Petroleum Research Fund Research Articles

Celebrating 80 years of the Petroleum Research Fund

Celebrating 80 years of the Petroleum Research Fund

ACS Petroleum Research Fund helped shape career of 2023 Nobel laureate

ACS Petroleum Research Fund helped shape career of 2023 Nobel laureate

Petroleum Research Fund grants open for applications

Petroleum Research Fund grants open for applications

Petroleum Research Fund grants open for applications

Petroleum Research Fund grants open for applications

Petroleum Research Fund grants available

The American Chemical Society will accept proposals for Petroleum Research Fund grants to support fundamental research in the petroleum field from Sept. 20 at noon (EDT) to Oct. 15 at 5:00 p.m. Proposals must be directed to fundamental petroleum research, including fundamental research related to petroleum-derived materials, in one of ten specified subject matter areas. Grant programs are available for new professors beginning their first tenure-track position and for established tenured or tenure-track professors pursuing a new research direction. Separate grant programs are available for qualified professors in nondoctoral departments. The eligibility period for Undergraduate New Investigator Grants in nondoctoral institutions is 5 years from the beginning date of first tenure-track appointment. PRF has moved to a new data system that will allow applicants to enter the proposal information directly to the web-based portal. Additional information may be found at acsprf.org .

Actions from the June ACS Board of Directors meeting

The American Chemical Society Board of Directors met virtually June 4–5 and took several actions. The following are highlights: On the recommendation of the Women Chemists Committee, the board approved the submission of several scientists’ names to a US Mint program that celebrates the accomplishments of prominent American women with special quarter-dollar coins. The board approved funding to cosponsor the 10th Malta Conference happening Dec. 5–10; authorized the list of Petroleum Research Fund grant recommendations submitted by the PRF Advisory Board; and approved several amendments to ACS regulations presented by the ACS Office of the Secretary and General Counsel. These amendments ensure that ACS regulations conform with the recently approved Petition to Harmonize Committee Structures, which simplified and standardized numerous aspects of the various committees reporting in whole or in part to the counsel. The board also agreed that a $2 million distribution should be used to benefit membership and

The Sedimentary Geochemistry and Paleoenvironments Project.

The Sedimentary Geochemistry and Paleoenvironments Project.

ACS PRF celebrates 65 years

Say the words “Petroleum Research Fund,” and many faculty will vividly recall how receiving seed money from the American Chemical Society played an instrumental role in launching their careers. In ...

ACS Petroleum Research Fund: 65 years of sowing seeds

The Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) is the largest research-granting vehicle administered by the American Chemical Society. For the past 65 years, the PRF grant system has been helping academic resea...

Wheat Germ Acid Phosphatase Activity in High Percentages of Organic Solvents

While enzymes canonically operate in aqueous environments, several have been shown to also function in non‐aqueous solvents and/or solvent mixes. Phosphatases, for example, have been previously shown to hydrolyze phosphates in mixtures containing modest amounts of certain organic solvents. Here, detecting the fluorescent dephosphorylation product naphthol AS‐MX with fluorescence spectroscopy (ex: 388 nm, em: 512 nm) has shown commercial wheat germ acid phosphatase to be active in high amounts (up to ~70% by volume) of 1,4‐dioxane, 1,2‐ dimethoxyethane, 2‐methoxyethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, and acetonitrile when the aqueous component was comprised of Tris buffer (pH 7). These solvent mixtures were also physically characterized to better understand differences in both relative naphthol AS‐MX fluorescence and wheat germ acid phosphatase activity across the different solvent mixtures investigated. These results suggest that phosphatase activity can be detected with less water that previously published.Support or Funding InformationAcknowledgment is made to the Donors of the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund and to the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program for partial support of this research.

ACS Strategic Plan highlights recent successes

In 2019, 5.2 million articles were downloaded via ACS Mobile, more than 4,200 people participated in the Career Pathways program, $17.6 million in grants was distributed through the Petroleum Research Fund, and more than 15,000 members participated in the Act4Chemistry legislative action network. These are just a few of the 2019 accomplishments highlighted in the American Chemical Society Strategic Plan. “Our members are working every day to address scientific challenges that affect our world by getting involved, giving back, volunteering, and collaborating,” says Martha Lester, vice president of strategy development at ACS. ACS’s strategic goals include the following: 1. Provide chemistry-related information solutions to address global challenges. 2. Provide members with access to opportunities and resources that empower them to thrive in the global economy. 3. Foster the development of innovative, relevant, and effective chemistry and chemistry-related education. 4. Communicate chemistry’s value to the public and policy makers. To learn

Joseph E. Rogers Jr.

Joseph E. Rogers Jr., 80, died on Jan. 11 in Parkville, Maryland. “Joe taught organic chemistry at Carleton College and Earlham College. In the early 1970s, he broadened his academic interests to include the environment. He moved into administration with the Great Lakes Colleges Association. Joe then worked at ACS for 22 years, primarily as program administrator for the Petroleum Research Fund. He encouraged the creation of grants for students and faculty from liberal arts colleges to do summer work at major universities. His interest in energy and the environment grew with PRF.”—Trudy Rogers, wife Most recent title: Program administrator, ACS Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) Education: BA, chemistry, Haverford College, 1960; PhD, organic chemistry, Cornell University, 1967 Survivors: Wife, Trudy; daughters, Elizabeth and Katherine

Fluorogenic Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization as a Strategy for Biomolecular Detection

The sensitive detection of analytes is valuable in various chemical and biomedical contexts. This sensitivity can be conferred by signal amplification, where the readout magnifies the signal of an otherwise low level of analyte. The Cooley Lab's approach to signal amplification involves using fluorogenic radical polymerizations, where the polymers' fluorescence is a quantifiable proxy for presence of an analyte. This approach also enables the qualitative appreciation of analyte presence since the fluorescence is visible to the naked eye.In order to use this technology to detect water‐soluble analytes such as biomolecules, we are conjugating the polymerization initiator to a model protein. This involves developing the fluorogenic polymerization in biologically relevant conditions such as an aqueous medium, so that polymers can be grafted directly from the biomolecule. The choice of an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) facilitates the controllable formation of fluorogenic polymers in aqueous media as a function of both analyte concentration and reaction time. The development of the polymerization towards a biomolecular detection assay will be discussed, with emphasis on optimization of the reaction conditions, synthesis and characterization of biomolecule‐initiator conjugates, and fluorescence detection.Support or Funding InformationSan Antonio Area Foundation, American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, Trinity UniversityThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Applications open for PRF grants

The American Chemical Society Office of Research Grants is accepting proposals for Petroleum Research Fund grants. The proposals must be directed to fundamental petroleum research and be in one of 10 specified subject matter areas. Grants are available for professors beginning their first tenure-track position and for established tenure-track or tenured professors pursuing a new direction in their research. Separate grant types are available for qualified professors in institutions that do not have doctoral programs. The deadline to submit a proposal is 5:00 p.m. (EDT) on March 15. For application forms and further details, visit goo.gl/xM6q5Q.

PRF announces 2017 grant recipients

The ACS Petroleum Research Fund has announced the recipients of research grants in 2017. The ACS Board of Directors approved 173 grants worth a total of $17.1 million for advanced scientific education and fundamental research related to petroleum and other fossil fuels. The list of grantees is available online at acsprf.org; click About ACS PRF. Additional information on grant programs and proposal submission is also available on the website.

Students attend summer school on green chemistry

The 2017 ACS Summer School on Green Chemistry & Sustainable Energy took place at the Colorado School of Mines on June 20–27. The annual program, supported and financed by ACS, the ACS Green Chemistry Institute, and the ACS Petroleum Research Fund, is open to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from institutions in the Americas. This year’s class of 53 students represented institutions in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, the U.S., and Uruguay. The schedule began with a barbecue and concluded with a banquet. Instructors from institutions in Canada and the U.S. gave presentations on the principles and practice of green chemistry, including information on biomass, fossil fuels, fuel cells, green chemistry education, ionic liquids, nanotechnology, research, solvents, synthesis, and toxicology. Additionally, instructors gave presentations on careers, entrepreneurship, research grant proposal writing, and ACS resources for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Students learned about ea...

Petroleum Research Fund announces grant recipients

The American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund has announced the recipients of research grants for 2016. The ACS Board of Directors approved 202 grants worth a total of $20.2 million for advanced scientific education and fundamental research related to petroleum and other fossil fuels. More information and the list of grantees are available at www.acsprf.org. Click on “About ACS PRF.”

ACS Award For Research At An Undergraduate Institution: Thomas E. Goodwin

AWARDS ACS Award For Research At An Undergraduate Institution: Thomas E. Goodwin ShareShare onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail C&EN, 2016, 94 (1), pp 36–43January 4, 2016Cite this:C&EN 94, 1, 36-43Figure1of1Sponsor: Research Corporation for Science Advancement Citation: For blending green organic synthesis and mammalian chemical communication into a superb research experience for undergraduates at the interface of biology and chemistry. Current position: Elbert L. Fausett Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Hendrix College Education: B.S., chemistry, Ouachita Baptist University; Ph.D., organic chemistry, University of Arkansas Goodwin on overcoming obstacles: “It was rather hard to get my research program ramped up in the early days with no startup funding, no reassigned time for research, no technical support staff, and no sabbaticals. It was a time when doing synthetic organic chemistry with undergraduates was not common. I was fortunate to get research grants in that first year from ACS Petroleum Research Fund and Research Corporation, and I am grateful for that early vote of confidence.” What his colleagues say: “Tom is most proud of the accomplishments of his students, is grateful for his good fortune to guide them in the classroom and the research lab, and is enthusiastically committed to the concept and practice of research as chemical education.”—John Gupton, University of Richmond

Numerical Solutions By Method of Lines Approach for Fluid Flow in a Modified Rotating Disk Electrode Apparatus

Studying the reaction kinetics of the electrochemical redox reactions on a rotating disk electrode (RDE) is a well-known technique to access kinetic information under various competing levels of kinetic and diffusion dominated conditions. Reactions of flow batteries are typically carried out on graphite felt electrode surfaces at both cell and stack level. But the kinetics of the both positive (VO2 +/VO2+) and negative (V3+/V2+) redox couple reactions are not well understood, as there is no clear agreement of redox kinetics information available in literature1-2for these electrolytes. Porous rotating disk electrode (PRDE) is a commonly used technique to study the kinetics of graphite felt electrodes. A semi-infinite condition is typically used to arrive at well-known Levich profiles for velocity and limiting current analysis for rotating disk electrodes3. However, this type of analysis didn’t account for the data observed for felt electrodes in a RDE set up. To obtain a numerical solution for fluid flow around a rotating disk electrode in a modified RDE setup is proposed in this work as shown in Figure 1. In this setup, the boundary conditions at the stationary walls, rotating walls and axial symmetry are well-defined. This method can be used for obtaining primary and secondary distributions effectively in electrochemical systems efficiently and also for simulating flow problems4. Numerical solutions with well-defined boundary conditions will help in enhancing the reliability of the simulated results. In this 2D fluid flow model, an axially symmetric cylindrical geometry is used and fluid flow was assumed to vary in radial (r) and axial (z) directions, whereas azimuthal (θ) dependence of fluid flow is ignored. Three components of Navier-Stokes equations (r, θ and z) and a continuity equation represent the fluid flow outside the rotating disk electrode. The velocities (ur, u θ and uz ), pressure and radial and axial distances were non-dimensionalized through a method, using fluid properties and angular velocity, as reported in literature5. The 2D model equations were simulated using a new technique in which numerical method is applied in the z-direction and the resulting equations are integrated using efficient Boundary value problem (BVP) solvers in r. Efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method compared with different finite difference and discretization schemes in r will be presented. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by a contract from The American Chemical Society- Petroleum Research Fund (ACS-PRF) Grant PRF# 52588-ND10.

Catalytic Activity of Doped Praseodymium and Samarium Based Perovskites in Hydrogen and Oxygen Evolution Reactions

Over the last decades, the ABO3 perovskites have been extensively studied as active catalyst materials for various low and high temperature redox reactions; e.g. hydrogen or oxygen evolution reactions and internal and biomass reforming. However, the mechanisms of their catalytic/electrochemical activity and stability vs. A- and B-site doping especially in aqueous solutions have not been clarified yet. Furthermore, it is not clear how the oxygen deficiency created in doped perovskites (e.g. AA’BB’O3-δ) by partial substitution of less valent cations on A- and/or B-sites contributes to their oxygen exchange redox behavior at ambient conditions. In this regard, a comparative study of the PrNixCo1-xO3-δ and SmNixCo1-xO3-δ catalytic behavior was performed considering possible applications related to electrochemical and thermochemical hydrogen/oxygen evolution PrNixCo1-xO3-δ and SmNixCo1-xO3-δ, where x= 0.1, 0.5, 0.9, were synthesized using a modified nitrate-glycine Pechini method (1) followed by a heat-treatment in air at 700oC, 900°C and 1200°C. X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that the formation and chemical stability of the perovskite phase depends on the nature of the lanthanide element (A), relative composition of Ni to Co, and the heat-treatment temperature. For example, praseodymium based perovskites are more stable at higher heat-treatment temperatures (1200oC) than SmNixCo1-xO3-δ. Furthermore, formation of the perovskite-phase (Fig. 1) is favorable at low Ni/Co ratios (x=0.1and 0.5) resulting in rhombohedral single-phase crystal structure. On contrary, high Ni/Co ratio (x=0.9) do not yield the perovskites phase. The SEM and BET single point specific surface area (SSA) approaches were applied to determine the materials morphology. The HER and OER electrochemical performance was evaluated from cyclic voltammetry. A combination of Temperature Programmed Reduction/Oxidation (TPRO) and Thermo-Gravimetric (TG) analysis was further employed to understand their catalytic activity towards thermochemical hydrogen evolution. In order to improve the electronic conductivity, the perovskite-graphene composites were synthesized by mixing the perovskites with graphene platelets (90 wt. %). The HER and OER electrochemical performance of PrNixCo1-xO3-δ and SmNixCo1-xO3-δ was studied in three-electrode configuration in alkaline medium. The structure-dependent electrochemical behavior of these nanocomposites as a function of nickel to cobalt molar ratio (x= 0.1, 0.5) and the heat-treatment temperature will be discussed in terms of Tafel plots, chemical stability, and potential applications in comparison to the state-of-the-art catalysts. Acknoledgements: The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the ACS Petroleum Research Fund (Project number 53614-UR10) and the NSF EPSCoR support (Awards IIA-1330840 and IIA-1330842).