Facile synthesis of hierarchical NaX zeolite from natural kaolinite for efficient Knoevenagel condensation

Zeolite catalysts have found extensive applications in the synthesis of various fine chemicals.However,the micropores of zeolites impose diffusion limitations on bulky molecules,greatly reducing the catalytic efficiency.Herein,we explore an economic and environmentally friendly method for synthesizing hierarchical NaX zeolite that exhibits improved catalytic performance in the Knoevenagel condensation reaction for producing the useful fine chemical 2-cyano-3-phenylacrylate.The synthesis was achieved via a low-temperature activation of kaolinite and subsequent in-situ transformation strategy without any template or seed.Systematic characterizations reveal that the synthesized NaX zeolite has both intercrystalline and intra-crystalline mesopores,smaller crystal size,and larger external specific surface area compared to commercial NaX zeolite.Detailed mechanism investigations show that the inter-crystalline mesopores are generated by stacking smaller crystals formed from in-situ crystallization of the depolymerized kaolinite,and the intra-crystalline mesopores are inherited from the pores in the depolymerized kaolinite.This synthesis strategy provides an energy-saving and effective way to construct hierarchical zeolites,which may gain wide applications in fine chemical manufacturing.

Efficient and reversible separation of NH_(3) by deep eutectic solvents with multiple active sites and low viscosities

The efficient separation and collection of ammonia(NH_(3))during NH_(3) synthesis process is essential to improve the economic efficiency and protect the environment.In this work,ethanolammonium hydrochloride(EtOHACl)and phenol(PhOH)were used to prepare a novel class of deep eutectic solvents(DESs)with multiple active sites and low viscosities.The NH_(3) separation performance of EtOHACl+PhOH DESs was analyzed completely.It is figured out that the NH_(3) absorption rates in EtOHACl+PhOH DESs are very fast.The NH_(3) absorption capacities are very high and reach up to 5.52 and 10.74 mol·kg1 at 11.2 and 100.4 kPa under 298.2 K,respectively.In addition,the EtOHACl+PhOH DESs present highly selective absorption of NH_(3) over N_(2) and H_(2) and good regenerative properties after seven cycles of absorption/desorption.The intrinsic separation mechanism of NH_(3) by EtOHACl+PhOH DESs was further revealed by spectroscopic analysis and quantum chemistry calculations.

Metal-organic-framework-derived copper-based catalyst for multicomponent C-S coupling reaction

Copper-based metal-organic frameworks(Cu-MOFs)are a promising multiphase catalyst for catalyzing C-S coupling reactions by virtue of their diverse structures and functions.However,the unpleasant odor and instability of the organosulfur,as well as the mass-transfer resistance that exists in multiphase catalysis,have often limited the catalytic application of Cu-MOFs in C-S coupling reactions.In this paper,a Cu-MOFs catalyst modified by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB)was designed to enhance mass transfer by increasing the adsorption of organic substrates using the long alkanes of CTAB.Concurrently,elemental sulfur was used to replace organosulfur to achieve a highly efficient and atom-economical multicomponent C-S coupling reaction.

OSDA-free synthesis of FeZSM-22 zeolite from natural minerals for n-octane hydroisomerization

A seed-directed approach to synthesizing Fe ZSM-22 zeolite without organic structure directing agent(OSDA)was developed by using Fe-rich diatomite as all aluminum and iron sources.The Fe ZSM-22zeolite with optimal crystallinity and purity can be obtained by systematically adjusting feed composition and synthesis conditions.Characterizations show that Fe ZSM-22 zeolite synthesized with OSDA-free owns high crystallinity,obvious thin needle-shaped morphology and high Bronsted/Lewis acid ratio.Significantly,when used for n-octane hydroisomerization reaction,its derived catalyst exhibits the best catalytic performance reflected by the highest selectivity to C_(8)isomers compared to the two reference catalysts prepared based on a Fe-containing and a Fe-free ZSM-22 synthesized through an OSDA-directed route from natural diatomite and conventional chemicals,respectively.This work provides an alternative route to sustainably synthesizing heteroatomic zeolites with high performance.

Enhancement of liquid-liquid micromixing performance in curved capillary microreactor by generation of Dean vortices

Micromixing efficiency is an important parameter for evaluating the multiphase mass transfer performance and reaction efficiency of microreactors.In this work,the novel curved capillary reactor with different shapes was designed to generate Dean flow,which was used to enhance the liquid-liquid micromixing performance.The Villermaux-Dushman probe reaction was employed to characterize the micromixing performance in different curved capillary microreactors.The effects of experiment parameters such as liquid flow rate,inner diameter,tube length,and curve diameter on micromixing performance were systematically investigated.Under the optimal conditions,the minimum value of the segmentation factor XS was 0.008.It was worth noting that at the low Reynolds number(Re<30),the change of curved shape on the capillary microreactor can significantly improve the micromixing performance with XS reduced by 37.5%.Further,the correlations of segment index XS with dimensionless factor such as Reynolds number or Dean number were developed,which can be used to predict the liquid-liquid micromixing performance in capillary microreactors.

Tuning the cross-linked structure of basic poly(ionic liquid)to develop an efficient catalyst for the conversion of vinyl carbonate to dimethyl carbonate

Dimethyl carbonate(DMC)is a crucial chemical raw material widely used in organic synthesis,lithiumion battery electrolytes,and various other fields.The current primary industrial process employs a conventional sodium methoxide basic catalyst to produce DMC through the transesterification reaction between vinyl carbonate and methanol.However,the utilization of this catalyst presents several challenges during the process,including equipment corrosion,the generation of solid waste,susceptibility to deactivation,and complexities in separation and recovery.To address these limitations,a series of alkaline poly(ionic liquid)s,i.e.[DVBPIL][PHO],[DVCPIL][PHO],and[TBVPIL][PHO],with different crosslinking degrees and structures,were synthesized through the construction of cross-linked polymeric monomers and functionalization.These poly(ionic liquid)s exhibit cross-linked structures and controllable cationic and anionic characteristics.Research was conducted to investigate the effect of the cross-linking degree and structure on the catalytic performance of transesterification in synthesizing DMC.It was discovered that the appropriate cross-linking degree and structure of the[DVCPIL][PHO]catalyst resulted in a DMC yield of up to 80.6%.Furthermore,this catalyst material exhibited good stability,maintaining its catalytic activity after repeated use five times without significant changes.The results of this study demonstrate the potential for using alkaline poly(ionic liquid)s as a highly efficient and sustainable alternative to traditional catalysts for the transesterification synthesis of DMC.

Synthesis of NaY zeolite from a submolten depolymerized perlite:Alkalinity effect and crystallization kinetics

NaY zeolites are synthesized using submolten salt depolymerized natural perlite mineral as the main silica and alumina sources in a 0.94 L stirred crystallizer.Effects of alkalinity ranging from 0.38 to 0.55(n(Na_(2)O)/n(SiO_(2)))on the relative crystallinity,textural properties and crystallization kinetics were investigated.The results show that alkalinity exerts a nonmonotonic influence on the relative crystallinity and textural properties,which exhibit a maximum at the alkalinity of 0.43.The nucleation kinetics are studied by fitting the experimental data of relative crystallinity with the Gualtieri model.It is shown that the nucleation rate constant increases with increasing alkalinity,while the duration period of nucleation decreases with increasing alkalinity.For n(Na_(2)O)/n(SiO_(2))ratios ranging from 0.38 to 0.55,the as-synthesized NaY zeolites exhibit narrower crystal size distributions with the increase in alkalinity.The growth rates determined from the variations of average crystal size with time are 51.09,157.50,46.17 and 24.75 nm·h^(-1),respectively.It is found that the larger average crystal sizes at the alkalinity of 0.38 and 0.43 are attributed to the dominant role of crystal growth over nucleation.Furthermore,the combined action of prominent crystal growth and the longer duration periods of nucleation at the alkalinity of 0.38 and 0.43 results in broader crystal size distributions.The findings demonstrate that control of the properties of NaY zeolite and the crystallization kinetics can be achieved by conducting the crystallization process in an appropriate range of alkalinity of the reaction mixture.

Advances in particulate matter filtration:Materials,performance,and application

Air-borne pollutants in particulate matter(PM)form,produced either physically during industrial processes or certain biological routes,have posed a great threat to human health.Particularly during the current COVID-19 pandemic,effective filtration of the virus is an urgent matter worldwide.In this review,we first introduce some fundamentals about PM,including its source and classification,filtration mechanisms,and evaluation parameters.Advanced filtration materials and their functions are then summarized,among which polymers and MOFs are discussed in detail together with their antibacterial performance.The discussion on the application is divided into end-of-pipe treatment and source control.Finally,we conclude this review with our prospective view on future research in this area.

Oxygen vacancy defects engineering on Cu-doped Co_(3)O_(4) for promoting effective COS hydrolysis

The activation of H_(2)O is a key step of the COS hydrolysis,which may be tuned by oxygen vacancy defects in the catalysts.Herein,we have introduced Cu into Co_(3)O_(4) to regulate the oxygen vacancy defect content of the catalysts.In situ DRIFTS and XPS spectra reveal that COS and H_(2)O are adsorbed and activated by oxygen vacancy.The 10 at%Cu doped Co_(3)O_(4) sample(10Cu-Co_(3)O_(4))exhibits the optimal activity,100%of COS conversion at 70℃.The improved oxygen vacancies of CueCo_(3)O_(4) accelerate the activation of H_(2)O to form active -OH.COS binds with hydroxyl to form the intermediate HSCO^(-)_(2),and then the activated-OH on the oxygen vacancy reacts with HSCO^(-)_(2) to form HCO^(-)_(3).Meanwhile,the catalyst exhibits high catalytic stability because copper species(Cu+/Cu^(2+))redox cycle mitigate the sulfation of Co_(3)O_(4)(Co^(2+)/Co^(3+)).Our work offers a promising approach for the rational design of cobalt-related catalysts in the highly efficient hydrolysis COS process.

Numerical study of inhibition mechanism of high-pressure hydrogen leakage self-ignition with the addition of ammonia

Hydrogen and ammonia have attracted increasing attention as carbon-free fuels.Ammonia is considered to be an effective energy storage and hydrogen storage medium.However,a small amount of unremoved NH3 is still present in the product during the decomposition of ammonia to produce hydrogen.Therefore,it is very essential to investigate the self-ignition of hydrogen-ammonia mixtures in order to accommodate the various scenarios of hydrogen energy applications.In this paper,the effect of NH3 addition on the self-ignition of high-pressure hydrogen release is numerically investigated.The RNG k-εturbulence model,EDC combustion model,and 213-step detailed NH_(3)/H_(2) combustion mechanism are used.CHEMKIN-Pro programs for zero-dimensional homogeneous and constant volume adiabatic reactor models are used for sensitivity analysis and ignition delay time of the chemical reaction mechanism.The results showed that the minimum burst pressure required for self-ignition increased significantly after the addition of ammonia.The maximum temperature and shock wave intensity inside the tube decreases with increasing ammonia concentration.The ignition delay time and H,HO2,and OH radicals reduce with increasing ammonia concentration.H and HO2 radicals are suggested as indicators for tracking the second and third flame branches,respectively.

Kinetics measurement of ethylene-carbonate synthesis via a fast transesterification by microreactors

High-purity ethylene carbonate(EC)is widely used as battery electrolyte,polycarbonate monomer,organic intermediate,and so on.An economical and sustainable route to synthesize high-purity ethylene carbonate(EC)via the transesterification of dimethyl carbonate(DMC)with ethylene glycol(EG)is provided in this work.However,this reaction is so fast that the reaction kinetics,which is essential for the industrial design,is hard to get by the traditional measuring method.In this work,an easy-to-assemble microreactor was used to precisely determine the reaction kinetics for the fast transesterification of DMC with EG using sodium methoxide as catalyst.The effects of flow rate,microreactor diameter,catalyst concentration,reaction temperature,and reactant molar ratio were investigated.An activity-based pseudohomogeneous kinetic model,which considered the non-ideal properties of reaction system,was established to describe the transesterification of DMC with EG.Detailed kinetics data were collected in the first 5 min.Using these data,the parameters of the kinetic model were correlated with the maximum average error of 11.19%.Using this kinetic model,the kinetic data at different catalyst concentrations and reactant molar ratios were predicted with the maximum average error of 13.68%,suggesting its satisfactory prediction performance.

Facile synthesis of efficient pentaethylenehexamine-phosphotungstic acid heterogeneous catalysts for oxidative desulfurization

The ultra-deep desulfurization of oil needs to be solved urgently due to various problems,including environmental pollution and environmental protection requirements.Oxidative desulfurization(ODS)was considered to be the most promising technology.The facile synthesis of highly efficient and stable HPW-based heterogeneous catalysts for oxidative desulfurization is still a challenging task.In this paper,pentamethylene hexamine(PEHA)and phosphotungstic acid(HPW)were combined by a simple one-step method to prepare a heterogeneous catalyst of PEHA-HPW for the production of ultra-deep desulfurization fuel oil.The composite material exhibited excellent catalytic activity and high recyclability,which could reach a 100% dibenzothiophene(DBT)removal rate in 30 min and be recycled at least 5 times.Experiments and DFT simulations were used to better examine the ODS mechanism of PEHA-HPW.It was proved that the rich amino groups on the surface of PEHA-HPW play a crucial role.This work provides a simple and feasible way for the manufacture of efficient HPW-based catalysts.

Impacts of support properties on the vacuum residue slurry-phase hydrocracking performance of Mo catalysts

To deeply understand the effects of support properties on the performance of Mo-based slurry-phase hydrocracking catalysts,four Mo-based catalysts supported on amorphous silica alumina(ASA),γ-Al_(2)O_(3),ultra-stable Y(USY)zeolite and SiO_(2) were prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method,respectively,and their catalytic performances were compared in the vacuum residue(VR)hydrocracking process.It is found that the Mo/ASA catalyst exhibits the highest VR conversion among the different catalysts,indicating that both the appropriate amount of acid sites,especially B acid sites and larger mesoporous volume of ASA can enhance the VR hydrocracking into light distillates.Furthermore,Mo catalysts supported on the different supports show quite different product distributions in VR hydrocracking.The Mo/ASA catalyst provides higher yields of naphtha and middle distillates and lower yields of gas and coke compared with other catalysts,it is attributed to the highest MoS_(2) slab dispersion,the highest sulfuration degree of Mo species,and the most Mo atoms located at the edge sites for the Mo/ASA catalyst,as observed by HRTEM and XPS analyses.These features of Mo/ASA are beneficial for the hydrogenation of intermediate products and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to restrict the gas and coke formation.

Styrene epoxidation catalyzed by polyoxometalate/quaternary ammonium phase transfer catalysts: The effect of cation size and catalyst deactivation mechanism

Catalytic epoxidation of alkenes is an important type of organic reaction in chemical industry,and the deep insight into catalyst deactivation will help to develop new epoxidation process.In this work,series of quaternary ammoniums bearing different cationic sizes,i.e.MTOA+(methyltrioctylammonium,[(C_(8)H_(17))_(3)CH_(3)N]+),HTMA+(hexadecyltrimethylammonium,[(C_(16)H_(33))(CH_(3))_(3)N]+) and DMDOA+(dimethyldioctadecylammonium,[(C_(18)H_(37))_(2)(CH_(3))_(2)N]+) were incorporated with polyoxometalate (POM) anions to prepare phase transfer catalysts (PTCs),which were used in the styrene epoxidations.Among them,(MTOA)_(3)PW_(4)O_(24)exhibits the best catalytic performance judged from the highest styrene conversion rate(52%) and styrene oxide selectivity (93%),during which the styrene epoxidation conditions were optimized.Meanwhile,the deactivation mechanism of this kind of PTCs was proposed firstly,i.e.in the case of low H_(2)O_(2) content,the oxidant can only be used in the styrene epoxidation,in which the catalyst can transform into stable Keggin-type POM.But when the content of H_(2)O_(2) is higher,the excess H_(2)O_(2) can reactivate the Keggin-type POM into active (PW_(4)O_(24))_(3)-anions,which can trigger the ring-opening polymerization of styrene oxide.Consequently,the catalyst is deactivated by adhered poly(styrene oxide)irreversibly,which was determined by NMR spectra.In this situation,the active moiety{PO_(4)[WO(O_(2))_(2)]_(4)}_(3)-in phase-transfer catalytic system can break into some unidentified species with low W/P ratio with the presence of epoxides.This work will be beneficial for the design of new PTCs in alkene epoxidation in fine chemical industry.

Osteoimmunity-regulating biomaterials promote bone regeneration

Osteoimmunomodulation is a fascinating approach for balancing osteoimmune through regulating reciprocal interactions between bone cells and immune cells[1].Implantation of the osteoimmunity-regulating biomaterials regulates osteoimmune conditions in the host dynamically,thus intensifying osseointegration under physiological microenvironments[1].This perspective presents a brief overview of osteoimmunity-regulating biomaterials for augmenting bone regeneration based on a recently published study by our research team[2].

Triggering in-plane defect cluster on MoS_(2) for accelerated dinitrogen electroreduction to ammonia

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) is an alternative promising manner for sustainable N2 fixation with low-emission. The major challenge for developing an efficient electrocatalyst is the cleaving of the stable Ntriple bondN triple bonds. Herein, we design a new MoS_(2) with in-plane defect cluster through a bottom-up approach for the first time, where the defect cluster is composed of three adjacent S vacancies. The well-defined in-plane defect clusters could contribute to the strong chemical adsorption and activation towards inert nitrogen, achieving an excellent eNRR performance with an ammonia yield rate of 43.4 ± 3 μg h^(−1) mgcat.^(−1) and a Faradaic efficiency of 16.8 ± 2% at −0.3 V (vs. RHE). The performance is much higher than that of MoS_(2) with the edge defect. Isotopic labeling confirms that N atoms of produced NH4+ originate from N2. Furthermore, the in-plane defect clusters realized the alternate hydrogenation of nitrogen in a side-on way to synthesize ammonia. This work provides a prospecting strategy for fine-tuning in-plane defects in a catalyst, and also promotes the progress of eNRR.

Bimetallic PtSn nanoparticles confined in hierarchical ZSM-5 for propane dehydrogenation

A series of PtSn/hierarchical ZSM-5 catalysts were developed for propane dehydrogenation,in which the PtSn bimetallic particles are confined in the mesopores of hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite.The synthesis of PtSn/hierarchical ZSM-5 catalysts was achieved via the loading of Pt and Sn species onto the hierarchical ZSM-5 catalysts that are obtained through a desilication of conventional ZSM-5.The PtSn/hierarchical ZSM-5 catalysts were fully characterized by XRD,N_(2) adsorption,STEM,XPS,and CO-IR techniques,which reveals that highly dispersed PtSn bimetallic nanoparticles are enclosed into mesopores of hierarchical ZSM-5.The catalytic performance of PtSn/hierarchical ZSM-5 is greatly affected by the concentrations of alkali solution in the desilication process and Sn/Pt ratios in PtSn bimetallic particles.The PtSn1.00/ZSM-5(0.8)catalyst shows the highest efficiency in propane dehydrogenation,which gives an initial conversion of 46%and selectivity of 98%at 570℃.The high efficiency in these PtSn/hierarchical ZSM-5 catalysts for propane dehydrogenation is mainly ascribed to the confinement of PtSn particles in the mesopores of hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite.

Stimuli-responsive emulsions:Recent advances and potential applications

Responsive emulsions are the emulsions that can be reversibly switched on-demand between“stable”and“unstable”by environmental stimulus or trigger,which allows a simple and effective adjustment approach to achieve emulsification and demulsification.In recent years,stimuli-responsive emulsions acting as smart soft material are received considerable attention with the advantages of simple manipulation,good reversibility,low cost,easy treatment,and little effect on the system.In this paper,the recent research progress of emulsions that can respond to external stimuli,including pH,light,magnetic field,CO_(2)/N_(2) and dual responsive are reviewed.Also,the potential applications based on responsive emulsion are discussed,such as catalytic reactions,heavy oil recovery,polymer particles synthesis and optical sensor,aiming to summarize the latest achievements and put forward the possible development trends of responsive emulsions.

Redistributing Cu species in Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite as NH3-SCR catalyst via a simple ion-exchange

The nature and distribution of Cu species in Cu-SSZ-13 play a vital role in selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3(NH3-SCR),but existing methods for adjusting the Cu distribution are complex and difficult to control.Herein,we report a simple and effective ion-exchange approach to regulate the Cu distribution in the one-pot synthesized Cu-SSZ-13 that possesses sufficient initial Cu species and thus provides a“natural environment”for adjusting Cu distribution precisely.By using this proposed strategy,a series of Cu-SSZ-13x zeolites with different Cu contents and distributions were obtained.It is shown that the dealumination of the as-synthesized Cu-SSZ-13 during the ion-exchange generates abundant vacant sites in the double six-membered-rings of the SSZ-13 zeolite for relocating Cu2+species and thus allows the redistribution of the Cu species.The catalytic results showed that the ion-exchanged Cu-SSZ-13 zeolites exhibit quite different catalytic performance in NH3-SCR reaction but superior to the parent counterpart.The structure–activity relationship analysis indicates that the redistribution of Cu species rather than other factors(e.g.,crystallinity,chemical composition,and porous structure)is responsible for the improved NH3-SCR performance and SO_(2) and H_(2)O resistance.Our work offers an effective method to precisely adjust the Cu distribution in preparing the industrial SCR catalysts.

Efficient homogenous catalysis of CO_(2) to generate cyclic carbonates by heterogenous and recyclable polypyrazoles

The cycloaddition between CO_(2)and epoxides to produce cyclic carbonate is an attractive and efficiency pathway for the utilization of CO_(2)as C1 source.The development of catalyst to mediate cycloaddition between CO_(2)and epoxides at low temperature and pressure is still a challenge.Herein,a series of polypyrazoles with glass transition temperature(T_(g))in the range of 42.3-52.5℃ were synthesized and served as catalyst to mediate the cycloaddition of CO_(2)and epoxides by the assistant of tetrabutylammonium bromide.The catalytic behaviors of polypyrazole on the model cycloaddition of CO_(2)to epichlorohydrin,including the reaction parameters optimization and versatility were investigated in detail,and excellent yield(99.9%)and selectivity(99%)were obtained under the optimized reaction conditions of70℃ and 1.0 MPa for 6.0 h.Noteworthily,the polypyrazole acts as homogeneous catalyst during reaction(higher than T_(g)).And under room temperature,polypyrazoles can be easily separated and recovered,which is a promising feature of a heterogeneous catalyst.Furthermore,the reaction mechanism was proposed.The DFT calculation suggested that the formation of hydrogen bond between pyrazole and epoxide greatly reduced the energy barrier,which play an important role in promoting CO_(2)cycloaddition.