Optimization Of Reaction Parameters Research Articles

Catalytic hydrocracking of pyrolytic lignin in supercritical methanol over nickel‑ruthenium/ceria-deposited HZSM-5

In this study, we explored the catalytic hydrocracking of pyrolytic lignin (PL) under supercritical methanol conditions. This approach aimed to minimize coke formation and prevent solidification of bio-oil, thus improving its manageability and upgrade potential in subsequent steps. Hydrocracking of PL at 250°C for 2 h with HZSM-5, Ni/HZSM-5, and Ni-Ru/HZSM-5 catalysts revealed a dominance of repolymerization over hydrocracking. Consequently, the methanol-soluble oil portion decreased to <37.8 wt%, accompanied by an increase in product molecular weight. However, by co-depositing Ni and Ru on ceria-impregnated HZSM-5 catalysts, the yield of methanol-soluble oil increased to 48.5–56.1 wt%, while the molecular weight decreased. By optimizing reaction parameters using Ni-Ru/Ce-HZSM-5 (NRC4H) at 300°C for 1 h, a methanol-soluble yield of 52.5 wt% was achieved, along with a substantial reduction in molecular weight. The interaction of Ni, Ru, and Ce elements on the catalyst's acidic surface led to smaller Ni and Ru particles and improved reducibility, resulting in a suitable acid-base balance that effectively suppressed repolymerization and enhanced hydrocracking. Furthermore, the detection of methane in the gas product served as an indicator of the hydrogenation reaction of double bonds during the hydrocracking process.

Multicore-shell MnO2@Ppy@N-doped porous carbon nanofiber ternary composites as electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors

In this study, a multicore-shell ternary composite electrode material (MnO2@Ppy@NPCNFs) with excellent electrochemical performances was prepared by using surface modification, in which core–shell Ppy@N-doped porous carbon nanofibers (Ppy@NPCNFs) with large specific surface area and high conductivity were used as the substrate (a multicore layer), and MnO2 was loaded on the substrate by hydrothermal synthesis to form a shell layer, further improving the SC of electrode material. The parameters of hydrothermal growth of MnO2 on Ppy@NPCNFs were explored by means of the control variable method and response surface methodology, and the optimal parameters were predicted and verified. Electrochemical test results showed that the SC of MnO2@Ppy@NPCNFs prepared under the optimal reaction parameters was as high as 595.77 F g−1, and its capacitance retention was 96.2 % after 1000 cycles. Moreover, a symmetric supercapacitor prepared with the optimal multicore-shell electrode showed an energy density of 9.36 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1000 W kg−1 and a retention rate of 92.46 % after 1000 cycles, indicating the promising application of multicore-shell ternary composite electrode material in high-performance supercapacitors.

Optimized isolation and characterization of cellulose for extraction of cellulose nanocrystals from Ensete ventricosum pseudo-stem fibre using a two-stage extraction method

Alkali treatment followed by alkalinized hydrogen peroxide delignification yielded 73.90% cellulose from Ensete ventricosum pseudo stem fibre, with parameters optimized using response surface methodology. The optimal reaction parameters were 157 min, 73 °C, and 3.8% NaOH concentration. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine the thermal properties, crystal structure, chemical structure, and morphological structure of isolated cellulose (SEM). Based on the findings, cellulose has a rod-like shape. The XRD results revealed that the crystallinity index of cellulose increased from 65 to 75% when compared with raw E. ventricosum pseudo stem fibre (Ensete fibre). The resultant cellulose demonstrated relatively higher thermal stability than the unprocessed ensete fibre, according to the thermogravimetric examination. When compared to raw ensete fibre, FTIR analysis revealed that cellulose had a modified chemical functional structure, which suggested that alkali and alkalized hydrogen peroxide treatments had altered the chemical structure of cellulose. As a result of the isolated cellulose’s high yield, high crystallinity index, good thermal stability, and morphological structure, cellulose nanocrystals can be extracted.

Studies on role of support metal in glycerol conversion to glycerol carbonate through Mg/MnO2 and Mg/CuO heterogeneous catalyst

Glycerol carbonate (GlyC) is desirable compound among numerous value-added products produced from surplus waste glycerol coming from biodiesel industry. Because of its excellent characteristics properties, applications and high cost, it can contribute to economize the biodiesel production cost. In this work, the research on the impact of support on the catalytic activity towards the synthesis of GlyC have been developed. For this purpose, co-precipitation was used to create Mg and transition metals like Cu and Mn based catalysts, which were then used in the transesterification of glycerol (Gly). Comparative research on the catalytic abilities of MgMn2O4 (MMO) and MgCu4O5 (CMO) were conducted. Among CMO and MMO catalysts, MMO achieved the maximum glycerol conversion of 97%, with 94% GlyC yield, while CMO only offered 83% glycerol conversion with 71% GlyC yield. The 4:1 DMC to Gly molar ratio, 90°C reaction temperature, 75 min reaction time, and 5% catalyst loading were the optimal reaction parameters that were most effective for the synthesis of GlyC utilizing MMO catalyst. MMO was more effective than CMO at synthesizing GlyC because it has a strong basic site. With stability through the sixth cycle, the catalyst has a great potential. An industrial application of the catalyst for large scale is possible. The impact of support transition metal on catalytic activity is established by this study.

Development of a multiplex qRT-PCR assay for detection of classical swine fever virus, African swine fever virus, and Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV), African swine fever virus (ASFV), and Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (E. rhusiopathiae) remain endemic in many parts of China. Co-infections make distinguishing their clinical symptoms and pathological changes difficult. This study developed a multiplex real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (multiplex qRT-PCR) that can simultaneously detect CSFV, ASFV, and E. rhusiopathiae. Three sets of primers and probes were designed to target the CSFV 5΄ untranslated region, ASFV p72 gene, and E. rhusiopathiae 16sRNA gene. Multiplex qRT-PCR for simultaneous differential detection of these three pathogens was developed after optimizing reaction parameters such as annealing temperature, primer and probe concentrations, amplification cycles, etc. The multiplex qRT-PCR could detect CSFV, ASFV, and E. rhusiopathiae simultaneously but could not amplify other porcine pathogens. The assay's limit of detection (LOD) was 2.89 × 102 copies/μL for CSFV, ASFV, and E. rhusiopathiae. All correlation coefficients (R2) at higher than 0.99, and the amplification efficiency was 98, 90, and 84%, respectively. All correlation coefficients (R2) were higher than 0.99, and the efficacy of amplification was 84%. In a repeatability test utilizing standard recombinant plasmids, the intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation (CVs) were less than 2.27 and 3.79 percent, respectively. Lastly, 150 clinical samples were used to evaluate the assay's applicability in the field. The positive rates of CSFV, ASFV, and E. rhusiopathiae were 1.33%, 0, and 3.33%, respectively. And no co-infection among the three pathogens was found. The concordance rate between the multiplex qRT-PCR and single-plex commercial PCR kits reached 100%. This study's multiplex qRT-PCR could provide a rapid, sensitive, and specific method for the simultaneous and differential detection of CSFV, ASFV, and E. rhusiopathiae.

Polyethylene glycol-modified mesoporous zerovalent iron nanoparticle as potential catalyst for improved reductive degradation of Congo red from wastewater

In this study, bare zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) have been modified using polyethylene glycol (PEG) of various molecular weight in a facile technique. The synthesized nZVI modified with PEG, M.W. of 600 and 6000 was denoted by nZVI-PEG600 and nZVI-PEG6000, respectively, and compared their catalytic activity towards the reductive degradation of Congo red (CR) using NaBH4.The existence of PEG layer surrounds the nZVI core was confirmed by several characterization tools, such as XRD, FTIR, FESEM and TEM. Herein, both nZVI-PEG600 and nZVI-PEG6000 exhibited remarkable removal efficiencies of 89.6% and 99.2% within 14 min of reaction time. The optimum reaction parameters were found to be as follows: 0.2 g L−1 catalyst dose and initial dye concentration of 2 × 10−5 molL−1 etc. Kinetic studies of dye degradation were investigated which follow pseudo-1st-order kinetics. The TOC analysis confirmed the complete mineralization of CR dye by nZVI-PEG6000 nanocatalyst. GCMS analysis of plausible degraded products was performed to elucidate a probable mechanistic pathway of CR degradation. Further, we have investigated the degradation of two anionic dyes mixture, i.e., CR and methyl orange (MO) using best catalyst, i.e., nZVI-PEG6000.

A novel oxygen-deficient core–shell ZA@ZnO1-X nanocomposite for enhanced degradation of multiple polyaromatic hydrocarbons

Persistent organic pollutants such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the emerging micropollutants present in several industrial effluents. Being trace refractory organics, its treatment by conventional method is very challenging. Thus, we report a novel core–shell zeolite A@oxygen-deficient ZnO (ZA@ZnO1-X) nanocomposite for degradation of PAHs mixture containing fluorene, phenanthrene, and anthracene. The hierarchical structure helps to reduce the recombination of photogenerated electron and holes pair, thereby availing more active species for photodegradation. The enhanced photodegradation efficacy is due to the synergistic effect of oxygen-defect sites in ZA@ZnO1-X and photoactive species. Core-shell ZA@ZnO1-X shows improved catalytic properties with a band gap value of 2.65 eV lower than the sole ZnO nanosheet (3.03 eV). The porous shell of the ZnO1-X structure provides an enhanced adsorption site and fully utilizes photon energy (visible light) with no aggregation because of ZA support. The maximum photocatalytic degradation is achieved by optimizing reaction parameters of 96%, 95.1%, and 93% of fluorene (0.02436 min−1), phenanthrene (0.02421 min−1), and anthracene (0.02102 min−1), respectively in 2 h at neutral pH and catalyst load 1 g/l. The primary active species responsible for PAHs degradation is h+, followed by HO•, O2•- radicals analyzed by quenching experiment. The degradation intermediates, and degraded products analysis by GC–MS gives a plausible general reaction pathway of PAHs and reveals primary intermediate is a phthalate derivative. Finally, the regeneration of active catalytic sites in the ZA@ZnO1-X photocatalyst shows its stability and reusability over five consecutive cycles.

Effective production of formic and acetic acid via CO2 hydrogenation with hydrazine by using ZrO2 catalysts

Amorphous ZrO2 and Mn addition to ZrO2 catalysts were studied for CO2 hydrogenation to formic acid and acetic acid via an indirect hydrogen source, i.e., hydrazine monohydrate. The amorphous ZrO2 was synthesized by the precipitation method and the Mn addition was carried out by two different methods, namely, the physical mixing method (Mn+ZrO2) and the co-precipitation method (Mn-ZrO2). The XRD and XPS results show that the enhanced metal-support interaction in the co-precipitation method leads to the stabilization of Mn in its higher oxidation state. The physical mixing method leads to the stabilization of Mn in its lower oxidation state and/or metallic form, which improves hydrogen production from hydrazine and thus CO2 hydrogenation. Optimization of reaction parameters was investigated with changes in reaction conditions such as reaction time, CO2 pressure and catalyst weight.

A novel biomass derived activated carbon mediated AC@ZnO/NiO bifunctional nanocatalyst to produce high-quality biodiesel from dairy industry waste oil: CI engine performance and emission

In the current study, biomass-derived activated carbon (AC) with zinc oxide/nickel oxide (AC@ZnO/NiO) bifunctional nanocatalyst with enhanced surface area is utilized for the generation of biodiesel from dairy waste scum oil (DWSO). The synthesized AC and AC@ZnO/NiO catalysts are characterized through XRD, BET, CO2-TPD, NH3-TPD, FTIR, FESEM with EDX, and TEM. Besides, the response surface methodology (RSM) of computational modelling with the central composite design (CCD) algorithm is used to optimize the reaction conditions of ultrasonication-assisted biodiesel production. A maximum 97.81% yield of dairy waste scum oil methyl ester (DWSOME)/biodiesel was attained at optimum reaction parameters of a methanol to oil molar ratio of 11.24:1, an AC@ZnO/NiO loading of 2.41 wt%, an ultrasonic time of 36.62 min, and an ultrasonic power of 240.45 W. The AC@ZnO/NiO nanocatalyst demonstrated noble catalytic strength up to seven cycles with a minor decrement in biodiesel yield. The kinetic study for the conversion of DWSO to DWSOME fits well with a pseudo-first-order reaction. The activation energy (Ea) of 50.88 kJ/mol and frequency factor (A) of 33.1105were found from a kinetic study. Moreover, the thermodynamic analysis shows that the enthalpy and entropy of the activation process are found to be 48.14 kJ/mol and −0.129 kJ/mol.K, respectively. In addition, HNMR and FTIR analyses were conducted for DWSOME. The fuel properties of DWSOME were found in the range of ASTM 6751 standards. Furthermore, the influence of adding DWSOME to diesel at various engine loads on engine performance and emissions of a CI diesel engine indicated acceptable results of diesel engine performance. Finally, the economic feasibility study also conducted in the present study.

Trimetallic Oxide Foam as an Efficient Catalyst for Fixation of CO2 into Oxazolidinone: An Experimental and Theoretical Approach

The excess anthropogenic CO2 depletion via the catalytic approach to produce valuable chemicals is an industrially challenging, demanding, and encouraging strategy for CO2 fixation. Herein, we demonstrate a selective one-pot strategy for CO2 fixation into "oxazolidinone" by employing stable porous trimetallic oxide foam (PTOF) as a new catalyst. The PTOF catalyst was synthesized by a solution combustion method using transition metals Cu, Co, and Ni and systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), N2 sorption, temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Due to the distinctive synthesis method and unique combination of metal oxides and their percentage, the PTOF catalyst displayed highly interconnected porous channels along with uniformly distributed active sites on its surface. Well ahead, the PTOF catalyst was screened for the fixation of CO2 into oxazolidinone. The screened and optimized reaction parameters revealed that the PTOF catalyst showed highly efficient and selective activity with 100% conversion of aniline along with 96% selectivity and yield toward the oxazolidinone product at mild and solvent-free reaction conditions. The superiority of the catalytic performance could be due to the presence of surface active sites and acid-base cooperative synergistic properties of the mixed metal oxides. A doubly synergistic plausible reaction mechanism was proposed for the oxazolidinone synthesis experimentally with the support of DFT calculations along with bond lengths, bond angles, and binding energies. In addition, stepwise intermediate formations with the free energy profile were also proposed. Also, the PTOF catalyst displayed good tolerance toward substituted aromatic amines and terminal epoxides for the fixation of CO2 into oxazolidinones. Very interestingly, the PTOF catalyst could be significantly reused for up to 15 consecutive cycles with stable activity and retention in physicochemical properties.

Structural modification of nano titania by doping with Barium and Copper – Impact on photocatalysis: Applications in degradation of dye and pathogens

Ba/Cu co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles with visible light activity were fabricated by the sol-gel method with different weight percentages for the decontamination of toxic organic azo dye pollutants. The characterizations of fabricated samples were evaluated by using UV–Vis Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction Spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and X-ray Fluorescence techniques. The results of co-doping revealed a lower band gap of 2.59 ​eV (UV–Vis DRS), a high surface area of 138 ​m2/g (BET), and anatase phase formation (XRD), which are the major contributing factors for efficient photocatalytic activity. SEM-EDX and TEM analyses showed the rough morphology, uniform distribution of dopants with spherical shape. XPES and XRF confirmed the incorporation of Ba and Cu into TiO2 lattice. Owing to the results of Ba/Cu co-doped samples, BCT3 (Ba-0.25% and Cu-0.75%) has shown the best photocatalytic activity by degrading carcinogenic food/textile dye Amaranth, within 50 ​min with optimum reaction parameters of pH ​= ​3, catalyst dosage of 0.1 ​g/L, and dye concentration of 10 ​mg/L under visible light irradiation. BCT3 showed efficient antibacterial activity when tested for Bacillus subtilis (gram ​+ ​ve) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (gram -ve).

Determination of Flowing Electrolyte Parameters in a Zinc-Air Fuel Cell by the Taguchi Method

The flowing electrolyte in a zinc-air fuel cell (ZAFC) can reduce the problem of incomplete reaction caused by the concentration gradient of the electrolyte. In this study, we propose a self-developed ZAFC with a flowing electrolyte system and optimize control parameters. The anode of the ZAFC used Zn particles through which the electrolyte penetrates and combined with a negative pressure pump to allow the potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte to have an effective chemical reaction with the Zn particles during the discharge process. However, the flow rate of the electrolyte is required to match other control parameters, such as operating temperature, KOH concentration, and cell size, to effectively improve the efficiency of ZAFC. Therefore, the Taguchi method is adopted to obtain the optimal reaction parameters and the key factors affecting the discharge efficiency of the cell. The best operation condition is the temperature at 50°C, the KOH concentration of 30% wt, and the electrolyte flow rate of 150ml/min; then, the maximum power obtained from the experimental results is 13.8 W, the maximum current density reaches 699.721 mA/cm2, and the maximum power density is 395.037 mW/cm2. This paper provides valuable insights for the upgrade of ZAFC for future practical applications.

Efficient synthesis of 3D/2D CeO2/MoS2 nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic activity to degrade organic dye in wastewater and statistical optimization of reaction parameters

Nanocomposites synthesized by alternative approaches like biosynthetic methods are safer than those prepared by traditional chemical techniques. Further, this approach is both economically and environmentally feasible. In this study, we report an eco-friendly methodology for preparing cerium dioxide/molybdenum disulfide (CeO2/MoS2) nanocomposites. Moringa oleifera peel was used as the reducing/stabilizing agent for synthesizing CeO2 nanoparticles. The prepared nanocomposite was characterized using FT-IR analysis, SEM and EDAX analysis, TEM and SAED pattern analysis, X-Ray Diffraction Pattern, Zeta Potential, UV-Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectra, X-Ray Photon Spectroscopy, and Photoluminescence spectra. Particle size and morphology were characterized by TEM and SEM. The photocatalytic pursuit of CeO2/MoS2 was explored by the degradation of methyl violet (MV) under visible light irradiation. Our methodology proved to be 96.25% effective in the degradation of MV. Further, we used this Response Surface Methodology for enhancing the process factors like volume of photocatalyst, time for degradation, and concentration of MV.

Study on the Optimal Reaction Parameters of C4 Olefin Prepared by Ethanol Catalyzed Reaction Based on XGBoost Regression Prediction Algorithm

The production of C4 olefin by ethanol coupling catalytic reaction has a broad development prospect in the field of renewable energy. In this paper, the influencing factors of C4 olefin preparation process were studied, the influence of temperature and catalyst type on the reaction was analyzed, and the multivariate nonlinear regression fitting model was established under the assumption of ignoring the small probability of experimental error. Then, based on the grey correlation analysis model, the correlation degree between each variable and ethanol conversion rate and C4 olefin selection rate was studied.Then, using the catalyst parameter variables considered above, the relationship equations between four catalyst parameter variables, temperature and C4 olefin yield were calculated, and the overall constructor model of C4 olefin yield under the joint action of five variables was established by using the constructor method. Finally, using MPai data science platform software based on XGBoost regression prediction algorithm, the established constructor was cross-validated by 50% fold, and the optimal solution of reaction parameters was finally obtained.Finally, five experiments were selected to improve the experimental control group data and verify the accuracy of the theoretical value of the optimal solution. By changing the catalyst parameters and temperature, a relative control group was added to the experimental group, and the conclusion of the theoretical parameter optimal solution under unrestricted and temperature restrictions was experimentally verified.

Evaluation on direct aqueous carbonation of industrial/mining solid wastes for CO2 mineralization

Carbonation of industrial alkaline resources can achieve dual effects of CO2 sequestration and solid waste management, and the carbonated product may act as a potential cementitious backfill material. Based on this idea, CO2 mineralization characteristics and potential of typical industrial solid wastes, mine tailings and their mixtures are investigated by direct aqueous carbonation, and effects of reaction parameters, including particle size, reaction temperature, solid-to-liquid ratio, CO2 concentration, are systematically explored. Results show that industrial solid wastes with a high Ca content such as carbide slag have better carbonation activity with the maximum CO2 sequestration capacity of 544.6 g-CO2/kg, while the carbonation of mine tailings is very weak. The combination of coal fly ash with tailings has a potential stimulative effect during carbonation. Moreover, influences of carbonation parameters are revealed in this study, and optimal reaction parameters are determined to be particle size below 75 μm, temperature of 60 °C, solid-to-liquid ratio of 100 g/L, and CO2 concentration of 15% within mild range. These results can provide fundamental knowledge for the integrated CO2 mineralization and goaf backfilling, and accelerate carbon reduction and waste resource utilization.

Butyl-esters synthesis from palm fatty acid distillate catalyzed by immobilized lipases in solvent-free system – Optimization using a simplified method (SER)

Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is a residual fatty acids rich-stream obtained in the palm oil refining process. Its potential as raw material for butyl esters syntheses using immobilized lipases (Novozym 435® and Lipozyme RM IM®) in solvent-free system have been explored. A simplified tool for optimizing reaction parameters (Substrate-Enzyme Relation, SER) conciliates the masses of reagents and biocatalysts to obtain valuable insights into the shift of chemical equilibrium and the probability of deleterious effects on immobilized lipases. This mathematical relation had been studied when a single acid and alcohol are involved, but here SER is adopted when a mixture of similar chain-length acids is present in the reaction media. Experimental assays have revealed a range of reaction conditions of molar ratio and biocatalyst loadings equivalent to SER − 42 to − 12, that achieved maximum conversions higher than 90 % using biocatalysts loading lower than 2.0 % (wt/wt of PFAD mass) and less than 10 % of n-butanol stoichiometric excess. Similar SER trends were observed when comparing single reactants conversions results and a mixture of acids (C16–C18) and one alcohol involved, indicating the applicability of SER as optimization tool for enzymatic esterifications using a complex matrix.

Surface Nanoarchitectonics of Boron Nitride Nanosheets for Highly Efficient and Sustainable ipso-Hydroxylation of Arylboronic Acids.

One of the important industrial processes commonly employed in the pharmaceutical, explosive, and plastic manufacturing industries is ipso-hydroxylation of arylboronic acids. In this work, a straightforward, metal-free methodology for the synthesis of phenols from arylboronic acids has been demonstrated using hydroxyl functionalized boron nitride (BN-OH) nanosheets. The functionalized hydroxyl groups on the BN nanosheets act as the active sites for the hydroxylation reaction to take place. The detailed optimization of reaction parameters was done in order to attain high catalytic efficiency, and the reactions were conducted in water, which eliminates the use of toxic solvents. The as-synthesized catalysts exhibited excellent recyclability and reusability in addition to high product yields and good turnover numbers. The green metrics parameters were also evaluated for the model reaction to examine the sustainable nature of the developed protocol. The use of BN-OH catalysts for the ipso-hydroxylation reactions under base-free and metal-free conditions using environmentally benign solvents is utmost desired for industrial processes and can pave a way toward sustainable organic catalysis.

Catalytic deoxygenation with SO42--Fe2O3/Al2O3 catalyst: Optimization by Taguchi method

This work investigates the optimization of reaction parameters with the Taguchi method for catalytic deoxygenation of waste cooking oil (WCO) as an alternative renewable fuel process. Commercial sulphated-ferric (II) oxide/alumina oxide catalyst has the potential as a deoxygenation catalyst due to its good physicochemical properties which enhance the removal of oxygenated species. The obtained pyrolysis oil analysed by GC-MS revealed the selectivity of the pyrolysis oil mostly in the range of light diesel and kerosene fraction. From an analysis of variance (ANOVA), temperature awarded the most significant impact (86.62%) in this catalytic deoxygenation as compared to three other parameters followed by reaction time > N2 flow > catalyst loading. From the GC-MS analysis, the maximum renewable diesel fraction of 49.66% was obtained at 400 °C, 1 wt% of catalyst, 90 min of reaction time and 20 cm3/min N2 flow. The predicted model by Taguchi in the present study validated by the experimental work shows a promising application in optimising the catalytic pyrolysis process for future use.

Methanol Steam Reforming over La1-xSrxCeO3-δ Catalysts for Hydrogen Production: Optimization of Operating Parameters

In this study, a series of A-site strontium-doped La1-xSrxCeO3-δ (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) perovskite catalysts were synthesized via the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) sol-gel method for hydrogen production by methanol steam reforming. The fresh and the reduced catalysts are characterized by scanning X-ray (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Results showed that La0.6Sr0.4CeO3-δ exhibited the best performance among the La1-xSrxCeO3-δ catalysts. The operating parameters were optimized to study the catalytic performance of La0.6Sr0.4CeO3-δ, including catalytic temperature, water–methanol ratio (W/M) and liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV). However, the excessive strontium content led to a decrease in hydrogen production amount per unit time, and the high W/M promoted the reverse water–gas shift reaction (RWGS), which resulted in a decrease in CO selectivity and an increase in CO2 selectivity. In addition, the optimal reaction parameters are as follows: reforming temperature of 700 °C; W/M of 3:1; LHSV of 20 h−1. Furthermore, the methanol conversion rate of La0.6Sr0.4CeO3-δ can reach approximately 82%, the hydrogen production can reach approximately 3.26 × 10−3 mol/g(cat)/min under the optimum reaction conditions. Furthermore, La0.6Sr0.4CeO3-δ exhibits high hydrogen selectivity (85%), which is a promising catalyst for MSR application.

Zn(OAc)2•2H2O-catalyzed one-pot synthesis of divergently substituted Imidazoles

Wide range of 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles were synthesized using eco-friendly, readily available, inexpensive Zn(OAc)2•2H2O (5 mol%) under solvent-free conditions in moderate to excellent yields by condensation from aldehyde, ammonium acetate and benzil at 70 0C. The optimized reaction parameters were successfully applied for the synthesis of divergent 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstitued imidazoles using aromatic amine as fourth component. All the imidazole derivatives were sufficiently characterized by IR, NMR and Mass spectral analyses.