Hydrogen Production via Hydrolysis and Alcoholysis of Light Metal-Based Materials:A Review

As an environmentally friendly and high-density energy carrier,hydrogen has been recognized as one of the ideal alternatives for fossil fuels.One of the major challenges faced by“hydrogen economy”is the development of efficient,low-cost,safe and selective hydrogen generation from chemical storage materials.In this review,we summarize the recent advances in hydrogen production via hydrolysis and alcoholysis of light-metal-based materials,such as borohydrides,Mg-based and Al-based materials,and the highly efficient regeneration of borohydrides.Unfortunately,most of these hydrolysable materials are still plagued by sluggish kinetics and low hydrogen yield.While a number of strategies including catalysis,alloying,solution modification,and ball milling have been developed to overcome these drawbacks,the high costs required for the“one-pass”utilization of hydrolysis/alcoholysis systems have ultimately made these techniques almost impossible for practical large-scale applications.Therefore,it is imperative to develop low-cost material systems based on abundant resources and effective recycling technologies of spent fuels for efficient transport,production and storage of hydrogen in a fuel cell-based hydrogen economy.

Low-cost synthesis of nanoaggregate SAPO-34 and its application in the catalytic alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol

Silicoaluminophosphate-34(SAPO-34) molecular sieves have important applications in the petrochemical industry as a result of their shape selectivity and suitable acidity. In this work, nanoaggregate SAPO-34 with a large external surface area was obtained by dissolving pseudoboehmite and tetraethylorthosilicate in an aqueous solution of tetraethylammonium hydroxide and subsequently adding phosphoric acid. After hydrolysis in an alkaline solution, the aluminum and silicon precursors exist as Al(OH)4-and SiO2(OH)-, respectively;this is beneficial for rapid nucleation and the formation of nanoaggregates in the following crystallization process. Additionally, to study the effect of the external surface area and pore size on the catalytic performance of different SAPO-34 structures, the alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol to ethyl levulinate(EL) was chosen as a model reaction. In a comparison with the traditional cube-like SAPO-34, nanoaggregate SAPO-34 generated a higher yield of 74.1% of EL, whereas that with cube-like SAPO-34 was only 19.9%. Moreover, the stability was remarkably enhanced for nanoaggregate SAPO-34. The greater external surface area and larger number of external surface acid sites are helpful in improving the catalytic performance and avoiding coke deposition.

The alcoholysis of acetonitrile prompted by Brфnsted acidic ionic liquid [HSO_3-pmim]HSO_4

BrФnsted acidic ionic liquids based on imidazolium cation were employed as a series of environmentally benign catalysts and mediums in the alcoholysis of acetonitrile to synthesize ester. The results showed that BrФnsted acidic ionic liquid [HSO3- pmim]HSO4 was an efficient catalyst and medium for the alcoholysis of acetonitrile which could be recycled easily without obvious decline in catalytic activity, the highest yield could reach 85%.

Alcoholysis of Waste Polyurethane Rigid Foam and Its Modification with Lignin for Recovery

A bi-component alcoholysis agent containing propylene glycol(PG)and ethanolamine(ETA)was used to catalyst the degradation of the waste polyurethane rigid foam.The oligomer polyols obtained through degradation were used as raw materials to produce recycled polyurethane rigid foam composites with lignin as reinforcing filler.The effect of alcoholysis mass ratio on degradation was investigated by analyzing the viscosity,hydroxyl content and chemical structure of the degradation products.The effect of lignin addition on the properties of regenerated polyurethane rigid foam were investigated by analyzing water absorption rate,compressive strength,porosity,thermal stability,thermal conductivity coefficient,morphology and thermal stability of the recycled polyurethane rigid foam.Results show that different mass ration of PG to ETA significantly affects the degradation of waste polyurethane rigid foam.Besides,only with the addition of appropriate amount of lignin,the regenerated polyurethane rigid foam composites can meet the Chinese national standard“rigid polyurethane foam for building thermal insulation”(GB/T21558-2008).At this point,the composite is with good mechanical and thermal prperties,including high compressive strength,excellent thermal insulation performance,complete cell morphology and good thermal stability.

The Study of Alcoholysis of 1,2-Thiazetidine-l,l-dioxide with Quantum Chemical Method

The alcoholysis mechanism of 1,2-thiazetidine-1,1-dioxide with methanol, in which the relatively stable product is sulfonate ester, has been investigated by quantum chemical method. Our calculations indicate the reaction for alcoholysis of 1,2-thiazetidine-1,1-dioxide proceeds via two possible mechanisms: concerted and stepwise. In the stepwise mechanism, two possible reaction pathways can be followed while only one possible reaction pathway can be followed in the concerted mechanism.

Theoretical Studies of Water’s and Methanol’s Effects on Alcoholysis of N-Benzyl-3-oxo-β-sultam

The mechanisms about the water’s and methanol’s effects on the alcoholysis of N-benzyl-3-oxo-β-sultam together with their differences have been studied by using density func- tional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G＊ level. The results, in comparison with a previous study on the relative reaction without the assistance of water and methanol, show that the added water or methanol can remarkably reduce the energy barrier of alcoholysis reaction of N-benzyl-3-oxo- β-sultam and the most favorite pathway is the breaking of C–N bond instead of S–N. It is also found that the reaction energy barrier of methanol-assisted alcoholysis is a little higher than that of the water-assisted one.

Studying the Curing Conditions of Unsaturated Polyesters from Secondary Polyethylene Terephthalate Alcoholysis Products

The technological properties of the curing conditions for unsaturated polyesters synthesized on the basis of the alcoholysis products of secondary polyethylene terephthalate and unsaturated polyesters used in the production of fiberglass pipes were studied. It is shown that unsaturated polyesters synthesized on the basis of alcoholysis products can completely replace imported resins of grades 196 and 196A in the production of fiberglass pipes.

Effect of Mono-, Di-, and Trihydric Alcohols on Lipase-Catalyzed Alcoholysis of Phosphatidylcholine in Hexane

In this study, alcoholysis of phosphatidylcholine(PC) catalyzed by two lipases(Novozym 435 and Lipozyme RM IM) was performed in n-hexane to evaluate the effects of mono-, di-, and trihydric alcohols(ethanol, 1-butanol, 1,2-ethanediol,1,2-propanediol, and glycerol) on the alcoholysis reactions. In the reactions, as PC was converted into lysophosphatidylcholine(LPC),LPC was simultaneously alcoholyzed and converted into glycerophosphorylcholine(GPC). The alcohols affected the alcoholysis of both PC and LPC. When alcoholysis was catalyzed by Novozym 435, the reaction efficiencies of the selected alcohols in the alcoholysis of PC followed the order 1,2-propanediol ≈ ethylene glycol> 1-butanol > ethanol > glycerol, and the reaction efficiencies of these alcohols in the alcoholysis of LPC were 1,2-propanediol > ethylene glycol> 1-butanol ≈ glycerol > ethanol. For alcoholysis catalyzed by Lipozyme RM IM, the reaction efficiencies of alcohols in alcoholysis of PC followed the order ethylene glycol ≈1,2-propanediol > glycerol > ethanol > 1-butanol, and the reaction efficiencies in the alcoholysis of LPC were ethylene glycol >glycerol > 1,2-propanediol > ethanol > 1-butanol. In general, in the lipase-catalyzed alcoholysis of PC, reaction efficiencies with dihydric alcohols are higher than those with mono-and trihydric alcohols.

A family of novel bifunctional organocatalysts:Highly enantioselective alcoholysis of meso cyclic anhydrides and its application for synthesis of the key intermediate of P2X_7 receptor antagonists

A family of novel squaramides/sulfamides based on 1,2-alkamine was developed as chiral bifunctional catalysts to promote the asymmetric alcoholysis of meso cyclic anhydrides. The hemiesters were obtained in high yield with up to 93% ee. The usefulness of this methodology was demonstrated in the asymmetric synthesis of the key intermediate of P2X7 receptor antagonists.

Lipases-Catalyzed Alcoholysis for the Preparation of Chiral 1- or 2-Hydroxyalkanephosphonates

Enzymatic alcoholysis has been developed for the preparation of some chiral 1- and 2-hydroxyalkanephosphonates with high optical purity. This method ensures the convenient access to the optically pure phosphocarnitine, phosphogabob and phosphomycin.

Synthesis, isolation and characterization of methyl levulinate from cellulose catalyzed by extremely low concentration acid

A direct synthesis of methyl levulinate from cellulose alcoholysis in methanol medium under mild condition(180 210 C)catalyzed by extremely low concentration sulfuric acid(0.01 mol/L)and the product isolation were developed in this study.Effects of different process variables towards the catalytic performance were performed as a function of reaction time.The results indicated that sulfuric acid concentration,temperature and initial cellulose concentration had significant effects on the synthesis of methyl levulinate.An optimized yield of around 50%was achieved at 210 C for 120 min with sulfuric acid concentration of 0.01 mol/L and initial cellulose concentration below 100 g/L.The resulting product mixture was isolated by a distillation technique that combines an atmospheric distillation with a vacuum distillation where n-dodecane was added to help distill the heavy fraction.The light fraction including mainly methanol could be reused as the reaction medium without any substantial change in the yield of methyl levulinate.The chemical composition and structural of lower heavy fraction were characterized by GC/MS,FTIR,1H-NMR and13C-NMR techniques.Methyl levulinate was found to be a major ingredient of lower heavy fraction with the content over 96%.This pathway is efficient,environmentally benign and economical for the production of pure levulinate esters from cellulose.

Enhancement of catalytic activity by homo-dispersing S_2O_8^(2–)-Fe_2O_3 nanoparticles on SBA-15 through ultrasonic adsorption

Mesoporous superacids S2O82–-Fe2O3/SBA-15(SFS)with active nanoparticles are prepared by ultrasonic adsorption method.This method is adopted to ensure a homo-dispersed nanoparticle active phase,large specific surface area and many acidic sites.Compared with bulk S2O82–-Fe2O3,Br?nsted acid catalysts and other reported catalysts,SFS with an Fe2O3 loading of 30%(SFS-30)exhibits an outstanding activity in the probe reaction of alcoholysis of styrene oxide by methanol with 100%yield.Moreover,SFS-30 also shows a more excellent catalytic performance than bulk S2O82–-Fe2O3 towards the alcoholysis of other ROHs(R=C2H5-C4H9).Lewis and Bronsted acid sites on the SFS-30 surfaces are confirmed by pyridine adsorbed infrared spectra.The highly efficient catalytic activity of SFS-30 may be attributed to the synergistic effect from the nano-effect of S2O82–-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and the mesostructure of SBA-15.Finally,SFS-30 shows a good catalytic reusability,providing an 84.1%yield after seven catalytic cycles.

Highly efficient synthesis of 1-methoxy-2-propanol using ionic liquid catalysts in a micro-tubular circulating reactor

The catalysis of ionic liquids (ILs) in the traditional stirred reactor suffers from insufficient mass and heat transfer, which always needs a long reaction time and results in a low reaction rate. In this work, highly efficient synthesis of 1-methoxy-2-propanol via the alcoholysis reaction of propylene oxide (PO) with methanol was proposed and achieved by the combination of micro-tubular circulating reactor with the IL [N4444] [Buty] catalyst. Compared with the stirred reactor, the rate of alcoholysis reaction in a micro-tubular circulating reactor was found to be significantly improved. The reaction time was remarkably shortened to 20 min from 180 min as well as the yield of 1-methoxy-2-propanol reached 92%. Moreover, the kinetic study further demonstrated that the main reaction rate to 1-methoxy-2-propanol (K1) was about 20 times larger than the side reaction rate to byproduct 2-methoxy-1-propanol (K2) in the temperature range of 363–383 K. Such combination of micro-tubular circulating reactor with IL catalysts is believed to be a class of effective process intensification technique for highly efficient synthesis of 1-methoxy-2-propanol.

Zn–Ca–Al mixed oxide as efficient catalyst for synthesis of propylene carbonate from urea and 1,2-propylene glycol

A series of Zn–Ca–Al oxides with different CaO and ZnO contents have been prepared and evaluated in the synthesis of propylene carbonate(PC) from 1,2-propylene glycol(PG) and urea in a batch reactor. The effect of catalyst composition, basicity and reaction process parameters such as temperature, catalyst dose, molar ratio of PG to urea, purge gas flow and reaction time has been studied to find suitable reaction conditions for the PC synthesis. The PC selectivity and yield under the desired conditions could reach 98.4% and 90.8%, respectively. The best performing catalyst also exhibited a good reusability without appreciable loss in the PC selectivity and yield after five consecutive reaction runs. In addition, a stepwise reaction pathway involving a 2-hydroxypropyl carbamate intermediate was proposed for the urea alcoholysis to PC in the presence of Zn–Ca–Al catalysts, according to the time dependences of reaction intermediates and products.

Synthesis and characterization ofα-{3-[(2,3-dihydroxy) propoxy]propyl}-ω-butylpolydimethylsiloxanes

Hydrosilylation has been carried out between Si-H terminated polydimethylsiloxanes with narrow molecular weight distribution and protected 3-allyloxy-l,2-propanediol, and after subsequently alcoholyzed, α-{3-[（2,3-dihydroxy）propoxy]propyl}-ω- butyl-polydimethylsiloxanes with varying number of （（Si（CH3）2-O） unit were obtained. At each step, the produced compounds were carefully characterized. The results showed that each step was successfully carried out and target products were achieved.

A highly efficient La-modified ZnAl-LDO catalyst and its performance in the synthesis of dimethyl carbonate from methyl carbamate and methanol

In this paper,the highly efficient ZnAlLa layered double oxide(ZnAlLa-LDO)catalyst was evaluated and used in methyl carbamate(MC)alcoholysis synthesis of dimethyl carbonate.Under optimal conditions,the MC conversion was 33.5% and the dimethyl carbonate(DMC)selectivity was up to 92,4% at 443 K and in 9 h.The prepared catalysts were well characterized to investigate the effect on the catalytic performance and reaction catalysis mechanism.The experimental results show that the addition of La adjusted the structure and chemical properties of ZnAl composite oxide and that the synergistic effect among Zn,Al and La play a key role in adjusting the acid-base properties and stability of the catalyst,which definitely improved the DMC selectivity and catalytic stability.Based on the proposed reaction mechanism,two kinetic models of the catalytic reaction were established and modified:LangmuirHinshelwood and power-rate law kinetic model.The good agreement between kinetic models and experimental data showed that the power-rate law kinetic model based on the elementary reactions is a suitable model for providing a theoretical basis.The pre-exponential factor and activation energy of the main reaction are 5.77×10^(7)and 77.60 kJ·mol^(-1),respectively.

Facile Route to Aromatic Hyperbranched Poly(ester amines)

The aromatic hyperbranched poly（ester amines）（AHPEAs） were successfully synthesized via the mild condensation of N-4-cyanobenzyl diethanolamine hydrogenchloride as an AB2 monomer in concentrated HCI. The polymerization was monitored by FTIR to suppose the reasonable reaction mechanism. The degree of branching was determined to be 0.55 by 1H NMR with an increased conversion of up to 96%. The glass transition temperature was measured by differential scanning calorimetry to range from -19 to 15℃ The molecular weights and polydispersities were investigated by gel permeation chromatography.

Study on Co-refining of Poplar Powder with Soybean Oil in Supercritical Methanol

Poplar powder co-refined with soybean oil or fatty acid methyl esters in supercritical methanol in a high-pressure autoclave was studied to verify the promotion of poplar powder liquefaction and decomposition by oils & fats and methyl esters in the present work. It was shown that the decomposition rate of poplar powder was improved by the fatty acid methyl esters as well as the soy bean oil, and the efficiency of the latter was higher than the former. Further study showed that the decomposition rate of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin was all improved by co-refining, while the relative decomposition rate of lignin increased most remarkably. After vacuum distillation under mild condition, the light components of the liquid products from biomass co-refining were removed, and then petroleum ether was used to separate the remains into two parts, viz.: the bio-light oil mainly composed of the derivatives of oils and fats and the bio-heavy oil mainly composed of poplar powder liquefaction products. When more unsaturated oils and fats were used in the biomass co-refining, more products in the boiling range of diglycerides were produced, which were mainly contained in the bio-light oil obtained from the condensation of oils and fats derivatives with the poplar powder liquefaction products. The yield of the bio-heavy oil originating from the biomass co-refining is far more than that from the direct liquefaction of poplar powder in supercritical methanol, with the possible reasons analyzed in the article.

Investigating the Effect of Catalyst Type and Concentration on the functional Group Conversion in Castor Seed Oil Alkyd Resin Production

Significant scientific and economic benefits may be derived from investigating the best choice of catalyst in the alkyd resin synthesis. The effect of catalyst type and concentration on the production of alkyd resin using castor seed oil (CSO) was evaluated. Lithium hydroxide, lead (II) oxide, calcium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and calcium oxide were investigated. The fatty acid profile of the raw CSO was determined using GC-MS while structural elucidation of the CSO based alkyd resins was determined using FTIR spectrometry. The CSO modified alkyd resin produced has acid values of 5.0, 5.61, 7.0 8.24 and 11 for lithium hydroxide, lead (II) oxide, calcium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and calcium oxide respectively. The extent of reaction was 95%, 95%, 91%, 89% and 88% for lithium hydroxide, lead (II) oxide, calcium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and calcium oxide respectively at the reaction time of 150 minutes. The alcoholysis reaction completion time was fastest in LiOH followed by PbO, CaCO3, NaOH and CaO catalyst. Physico-chemical parameters of the oil and performance evaluation of the alkyd films suggest that they are sustainable materials for surface coating. LiOH shows excellent robustness to expanded process parameters.

A catalyst-free novel synthesis of diethyl carbonate from ethyl carbamate in supercritical ethanol

Diethyl carbonate has been synthesized via the alcoholysis of ethyl carbamate in supercritical ethanol under catalyst-free conditions.The influences of various parameters such as reaction temperature,reaction time,reaction pressure,ethanol/ethyl molar ratios and reaction loading volume on the yield of DEC were studied systematically.The experimental results indicated that the alcoholysis of ethyl carbamate was greatly improved in supercritical ethanol.The optimal reaction conditions were as follows：a reaction temperature of 573 K,a reaction time of 30 min,a reaction pressure of 13.2 MPa,an ethanol/ethyl carbamate molar ratio of 10 and a reactor loading volume of 285 μL respectively.The optimal yield of DEC was 22.9%.