CC BY-SA Research Articles

Magnetization Study of Iron Sand from Sabang, Indonesia: The Potential of Magnetic Materials in the Photocatalytic Field

The magnetization of iron sand from Anoi Itam beach, Sabang, Indonesia, was investigated through sample testing and synthesis using the co-precipitation method. The purpose of this study is to analyze the magnetic properties of iron sand and review its potential in photocatalytic processes. Before being synthesized, the natural iron sand was separated and milled. The iron sand was dissolved in 37% v/v HCl, stirred, and heated for 30 min. This solution was filtered and precipitated with 6.5 M NH4OH while stirring and heating for 30 min. The magnetite formed was washed repeatedly with distilled water until it reached a normal pH, and then dried. Magnetite characterization tests were performed using XRF, XRD, VSM, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The test results showed that the iron sand had a high magnetic quality with a concentration of 91.17% after the synthesis process. The resulting magnetite phase structure had a spinal inverse cubic shape, with the highest peak at the Miller index (311). From the VSM test, it is known that the resulting magnetite exists in a soft magnetic form with superparamagnetic groups. From optical absorption, magnetite has a gap energy of approximately 2.8 eV. It can be concluded that the magnetite from Anoi Itam Sabang has potential as a photocatalytic absorbent in the visible light wavelength region. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Synthesis, Structural Characterization, Hirschfeld Surface Analysis and Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction of Yb(III) Complex with 4-Aacetylphenoxyacetic Acid and 1,10-Phenanthroline Ligands

A new nine-coordinated Yb(III) complex [YbL3(Phen)] (1) (HL = 2-(4-acetylphenoxy)acetic acid (APA), Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) was synthesized with 2-(4-acetylphenoxy)acetic acid, YbCl3.6H2O, NaOH and 1,10-phenanthroline as materials. Complex (1) was characterized by IR and X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis. The results show that the Yb(III) ion is nine-coordinated with seven carboxylate oxygen atoms from five different deprotonated APA ligands and two nitrogen atoms from one Phen ligand. Complex (1) forms a 3D supramolecular framework through the - stacking interactions between the Phen aromatic rings. The hirschfeld surface analysis of complex (1) was also calculated. The CO2 photoconversion activity of complex (1) has been performed under UV-vis light irradiation. The complex (1) shows good photocatalytic activity with the yield of CO is closed to 146 mmol/g after three hours of UV-vis light irradiation, the CO selectivity has reached to 97.9%. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Core-shell Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 Magnetic Modified Ag for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Congo Red Dye and Antibacterial Activity

Disposal of dye wastewater can induce detrimental consequences for human health and the environment. The study aims to synthesize composites consisting of core-shell Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 modified with Ag. The composites comprise a Fe3O4 core, a SiO2 interlayer, and a TiO2 shell, with Ag being mobilized on the surface of the core and shell structures. Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2@Ag composite was employed in the photocatalytic degradation of Congo red dye and antibacterial activity test. The degradation was facilitated by visible light irradiation while considering different factors such as pH solution, the photocatalyst dosage, and the dye's initial concentration. The composite was characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy-Electron Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), and UV-Vis Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS). The findings indicated that the composite exhibited strong magnetic, measuring 49.4 emu/g, with a band gap of 2.92 eV. The composite showed commendable catalytic properties, with degradation efficiency of 96.52% for Congo red dye under conditions: a pH solution of 4, a dosage of 0.5 g/L, and a dye concentration of 10 mg/L at 100 min of irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation kinetic is align with pseudo-first-order reactions. The composite also exhibits remarkable stability and efficiency with 4.83% decline in degradation efficiency after five cycles. Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2@Ag composite exhibited antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) value of 250 mg/L. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Optimization of Discharge Plasma Reactor for Dry Reforming of Methane using Response Surface Methodology

This research provides a study of the dry reforming of methane (DRM), which converts two main greenhouses gases (CO2 and CH4) to synthesis gas (H2 and CO) by a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma reactor at atmospheric pressure. The Box-Behnken Design (BBD) method based on the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to determine the optimum experimental conditions on the plasma stability and the synthesis gas production. The synergistic effects of input power (P), CO2/CH4 ratio (R), and flow rate (FR) on the CO2, CH4 conversions, H2, CO yields, and the syngas ratio of H2 to CO were studied. With the desirability value of 0.97, the optimum values of 10.05 W (P), 1.03 (R), and 1.58 L.min−1 FR were identified with CO2 conversion of 48.56% and CH4 conversion of 86.67%; H2 and CO yields of 45.87% and 39.43% respectively; and syngas ratio of H2 to CO of 0.88. The study shows that both P and FR have a major significant effect on the reactant conversions and syngas ratio, followed by R. Meanwhile, the value of R has a significant impact on the H2, CO yields followed P and FR. In contrast, the synergistic effects between P-R, P-FR, and R-FR had a weak significant on the CO2 and CH4 conversions, H2 and CO yields, and H2 to CO ratio respectively. The quadratic term coefficients of P, R, and FR had a remarkable effect on all responses. Thus, the synergistic effect of the most important parameters improves the process efficiency. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Synthesis of NiO/Ni Electrocatalyst at Different pH Values and the Application for Electrochemical Degradation of Textile Waste

An electrocatalyst is a material that exhibits catalytic activity for electrochemical reactions. The electrocatalytic properties within electrochemical cells can be enhanced by modifying the electrode through an electrodeposition process. Therefore, this study aimed to synthesize NiO/Ni electrocatalyst using the electrodeposition method at pH values of 8, 10, and 12. The NiO/Ni generated was applied in the electrochemical degradation of textile waste under specific operating conditions, including pH 4, NaCl concentration of 0.05 M, DC voltage of 9 volts, and varying degradation times of 60, 120, 180, and 240 min. Based on the results, the XRD diffractograms revealed the presence of NiO peaks at 2θ = 43.5°, 63.1°, and 75.4°, and Ni peaks at 2θ = 51.9°. SEM-EDX analysis showed that NiO/Ni was deposited on the graphite surface in the form of spheres and granules. FTIR indicated the presence of Ni−O bonds at 501 cm−1, and GSA demonstrated that NiO/Ni exhibited mesoporous properties. The NiO/Ni at pH 10 had the highest surface area, pore volume, and current response compared to graphite, as well as the electrocatalyst produced at pH 8 and 12. Additionally, the electrochemical degradation of textile waste using NiO/Ni at pH 10 led to the highest reduction in absorbance efficiency, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and ammonia, with respective values of 96.80, 96.15, and 87.34%. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Synthesis, Structural Characterization，DFT，Hirschfeld Surface and Catalytic Activity of a New Zn (II) Complex of 4-Acetylbenzoic Acid

A new Zn(II) complex of 4-acetylbenzoic acid, namely [ZnL2(H2O)2] (1) (HL = 4-acetylbenzoic acid) has been synthesized in water-ethanol (v:v = 1:2) solution using zinc acetate dihydrate, 4-acetylbenzoic acid, and NaOH as reactants. The structure of complex (1) has been characterized by IR and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. X-ray diffraction analysis of complex (1) reveals that the Zn(II) ion is six-coordinated in a distorted octahedral coordination geometry with four carboxylic O atoms from two different bidentate 4-acetylbenzoic acid ligands (O1, O2, O1a, O2a) and two O atoms from two coordinated water molecules (O4 and O4a). Complex (1) forms 1D chained structure by the intermolecular and intramolecular O-H···O hydrogen bonds, and further forms a three-dimensional network structure by the π-π interaction of benzene rings and intermolecular O-H···O hydrogen bonds. The singlet ground-state geometry of the complex (1) were optimized using the PBE0 functional. The intermolecular interactions of complex (1) were quantitatively analysed by 3D Hirschfeld surface analysis and associated 2D fingerprint plots. The catalytic activity of complex (1) has been tested for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol under O2 atmosphere. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Predicting Photocatalytic Properties of Metal Coupled Mn-TiO2 Particle Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) as a Potential Filler in LED’s Encapsulant

This study addresses yellowing discoloration in LEDs caused by TiO2 particle degradation in encapsulants. The commonly added TiO2 particles will enhance light reflectance, and accelerate photodegradation but will decrease LED lifespan by lowering lumen quality and causing chromaticity change. To mitigate these effects, Mn particles were coupled with TiO2 particles using photo-reduction. This research examined three parameters Mn2+ ions concentration, UV irradiation duration, and annealing temperature, and the successful Mn-TiO2 coupling achieved. The resulting Mn-TiO2 particles, synthesized at 20 ppm Mn2+ ions and 200 °C annealing temperature, exhibited superior dispersibility and minimal agglomeration compared to TiO2 particles. Next, the photocatalytic performance of Mn-TiO2 particles was optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). These particles exhibited the lowest photodegradation with a rate constant of 0.03092 min−1 and achieved a photodegradation efficiency of 79.92% at 60 min, amongst the others. Photodegradation of methylene blue followed a 1st-order kinetic model. Despite a slightly higher refractive index (RI), epoxy thin films with Mn-TiO2 particles displayed higher transmittance. Mn-TiO2 particles can thus serve as fillers in LED encapsulants to increase RI, reduce photodegradation, and enhance TiO2 particle dispersion. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Bismuth Oxychloride as an Efficient Heterogeneous Catalyst for Aldol Condensation Reaction between Aldehydes and Ketones

The aldol reaction is a cornerstone of modern synthetic organic chemistry in which the β-hydroxyketone was formed by the reaction of an enol or an enolate and a carbonyl compound. Benzalacetone is one of the fundamental building blocks of benzalacetone synthase structure that play an important role for construction of a variety of medicinally crucial phenylbutanoids, such as anti-inflammatory glucoside lindleyin in rhubarb and gingerol. The non-transition metal material attracted much attention from research groups on the world, such a potential catalyst as BiOCl for organic reaction due to its remarkably chemical and physical properties as relative stability, resistance of air and moisture, low toxicity. The BiOCl material was synthesized by the solvothermal method. The structure features of material were defined by modern analytic methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scaning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Nitrogen Adsorption-Desorption Isotherms. The BiOCl material was successfully utilized as a catalyst for the aldol condensation reaction of benzaldehyde and acetone. The reaction was performed in the mild condition with the presence of 10 mol% catalyst and 2 equivalent of Cs2CO3 as base without by-product in very short reaction times and good yields. The benzalacetone product obtained around 85% yield at 120 °C for 24 h. The BiOCl material after reaction was recovered and reused many times without significant reducing of catalytic activity. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Studies of the Solvent-Free Knoevenagel Condensation over Commercial NiO compared with NiO Drived from Hydrotalcites

In this study, we compared the effect of the commercial NiO, synthesis NiAl-HT and NiO-HT drived from hydrotalcite in Knoevenagel condensation reaction. The NiAl-HT sample was synthesized by the coprecipitation method with a molar ratio M2+/M3+ = 2 at constant basic pH. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were utilized to identify crystalline phases present in NiAl-HT, NiO-HT and commercial NiO. The chemical composition of the obtained solids was determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Other techniques, such as Thermogravimetric Thermal Analyzer (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Brunauere Emmette Teller Method (BET) were also used. As well as the BET showed the increase of the specific surface for the solid NiO-HT. The performance of the catalysts were studied in Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde with ethyl acetoacetate without solvent to synthesis of organic compounds such as intermediates of dihydropyridines derivatives. The influence of different parameters, such as catalyst amount, reaction temperature and reaction time were optimized for studied the activity, the selectivity and the stability of the solids. Catalytic activity was in its lowest in the presence of NiAl-HT (26% of benzaldehyde conversion) whereas the benzaldehyde conversion increased to 77% in case of NiO-HT which can be explained by the presence of the basic sites of the NiO-HT oxides, a high surface area and a small crystallite size. Therefore, the lower increase in benzaldehyde conversion was noticed using commercial NiO (84%), perhaps owing to its high purity. A reaction mechanism is proposed by using density functional method (DFT). Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Polyoxometalate Intercalated M2+/Al (M2+=Ni, Mg) Layered Double Hydroxide for Degradation of Methylene Blue

The synthesis and characterization of M2+/Al (M2+=Ni, Mg) layered double hydroxide (LDH) and intercalated polyoxometalate is presented. We have reported the growth of polyoxometalate on Ni/Mg layered double hydroxide for degradation methylene blue (MB). By considering variables such as pH of dye solution, dye concentration, and time as degradation variables, the efficiency of organic dye degradation and degradation parameters of M2+/Al (M2+ = Ni, Mg) LDH and both composite LDH-polyoxometalate has been identified. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Ultra Violet Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-DRS) spectroscopy confirmed the layered double hydroxide structure. XRD and FTIR analysis confirmed the single-phase of the as-made and polyoxometalate intercalated LDH. SEM images show the formation of aggregates of small various sizes. The material’s photodegradation was assessed through methylene blue (MB) degradation process. The result showed that NiAl-Si has a good degradation capacity for MB as compared to NiAl-Pw, MgAl-Si, and MgAl-PW. The result shows that LDH composite presents stability and has good photocatalytic activities toward the reduction of methylene blue. The FTIR measurement confirming the LDH composite structure reveals the materials used in the fifth regeneration. The activity of MB photodegradation pristine were NiAl (45%), MgAl (43%), NiAl-Pw (78%), NiAl-Si (85%), MgAl-Pw (58%), and MgAl-Si (75%), respectively. The LDH-polyoxometalate composite material’s capacity to successfully photodegrade, as measured by the percentage of degradation, revealed an increase in photodegradation catalysis and the ability of the LDH to regenerate. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Catalytic Conversion of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural and Fructose to 5-Ethoxymethylfurfural over Sulfonated Biochar Catalysts

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a key platform compound that can be produced by the dehydration of typical carbohydrates like glucose and fructose. Among the derivatives of HMF, 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF) is the etherification product of HMF with ethanol. Owing to some advantages (i.e., high energy density), EMF has been regarded as a potential liquid fuel. Therefore, catalytic conversion of HMF and fructose to EMF is of significance, especially using heterogeneous catalysts. In this paper, we demonstrated the preparation of biomass-based catalysts for the synthesis of EMF from HMF and fructose. Some sulfonated biochar catalysts were prepared by the carbonization of biomass-based precursors at high temperature in N2, followed by the subsequent sulfonation process employing concentered H2SO4 as sulfonation reagent. The obtained catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and element analysis. The catalytic conversion of HMF to EMF was carried out in ethanol, providing a 78% yield with complete conversion at 120 °C. The catalytic activity of the used catalyst showed slight decrease for the etherification of HMF. Moreover, the catalysts were effective for the direct conversion of fructose towards EMF in 64.9% yield. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Investigate the Function and Structure of (Fe,Cr) La2Ti2O7 Photocatalyst Calcined under the Nitrogen Atmosphere

Extensive research has been conducted on enhancing the photocatalytic activity of Lanthanum titanium oxide (La2Ti2O7) based photocatalysts. However, these photocatalysts were found to be inactive under visible light. To address this limitation, a modification was developed by co-doping Fe and Cr on La2Ti2O7 to enable visible light driven photocatalytic response. The calcination of (Fe,Cr) La2Ti2O7 was carried out under nitrogen atmosphere at various temperatures for 24 h. The results showed that the (Fe,Cr)-La2Ti2O7 calcined at 1250 °C for 24 h exhibited the highest methylene blue degradation under visible light. Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated that Fe and Cr were substitutionally located adjacent to the Ti atom within the La2Ti2O7 structure. This metal substitutionally facilitated electron transfer and perturbed the p-d hybridization by modifying the local electronic structure of the surrounding oxygen atoms and transition metal ions, thereby reducing the band gap energy and enhancing the photocatalytic capability. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Synthesis of Bimetallic Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) La-Y-PTC for Enhanced Dyes Photocatalytic Degradation

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) is widely utilized as photocatalysts in dye photocatalytic degradation. This study successfully synthesized bimetallic MOFs La-Y-PTC by the solvothermal method. The synthesized La-Y-PTC has a diffractogram pattern with a value of 2θ = 5.69°; 9.57°; 16.8°; 20.05°; 24.8°; 26.15°; 29.77° and 41.93° with a crystal size of 21.45 nm. The La-Y-PTC has symmetric and asymmetric (COO−) at 1591 and 1433 cm−1, La−O and Y−O groups at 596 and 659 cm−1 and a band gap energy of 2.16 eV. Scanning Electron Microscope analysis showed that the morphology of La-Y-PTC is spherical with a particle size of 354.307 nm. La-Y-PTC degrades methylene blue and methyl orange at pH 2 with a degradation efficiency of 69.57% and 93.63%, respectively, under 250 watts of mercury lamp irradiation for 180 min with hydroxyl radical species as a dominant species that play a role in methylene blue and methyl orange degradations. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Study on Method of Doping Au Nanoparticles on ZnO Stratified Microstructure to Enhance Photocatalytic Ability and Antibacterial Activity

In this study, stratified microstructure gold/zinc oxide (Au/ZnO) composites were successfully prepared by the method of dispersing Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) on the surface of the hierarchical flower ZnO via HAuCl4 reduction in the presence of different reducing agents such as sodium citrate (SC), sodium borohydride (SB), sodium hydroxide and ethanol (SE), and Hg lamp 250W. Au-doped samples were named Au/ZnO-SC, Au/ZnO-SB, Au/ZnO-SE, and Au/ZnO-Hg lamp, respectively. Au/ZnO-SC and Au/ZnO-SB revealed the uniform distribution of Au nanoparticles on the ZnO substrate, meanwhile, Au nanoparticles were very densely distributed in Au/ZnO-SE and Au/ZnO-Hg lamp samples. The pure ZnO only showed an absorption peak in the ultraviolet (UV) region, Au/ZnO samples indicated additional absorption peaks in the visible light region (500-600 nm), which were characteristic of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of Au NPs in composites. Therefore, their bandgap energy was reduced compared to ZnO (3.202 eV), leading to increased photocatalytic efficiency under visible light irradiation. Among the doped samples, Au/ZnO-SC (with Au content as 5 wt%) had the largest surface area (26.23 m2/g) and the highest pore volume (0.263 cm3/g) and average pore width (33.2 nm). As a result, it showed the highest catalytic efficiency through complete degradation of tartrazine (TA) within 30 min with a reaction rate of 0.124 min−1 under Hg lamp 250 irradiation. In addition, both pure ZnO and Au/ZnO nanocomposites exhibited high antimicrobial activity in killing Escherichia coli (E. coli), and their enhancing effect of them was reliant on the weight ratio of Au on ZnO and the concentration of tested samples. These results indicated that Au/ZnO material has prominent potential for applications in water environment treatment. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Environmental Footprint Assessment of Methylene Blue Photodegradation using Graphene-based Titanium Dioxide

To date, photocatalysis has received much attention in terms of the degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater. Various studies have shown that graphene-based photocatalysts are one of the impressive options owing to their intriguing features, including high surface area, good conductivity, low recombination rate of electron-hole pair, and fast charge separation and transfer. However, the environmental impacts of the photocatalysts synthesis and their photodegradation activity remain unclear. Thus, this report aims to identify the environmental impacts associated with the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) over reduced graphene oxide/titanium oxide photocatalyst (TiO2/rGO) using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The life cycle impacts were assessed using ReCiPe 2016 v1.1 midpoint method, Hierachist version in Gabi software. A cradle-to-gate approach and a functional unit of 1 kg TiO2/rGOwere adopted in the study. Several important parameters, such as the solvent type (ultrapure water, ethanol, and isopropanol), with/without silver ion doping, and visible light power consumption (150, 300, and 500 W) were evaluated in this study. In terms of the selection of solvent, ultrapure water is certainly a better choice since it contributed the least negative impact on the environment. Furthermore, it is not advisable to dope the photocatalyst with silver ions since the increment in performance is insufficient to offset the environmental impact that it caused. The results of different power of visible light for MB degradation showed that the minimum power level, 150 W, could give a comparable photodegradation efficiency and better environmental impacts compared to higher power light sources. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Computational studies of HCCCCS isomers

The recent identification of interstellar molecules HCCCHCCC and HCCCCS in TMC-1 has prompted an ab initio investigation of these isomers. The isomers of HCCCHCCC have been studied previously but not so much HCCCCS. In this paper we carry out high-level CCSD(T) calculations to characterise the lowest eleven isomers of HCCCCS. We also apply complete basis set extrapolation including core correlation and relativistic effects to further investigate the key isomers and provide high-precision rotational constants which will hopefully aid astronomers in their assignments. Source: This image has been adapted from http://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1209d/ licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Pillarization of Sumatera Bentonite by Sodium-assisted As Effective Adsorbent of Anionic Surfactants Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) Waste

In this work, the Sumatera bentonite was sodium-pillarized in a new low-temperature and restricted time preparation route and then applied in anionic surfactant sodium lauryl sulphate removal. Structure characterization used Fourier Transform Infra Red (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscope - Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. A strong peak at 22° and 35.66° in XRD analysis was detected as Sodium-pillar that increased crystallinity, then the functional changes of dehydration in lattice structure were detected in 1013 cm−1 by FTIR analysis. The morphology and compositional transformation were analyzed by SEM-EDX and BET analysis, denoted by increasing particle shape and sodium intercalant composition homogeneity. Moreover, the surface area increased from 61.791 to 66.086 m2/g. The sodium lauryl sulphate adsorption by bentonite-Na reached maximum capacity at 8.403 mg/g, which is higher than the pristine bentonite (5.747 mg/g) under the optimum condition. The adsorption mechanism is feasible, endothermic, and conformed to the pseudo-second-order and Freundlich adsorption model. The new route proposed for sodium intercalation effectively improves the Sumatera bentonite adsorption ability to remove sodium lauryl sulphate waste. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Production of Butane from Methyl Ethyl Ketone over Pt/Al2O3

Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) was catalytically converted to butane directly in one step over platinum (Pt) supported on alumina (Al2O3). The reaction was performed in the gas phase in a fixed bed reactor. Conversion of MEK to butane was achieved by hydrogenation of MEK to 2-butanol, dehydration of 2-butanol to butene, and further hydrogenation of butene to butane. The results showed that butane can be produced with selectivity reaching 95% depending on the operating conditions. The highest selectivity for butane was obtained at 220 °C and a H2/MEK molar ratio of 15. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Photodegradation of Methylene Blue with Aid of Green Synthesis of CuO/TiO2 Nanoparticles from Extract of Citrus Aurantium Juice

Green synthesis methods using plants have many advantages such as time-saving, chemical-free, and negative effects on the environment. So, extracted Citrus aurantium juice was used to synthesize green CuO/TiO2 and(G- CuO/TiO2) nanocatalyst which was characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, FTIR, BET, and ZP and utilized in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV lamps and dark environments. The ANOVA program was used to maximize the photodegradation efficiency (%) of (G-CuO/TiO2) on the MB dye. The four independent variables: Initial dye concentration (10-50 mg/L), pH (3-9), adsorbent dose (200-1000 mg/L), and contact time (30-90 min) served to the model of the photodegradation efficiency (%). The ANOVA results confirmed the high significance of the regression model while the predicted values of the photodegradation efficiency (%) of MB were in good agreement with the corresponding experimental ones. Optimized conditions for the maximum photodegradation efficiency (98.6%) by (G- CuO/TiO2) NPs were the initial dye concentration (10.93 mg/L), pH (8.87), adsorbent mass (986.43 mg/L), and contact time (89.08 min). The validity of the quadratic model was examined, and found in good agreement with the experimental values. Results demonstrated that (G-CuO/TiO2) could be a promising photocatalyst in the degradation of MB dye. Copyright © 2023 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Non Catalytic Transesterification of Vegetables Oil to Biodiesel in Sub-and Supercritical Methanol: A Kinetic’s Study

Non catalytic transesterification in sub and supercritical methanol have been used to produce biodiesel from palm oil and soybean oil. A kinetic study was done under reaction condition with temperature and time control. The experiments were carried out in a batch type reactor at reaction temperatures from 210 °C (subcritical condition) to 290 °C (the supercritical state) in the interval ranges of temperature of 20 °C and at various molar ratios of oil to methanol. The rate constants of the reaction were determined by employing a simple method, with the overall chemical reaction followed the pseudo-first–order reaction. Based on the results, the rate constants of vegetables oil were significantly influenced by reaction temperature, which were gradually increased at subcritical temperature, but sharply increased in the supercritical state. However, the rate constants of soybean oil were slightly higher than that of palm oil. The activation energy for transesterification of soybean oil was 89.32 and 79.05 kJ/mole for palm oil. Meanwhile, the frequency factor values of both oils were 72462892 and 391210 min-1, respectively. The rate reaction for both of oil were expressed as -rTG = 72462892 exp(-89.32/RT)CTG for soybean oil and -rTG = 391210 exp(-79.05/RT)CTG for palm oil. © 2013 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)