Excellent Textural Properties Research Articles

Effect of non-covalently bound alkaline amino acids on the structural characterization, microstructure, and rheological properties of whey protein emulsion gel

The objective of this study was to explore the impact of L-arginine (Arg) and L-lysine (Lys) on the structural changes and rheological properties of whey protein isolate (WPI) emulsion gels through the utilization of multi-spectroscopic techniques and rheological analysis. The results indicated that the incorporation of Lys/Arg caused WPI molecules to become unfolded, thus exposing hydrophobic amino acids and altering the microenvironment of aromatic amino acids. Microstructural studies revealed that WPI emulsion gels containing 0.5% Lys or 2% Arg resulted in a more uniform and compact network structure. This phenomenon could be attributed to the capability of Lys/Arg to improve the hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding between molecules during gel formation, ultimately leading to a network structure characterized by excellent rheological properties, textural properties, and water-holding capacity. These findings provide a theoretical for the development of emulsion gels with improved structural and rheological properties.

Efficient and stable dehydrogenation of methylcyclohexane over Pt supported on mesoporous alumina with excellent textural properties

Mesoporous alumina (MA) materials with outstanding textural properties have been synthesized by a facile approach, and were evaluated as supports of Pt-based catalyst for methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation. At 300 °C, the resultant catalyst demonstrates a much higher activity with a maximum hydrogen evolution rate of 2081 mmol/gPt/min in comparison with the state-of-the-art alumina supported Pt catalysts. Interestingly, even after a long-time reaction of 100 h or regeneration, more than 80% of original activity was still maintained. The superior catalytic performance of the obtained catalyst is associated with the high specific surface area and large mesoporous size of support MA, thus benefiting the increase in the number of Pt active sites and efficiently inhibiting the formation of coke deposition during the reaction. Our contribution has provided a rational design strategy for highly efficient and stable dehydrogenation catalysts, which is a key for the utilization of methylcyclohexane-toluene system in hydrogen storage technology.

Fabrication of Activated Carbon Derived from Glycerin Pitch for Desulfurization of Model Fuel Oil and Electrode Application.

One of the world's challenging energy issues is introducing practical and affordable technology for organosulfur removal in fuel. Adsorptive desulfurization (ADS) can address this issue if highly effective activated carbon (AC) derived from industrial waste with excellent textural properties is used. In this study, the derived ACs from glycerin pitch loaded with P and Fe (AC/P and AC/Fe) were used as adsorbents for the ADS of model fuel oils, such as dibenzothiophene (DBT) at mild operating conditions. Under the optimized experimental conditions, 0.3 g of adsorbent dosage, 60 min reaction time, 30 °C temperature, and pH 4, the maximal DBT removal of 96.28 and 43.64%, respectively, for AC/P and AC/Fe was realized. The results indicated that the phosphorus-doped AC/P increases the selectivity of the ADS mechanism for DBT removal. Kinetic investigations disclosed that the adsorption process follows second-pseudo-order kinetics and the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The adsorbents remained active for five successive reuses, indicating their robust real-world applications. The electrochemical properties of the fabricated carbon electrodes were analyzed via cyclic voltammetry by coating the ACs with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a binder. The transition-metal-doped AC/Fe, though exhibiting 5 times lower surface area, showed the highest specific capacitance at a scan rate of 5 mVs-1 (0.65 μF cm-2). Similarly, the extended AC:PTFE capacitor at a 10% binder ratio offered the maximum capacitance value (1.13 μF cm-2). The synthesized ACs demonstrated potential application as an electrode material, and hence glycerin pitch could be a low-cost precursor to improve the feasibility of commercial production of AC.

Simultaneous enhancement of CO2 adsorption capacity and kinetics on a novel micro-mesoporous MIL-101(Cr)-based composite: Experimental and DFT study

MIL-101(Cr), a class of metal-organic framework, is a potential candidate for CO2 capture applications because of its high capacity of adsorption and separation capability. However, the intrinsic microporous structure of this nanomaterial poses limitations on its adsorption kinetics. Techniques employed to enhance its adsorption kinetics often adversely impact its adsorption capacity at equilibrium. Herein, as a new approach, we prepared amine-functionalized FAC@MIL-101(Cr) composites with adjustable micro-mesoporous structure and tunable nitrogen content by embedding different ratios of amine-functionalized activated carbon throughout the framework of MIL-101(Cr). This led to a simultaneous improvement in both kinetics and adsorption capacity for CO2. The best adsorbent, FAC-6@MIL-101(Cr), has excellent textural properties with a high surface area (1763.1 m2.g−1), great pore volume (1.29 cm3.g−1), and suitable nitrogen content (4.7 wt%). The adsorption analysis revealed that the modification of MIL-101(Cr) improved its CO2 adsorption capacity from 3.21 to 5.27 mmol/g under standard conditions of 1 bar and 25 °C. Furthermore, the FAC-6@MIL-101(Cr) adsorbent demonstrated fast CO2 adsorption kinetics (three times more relative to the pure MIL-101(Cr)), high CO2/N2 selectivity, and remarkable cyclic stability. The results confirmed that hybridization enhanced the polarizability of FAC@MIL-101(Cr) samples, causing more robust CO2-adsorbent surface interactions. Simultaneously, the existence of mesopores in the structure facilitated the transport of CO2 into the interior pores, resulting in a more efficient contact of CO2 molecules with all of the amine sites and a faster adsorption rate as well as more efficient regeneration. According to density functional theory (DFT) calculations, hybridization process induces significant changes in composites’ electronic structure, enhancing their capacity to interact with CO2 molecules more effectively. On the other hand, DFT calculations confirm that N2 molecule is less activated on the FAC@MIL-101(Cr) as evidenced by calculated small adsorption energy and charge-transfer values.

Advancing cobalt ferrite-supported activated carbon from orange peels for real pulp and paper mill wastewater treatment

The utilization of agriculture waste-based adsorbents in the treatment of real industrial wastewater represents an unexplored frontier with significant potential. In this study, the cobalt ferrite-supported activated carbon derived from orange peels (CF40-AC) was used as a magnetic adsorbent for the treatment of real pulp and paper mill effluent (PPME). Detailed insights into the properties and functionalities of the CoFe2O4-AC adsorbent were obtained through an accurate characterization analysis that included X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), BET and pore size histogram techniques. Both pure activated carbon (AC) and CF40-AC displayed excellent textural properties with surface area (SBET) equal 2014 and 1345 m2.g−1, respectively. TEM and SEM images display that the magnetic ferrites were well dispersed on the surface of AC. Following the characterization process, the CoFe2O4-AC adsorbent was evaluated for its ability to remove several key pollutants from PPME, including chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved solids (TDS) and turbidity. Moreover, various operational parameters, such as pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and stirring rate, were investigated to achieve optimal contaminants removal rates. Remarkably, the CoFe2O4-AC adsorbent demonstrated highly efficient removal rates, with 86.9%, 59,9% and 93.1% for COD, TDS and turbidity, respectively, under optimal conditions (pH 7, adsorbent dose 0.4 gm, contact time 60 min, and stirring rate 150 rpm). The CoFe2O4-AC composite material exhibits promising potential for multiple applications reached 5 cycles without a significant loss in its adsorption or functional properties over successive uses. These results favor the promising potential of CoFe2O4-AC as a sustainable and efficient solution for addressing wastewater treatment challenges in the pulp and paper industry, contributing to both environmental protection and resource conservation.

A flexibility self-powered Band-Aid for diabetes wound healing and skin bioelectronics

Patients with diabetes who have difficulty healing wounds due to high blood sugar, persistent inflammation, oxidative stress, bacterial infections, vascular damage, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy and long-term medication can also place a heavy burden on the patient's body and economy. Traditional dressings and skin bioelectronics have single function, mechanical mismatch, high price and challenging usage, which seriously limit their wide clinical application. Here, we have developed a wearable, low-cost and self-powered Band-Aid with PVA/Ecoflex/MXene/borate/gly(glycerol) hydrogel and Ecoflex. It has excellent electrical output performance, soft texture and stable properties, and can maintain excellent performance under extreme conditions. We apply it to the repair of diabetic wounds and monitor human activity as a motion sensor. In vitro and in vivo data show that self-powered Band-Aid can accurately monitor human movement and accelerate diabetic wound repair by promoting cell proliferation and migration, collagen deposition and angiogenesis. The self-powered Band-Aid that we created demonstrates its tremendous potential not only as a motion sensor, but also as a novel technique of promoting refractory wound healing in medicine.

Hollow-architected Co3O4 for enhancing Oxone activation to eliminate an anesthetic, benzocaine, from water: A structure-property investigation with degradation pathway and eco-toxicity

BackgroundAs the most widely-used oral anesthetic, benzocaine (BZC), is increasingly detected in municipal wastewater and regarded as an emerging contaminant. Thus, it would be highly imperative to develop useful methods to eliminate BZC from water. However, very few studies have been ever reported, and only photocatalysis of BZC was attempted. Therefore, this present study aims to be the first study of developing the sulfate-radical-based chemical oxidation technology (SR-COT) for degrading BZC. MethodsFor establishing a useful SR-COT, the oxidant, Oxone, is then adopted and a facile nanostructured Co3O4 is then developed for maximizing catalytic activities of Oxone activation by creating a hollow fluffy Co3O4 nanostructure using CoMOF as a template, followed by a carving-architected treatment to afford the hollow fluffy Co3O4 (HFCC). Significant findingsIn comparison to the solid (non-hollow) Co3O4 (SCC), HFCC possesses not only the excellent textural properties, but also superior electrochemical properties and highly reactive surfaces, making HFCC exhibit the significantly higher catalytic activity than SCC as well as traditional Co3O4 nanoparticle in activating Oxone to degrade BZC. The density function theory calculation is performed to investigate the degradation pathway, and the corresponding eco-toxicity is also studied to realize the degradation implication of BZC by HFCC-activated Oxone.

Accelerated technology for bread preparation using activated water

In this study we studied the production of bakery products with an accelerated production cycle using different dispersed flour and ion-ozoned water. The dough was prepared by mechanical loosening of compressed air under pressure (1.5-3 atm). The accelerated technology of bread production combined with wholemeal flour increases the independence of the bakery and reduces the production time of the finished product. The air bubbles in the cavitation process create a finer texture and more airy porous products resulting in higher-quality bread with excellent sensory and textural properties. The accelerated method eliminates yeast from the formulation and expands dietary varieties of yeast-free bread and flour confectionery products. This study used new accelerated technology to quickly intensify the colloidal and biochemical processes that occur during dough preparation. The technology made it possible to eliminate the dough fermentation and proofing process, thereby reducing the duration of the production process of bakery products, increasing labour productivity, and increasing the yield of bread. Qualitative, organoleptic, physicochemical and microbiological indicators and safety indicators evaluated the bakery products. The results showed that the quality of fine and ultrafine disperse flours met the recommended standards for baking yeast-free bakery products. According to laser diffraction data, the average particle size of flour obtained by whole grain milling was 194.9 μm (micron) for fine wheat flour, 609.4 μm for fine wheat flour and 830.0 μm for medium wheat flour. The finest flour fractions (less than 75 μm) provide higher gluten quality, resulting in a better balance of elasticity and extensibility in the dough, according to particle size studies of flours used to create bread. Thus, bakers can give their bread the desired texture. The overall quality of the bread is also affected by the flour's protein content, with the 10-11.5% range considered ideal. The addition of sourdough has improved the taste of baked goods. Bread products made from different dispersed flour and ion-ozoned water had good quality, organoleptic, physicochemical and microbiological indicators, and safety indicators. They could be stored for up to 5 days. As a result of using the accelerated method of dough preparation will improve the structural-mechanical, rheological and technological properties of bread, bakery and flour confectionery products.

Application of a hybrid large pore mesoporous silica functionalized with β-cyclodextrin as sorbent in dispersive solid-phase extraction. Toward sustainable sample preparation protocols to determine polyphenolic compounds in Arbutus unedo L. fruits by UHPLC-IT-MS/MS

A quick, sensitive and selective analytical reversed-phase method using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to an ion-trap mass spectrometry detector (UHPLC-IT-MS/MS) was employed for the simultaneous determination of nine phenolic compounds (PCs) in strawberry tree (SBT) berries. The sample treatment included a solid-liquid extraction followed by a dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) procedure using a hybrid large pore mesoporous silica (LP-MS) functionalized with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as sorbent material. For this purpose, the initial synthesized LP-MS was modified with β-CD following three different synthetic routes, obtaining three new functionalized materials (denoted LP-MS-β-CD-R1, LP-MS-β-CD-R2 and LP-MS-β-CD-R3). All synthesized materials were comprehensively characterized, showing excellent textural properties, and they were also tested as sorbent materials in the extraction of PCs by comparison of SPE and dSPE procedures. The LP-MS-β-CD-R2 as sorbent material in the dSPE procedure showed the best potential to extract and purify the target PCs, being more effective than the other materials and compared with the SPE procedure. The performance of the proposed dSPE-UHPLC-IT-MS/MS method was validated in terms of selectivity, linearity, LOD, LOQ, trueness, precision, and matrix effect, achieving good analytical method performance and demonstrating its feasibility and practicality for the quantification of PCs in SBT fruits. The analysis of the investigated SBT berries revealed, mainly, high contents of arbutin reaching concentrations up to 5979 µg/g dry weight, followed by catechin (661 µg/g dry weight). Arbutin was, undoubtedly, the major PC determined in all SBT berry samples analyzed, being the most prominent and showing a high concentration compared to that of other polyphenols determined in other red berries.

Multi-dimensional analysis of heat-induced soybean protein hydrolysate gels subjected to ultrasound-assisted pH pretreatment

This study aimed to evaluate the gelation characteristics of soybean protein hydrolysate (SPH) extracted by enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction. Specifically, the changes in gelation behaviors for heat-induced (95 °C, 20 min) SPH dispersions treated with pH (pH 3, 5, 9; pH 7 as control) and ultrasound (U; 240 W, 30 min) were investigated. The results showed that typical gel behavior with high elastic nature in the viscoelasticity and network structures were observed during the heating process, where the disulfide bond played a dominant role in the gel network formation of all the samples. Notably, the heat-induced aggregation in the SPH gels was mainly formed by the association of the basic B polypeptide in 11S and β subunit in 7S. The most superior SPH gel was formed at pH 7 when assisted by ultrasonication during the heating process. This as-synthesized gel showed a uniform filamentous structure and exhibited the more excellent textural, rheological and thermal properties than those of the samples formed under acidic and alkaline conditions. These results are of great value in revealing the gelation mechanism of SPH.

Cover Feature: Green and Fast Strategies for Energy‐Efficient Preparation of the Covalent Organic Framework TpPa‐1 (Chem. Eur. J. 15/2023)

Nontoxic and energy-efficient COF synthesis: Covalent organic framework TpPa-1 has been successfully obtained in a microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis, replacing the traditional organic-based solvent with water and reducing reaction times from several days to 30 minutes. High-temperature hydrothermal synthesis resulted in higher BET specific surface areas (compared to traditional solvothermal processes), improved material yields, and excellent textural properties. More information can be found in the Research Article by B. Zornoza, C. Téllez, and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/chem.202203907).

Effective Removal of Sulfonamides Using Recyclable MXene-Decorated Bismuth Ferrite Nanocomposites Prepared via Hydrothermal Method.

Developing a simple and efficient method for removing organic micropollutants from aqueous systems is crucial. The present study describes the preparation and application, for the first time, of novel MXene-decorated bismuth ferrite nanocomposites (BiFeO3/MXene) for the removal of six sulfonamides including sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfathiazole (STZ), sulfamerazine (SMZ), sulfamethazine (SMTZ), sulfamethoxazole (SMXZ) and sulfisoxazole (SXZ). The properties of BiFeO3/MXene are enhanced by the presence of BiFeO3 nanoparticles, which provide a large surface area to facilitate the removal of sulfonamides. More importantly, BiFeO3/MXene composites demonstrated remarkable sulfonamide adsorption capabilities compared to pristine MXene, which is due to the synergistic effect between BiFeO3 and MXene. The kinetics and isotherm models of sulfonamide adsorption on BiFeO3/MXene are consistent with a pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir model. BiFeO3/MXene had appreciable reusability after five adsorption-desorption cycles. Furthermore, BiFeO3/MXene is stable and retains its original properties upon desorption. The present work provides an effective method for eliminating sulfonamides from water by exploiting the excellent texture properties of BiFeO3/MXene.

Insights of Montmorillonite Clay Nanocomposites for Adsorption of Toxic Colorant and Metals Ions from Wastewater: A Mini Review

The development of lowcost adsorbents is triggered often by not utilizing the costly starting material that pave the path for synthesizing cost comparative adsorbents for purpose of sequestration of toxic pollutants from water. Clay minerals are alternatives that are low-cost to activated charcoal due to their abundance presence, excellent textural properties, high specific surface area, strong chemical, and mechanical stability Pollution, in recent years has become an increasingly serious problem, leading to health issues in human and deteriorating environmental condition. Various remediation technologies are introduced so far, but adsorption regarded as important industrial technique for separation and purification of effluent media. This review paper showcases the importance of montmorillonite nanocomposites for the remediation of toxic contaminants from water. The preferred method of remediation is adsorption. It also emphasizes the recent development in the field of montmorillonite nanocomposites in sequestering different types of dyes and various heavy metals from water. Hence, this brief review authorises the various montmorillonite adsorbents conceivability towards water treatment.

Highly stable Mo-based bimetallic catalysts for selective deoxygenation of oleic acid to fuel-like hydrocarbons

To develop efficient, economical and environmentally friendly Mo-based bimetallic Al/MCM-41 catalysts for catalytic oleic acid pyrolysis into hydrocarbon-like upgrading biofuel, a series of metal-modified Mo-based catalysts was successfully synthesized. The effects of different metal oxide types (Zr, Zn, Pt, Cu, Co, Ce, Ni) and Ce to Mo mixed ratios were compared and characterized by XRD, BET, NH3-TPD, XPS, SEM and TEM technologies. Simultaneously, the deoxygenation effect and reusability properties were also evaluated by Py-GC/MS and TGA. The results showed that the molybdenum-based bimetallic catalyst exhibited superior deoxygenation activity (Ce>Cu>Zn>Ni>Zr∼Pt>Co) in the decarbonylation and decarboxylation pathways. Higher deoxygenation activity was related to rich surface Ce-□-Mo synergistic oxygen vacancies, suitable metal-Lewis and Brønsted acidity and excellent textural properties. A higher Ce content was beneficial to HC and aromatic formation due to a higher specific surface area and mesoporous volume, and a higher Mo content facilitated olefin and alkane conversion due to a higher Brønsted acid intensity and smaller pore size. The 3Ce-1Mo/Al-MCM-41 exhibited excellent catalytic activity and promising reusability by yielding 97.72% hydrocarbons, 75.33% aromatic content and 57.92% MAHs due to the synergistic effect between Ce and MoOx, rich surface Ce-□-Mo synergistic oxygen vacancies and suitable metal-Lewis and Brønsted acid intensities that contributed to better reaction activity and coke resistance and activated the CO of oleic acid. The slight reduction in HCs was mainly due to the loss of active metal sites and coke deposition. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of Ce and MoOx species obviously advanced the reaction activity and coke resistance.

In Vitro and In Vivo Response of Zinc-Containing Mesoporous Bioactive Glasses in a Sheep Animal Model.

Zinc-enriched mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) are bioceramics with potential antibacterial and osteogenic properties. However, few assays have been performed to study these properties in animal models. In this study, MBGs enriched with up to 5% ZnO were synthesized, physicochemically characterized, and evaluated for their osteogenic activity both in vitro and in vivo. The ZnO MBGs showed excellent textural properties despite ZnO incorporation. However, the release of Zn2+ ions inhibited the mineralization process when immersed in simulated body fluid. In vitro assays showed significantly higher values of viability and expression of early markers of cell differentiation and angiogenesis in a ZnO-content-dependent manner. The next step was to study the osteogenic potential in a sheep bone defect model. Despite their excellent textural properties and cellular response in vitro, the ZnO MBGs were not able to integrate into the bone tissue, which can be explained in terms of inhibition of the mineralization process caused by Zn2+ ions. This work highlights the need to develop nanostructured materials for bone regeneration that can mineralize to interact with bone tissue and induce the processes of implant acceptance, cell colonization by osteogenic cells, and regeneration of lost bone tissue.

Gel properties of acid-induced gels obtained at room temperature and based on common bean proteins and xanthan gum

This work investigates the effect of pH (4.0, 4.5) and the protein-polysaccharide ratio (1:1–5:1) on the intermolecular interactions and gel properties of food hydrogels based on bean protein isolate (BPI) and xanthan gum (XG). Mixed hydrogels induced by acidification with glucone-δ-lactone (GDL) were obtained at room temperature, without the use of crosslinking agents, and using 1% (w/v) of total biopolymer content. The studies on intermolecular forces by a protein solubility assay and FTIR analyses showed that BPI promotes electrostatic associations with XG that depend on pH and ratio. Interestingly, hydrophobic interactions were predominant at ratios 1:1 and 2:1 even when no denaturing heat treatment was employed. In addition, the absence of heating throughout the gelation process caused no changes in the secondary structure of bean proteins as demonstrated by Raman spectroscopy. Concerning gel properties, hydrogels at pH 4.5 showed higher water holding capacity (up to 98.09%) than gels at pH 4.0 (up to 95.65%). Despite this observation, more compact and stronger gel structures were assembled at pH 4.0 as shown by SEM, dynamic oscillatory measurements, and texture profile analysis. Regarding the effect of ratio, the lowest ratios showed the best performance on the evaluated gel properties highlighting that almost all the gels with the 1:1–3:1 ratio exhibited the typical rheological behavior of strong gels. These results indicate that acidification with GDL of BPI:XG systems at ratios 1:1–3:1 at pH 4.0/4.5 and room temperature produce promising mixed hydrogels for functional foods. • Hydrogels were obtained through slow acidification of BPI:XG mixtures. • Mixed hydrogels were obtained at room temperature and without crosslinking agents. • Electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions drove the formation of mixed hydrogels. • Gels at low ratios (1:1–3:1) and both pH 4 and 4.5 showed strong-gel-character. • The food gels obtained exhibited excellent rheological and textural properties.

A combined enzymatic and ionic cross-linking strategy for pea protein/sodium alginate double-network hydrogel with excellent mechanical properties and freeze-thaw stability

While pea protein (PeaP) is considered to be the plant protein with the most potential for use in plant-based meat products, it is limited by poor gel performance. To overcome this issue, a one-pot method was adopted to prepare a double-network (DN) hydrogel based on a transglutaminase-induced cross-linked network of PeaP and a physically cross-linked network of sodium alginate (SA). As SA concentration increased, the layered structure inside the hydrogel first converted into a porous honeycomb-like structure before forming a dense 3D network structure. Mechanical testing results suggested that the Young's Modulus of hydrogel increased from 2.1 MPa to 8.6 MPa at 80% strain as SA increased from 0% to 0.25%. This dense DN structure endowed the hydrogel with great fatigue resistance as well as excellent textural properties. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance suggested that the DN hydrogel had a higher binding water content than PeaP single-network hydrogel, and showed good freeze-thaw stability. It is believed that this present work can give some insight into existing PeaP gel systems and inspire the development of more PeaP-based DN hydrogel with desired mechanical strength and freeze-thaw stability. • Double-network hydrogel based on pea protein and sodium alginate was produced. • The Young's Modulus of pea protein-based hydrogel increased from 2.1 to 8.6 MPa. • Hydrogel exhibited great fatigue resistance and self-recovery properties. • Hydrogel showed excellent freeze-thaw stability. • Hydrogel had good mechanical and textural properties after heating treatment.

Development of high-performance nickel-based catalysts for production of hydrogen and carbon nanotubes from biogas

Selecting a suitable catalyst for implementing the simultaneous production of hydrogen-rich syngas and multi-walled carbon nanotubes through the integration of dry reforming and methane decomposition reactions has recently gained great interests. In this study, a series of bimetallic (NiMo/MgO) and trimetallic (CoNiMo/MgO, FeNiMo/MgO, CoFeMo/MgO) catalysts was prepared and evaluated for a catalytic activity of CH4 and CO2 conversions of biogas in a fixed bed reactor at 800 °C and atmospheric pressure. Among the investigated catalysts, the bimetallic NiMo/MgO catalyst showed the outstanding catalytic performance with 86.4% CH4 conversion and 95.6% CO2 conversion as well as producing the highest syngas purity of 90.0% with H2/CO ratio = 1.1. Moreover, the characterization of the synthesized solid products proved that the well-aligned structured morphology, high purity, and excellent textural properties of CNTs were obtained by using NiMo/MgO catalyst. On the other hand, using trimetallic catalysts which have the composition of Co and Fe leads to the severe deactivation. This could be attributed the catalyst oxidation with CO2 in biogas, resulting in the transformation of metals into large metal oxides. The integrative process with NiMo/MgO catalyst is regarded as a promising pathway, which has a high potential for directly converting biogas into the high value-added products and providing a green approach for managing the enormous amounts of wastes.

Oxyfunctionalization of Benzylic C-H Bonds of Toluene Mediated by Covalently Anchored Co-Schiff Bases.

Oxyfunctionalization of toluene to value-added benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol and benzoic acid is of great significance. In this work, Co-Schiff bases were immobilized on commercial silica gel by covalent anchoring, and resulting catalysts were used to catalyze the oxidation of toluene in the presence of the cocatalyst N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI). The catalysts exhibited excellent textural and structural properties, reliable bonding and a predomination of the cobaltous ions. The catalyst synthesized by diethylamino salicylaldehyde (EASA) possessed a grafting density of 0.14 mmol/g and exhibited a toluene conversion of 37.5%, with predominant selectivities to benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol and benzoic acid under solvent-free conditions. It is concluded that the effect of ligands on their catalytic performance might be related to their electron-donating or -withdrawing properties.

Low-temperature NH3-SCR of NO over robust RuNi/Al-SBA-15 catalysts: Effect of Ru loading

Selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxide using ammonia in the presence of excess oxygen remains a major challenge. In the present work, we developed mesoporous Al-SBA-15 supported NiRu catalysts with a high surface area and ordered mesoporous structure. The monometallic Ni catalyst were prepared by the modified beta-cyclodextrin impregnation method by maintaining 1/50 mol of β-CD/Ni and bimetallic NiRu catalyst was prepared by maintaining constant loading of 8 wt% Ni with different wt%. loading of xwt% Ru (x = 2, 4, 6 and 8). The developed catalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 sorption, FT-IR, Py-IR, UV-DRS, HRSEM, HRTEM and XPS. The NH3-SCR efficiency of both monometallic (Ni) and bimetallic (NiRu) catalysts are discussed. Additionally, monometallic 8 wt% Ni and Ru supported catalysts have been also synthesized by the conventional impregnation method for purposes of comparison. The remarkable low-temperature NH3-SCR conversion (90.2% NO conversion at 300 °C) of 8Ru8Ni/Al-SBA-15 catalyst under excess oxygen condition (7%) and superior % promotion (87%) of ruthenium addition was demonstrated with excellent textural properties, stability and corroborated with the physicochemical properties of the catalyst.