, access alternatives are shown.

  7. Catalytic synthesis of ammonia using vibrationally excited nitrogen molecules

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Flemming Yssing; Henriksen, Niels Engholm; Billing, Gert D.

    1992-01-01

    The dissociation of nitrogen is the rate-limiting step in the catalytic synthesis of ammonia. Theoretical calculations have shown that the dissociative sticking probability of molecular nitrogen on catalytic active metal surfaces is enhanced by orders of magnitude when the molecules...

  8. The bacterial tubulin FtsZ requires its intrinsically disordered linker to direct robust cell wall construction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundararajan, Kousik; Miguel, Amanda; Desmarais, Samantha M; Meier, Elizabeth L; Casey Huang, Kerwyn; Goley, Erin D

    2015-06-23

    The bacterial GTPase FtsZ forms a cytokinetic ring at midcell, recruits the division machinery and orchestrates membrane and peptidoglycan cell wall invagination. However, the mechanism for FtsZ regulation of peptidoglycan metabolism is unknown. The FtsZ GTPase domain is separated from its membrane-anchoring C-terminal conserved (CTC) peptide by a disordered C-terminal linker (CTL). Here we investigate CTL function in Caulobacter crescentus. Strikingly, production of FtsZ lacking the CTL (ΔCTL) is lethal: cells become filamentous, form envelope bulges and lyse, resembling treatment with β-lactam antibiotics. This phenotype is produced by FtsZ polymers bearing the CTC and a CTL shorter than 14 residues. Peptidoglycan synthesis still occurs downstream of ΔCTL; however, cells expressing ΔCTL exhibit reduced peptidoglycan crosslinking and longer glycan strands than wild type. Importantly, midcell proteins are still recruited to sites of ΔCTL assembly. We propose that FtsZ regulates peptidoglycan metabolism through a CTL-dependent mechanism that extends beyond simple protein recruitment.

  9. Characterization and chromosomal organization of the murD-murC-ftsQ region of Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13869.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Angelina; Honrubia, Maria P; Vega, Daniel; Ayala, Juan A; Bouhss, Ahmed; Mengin-Lecreulx, Dominique; Gil, José A

    2004-04-01

    The sequence of a 4.6-kb region of DNA from Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13869 lying upstream from the ftsQ-ftsZ region has been determined. The region contains four genes with high similarity to the murD, ftsW, murG, and murC genes from different microorganisms. The products of these mur genes probably catalyse several steps in the formation of the precursors for peptidoglycan synthesis in C. glutamicum, whereas ftsW might play also a role in the stabilisation of the FtsZ ring during cell division. The murC gene product was purified to near homogeneity and its UDP-N-acetylmuramate: L-alanine adding activity was demonstrated. Northern analysis indicated that ftsW, murG and ftsQ are poorly expressed in C. glutamicum whereas murC and ftsZ are expressed at higher levels at the beginning of the exponential phase. Dicistronic (ftsQ-ftsZ) and monocistronic (murC and ftsZ) transcripts can be detected using specific probes and are in agreement with the lack of transcriptional terminators in the partially analysed dcw cluster. Disruption experiments performed in C. glutamicum using internal fragments of the ftsW, murG and murC genes allowed us to conclude that FtsW, MurG, and MurC are essential gene products in C. glutamicum.

  10. Targeting the Wolbachia cell division protein FtsZ as a new approach for antifilarial therapy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiru Li

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available The use of antibiotics targeting the obligate bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia of filarial parasites has been validated as an approach for controlling filarial infection in animals and humans. Availability of genomic sequences for the Wolbachia (wBm present in the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi has enabled genome-wide searching for new potential drug targets. In the present study, we investigated the cell division machinery of wBm and determined that it possesses the essential cell division gene ftsZ which was expressed in all developmental stages of B. malayi examined. FtsZ is a GTPase thereby making the protein an attractive Wolbachia drug target. We described the molecular characterization and catalytic properties of Wolbachia FtsZ. We also demonstrated that the GTPase activity was inhibited by the natural product, berberine, and small molecule inhibitors identified from a high-throughput screen. Furthermore, berberine was also effective in reducing motility and reproduction in B. malayi parasites in vitro. Our results should facilitate the discovery of selective inhibitors of FtsZ as a novel anti-symbiotic approach for controlling filarial infection. NOTE: The nucleotide sequences reported in this paper are available in GenBank™ Data Bank under the accession number wAlB-FtsZ (JN616286.

  11. FtsZ placement in nucleoid-free bacteria.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Pazos

    Full Text Available We describe the placement of the cytoplasmic FtsZ protein, an essential component of the division septum, in nucleoid-free Escherichia coli maxicells. The absence of the nucleoid is accompanied in maxicells by degradation of the SlmA protein. This protein, together with the nucleoid, prevents the placement of the septum in the regions occupied by the chromosome by a mechanism called nucleoid occlusion (NO. A second septum placement mechanism, the MinCDE system (Min involving a pole-to-pole oscillation of three proteins, nonetheless remains active in maxicells. Both Min and NO act on the polymerization of FtsZ, preventing its assembly into an FtsZ-ring except at midcell. Our results show that even in the total absence of NO, Min oscillations can direct placement of FtsZ in maxicells. Deletion of the FtsZ carboxyl terminal domain (FtsZ*, a central hub that receives signals from a variety of proteins including MinC, FtsA and ZipA, produces a Min-insensitive form of FtsZ unable to interact with the membrane-anchoring FtsA and ZipA proteins. This protein produces a totally disorganized pattern of FtsZ localization inside the maxicell cytoplasm. In contrast, FtsZ*-VM, an artificially cytoplasmic membrane-anchored variant of FtsZ*, forms helical or repetitive ring structures distributed along the entire length of maxicells even in the absence of NO. These results show that membrane anchoring is needed to organize FtsZ into rings and underscore the role of the C-terminal hub of FtsZ for their correct placement.

  12. FtsZ placement in nucleoid-free bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pazos, Manuel; Casanova, Mercedes; Palacios, Pilar; Margolin, William; Natale, Paolo; Vicente, Miguel

    2014-01-01

    We describe the placement of the cytoplasmic FtsZ protein, an essential component of the division septum, in nucleoid-free Escherichia coli maxicells. The absence of the nucleoid is accompanied in maxicells by degradation of the SlmA protein. This protein, together with the nucleoid, prevents the placement of the septum in the regions occupied by the chromosome by a mechanism called nucleoid occlusion (NO). A second septum placement mechanism, the MinCDE system (Min) involving a pole-to-pole oscillation of three proteins, nonetheless remains active in maxicells. Both Min and NO act on the polymerization of FtsZ, preventing its assembly into an FtsZ-ring except at midcell. Our results show that even in the total absence of NO, Min oscillations can direct placement of FtsZ in maxicells. Deletion of the FtsZ carboxyl terminal domain (FtsZ*), a central hub that receives signals from a variety of proteins including MinC, FtsA and ZipA, produces a Min-insensitive form of FtsZ unable to interact with the membrane-anchoring FtsA and ZipA proteins. This protein produces a totally disorganized pattern of FtsZ localization inside the maxicell cytoplasm. In contrast, FtsZ*-VM, an artificially cytoplasmic membrane-anchored variant of FtsZ*, forms helical or repetitive ring structures distributed along the entire length of maxicells even in the absence of NO. These results show that membrane anchoring is needed to organize FtsZ into rings and underscore the role of the C-terminal hub of FtsZ for their correct placement.

  13. Particle Size and Crystal Phase Effects in Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin-Xun Liu

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS is an increasingly important approach for producing liquid fuels and chemicals via syngas—that is, synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen—generated from coal, natural gas, or biomass. In FTS, dispersed transition metal nanoparticles are used to catalyze the reactions underlying the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. Catalytic activity and selectivity are strongly correlated with the electronic and geometric structure of the nanoparticles, which depend on the particle size, morphology, and crystallographic phase of the nanoparticles. In this article, we review recent works dealing with the aspects of bulk and surface sensitivity of the FTS reaction. Understanding the different catalytic behavior in more detail as a function of these parameters may guide the design of more active, selective, and stable FTS catalysts.

  14. Synthesis of Hydrocarbons from H2-Deficient Syngas in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis over Co-Based Catalyst Coupled with Fe-Based Catalyst as Water-Gas Shift Reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ting Ma

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The effects of metal species in an Fe-based catalyst on structural properties were investigated through the synthesis of Fe-based catalysts containing various metal species such, as Mn, Zr, and Ce. The addition of the metal species to the Fe-based catalyst resulted in high dispersions of the Fe species and high surface areas due to the formation of mesoporous voids about 2–4 nm surrounded by the catalyst particles. The metal-added Fe-based catalysts were employed together with Co-loaded beta zeolite for the synthesis of hydrocarbons from syngas with a lower H2/CO ratio of 1 than the stoichiometric H2/CO ratio of 2 for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS. Among the catalysts, the Mn-added Fe-based catalyst exhibited a high activity for the water-gas shift (WGS reaction with a comparative durability, leading to the enhancement of the CO hydrogenation in the FTS in comparison with Co-loaded beta zeolite alone. Furthermore, the loading of Pd on the Mn-added Fe-based catalyst enhanced the catalytic durability due to the hydrogenation of carbonaceous species by the hydrogen activated over Pd.

  15. Catalytic performance and characterization of cobalt-nickel nano catalysts for CO hydrogenation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feyzi, Mostafa; Gholivand, Mohammad Bagher; Babakhanian, Arash

    2014-01-01

    A series of Co-Ni nano catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation method. We investigated the effect of Co/Ni molar ratios precipitate and calcination conditions on the catalytic performance of cobalt nickel catalysts for Fisher-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The catalyst containing 90%Co/10%Ni was found to be optimal for the conversion of synthesis gas to light olefins. The activity and selectivity of the optimal catalyst were studied in different operational conditions. The results show that the best operational conditions are the H 2 /CO=2/1 molar feed ratio at 310 .deg. C and GHSV=1,200 h - 1 under 5 bar of pressure. The prepared catalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), N 2 adsorption-desorption measurements such as BET and BJH methods, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA)

  16. The Catalytic Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)‐Liphagal

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Day, Joshua J.; McFadden, Ryan M.; Virgil, Scott C.

    2011-01-01

    Ring a ding: The first catalytic enantioselective total synthesis of the meroterpenoid natural product (+)-liphagal is disclosed. The approach showcases a variety of technology including enantioselective enolate alkylation, a photochemical alkyne-alkene [2+2] reaction, microwaveassisted metal...

  17. School Nutrition Employees' Perceptions of Farm to School (FTS) Activities Differ Based on Management Type and FTS Participation Length

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Sangwook; Arendt, Susan W.; Stokes, Nathan M.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore school nutrition employees' perceptions of FTS activities and whether the numbers of activities differ based on management type of school foodservice operation and length of FTS participation. Methods: The state with the most FTS programs from each of the eight national FTS regions was selected. A…

  18. Reactivity of organic compounds in catalytic synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Minachev, Kh M; Bragin, O V

    1978-01-01

    A comprehensive review of 1976 Soviet research on catalysis delivered to the 1977 annual session of the USSR Academy of Science Council on Catalysis (Baku 6/16-20/77) covers hydrocarbon reactions, including hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis, dehydrogenation, olefin dimerization and disproportionation, and cyclization and dehydrocyclization (e.g., piperylene cyclization and ethylene cyclotrimerization); catalytic and physicochemical properties of zeolites, including cracking, dehydrogenation, and hydroisomerization catalytic syntheses and conversion of heterocyclic and functional hydrocarbon derivatives, including partial and total oxidation (e.g., of o-xylene to phthalic anhydride); syntheses of thiophenes from alkanes and hydrogen sulfide over certain dehydrogenation catalysts; catalytic syntheses involving carbon oxides ( e.g., the development of a new heterogeneous catalyst for hydroformylation of olefins), and of Co-MgO zeolitic catalysts for synthesis of aliphatic hydrocarbons from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and fabrication of high-viscosity lubricating oils over bifunctional aluminosilicate catalysts.

  19. New perspectives in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis using cobalt supported on mesoporous molecular sieves; Novas perspectivas na sintese de Fischer-Tropsch usando cobalto suportado em peneiras moleculares mesoporosas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Souza, M.J.B.; Silva, A.O.S. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Quimica; Fernandes Junior, V.J.; Araujo, A.S. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Dept. de Quimica

    2004-07-01

    The conversion of synthesis gas to liquid products via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is an important process in the generation of clean fuels of sulfur and nitrogen compounds. Catalysts based on iron are very used in the conventional process due its cheap manufacture price. Recently the use of cobalt as promoter gave good results. MCM-41 mesoporous materials were discovered by Mobil scientists in the nineties and ever since they have great successes as support and catalyst in several processes of the oil industry as catalytic cracking, reformer and hydrotreating. In this work are presented new alternatives for FTS with the use of cobalt supported on molecular sieves of the type MCM-41. A comparative study with the usual catalysts based on silica was accomplished with different levels of cobalt. (author)

  20. Fe3O4 nanocubes assembled on RGO nanosheets: Ultrasound induced in-situ and eco-friendly synthesis, characterization and their excellent catalytic performance for the production of liquid fuel in Fischer-tropsch synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbas, Mohamed; Zhang, Juan; Lin, Ke; Chen, Jiangang

    2018-04-01

    In this study, Fe 3 O 4 nanocubes (NCs) decorated on RGO nanosheets (NSs) structures were successfully synthesized through an innovative and environmentally-friendly rapid sonochemical method. More importantly, iron(II) sulfate heptahydrate and GO were employed as precursors and water as reaction medium, meanwhile, NaOH within the generated free radicals from the high intensity ultrasound were sufficient as reducing and base agent in our clean synthesis. Moreover, the hydrothermal method as a conventional approach was employed to synthesize the same catalysts for the comparison with the ultrasonocation technique. The as-synthesized Fe 3 O 4 and RGO/Fe 3 O 4 NSs catalysts were exposed to industrially relevant Fischer-tropsch synthesis (FTS) conditions at various reaction temperatures (250-290 °C), and they subjected to fully characterization before and after FTS reaction using XRD, TEM, HRTEM, EDS mapping, XPS, FTIR, BET, H 2 -TPR, H 2 -TPD and CO-TPD to understand the structure-performance relationships. Notably, the catalysts produced using the sonochemical method had a better CO conversion rate [Fe 3 O 4 (80%), RGO/Fe 3 O 4 (82%)] than the hydrothermally synthesized catalysts. However, compared to the naked-Fe 3 O 4 catalysts, the sonochemically and hydrothermally synthesized RGO-supported Fe 3 O 4 catalysts had higher long chain hydrocarbon (C5+) selectivity values (72% and 67%) and C 2 -C 4 olefin/paraffin selectivity ratio (3.2 and 2) and low CH4 selectivity values (6% and 8.5%), respectively. This can be attributed to their high surface area, the degree of reducibility, and content of Hägg iron carbide (χ-Fe 5 C 2 ) as the most active phase of the FTS reaction. Proposed reaction mechanisms for the sonochemical and hydrothermal reaction synthesis of Fe 3 O 4 and RGO/Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles are discussed. In conclusion, our developed surfactantless-sonochemical method holds promise for the eco-friendly synthesis of highly efficient catalysts materials for

  1. Specific synthesis of Pt nanowires for catalytic applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fenske, Daniela; Kehres, Jan; Al-Shamery, Katharina [IRAC, University Oldenburg (Germany); Center of Interface Science, CIS (Germany); Borchert, Holger; Kolny-Olesiak, Joanna [EHF, University Oldenburg (Germany); Center of Interface Science, CIS (Germany); Baeumer, Marcus [IAPC, University Bremen (Germany); Center of Interface Science, CIS (Germany)

    2008-07-01

    Metallic nanomaterials are of great interest in the last years due to their interesting properties as new materials for optical, electronic, magnetic or catalytic applications. Particularly size and morphology of such nanoparticulate systems offer also high potential for material improvement. A promising issue is the preparation of platinum nanowires by means of colloidal chemistry which allows obtaining particles with well-defined size and shape by use of stabilizing ligands. Recent efforts have been focused on the development of synthesis to obtain these nanowires. Therefore we were able to prepare dodecylamine-capped Pt nanowires with 2 nm in diameter and several multiple in length in varying the synthesis conditions. The influence of temperature, stabilisers and reducing agents on the morphology has been investigated. The catalytic activity of such nanowires immobilized at different oxidic supports could also be demonstrated on the example of CO oxidation and are compared to spherical Pt and bimetallic colloidal nanoparticles.

  2. Catalytic synthesis of enantiopure mixed diacylglycerols - synthesis of a major M. tuberculosis phospholipid and platelet activating factor

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fodran, Peter; Minnaard, Adriaan J.

    2013-01-01

    An efficient catalytic one-pot synthesis of TBDMS-protected diacylglycerols has been developed, starting from enantiopure glycidol. Subsequent migration-free deprotection leads to stereo- and regiochemically pure diacylglycerols. This novel strategy has been applied to the synthesis of a major

  3. New insight in the microscopic mechanism of the catalytic synthesis of ammonia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Flemming Yssing; Henriksen, Niels Engholm; Billing, Gert D.

    1995-01-01

    Theoretical quantum calculations and molecular beam experiments of the dissociative chemisorption of N-2 molecules on catalytic active metal surfaces have given new insight in the fundamental process of the ammonia synthesis. This new approach to the study of catalytic process supplements the con...

  4. Catalytic synthesis of alcoholic fuels for transportation from syngas

    OpenAIRE

    Wu, Qiongxiao; Jensen, Anker Degn; Grunwaldt, Jan-Dierk; Temel, Burcin; Christensen, Jakob Munkholt

    2013-01-01

    This work has investigated the catalytic conversion of syngas into methanol and higher alcohols. Based on input from computational catalyst screening, an experimental investigation of promising catalyst candidates for methanol synthesis from syngas has been carried out. Cu-Ni alloys of different composition have been identified as potential candidates for methanol synthesis. These Cu-Ni alloy catalysts have been synthesized and tested in a fixed-bed continuous-flow reactor for CO hydrogenatio...

  5. Catalytic synthesis of ammonia using vibrationally excited nitrogen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, Niels Engholm; Billing, Gert D.; Hansen, Flemming Yssing

    1992-01-01

    In a previous study we have considered the catalytic synthesis of ammonia in the presence of vibrationally excited nitrogen. The distribution over vibrational states was assumed to be maintained during the reaction, and it was shown that the yield of ammonia increased considerably compared...... to that from conventional synthesis. In the present study the nitrogen molecules are only excited at the inlet of a plug flow reactor, and the importance of vibrational relaxation is investigated. We show that vibrational excitation can give an enhanced yield of ammonia also in the situation where vibrational...

  6. Particle Size and Crystal Phase Effects in Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts

    OpenAIRE

    Jin-Xun Liu; Peng Wang; Wayne Xu; Emiel J.M. Hensen

    2017-01-01

    Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is an increasingly important approach for producing liquid fuels and chemicals via syngas—that is, synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen—generated from coal, natural gas, or biomass. In FTS, dispersed transition metal nanoparticles are used to catalyze the reactions underlying the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. Catalytic activity and selectivity are strongly correlated with the electronic and geometric structure of the nanoparticles, which...

  7. GC of catalytic reactions products involved in the promising fuel synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheivot, V.; Sazonova, N. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation). Boreskov Inst. of Catalysis

    2012-09-15

    Catalytic reactions involved in the synthesis of the promising kinds of novel fuel and products formed in these reactions were systematized according to the resulting fuel type. Generalization of the retention of the substances comprising these products is presented. Chromatograms exhibiting their separation on chromatographic materials with the surface of different chemical properties are summarized. We propose procedures for gas-chromatographic analysis of the catalytic reactions products formed in the synthesis of hydrogen, methanol, dimethyl ether and hydrocarbons as a new generation of fuel alternative to petroleum and coal. For partial oxidation of methane into synthesis gas, on-line determination of the components obtained in the reaction was carried out by gas chromatography and gas analyzer based on different physicochemical methods (IR spectroscopy and electrochemical methods). Similarity of the results obtained using these methods is demonstrated. (orig.)

  8. Electrochemical promotion of catalytic reactions with Pt/C (or Pt/Ru/C)//PBI catalysts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petrushina, Irina; Bjerrum, Niels; Bandur, Viktor

    2007-01-01

    The paper is an overview of the results of the investigation on electrochemical promotion of three catalytic reactions: methane oxidation with oxygen, NO reduction with hydrogen at 135 degrees C and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) at 170 degrees C in the [CH4/O-2(or NO/H-2 or CO/H-2)/Ar//Pt(or Pt....../Ru)//PBI(H3PO4)/H-2, Ar] fuel cell. It has been shown that the partial methane oxidation to C2H2 and the C-2 selectivity were electrochemically promoted by the negative catalyst polarization. This was also the case in NO reduction with hydrogen for low NO and H-2 partial pressures. In both cases the catalytic...... reactions have been promoted by the electrochemically produced hydrogen. It has been found that the NO reduction with hydrogen on the Pt/PBI strongly depends on NO and hydrogen partial pressures in the working gas mixture. At higher NO and H-2 partial pressures the catalysis is promoted...

  9. FtsZ-less prokaryotic cell division as well as FtsZ- and dynamin-less chloroplast and non-photosynthetic plastid division

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shin-Ya eMiyagishima

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The chloroplast division machinery is a mixture of a stromal FtsZ-based complex descended from a cyanobacterial ancestor of chloroplasts and a cytosolic dynamin-related protein (DRP 5B-based complex derived from the eukaryotic host. Molecular genetic studies have shown that each component of the division machinery is normally essential for normal chloroplast division. However, several exceptions have been found. In the absence of the FtsZ ring, nonphotosynthetic plastids are able to proliferate, likely by elongation and budding. Depletion of DRP5B impairs, but does not stop chloroplast division. Chloroplasts in glaucophytes, which possesses a peptidoglycan (PG layer, divide without DRP5B. Certain parasitic eukaryotes possess nonphotosynthetic plastids of secondary endosymbiotic origin, but neither FtsZ nor DRP5B is encoded in their genomes. Elucidation of the FtsZ- and/or DRP5B-less chloroplast division mechanism will lead to a better understanding of the function and evolution of the chloroplast division machinery and the finding of the as-yet-unknown mechanism that is likely involved in chloroplast division. Recent studies have shown that FtsZ was lost from a variety of prokaryotes, many of which lost PG by regressive evolution. In addition, even some of the FtsZ-bearing bacteria are able to divide when FtsZ and PG are depleted experimentally. In some cases, alternative mechanisms for cell division, such as budding by an increase of the cell surface-to-volume ratio, are proposed. Although PG is believed to have been lost from chloroplasts other than in glaucophytes, there is some indirect evidence for the existence of PG in chloroplasts. Such information is also useful for understanding how nonphotosynthetic plastids are able to divide in FtsZ-depleted cells and the reason for the retention of FtsZ in chloroplast division. Here we summarize information to facilitate analyses of FtsZ- and/or DRP5B-less chloroplast and nonphotosynthetic plastid

  10. FtsZ Polymerization Assays : Simple Protocols and Considerations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Król, Ewa; Scheffers, Dirk-Jan

    2013-01-01

    During bacterial cell division, the essential protein FtsZ assembles in the middle of the cell to form the so-called Z-ring. FtsZ polymerizes into long filaments in the presence of GTP in vitro, and polymerization is regulated by several accessory proteins. FtsZ polymerization has been extensively

  11. FTS3 / WebFTS – A Powerful File Transfer Service for Scientific Communities

    CERN Document Server

    Kiryanov, Andrey; Keeble, Oliver

    2015-01-01

    FTS3, the service responsible for globally distributing the majority of the LHC data across the WLCG infrastructure, is now available to everybody. Already integrated into LHC experiment frameworks, a new web interface now makes the FTS3's transfer technology directly available to end users. In this article we describe this intuitive new interface, “WebFTS”, which allows users to easily schedule and manage large data transfers right from the browser, profiting from a service which has been proven at the scale of petabytes per month. We will shed light on new development activities to extend FTS3 transfers capabilities outside Grid boundaries with support of non-Grid endpoints like Dropbox and S3. We also describe the latest changes integrated into the transfer engine itself, such as new data management operations like deletions and staging files from archive, all of which may be accessed through our standards-compliant REST API. For the Service Managers, we explain such features as the service's horizonta...

  12. Catalytic chemical amide synthesis at room temperature: one more step toward peptide synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohy El Dine, Tharwat; Erb, William; Berhault, Yohann; Rouden, Jacques; Blanchet, Jérôme

    2015-05-01

    An efficient method has been developed for direct amide bond synthesis between carboxylic acids and amines via (2-(thiophen-2-ylmethyl)phenyl)boronic acid as a highly active bench-stable catalyst. This catalyst was found to be very effective at room temperature for a large range of substrates with slightly higher temperatures required for challenging ones. This methodology can be applied to aliphatic, α-hydroxyl, aromatic, and heteroaromatic acids as well as primary, secondary, heterocyclic, and even functionalized amines. Notably, N-Boc-protected amino acids were successfully coupled in good yields with very little racemization. An example of catalytic dipeptide synthesis is reported.

  13. Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel 2,5,6-trisubstituted benzimidazoles targeting FtsZ as antitubercular agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Bora; Awasthi, Divya; Chowdhury, Soumya R; Melief, Eduard H; Kumar, Kunal; Knudson, Susan E; Slayden, Richard A; Ojima, Iwao

    2014-05-01

    Filamenting temperature-sensitive protein Z (FtsZ), an essential cell division protein, is a promising target for the drug discovery of new-generation antibacterial agents against various bacterial pathogens. As a part of SAR studies on benzimidazoles, we have synthesized a library of 376 novel 2,5,6-trisubstituted benzimidazoles, bearing ether or thioether linkage at the 6-position. In a preliminary HTP screening against Mtb H37Rv, 108 compounds were identified as hits at a cut off concentration of 5 μg/mL. Among those hits, 10 compounds exhibited MIC values in the range of 0.63-12.5 μg/mL. Light scattering assay and TEM analysis with the most potent compound 5a clearly indicate that its molecular target is Mtb-FtsZ. Also, the Kd of 5a with Mtb-FtsZ was determined to be 1.32 μM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Influence of the synthesis parameters on the physico-chemical and catalytic properties of cerium oxide for application in the synthesis of diethyl carbonate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leino, Ewelina; Kumar, Narendra; Mäki-Arvela, Päivi; Aho, Atte; Kordás, Krisztián; Leino, Anne-Riikka; Shchukarev, Andrey; Murzin, Dmitry Yu.; Mikkola, Jyri-Pekka

    2013-01-01

    Synthesis of cerium (IV) oxide by means of room temperature precipitation method was carried out. The effect of preparation variables such as synthesis time, calcination temperature and pH of the solution on resulting CeO 2 properties was discussed. Moreover, the comparison of CeO 2 samples prepared in a static and rotation mode of synthesis is presented. The solid catalysts were characterized by means of X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, nitrogen physisorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy using pyridine as a probe molecule and temperature programmed desorption of CO 2 . Significant variations in physico-chemical properties of CeO 2 by varying the preparation conditions were observed. Furthermore, the catalytic performances of CeO 2 catalysts were compared in the synthesis of diethyl carbonate starting from ethanol and CO 2 using butylene oxide as a dehydrating agent. The dependence of CeO 2 properties on its catalytic activity is evaluated in detail. - Highlights: • Synthesis of cerium (IV) oxide by precipitation method. • Influence of synthesis time, calcination temperature, mode of stirring and solution pH on properties. • Characterization by XRD, SEM, TEM, nitrogen physisorption, XPS, FTIR. • Catalytic performance diethyl carbonate synthesis from ethanol and CO 2

  15. Triblock copolymer-mediated synthesis of catalytically active gold nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Douglas C.; de Souza, Viviane C.; Vasconcelos, Diego A.; Andrade, George R. S.; Gimenez, Iara F.; Teixeira, Zaine

    2018-04-01

    The design of nanostructures based on poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) and metal nanoparticles is becoming an important research topic due to their multiple functionalities in different fields, including nanomedicine and catalysis. In this work, water-soluble gold nanoparticles have been prepared through a green aqueous synthesis method using Pluronic F127 as both reducing and stabilizing agents. The size dependence (varying from 2 to 70 nm) and stability of gold nanoparticles were systematically studied by varying some parameters of synthesis, which were the polymer concentration, temperature, and exposure to UV-A light, being monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy and TEM. Also, an elaborated study regarding to the kinetic of formation (nucleation and growth) was presented. Finally, the as-prepared Pluronic-capped gold nanoparticles have shown excellent catalytic activity towards the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol with sodium borohydride, in which a higher catalytic performance was exhibited when compared with gold nanoparticles prepared by classical reduction method using sodium citrate. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  16. Ionic Liquids: The Synergistic Catalytic Effect in the Synthesis of Cyclic Carbonates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flora T.T. Ng

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available This review presents the synergistic effect in the catalytic system of ionic liquids (ILs for the synthesis of cyclic carbonate from carbon dioxide and epoxide. The emphasis of this review is on three aspects: the catalytic system of metal-based ionic liquids, the catalytic system of hydrogen bond-promoted ionic liquids and supported ionic liquids. Metal and ionic liquids show a synergistic effect on the cycloaddition reactions of epoxides. The cations and anions of ionic liquids show a synergistic effect on the cycloaddition reactions. The functional groups in cations or supports combined with the anions have a synergistic effect on the cycloaddition reactions. Synergistic catalytic effects of ILs play an important role of promoting the cycloaddition reactions of epoxides. The design of catalytic system of ionic liquids will be possible if the synergistic effect on a molecular level is understood.

  17. Highly Selective Synthesis of Catalytically Active Monodisperse Rhodium Nanocubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Y.; Grass, M.E.; Kuhn, J.N.; Tao, F.; Habas, S.E.; Huang, W.; Yang, P.; Somorjai, G.A.

    2009-02-21

    Synthesis of monodisperse and shape-controlled colloidal inorganic nanocrystals (NCs) is of increasing scientific interest and technological significance. Recently, shape control of Pt, Pd, Ag, Au, and Rh NCs has been obtained by tuning growth kinetics in various solution-phase approaches, including modified polyol methods, seeded growth by polyol reduction, thermolysis of organometallics, and micelle techniques. Control of reduction kinetics of the noble metal precursors and regulation of the relative growth rates of low-index planes (i.e. {l_brace}100{r_brace} and {l_brace}111{r_brace}) via selective adsorption of selected chemical species are two keys for achieving shape modification of noble metal NCs. One application for noble metal NCs of well-defined shape is in understanding how NC faceting (determines which crystallographic planes are exposed) affects catalytic performance. Rh NCs are used in many catalytic reactions, including hydrogenation, hydroformylation, hydrocarbonylation, and combustion reactions. Shape manipulation of Rh NCs may be important in understanding how faceting on the nanoscale affects catalytic properties, but such control is challenging and there are fewer reports on the shape control of Rh NCs compared to other noble metals. Xia and coworkers obtained Rh multipods exhibiting interesting surface plasmonic properties by a polyol approach. The Somorjai and Tilley groups synthesized crystalline Rh multipods, cubes, horns and cuboctahedra, via polyol seeded growth. Son and colleagues prepared catalytically active monodisperse oleylamine-capped tetrahedral Rh NCs for the hydrogenation of arenes via an organometallic route. More recently, the Somorjai group synthesized sizetunable monodisperse Rh NCs using a one-step polyol technique. In this Communication, we report the highly selective synthesis of catalytically active, monodisperse Rh nanocubes of < 10 nm by a seedless polyol method. In this approach, Br{sup -} ions from trimethyl

  18. Next generation WLCG File Transfer Service (FTS)

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2012-01-01

    LHC experiments at CERN and worldwide utilize WLCG resources and middleware components to perform distributed computing tasks. One of the most important tasks is reliable file replication. It is a complex problem, suffering from transfer failures, disconnections, transfer duplication, server and network overload, differences in storage systems, etc. To address these problems, EMI and gLite have provided the independent File Transfer Service (FTS) and Grid File Access Library (GFAL) tools. Their development started almost a decade ago, in the meantime, requirements in data management have changed - the old architecture of FTS and GFAL cannot keep support easily these changes. Technology has also been progressing: FTS and GFAL do not fit into the new paradigms (cloud, messaging, for example). To be able to serve the next stage of LHC data collecting (from 2013), we need a new generation of  these tools: FTS 3 and GFAL 2. We envision a service requiring minimal configuration, which can dynamically adapt to the...

  19. Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of enantiopure isoprenoid building blocks : application in the synthesis of apple leafminer pheromones

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Summeren, Ruben P. van; Reijmer, Sven J.W.; Minnaard, Adriaan J.; Feringa, Bernard

    2005-01-01

    The first catalytic asymmetric procedure capable of preparing all 4 diastereoisomers (ee > 99%, de > 98%) of a versatile saturated isoprenoid building block was developed and the value of this new method was demonstrated in its application to the concise total synthesis of two pheromones.

  20. Synthesis of high quality single-walled carbon nanotubes via a catalytic layer reinforced by self-assembled monolayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adhikari, Prashanta Dhoj; Song, Wooseok; Cha, Myoung-Jun; Park, Chong-Yun

    2013-01-01

    This work reports the synthesis of high quality single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) using a catalytic layer reinforced by self-assembled monolayers (SAM). Amine-SAM was introduced on a SiO 2 /Si substrate and then an iron nanoparticles solution was dropped on the substrate by spin-coating. This catalytic template was used to grow carbon nanotubes by chemical vapor deposition and the synthesized SWCNT were observed to be prominent, based on the size distribution. Highly dense SWCNT with a diameter of about 1.1-1.2 nm were produced at 800-850 °C. Moreover, the diameter distribution of the SWCNT was more selective at a growth temperature of 900 °C. These findings provide important insights for a SAM support layer that can play the role as a restriction for the agglomeration of iron catalyst and is promising for the synthesis of high quality SWCNT. - Highlights: • Fe nanoparticles on self-assembled monolayers (SAM) containing template is underlined. • Its catalytic behavior to synthesis single-walled carbon nanotubes is studied. • The role of SAM on catalytic template is explored

  1. Cyanogel-derived N-doped C nanosheets immobilizing Pd-P nanoparticles: One-pot synthesis and enhanced hydrogenation catalytic performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Hao; Yan, Xiaohong; Huang, Yundi; Zhang, Mengru; Tang, Yawen; Sun, Dongmei; Xu, Lin, E-mail: njuxulin@gmail.com; Wei, Shaohua, E-mail: weishaohua@njnu.edu.cn

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • Cyanogel-bridged approach was developed for the synthesis of Pd-P@N-Cnanosheets. • Pd-P@N-C nanosheets exhibit high activity and stability for reduction of 4-NP. • Compositional and structural advantages account for the high catalytic activity. • The feasible synthesis could be extendable to other carbon-based nanohybrids. - Abstract: For Pd-based nanocatalysts, stabilization of Pd nanoparticles on carbon support could not only effectively avoid particle aggregation and maintain catalytic stability during catalytic processes, but also facilitate enhancing the catalytic activity due to the synergy between Pd nanoparticles and carbon support. Furthermore, the incorporation of non-metal of phosphorus (P) into Pd could effectively modulate the electronic structure of Pd and thus help to boost the catalytic properties. However, one-pot synthesis of such nanohybrids remains a great challenge due to the distinct physiochemical properties of Pd, P and C components. Herein, we demonstrate a one-pot and scalable synthesis of highly dispersed PdP alloy nanoparticle-immobilized on N-doped graphitic carbon nanosheets (abbreviated as Pd-P@N-C nanosheets) by using inorganic-organic hybrid cyanogel as a reaction precursor. In virtue of both compositional and structural advantages, the as-synthesized Pd-P@N-C nanosheets manifest a superior catalytic activity and stability toward the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). We believe that the present work will provide a feasible and versatile strategy for the development of efficient catalysts for environmental remediation and can also be extendable to other carbon-based nanohybrids with desirable functionalities.

  2. Structure of the Z Ring-associated Protein, ZapD, Bound to the C-terminal Domain of the Tubulin-like Protein, FtsZ, Suggests Mechanism of Z Ring Stabilization through FtsZ Cross-linking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schumacher, Maria A; Huang, Kuo-Hsiang; Zeng, Wenjie; Janakiraman, Anuradha

    2017-03-03

    Cell division in most bacteria is mediated by the tubulin-like FtsZ protein, which polymerizes in a GTP-dependent manner to form the cytokinetic Z ring. A diverse repertoire of FtsZ-binding proteins affects FtsZ localization and polymerization to ensure correct Z ring formation. Many of these proteins bind the C-terminal domain (CTD) of FtsZ, which serves as a hub for FtsZ regulation. FtsZ ring-associated proteins, ZapA-D (Zaps), are important FtsZ regulatory proteins that stabilize FtsZ assembly and enhance Z ring formation by increasing lateral assembly of FtsZ protofilaments, which then form the Z ring. There are no structures of a Zap protein bound to FtsZ; therefore, how these proteins affect FtsZ polymerization has been unclear. Recent data showed ZapD binds specifically to the FtsZ CTD. Thus, to obtain insight into the ZapD-CTD interaction and how it may mediate FtsZ protofilament assembly, we determined the Escherichia coli ZapD-FtsZ CTD structure to 2.67 Å resolution. The structure shows that the CTD docks within a hydrophobic cleft in the ZapD helical domain and adopts an unusual structure composed of two turns of helix separated by a proline kink. FtsZ CTD residue Phe-377 inserts into the ZapD pocket, anchoring the CTD in place and permitting hydrophobic contacts between FtsZ residues Ile-374, Pro-375, and Leu-378 with ZapD residues Leu-74, Trp-77, Leu-91, and Leu-174. The structural findings were supported by mutagenesis coupled with biochemical and in vivo studies. The combined data suggest that ZapD acts as a molecular cross-linking reagent between FtsZ protofilaments to enhance FtsZ assembly. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  3. Cytological profile of antibacterial FtsZ inhibitors and synthetic peptide MciZ

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidia Araujo-Bazan

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Cell division protein FtsZ is the organizer of the cytokinetic ring in almost all bacteria and a target for the discovery of new antibacterial agents that are needed to counter widespread antibiotic resistance. Bacterial cytological profiling, using quantitative microscopy, is a powerful approach for identifying the mechanism of action of antibacterial molecules affecting different cellular pathways. We have determined the cytological profile on Bacillus subtilis cells of a selection of small molecule inhibitors targeting FtsZ on different binding sites. FtsZ inhibitors lead to long undivided cells, impair the normal assembly of FtsZ into the midcell Z-rings, induce aberrant ring distributions, punctate FtsZ foci, membrane spots and also modify nucleoid length. Quantitative analysis of cell and nucleoid length combined, or the Z-ring distribution, allows categorizing FtsZ inhibitors and to distinguish them from antibiotics with other mechanisms of action, which should be useful for identifying new antibacterial FtsZ inhibitors. Biochemical assays of FtsZ polymerization and GTPase activity combined explain the cellular effects of the FtsZ polymer stabilizing agent PC190723 and its fragments. MciZ is a 40-aminoacid endogenous inhibitor of cell division normally expressed during sporulation in B. subtilis. Using FtsZ cytological profiling we have determined that exogenous synthetic MciZ is an effective inhibitor of B. subtilis cell division, Z-ring formation and localization. This finding supports our cell-based approach to screen for FtsZ inhibitors and opens new possibilities for peptide inhibitors of bacterial cell division.

  4. Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Naturally Occurring Butenolides via Hetero-Allylic Alkylation and Ring Closing Metathesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mao, Bin; Geurts, Koen; Fañanás-Mastral, Martín; Zijl, Anthoni W. van; Fletcher, Stephen P.; Minnaard, Adriaan J.; Feringa, Bernard

    2011-01-01

    An efficient catalytic asymmetric synthesis of chiral γ-butenolides was developed based on the hetero-allylic asymmetric alkylation (h-AAA) in combination with ring closing metathesis (RCM). The synthetic potential of the h-AAA-RCM protocol was illustrated with the facile synthesis of (-)-whiskey

  5. Catalytic Role of Manganese Oxides in Prebiotic Nucleobases Synthesis from Formamide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhushan, Brij; Nayak, Arunima; Kamaluddin

    2016-06-01

    Origin of life processes might have begun with the formation of important biomonomers, such as amino acids and nucleotides, from simple molecules present in the prebiotic environment and their subsequent condensation to biopolymers. While studying the prebiotic synthesis of naturally occurring purine and pyrimidine derivatives from formamide, the manganese oxides demonstrated not only good binding for formamide but demonstrated novel catalytic activity. A novel one pot manganese oxide catalyzed synthesis of pyrimidine nucleobases like thymine is reported along with the formation of other nucleobases like purine, 9-(hydroxyacetyl) purine, cytosine, 4(3 H)-pyrimidinone and adenine in acceptable amounts. The work reported is significant in the sense that the synthesis of thymine has exhibited difficulties especially under one pot conditions and also such has been reported only under the catalytic activity of TiO2. The lower oxides of manganese were reported to show higher potential as catalysts and their existence were favored by the reducing atmospheric conditions prevalent on early Earth; thereby confirming the hypothesis that mineral having metals in reduced form might have been more active during the course of chemical evolution. Our results further confirm the role of formamide as a probable precursor for the formation of purine and pyrimidine bases during the course of chemical evolution and origin of life.

  6. DNA hydrogel as a template for synthesis of ultrasmall gold nanoparticles for catalytic applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zinchenko, Anatoly; Miwa, Yasuyuki; Lopatina, Larisa I; Sergeyev, Vladimir G; Murata, Shizuaki

    2014-03-12

    DNA cross-linked hydrogel was used as a matrix for synthesis of gold nanoparticles. DNA possesses a strong affinity to transition metals such as gold, which allows for the concentration of Au precursor inside a hydrogel. Further reduction of HAuCl4 inside DNA hydrogel yields well dispersed, non-aggregated spherical Au nanoparticles of 2-3 nm size. The average size of these Au nanoparticles synthesized in DNA hydrogel is the smallest reported so far for in-gel metal nanoparticles synthesis. DNA hybrid hydrogel containing gold nanoparticles showed high catalytic activity in the hydrogenation reaction of nitrophenol to aminophenol. The proposed soft hybrid material is promising as environmentally friendly and sustainable material for catalytic applications.

  7. Evaluating the effectiveness of various biochars as porous media for biodiesel synthesis via pseudo-catalytic transesterification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jechan; Jung, Jong-Min; Oh, Jeong-Ik; Ok, Yong Sik; Lee, Sang-Ryong; Kwon, Eilhann E

    2017-05-01

    This study focuses on investigating the optimized chemical composition of biochar used as porous material for biodiesel synthesis via pseudo-catalytic transesterification. To this end, six biochars from different sources were prepared and biodiesel yield obtained from pseudo-catalytic transesterification of waste cooking oil using six biochars were measured. Biodiesel yield and optimal reaction temperature for pseudo-catalytic transesterification were strongly dependent on the raw material of biochar. For example, biochar generated from maize residue exhibited the best performance, which yield was reached ∼90% at 300°C; however, the maximum biodiesel yield with pine cone biochar was 43% at 380°C. The maximum achievable yield of biodiesel was sensitive to the lignin content of biomass source of biochar but not sensitive to the cellulose and hemicellulose content. This study provides an insight for screening the most effective biochar as pseudo-catalytic porous material, thereby helping develop more sustainable and economically viable biodiesel synthesis process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Influence of the phase composition on the catalytic properties of ammonia synthesis catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peev, T.M.; Bojinova, A.I.; Krylova, A.V.

    1981-01-01

    The phase composition of CA-1-type catalysts for ammonia synthesis was investigated by means of Moessbauer spectroscopy. A correlation was found between the catalytic activity of the samples and their wuestite content. (author)

  9. Catalytic dehydration of ethanol for poly 13 C compounds synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almasan, Valer; Marginean, Petru; Lazar, Mihaela; Tusa, Florina

    2003-01-01

    Classical methods for the synthesis of organic compounds are not very well applied in the case of 13 C labeled compounds. One of the principal demands is to find the best method to transform a small quantity of isotopic reagent with a very high yield. In this case to obtain 13 C 2 chloroethanol from 13 C 2 ethanol there are two synthesis steps: - catalytic dehydration of ethanol to ethylene; - ethylene double bounding saturation: either via ethylene oxide (30% yield) or in diluted solution of chlorine. For the first step of synthesis we choose the thermal dehydration over alumina catalyst at 400 deg C. There were tested 2 samples of g alumina with 255 m 2 /g and 355 m 2 /g with very good results. In the second step of the synthesis we used the chlorine addition to ethylene in very diluted water solution. We have built a reactor which combined the two steps of this synthesis method to produce 13 C 2 chloroethanol from 13 C 2 ethanol. The global yield of method was 42%. (authors)

  10. An FtsH protease is recruited to the mitochondrion of Plasmodium falciparum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aiman Tanveer

    Full Text Available The two organelles, apicoplast and mitochondrion, of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have unique morphology in liver and blood stages; they undergo complex branching and looping prior to division and segregation into daughter merozoites. Little is known about the molecular processes and proteins involved in organelle biogenesis in the parasite. We report the identification of an AAA+/FtsH protease homolog (PfFtsH1 that exhibits ATP- and Zn(2+-dependent protease activity. PfFtsH1 undergoes processing, forms oligomeric assemblies, and is associated with the membrane fraction of the parasite cell. Generation of a transfectant parasite line with hemagglutinin-tagged PfFtsH1, and immunofluorescence assay with anti-PfFtsH1 Ab demonstrated that the protein localises to P. falciparum mitochondria. Phylogenetic analysis and the single transmembrane region identifiable in PfFtsH1 suggest that it is an i-AAA like inner mitochondrial membrane protein. Expression of PfFtsH1 in Escherichia coli converted a fraction of bacterial cells into division-defective filamentous forms implying a sequestering effect of the Plasmodium factor on the bacterial homolog, indicative of functional conservation with EcFtsH. These results identify a membrane-associated mitochondrial AAA+/FtsH protease as a candidate regulatory protein for organelle biogenesis in P. falciparum.

  11. Bacillus subtilis SepF binds to the C-terminus of FtsZ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Król, Ewa; van Kessel, Sebastiaan P; van Bezouwen, Laura S; Kumar, Neeraj; Boekema, Egbert J; Scheffers, Dirk-Jan

    2012-01-01

    Bacterial cell division is mediated by a multi-protein machine known as the "divisome", which assembles at the site of cell division. Formation of the divisome starts with the polymerization of the tubulin-like protein FtsZ into a ring, the Z-ring. Z-ring formation is under tight control to ensure bacteria divide at the right time and place. Several proteins bind to the Z-ring to mediate its membrane association and persistence throughout the division process. A conserved stretch of amino acids at the C-terminus of FtsZ appears to be involved in many interactions with other proteins. Here, we describe a novel pull-down assay to look for binding partners of the FtsZ C-terminus, using a HaloTag affinity tag fused to the C-terminal 69 amino acids of B. subtilis FtsZ. Using lysates of Escherichia coli overexpressing several B. subtilis cell division proteins as prey we show that the FtsZ C-terminus specifically pulls down SepF, but not EzrA or MinC, and that the interaction depends on a conserved 16 amino acid stretch at the extreme C-terminus. In a reverse pull-down SepF binds to full-length FtsZ but not to a FtsZΔC16 truncate or FtsZ with a mutation of a conserved proline in the C-terminus. We show that the FtsZ C-terminus is required for the formation of tubules from FtsZ polymers by SepF rings. An alanine-scan of the conserved 16 amino acid stretch shows that many mutations affect SepF binding. Combined with the observation that SepF also interacts with the C-terminus of E. coli FtsZ, which is not an in vivo binding partner, we propose that the secondary and tertiary structure of the FtsZ C-terminus, rather than specific amino acids, are recognized by SepF.

  12. Bacillus subtilis SepF binds to the C-terminus of FtsZ.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ewa Król

    Full Text Available Bacterial cell division is mediated by a multi-protein machine known as the "divisome", which assembles at the site of cell division. Formation of the divisome starts with the polymerization of the tubulin-like protein FtsZ into a ring, the Z-ring. Z-ring formation is under tight control to ensure bacteria divide at the right time and place. Several proteins bind to the Z-ring to mediate its membrane association and persistence throughout the division process. A conserved stretch of amino acids at the C-terminus of FtsZ appears to be involved in many interactions with other proteins. Here, we describe a novel pull-down assay to look for binding partners of the FtsZ C-terminus, using a HaloTag affinity tag fused to the C-terminal 69 amino acids of B. subtilis FtsZ. Using lysates of Escherichia coli overexpressing several B. subtilis cell division proteins as prey we show that the FtsZ C-terminus specifically pulls down SepF, but not EzrA or MinC, and that the interaction depends on a conserved 16 amino acid stretch at the extreme C-terminus. In a reverse pull-down SepF binds to full-length FtsZ but not to a FtsZΔC16 truncate or FtsZ with a mutation of a conserved proline in the C-terminus. We show that the FtsZ C-terminus is required for the formation of tubules from FtsZ polymers by SepF rings. An alanine-scan of the conserved 16 amino acid stretch shows that many mutations affect SepF binding. Combined with the observation that SepF also interacts with the C-terminus of E. coli FtsZ, which is not an in vivo binding partner, we propose that the secondary and tertiary structure of the FtsZ C-terminus, rather than specific amino acids, are recognized by SepF.

  13. FtsZ-Dependent Elongation of a Coccoid Bacterium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana R. Pereira

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available A mechanistic understanding of the determination and maintenance of the simplest bacterial cell shape, a sphere, remains elusive compared with that of more complex shapes. Cocci seem to lack a dedicated elongation machinery, and a spherical shape has been considered an evolutionary dead-end morphology, as a transition from a spherical to a rod-like shape has never been observed in bacteria. Here we show that a Staphylococcus aureus mutant (M5 expressing the ftsZG193D allele exhibits elongated cells. Molecular dynamics simulations and in vitro studies indicate that FtsZG193D filaments are more twisted and shorter than wild-type filaments. In vivo, M5 cell wall deposition is initiated asymmetrically, only on one side of the cell, and progresses into a helical pattern rather than into a constricting ring as in wild-type cells. This helical pattern of wall insertion leads to elongation, as in rod-shaped cells. Thus, structural flexibility of FtsZ filaments can result in an FtsZ-dependent mechanism for generating elongated cells from cocci.

  14. In Escherichia coli, MreB and FtsZ direct the synthesis of lateral cell wall via independent pathways that require PBP 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varma, Archana; Young, Kevin D

    2009-06-01

    In Escherichia coli, the cytoplasmic proteins MreB and FtsZ play crucial roles in ensuring that new muropeptide subunits are inserted into the cell wall in a spatially correct way during elongation and division. In particular, to retain a constant diameter and overall shape, new material must be inserted into the wall uniformly around the cell's perimeter. Current thinking is that MreB accomplishes this feat through intermediary proteins that tether peptidoglycan synthases to the outer face of the inner membrane. We tested this idea in E. coli by using a DD-carboxypeptidase mutant that accumulates pentapeptides in its peptidoglycan, allowing us to visualize new muropeptide incorporation. Surprisingly, inhibiting MreB with the antibiotic A22 did not result in uneven insertion of new wall, although the cells bulged and lost their rod shapes. Instead, uneven (clustered) incorporation occurred only if MreB and FtsZ were inactivated simultaneously, providing the first evidence in E. coli that FtsZ can direct murein incorporation into the lateral cell wall independently of MreB. Inhibiting penicillin binding protein 2 (PBP 2) alone produced the same clustered phenotype, implying that MreB and FtsZ tether peptidoglycan synthases via a common mechanism that includes PBP 2. However, cell shape was determined only by the presence or absence of MreB and not by the even distribution of new wall material as directed by FtsZ.

  15. Synthesis and catalytic applications of combined zeolitic/mesoporous materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jarian Vernimmen

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available In the last decade, research concerning nanoporous siliceous materials has been focused on mesoporous materials with intrinsic zeolitic features. These materials are thought to be superior, because they are able to combine (i the enhanced diffusion and accessibility for larger molecules and viscous fluids typical of mesoporous materials with (ii the remarkable stability, catalytic activity and selectivity of zeolites. This review gives an overview of the state of the art concerning combined zeolitic/mesoporous materials. Focus is put on the synthesis and the applications of the combined zeolitic/mesoporous materials. The different synthesis approaches and formation mechanisms leading to these materials are comprehensively discussed and compared. Moreover, Ti-containing nanoporous materials as redox catalysts are discussed to illustrate a potential implementation of combined zeolitic/mesoporous materials.

  16. Protein quality control in organelles - AAA/FtsH story.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janska, Hanna; Kwasniak, Malgorzata; Szczepanowska, Joanna

    2013-02-01

    This review focuses on organellar AAA/FtsH proteases, whose proteolytic and chaperone-like activity is a crucial component of the protein quality control systems of mitochondrial and chloroplast membranes. We compare the AAA/FtsH proteases from yeast, mammals and plants. The nature of the complexes formed by AAA/FtsH proteases and the current view on their involvement in degradation of non-native organellar proteins or assembly of membrane complexes are discussed. Additional functions of AAA proteases not directly connected with protein quality control found in yeast and mammals but not yet in plants are also described shortly. Following an overview of the molecular functions of the AAA/FtsH proteases we discuss physiological consequences of their inactivation in yeast, mammals and plants. The molecular basis of phenotypes associated with inactivation of the AAA/FtsH proteases is not fully understood yet, with the notable exception of those observed in m-AAA protease-deficient yeast cells, which are caused by impaired maturation of mitochondrial ribosomal protein. Finally, examples of cytosolic events affecting protein quality control in mitochondria and chloroplasts are given. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Protein Import and Quality Control in Mitochondria and Plastids. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. The hetero-hexameric nature of a chloroplast AAA+ FtsH protease contributes to its thermodynamic stability.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ofer Moldavski

    Full Text Available FtsH is an evolutionary conserved membrane-bound metalloprotease complex. While in most prokaryotes FtsH is encoded by a single gene, multiple FtsH genes are found in eukaryotes. Genetic and biochemical data suggest that the Arabidopsis chloroplast FtsH is a hetero-hexamer. This raises the question why photosynthetic organisms require a heteromeric complex, whereas in most bacteria a homomeric one is sufficient. To gain structural information of the possible complexes, the Arabidopsis FtsH2 (type B and FtsH5 (type A were modeled. An in silico study with mixed models of FtsH2/5 suggests that heteromeric hexamer structure with ratio of 4:2 is more likely to exists. Specifically, calculation of the buried surface area at the interfaces between neighboring subunits revealed that a hetero-complex should be thermodynamically more stable than a homo-hexamer, due to the presence of additional hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions. To biochemically assess this model, we generated Arabidopsis transgenic plants, expressing epitope-tagged FtsH2 and immuno-purified the protein. Mass-spectrometry analysis showed that FtsH2 is associated with FtsH1, FtsH5 and FtsH8. Interestingly, we found that 'type B' subunits (FtsH2 and FtsH8 were 2-3 fold more abundant than 'type A' (FtsH1 and FtsH5. The biochemical data corroborate the in silico model and suggest that the thylakoid FtsH hexamer is composed of two 'type A' and four 'type B' subunits.

  18. A specific role for the ZipA protein in cell division: stabilization of the FtsZ protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pazos, Manuel; Natale, Paolo; Vicente, Miguel

    2013-02-01

    In Escherichia coli, the cell division protein FtsZ is anchored to the cytoplasmic membrane by the action of the bitopic membrane protein ZipA and the cytoplasmic protein FtsA. Although the presence of both ZipA and FtsA is strictly indispensable for cell division, an FtsA gain-of-function mutant FtsA* (R286W) can bypass the ZipA requirement for cell division. This observation casts doubts on the role of ZipA and its need for cell division. Maxicells are nucleoid-free bacterial cells used as a whole cell in vitro system to probe protein-protein interactions without the need of protein purification. We show that ZipA protects FtsZ from the ClpXP-directed degradation observed in E. coli maxicells and that ZipA-stabilized FtsZ forms membrane-attached spiral-like structures in the bacterial cytoplasm. The overproduction of the FtsZ-binding ZipA domain is sufficient to protect FtsZ from degradation, whereas other C-terminal ZipA partial deletions lacking it are not. Individual overproduction of the proto-ring component FtsA or its gain-of-function mutant FtsA* does not result in FtsZ protection. Overproduction of FtsA or FtsA* together with ZipA does not interfere with the FtsZ protection. Moreover, neither FtsA nor FtsA* protects FtsZ when overproduced together with ZipA mutants lacking the FZB domain. We propose that ZipA protects FtsZ from degradation by ClpP by making the FtsZ site of interaction unavailable to the ClpX moiety of the ClpXP protease. This role cannot be replaced by either FtsA or FtsA*, suggesting a unique function for ZipA in proto-ring stability.

  19. MWW-type titanosilicate synthesis, structural modification and catalytic applications to green oxidations

    CERN Document Server

    Wu, Peng; Xu, Le; Liu, Yueming; He, Mingyuan

    2013-01-01

    This book provides a comprehensive review of a new generation of selective oxidation titanosilicate catalysts with the MWW topology (Ti-MWW) based on the research achievements of the past 12 years. It gives an overview of the synthesis, structure modification and catalytic properties of Ti-MWW. Ti-MWW can readily be prepared by means of direct hydrothermal synthesis with crystallization-supporting agents, using dual-structure-directing agents and a dry-gel conversion technique. It also can be post-synthesized through unique reversible structure transformation and liquid-phase isomorphous subst

  20. Investigating the Synthesis, Structure, and Catalytic Properties of Versatile Gold-Based Nanocatalvsts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pretzer, Lori A.

    Transition metal nanomaterials are used to catalyze many chemical reactions, including those key to environmental, medicinal, and petrochemical fields. Improving their catalytic properties and lifetime would have significant economic and environmental rewards. Potentially expedient options to make such advancements are to alter the shape, size, or composition of transition metal nanocatalysts. This work investigates the relationships between structure and catalytic properties of synthesized Au, Pd-on-Au, and Au-enzyme model transition metal nanocatalysts. Au and Pd-on-Au nanomaterials were studied due to their wide-spread application and structure-dependent electronic and geometric properties. The goal of this thesis is to contribute design procedures and synthesis methods that enable the preparation of more efficient transition metal nanocatalysts. The influence of the size and composition of Pd-on-Au nanoparticles (NPs) was systematically investigated and each was found to affect the catalyst's surface structure and catalytic properties. The catalytic hydrodechlorination of trichloroethene and reduction of 4-nitrophenol by Pd-on-Au nanoparticles were investigated as these reactions are useful for environmental and pharmaceutical synthesis applications, respectively. Structural characterization revealed that the dispersion and oxidation state of surface Pd atoms are controlled by the Au particle size and concentration of Pd. These structural changes are correlated with observed Pd-on-Au NP activities for both probe reactions, providing new insight into the structure-activity relationships of bimetallic nanocatalysts. Using the structure-dependent electronic properties of Au NPs, a new type of light-triggered biocatalyst was prepared and used to remotely control a model biochemical reaction. This biocatalyst consists of a model thermophilic glucokinase enzyme covalently attached to the surface of Au nanorods. The rod-like shape of the Au nanoparticles made the

  1. Radiosensitivity is increased by knockdown of FTS in uterine cervical cancer cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Wo Yoon; Anandharaj, Arunkumar; Cinghu, Senthikumar; Kim, Won Dong [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of); Yu, Jae Ran [Dept. of Environmental and Tropical Medicine, Konkuk University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-04-15

    Uterine cervical cancer is still the second largest cancer in women worldwide, despite of effective screening methods. Radiotherapy is used to treat all the stages of cervical cancer and more than 60% of cervical cancer patients receive radiotherapy. New therapeutic targets or approaches are needed to further increase the results of radiotherapy. In the present study, we demonstrated the radiation induced overexpression and nuclear export of FTS in cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, we showed that silencing of FTS expression with FTS shRNA enhanced radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis FTS is involved in radioresistance of cervical cancer. Targeted inhibition of FTS can shutdown the key elemental characteristics of cervical cancer and could lead to an effective therapeutic strategy.

  2. Radiosensitivity is increased by knockdown of FTS in uterine cervical cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Wo Yoon; Anandharaj, Arunkumar; Cinghu, Senthikumar; Kim, Won Dong; Yu, Jae Ran

    2012-01-01

    Uterine cervical cancer is still the second largest cancer in women worldwide, despite of effective screening methods. Radiotherapy is used to treat all the stages of cervical cancer and more than 60% of cervical cancer patients receive radiotherapy. New therapeutic targets or approaches are needed to further increase the results of radiotherapy. In the present study, we demonstrated the radiation induced overexpression and nuclear export of FTS in cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, we showed that silencing of FTS expression with FTS shRNA enhanced radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis FTS is involved in radioresistance of cervical cancer. Targeted inhibition of FTS can shutdown the key elemental characteristics of cervical cancer and could lead to an effective therapeutic strategy

  3. Assessing the reliability of calculated catalytic ammonia synthesis rates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Medford, Andrew James; Wellendorff, Jess; Vojvodic, Aleksandra

    2014-01-01

    We introduce a general method for estimating the uncertainty in calculated materials properties based on density functional theory calculations. We illustrate the approach for a calculation of the catalytic rate of ammonia synthesis over a range of transition-metal catalysts. The correlation...... between errors in density functional theory calculations is shown to play an important role in reducing the predicted error on calculated rates. Uncertainties depend strongly on reaction conditions and catalyst material, and the relative rates between different catalysts are considerably better described...

  4. Imaging FTS: A Different Approach to Integral Field Spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurent Drissen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Imaging Fourier transform spectroscopy (iFTS is a promising, although technically very challenging, option for wide-field hyperspectral imagery. We present in this paper an introduction to the iFTS concept and its advantages and drawbacks, as well as examples of data obtained with a prototype iFTS, SpIOMM, attached to the 1.6 m telescope of the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic: emission line ratios in the spiral galaxy NGC 628 and absorption line indices in the giant elliptical M87. We conclude by introducing SpIOMM's successor, SITELLE, which will be installed at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in 2014.

  5. Comparison of the GOSAT TANSO-FTS TIR CH volume mixing ratio vertical profiles with those measured by ACE-FTS, ESA MIPAS, IMK-IAA MIPAS, and 16 NDACC stations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. S. Olsen

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The primary instrument on the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT is the Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observations (TANSO Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS. TANSO-FTS uses three short-wave infrared (SWIR bands to retrieve total columns of CO2 and CH4 along its optical line of sight and one thermal infrared (TIR channel to retrieve vertical profiles of CO2 and CH4 volume mixing ratios (VMRs in the troposphere. We examine version 1 of the TANSO-FTS TIR CH4 product by comparing co-located CH4 VMR vertical profiles from two other remote-sensing FTS systems: the Canadian Space Agency's Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment FTS (ACE-FTS on SCISAT (version 3.5 and the European Space Agency's Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS on Envisat (ESA ML2PP version 6 and IMK-IAA reduced-resolution version V5R_CH4_224/225, as well as 16 ground stations with the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC. This work follows an initial inter-comparison study over the Arctic, which incorporated a ground-based FTS at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL at Eureka, Canada, and focuses on tropospheric and lower-stratospheric measurements made at middle and tropical latitudes between 2009 and 2013 (mid-2012 for MIPAS. For comparison, vertical profiles from all instruments are interpolated onto a common pressure grid, and smoothing is applied to ACE-FTS, MIPAS, and NDACC vertical profiles. Smoothing is needed to account for differences between the vertical resolution of each instrument and differences in the dependence on a priori profiles. The smoothing operators use the TANSO-FTS a priori and averaging kernels in all cases. We present zonally averaged mean CH4 differences between each instrument and TANSO-FTS with and without smoothing, and we examine their information content, their sensitive altitude range, their correlation, their a priori dependence, and the

  6. Synthesis of MoO3 nanoparticles for azo dye degradation by catalytic ozonation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manivel, Arumugam; Lee, Gang-Juan; Chen, Chin-Yi; Chen, Jing-Heng; Ma, Shih-Hsin; Horng, Tzzy-Leng; Wu, Jerry J.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Synthesis of one-dimensional MoO 3 nanostructures using hydrothermal, microwave, and sonochemical methods. • Sonochemical synthesized MoO 3 presents the best efficiency for the dye removal by catalytic ozonation. • Efficient environmental remediation process. - Abstract: One-dimensional molybdenum trioxide nanostructures were prepared in three different approaches, including thermal, microwave, and sonochemical methods. The physicochemical properties of the obtained MoO 3 nanoparticles were investigated by diffused reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis. Among the methods as investigated, sonochemical synthesis gave well-dispersed fine MoO 3 nanoparticles compared with the other approaches. All the synthesized MoO 3 nanostructures were examined for the catalytic ozonation to degrade azo dye in aqueous environment. Different performances were obtained for the catalyst prepared in different methods and the catalytic efficiencies were found to be the order of sonochemical, microwave, and then thermal methods. The sonochemical MoO 3 catalyst allowed the total dye removal within 20 min and its good performance was justified according to their higher surface area with higher number of active sites that provide effective dye interaction for better degradation

  7. Thermal adaptation of mesophilic and thermophilic FtsZ assembly by modulation of the critical concentration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Concha-Marambio

    Full Text Available Cytokinesis is the last stage in the cell cycle. In prokaryotes, the protein FtsZ guides cell constriction by assembling into a contractile ring-shaped structure termed the Z-ring. Constriction of the Z-ring is driven by the GTPase activity of FtsZ that overcomes the energetic barrier between two protein conformations having different propensities to assemble into polymers. FtsZ is found in psychrophilic, mesophilic and thermophilic organisms thereby functioning at temperatures ranging from subzero to >100°C. To gain insight into the functional adaptations enabling assembly of FtsZ in distinct environmental conditions, we analyzed the energetics of FtsZ function from mesophilic Escherichia coli in comparison with FtsZ from thermophilic Methanocaldococcus jannaschii. Presumably, the assembly may be similarly modulated by temperature for both FtsZ orthologs. The temperature dependence of the first-order rates of nucleotide hydrolysis and of polymer disassembly, indicated an entropy-driven destabilization of the FtsZ-GTP intermediate. This destabilization was true for both mesophilic and thermophilic FtsZ, reflecting a conserved mechanism of disassembly. From the temperature dependence of the critical concentrations for polymerization, we detected a change of opposite sign in the heat capacity, that was partially explained by the specific changes in the solvent-accessible surface area between the free and polymerized states of FtsZ. At the physiological temperature, the assembly of both FtsZ orthologs was found to be driven by a small positive entropy. In contrast, the assembly occurred with a negative enthalpy for mesophilic FtsZ and with a positive enthalpy for thermophilic FtsZ. Notably, the assembly of both FtsZ orthologs is characterized by a critical concentration of similar value (1-2 μM at the environmental temperatures of their host organisms. These findings suggest a simple but robust mechanism of adaptation of FtsZ, previously shown

  8. Catalytic synthesis of aromatic diisocyanates by means of carbonylation of nitrocompounds with carbon monoxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nefedov, B K; Manov-Yuvenskii, V I; Khoshdurdev, Kh O; Novikov, S S [AN SSSR, Moscow. Inst. Organicheskoj Khimii

    1977-02-11

    The development of an active and selective heterogeneous catalyst for synthesis of aromatic diisocyanates has been studied. The catalytic ability of the catalyst PdO-MoO/sub 3/-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/ deposited on ..gamma..-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ has been investigated in the reactions of carbonylation of aromatic dinitrocompounds with carbon oxide. The effect of the catalyst composition, method of catalyst production, reaction temperature and pressure on the catalytic ability have been studied. It has been established that the catalyst PdO-MoO/sub 3/-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/(2-6:1:1) deposited on ..gamma..-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ is highly active and selective in the reactions of carbonilation of aromatic dinitrocompounds at 210 deg and 300 atm. It has been used for synthesis of aromatic diisocyanates in yield 32-75%.

  9. Challenges in process integration of catalytic DC plasma synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanofibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melechko, Anatoli V; Pearce, Ryan C; Hensley, Dale K; Simpson, Michael L; McKnight, Timothy E

    2011-01-01

    The ability to synthesize free-standing, individual carbon nanofibres (CNFs) aligned perpendicularly to a substrate has enabled fabrication of a large array of devices with nanoscale functional elements, including electron field emission sources, electrochemical probes, neural interface arrays, scanning probes, gene delivery arrays and many others. This was made possible by development of a catalytic plasma process, with DC bias directing the alignment of nanofibres. Successful implementation of prototypical devices has uncovered numerous challenges in the integration of this synthesis process as one of the steps in device fabrication. This paper is dedicated to these engineering and fundamental difficulties that hinder further device development. Relatively high temperature for catalytic synthesis, electrical conductivity of the substrate to maintain DC discharge and other difficulties place restrictions on substrate material. Balancing non-catalytic carbon film deposition and substrate etching, non-uniformity of plasma due to growth of the high aspect ratio structures, plasma instabilities and other factors lead to challenges in controlling the plasma. Ultimately, controlling the atomistic processes at the catalyst nanoparticle (NP) and the behaviour of the NP is the central challenge of plasma nanosynthesis of vertically aligned CNFs.

  10. Catalytic applications of immobilized ionic liquids for synthesis of cyclic carbonates from carbon dioxide and epoxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Dong-Woo; Roshan, Roshith; Tharun, Jose; Cherian, Amal; Park, Dae-Won

    2013-01-01

    The catalytic applicability of ionic liquids immobilized on various support materials such as silica, polystyrene and biopolymers in the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide with epoxides is reviewed in this work. Comparisons of the catalytic efficiency of these various catalysts have been done from the aspect of turnover number and reusability. The studies revealed that ionic liquids or support materials possessing hydrogen bonding capable groups exhibited enhanced catalytic activity towards cyclic carbonate synthesis. Moreover, the increased quest towards environmentally benign materials has renewed the search for biocompatible materials as support for ionic liquids

  11. Catalytic synthesis of alcoholic fuels for transportation from syngas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Qiongxiao

    This work has investigated the catalytic conversion of syngas into methanol and higher alcohols. Based on input from computational catalyst screening, an experimental investigation of promising catalyst candidates for methanol synthesis from syngas has been carried out. Cu-Ni alloys of different...... composition have been identified as potential candidates for methanol synthesis. These Cu-Ni alloy catalysts have been synthesized and tested in a fixed-bed continuous-flow reactor for CO hydrogenation. The metal area based activity for a Cu-Ni/SiO2 catalyst is at the same level as a Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 model...... catalyst. The high activity and selectivity of silica supported Cu-Ni alloy catalysts agrees with the fact that the DFT calculations identified Cu-Ni alloys as highly active and selective catalysts for the hydrogenation of CO to form methanol. This work has also provided a systematic study of Cu...

  12. A New Business Mode for FTs Chain in an E-Commerce Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xihui Wang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available With the rise in the online demand for fashion and textiles (FTs along with the development of e-commerce, a business mode called drop-shipping mode has emerged. Despite the fact that the drop-shipping mode has many merits, this method has less earning power compared with the traditional business mode. This study proposes a mix business mode for FTs chains in an e-commerce environment. Traditional and drop-shipping modes are special cases of the mix mode. In addition, a generalized model is built to analyze the profitability of FTs chains. Our study shows that, in most cases, the mix mode improves overall profit of FTs chain. Moreover, we consider the seasonality and the short life cycle of fashion items in analyzing the relationship between the e-retailer's optimal inventory level and demand distribution parameters. The numerical example shows that, by changing their inventory level, e-retailers can address the demand fluctuation using the mix mode. The proposed mix mode employs both business modes to enhance the profitability of a FTs chain. As such, the mix mode is an effective method to address demand fluctuation for FTs in an e-commerce environment.

  13. Effect of K promoter on the structure and catalytic behavior of supported iron-based catalysts in fischer-tropsch synthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. E. M Farias

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Effects of K addition on the performance of supported Fe catalysts for Fischer - Tropsch synthesis (FTS were studied in a slurry reactor at 240 to 270ºC, 2.0 to 4.0 MPa and syngas H2/CO = 1.0. The catalysts were characterized by N2 adsorption, H2 temperature programmed reduction, X - ray diffraction, X - ray fluorescence, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and dispersive X - ray spectroscopy. A strong interaction was observed between Fe and K, which inhibited the reduction of Fe catalyst. Addition of potassium increased the production of heavy hydrocarbons (C20+.

  14. Synthesis, structure characterization and catalytic activity of nickel tungstate nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pourmortazavi, Seied Mahdi; Rahimi-Nasrabadi, Mehdi; Khalilian-Shalamzari, Morteza; Zahedi, Mir Mahdi; Hajimirsadeghi, Seiedeh Somayyeh; Omrani, Ismail

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: NiWO 4 nanoparticles were prepared via precipitation technique. Experimental parameters of procedure were optimized statistically. Highlights: ► NiWO 4 spherical nanoparticles were synthesized via direct precipitation method. ► Taguchi robust design was used for optimization of synthesis reaction parameters. ► Composition and structural properties of NiWO 4 nanoparticles were characterized. ► EDAX, XRD, SEM, FT-IR, UV–vis and photoluminescence techniques were employed. ► Catalytic activity of the product in a cyclo-addition reaction was investigated. - Abstract: Taguchi robust design was applied to optimize experimental parameters for controllable, simple and fast synthesis of nickel tungstate nanoparticles. NiWO 4 nanoparticles were synthesized by precipitation reaction involving addition of nickel ion solution to the tungstate aqueous reagent and then formation of nickel tungstate nucleolus which are insoluble in aqueous media. Effects of various parameters such as nickel and tungstate concentrations, flow rate of reagent addition and reactor temperature on diameter of synthesized nickel tungstate nanoparticles were investigated experimentally by the aid of orthogonal array design. The results for analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that particle size of nickel tungstate can be effectively tuned by controlling significant variables involving nickel and tungstate concentrations and flow rate; while, temperature of the reactor has a no considerable effect on the size of NiWO 4 particles. The ANOVA results proposed the optimum conditions for synthesis of nickel tungstate nanoparticles via this technique. Also, under optimum condition nanoparticles of NiWO 4 were prepared and their structure and chemical composition were characterized by means of EDAX, XRD, SEM, FT-IR spectroscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. Finally, catalytic activity of the nanoparticles in a cycloaddition reaction was examined.

  15. Synthesis, structure characterization and catalytic activity of nickel tungstate nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pourmortazavi, Seied Mahdi, E-mail: pourmortazavi@yahoo.com [Faculty of Material and Manufacturing Technologies, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rahimi-Nasrabadi, Mehdi, E-mail: rahiminasrabadi@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Imam Hossein University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khalilian-Shalamzari, Morteza [Department of Chemistry, Imam Hossein University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zahedi, Mir Mahdi; Hajimirsadeghi, Seiedeh Somayyeh [Islamic Azad University, Varamin Pishva Branch, Varamin (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Omrani, Ismail [Department of Chemistry, Imam Hossein University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2012-12-15

    Graphical abstract: NiWO{sub 4} nanoparticles were prepared via precipitation technique. Experimental parameters of procedure were optimized statistically. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer NiWO{sub 4} spherical nanoparticles were synthesized via direct precipitation method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Taguchi robust design was used for optimization of synthesis reaction parameters. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Composition and structural properties of NiWO{sub 4} nanoparticles were characterized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer EDAX, XRD, SEM, FT-IR, UV-vis and photoluminescence techniques were employed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Catalytic activity of the product in a cyclo-addition reaction was investigated. - Abstract: Taguchi robust design was applied to optimize experimental parameters for controllable, simple and fast synthesis of nickel tungstate nanoparticles. NiWO{sub 4} nanoparticles were synthesized by precipitation reaction involving addition of nickel ion solution to the tungstate aqueous reagent and then formation of nickel tungstate nucleolus which are insoluble in aqueous media. Effects of various parameters such as nickel and tungstate concentrations, flow rate of reagent addition and reactor temperature on diameter of synthesized nickel tungstate nanoparticles were investigated experimentally by the aid of orthogonal array design. The results for analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that particle size of nickel tungstate can be effectively tuned by controlling significant variables involving nickel and tungstate concentrations and flow rate; while, temperature of the reactor has a no considerable effect on the size of NiWO{sub 4} particles. The ANOVA results proposed the optimum conditions for synthesis of nickel tungstate nanoparticles via this technique. Also, under optimum condition nanoparticles of NiWO{sub 4} were prepared and their structure and chemical composition were characterized by means of EDAX, XRD, SEM, FT-IR spectroscopy, UV

  16. Relating FTS Catalyst Properties to Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Wenping; Ramana Rao Pendyala, Venkat; Gao, Pei; Jermwongratanachai, Thani; Jacobs, Gary; Davis, Burton H.

    2016-01-01

    During the reporting period June 23, 2011 to August 31, 2013, CAER researchers carried out research in two areas of fundamental importance to the topic of cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS): promoters and stability. The first area was research into possible substitute promoters that might be used to replace the expensive promoters (e.g., Pt, Re, and Ru) that are commonly used. To that end, three separate investigations were carried out. Due to the strong support interaction of ?-Al2O3 with cobalt, metal promoters are commonly added to commercial FTS catalysts to facilitate the reduction of cobalt oxides and thereby boost active surface cobalt metal sites. To date, the metal promoters examined have been those up to and including Group 11. Because two Group 11 promoters (i.e., Ag and Au) were identified to exhibit positive impacts on conversion, selectivity, or both, research was undertaken to explore metals in Groups 12 - 14. The three metals selected for this purpose were Cd, In, and Sn. At a higher loading of 25%Co on alumina, 1% addition of Cd, In, or Sn was found to-on average-facilitate reduction by promoting a heterogeneous distribution of cobalt consisting of larger lesser interacting cobalt clusters and smaller strongly interacting cobalt species. The lesser interacting species were identified in TPR profiles, where a sharp low temperature peak occurred for the reduction of larger, weakly interacting, CoO species. In XANES, the Cd, In, and Sn promoters were found to exist as oxides, whereas typical promoters (e.g., Re, Ru, Pt) were previously determined to exist in an metallic state in atomic coordination with cobalt. The larger cobalt clusters significantly decreased the active site density relative to the unpromoted 25%Co/Al2O3 catalyst. Decreasing the cobalt loading to 15%Co eliminated the large non-interacting species. The TPR peak for reduction of strongly interacting CoO in the Cd promoted catalyst occurred at a measurably lower temperature

  17. Size Controlled Synthesis of Transition Metal Nanoparticles for Catalytic Applications

    KAUST Repository

    Esparza, Angel

    2011-07-07

    Catalysis offers cleaner and more efficient chemical reactions for environmental scientists. More than 90% of industrial processes are performed with a catalyst involved, however research it is still required to improve the catalyst materials. The purpose of this work is to contribute with the development of catalysts synthesis with two different approaches. First, the precise size control of non-noble metals nanoparticles. Second, a new one-pot synthesis method based on a microemulsion system was developed to synthesize size-controlled metal nanoparticles in oxide supports. The one-pot method represents a simple approach to synthesize both support and immobilized nanometer-sized non-noble metal nanoparticles in the same reaction system. Narrow size distribution nickel, cobalt, iron and cobalt-nickel nanoparticles were obtained. High metal dispersions are attainable regardless the metal or support used in the synthesis. Thus, the methodology is adaptable and robust. The sizecontrolled supported metal nanoparticles offer the opportunity to study size effects and metal-support interactions on different catalytic reactions with different sets of metals and supports.

  18. Aziridine- and Azetidine-Pd Catalytic Combinations. Synthesis and Evaluation of the Ligand Ring Size Impact on Suzuki-Miyaura Reaction Issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamza Boufroura

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The synthesis of new vicinal diamines based on aziridine and azetidine cores as well as the comparison of their catalytic activities as ligand in the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction are described in this communication. The synthesis of three- and four-membered ring heterocycles substituted by a methylamine pendant arm is detailed from the parent nitrile derivatives. Complexation to palladium under various conditions has been examined affording vicinal diamines or amine-imidate complexes. The efficiency of four new catalytic systems is compared in the preparation of variously substituted biaryls. Aziridine- and azetidine-based catalytic systems allowed Suzuki-Miyaura reactions from aryl halides including chlorides with catalytic loadings until 0.001% at temperatures ranging from 100 °C to r.t. The evolution of the Pd-metallacycle ring strain moving from azetidine to aziridine in combination with a methylamine or an imidate pendant arm impacted the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction issue.

  19. One-pot synthesis of Cu{sub 2}O octahedron particles and their catalytic application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Biao; Li, Dan; Mu, Lei; Yang, Sung Ik [Dept. of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-04-15

    We report a facile one-step synthesis method of cuprous oxide (Cu{sub 2}O) hollow octahedrons with controllable size Cu{sub 2}O exhibited a great catalytic activity for the reduction of methylene blue by N{sub 2}H{sub 4} as well as NABH{sub 4}.

  20. Validation of ACE-FTS N2O measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. P. Stiller

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE, also known as SCISAT, was launched on 12 August 2003, carrying two instruments that measure vertical profiles of atmospheric constituents using the solar occultation technique. One of these instruments, the ACE Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS, is measuring volume mixing ratio (VMR profiles of nitrous oxide (N2O from the upper troposphere to the lower mesosphere at a vertical resolution of about 3–4 km. In this study, the quality of the ACE-FTS version 2.2 N2O data is assessed through comparisons with coincident measurements made by other satellite, balloon-borne, aircraft, and ground-based instruments. These consist of vertical profile comparisons with the SMR, MLS, and MIPAS satellite instruments, multiple aircraft flights of ASUR, and single balloon flights of SPIRALE and FIRS-2, and partial column comparisons with a network of ground-based Fourier Transform InfraRed spectrometers (FTIRs. Between 6 and 30 km, the mean absolute differences for the satellite comparisons lie between −42 ppbv and +17 ppbv, with most within ±20 ppbv. This corresponds to relative deviations from the mean that are within ±15%, except for comparisons with MIPAS near 30 km, for which they are as large as 22.5%. Between 18 and 30 km, the mean absolute differences for the satellite comparisons are generally within ±10 ppbv. From 30 to 60 km, the mean absolute differences are within ±4 ppbv, and are mostly between −2 and +1 ppbv. Given the small N2O VMR in this region, the relative deviations from the mean are therefore large at these altitudes, with most suggesting a negative bias in the ACE-FTS data between 30 and 50 km. In the comparisons with the FTIRs, the mean relative differences between the ACE-FTS and FTIR partial columns (which cover a mean altitude range of 14 to 27 km are within ±5.6% for eleven of the twelve contributing stations. This mean relative difference is negative at ten stations

  1. Genetic and Biochemical Characterization of the MinC-FtsZ Interaction in Bacillus subtilis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castellen, Patricia; Nogueira, Maria Luiza C.; Bettini, Jefferson; Portugal, Rodrigo V.; Zeri, Ana Carolina M.; Gueiros-Filho, Frederico J.

    2013-01-01

    Cell division in bacteria is regulated by proteins that interact with FtsZ and modulate its ability to polymerize into the Z ring structure. The best studied of these regulators is MinC, an inhibitor of FtsZ polymerization that plays a crucial role in the spatial control of Z ring formation. Recent work established that E. coli MinC interacts with two regions of FtsZ, the bottom face of the H10 helix and the extreme C-terminal peptide (CTP). Here we determined the binding site for MinC on Bacillus subtilis FtsZ. Selection of a library of FtsZ mutants for survival in the presence of Min overexpression resulted in the isolation of 13 Min-resistant mutants. Most of the substitutions that gave rise to Min resistance clustered around the H9 and H10 helices in the C-terminal domain of FtsZ. In addition, a mutation in the CTP of B. subtilis FtsZ also produced MinC resistance. Biochemical characterization of some of the mutant proteins showed that they exhibited normal polymerization properties but reduced interaction with MinC, as expected for binding site mutations. Thus, our study shows that the overall architecture of the MinC-FtsZ interaction is conserved in E. coli and B. subtilis. Nevertheless, there was a clear difference in the mutations that conferred Min resistance, with those in B. subtilis FtsZ pointing to the side of the molecule rather than to its polymerization interface. This observation suggests that the mechanism of Z ring inhibition by MinC differs in both species. PMID:23577149

  2. Sensitivity Analysis for CO2 Retrieval using GOSAT-2 FTS-2 Simulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamei, Akihide; Yoshida, Yukio; Dupuy, Eric; Yokota, Yasuhiro; Hiraki, Kaduo; Matsunaga, Tsuneo

    2015-04-01

    The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT), launched in 2009, is the world's first satellite dedicated to global greenhouse gases observation. GOSAT-2, the successor mission to GOSAT, is scheduled for launch in early 2018. The Fourier Transform Spectrometer-2 (FTS-2) is the primary sensor onboard GOSAT-2. It observes infrared light reflected and emitted from the Earth's surface and atmosphere. The FTS-2 obtains high resolution spectra using three bands in the near to short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) region and two bands in the thermal infrared (TIR) region. Column amounts and vertical profiles of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are retrieved from the radiance spectra obtained with the SWIR and TIR bands, respectively. Further, compared to the FTS onboard the GOSAT, the FTS-2 has several improvements: 1) added spectral coverage in the SWIR region for carbon monoxide (CO) retrieval, 2) increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for all bands, 3) extended range of along-track pointing angles for sunglint observations, 4) intelligent pointing to avoid cloud contamination. Since 2012, we have been developing a simulator software to simulate the spectral radiance data that will be acquired by the GOSAT-2 FTS-2. The purpose of the GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator is to analyze/optimize data with respect to the sensor specification, the parameters for Level 1 processing, and the improvement of the Level 2 algorithms. The GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator includes the six components: 1) overall control, 2) sensor carrying platform, 3) spectral radiance calculation, 4) Fourier Transform module, 5) Level 1B (L1B) processing, and 6) L1B data output. It has been installed on the GOSAT Research Computation Facility (GOSAT RCF), which is a high-performance and energy-efficient supercomputer. More realistic and faster simulations have been made possible by the improvement of the details of sensor characteristics, the sophistication of the data processing and algorithms, the addition of the

  3. Novel trisubstituted benzimidazoles, targeting Mtb FtsZ, as a new class of antitubercular agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Kunal; Awasthi, Divya; Lee, Seung-Yub; Zanardi, Ilaria; Ruzsicska, Bela; Knudson, Susan; Tonge, Peter J; Slayden, Richard A; Ojima, Iwao

    2011-01-13

    Libraries of novel trisubstituted benzimidazoles were created through rational drug design. A good number of these benzimidazoles exhibited promising MIC values in the range of 0.5-6 μg/mL (2-15 μM) for their antibacterial activity against Mtb H37Rv strain. Moreover, five of the lead compounds also exhibited excellent activity against clinical Mtb strains with different drug-resistance profiles. All lead compounds did not show appreciable cytotoxicity (IC(50) > 200 μM) against Vero cells, which inhibited Mtb FtsZ assembly in a dose dependent manner. The two lead compounds unexpectedly showed enhancement of the GTPase activity of Mtb FtsZ. The result strongly suggests that the increased GTPase activity destabilizes FtsZ assembly, leading to efficient inhibition of FtsZ polymerization and filament formation. The TEM and SEM analyses of Mtb FtsZ and Mtb cells, respectively, treated with a lead compound strongly suggest that lead benzimidazoles have a novel mechanism of action on the inhibition of Mtb FtsZ assembly and Z-ring formation.

  4. Green synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of silver nanoparticles using Cassia auriculata flower extract separated fraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muthu, Karuppiah; Priya, Sethuraman

    2017-05-01

    Cassia auriculata L., the flower aqueous extract was fractionated by separating funnel using n-hexane (A1), chloroform (A2), ethyl acetate (A3) and triple distilled water (A4). The A4 fraction was concentrated and determined the presence of preliminary phytochemicals such as tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, carbohydrates and polyphenolic compounds. These phytochemical compounds acted as reducing as well as a stabilizing agent in the green synthesis of Ag NPs from aqueous silver ions. Initially, the colour change and UV-vis absorbance surface Plasmon resonance strong, wide band located at 435 nm has confirmed the synthesis of Ag NPs. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of Ag NPs shows a face-centered cubic crystal structure. The observed values were calculated by Debye-Scherrer equation to theoretical confirms the particle size of 18 nm. The surface morphology of Ag NPs was viewed by HRTEM, the particles are spherical and triangle shapes with sizes from 10 to 35 nm. Further, the Ag NPs was effective catalytic activity in the reduction of highly environmental polluted organic compounds of 4-nitrophenol and methyl orange. The green synthesis of Ag NPs seems to eco-friendly, cost-effective, conventional one spot synthesis and greater performance of catalytic degradation of environmentally polluted organic dyes.

  5. A large-stroke cryogenic imaging FTS system for SPICA-Safari

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jellema, Willem; van Loon, Dennis; Naylor, David; Roelfsema, Peter

    2014-08-01

    The scientific goals of the far-infrared astronomy mission SPICA challenge the design of a large-stroke imaging FTS for Safari, inviting for the development of a new generation of cryogenic actuators with very low dissipation. In this paper we present the Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) system concept, as foreseen for SPICA-Safari, and we discuss the technical developments required to satisfy the instrument performance.

  6. Development of the GOSAT-2 FTS-2 Simulator and Preliminary Sensitivity Analysis for CO2 Retrieval

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamei, A.; Yoshida, Y.; Dupuy, E.; Hiraki, K.; Yokota, Y.; Oishi, Y.; Murakami, K.; Morino, I.; Matsunaga, T.

    2013-12-01

    The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite-2 (GOSAT-2), which is a successor mission to the GOSAT, is planned to be launched in FY 2017. The Fourier Transform Spectrometer-2 (FTS-2) onboard the GOSAT-2 is a primary sensor to observe infrared light reflected and emitted from the Earth's surface and atmosphere. The FTS-2 obtains high-spectral resolution spectra with four bands from near to short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) region and one band in the thermal infrared (TIR) region. The column amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are retrieved from the obtained radiance spectra with SWIR bands. Compared to the FTS onboard the GOSAT, the FTS-2 includes an additional SWIR band to allow for carbon monoxide (CO) measurement. We have been developing a tool, named GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator, which is capable of simulating the spectral radiance data observed by the FTS-2 using the Pstar2 radiative transfer code. The purpose of the GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator is to obtain data which is exploited in the sensor specification, the optimization of parameters for Level 1 processing, and the improvement of Level 2 algorithms. The GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator, composed of the six components: 1) Overall control, 2) Onboarding platform, 3) Spectral radiance calculation, 4) Fourier transform, 5) L1B processing, and 6) L1B data output, has been installed on the GOSAT Research Computation Facility (GOSAT RCF), which is a large-scale, high-performance, and energy-efficient computer. We present the progress in the development of the GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator and the preliminary sensitivity analysis, relating to the engineering parameters, the aerosols and clouds, and so on, on the Level 1 processing for CO2 retrieval from the obtained data by simulating the FTS-2 SWIR observation using the GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator.

  7. Herschel SPIRE FTS spectral line source calibrators

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hopwood, Rosalind; Polehampton, Edward; Valtchanov, Ivan

    2015-01-01

    We present a summary of the Herschel SPIRE/FTS calibration programme to monitor the repeatability of spectral lines. Observations of planetary nebulae and post-AGB stars are used to assess repeatability and model the asymmetry of the instrument line shape.......We present a summary of the Herschel SPIRE/FTS calibration programme to monitor the repeatability of spectral lines. Observations of planetary nebulae and post-AGB stars are used to assess repeatability and model the asymmetry of the instrument line shape....

  8. Monodisperse metal nanoparticle catalysts on silica mesoporous supports: synthesis, characterizations, and catalytic reactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Somorjai, G.A.

    2009-09-14

    The design of high performance catalyst achieving near 100% product selectivity at maximum activity is one of the most important goals in the modern catalytic science research. To this end, the preparation of model catalysts whose catalytic performances can be predicted in a systematic and rational manner is of significant importance, which thereby allows understanding of the molecular ingredients affecting the catalytic performances. We have designed novel 3-dimensional (3D) high surface area model catalysts by the integration of colloidal metal nanoparticles and mesoporous silica supports. Monodisperse colloidal metal NPs with controllable size and shape were synthesized using dendrimers, polymers, or surfactants as the surface stabilizers. The size of Pt, and Rh nanoparticles can be varied from sub 1 nm to 15 nm, while the shape of Pt can be controlled to cube, cuboctahedron, and octahedron. The 3D model catalysts were generated by the incorporation of metal nanoparticles into the pores of mesoporous silica supports via two methods: capillary inclusion (CI) and nanoparticle encapsulation (NE). The former method relies on the sonication-induced inclusion of metal nanoparticles into the pores of mesoporous silica, whereas the latter is performed by the encapsulation of metal nanoparticles during the hydrothermal synthesis of mesoporous silica. The 3D model catalysts were comprehensively characterized by a variety of physical and chemical methods. These catalysts were found to show structure sensitivity in hydrocarbon conversion reactions. The Pt NPs supported on mesoporous SBA-15 silica (Pt/SBA-15) displayed significant particle size sensitivity in ethane hydrogenolysis over the size range of 1-7 nm. The Pt/SBA-15 catalysts also exhibited particle size dependent product selectivity in cyclohexene hydrogenation, crotonaldehyde hydrogenation, and pyrrole hydrogenation. The Rh loaded SBA-15 silica catalyst showed structure sensitivity in CO oxidation reaction. In

  9. Catalysis engineering of bifunctional solids for the one-step synthesis of liquid fuels from syngas : A review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sartipi, S.; Makkee, M.; Kapteijn, F.; Gascon, J.

    2014-01-01

    The combination of acidic zeolites and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts for one-step production of liquid fuels from syngas is critically reviewed. Bifunctional systems are classified by the proximity between FTS and acid functionalities on three levels: reactor, catalyst particle, and

  10. Influence of GTP/GDP and magnesium ion on the solvated structure of the protein FtsZ: a molecular dynamics study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamous, Carla; Basdevant, Nathalie; Ha-Duong, Tap

    2014-01-01

    We present here a structural analysis of ten extensive all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the monomeric protein FtsZ in various binding states. Since the polymerization and GTPase activities of FtsZ depend on the nature of a bound nucleotide as well as on the presence of a magnesium ion, we studied the structural differences between the average conformations of the following five systems: FtsZ-Apo, FtsZ-GTP, FtsZ-GDP, FtsZ-GTP-Mg, and FtsZ-GDP-Mg. The in silico solvated average structure of FtsZ-Apo significantly differs from the crystallographic structure 1W59 of FtsZ which was crystallized in a dimeric form without nucleotide and magnesium. The simulated Apo form of the protein also clearly differs from the FtsZ structures when it is bound to its ligand, the most important discrepancies being located in the loops surrounding the nucleotide binding pocket. The three average structures of FtsZ-GTP, FtsZ-GDP, and FtsZ-GTP-Mg are overall similar, except for the loop T7 located at the opposite side of the binding pocket and whose conformation in FtsZ-GDP notably differs from the one in FtsZ-GTP and FtsZ-GTP-Mg. The presence of a magnesium ion in the binding pocket has no impact on the FtsZ conformation when it is bound to GTP. In contrast, when the protein is bound to GDP, the divalent cation causes a translation of the nucleotide outwards the pocket, inducing a significant conformational change of the loop H6-H7 and the top of helix H7.

  11. Synthesis and characterization of tantalum organometallic complexes. Catalytic activity for olefins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baley, A.S.

    1990-11-01

    Synthesis of monoaryloxy (alcoxy) neopentyl compounds is investigated. The tantalum-oxygen bond is formed by two parallel ways from TaCl 5 or TaR 2 Cl 3 with R = neopentyl and the tantalum carbon bond from a neopentyl derivative of the main series. Some compounds were isolated and characterized by NMR, elemental analysis and sometimes X-ray structure, some others are characterized in solution only. Catalytic effect is tested by ethylene dimerization and olefin polymerization. Reactivity of tantalum aryloxy neopentyl in respect to complexing and chelating ligands is studied for preparation of neopentylidene complexes

  12. Catalysis engineering of bifunctional solids for the one-step synthesis of liquid fuels from syngas: A review

    OpenAIRE

    Sartipi, S.; Makkee, M.; Kapteijn, F.; Gascon, J.

    2014-01-01

    The combination of acidic zeolites and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts for one-step production of liquid fuels from syngas is critically reviewed. Bifunctional systems are classified by the proximity between FTS and acid functionalities on three levels: reactor, catalyst particle, and active phase. A thorough analysis of the published literature on this topic reveals that efficiency in the production of liquid fuels correlates well with the proximity of FTS and acid sites. Moreover,...

  13. The pH dependence of polymerization and bundling by the essential bacterial cytoskeletal protein FtsZ.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raúl Pacheco-Gómez

    Full Text Available There is a growing body of evidence that bacterial cell division is an intricate coordinated process of comparable complexity to that seen in eukaryotic cells. The dynamic assembly of Escherichia coli FtsZ in the presence of GTP is fundamental to its activity. FtsZ polymerization is a very attractive target for novel antibiotics given its fundamental and universal function. In this study our aim was to understand further the GTP-dependent FtsZ polymerization mechanism and our main focus is on the pH dependence of its behaviour. A key feature of this work is the use of linear dichroism (LD to follow the polymerization of FtsZ monomers into polymeric structures. LD is the differential absorption of light polarized parallel and perpendicular to an orientation direction (in this case that provided by shear flow. It thus readily distinguishes between FtsZ polymers and monomers. It also distinguishes FtsZ polymers and less well-defined aggregates, which light scattering methodologies do not. The polymerization of FtsZ over a range of pHs was studied by right-angled light scattering to probe mass of FtsZ structures, LD to probe real-time formation of linear polymeric fibres, a specially developed phosphate release assay to relate guanosine triphosphate (GTP hydrolysis to polymer formation, and electron microscopy (EM imaging of reaction products as a function of time and pH. We have found that lowering the pH from neutral to 6.5 does not change the nature of the FtsZ polymers in solution--it simply facilitates the polymerization so the fibres present are longer and more abundant. Conversely, lowering the pH to 6.0 has much the same effect as introducing divalent cations or the FtsZ-associated protein YgfE (a putative ZapA orthologue in E. coli--it stabilizes associations of protofilaments.

  14. The Chloroplast Division Protein ARC6 Acts to Inhibit Disassembly of GDP-bound FtsZ2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sung, Min Woo; Shaik, Rahamthulla; TerBush, Allan D; Osteryoung, Katherine W; Vitha, Stanislav; Holzenburg, Andreas

    2018-05-16

    Chloroplasts host photosynthesis and fulfill other metabolic functions that are essential to plant life. They have to divide by binary fission to maintain their numbers throughout cycles of cell division. Chloroplast division is achieved by a complex ring-shaped division machinery located on both the inner (stromal) and the outer (cytosolic) side of the chloroplast envelope. The inner division ring (termed the Z ring) is formed by the assembly of tubulin-like FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 proteins. ARC6 is a key chloroplast division protein that interacts with the Z ring. ARC6 spans the inner envelope membrane, is known to stabilize or maintain the Z ring, and anchors the Z ring to the inner membrane through interaction with FtsZ2. The underlying mechanism of Z-ring stabilization is not well understood. Here, biochemical and structural characterization of ARC6 was conducted using light scattering, sedimentation, and light and transmission electron microscopy. The recombinant protein was purified as a dimer. The results indicated that a truncated form of ARC6 (tARC6), representing the stromal portion of ARC6, affects FtsZ2 assembly without forming higher-order structures, and exerts its effect via FtsZ2 dynamics. tARC6 prevented GDP-induced FtsZ2 disassembly and caused a significant net increase in FtsZ2 assembly when GDP was present. Single particle analysis and 3D reconstruction were performed to elucidate the structural basis of ARC6 activity. Together, the data reveal that a dimeric form of tARC6 binds to FtsZ2 filaments and does not increase FtsZ polymerization rates but rather inhibits GDP-associated FtsZ2 disassembly. Published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  15. Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and catalytic oxidation ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    were characterized by infrared, electronic, electron paramagnetic resonance ... The catalytic oxidation property of ruthenium(III) complexes were also ... cies at room temperature. ..... aldehyde part of Schiff base ligands, catalytic activ- ity of new ...

  16. Effect of Drying Temperature on Iron Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts Prepared by Solvent Deficient Precipitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael K. Albretsen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel solvent deficient precipitation (SDP method to produce nanoparticles was studied for its potential in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS catalysis. Using Fe(NO33·9H2O as the iron-containing precursor, this method produces ferrihydrite particles which are then dried, calcined, reduced, and carbidized to form the active catalytic phase for FTS. Six different drying profiles, including final drying temperatures ranging between 80 and 150°C, were used to investigate the effect of ammonium nitrate (AN, a major by-product of reaction between Fe(NO33·9H2O and NH4HCO3 in the SDP method. Since AN has two phase-transitions within this range of drying temperatures, three different AN phases can exist during the drying of the catalyst precursors. These AN phases, along with physical changes occurring during the phase transitions, may affect the pore structure and the agglomeration of ferrihydrite crystallites, suggesting possible reasons for the observed differences in catalytic performance. Catalysts dried at 130°C showed the highest FTS rate and the lowest methane selectivity. In general, better catalytic performance is related to the AN phase present during drying as follows: phase III > phase II > phase I. However, within each AN phase, lower drying temperatures led to better catalytic properties.

  17. In situ synthesis and catalytic application of reduced graphene oxide supported cobalt nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Zhiqiang; Long, Qin; Deng, Yi; Liao, Li

    2018-05-01

    Controlled synthesis of magnetic nanocomposite with outstanding catalytic performances is a promising strategy in catalyst industry. We proposed a novel concept for fabrication of reduced graphene oxide-supported cobalt nanowires (RGO/Co-NWs) nanocomposite as high-efficient magnetic catalyst. Unlike the majority of experiments necessitating harsh synthesis conditions such as high-pressure, high-temperature and expensive template, here the RGO/Co-NWs were successfully prepared in aqueous solution under mild conditions with the assistance of external magnetic field. The synthetic process was facile and external magnetic force was adopted to induce the unidirectional self-assembly of cobalt crystals on graphene oxide to form RGO/Co-NWs. The possible formation mechanism laid on the fact that the dipole magnetic moments of the nanoparticles were aligned along the magnetic induction lines with the external magnetic field direction resulting in the formation of nanowires elongating in the direction of the magnetization axis. Simultaneously, a series of controlled reactions were conducted to illuminate the effect of graphene oxide, external magnetic field and PVP on the morphology and size of RGO/Co-NWs in the present approach. More importantly, the nanocomposite exhibited a high catalytic performance towards ammonia borane. Hence the novel nanocomposite holds a great potential for technological applications such as catalyst industry.

  18. The Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) - A focus for automation and robotics on the Space Station

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinkal, Sanford W.; Andary, James F.; Watzin, James G.; Provost, David E.

    1987-01-01

    The concept, fundamental design principles, and capabilities of the FTS, a multipurpose telerobotic system for use on the Space Station and Space Shuttle, are discussed. The FTS is intended to assist the crew in the performance of extravehicular tasks; the telerobot will also be used on the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle to service free-flyer spacecraft. The FTS will be capable of both teleoperation and autonomous operation; eventually it may also utilize ground control. By careful selection of the functional architecture and a modular approach to the hardware and software design, the FTS can accept developments in artificial intelligence and newer, more advanced sensors, such as machine vision and collision avoidance.

  19. Recent Advances in the Catalytic One-Pot Synthesis of Flavonoids and Chromones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohadeszadeh, Manijeh; Iranshahi, Mehrdad

    2017-01-01

    Flavonoids and chromones are two important classes of natural products that have various biological properties. During the past 10 years, there has been a significant increase in studies on the one-pot synthesis of flavonoids and chromones as medicinal scaffolds in drug discovery. This review describes the scope, mechanistic properties and regio- and chemo-selectivity features of several recently developed one-pot procedures for the synthesis of substituted chromones and flavonoids that have recently been published. Special importance is placed on the most promising and exciting medicinal applications of flavonoids and chromones. In this review, we discuss the progress on the synthesis of flavonoid and chromone derivatives in the presence of metal catalysts, organocatalysts, solid surfaces, microwave irradiation, acid and base catalysis, etc. For example, flavones can be prepared via the catalytic coordination of palladium complexes in a short time and at a low temperature with a high yield. Additionally, the one-pot synthesis of 2-substituted chromones via metal triflate (Yb(OTf)3) has provided the best result for this type of reaction with a high yield and a high regio and chemoselectivity. Generally, this review proposes the first specific overview of this developing and rapidly expanding field of flavonoid synthesis. We also discuss the mechanisms and advantages and disadvantages of methods for the synthesis of flavonoids and chromones. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  20. Synthesis and Catalytic Applications of Ruthenium(0) Nanoparticles in Click Chemistry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Avvaru Praveen; Baek, Minwook; Sridhar, Chirumarry; Kumar, Begari Prem; Lee, Yongill [Changwon National Univ., Changwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-04-15

    Here we report a facile synthesis of ruthenium (Ru) Nanoparticles (NPs) by chemical co-precipitation method. The calcination of ruthenium hydroxide samples at 500 .deg. C under hydrogen atmosphere lead to the formation of Ru{sup 0} NPs. The size and aggregation of Ru NPs depends on the pH of the medium, and type of surfactant and its concentration. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope image (TEM) analyses of particles indicated the formation of Ru{sup 0} NPs, and have 10 to 20 nm sizes. As-synthesized Ru{sup 0} NPs are characterized and investigated their catalytic ability in click chemistry (azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions), showing good results in terms of reactivity. Interestingly, small structural differences in triazines influence the catalytic activity of Ru{sup 0} nanocatalysts. Click chemistry has recently emerged to become one of the most powerful tools in drug discovery, chemical biology, proteomics, medical sciences and nanotechnology/nanomedicine. In addition, preliminary tests of recycling showed good results with neither loss of activity or significant precipitation.

  1. Phoenix dactylifera L. leaf extract phytosynthesized gold nanoparticles; controlled synthesis and catalytic activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zayed, Mervat F.; Eisa, Wael H.

    2014-03-01

    A green synthesis route was reported to explore the reducing and capping potential of Phoenix dactylifera extract for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The processes of nucleation and growth of gold nanoparticles were followed by monitoring the absorption spectra during the reaction. The size and morphology of these nanoparticles was typically imaged using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The particle size ranged between 32 and 45 nm and are spherical in shape. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis suggests that the synthesized gold nanoparticles might be stabilized through the interactions of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups in the carbohydrates, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic acids present in P. dactylifera. The as-synthesized Au colloids exhibited good catalytic activity for the degradation of 4-nitrophenol.

  2. An archaebacterial homologue of the essential eubacterial cell division protein FtsZ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumann, P; Jackson, S P

    1996-06-25

    Life falls into three fundamental domains--Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya (formerly archaebacteria, eubacteria, and eukaryotes,. respectively). Though Archaea lack nuclei and share many morphological features with Bacteria, molecular analyses, principally of the transcription and translation machineries, have suggested that Archaea are more related to Eucarya than to Bacteria. Currently, little is known about the archaeal cell division apparatus. In Bacteria, a crucial component of the cell division machinery is FtsZ, a GTPase that localizes to a ring at the site of septation. Interestingly, FtsZ is distantly related in sequence to eukaryotic tubulins, which also interact with GTP and are components of the eukaryotic cell cytoskeleton. By screening for the ability to bind radiolabeled nucleotides, we have identified a protein of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus woesei that interacts tightly and specifically with GTP. Furthermore, through screening an expression library of P. woesei genomic DNA, we have cloned the gene encoding this protein. Sequence comparisons reveal that the P. woesei GTP-binding protein is strikingly related in sequence to eubacterial FtsZ and is marginally more similar to eukaryotic tubulins than are bacterial FtsZ proteins. Phylogenetic analyses reinforce the notion that there is an evolutionary linkage between FtsZ and tubulins. These findings suggest that the archaeal cell division apparatus may be fundamentally similar to that of Bacteria and lead us to consider the evolutionary relationships between Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya.

  3. β-Molybdenum nitride: synthesis mechanism and catalytic response in the gas phase hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cárdenas-Lizana, F.; Gómez-Quero, S.; Perret, N.; Kiwi-Minsker, L.; Keane, M.A.

    2011-01-01

    A temperature programmed treatment of MoO3 in flowing N2 + H2 has been employed to prepare β-phase molybdenum nitride (β-Mo2N) which has been used to promote, for the first time, the catalytic hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene. The reduction/nitridation synthesis steps have been monitored in

  4. Flame Synthesis of Composite Oxides for Catalytic Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Joakim Reimer

    2002-01-01

    gas (CO/CO2/H2) and an excellent thermal stability. Addition of alumina as a structural promoter is necessary in order to obtain a high activity for methanol formation. The binary systems, i.e., CuO/ZnO, ZnO/Al2O3 and CuO/Al2O3 are investigated as a prelude to the preparation of the ternary catalyst...... the flame temperature, the high temperature residence time and the precursor concentration. The Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 methanol catalyst is used as a model system for the preparation of catalytic materials. The flame synthesized catalyst exhibits a high and reproducible activity for methanol formation from synthesis...... crystallites is oxidized. A number of complications may arise using the N2O-titration. It may be difficult to obtain full oxidation of the copper surface without having some oxidation of the bulk. Secondly, some sintering of the nano-sized copper crystallites may occur due to the exothermic nature...

  5. ACE-FTS ozone, water vapour, nitrous oxide, nitric acid, and carbon monoxide profile comparisons with MIPAS and MLS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheese, Patrick E.; Walker, Kaley A.; Boone, Chris D.; Bernath, Peter F.; Froidevaux, Lucien; Funke, Bernd; Raspollini, Piera; von Clarmann, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    The atmospheric limb sounders, ACE-FTS on the SCISAT satellite, MIPAS on ESA's Envisat satellite, and MLS on NASA's Aura satellite, take measurements used to retrieve atmospheric profiles of O3, N2O, H2O, HNO3, and CO. Each was taking measurements between February 2004 and April 2012 (ACE-FTS and MLS are currently operational), providing hundreds of profile coincidences in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and during local morning and evening. Focusing on determining diurnal and hemispheric biases in the ACE-FTS data, this study compares ACE-FTS version 3.5 profiles that are collocated with MIPAS and MLS, and analyzes the differences between instrument retrievals for Northern and Southern hemispheres and for local morning and evening data. For O3, ACE-FTS is typically within ±5% of mid-stratospheric MIPAS and MLS data and exhibits a positive bias of 10 to 20% in the upper stratosphere - lower mesosphere. For H2O, ACE-FTS exhibits an average bias of -5% between 20 and 60 km. For N2O, ACE-FTS agrees with MIPAS and MLS within -20 to +10% up to 45 km and 35 km, respectively. For HNO3, ACE-FTS typically agrees within ±10% below 30 km, and exhibits a positive bias of 10 to 20% above 30 km. With respect to MIPAS CO, ACE-FTS exhibits an average -11% bias between 28 and 50 km, and at higher altitudes a positive bias on the order of 10% (>100%) in the winter (summer). With respect to winter MLS CO, ACE-FTS is typically within ±10% between 25 and 40 km, and has an average bias of -11% above 40 km.

  6. Eco-friendly green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using salmalia malabarica: synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial, and catalytic activity studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murali Krishna, I.; Bhagavanth Reddy, G.; Veerabhadram, G.; Madhusudhan, A.

    2016-06-01

    An economically viable and "green" process has been developed for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with an average size of 7 nm using non-toxic and renewable salmalia malabarica gum (SMG) as reducing and capping agent without using any chemical reducing agent. The effect of various parameters such as concentration of SMG and silver nitrate and reaction time for the synthesis of AgNPs was studied. The synthesized AgNPs are systematically characterized by UV/Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Transmission electron microscopy. The resultant SMG-capped AgNPs are highly stable and had significant antibacterial action on both Escherichia coli ( E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus). The catalytic action of the SMG-capped AgNPs to initiate the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) in the presence of NaBH4 has also been reported. The kinetics of the reaction was found to be of pseudo-first-order with respect to the 4-NP.

  7. Watermelon rind-mediated green synthesis of noble palladium nanoparticles: catalytic application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakshmipathy, R.; Palakshi Reddy, B.; Sarada, N. C.; Chidambaram, K.; Khadeer Pasha, Sk.

    2015-02-01

    The present study reports the feasibility of synthesis of palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) by watermelon rind. The aqueous extract prepared from watermelon rind, an agro waste, was evaluated as capping and reducing agent for biosynthesis of palladium nanoparticles. The formation of Pd NPs was visually monitored with change in color from pale yellow to dark brown and later monitored with UV-Vis spectroscopy. The synthesized Pd NPs were further characterized by XRD, FTIR, DLS, AFM and TEM techniques. The synthesized Pd NPs were employed in Suzuki coupling reaction as catalyst. The results reveal that watermelon rind, an agro waste, is capable of synthesizing spherical-shaped Pd NPs with catalytic activity.

  8. Ring-Contraction Strategy for the Practical, Scalable, Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Versatile γ-Quaternary Acylcyclopentenes

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Allen Y.

    2011-02-24

    Contraction action! A simple protocol for the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of highly functionalized γ-quaternary acylcyclopentenes (see schematic) in up to 91 % overall yield and 92 % ee has been developed. The reaction sequence employs a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective alkylation reaction and exploits the unusual stability of β-hydroxy cycloheptanones to achieve a general and robust method for performing two-carbon ring contractions.

  9. Ring-Contraction Strategy for the Practical, Scalable, Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Versatile γ-Quaternary Acylcyclopentenes

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Allen Y.; Krout, Michael R.; Jensen, Thomas; Bennett, Nathan B.; Harned, Andrew M.; Stoltz, Brian M.

    2011-01-01

    Contraction action! A simple protocol for the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of highly functionalized γ-quaternary acylcyclopentenes (see schematic) in up to 91 % overall yield and 92 % ee has been developed. The reaction sequence employs a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective alkylation reaction and exploits the unusual stability of β-hydroxy cycloheptanones to achieve a general and robust method for performing two-carbon ring contractions.

  10. Synthesis, structure characterization and catalytic activity of nickel tungstate nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pourmortazavi, Seied Mahdi; Rahimi-Nasrabadi, Mehdi; Khalilian-Shalamzari, Morteza; Zahedi, Mir Mahdi; Hajimirsadeghi, Seiedeh Somayyeh; Omrani, Ismail

    2012-12-01

    Taguchi robust design was applied to optimize experimental parameters for controllable, simple and fast synthesis of nickel tungstate nanoparticles. NiWO4 nanoparticles were synthesized by precipitation reaction involving addition of nickel ion solution to the tungstate aqueous reagent and then formation of nickel tungstate nucleolus which are insoluble in aqueous media. Effects of various parameters such as nickel and tungstate concentrations, flow rate of reagent addition and reactor temperature on diameter of synthesized nickel tungstate nanoparticles were investigated experimentally by the aid of orthogonal array design. The results for analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that particle size of nickel tungstate can be effectively tuned by controlling significant variables involving nickel and tungstate concentrations and flow rate; while, temperature of the reactor has a no considerable effect on the size of NiWO4 particles. The ANOVA results proposed the optimum conditions for synthesis of nickel tungstate nanoparticles via this technique. Also, under optimum condition nanoparticles of NiWO4 were prepared and their structure and chemical composition were characterized by means of EDAX, XRD, SEM, FT-IR spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. Finally, catalytic activity of the nanoparticles in a cycloaddition reaction was examined.

  11. Catalytic Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (+)- and (-)-Paeoveitol via a Hetero-Diels-Alder Reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tian-Ze; Geng, Chang-An; Yin, Xiu-Juan; Yang, Tong-Hua; Chen, Xing-Long; Huang, Xiao-Yan; Ma, Yun-Bao; Zhang, Xue-Mei; Chen, Ji-Jun

    2017-02-03

    The first catalytic asymmetric total synthesis of (+)- and (-)-paeoveitol has been accomplished in 42% overall yield via a biomimetic hetero-Diels-Alder reaction. The chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed hetero-Diels-Alder reaction showed excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity (>99:1 dr and 90% ee); two rings and three stereocenters were constructed in a single step to produce (-)-paeoveitol on a scale of 452 mg. This strategy enabled us to selectively synthesize both paeoveitol enantiomers from the same substrates by simply changing the enantiomer of the catalyst.

  12. ACE-FTS version 3.0 data set: validation and data processing update

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claire Waymark

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available On 12 August 2003, the Canadian-led Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE was launched into a 74° inclination orbit at 650 km with the mission objective to measure atmospheric composition using infrared and UV-visible spectroscopy (Bernath et al. 2005. The ACE mission consists of two main instruments, ACE-FTS and MAESTRO (McElroy et al. 2007, which are being used to investigate the chemistry and dynamics of the Earth’s atmosphere.  Here, we focus on the high resolution (0.02 cm-1 infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometer, ACE-FTS, that measures in the 750-4400 cm-1 (2.2 to 13.3 µm spectral region.  This instrument has been making regular solar occultation observations for more than nine years.  The current ACE-FTS data version (version 3.0 provides profiles of temperature and volume mixing ratios (VMRs of more than 30 atmospheric trace gas species, as well as 20 subsidiary isotopologues of the most abundant trace atmospheric constituents over a latitude range of ~85°N to ~85°S.  This letter describes the current data version and recent validation comparisons and provides a description of our planned updates for the ACE-FTS data set. [...

  13. Partial catalytic oxidation of CH{sub 4} to synthesis gas for power generation - Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mantzaras, I.; Schneider, A.

    2006-03-15

    The partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas over rhodium catalysts has been investigated experimentally and numerically in the pressure range of 4 to 10 bar. The methane/oxidizer feed has been diluted with large amounts of H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2} (up to 70% vol.) in order to simulate new power generation cycles with large exhaust gas recycle. Experiments were carried out in an optically accessible channel-flow reactor that facilitated laser-based in situ measurements, and also in a subscale gas-turbine catalytic reactor. Full-elliptic steady and transient two-dimensional numerical codes were used, which included elementary hetero-/homogeneous chemical reaction schemes. The following are the key conclusions: a) Heterogeneous (catalytic) and homogeneous (gas-phase) schemes have been validated for the partial catalytic oxidation of methane with large exhaust gas recycle. b) The impact of added H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2} has been elucidated. The added H{sub 2}O increased the methane conversion and hydrogen selectivity, while it decreased the CO selectivity. The chemical impact of CO{sub 2} (dry reforming) was minimal. c) The numerical model reproduced the measured catalytic ignition times. It was further shown that the chemical impact of H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2} on the catalytic ignition delay times was minimal. d) The noble metal dispersion increased with different support materials, in the order Rh/{alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Rh/ZrO{sub 2}, and Rh/Ce-ZrO{sub 2}. An evident relationship was established between the noble metal dispersion and the catalytic behavior. (authors)

  14. Phenotypic indications of FtsZ inhibition in hok/sok-induced bacterial growth changes and stress response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chukwudi, Chinwe Uzoma; Good, Liam

    2018-01-01

    The hok/sok locus has been shown to enhance the growth of bacteria in adverse growth conditions such as high temperature, low starting-culture densities and antibiotic treatment. This is in addition to their well-established plasmid-stabilization effect via post-segregational killing of plasmid-free daughter cells. It delays the onset of growth by prolonging the lag phase of bacterial culture, and increases the rate of exponential growth when growth eventually begins. This enables the cells adapt to the prevailing growth conditions and enhance their survival in stressful conditions. These effects functionally complement defective SOS response mechanism, and appear analogous to the growth effects of FtsZ in the SOS pathway. In this study, the role of FtsZ in the hok/sok-induced changes in bacterial growth and cell division was investigated. Morphologic studies of early growth-phase cultures and cells growing under temperature stress showed elongated cells typical of FtsZ inhibition/deficiency. Both ftsZ silencing and over-expression produced comparable growth effects in control cells, and altered the growth changes observed otherwise in the hok/sok + cells. These changes were diminished in SOS-deficient strain containing mutant FtsZ. The involvement of FtsZ in the hok/sok-induced growth changes may be exploited as drug target in host bacteria, which often propagate antibiotic resistance elements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Characteristics of greenhouse gas concentrations derived from ground-based FTS spectra at Anmyeondo, South Korea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Young-Suk; Takele Kenea, S.; Goo, Tae-Young; Chung, Kyu-Sun; Rhee, Jae-Sang; Ou, Mi-Lim; Byun, Young-Hwa; Wennberg, Paul O.; Kiel, Matthäus; DiGangi, Joshua P.; Diskin, Glenn S.; Velazco, Voltaire A.; Griffith, David W. T.

    2018-04-01

    Since the late 1990s, the meteorological observatory established in Anmyeondo (36.5382° N, 126.3311° E, and 30 m above mean sea level) has been monitoring several greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4, N2O, CFCs, and SF6 as a part of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Program. A high resolution ground-based (g-b) Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) was installed at this observation site in 2013 and has been operated within the frame work of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) since August 2014. The solar spectra recorded by the g-b FTS cover the spectral range 3800 to 16 000 cm-1 at a resolution of 0.02 cm-1. In this work, the GGG2014 version of the TCCON standard retrieval algorithm was used to retrieve total column average CO2 and CH4 dry mole fractions (XCO2, XCH4) and from the FTS spectra. Spectral bands of CO2 (at 6220.0 and 6339.5 cm-1 center wavenumbers, CH4 at 6002 cm-1 wavenumber, and O2 near 7880 cm-1 ) were used to derive the XCO2 and XCH4. In this paper, we provide comparisons of XCO2 and XCH4 between the aircraft observations and g-b FTS over Anmyeondo station. A comparison of 13 coincident observations of XCO2 between g-b FTS and OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory) satellite measurements are also presented for the measurement period between February 2014 and November 2017. OCO-2 observations are highly correlated with the g-b FTS measurements (r2 = 0.884) and exhibited a small positive bias (0.189 ppm). Both data set capture seasonal variations of the target species with maximum and minimum values in spring and late summer, respectively. In the future, it is planned to further utilize the FTS measurements for the evaluation of satellite observations such as Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT, GOSAT-2). This is the first report of the g-b FTS observations of XCO2 species over the Anmyeondo station.

  16. Characteristics of greenhouse gas concentrations derived from ground-based FTS spectra at Anmyeondo, South Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y.-S. Oh

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Since the late 1990s, the meteorological observatory established in Anmyeondo (36.5382° N, 126.3311° E, and 30 m above mean sea level has been monitoring several greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4, N2O, CFCs, and SF6 as a part of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW Program. A high resolution ground-based (g-b Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS was installed at this observation site in 2013 and has been operated within the frame work of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON since August 2014. The solar spectra recorded by the g-b FTS cover the spectral range 3800 to 16 000 cm−1 at a resolution of 0.02 cm−1. In this work, the GGG2014 version of the TCCON standard retrieval algorithm was used to retrieve total column average CO2 and CH4 dry mole fractions (XCO2, XCH4 and from the FTS spectra. Spectral bands of CO2 (at 6220.0 and 6339.5 cm−1 center wavenumbers, CH4 at 6002 cm−1 wavenumber, and O2 near 7880 cm−1 were used to derive the XCO2 and XCH4. In this paper, we provide comparisons of XCO2 and XCH4 between the aircraft observations and g-b FTS over Anmyeondo station. A comparison of 13 coincident observations of XCO2 between g-b FTS and OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite measurements are also presented for the measurement period between February 2014 and November 2017. OCO-2 observations are highly correlated with the g-b FTS measurements (r2 = 0.884 and exhibited a small positive bias (0.189 ppm. Both data set capture seasonal variations of the target species with maximum and minimum values in spring and late summer, respectively. In the future, it is planned to further utilize the FTS measurements for the evaluation of satellite observations such as Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT, GOSAT-2. This is the first report of the g-b FTS observations of XCO2 species over the Anmyeondo station.

  17. Catalytic formal [2+2+1] synthesis of pyrroles from alkynes and diazenes via Ti(II)/Ti(IV) redox catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, Zachary W; Hue, Ryan J; Tonks, Ian A

    2016-01-01

    Pyrroles are structurally important heterocycles. However, the synthesis of polysubstituted pyrroles is often challenging. Here, we report a multicomponent, Ti-catalysed formal [2+2+1] reaction of alkynes and diazenes for the oxidative synthesis of penta- and trisubstituted pyrroles: a nitrenoid analogue to classical Pauson-Khand-type syntheses of cyclopentenones. Given the scarcity of early transition-metal redox catalysis, preliminary mechanistic studies are presented. Initial stoichiometric and kinetic studies indicate that the mechanism of this reaction proceeds through a formally Ti(II)/Ti(IV) redox catalytic cycle, in which an azatitanacyclobutene intermediate, resulting from [2+2] alkyne + Ti imido coupling, undergoes a second alkyne insertion followed by reductive elimination to yield pyrrole and a Ti(II) species. The key component for catalytic turnover is the reoxidation of the Ti(II) species to a Ti(IV) imido via the disproportionation of an η(2)-diazene-Ti(II) complex.

  18. Stereoselective Catalytic Synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in Homemade 3D-Printed Mesoreactors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Sergio; Porta, Riccardo; Brenna, Davide; Puglisi, Alessandra; Benaglia, Maurizio

    2017-04-03

    3D-printed flow reactors were designed, fabricated from different materials (PLA, HIPS, nylon), and used for a catalytic stereoselective Henry reaction. The use of readily prepared and tunable 3D-printed reactors enabled the rapid screening of devices with different sizes, shapes, and channel dimensions, aimed at the identification of the best-performing reactor setup. The optimized process afforded the products in high yields, moderate diastereoselectivity, and up to 90 % ee. The method was applied to the continuous-flow synthesis of biologically active chiral 1,2-amino alcohols (norephedrine, metaraminol, and methoxamine) through a two-step sequence combining the nitroaldol reaction with a hydrogenation. To highlight potential industrial applications of this method, a multistep continuous synthesis of norephedrine has been realized. The product was isolated without any intermediate purifications or solvent switches. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Structural insights of Staphylococcus aureus FtsZ inhibitors through molecular docking, 3D-QSAR and molecular dynamics simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballu, Srilata; Itteboina, Ramesh; Sivan, Sree Kanth; Manga, Vijjulatha

    2018-02-01

    Filamentous temperature-sensitive protein Z (FtsZ) is a protein encoded by the FtsZ gene that assembles into a Z-ring at the future site of the septum of bacterial cell division. Structurally, FtsZ is a homolog of eukaryotic tubulin but has low sequence similarity; this makes it possible to obtain FtsZ inhibitors without affecting the eukaryotic cell division. Computational studies were performed on a series of substituted 3-arylalkoxybenzamide derivatives reported as inhibitors of FtsZ activity in Staphylococcus aureus. Quantitative structure-activity relationship models (QSAR) models generated showed good statistical reliability, which is evident from r 2 ncv and r 2 loo values. The predictive ability of these models was determined and an acceptable predictive correlation (r 2 Pred ) values were obtained. Finally, we performed molecular dynamics simulations in order to examine the stability of protein-ligand interactions. This facilitated us to compare free binding energies of cocrystal ligand and newly designed molecule B1. The good concordance between the docking results and comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA)/comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) contour maps afforded obliging clues for the rational modification of molecules to design more potent FtsZ inhibitors.

  20. The Antibacterial Cell Division Inhibitor PC190723 Is an FtsZ Polymer-stabilizing Agent That Induces Filament Assembly and Condensation*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andreu, José M.; Schaffner-Barbero, Claudia; Huecas, Sonia; Alonso, Dulce; Lopez-Rodriguez, María L.; Ruiz-Avila, Laura B.; Núñez-Ramírez, Rafael; Llorca, Oscar; Martín-Galiano, Antonio J.

    2010-01-01

    Cell division protein FtsZ can form single-stranded filaments with a cooperative behavior by self-switching assembly. Subsequent condensation and bending of FtsZ filaments are important for the formation and constriction of the cytokinetic ring. PC190723 is an effective bactericidal cell division inhibitor that targets FtsZ in the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and does not affect Escherichia coli cells, which apparently binds to a zone equivalent to the binding site of the antitumor drug taxol in tubulin (Haydon, D. J., Stokes, N. R., Ure, R., Galbraith, G., Bennett, J. M., Brown, D. R., Baker, P. J., Barynin, V. V., Rice, D. W., Sedelnikova, S. E., Heal, J. R., Sheridan, J. M., Aiwale, S. T., Chauhan, P. K., Srivastava, A., Taneja, A., Collins, I., Errington, J., and Czaplewski, L. G. (2008) Science 312, 1673–1675). We have found that the benzamide derivative PC190723 is an FtsZ polymer-stabilizing agent. PC190723 induced nucleated assembly of Bs-FtsZ into single-stranded coiled protofilaments and polymorphic condensates, including bundles, coils, and toroids, whose formation could be modulated with different solution conditions. Under conditions for reversible assembly of Bs-FtsZ, PC190723 binding reduced the GTPase activity and induced the formation of straight bundles and ribbons, which was also observed with Sa-FtsZ but not with nonsusceptible Ec-FtsZ. The fragment 2,6-difluoro-3-methoxybenzamide also induced Bs-FtsZ bundling. We propose that polymer stabilization by PC190723 suppresses in vivo FtsZ polymer dynamics and bacterial division. The biochemical action of PC190723 on FtsZ parallels that of the microtubule-stabilizing agent taxol on the eukaryotic structural homologue tubulin. Both taxol and PC190723 stabilize polymers against disassembly by preferential binding to each assembled protein. It is yet to be investigated whether both ligands target structurally related assembly switches. PMID:20212044

  1. Intercomparison of XH2O Data from the GOSAT TANSO-FTS (TIR and SWIR and Ground-Based FTS Measurements: Impact of the Spatial Variability of XH2O on the Intercomparison

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hirofumi Ohyama

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Spatial and temporal variability of atmospheric water vapor (H2O is extremely high, and therefore it is difficult to accurately evaluate the measurement precision of H2O data by a simple comparison between the data derived from two different instruments. We determined the measurement precisions of column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of H2O (XH2O retrieved independently from spectral radiances in the thermal infrared (TIR and the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR regions measured using a Thermal And Near-infrared Sensor for carbon Observation-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS onboard the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT, by an intercomparison between the two TANSO-FTS XH2O data products and the ground-based FTS XH2O data. Furthermore, the spatial variability of XH2O was also estimated in the intercomparison process. Mutually coincident XH2O data above land for the period ranging from April 2009 to May 2014 were intercompared with different spatial coincidence criteria. We found that the precisions of the TANSO-FTS TIR and TANSO-FTS SWIR XH2O were 7.3%–7.7% and 3.5%–4.5%, respectively, and that the spatial variability of XH2O was 6.7% within a radius of 50 km and 18.5% within a radius of 200 km. These results demonstrate that, in order to accurately evaluate the measurement precision of XH2O, it is necessary to set more rigorous spatial coincidence criteria or to take into account the spatial variability of XH2O as derived in the present study.

  2. SAR studies on trisubstituted benzimidazoles as inhibitors of Mtb FtsZ for the development of novel antitubercular agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awasthi, Divya; Kumar, Kunal; Knudson, Susan E; Slayden, Richard A; Ojima, Iwao

    2013-12-12

    FtsZ, an essential protein for bacterial cell division, is a highly promising therapeutic target, especially for the discovery and development of new-generation anti-TB agents. Following up the identification of two lead 2,5,6-trisubstituted benzimidazoles, 1 and 2, targeting Mtb-FtsZ in our previous study, an extensive SAR study for optimization of these lead compounds was performed through systematic modification of the 5 and 6 positions. This study has successfully led to the discovery of a highly potent advanced lead 5f (MIC = 0.06 μg/mL) and several other compounds with comparable potencies. These advanced lead compounds possess a dimethylamino group at the 6 position. The functional groups at the 5 position exhibit substantial effects on the antibacterial activity as well. In vitro experiments such as the FtsZ polymerization inhibitory assay and TEM analysis of Mtb-FtsZ treated with 5f and others indicate that Mtb-FtsZ is the molecular target for their antibacterial activity.

  3. A rhodanine derivative CCR-11 inhibits bacterial proliferation by inhibiting the assembly and GTPase activity of FtsZ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Parminder; Jindal, Bhavya; Surolia, Avadhesha; Panda, Dulal

    2012-07-10

    A perturbation of FtsZ assembly dynamics has been shown to inhibit bacterial cytokinesis. In this study, the antibacterial activity of 151 rhodanine compounds was assayed using Bacillus subtilis cells. Of 151 compounds, eight strongly inhibited bacterial proliferation at 2 μM. Subsequently, we used the elongation of B. subtilis cells as a secondary screen to identify potential FtsZ-targeted antibacterial agents. We found that three compounds significantly increased bacterial cell length. One of the three compounds, namely, CCR-11 [(E)-2-thioxo-5-({[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]furan-2-yl}methylene)thiazolidin-4-one], inhibited the assembly and GTPase activity of FtsZ in vitro. CCR-11 bound to FtsZ with a dissociation constant of 1.5 ± 0.3 μM. A docking analysis indicated that CCR-11 may bind to FtsZ in a cavity adjacent to the T7 loop and that short halogen-oxygen, H-bonding, and hydrophobic interactions might be important for the binding of CCR-11 with FtsZ. CCR-11 inhibited the proliferation of B. subtilis cells with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of 1.2 ± 0.2 μM and a minimal inhibitory concentration of 3 μM. It also potently inhibited proliferation of Mycobacterium smegmatis cells. Further, CCR-11 perturbed Z-ring formation in B. subtilis cells; however, it neither visibly affected nucleoid segregation nor altered the membrane integrity of the cells. CCR-11 inhibited HeLa cell proliferation with an IC(50) value of 18.1 ± 0.2 μM (∼15 × IC(50) of B. subtilis cell proliferation). The results suggested that CCR-11 inhibits bacterial cytokinesis by inhibiting FtsZ assembly, and it can be used as a lead molecule to develop FtsZ-targeted antibacterial agents.

  4. Sustainable Catalytic Process for Synthesis of Triethyl Citrate Plasticizer over Phosphonated USY Zeolite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kakasaheb Y. Nandiwaleand

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Fruits wastage is harmful to health and environment concerning spreading diseases and soil pollution, respectively. To avoid this issue, use of citrus fruit waste for the production of citric acid (CA is one of viable mean to obtain value added chemicals. Moreover, synthesis of triethyl citrate (TEC, a non-toxic plasticizer by esterification of CA with ethanol over heterogeneous catalyst would be renewable and sustainable catalytic process. In this context, parent Ultrastable Y (USY and different percentage phosphonated USY (P-USY zeolites were used for the synthesis of TEC in a closed batch reactor, for the first time. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by N2-adsorption desorption isotherm, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD and NH3 temperature programmed desorption (TPD. Effect of reaction conditions, such as the molar ratio of ethanol to CA (5:1 - 20:1, the catalyst to CA ratio (0.05 - 0.25 and reaction temperature (363-403 K, were studied in view to maximizing CA conversion and TEC yield. Phosphonated USY catalysts were found to be superior in activity (CA conversion and TEC yield than parent USY, which is attributed to the increased in total acidity with phosphonation. Among the studied catalysts, the P2USY (2% phosphorous loaded on USY was found to be an optimum catalyst with 99% CA conversion and 82% TEC yield, which is higher than the reported values. This study opens new avenues of research demonstrating principles of green chemistry such as easy separable and reusable catalyst, non-toxic product, bio-renewable synthetic route, milder operating parameters and waste minimization. Copyright © 2016 BCREC GROUP. All rights reserved Received: 12nd October 2015; Revised: 22nd December 2015; Accepted: 29th January 2016 How to Cite: Nandiwale, K.Y., Bokade, V.V. (2016. Sustainable Catalytic Process for Synthesis of Triethyl Citrate Plasticizer over Phosphonated USY Zeolite. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 11 (3: 292

  5. Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Applications of Transition Metal Oxide/Carbonate Nanomaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Lei

    2011-12-01

    This thesis contains two parts: 1) Studies of novel synthesis methods and characterization of advanced functional manganese oxide octahedral molecular sieves (OMS) and their applications in Li/Air batteries, solvent free toluene oxidations, and ethane oxydehydrogenation (ODH) in the presence of CO2, recycling the green house gas. 2) Development of unique Ln2O2CO3 (Ln = rare earth) layered materials and ZnO/La2O2CO3 composites as clean energy biofuel catalysts. These parts are separated into five different focused topics included in this thesis. The first topic presents studies of catalytic activities of a single step synthesized gamma-MnO2 octahedral molecular sieve nano fiber in solvent free atmospheric oxidation of toluene with molecular oxygen. Solvent free atmospheric oxidation of toluene is a notoriously difficult liquid phase oxidation process due to the challenge of oxidizing sp³ hybridized carbon in inactive hydrocarbons. The synthesized gamma-MnO2 showed excellent catalytic activity and good selectivity under the mild atmospheric reflux system. Under optimized conditions, a 47.8% conversion of toluene, along with 57% selectivity of benzoic acid and 15% of benzaldehyde were obtained. The effects of reaction time, amount of catalyst and initiator, and the reusability of the catalyst were investigated. The second topic involves developing titanium containing gamma-MnO 2 (TM) hollow spheres as electrocatalysts in Li/Air Batteries. Li/air batteries have recently attracted interest because they have the largest theoretical specific energy (11,972 Wh.kg-1) among all practical electrochemical couples. In this study, unique hollow aspheric materials were prepared for the first time using a one-step synthesis method and fully characterized by various techniques. These prepared materials were found to have excellent electrocatalytic activation as cathode materials in lithium-air batteries with a very high specific capacity (up to 2.3 A.h/g of carbon). The third

  6. FtsEX-CwlO regulates biofilm formation by a plant-beneficial rhizobacterium Bacillus velezensis SQR9.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qing; Li, Zunfeng; Li, Xingxing; Xia, Liming; Zhou, Xuan; Xu, Zhihui; Shao, Jiahui; Shen, Qirong; Zhang, Ruifu

    2018-04-01

    Bacillus velezensis strain SQR9 is a well-investigated rhizobacterium with an outstanding ability to colonize roots, enhance plant growth and suppress soil-borne diseases. The recognition that biofilm formation by plant-beneficial bacteria is crucial for their root colonization and function has resulted in increased interest in understanding molecular mechanisms related to biofilm formation. Here, we report that the gene ftsE, encoding the ATP-binding protein of an FtsEX ABC transporter, is required for efficient SQR9 biofilm formation. FtsEX has been reported to regulate the atolysin CwlO. We provided evidence that FtsEX-CwlO was involved in the regulation of SQR9 biofilm formation; however, this effect has little to do with CwlO autolysin activity. We propose that regulation of biofilm formation by CwlO was exerted through the spo0A pathway, since transcription of spo0A cascade genes was altered and their downstream extracellular matrix genes were downregulated in SQR9 ftsE/cwlO deletion mutants. CwlO was also shown to interact physically with KinB/KinD. CwlO may therefore interact with KinB/KinD to interfere with the spo0A pathway. This study revealed that FtsEX-CwlO plays a previously undiscovered regulatory role in biofilm formation by SQR9 that may enhance root colonization and plant-beneficial functions of SQR9 and other beneficial rhizobacteria as well. Copyright © 2018 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  7. Catalytic conversion of 11CO2 and 11CO into synthesis precursors for 11C labelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patt, J.T.

    1994-03-01

    The positron emitter carbon-11 (T 1/2 =20.3 min) is an ideal radio nuclide for tracers in positron emission tomography (PET). In this study catalytic methods for the synthesis of [ 11 C]alcohols have been investigated. The formation of [ 11 C]methanol has been studied on Pd/Al 2 O 3 and Cu/ZnO/Al 2 O 3 catalysts with respect to CO and CO 2 carrier addition to the synthesis gas. Carbon monoxide was identified as the precursor of methanol formation on the Pd/Al 2 O 3 -catalyst. In contrast on the Cu/ZnO/Al 2 O 3 -catalyst methanol was formed on a reaction pathway via an adsorbed CO 2 -species. A n.c.a.-[ 11 C]methanol synthesis basing on the Cu/ZnO/Al 2 O 3 -catalyst has been developed by substitution of the oxygen containing components CO and CO 2 in the synthesis gas by N 2 O. The radiochemical yield, the low selectivity of [ 11 C]methanol production and the rather slow kinetics of this process were arguments against the practical use of this process in the synthesis of 11 C-labelling agents. (orig.)

  8. Structured mesoporous Mn, Fe, and Co oxides: Synthesis, physicochemical, and catalytic properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maerle, A. A.; Karakulina, A. A.; Rodionova, L. I.; Moskovskaya, I. F.; Dobryakova, I. V.; Egorov, A. V.; Romanovskii, B. V.

    2014-02-01

    Structured mesoporous Mn, Fe, and Co oxides are synthesized using "soft" and "hard" templates; the resulting materials are characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, and TG. It is shown that in the first case, the oxides have high surface areas of up to 450 m2/g that are preserved after calcination of the material up to 300°C. Even though, the surface area of the oxides prepared by the "hard-template" method does not exceed 100 m2/g; it is, however, thermally stable up to 500°C. Catalytic activity of mesoporous oxides in methanol conversion was found to depend on both the nature of the transition metal and the type of template used in synthesis.

  9. Synthesis of gold nanoparticles using renewable Punica granatum juice and study of its catalytic activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dash, Shib Shankar; Bag, Braja Gopal

    2014-01-01

    Punica granatum juice, a delicious multivitamin drink of great medicinal significance, is rich in different types of phytochemicals, such as terpenoids, alkaloids, sterols, polyphenols, sugars, fatty acids, aromatic compounds, amino acids, tocopherols, etc. We have demonstrated the use of the juice for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at room temperature under very mild conditions. The synthesis of the AuNPs was complete in few minutes and no extra stabilizing or capping agents were necessary. The size of the nanoparticles could be controlled by varying the concentration of the fruit extract. The AuNPs were characterized by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies. Catalytic activity of the synthesized colloidal AuNPs has also been demonstrated.

  10. Performance Verification of GOSAT-2 FTS-2 Simulator and Sensitivity Analysis for Greenhouse Gases Retrieval

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamei, A.; Yoshida, Y.; Dupuy, E.; Hiraki, K.; Matsunaga, T.

    2015-12-01

    The GOSAT-2, which is scheduled for launch in early 2018, is the successor mission to the Greenhouse gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT). The FTS-2 onboard the GOSAT-2 is a Fourier transform spectrometer, which has three bands in the near to short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) region and two bands in the thermal infrared (TIR) region to observe infrared light reflected and emitted from the Earth's surface and atmosphere with high-resolution spectra. Column amounts and vertical profiles of major greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are retrieved from acquired radiance spectra. In addition, the FTS-2 has several improvements from the FTS onboard the GOSAT: 1) added spectral coverage in the SWIR region for carbon monoxide (CO) retrieval, 2) increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for all bands, 3) extended range of along-track pointing angles for sunglint observations, 4) intelligent pointing to avoid cloud contamination. Since 2012, we have been developing a software tool, which is called the GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator, to simulate spectral radiance data that will be acquired by the GOSAT-2 FTS-2. The objective of it is to analyze/optimize data with respect to the sensor specification, the parameters for Level 1 processing, and the improvement of Level 2 retrieval algorithms. It consists of six components: 1) overall control, 2) sensor carrying platform, 3) spectral radiance calculation, 4) Fourier transform module, 5) Level 1B (L1B) processing, and 6) L1B data output. More realistic and faster simulations have been made possible by the improvement of details about sensor characteristics, the sophistication of data processing and algorithms, the addition of various observation modes, the use of surface and atmospheric ancillary data, and the speed-up and parallelization of radiative transfer code. This simulator is confirmed to be working properly from the reproduction of GOSAT FTS L1B data depends on the ancillary data. We will summarize the

  11. Cobalt–iron nano catalysts supported on TiO{sub 2}–SiO{sub 2}: Characterization and catalytic performance in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feyzi, Mostafa, E-mail: Dalahoo2011@yahoo.com [Faculty of Chemistry, Razi University, P. O. Box: +98-67149, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Yaghobi, Nakisa; Eslamimanesh, Vahid [Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, P. O. Box: +98- 14965 Tehran, Iran, (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-12-15

    Graphical abstract: The Co–Fe/TiO{sub 2}–SiO{sub 2} catalysts were prepared. The prepared catalysts were tested for light olefins and C{sub 5}–C{sub 12} production. The best operational conditions are 250 °C, H{sub 2}/CO = 1/1 under 5 bar pressure. - Highlights: • The TiO{sub 2}–SiO{sub 2} supported cobalt–iron catalysts were prepared via sol–gel method. • The best operational conditions were 250 °C, GHSV = 2000 h{sup −1}, H{sub 2}/CO = 1/1 and 5 bar. • The (Co/Fe)/TiO{sub 2}–SiO{sub 2} is efficient catalyst for light olefins and C{sub 5}–C{sub 12} production. - Abstract: A series of Co–Fe catalysts supported on TiO{sub 2}–SiO{sub 2} were prepared by the sol–gel method. This research investigated the effects of (Co/Fe) wt.%, the solution pH, different Co/Fe molar ratio, calcination conditions and different promoters on the catalytic performance of cobalt–iron catalysts for the Fisher–Tropsch synthesis (FTS). It was found that the catalyst containing 35 wt.% (Co–Fe)/TiO{sub 2}–SiO{sub 2} (Co/Fe molar ratio is 80/20) promoted with 1.5 wt.% Cu and calcined in air atmosphere at 600 °C for 7 h with a heating rate of 3 °C min{sup −1} is an optimal nano catalyst for converting synthesis gas to light olefins and C{sub 5}–C{sub 12} hydrocarbons. The effects of operational conditions such as the H{sub 2}/CO ratio, gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), different reaction temperature, and reaction pressure were investigated. The results showed that the best operational conditions for optimal nano catalyst are 250 °C, GHSV = 2000 h{sup −1}, H{sub 2}/CO molar ratio 1/1 under 5 bar total pressure. Catalysts and precursors were characterized by, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microcopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), temperature program reduction (TPR) and N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption measurements.

  12. Thermal stability control system of photo-elastic interferometer in the PEM-FTs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, M. J.; Jing, N.; Li, K. W.; Wang, Z. B.

    2018-01-01

    A drifting model for the resonant frequency and retardation amplitude of a photo-elastic modulator (PEM) in the photo-elastic modulated Fourier transform spectrometer (PEM-FTs) is presented. A multi-parameter broadband-matching driving control method is proposed to improve the thermal stability of the PEM interferometer. The automatically frequency-modulated technology of the driving signal based on digital phase-locked technology is used to track the PEM's changing resonant frequency. Simultaneously the maximum optical-path-difference of a laser's interferogram is measured to adjust the amplitude of the PEM's driving signal so that the spectral resolution is stable. In the experiment, the multi-parameter broadband-matching control method is applied to the driving control system of the PEM-FTs. Control of resonant frequency and retardation amplitude stabilizes the maximum optical-path-difference to approximately 236 μm and results in a spectral resolution of 42 cm-1. This corresponds to a relative error smaller than 2.16% (4.28 standard deviation). The experiment shows that the method can effectively stabilize the spectral resolution of the PEM-FTs.

  13. Site-directed fluorescence labeling reveals a revised N-terminal membrane topology and functional periplasmic residues in the Escherichia coli cell division protein FtsK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berezuk, Alison M; Goodyear, Mara; Khursigara, Cezar M

    2014-08-22

    In Escherichia coli, FtsK is a large integral membrane protein that coordinates chromosome segregation and cell division. The N-terminal domain of FtsK (FtsKN) is essential for division, and the C terminus (FtsKC) is a well characterized DNA translocase. Although the function of FtsKN is unknown, it is suggested that FtsK acts as a checkpoint to ensure DNA is properly segregated before septation. This may occur through modulation of protein interactions between FtsKN and other division proteins in both the periplasm and cytoplasm; thus, a clear understanding of how FtsKN is positioned in the membrane is required to characterize these interactions. The membrane topology of FtsKN was initially determined using site-directed reporter fusions; however, questions regarding this topology persist. Here, we report a revised membrane topology generated by site-directed fluorescence labeling. The revised topology confirms the presence of four transmembrane segments and reveals a newly identified periplasmic loop between the third and fourth transmembrane domains. Within this loop, four residues were identified that, when mutated, resulted in the appearance of cellular voids. High resolution transmission electron microscopy of these voids showed asymmetric division of the cytoplasm in the absence of outer membrane invagination or visible cell wall ingrowth. This uncoupling reveals a novel role for FtsK in linking cell envelope septation events and yields further evidence for FtsK as a critical checkpoint of cell division. The revised topology of FtsKN also provides an important platform for future studies on essential interactions required for this process. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  14. Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of stable [(NHC)H][ZnXY2] (NHC=N-Heterocyclic carbene, X, Y=Cl, Br) species

    KAUST Repository

    Santoro, Orlando; Nahra, Fady; Cordes, David B.; Slawin, Alexandra M.Z.; Nolan, Steven P.; Cazin, Catherine S. J.

    2016-01-01

    The synthesis and characterization of imidazol(in)ium-based zinc(II) halide salts are reported. These compounds present interesting structural features and exhibit high stability. Their catalytic activity was explored in the methylation of amines with CO2 and PhSiH3.

  15. Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of stable [(NHC)H][ZnXY2] (NHC=N-Heterocyclic carbene, X, Y=Cl, Br) species

    KAUST Repository

    Santoro, Orlando

    2016-06-04

    The synthesis and characterization of imidazol(in)ium-based zinc(II) halide salts are reported. These compounds present interesting structural features and exhibit high stability. Their catalytic activity was explored in the methylation of amines with CO2 and PhSiH3.

  16. The Ras antagonist, farnesylthiosalicylic acid (FTS, decreases fibrosis and improves muscle strength in dy/dy mouse model of muscular dystrophy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoram Nevo

    Full Text Available The Ras superfamily of guanosine-triphosphate (GTP-binding proteins regulates a diverse spectrum of intracellular processes involved in inflammation and fibrosis. Farnesythiosalicylic acid (FTS is a unique and potent Ras inhibitor which decreased inflammation and fibrosis in experimentally induced liver cirrhosis and ameliorated inflammatory processes in systemic lupus erythematosus, neuritis and nephritis animal models. FTS effect on Ras expression and activity, muscle strength and fibrosis was evaluated in the dy(2J/dy(2J mouse model of merosin deficient congenital muscular dystrophy. The dy(2J/dy(2J mice had significantly increased RAS expression and activity compared with the wild type mice. FTS treatment significantly decreased RAS expression and activity. In addition, phosphorylation of ERK, a Ras downstream protein, was significantly decreased following FTS treatment in the dy(2J/dy(2J mice. Clinically, FTS treated mice showed significant improvement in hind limb muscle strength measured by electronic grip strength meter. Significant reduction of fibrosis was demonstrated in the treated group by quantitative Sirius Red staining and lower muscle collagen content. FTS effect was associated with significantly inhibition of both MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities. We conclude that active RAS inhibition by FTS was associated with attenuated fibrosis and improved muscle strength in the dy(2J/dy(2J mouse model of congenital muscular dystrophy.

  17. The effect of CNTs on structures and catalytic properties of AuPd clusters for H2O2 synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Hua-feng; Xie, Peng-yang; Yu, Hui-you; Li, Xiao-nian; Wang, Jian-guo

    2012-12-28

    The structures and catalytic properties of AuPd clusters supported on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for H(2)O(2) synthesis have been investigated by means of density functional theory calculations. Firstly, the structures of AuPd clusters are strongly influenced by CNTs, in which the bottom layers are mainly composed of Pd and the top layers are a mix of Au and Pd due to the stronger binding of Pd than Au on CNTs. Especially, it is found that O(2) adsorption on the Pd/CNTs interfacial sites is much weaker than that on the only Pd sites, which is in contrast to transition metal oxide (for example TiO(2), Al(2)O(3), CeO(2)) supported metal clusters. Furthermore, Pd ensembles on the interfacial sites have far superior catalytic properties for H(2)O(2) formation than those away from CNT supports due to the changes in electronic structures caused by the CNTs. Therefore, our study provides a physical insight into the enhanced role of carbon supports in H(2)O(2) synthesis over supported AuPd catalysts.

  18. Environmentally benign synthesis of amides and ureas via catalytic dehydrogenation coupling of volatile alcohols and amines in a Pd-Ag membrane reactor

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Tao

    2016-05-31

    In this study, we report the direct synthesis of amides and ureas via the catalytic dehydrogenation of volatile alcohols and amines using the Milstein catalyst in a Pd-Ag/ceramic membrane reactor. A series of amides and ureas, which could not be synthesized in an open system by catalytic dehydrogenation coupling, were obtained in moderate to high yields via catalytic dehydrogenation of volatile alcohols and amines. This process could be monitored by the hydrogen produced. Compared to the traditional method of condensation, this catalytic system avoids the stoichiometric pre-activation or in situ activation of reagents, and is a much cleaner process with high atom economy. This methodology, only possible by employing the Pd-Ag/ceramic membrane reactor, not only provides a new environmentally benign synthetic approach of amides and ureas, but is also a potential method for hydrogen storage.

  19. Environmentally benign synthesis of amides and ureas via catalytic dehydrogenation coupling of volatile alcohols and amines in a Pd-Ag membrane reactor

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Tao; Zeng, Gaofeng; Lai, Zhiping; Huang, Kuo-Wei

    2016-01-01

    In this study, we report the direct synthesis of amides and ureas via the catalytic dehydrogenation of volatile alcohols and amines using the Milstein catalyst in a Pd-Ag/ceramic membrane reactor. A series of amides and ureas, which could not be synthesized in an open system by catalytic dehydrogenation coupling, were obtained in moderate to high yields via catalytic dehydrogenation of volatile alcohols and amines. This process could be monitored by the hydrogen produced. Compared to the traditional method of condensation, this catalytic system avoids the stoichiometric pre-activation or in situ activation of reagents, and is a much cleaner process with high atom economy. This methodology, only possible by employing the Pd-Ag/ceramic membrane reactor, not only provides a new environmentally benign synthetic approach of amides and ureas, but is also a potential method for hydrogen storage.

  20. Design, Synthesis, and Mechanistic Evaluation of Iron-Based Catalysis for Synthesis Gas Conversion to Fuels and Chemicals. Technical Progress Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akio Ishikawa; Manuel Ojeda; Nan Yao; Enrique Iglesia

    2006-01-01

    This project extends previously discovered Fe-based catalysts to hydrogen-poor synthesis gas streams derived from coal and biomass sources. These catalysts have shown unprecedented Fischer-Tropsch synthesis rate, selectivity for feedstocks consisting of synthesis gas derived from methane. During the first reporting period, we certified a microreactor, installed required analytical equipment, and reproduced synthetic protocols and catalytic results previously reported. During the second reporting period, we prepared several Fe-based compositions for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and tested the effects of product recycle under both subcritical and supercritical conditions. During the third and fourth reporting periods, we improved the catalysts preparation method, which led to Fe-based FT catalysts with the highest FTS reaction rates and selectivities so far reported, a finding that allowed their operation at lower temperatures and pressures with high selectivity to desired products (C 5+ , olefins). During this fifth reporting period, we have studied the effects of different promoters on catalytic performance, specifically how their sequence of addition dramatically influences the performance of these materials in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The resulting procedures have been optimized to improve further upon the already unprecedented rates and C 5+ selectivities of the Fe-based catalysts that we have developed as part of this project. During this fifth reporting period, we have also continued our studies of optimal activation procedures, involving reduction and carburization of oxide precursors during the early stages of contact with synthesis gas. We have completed the analysis of the evolution of oxide, carbide, and metal phases of the active iron components during initial contact with synthesis gas using advanced synchrotron techniques based on X-ray absorption spectroscopy. We have confirmed that the Cu or Ru compensates for inhibitory effects of Zn, a surface

  1. Effects of Weight Hourly Space Velocity and Catalyst Diameter on Performance of Hybrid Catalytic-Plasma Reactor for Biodiesel Synthesis over Sulphated Zinc Oxide Acid Catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luqman Buchori

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Biodiesel synthesis through transesterification of soybean oil with methanol on hybrid catalytic-plasma reactor over sulphated zinc oxide (SO42-/ZnO active acid catalyst was investigated. This research was aimed to study effects of Weight Hourly Space Velocity (WHSV and the catalyst diameter on performance of the hybrid catalytic-plasma reactor for biodiesel synthesis. The amount (20.2 g of active sulphated zinc oxide solid acid catalysts was loaded into discharge zone of the reactor. The WHSV and the catalyst diameter were varied between 0.89 to 1.55 min-1 and 3, 5, and 7 mm, respectively. The molar ratio of methanol to oil as reactants of 15:1 is fed to the reactor, while operating condition of the reactor was kept at reaction temperature of 65 oC and ambient pressure. The fatty acid methyl ester (FAME component in biodiesel product was identified by Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS. The results showed that the FAME yield decreases with increasing WHSV. It was found that the optimum FAME yield was achieved of 56.91 % at WHSV of 0.89 min-1 and catalyst diameter of 5 mm and reaction time of 1.25 min. It can be concluded that the biodiesel synthesis using the hybrid catalytic-plasma reactor system exhibited promising the FAME yield. Copyright © 2017 BCREC Group. All rights reserved Received: 15th November 2016; Revised: 24th December 2016; Accepted: 16th February 2017 How to Cite: Buchori, L., Istadi, I., Purwanto, P. (2017. Effects of Weight Hourly Space Velocity and Catalyst Diameter on Performance of Hybrid Catalytic-Plasma Reactor for Biodiesel Synthesis over Sulphated Zinc Oxide Acid Catalyst. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 12 (2: 227-234 (doi:10.9767/bcrec.12.2.775.227-234 Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.12.2.775.227-234

  2. Synthesis, Characterization and Catalytic Activity of Cu/Cu2O Nanoparticles Prepared in Aqueous Medium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sayed M. Badawy

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Copper/Copper oxide (Cu/Cu2O nanoparticles were synthesized by modified chemical reduction method in an aqueous medium using hydrazine as reducing agent and copper sulfate pentahydrate as precursor. The Cu/Cu2O nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM, and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM. The analysis revealed the pattern of face-centered cubic (fcc crystal structure of copper Cu metal and cubic cuprites structure for Cu2O. The SEM result showed monodispersed and agglomerated particles with two micron sizes of about 180 nm and 800 nm, respectively. The TEM result showed few single crystal particles of face-centered cubic structures with average particle size about 11-14 nm. The catalytic activity of Cu/Cu2O nanoparticles for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide was investigated and compared with manganese oxide MnO2. The results showed that the second-order equation provides the best correlation for the catalytic decomposition of H2O2 on Cu/Cu2O. The catalytic activity of hydrogen peroxide by Cu/Cu2O is less than the catalytic activity of MnO2 due to the presence of copper metal Cu with cuprous oxide Cu2O. © 2015 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reservedReceived: 6th January 2015; Revised: 14th March 2015; Accepted: 15th March 2015How to Cite: Badawy, S.M., El-Khashab, R.A., Nayl, A.A. (2015. Synthesis, Characterization and Catalytic Activity of Cu/Cu2O Nanoparticles Prepared in Aqueous Medium. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 10 (2: 169-174. (doi:10.9767/bcrec.10.2.7984.169-174 Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.10.2.7984.169-174  

  3. synthesis, characterization, electrical and catalytic studies of some

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    B. S. Chandravanshi

    catalytic activity of the VO(IV) and Mn(III) complexes have been tested in the epoxidation reaction of styrene ... Vanadyl sulfate pentahydrate, chromium chloride hexahydrate, anhydrous ferric ..... The catalytic oxidation of styrene gives the products styrene oxide, benzaldehyde, benzoic acid, ... bond via a radical mechanism.

  4. Room-temperature synthesis and enhanced catalytic performance of silver-reduced graphene oxide nanohybrids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thu, Tran Viet; Ko, Pil Ju; Phuc, Nguyen Huu Huy; Sandhu, Adarsh

    2013-01-01

    The synthesis of supported, ultrasmall metallic nanoparticles (NPs) is of great importance for catalytic applications. In this study, silver-reduced graphene oxide nanohybrids (Ag–rGO NHs) were prepared by reducing Ag ions and graphene oxide (GO) at room temperature using sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) and trisodium citrate. The resulting products were characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The rich chemistry of GO surface provided many sites for the nucleation of Ag ions and efficiently limited their growth. Ag NPs were uniformly grown on basal planes of rGO with a high density (∼1,700 NPs μm −2 ) and well-defined size (3.6 ± 0.6 nm) as evidenced in SEM and HRTEM studies. The resulting Ag–rGO NHs were readily dispersed in water and exhibited enhanced catalytic activity toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by NaBH 4 in comparison to unsupported Ag NPs. The role of rGO as an excellent support for Ag catalyst is discussed

  5. Room-temperature synthesis and enhanced catalytic performance of silver-reduced graphene oxide nanohybrids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thu, Tran Viet, E-mail: thu@eiiris.tut.ac.jp; Ko, Pil Ju, E-mail: ko@eiiris.tut.ac.jp [Toyohashi University of Technology, Electronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Institute (Japan); Phuc, Nguyen Huu Huy [Toyohashi University of Technology, Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering (Japan); Sandhu, Adarsh [Toyohashi University of Technology, Electronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Institute (Japan)

    2013-10-15

    The synthesis of supported, ultrasmall metallic nanoparticles (NPs) is of great importance for catalytic applications. In this study, silver-reduced graphene oxide nanohybrids (Ag-rGO NHs) were prepared by reducing Ag ions and graphene oxide (GO) at room temperature using sodium borohydride (NaBH{sub 4}) and trisodium citrate. The resulting products were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The rich chemistry of GO surface provided many sites for the nucleation of Ag ions and efficiently limited their growth. Ag NPs were uniformly grown on basal planes of rGO with a high density ({approx}1,700 NPs {mu}m{sup -2}) and well-defined size (3.6 {+-} 0.6 nm) as evidenced in SEM and HRTEM studies. The resulting Ag-rGO NHs were readily dispersed in water and exhibited enhanced catalytic activity toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by NaBH{sub 4} in comparison to unsupported Ag NPs. The role of rGO as an excellent support for Ag catalyst is discussed.

  6. Novel Metal Nanomaterials and Their Catalytic Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiaqing Wang

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available In the rapidly developing areas of nanotechnology, nano-scale materials as heterogeneous catalysts in the synthesis of organic molecules have gotten more and more attention. In this review, we will summarize the synthesis of several new types of noble metal nanostructures (FePt@Cu nanowires, Pt@Fe2O3 nanowires and bimetallic Pt@Ir nanocomplexes; Pt-Au heterostructures, Au-Pt bimetallic nanocomplexes and Pt/Pd bimetallic nanodendrites; Au nanowires, CuO@Ag nanowires and a series of Pd nanocatalysts and their new catalytic applications in our group, to establish heterogeneous catalytic system in “green” environments. Further study shows that these materials have a higher catalytic activity and selectivity than previously reported nanocrystal catalysts in organic reactions, or show a superior electro-catalytic activity for the oxidation of methanol. The whole process might have a great impact to resolve the energy crisis and the environmental crisis that were caused by traditional chemical engineering. Furthermore, we hope that this article will provide a reference point for the noble metal nanomaterials’ development that leads to new opportunities in nanocatalysis.

  7. Synthesis of gold nanochains via photoactivation technique and their catalytic applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Arun Kumar; Basu, Mrinmoyee; Sarkar, Sougata; Pradhan, Mukul; Pal, Tarasankar

    2013-05-15

    The article reports a simple photoactivation technique for the synthesis of chain like assembly of spherical Au nanocrystals using a nontoxic biochemical, β-cyclodextrin under ~365 nm UV-light irradiation. Under UV irradiation, β-cyclodextrin acts as a reducing as well as capping agent and eventually becomes a stabilizing linker for Au nanoparticles. The UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic techniques are employed to systematically characterize the Au nanochains. Additionally, it is shown that the Au nanocrystals act as an effective catalyst for the reduction in nitrobenzene to aniline and methylene blue to leuco methylene blue in presence of suitable reducing agent. The catalytic reduction reactions and kinetic parameters are evaluated from UV-visible spectroscopy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Effect of pretreatment temperature on catalytic performance of the catalysts derived from cobalt carbonyl cluster in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Byambasuren O

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The monometallic cobalt-based catalysts were prepared by pretreating the catalysts derived from carbonyl cluster precursor (CO6Co2CC(COOH2 supported on γ-Al2O3 with hydrogen at 180, 220, and 260°C respectively. The temperature effect of the pretreatments on the structure evolution of cluster precursors and the catalytic performance of the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T synthesis was investigated. The pretreated catalyst at 220°C with unique phase structure exhibited best catalytic activity and selectivity among three pretreated catalysts. Moreover, the catalysts exhibited high dispersion due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between the cluster precursor and γ-Al2O3 support.

  9. Facile synthesis, characterization and catalytic function of gelatin stabilized gold nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tagar, Z.A.; Sirajuddin, A.; Memon, N.; Kalwar, H.; Junejo, Y.; Hassan, S.S.

    2012-01-01

    In the present investigation, we report a new one phase, one pot method for synthesis of 3.5 :t 0.7 nm average sized gelatin capped gold nano particles (Gel-AuNPs) using strong reductant NaBH/sub 4/ in aqueous system at room temperature. Size controlled Gel-AuNPs were characterized by UV-Visible, STEM, XRD, DLS and Ff -IR. Spherical Gel-AuNPs showed excellent catalytic activity for reduction of three differently charged dyes eosin B (EB), methylene blue (MB) and rose Bengal (RB) in the presence of NaBH/sub 4/. The study revealed that 100% reduction of EB, MB and RB dyes was carried out in just 150 sec. The developed catalyst was easy to recover and capable to be reused three times. The process of reduction rate and kinetics of dyes was monitored using UV-Visible spectrophotometer. A plot of InC V s time (sec) showed that reaction follows the first order kinetics. Rate constant (K) was determined for EB, MB and RB reduction at 10 I.LM, which was found as 2.735 x10-2 sec/sup -1/, 2.738 x 10/sup -2/ sec/sup -1/ and 2.55 x 10/sup -2/ sec/sup -1/, respectively. The study revealed that catalytic reduction of dyes by Gel-AuNPs in aqueous medium is environmental friendly in terms of recovery of catalyst, is exceptionally fast and hence extremely economical. (author)

  10. Green Synthesis and Catalytic Activity of Gold Nanoparticles Synthesized by Artemisia capillaris Water Extract

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Soo Hyeon; Ahn, Eun-Young; Park, Youmie

    2016-10-01

    Gold nanoparticles were synthesized using a water extract of Artemisia capillaris (AC-AuNPs) under different extract concentrations, and their catalytic activity was evaluated in a 4-nitrophenol reduction reaction in the presence of sodium borohydride. The AC-AuNPs showed violet or wine colors with characteristic surface plasmon resonance bands at 534 543 nm that were dependent on the extract concentration. Spherical nanoparticles with an average size of 16.88 ± 5.47 29.93 ± 9.80 nm were observed by transmission electron microscopy. A blue shift in the maximum surface plasmon resonance was observed with increasing extract concentration. The face-centered cubic structure of AC-AuNPs was confirmed by high-resolution X-ray diffraction analysis. Based on phytochemical screening and Fourier transform infrared spectra, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and amino acids present in the extract contributed to the reduction of Au ions to AC-AuNPs. The average size of the AC-AuNPs decreased as the extract concentration during the synthesis was increased. Higher 4-nitrophenol reduction reaction rate constants were observed for smaller sizes. The extract in the AC-AuNPs was removed by centrifugation to investigate the effect of the extract in the reduction reaction. Interestingly, the removal of extracts greatly enhanced their catalytic activity by up to 50.4 %. The proposed experimental method, which uses simple centrifugation, can be applied to other metallic nanoparticles that are green synthesized with plant extracts to enhance their catalytic activity.

  11. Catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of alpha,beta-unsaturated amides: efficient synthesis of beta-aryl alpha-hydroxy amides using a one-pot tandem catalytic asymmetric epoxidation-Pd-catalyzed epoxide opening process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemoto, Tetsuhiro; Kakei, Hiroyuki; Gnanadesikan, Vijay; Tosaki, Shin-Ya; Ohshima, Takashi; Shibasaki, Masakatsu

    2002-12-11

    The catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of alpha,beta-unsaturated amides using Sm-BINOL-Ph3As=O complex was succeeded. Using 5-10 mol % of the asymmetric catalyst, a variety of amides were epoxidized efficiently, yielding the corresponding alpha,beta-epoxy amides in up to 99% yield and in more than 99% ee. Moreover, the novel one-pot tandem process, one-pot tandem catalytic asymmetric epoxidation-Pd-catalyzed epoxide opening process, was developed. This method was successfully utilized for the efficient synthesis of beta-aryl alpha-hydroxy amides, including beta-aryllactyl-leucine methyl esters. Interestingly, it was found that beneficial modifications on the Pd catalyst were achieved by the constituents of the first epoxidation, producing a more suitable catalyst for the Pd-catalyzed epoxide opening reaction in terms of chemoselectivity.

  12. Synthesis of Y-Tip Graphitic Nanoribbons from Alcohol Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition on Piezoelectric Substrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zainab Yunusa

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We report the synthesis of Graphitic Nanoribbons (GNRs using Alcohol Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition (ACCVD. Bulk GNR was synthesized directly on a piezoelectric substrate using one-step ACCVD. The synthesized GNRs were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM, Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM, Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM, and Raman spectroscopy. The characterization results showed Y-tip morphology of bulk and filamentous as-grown GNR having varying width that lies between tens and hundreds of nm and length of several microns. Based on the thickness obtained from the AFM and the analysis from the Raman spectroscopy, it was concluded that the synthesized GNRs are multiple-layered and graphitic in nature. With the direct synthesis of GNR on a piezoelectric substrate, it could have applications in the sensor industries, while the Y-tip GNR could have potentialities in semiconductor applications.

  13. Catalytic Aminohalogenation of Alkenes and Alkynes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chemler, Sherry R; Bovino, Michael T

    2013-06-07

    Catalytic aminohalogenation methods enable the regio- and stereoselective vicinal difunctionalization of alkynes, allenes and alkenes with amine and halogen moieties. A range of protocols and reaction mechanisms including organometallic, Lewis base, Lewis acid and Brønsted acid catalysis have been disclosed, enabling the regio- and stereoselective synthesis of halogen-functionalized acyclic amines and nitrogen heterocycles. Recent advances including aminofluorination and catalytic enantioselective aminohalogenation reactions are summarized in this review.

  14. Highly Atom Economic Synthesis of d?2?Aminobutyric Acid through an In?Vitro Tri?enzymatic Catalytic System

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, Xi; Cui, Yunfeng; Cheng, Xinkuan; Feng, Jinhui; Wu, Qiaqing; Zhu, Dunming

    2017-01-01

    Abstract d?2?Aminobutyric acid is an unnatural amino acid serving as an important intermediate in pharmaceutical production. Developing a synthetic method that uses cheaper starting materials and produces less by?product is a pressing demand. A tri?enzymatic catalytic system, which is composed of l?threonine ammonia lyase (l?TAL), d?amino acid dehydrogenase (d?AADH), and formate dehydrogenase (FDH), has thus been developed for the synthesis of d?2?aminobutyric acid with high optical purity. I...

  15. The Antibacterial Cell Division Inhibitor PC190723 Is an FtsZ Polymer-stabilizing Agent That Induces Filament Assembly and Condensation*

    OpenAIRE

    Andreu, José M.; Schaffner-Barbero, Claudia; Huecas, Sonia; Alonso, Dulce; Lopez-Rodriguez, María L.; Ruiz-Avila, Laura B.; Núñez-Ramírez, Rafael; Llorca, Oscar; Martín-Galiano, Antonio J.

    2010-01-01

    Cell division protein FtsZ can form single-stranded filaments with a cooperative behavior by self-switching assembly. Subsequent condensation and bending of FtsZ filaments are important for the formation and constriction of the cytokinetic ring. PC190723 is an effective bactericidal cell division inhibitor that targets FtsZ in the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and does not affect Escherichia coli cells, which apparently binds to a zone equivalent to the binding site of ...

  16. Theophylline-assisted, eco-friendly synthesis of PtAu nanospheres at reduced graphene oxide with enhanced catalytic activity towards Cr(VI) reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Ling-Ya; Chen, Li-Xian; Liu, Meng-Ting; Wang, Ai-Jun; Wu, Lan-Ju; Feng, Jiu-Ju

    2017-05-01

    Theophylline as a naturally alkaloid is commonly employed to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. Herein, a facile theophylline-assisted green approach was firstly developed for synthesis of PtAu nanospheres/reduced graphene oxide (PtAu NSs/rGO), without any surfactant, polymer, or seed involved. The obtained nanocomposites were applied for the catalytic reduction and removal of highly toxic chromium (VI) using formic acid as a model reductant at 50°C, showing the significantly enhanced catalytic activity and improved recyclability when compared with commercial Pt/C (50%) and home-made Au nanocrystals supported rGO (Au NCs/rGO). It demonstrates great potential applications of the catalyst in wastewater treatment and environmental protection. The eco-friendly route provides a new platform to fabricate other catalysts with enhanced catalytic activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. FtsZ from radiation resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans is different from its characterized homologues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mehta, Kruti P.; Misra, H.S.

    2012-01-01

    Polymerization/depolymerization dynamics of FtsZ and its GTPase activity are interdependent and the regulation of these processes determines the growth rate in a bacterium. Deinococcus radiodurans R1 that is best known for its extraordinary radiation resistance and efficient DNA double strand break repair is a comparatively slow growing bacterium and its growth gets arrested in response to gamma radiation. Mechanisms of cell division and its regulation under gamma stressed growth condition would be worth investigating. Genome of this bacterium encodes at least all the known components of divisome. Recombinant FtsZ of D. radiodurans (drFtsZ) preferred Mg 2+ for its GTPase activity. Relatively a very low GTPase activity was observed in presence of Mn 2+ , Co 2+ and Ni 2+ while release of inorganic phosphate could not be detected in presence of other divalent ions including Ca 2+ . GTPase activity of drFtsZ was lower than E. coli but higher than Mycobacterium and it required both Mg 2+ and GTP for its polymerization. Its GTPase activity did not increase with increasing concentration of Mg 2+ and correlates with the bundling of protofilaments. Results obtained from transmission electron microscopy and sedimentation analysis supported the reciprocal correlation of polymerization/depolymerization with the levels of GTPase activity. Dynamic light scattering in presence of 5mM or higher concentration of Mg 2+ and Mn 2 showed a characteristic cyclic change in light scattering without addition of extra metal ion or GTP

  18. Catalytic Asymmetric Piancatelli Rearrangement: Brønsted Acid Catalyzed 4π Electrocyclization for the Synthesis of Multisubstituted Cyclopentenones

    KAUST Repository

    Cai, Yunfei

    2016-10-13

    The first catalytic asymmetric Piancatelli reaction is reported. Catalyzed by a chiral Brønsted acid, the rearrangement of a wide range of furylcarbinols with a series of aniline derivatives provides valuable aminocyclopentenones in high yields as well as excellent enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities. The high value of the aza-Piancatelli rearrangement was demonstrated by the synthesis of a cyclopentane-based hNK1 antagonist analogue.

  19. Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Ability of U3O8/SiO2 Nocomposite Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Fatima

    Applications of uranium oxide nanoparticles as oxidative catalysts is a field uncommonly studied. In the past, little research has been done to study the potential of this material for room temperature, catalytic breakdown of organic pollutants. Due to an increase in the presence of these pollutants in surface water, an effort to study these reactions in aqueous solution has been a high priority. To further enhance the properties of the nanoparticles, synthesis was performed using the sol-gel method. Characterization of the material was carried out using, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction, (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This material has proven to be pure, crystalline alpha-phase U3O8 with an average particle size of 27 nm. Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that under ambient conditions our synthesized material will be able to effectively breakdown organic molecules in aqueous solution. Catalytic studies were monitored using titration techniques with oxalic acid as a model system. The decomposition percentages varied based on amounts of nanocomposite used and temperature controls.

  20. Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity toward methanol oxidation of electrocatalyst Pt4+-NH2-MCM-41

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Huajun; Chen Zuo; Wang Limin; Ma Chun’an

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► It was first confirmed that the Pt 4+ exhibited a good electro-catalytic property for methanol oxidation. ► The Pt 4+ perfectly distributed on a mesoporous molecular sieve matrix synthesis by a facile method. ► The good performance of catalyst resistance to poisoning because of a homogeneous distribution of Pt 4+ and large specific surface area. - Abstract: Mesoporous material with functional group (Pt 4+ -NH 2 -MCM-41) was prepared by grafting aminopropyl group and adsorbing platinum ions on the surface of the commercial molecular sieve (MCM-41). The characterization carried out by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and N 2 adsorption–desorption measurement pointed out that Pt was adsorbed on the NH 2 -MCM-41 surface as the oxidation state (Pt 4+ ) and the surface area of Pt 4+ -NH 2 -MCM-41 was up to 564 m 2 /g. Transmission electron microscopy and elemental mapping indicated a homogeneous distribution of Pt 4+ throughout all surface of the mesoporous materials. Electro-catalytic properties of methanol oxidation on the Pt 4+ -NH 2 -MCM-41 electrode were investigated with electrochemical methods. The results showed that the Pt 4+ -NH 2 -MCM-41 electrode exhibited catalytic activity in the methanol electro-oxidation with the apparent activation energy being 49.29 kJ/mol, and the control step of methanol electro-oxidation was the mass transfer process. It is first proved that platinum ions had good electro-catalytic property for methanol oxidation and provided a new idea for developing electrode materials in future.

  1. Overview of reactors for liquid phase Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davis, Burtron H.

    2002-01-01

    The following overview is divided roughly into three sections. The first section covers the period from the late 1920s when the first liquid phase synthesis was first conducted until about 1960 when the interest in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) declined because of the renewed view of an abundance of petroleum at a low price. The second period includes the activity that resulted from the oil shortage due to the Arab embargo in 1972 and covers from about 1960 to 1985 when the period of gloomy projections for rapidly increasing prices for crude had faded away. The third section covers the period from when the interest in FTS was no longer driven by the projected supply and/or price of petroleum but by the desire to monetize stranded natural gas and/or terminate flaring the gas associated with petroleum production and other environmental concerns (1985 to date). These sections are followed by a brief overview of the current status of the scientific and engineering understanding of slurry bubble column reactors

  2. Synthesis and characterization of magnetically recyclable Ag nanoparticles immobilized on Fe3O4@C nanospheres with catalytic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Wei-hong; Yue, Xiu-ping; Guo, Chang-sheng; Lv, Jia-pei; Liu, Si-si; Zhang, Yuan; Xu, Jian

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Ag-loaded Fe 3 O 4 @C nanospheres were synthesized by a facile method. • The Fe 3 O 4 encapsulated mesoporous carbon was decorated with 10 nm Ag nanocrystals. • The as-prepared Ag-Fe 3 O 4 @C nanocomposite showed excellent catalytic activity. • The nanocomposite had convenient magnetic separability. - Abstract: A novel approach for the synthesis of Ag-loaded Fe 3 O 4 @C nanospheres (Ag-Fe 3 O 4 @C) was successfully developed. The catalysts possessed a carbon-coated magnetic core and grew active silver nanoparticles on the outer shell using hydrazine monohydrate as the AgNO 3 reductant in ethanol. The morphology, inner structure, and magnetic properties of the as-prepared composites were studied with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), fourier translation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. Catalytic activity was investigated by degrading rhodamine B (RhB) in the designed experiment. The obtained products were monodispersed and bifunctional with high magnetization, as well as exhibited excellent catalytic activity toward organic dye with 98% of RhB conversion within 20 min in the presence of NaBH 4 . The product also exhibited convenient magnetic separability and maintained high catalytic activity after six cycle runs

  3. Correlation between Fischer-Tropsch catalytic activity and composition of catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Subbarao Duvvuri

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of monometallic and bimetallic cobalt and iron nanoparticles supported on alumina. The catalysts were prepared by a wet impregnation method. Samples were characterized using temperature-programmed reduction (TPR, temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO, CO-chemisorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM-EDX and N2-adsorption analysis. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS was carried out in a fixed-bed microreactor at 543 K and 1 atm, with H2/CO = 2 v/v and space velocity, SV = 12L/g.h. The physicochemical properties and the FTS activity of the bimetallic catalysts were analyzed and compared with those of monometallic cobalt and iron catalysts at similar operating conditions. H2-TPR analysis of cobalt catalyst indicated three temperature regions at 506°C (low, 650°C (medium and 731°C (high. The incorporation of iron up to 30% into cobalt catalysts increased the reduction, CO chemisorption and number of cobalt active sites of the catalyst while an opposite trend was observed for the iron-riched bimetallic catalysts. The CO conversion was 6.3% and 4.6%, over the monometallic cobalt and iron catalysts, respectively. Bimetallic catalysts enhanced the CO conversion. Amongst the catalysts studied, bimetallic catalyst with the composition of 70Co30Fe showed the highest CO conversion (8.1% while exhibiting the same product selectivity as that of monometallic Co catalyst. Monometallic iron catalyst showed the lowest selectivity for C5+ hydrocarbons (1.6%.

  4. Macromolecular interactions of the bacterial division FtsZ protein: from quantitative biochemistry and crowding to reconstructing minimal divisomes in the test tube.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivas, Germán; Alfonso, Carlos; Jiménez, Mercedes; Monterroso, Begoña; Zorrilla, Silvia

    2013-06-01

    The division of Escherichia coli is an essential process strictly regulated in time and space. It requires the association of FtsZ with other proteins to assemble a dynamic ring during septation, forming part of the functionally active division machinery, the divisome. FtsZ reversibly interacts with FtsA and ZipA at the cytoplasmic membrane to form a proto-ring, the first molecular assembly of the divisome, which is ultimately joined by the rest of the division-specific proteins. In this review we summarize the quantitative approaches used to study the activity, interactions, and assembly properties of FtsZ under well-defined solution conditions, with the aim of furthering our understanding of how the behavior of FtsZ is controlled by nucleotides and physiological ligands. The modulation of the association and assembly properties of FtsZ by excluded-volume effects, reproducing in part the natural crowded environment in which this protein has evolved to function, will be described. The subsequent studies on the reactivity of FtsZ in membrane-like systems using biochemical, biophysical, and imaging technologies are reported. Finally, we discuss the experimental challenges to be met to achieve construction of the minimum protein set needed to initiate bacterial division, without cells, in a cell-like compartment. This integrated approach, combining quantitative and synthetic strategies, will help to support (or dismiss) conclusions already derived from cellular and molecular analysis and to complete our understanding on how bacterial division works.

  5. Synthesis, characterization and catalytic application of silica supported tin oxide nanoparticles for synthesis of 2,4,5-tri and 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles under solvent-free conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashok V. Borhade

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Highly efficient and eco-friendly, one pot synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetra substituted imidazoles and 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles was reported under solvent free conditions using nanocrystalline silica supported tin oxide (SiO2:SnO2 as a catalyst with excellent yield. The present methodology offers several advantages such as mild reaction conditions, short reaction time, good yield, high purity of product, recyclable catalyst without a noticeable decrease in catalytic activity and can be used for large scale synthesis. The synthesized SiO2:SnO2 nanocrystalline catalyst was characterized by XRD, BET surface area and TEM techniques.

  6. LexA Binds to Transcription Regulatory Site of Cell Division Gene ftsZ in Toxic Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honda, Takashi; Morimoto, Daichi; Sako, Yoshihiko; Yoshida, Takashi

    2018-05-17

    Previously, we showed that DNA replication and cell division in toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa are coordinated by transcriptional regulation of cell division gene ftsZ and that an unknown protein specifically bound upstream of ftsZ (BpFz; DNA-binding protein to an upstream site of ftsZ) during successful DNA replication and cell division. Here, we purified BpFz from M. aeruginosa strain NIES-298 using DNA-affinity chromatography and gel-slicing combined with gel electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA). The N-terminal amino acid sequence of BpFz was identified as TNLESLTQ, which was identical to that of transcription repressor LexA from NIES-843. EMSA analysis using mutant probes showed that the sequence GTACTAN 3 GTGTTC was important in LexA binding. Comparison of the upstream regions of lexA in the genomes of closely related cyanobacteria suggested that the sequence TASTRNNNNTGTWC could be a putative LexA recognition sequence (LexA box). Searches for TASTRNNNNTGTWC as a transcriptional regulatory site (TRS) in the genome of M. aeruginosa NIES-843 showed that it was present in genes involved in cell division, photosynthesis, and extracellular polysaccharide biosynthesis. Considering that BpFz binds to the TRS of ftsZ during normal cell division, LexA may function as a transcriptional activator of genes related to cell reproduction in M. aeruginosa, including ftsZ. This may be an example of informality in the control of bacterial cell division.

  7. Synthesis of platinum nanoparticles using dried Anacardium occidentale leaf and its catalytic and thermal applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheny, D S; Philip, Daizy; Mathew, Joseph

    2013-10-01

    An environment friendly approach for the synthesis of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) using dried leaf powder of Anacardium occidentale is reported. The formation of Pt NPs is monitored using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. FTIR spectra reveal that proteins are bound to Pt nanoparticles. TEM images show irregular rod shaped particles which are crystalline. The quantity of leaf powder plays a vital role in determining the size of particles. Synthesized NPs exhibit good catalytic activity in the reduction of aromatic nitrocompound. The effective thermal conductivity of synthesized Pt/water nanofluid has been measured and found to be enhanced to a good extent. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Catalytic Kinetic Resolution of Biaryl Compounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Gaoyuan; Sibi, Mukund P

    2015-08-10

    Biaryl compounds with axial chirality are very common in synthetic chemistry, especially in catalysis. Axially chiral biaryls are important due to their biological activities and extensive applications in asymmetric catalysis. Thus the development of efficient enantioselective methods for their synthesis has attracted considerable attention. This Minireview discusses the progress made in catalytic kinetic resolution of biaryl compounds and chronicles significant advances made recently in catalytic kinetic resolution of biaryl scaffolds. © 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Global distribution of upper tropospheric formic acid from the ACE-FTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. González Abad

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available We present the first near global upper tropospheric distribution of formic acid (HCOOH observed from space using solar occultation measurements from the Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS on board the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE satellite. Using a new set of spectroscopic line parameters recently published for formic acid by Vander Auwera et al. (2007 and Perrin and Vander Auwera (2007, we have retrieved the concentrations of HCOOH between 5 km and the tropopause for ACE-FTS observations from February 2004 to September 2007. We observe a significant seasonal dependence for the HCOOH concentrations related to vegetation growth and biomass burning. We estimate an emission ratio of 0.0051±0.0015 for HCOOH relative to CO for tropical South American fires using a selected set of data for September 2004. Results from the balloon-borne MkIV Fourier transform spectrometer are also presented and compared with the ACE measurements.

  10. Experimental and numerical investigation of the catalytic partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas for power generation applications[Dissertation 17183

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schneider, A.

    2007-07-01

    The present work addresses the catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) of methane to synthesis gas, with particular emphasis on power generation applications. A combined experimental and numerical investigation of methane partial oxidation to synthesis gas (H{sub 2}, CO) over rhodium-based catalysts has been carried out at pressures of up to 10 bar. The reactivity of the produced hydrogen and the suitably-low light-off temperatures of the CPO reactor, greatly facilitate operation of power generation gas turbines with reduced NO{sub x} emissions, stable operation with low calorific value fuels, and new combustion strategies for efficient CO{sub 2} capture. Those strategies utilize CPO of methane with oxygen (separated from air) and large exhaust gas recycle (H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2}). An optically accessible catalytic channel-flow reactor was used to carry out Raman spectroscopy of major gas-phase species and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) of formaldehyde, in order to gain fundamental information on the catalytic and gas-phase chemical pathways. Transverse concentration profiles measured by the spontaneous Raman scattering technique determined the catalytic reactivity, while the LIF provided flame shapes and anchoring positions that, in turn, characterized the gaseous reactivity. Comparison between measurements and 2-D CFD computations, led to the validation of detailed catalytic and gas-phase reaction mechanisms. Experiments in a subscale gas-turbine honeycomb catalytic reactor have shown that the foregoing reaction mechanisms were also appropriate under gas-turbine relevant conditions with short reactant residence times. The light-off behavior of the subscale honeycomb reactor was reproduced by transient 2-D CFD computations. Ignition and extinction in CPO was studied. It was shown that, despite the chemical impact of the H{sub 2}O diluent during the transient catalytic ignition event, the light-off times themselves were largely unaffected by the exhaust gas dilution

  11. Constitutive expression of ftsZ overrides the whi developmental genes to initiate sporulation of Streptomyces coelicolor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willemse, Joost; Mommaas, A Mieke; van Wezel, Gilles P

    2012-03-01

    The filamentous soil bacteria Streptomyces undergo a highly complex developmental programme. Before streptomycetes commit themselves to sporulation, distinct morphological checkpoints are passed in the aerial hyphae that are subject to multi-level control by the whi sporulation genes. Here we show that whi-independent expression of FtsZ restores sporulation to the early sporulation mutants whiA, whiB, whiG, whiH, whiI and whiJ. Viability, stress resistance and high-resolution electron microscopy underlined that viable spores were formed. However, spores from sporulation-restored whiA and whiG mutants showed defects in DNA segregation/condensation, while spores from the complemented whiB mutant had increased stress sensitivity, perhaps as a result of changes in the spore sheath. In contrast to the whi mutants, normal sporulation of ssgB null mutants-which fail to properly localise FtsZ-could not be restored by enhancing FtsZ protein levels, forming spore-like bodies that lack spore walls. Our data strongly suggest that the whi genes control a decisive event towards sporulation of streptomycetes, namely the correct timing of developmental ftsZ transcription. The biological significance may be to ensure that sporulation-specific cell division will only start once sufficient aerial mycelium biomass has been generated. Our data shed new light on the longstanding question as to how whi genes control sporulation, which has intrigued scientists for four decades.

  12. Synthesis and characterization of a new porphyrin-polyoxometalate hybrid material and investigation of its catalytic activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araghi, Mehdi; Mirkhani, Valiollah; Moghadam, Majid; Tangestaninejad, Shahram; Mohammdpoor-Baltork, Iraj

    2012-03-14

    In the present work, the preparation of a new organic-inorganic hybrid material in which tetrakis(p-aminophenylporphyrin) is covalently linked to a Lindqvist structure of polyoxometalate, is reported. This new porphyrin-polyoxometalate hybrid material was characterized by (1)H NMR, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic methods and cyclic voltammetry. These spectro- and electrochemical studies provided spectral data of the synthesis of this compound. Cyclic voltammetry showed the influence of the porphyrin on the redox process of the polyoxometalate. The catalytic activity of this hybrid material was investigated in the alkene epoxidation with NaIO(4).

  13. Catalytic dry reforming of waste plastics from different waste treatment plants for production of synthesis gases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saad, Juniza Md; Williams, Paul T

    2016-12-01

    Catalytic dry reforming of mixed waste plastics, from a range of different municipal, commercial and industrial sources, were processed in a two-stage fixed bed reactor. Pyrolysis of the plastics took place in the first stage and dry (CO 2 ) reforming of the evolved pyrolysis gases took place in the second stage in the presence of Ni/Al 2 O 3 and Ni-Co/Al 2 O 3 catalysts in order to improve the production of syngas from the dry reforming process. The results showed that the highest amount of syngas yield was obtained from the dry reforming of plastic waste from the agricultural industry with the Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst, producing 153.67mmol syngas g -1 waste . The addition of cobalt metal as a promoter to the Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst did not have a major influence on syngas yield. Overall, the catalytic-dry reforming of waste plastics from various waste treatment plants showed great potential towards the production of synthesis gases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Including lateral interactions into microkinetic models of catalytic reactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hellman, Anders; Honkala, Johanna Karoliina

    2007-01-01

    In many catalytic reactions lateral interactions between adsorbates are believed to have a strong influence on the reaction rates. We apply a microkinetic model to explore the effect of lateral interactions and how to efficiently take them into account in a simple catalytic reaction. Three differ...... different approximations are investigated: site, mean-field, and quasichemical approximations. The obtained results are compared to accurate Monte Carlo numbers. In the end, we apply the approximations to a real catalytic reaction, namely, ammonia synthesis....

  15. Study of the catalytic activity of supported technetium catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spitsyn, V.I.; Mikhailenko, I.E.; Pokorovskaya, O.V.

    1985-01-01

    The radioactive d metal 43 Tc 99 has catalytic properties in the synthesis of ammonia. For the purpose of reducing the quantity of the radioactive metal and of increasing the specific surface, the active component was applied to BaTiO 3 and gamma-Al 2 O 3 supports. This paper uses charcoal as a support and a table presents the catalytic activity of the samples during the synthesis of ammonia. X-ray diffractometric investigation of the catalysts was carried out with the use of Cu K /SUB alpha/ radiation. It is shown that the catalysts. The values of the specific rate constants of technetium in the catalysts. The values of the specific rate constants remain practically constant for all the catalyst samples studied, attesting to the absence of a specific metal-support interaction during the synthesis of ammonia

  16. Synthesis, Characterization and catalytic activity of triorganotin(IV) carboxylates for the production of biodiesel from rocket seed oil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tariq, M.; Ali, S.

    2013-01-01

    Organotin(IV) carboxylates have a wide range of industrial applications such as antifouling paints, PVC stabilization, ion carries in electrochemical membranes and homogeneous catalysts. The catalytic application of organotin carboxylates are in the field of silicone curing, polyurethane formation and esterification. Only a limited literature is available regarding the use of organotin carboxylates in the transesterification of vegetable oil to produce biodiesel . The present study deals with the synthesis of some new triorganotin(IV) carboxylates for their subsequent use as catalyst for transesterification of rocket seed oil to produce biodiesel. The three new triorganotin(IV) i.e. (Me/sub 3/SnL) (1),(Bu/sub 3/Snl) (2) and (Ph/sub 3/SnL) (3), were synthesized by refluxing sodium salt of ligand (NaL), where L=O/sub 2/C(CH/sub 3/)C=CHC/sub 6/H/sub 4/F with trimethyl, tributyl and triphenyl tin(IV) chlorides, respectively for 10 hrs. The synthesized compounds were characterized by instrumental techniques like FT-IR and NMR (1H, 13C). The catalytic activity of these compounds was assessed for transesterification of triglycerides in rocket seed oil to produce biodiesel. All the tested compounds showed good catalytic activity in the order 1> 2 > 3. (author)

  17. Large ring polymers align FtsZ polymers for normal septum formation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Guendogdu, Muhammet E.; Kawai, Yoshikazu; Pavlendova, Nada; Ogasawara, Naotake; Errington, Jeff; Scheffers, Dirk-Jan; Hamoen, Leendert W.; Gündoğdu, Muhammet E.

    2011-01-01

    Cytokinesis in bacteria is initiated by polymerization of the tubulin homologue FtsZ into a circular structure at midcell, the Z-ring. This structure functions as a scaffold for all other cell division proteins. Several proteins support assembly of the Z-ring, and one such protein, SepF, is required

  18. Catalytic applications of bio-inspired nanomaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pacardo, Dennis Kien Balaong

    The biomimetic synthesis of Pd nanoparticles was presented using the Pd4 peptide, TSNAVHPTLRHL, isolated from combinatorial phage display library. Using this approach, nearly monodisperse and spherical Pd nanoparticles were generated with an average diameter of 1.9 +/- 0.4 nm. The peptide-based nanocatalyst were employed in the Stille coupling reaction under energy-efficient and environmentally friendly reaction conditions of aqueous solvent, room temperature and very low catalyst loading. To this end, the Pd nanocatalyst generated high turnover frequency (TOF) value and quantitative yields using ≥ 0.005 mol% Pd as well as catalytic activities with different aryl halides containing electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups. The Pd4-capped Pd nanoparticles followed the atom-leaching mechanism and were found to be selective with respect to substrate identity. On the other hand, the naturally-occurring R5 peptide (SSKKSGSYSGSKGSKRRIL) was employed in the synthesis of biotemplated Pd nanomaterials which showed morphological changes as a function of Pd:peptide ratio. TOF analysis for hydrogenation of olefinic alcohols showed similar catalytic activity regardless of nanomorphology. Determination of catalytic properties of these bio-inspired nanomaterials are important as they serve as model system for alternative green catalyst with applications in industrially important transformations.

  19. Synthesis, structural characterization and selectively catalytic properties of metal-organic frameworks with nano-sized channels: A modular design strategy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiu Lingguang; Gu Lina; Hu Gang; Zhang Lide

    2009-01-01

    Modular design method for designing and synthesizing microporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with selective catalytical activity was described. MOFs with both nano-sized channels and potential catalytic activities could be obtained through self-assembly of a framework unit and a catalyst unit. By selecting hexaaquo metal complexes and the ligand BTC (BTC=1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) as framework-building blocks and using the metal complex [M(phen) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ] 2+ (phen=1,10-phenanthroline) as a catalyst unit, a series of supramolecular MOFs 1-7 with three-dimensional nano-sized channels, i.e. [M 1 (H 2 O) 6 ].[M 2 (phen) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ] 2 .2(BTC).xH 2 O (M 1 , M 2 =Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), or Mn(II), phen=1,10-phenanthroline, BTC=1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate, x=22-24), were synthesized through self-assembly, and their structures were characterized by IR, elemental analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These supramolecular microporous MOFs showed significant size and shape selectivity in the catalyzed oxidation of phenols, which is due to catalytic reactions taking place in the channels of the framework. Design strategy, synthesis, and self-assembly mechanism for the construction of these porous MOFs were discussed. - Grapical abstract: A modular design strategy has been developed to synthesize microporous metal-organic frameworks with potential catalytic activity by self-assembly of the framework-building blocks and the catalyst unit

  20. Facile synthesis of mesostructured ZSM-5 zeolite with enhanced mass transport and catalytic performances

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Chao; Ren, Yanqun [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, 381 Wushan Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510641 (China); Gou, Jinsheng [College Material Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Wooden Material Science and Application, Ministry of Education, 35 Tsinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083 (China); Liu, Baoyu [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, 381 Wushan Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510641 (China); Xi, Hongxia, E-mail: cehxxi@scut.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, 381 Wushan Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510641 (China)

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • A mesostructured MFI zeolite was synthesized via dual-functional surfactant approach. • Mass transport was investigated by applying zero length column technique. • The catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity and long lifetime. • Gaussian DFT was employed to study the role of surfactant in crystallization process. - Abstract: A mesostructured ZSM-5 zeolite with multilamellar structure was successfully synthesized by employing a tetra-headgroup rigid bolaform quaternary ammonium surfactant. It was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, amines temperature programmed desorption (amines-TPD), and computer simulation. These results indicated that the dual-functional amphiphilic surfactants play a critical role for directing the multilamellar structure with high mesoporosity. The mass transport and catalytic performances of the zeolite were investigated by zero length column (ZLC) technique and aldol condensation reactions to evaluate the structure-property relationship. These results clearly indicated that the mass transport of selected molecules in hierarchical zeolite can be accelerated by introducing mesoporous structure with mesostructure with reduced diffusion length and an overall enhanced resistance against deactivation in reactions involving large molecules. Furthermore, the dual-functional surfactant approach of making hierarchical zeolite with MFI nanosheets framework would open up new opportunities for design and synthesis of hierarchical zeolites with controllable mesoporous structures.

  1. Facile synthesis of mesostructured ZSM-5 zeolite with enhanced mass transport and catalytic performances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Chao; Ren, Yanqun; Gou, Jinsheng; Liu, Baoyu; Xi, Hongxia

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A mesostructured MFI zeolite was synthesized via dual-functional surfactant approach. • Mass transport was investigated by applying zero length column technique. • The catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity and long lifetime. • Gaussian DFT was employed to study the role of surfactant in crystallization process. - Abstract: A mesostructured ZSM-5 zeolite with multilamellar structure was successfully synthesized by employing a tetra-headgroup rigid bolaform quaternary ammonium surfactant. It was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, amines temperature programmed desorption (amines-TPD), and computer simulation. These results indicated that the dual-functional amphiphilic surfactants play a critical role for directing the multilamellar structure with high mesoporosity. The mass transport and catalytic performances of the zeolite were investigated by zero length column (ZLC) technique and aldol condensation reactions to evaluate the structure-property relationship. These results clearly indicated that the mass transport of selected molecules in hierarchical zeolite can be accelerated by introducing mesoporous structure with mesostructure with reduced diffusion length and an overall enhanced resistance against deactivation in reactions involving large molecules. Furthermore, the dual-functional surfactant approach of making hierarchical zeolite with MFI nanosheets framework would open up new opportunities for design and synthesis of hierarchical zeolites with controllable mesoporous structures.

  2. Synthesis of a nano-crystalline solid acid catalyst from fly ash and its catalytic performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chitralekha Khatri; Ashu Rani [Government P.G. College, Kota (India). Environmental Chemistry Laboratory

    2008-10-15

    The synthesis of nano-crystalline activated fly ash catalyst (AFAC) with crystallite size of 12 nm was carried out by chemical and thermal treatment of fly ash, a waste material generated from coal-burning power plants. Fly ash was chemically activated using sulfuric acid followed by thermal activation at 600{sup o}C. The variation of surface and physico-chemical properties of the fly ash by activation methods resulted in improved acidity and therefore, catalytic activity for acid catalyzed reactions. The AFAC was characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, N{sub 2}-adsorption-desorption isotherm, scanning electron microscopy, flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry and sulfur content by CHNS/O elemental analysis. It showed amorphous nature due to high silica content (81%) and possessed high BET surface area (120 m{sup 2}/g). The catalyst was found to be highly active solid acid catalyst for liquid phase esterification of salicylic acid with acetic anhydride and methanol giving acetylsalicylic acid and methyl salicylate respectively. A maximum yield of 97% with high purity of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and a very high conversion 87% of salicylic acid to methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen) was obtained with AFAC. The surface acidity and therefore, catalytic activity in AFAC was originated by increased silica content, hydroxyl content and higher surface area as compared to fly ash. The study shows that coal generated fly ash can be converted into potential solid acid catalyst for acid catalyzed reactions. Furthermore, this catalyst may replace conventional environmentally hazardous homogeneous liquid acids making an ecofriendly; solvent free, atom efficient, solid acid based catalytic process. 27 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

  3. The formation and influence of carbon on cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts : an integrated review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moodley, D.J.; Loosdrecht, van de J.; Saib, A.M.; Niemantsverdriet, J.W.; Davis, B.H.; Occelli, M.L.; Speight, J.G.

    2010-01-01

    Cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts are the systems of choice for use in gas-to-liquid (GTL) processes. As with most catalysts, cobalt systems gradually lose their activity with increasing time on stream. There are various mechanisms that have been proposed for the deactivation of

  4. Engineering Model Panchromatic Fourier Transform Spectrometer (PanFTS) Instrument for the GEO-CAPE Mission

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Panchromatic Fourier Transform Spectrometer (PanFTS) is an imaging spectrometer that can measure pollutants, greenhouse gases, and aerosols as called for in the...

  5. Synthesis of hydrophobic gold nanoclusters: growth mechanism study, luminescence property and catalytic application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selvam, Tamil Selvi; Chi, Kai-Ming

    2011-01-01

    One-pot synthesis of well dispersed, size-controlled gold nanoparticles with the average size of 10–15 nm and luminescent gold nanoclusters with average size of 1.7–2.0 nm were successfully achieved by thermal decomposition of gold organometallic precursor CH 3 AuPPh 3 in the presence of thiol surfactants in o-xylene. Only difference between the preparations of two types of Au nanoparticles is the amount of thiol surfactant employed. The mechanistic study of formation of gold nanoparticles was carried out by analyzing the samples at different reaction time intervals and revealed that two-staged growth process was involved. The nanoclusters showed strong red emission with the maximum intensity at about 600 nm. The maximum room temperature photoluminescence quantum yield was measured as 1.2%. The catalytic ability of the Au nanoclusters to promote Suzuki–Miyaura coupling involving the C–C bond formation was also investigated.

  6. Development of catalytic materials for the synthesis of valuable chemical products via multifunctional and multisite reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Apesteguia, C.R; Padro, C.L; Diez, V.K; Di Cosimo, J.I; Trasarti, A.F; Marchi, A.J

    2004-01-01

    This work reports on the successful development of solid catalytic materials carried out by our working group to obtain fine high yield chemical products. Specifically, a report is made of i) the development of metal/acid bi-functional catalysts to obtain racemic menthol from citral in a one step liquid phase process. This menthol is one of the most important chemical flavouring compounds in industry; ii) The use of acid zeolites containing a balanced concentration of Bronsted and Lewis heavy acid sites, which allow the selective synthesis of o-hydroxy acetophenone from the gas phase acylation of phenol with acetic acid. The o-hydroxy acetophenone is an intermediate compound in the production of 4-hydroxy coumarin and warfarin that are used as anticoagulants drugs; iii) The use of mixed MgAl x O y oxides containing dual acid-basic sites (Mg 2- O 2- and Al 3+ -O 2- ) to synthesize isoforone from acetone in gas phase. The isoforone is an intermediate key in the synthesis of vitamin E (CW)

  7. A combined in situ XAS-XRPD-Raman study of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over a carbon supported Co catalyst

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tsakoumis, Nikolaos E.; Dehghan, Roya; Johnsen, Rune

    2013-01-01

    A cobalt based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalyst, supported on a carbon nanofibers/carbon felt composite (Co/CNF/CF) was studied in situ at realistic conditions. The catalyst was monitored by Xray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction (HR-XRPD) and Raman...... spectroscopy, while changes in the gas phase were observed by mass spectrometry (MS). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was also applied to characterise the catalyst. The catalyst has a bimodal particle size distribution and exhibits a high deactivation rate. During the in situ study the catalyst appears...... to reduce further at the induction period of FTS, while crystallite growth is been detected in the same period. At steady state FTS the amount of metallic Co is constant. A change in the volumetric flow towards higher conversions did not affect the degree of reduction or the crystallite size of the catalyst...

  8. Synthesis, characterization, and Fischer–Tropsch performance of cobalt/zinc aluminate nanocomposites via a facile and corrosion-free coprecipitation route

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Zhenxin; Xing, Yu; Xue, Yingying; Wu, Depeng; Fang, Shaoming

    2015-01-01

    Literature about ZnAl 2 O 4 -supported cobalt Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalytic materials is sparse. A series of cobalt-containing nanocomposites, supported by nanosized ZnAl 2 O 4 spinel (i.e., a complex oxide of about 6.4 nm) or alumina (i.e., a simple oxide of about 6.2 nm), were prepared via urea-gelation, coprecipitation, or impregnation methods followed by stepwise reduction. These materials were examined by XRD, TGA, nitrogen sorption, FESEM, and EDS. Effects of corrosion and pore size distributions on materials preparation were also investigated. The “coprecipitation/stepwise reduction” route is facile and suitable to prepare nanosized ZnAl 2 O 4 -supported Co 0 nanocomposites. At similar CO conversions, the coprecipitated Co/ZnAl 2 O 4 exhibits significantly lower C 1 hydrocarbon distribution, slightly lower C 5+ hydrocarbon distribution, significantly higher C 2 –C 4 hydrocarbon distribution, and significantly higher olefin/paraffin ratio of C 2 –C 4 than Co/γ-Al 2 O 3

  9. New porphyrin-polyoxometalate hybrid materials: synthesis, characterization and investigation of catalytic activity in acetylation reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araghi, Mehdi; Mirkhani, Valiollah; Moghadam, Majid; Tangestaninejad, Shahram; Mohammdpoor-Baltork, Iraj

    2012-10-14

    New hybrid complexes based on covalent interaction between 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)porphyrinatozinc(II) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)porphyrinatotin(IV) chloride, and a Lindqvist-type polyoxometalate, Mo(6)O(19)(2-), were prepared. These new porphyrin-polyoxometalate hybrid materials were characterized by (1)H NMR, FT IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic methods and cyclic voltammetry. These spectro- and electrochemical studies provided several spectral data for synthesis of these compounds. Cyclic voltammetry showed the influence of the polyoxometalate on the redox process of the porphyrin ring. The catalytic activity of tin(IV)porphyrin-hexamolybdate hybrid material was investigated in the acetylation of alcohols and phenols with acetic anhydride. The reusability of this catalyst was also investigated.

  10. The Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) FTS: Results From the 2012/13 Alaska Campaigns

    Science.gov (United States)

    kurosu, T. P.; Miller, C. E.; Dinardo, S.

    2013-12-01

    The Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) is an aircraft-based Earth Venture 1 mission to study the carbon balance of the Alaskan Arctic ecosystem, with a particular focus on carbon release from melting permafrost. Operating from its base in Fairbanks, AK, the CARVE aircraft covers a range of principle flight paths in the Alaskan interior, the Yukon River valley, and northern Alaska coast around Barrow and Dead Horse. Flight paths are chosen to maximize ecosystem variability and and cover burn-recovery/regrowth sequences. CARVE observations cover the Arctic Spring/Summer/Fall seasons, with multiple flights per season and principle flight paths. Science operations started in 05/2012 and are currently envisaged to continue until 2015. The CARVE suite of instruments includes flask measurements and in situ gas analyzers for CO2, CH4 and CO observations, an active/passive L-band radar for surface conditions (freeze/thaw state), and a three-band polarizing Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) for column measurements of CO2, CH4, CO, and interfering species (e.g., H2O). The FTS covers the spectral regions of 4,200-4,900 cm-1 (CH4, CO), 5,800-6,400 cm-1 (CO2), and 12,900-13,200 cm-1 (O2), with a spectral resolution of 0.2 cm-1. Aircraft-based FTS science observations in Alaska have been performed since 23-05-2012. First-version data products from all CARVE instruments derived from observations during the 2012 campaign were publicly released earlier in 2013. The FTS has performed well during flight conditions, particularly with respect to vibration damping. Outstanding challenges include the need for improved spectral and radiometric calibration, as well as compensating for low signal-to-noise spectra acquired under Alaskan flight conditions. We present results from FTS column observations of CO2, CH4, and CO, observed during the 2012 and 2013 campaigns, including preliminary comparisons of CARVE FTS measurements with satellite observations of CO2

  11. Photoinduced catalytic synthesis of biologically important metabolites from formaldehyde and ammonia under plausible "prebiotic" conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delidovich, I. V.; Taran, O. P.; Simonov, A. N.; Matvienko, L. G.; Parmon, V. N.

    2011-08-01

    The article analyzes new and previously reported data on several catalytic and photochemical processes yielding biologically important molecules. UV-irradiation of formaldehyde aqueous solution yields acetaldehyde, glyoxal, glycolaldehyde and glyceraldehyde, which can serve as precursors of more complex biochemically relevant compounds. Photolysis of aqueous solution of acetaldehyde and ammonium nitrate results in formation of alanine and pyruvic acid. Dehydration of glyceraldehyde catalyzed by zeolite HZSM-5-17 yields pyruvaldehyde. Monosaccharides are formed in the course of the phosphate-catalyzed aldol condensation reactions of glycolaldehyde, glyceraldehyde and formaldehyde. The possibility of the direct synthesis of tetroses, keto- and aldo-pentoses from pure formaldehyde due to the combination of the photochemical production of glycolahyde and phosphate-catalyzed carbohydrate chain growth is demonstrated. Erythrulose and 3-pentulose are the main products of such combined synthesis with selectivity up to 10%. Biologically relevant aldotetroses, aldo- and ketopentoses are more resistant to the photochemical destruction owing to the stabilization in hemiacetal cyclic forms. They are formed as products of isomerization of erythrulose and 3-pentulose. The conjugation of the concerned reactions results in a plausible route to the formation of sugars, amino and organic acids from formaldehyde and ammonia under presumed 'prebiotic' conditions.

  12. Oxygen transport membrane system and method for transferring heat to catalytic/process reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Sean M; Kromer, Brian R; Litwin, Michael M; Rosen, Lee J; Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Wilson, Jamie R; Kosowski, Lawrence W; Robinson, Charles

    2014-01-07

    A method and apparatus for producing heat used in a synthesis gas production is provided. The disclosed method and apparatus include a plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements adapted to separate oxygen from an oxygen containing stream contacting the retentate side of the membrane elements. The permeated oxygen is combusted with a hydrogen containing synthesis gas stream contacting the permeate side of the tubular oxygen transport membrane elements thereby generating a reaction product stream and radiant heat. The present method and apparatus also includes at least one catalytic reactor containing a catalyst to promote the stream reforming reaction wherein the catalytic reactor is surrounded by the plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements. The view factor between the catalytic reactor and the plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements radiating heat to the catalytic reactor is greater than or equal to 0.5.

  13. Oxygen transport membrane system and method for transferring heat to catalytic/process reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Sean M.; Kromer, Brian R.; Litwin, Michael M.; Rosen, Lee J.; Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Wilson, Jamie R.; Kosowski, Lawrence W.; Robinson, Charles

    2016-01-19

    A method and apparatus for producing heat used in a synthesis gas production process is provided. The disclosed method and apparatus include a plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements adapted to separate oxygen from an oxygen containing stream contacting the retentate side of the membrane elements. The permeated oxygen is combusted with a hydrogen containing synthesis gas stream contacting the permeate side of the tubular oxygen transport membrane elements thereby generating a reaction product stream and radiant heat. The present method and apparatus also includes at least one catalytic reactor containing a catalyst to promote the steam reforming reaction wherein the catalytic reactor is surrounded by the plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements. The view factor between the catalytic reactor and the plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements radiating heat to the catalytic reactor is greater than or equal to 0.5

  14. Flame assisted synthesis of catalytic ceramic membranes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, Johnny; Mosleh, Majid; Johannessen, Tue

    2004-01-01

    technology it is possible to make supported catalysts, composite metal oxides, catalytically active surfaces, and porous ceramic membranes. Membrane layers can be formed by using a porous substrate tube (or surface) as a nano-particle filter. The aerosol gas from the flame is led through a porous substrate...

  15. Green Adeptness in the Synthesis and Stabilization of Copper Nanoparticles: Catalytic, Antibacterial, Cytotoxicity, and Antioxidant Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Din, Muhammad Imran; Arshad, Farhan; Hussain, Zaib; Mukhtar, Maria

    2017-12-01

    Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) are of great interest due to their extraordinary properties such as high surface-to-volume ratio, high yield strength, ductility, hardness, flexibility, and rigidity. CuNPs show catalytic, antibacterial, antioxidant, and antifungal activities along with cytotoxicity and anticancer properties in many different applications. Many physical and chemical methods have been used to synthesize nanoparticles including laser ablation, microwave-assisted process, sol-gel, co-precipitation, pulsed wire discharge, vacuum vapor deposition, high-energy irradiation, lithography, mechanical milling, photochemical reduction, electrochemistry, electrospray synthesis, hydrothermal reaction, microemulsion, and chemical reduction. Phytosynthesis of nanoparticles has been suggested as a valuable alternative to physical and chemical methods due to low cytotoxicity, economic prospects, environment-friendly, enhanced biocompatibility, and high antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The review explains characterization techniques, their main role, limitations, and sensitivity used in the preparation of CuNPs. An overview of techniques used in the synthesis of CuNPs, synthesis procedure, reaction parameters which affect the properties of synthesized CuNPs, and a screening analysis which is used to identify phytochemicals in different plants is presented from the recent published literature which has been reviewed and summarized. Hypothetical mechanisms of reduction of the copper ion by quercetin, stabilization of copper nanoparticles by santin, antimicrobial activity, and reduction of 4-nitrophenol with diagrammatic illustrations are given. The main purpose of this review was to summarize the data of plants used for the synthesis of CuNPs and open a new pathway for researchers to investigate those plants which have not been used in the past.

  16. Host regulation of lysogenic decision in bacteriophage lambda: transmembrane modulation of FtsH (HflB), the cII degrading protease, by HflKC (HflA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kihara, A; Akiyama, Y; Ito, K

    1997-05-27

    The cII gene product of bacteriophage lambda is unstable and required for the establishment of lysogenization. Its intracellular amount is important for the decision between lytic growth and lysogenization. Two genetic loci of Escherichia coli are crucial for these commitments of infecting lambda genome. One of them, hflA encodes the HflKC membrane protein complex, which has been believed to be a protease degrading the cII protein. However, both its absence and overproduction stabilized cII in vivo and the proposed serine protease-like sequence motif in HflC was dispensable for the lysogenization control. Moreover, the HflKC protein was found to reside on the periplasmic side of the plasma membrane. In contrast, the other host gene, ftsH (hflB) encoding an integral membrane ATPase/protease, is positively required for degradation of cII, since loss of its function stabilized cII and its overexpression accelerated the cII degradation. In vitro, purified FtsH catalyzed ATP-dependent proteolysis of cII and HflKC antagonized the FtsH action. These results, together with our previous finding that FtsH and HflKC form a complex, suggest that FtsH is the cII degrading protease and HflKC is a modulator of the FtsH function. We propose that this transmembrane modulation differentiates the FtsH actions to different substrate proteins such as the membrane-bound SecY protein and the cytosolic cII protein. This study necessitates a revision of the prevailing view about the host control over lambda lysogenic decision.

  17. Active phase distribution changes within a catalyst particle during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis as revealed by multi-scale microscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cats, K. H.; Andrews, J. C.; Stephan, O.; March, K.; Karunakaran, C.; Meirer, F.; de Groot, F. M. F.; Weckhuysen, B. M.

    The Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) reaction is one of the most promising processes to convert alternative energy sources, such as natural gas, coal or biomass, into liquid fuels and other high-value products. Despite its commercial implementation, we still lack fundamental insights into the various

  18. Inhibiting the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in vitro with antisense peptide nucleic acid conjugates targeting the ftsZ gene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shumei Liang

    2015-01-01

    Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the potent effects of PNAs on bacterial growth and cell viability were mediated by the down-regulation or even knock-out of ftsZ gene expression. This highlights the utility of ftsZ as a promising target for the development of new antisense antibacterial agents to treat MRSA infections.

  19. Cooperation between catalytic and DNA binding domains enhances thermostability and supports DNA synthesis at higher temperatures by thermostable DNA polymerases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlov, Andrey R; Pavlova, Nadejda V; Kozyavkin, Sergei A; Slesarev, Alexei I

    2012-03-13

    We have previously introduced a general kinetic approach for comparative study of processivity, thermostability, and resistance to inhibitors of DNA polymerases [Pavlov, A. R., et al. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.99, 13510-13515]. The proposed method was successfully applied to characterize hybrid DNA polymerases created by fusing catalytic DNA polymerase domains with various sequence-nonspecific DNA binding domains. Here we use the developed kinetic analysis to assess basic parameters of DNA elongation by DNA polymerases and to further study the interdomain interactions in both previously constructed and new chimeric DNA polymerases. We show that connecting helix-hairpin-helix (HhH) domains to catalytic polymerase domains can increase thermostability, not only of DNA polymerases from extremely thermophilic species but also of the enzyme from a faculatative thermophilic bacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus. We also demonstrate that addition of Topo V HhH domains extends efficient DNA synthesis by chimerical polymerases up to 105 °C by maintaining processivity of DNA synthesis at high temperatures. We found that reversible high-temperature structural transitions in DNA polymerases decrease the rates of binding of these enzymes to the templates. Furthermore, activation energies and pre-exponential factors of the Arrhenius equation suggest that the mechanism of electrostatic enhancement of diffusion-controlled association plays a minor role in binding of templates to DNA polymerases.

  20. Cooperation between Catalytic and DNA-binding Domains Enhances Thermostability and Supports DNA Synthesis at Higher Temperatures by Thermostable DNA Polymerases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlov, Andrey R.; Pavlova, Nadejda V.; Kozyavkin, Sergei A.; Slesarev, Alexei I.

    2012-01-01

    We have previously introduced a general kinetic approach for comparative study of processivity, thermostability, and resistance to inhibitors of DNA polymerases (Pavlov et. al., (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99, 13510–13515). The proposed method was successfully applied to characterize hybrid DNA polymerases created by fusing catalytic DNA polymerase domains with various non-specific DNA binding domains. Here we use the developed kinetic analysis to assess basic parameters of DNA elongation by DNA polymerases and to further study the interdomain interactions in both previously constructed and new chimeric DNA polymerases. We show that connecting Helix-hairpin-Helix (HhH) domains to catalytic polymerase domains can increase thermostability, not only of DNA polymerases from extremely thermophilic species, but also of the enzyme from a faculatative thermophilic bacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus. We also demonstrate that addition of TopoV HhH domains extends efficient DNA synthesis by chimerical polymerases up to 105°C by maintaining processivity of DNA synthesis at high temperatures. We also found that reversible high-temperature structural transitions in DNA polymerases decrease the rates of binding of these enzymes to the templates. Furthermore, activation energies and pre-exponential factors of the Arrhenius equation suggest that the mechanism of electrostatic enhancement of diffusion-controlled association plays a minor role in binding templates to DNA polymerases. PMID:22320201

  1. CO measurements from the ACE-FTS satellite instrument: data analysis and validation using ground-based, airborne and spaceborne observations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Clerbaux

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE mission was launched in August 2003 to sound the atmosphere by solar occultation. Carbon monoxide (CO, a good tracer of pollution plumes and atmospheric dynamics, is one of the key species provided by the primary instrument, the ACE-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS. This instrument performs measurements in both the CO 1-0 and 2-0 ro-vibrational bands, from which vertically resolved CO concentration profiles are retrieved, from the mid-troposphere to the thermosphere. This paper presents an updated description of the ACE-FTS version 2.2 CO data product, along with a comprehensive validation of these profiles using available observations (February 2004 to December 2006. We have compared the CO partial columns with ground-based measurements using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and millimeter wave radiometry, and the volume mixing ratio profiles with airborne (both high-altitude balloon flight and airplane observations. CO satellite observations provided by nadir-looking instruments (MOPITT and TES as well as limb-viewing remote sensors (MIPAS, SMR and MLS were also compared with the ACE-FTS CO products. We show that the ACE-FTS measurements provide CO profiles with small retrieval errors (better than 5% from the upper troposphere to 40 km, and better than 10% above. These observations agree well with the correlative measurements, considering the rather loose coincidence criteria in some cases. Based on the validation exercise we assess the following uncertainties to the ACE-FTS measurement data: better than 15% in the upper troposphere (8–12 km, than 30% in the lower stratosphere (12–30 km, and than 25% from 30 to 100 km.

  2. Theoretical study for pyridinium-based ionic liquid 1-ethylpyridinium trifluoroacetate: synthesis mechanism, electronic structure, and catalytic reactivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xueying; Cui, Peng; Zhang, Dongju; Liu, Chengbu

    2011-07-28

    By performing density functional theory calculations, we have studied the synthesis mechanism, electronic structure, and catalytic reactivity of a pyridinium-based ionic liquid, 1-ethylpyridinium trifluoroacetate ([epy](+)[CF(3)COO](-)). It is found that the synthesis of the pyridinium salt follows a S(N)2 mechanism. The electronic structural analyses show that multiple H bonds are generally involved in the pyridinium-based ionic liquid, which may play a decisive role for stabilizing the ionic liquid. The cation-anion interaction mainly involves electron transfer between the lone pair of the oxygen atom in the anion and the antibonding orbital of the C*-H bond (C* denotes the carbon atom at the ortho-position of nitrogen atom in the cation). This present work has also given clearly the catalytic mechanism of [epy](+)[CF(3)COO](-) toward to the Diels-Alder (D-A) reaction of acrylonitrile with 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene. Both the cation and anion are shown to play important roles in promoting the D-A reaction. The cation [epy](+), as a Lewis acid, associates the C≡N group by C≡N···H H bond to increase the polarity of the C═C double bond in acrylonitrile, while the anion CF(3)COO(-) links with the methyl group in 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene by C-H···O H bond, which weakens the electron-donating capability of methyl and thereby lowers the energy barrier of the D-A reaction. The present results are expected to provide valuable information for the design and application of pyridinium-based ionic liquids. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  3. A stereoselective, catalytic strategy for the in-flow synthesis of advanced precursors of rasagiline and tamsulosin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brenna, Davide; Pirola, Margherita; Raimondi, Laura; Burke, Anthony J; Benaglia, Maurizio

    2017-12-01

    The diastereoselective, trichlorosilane-mediate reduction of imines, bearing different and removable chiral auxiliaries, in combination either with achiral bases or catalytic amounts of chiral Lewis bases, was investigated to afford immediate precursors of chiral APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients). The carbon-nitrogen double bond reduction was successfully performed in batch and in flow mode, in high yields and almost complete stereocontrol. By this metal-free approach, the formal synthesis of rasagiline and tamsulosin was successfully accomplished in micro(meso) flow reactors, under continuous flow conditions. The results of these explorative studies represent a new, important step towards the development of automated processes for the preparation of enantiopure biologically active compounds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Multi-layer Retrievals of Greenhouse Gases from a Combined Use of GOSAT TANSO-FTS SWIR and TIR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kikuchi, N.; Kuze, A.; Kataoka, F.; Shiomi, K.; Hashimoto, M.; Suto, H.; Knuteson, R. O.; Iraci, L. T.; Yates, E. L.; Gore, W.; Tanaka, T.; Yokota, T.

    2016-12-01

    The TANSO-FTS sensor onboard GOSAT has three frequency bands in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) and the fourth band in the thermal infrared (TIR). Observations of high-resolution spectra of reflected sunlight in the SWIR are extensively utilized to retrieve column-averaged concentrations of the major greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (XCO2) and methane (XCH4). Although global XCO2 and XCH4 distribution retrieved from SWIR data can reduce the uncertainty in the current knowledge about sources and sinks of these gases, information on the vertical profiles would be more useful to constrain the surface flux and also to identify the local emission sources. Based on the degrees of freedom for signal, Kulawik et al. (2016, IWGGMS-12 presentation) shows that 2-layer information on the concentration of CO2 can be extracted from TANSO-FTS SWIR measurements, and the retrieval error is predicted to be about 5 ppm in the lower troposphere. In this study, we present multi-layer retrievals of CO2 and CH4 from a combined use of measurements of TANSO-FTS SWIR and TIR. We selected GOSAT observations at Railroad Valley Playa in Nevada, USA, which is a vicarious calibration site for TANSO-FTS, as we have various ancillary data including atmospheric temperature and humidity taken by a radiosonde, surface temperature, and surface emissivity with a ground based FTS. All of these data are useful especially for retrievals using TIR spectra. Currently, we use the 700-800 cm-1 and 1200-1300 cm-1 TIR windows for CO2 and CH4 retrievals, respectively, in addition to the SWIR bands. We found that by adding TIR windows, 3-layer information can be extracted, and the predicted retrieval error in the CO2 concentration was reduced about 1 ppm in the lower troposphere. We expect that the retrieval error could be further reduced by optimizing TIR windows and by reducing systematic forward model errors.

  5. Using electron beams to investigate catalytic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Bingsen; Su, Dang Sheng

    2014-01-01

    Transmission Electron microscopy (TEM) enables us, not only to reveal the morphology, but also to provide structural, chemical and electronic information about solid catalysts at the atomic level, providing a dramatic driving force for the development of heterogeneous catalysis. Almost all catalytic materials have been studied with TEM in order to obtain information about their structures, which can help us to establish the synthesis-structure-property relationships and to design catalysts with new structures and desired properties. Herein, several examples will be reviewed to illustrate the investigation of catalytic materials by using electron beams. (authors)

  6. A Facile synthesis of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanofibers with superior peroxidase-like catalytic activity for sensitive colorimetric detection of L-cysteine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Sihui; Chi, Maoqiang; Zhu, Yun; Gao, Mu; Wang, Ce; Lu, Xiaofeng

    2018-05-01

    Superaramagnetic Fe3O4 nanomaterials are good candidates as enzyme mimics due to their excellent catalytic activity, high stability and facile synthesis. However, the morphology of Fe3O4 nanomaterials has much influence on their enzyme-like catalytic activity. In this work, we have developed a simple polymer-assisted thermochemical reduction approach to prepare Fe3O4 nanofibers for peroxidase-like catalytic applications. The as-prepared Fe3O4 nanofibers show a higher catalytic activity than commercial Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The steady-state kinetic assay result shows that the Michaelis-Menten constant value of the as-obtained Fe3O4 nanofibers is similar to that of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), indicating their superior affinity to the 3,3‧,5,5‧-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and H2O2 substrate. Based on the outstanding catalytic activity, a sensing platform for the detection of L-cysteine has been performed and the limit of detection is as low as 0.028 μM. In addition, an excellent selectivity toward L-cysteine over other types of amino acids, glucose and metal ions has been achieved as well. This work offers an original means for the fabrication of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanofibers and demonstrates their delightful potential applications in the fields of biosensing, environmental monitoring, and medical diagnostics.

  7. Engineering Metallic Nanoparticles for Enhancing and Probing Catalytic Reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Gillian; Holmes, Justin D

    2016-07-01

    Recent developments in tailoring the structural and chemical properties of colloidal metal nanoparticles (NPs) have led to significant enhancements in catalyst performance. Controllable colloidal synthesis has also allowed tailor-made NPs to serve as mechanistic probes for catalytic processes. The innovative use of colloidal NPs to gain fundamental insights into catalytic function will be highlighted across a variety of catalytic and electrocatalytic applications. The engineering of future heterogenous catalysts is also moving beyond size, shape and composition considerations. Advancements in understanding structure-property relationships have enabled incorporation of complex features such as tuning surface strain to influence the behavior of catalytic NPs. Exploiting plasmonic properties and altering colloidal surface chemistry through functionalization are also emerging as important areas for rational design of catalytic NPs. This news article will highlight the key developments and challenges to the future design of catalytic NPs. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Preparation, characterization and catalytic application of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles in the synthesis of benzimidazoles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borade, Ravikumar M.; Shinde, Pavan R.; Kale, Swati B.; Pawar, Rajendra P.

    2018-05-01

    A highly efficient magnetically recoverable cobalt ferrite nano-catalyst was prepared by sol-gel autocombustion method using glycine as green fuel. The prepared material has been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning. An investigation of its catalytic activity showed it to be a heterogeneous Lewis acid catalyst for the synthesis of substituted benzimidazoles. The aqueous ethanol used as green solvent for the reaction. The nm size range of these particles facilitates the catalysis process, as an increased surface area available for the reaction. The easy separation of the catalyst by an external magnet and their recovery and reuse in next cycle reaction are additional benefits.

  9. Plasma-catalytic reforming of liquid hydrocarbons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nedybaliuk, O.A.; Chernyak, V.Ya; Kolgan, V.V.; Iukhymenko, V.V.; Solomenko, O.V.; Fedirchyk, I.I.; Martysh, E.V.; Demchina, V.P.; Klochok, N.V.; Dragnev, S.V.

    2015-01-01

    The series of experiments studying the plasma-catalytic reforming of liquid hydrocarbons was carried out. The dynamic plasma-liquid system based on a low-power rotating gliding arc with solid electrodes was used for the investigation of liquid hydrocarbons reforming process. Conversion was done via partial oxidation. A part of oxidant flow was activated by the discharge. Synthesis-gas composition was analysed by means of mass-spectrometry and gas-chromatography. A standard boiler, which operates on natural gas and LPG, was used for the burning of synthesis-gas

  10. Performance of rotary kiln reactor for the elephant grass pyrolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Conto, D; Silvestre, W P; Baldasso, C; Godinho, M

    2016-10-01

    The influence of process conditions (rotary speed/temperature) on the performance of a rotary kiln reactor for non-catalytic pyrolysis of a perennial grass (elephant grass) was investigated. The product yields, the production of non-condensable gases as well as the biochar properties were evaluated. The maximum H2 yield was close to that observed for catalytic pyrolysis processes, while the bio-oil yield was higher than reported for pyrolysis of other biomass in rotary kiln reactors. A H2/CO ratio suitable for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) was obtained. The biochars presented an alkaline pH (above 10) and interesting contents of nutrients, as well as low electrical conductivity, indicating a high potential as soil amendment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Synthesis and Catalytic Hydrogen Transfer Reaction of Ruthenium(II) Complex

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Son, Jung Ik; Kim, Aram; Noh, Hui Bog; Lee, Hyun Ju; Shim, Yoon Bo; Park, Kang Hyun [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-01-15

    The ruthenium(II) complex [Ru(bpy){sub 2}-(PhenTPy)] was synthesized, and used for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones and the desired products were obtained in good yield. Based on the presented results, transition-metal complexes can be used as catalysts for a wide range of organic transformations. The relationship between the electro-reduction current density and temperature are being examined in this laboratory. Attempts to improve the catalytic activity and determine the transfer hydrogenation mechanism are currently in progress. The catalytic hydrogenation of a ketone is a basic and critical process for making many types of alcohols used as the final products and precursors in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, flavor, fragrance, materials, and fine chemicals industries. The catalytic hydrogenation process developed by Noyori is a very attractive process. Formic acid and 2-propanol have been used extensively as hydrogenation sources. The advantage of using 2-propanol as a hydrogen source is that the only side product will be acetone, which can be removed easily during the workup process. Hydrogen transfer (HT) catalysis, which generates alcohols through the reduction of ketones, is an attractive protocol that is used widely. Ruthenium(II) complexes are the most useful catalysts for the hydrogen transfer (HT) of ketones. In this method, a highly active catalytic system employs a transition metal as a catalyst to synthesize alcohols, and is a replacement for the hydrogen-using hydrogenation process. The most active system is based on Ru, Rh and Ir, which includes a nitrogen ligand that facilitates the formation of a catalytically active hydride and phosphorus.

  12. Synthesis and Catalytic Hydrogen Transfer Reaction of Ruthenium(II) Complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Son, Jung Ik; Kim, Aram; Noh, Hui Bog; Lee, Hyun Ju; Shim, Yoon Bo; Park, Kang Hyun

    2012-01-01

    The ruthenium(II) complex [Ru(bpy) 2 -(PhenTPy)] was synthesized, and used for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones and the desired products were obtained in good yield. Based on the presented results, transition-metal complexes can be used as catalysts for a wide range of organic transformations. The relationship between the electro-reduction current density and temperature are being examined in this laboratory. Attempts to improve the catalytic activity and determine the transfer hydrogenation mechanism are currently in progress. The catalytic hydrogenation of a ketone is a basic and critical process for making many types of alcohols used as the final products and precursors in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, flavor, fragrance, materials, and fine chemicals industries. The catalytic hydrogenation process developed by Noyori is a very attractive process. Formic acid and 2-propanol have been used extensively as hydrogenation sources. The advantage of using 2-propanol as a hydrogen source is that the only side product will be acetone, which can be removed easily during the workup process. Hydrogen transfer (HT) catalysis, which generates alcohols through the reduction of ketones, is an attractive protocol that is used widely. Ruthenium(II) complexes are the most useful catalysts for the hydrogen transfer (HT) of ketones. In this method, a highly active catalytic system employs a transition metal as a catalyst to synthesize alcohols, and is a replacement for the hydrogen-using hydrogenation process. The most active system is based on Ru, Rh and Ir, which includes a nitrogen ligand that facilitates the formation of a catalytically active hydride and phosphorus

  13. HVRM: a second generation ACE-FTS instrument concept

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavigne, Jean-François; Larouche, Martin; Dupont, Fabien; Girard, Guillaume; Veilleux, James; Buijs, Henry; Desbiens, Raphaël.; Perron, Gaétan; Grandmont, Frédéric; Paradis, Simon; Moreau, Louis; Bourque, Hugo

    2017-11-01

    The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) is the main instrument on-board the SCISAT-1 satellite, a mission mainly supported by the Canadian Space Agency [1]. It is in Low- Earth Orbit at an altitude of 650 km with an inclination of 74E. Its data has been used to track the vertical profile of more than 30 atmospheric species in the high troposphere and in the stratosphere with the main goal of providing crucial information for the comprehension of chemical and physical processes controlling the ozone life cycle. These atmospheric species are detected using high-resolution (0.02 cm-1) spectra in the 750-4400 cm-1 spectral region. This leads to more than 170 000 spectral channels being acquired in the IR every two seconds. It also measures aerosols and clouds to reduce the uncertainty in their effects on the global energy balance. It is currently the only instrument providing such in-orbit high resolution measurements of the atmospheric chemistry and is often used by international scientists as a unique data set for climate understanding. The satellite is in operation since 2003, exceeding its initially planned lifetime of 2 years by more than a factor of 5. Given its success, its usefulness and the uniqueness of the data it provides, the Canadian Space Agency has founded the development of technologies enabling the second generation of ACE-FTS instruments through the High Vertical Resolution Measurement (HVRM) project but is still waiting for the funding for a mission. This project addresses three major improvements over the ACE-FTS. The first one aims at improving the vertical instantaneous field-of-view (iFoV) from 4.0 km to 1.5 km without affecting the SNR and temporal precision. The second aims at providing precise knowledge on the tangent height of the limb observation from an external method instead of that used in SCISAT-1 where the altitude is typically inferred from the monotonic CO2 concentration seen in the spectra. The

  14. Characterization of 12-molybdophosphoric acid supported on mesoporous silica MCM-41 and its catalytic performance in the synthesis of hydroquinone diacetate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, Awad I.; Samra, S.E.; El-Hakam, S.A.; Khder, A.S.; El-Shenawy, H.Z.; El-Yazeed, W.S. Abo

    2013-01-01

    12-molybdophosphoric acid (PMA) was supported on mesoporous molecular sieves MCM-41 by impregnation of 12-molybdophosphoric acid followed by calcination. The nanochannels of MCM-41 provide a large surface area for the solid state dispersion of 12-molybdophosphoric acid. The samples have been characterized by N 2 adsorption–desorption at −196 °C, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and FT-IR measurements. The acidity and catalytic activity have been, respectively, examined by nonaqueous titration of n-butylamine in acetonitrile and synthesis of hydroquinone diacetate. The results showed that ordered hexagonal pore structure was observed in the synthesized MCM-41. Also the results indicate that PMA are highly dispersed on mesoporous silica MCM-41 spherical nanoparticles while PMA retains its Keggin structure. On the other hand, with increasing the introduced PMA amount, the specific surface area decreases, and the mesoporous ordering of the samples become poor. Both the surface acidity and the catalytic activity sharply increase with the modification of MCM-41 by PMA but decrease by increasing the calcination temperature. The sample with 55 wt% PMA/MCM-41 calcined at 350 °C shows the highest acidity and catalytic activity.

  15. Bacillus subtilis SepF Binds to the C-Terminus of FtsZ

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krol, Ewa; van Kessel, Sebastiaan P.; van Bezouwen, Laura S.; Kumar, Neeraj; Boekema, Egbert J.; Scheffers, Dirk-Jan

    2012-01-01

    Bacterial cell division is mediated by a multi-protein machine known as the "divisome", which assembles at the site of cell division. Formation of the divisome starts with the polymerization of the tubulin-like protein FtsZ into a ring, the Z-ring. Z-ring formation is under tight control to ensure

  16. Hydrophilic Pt nanoflowers: synthesis, crystallographic analysis and catalytic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mourdikoudis, Stefanos; Altantzis, Thomas; Liz-Marzán, Luis M; Bals, Sara; Pastoriza-Santos, Isabel; Pérez-Juste, Jorge

    2016-05-21

    Water-soluble Pt nanoflowers (NFs) were prepared by diethylene glycol-mediated reduction of Pt acetylacetonate (Pt(acac) 2 ) in the presence of polyethylenimine. Advanced electron microscopy analysis showed that the NFs consist of multiple branches with a truncated cubic morphology and different crystallographic orientations. We demonstrate that the nature of the solvent strongly influences the resulting morphology. The catalytic performance of the Pt NFs in 4-nitrophenol reduction was found to be superior to that of other nanoparticle-based catalysts. Additionally, the Pt NFs display good catalytic reusability with no loss of activity after five consecutive cycles.

  17. Eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles using green algae (Caulerpa serrulata): reaction optimization, catalytic and antibacterial activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aboelfetoh, Eman F; El-Shenody, Rania A; Ghobara, Mohamed M

    2017-07-01

    Stable colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using Caulerpa serrulata (green marine algae) aqueous extract as an efficient reducing and stabilizing agent. This method is considered to be a sustainable alternate to the more complicated chemical procedures. To achieve the optimization synthesis of AgNPs, several effects such as extract concentration, contact time, pH values, and temperature were examined. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, XRD, and HR-TEM. The synthesized AgNPs showed an intense surface plasmon resonance band at 412 nm at the optimal conditions (20% (v/v) extract and 95 °C). TEM reveal that higher extract concentration and higher temperature leading to the formation of spherical AgNPs with an average particle size of 10 ± 2 nm. The synthesized AgNPs showed excellent catalytic reduction activity of Congo red (CR) dye from aqueous solutions. The degradation percentage of CR with AgNPs accelerated by increasing either NaBH 4 concentration or catalytic dosage. The AgNPs synthesized at higher temperature (e.g., 10Ag-95) exhibited the highest catalytic activity. The reaction kinetics was found to be pseudo first order with respect to the dye concentration. Moreover, the AgNPs displayed antibacterial activity at lower concentration against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella sp., Salmonella typhi, and Escherichia coli and may be a good alternative therapeutic approach. The outcomes of the current study confirmed that the synthesized AgNPs had an awesome guarantee for application in catalysis and wastewater treatment.

  18. Synthesis of carbon nanotubes by catalytic vapor decomposition ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Carbon nanotubes (CNTs); catalytic vapor decomposition; soap bubble mass flowmeter. ... [4,13,14], makes them an excellent candidate for use as a dielectric in supercapac- itors [15]. ... the change in liquid level in the scrubber. After the ...

  19. Synthesis and characterization of type silicoaluminophosphates catalytic support

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leite, C.E.T.; Carvalho, M.W.N.C.; Pereira, K.R.O.

    2010-01-01

    The refining processes, the catalytic hydrocracking is the future of diesel oil in Brazil and the first units are already scheduled to be inaugurated. Among the catalysts used in this process, silicoaluminophosphates (SAPO's) have considerable potential for use as they have been effective in the isomerization of n-alkanes, the isomerization of olefins and alkylation of aromatics. Because of this, the objective is to develop catalysts that will be used in hydrocracking reactions. The media like SAPO-5 were synthesized with different ratios silicon/aluminum, which is used as a catalytic support and have the function of crack organic molecules, since it has acidic character. The materials were characterized by techniques: X-ray diffraction, chemical analysis and textural by BET. After summarizing the media found that they had agreements with the crystalline phases presented in the literature.(author)

  20. Nanostructured Samarium Doped Fluorapatites and Their Catalytic Activity towards Synthesis of 1,2,4-Triazoles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kranthi Kumar Gangu

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available An investigation was conducted into the influence of the amino acids as organic modifiers in the facile synthesis of metal incorporated fluorapatites (FAp and their properties. The nanostructured Sm doped fluorapatites (Sm-FAp were prepared by a co-precipitation method using four different amino acids, namely glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glycine and histidine. The materials were characterized by various techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM, N2-adsorption/desorption isotherm, temperature programmed desorption (TPD and fluorescence spectrophotometry. Under similar conditions, Sm-FAp prepared using different amino acids exhibited distinctly different morphological structures, surface area and pore properties. Their activity as catalysts was assessed and Sm-FAp/Glycine displayed excellent efficiency in the synthesis of 1,2,4-triazole catalyzing the reaction between 2-nitrobenzaldehyde and thiosemicarbazide with exceptional selectivity and 98% yield in a short time interval (10 min. The study provides an insight into the role of organic modifiers as controllers of nucleation, growth and aggregation which significantly influence the nature and activity of the catalytic sites on Sm-FAp. Sm-FAp could also have potential as photoactive material.

  1. Room-temperature solution synthesis of Ag nanoparticle functionalized molybdenum oxide nanowires and their catalytic applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong Wenjun; Huang Huandi; Zhu Yanjun; Li Xiaoyun; Wang Xuebin; Li Chaorong; Chen Benyong; Wang Ge; Shi Zhan

    2012-01-01

    A simple chemical solution route for the synthesis of large-scale high-quality Ag nanoparticle functionalized molybdenum oxide nanowire at room temperature has been developed. In the synthesis, the protonated amine was intercalated into the molybdenum bronze layers to reduce the electrostatic force of the lamellar structures, and then the Ag nanoparticle functionalized long nanowires could be easily induced by a redox reaction between a molybdenum oxide–amine intermediate and Ag + at room temperature. The intercalation lamellar structures improved the nucleation and growth of the Ag nanoparticles, with the result that uniform Ag nanoparticles occurred on the surface of the MoO 3 nanowire. In this way Ag nanoparticles with average sizes of around 6 nm, and high-purity nanowires with mean diameter of around 50 nm and with typical lengths of several tens to hundreds of micrometers were produced. The heteronanostructured nanowires were intricately and inseparably connected to each other with hydrogen bonds and/or bridge oxygen atoms and packed together, forming a paper-like porous network film. The Ag–MoO 3 nanowire film performs a promoted catalytic property for the epoxidation of cis-cyclooctene, and the heteronanostructured nanowire film sensor shows excellent sensing performance to hydrogen and oxygen at room temperature. (paper)

  2. Room-temperature solution synthesis of Ag nanoparticle functionalized molybdenum oxide nanowires and their catalytic applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Wenjun; Huang, Huandi; Zhu, Yanjun; Li, Xiaoyun; Wang, Xuebin; Li, Chaorong; Chen, Benyong; Wang, Ge; Shi, Zhan

    2012-10-26

    A simple chemical solution route for the synthesis of large-scale high-quality Ag nanoparticle functionalized molybdenum oxide nanowire at room temperature has been developed. In the synthesis, the protonated amine was intercalated into the molybdenum bronze layers to reduce the electrostatic force of the lamellar structures, and then the Ag nanoparticle functionalized long nanowires could be easily induced by a redox reaction between a molybdenum oxide-amine intermediate and Ag(+) at room temperature. The intercalation lamellar structures improved the nucleation and growth of the Ag nanoparticles, with the result that uniform Ag nanoparticles occurred on the surface of the MoO(3) nanowire. In this way Ag nanoparticles with average sizes of around 6 nm, and high-purity nanowires with mean diameter of around 50 nm and with typical lengths of several tens to hundreds of micrometers were produced. The heteronanostructured nanowires were intricately and inseparably connected to each other with hydrogen bonds and/or bridge oxygen atoms and packed together, forming a paper-like porous network film. The Ag-MoO(3) nanowire film performs a promoted catalytic property for the epoxidation of cis-cyclooctene, and the heteronanostructured nanowire film sensor shows excellent sensing performance to hydrogen and oxygen at room temperature.

  3. Catalytic Reforming of Oxygenates: State of the Art and Future Prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Di; Li, Xinyu; Gong, Jinlong

    2016-10-12

    This Review describes recent advances in the design, synthesis, reactivity, selectivity, structural, and electronic properties of the catalysts for reforming of a variety of oxygenates (e.g., from simple monoalcohols to higher polyols, then to sugars, phenols, and finally complicated mixtures like bio-oil). A comprehensive exploration of the structure-activity relationship in catalytic reforming of oxygenates is carried out, assisted by state-of-the-art characterization techniques and computational tools. Critical emphasis has been given on the mechanisms of these heterogeneous-catalyzed reactions and especially on the nature of the active catalytic sites and reaction pathways. Similarities and differences (reaction mechanisms, design and synthesis of catalysts, as well as catalytic systems) in the reforming process of these oxygenates will also be discussed. A critical overview is then provided regarding the challenges and opportunities for research in this area with a focus on the roles that systems of heterogeneous catalysis, reaction engineering, and materials science can play in the near future. This Review aims to present insights into the intrinsic mechanism involved in catalytic reforming and provides guidance to the development of novel catalysts and processes for the efficient utilization of oxygenates for energy and environmental purposes.

  4. Intracellular crowding effects on the self-association of the bacterial cell division protein FtsZ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naddaf, Lamis; Sayyed-Ahmad, Abdallah

    2014-12-15

    The dimerization rate of the bacterial cell division protein FtsZ is strongly affected by the intracellular crowding. Yet the complexity of the intracellular environment makes it difficult to investigate via all-atom molecular dynamics or other detailed theoretical methods. We study the crowding effect on FtsZ dimerization which is the first step of an oligomerization process that results in more elaborate supramolecular structures. In particular, we consider the effect of intracellular crowding on the reaction rates, and their dependence on the different concentrations of crowding agents. We achieved this goal by using Brownian dynamics (BD) simulation techniques and a modified post-processing approach in which we decompose the rate constant in crowded media as a product of the rate constant in the dilute solution times a factor that incorporates the crowding effect. The latter factor accounts for the diffusion reduction and crowder induced energy. In addition we include the crowding effects on water viscosity in the BD simulations of crowded media. We finally show that biomolecular crowding has a considerable effect on the FtsZ dimerization by increasing the dimerization rate constant from 2.6×10(7)M(-1)s(-1) in the absence of crowders to 1.0×10(8)M(-1)s(-1) at crowding level of 0.30. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Six-flow operations for catalyst development in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis : Bridging the gap between high-throughput experimentation and extensive product evaluation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sartipi, S.; Jansma, H.; Bosma, D.; Boshuizen, B.; Makkee, M.; Gascon, J.; Kapteijn, F.

    2013-01-01

    Design and operation of a “six-flow fixed-bed microreactor” setup for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is described. The unit consists of feed and mixing, flow division, reaction, separation, and analysis sections. The reactor system is made of five heating blocks with individual temperature

  6. Impact of the Valence Charge of Transition Metals on the Cobalt- and Rhodium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Indenamines, Indenols, and Isoquinolinium Salts: A Catalytic Cycle Involving MIII/MV [M = Co, Rh] for [4+2] Annulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiou, Mong-Feng; Jayakumar, Jayachandran; Cheng, Chien-Hong; Chuang, Shih-Ching

    2018-06-13

    Reaction mechanisms for the synthesis of indenamines, indenols, and isoquinolinium salts through cobalt- and rhodium-catalysis were investigated using density functional theory calculations. We found that the valence charge of transition metals dramatically influences the reaction pathways. Catalytic reactions involving lower-oxidation-state transition metals (M I /M III , M = Co and Rh) generally favor a [3+2] cyclization pathway, whereas those involving higher oxidation states (M III /M V ) proceed through a [4+2] cyclization pathway. A catalytic cycle with novel M III /M V as a crucial species was successfully revealed for isoquinolinium salts synthesis, which highly valent M V was not only encountered in the [RhCp*]-catalysis but also in the [CoCp*]-catalysis.

  7. GOSAT TIR spectral validation with High/Low temperature target using Aircraft base-FTS S-HIS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kataoka, F.; Knuteson, R.; Taylor, J. K.; Kuze, A.; Shiomi, K.; Suto, H.; Yoshida, J.

    2017-12-01

    The Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) was launched on January 2009. The GOSAT is equipped with TANSO-FTS (Fourier-Transform Spectrometer), which observe reflected solar radiation from the Earth's surface with shortwave infrared (SWIR) band and thermal emission from the Earth's surface and atmosphere with thermal infrared (TIR) band. The TIR band cover wide spectral range (650 - 1800 [cm-1]) with a high spectral resolution (0.2 [cm-1]). The TIR spectral information provide vertical distribution of CO2 and CH4. GOSAT has been operation more than eight years. In this long operation, GOSAT had experienced two big accidents; Rotation of one of the solar paddles stopped and sudden TANSO-FTS operation stop in May 2014 and cryocooler shutdown and restart in August - September 2015. These events affected the operation condition of the TIR photo-conductive (PC)-MCT detector. FTS technology using multiplex wide spectra needs wide dynamic range. PC detector has nonlinearity. Its correction needs accurate estimation of time-dependent offset. In current TIR Level 1B product version (V201), the non-photon level offset (Vdc_offset) estimated from on-orbit deep space calibration data and pre-launch background radiation model. But the background radiation and detector temperature have changed after cryocooler shutdown events. These changes are too small to detect from onboard temperature sensors. The next TIR Level 1B product uses cross calibration data together with deep space calibration data and instrument radiation model has been updated. This work describes the evaluation of new TIR Level 1B spectral quality with aircraft-based FTS; Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS). The S-HIS mounted on the high-altitude ER-2 aircraft and flew at about 20km altitude. Because the observation geometry of GOSAT and S-HIS are quite different, we used the double difference method using atmospheric transfer model. GOSAT TIR band cover wide dynamic range, so we check

  8. Observations of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in the upper troposphere by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tereszchuk, K. A.; Moore, D. P.; Harrison, J. J.; Boone, C. D.; Park, M.; Remedios, J. J.; Randel, W. J.; Bernath, P. F.

    2013-06-01

    Peroxyacetyl nitrate (CH3CO·O2NO2, abbreviated as PAN) is a trace molecular species present in the troposphere and lower stratosphere due primarily to pollution from fuel combustion and the pyrogenic outflows from biomass burning. In the lower troposphere, PAN has a relatively short lifetime and is principally destroyed within a few hours through thermolysis, but it can act as a reservoir and carrier of NOx in the colder temperatures of the upper troposphere, where UV photolysis becomes the dominant loss mechanism. Pyroconvective updrafts from large biomass burning events can inject PAN into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS), providing a means for the long-range transport of NOx. Given the extended lifetimes at these higher altitudes, PAN is readily detectable via satellite remote sensing. A new PAN data product is now available for the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) version 3.0 data set. We report observations of PAN in boreal biomass burning plumes recorded during the BORTAS (quantifying the impact of BOReal forest fires on Tropospheric oxidants over the Atlantic using Aircraft and Satellites) campaign (12 July to 3 August 2011). The retrieval method employed by incorporating laboratory-recorded absorption cross sections into version 3.0 of the ACE-FTS forward model and retrieval software is described in full detail. The estimated detection limit for ACE-FTS PAN is 5 pptv, and the total systematic error contribution to the ACE-FTS PAN retrieval is ~ 16%. The retrieved volume mixing ratio (VMR) profiles are compared to coincident measurements made by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) instrument on the European Space Agency (ESA) Environmental Satellite (ENVISAT). The MIPAS measurements demonstrated good agreement with the ACE-FTS VMR profiles for PAN, where the measured VMR values are well within the associated measurement errors for both instruments and comparative

  9. Hybrid plasma-catalytic reforming of ethanol aerosol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solomenko, O.V.; Nedybaliuk, O.A.; Chernyak, V.Ya.; Iukhymenko, V.V.; Veremii, Iu.P.; Iukhymenko, K.V.; Martysh, E.V.; Fedirchyk, I.I.; Demchina, V.P.; Levko, D.S.; Tsymbalyuk, O.M.; Liptuga, A.I.; Dragnev, S.V.

    2015-01-01

    Hybrid plasma-catalytic reforming of the ethanol aerosol with plasma activation of only the oxidant (air) was studied. Part of the oxidant (∼20%) was activated by means of rotational gliding arc with solid electrodes and injected into the reaction (pyrolytic) chamber as a plasma torch. This part of the oxidant interacted with a mixture of hydrocarbons and the rest of the oxidant (∼80%) in the reaction chamber. Temperature changes in the reaction chamber, the composition of the synthesis-gas and the products of synthesis-gas combustion were analyzed

  10. SYNTHESIS OF BIODIESEL ON A HYBRID CATALYTIC-PLASMA REACTOR OVER K2O/CaO-ZnO CATALYST

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luqman Buchori

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper aimed to study the synergistic effects of dielectric barrier discharge plasma and 5 % K2O/CaO-ZnO catalyst on biodiesel synthesis. The catalyst was prepared using co-precipitation followed by impregnation method. The catalyst was characterized by XRD, while the catalyst basicity was tested by titration method. The effects of voltage, weight hourly space velocity (WHSV, and catalyst pellet diameter on the yield of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME and biodiesel were studied. The transesterification process within and without plasma environment was investigated to find synergistic effect between the role of high energetic electrons from the plasma through the catalytic reaction zone and the role of basicity in the catalyst. From the results, an applied voltage of 5 kV, a WHSV of 1.186 min-1, and a catalyst diameter of 5 mm gave the better FAME yield of 77.19 %. The reaction time required was only 1.25 minutes at a discharge power of 530 W. This result proved that the plasma environment has a significant effect on performance of the hybrid catalytic-plasma reactor for biodiesel production.

  11. Bimetallic Nanoparticles in Alternative Solvents for Catalytic Purposes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trung Dang-Bao

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Bimetallic nanoparticles represent attractive catalytic systems thanks to the synergy between both partners at the atomic level, mainly induced by electronic effects which in turn are associated with the corresponding structures (alloy, core-shell, hetero-dimer. This type of engineered material can trigger changes in the kinetics of catalyzed processes by variations on the electrophilicity/nucleophilicity of the metal centers involved and also promote cooperative effects to foster organic transformations, including multi-component and multi-step processes. Solvents become a crucial factor in the conception of catalytic processes, not only due to their environmental impact, but also because they can preserve the bimetallic structure during the catalytic reaction and therefore increase the catalyst life-time. In this frame, the present review focuses on the recent works described in the literature concerning the synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles in non-conventional solvents, i.e., other than common volatile compounds, for catalytic applications.

  12. AuPd Bimetallic Nanocrystals Embedded in Magnetic Halloysite Nanotubes: Facile Synthesis and Catalytic Reduction of Nitroaromatic Compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Jia

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available In this research, a facile and effective approach was developed for the preparation of well-designed AuPd alloyed catalysts supported on magnetic halloysite nanotubes (HNTs@Fe3O4@AuPd. The microstructure and the magnetic properties of HNTs@Fe3O4@AuPd were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM, high resolution TEM (HRTEM, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS, and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM analyses. The catalysts, fabricated by a cheap, environmentally friendly, and simple surfactant-free formation process, exhibited high activities during the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and various other nitroaromatic compounds. Moreover, the catalytic activities of the HNTs@Fe3O4@AuPd nanocatalysts were tunable via adjusting the atomic ratio of AuPd during the synthesis. As compared with the monometallic nanocatalysts (HNTs@Fe3O4@Au and HNTs@Fe3O4@Pd, the bimetallic alloyed HNTs@Fe3O4@AuPd nanocatalysts exhibited excellent catalytic activities toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP to 4-aminophenol. Furthermore, the as-obtained HNTs@Fe3O4@AuPd can be recycled several times, while retaining its functionality due to the stability and magnetic separation property.

  13. Hierarchical ZnO microspheres built by sheet-like network: Large-scale synthesis and structurally enhanced catalytic performances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Guoxing; Liu Yuanjun; Ji Zhenyuan; Bai Song; Shen Xiaoping; Xu Zheng

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Hierarchical ZnO microspheres were prepared through a facile precursor procedure in the absence of self-assembled templates, organic additives, or matrices. ► The building blocks of microspheres, sheet-like ZnO networks, are porous mesocrystal terminated with (0 1 −1 0) crystal planes. ► The hierarchical ZnO microsphere catalyst exhibits structure-induced enhancement of catalytic performance and a strong durability. - Abstract: Large-scale novel hierarchical ZnO microspheres were fabricated by a facile precursor procedure in the absence of self-assembled templates, organic additives, or matrices. A field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) image reveals that the ZnO microspheres with diameter of 5–18 μm are built by sheet-like ZnO networks with average thickness of 40 nm and length of several microns. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) image indicates that the building blocks, sheet-like ZnO networks, are porous mesocrystal terminated with {0 1 −1 0} crystal planes. A potential application of the ZnO microspheres as a catalyst in the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles was investigated. It was found that the hierarchical ZnO microsphere catalyst exhibits structure-induced enhancement of catalytic performance and a strong durability.

  14. One pot synthesis of copper nanoparticles at room temperature and its catalytic activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikhil V. Suramwar

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available A facile reduction approach with sodium borohydride as a reducing agent and starch as a stabilizing agent leads to monodispersed Cu nanoparticles in aqueous medium at an ambient condition. The synthesized nanoparticles are highly pure with no traces of CuO found on surface. They are uniform in size in the range of 40–80 nm. The Cu nanoparticles have a FCC structure as characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM images show that they are arranged in a regular array which is separated by starch thin layer which controls the growth as well as stabilizes the Cu nanoparticles from air oxidation. The catalytic activity of prepared Cu nanomaterial was tested in Ullman reaction for the synthesis of biphenyl from iodobenzene. We have shown in this paper that the size as well as exposed surface area of the copper nanoparticles is responsible for the increase in yield of biphenyl up to 92%. This is higher compare to the 40% yield with the normal size copper powder under the same reaction condition.

  15. A microwave assisted one-pot route synthesis of bimetallic PtPd alloy cubic nanocomposites and their catalytic reduction for 4-nitrophenol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jian; Gan, Wei; Fu, Xucheng; Hao, Hequn

    2017-10-01

    We herein report a simple, rapid, and eco-friendly chemical route to the one-pot synthesis of bimetallic PtPd alloy cubic nanocomposites under microwave irradiation. During this process, water was employed as an environmentally benign solvent, while dimethylformamide served as a mild reducing agent, and polyvinylpyrrolidone was used as both a dispersant and a stabilizer. The structure, morphology, and composition of the resulting alloy nanocomposites were examined by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. A detailed study was then carried out into the catalytic activity of the PtPd nanocomposites with a Pt:Pd molar ratio of 50:50 in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by sodium borohydride as a model reaction. Compared with pristine Pt and Pd monometallic nanoparticles (PtNPs and PdNPs), the bimetallic PtPd alloy nanocomposites exhibited enhanced catalytic activities and were readily recyclable in the reduction of 4-NP due to synergistic effects.

  16. X-ray physico-chemical imaging during activation of cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beale, Andrew M.; Jacques, Simon D. M.; Di Michiel, Marco; Mosselmans, J. Frederick W.; Price, Stephen W. T.; Senecal, Pierre; Vamvakeros, Antonios; Paterson, James

    2017-11-01

    The imaging of catalysts and other functional materials under reaction conditions has advanced significantly in recent years. The combination of the computed tomography (CT) approach with methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) now enables local chemical and physical state information to be extracted from within the interiors of intact materials which are, by accident or design, inhomogeneous. In this work, we follow the phase evolution during the initial reduction step(s) to form Co metal, for Co-containing particles employed as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts; firstly, working at small length scales (approx. micrometre spatial resolution), a combination of sample size and density allows for transmission of comparatively low energy signals enabling the recording of `multimodal' tomography, i.e. simultaneous XRF-CT, XANES-CT and XRD-CT. Subsequently, we show high-energy XRD-CT can be employed to reveal extent of reduction and uniformity of crystallite size on millimetre-sized TiO2 trilobes. In both studies, the CoO phase is seen to persist or else evolve under particular operating conditions and we speculate as to why this is observed. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Providing sustainable catalytic solutions for a rapidly changing world'.

  17. YeeV is an Escherichia coli toxin that inhibits cell division by targeting the cytoskeleton proteins, FtsZ and MreB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Qian; Awano, Naoki; Inouye, Masayori

    2011-01-01

    Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems of free-living bacteria have recently demonstrated that these toxins inhibit cell growth by targeting essential functions of cellular metabolism. Here we show that YeeV toxin inhibits cell division, leads to a change in morphology and lysis of Escherichia coli cells. YeeV interacts with two essential cytoskeleton proteins, FtsZ and MreB. Purified YeeV inhibits both the GTPase activity and the GTP-dependent polymerization of FtsZ. YeeV also inhibits ATP-dependent polymerization of MreB. Truncated C-terminal deletions of YeeV result in elongation of cells, and a deletion of the first 15 amino acids from the N-terminus of YeeV caused lemon-shaped cell formation. The YeeV toxin is distinct from other well-studied toxins: it directs the binding of two cytoskeletal proteins and inhibits FtsZ and MreB simultaneously. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. Synthesis and visible-light-induced catalytic activity of Ag{sub 2}S-coupled TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles and nanowires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie Yi; Heo, Sung Hwan; Kim, Yong Nam; Yoo, Seung Hwa; Cho, Sung Oh, E-mail: socho@kaist.ac.kr [Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 373-1 Guseong, Yuseong, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-01-08

    We present the synthesis and visible-light-induced catalytic activity of Ag{sub 2}S-coupled TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles (NPs) and TiO{sub 2} nanowires (NWs). Through a simple wet chemical process from a mixture of peroxo titanic acid (PTA) solution, thiourea and AgAc, a composite of Ag{sub 2}S NPs and TiO{sub 2} NPs with sizes of less than 7 nm was formed. When the NP composite was further treated with NaOH solution followed by annealing at ambient conditions, a new nanocomposite material comprising Ag{sub 2}S NPs on TiO{sub 2} NWs was created. Due to the coupling with such a low bandgap material as Ag{sub 2}S, the TiO{sub 2} nanocomposites could have a visible-light absorption capability much higher than that of pure TiO{sub 2}. As a result, the synthesized Ag{sub 2}S/TiO{sub 2} nanocomposites exhibited much higher catalytic efficiency for the decomposition of methyl orange than commercial TiO{sub 2} (Degussa P25, Germany) under visible light.

  19. CbtA toxin of Escherichia coli inhibits cell division and cell elongation via direct and independent interactions with FtsZ and MreB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heller, Danielle M; Tavag, Mrinalini; Hochschild, Ann

    2017-09-01

    The toxin components of toxin-antitoxin modules, found in bacterial plasmids, phages, and chromosomes, typically target a single macromolecule to interfere with an essential cellular process. An apparent exception is the chromosomally encoded toxin component of the E. coli CbtA/CbeA toxin-antitoxin module, which can inhibit both cell division and cell elongation. A small protein of only 124 amino acids, CbtA, was previously proposed to interact with both FtsZ, a tubulin homolog that is essential for cell division, and MreB, an actin homolog that is essential for cell elongation. However, whether or not the toxic effects of CbtA are due to direct interactions with these predicted targets is not known. Here, we genetically separate the effects of CbtA on cell elongation and cell division, showing that CbtA interacts directly and independently with FtsZ and MreB. Using complementary genetic approaches, we identify the functionally relevant target surfaces on FtsZ and MreB, revealing that in both cases, CbtA binds to surfaces involved in essential cytoskeletal filament architecture. We show further that each interaction contributes independently to CbtA-mediated toxicity and that disruption of both interactions is required to alleviate the observed toxicity. Although several other protein modulators are known to target FtsZ, the CbtA-interacting surface we identify represents a novel inhibitory target. Our findings establish CbtA as a dual function toxin that inhibits both cell division and cell elongation via direct and independent interactions with FtsZ and MreB.

  20. Hydrodehalogenation of alkyl iodides with base-mediated hydrogenation and catalytic transfer hydrogenation: application to the asymmetric synthesis of N-protected α-methylamines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandal, Pijus K; Birtwistle, J Sanderson; McMurray, John S

    2014-09-05

    We report a very mild synthesis of N-protected α-methylamines from the corresponding amino acids. Carboxyl groups of amino acids are reduced to iodomethyl groups via hydroxymethyl intermediates. Reductive deiodination to methyl groups is achieved by hydrogenation or catalytic transfer hydrogenation under alkaline conditions. Basic hydrodehalogenation is selective for the iodomethyl group over hydrogenolysis-labile protecting groups, such as benzyloxycarbonyl, benzyl ester, benzyl ether, and 9-fluorenyloxymethyl, thus allowing the conversion of virtually any protected amino acid into the corresponding N-protected α-methylamine.

  1. Pt3Co concave nanocubes: synthesis, formation understanding, and enhanced catalytic activity toward hydrogenation of styrene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chenyu; Lin, Cuikun; Zhang, Lihua; Quan, Zewei; Sun, Kai; Zhao, Bo; Wang, Feng; Porter, Nathan; Wang, Yuxuan; Fang, Jiye

    2014-02-03

    We report a facile synthesis route to prepare high-quality Pt3Co nanocubes with a concave structure, and further demonstrate that these concave Pt3Co nanocubes are terminated with high-index crystal facets. The success of this preparation is highly dependent on an appropriate nucleation process with a successively anisotropic overgrowth and a preservation of the resultant high-index planes by control binding of oleyl-amine/oleic acid with a fine-tuned composition. Using a hydrogenation of styrene as a model reaction, these Pt3Co concave nanocubes as a new class of nanocatalysts with more open structure and active atomic sites located on their high-index crystallographic planes exhibit an enhanced catalytic activity in comparison with low-indexed surface terminated Pt3Co nanocubes in similar size. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Impact of H2/CO ratios on phase and performance of Mn-modified Fe-based Fischer Tropsch synthesis catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding, Mingyue; Yang, Yong; Li, Yongwang; Wang, Tiejun; Ma, Longlong; Wu, Chuangzhi

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Decreasing H 2 /CO ratio facilitated the conversion of Fe 3 O 4 to iron carbides on the surface layers. ► The formation of surface carbonaceous species was promoted in higher CO partial pressure. ► The formation of iron carbides on the surface of Fe 3 O 4 provided the FTS active sites. ► Decreasing H 2 /CO ratio promoted the product shifting towards heavy hydrocarbons. - Abstract: Impacts of H 2 /CO ratios on both the bulky and surface compositions of an iron–manganese based catalyst were investigated by XRD, MES, N 2 -physisorption, XPS and LRS. Fischer–Tropsch (F–T) synthesis performances were studied in a slurry-phase continuously stirred tank reactor. The characterization results showed that the fresh catalyst was comprised of the hematite, which was converted firstly to Fe 3 O 4 , and then carburized to iron carbides in both the bulk and surface regions under different H 2 /CO ratios atmosphere. Pretreatment in lower H 2 /CO ratio facilitated the formation of iron carbides on the surface of magnetite and surface carbonaceous species. During the F–T synthesis reaction, the catalyst reduced in lower H 2 /CO ratio presented higher catalytic activity, which is assigned probably to the formation of more iron carbides (especially for χ-Fe 5 C 2 ) on the surface of magnetite. The increase of CO partial pressure promoted the product distribution shifting towards heavy hydrocarbons

  3. Renewable synthesis-gas-production. Do hydrocarbons in the reactant flow of the reverse water-gas shift reaction cause coke formation?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wolf, A.; Kern, C.; Jess, A. [Bayreuth Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    2013-11-01

    In a two-step synthetic fuel production process based on carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen, the best possible selectivity towards liquid hydrocarbons (Hc) shall be implemented. The process consists of a combination of the Reverse Water-Gas Shift reaction and the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. To achieve this goal, gaseous short-chained Hc from the FTS reactor are recycled in the RWGS unit. In this paper, challenges coming up with the implementation of a recycle loop are discussed. First of all, it has to be examined whether Hc are converted under conditions present in the RWGS reactor. The coking caused by the recycle of Hc is regarded, including thermal coking in the heating zone of the reactor and catalytic coking in the catalyst bed. Coking of course is unwanted, as it deactivates the catalyst. The scope of this work is to find out to which extent and under which conditions gaseous Hc can be recycled. Therefore, experiments were carried out in both, a quartz glass reactor using a commercial Ni-catalyst at ambient pressure and in a pressurized steel reactor (without catalyst) to examine coking during the thermal decomposition of Hc. The catalytic experiments at atmospheric pressure showed that a recycle of CH{sub 4} did not cause coking up to a ratio of CH{sub 4}/CO{sub 2} below one. For these conditions, long term stability was proved. The reaction rates of the CH{sub 4} conversion were below those of the RWGS reaction. However, replacing CH{sub 4} by C{sub 3}H{sub 8} leads to thermal and catalytic coking. Catalytic coking hits the maximum level at about 700 C and decreases for higher temperatures and, thus is not regarded as a problem for the RWGS reactor. In contrast to that, thermal coking raises with higher temperatures, but it can be supressed efficiently with additional injection of H{sub 2}O, which of course shifts the equilibrium towards the undesired reactant side. (orig.)

  4. Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Catalytic Activity of A Cu(II Coordination Polymer Constructed from 1,4-Phenylenediacetic Acid and 2,2’-Bipyridine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Li-Hua

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available In order to study the catalytic activity of Cu(II coordination polymer material, a novel 1D chained Cu(II coordination polymer material, [CuL(bipy(H2O5]n (A1 (H2L = 1,4-phenylenediacetic acid, bipy = 2,2’-bipyridine, has been prepared by the reaction of 1,4-phenylenediacetic acid, 2,2’-bipyridine, Cu(CH3COO2·H2O and NaOH. The composition of A1 was determined by elemental analysis, IR spectra and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The results of characterization show that each Cu(II atom adopts six-coordination and forms a distorted octahedral configuration. The catalytic activity and reusability of A1 catalyst for A3 coupling reaction of benzaldehyde, piperidine, and phenylacetylene have been investigated. And the results show that the Cu(II complex catalyst has good catalytic activity with a maximum yield of 54.3% and stability. Copyright © 2017 BCREC GROUP. All rights reserved Received: 21st October 2016; Revised: 17th November 2016; Accepted: 22nd November 2016 How to Cite: Li-Hua, W., Lei, L., Xin, W. (2017. Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Catalytic Activity of A Cu(II Coordination Polymer Constructed from 1,4-Phenylenediacetic Acid and 2,2’-Bipyridine. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 12 (1: 113-118 (doi:10.9767/bcrec.12.1.735.113-118 Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.12.1.735.113-118

  5. Green synthesis, characterization and catalytic degradation studies of gold nanoparticles against congo red and methyl orange.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umamaheswari, C; Lakshmanan, A; Nagarajan, N S

    2018-01-01

    The present study reports, novel and greener method for synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using 5,7-dihydroxy-6-metoxy-3 ' ,4 ' methylenedioxyisoflavone (Dalspinin), isolated from the roots of Dalbergia coromandeliana was carried out for the first time. The synthesized gold nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The observed surface plasmon resonance (SPR) at 532nm in the UV-Vis absorption spectrum indicates the formation of gold nanoparticles. The powder XRD and SAED pattern for synthesized gold nanoparticles confirms crystalline nature. The HR-TEM images showed that the AuNPs formed were small in size, highly monodispersed and spherical in shape. The average particle sizes of the AuNPs are found to be ~10.5nm. The prepared AuNPs were found to be stable for more than 5months without any aggregation. The catalytic degradation studies of the synthesized AuNPs towards degradation of congo red and methyl orange, showed good catalytic in the complete degradation of both the dyes. The reduction catalyzed by gold nanoparticles followed the pseudo-first order kinetics, with a rate constant of 4.5×10 -3 s -1 (R 2 =0.9959) and 1.7×10 -3 s -1 (R 2 =0.9918) for congo red (CR) and methyl orange (MO), respectively. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Synthesis and characterization of branched fcc/hcp ruthenium nanostructures and their catalytic activity in ammonia borane hydrolysis

    KAUST Repository

    AlYami, Noktan

    2018-01-30

    Several systems have shown the ability to stabilize uncommon crystal structures during the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. By tailoring the nanoparticle crystal structure, the physical and chemical properties of the particles can also be controlled. Herein, we first synthesized branched nanoparticles of mixed hcp/fcc ruthenium, which were formed using tungsten carbonyl [W(CO)6] as both a reducing agent and a source of carbon monoxide. The branched particles were formed from multiple particulates off a central core. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) clearly showed that the branched structures consisted of aligned hcp crystal domains, a mixture of fcc and hcp crystal domains with several defects and misalignments, and particles that contained multiple cores and branches. Branched particles were also formed with molybdenum carbonyl [Mo(CO)6], and faceted particles of hcp and fcc particles were formed with Re2(CO)10 as a carbon monoxide source. Without metal carbonyls, small particles of spherical hcp ruthenium were produced, and their size could be controlled by the selection of the precursor. The ruthenium nanoparticles were tested for ammonia borane hydrolysis; the branched nanoparticles were more reactive for catalytic hydrogen evolution than the faceted hcp/fcc nanoparticles or the spherical hcp nanoparticles. This work showcases the potential of crystal phase engineering of transition metal nanoparticles by different carbon monoxide precursors for tailoring their catalytic reactivity.

  7. A facile route to controlled synthesis of Co3O4 nanoparticles and their environmental catalytic properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong Yuming; He Kun; Yin Lin; Zhang Aimin

    2007-01-01

    Using ammonia and Co(CH 3 COO) 2 ·4H 2 O as starting materials, a facile and surfactant-free route to controlled synthesis of Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles was proposed. Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles with average sizes of 3.5, 6, 11, 19 and 70 nm were obtained through adjusting the ethanol amount in the solvent (the ratio of ethanol to water) or the concentration of raw materials. In this process, the presence of enough O 2 was crucial for the formation of pure Co 3 O 4 phase. The environmental catalytic properties of as-obtained Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles were investigated. The results indicated their remarkable catalysis for ozonation degradation of phenol, which denoted a promising application as catalyst in waste-water treatment

  8. Abroma augusta Linn bark extract-mediated green synthesis of gold nanoparticles and its application in catalytic reduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Subhajit; Bag, Braja Gopal; Basu, Ranadhir

    2015-10-01

    The bark extract of Abroma augusta Linn is rich in medicinally important phytochemicals including antioxidants and polyphenols. First one step green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has been described utilizing the bark extract of Abroma augusta L. and chloroauric acid under very mild reaction conditions. The phytochemicals present in the bark extract acted both as a reducing as well as a stabilizing agent, and no additional stabilizing and capping agents were needed. Detailed characterizations of the stabilized AuNPs were carried out by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction studies. The catalytic activity of the freshly synthesized gold nanoparticles has been demonstrated for the sodium borohydride reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, and the kinetics of the reduction reaction have been studied spectrophotometrically.

  9. YeeU enhances the bundling of cytoskeletal polymers of MreB and FtsZ, antagonizing the CbtA (YeeV) toxicity in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masuda, Hisako; Tan, Qian; Awano, Naoki; Wu, Kuen-Phon; Inouye, Masayori

    2012-06-01

    All free-living bacteria carry the toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems controlling cell growth and death under stress conditions. YeeU-YeeV (CbtA) is one of the Escherichia coli TA systems, and the toxin, CbtA, has been reported to inhibit the polymerization of bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, MreB and FtsZ. Here, we demonstrate that the antitoxin, YeeU, is a novel type of antitoxin (type IV TA system), which does not form a complex with CbtA but functions as an antagonist for CbtA toxicity. Specifically, YeeU was found to directly interact with MreB and FtsZ, and enhance the bundling of their filamentous polymers in vitro. Surprisingly, YeeU neutralized not only the toxicity of CbtA but also the toxicity caused by other inhibitors of MreB and FtsZ, such as A22, SulA and MinC, indicating that YeeU-induced bundling of MreB and FtsZ has an intrinsic global stabilizing effect on their homeostasis. Here we propose to rename YeeU as CbeA for cytoskeleton bundling-enhancing factor A. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  10. Synthesis of Ultra-Small Platinum, Palladium and Gold Nanoparticles by Shewanella loihica PV-4 Electrochemically Active Biofilm and Their Enhanced Catalytic Activities

    KAUST Repository

    Ahmed, Elaf

    2018-02-21

    Ultra-small nanoparticles (USNPs) of noble metals have a great potential in a variety of applications due to their high surface areas and high reactivity. This works employed electrochemically active biofilms (EABs) composed of a single bacterium strain of Shewanella loihica PV-4 and successfully synthesized USNPs of noble metal Au, Pd, and Pt. The synthesized USNPs had a size range between 2 and 7 nm and exhibited excellent catalytic performance in dye decomposition. The results of this work shine lights on the use of EABs in nanoparticle synthesis.

  11. Tunable preparation of ruthenium nanoparticles with superior size-dependent catalytic hydrogenation properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Yuan; Luo, Yaodong; Yang, Xuan; Yang, Yaxin; Song, Qijun, E-mail: qsong@jiangnan.edu.cn

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • A facile and efficient strategy is firstly developed for the synthesis of Ru NPs. • Ru NPs are stable and uniform with the controllable sizes from 2.6 to 51.5 nm. • Ru NPs exhibit size-dependent and superior catalytic hydrogenation activity. - Abstract: Ruthenium (Ru) featured with an unusual catalytic behavior is of great significance in several heterogeneous and electro-catalytic reactions. The preparation of tractable Ru nanocatalysts and the building of highly active catalytic system at ambient temperature remains a grand challenge. Herein, a facile strategy is developed for the controllable preparation of Ru nanoparticles (NPs) with the sizes ranging from 2.6 to 51.5 nm. Ru NPs show superior size-dependent catalytic performance with the best kinetic rate constant as high as −1.52 min{sup −1}, which could far surpass the other traditional noble metals. Ru NPs exert exceedingly efficient low-temperature catalytic activity and good recyclability in the catalytic reduction of nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) and azo dyes. The developed catalytic system provides a distinguishing insight for the artificial preparation of Ru NPs with desired sizes, and allows for the development of rational design rules for exploring catalysts with superior catalytic performances, potentially broadening the applications of metallic NP-enabled catalytic analysis.

  12. Green synthesis of Silver and Gold Nanoparticles for Enhanced catalytic and bactericidal activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naraginti, S.; Tiwari, N.; Sivakumar, A.

    2017-11-01

    A rapid one step green synthetic method using kiwi fruit extract was employed for preparation of silver and gold nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were successfully used as green catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methylene blue (MB). They also exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against clinically isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.aeruginosa) and Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus). It was noticed that with increase in concentration of the aqueous silver and gold solutions, particle size of the Ag and Au NPS showed increase as evidenced from UV-Visible spectroscopy and TEM micrograph. The method employed for the synthesis required only a few minutes for more than 90% formation of nanoparticles when the temperature was raised to 80°C. It was also noticed that the catalytic activity of nanoparticles depends upon the size of the particles. These nanoparticles were observed to be crystalline from the clear lattice fringes in the transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images, bright circular spots in the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern and peaks in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum indicated the presence of different functional groups in the biomolecule capping the nanoparticles.

  13. One-pot synthesis of reduced graphene oxide supported PtCuy catalysts with enhanced electro-catalytic activity for the methanol oxidation reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Xinglan; Zhao, Yanchun; Chen, Duhong; Fan, Yanfang; Wang, Xiao; Wang, Weili; Tian, Jianniao

    2014-01-01

    The outstanding performance PtCu y (y = 1,2,3) alloy nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have been synthesized by a facile, efficient, one-pot hydrothermal synthesis approach. The as-prepared PtCu y /rGO catalysts are comprehensively characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy. Cyclic voltammetry, CO-stripping voltammetry and chronoamperometry results reveal that the PtCu y /rGO catalysts have higher electro-catalytic activity, more negative onset oxidative potential, more excellent tolerance ability for CO poisoning and enhanced stability for the electro-oxidation of methanol compared to pure Pt/rGO. As far as the as-made PtCu y /rGO catalysts are concerned, the PtCu 2 /rGO exhibits the highest electro-catalytic activity. The mechanism of the promoting effect of Cu on Pt is explained based on the electronic modification effect. The nature of interfacial interactions between the Pt-Cu active metal phase and the rGO supporting materials is crucial to achieving high performance

  14. Observations of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in the upper troposphere by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tereszchuk, K. A.; Moore, D. P.; Harrison, J. J.; Boone, C. D.; Park, M.; Remedios, J. J.; Randel, W. J.; Bernath, P. F.

    2013-01-01

    Peroxyacetyl nitrate (CH3CO·O2NO2, abbreviated as PAN) is a trace molecular species present in the troposphere and lower stratosphere due primarily to pollution from fuel combustion and the pyrogenic outflows from biomass burning. In the lower troposphere, PAN has a relatively short life-time and is principally destroyed within a few hours through thermolysis, but it can act as a reservoir and carrier of NOx in the colder temperatures of the upper troposphere where UV photolysis becomes the dominant loss mechanism. Pyroconvective updrafts from large biomass burning events can inject PAN into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS), providing a means for the long-range transport of NOx. Given the extended lifetimes at these higher altitudes, PAN is readily detectable via satellite remote sensing. A new PAN data product is now available for the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) Version 3.0 data set. We report measurements of PAN in Boreal biomass burning plumes recorded during the Quantifying the impact of BOReal forest fires on Tropospheric oxidants over the Atlantic using Aircraft and Satellites (BORTAS) campaign. The retrieval method employed and errors analysis are described in full detail. The retrieved volume mixing ratio (VMR) profiles are compared to coincident measurements made by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) instrument on the European Space Agency (ESA) ENVIronmental SATellite (ENVISAT). Three ACE-FTS occultations containing measurements of Boreal biomass burning outflows, recorded during BORTAS, were identified as having coincident measurements with MIPAS. In each case, the MIPAS measurements demonstrated good agreement with the ACE-FTS VMR profiles for PAN. The ACE-FTS PAN data set is used to obtain zonal mean distributions of seasonal averages from ~5 to 20 km. A strong seasonality is clearly observed for PAN concentrations in the global UTLS. Since the

  15. Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties of stable mesoporous molecular sieve MCM-41 prepared from zeolite mordenite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Shan; Dou Tao; Li Yuping; Zhang Ying; Li Xiaofeng; Yan Zichun

    2004-01-01

    Mesoporous molecular sieves (denoted as M-MCM-41) with ordered hexagonal structure have been successfully synthesized from the assembly of precursors from preformed zeolite Mordenite with CTAB surfactant micelle in alkaline media. The samples were characterized by XRD, N 2 adsorption, IR and DTG. The materials exhibit highly hydrothermal stability, as compared with conventional MCM-41. Characterization results indicate that the mesoporous walls of M-MCM-41 contain the secondary building units similar to those in microporous crystal of zeolite Mordenite. In catalytic dealkylation of C10 + aromatic hydrocarbon, M-MCM-41 shows higher activities in comparison with Mordenite and MCM-41, which would be ascribed to the combination of advantages of both MCM-41 (large pores) and Mordenite (strong acidity). Furthermore, this synthesis strategy could be used as a new general method for the preparation of hydrothermally stable mesoporous aluminosilicate materials under alkaline conditions

  16. Identifying the catalytic components of cellulose synthase and the maize mixed-linkage beta-glucan synthase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nicholas C Carpita

    2009-04-20

    Five specific objectives of this project are to develop strategies to identify the genes that encode the catalytic components of "mixed-linkage" (1→3),(1→4)-beta-D-glucans in grasses, to determine the protein components of the synthase complex, and determine the biochemical mechanism of synthesis. We have used proteomic approaches to define intrinsic and extrinsic polypeptides of Golgi membranes that are associated with polysaccharide synthesis and trafficking. We were successful in producing recombinant catalytic domains of cellulose synthase genes and discovered that they dimerize upon concentration, indicating that two CesA proteins form the catalytic unit. We characterized a brittle stalk2 mutant as a defect in a COBRA-like protein that results in compromised lignin-cellulose interactions that decrease tissue flexibility. We used virus-induced gene silencing of barley cell wall polysaccharide synthesis by BSMV in an attempt to silence specific members of the cellulose synthase-like gene family. However, we unexpectedly found that regardless of the specificity of the target gene, whole gene interaction networks were silenced. We discovered the cause to be an antisense transcript of the cellulose synthase gene initiated small interfering RNAs that spread silencing to related genes.

  17. Calibration of column-averaged CH4 over European TCCON FTS sites with airborne in-situ measurements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geibel, M. C.; Messerschmidt, J.; Gerbig, C.; Blumenstock, T.; Chen, H.; Hase, F.; Kolle, O.; Lavric, J. V.; Notholt, J.; Palm, M.; Rettinger, M.; Schmidt, Martina; Sussmann, R.; Warneke, T.; Feist, D. G.

    2012-01-01

    In September/October 2009, six European ground-based Fourier Transform Spectrometers (FTS) of the Total Carbon Column Observation Network (TCCON) were calibrated for the first time using aircraft measurements. The campaign was part of the Infrastructure for Measurement of the European Carbon Cycle

  18. Directional synthesis of ethylbenzene through catalytic transformation of lignin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Minghui; Jiang, Peiwen; Bi, Peiyan; Deng, Shumei; Yan, Lifeng; Zhai, Qi; Wang, Tiejun; Li, Quanxin

    2013-09-01

    Transformation of lignin to ethylbenzene can provide an important bulk raw material for the petrochemical industry. This work explored the production of ethylbenzene from lignin through the directional catalytic depolymerization of lignin into the aromatic monomers followed by the selective alkylation of the aromatic monomers. For the first step, the aromatics selectivity of benzene derived from the catalytic depolymerization of lignin reached about 90.2 C-mol% over the composite catalyst of Re-Y/HZSM-5 (25). For the alkylation of the aromatic monomers in the second step, the highest selectivity of ethylbenzene was about 72.3 C-mol% over the HZSM-5 (25) catalyst. The reaction pathway for the transformation of lignin to ethylbenzene was also addressed. Present transformation potentially provides a useful approach for the production of the basic petrochemical material and development of high-end chemicals utilizing lignin as the abundant natural aromatic resource. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. A Catalytic, Asymmetric Formal Synthesis of (+)-Hamigeran B

    KAUST Repository

    Mukherjee, Herschel

    2011-03-04

    A concise asymmetric, formal synthesis of (+)-hamigeran B is reported. A Pd-catalyzed, decarboxylative allylic alkylation, employing a trifluoromethylated derivative of t-BuPHOX, is utilized as the enantioselective step to form the critical quaternary carbon center in excellent yield and enantioselectivity. The product is converted in three steps to a late-stage intermediate previously used in the synthesis of hamigeran B.

  20. A Catalytic, Asymmetric Formal Synthesis of (+)-Hamigeran B

    KAUST Repository

    Mukherjee, Herschel; McDougal, Nolan T.; Virgil, Scott C.; Stoltz, Brian M.

    2011-01-01

    A concise asymmetric, formal synthesis of (+)-hamigeran B is reported. A Pd-catalyzed, decarboxylative allylic alkylation, employing a trifluoromethylated derivative of t-BuPHOX, is utilized as the enantioselective step to form the critical quaternary carbon center in excellent yield and enantioselectivity. The product is converted in three steps to a late-stage intermediate previously used in the synthesis of hamigeran B.

  1. A new approach for crystallization of copper(ii) oxide hollow nanostructures with superior catalytic and magnetic response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Inderjeet; Landfester, Katharina; Chandra, Amreesh; Muñoz-Espí, Rafael

    2015-11-01

    We report the synthesis of copper(ii) oxide hollow nanostructures at ambient pressure and close to room temperature by applying the soft templating effect provided by the confinement of droplets in miniemulsion systems. Particle growth can be explained by considering a mechanism that involves both diffusion and reaction control. The catalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol in aqueous media is used as a model reaction to prove the catalytic activity of the materials: the synthesized hollow structures show nearly 100 times higher rate constants than solid CuO microspheres. The kinetic behavior and the order of the reduction reaction change due to the increase of the surface area of the hollow structures. The synthesis also leads to modification of physical properties such as magnetism.We report the synthesis of copper(ii) oxide hollow nanostructures at ambient pressure and close to room temperature by applying the soft templating effect provided by the confinement of droplets in miniemulsion systems. Particle growth can be explained by considering a mechanism that involves both diffusion and reaction control. The catalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol in aqueous media is used as a model reaction to prove the catalytic activity of the materials: the synthesized hollow structures show nearly 100 times higher rate constants than solid CuO microspheres. The kinetic behavior and the order of the reduction reaction change due to the increase of the surface area of the hollow structures. The synthesis also leads to modification of physical properties such as magnetism. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Associated structural and morphological analysis, XPS characterization, BET surface area, catalytic measurements, recycle tests of the catalyst, and magnetic characterizations. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr05579b

  2. Remote sensing of GHG over Paris megacity and Orléans forest using ground-based QualAir FTS and TCCON-Orléans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Te, Y.; Jeseck, P.; Da Costa, J.; Deutscher, N. M.; Warneke, T.; Notholt, J.

    2012-04-01

    In a growing world with more than 7 billion inhabitants and big emerging countries such as China, Brazil and India, emissions of anthropogenic pollutants are increasing continuously. Monitoring and control of atmospheric pollutants in megacities have become a major challenge for scientists and public health authorities in environmental research area. The QualAir platform at University Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), is an innovating experimental research platform dedicated to survey greenhouse gases (GHGs) and urban air quality. As one of the major instruments of the QualAir platform, the ground-based Fourier transform spectrometer (QualAir FTS, IFS 125HR model) analyses the composition of the urban atmosphere of Paris, which is the third European megacity. The continuous monitoring of atmospheric pollutants is essential to improve the understanding of urban air pollution processes. Associated with a sun-tracker, the QualAir remote sensing FTS operates in solar infrared absorption and enables to monitor many trace gases, and to follow up their variability in the Ile-de-France region. A description of the QualAir FTS will be given. Concentrations of atmospheric GHG, especially CO2 and CH4, are retrieved by the radiative transfer model PROFFIT. Located in the centre of Paris, the QualAir FTS can provide new and complementary urban measurements as compared to unpolluted ground-based stations of existing networks (NDACC and TCCON). The work made by LPMAA to join the TCCON network will also be presented. TCCON-Orléans is a ground-based FTS of the TCCON network located in the forest of Orléans (100 km south of Paris). Preliminary comparisons of GHGs measurements from both sites will be shown. Such ground-based information will help to better characterize regional GHGs, especially regarding anthropogenic emissions and trends.

  3. Ruthenium dioxide nanoparticles in ionic liquids: synthesis, characterization and catalytic properties in hydrogenation of olefins and arenes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rossi, Liane M.; Dupont, Jairton; Machado, Giovanna; Fichtner, Paulo F.P.; Radtke, Claudio; Baumvol, Israel J.R.; Teixeira, Sergio R.

    2004-01-01

    The reaction of NaBH 4 with RuCl 3 dissolved in 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMI.PF 6 ) ionic liquid is a simple and reproducible method for the synthesis of stable RuO 2 nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution within 2-3 nm. RuO 2 nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, XPS, EDS and TEM. These nanoparticles showed high catalytic activity either in the solventless or liquid-liquid biphasic hydrogenation of olefins and arenes under mild reaction conditions. Hg(0) and CS 2 poisoning experiments and XRD and TEM analysis of particles isolated after catalysis indicated the formation of Ru(0) nanoparticles. The nanoparticles could be re-used in solventless conditions up to 10 times in the hydrogenation of 1-hexene yielding a total turnover number for exposed Ru atoms of 175,000. (author)

  4. Prediction of Safety Stock Using Fuzzy Time Series (FTS) and Technology of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for Stock Control at Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mashuri, Chamdan; Suryono; Suseno, Jatmiko Endro

    2018-02-01

    This research was conducted by prediction of safety stock using Fuzzy Time Series (FTS) and technology of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for stock control at Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI). Well-controlled stock influenced company revenue and minimized cost. It discussed about information system of safety stock prediction developed through programming language of PHP. Input data consisted of demand got from automatic, online and real time acquisition using technology of RFID, then, sent to server and stored at online database. Furthermore, data of acquisition result was predicted by using algorithm of FTS applying universe of discourse defining and fuzzy sets determination. Fuzzy set result was continued to division process of universe of discourse in order to be to final step. Prediction result was displayed at information system dashboard developed. By using 60 data from demand data, prediction score was 450.331 and safety stock was 135.535. Prediction result was done by error deviation validation using Mean Square Percent Error of 15%. It proved that FTS was good enough in predicting demand and safety stock for stock control. For deeper analysis, researchers used data of demand and universe of discourse U varying at FTS to get various result based on test data used.

  5. Prediction of Safety Stock Using Fuzzy Time Series (FTS and Technology of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID for Stock Control at Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mashuri Chamdan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This research was conducted by prediction of safety stock using Fuzzy Time Series (FTS and technology of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID for stock control at Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI. Well-controlled stock influenced company revenue and minimized cost. It discussed about information system of safety stock prediction developed through programming language of PHP. Input data consisted of demand got from automatic, online and real time acquisition using technology of RFID, then, sent to server and stored at online database. Furthermore, data of acquisition result was predicted by using algorithm of FTS applying universe of discourse defining and fuzzy sets determination. Fuzzy set result was continued to division process of universe of discourse in order to be to final step. Prediction result was displayed at information system dashboard developed. By using 60 data from demand data, prediction score was 450.331 and safety stock was 135.535. Prediction result was done by error deviation validation using Mean Square Percent Error of 15%. It proved that FTS was good enough in predicting demand and safety stock for stock control. For deeper analysis, researchers used data of demand and universe of discourse U varying at FTS to get various result based on test data used.

  6. Synthesis of urease hybrid nanoflowers and their enhanced catalytic properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somturk, Burcu; Yilmaz, Ismail; Altinkaynak, Cevahir; Karatepe, Aslıhan; Özdemir, Nalan; Ocsoy, Ismail

    2016-05-01

    Increasing numbers of materials have been extensively used as platforms for enzyme immobilization to enhance catalytic activity and stability. Although stability of enzyme was accomplished with immobilization approaches, activity of the most of the enzymes was declined after immobilization. Herein, we synthesize the flower shaped-hybrid nanomaterials called hybrid nanoflower (HNF) consisting of urease enzyme and copper ions (Cu(2+)) and report a mechanistic elucidation of enhancement in both activity and stability of the HNF. We demonstrated how experimental factors influence morphology of the HNF. We proved that the HNF (synthesized from 0.02mgmL(-1) urease in 10mM PBS (pH 7.4) at +4°C) exhibited the highest catalytic activity of ∼2000% and ∼4000% when stored at +4°C and RT, respectively compared to free urease. The highest stability was also achieved by this HNF by maintaining 96.3% and 90.28% of its initial activity within storage of 30 days at +4°C and RT, respectively. This dramatically enhanced activity is attributed to high surface area, nanoscale-entrapped urease and favorable urease conformation of the HNF. The exceptional catalytic activity and stability properties of HNF can be taken advantage of to use it in fields of biomedicine and chemistry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in supercritical phase carbon dioxide: Recycle rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soti, Madhav

    With increasing oil prices and attention towards the reduction of anthropogenic CO2, the use of supercritical carbon dioxide for Fischer Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) is showing promise in fulfilling the demand of clean liquid fuels. The evidence of consumption of carbon dioxide means that it need not to be removed from the syngas feed to the Fischer Tropsch reactor after the gasification process. Over the last five years, research at SIUC have shown that FTS in supercritical CO2reduces the selectivities for methane, enhances conversion, reduces the net CO2produces in the coal to liquid fuels process and increase the life of the catalyst. The research has already evaluated the impact of various operating and feed conditions on the FTS for the once through process. We believe that the integration of unreacted feed recycle would enhance conversion, increase the yield and throughput of liquid fuels for the same reactor size. The proposed research aims at evaluating the impact of recycle of the unreacted feed gas along with associated product gases on the performance of supercritical CO2FTS. The previously identified conditions will be utilized and various recycle ratios will be evaluated in this research once the recycle pump and associated fittings have been integrated to the supercritical CO2FTS. In this research two different catalysts (Fe-Zn-K, Fe-Co-Zn-K) were analyzed under SC-FTS in different recycle rate at 350oC and 1200 psi. The use of recycle was found to improve conversion from 80% to close to 100% with both catalysts. The experiment recycle rate at 4.32 and 4.91 was clearly surpassing theoretical recycle curve. The steady state reaction rate constant was increased to 0.65 and 0.8 min-1 for recycle rate of 4.32 and 4.91 respectively. Carbon dioxide selectivity was decreased for both catalyst as it was converting to carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide consumption was increased from 0.014 to 0.034 mole fraction. This concluded that CO2is being used in the system and

  8. Block-copolymer assisted synthesis of arrays of metal nanoparticles and their catalytic activities for the growth of SWNTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhaviripudi, Sreekar; Reina, Alfonso; Qi, Jifa; Kong, Jing; Belcher, Angela M

    2006-01-01

    Block copolymer micellar templates were used for the controlled synthesis of large arrays of mono-metallic (Fe, Co, Ni, Mo) and bi-metallic (Fe-Mo) nanoparticles with average diameters ranging from 1 to 4 nm and the distance between the nanoparticles ranging from 40 to 45 nm. XPS data reveal the presence of mono-metallic nanoparticles in their oxidized states. These uniform arrays of nanoparticles serve as an excellent tool to investigate the catalytic effect of different metal/metal oxide nanoparticles for the growth of carbon nanotubes, and in this work, they were used to investigate the growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes with the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process, using both ethanol and hydrocarbon (methane + ethylene) gases as carbon sources. The periodicity and the arrangement of nanoparticles were unaffected even at high growth temperatures, indicating that nanoparticle agglomeration on the Si substrate does not take place during growth. AFM and SEM results reveal uniform growth of nanotubes with diameters smaller than the initial size of the catalyst nanoparticles. The Fe, Co and Ni nanoparticles all serve as effective catalysts for nanotube growth with both types of carbon feed stock, and Co and Ni give rise to a relatively higher yield than Fe. The catalytic activity of Fe and bi-metallic Fe-Mo nanoparticles of similar size and identical densities using ethanol CVD are also compared

  9. Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Activity of Pd(II Salen-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rotcharin Sawisai

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Salen ligand synthesized from 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde was used as a palladium chelating ligand for the immobilization of the catalytic site. Mesoporous silica supported palladium catalysts were prepared by immobilizing Pd(OAc2 onto a mesoporous silica gel through the coordination of the imine-functionalized mesoporous silica gel. The prepared catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX, inductivity couple plasma (ICP, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR spectroscopy. The solid catalysts showed higher activity for the hydroamination of C-(tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-galactopyranosylallene with aromatic amines compared with the corresponding homogenous catalyst. The heterogeneous catalytic system can be easily recovered by simple filtration and reused for up to five cycles with no significant loss of catalytic activity.

  10. Novel Catalytic Membrane Reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stuart Nemser, PhD

    2010-10-01

    There are many industrial catalytic organic reversible reactions with amines or alcohols that have water as one of the products. Many of these reactions are homogeneously catalyzed. In all cases removal of water facilitates the reaction and produces more of the desired chemical product. By shifting the reaction to right we produce more chemical product with little or no additional capital investment. Many of these reactions can also relate to bioprocesses. Given the large number of water-organic compound separations achievable and the ability of the Compact Membrane Systems, Inc. (CMS) perfluoro membranes to withstand these harsh operating conditions, this is an ideal demonstration system for the water-of-reaction removal using a membrane reactor. Enhanced reaction synthesis is consistent with the DOE objective to lower the energy intensity of U.S. industry 25% by 2017 in accord with the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and to improve the United States manufacturing competitiveness. The objective of this program is to develop the platform technology for enhancing homogeneous catalytic chemical syntheses.

  11. Catalytic Intermolecular Cross-Couplings of Azides and LUMO-Activated Unsaturated Acyl Azoliums

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Wenjun; Ajitha, Manjaly John; Lang, Ming; Huang, Kuo-Wei; Wang, Jian

    2017-01-01

    An example for the catalytic synthesis of densely functionalized 1,2,3-triazoles through a LUMO activation mode has been developed. The protocol is enabled by intermolecular cross coupling reactions of azides with in situ-generated alpha

  12. Biomimetic synthesis of silver nanoparticles and evaluation of their catalytic activity towards degradation of methyl orange

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manjari Mishra, Pravat; Bihari Pani, Khirod

    2017-11-01

    This paper described the significant effect of process variables like reductant concentrations, substrate concentration, reaction pH and reaction temperature on the size, morphology and yield of the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using aqueous leaf extract of a medicinal plant Momordica charantia (Bitter guard). By means of UV-vis spectroscopy, XRD analysis, TEM analysis and Fluorescence analysis, it is observed that the reaction solution containing 10-3 M of AgNO3 of pH 5.3  +  10 ml of aqueous leaf extract at normal room temperature, was optimum for synthesis of stable, polydisperse, predominantly spherical AgNPs with average size of 12.15 nm. FT-IR and TEM studies confirmed the stability of AgNPs was due to the capping of phytoconstituents present in the leaf extract. The aqueous solution of leaf extract containing AgNPs showed remarkable catalytic activity towards degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous medium.

  13. Electrostatic Evaluation of the ARES I FTS Antenna Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogue, Michael D.; Calle, Carlos I.

    2010-01-01

    Surface resistivity and volume resistivity data show all the tested non-metallic materials of the Ares I FTS antenna assembly to be insulative. The external materials (White foam, phenolic) should be able to develop a large surface charge density upon tribocharging with ice crystal impingement. Dielectric breakdown tests on the FTS antenna housing materials show that each of the insulative materials are very resistive to electrical breakdown. The thicknesses of these materials in a nominal housing should protect the antenna from direct breakdown from external triboelectric charging potentials. Per data from the Air Force study, a maximum external electric potential in the range of 100kV can be developed on surfaces tribocharged by ice crystal impingement. Testing showed that under operational pressure ranges, this level of exterior voltage can result in a potential of about 6 kV induced on the electrically floating interior antenna vanes. Testing the vanes up to this voltage level showed that electrostatic discharges can occur between the electrically floating vanes and the center, grounded screw heads. Repeated tests with multiple invisible and visible discharges caused only superficial physical damage to the vanes. Fourier analysis of the discharge signals showed that the frequency range of credible discharges would not interfere with the nominal operation of the FTS antenna. However, due to the limited scope, short timetable, and limited funding of this study, a direct measurement of the triboelectric charge that could be generated on the Ares I antenna housing when the rocket traverses an ice cloud at supersonic speeds was not performed. Instead, data for the limited Air Force study [3] was used as input for our experiments. The Air Force data used was not collected with a sensor located to provide us with the best approximation at the geometry of the Ares I rocket, namely that of the windshield electrometer, because brush discharges to the metal frame of the

  14. Bismuth molybdate catalysts prepared by mild hydrothermal synthesis: Influence of pH on the selective oxidation of propylene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schuh, Kirsten; Kleist, Wolfgang; Høj, Martin

    2015-01-01

    A series of bismuth molybdate catalysts with relatively high surface area was prepared via mild hydrothermal synthesis. Variation of the pH value and Bi/Mo ratio during the synthesis allowed tuning of the crystalline Bi-Mo oxide phases, as determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman...... spectroscopy. The pH value during synthesis had a strong influence on the catalytic performance. Synthesis using a Bi/Mo ratio of 1/1 at pH ≥ 6 resulted in γ-Bi2MoO6, which exhibited a better catalytic performance than phase mixtures obtained at lower pH values. However, a significantly lower catalytic...

  15. Hierarchically porous MgCo2O4 nanochain networks: template-free synthesis and catalytic application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Xiangfeng; Yu, Yunlong; Li, Xiaoyan; Chen, Dagui; Luo, Peihui; Zhang, Yu; Guo, Shanxin

    2018-01-01

    In this work, hierarchically porous MgCo2O4 nanochain networks were successfully synthesized by a novel template-free method realized via a facile solvothermal synthesis followed by a heat treatment. The morphologies of MgCo2O4 precursor could be adjusted from nanosheets to nanobelts and finally to interwoven nanowires, depending on the volume ratio of diethylene glycol to deionized water in the solution. After calcination, the interwoven precursor nanowires were transformed to hierarchical MgCo2O4 nanochain networks with marco-/meso-porosity, which are composed of 10-20 nm nanoparticles connected one by one. Moreover, the relative formation mechanism of the MgCo2O4 nanochain networks was discussed. More importantly, when evaluated as catalytic additive for AP thermal decomposition, the MgCo2O4 nanochain networks show excellent accelerating effect. It is benefited from the unique hierarchically porous network structure and multicomponent effect, which effectively accelerates ammonia oxidation and {{{{ClO}}}4}- species dissociation. This approach opens the way to design other hierarchically porous multicomponent metal oxides.

  16. Catalytic synthesis of alcoholic fuels for transportation from syngas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qiongxiao Wu

    2012-12-15

    consequently on the catalytic activity. (3) Addition of 3 mol % CO{sub 2} to the H2/CO feed stream leads to a significant loss of activity for the Cu-Ni/SiO2 catalyst contrary to the case for the Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst. DFT calculations show in accordance with previous surface science studies that oxygen on the surface could lead to an enrichment of the Ni-content in the surface. (4) Silica supported bimetallic Cu-Ni catalysts with different ratios of Cu to Ni have been prepared by impregnation. In situ reduction of Cu-Ni alloys with combined synchrotron XRD and XAS reveal a strong interaction between Cu and Ni, resulting in improved reducibility of Ni as compared to monometallic Ni. At high nickel concentrations silica supported Cu-Ni alloys form a homogeneous solid solution of Cu and Ni, whereas at lower nickel contents, copper and nickel are separately aggregated and form metallic Cu and Cu-Ni alloy phases. At the same reduction conditions, the particle sizes of reduced Cu-Ni alloys decrease with increasing in Ni content. A maximum methanol productivity of 0.66 kg kgcat-1 h-1 with methanol selectivity up to 99.2 mol % has been achieved for a Cu-Ni/SiO2 catalyst prepared by the deposition-co-precipitation method. There is no apparent catalyst deactivation observed during the tested time on stream (40-100 h), contrary to the observation for the industrial Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst. For higher alcohol synthesis, the main work has been performed on CO hydrogenation over supported Mo2C. Mo2C supported on active carbon, carbon nanotubes, and titanium dioxide, and promoted by K2CO3, has been prepared and tested for higher alcohol synthesis from syngas. At optimal conditions, the activity and selectivity to alcohols (methanol and higher alcohols) over supported Mo2C are significantly higher compared to bulk Mo2C. The CO conversion reaches a maximum, when about 20 wt % Mo2C is loaded on active carbon. The selectivity to higher alcohols increases with increasing Mo2C loading on active

  17. Synthesis, characterization and study of catalytic activity of Silver ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The XRD results revealed that all the samples show wurtzite hexagonal phase of ZnO. .... (Zn(Ac)2.2H2O) was used as zinc oxide source. ... The catalytic experiments ... were filtered out from the catalyst and then oxidation ..... As shown in table 5, the best results were obtained when acetonitrile was used as the sol- vent.

  18. Catalytic Synthesis of Ethyl Ester From Some Common Oils ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Catalytic conversion of ethanol to fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) was carried out by homogeneous and heterogeneous transesterification of melon seed, shea butter and neem seed oils using NaOH, KOH and 5wt%CaO/Al2O3 catalyst systems respectively. Oil content of the seeds from n-hexane or hot water extract ranged ...

  19. Roles of the Essential Protein FtsA in Cell Growth and Division in Streptococcus pneumoniae

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mura, Andrea; Fadda, D.; Perez, A.J.; Danforth, M.L.; Musu, D.; Rico, A.I.; Krupka, M.; Denapaite, D.; Tsui, H-Ch.T.; Winkler, M.E.; Branny, Pavel; Vicente, M.; Margolin, W.; Massidda, O.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 199, č. 3 (2017), č. článku UNSP e00608. ISSN 0021-9193 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP302/12/0256; GA MŠk LH12055 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : FtsA * Gram-positive cocci * Streptococcus pneumoniae Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology OBOR OECD: Microbiology Impact factor: 3.143, year: 2016

  20. Nano-Fe 3 O 4 /O 2 : Green, Magnetic and Reusable Catalytic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    , efficient, heterogeneous and reusable catalytic system for the synthesis of benzimidazoles via the reactions of o-phenylenediamine (1 eq) with aryl aldehydes (1 eq) in excellentyields (85–97 %) and short reaction times (30–100 min) with a ...

  1. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a two-phase reactor with presaturation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wache, W. [Bayernoil Raffineriegesellschaft mbH, Ingolstadt (Germany); Datsevich, L.; Jess, A. [Bayreuth Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    2006-07-01

    In industry, the Fischer-Tropsch (FTS) synthesis is mostly carried out in multiphase slurry or multitubular reactors (MTR), where gaseous reactants and liquid products (hydrocarbons up to waxes) are contacted in the presence of a solid catalyst. Such reactors are characterized by a complex temperature control, necessity of gas recycling, complicated design and problematic scale-up. A new alternative to conventional FTS-processes is the presaturated-one-liquid-phase (POLF) technology. The basic principle of this concept is a recirculation of the liquid phase, in which a gaseous reactant(s) is (are) solved before entering the fixed-bed reactor. In a simple column reactor, this technology ensures the effective heat removal and intensive fluid-solid mass transfer. In comparison to conventional reactors, the plant design is very simple, the temperature control is uncomplicated and there is no danger of any runaways. That results in lower investment and operation costs as well as in higher reliability. The experiments show that the conversion of CO and the product distribution of hydrocarbons are practically independent on the mode of operation (two- or three-phase system). However, in the lab-scale apparatus, water is accumulated in the loop, which leads to a loss of the catalyst activity (due to Fe-carbonate). In a technical process, the water accumulation in a loop can be eluded by taking an oil free of water from the oil work-up unit. Our experiments with the removal of water from the stream by a zeolite demonstrate a much promising applicability of the POLF process to the industrial FTS. (orig.)

  2. Mixture of fuels approach for the synthesis of SrFeO(3-δ) nanocatalyst and its impact on the catalytic reduction of nitrobenzene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naveenkumar, Akula; Kuruva, Praveena; Shivakumara, Chikkadasappa; Srilakshmi, Chilukoti

    2014-11-17

    A modified solution combustion approach was applied in the synthesis of nanosize SrFeO(3-δ) (SFO) using single as well as mixture of citric acid, oxalic acid, and glycine as fuels with corresponding metal nitrates as precursors. The synthesized and calcined powders were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis and derivative thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DTG), scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N2 physisorption methods, and acidic strength by n-butyl amine titration methods. The FT-IR spectra show the lower-frequency band at 599 cm(-1) corresponds to metal-oxygen bond (possible Fe-O stretching frequencies) vibrations for the perovskite-structure compound. TG-DTG confirms the formation temperature of SFO ranging between 850-900 °C. XRD results reveal that the use of mixture of fuels in the preparation has effect on the crystallite size of the resultant compound. The average particle size of the samples prepared from single fuels as determined from XRD was ∼50-35 nm, whereas for samples obtained from mixture of fuels, particles with a size of 30-25 nm were obtained. Specifically, the combination of mixture of fuels for the synthesis of SFO catalysts prevents agglomeration of the particles, which in turn leads to decrease in crystallite size and increase in the surface area of the catalysts. It was also observed that the present approach also impacted the catalytic activity of the SFO in the catalytic reduction of nitrobenzene to azoxybenzene.

  3. Catalytic-Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Reactor For Methane and Carbon Dioxide Conversion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Istadi Istadi

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available A catalytic - DBD plasma reactor was designed and developed for co-generation of synthesis gas and C2+ hydrocarbons from methane. A hybrid Artificial Neural Network - Genetic Algorithm (ANN-GA was developed to model, simulate and optimize the reactor. Effects of CH4/CO2 feed ratio, total feed flow rate, discharge voltage and reactor wall temperature on the performance of catalytic DBD plasma reactor was explored. The Pareto optimal solutions and corresponding optimal operating parameters ranges based on multi-objectives can be suggested for catalytic DBD plasma reactor owing to two cases, i.e. simultaneous maximization of CH4 conversion and C2+ selectivity, and H2 selectivity and H2/CO ratio. It can be concluded that the hybrid catalytic DBD plasma reactor is potential for co-generation of synthesis gas and higher hydrocarbons from methane and carbon dioxide and showed better than the conventional fixed bed reactor with respect to CH4 conversion, C2+ yield and H2 selectivity for CO2 OCM process. © 2007 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reserved.[Presented at Symposium and Congress of MKICS 2007, 18-19 April 2007, Semarang, Indonesia][How to Cite: I. Istadi, N.A.S. Amin. (2007. Catalytic-Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Reactor For Methane and Carbon Dioxide Conversion. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering and Catalysis, 2 (2-3: 37-44.  doi:10.9767/bcrec.2.2-3.8.37-44][How to Link/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.2.2-3.8.37-44 || or local: http://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/bcrec/article/view/8][Cited by: Scopus 1 |

  4. Atomically Precise Metal Nanoclusters for Catalytic Application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jin, Rongchao [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    2016-11-18

    works include: i) Effects of ligand, cluster charge state, and size on the catalytic reactivity in CO oxidation, semihydrogenation of alkynes; ii) Size-controlled synthesis of Au-n clusters and structural elucidation; iii) Catalytic mechanisms and correlation with structures of cluster catalyst; iv) Catalytic properties of Au nanorods in chemoselective hydrogenation of nitrobenzaldehyde and visible light driven photocatalytic reactions.

  5. Validation of HNO3, ClONO2, and N2O5 from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Raspollini

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE satellite was launched on 12 August 2003. Its two instruments measure vertical profiles of over 30 atmospheric trace gases by analyzing solar occultation spectra in the ultraviolet/visible and infrared wavelength regions. The reservoir gases HNO3, ClONO2, and N2O5 are three of the key species provided by the primary instrument, the ACE Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS. This paper describes the ACE-FTS version 2.2 data products, including the N2O5 update, for the three species and presents validation comparisons with available observations. We have compared volume mixing ratio (VMR profiles of HNO3, ClONO2, and N2O5 with measurements by other satellite instruments (SMR, MLS, MIPAS, aircraft measurements (ASUR, and single balloon-flights (SPIRALE, FIRS-2. Partial columns of HNO3 and ClONO2 were also compared with measurements by ground-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR spectrometers. Overall the quality of the ACE-FTS v2.2 HNO3 VMR profiles is good from 18 to 35 km. For the statistical satellite comparisons, the mean absolute differences are generally within ±1 ppbv ±20% from 18 to 35 km. For MIPAS and MLS comparisons only, mean relative differences lie within±10% between 10 and 36 km. ACE-FTS HNO3 partial columns (~15–30 km show a slight negative bias of −1.3% relative to the ground-based FTIRs at latitudes ranging from 77.8° S–76.5° N. Good agreement between ACE-FTS ClONO2 and MIPAS, using the Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung and Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IMK-IAA data processor is seen. Mean absolute differences are typically within ±0.01 ppbv between 16 and 27 km and less than +0.09 ppbv between 27 and 34 km. The ClONO2 partial column comparisons show varying degrees of agreement, depending on the location and the quality of the FTIR measurements. Good agreement was found for the comparisons with the midlatitude Jungfraujoch partial columns for which

  6. Azadirachta indica plant-assisted green synthesis of Mn3O4 nanoparticles: Excellent thermal catalytic performance and chemical sensing behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Jitendra Kumar; Srivastava, Pratibha; Ameen, Sadia; Akhtar, M Shaheer; Singh, Gurdip; Yadava, Sudha

    2016-06-15

    The leaf extract of Azadirachta indica (Neem) plant was utilized as reducing agent for the green synthesis of Mn3O4 nanoparticles (NPs). The crystalline analysis demonstrated the typical tetragonal hausmannite crystal structure of Mn3O4, which confirmed the formation of Mn3O4 NPs without the existence of other oxides. Green synthesized Mn3O4 NPs were applied for the catalytic thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and as working electrode for fabricating the chemical sensor. The excellent catalytic effect for the thermal decomposition of AP was observed by decreasing the decomposition temperature by 175 °C with single decomposing step. The fabricated chemical sensor based on green synthesized Mn3O4 NPs displayed high, reliable and reproducible sensitivity of ∼569.2 μA mM(-1) cm(-2) with reasonable limit of detection (LOD) of ∼22.1 μM and the response time of ∼10 s toward the detection of 2-butanone chemical. A relatively good linearity in the ranging from ∼20 to 160 μM was detected for Mn3O4 NPs electrode based 2-butanone chemical sensor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Pulsed laser synthesis in liquid of efficient visible-light-active ZnO/rGO nanocomposites for improved photo-catalytic activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moqbel, Redhwan A.; Gondal, Mohammed A.; Qahtan, Talal F.; Dastageer, Mohamed A.

    2018-03-01

    In this work the synthesis of visible light active zinc oxide/reduced graphene oxide (ZnO/rGO) nanocomposite by laser induced fragmentation of particulates in liquid, its morphological/optical characterizations, and its application in the process of photo-catalytic degradation of toxic Rhodamine B (RhB) dye under visible radiation were studied. It is observed from the optical and morphological characterization that the anchoring of ZnO on the rGO sheets in ZnO/rGO nanocomposite considerably reduced the aggregation of ZnO (increased surface area), reduced the recombination of photo-induced charge carriers, promoted more adsorption of reactants on the catalytic surface and also enhanced and extended the light absorption in the visible spectral region. With all these improved characteristics of ZnO/rGO nanocomposite, it was found that this material as a photo-catalyst yielded an RhB degradation efficiency of 86%, as compared to the 40% degradation with pure ZnO NPs under the same experimental conditions. In the ZnO/rGO nanocomposite, rGO functions as an electron acceptor to promote charge separation, an aggregation inhibitor to enhance the active surface area, a co-catalyst, a good dye adsorber and also as a supporting matrix for ZnO.

  8. Catalytic conversion of CO2 into valuable products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pham-Huu, C.; Ledoux, M.J.

    2008-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows: Synthesis gas, a mixture of H 2 and CO, is an important feed-stock for several chemical processes operated in the production of methanol and synthetic fuels through a Fischer- Tropsch synthesis. Synthesis gas is produced via an endothermic steam reforming of methane (CH 4 + H 2 O → CO + 3H 2 , ΔH = +225.4 kJ.mol -1 ), catalytic or direct partial oxidation of methane (CH 4 + (1/2)O 2 → CO + 2H 2 , ΔH -38 kJ.mol -1 ) and CO 2 reforming of methane (CH 4 + CO 2 → 2CO + 2H 2 , ΔH= +247 kJ.mol -1 ). The main disadvantage of these processes is the high coke formation, essentially in the nano-filament form, which may cause severe deactivation of the catalyst by pore or active site blocking and sometimes, physical disintegration of the catalyst body causing a high pressure drop along the catalyst bed and even, in some cases, inducing damage to the reactor itself. Previous results obtained in the catalytic partial oxidation of methane have shown that due to the hot spot and carbon nano-filaments formation, especially in the case of the CO 2 reforming, the alumina-based catalyst in an extrudate form was broken into powder which induces a significant pressure drop across the catalytic bed. In the case of endothermic reactions, steam and CO 2 reforming, the temperature drop within the catalyst bed could also modified the activity of the catalyst. Silicon carbide (SiC) exhibits a high thermal conductivity, a high resistance towards oxidation, a high mechanical strength, and chemical inertness, all of which make it a good candidate for use as catalyst support in several endothermic and exothermic reactions such as dehydrogenation, selective partial oxidation, and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The gas-solid reaction allows the preparation of SiC with medium surface area, i.e. 10 to 40 m 2 .g -1 , and controlled macroscopic shape, i.e. grains, extrudates or foam, for it subsequence use as catalyst support. In addition, due to its chemical

  9. Asymmetric synthesis of cyclo-archaeol and ß-glucosyl cyclo-archaeol

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ferrer, C.; Fodran, P.; Barroso, S.; Gibson, R.; Hopmans, E.C.; Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Schouten, S.; Minnaard, A.J.

    2013-01-01

    An efficient asymmetric synthesis of cyclo-archaeol and beta-glucosyl cyclo-archaeol is presented employing catalytic asymmetric conjugate addition and catalytic epoxide ring opening as the key steps. Their occurrence in deep sea hydrothermal vents has been confirmed by chromatographic comparison

  10. Study of ammonia synthesis using technetium catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spitsyn, V.I.; Mikhajlenko, I.E.; Pokrovskaya, O.V.

    1982-01-01

    A study was made on catalytic properties of technetium in ammonia synthesis reaction. The preparation of technetium catalysts on ν-Al 2 O 3 , BaTiO 3 , BaO-ν-Al 2 O 3 substrates is described. The investigation of catalytic activity of catalysts was carried out at a pressure of 1 atm. in vertical reactor with volume rate of 15000 h - 1 in the temperature range of 350-425 deg. The amount of catalyst was 0.5-1 g, the volume- 0.5 ml, the size of granules- 2-3 mm. Rate constants of ammonia synthesis reaction were calculated. Seeming activation energies of the process have meanings wihtin the limits of 40-50 kcal/mol. It was shown that with increase in concentration of Tc on BaTiO 3 the catalytic activity rises in comparison with pure Tc. The reduction of catalytic activity with increase of metal content on Al 2 O 3 begins in the limits of 3.5-6.7% Tc/ν-Al 2 O 3 . The catalyst of 5.3% Tc/4.1% Ba/ν -Al 2 O 3 compound has the maximum activity. Technetium catalysts possess the stable catalytic activity and don't requre its reduction during several months

  11. The catalystic asymmetric synthesis of optically active epoxy ketones

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marsman, Bertha Gerda

    1981-01-01

    In this thesis the use of catalytic asymmetric synthesis to prepare optically active epoxy ketones is described. This means that the auxiliary chirality, necessary to obtain an optically active product, is added in a catalytic quantity . In principle this is a very efficient way to make opticlly

  12. Large-scale synthesis of hierarchical-structured weissite (Cu2−xTe) flake arrays and their catalytic properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao, Xinjiang; Yan, Shancheng; Ortiz, Lazarus Santiago; Liang, Gaofeng; Sun, Bo; Huang, Ningping; Xiao, Zhongdang

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Large-scale Cu 2−x Te flake arrays grown on copper foam were synthesized. • They possess superior catalytic efficiency on methylene blue with the assistance of H 2 O 2 . • The effects of preparing conditions on the growth of Cu 2−x Te flake arrays were investigated. - Abstract: Large-scale weissite (Cu 2−x Te) flake arrays with three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical structure have been successfully fabricated via a facile one-step solution-phase strategy through the reaction of tellurium powder and copper foam. At the end of the reaction Cu 2−x Te flakes were distributed evenly on the surface of a porous solid copper substrate. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed the abundance of flakes grown on the 3D porous copper architecture, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS) were used to determine the crystal structure and phase composition of these products. A series of experiments discovered that the size and morphology of the products could be affected by some reactive parameters including the reaction time, synthesis temperature and volume ratio of absolute ethanol/deionized water. Catalysis experiments using the in situ synthesized of Cu 2−x Te flakes to catalyze the degradation of methylene blue (MB) demonstrated the strong catalytic ability of these flakes

  13. A Temperature Window for the Synthesis of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition of CH4over Mo2-Fe10/MgO Catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Ouyang

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract A temperature window for the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes by catalytic chemical vapor deposition of CH4over Mo2-Fe10/MgO catalyst has been studied by Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that when the temperature is lower than 750 °C, there were few SWCNTs formed, and when the temperature is higher than 950 °C, mass amorphous carbons were formed in the SWCNTs bundles due to the self-decomposition of CH4. The temperature window of SWCNTs efficient growth is between 800 and 950 °C, and the optimum growth temperature is about 900 °C. These results were supported by transmission electron microscope images of samples formed under different temperatures. The temperature window is important for large-scale production of SWCNTs by catalytic chemical vapor deposition method.

  14. Synthesis of LaNiO{sub 3} perovskite by the modified proteic gel method and study of catalytic properties in the syngas production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos, Jose C.; Mesquita, Maria E.; Pedrosa, Anne M. Garrido, E-mail: annemgp@ufs.br, E-mail: annemgp@yahoo.com [Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Sao Cristovao, SE (Brazil). Departamento de Quimica e Engenharia Quimica; Souza, Marcelo J.B. [Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Sao Cristovao, SE (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Quimica; Ruiz, Juan A.C. [Centro de Tecnologias do Gas e Energias Renovaveis (CTGAS-ER), Natal, RN (Brazil). Laboratorio de Processamento do Gas; Melo, Dulce M.A. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias Exatas e da Terra. Depaertamento de Quimica

    2012-10-15

    This work describes a study on the synthesis of LaNiO{sub 3} perovskites via the modified proteic gel method, varying collagen content and on the catalytic activity of LaNiO{sub 3} and LaNiO{sub 3}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} in the syngas (CO + H{sub 2}) production. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the formation of perovskite structure in all samples prepared by proteic gel synthesis method, varying collagen content and after calcination at 700 deg C for 2 h. LaNiO{sub 3}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst prepared by the impregnation method showed diffraction peaks due to the perovskite structure and to the support (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}). This catalyst presented: specific surface of 46.1 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}, two reduction peaks in the temperature programmed reduction (TPR) profile and 46% of methane conversion (by the partial oxidation of methane using oxygen) after 18 h of reaction. (author)

  15. A novel water perm-selective membrane dual-type reactor concept for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of GTL (gas to liquid) technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahimpour, M.R.; Mirvakili, A.; Paymooni, K.

    2011-01-01

    The present study proposes a novel configuration of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) reactors in which a fixed-bed water perm-selective membrane reactor is followed by a fluidized-bed hydrogen perm-selective membrane reactor. This novel concept which has been named fixed-bed membrane reactor followed by fluidized-bed membrane reactor (FMFMDR) produces gasoline from synthesis gas. The walls of the tubes of a fixed-bed reactor (water-cooled reactor) of FMFMDR configuration are coated by a high water perm-selective membrane layer. In this new configuration, two membrane reactors instead of one membrane reactor are developed for FTS reactions. In other words, two different membrane layers are used. In order to investigate the performance of FMFMDR, a one-dimensional heterogeneous model is taken into consideration. The simulation results of three schemes named fluidized-bed membrane dual-type reactor (FMDR), FMFMDR and conventional fixed-bed reactor (CR) are presented. They have been compared in terms of temperature, gasoline and CO 2 yields, H 2 and CO conversions and the water permeation rate through the membrane layer. Results show that the gasoline yield in FMFMDR is higher than the one in FMDR. The FMFMDR configuration not only decreases the undesired product such as CO 2 but also produces more gasoline. -- Research highlights: → The application of H-SOD membrane layer in FTS reactors. → Approximate 7.5% and 37% increase in the gasoline yield in terms of [g/g feed x 100] in comparison with FMDR and CR, respectively. → A remarkable decrease in CO 2 emission to the environment. → A good configuration mainly due to reduction in catalysts sintering as a result of in situ water removal.

  16. Optimization on electrochemical synthesis of HKUST-1 as candidate catalytic material for Green diesel production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lestari, W. W.; Nugraha, R. E.; Winarni, I. D.; Adreane, M.; Rahmawati, F.

    2016-04-01

    In the effort to support the discovery of new renewable energy sources in Indonesia, biofuel is one of promising options. The conversion of vegetable oil into ready-biofuel, especially green diesel, needs several steps, one of which is a hydrogenation or hydro-deoxygenation reaction. In this case, the catalyst plays a very important role regarding to its activity and selectivity, and Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) becoming a new generation of heterogeneous catalyst in this area. In this research, a preliminary study to optimize electrochemical synthesis of the catalytic material based on MOFs, namely HKUST-1 [Cu3(BTC)2], has been conducted. Some electrochemical reaction parameters were tested, for example by modifying the electrochemical synthetic conditions, i.e. by performing variation of voltages (12, 13, 14, and 15 Volt), temperatures (RT, 40, 60, and 80 °C) and solvents (ethanol, water, methanol and dimethyl-formamide (DMF)). Material characterization was carried out by XRD, SEM, FTIR, DTA/TG and SAA. The results showed that the optimum synthetic conditions of HKUST-1 are performed at room temperature in a solvent combination of water: ethanol (1: 1) and a voltage of 15 Volt for 2 hours. The XRD-analysis revealed that the resulted peaks are identical to the simulated powder pattern generated from single crystal data and comparable to the peaks of solvothermal method. However, the porosity of the resulting material through electrochemical method is still in the range of micro-pore according to IUPAC and 50% smaller than the porosity resulted from solvothermal synthesis. The corresponding compounds are thermally stable until 300 °C according to TG/DTA.

  17. Optimization of Catalytic Ozonation Process for Formaldehyde Mineralization from Synthetic Wastewater by Fe/MgO Nanoparticles Synthesis by Sol-Gel Method by Response Surface Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghorban Asgari

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Design experiment stages of formalin mineralization process by center composition design (CCD cause ease of work, reducing the number of samples, increasing the accuracy of optimized conditions and the interaction parameters determined during the process. The aim of this study was optimization of catalytic ozonation process for formaldehyde mineralization from synthetic wastewater by Fe/MgO nanoparticles synthesis by sol-gel method by response surface model. Methods: This experimental study was conducted in a semi-batch reactor, using a RSM by taking 3 factors in the final stage of pH (7-9, reaction time (10-20 min and catalyst dose (1.1-1.3 g/L was investigated. Synthesis of nanoparticles was done by sol-gel method. The results were analyzed by Design Expert 7.0.1 software. Results: The results showed that the process was dependent on the parameters studied and changing each parameter, affected the process efficiency and other parameters. The optimum conditions predicted for the process was 86.51% of mineralization efficiency. Optimum condition included pH=8.82, reaction time of 20 minute and catalyst dose of 1.3 g/L. The correlation coefficient for the process was determined 0.91. Conclusion: Using a statistical model could reduce the number of experiments, the accuracy and the prediction process. The catalytic ozonation process has the ability to remove formaldehyde with high efficiency and the process was environmental friendly.

  18. In vivo structure of the E. coli FtsZ-ring revealed by photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Guo; Huang, Tao; Buss, Jackson; Coltharp, Carla; Hensel, Zach; Xiao, Jie

    2010-09-13

    The FtsZ protein, a tubulin-like GTPase, plays a pivotal role in prokaryotic cell division. In vivo it localizes to the midcell and assembles into a ring-like structure-the Z-ring. The Z-ring serves as an essential scaffold to recruit all other division proteins and generates contractile force for cytokinesis, but its supramolecular structure remains unknown. Electron microscopy (EM) has been unsuccessful in detecting the Z-ring due to the dense cytoplasm of bacterial cells, and conventional fluorescence light microscopy (FLM) has only provided images with limited spatial resolution (200-300 nm) due to the diffraction of light. Hence, given the small sizes of bacteria cells, identifying the in vivo structure of the Z-ring presents a substantial challenge. Here, we used photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM), a single molecule-based super-resolution imaging technique, to characterize the in vivo structure of the Z-ring in E. coli. We achieved a spatial resolution of ∼35 nm and discovered that in addition to the expected ring-like conformation, the Z-ring of E. coli adopts a novel compressed helical conformation with variable helical length and pitch. We measured the thickness of the Z-ring to be ∼110 nm and the packing density of FtsZ molecules inside the Z-ring to be greater than what is expected for a single-layered flat ribbon configuration. Our results strongly suggest that the Z-ring is composed of a loose bundle of FtsZ protofilaments that randomly overlap with each other in both longitudinal and radial directions of the cell. Our results provide significant insight into the spatial organization of the Z-ring and open the door for further investigations of structure-function relationships and cell cycle-dependent regulation of the Z-ring.

  19. In vivo structure of the E. coli FtsZ-ring revealed by photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guo Fu

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The FtsZ protein, a tubulin-like GTPase, plays a pivotal role in prokaryotic cell division. In vivo it localizes to the midcell and assembles into a ring-like structure-the Z-ring. The Z-ring serves as an essential scaffold to recruit all other division proteins and generates contractile force for cytokinesis, but its supramolecular structure remains unknown. Electron microscopy (EM has been unsuccessful in detecting the Z-ring due to the dense cytoplasm of bacterial cells, and conventional fluorescence light microscopy (FLM has only provided images with limited spatial resolution (200-300 nm due to the diffraction of light. Hence, given the small sizes of bacteria cells, identifying the in vivo structure of the Z-ring presents a substantial challenge. Here, we used photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM, a single molecule-based super-resolution imaging technique, to characterize the in vivo structure of the Z-ring in E. coli. We achieved a spatial resolution of ∼35 nm and discovered that in addition to the expected ring-like conformation, the Z-ring of E. coli adopts a novel compressed helical conformation with variable helical length and pitch. We measured the thickness of the Z-ring to be ∼110 nm and the packing density of FtsZ molecules inside the Z-ring to be greater than what is expected for a single-layered flat ribbon configuration. Our results strongly suggest that the Z-ring is composed of a loose bundle of FtsZ protofilaments that randomly overlap with each other in both longitudinal and radial directions of the cell. Our results provide significant insight into the spatial organization of the Z-ring and open the door for further investigations of structure-function relationships and cell cycle-dependent regulation of the Z-ring.

  20. Subunit Organization of a Synechocystis Hetero-Oligomeric Thylakoid FtsH Complex Involved in Photosystem II Repair

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Boehm, M.; Yu, J.; Krynická, Vendula; Barker, M.; Tichý, Martin; Komenda, Josef; Nixon, P. J.; Nield, J.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 24, č. 9 (2012), s. 3669-3683 ISSN 1040-4651 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED2.1.00/03.0110; GA ČR GBP501/12/G055 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : photosystem II * FtsH metalloproteases * subunit Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 9.251, year: 2012

  1. Practical approaches to the ESI-MS analysis of catalytic reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yunker, Lars P E; Stoddard, Rhonda L; McIndoe, J Scott

    2014-01-01

    Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is a soft ionization technique commonly coupled with liquid or gas chromatography for the identification of compounds in a one-time view of a mixture (for example, the resulting mixture generated by a synthesis). Over the past decade, Scott McIndoe and his research group at the University of Victoria have developed various methodologies to enhance the ability of ESI-MS to continuously monitor catalytic reactions as they proceed. The power, sensitivity and large dynamic range of ESI-MS have allowed for the refinement of several homogenous catalytic mechanisms and could potentially be applied to a wide range of reactions (catalytic or otherwise) for the determination of their mechanistic pathways. In this special feature article, some of the key challenges encountered and the adaptations employed to counter them are briefly reviewed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. The DNA topoisomerase II catalytic inhibitor merbarone is genotoxic and induces endoreduplication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pastor, Nuria; Domínguez, Inmaculada; Orta, Manuel Luís; Campanella, Claudia; Mateos, Santiago; Cortés, Felipe

    2012-01-01

    In the last years a number of reports have shown that the so-called topoisomerase II (topo II) catalytic inhibitors are able to induce DNA and chromosome damage, an unexpected result taking into account that they do not stabilize topo II-DNA cleavable complexes, a feature of topo II poisons such as etoposide and amsacrine. Merbarone inhibits the catalytic activity of topo II by blocking DNA cleavage by the enzyme. While it was first reported that merbarone does not induce genotoxic effects in mammalian cells, this has been challenged by reports showing that the topo II inhibitor induces efficiently chromosome and DNA damage, and the question as to a possible behavior as a topo II poison has been put forward. Given these contradictory results, and the as yet incomplete knowledge of the molecular mechanism of action of merbarone, in the present study we have tried to further characterize the mechanism of action of merbarone on cell proliferation, cell cycle, as well as chromosome and DNA damage in cultured CHO cells. Merbarone was cytotoxic as well as genotoxic, inhibited topo II catalytic activity, and induced endoreduplication. We have also shown that merbarone-induced DNA damage depends upon ongoing DNA synthesis. Supporting this, inhibition of DNA synthesis causes reduction of DNA damage and increased cell survival.

  3. Assessing Recent Improvements in the GOSAT TANSO-FTS Thermal InfraRed Emission Spectrum using Satellite Inter-Comparison with NASA AIRS, EUMETSAT IASI, and JPSS CrIS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knuteson, R.; Burgess, G.; Shiomi, K.; Kuze, A.; Yoshida, J.; Kataoka, F.; Suto, H.

    2016-12-01

    The Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observation Fourier-Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS) onboard the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) has been providing global space-borne observations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) since 2009 (Kuze et al. 2012). The TANSO-FTS sensor is an interferometer spectrometer measuring shortwave reflected solar radiation with high spectral resolution in three spectral bands. A bore-sighted band 4 uses the same interferometer to measure thermal infrared radiation (TIR) at the top of the atmosphere. This paper is a comparison of the TANSO-FTS TIR band with coincident measurements of the NASA Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) grating spectrometer. The time and space coincident matchups are at the Simultaneous Nadir Overpass (SNO) locations of the orbits of GOSAT and the NASA AQUA satellite. GOSAT/AQUA SNOs occur at about 40N and 40S latitude. A continuous set of SNO matchups has been found from the start of valid radiance data collection in April 2009 through the end of 2015. UW-SSEC has obtained the time, latitude, and longitude of the SNO location using the ORBNAV software at http://sips.ssec.wisc.edu/orbnav. UW-SSEC obtained the matching AIRS v5 L1B radiances from the NASA archive. JAXA has reprocessed the entire TANSO-FTS TIR band using the previous v161and a new calibration version (v203) which includes calibration parameter optimizations. The TANSO-FTS has been reduced to the AIRS spectral channels using the AIRS spectral response functions (SRFs). This paper will show the time series of observed brightness temperatures from AIRS and GOSAT TANSO-FTS TIR observations from the SNO matchups. Similar results are obtained by comparison with the EUMETSAT Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the METOP platform and the JPSS Cross-track InfraRed Sounder (CrIS) on the Suomi-NPP platform. This paper validates the improvements in the GOSAT ground calibration software by providing a reference

  4. Study of the synthesis of ammonia over technetium catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spetsyn, V.I.; Mikhailenko, I.E.; Pokrovskaya, O.V.

    1982-01-01

    The catalytic properties of technetium in the synthesis of ammonia have been studied in the present work. Technetium catalysts according to specific yield surpass all know catalysts for the synthesis of ammonia. The enhanced catalytic activity of technetium compared to manganese and rhenium is apparently explained by the presence of the radioactivity of 99 Tc. The processes of adsorption, orientation of the adsorbed molecules, and their binding energies can differ during radiation action. Irradiation of the carrier, occurring through #betta#-emission of 99 Tc, with doses of 4-8 x 10 3 rad/day, increased the number of defects in the crystal structure where stabilization of technetium atoms was possible. The existence of charged centers can cause an increase in the dissociative chemisorption of nitrogen, which is the limiting stage of the process. Technetium catalysts possess a stable catalytic activity and do not require its restoration for several months. Results suggest that the use of technetium as a catalyst for the synthesis of ammonia has real advantages and potential possibilities

  5. 多级孔分子筛的合成及催化应用研究进展%Research progress of synthesis and catalytic applications of hierarchical molecular sieves

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    宋菁; 张君涛; 申志兵; 梁生荣

    2017-01-01

    综述了近几年国内外多级孔分子筛的研究进展,重点介绍了“自上而下”和“自下而上”两大类合成方法,并进一步阐述了脱硅法、重结晶法、硬模板法、软模板法、无模板自组装等具体合成方法的优势及局限性,同时介绍了不同方法制得的多级孔分子筛的催化应用,最后对多级孔分子筛的发展前景进行了展望.%The synthesis methods and catalytic applications of hierarchical molecular sieves in recent years have been reviewed.Various synthesis approaches of hierarchical molecular sieves are introduced,including Top-down approach and Bottom-up approach.Advantages and limitations of the different methods such as demetalization,recrystallization,hard template,soft template,template-free,and so on,will also be addressed.Meanwhile,the catalytic applications of the as-synthesized zeolites are discussed.The prospect of hierarchical molecular sieves is outlined in the end.

  6. Enantioselective synthesis of almorexant via iridium-catalysed intramolecular allylic amidation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fananas Mastral, Martin; Teichert, Johannes F.; Fernandez-Salas, Jose Antonio; Heijnen, Dorus; Feringa, Ben L.

    2013-01-01

    An enantioselective synthesis of almorexant, a potent antagonist of human orexin receptors, is presented. The chiral tetrahydroisoquinoline core structure was prepared via iridium-catalysed asymmetric intramolecular allylic amidation. Further key catalytic steps of the synthesis include an oxidative

  7. An efficient catalytic reductive amination: A facile one-pot access to ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    An efficient catalytic reductive amination: A facile one-pot access to ... itors and in the manufacture of detergents and plastics.1 ... ammoniaborane/Ti(OiPr)4,5e ... demonstrated the first method for synthesis of 1,2- ... and column chromatography (Silica gel, n-hexane/ethyl .... supporting information at www.ias.ac.in/chemsci.

  8. Cytoplasmic Domain of MscS Interacts with Cell Division Protein FtsZ: A Possible Non-Channel Function of the Mechanosensitive Channel in Escherichia Coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piotr Koprowski

    Full Text Available Bacterial mechano-sensitive (MS channels reside in the inner membrane and are considered to act as emergency valves whose role is to lower cell turgor when bacteria enter hypo-osmotic environments. However, there is emerging evidence that members of the Mechano-sensitive channel Small (MscS family play additional roles in bacterial and plant cell physiology. MscS has a large cytoplasmic C-terminal region that changes its shape upon activation and inactivation of the channel. Our pull-down and co-sedimentation assays show that this domain interacts with FtsZ, a bacterial tubulin-like protein. We identify point mutations in the MscS C-terminal domain that reduce binding to FtsZ and show that bacteria expressing these mutants are compromised in growth on sublethal concentrations of β-lactam antibiotics. Our results suggest that interaction between MscS and FtsZ could occur upon inactivation and/or opening of the channel and could be important for the bacterial cell response against sustained stress upon stationary phase and in the presence of β-lactam antibiotics.

  9. Cytoplasmic Domain of MscS Interacts with Cell Division Protein FtsZ: A Possible Non-Channel Function of the Mechanosensitive Channel in Escherichia Coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koprowski, Piotr; Grajkowski, Wojciech; Balcerzak, Marcin; Filipiuk, Iwona; Fabczak, Hanna; Kubalski, Andrzej

    2015-01-01

    Bacterial mechano-sensitive (MS) channels reside in the inner membrane and are considered to act as emergency valves whose role is to lower cell turgor when bacteria enter hypo-osmotic environments. However, there is emerging evidence that members of the Mechano-sensitive channel Small (MscS) family play additional roles in bacterial and plant cell physiology. MscS has a large cytoplasmic C-terminal region that changes its shape upon activation and inactivation of the channel. Our pull-down and co-sedimentation assays show that this domain interacts with FtsZ, a bacterial tubulin-like protein. We identify point mutations in the MscS C-terminal domain that reduce binding to FtsZ and show that bacteria expressing these mutants are compromised in growth on sublethal concentrations of β-lactam antibiotics. Our results suggest that interaction between MscS and FtsZ could occur upon inactivation and/or opening of the channel and could be important for the bacterial cell response against sustained stress upon stationary phase and in the presence of β-lactam antibiotics.

  10. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Cordia dichotoma fruit extract and its enhanced antibacterial, anti-biofilm and photo catalytic activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharathi, Devaraj; Vasantharaj, Seerangaraj; Bhuvaneshwari, V.

    2018-05-01

    The present study describes the antibacterial, anti-biofilm and photo catalytic activity of silver nanoparticles synthesized using Cordia dichotoma fruits (Cd-AgNPs) for the first time. The phyto-synthesized Cd-AgNPs were characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, Field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). FE-SEM and TEM observation showed that the average size of 2–60 nm with spherical shape of Cd-AgNPs and the presence of phyto-compounds which are responsible for capping and reduction were studied by FT-IR. XRD studies revealed the face-centered cubic structure of Cd-AgNPs. The synthesized Cd-AgNPs showed significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli, assayed using agar well diffusion method. Phyto-synthesized Cd-AgNPs exhibited more than 90% inhibition of biofilm activity formed by S. aureus and E. coli. Furthermore, photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet (CV) under UV light irradiation using Cd-AgNPs was performed. Synthesized Cd-AgNPs exhibited ∼85% degradation activity for CV. Collectively, our findings suggest that C.dichotoma is a green source for the eco-friendly synthesis of Cd-AgNPs, which further can be used as a novel biocidal agent against bacterial pathogens and a potent photo catalytic agent.

  11. In situ catalytic synthesis of high-graphitized carbon-coated LiFePO4 nanoplates for superior Li-ion battery cathodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Zhipeng; Fan, Yuqian; Shao, Guangjie; Wang, Guiling; Song, Jianjun; Liu, Tingting

    2015-02-04

    The low electronic conductivity and one-dimensional diffusion channel along the b axis for Li ions are two major obstacles to achieving high power density of LiFePO4 material. Coating carbon with excellent conductivity on the tailored LiFePO4 nanoparticles therefore plays an important role for efficient charge and mass transport within this material. We report here the in situ catalytic synthesis of high-graphitized carbon-coated LiFePO4 nanoplates with highly oriented (010) facets by introducing ferrocene as a catalyst during thermal treatment. The as-obtained material exhibits superior performances for Li-ion batteries at high rate (100 C) and low temperature (-20 °C), mainly because of fast electron transport through the graphitic carbon layer and efficient Li(+)-ion diffusion through the thin nanoplates.

  12. Metal-surfactant interaction as a tool to control the catalytic selectivity of Pd catalysts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Perez-Coronado, A. M.; Calvo, L.; Baeza, J.A.; Palomar, J.; Lefferts, L.; Rodriguez, J-C.; Gilarranz, M.A.

    2017-01-01

    The catalytic activity of Palladium nanoparticles synthesized via sodium bis[2-ethylhexyl] sulfosuccinate (AOT)/isooctane reverse microemulsion was studied in nitrite reduction. The influence of reaction conditions and the synthesis and purification of the nanoparticles was evaluated. In the

  13. Supercritical CO{sub 2} mediated synthesis and catalytic activity of graphene/Pd nanocomposites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Lulu [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeoungbuk 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Nguyen, Van Hoa [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeoungbuk 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Chemistry, Nha Trang University, 2 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Nha Trang (Viet Nam); Shim, Jae-Jin, E-mail: jjshim@yu.ac.kr [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeoungbuk 712-749 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-11-15

    Highlights: • RGO/Pd composite was efficiently prepared via a facile method in supercritical CO{sub 2}. • Graphene sheets were coated uniformly with Pd nanoparticles with a size of ∼8 nm. • Composites exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the Suzuki reaction even after 10 cycles. - Abstract: Graphene sheets were decorated with palladium nanoparticles using a facile and efficient method in supercritical CO{sub 2}. The nanoparticles were formed on the graphene sheets by the simple hydrogen reduction of palladium(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate precursor in supercritical CO{sub 2}. The product was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Highly dispersed nanoparticles with various sizes and shapes adhered well to the graphene sheets. The composites showed high catalytic activities for the Suzuki reaction under aqueous and aerobic conditions within 5 min. The effects of the different Pd precursor loadings on the catalytic activities of the composites were also examined.

  14. Large-scale synthesis of hierarchical-structured weissite (Cu{sub 2−x}Te) flake arrays and their catalytic properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cao, Xinjiang [State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics (Chien-Shiung Wu Lab), School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Si Pai Lou 2#, Nanjing 210096 (China); Yan, Shancheng [School of Geography and Biological Information, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210046 (China); Ortiz, Lazarus Santiago; Liang, Gaofeng; Sun, Bo; Huang, Ningping [State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics (Chien-Shiung Wu Lab), School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Si Pai Lou 2#, Nanjing 210096 (China); Xiao, Zhongdang, E-mail: zdxiao@seu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics (Chien-Shiung Wu Lab), School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Si Pai Lou 2#, Nanjing 210096 (China)

    2014-03-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Large-scale Cu{sub 2−x}Te flake arrays grown on copper foam were synthesized. • They possess superior catalytic efficiency on methylene blue with the assistance of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. • The effects of preparing conditions on the growth of Cu{sub 2−x}Te flake arrays were investigated. - Abstract: Large-scale weissite (Cu{sub 2−x}Te) flake arrays with three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical structure have been successfully fabricated via a facile one-step solution-phase strategy through the reaction of tellurium powder and copper foam. At the end of the reaction Cu{sub 2−x}Te flakes were distributed evenly on the surface of a porous solid copper substrate. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed the abundance of flakes grown on the 3D porous copper architecture, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS) were used to determine the crystal structure and phase composition of these products. A series of experiments discovered that the size and morphology of the products could be affected by some reactive parameters including the reaction time, synthesis temperature and volume ratio of absolute ethanol/deionized water. Catalysis experiments using the in situ synthesized of Cu{sub 2−x}Te flakes to catalyze the degradation of methylene blue (MB) demonstrated the strong catalytic ability of these flakes.

  15. Controlled synthesis of graphitic carbon-encapsulated α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite via low-temperature catalytic graphitization of biomass and its lithium storage property

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Feng; Huang, Rong; Mu, Daobin; Wu, Borong; Chen, Yongjian

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Facile synthesis of graphitic carbon/α-Fe 2 O 3 nano-sized anode composite. • In situ low temperature catalytic graphitization of biomass material. • Onion-like graphitic carbon layers conformally encapsulating around α-Fe 2 O 3 core. • High lithium storage properties, especially, outstanding cycle performance. - Abstract: A delicate structure of graphitic carbon-encapsulated α-Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposite is in situ constructed via “Absorption–Catalytic graphitization–Oxidation” strategy, taking use of biomass matter of degreasing cotton as carbon precursor and solution reservoir. With the assistance of the catalytic graphitization effect of iron core, onion-like graphitic carbon (GC) shell is made directly from the biomass at low temperature (650 °C). The nanosized α-Fe 2 O 3 particles would effectively mitigate volumetric strain and shorten Li + transport path during charge/discharge process. The graphitic carbon shells may promote charge transfer and protect active particles from directly exposing to electrolyte to maintain interfacial stability. As a result, the as-prepared α-Fe 2 O 3 @GC composite displays an outstanding cycle performance with a reversible capacity of 1070 mA h g −1 after 430 cycles at 0.2C, as well as a good rate capability of ∼ 950 mA h g −1 after 100 cycles at 1C and ∼ 850 mA h g −1 even up to 200 cycles at a 2C rate.

  16. Catalytic Synthesis of Nitriles in Continuous Flow

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordvang, Emily Catherine

    The objective of this thesis is to report the development of a new, alternative process for the flexible production of nitrile compounds in continuous flow. Nitriles are an important class of compounds that find applications as solvents, chemical intermediates and pharmaceutical compounds......, alternative path to acetonitrile from ethanol via the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylamine. The catalytic activity and product ratios of the batch and continuous flow reactions are compared and the effect of reaction conditions on the reaction is investigated. The effects of ammonia in the reaction...... dehydrogenation of ethylamine and post-reaction purging.Chapter 4 outlines the application of RuO2/Al2O3 catalysts to the oxidative dehydrogenation of benzylamine in air, utilizing a new reaction setup. Again, batch and continuous flow reactions are compared and the effects of reaction conditions, ammonia...

  17. Synthesis and characterization of catalysts for the selective transformation of biomass-derived materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghampson, Isaac Tyrone

    The experimental work in this thesis focuses on generating catalysts for two intermediate processes related to the thermal conversion of lignocellulosic biomass: the synthesis and characterization of mesoporous silica supported cobalt catalysts for the Fischer-Tropsch reaction, and an exploration of the reactivity of bulk and supported molybdenum-based nitride catalysts for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol, a lignin model compound. The first section of the work details the synthesis of a series of silica-supported cobalt Fischer-Tropsch catalysts with pore diameters ranging from 2-23 nm. Detailed X-ray diffraction measurements were used to determine the composition and particle diameters of the metal fraction, analyzed as a three-phase system containing Cofcc, Cohcp and CoO particles. Catalyst properties were determined at three stages in catalyst history: (1) after the initial calcination step to thermally decompose the catalyst precursor into Co3O4, (2) after the hydrogen reduction step to activate the catalyst to Co and (3) after the FT reaction. From the study, it was observed that larger pore diameters supported higher turnover frequency; smaller pore diameters yielded larger mole fraction of CoO; XRD on post-reduction and post-FTS catalyst samples indicated significant changes in dispersivity after reduction. In the next section, the catalytic behaviors of unsupported, activated carbon-, alumina-, and SBA-15 mesoporous silica-supported molybdenum nitride catalysts were evaluated for the hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol (2-methoxy phenol) at 300°C and 5 MPa. The nitride catalysts were prepared by thermal decomposition of bulk and supported ammonium heptamolybdate to form MoO 3 followed by nitridation in either flowing ammonia or a nitrogen/hydrogen mixture. The catalytic properties were strongly affected by the nitriding and purging treatment as well as the physical and chemical properties of support. The overall reaction was influenced by the

  18. (Gold core) at (ceria shell) nanostructures for plasmon-enhanced catalytic reactions under visible light

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Jianfang; Li, Benxia; Gu, Ting; Ming, Tian; Wang, Junxin; Wang, Peng; Yu, Jimmy C.

    2014-01-01

    Driving catalytic reactions with sunlight is an excellent example of sustainable chemistry. A prerequisite of solar-driven catalytic reactions is the development of photocatalysts with high solar-harvesting efficiencies and catalytic activities. Herein, we describe a general approach for uniformly coating ceria on monometallic and bimetallic nanocrystals through heterogeneous nucleation and growth. The method allows for control of the shape, size, and type of the metal core as well as the thickness of the ceria shell. The plasmon shifts of the Au@CeO2 nanostructures resulting from the switching between Ce(IV) and Ce(III) are observed. The selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde, one of the fundamental reactions for organic synthesis, performed under both broad-band and monochromatic light, demonstrates the visible-light-driven catalytic activity and reveals the synergistic effect on the enhanced catalysis of the Au@CeO2 nanostructures. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  19. (Gold core) at (ceria shell) nanostructures for plasmon-enhanced catalytic reactions under visible light

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Jianfang

    2014-08-26

    Driving catalytic reactions with sunlight is an excellent example of sustainable chemistry. A prerequisite of solar-driven catalytic reactions is the development of photocatalysts with high solar-harvesting efficiencies and catalytic activities. Herein, we describe a general approach for uniformly coating ceria on monometallic and bimetallic nanocrystals through heterogeneous nucleation and growth. The method allows for control of the shape, size, and type of the metal core as well as the thickness of the ceria shell. The plasmon shifts of the Au@CeO2 nanostructures resulting from the switching between Ce(IV) and Ce(III) are observed. The selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde, one of the fundamental reactions for organic synthesis, performed under both broad-band and monochromatic light, demonstrates the visible-light-driven catalytic activity and reveals the synergistic effect on the enhanced catalysis of the Au@CeO2 nanostructures. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  20. A Mesopore-Dependent Catalytic Cracking of n-Hexane Over Mesoporous Nanostructured ZSM-5.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qamar, M; Ahmed, M I; Qamaruddin, M; Asif, M; Sanhoob, M; Muraza, O; Khan, M Y

    2018-08-01

    Herein, pore size, crystalinity, and Si/Al ratio of mesoporous ZSM-5 (MFI) nanocrystals was controlled by synthesis parameters, such as surfactant concentration ([3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl] hexa-decyl dimethyl ammonium chloride), sodium hydroxide concentrations, synthesis temperature and time. The morphology, surface structure and composition of the MFI particles was systematically investigated. More notably, the mesopore-dependent catalytic activity of ZSM-5 was evaluated by studying the cracking of n-hexane. The findings suggest the porosity has pronounced impact on the catalytic activity, selectivity and stability of ZSM-5 nanocrystals. Critical surface attributes such as nature of acid sites (Brønsted and Lewis), concentration, and strength are obtained by the infrared study of adsorbed probe molecules (pyridine) and the temperature programmed desorption. In spite of being weaker in Si/Al ratio or acidic strength, mesoporous catalysts showed more stable and efficient cracking of n-hexane suggesting that acidity seems not the predominant factor operative in the activity, selectivity and stability.

  1. Study of ammonia synthesis over uranium catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spitsyn, V.I.; Erofeev, B.V.; Mikhajlenko, I.E.; Gorelkin, I.I.; Ivanov, L.S.

    1980-01-01

    The effect of induced radiactivity and chemical composition of uranium catalysts on their catalytic activity in the ammonia synthesis reaction has been studied. The catalyst samples comprise pieces of metal uranium and chip irradiated in nuclear reactor by the 4.3x10 16 n/cm 2 integral flux of slow neutrons. Studies of catalytic activity was carried out at 1 atm and 340-510 deg C when stoichiometric nitrogen-hydrogen mixture passed through the following installation. At different temperatures uranium nitrides of different composition are shown to be formed. Uranium nitrides with the composition close to UN 2 are the samples with the highest catalYtic activity. The reduction of catalytic activity of uranium catalysts with the increased temperature of their formation above 400 deg C is explained by low catalytic activity of forming UNsub(1.7) in comparison with UN 2 . Catalytic properties of irradiated and nonirradiated samples do not differ from one another

  2. Solid state green synthesis and catalytic activity of CuO nanorods in thermal decomposition of potassium periodate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Vinay Kumar; Bhattacharya, Shantanu

    2017-09-01

    The present study reports a facile solid state green synthesis process using the leaf extracts of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis to synthesize CuO nanorods with average diameters of 15-20 nm and lengths up to 100 nm. The as-synthesized CuO nanorods were characterized by x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction. The formation mechanism of CuO nanorods has been explained by involving the individual role of amide I (amino groups) and carboxylate groups under excess hydroxyl ions released from NaOH. The catalytic activity of CuO nanorods in thermal decomposition of potassium periodate microparticles (µ-KIO4) microparticles was studied by thermo gravimetric analysis measurement. The original size (~100 µm) of commercially procured potassium periodate was reduced to microscale length scale to about one-tenth by PEG200 assisted emulsion process. The CuO nanorods prepared by solid state green route were found to catalyze the thermal decomposition of µ-KIO4 with a reduction of 18 °C in the final thermal decomposition temperature of potassium periodate.

  3. A gLite FTS based solution for managing user output in CMS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cinquilli, M. [CERN; Riahi, H. [INFN, Perugia; Spiga, D. [CERN; Grandi, C. [INFN, Bologna; Mancinelli, V. [CERN; Mascheroni, M. [CERN; Pepe, F. [INFN, Bologna; Vaandering, E. [Fermilab

    2012-01-01

    The CMS distributed data analysis workflow assumes that jobs run in a different location from where their results are finally stored. Typically the user output must be transferred across the network from one site to another, possibly on a different continent or over links not necessarily validated for high bandwidth/high reliability transfer. This step is named stage-out and in CMS was originally implemented as a synchronous step of the analysis job execution. However, our experience showed the weakness of this approach both in terms of low total job execution efficiency and failure rates, wasting precious CPU resources. The nature of analysis data makes it inappropriate to use PhEDEx, the core data placement system for CMS. As part of the new generation of CMS Workload Management tools, the Asynchronous Stage-Out system (AsyncStageOut) has been developed to enable third party copy of the user output. The AsyncStageOut component manages glite FTS transfers of data from the temporary store at the site where the job ran to the final location of the data on behalf of that data owner. The tool uses python daemons, built using the WMCore framework, and CouchDB, to manage the queue of work and FTS transfers. CouchDB also provides the platform for a dedicated operations monitoring system. In this paper, we present the motivations of the asynchronous stage-out system. We give an insight into the design and the implementation of key features, describing how it is coupled with the CMS workload management system. Finally, we show the results and the commissioning experience.

  4. Catalytic stereoselective synthesis of highly substituted indanones via tandem Nazarov cyclization and electrophilic fluorination trapping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nie, Jing; Zhu, Hong-Wei; Cui, Han-Feng; Hua, Ming-Qing; Ma, Jun-An

    2007-08-02

    A new catalytic stereoselective tandem transformation via Nazarov cyclization/electrophilic fluorination has been accomplished. This sequence is efficiently catalyzed by a Cu(II) complex to afford fluorine-containing 1-indanone derivatives with two new stereocenters with high diastereoselectivity (trans/cis up to 49/1). Three examples of catalytic enantioselective tandem transformation are presented.

  5. Development of new methods in modern selective organic synthesis: preparation of functionalized molecules with atomic precision

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ananikov, V P; Khemchyan, L L; Ivanova, Yu V; Dilman, A D; Levin, V V; Bukhtiyarov, V I; Sorokin, A M; Prosvirin, I P; Romanenko, A V; Simonov, P A; Vatsadze, S Z; Medved'ko, A V; Nuriev, V N; Nenajdenko, V G; Shmatova, O I; Muzalevskiy, V M; Koptyug, I V; Kovtunov, K V; Zhivonitko, V V; Likholobov, V A

    2014-01-01

    The challenges of the modern society and the growing demand of high-technology sectors of industrial production bring about a new phase in the development of organic synthesis. A cutting edge of modern synthetic methods is introduction of functional groups and more complex structural units into organic molecules with unprecedented control over the course of chemical transformation. Analysis of the state-of-the-art achievements in selective organic synthesis indicates the appearance of a new trend — the synthesis of organic molecules, biologically active compounds, pharmaceutical substances and smart materials with absolute selectivity. Most advanced approaches to organic synthesis anticipated in the near future can be defined as 'atomic precision' in chemical reactions. The present review considers selective methods of organic synthesis suitable for transformation of complex functionalized molecules under mild conditions. Selected key trends in the modern organic synthesis are considered including the preparation of organofluorine compounds, catalytic cross-coupling and oxidative cross-coupling reactions, atom-economic addition reactions, methathesis processes, oxidation and reduction reactions, synthesis of heterocyclic compounds, design of new homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic systems, application of photocatalysis, scaling up synthetic procedures to industrial level and development of new approaches to investigation of mechanisms of catalytic reactions. The bibliography includes 840 references

  6. Chiral ferrocenes in asymmetric catalysis: synthesis and applications

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Dai, Li-Xin; Hou, Xue-Long

    2010-01-01

    .... It provides a thorough overview of the synthesis and characterization of different types of chiral ferrocene ligands, their application to various catalytic asymmetric reactions, and versatile chiral...

  7. Bifunctional catalysts for the direct production of liquid fuels from syngas

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sartipi, S.

    2014-01-01

    Design and development of catalyst formulations that maximize the direct production of liquid fuels by combining Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), hydrocarbon cracking, and isomerization into one single catalyst particle (bifunctional FTS catalyst) have been investigated in this thesis. To achieve

  8. Coupling of glycerol processing with Fischer-Tropsch synthesis for production of liquid fuels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simonetti, D.A.; Rass-Hansen, Jeppe; Kunkes, E.L.

    2007-01-01

    Liquid alkanes can be produced directly from glycerol by an integrated process involving catalytic conversion to H-2/CO gas mixtures (synthesis gas) combined with Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Synthesis gas can be produced at high rates and selectivities suitable for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (H-2/CO...... between 1.0 and 1.6) from concentrated glycerol feed solutions at low temperatures (548 K) and high pressures (1-17 bar) over a 10 wt% Pt-Re/C catalyst with an atomic Pt : Re ratio of 1 : 1. The primary oxygenated hydrocarbon intermediates formed during conversion of glycerol to synthesis gas are ethanol...... in the liquid organic effluent stream and increasing the selectivity to C5+ alkanes by a factor of 2 ( from 0.30 to 0.60). Catalytic conversion of glycerol and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis were coupled in a two-bed reactor system consisting of a Pt-Re/C catalyst bed followed by a Ru/TiO2 catalyst bed...

  9. Progress in controlling the size, composition and nanostructure of supported gold-palladium nanoparticles for catalytic applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Paalanen, P.P.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/370602013; Weckhuysen, B.M.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/285484397; Sankar, M.

    2013-01-01

    This review article gives an overview of the recent developments in the synthesis strategies of supported goldbased bimetallic nanoparticle catalysts. The catalytic efficiency of these supported bimetallic nanoparticles, similar to monometallic nanoparticles, depends on their structural

  10. Ammonia synthesis at low temperatures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rod, Thomas Holm; Logadottir, Ashildur; Nørskov, Jens Kehlet

    2000-01-01

    have been carried out to evaluate its feasibility. The calculations suggest that it might be possible to catalytically produce ammonia from molecular nitrogen at low temperatures and pressures, in particular if energy is fed into the process electrochemically. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics.......Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of reaction paths and energies for the industrial and the biological catalytic ammonia synthesis processes are compared. The industrial catalyst is modeled by a ruthenium surface, while the active part of the enzyme is modeled by a MoFe6S9 complex...

  11. Preparation of flower-like TiO{sub 2} sphere/reduced graphene oxide composites for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Tae-Woong [Department of Chemistry, Inha University, 100 Inharo, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Mira [Department of Organic Materials and Fiber Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hak Yong [Department of BIN Convergence technology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Soo-Jin, E-mail: sjpark@inha.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Inha University, 100 Inharo, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-07-15

    In this study, novel flower-like TiO{sub 2} sphere (FTS)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites (FTS-G) were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic performance of the FTS-G composites was evaluated through the photodegradation of rhodamine B (Rh B) and trichloroethylene (TCE) under simulated solar light irradiation. The rGO to FTS ratio in the composites significantly affected photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic activities of FTS-Gs in the degradation of Rh B and TCE were superior to that of pure FTS. Of all the FTS-G composites tested, FTS-G with 1 wt% rGO (FTS-G-1) had the greatest photocatalytic activity, while FTS-G composites with rGO contents over 1 wt% had lower photocatalytic activities. Additionally, it is expected that the synthesis of FTS with a high specific surface area and well-developed pore structure and simultaneous conversion of GO to graphene-like rGO without the use of strong reducing agents could be a promising strategy to prepare other carbon-based flower-like TiO{sub 2} sphere composite photocatalysts. - Graphical abstract: Schematic illustration of high photocatalytic activity for FTS-G composites. Display Omitted.

  12. Comparison of the kinetic parameters of the truncated catalytic subunit and holoenzyme of human DNA polymerase ε

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahurancik, Walter J.; Baranovskiy, Andrey G.; Tahirov, Tahir H.; Suo, Zucai

    2015-01-01

    Numerous genetic studies have provided compelling evidence to establish DNA polymerase ε (Polε) as the primary DNA polymerase responsible for leading strand synthesis during eukaryotic nuclear genome replication. Polε is a heterotetramer consisting of a large catalytic subunit that contains the conserved polymerase core domain as well as a 3′ → 5′ exonuclease domain common to many replicative polymerases. In addition, Polε possesses three small subunits that lack a known catalytic activity but associate with components involved in a variety of DNA replication and maintenance processes. Previous enzymatic characterization of the Polε heterotetramer from budding yeast suggested that the small subunits slightly enhance DNA synthesis by Polε in vitro. However, similar studies of the human Polε heterote-tramer (hPolε) have been limited by the difficulty of obtaining hPolε in quantities suitable for thorough investigation of its catalytic activity. Utilization of a baculovirus expression system for overexpression and purification of hPolε from insect host cells has allowed for isolation of greater amounts of active hPolε, thus enabling a more detailed kinetic comparison between hPolε and an active N-terminal fragment of the hPolε catalytic subunit (p261N), which is readily overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Here, we report the first pre-steady-state studies of fully-assembled hPolε. We observe that the small subunits increase DNA binding by hPolε relative to p261N, but do not increase processivity during DNA synthesis on a single-stranded M13 template. Interestingly, the 3′ → 5′ exonuclease activity of hPolε is reduced relative to p261N on matched and mismatched DNA substrates, indicating that the presence of the small subunits may regulate the proofreading activity of hPolε and sway hPolε toward DNA synthesis rather than proofreading. PMID:25684708

  13. [Synthesis of vitamin K2 by isopentenyl transferase NovA in Pichia pastoris Gpn12].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xihua; Li, Zhemin; Liu, Hui; Wang, Peng; Wang, Li; Fang, Xue; Sun, Xiaowen; Ni, Wenfeng; Yang, Qiang; Zheng, Zhiming; Zhao, Genhai

    2018-01-25

    The effect of methanol addition on the heterologous expression of isoprenyl transferase NovQ was studied in Pichia pastoris Gpn12, with menadione and isopentenol as precursors to catalyze vitamin K2 (MK-3) synthesis. The expression of NovQ increased by 36% when 2% methanol was added every 24 h. The influence of initial pH, temperature, methanol addition, precursors (menadione, isopentenol) addition, catalytic time and cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB) addition were explored in the P. pastoris whole-cell catalytic synthesis process of MK-3 in shaking flask. Three significant factors were then studied by response surface method. The optimal catalytic conditions obtained were as follows: catalytic temperature 31.56 ℃, menadione 295.54 mg/L, catalytic time 15.87 h. Consistent with the response surface prediction results, the optimized yield of MK-3 reached 98.47 mg/L in shaking flask, 35% higher than that of the control group. On this basis, the production in a 30-L fermenter reached 189.67 mg/L when the cell catalyst of 220 g/L (dry weight) was used to catalyze the synthesis for 24 h. This method laid the foundation for the large-scale production of MK-3 by P. pastoris Gpn12.

  14. Performance of a Novel Hydrophobic Mesoporous Material for High Temperature Catalytic Oxidation of Naphthalene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guotao Zhao

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A high surface area, hydrophobic mesoporous material, MFS, has been successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal synthesis method using a perfluorinated surfactant, SURFLON S-386, as the single template. N2 adsorption and TEM were employed to characterize the pore structure and morphology of MFS. Static water adsorption test indicates that the hydrophobicity of MFS is significantly higher than that of MCM-41. XPS and Py-GC/MS analysis confirmed the existence of perfluoroalkyl groups in MFS which led to its high hydrophobicity. MFS was used as a support for CuO in experiments of catalytic combustion of naphthalene, where it showed a significant advantage over MCM-41 and ZSM-5. SEM was helpful in understanding why CuO-MFS performed so well in the catalytic combustion of naphthalene. Experimental results indicated that MFS was a suitable support for catalytic combustion of large molecular organic compounds, especially for some high temperature catalytic reactions when water vapor was present.

  15. Synthesis of ceramic catalytic system based on CuO/CeO{sub 2} for preferential oxidation reaction of CO; Sintese de sistemas cataliticos ceramicos de CuO/CeO{sub 2} destinados a reacao de oxidacao preferencial do CO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neiva, L.S.; Ribeiro, M.A.; Bispo, A.; Gama, L., E-mail: lsoutoneiva@yahoo.com.b [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), PB (Brazil). Unidade Academica de Engenharia de Materiais

    2010-07-01

    The aim this is work is to develop catalysts based on CuO/CeO{sub 2} by means two different types of synthesis methods: combustion synthesis and Pechini. CuO/CeO{sub 2} catalysts were synthesized with 0.5 mol of CuO for both synthesis methods used. The catalysts were characterized by XRD with the Rietveld refinement, EDX and textural analysis by the BET method. The results show that both methods of synthesis led to the formation of catalysts with segregated phases formed on the structures of the obtained materials, such segregated phases were formed by the presence of catalytic active species CuO and these phases had different characteristics depending on the type of method synthesis used. Small differences were observed in the evaluation of textural characteristics of the catalysts developed in this work according to the synthesis method employed. (author)

  16. Biotemplating of Luffa cylindrica sponges to self-supporting hierarchical zeolite macrostructures for bio-inspired structured catalytic reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zampieri, Alessandro; Mabande, Godwin T.P.; Selvam, Thangaraj; Schwieger, Wilhelm; Rudolph, Alexander; Hermann, Ralph; Sieber, Heino; Greil, Peter

    2006-01-01

    Biomorphic self-supporting MFI-type zeolite frameworks with hierarchical porosity and complex architecture were prepared using a 2-step (in-situ seeding and secondary crystal growth) hydrothermal synthesis in the presence of a biological template (Luffa sponge), employed as a macroscale sacrificial structure builder. The bio-inspired zeolitic replica inherited the complex spongy morphology and the intricate open-porous architecture of the biotemplate. Moreover, it exhibited reasonable mechanical stability in order to study the applicability of the biomorphic catalyst in a technical catalytic process. A bio-inspired catalytic reactor utilising the self-supporting ZSM-5 scaffold in monolithic configuration was developed in order to test the catalytic performance of the material

  17. Mesoporous templated silicas: stability, pore size engineering and catalytic activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vansant, Etienne

    2003-01-01

    The Laboratory of Adsorption and Catalysis has focused its research activities on the synthesis and activation of new porous materials. In the past few years, we have succeeded in developing easy and reproducible pathways to synthesize a huge variety of mesoporous crystalline materials. Points of interest in the synthesis of Mesoporous Templated Silicas are (i) stabilization of the structure, to withstand hydrothermal, thermal and mechanical pressure, (ii) pore size engineering to systematically control the pore size, pore volume and the ratio micro/mesopores and (iii) ease and reproducibility of the synthesis procedure, applying green principles, such as template recuperation. By carefully adapting the synthesis conditions and composition of the synthesis gel, using surfactants (long chain quaternary ammonium ions) and co-templates (long chain amines, alcohols or alkanes), the pore size of the obtained materials can be controlled from 1.5 to 7.0 nm, retaining the very narrow pore size distribution. Alternatively, materials with combined micro- and mesoporosity can be synthesized, using neutral surfactants (triblock copolymers). Hereby, the optimization of the SBA-15 and SBA-16 synthesis is being done in order to create mesoporous materials with microporous walls. The second research line is the controlled activation of MTS materials, by grafting or incorporation of catalytic active centers. We have developed for this purpose the Molecular Designed Dispersion method, which uses metal diketonate complexes as precursors. It is shown that in all cases the dispersion of the metal oxides on the surface is much better compared to the conventional grafting techniques. We have studied and published activation with V, Ti, Mo, Fe, Al and Cr species on different MTS materials. The structure and location of the active metal ion is the subject of an extensive spectroscopic investigation, using FT-IR, FT-Raman, UV-Vis DR coupled with selective chemisorption experiments and

  18. Catalytic and thermal cracking processes of waste cooking oil for bio-gasoline synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dewanto, Muhammad Andry Rizki; Januartrika, Aulia Azka; Dewajani, Heny; Budiman, Arief

    2017-03-01

    Non-renewable energy resources such as fossil fuels, and coal were depleted as the increase of global energy demand. Moreover, environmental aspect becomes a major concern which recommends people to utilize bio-based resources. Waste cooking oil is one of the economical sources for biofuel production and become the most used raw material for biodiesel production. However, the products formed during frying, can affect the trans-esterification reaction and the biodiesel properties. Therefore, it needs to convert low-quality cooking oil directly into biofuel by both thermal and catalytic cracking processes. Thermal and catalytic cracking sometimes are regarded as prospective bio-energy conversion processes. This research was carried out in the packed bed reactor equipped with 2 stages preheater with temperature of reactor was variated in the range of 450-550°C. At the same temperature, catalytic cracking had been involved in this experiment, using activated ZSM-5 catalyst with 1 cm in length. The organic liquid product was recovered by three stages of double pipe condensers. The composition of cracking products were analyzed using GC-MS instrument and the caloric contents were analyzed using Bomb calorimeter. The results reveal that ZSM-5 was highly selective toward aromatic and long aliphatic compounds formation. The percentage recovery of organic liquid product from the cracking process varies start from 8.31% and the optimal results was 54.08%. The highest heating value of liquid product was resulted from catalytic cracking process at temperature of 450°C with value of 10880.48 cal/gr and the highest product yield with 54.08% recovery was achieved from thermal cracking process with temperature of 450°C.

  19. Structured materials for catalytic and sensing applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hokenek, Selma

    The optical and chemical properties of the materials used in catalytic and sensing applications directly determine the characteristics of the resultant catalyst or sensor. It is well known that a catalyst needs to have high activity, selectivity, and stability to be viable in an industrial setting. The hydrogenation activity of palladium catalysts is known to be excellent, but the industrial applications are limited by the cost of obtaining catalyst in amounts large enough to make their use economical. As a result, alloying palladium with a cheaper, more widely available metal while maintaining the high catalytic activity seen in monometallic catalysts is, therefore, an attractive option. Similarly, the optical properties of nanoscale materials used for sensing must be attuned to their application. By adjusting the shape and composition of nanoparticles used in such applications, very fine changes can be made to the frequency of light that they absorb most efficiently. The design, synthesis, and characterization of (i) size controlled monometallic palladium nanoparticles for catalytic applications, (ii) nickel-palladium bimetallic nanoparticles and (iii) silver-palladium nanoparticles with applications in drug detection and biosensing through surface plasmon resonance, respectively, will be discussed. The composition, size, and shape of the nanoparticles formed were controlled through the use of wet chemistry techniques. After synthesis, the nanoparticles were analyzed using physical and chemical characterization techniques such as X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy- Energy-Dispersive Spectrometry (STEM-EDX). The Pd and Ni-Pd nanoparticles were then supported on silica for catalytic testing using mass spectrometry. The optical properties of the Ag-Pd nanoparticles in suspension were further investigated using ultraviolet-visible spectrometry (UV-Vis). Monometallic palladium particles have

  20. Catalytic Intermolecular Cross-Couplings of Azides and LUMO-Activated Unsaturated Acyl Azoliums

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Wenjun

    2017-02-15

    An example for the catalytic synthesis of densely functionalized 1,2,3-triazoles through a LUMO activation mode has been developed. The protocol is enabled by intermolecular cross coupling reactions of azides with in situ-generated alpha,beta-unsaturated acyl azoliums. High yields and broad scope as well as the investigation of reaction mechanism are reported.

  1. Catalytic activity of metal borides in the reaction of decomposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Labodi, I.; Korablev, L.I.; Tavadyan, L.A.; Blyumberg, Eh.A.

    1982-01-01

    Catalytic effect of CoB, MoB 2 , ZrB 2 and NbB 2 , prepared by the method of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis, on decomposition of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide has been studied. A technigue of determination of action mechanism of heterogeneous catalysts in liquid-phase process is suggested. It is established that CoB in contrast to other metal borides catalyzes only hydroperoxide decomposition into radicals

  2. Validation of ACE-FTS v2.2 measurements of HCl, HF, CCl3F and CCl2F2 using space-, balloon- and ground-based instrument observations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Servais

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Hydrogen chloride (HCl and hydrogen fluoride (HF are respectively the main chlorine and fluorine reservoirs in the Earth's stratosphere. Their buildup resulted from the intensive use of man-made halogenated source gases, in particular CFC-11 (CCl3F and CFC-12 (CCl2F2, during the second half of the 20th century. It is important to continue monitoring the evolution of these source gases and reservoirs, in support of the Montreal Protocol and also indirectly of the Kyoto Protocol. The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS is a space-based instrument that has been performing regular solar occultation measurements of over 30 atmospheric gases since early 2004. In this validation paper, the HCl, HF, CFC-11 and CFC-12 version 2.2 profile data products retrieved from ACE-FTS measurements are evaluated. Volume mixing ratio profiles have been compared to observations made from space by MLS and HALOE, and from stratospheric balloons by SPIRALE, FIRS-2 and Mark-IV. Partial columns derived from the ACE-FTS data were also compared to column measurements from ground-based Fourier transform instruments operated at 12 sites. ACE-FTS data recorded from March 2004 to August 2007 have been used for the comparisons. These data are representative of a variety of atmospheric and chemical situations, with sounded air masses extending from the winter vortex to summer sub-tropical conditions. Typically, the ACE-FTS products are available in the 10–50 km altitude range for HCl and HF, and in the 7–20 and 7–25 km ranges for CFC-11 and -12, respectively. For both reservoirs, comparison results indicate an agreement generally better than 5–10% above 20 km altitude, when accounting for the known offset affecting HALOE measurements of HCl and HF. Larger positive differences are however found for comparisons with single profiles from FIRS-2 and SPIRALE. For CFCs, the few coincident measurements available suggest that the differences

  3. Engineering cell wall synthesis mechanism for enhanced PHB accumulation in E. coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xing-Chen; Guo, Yingying; Liu, Xu; Chen, Xin-Guang; Wu, Qiong; Chen, Guo-Qiang

    2018-01-01

    The rigidity of bacterial cell walls synthesized by a complicated pathway limit the cell shapes as coccus, bar or ellipse or even fibers. A less rigid bacterium could be beneficial for intracellular accumulation of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) as granular inclusion bodies. To understand how cell rigidity affects PHB accumulation, E. coli cell wall synthesis pathway was reinforced and weakened, respectively. Cell rigidity was achieved by thickening the cell walls via insertion of a constitutive gltA (encoding citrate synthase) promoter in front of a series of cell wall synthesis genes on the chromosome of several E. coli derivatives, resulting in 1.32-1.60 folds increase of Young's modulus in mechanical strength for longer E. coli cells over-expressing fission ring FtsZ protein inhibiting gene sulA. Cell rigidity was weakened by down regulating expressions of ten genes in the cell wall synthesis pathway using CRISPRi, leading to elastic cells with more spaces for PHB accumulation. The regulation on cell wall synthesis changes the cell rigidity: E. coli with thickened cell walls accumulated only 25% PHB while cell wall weakened E. coli produced 93% PHB. Manipulation on cell wall synthesis mechanism adds another possibility to morphology engineering of microorganisms. Copyright © 2017 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Catalytic Production of Ethanol from Biomass-Derived Synthesis Gas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trewyn, Brian G. [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Smith, Ryan G. [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2016-06-01

    Heterogeneous catalysts have been developed for the conversion of biomass-derived synthetic gas (syngas) to ethanol. The objectives of this project were to develop a clean synthesis gas from biomass and develop robust catalysts with high selectivity and lifetime for C2 oxygenate production from biomass-derived syngas and surrogate syngas. During the timeframe for this project, we have made research progress on the four tasks: (1) Produce clean bio-oil generated from biomass, such as corn stover or switchgrass, by using fast pyrolysis system, (2) Produce clean, high pressure synthetic gas (syngas: carbon monoxide, CO, and hydrogen, H2) from bio-oil generated from biomass by gasification, (3) Develop and characterize mesoporous mixed oxide-supported metal catalysts for the selective production of ethanol and other alcohols, such as butanol, from synthesis gas, and (4) Design and build a laboratory scale synthesis gas to ethanol reactor system evaluation of the process. In this final report, detailed explanations of the research challenges associated with this project are given. Progress of the syngas production from various biomass feedstocks and catalyst synthesis for upgrading the syngas to C2-oxygenates is included. Reaction properties of the catalyst systems under different reaction conditions and different reactor set-ups are also presented and discussed. Specifically, the development and application of mesoporous silica and mesoporous carbon supports with rhodium nanoparticle catalysts and rhodium nanoparticle with manganese catalysts are described along with the significant material characterizations we completed. In addition to the synthesis and characterization, we described the activity and selectivity of catalysts in our micro-tubular reactor (small scale) and fixed bed reactor (larger scale). After years of hard work, we are proud of the work done on this project, and do believe that this work will provide a solid

  5. Advances in solid-catalytic and non-catalytic technologies for biodiesel production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Islam, Aminul; Taufiq-Yap, Yun Hin; Chan, Eng-Seng; Moniruzzaman, M.; Islam, Saiful; Nabi, Md. Nurun

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The recent technologies for promoting biodiesel synthesis were elucidated. • The design of catalyst consideration of biodiesel production was proposed. • The recent advances and remaining difficulties in biodiesel synthesis were outlined. • The future research trend in biodiesel synthesis was highlighted. - Abstract: The insecure supply of fossil fuel coerces the scientific society to keep a vision to boost investments in the renewable energy sector. Among the many renewable fuels currently available around the world, biodiesel offers an immediate impact in our energy. In fact, a huge interest in related research indicates a promising future for the biodiesel technology. Heterogeneous catalyzed production of biodiesel has emerged as a preferred route as it is environmentally benign needs no water washing and product separation is much easier. The number of well-defined catalyst complexes that are able to catalyze transesterification reactions efficiently has been significantly expanded in recent years. The activity of catalysts, specifically in application to solid acid/base catalyst in transesterification reaction depends on their structure, strength of basicity/acidity, surface area as well as the stability of catalyst. There are various process intensification technologies based on the use of alternate energy sources such as ultrasound and microwave. The latest advances in research and development related to biodiesel production is represented by non-catalytic supercritical method and focussed exclusively on these processes as forthcoming transesterification processes. The latest developments in this field featuring highly active catalyst complexes are outlined in this review. The knowledge of more extensive research on advances in biofuels will allow a deeper insight into the mechanism of these technologies toward meeting the critical energy challenges in future

  6. Ammonia synthesis by means of plasma over MgO catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugiyama, K.; Akazawa, K.; Matsuda, T.; Miura, H.; Oshima, M.

    1986-01-01

    Ammonia synthesis from H 2 -N 2 mixed gas was studied at room temperature in a glow-discharge plasma in the presence of metals or metal oxides. Magnesia (Mg0) and calcia (CaO), which are oxides with solid basicity, revealed catalytic activity in the plasma synthesis of ammonia, although they are catalytically inactive in industrial ammonia synthesis. The acid oxides (Al 2 0 3 W0 3 , and Si0 2 -Al 2 0 3 ) lead to the consumption of the reactant, i.e., the H2-N2 mixed gas. No ammonia was isolated. Metal catalysts showed higher activity than the above basic oxides. They have, however, different activities. The reaction was faster over the active materials than over sodium chloride (NaCl) or glass wool or in a blank reactor without any catalyst

  7. Catalyst synthesis and evaluation using an integrated atomic layer deposition synthesis–catalysis testing tool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Camacho-Bunquin, Jeffrey; Shou, Heng; Marshall, Christopher L.; Aich, Payoli; Beaulieu, David R.; Klotzsch, Helmut; Bachman, Stephen; Hock, Adam; Stair, Peter

    2015-01-01

    An integrated atomic layer deposition synthesis-catalysis (I-ALD-CAT) tool was developed. It combines an ALD manifold in-line with a plug-flow reactor system for the synthesis of supported catalytic materials by ALD and immediate evaluation of catalyst reactivity using gas-phase probe reactions. The I-ALD-CAT delivery system consists of 12 different metal ALD precursor channels, 4 oxidizing or reducing agents, and 4 catalytic reaction feeds to either of the two plug-flow reactors. The system can employ reactor pressures and temperatures in the range of 10 −3 to 1 bar and 300–1000 K, respectively. The instrument is also equipped with a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer unit for the detection and quantification of volatile species from ALD and catalytic reactions. In this report, we demonstrate the use of the I-ALD-CAT tool for the synthesis of platinum active sites and Al 2 O 3 overcoats, and evaluation of catalyst propylene hydrogenation activity

  8. Catalyst synthesis and evaluation using an integrated atomic layer deposition synthesis–catalysis testing tool

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Camacho-Bunquin, Jeffrey; Shou, Heng; Marshall, Christopher L. [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Aich, Payoli [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607 (United States); Beaulieu, David R.; Klotzsch, Helmut; Bachman, Stephen [Arradiance Inc., Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776 (United States); Hock, Adam [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616 (United States); Stair, Peter [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208 (United States)

    2015-08-15

    An integrated atomic layer deposition synthesis-catalysis (I-ALD-CAT) tool was developed. It combines an ALD manifold in-line with a plug-flow reactor system for the synthesis of supported catalytic materials by ALD and immediate evaluation of catalyst reactivity using gas-phase probe reactions. The I-ALD-CAT delivery system consists of 12 different metal ALD precursor channels, 4 oxidizing or reducing agents, and 4 catalytic reaction feeds to either of the two plug-flow reactors. The system can employ reactor pressures and temperatures in the range of 10{sup −3} to 1 bar and 300–1000 K, respectively. The instrument is also equipped with a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer unit for the detection and quantification of volatile species from ALD and catalytic reactions. In this report, we demonstrate the use of the I-ALD-CAT tool for the synthesis of platinum active sites and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} overcoats, and evaluation of catalyst propylene hydrogenation activity.

  9. Synthesis of E- and Z-trisubstituted alkenes by catalytic cross-metathesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Thach T.; Koh, Ming Joo; Mann, Tyler J.; Schrock, Richard R.; Hoveyda, Amir H.

    2017-12-01

    Catalytic cross-metathesis is a central transformation in chemistry, yet corresponding methods for the stereoselective generation of acyclic trisubstituted alkenes in either the E or the Z isomeric forms are not known. The key problems are a lack of chemoselectivity—namely, the preponderance of side reactions involving only the less hindered starting alkene, resulting in homo-metathesis by-products—and the formation of short-lived methylidene complexes. By contrast, in catalytic cross-coupling, substrates are more distinct and homocoupling is less of a problem. Here we show that through cross-metathesis reactions involving E- or Z-trisubstituted alkenes, which are easily prepared from commercially available starting materials by cross-coupling reactions, many desirable and otherwise difficult-to-access linear E- or Z-trisubstituted alkenes can be synthesized efficiently and in exceptional stereoisomeric purity (up to 98 per cent E or 95 per cent Z). The utility of the strategy is demonstrated by the concise stereoselective syntheses of biologically active compounds, such as the antifungal indiacen B and the anti-inflammatory coibacin D.

  10. Iridium catalysed synthesis of piperazines from diols

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordstrøm, Lars Ulrik Rubæk; Madsen, Robert

    2007-01-01

    A green and atom-economical method has been developed for the synthesis of piperazines by cyclocondensation of diols and amines in aqueous media in the presence of a catalytic amount of [Cp*IrCl2]2....

  11. Six-flow operations for catalyst development in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: Bridging the gap between high-throughput experimentation and extensive product evaluation

    OpenAIRE

    Sartipi, S.; Jansma, H.; Bosma, D.; Boshuizen, B.; Makkee, M.; Gascon, J.; Kapteijn, F.

    2013-01-01

    Design and operation of a “six-flow fixed-bed microreactor” setup for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is described. The unit consists of feed and mixing, flow division, reaction, separation, and analysis sections. The reactor system is made of five heating blocks with individual temperature controllers, assuring an identical isothermal zone of at least 10 cm along six fixed-bed microreactor inserts (4?mm inner diameter). Such a lab-scale setup allows running six experiments in parallel, under...

  12. Size- and shape-controlled synthesis and catalytic performance of iron-aluminum mixed oxide nanoparticles for NOX and SO₂ removal with hydrogen peroxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Jie; Zhong, Qin; Zhang, Shule; Cai, Wei

    2015-01-01

    A novel, simple, reproducible and low-cost strategy is introduced for the size- and shape-controlled synthesis of iron-aluminum mixed oxide nanoparticles (NIAO(x/y)). The as-synthesized NIAO(x/y) catalyze decomposition of H2O2 yielding highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (OH) for NOX and SO2 removal. 100% SO2 removal is achieved. NIAO(x/y) with Fe/Al molar ratio of 7/3 (NIAO(7/3)) shows the highest NOX removal of nearly 80% at >170°C, whereas much lower NOX removal (oxides in NIAO(7/3) promotes the formation of lamellar products, thus improving the specific surface areas and mesoporous distribution, benefiting the production of OH radicals. Furthermore, the NIAO(7/3) leads to the minor increase of points of zero charges (PZC), apparent enhancement of FeOH content and high oxidizing ability of Fe(III), further improving the production of OH radicals. However, the NIAO(3/7) results in the formation of aluminum surface-enriched spherical particles, thus decreasing the surface atomic ratio of iron oxides, decreasing OH radical production. More importantly, the generation of FeOAl causes the decline of active sites. Finally, the catalytic decomposition of H2O2 on NIAO(x/y) is proposed. And the well catalytic stability of NIAO(7/3) is obtained for evaluation of 30 h. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. What Can We Learn in Electrocatalysis, from Nanoparticulated Precious and/or Non-Precious Catalytic Centers Interacting with Their Support?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Manuel Mora-Hernández

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This review is devoted to discussing the state of the art in the relevant aspects of the synthesis of novel precious and non-precious electrocatalysts. It covers the production of Pt- and Pd-based electrocatalysts synthesized by the carbonyl chemical route, the synthesis description for the preparation of the most catalytically active transition metal chalcogenides, then the employment of free-surfactants synthesis routes to produce non-precious electrocatalysts. A compilation of the best precious electrocatalysts to perform the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR is described; a section is devoted to the synthesis and electrocatalytic evaluation of non-precious materials which can be used to perform the HOR in alkaline medium. Apropos the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR, the synthesis and modification of the supports is also discussed as well, aiming at describing the state of the art to improve kinetics of low temperature fuel cell reactions via the hybridization process of the catalytic center with a variety of carbon-based, and ceramic-carbon supports. Last, but not least, the review covers the experimental half-cells results in a micro-fuel cell platform obtained in our laboratory, and by other workers, analyzing the history of the first micro-fuel cell systems and their tailoring throughout the time bestowing to the design and operating conditions.

  14. Controlled formation of iron carbides and their performance in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

    KAUST Repository

    Wezendonk, Tim A.

    2018-04-19

    Iron carbides are unmistakably associated with the active phase for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The formation of these carbides is highly dependent on the catalyst formulation, the activation method and the operational conditions. Because of this highly dynamic behavior, studies on active phase performance often lack the direct correlation between catalyst performance and iron carbide phase. For the above reasons, an extensive in situ Mössbauer spectroscopy study on highly dispersed Fe on carbon catalysts (Fe@C) produced through pyrolysis of a Metal Organic Framework was coupled to their FTS performance testing. The preparation of Fe@C catalysts via this MOF mediated synthesis allows control over the active phase formation and therefore provides an ideal model system to study the performance of different iron carbides. Reduction of fresh Fe@C followed by low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch (LTFT) conditions resulted in the formation of the ε′-Fe2.2C, whereas carburization of the fresh catalysts under high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch (HTFT) resulted in the formation of χ-Fe5C2. Furthermore, the different activation methods did not alter other important catalyst properties, as pre- and post-reaction transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization confirmed that the iron nanoparticle dispersion was preserved. The weight normalized activities (FTY) of χ-Fe5C2 and ε′-Fe2.2C are virtually identical, whilst it is found that ε′-Fe2.2C is a better hydrogenation catalyst than χ-Fe5C2. The absence of differences under subsequent HTFT experiments, where χ-Fe5C2 is the dominating phase, is a strong indication that the iron carbide phase is responsible for the differences in selectivity.

  15. Direct catalytic transformation of carbohydrates into 5-ethoxymethylfurfural with acid–base bifunctional hybrid nanospheres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Hu; Govind, Khokarale Santosh; Kotni, Ramakrishna; Shunmugavel, Saravanamurugan; Riisager, Anders; Yang, Song

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Catalytic conversion of carbohydrates into HMF and EMF in ethanol/DMSO with acid–base bifunctional hybrid nanospheres prepared from self-assembly of corresponding basic amino acids and HPA. - Highlights: • Acid–base bifunctional nanospheres were efficient for production of EMF from sugars. • Synthesis of EMF in a high yield of 76.6% was realized from fructose. • Fructose based biopolymers could also be converted into EMF with good yields. • Ethyl glucopyranoside was produced in good yields from glucose in ethanol. - Abstract: A series of acid–base bifunctional hybrid nanospheres prepared from the self-assembly of basic amino acids and phosphotungstic acid (HPA) with different molar ratios were employed as efficient and recyclable catalysts for synthesis of liquid biofuel 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF) from various carbohydrates. A high EMF yield of 76.6%, 58.5%, 42.4%, and 36.5% could be achieved, when fructose, inulin, sorbose, and sucrose were used as starting materials, respectively. Although, the acid–base bifunctional nanocatalysts were inert for synthesis of EMF from glucose based carbohydrates, ethyl glucopyranoside in good yields could be obtained from glucose in ethanol. Moreover, the nanocatalyst functionalized with acid and basic sites was able to be reused several times with no significant loss in catalytic activity

  16. Facile synthesis and catalytic properties of silver colloidal ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    al 2011). Organic thiol compounds, long-chain amines ... synthesis of nanomaterials by mixing with other co- surfactants such ... example, Zhang and co-workers (2006) used SDBS as a capping .... of AgCNPs, we considered that monolayer micelle model could be ... significantly with pH value, when AgCNPs are suspended.

  17. Computational and Physical Analysis of Catalytic Compounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Richard; Sohn, Jung Jae; Kyung, Richard

    2015-03-01

    Nanoparticles exhibit unique physical and chemical properties depending on their geometrical properties. For this reason, synthesis of nanoparticles with controlled shape and size is important to use their unique properties. Catalyst supports are usually made of high-surface-area porous oxides or carbon nanomaterials. These support materials stabilize metal catalysts against sintering at high reaction temperatures. Many studies have demonstrated large enhancements of catalytic behavior due to the role of the oxide-metal interface. In this paper, the catalyzing ability of supported nano metal oxides, such as silicon oxide and titanium oxide compounds as catalysts have been analyzed using computational chemistry method. Computational programs such as Gamess and Chemcraft has been used in an effort to compute the efficiencies of catalytic compounds, and bonding energy changes during the optimization convergence. The result illustrates how the metal oxides stabilize and the steps that it takes. The graph of the energy computation step(N) versus energy(kcal/mol) curve shows that the energy of the titania converges faster at the 7th iteration calculation, whereas the silica converges at the 9th iteration calculation.

  18. Green synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of natural bentonite-supported copper nanoparticles for the solvent-free synthesis of 1-substituted 1H-1,2,3,4-tetrazoles and reduction of 4-nitrophenol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akbar Rostami-Vartooni

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study, Cu nanoparticles were immobilized on the surface of natural bentonite using Thymus vulgaris extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The natural bentonite-supported copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs/bentonite were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD, X-ray fluorescence (XRF, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, selected area electron diffraction (SAED and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET analysis. Afterward, the catalytic performance of the prepared catalyst was investigated for the solvent-free synthesis of 1-substituted 1H-1,2,3,4-tetrazoles and reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP in water. It was found that the Cu NPs/bentonite is a highly active and recyclable catalyst for related reactions.

  19. Synthesis and Investigation the Catalytic Behavior of Cr2O3 Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Karimian

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The use of an inorganic phase in water-in-oil (w/o microemulsion has recently received considerable attention for preparing metal oxide nanoparticles. This is a technique, which allows preparation of ultrafine metal oxide nanoparticles within the size range 40 to 80 nm. Preparation of nano chromium (III oxide studied investigated in the inverse microemulsion system. Therefore the nucleation of metal particles proceeds in the water capsules of the microemulsion. the main advantage of this method is easily controllable conditions with using low cost chromium source is merit to be considered for scaling up by industrial researchers. Besides we mainly focus on the catalytic property nano chromium (III oxide. Oxidation of aromatic aldehyde/alcohol to the corresponding carboxylic acids can be performed highly efficiently in the presence of a catalytic amount of nano chromium (III oxide in THF as solvent under mild conditions.

  20. Selective Catalytic Synthesis Using the Combination of Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen: Catalytic Chess at the Interface of Energy and Chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klankermayer, Jürgen; Wesselbaum, Sebastian; Beydoun, Kassem; Leitner, Walter

    2016-06-20

    The present Review highlights the challenges and opportunities when using the combination CO2 /H2 as a C1 synthon in catalytic reactions and processes. The transformations are classified according to the reduction level and the bond-forming processes, covering the value chain from high volume basic chemicals to complex molecules, including biologically active substances. Whereas some of these concepts can facilitate the transition of the energy system by harvesting renewable energy into chemical products, others provide options to reduce the environmental impact of chemical production already in today's petrochemical-based industry. Interdisciplinary fundamental research from chemists and chemical engineers can make important contributions to sustainable development at the interface of the energetic and chemical value chain. The present Review invites the reader to enjoy this exciting area of "catalytic chess" and maybe even to start playing some games in her or his laboratory. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using Citrus maxima peel extract and their catalytic/antibacterial activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Chun-Gang; Huo, Can; Gui, Bing; Cao, Wei-Ping

    2017-08-01

    The peel of Citrus maxima ( C. maxima ) is the primary byproducts during the process of fruit or juice in food industries, and it was always considered as biomass waste for further treatments. In this study, the authors reported a simple and eco-friendly method to synthesise gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using C. maxima peel extract as reducing and capping agents. The synthesised AuNPs were characterised by UV-visible spectrum, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The UV-visible spectrum of the AuNPs colloid showed a characteristic peak at 540 nm. The peaks of XRD analysis at (2 θ ) 38.30°, 44.28°, 64.62°, 77.57° and 81.75° were assigned to (111), (200), (220), (311) and (222) planes of the face-centered cubic (fcc) lattice of gold. The TEM images showed that AuNPs were nearly spherical in shape with the size of 8-25 nm. The FTIR spectrum revealed that some bioactive compounds capped the surface of synthesised AuNPs. The biosynthesised AuNPs performed strong catalytic activity in degradation of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol and good antibacterial activity against both gram negative ( Escherichia coli ) and gram positive ( Staphylococcus aureus ) bacterium. The synthesis procedure was proved simple, cost effective and environment friendly.

  2. Cycloaddition of CO 2 to challenging N -tosyl aziridines using a halogen-free niobium complex: Catalytic activity and mechanistic insights

    KAUST Repository

    Arayachukiat, Sunatda

    2017-11-06

    An efficient and facile approach to the regioselective synthesis of N-tosyloxazolidinones from the corresponding N-tosylaziridines and CO2 was developed using dual catalytic systems involving an early transition metal coordination compound as a Lewis acid and a nucleophilic cocatalyst. Among the screened Lewis acids, halogen-free niobium pentaethoxide (Nb(OEt)5) displayed the best catalytic activity when used in the presence of tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI). Systematic DFT calculations, supported by catalytic experiments, demonstrate that CO2 insertion is the rate determining step for this process and it is highly dependent on the steric hindrance at the niobium center.

  3. Cycloaddition of CO 2 to challenging N -tosyl aziridines using a halogen-free niobium complex: Catalytic activity and mechanistic insights

    KAUST Repository

    Arayachukiat, Sunatda; Yingcharoen, Prapussorn; Vummaleti, Sai V. C.; Cavallo, Luigi; Poater, Albert; D’ Elia, Valerio

    2017-01-01

    An efficient and facile approach to the regioselective synthesis of N-tosyloxazolidinones from the corresponding N-tosylaziridines and CO2 was developed using dual catalytic systems involving an early transition metal coordination compound as a Lewis acid and a nucleophilic cocatalyst. Among the screened Lewis acids, halogen-free niobium pentaethoxide (Nb(OEt)5) displayed the best catalytic activity when used in the presence of tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI). Systematic DFT calculations, supported by catalytic experiments, demonstrate that CO2 insertion is the rate determining step for this process and it is highly dependent on the steric hindrance at the niobium center.

  4. Catalytic Synthesis of n-Butyl Oleate by Cerium Complex Doped Y/SBA-15 Composite Molecular Sieve

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Chunwei; Bian, Xue; Wu, Yongfu; Cong, Yufeng; Pei, Mingyuan

    2018-01-01

    Cerium ion was successfully incorporated into Y/SBA-15 micro-mesoporous molecular sieves via the hydrothermal synthesis method to give a series of composite materials. The prepared materials were thoroughly characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and differential thermo gravimetric analysis (TG-DTG). The results showed that the prepared composite materials retained the highly ordered mesoporous two-dimensional hexagonal structure of SBA-15 and the octagonal structure of Y. The catalyst Ce-Y/SBA-15 was prepared and characterized, then the esterification of n-butanol and oleic acid was studied with bismuth phosphotungstate as a catalyst. Using this model reaction, the effects of Ce-HY/SBA-15, molar ratio of alcohol to oleic acid, amount of catalysts, reaction time and reaction temperature were investigated. The experimental results show that the optimal reaction conditions were: 1.8:1 molar ratio of alcohol to acid, 5 % catalyst amount (based on weight of oleic acid), 4 h reaction time and reflux conditions. Under these conditions, the yield of esterification was 90.6 %. The results suggest that the addition of Ce can effectively improve the catalytic properties of composite molecular sieves.

  5. Techno-economic assessment of integrating methanol or Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a South African sugar mill.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Abdul M; Farzad, Somayeh; Görgens, Johann F

    2015-05-01

    This study considered an average-sized sugar mill in South Africa that crushes 300 wet tonnes per hour of cane, as a host for integrating methanol and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, through gasification of a combined flow of sugarcane trash and bagasse. Initially, it was shown that the conversion of biomass to syngas is preferably done by catalytic allothermal gasification instead of catalytic autothermal gasification. Thereafter, conventional and advanced synthesis routes for both Methanol and Fischer-Tropsch products were simulated with Aspen Plus® software and compared by technical and economic feasibility. Advanced FT synthesis satisfied the overall energy demands, but was not economically viable for a private investment. Advanced methanol synthesis is also not viable for private investment since the internal rate of return was 21.1%, because it could not provide the steam that the sugar mill required. The conventional synthesis routes had less viability than the corresponding advanced synthesis routes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Synthesis and Evaluation of ABO3 Perovskites (A=La and B=Mn, Co with Stoichiometric and Over-stoichiometric Ratios of B/A for Catalytic Oxidation of Trichloroethylene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Razieh Alagheband

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In this contribution, perovskite catalysts (ABO3 were probed that site A and site B were occupied by lanthanum and transition metals of manganese or cobalt, respectively, with stoichiometric ratios as well as 20 % over-stoichiometric ratios of B/A. The perovskite samples were synthesized using a gel-combustion method and characterized by BET, XRD, SEM and O2-TPD analyses. After mounting in a fixed bed reactor, the catalysts were examined in atmospheric pressure conditions at different temperatures for oxidation of 1000 ppm trichloroethylene in the air. Evaluation of over-stoichiometric catalysts activity showed that the increased ratio of B/A in the catalysts compared to the stoichiometric one led to BET surface area, oxygen mobility, and consequently catalytic performance improvement. The lanthanum manganite perovskite with 20 % excess manganese yielded the best catalytic performance among the probed perovskites. Copyright © 2018 BCREC Group. All rights reserved Received: 28th April 2017; Revised: 31st July 2017; Accepted: 4th August 2017; Available online: 22nd January 2018; Published regularly: 2nd April 2018 How to Cite: Alagheband, R., Maghsoodi, S., Kootenaei, A.S., Kianmanesh, H. (2018. Synthesis and Evaluation of ABO3 Perovskites (A=La and B=Mn, Co with Stoichiometric and Over-stoichiometric Ratios of B/A for Catalytic Oxidation of Trichloroethylene. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 13 (1: 47-56 (doi:10.9767/bcrec.13.1.1188.47-56

  7. Synthesis of imine bond containing insoluble polymeric ligand and its transition metal complexes, structural characterization and catalytic activity on esterification reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gönül, İlyas; Ay, Burak; Karaca, Serkan; Saribiyik, Oguz Yunus; Yildiz, Emel; Serin, Selahattin

    2017-01-01

    In this study, synthesis of insoluble polymeric ligand (L) and its transition metal complexes [Cu(L)Cl 2 ]·2H 2 O (1) , [Co(L)Cl 2 (H 2 O) 2 ] (2) and [Ni(L)Cl 2 (H 2 O) 2 ] (3) , having the azomethine groups, were synthesized by the condensation reactions of the diamines and dialdehydes. The structural properties were characterized by the analytical and spectroscopic methods using by elemental analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared, Thermo Gravimetric Analysis, Powder X-ray Diffraction, magnetic susceptibility and Inductively Coupled Plasma. The solubilities of the synthesized polymeric materials were also investigated and found as insoluble some organic and inorganic solvents. Additionally, their catalytic performance was carried out for the esterification reaction of acetic acid and butyl acetate. The highest conversion rate is 75.75% by using catalyst 1 . The esterification of butanol gave butyl acetate with 100% selectivity.

  8. Synthesis of Chiral Cyclic Carbonates via Kinetic Resolution of Racemic Epoxides and Carbon Dioxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao Wu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The catalytic synthesis of cyclic carbonates using carbon dioxide as a C1-building block is a highly active area of research. Here, we review the catalytic production of enantiomerically enriched cyclic carbonates via kinetic resolution of racemic epoxides catalysed by metal-containing catalyst systems.

  9. Urea-nitrate combustion synthesis of MgO/MgAl2O4 nanocatalyst used in biodiesel production from sunflower oil: Influence of fuel ratio on catalytic properties and performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahmani Vahid, Behgam; Haghighi, Mohammad

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: As a base catalyst for biodiesel production, MgAl 2 O 4 spinel was successfully synthesized by combustion method with MgO, as the active phase, dispersed on the catalyst surface. The nanocatalysts were characterized by XRD, FESEM, EDX, BET-BJH, TGA and FTIR analyses, so as to optimize the concentration of urea (as fuel) in the combustion synthesis. Analyzing the effect of fuel ratio on the combustion synthesized MgAl 2 O 4 , it was revealed that the synthesized base catalyst with a fuel ratio of 1.5 was of the best specifications for biodiesel production process. Future researches may investigate the catalyst reusability and mild reaction conditions, so as to achieve more economical production of biodiesel. - Highlights: • Efficient synthesis of MgAl 2 O 4 spinel by solution combustion method. • Improvement of catalytic activity and stability by optimum ratio fuel. • Enhanced dispersion of MgO over MgAl 2 O 4 spinel. • Production of biodiesel over MgO/MgAl 2 O 4 at relatively mild reaction conditions. - Abstract: MgO/MgAl 2 O 4 nanocatalyst was synthesized by a simple, cost-effective and rapid method and used in biodiesel production from sunflower oil. MgAl 2 O 4 was synthesized by combustion method at different fuel ratios and then active phase of MgO was dispersed on the samples by impregnation method. The nanocatalysts were characterized by XRD, FESEM, EDX, BET-BJH, TGA and FTIR analyses, so as to optimize the concentration of urea (as fuel) in the combustion synthesis. The physicochemical properties of the nanocatalyst confirmed the sample synthesized with fuel ratio of 1.5 has high surface area, effective morphology and texture properties. Finally, in order to evaluate catalytic activity of the samples in biodiesel production, the transesterification reaction was performed. The results indicated the catalyst prepared by combustion synthesis with a fuel ratio of 1.5 was optimum specifications for biodiesel production. Using this

  10. Impact of A cation size of double perovskite A2AlTaO6 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) on dielectric and catalytic properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorodea, I.; Goanta, M.; Toma, M.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Synthesis by solid state reaction of the double perovskite A 2 AlTaO 6 , where A = Ca, Sr and Ba. • The role of different A-site cations on their synthesis and structures was investigated. • The influence of the divalent A-site cations on the dielectric properties was evaluated by resistivity measurements. • Catalytic properties were evaluated in water splitting process, under gamma-rays irradiation emitted by a 60 Co source, for the first time. - Abstract: Double perovskite-type oxide A 2 AlTaO 6 materials, where A = Ca, Sr and Ba, were prepared using conventional solid state reaction. The role of different A-site cations on their synthesis, structures, dielectric and catalytic properties was investigated. Double perovskite oxide structures were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD). As the average cation size decreases, the crystallographic structure at room temperature evolves from cubic to monoclinic. The influence of the nature of the divalent A-site cations on the dielectric properties was evaluated by resistivity measurements in the frequency range of 10–10 6 Hz. It can be found that relative permittivity and dielectric loss regularly changed with A cation size. Catalytic properties of the obtained compounds were evaluated in water splitting process, under gamma-rays irradiation emitted by a 60 Co source for the first time. From experimental data it was noticed that the double perovskite Ca 2 AlTaO 6 had a higher catalytic effect

  11. Synthesis, characterization and photo catalytic activity of titanium oxide modified with nitrogen; Sintesis, caracterizacion y actividad fotocatalitica de oxido de titanio modificado con nitrogeno

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hernandez Enriquez, J. M.; Garcia Alamilla, R.; Garcia Serrano, L. A.; Cueto Hernandez, A.

    2011-07-01

    Titanium oxides (TiO{sub 2}) were synthesized by precipitation of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl{sub 4}) using ammonium hydroxide (NH{sub 4}OH). The synthesized materials were characterized by means of nitrogen physisorption, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, U.V.-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and the photo catalytic activity of the samples were measured by the degradation of the methyl orange. By means of this synthesis method we have doped the titanium oxide structure with nitrogen (N-TiO{sub 2}), stabilizing the anatase phase and obtaining meso porous and nanocrystalline materials. The titanium oxide with higher specific surface area (132 m{sup 2}/g) degraded the azo-compound to 100% in 180 min of reaction. (Author) 33 refs.

  12. A novel approach for the synthesis of ultrathin silica-coated iron oxide nanocubes decorated with silver nanodots (Fe3O4/SiO2/Ag) and their superior catalytic reduction of 4-nitroaniline

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbas, Mohamed; Torati, Sri Ramulu; Kim, Cheolgi

    2015-07-01

    A novel sonochemical approach was developed for the synthesis of different core/shell structures of Fe3O4/SiO2/Ag nanocubes and SiO2/Ag nanospheres. The total reaction time of the three sonochemical steps for the synthesis of Fe3O4/SiO2/Ag nanocubes is shorter than that of the previously reported methods. A proposed reaction mechanism for the sonochemical functionalization of the silica and the silver on the surface of magnetic nanocubes was discussed in detail. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the surface of Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocubes was decorated with small Ag nanoparticles of approximately 10-20 nm in size, and the energy dispersive spectroscopy mapping analysis confirmed the morphology of the structure. Additionally, X-ray diffraction data were used to confirm the formation of both phases of a cubic inverse spinel structure for Fe3O4 and bcc structures for Ag in the core/shell structure of the Fe3O4/SiO2/Ag nanocubes. The as-synthesized Fe3O4/SiO2/Ag nanocubes showed a high efficiency in the catalytic reduction reaction of 4-nitroaniline to 4-phenylenediamine and a better performance than both Ag and SiO2/Ag nanoparticles. The grafted silver catalyst was recycled and reused at least fifteen times without a significant loss of catalytic efficiency.A novel sonochemical approach was developed for the synthesis of different core/shell structures of Fe3O4/SiO2/Ag nanocubes and SiO2/Ag nanospheres. The total reaction time of the three sonochemical steps for the synthesis of Fe3O4/SiO2/Ag nanocubes is shorter than that of the previously reported methods. A proposed reaction mechanism for the sonochemical functionalization of the silica and the silver on the surface of magnetic nanocubes was discussed in detail. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the surface of Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocubes was decorated with small Ag nanoparticles of approximately 10-20 nm in size, and the energy dispersive spectroscopy mapping analysis confirmed the morphology of the

  13. Structure-performance relationships for supported cobalt Fischer-Tropsch catalysts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eschemann, T.O.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/33082712X

    2015-01-01

    The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) involves the heterogeneously catalyzed conversion of synthesis gas into water and hydrocarbons and offers a promising route for the synthesis of ultraclean fuels, chemicals and lubricants. The synthesis gas can be generated from different feedstocks, such as coal

  14. A murC gene from coryneform bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wachi, M; Wijayarathna, C D; Teraoka, H; Nagai, K

    1999-02-01

    The upstream flanking region of the ftsQ and ftsZ genes of Brevibacterium flavum MJ233, which belongs to the coryneform bacteria, was amplified by the inverse polymerase chain reaction method and cloned in Escherichia coli. Complementation analysis of E. coli mutant with a defective cell-wall synthesis mechanism with the cloned fragment and its DNA sequencing indicated the presence of the murC gene, encoding UDP-N-acetylmuramate:L-alanine ligase involved in peptidoglycan synthesis, just upstream from the ftsQ gene. The B. flavum murC gene could encode a protein of 486 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 51 198 Da. A 50-kDa protein was synthesized by the B. flavum murC gene in an in vitro transcription/translation system using E. coli S30 lysate. These results indicate that the genes responsible for cell-wall synthesis and cell division are located as a cluster in B. flavum similar to the E. coli mra region.

  15. Enhanced catalytic activity without the use of an external light source using microwave-synthesized CuO nanopetals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Govinda Lakhotiya

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available We report enhanced catalytic activity of CuO nanopetals synthesized by microwave-assisted wet chemical synthesis. The catalytic reaction of CuO nanopetals and H2O2 was studied with the application of external light source and also under dark conditions for the degradation of the hazardous dye methylene blue. The CuO nanopetals showed significant catalytic activity for the fast degradation of methylene blue and rhodamine B (RhB under dark conditions, without the application of an external light source. This increased catalytic activity was attributed to the co-operative role of H2O2 and the large specific surface area (≈40 m2·g−1 of the nanopetals. We propose a detail mechanism for this fast degradation. A separate study of the effect of different H2O2 concentrations for the degradation of methylene blue under dark conditions is also illustrated.

  16. KINETICS OF SLURRY PHASE FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS. FOURTH ANNUAL TECHNICAL PROGRESS REPORT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bukur, Dragomir B.; Froment, Gilbert F.; Olewski, Tomasz

    2006-01-01

    This report covers the fourth year of a research project conducted under the University Coal Research Program. The overall objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive kinetic model for slurry-phase Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) employing iron-based catalysts. This model will be validated with experimental data obtained in a stirred-tank slurry reactor (STSR) over a wide range of process conditions. The model will be able to predict molar flow rates and concentrations of all reactants and major product species (water, carbon dioxide, linear 1- and 2-olefins, and linear paraffins) as a function of reaction conditions in the STSR. During the fourth year of the project, an analysis of experimental data collected during the second year of this project was performed. Kinetic parameters were estimated utilizing product distributions from 27 mass balances. During the reporting period two kinetic models were employed: a comprehensive kinetic model of Dr. Li and co-workers (Yang et al., 2003) and a hydrocarbon selectivity model of Van der Laan and Beenackers (1998, 1999) The kinetic model of Yang et al. (2003) has 24 parameters (20 parameters for hydrocarbon formation, and 4 parameters for the water-gas-shift (WGS) reaction). Kinetic parameters for the WGS reaction and FTS synthesis were estimated first separately, and then simultaneously. The estimation of these kinetic parameters employed the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) method and the trust-region reflective Newton large-scale (LS) method. A genetic algorithm (GA) was incorporated into estimation of parameters for FTS reaction to provide initial estimates of model parameters. All reaction rate constants and activation energies were found to be positive, but at the 95% confidence level the intervals were large. Agreement between predicted and experimental reaction rates has been fair to good. Light hydrocarbons are predicted fairly accurately, whereas the model underpredicts values of higher molecular weight

  17. Synthesis and Catalytic Evaluation of Dendrimer-Encapsulated Cu Nanoparticles: An Undergraduate Experiment Exploring Catalytic Nanomaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Z. Vivian; Lyon, Jennifer L.; Croley, J. Sawyer; Crooks, Richard M.; Vanden Bout, David A.; Stevenson, Keith J.

    2009-01-01

    Copper nanoparticles were synthesized using generation 4 hydroxyl-terminated (G4-OH) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers as templates. The synthesis is conducted by coordinating copper ions with the interior amines of the dendrimer, followed by chemical reduction to form dendrimer-encapsulated copper nanoparticles (Cu-DEN). The catalytic…

  18. Reduced graphene oxide supported platinum nanocubes composites: one-pot hydrothermal synthesis and enhanced catalytic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Fumin; Gao, Xueqing; Xue, Qi; Li, Shuni; Chen, Yu; Lee, Jong-Min

    2015-01-01

    Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported platinum nanocubes (Pt-NCs) composites (Pt-NCs/rGO) were synthesized successfully by a water-based co-chemical reduction method, in which polyallylamine hydrochloride acted as a multi-functional molecule for the functionalization of graphene oxide, anchorage of Pt II precursor, and control of Pt crystal facets. The morphology, structure, composition, and catalytic property of Pt-NCs/rGO composites were characterized in detail by various spectroscopic techniques. Transmission electron microscopy images showed well-defined Pt-NCs with an average size of 9 nm uniformly distributed on the rGO surface. The as-prepared Pt-NCs/rGO composites had excellent colloidal stability in the aqueous solution, and exhibited superior catalytic activity towards the hydrogenation reduction of nitro groups compared to commercial Pt black. The improved catalytic activity originated from the abundant exposed Pt{100} facets of Pt-NCs, excellent dispersion of Pt-NCs on the rGO surface, and synergistic effect between Pt-NCs and rGO. (paper)

  19. Cavitational synthesis of nanostructured inorganic materials for enhanced heterogeneous catalysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krausz, Ivo Michael

    The synthesis of nanostructured inorganic materials by hydrodynamic cavitation processing was investigated. The goal of this work was to develop a general synthesis technique for nanostructured materials with a control over crystallite size in the 1--20 nm range. Materials with crystallite sizes in this range have shown enhanced catalytic activity compared to materials with larger crystallite sizes. Several supported and unsupported inorganic materials were studied to understand the effects of cavitation on crystallite size. Cavitation processing of calcium fluoride resulted in more spherical particles, attached to one another by melted necks. This work produced the first evidence of shock wave heating of nanostructured materials by hydrodynamic cavitation processing. Hydrodynamic cavitation synthesis of various catalytic support materials indicated that their phase composition and purity could be controlled by adjustment of the processing parameters. Zirconia/alumina supports synthesized using hydro-dynamic cavitation and calcined to 1368 K retained a high purity cubic zirconia phase, whereas classically prepared samples showed a phase transformation to monoclinic zirconia. Similarly, the synthesis of alumina resulted in materials with varying Bohmite and Bayerite contents as a function of the process parameters. High temperature calcination resulted in stable alumina supports with varying amounts of delta-, and theta-alumina. Synthesis studies of palladium and silver showed modest variations in crystallite size as a function of cavitation process parameters. Calcination resulted in larger grain materials, indicating a disappearance of intergrain boundaries. Based on these results, a new synthesis method was studied involving controlled agglomeration of small silver crystallites by hydrodynamic cavitation processing, followed by deposition on alumina. The optimal pH, concentration, and processing time for controlling the silver crystallite size in the cavitation

  20. Synthesis of allocolchicinoids: a 50 year journey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sitnikov, N S; Fedorov, A Yu

    2013-01-01

    Published data on the stereo- and enantioselective synthesis of allocolchicinoids, which are of interest as antitumour agents, are summarized. The stereochemistry of these compounds is described. Two key approaches to their preparation are considered, namely, the synthesis from natural colchicine and total synthesis from commercially available reagents. Various total syntheses of N-acetylcolchicinol are performed using biaryl oxidative and reductive coupling, cyclopropanation–ring expansion and Nicholas reaction. The synthetic routes to allocolchicine are based on Diels–Alder cycloaddition, combination of metathesis and Diels–Alder reaction and direct catalytic CH-arylation. Analogues of the colchicine site ligands incorporating heteroaromatic rings are briefly considered; their structural features and methods of synthesis are discussed. The bibliography includes 144 references.

  1. Synthesis of polyaniline nanotubes through UV light catalytic method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chuanyu Sun

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study, nitrocellulose (NC fiber blanket prepared by electrostatic spinning method has been used as a template, and copper nitrate (Cu(NO32 as an oxidant to synthesise polyaniline nanotubes doped with heteropolyacid (H4SiW12O40, SiW12 using UV light catalytic method. Infrared spectroscopy (IR, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM technologies were applied to characterize the prepared samples of polyaniline nanotubes. The results show that the external diameter of the tube is about 200 nm, and the internal diameter about 170 nm. We also give a reasonable speculation and explanation about the formation mechanism of the nanotubes.

  2. Multifaceted Strategy for the Synthesis of Diverse 2,2'-Bithiophene Derivatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stanisław Krompiec

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available New catalytically or high pressure activated reactions and routes, including coupling, double bond migration in allylic systems, and various types of cycloaddition and dihydroamination have been used for the synthesis of novel bithiophene derivatives. Thanks to the abovementioned reactions and routes combined with non-catalytic ones, new acetylene, butadiyne, isoxazole, 1,2,3-triazole, pyrrole, benzene, and fluoranthene derivatives with one, two or six bithiophenyl moieties have been obtained. Basic sources of crucial substrates which include bithiophene motif for catalytic reactions were 2,2'-bithiophene, gaseous acetylene and 1,3-butadiyne.

  3. Reduced cobalt phases of ZrO2 and Ru/ZrO2 promoted cobalt catalysts and product distributions from Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kangvansura, Praewpilin; Schulz, Hans; Suramitr, Anwaraporn; Poo-arporn, Yingyot; Viravathana, Pinsuda; Worayingyong, Attera

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Ru/ZrO 2 , ZrO 2 promoted Co/SiO 2 for FTS were reduced by time resolved XANES. • Reduced catalysts resulted from XANES reduction showed the mixed phases of Co, CoO. • The highest percentages of CoO resulted from the high ZrO 2 promoted Co/SiO 2 . • Product distributions of 1-alkenes, iso-alkanes indicated sites for FTS and the 2° reaction. • Alkene readsorption were high corresponding to the high CoO forming branched alkanes. - Abstract: Co/SiO 2 catalysts were promoted with 4% and 8% ZrO 2 . Small amounts (0.07%) of Ru were impregnated onto 4%ZrO 2 /Co/SiO 2 . Catalysts resulting from time-resolved XANES reduction showed mixed phases of Co and CoO, with the highest percentages of Co resulting from Ru/4%ZrO 2 /Co/SiO 2 and the highest percentages of CoO resulting from 8%ZrO 2 /Co/SiO 2 . Product distributions of n-alkanes, iso-alkanes and alkenes during Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) were used to investigate the catalyst performance of 4%ZrO 2 /Co/SiO 2 8%ZrO 2 /Co/SiO 2 and Ru/4%ZrO 2 /Co/SiO 2 . FTS steady state was studied by growth probabilities of n-alkane products. No 1-alkene was produced from Ru/4%ZrO 2 /Co/SiO 2 , indicating high availability of Fischer–Tropsch sites for long chain hydrocarbon growth, despite high methanation. Branched alkanes produced from the secondary reaction were related to the high CoO percentages on 8%ZrO 2 /Co/SiO 2 . Alkene readsorption sites were high, corresponding to the high CoO percentages, causing a high probability of forming branched alkane products

  4. Synthesis of Co/N-HNTs composites and investigation on its catalytic activity for H2 generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Dongcui; Cheng, Zhilin; Nan, Zhaodong

    2016-01-01

    Co/N-HNTs composites were synthesized via a one-pot solvothermal method, where amine functional halloysite nanotubes (N-HNTs) were used as support materials. Effects of sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT), an anionic surfactant, on morphology and dispersibility of Co particles anchored at the N-HNTs were studied. The dispersibility of the Co particles was promoted with the increase of the AOT concentration. The as-obtained composite was used as a catalyst to generate H 2 gas by hydrolysis of NaBH 4 solution. The catalytic activity of the composite was significantly enhanced than the pure Co and Co/graphene composite at the same experimental conditions reported by our laboratory, and the catalyst was conveniently separated from the solution by a magnet. The catalytic activity was enhanced when the dispersibility of the Co particles was improved at the surface of the N-HNTs and the Co content contained in the composite was lowed. At the same time, the Co particles anchored at the inner surface of the N-HNTs resulted in higher catalytic activity, where the Co particles may bond with nitrogen atoms. The activation energy for the hydrolysis of NaBH 4 was calculated to be about 15.42 kJ mol −1 . The catalyst can be continuously used for four times with about the same catalytic activity. - Highlights: • Co/N-HNTs composites are synthesized. • The dispersibility and morphology of the Co particles anchored at the N-HNTs are modified by AOT. • The composite shows higher catalytic activity for production H 2 gas.

  5. Size-controlled synthesis of NiFe2O4 nanospheres via a PEG assisted hydrothermal route and their catalytic properties in oxidation of alcohols by periodic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paul, Bappi; Purkayastha, Debraj Dhar; Dhar, Siddhartha Sankar

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Hydrothermal synthesis of NiFe 2 O 4 NPs with (C 4 H 9 ) 3 N as hydroxylating agent. • PEG 4000 was used as surfactant to control sizes of NPs. • The TEM images revealed the material to be spherical in shape with sizes 2–10 nm. • NiFe 2 O 4 was used as recyclable catalyst for oxidation of alcohols by periodic acid. - Abstract: A novel and facile approach for synthesis of spinel nickel ferrites (NiFe 2 O 4 ) nanoparticles (NPs) employing homogeneous chemical precipitation followed by hydrothermal heating is reported. The synthesis involves use of tributylamine (TBA) as a hydroxylating agent in synthesis of nickel ferrites. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 was used as surfactant. As-synthesized NiFe 2 O 4 NPs were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N 2 adsorption–desorption isotherm (BET) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The XRD pattern revealed formation of cubic face-centered NiFe 2 O 4 and TEM image showed spherical particles of sizes 2–10 nm. These NiFe 2 O 4 NPs were used as magnetically recoverable catalyst in oxidation of cyclic alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes by periodic acid. This eco-friendly procedure affords products in very high yield and selectivity. The reusability of the catalyst is proved to be noteworthy as the material exhibits no significant changes in its catalytic activity even after five cycles of reuse.

  6. Nd(III) and Dy(III) coordination compounds based on 1H-tetrazolate-5-acetic acid ligands: Synthesis, crystal structures and catalytic properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Qiaoyun; Chen Dianyu; He Minghua [Jiangsu Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials, Department of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu 215500, Jiangsu (China); Yang Gaowen, E-mail: ygwsx@126.com [Jiangsu Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials, Department of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu 215500, Jiangsu (China); Shen Lei; Zhai Chun; Shen Wei; Gu Kun; Zhao Jingjing [Jiangsu Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials, Department of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu 215500, Jiangsu (China)

    2012-06-15

    Reactions of 1H-tetrazolate-5-acetic acid(H{sub 2}tza) with Nd(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}{center_dot}6H{sub 2}O or Dy(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}{center_dot}6H{sub 2}O with the presence of KOH under solvothermal conditions, produced two new coordination compounds, [M{sub 2}(tza){sub 3}(H{sub 2}O){sub 6}]{center_dot}2H{sub 2}O [M=Nd(1), Dy(2)]. Both compounds were structurally characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1 and 2 reveal 1D structures via bridging tza as linker. Furthermore, the compounds 1 and 2 showed a specific and good catalytic behavior for the polymerization of styrene, and the polymerization showed controlled characteristics. - Graphical Abstract: Two new coordination compounds, [M{sub 2}(tza){sub 3}(H{sub 2}O){sub 6}]{center_dot}2H{sub 2}O [M=Nd(1), Dy(2)] have been synthesis. 1 and 2 reveal 1D structures via bridging tza as linker, and showed a specific and good catalytic behavior for the polymerization of styrene. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer we have reported two novel compounds formed by H{sub 2}tza and Nd(III) or Dy(III). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Compounds 1 and 2 were found to have catalysis property for the photo-polymerization of styrene. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The high molecular weight polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions were obtained.

  7. Pharmacophore generation, atom-based 3D-QSAR, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies on benzamide analogues as FtsZ inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripathy, Swayansiddha; Azam, Mohammed Afzal; Jupudi, Srikanth; Sahu, Susanta Kumar

    2017-10-11

    FtsZ is an appealing target for the design of antimicrobial agent that can be used to defeat the multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. Pharmacophore modelling, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies were performed on a series of three-substituted benzamide derivatives. In the present study a five-featured pharmacophore model with one hydrogen bond acceptors, one hydrogen bond donors, one hydrophobic and two aromatic rings was developed using 97 molecules having MIC values ranging from .07 to 957 μM. A statistically significant 3D-QSAR model was obtained using this pharmacophore hypothesis with a good correlation coefficient (R 2  = .8319), cross validated coefficient (Q 2  = .6213) and a high Fisher ratio (F = 103.9) with three component PLS factor. A good correlation between experimental and predicted activity of the training (R 2  = .83) and test set (R 2  = .67) molecules were displayed by ADHRR.1682 model. The generated model was further validated by enrichment studies using the decoy test and MAE-based criteria to measure the efficiency of the model. The docking studies of all selected inhibitors in the active site of FtsZ protein showed crucial hydrogen bond interactions with Val 207, Asn 263, Leu 209, Gly 205 and Asn-299 residues. The binding free energies of these inhibitors were calculated by the molecular mechanics/generalized born surface area VSGB 2.0 method. Finally, a 15 ns MD simulation was done to confirm the stability of the 4DXD-ligand complex. On a wider scope, the prospect of present work provides insight in designing molecules with better selective FtsZ inhibitory potential.

  8. Impact of Contaminants Present in Coal-Biomass Derived Synthesis Gas on Water-gas Shift and Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alptekin, Gokhan [TDA Research, Inc., Wheat Ridge, CO (United States)

    2013-02-15

    Co-gasification of biomass and coal in large-scale, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plants increases the efficiency and reduces the environmental impact of making synthesis gas ("syngas") that can be used in Coal-Biomass-to-Liquids (CBTL) processes for producing transportation fuels. However, the water-gas shift (WGS) and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts used in these processes may be poisoned by multiple contaminants found in coal-biomass derived syngas; sulfur species, trace toxic metals, halides, nitrogen species, the vapors of alkali metals and their salts (e.g., KCl and NaCl), ammonia, and phosphorous. Thus, it is essential to develop a fundamental understanding of poisoning/inhibition mechanisms before investing in the development of any costly mitigation technologies. We therefore investigated the impact of potential contaminants (H2S, NH3, HCN, AsH3, PH3, HCl, NaCl, KCl, AS3, NH4NO3, NH4OH, KNO3, HBr, HF, and HNO3) on the performance and lifetime of commercially available and generic (prepared in-house) WGS and FT catalysts.

  9. Cyclopropanes and hypervalent iodine reagents: high energy compounds for applications in synthesis and catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández González, Davinia; De Simone, Filippo; Brand, Jonathan P; Nicolai, Stefano; Waser, Jérôme

    2011-01-01

    One of the major challenges faced by organic chemistry is the efficient synthesis of increasingly complex molecules. Since October 2007, the Laboratory of Catalysis and Organic Synthesis (LCSO) at EPFL has been working on the development of catalytic reactions based on the Umpolung of the innate reactivity of functional groups. Electrophilic acetylene synthons have been developed using the exceptional properties of ethynyl benziodoxolone (EBX) hypervalent iodine reagents for the alkynylation of heterocycles and olefins. The obtained acetylenes are important building blocks for organic chemistry, material sciences and chemical biology. The ring-strain energy of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes was then used in the first catalytic formal homo-Nazarov cyclization. In the case of aminocyclopropanes, the method could be applied in the synthesis of the alkaloids aspidospermidine and goniomitine. The developed methods are expected to have a broad potential for the synthesis and functionalization of complex organic molecules, including carbocycles and heterocycles.

  10. Effect of CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O content in syngas on activity and selectivity of a cobalt based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poehlmann, F.; Kaiser, P.; Kern, C.; Jess, A. [Bayreuth Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    2013-11-01

    When liquid hydrocarbons are to be used as CO{sub 2} neutral storage media for electrical energy, it is necessary to convert CO{sub 2} from e.g. flue gas and hydrogen from water electrolysis to synthesis gas (CO/H{sub 2}). This can be achieved by a high temperature reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction. Due to thermodynamic limitations, the product gas of RWGS reactors operated at technically feasible temperatures of around 900 C will always contain significant amounts of water and carbon dioxide, which can influence the activity of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts for the actual hydrocarbon production. In this study, a commercial cobalt catalyst was investigated under low temperature FTS conditions (2.5 MPa, 215 C) regard to activity and selectivity in the presence of H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2}. A continuous flow apparatus including a fixed-bed reactor for the synthesis step was used to conduct all experiments. The experimental data reveals that the CO/CO{sub 2}-ratio does not affect the activity and product selectivity until the CO{sub 2}-concentration reaches 75 vol.-% (CO{sub 2}/(CO+CO{sub 2})). On increasing the carbon dioxide concentration to 100 vol.-% (H{sub 2}/CO{sub 2} = 2), the methane selectivity rose up to 70 % and even above. Addition of water caused an initial loss of activity. After the initial loss of activity the FT catalyst activity was found to remain constant, irrespectively of if the water was removed from the feed or not. Thus, the deactivation was permanent. (orig.)

  11. Microwave-Assisted SynthesisCatalytic Applications in Aqueous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    The development of sustainable methods directed towards the synthesis of molecules is due to the heightened awareness and recognition of alternative eco-friendly and economical protocols that have minimum impact on environment. Among others, microwave (MW)-assisted methodology ha...

  12. Continuous multistep synthesis of perillic acid from limonene by catalytic biofilms under segmented flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willrodt, Christian; Halan, Babu; Karthaus, Lisa; Rehdorf, Jessica; Julsing, Mattijs K; Buehler, Katja; Schmid, Andreas

    2017-02-01

    The efficiency of biocatalytic reactions involving industrially interesting reactants is often constrained by toxification of the applied biocatalyst. Here, we evaluated the combination of biologically and technologically inspired strategies to overcome toxicity-related issues during the multistep oxyfunctionalization of (R)-(+)-limonene to (R)-(+)-perillic acid. Pseudomonas putida GS1 catalyzing selective limonene oxidation via the p-cymene degradation pathway and recombinant Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 were evaluated for continuous perillic acid production. A tubular segmented-flow biofilm reactor was used in order to relieve oxygen limitations and to enable membrane mediated substrate supply as well as efficient in situ product removal. Both P. putida GS1 and P. taiwanensis VLB120 developed a catalytic biofilm in this system. The productivity of wild-type P. putida GS1 encoding the enzymes for limonene bioconversion was highly dependent on the carbon source and reached 34 g L tube -1  day -1 when glycerol was supplied. More than 10-fold lower productivities were reached irrespective of the applied carbon source when the recombinant P. taiwanensis VLB120 harboring p-cymene monooxygenase and p-cumic alcohol dehydrogenase was used as biocatalyst. The technical applicability for preparative perillic acid synthesis in the applied system was verified by purification of perillic acid from the outlet stream using an anion exchanger resin. This concept enabled the multistep production of perillic acid and which might be transferred to other reactions involving volatile reactants and toxic end-products. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 281-290. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Catalytic synthesis of 2-methylpyrazine over Cr-promoted copper ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    Department of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, NO. ... Reaction pathway for the synthesis of 2-methylpyrazine from ethyl- ..... g. −. ⋅ ⋅. = ⋅. ⋅ where MolH2, SF, NA, CM and WCu are moles of hydrogen experimentally consumed per ...

  14. Nitrides and carbides of molybdenum and tungsten with high specific-surface area: their synthesis, structure, and catalytic properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volpe, L.

    1985-01-01

    Temperature-programmed reactions between trioxides of molybdenum or tungsten and ammonia provide a new method to synthesize dimolybdenum and ditungsten nitrides with specific surface areas to two-hundred-and-twenty and ninety-one square meters per gram, respectively. These are the highest values on record for any unsupported metallic powders. They correspond to three-four nonometer particles. The reaction of molybdenum trioxide with ammonia is topotactic in the sense that one-zero-zero planes of dimolybdenum nitride are parallel to zero-one-zero planes of molybdenum trioxide. As the trioxide transforms, it passes through an oxynitride intermediate with changing bulk structure and increasing surface area and extent of reduction. The nitride product consists of platelets, pseudomorphous with the original trioxide, which can be regarded as highly porous defect single crystals. By treating small particles of dimolybdenum or ditungsten nitride with methane-dihydrogen mixtures it is possible to replace interstitial nitrogen atoms by carbon atoms, without sintering, and thus to prepare carbides of molybdenum and tungsten with very high specific surface areas. Molybdenum nitride powders catalyze ammonia synthesis. A pronounced increase in the catalytic activity with increasing particle size confirms the structure-sensitive character of this reaction

  15. Application of Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis in Biomass to Liquid Conversion

    OpenAIRE

    Yongwu Lu; Fei Yu; Jin Hu

    2012-01-01

    Fischer–Tropsch synthesis is a set of catalytic processes that can be used to produce fuels and chemicals from synthesis gas (mixture of CO and H2), which can be derived from natural gas, coal, or biomass. Biomass to Liquid via Fischer–Tropsch (BTL-FT) synthesis is gaining increasing interests from academia and industry because of its ability to produce carbon neutral and environmentally friendly clean fuels; such kinds of fuels can help to meet the globally increasing energy demand and to me...

  16. Structural analysis of CuO / CeO2-based catalytic materials intended for PROX reaction: Part I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neiva, L.S.; Simoes, A.N.; Bispo, A.; Ribeiro, M.A.; Gama, L.

    2011-01-01

    This work relates the synthesis process of CuO/CeO 2 catalytic materials by a combustion reaction method as well as it introduces a structural analysis of the developed material, this structural analysis had as main focus to evaluate the influence of the doping substance (CuO) when being incorporated in the hostess matrix structure that is CeO 2 . The CuO/CeO catalytic materials developed in this work are destined to preferential oxidation of CO reaction (PROX). The developed materials were characterized by XRD, SEM and textural complete analysis by the BET method. According to the results, the CuO incorporation changed crystallinity of the structure of the catalytic materials. On the other hand, the morphologic and textural characteristics did not showed significant differences regarding the presence of the doping substance (CuO) in the structure of the developed materials. The porosity of the structures of the developed catalytic materials belongs to the type macroporous. (author)

  17. Development of advanced mesostructured catalytic coatings on different substrates for fine chemical synthesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Protasova, L.N.

    2011-01-01

    Catalytic microstructured reactors are becoming widely recognized for their unique properties, such as high surface–to–volume ratios, isothermal conditions due to high heat transfer rates, enhanced safety, and potential applications in chemistry and in chemical industry. The efficient use of

  18. Ultrasound-accelerated synthesis of biphenyl compounds using novel Pd(0) nanoparticles immobilized on bio-composite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baran, Talat

    2018-07-01

    This study describes (i) an eco-friendly approach for design of Pd(0) nanoparticles on a natural composite, which is composed of carboxymethyl cellulose/agar polysaccharides (CMC/AG), without using any toxic reducing agents and (ii) development of ultrasound assisted simple protocol for synthesis of biphenyl compounds. Chemical characterization studies of Pd(0) nanoparticles (Pd NPs@CMC/AG) revealed that size of the particles were in the range of 37-55 nm. Catalytic performance of Pd NPs@CMC/AG was evaluated in synthesis of various biphenyl compounds by using the ultrasound-assisted method that was developed in this study. Pd NPs@CMC/AG exhibited excellent catalytic performance by producing high reaction yields. In addition, Pd NPs@CMC/AG was successfully used up to six reaction cycles without losing its catalytic activity, indicating high reproducibility of Pd NPs@CMC/AG. Additionally, compared to conventional the methods, new ultrasound-assisted synthesis technique that was followed in this study exhibited some advantages such as shorter reaction time, greener reaction conditions, higher yields and easier work-up. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Green and facile synthesis of fibrous Ag/cotton composites and their catalytic properties for 4-nitrophenol reduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ziyu; Jia, Zhigang; Ni, Tao; Li, Shengbiao

    2017-12-01

    Natural cotton, featuring abundant oxygen-containing functional groups, has been utilized as a reductant to synthesize Ag nanoparticles on its surface. Through the facile and environment-friendly reduction process, the fibrous Ag/cotton composite (FAC) was conveniently synthesized. Various characterization techniques including XRD, XPS, TEM, SEM, EDS and FT-IR had been utilized to study the material microstructure and surface properties. The resulting FAC exhibited favorable activity on the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol with high reaction rate. Moreover, the fibrous Ag/cotton composites were capable to form a desirable catalytic mat for catalyzing and simultaneous product separation. Reactants passing through the mat could be catalytically transformed to product, which is of great significance for water treatment. Such catalyst (FAC) was thus expected to have the potential as a highly efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly catalyst for industrial applications. More importantly, this newly developed synthetic methodology could serve as a general tool to design and synthesize other metal/biomass composites catalysts for a wider range of catalytic applications.

  20. Supercritical Synthesis of Biodiesel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michel Vaultier

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The synthesis of biodiesel fuel from lipids (vegetable oils and animal fats has gained in importance as a possible source of renewable non-fossil energy in an attempt to reduce our dependence on petroleum-based fuels. The catalytic processes commonly used for the production of biodiesel fuel present a series of limitations and drawbacks, among them the high energy consumption required for complex purification operations and undesirable side reactions. Supercritical fluid (SCF technologies offer an interesting alternative to conventional processes for preparing biodiesel. This review highlights the advances, advantages, drawbacks and new tendencies involved in the use of supercritical fluids (SCFs for biodiesel synthesis.

  1. Catalytic NH3 Synthesis using N2 /H2 at Molecular Transition Metal Complexes: Concepts for Lead Structure Determination using Computational Chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hölscher, Markus; Leitner, Walter

    2017-09-07

    While industrial NH 3 synthesis based on the Haber-Bosch-process was invented more than a century ago, there is still no molecular catalyst available which reduces N 2 in the reaction system N 2 /H 2 to NH 3 . As the many efforts of experimentally working research groups to develop a molecular catalyst for NH 3 synthesis from N 2 /H 2 have led to a variety of stoichiometric reductions it seems justified to undertake the attempt of systematizing the various approaches of how the N 2 molecule might be reduced to NH 3 with H 2 at a transition metal complex. In this contribution therefore a variety of intuition-based concepts are presented with the intention to show how the problem can be approached. While no claim for completeness is made, these concepts intend to generate a working plan for future research. Beyond this, it is suggested that these concepts should be evaluated with regard to experimental feasibility by checking barrier heights of single reaction steps and also by computation of whole catalytic cycles employing density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This serves as a tool which extends the empirically driven search process and expands it by computed insights which can be used to rationalize the various challenges which must be met. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. A self-propagation high-temperature synthesis and annealing route to synthesis of wave-like boron nitride nanotubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jilin; Zhang, Laiping [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430073 (China); Gu, Yunle, E-mail: ncm@mail.wit.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430073 (China); Pan, Xinye; Zhao, Guowei; Zhang, Zhanhui [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430073 (China)

    2013-03-15

    Highlights: ► Large quantities of wave-like BN nanotubes were synthesized by SHS-annealing method. ► The catalytic boron-containing porous precursor was produced by self-propagation high-temperature synthesis method. ► Three growth models were proposed to explain the growth mechanism of the wave-like BN nanotubes. - Abstract: Large quantities of boron nitride (BN) nanotubes were synthesized by annealing a catalytic boron-containing porous precursor in flowing NH{sub 3} gas at 1180 °C. The porous precursor was prepared by self-propagation high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method at 800 °C using Mg, B{sub 2}O{sub 3} and amorphous boron powder (α-B) as the starting materials. The porous precursor played an important role in large quantities synthesis of BN nanotubes. The as-synthesized product was characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), Raman, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Characterization results indicated that the BN nanotubes displayed wave-like inner structures with diameters in the range of 50–300 nm and average lengths of more than 10 μm. The possible growth mechanism of the BN nanotubes was also discussed.

  3. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Prosopis juliflora bark extract: reaction optimization, antimicrobial and catalytic activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arya, Geeta; Kumari, R Mankamna; Gupta, Nidhi; Kumar, Ajeet; Chandra, Ramesh; Nimesh, Surendra

    2017-07-18

    In the present study, silver nanoparticles (PJB-AgNPs) have been biosynthesized employing Prosopis juliflora bark extract. The biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles was monitored on UV-vis spectrophotometer. The size, charge and polydispersity index (PDI) of PJB-AgNPs were determined using dynamic light scattering (DLS). Different parameters dictating the size of PJB-AgNPs were explored. Nanoparticles biosynthesis optimization studies suggested efficient synthesis of highly dispersed PJB-AgNPs at 25 °C when 9.5 ml of 1 mM AgNO 3 was reduced with 0.5 ml of bark extract for 40 min. Characterization of PJB-AgNPs by SEM showed spherical-shaped nanoparticles with a size range ∼10-50 nm along with a hydrodynamic diameter of ∼55 nm as evaluated by DLS. Further, characterizations were done by FTIR and EDS to evaluate the functional groups and purity of PJB-AgNPs. The antibacterial potential of PJB-AgNPs was tested against E. coli and P. aeruginosa. The PJB-AgNPs remarkably exhibited anticancer activity against A549 cell line as evidenced by Alamar blue assay. The dye degradation activity was also evaluated against 4-nitrophenol that has carcinogenic effect. The results thus obtained suggest application of PJB-AgNPs as antimicrobial, anticancer and catalytic agents.

  4. CO emission and export from Asia: an analysis combining complementary satellite measurements (MOPITT, SCIAMACHY and ACE-FTS with global modeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. F. Bernath

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available This study presents the complementary picture of the pollution outflow provided by several satellite observations of carbon monoxide (CO, based on different observation techniques. This is illustrated by an analysis of the Asian outflow during the spring of 2005, through comparisons with simulations by the LMDz-INCA global chemistry transport model. The CO observations from the MOPITT and SCIAMACHY nadir sounders, which provide vertically integrated information with excellent horizontal sampling, and from the ACE-FTS solar occultation instrument, which has limited spatial coverage but allows the retrieval of vertical profiles, are used. Combining observations from MOPITT (mainly sensitive to the free troposphere and SCIAMACHY (sensitive to the full column allows a qualitative evaluation of the boundary layer CO. The model tends to underestimate this residual compared to the observations, suggesting underestimated emissions, especially in eastern Asia. However, a better understanding of the consistency and possible biases between the MOPITT and SCIAMACHY CO is necessary for a quantitative evaluation. Underestimated emissions, and possibly too low lofting and underestimated chemical production in the model, lead to an underestimate of the export to the free troposphere, as highlighted by comparisons with MOPITT and ACE-FTS. Both instruments observe large trans-Pacific transport extending from ~20° N to ~60° N, with high upper tropospheric CO observed by ACE-FTS above the eastern Pacific (with values of up to 300 ppbv around 50° N at 500 hPa and up to ~200 ppbv around 30° N at 300 hPa. The low vertical and horizontal resolutions of the global model do not allow the simulation of the strong enhancements in the observed plumes. However, the transport patterns are well captured, and are mainly attributed to export from eastern Asia, with increasing contributions from South Asia and Indonesia towards the tropics. Additional measurements of C2

  5. XCO2-measurements with a tabletop FTS using solar absorption spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Simon

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available A commercial low-resolution (0.5 cm−1 Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS has been modified and is used for determining the total column XCO2 of the atmosphere by analysing direct solar radiation. The spectrometer has a small home-built solar tracker attached, so that it is a ready-to-use instrument. The results are validated with temporally coinciding on-site measurements taken with a high-resolution Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON FTIR spectrometer. For the whole comparison period of 5 months (26 measurement days an agreement with TCCON results of (0.12 ± 0.08% is achieved. This makes the spectrometer a promising candidate for a low-cost addition to the TCCON core FTIR sites, especially suitable for locations with limited infrastructure. An impressive mechanical and thermal stability is proved, enabling the spectrometer for use in field campaigns and for the monitoring of local sources.

  6. Six-flow operations for catalyst development in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: Bridging the gap between high-throughput experimentation and extensive product evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sartipi, Sina; Jansma, Harrie; Bosma, Duco; Boshuizen, Bart; Makkee, Michiel; Gascon, Jorge; Kapteijn, Freek

    2013-01-01

    Design and operation of a “six-flow fixed-bed microreactor” setup for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is described. The unit consists of feed and mixing, flow division, reaction, separation, and analysis sections. The reactor system is made of five heating blocks with individual temperature controllers, assuring an identical isothermal zone of at least 10 cm along six fixed-bed microreactor inserts (4 mm inner diameter). Such a lab-scale setup allows running six experiments in parallel, under equal feed composition, reaction temperature, and conditions of separation and analysis equipment. It permits separate collection of wax and liquid samples (from each flow line), allowing operation with high productivities of C5+ hydrocarbons. The latter is crucial for a complete understanding of FTS product compositions and will represent an advantage over high-throughput setups with more than ten flows where such instrumental considerations lead to elevated equipment volume, cost, and operation complexity. The identical performance (of the six flows) under similar reaction conditions was assured by testing a same catalyst batch, loaded in all microreactors

  7. Six-flow operations for catalyst development in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: Bridging the gap between high-throughput experimentation and extensive product evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sartipi, Sina, E-mail: S.Sartipi@tudelft.nl, E-mail: J.Gascon@tudelft.nl; Jansma, Harrie; Bosma, Duco; Boshuizen, Bart; Makkee, Michiel; Gascon, Jorge, E-mail: S.Sartipi@tudelft.nl, E-mail: J.Gascon@tudelft.nl; Kapteijn, Freek [Department of Chemical Engineering, Catalysis Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 136, 2628 BL Delft (Netherlands)

    2013-12-15

    Design and operation of a “six-flow fixed-bed microreactor” setup for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is described. The unit consists of feed and mixing, flow division, reaction, separation, and analysis sections. The reactor system is made of five heating blocks with individual temperature controllers, assuring an identical isothermal zone of at least 10 cm along six fixed-bed microreactor inserts (4 mm inner diameter). Such a lab-scale setup allows running six experiments in parallel, under equal feed composition, reaction temperature, and conditions of separation and analysis equipment. It permits separate collection of wax and liquid samples (from each flow line), allowing operation with high productivities of C5+ hydrocarbons. The latter is crucial for a complete understanding of FTS product compositions and will represent an advantage over high-throughput setups with more than ten flows where such instrumental considerations lead to elevated equipment volume, cost, and operation complexity. The identical performance (of the six flows) under similar reaction conditions was assured by testing a same catalyst batch, loaded in all microreactors.

  8. One-pot combination of enzyme and Pd nanoparticle catalysis for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure 1,2-amino alcohols

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schrittwieser, J.; Coccia, F.; Kara, S.; Grischek, B.; Kroutil, W.; d'Alessandro, N.; Hollmann, F.

    2013-01-01

    One-pot combinations of sequential catalytic reactions can offer practical and ecological advantages over classical multi-step synthesis schemes. In this context, the integration of enzymatic and chemo-catalytic transformations holds particular potential for efficient and selective reaction

  9. A Novel Green Synthesis of Thalidomide and Analogs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ellis Benjamin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Thalidomide and its derivatives are currently under investigation for their antiangiogenic, immunomodulative, and anticancer properties. Current methods used to synthesize these compounds involve multiple steps and extensive workup procedures. Described herein is an efficient microwave irradiation green synthesis method that allows preparation of thalidomide and its analogs in a one-pot multicomponent synthesis system. The multicomponent synthesis system developed involves an array of cyclic anhydrides, glutamic acid, and ammonium chloride in the presence of catalytic amounts of 4-N,N-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP to produce thalidomide and structurally related compounds within minutes in good isolated yields.

  10. Highly Efficient Method for Solvent-Free Synthesis of Diarylmethane ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    NICO

    2011-02-25

    Feb 25, 2011 ... aFaculty of Chemistry, Bu-Ali Sina University, P.O. Box 651783868, Hamedan, Iran. ... Arylmethanes are useful compounds in organic synthesis and industry1 ... ketones,9,10 catalytic condensation of the Grignard reagent with.

  11. Catalytic oxidation of cyanides in an aqueous phase over individual and manganese-modified cobalt oxide systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christoskova, St.; Stoyanova, M.

    2009-01-01

    The possibility for purification of wastewaters containing free cyanides by applying of a new method based on cyanides catalytic oxidation with air to CO 2 and N 2 at low temperature and atmospheric pressure was investigated. On this purpose, individual and modified with manganese Co-oxide systems as active phase of environmental catalysts were synthesized. The applied method of synthesis favours the preparation of oxide catalytic systems with high active oxygen content (total-O* and surface-O* s ) possessing high mobility, and the metal ions being in a high oxidation state and in an octahedral coordination-factors determining high activity in reactions of complete oxidation. The catalysts employed were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Infrared spectroscopy, and chemical analysis. The effect of pH of the medium and catalyst loading on the effectiveness of the cyanide oxidation process, expressed by the degree of conversion (α, %), by the rate constant (k, min -1 ), and COD was studied. The results obtained reveal that using catalysts investigated a high cyanide removal efficiency could be achieved even in strong alkaline medium. The higher activity of the manganese promoted catalytic sample could be explained on the basis of higher total active oxygen content and its higher mobility both depending on the conditions, under which the synthesis of catalyst is being carried out.

  12. Synthesis of γ-Valerolactone from Carbohydrates and its Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zehui

    2016-01-01

    γ-Valerolactone (GVL) is a valuable chemical intermediate that can be obtained by catalytic reduction of levulinic acid (LA) or alkyl levulinates (AL). There are many reports on the synthesis of GVL from LA or AL. However, the demand for the large-scale synthesis of GVL requires more environmentally friendly and cost-effective production processes. This article focuses on the recent advance in the synthesis of GVL from carbohydrates or lignocellulosic biomass. In addition, application of GVL as the reaction solvents, fuel additives, and as precursor for the synthesis of jet fuel and polymer monomers is also discussed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Synthesis of honeycomb-like palladium nanostructures by using cucurbit[7]uril and their catalytic activities for reduction of 4-nitrophenol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Premkumar, Thathan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 1 Oryong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); The University College/Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Geckeler, Kurt E., E-mail: keg@gist.ac.kr [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 1 Oryong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nanobio Materials and Electronics (WCU), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 1 Oryong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-12-15

    An eco-friendly one-pot method to synthesize self-assembled palladium nanoclusters using a macrocycle, namely cucurbit[7]uril, in the alkaline medium without employing any special reducing or capping agents and/or external energy at room temperature is described. This greener approach, which utilizes water as a benign solvent and biocompatible cucurbit[7]uril as both reducing and protecting agents, can be applied to synthesize other noble metal nanoparticles such as gold, silver, and platinum. Owing to unique structural arrangement of cucurbit[7]uril, it was possible to prepare palladium nanoclusters of honeycomb-like structure irrespective of the reaction conditions. The honeycomb-like palladium nanoclusters were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), higher-resolution TEM (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV–vis, and FT-IR spectroscopy. Significantly, the synthesized palladium nanoclusters exhibited catalytic activity for the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol at room temperature. The approach launched here is easy, green, and user-friendly in contrast to the conventional techniques using polymers or surfactants and harsh reductants. - Highlights: • A simple and one-pot method to synthesis palladium nanostructures with honey-comb like structure. • The strategy established here does not require any harsh and toxic reducing agents. • It has a potential to be a general method for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles in water medium. • Palladium nanoclusters can be used as catalyst for the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol. • This system makes a novel platform for industrial and biomedical applications.

  14. Synthesis, structural characterization, and catalytic properties of tungsten-exchanged H-ZSM5

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding, Weiping; Meitzner, George D.; Marler, David O.; Iglesia, Enrique

    2001-01-01

    W-exchanged H-ZSM5 was prepared by sublimation of WCl6 at 673 K followed by hydrolysis of exchanged WClx species at 523 K. D2 exchange with residual OH groups showed that each W initially replaced about two zeolitic protons for W/Al ratios of 0.29 and 0.44, consistent with the formation of (WO2)2+ containing W6+ species bridging two cation exchange sites. As temperatures reached973 K during D2-OH exchange, these species reduced to (WO2)+ with the concurrent formation of one OD group. CH4 conversion turnover rates (per W) and C2-C1 2 selectivities are very similar to those observed on a Mo/H-ZSM5 sample with similar cation exchange level. As in the case of Mo/H-ZSM5, WOx/H-ZSM5 precursors are initially inactive in CH4 reactions, but they activate during induction with the concurrent evolution of CO, H2O, and an excess amount of H2. The reduction and carburization processes occurring during CH4 reactions and the structure of the exchanged WOx precursors was probed using in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). XAS studies confirmed the isolated initial nature of the exchanged WOx precursors after hydrolysis and dehydration and the formation of WCx clusters 0.6 nm in diameter during CH4 reactions at 973 K. The structural and catalytic resemblance between W- and Mo-exchanged H-ZSM5 is not unexpected, in view of chemical similarities between oxides or carbides of Mo and W. The synthesis of exchanged WOx precursors and their subsequent carburization during CH4 reactions, however, are more difficult than the corresponding processes for the MoOx counterparts. This may account for previous reports of lower CH4 reaction rates and aromatics selectivities on W/H-ZSM5 compared with those observed on Mo/H-ZSM5 and with those reported here for rigorously exchanged W/H-ZSM5

  15. Dye sensitized solar cell based on platinum decorated multiwall carbon nanotubes as catalytic layer on the counter electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mathew, Ambily; Rao, G. Mohan; Munichandraiah, N.

    2011-01-01

    Graphical abstract: I-V characteristics of the DSSCs with Pt CE and Pt/MWCNT CE measured at 100 mW/cm 2 . It shows relatively better performance with Pt/MWCNT counter electrodes. Highlights: → Synthesis of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by pyrolysis. → Synthesis of Pt/MWCNT composite by chemical reduction. → Fabrication DSSC using Pt/MWCNT as catalytic layer on the counter electrode. → Study of catalytic activity by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. -- Abstract: In this study we have employed multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), decorated with platinum as catalytic layer for the reduction of tri-iodide ions in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC). MWCNTs have been prepared by a simple one step pyrolysis method using ferrocene as the catalyst and xylene as the carbon source. Platinum decorated MWCNTs have been prepared by chemical reduction method. The as prepared MWCNTs and Pt/MWCNTs have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In combination with a dye adsorbed TiO 2 photoanode and an organic liquid electrolyte, Pt/MWCNT composite showed an enhanced short circuit current density of 16.12 mA/cm 2 leading to a cell efficiency of 6.50% which is comparable to that of Platinum.

  16. Dye sensitized solar cell based on platinum decorated multiwall carbon nanotubes as catalytic layer on the counter electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mathew, Ambily [Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 India (India); Rao, G. Mohan, E-mail: gmrao@isu.iisc.ernet.in [Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 India (India); Munichandraiah, N. [Department of Inorgonic and Physical Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 India (India)

    2011-11-15

    Graphical abstract: I-V characteristics of the DSSCs with Pt CE and Pt/MWCNT CE measured at 100 mW/cm{sup 2}. It shows relatively better performance with Pt/MWCNT counter electrodes. Highlights: {yields} Synthesis of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by pyrolysis. {yields} Synthesis of Pt/MWCNT composite by chemical reduction. {yields} Fabrication DSSC using Pt/MWCNT as catalytic layer on the counter electrode. {yields} Study of catalytic activity by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. -- Abstract: In this study we have employed multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), decorated with platinum as catalytic layer for the reduction of tri-iodide ions in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC). MWCNTs have been prepared by a simple one step pyrolysis method using ferrocene as the catalyst and xylene as the carbon source. Platinum decorated MWCNTs have been prepared by chemical reduction method. The as prepared MWCNTs and Pt/MWCNTs have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In combination with a dye adsorbed TiO{sub 2} photoanode and an organic liquid electrolyte, Pt/MWCNT composite showed an enhanced short circuit current density of 16.12 mA/cm{sup 2} leading to a cell efficiency of 6.50% which is comparable to that of Platinum.

  17. Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase-catalyzed synthesis of natural flavor esters in a continuous flow microreactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gumel, Ahmad Mohammed; Annuar, M S M

    2016-06-01

    Enzymatic catalysis is considered to be among the most environmental friendly processes for the synthesis of fine chemicals. In this study, lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (Lecitase Ultra™) was used to catalyze the synthesis of flavor esters, i.e., methyl butanoate and methyl benzoate by esterification of the acids with methanol in a microfluidic system. Maximum reaction rates of 195 and 115 mM min -1 corresponding to catalytic efficiencies (k cat /K M ) of 0.30 and 0.24 min -1  mM -1 as well as yield conversion of 54 and 41 % were observed in methyl butanoate and methyl benzoate synthesis, respectively. Catalytic turnover (k cat ) was higher for methyl butanoate synthesis. Rate of synthesis and yield decreased with increasing flow rates. For both esters, increase in microfluidic flow rate resulted in increased advective transport over molecular diffusion and reaction rate, thus lower conversion. In microfluidic synthesis using T. lanuginosus lipase, the following reaction conditions were 40 °C, flow rate 0.1 mL min -1 , and 123 U g -1 enzyme loading found to be the optimum operating limits. The work demonstrated the application of enzyme(s) in a microreactor system for the synthesis of industrially important esters.

  18. Auto-combustion synthesis, Mössbauer study and catalytic properties of copper-manganese ferrites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Velinov, N.; Petrova, T.; Tsoncheva, T.; Genova, I.; Koleva, K.; Kovacheva, D.; Mitov, I.

    2016-01-01

    Spinel ferrites with nominal composition Cu _0_._5Mn _0_._5Fe _2O_4 and different distribution of the ions are obtained by auto-combustion method. Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction, Thermogravimetry-Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Scanning Electron Microscopy and catalytic test in the reaction of methanol decomposition is used for characterization of synthesized materials. The spectral results evidence that the phase composition, microstructure of the synthesized materials and the cation distribution depend on the preparation conditions. Varying the pH of the initial solution microstructure, ferrite crystallite size, cation oxidation state and distribution of ions in the in the spinel structure could be controlled. The catalytic behaviour of ferrites in the reaction of methanol decomposition also depends on the pH of the initial solution. Reduction transformations of mixed ferrites accompanied with the formation of Hägg carbide χ-Fe _5C_2 were observed by the influence of the reaction medium.

  19. Auto-combustion synthesis, Mössbauer study and catalytic properties of copper-manganese ferrites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Velinov, N., E-mail: nikivelinov@ic.bas.bg; Petrova, T. [Institute of Catalysis, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgaria); Tsoncheva, T.; Genova, I. [Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgaria); Koleva, K. [Institute of Catalysis, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgaria); Kovacheva, D. [Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgaria); Mitov, I. [Institute of Catalysis, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgaria)

    2016-12-15

    Spinel ferrites with nominal composition Cu {sub 0.5}Mn {sub 0.5}Fe {sub 2}O{sub 4} and different distribution of the ions are obtained by auto-combustion method. Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction, Thermogravimetry-Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Scanning Electron Microscopy and catalytic test in the reaction of methanol decomposition is used for characterization of synthesized materials. The spectral results evidence that the phase composition, microstructure of the synthesized materials and the cation distribution depend on the preparation conditions. Varying the pH of the initial solution microstructure, ferrite crystallite size, cation oxidation state and distribution of ions in the in the spinel structure could be controlled. The catalytic behaviour of ferrites in the reaction of methanol decomposition also depends on the pH of the initial solution. Reduction transformations of mixed ferrites accompanied with the formation of Hägg carbide χ-Fe {sub 5}C{sub 2} were observed by the influence of the reaction medium.

  20. Synthesis of Co/N-HNTs composites and investigation on its catalytic activity for H{sub 2} generation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Dongcui; Cheng, Zhilin; Nan, Zhaodong, E-mail: zdnan@yzu.edu.cn

    2016-11-01

    Co/N-HNTs composites were synthesized via a one-pot solvothermal method, where amine functional halloysite nanotubes (N-HNTs) were used as support materials. Effects of sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT), an anionic surfactant, on morphology and dispersibility of Co particles anchored at the N-HNTs were studied. The dispersibility of the Co particles was promoted with the increase of the AOT concentration. The as-obtained composite was used as a catalyst to generate H{sub 2} gas by hydrolysis of NaBH{sub 4} solution. The catalytic activity of the composite was significantly enhanced than the pure Co and Co/graphene composite at the same experimental conditions reported by our laboratory, and the catalyst was conveniently separated from the solution by a magnet. The catalytic activity was enhanced when the dispersibility of the Co particles was improved at the surface of the N-HNTs and the Co content contained in the composite was lowed. At the same time, the Co particles anchored at the inner surface of the N-HNTs resulted in higher catalytic activity, where the Co particles may bond with nitrogen atoms. The activation energy for the hydrolysis of NaBH{sub 4} was calculated to be about 15.42 kJ mol{sup −1}. The catalyst can be continuously used for four times with about the same catalytic activity. - Highlights: • Co/N-HNTs composites are synthesized. • The dispersibility and morphology of the Co particles anchored at the N-HNTs are modified by AOT. • The composite shows higher catalytic activity for production H{sub 2} gas.

  1. Immobilised carbon nanotubes as carrier for Co-Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thiessen, J.; Rose, A.; Kiendl, I.; Jess, A. [Bayreuth Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Curulla-Ferre, D. [Total S.A., Gas and Power, Paris La Defense (France)

    2011-07-01

    A possibility to immobilise carbon nanotubes (CNT) to make them applicable in a technical scale fixed bed reactor is studied. The approach to fabricate millimetre scale composites containing CNT presented in this work is to confine the nano-carbon in macro porous ceramic particles. Thus CNT were grown on the inner surface of silica and alumina pellets and spheres, respectively. Cobalt nano particles were successfully deposited on the carbon surface inside the two types of ceramic carriers and the systems were tested in Fischer - Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The cobalt mass related activity of these novel catalysts is similar to a conventional system. The selectivities of the Co/CNT/ceramic composites were compared with non supported CNT and carbon nanofibres (CNF). (orig.)

  2. Study of the dynamics of the MoO2-Mo2C system for catalytic partial oxidation reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuba Torres, Christian Martin

    On a global scale, the energy demand is largely supplied by the combustion of non-renewable fossil fuels. However, their rapid depletion coupled with environmental and sustainability concerns are the main drivers to seek for alternative energetic strategies. To this end, the sustainable generation of hydrogen from renewable resources such as biodiesel would represent an attractive alternative solution to fossil fuels. Furthermore, hydrogen's lower environmental impact and greater independence from foreign control make it a strong contender for solving this global problem. Among a wide variety of methods for hydrogen production, the catalytic partial oxidation offers numerous advantages for compact and mobile fuel processing systems. For this reaction, the present work explores the versatility of the Mo--O--C catalytic system under different synthesis methods and reforming conditions using methyl oleate as a surrogate biodiesel. MoO2 exhibits good catalytic activity and exhibits high coke-resistance even under reforming conditions where long-chain oxygenated compounds are prone to form coke. Moreover, the lattice oxygen present in MoO2 promotes the Mars-Van Krevelen mechanism. Also, it is introduced a novel beta-Mo2C synthesis by the in-situ formation method that does not utilize external H2 inputs. Herein, the MoO 2/Mo2C system maintains high catalytic activity for partial oxidation while the lattice oxygen serves as a carbon buffer for preventing coke formation. This unique feature allows for longer operation reforming times despite slightly lower catalytic activity compared to the catalysts prepared by the traditional temperature-programmed reaction method. Moreover, it is demonstrated by a pulse reaction technique that during the phase transformation of MoO2 to beta-Mo2C, the formation of Mo metal as an intermediate is not responsible for the sintering of the material wrongly assumed by the temperature-programmed method.

  3. Gold Decorated Graphene for Rapid Dye Reduction and Efficient Electro Catalytic Oxidation of Ethanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siddhardha, R. S.; Kumar v, Lakshman; Kaniyoor, A.; Podila, R.; Kumar, V. S.; Venkataramaniah, K.; Ramaprabhu, S.; Rao, A.; Ramamurthy, S. S.; Clemson University Team; Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning Team; IITMadras Team

    2013-03-01

    A well known disadvantage in fabrication of metal-graphene composite is the use of surfactants that strongly adsorb on the surface and reduce the performance of the catalyst. Here, we demonstrate a novel one pot synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by laser ablation of gold strip and simultaneous decoration of these on functionalized graphene derivatives. Not only the impregnation of AuNPs was linker free, but also the synthesis by itself was surfactant free. This resulted in in-situ decoration of pristine AuNPs on functionalized graphene derivatives. These materials were well characterized and tested for catalytic applications pertaining to dye reduction and electrooxidation. The catalytic reduction rates are 1.4 x 102 and 9.4x102 times faster for Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue dyes respectively, compared to earlier reports. The enhanced rate involves synergistic interplay of electronic relay between AuNPs and the dye, also charge transfer between the graphene system and dye. In addition, the onset potential for ethanol oxidation was found to be more negative ~ 100 mV, an indication of its promising application in direct ethanol fuel cells.

  4. Studies of Catalytic Model Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holse, Christian

    The overall topic of this thesis is within the field of catalysis, were model systems of different complexity have been studied utilizing a multipurpose Ultra High Vacuum chamber (UHV). The thesis falls in two different parts. First a simple model system in the form of a ruthenium single crystal...... of the Cu/ZnO nanoparticles is highly relevant to industrial methanol synthesis for which the direct interaction of Cu and ZnO nanocrystals synergistically boost the catalytic activity. The dynamical behavior of the nanoparticles under reducing and oxidizing environments were studied by means of ex situ X......-ray Photoelectron Electron Spectroscopy (XPS) and in situ Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The surface composition of the nanoparticles changes reversibly as the nanoparticles exposed to cycles of high-pressure oxidation and reduction (200 mbar). Furthermore, the presence of metallic Zn is observed by XPS...

  5. Application of Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis in Biomass to Liquid Conversion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongwu Lu

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Fischer–Tropsch synthesis is a set of catalytic processes that can be used to produce fuels and chemicals from synthesis gas (mixture of CO and H2, which can be derived from natural gas, coal, or biomass. Biomass to Liquid via Fischer–Tropsch (BTL-FT synthesis is gaining increasing interests from academia and industry because of its ability to produce carbon neutral and environmentally friendly clean fuels; such kinds of fuels can help to meet the globally increasing energy demand and to meet the stricter environmental regulations in the future. In the BTL-FT process, biomass, such as woodchips and straw stalk, is firstly converted into biomass-derived syngas (bio-syngas by gasification. Then, a cleaning process is applied to remove impurities from the bio-syngas to produce clean bio-syngas which meets the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis requirements. Cleaned bio-syngas is then conducted into a Fischer–Tropsch catalytic reactor to produce green gasoline, diesel and other clean biofuels. This review will analyze the three main steps of BTL-FT process, and discuss the issues related to biomass gasification, bio-syngas cleaning methods and conversion of bio-syngas into liquid hydrocarbons via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. Some features in regard to increasing carbon utilization, enhancing catalyst activity, maximizing selectivity and avoiding catalyst deactivation in bio-syngas conversion process are also discussed.

  6. Catalytic oxidation of soot over alkaline niobates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pecchi, G.; Cabrera, B.; Buljan, A.; Delgado, E.J.; Gordon, A.L.; Jimenez, R.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► No previous reported studies about alkaline niobates as catalysts for soot oxidation. ► NaNbO 3 and KNbO 3 perovskite-type oxides show lower activation energy than other lanthanoid perovskite-type oxides. ► The alkaline niobate does not show deactivation by metal loss. - Abstract: The lack of studies in the current literature about the assessment of alkaline niobates as catalysts for soot oxidation has motivated this research. In this study, the synthesis, characterization and assessment of alkaline metal niobates as catalysts for soot combustion are reported. The solids MNbO 3 (M = Li, Na, K, Rb) are synthesized by a citrate method, calcined at 450 °C, 550 °C, 650 °C, 750 °C, and characterized by AAS, N 2 adsorption, XRD, O 2 -TPD, FTIR and SEM. All the alkaline niobates show catalytic activity for soot combustion, and the activity depends basically on the nature of the alkaline metal and the calcination temperature. The highest catalytic activity, expressed as the temperature at which combustion of carbon black occurs at the maximum rate, is shown by KNbO 3 calcined at 650 °C. At this calcination temperature, the catalytic activity follows an order dependent on the atomic number, namely: KNbO 3 > NaNbO 3 > LiNbO 3 . The RbNbO 3 solid do not follow this trend presumably due to the perovskite structure was not reached. The highest catalytic activity shown by of KNbO 3 , despite the lower apparent activation energy of NaNbO 3 , stress the importance of the metal nature and suggests the hypothesis that K + ions are the active sites for soot combustion. It must be pointed out that alkaline niobate subjected to consecutive soot combustion cycles does not show deactivation by metal loss, due to the stabilization of the alkaline metal inside the perovskite structure.

  7. A CATALYTIC METHOD FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF 4-ALKYL(ARYL ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

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    )-pyridinones and their 2-imino ... synthesis of milrinone analogues as a series of nonglycosidic, non-sympathomimetic, cardiotonic .... from dimethoxyacetophenone and ammonia adds to the aldol condensation product of the aldehyde and ...

  8. Synthesis of Renewable Lubricant Alkanes from Biomass-Derived Platform Chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Mengyuan; Xia, Qineng; Liu, Xiaohui; Guo, Yong; Wang, Yanqin

    2017-10-23

    The catalytic synthesis of liquid alkanes from renewable biomass has received tremendous attention in recent years. However, bio-based platform chemicals have not to date been exploited for the synthesis of highly branched lubricant alkanes, which are currently produced by hydrocracking and hydroisomerization of long-chain n-paraffins. A selective catalytic synthetic route has been developed for the production of highly branched C 23 alkanes as lubricant base oil components from biomass-derived furfural and acetone through a sequential four-step process, including aldol condensation of furfural with acetone to produce a C 13 double adduct, selective hydrogenation of the adduct to a C 13 ketone, followed by a second condensation of the C 13 ketone with furfural to generate a C 23 aldol adduct, and finally hydrodeoxygenation to give highly branched C 23 alkanes in 50.6 % overall yield from furfural. This work opens a general strategy for the synthesis of high-quality lubricant alkanes from renewable biomass. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Catalytic Upgrading of Biomass-Derived Furfuryl Alcohol to Butyl Levulinate Biofuel over Common Metal Salts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lincai Peng

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Levulinate ester has been identified as a promising renewable fuel additive and platform chemical. Here, the use of a wide range of common metal salts as acid catalysts for catalytic upgrading of biomass-derived furfuryl alcohol to butyl levulinate was explored by conventional heating. Both alkali and alkaline earth metal chlorides did not lead effectively to the conversion of furfuryl alcohol, while several transition metal chlorides (CrCl3, FeCl3, and CuCl2 and AlCl3 exhibited catalytic activity for the synthesis of butyl levulinate. For their sulfates (Cr(III, Fe(III, Cu(II, and Al(III, the catalytic activity was low. The reaction performance was correlated with the Brønsted acidity of the reaction system derived from the hydrolysis/alcoholysis of cations, but was more dependent on the Lewis acidity from the metal salts. Among these investigated metal salts, CuCl2 was found to be uniquely effective, leading to the conversion of furfuryl alcohol to butyl levulinate with an optimized yield of 95%. Moreover, CuCl2 could be recovered efficiently from the resulting reaction mixture and remained with almost unchanged catalytic activity in multiple recycling runs.

  10. Contribution of the Pmra Promoter to Expression of Genes in the Escherichia coli mra Cluster of Cell Envelope Biosynthesis and Cell Division Genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mengin-Lecreulx, Dominique; Ayala, Juan; Bouhss, Ahmed; van Heijenoort, Jean; Parquet, Claudine; Hara, Hiroshi

    1998-01-01

    Recently, a promoter for the essential gene ftsI, which encodes penicillin-binding protein 3 of Escherichia coli, was precisely localized 1.9 kb upstream from this gene, at the beginning of the mra cluster of cell division and cell envelope biosynthesis genes (H. Hara, S. Yasuda, K. Horiuchi, and J. T. Park, J. Bacteriol. 179:5802–5811, 1997). Disruption of this promoter (Pmra) on the chromosome and its replacement by the lac promoter (Pmra::Plac) led to isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)-dependent cells that lysed in the absence of inducer, a defect which was complemented only when the whole region from Pmra to ftsW, the fifth gene downstream from ftsI, was provided in trans on a plasmid. In the present work, the levels of various proteins involved in peptidoglycan synthesis and cell division were precisely determined in cells in which Pmra::Plac promoter expression was repressed or fully induced. It was confirmed that the Pmra promoter is required for expression of the first nine genes of the mra cluster: mraZ (orfC), mraW (orfB), ftsL (mraR), ftsI, murE, murF, mraY, murD, and ftsW. Interestingly, three- to sixfold-decreased levels of MurG and MurC enzymes were observed in uninduced Pmra::Plac cells. This was correlated with an accumulation of the nucleotide precursors UDP–N-acetylglucosamine and UDP–N-acetylmuramic acid, substrates of these enzymes, and with a depletion of the pool of UDP–N-acetylmuramyl pentapeptide, resulting in decreased cell wall peptidoglycan synthesis. Moreover, the expression of ftsZ, the penultimate gene from this cluster, was significantly reduced when Pmra expression was repressed. It was concluded that the transcription of the genes located downstream from ftsW in the mra cluster, from murG to ftsZ, is also mainly (but not exclusively) dependent on the Pmra promoter. PMID:9721276

  11. Tuning Catalytic Performance through a Single or Sequential Post-Synthesis Reaction(s) in a Gas Phase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shan, Junjun [Department; Department; Zhang, Shiran [Department; Department; Choksi, Tej [Department; Nguyen, Luan [Department; Department; Bonifacio, Cecile S. [Department; Li, Yuanyuan [Department; Zhu, Wei [Department; Department; College; Tang, Yu [Department; Department; Zhang, Yawen [College; Yang, Judith C. [Department; Greeley, Jeffrey [Department; Frenkel, Anatoly I. [Department; Tao, Franklin [Department; Department

    2016-12-05

    Catalytic performance of a bimetallic catalyst is determined by geometric structure and electronic state of the surface or even the near-surface region of the catalyst. Here we report that single and sequential postsynthesis reactions of an as-synthesized bimetallic nanoparticle catalyst in one or more gas phases can tailor surface chemistry and structure of the catalyst in a gas phase, by which catalytic performance of this bimetallic catalyst can be tuned. Pt–Cu regular nanocube (Pt–Cu RNC) and concave nanocube (Pt–Cu CNC) are chosen as models of bimetallic catalysts. Surface chemistry and catalyst structure under different reaction conditions and during catalysis were explored in gas phase of one or two reactants with ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The newly formed surface structures of Pt–Cu RNC and Pt–Cu CNC catalysts strongly depend on the reactive gas(es) used in the postsynthesis reaction(s). A reaction of Pt–Cu RNC-as synthesized with H2 at 200 °C generates a near-surface alloy consisting of a Pt skin layer, a Cu-rich subsurface, and a Pt-rich deep layer. This near-surface alloy of Pt–Cu RNC-as synthesized-H2 exhibits a much higher catalytic activity in CO oxidation in terms of a low activation barrier of 39 ± 4 kJ/mol in contrast to 128 ± 7 kJ/mol of Pt–Cu RNC-as synthesized. Here the significant decrease of activation barrier demonstrates a method to tune catalytic performances of as-synthesized bimetallic catalysts. A further reaction of Pt–Cu RNC-as synthesized-H2 with CO forms a Pt–Cu alloy surface, which exhibits quite different catalytic performance in CO oxidation. It suggests the capability of generating a different surface by using another gas. The capability of tuning surface chemistry and structure of bimetallic catalysts was also demonstrated in restructuring of Pt–Cu CNC-as synthesized.

  12. Synthesis of Rh/Macro-Porous Alumina Over Micro-Channel Plate and Its Catalytic Activity Tests for Diesel Reforming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seong, Yeon Baek; Kim, Yong Sul; Park, No-Kuk; Lee, Tae Jin

    2015-11-01

    Macro-porous Al2O3 as the catalytic support material was synthesized using colloidal polystyrene spheres over a micro-channel plate. The colloidal polystyrene spheres were used as a template for the production of an ordered macro porous material using an alumina nitrate solution as the precursor for Al2O3. The close-packed colloidal crystal array template method was applied to the formulation of ordered macro-porous Al2O3 used as a catalytic support material over a micro-channel plate. The solvent in the mixture solution, which also contained the colloidal polystyrene solution, aluminum nitrate solution and the precursor of the catalytic active materials (Rh), was evaporated in a vacuum oven at 50 degrees C. The ordered polystyrene spheres and aluminum salt of the solid state were deposited over a micro channel plate, and macro-porous Al2O3 was formed after calcination at 600 degrees C to remove the polystyrene spheres. The catalytic activity of the Rh/macro-porous alumina supported over the micro-channel plate was tested for diesel reforming.

  13. Characterization of gallium-containing zeolites for catalytic applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garcia Sanchez, M.

    2003-12-08

    The present study considers the synthesis, characterization, and catalytic evaluation of extra-framework gallium-containing zeolites. We focus on modification of zeolites by chemical vapor deposition of trimethylgallium on HZSM-5 and Mordenite zeolites. Chapter 2 is dedicated to the chemisorption and stability of TMG on HZSM-5 and HMOR zeolites. The effect of silylation is also addressed. Some theoretical calculations are also shown in this study to support part of the experimental results. In Chapter 3, the effect of oxidation and reduction treatments on these catalysts is investigated by FTIR, ICP and multinuclei NMR. In Chapter 4, the oxidation state and Ga coordination obtained during and after thermal treatment with H2 and O2 is analysed by X-ray adsorption spectroscopy (XANES and EXAFS) and IR analysis of CO adsorption. These results allow a better understanding of the catalytic behaviour of Ga-containing zeolites catalyst. Chapter 5 consists of two parts: one discusses the H2 activation over Ga/HZSM5 and Ga/MOR catalysts by H2/D2 isotopic exchange reaction, and the second part deals with the aromatization of n-heptane over the same catalysts.

  14. Large stability and high catalytic activities of sub-nm metal (0) clusters: implications into the nucleation and growth theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piñeiro, Yolanda; Buceta, David; Calvo, Javier; Huseyinova, Shahana; Cuerva, Miguel; Pérez, Ángel; Domínguez, Blanca; López-Quintela, M Arturo

    2015-07-01

    Clusters are stable catalytic species, which are produced during the synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs). Their existence contradicts the thermodynamic principles used to explain the formation of NPs by the classical nucleation and growth theories (NGTs). Using chemical and electrochemical methods we will show that depending on the experimental conditions one can produce either Ag clusters or Ag NPs. Moreover, using already prepared Ag clusters one can observe the disappearance of the usual induction period observed for the kinetics of NP formation, indicating that clusters catalyze the formation of NPs. Taking these data together with some previous examples of cluster-catalyzed anisotropic growth, we derived a qualitative approach to include the catalytic activities of clusters into the formation of NPs, which is incorporated into the NGT. Some qualitative conclusions about the main experimental parameters, which affect the formation of clusters versus NPs, as well as the catalytic mechanism versus the non-catalytic one, are also described. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Carbon nanofibers: a versatile catalytic support

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelize Maria de Almeida Coelho

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this article is present an overview of the promising results obtained while using carbon nanofibers based composites as catalyst support for different practical applications: hydrazine decomposition, styrene synthesis, direct oxidation of H2S into elementary sulfur and as fuel-cell electrodes. We have also discussed some prospects of the use of these new materials in total combustion of methane and in ammonia decomposition. The macroscopic carbon nanofibers based composites were prepared by the CVD method (Carbon Vapor Deposition employing a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and ethane. The results showed a high catalytic activity and selectivity in comparison to the traditional catalysts employed in these reactions. The fact was attributed, mainly, to the morphology and the high external surface of the catalyst support.

  16. Effect of the method for rhenium neptasulfide preparation on its catalytic properties in hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and m-nitrobenzoic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pal'chevskaya, T.A.; Bogutskaya, L.V.; Belousov, V.M.

    1988-01-01

    The effect of conditions of rhenium heptasulfide synthesis by thiosulfate method on its physicochemical and catalytic properties during hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and m-nitrobenzoic acid has been studied. It is shown that the maximum yield of m-aminobenzoic acid can be attained on insoluble sulfide rhenium contacts, containing excessive amount of sulfur (3.5 %). Under certain conditions of catalyst synthesis particles of Re 2 S 7 soluble in dimethylformamide are formed, which possess selectivity towards amine

  17. A Scalable Process for Production of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) by Catalytic Disproportionation of CO on a Solid Catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Resasco, D.E.; Alvarez, W.E.; Pompeo, F.; Balzano, L.; Herrera, J.E.; Kitiyanan, B.; Borgna, A.

    2002-01-01

    Existing single-walled carbon nanotube synthesis methods are not easily scalable, operate under severe conditions, and involve high capital and operating costs. The current cost of SWNT is exceedingly high. A catalytic method of synthesis has been developed that has shown potential advantages over the existing methods. This method is based on a catalyst formulation that inhibits the formation of undesired forms of carbon; it can be scaled-up and may result in lower production costs

  18. [Progress in synthesis technologies and application of aviation biofuels].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xiaoying; Liu, Xiang; Zhao, Xuebing; Yang, Ming; Liu, Dehua

    2013-03-01

    Development of aviation biofuels has attracted great attention worldwide because that the shortage of fossil resources has become more and more serious. In the present paper, the development background, synthesis technologies, current application status and existing problems of aviation biofuels were reviewed. Several preparation routes of aviation biofuels were described, including Fischer-Tropsch process, catalytic hydrogenation and catalytic cracking of bio-oil. The status of flight tests and commercial operation were also introduced. Finally the problems for development and application of aviation biofuels were stated, and some accommodation were proposed.

  19. The FTS atomic spectrum tool (FAST) for rapid analysis of line spectra

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruffoni, M. P.

    2013-07-01

    The FTS Atomic Spectrum Tool (FAST) is an interactive graphical program designed to simplify the analysis of atomic emission line spectra obtained from Fourier transform spectrometers. Calculated, predicted and/or known experimental line parameters are loaded alongside experimentally observed spectral line profiles for easy comparison between new experimental data and existing results. Many such line profiles, which could span numerous spectra, may be viewed simultaneously to help the user detect problems from line blending or self-absorption. Once the user has determined that their experimental line profile fits are good, a key feature of FAST is the ability to calculate atomic branching fractions, transition probabilities, and oscillator strengths-and their uncertainties-which is not provided by existing analysis packages. Program SummaryProgram title: FAST: The FTS Atomic Spectrum Tool Catalogue identifier: AEOW_v1_0 Program summary URL: http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEOW_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: GNU General Public License version 3 No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 293058 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 13809509 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: C++. Computer: Intel x86-based systems. Operating system: Linux/Unix/Windows. RAM: 8 MB minimum. About 50-200 MB for a typical analysis. Classification: 2.2, 2.3, 21.2. Nature of problem: Visualisation of atomic line spectra including the comparison of theoretical line parameters with experimental atomic line profiles. Accurate intensity calibration of experimental spectra, and the determination of observed relative line intensities that are needed for calculating atomic branching fractions and oscillator strengths. Solution method: FAST is centred around a graphical interface, where a user may view sets of experimental line profiles and compare

  20. One-pot synthesis of amides by aerobic oxidative coupling of alcohols or aldehydes with amines using supported gold and base as catalysts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kegnæs, Søren; Mielby, Jerrik Jørgen; Mentzel, Uffe Vie

    2012-01-01

    Synthesis of amides by aerobic oxidative coupling of alcohols or aldehydes with amines via intermediate formation of methyl esters is highly efficient and selective when using a catalytic system comprised of supported gold nanoparticles and added base in methanol.......Synthesis of amides by aerobic oxidative coupling of alcohols or aldehydes with amines via intermediate formation of methyl esters is highly efficient and selective when using a catalytic system comprised of supported gold nanoparticles and added base in methanol....

  1. Production of gasoline fraction from bio-oil under atmospheric conditions by an integrated catalytic transformation process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Zhaoxia; Bi, Peiyan; Jiang, Peiwen; Fan, Minghui; Deng, Shumei; Zhai, Qi; Li, Quanxin

    2015-01-01

    This work aimed to develop an integrated process for production of gasoline fraction bio-fuels from bio-oil under atmospheric conditions. This novel transformation process included the catalytic cracking of bio-oil to light olefins and the subsequent synthesis of liquid hydrocarbon bio-fuels from light olefins with two reactors in series. The yield of bio-fuel was up to 193.8 g/(kg bio-oil) along with a very low oxygen content, high RONs (research octane numbers), high LHVs (lower heating values) and low benzene content under the optimizing reaction conditions. Coke deposition seems to be the main cause of catalyst deactivation in view of the fact that the deactivated catalysts was almost recovered by on-line treating the used catalyst with oxygen. The integrated transformation potentially provides a useful way for the development of gasoline range hydrocarbon fuels using renewable lignocellulose biomass. - Graphical abstract: An integrated process for production of gasoline fraction bio-fuels from bio-oil through the catalytic cracking of bio-oil to light olefins followed by the synthesis of liquid hydrocarbon bio-fuels from light olefins in series. - Highlights: • A new route for production of gasoline-range bio-fuels from bio-oil was achieved. • The process was an integrated catalytic transformation at atmospheric pressure. • Bio-oil is converted into light olefins and then converted to biofuel in series. • C_6–C_1_0 bio-fuels derived from bio-oil had high RONs and LHVs.

  2. Synthesis of carbon-supported copper catalyst and its catalytic performance in methanol dehydrogenation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shelepova, Ekaterina V. [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, pr. Ac. Lavrentieva, 5, Novosibirsk, 630090 (Russian Federation); National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Lenin av., 30, Tomsk, 634050 (Russian Federation); Vedyagin, Aleksey A., E-mail: vedyagin@catalysis.ru [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, pr. Ac. Lavrentieva, 5, Novosibirsk, 630090 (Russian Federation); National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Lenin av., 30, Tomsk, 634050 (Russian Federation); Ilina, Ludmila Yu.; Nizovskii, Alexander I. [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, pr. Ac. Lavrentieva, 5, Novosibirsk, 630090 (Russian Federation); Tsyrulnikov, Pavel G. [Institute of Hydrocarbon Processing SB RAS, Neftezavodskaya st., 54, Omsk, 644040 (Russian Federation)

    2017-07-01

    Highlights: • Carbon-supported copper catalyst was studied in dehydrogenation of methanol. • Reduction temperature affected size of Cu particles and Cu{sup 0}/Cu{sup 2+} ratio. • Reduction at 400 °C was required to obtain high methyl formate yield. - Abstract: Carbon-supported copper catalyst was prepared by incipient wetness impregnation of Sibunit with an aqueous solution of copper nitrate. Copper loading was 5 wt.%. Temperature of reductive pretreatment was varied within a range of 200–400 °C. The samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopies. Catalytic activity of the samples was studied in a reaction of methanol dehydrogenation. Silica-based catalyst with similar copper loading was used as a reference. It was found that copper is distributed over the surface of support in the form of metallic and partially oxidized particles of about 12–17 nm in size. Diminished interaction of copper with support was supposed to be responsible for high catalytic activity.

  3. Synthesis of Platinum Nanotubes and Nanorings via Simultaneous Metal Alloying and Etching

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, Zhiqi; Raciti, David; Yu, Shengnan; Zhang, Lei; Deng, Lin; He, Jie; Liu, Yijing; Khashab, Niveen M.; Wang, Chao; Gong, Jinlong; Nie, Zhihong

    2016-01-01

    Metallic nanotubes represent a class of hollow nanostructures with unique catalytic properties. However, the wet-chemical synthesis of metallic nanotubes remains a substantial challenge, especially for those with dimensions below 50 nm

  4. Synthesis of ternary oxide for efficient photo catalytic conversion of CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Lijuan

    2018-01-01

    Zn2GeO4 Nan rods were prepared by solution phase route. The morphology and structure of the as-prepared products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Bruner-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurements. The results revealed that Zn2GeO4 Nan rods with higher surface area have higher photo catalytic activity in photo reduction of CO2 than Zn2GeO4 prepared through solid-state reaction.

  5. Combustion Synthesis Of Ultralow-density Nanoporous Gold Foams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tappan, Bruce C [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Mueller, Alex H [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Steiner, Stephen A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Luther, Erik P [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2008-01-01

    A new synthetic pathway for producing nanoporous gold monoliths through combustion synthesis from Au bistetrazoJeamine complexes has been demonstrated. Applications of interest for Au nanofoams include new substrates for nanoparticle-mediated catalysis, embedded antennas, and spectroscopy. Integrated support-and-catalystin-one nanocomposites prepared through combustion synthesis of mixed AuBTA/metal oxide pellets would also be an interesting technology approach for low-cost in-line catalytic conversion media. Furthermore, we envision preparation of ultrahigh surface area gold electrodes for application in electrochemical devices through this method.

  6. A formal synthesis of (+-muricatacin from D-xylose

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    VELIMIR POPSAVIN

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available A multistep route towards the aldehydo-lactone 19, the final chiral precursor in a new stereospecific synthesis of (+-muricatacin, has been developed starting from D-xylose. The key step of the synthesis involves an E-selective Wittig olefination of the lactol 6 with methoxycarbonylmethylidene triphenylphosphorane, followed by successive catalytic reduction and g-lactonisation processes. Subsequent selective functional groups interconversions furnished the key six-carbon intermediate 19, which can be converted into the (+-muricatacin via a three-step sequence already described in the chemical literature.

  7. Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of two novel cis - dioxovanadium(V) complexes: [VO{sub 2}(L)] and [VO{sub 2}(HLox)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Natalia M.L.; Chacon, Eluzir P.; Resende, Jackson A.L.C.; Carneiro, Jose Walkimar de M.; Lanznaster, Mauricio, E-mail: mlanz@vm.uff.b [Universidade Federal Fluminense (IQ/UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica; Pinheiro, Carlos B. [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (DF/UFMG), Belo Horizonte (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica; Fernandez, Tatiana L.; Scarpellini, Marciela [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IQ/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica

    2011-07-01

    Two novel complexes, [VO{sub 2}(L)] (1) and [VO{sub 2}(HLox)] (2), were synthesized and characterized by IV, UV-Vis and NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction. The synthesis of a new ligand, H{sub 2}Lox, is also described. Complexes 1 and 2 were obtained by the reaction of [VO(acac){sub 2}] with the ligands HL and H{sub 2}Lox, respectively. Alternatively, 2 was also obtained by the reaction of HL with [VO(acac)2] in the presence of hydroxylamine, and by the reaction of 1 with hydroxylamine. Crystallographic data show that complexes 1 and 2 have similar molecular structures, in which the cis-dioxovanadium(V) center is coordinated to L- or HLox{sup -}, respectively, in a distorted octahedral environment. The catalytic activity of these compounds towards cyclohexane oxidation was evaluated using H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and t-BuOOH as oxidants. Both complexes presented > 70% selectivity for cyclohexylhydroperoxide formation. B3LYP/6.31G(d) calculations were used to confirm the geometry and to help assign the electronic spectra. (author)

  8. Novel Zinc-Catalytic Systems for Ring-Opening Polymerization of ε-Caprolactone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karolina Żółtowska

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Polycaprolactone (PCL is a biodegradable synthetic polymer that is currently widely used in many pharmaceutical and medical applications. In this paper we describe the coordination ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone in the presence of two newly synthesized catalytic systems: diethylzinc/gallic acid and diethylzinc/propyl gallate. The chemical structures of the obtained PCLs were characterized by 1H- or 13C-NMR, FTIR spectroscopy and MALDI TOF mass spectrometry. The average molecular weight of the resulting polyesters was analysed by gel permeation chromatography and a viscosity method. The effects of temperature, reaction time and type of catalytic system on the polymerization process were examined. Linear PCLs with defined average molecular weight were successfully obtained. Importantly, in some cases the presence of macrocyclic products was not observed during the polymerization process. This study provides an effective method for the synthesis of biodegradable polyesters for medical and pharmaceutical applications due to the fact that gallic acid/propyl gallate are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry.

  9. Synthesis and catalytic performance of ZSM-5/MCM-41 composite molecular sieve from palygorskite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Jinlong; Wu, Mei; Yang, Yong; Duanmu, Chuansong; Chen, Jing; Gu, Xu

    2017-10-01

    ZSM-5/MCM-41 composite molecular sieve has been hydrothermally synthesized through a two-step crystallization process using palygorskite (PAL) as silicon and aluminum source. The products were characterized by various means and their catalytic properties for acetalization of cyclohexanone and esterification of acetic acid and n-butanol were also investigated. In the first step ZSM-5 zeolite could be formed from the acid-treated PAL after hydrothermal treatment using tetrapropylammonium bromide as template. XRD patterns, N2 adsorption and desorption data, and TEM images show that the composite obtained in the secondary step had a well-ordered mesoporous MCM-41 phase and a microporous ZSM-5 zeolite phase. Compared with ZSM-5, ZSM-5/MCM-41 composite possessed more total acid amount, weak acid sites and large pore structure due to the formation of MCM-41 and exhibited higher catalytic activity for the acetalization and esterification reaction.

  10. Facile synthesis of palladium nanoparticle doped polyaniline nanowires in soft templates for catalytic applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kshirasagar, Krushna J.; Markad, Uddhav S.; Saha, Abhijit; Sharma, Kiran Kumar K.; Sharma, Geeta K.

    2017-02-01

    Palladium nanoparticles doped polyaniline (Pd-PANI) nanocomposite (NCs) is synthesized in surfactant based liquid crystalline mesophase by chemical oxidation followed by radiolysis. The confinement of the liquid crystalline mesophase facilitates polymerization of aniline monomers and their 1D growth into polyaniline (PANI) nanowires by using ammonium persulfate. The PANI nanowires have an average diameter of 30-40 nm. The in situ radiolytic reduction of palladium ions ensures uniform size distribution of the palladium (Pd) nanoparticles on the surface of the PANI nanowires. The synthesized Pd-PANI nanocomposites show wire like structures of PANI (diameter ~30-40 nm) on which Pd nanoparticles of the size 10 nm are decorated. The identical average diameter of the PANI nanowires before and post gamma irradiation suggest high stability of the PANI nanowires in liquid crystalline mesophase. Surface characterization of the NCs were carried out using BET and XPS. The catalytic activity of Pd-PANI NCs are investigated in the reduction of methylene blue (MB) and 4-nitro phenol (4-NP) by sodium borohydride (NaBH4). The kinetics of the Pd-PANI NCs catalysed reactions are analysed using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The apparent rate constant (k app) for the MB and 4-NP reduction reactions is 29  ×  10-3 s-1 and 20  ×  10-3 s-1 respectively with an actual Pd catalyst loading of 2.665  ×  10-4 ppm. Further, the recyclability of the Pd-PANI NCs catalyst in both the reduction reactions shows the stability of the catalyst up to four reaction cycles tested in this investigation and the multifunctional nature of the catalyst. The study provides a new approach for the directional synthesis of conducting polymer-metal nanocomposites and their possible application as a nanocatalyst in environmental remediation.

  11. Fabrication of catalytically active Au/Pt/Pd trimetallic nanoparticles by rapid injection of NaBH4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Haijun; Lu, Lilin; Cao, Yingnan; Du, Shuang; Cheng, Zhong; Zhang, Shaowei

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The synthesis and characterization of 2.0 nm-diameter Au/Pt/Pd nanoparticles are reported. The catalytic activity for glucose oxidation of the nanoparticles is several times higher than that of Au nanoparticles with nearly same size. - Highlights: • PVP-protected Au/Pt/Pd trimetallic nanoparticles (TNPs) of 2.0 nm in diameter were prepared. • The catalytic activity of TNPs is several times higher than that of Au nanoparticles. • Negatively charged Au atoms in the TNPs were confirmed by DFT calculation. - Abstract: Au/Pt/Pd trimetallic nanoparticles (TNPs) with an alloyed structure and an average diameter of about 2.0 nm were prepared via reducing the corresponding ions with rapidly injected NaBH 4 , and characterized by UV–vis, TEM and HR-TEM. The catalytic activity of as-prepared TNPs for the aerobic glucose oxidation is several times higher than that of Au monometallic nanoparticles with about the same average size, which could be attributed to the catalytically active sites provided by the negatively charged Au atoms as a result of the electron donation from the neighboring Pd atoms. This was well supported by the electron density calculations based on the density functional theory

  12. Catalytic Palladium Film Deposited by Scalable Low-Temperature Aqueous Combustion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voskanyan, Albert A; Li, Chi-Ying Vanessa; Chan, Kwong-Yu

    2017-09-27

    This article describes a novel method for depositing a dense, high quality palladium thin film via a one-step aqueous combustion process which can be easily scaled up. Film deposition of Pd from aqueous solutions by conventional chemical or electrochemical methods is inhibited by hydrogen embrittlement, thus resulting in a brittle palladium film. The method outlined in this work allows a direct aqueous solution deposition of a mirror-bright, durable Pd film on substrates including glass and glassy carbon. This simple procedure has many advantages including a very high deposition rate (>10 cm 2 min -1 ) and a relatively low deposition temperature (250 °C), which makes it suitable for large-scale industrial applications. Although preparation of various high-quality oxide films has been successfully accomplished via solution combustion synthesis (SCS) before, this article presents the first report on direct SCS production of a metallic film. The mechanism of Pd film formation is discussed with the identification of a complex formed between palladium nitrate and glycine at low temperature. The catalytic properties and stability of films are successfully tested in alcohol electrooxidation and electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction. It was observed that combustion deposited Pd film on a glassy carbon electrode showed excellent catalytic activity in ethanol oxidation without using any binder or additive. We also report for the first time the concept of a reusable "catalytic flask" as illustrated by the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. The Pd film uniformly covers the inner walls of the flask and eliminates the catalyst separation step. We believe the innovative concept of a reusable catalytic flask is very promising and has the required features to become a commercial product in the future.

  13. Steam reformer with catalytic combustor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voecks, Gerald E. (Inventor)

    1990-01-01

    A steam reformer is disclosed having an annular steam reforming catalyst bed formed by concentric cylinders and having a catalytic combustor located at the center of the innermost cylinder. Fuel is fed into the interior of the catalytic combustor and air is directed at the top of the combustor, creating a catalytic reaction which provides sufficient heat so as to maintain the catalytic reaction in the steam reforming catalyst bed. Alternatively, air is fed into the interior of the catalytic combustor and a fuel mixture is directed at the top. The catalytic combustor provides enhanced radiant and convective heat transfer to the reformer catalyst bed.

  14. Synthesis of Platinum Nanotubes and Nanorings via Simultaneous Metal Alloying and Etching

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, Zhiqi

    2016-04-19

    Metallic nanotubes represent a class of hollow nanostructures with unique catalytic properties. However, the wet-chemical synthesis of metallic nanotubes remains a substantial challenge, especially for those with dimensions below 50 nm. This communication describes a simultaneous alloying-etching strategy for the synthesis of Pt nanotubes with open ends by selective etching Au core from coaxial Au/Pt nanorods. This approach can be extended for the preparation of Pt nanorings when Saturn-like Au core/Pt shell nanoparticles are used. The diameter and wall thickness of both nanotubes and nanorings can be readily controlled in the range of 14-37 nm and 2-32 nm, respectively. We further demonstrated that the nanotubes with ultrathin side walls showed superior catalytic performance in oxygen reduction reaction. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

  15. Biochar as porous media for thermally-induced non-catalytic transesterification to synthesize fatty acid ethyl esters from coconut oil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Jong-Min; Lee, Jechan; Choi, Dongho; Oh, Jeong-Ik; Lee, Sang-Ryong; Kim, Jae-Kon; Kwon, Eilhann E.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Biodiesel production using renewable resources. • Thermally-induced non-catalytic transesterification. • Synthesis of fatty acid ethyl esters without conventional catalysts. • Using biochar as porous medium in the non-catalytic transesterification. - Abstract: This study put great emphasis on evaluating biochar as porous media for the thermally-induced non-catalytic transesterification reaction to synthesize fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) from coconut oil. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of coconut oil experimentally justified that the bond dissociation of fatty acid from the backbone of triglycerides (TGs) could be achieved, which finding could be applied to the non-catalytic transesterification reaction. To use biochar as porous medium, the surficial morphology of maize residue biochar (MRB) was characterized, revealing that biochar possessed the wider pore size distribution ranging from meso- to macro-pores than SiO 2 . The highest yield of FAEE from non-catalytic transesterification of coconut oil in the presence of MRB was 87% at 380 °C. To further enhance the FAEE yield, further studies associated with the production of FAEE with biochar made from different biomasses and various pyrolytic conditions should be performed.

  16. Size-controlled synthesis of NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanospheres via a PEG assisted hydrothermal route and their catalytic properties in oxidation of alcohols by periodic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paul, Bappi; Purkayastha, Debraj Dhar; Dhar, Siddhartha Sankar, E-mail: ssd_iitg@hotmail.com

    2016-05-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Hydrothermal synthesis of NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} NPs with (C{sub 4}H{sub 9}){sub 3}N as hydroxylating agent. • PEG 4000 was used as surfactant to control sizes of NPs. • The TEM images revealed the material to be spherical in shape with sizes 2–10 nm. • NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} was used as recyclable catalyst for oxidation of alcohols by periodic acid. - Abstract: A novel and facile approach for synthesis of spinel nickel ferrites (NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) nanoparticles (NPs) employing homogeneous chemical precipitation followed by hydrothermal heating is reported. The synthesis involves use of tributylamine (TBA) as a hydroxylating agent in synthesis of nickel ferrites. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 was used as surfactant. As-synthesized NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} NPs were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption isotherm (BET) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The XRD pattern revealed formation of cubic face-centered NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} and TEM image showed spherical particles of sizes 2–10 nm. These NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} NPs were used as magnetically recoverable catalyst in oxidation of cyclic alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes by periodic acid. This eco-friendly procedure affords products in very high yield and selectivity. The reusability of the catalyst is proved to be noteworthy as the material exhibits no significant changes in its catalytic activity even after five cycles of reuse.

  17. Towards Green Cyclic Carbonate Synthesis : Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Catalyst Development

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stewart, J.A.

    2015-01-01

    This PhD research serves to implement both known and novel catalytic systems for the purpose of cyclic carbonate synthesis from biomass-derived substrates. Such products have been earmarked as potential monomers for non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs), amongst other uses. Particular attention has

  18. Synthesis and Characterisation of Aluminophosphate Molecular Sieves

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Halvorsen, E.N.

    1996-02-01

    Catalysts are very important in petrochemical processes. One of the properties that make crystalline, microporous materials attractive for catalytic purposes is their well-defined structure and ability to act as shape selective catalysts. This doctoral thesis presents the synthesis and characterization of a number of crystalline, microporous aluminophosphates and silicoaluminophosphates. 99 refs., 50 figs., 12 tabs.

  19. Caulerpa racemosa: a marine green alga for eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles and its catalytic degradation of methylene blue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edison, Thomas Nesakumar Jebakumar Immanuel; Atchudan, Raji; Kamal, Chennappan; Lee, Yong Rok

    2016-09-01

    In this study, a simple and green method has been demonstrated for the synthesis of highly stable silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous extract of Caulerpa racemosa (C. racemosa) as a reducing and capping agent. The formation and stability of AgNPs were studied using visual observation and UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The stable AgNPs were further characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopic (EDS) methods. The biosynthesized AgNPs showed a sharp surface plasmon resonance peak at 441 nm in the visible region and they have extended stability which has been confirmed by the UV-Vis spectroscopic results. XRD result revealed the crystalline nature of synthesized AgNPs and they are mainly oriented in (111) plane. FT-IR studies proved that the phytoconstituents of C. racemosa protect the AgNPs from aggregation and also which are responsible for the high stability. The size of synthesized AgNPs was approximately 25 nm with distorted spherical shape, identified from the HR-TEM images. The synthesized AgNPs showed excellent catalytic activity towards degradation of methylene blue.

  20. Isotopic exchange of nitrogen and ammonia synthesis on uranium nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panov, G.I.; Boreskov, G.K.; Kharitonov, A.S.; Moroz, Eh.M.; Sobolev, V.I.

    1984-01-01

    The catalytic properties of uranium nitride samples of different chemical composition: α - U 2 N 3 and UNsub(1, 70) are compared. The isotopic exchange at 553-623 K in both cases is realized by reversible dissociative nitrogen adsorption. Despite the proximity of structural and thermodynamic phase characteristics, the nitrogen adsorption heat differs by 120 kJ/mol which leads to strong differences in catalytic sample properties. It is shown that the isotopic exchange serves a reliable characteristic of activation of molecular nitrogen and its ability to react with the ammonia synthesis

  1. The synthesis of nanostructured, phase pure catalysts by hydrodynamic cavitation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moser, W.R.; Sunstrom, J.E.; Marshik-Geurts, B.J. [Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA (United States)

    1995-12-01

    A new process for the synthesis of advanced catalytic materials based on performing the synthesis under hydrodynamic cavitation conditions has been discovered. This continuous process for catalyst synthesis resulted in the formation of both supported and unsupported catalysts. The advantage of the process over classical methods of synthesis is that it permits the formation of a wide variety of nanostructured catalysts in exceptionally high phase purities. The synthesis of platinum and palladium catalysts supported on alumina and other supports resulted in high dispersions of the noble metals. The synthesis of alpha, beta- and gamma-bismuth molybdates resulted in catalysts having superior phase purities as compared to several other classical methods of synthesis. The beta-bismuth molybdate was synthesized directly onto Cabosil. These studies showed that the particle size of the active component could be varied from a few manometers to much larger grains. The process enabled the synthesis of other complex metal oxides like perovskites as pure phases. The process uses a commercially available Microfluidizer.

  2. Catalytic nanoporous membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pellin, Michael J; Hryn, John N; Elam, Jeffrey W

    2013-08-27

    A nanoporous catalytic membrane which displays several unique features Including pores which can go through the entire thickness of the membrane. The membrane has a higher catalytic and product selectivity than conventional catalysts. Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes serve as the catalyst substrate. This substrate is then subjected to Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), which allows the controlled narrowing of the pores from 40 nm to 10 nm in the substrate by deposition of a preparatory material. Subsequent deposition of a catalytic layer on the inner surfaces of the pores reduces pore sizes to less than 10 nm and allows for a higher degree of reaction selectivity. The small pore sizes allow control over which molecules enter the pores, and the flow-through feature can allow for partial oxidation of reactant species as opposed to complete oxidation. A nanoporous separation membrane, produced by ALD is also provided for use in gaseous and liquid separations. The membrane has a high flow rate of material with 100% selectivity. Also provided is a method for producing a catalytic membrane having flow-through pores and discreet catalytic clusters adhering to the inside surfaces of the pores.

  3. Structure and morphology controllable synthesis of Ag/carbon hybrid with ionic liquid as soft-template and their catalytic properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Shuying; Ding Yunsheng; Zhang Xiaomin; Tang Haiou; Chen Long; Li Boxuan

    2008-01-01

    Ag/carbon hybrids were fabricated by the redox of glucose and silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ) in the presence of imidazolium ionic liquid ([C 14 mim]BF 4 ) under hydrothermal condition. Monodisperse carbon hollow sub-microspheres encapsulating Ag nanoparticles and Ag/carbon cables were selectively prepared by varying the concentration of ionic liquid. Other reaction parameters, such as reaction temperature, reaction time and the mole ratio of silver nitrate to glucose, play important roles in controlling the structures of the products. The products were characterized by XRD, TEM (HRTEM), SEM, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), FTIR spectroscopy and a Raman spectrometer. The possible formation mechanism was proposed. The catalytic property of the hybrid in the oxidation of 1-butanol by H 2 O 2 was also investigated. - Graphical abstract: Monodisperse carbon hollow nanospheres encapsulating Ag nanoparticles and Ag/carbon nanocables were selectively prepared with ionic liquids as the soft-template. The controllable synthesis of Ag/C nano-hybrids was realized by varying the concentration of ionic liquids, reaction temperature, reaction time and the mole ratio of silver nitrate to glucose. The catalysis of Ag/C nano-hybrid in the oxidation of 1-butanol by H 2 O 2 was also investigated

  4. Synthesis and structure of the unligated carbene of chromium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Billups, W.E.; Souchan Chang; Hauge, R.H.; Margrave, J.L. (Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States))

    1993-04-14

    Complexes with metal-carbon double bonds have found applications as intermediates in many important catalytic reactions including cyclopropanation of alkenes by diazoalkanes, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, olefin metathesis, Ziegler-Natta polymerization, alkane activation, and in the decomposition of transition metal alkyl complexes. However, complexes with the simplest carbene, CH[sub 2], coordinated to the metal center are relatively rare. In this paper the authors report the synthesis and characterization of the simple unligated carbene of chromium by FTIR matrix isolation spectroscopy. 7 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs.

  5. Synthesis, characterization, and application of surface-functionalized ordered mesoporous nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chung, Po-Wen [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2009-01-01

    The dissertation begins with Chapter 1, which is a general introduction of the fundamental synthesis of mesoporous silica materials, the selective functionlization of mesoporous silica materials, and the synthesis of nanostructured porous materials via nanocasting. In Chapter 2, the thermo-responsive polymer coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) was synthesized via surface-initated polymerization and exhibited unique partition activities in a biphasic solution with the thermally induced change. In Chapter 3, the monodispersed spherical MSN with different mesoporous structure (MCM-48) was developed and employed as a template for the synthesis of mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (MCN) via nanocasting. MCN was demonstrated for the delivery of membrane impermeable chemical agents inside the cells. The cellular uptake efficiency and biocompabtibility of MCN with human cervical cancer cells were also investigated. In addition to the biocompabtibility of MCN, MCN was demonstrated to support Rh-Mn nanoparticles for catalytic reaction in Chapter 4. Owing to the unique mesoporosity, Rh-Mn nanoparticles can be well distributed inside the mesoporous structure and exhibited interesting catalytic performance on CO hydrogenation. In Chapter 5, the synthesis route of the aforementioned MCM-48 MSN was discussed and investigated in details and other metal oxide nanoparticles were also developed via nanocasting by using MCM-48 MSN as a template. At last, there is a general conclusion summarized in Chapter 6.

  6. Fabrication of catalytically active Au/Pt/Pd trimetallic nanoparticles by rapid injection of NaBH{sub 4}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Haijun, E-mail: zhanghaijun@wust.edu.cn [College of Materials and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430081 (China); State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Refractories and Ceramics, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); Lu, Lilin [College of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); Cao, Yingnan; Du, Shuang [College of Materials and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430081 (China); State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Refractories and Ceramics, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); Cheng, Zhong [College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Zhang, Shaowei [State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Refractories and Ceramics, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China)

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The synthesis and characterization of 2.0 nm-diameter Au/Pt/Pd nanoparticles are reported. The catalytic activity for glucose oxidation of the nanoparticles is several times higher than that of Au nanoparticles with nearly same size. - Highlights: • PVP-protected Au/Pt/Pd trimetallic nanoparticles (TNPs) of 2.0 nm in diameter were prepared. • The catalytic activity of TNPs is several times higher than that of Au nanoparticles. • Negatively charged Au atoms in the TNPs were confirmed by DFT calculation. - Abstract: Au/Pt/Pd trimetallic nanoparticles (TNPs) with an alloyed structure and an average diameter of about 2.0 nm were prepared via reducing the corresponding ions with rapidly injected NaBH{sub 4}, and characterized by UV–vis, TEM and HR-TEM. The catalytic activity of as-prepared TNPs for the aerobic glucose oxidation is several times higher than that of Au monometallic nanoparticles with about the same average size, which could be attributed to the catalytically active sites provided by the negatively charged Au atoms as a result of the electron donation from the neighboring Pd atoms. This was well supported by the electron density calculations based on the density functional theory.

  7. Catalytic-site mapping of pyruvate formate lyase. Hypophosphite reaction on the acetyl-enzyme intermediate affords carbon-phosphorus bond synthesis (1-hydroxyethylphosphonate).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plaga, W; Frank, R; Knappe, J

    1988-12-15

    Pyruvate formate-lyase of Escherichia coli cells, a homodimeric protein of 2 x 85 kDa, is distinguished by the property of containing a stable organic free radical (g = 2.0037) in its resting state. The enzyme (E-SH) achieves pyruvate conversion to acetyl-CoA via two distinct half-reactions (E-SH + pyruvate in equilibrium E-S-acetyl + formate; E-S-acetyl + CoA in equilibrium E-SH + acetyl-CoA), the first of which has been proposed to involve reversible homolytic carbon-carbon bond cleavage [J. Knappe et al. (1984) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 81, 1332-1335]. Present studies identified Cys-419 as the covalent-catalytic cysteinyl residue via CNBr fragmentation of E-S-[14C]acetyl and radio-sequencing of the isolated peptide CB-Ac (amino acid residues 406-423). Reaction of the formate analogue hypophosphite with E-S-acetyl was investigated and found to produce 1-hydroxyethylphosphonate with a thioester linkage to the adjacent Cys-418. The structure was determined from the chymotryptic peptide CH-P (amino acid residues 415-425), using 31P-NMR spectroscopy (delta = 44 ppm) and by chemical characterisation through degradation into 1-hydroxyethylphosphonate with phosphodiesterase or bromine. This novel P-C-bond synthesis involves the enzyme-based free radical and is proposed to resemble the physiological C-C-bond synthesis (pyruvate production) from formate and E-S-acetyl. These findings are interpreted as proof of a radical mechanism for the action of pyruvate formate-lyase. The central Cys-418/Cys-419 pair of the active site shows a distinctive thiolate property even in the inactive (nonradical) form of the enzyme, as determined using an iodoacetate probe.

  8. Metallization of DNA hydrogel: application of soft matter host for preparation and nesting of catalytic nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zinchenko, Anatoly; Che, Yuxin; Taniguchi, Shota; Lopatina, Larisa I.; G. Sergeyev, Vladimir; Murata, Shizuaki

    2016-07-01

    Nanoparticles (NPs) of Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Cu and Ni of 2-3 nm average-size and narrow-size distributions were synthesized in DNA cross-linked hydrogels by reducing corresponding metal precursors by sodium borohydride. DNA hydrogel plays a role of a universal reactor in which the reduction of metal precursor results in the formation of 2-3 nm ultrafine metal NPs regardless of metal used. Hydrogels metallized with various metals showed catalytic activity in the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds, and the catalytic activity of metallized hydrogels changed as follows: Pd > Ag ≈ Au ≈ Cu > Ni > Pt. DNA hydrogel-based "soft catalysts" elaborated in this study are promising for green organic synthesis in aqueous media as well as for biomedical in vivo applications.

  9. Synthesis of monodisperse palladium nanocubes and their catalytic activity for methanol electrooxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Hao; Shi, Xue-Zhao; Shen, Cheng-Min; Hui, Chao; Xu, Zhi-Chuan; Li, Chen; Tian, Yuan; Wang, Deng-Ke; Gao, Hong-Jun

    2010-10-01

    The single crystalline palladium nanocubes with an average size of 7 nm were prepared in the presence of poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and KBr using the polyol method. The as-prepared Pd nanocubes were highly uniform in both size and shape. The ordered packing structures including monolayer and multilayer can be fabricated via the rate-controlled evaporation of solution solvent. The electrochemical catalytic activity of these Pd nanocubes towards methanol oxidation was found to be higher than that of spherical Pd nanoparticles of similar size.

  10. Photo catalytic Degradation of Organic Dye by Sol-Gel-Derived Gallium-Doped Anatase Titanium Oxide Nanoparticles for Environmental Remediation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arghya, N.B.; Sang, W.J.; Bong-Ki, M.

    2012-01-01

    Photo catalytic degradation of toxic organic chemicals is considered to be the most efficient green method for surface water treatment. We have reported the sol-gel synthesis of Gadoped anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles and the photo catalytic oxidation of organic dye into nontoxic inorganic products under UV irradiation. Photodegradation experiments show very good photo catalytic activity of Ga-doped TiO 2 nanoparticles with almost 90% degradation efficiency within 3 hrs of UV irradiation, which is faster than the undoped samples. Doping levels created within the bandgap of TiO 2 act as trapping centers to suppress the photo generated electron-hole recombination for proper and timely utilization of charge carriers for the generation of strong oxidizing radicals to degrade the organic dye. Photo catalytic degradation is found to follow the pseudo-first-order kinetics with the apparent 1 st-order rate constant around 1.3 x 10 -2 min -1 . The cost-effective, sol-gel-derived TiO 2 : Ga nanoparticles can be used efficiently for light-assisted oxidation of toxic organic molecules in the surface water for environmental remediation.

  11. Synthesis of ammonia using sodium melt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawamura, Fumio; Taniguchi, Takashi

    2017-09-14

    Research into inexpensive ammonia synthesis has increased recently because ammonia can be used as a hydrogen carrier or as a next generation fuel which does not emit CO 2 . Furthermore, improving the efficiency of ammonia synthesis is necessary, because current synthesis methods emit significant amounts of CO 2 . To achieve these goals, catalysts that can effectively reduce the synthesis temperature and pressure, relative to those required in the Haber-Bosch process, are required. Although several catalysts and novel ammonia synthesis methods have been developed previously, expensive materials or low conversion efficiency have prevented the displacement of the Haber-Bosch process. Herein, we present novel ammonia synthesis route using a Na-melt as a catalyst. Using this route, ammonia can be synthesized using a simple process in which H 2 -N 2 mixed gas passes through the Na-melt at 500-590 °C under atmospheric pressure. Nitrogen molecules dissociated by reaction with sodium then react with hydrogen, resulting in the formation of ammonia. Because of the high catalytic efficiency and low-cost of this molten-Na catalyst, it provides new opportunities for the inexpensive synthesis of ammonia and the utilization of ammonia as an energy carrier and next generation fuel.

  12. Effect of the preparation method on the structural and catalytic properties of spinel cobalt-iron oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hammiche-Bellal, Yasmina, E-mail: yasminahammiche@gmail.com [Laboratoire des Matériaux Catalytiques et Catalyse en Chimie Organique, Faculté de Chimie, USTHB, BP32 El Alia, Bab Ezzouar, 16111, Alger (Algeria); Djadoun, Amar [Laboratoire de Géophysique, FSTGAT, USTHB, BP32 El Alia, Bab Ezzouar, 16111, Alger (Algeria); Meddour-Boukhobza, Laaldja; Benadda, Amel [Laboratoire des Matériaux Catalytiques et Catalyse en Chimie Organique, Faculté de Chimie, USTHB, BP32 El Alia, Bab Ezzouar, 16111, Alger (Algeria); Auroux, Aline [Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5256, IRCELYON, Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l' Environnement de Lyon, 2 Avenue Albert Einstein, F-69626, Villeurbanne (France); Berger, Marie-Hélène [Centre des Matériaux PIERRE-MARIE Fourt, UMR 7633, Paris (France); Mernache, Fateh [UDEC-CRND, COMENA, BP 43 Draria, 16050, Alger (Algeria)

    2016-07-01

    Spinel cobalt-iron oxide was synthesized by co-precipitation and hydrothermal routes. The effect of the co-precipitation experimental conditions, the calcination temperature and the hydrothermal synthesis time and temperature on the properties of the solids was studied. The prepared powders were evaluated as catalysts in the ethanol combustion reaction, and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM/EDX), nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms (BET, BJH) and temperature programmed reduction (TPR) techniques. Using chloride salts as starting materials and sodium hydroxide as precipitating agent, the CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} prepared powders displayed a mesoporous structure with a pore distribution strongly dependent on the experimental conditions. A monophasic spinel phase in the case of the calcined solids was obtained while the hydrothermal process led to the formation of a mixture of single oxides in addition to the spinel phase. The variation of the crystallite size and the lattice parameter as a function of calcination temperature was similar, whereas this variation found to be irregular when the synthesis residence time in autoclave was increased. The hydrothermally treated solids show the best catalytic performance in the total oxidation of ethanol. The catalytic behavior was correlated with the crystallite size and the reduction temperature of cobalt species determined by the TPR analysis. - Highlights: • Pure CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} phase is obtained by co-precipitation method at calcination temperatures 500–900 °C. • The temperature of co-precipitation procedure influences strongly the growth of the solids during the calcination step. • The hydrothermal synthesis gives a mixture of oxides; CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} is the predominant phase. • The CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} spinel showed a good catalytic reactivity in the ethanol combustion reaction. • The catalysts prepared by hydrothermal process are more reactive and

  13. Design and synthesis of mixed oxides nanoparticles for biofuel applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Senniang [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2010-05-15

    The work in this dissertation presents the synthesis of two mixed metal oxides for biofuel applications and NMR characterization of silica materials. In the chapter 2, high catalytic efficiency of calcium silicate is synthesized for transesterfication of soybean oil to biodisels. Chapter 3 describes the synthesis of a new Rh based catalyst on mesoporous manganese oxides. The new catalyst is found to have higher activity and selectivity towards ethanol. Chapter 4 demonstrates the applications of solid-state Si NMR in the silica materials.

  14. A Bioinspired Catalytic Aerobic Oxidative C–H Functionalization of Primary Aliphatic Amines: Synthesis of 1,2-Disubstituted Benzimidazoles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Khac Minh Huy; Largeron, Martine

    2015-01-01

    Aerobic oxidative C–H functionalization of primary aliphatic amines has been accomplished with a biomimetic cooperative catalytic system to furnish 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles that play an important role as drug discovery targets. This one-pot atom-economical multistep process, which proceeds under mild conditions, with ambient air and equimolar amounts of each coupling partner, constitutes a convenient environmentally friendly strategy to functionalize non-activated aliphatic amines that remain challenging substrates for non-enzymatic catalytic aerobic systems. PMID:26206475

  15. Efficient Diethylzinc/Gallic Acid and Diethylzinc/Gallic Acid Ester Catalytic Systems for the Ring-Opening Polymerization of rac-Lactide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karolina Żółtowska

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Polylactide (PLA represents one of the most promising biomedical polymers due to its biodegradability, bioresorbability and good biocompatibility. This work highlights the synthesis and characterization of PLAs using novel diethylzinc/gallic acid (ZnEt2/GAc and diethylzinc/propyl gallate (ZnEt2/PGAc catalytic systems that are safe for human body. The results of the ring-opening polymerization (ROP of rac-lactide (rac-LA in the presence of zinc-based catalytic systems have shown that, depending on the reaction conditions, “predominantly isotactic”, disyndiotactic or atactic PLA can be obtained. Therefore, the controlled and stereoselective ROP of rac-LA is discussed in detail in this paper.

  16. A protecting group-free synthesis of the Colorado potato beetle pheromone

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wu, Zhongtao; Buter, Jeffrey; Minnaard, Adriaan J.; Jäger, Manuel; Dickschat, J.S.

    2013-01-01

    A novel synthesis of the aggregation pheromone of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, has been developed based on a Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation in combination with a chemoselective alcohol oxidation using catalytic [(neocuproine)PdOAc](2)OTf2. Employing this approach, the

  17. Natural reducing agents for electroless nanoparticle deposition: Mild synthesis of metal/carbon nanostructured microspheres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duffy, Paul; Reynolds, Lyndsey A.; Sanders, Stephanie E.; Metz, Kevin M.; Colavita, Paula E.

    2013-01-01

    Composite materials are of interest because they can potentially combine the properties of their respective components in a manner that is useful for specific applications. Here, we report on the use of coffee as a low-cost, green reductant for the room temperature formation of catalytically active, supported metal nanoparticles. Specifically, we have leveraged the reduction potential of coffee in order to grow Pd and Ag nanoparticles at the surface of porous carbon microspheres synthesized via ultraspray pyrolysis. The metal nanoparticle-on-carbon microsphere composites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). To demonstrate the catalytic activity of Pd/C and Ag/C materials, Suzuki coupling reactions and nitroaromatic reduction reactions were employed, respectively. - Highlights: • Natural reductants were used as green electroless deposition reagents. • Room temperature synthesis of supported Ag and Pd nanoparticles was achieved. • Carbon porous microspheres were used as supports. • Synthesis via natural reductants yielded catalytically active nanoparticles.

  18. A novel stereoselective synthesis of N-heterocycles by intramolecular hydrovinylation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bothe, Ulrich; Rudbeck, H. C.; Tanner, David Ackland

    2001-01-01

    A novel method for the synthesis of bicyclic amines has been developed. Cyclisation of 1,6-dienes by intramolecular hydrovinylation in the presence of catalytic amounts of allylpalladium chloride dimer afforded bicyclic amines in one step. Added phosphines, silver salts, as well as the nature of ...

  19. Technologies for direct production of flexible H2/CO synthesis gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Xueping; Guo Zhancheng

    2006-01-01

    The use of synthesis gas offers the opportunity to furnish a broad range of environmentally clean fuels and high value chemicals. However, synthesis gas manufacturing systems based on natural gas are capital intensive, and hence, there is great interest in technologies for cost effective synthesis gas production. Direct production of synthesis gas with flexible H 2 /CO ratio, which is in agreement with the stoichiometric ratios required by major synthesis gas based petrochemicals, can decrease the capital investment as well as the operating cost. Although CO 2 reforming and catalytic partial oxidation can directly produce desirable H 2 /CO synthesis gas, they are complicated and continued studies are necessary. In fact, direct production of flexible H 2 /CO synthesis gas can be obtained by optimizing the process schemes based on steam reforming and autothermal reforming as well as partial oxidation. This paper reviews the state of the art of the technologies

  20. Non-thermal plasmas for non-catalytic and catalytic VOC abatement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vandenbroucke, Arne M.; Morent, Rino; De Geyter, Nathalie; Leys, Christophe

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → We review the current status of catalytic and non-catalytic VOC abatement based on a vast number of research papers. → The underlying mechanisms of plasma-catalysis for VOC abatement are discussed. → Critical process parameters that determine the influent are discussed and compared. - Abstract: This paper reviews recent achievements and the current status of non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology for the abatement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Many reactor configurations have been developed to generate a NTP at atmospheric pressure. Therefore in this review article, the principles of generating NTPs are outlined. Further on, this paper is divided in two equally important parts: plasma-alone and plasma-catalytic systems. Combination of NTP with heterogeneous catalysis has attracted increased attention in order to overcome the weaknesses of plasma-alone systems. An overview is given of the present understanding of the mechanisms involved in plasma-catalytic processes. In both parts (plasma-alone systems and plasma-catalysis), literature on the abatement of VOCs is reviewed in close detail. Special attention is given to the influence of critical process parameters on the removal process.