Efficient activation of the Co/SBA-15catalyst by high-frequency AC-DBD plasma thermal effects for toluene removal

Dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)plasma excited by a high-frequency alternating-current(AC)power supply is widely employed for the degradation of volatile organic compounds(VOCs).However,the thermal effect generated during the discharge process leads to energy waste and low energy utilization efficiency.In this work,an innovative DBD thermally-conducted catalysis(DBD-TCC)system,integrating high-frequency AC-DBD plasma and its generated thermal effects to activate the Co/SBA-15 catalyst,was employed for toluene removal.Specifically,Co/SBA-15 catalysts are closely positioned to the ground electrode of the plasma zone and can be heated and activated by the thermal effect when the voltage exceeds 10 k V.At12.4 k V,the temperature in the catalyst zone reached 261℃ in the DBD-TCC system,resulting in an increase in toluene degradation efficiency of 17%,CO_(2)selectivity of 21.2%,and energy efficiency of 27%,respectively,compared to the DBD system alone.In contrast,the DBD thermally-unconducted catalysis(DBD-TUC)system fails to enhance toluene degradation due to insufficient heat absorption and catalytic activation,highlighting the crucial role of AC-DBD generated heat in the activation of the catalyst.Furthermore,the degradation pathway and mechanism of toluene in the DBD-TCC system were hypothesized.This work is expected to provide an energy-efficient approach for high-frequency AC-DBD plasma removal of VOCs.

Preparation of Corncob-Like WO3 Nanomaterials and Their Photocatalytic Treatment of Toluene

Corn rod-like WO3 nanomaterials were successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology, structure and optical absorption properties of the prepared samples were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR and UV-Vis-DRS. The WO3 materials were corn rod-like morphology with about 800 nm for length and 150 nm for diameter, especially there were plenty of corn particles (about 20 nm) on the surface of corn rods. The X-ray diffraction peaks of the products corresponded with WO3 standard card, and the characteristic peak of W-O bond was found in the infrared spectrum. The absorption band edge of the products was about 480 nm, indicating their potential visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity. In situ FTIR technology research showed that the prepared WO3 nanomaterials had visible photocatalytic activity to gas-phase toluene. After a photocatalytic reaction for 8 hours toluene was effectively degraded, and carboxylic acid and aldehyde could be regarded as the intermediate products, and CO2 was produced as the final product during the reaction process.

Low palladium content CeO_(2)/ZnO composite for acetone sensor with sub-second response prepared by ultrasonic method

In practical applications,noble metal doping is often used to prepare high performance gas sensors,but more noble metal doping will lead to higher preparation costs.In this study,CeO_(2)/ZnO-Pd with low palladium content was prepared by ultrasonic method with fast response and high selectivity for acetone sensing.With the same amount of palladium added,the selectivity coefficient of CeO_(2)/ZnO-Pd is 1.88 times higher than that of the stirred sensor.Compared with the pure PdO-doped CeO_(2)/ZnO-PdO material,the content of Pd in CeO_(2)/ZnO-PdO is about 30%of that in CeO_(2)/ZnO-PdO,but the selectivity coefficient for acetone is 2.56 times higher.The CeO_(2)/ZnO-Pd sensor has a higher response(22.54)to 50×10^(−6) acetone at 300℃and the selectivity coefficient is 2.57 times that of the CeO_(2)/ZnO sensor.The sensor has a sub-second response time(0.6 s)and still has a 2.36 response to 330×10^(−9) of acetone.Ultrasonic doping makes Pd particles smaller and increases the contact area with gas.Meanwhile,the composition of n-p-n heterojunction and the synergistic effect of Pd/PdO improve the sensor performance.It shows that ultrasonic Pd doping provides a way to improve the utilization rate of doped metals and prepare highly selective gas sensors.

Deactivation mechanism of acetone to isobutene conversion over Y/Beta catalyst

The conversion of acetone derived from biomass to isobutene has attracted extensive attentions.In comparison with Brønsted acidic catalyst,Lewis acidic catalyst could exhibit a better catalytic performance with a higher isobutene selectivity.However,the catalyst stability remains a key problem for the long-running acetone conversion and the reasons for catalyst deactivation are poorly understood up to now.Herein,the deactivation mechanism of Lewis acidic Y/Beta catalyst during the acetone to isobutene conversion was investigated by various characterization techniques,including acetone-temperature-programmed surface reaction,gas chromatography-mass spectrometry,in situ ultraviolet-visible,and 13C cross polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.A successive aldol condensation and cyclization were observed as the main side-reactions during the acetone conversion at Lewis acidic Y sites.In comparison with the low reaction temperature,a rapid formation and accumulation of the larger cyclic unsaturated aldehydes/ketones and aromatics could be observed,and which could strongly adsorb on the Lewis acidic sites,and thus cause the catalyst deactivation eventually.After a simple calcination,the coke deposits could be easily removed and the catalytic activity could be well restored.

Y Zeolites Modified by Organosilane for Toluene Adsorption under High Humidity Condition

Y zeolites have moderate microporous pore size, large specific surface area, and good hydrothermal stability, which were widely used in industrial adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but the performance of Y zeolites in adsorption of VOCs under high humidity conditions is terrible. In this paper, Y zeolites with different silica-alumina ratios were hydrophobically modified by organosilane and characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, BET, NMR. In the experiments of static and dynamic adsorption of VOCs by modified Y zeolites, it can be concluded that the static water adsorption capacity of Y zeolites with silica-aluminum ratio of 5 and 40 after silica modification decreased by 62 wt% and 53 wt%, under the conditions of high humidity, GHSV = 15,000 h-1, T = 35°C and initial concentration of toluene C0 = 5000 mg·m-3. The saturation adsorption capacity of toluene was increased from 0.06 g·g-1, 0.09 g·g-1 to 0.15 g·g-1, 0.21 g·g-1, the adsorption selectivity of Y zeolites for water was reduced and that for toluene was increased after Vapor phase silanization overlay modification. The present modification method might carry out targeted modification of zeolites surface, provide research ideas and guidance under high humidity conditions.

Catalytic Elimination of Oxygenated Byproducts in the Toluene Methylation Process

Catalytic methylation of toluene with methanol is an important alternative pathway for xylene production.Previous studies have indicated that methanol always undergoes several side reactions on acidic zeolites,resulting in oxygencontaining byproducts such as dimethyl ethers,ketones,and carboxylic acids.Herein,the presence and distribution of the oxygenated compounds formed during toluene methylation were firstly examined by systematic chromatographic analysis.Plausible formation mechanisms for the various oxygenates are discussed.The most problematic byproduct is found to be acetic acid,which can lead to inferior product quality and damage downstream units.A feasible solution is presented for oxygenate removal after toluene methylation,in which acetic acid is eliminated by catalytic decomposition into low-boilingpoint acetone over a MgO catalyst.This process allows for all of the low-boiling-point oxygenates,including methanol,dimethyl ether,acetone,and butanone,to be removed from the aromatics phase,taking advantage of the temperature of the reaction effluent and standard distillation equipment.X-ray diffraction was used to characterize the crystal phase of the fresh and used MgO decarbonylation catalysts,while thermogravimetry/mass spectrometry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were applied to investigate the transformation mechanism of acetic acid over the decarbonylation catalyst.CO insertion and ketonization of acetic acid accounted for the formation and elimination of acetic acid,respectively.The combined methylation/decarbonylation process should enable the production of high-quality xylenes,an important industrial feedstock,by overcoming the main technical obstacles associated with the toluene methylation process.

Rational Design of LDH/Zn_(2)SnO_(4) Heterostructures for Efficient Mineralization of Toluene Through Boosted Interfacial Charge Separation

It is crucial to efficiently separate and transport photo-induced charge carriers for the effective implementation of photocatalysis toward environmental remediation.A rational design strategy is proposed to validate such proposition through the construction of an interfacial structure in the form of LDH/Zn_(2)SnO_(4) heterostructures in this research.The interfacial charge transfer on LDH/Zn_(2)SnO_(4) is greatly promoted via the unique charge transfer pathway,as characterized by transient photocurrent responses,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum,and photoluminescence analysis.As such,it contributes to the generation of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and the activation of reactants for the mineralization of toluene.According to the in situ DRIFTS spectra analysis,the accumulation of benzoic acid takes place possibly through the partial oxidation of the methyl group on toluene at the interface of the LDH/Zn 2 SnO 4 heterostructure.This process can greatly promote the photocatalytic oxidation of toluene with the enhanced ring-opening efficiency.The LDH/Zn 2 SnO 4 is thus demonstrated as superior photocatalyst against toluene(removal efficiency of 89.5%;mineralization of 83.1%;and quantum efficiency of 4.55×10^(−6) molecules/photon).As such,the performance of this composite far exceeds that of their individual components(e.g.,P25,pure Mg-Al LDH,or Zn_(2)SnO_(4)).This study is expected to offer a new path to the interfacial charge transfer mechanism based on the design of highly efficient photocatalysts for air purification.

A case of atypical neurological symptoms and high cerebro-spinal fluid acetone level due to transdermal exposure to isopropanol

Dear editor, Isopropanol, also named 2-propanol or isopropyl alcohol(IPA), is a colorless, volatile liquid found in numerous household chemicals, such as cleaners and disinfectants, which typically contain a 70% solution of IPA in water. IPA is also extensively used in industry and laboratories as a solvent.

Breath-by-breath measurement of exhaled ammonia by acetonemodifier positive photoionization ion mobility spectrometry via online dilution and purging sampling

Exhaled ammonia(NH_(3))is an essential noninvasive biomarker for disease diagnosis.In this study,an acetone-modifier positive photoionization ion mobility spectrometry(AM-PIMS)method was developed for accurate qualitative and quantitative analysis of exhaled NH_(3)with high selectivity and sensitivity.Acetone was introduced into the drift tube along with the drift gas as a modifier,and the characteristic NH_(3)product ion peak of(C_(3)H_(6)O)_(4)NH_(4)^(+)(K_(0)=1.45 cm^(2)/V·s)was obtained through the ion-molecule reaction with acetone reactant ions(C_(3)H_(6)O)_(2)H^(+)(K_(0)=1.87 cm^(2)/V·s),which significantly increased the peak-to-peak resolution and improved the accuracy of exhaled NH_(3)qualitative identification.Moreover,the interference of high humidity and the memory effect of NH_(3)molecules were significantly reduced via online dilution and purging sampling,thus realizing breath-by-breath measurement.As a result,a wide quantitative range of 5.87-140.92μmol/L with a response time of 40 ms was achieved,and the exhaled NH_(3)profile could be synchronized with the concentration curve of exhaled CO_(2).Finally,the analytical capacity of AM-PIMS was demonstrated by measuring the exhaled NH_(3)of healthy subjects,demonstrating its great potential for clinical disease diagnosis.

Construction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/ZnSnO_(3)heterostructures for enhanced acetone sensing performance

Carbon nanotubes(CNTs)have attracted many researcher's attention in gas sensing field because of their excellent physical and chemical properties.Herein,multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)/ZnSnO_(3)heterostructures have been obtained by a simple hydrothermal method without additional annealing process.The structural and composition information are characterized by x-ray diffraction(XRD),field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The acetone sensing properties of pure MWCNTs,ZnSnO_(3)and MWCNTs/ZnSnO_(3)heterostructures are systematically investigated,respectively.The results show that MWCNTs/ZnSnO_(3)heterostructures have better sensing properties compared with pure MWCNTs and ZnSnO_(3)sample.Specifically,MWCNTs/ZnSnO_(3)heterostructures exhibit not only high responses of 24.1 and rapid response/recovery speed of 1 s/9 s to 100 ppm acetone,but also relatively good repeatability and long-term stability.The enhanced sensing performance is analyzed in detail.In addition,this work provides the experimental and theory basis for synthesis of high-performance MWCNT-based chemical sensors.

Benzene and Toluene Levels Measured with DOAS During Vehicular Restrictions in Beijing

Measurements of atmospheric benzene and toluene were carried out continuously using dif- ferential optical absorption spectroscopy from August 7 to August 28 in Beijing during the period of vehicular restrictions. The correlations between traffic flows and totals of benzene and toluene were studied during the period of vehicular traffic restrictions from August 17 to August 20 and non-traffic restrictions on August 16 and August 21. The correlation coef- ficient was 0.8 between benzene and toluene. And the calculated daily mean value ratios of benzene to toluene were 0.43-0.50. During the period of vehicular restrictions, traffic flows were reduced about 11.8% and the levels of benzene and toluene were reduced by 11.4% and 12.8%, respectively. The vehicle emissions were recognized as the major sources for atmospheric benzene and toluene in Beijing.

Mass Spectrometry Study of OH-initiated Photooxidation of Toluene

The composition of products formed from photooxidation of the aromatic hydrocarbon toluene was investigated. The OH-initiated photooxidation experiments were conducted by irradiating toluene/CH3ONO/NO/air mixtures in a smog chamber, the gaseous products were detected under the supersonic beam conditions by utilizing vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometer using synchrotron radiation in real-time. And an aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer was used to provide on-line measurements of the individual secondary organic aerosol particle resulting from irradiating toluene. The experimental results demonstrated that there were some differences between the gaseous products and that of particle-phase, the products of glyoxal, 2-hydroxyl-3-oxo-butanal, nitrotoluene, and methyl-nitrophenol only existed in the particle-phase. However, furane, methylglyoxal, 2-methylfurane, benzaldehyde, cresol, and benzoic acid were the predominant photooxidation products in both the gas phase and particle phase.

Study on ternary polymerization of toluene diisocyanate

For the production of reactive polyurethane cross-linkinger and curing agents, 2, 4-diisocyanate toluene （TDI） terpolymer, which possesses the rigid structures of hexatomic ring and three reactive functional groups, was synthesized and characterized by the Fourier transform infrared （FFIR）, the gel permeation chromatography （GPC） and the chemical analysis methods. The reaction conditions were studied and optimized. A tracking research on the polymerization process of TDI was taken by using the GPC. The formation processes of the terpolymer, oligomers and higher-polymers were also dealt with. Results show that the TDI terpolymer can be prepared in the presence of Cat-3 catalyst and at the reaction temperature of （60 ±2）℃. The reaction time is short, its outcomes have narrow molecular weights distribution, namely molecular weights from 530 to 550, Mw/Mn =1.10, and the mass fraction of NCO is （25. 0 ± 0. 5）%. With the reaction time prolonging, however, TDI can be further higher-polymedzed to form higher-polymers. Benzoyl chloride （0. 4%, mass fraction）, as the stabilizing agent, can effectively inhibit the occurrence of higher-polymerization. The obtained TDI terpolymer can be stable for more than half a year.

Synthesis of Pharmaceutical Intermediates by Toluene Benzylation over Heteropoly Acids on Different Support

Selective formation of pharmaceutical intermediates like diphenylmethane, dimethyldiphenylmethane, benzyl toluene and benzoic acid by liquid phase, toluene benzylation with benzyl chloride as a benzylating agent, was systematically studied over plane clay （K-10, montmorillonite）, plane H-Beta, plane MFI structured titanosilicate （TS-1） and heteropoly acids [HPA, namely dodecatungstophosphoric acid [H3PO4.12WOa-xH2O] （TPA）, dodeca-molybdo phosphoric acid ammonium salt hydrate [H12Mo12N3040P＋aq] （DMAA）, sodium tungstate hydrated purified [Na12WO4.2H2O] （STH）] supported on clay, H-beta and TS-1. The 20%TPA/Clay, 30%TPA/H-Beta and 30%TPA/TS-1, were observed to be the best catalyst samples over plane clay, plane H-Beta and plane TS-1. The catalyst samples are compared with respect to benzyl chloride conversion and selectivities for diphenylmethane, dimethyl-diphenylmethane, benzyl toluene and benzoic acid. The reaction follows the pseudo-first order rate power law model. The apparent rate constants are calculated and compared with the reported ones.

Tert-butylation of Toluene with Tert-butyl Alcohol over Realuminated H-mordenite Zeolite

The realuminated H-mordenite catalysts （HM1-4） treated with different concentrations of NaOH and NaAlO2 aqueous solutions were prepared, and characterized by inductively coupled plasma （ICP）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR） and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, They are of lower Si/AI ratio and higher acid amount while keeping a high relative crystallinity. Their catalytic performances were evaluated with the liquid-phase tert-butylation of toluene with tert-butyl alcohol in a 100 ml stainless steel batch reactor equipped with a stirrer. HM2 zeolite catalyst, obtained by treating HM in 0.1 mol.L-1 NaOH followed by 0.05 mol·L^-1 NaAlO2 aqueous solution, shows a higher catalytic activity because of its highest acid amount. For HM2 catalyst the influences of reaction conditions on catalytic performance were investigated. The conversion of toluene is 50.3% and the selectivity ofp-tert-butyltoluene is 74.7% at a temperature of 180℃, 2 of molar ratio of tert-butyl alcohol to toluene, 4h of reaction time and 0.2 of M（catalyst）/M（toluene）.

Alkylation of Toluene with 1,3-Pentadiene over [bupy]BF4-AlCl3 Ionic Liquid Catalyst

The alkylation of toluene with 1,3-pentadiene to produce pentyltoluene was carded out to obtain 2,6-dimethylnaphalene, which is an important intermediate during the production of 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid. Based on our previous work using anhydrous AlCl3 as catalyst, [bupy]BF4-AlCl3 ionic liquids were employed to catalyze the reaction of 1,3-pentadiene with toluene. The experimental results show that [bupy]BF4-AlCl3 ionic liquids are suitable for the reaction especially when the molar ratio of AlCl3 to [bupy]BF4 is 1.75 ： 1, and the reaction could proceed at the temperature as low as 0℃. It could be as active as pure AlCl3, but much more environmentally friendly.

Theoretical Investigation on Photoionization and Dissociative Photoionization of Toluene

The photoionization and dissociation photoionization of toluene have been studied using quantum chemistry methods. The geometries and frequencies of the reactants, transition states and products have been performed at B3LYP/6-311＋＋G（d,p） level, and single-point energy calculations for all the stationary points were carried out at DFT calculations of the optimized structures with the G3B3 level. The ionization energies of toluene and the ap- pearance energies for major fragment ions, C7H7＋, C6H5＋, C5H6＋, C5H5＋, are determined to be 8.90, 11.15 or 11.03, 12.72, 13.69, 16.28 eV, respectively, which are all in good agree- ment with published experimental data. With the help of available published experimental data and theoretical results, four dissociative photoionization channels have been proposed： CTHT＋＋H, C6Hs＋＋CH3, C5H6＋WC2H2, CsHs＋＋C2H2＋H. Transition structures and intermediates for those isomerization processes are determined in this work. Especially, the structures of C5H6＋ and C5H5＋ produced by dissociative photoionization of toluene have been defined as chain structure in this work with theoretical calculations.

Influences of process parameters on solvent-free toluene oxidation over Au /γ-MnO_2 catalyst

γ-MnO2 nanorobs and Au/γ-MnO2 catalysts were synthesized and characterized by the X-ray powder diffraction XRD the scanning electron microscope SEM and transmission electron microscope TEM . The characterizations show that Au particles are well dispersed on the surface of γ-MnO2 nanorobs with a particle size of about 10 nm.The catalytic performance is evaluated in solvent-free toluene oxidation with oxygen. The influences of several process parameters such as reaction time reaction temperature initial oxygen pressure and catalyst amounts on the catalytic performance are studied.Catalytic results reveal that Au/γ-MnO2 catalyst has a unique selectivity to benzaldehyde and all these factors greatly influence the conversion of toluene and selectivity of bezaldehyde benzoic acid and benzyl benzoate.However these factors have slight influence on the selectivity of benzyl alcohol.

SYNTHESIS OF (~3H-METHYL) TRINITROTOLUENE AND ITS APPLICATION TO TOXICOLOGICAL STUDY

In this paper, (2H- methyl) toluene was prepared by catalysed halogen- tritium substitution method from benzyl bromide, then it was nitrated to produce (8H- methyl) trinitrotoluene. The tritiated product was purified by thin- layer chromatography. At last, the pure 3H- TNT was obtained with specific radioactivity of 3.77 GBq/mmol. Radiochemical purity was over 98% and the ultraviolet absorption spectrum of tritiated TNT was conformed with that of standard sample. Using 3H- TNT as a tracer, its toxicokinetics was sudied in rats. The results showed that the toxicokinetics characteristics of TNT were quickly absorbed into the blood, Vd】2L/kg.h, long T1/2β and fixed accumulation with four routes of administration, TNT and its metabolites were mainly excreted by the urine. The half- life of TNT in the urine were 1,1- 24h. A trace of radioactivity of 3H- TNT and its metabolites could be detected in the urine on 7th day after administration (9.25×106Bq/kg).

Photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of toluene and its derivatives to aldehydes on Pd/Bi_2WO_6

The selective oxidation of toluene and its derivatives is extremely important in the chemical industry.The use of photocatalysis in organic synthesis has attracted considerable attention among synthetic chemists because of its ＂green＂ environmental characteristics.In this study,nanoscale Bi_2WO_6with a flower-like morphology was found to be a highly efficient photocatalyst in the catalytic oxidation of toluene and its derivatives using O_2 as the oxidant.The loading of Pd nanoparticles as a cocatalyst onto the flower-like Bi_2WO_6 was found to produce a significant enhancement in the catalytic activity.Mechanistic investigation showed that the superior performance of Pd/Bi_2WO_6 could be attributed to the improvement of both the reductive and oxidative abilities of Bi_2WO_6 by the loading of the cocatalyst.