Decomposition of naproxen by plasma in liquid process with TiO2 photocatslysts and hydrogen peroxide.

Naproxen (NPX), one of the representative non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ingredients, was decomposed by plasma in liquid process (PiLP). Strongly oxidized species generated in the plasma field of the PiLP, such as OH radicals, were confirmed by optical emission spectroscopy Increasing the operation parameters (pulse width, frequency and applied voltage) of the power supply promoted plasma field generation and OH radical generation, and affected the NPX decomposition rate. Although the NPX decomposition reaction rate was improved by up to 18-30% by adding TiO2 photocatalyst powder and H2O2 to PiLP, but the optimal addition amount should be determined considering the plasma generation and scavenger effects. A decomposition pathway was proposed, in which NPX was mineralized into CO2 and H2O through five intermediates mainly by decarboxylation, demethylation, hydroxylation, and dehydration reactions via hydroxyl radicals.

Hydrogen Production through Catalytic Water Splitting Using Liquid-Phase Plasma over Bismuth Ferrite Catalyst.

This study examined the H2 production characteristics from a decomposition reaction using liquid-phase plasma with a bismuth ferrite catalyst. The catalyst was prepared using a sol-gel reaction method. The physicochemical and optical properties of bismuth ferrite were analyzed. H2 production was carried out from a distilled water and aqueous methanol solution by direct irradiation via liquid-phase plasma. The catalyst absorbed visible-light over 610 nm. The measured bandgap of the bismuth ferrite was approximately 2.0 eV. The liquid-phase plasma emitted UV and visible-light simultaneously according to optical emission spectrometry. Bismuth ferrite induced a higher H2 production rate than the TiO2 photocatalyst because it responds to both UV and visible light generated from the liquid-phase plasma.

Facile Synthesis of Chromium Oxide on Activated Carbon Electrodes for Electrochemical Capacitor Application.

Chromium oxide/carbon nanocomposites (COCNC) were synthesized by using a liquid phase plasma process, and the electrical properties of the supercapacitor electrode were investigated. Spherical chromium oxide (Cr2O3) nanoparticles with the size of 100-150 nm were dispersed uniformly on activated carbon powder surface. The quantity of chromium oxide nanoparticle precipitate increased with increasing LPP reaction time and the specific capacitance of COCNC increased with increasing LPP reaction time.

H2 Production from Yellow Poplar Gasification Over Ni/Spent FCC.

Ni/spent FCC catalyst was applied as the catalyst on the catalytic pyrolysis and gasification of yellow poplar (YP). Larger amount of gas (CO, CO2, H2, C1~C4) was produced by applying Ni/spent FCC catalyst to the catalytic pyrolysis and gasification of YP. Ni/spent FCC catalyst also increased the selectivity of phenols and aromatic hydrocarbons in oil product during the pyrolysis and gasification of YP. Overall catalytic performance of Ni/spent FCC catalyst was similar level with that of Ni/γ-Al2O3, suggesting its potential use.

Catalytic Performance of Supported Pd Catalyst Prepared with Different Palladium Precursors for Catalytic Combustion of BTH.

Catalytic combustion of benzene, toluene, and hexane (BTH) was carried out to investigate in this study the effect of palladium precursor on the property and performance of 1 wt.% Pd/γ-Al2O3. Properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) surface area, temperature programmed reduction (TPR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. When palladium precursor was used to prepare the catalyst, it had a great effect on the property and performance of the supported palladium catalyst. Total acidity, size of palladium particle, and oxidation state of palladium were associated with catalytic activity of the catalyst. Higher total acidity of the catalyst and larger particle size of palladium favorably affected the catalytic activity. In addition, palladium species with high oxidation state might be useful to increase catalytic activity in BTH combustion.

Adsorption of Nitrate and Phosphate on Basalt Based Nanostructured Zeolite 13X.

In this work, we prepared basalt based nanostructured zeolite 13X by alkali fusion and hydrothermal synthesis process. The sample prepared was characterized using XRD, SEM, and low-temperature nitrogen analysis. The adsorption equilibrium and kinetic characteristics of ammonia nitrogen (NH+4-N) and phosphate phosphorus (PO3-4-P) were investigated. It was found that the basalt based nanostructured zeolite 13X showed high adsorption capacities for NH+4-N (75 mg/g) and PO3-4-P (25 mg/g) under the experimental conditions used. Our results demonstrate that basalt based zeolite 13X can be a good alternative adsorbent for the simultaneously removal of NH+4-N and PO3-4-P from aqueous solution.

In-Situ Catalytic Pyrolysis of Waste Lignin Over Desilicated Beta.

Desilicated Beta (DeBeta) was applied as the catalyst to the catalytic pyrolysis of waste lignin for the formation of aromatic hydrocarbon, and its performance was compared with that of the unmodified Beta. Large amounts of oxygen containing pyrolyzates were efficiently converted to stable aromatic hydrocarbons over both Beta and DeBeta catalysts. Compared to Beta, DeBeta exhibited the higher performance for the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons due to the enhanced diffusion efficiency through the mesopore.

Catalytic Pyrolysis of Municipal Plastic Film Wastes Over Nanoporous Al-MCM-41.

A mesoporous material, Al-MCM-41, was applied to the catalytic pyrolysis of municipal plastic film waste (MPFW) to produce large amounts of valuable hydrocarbons. Compared to non-catalytic pyrolysis, the catalytic pyrolysis of MPFW over Al-MCM-41 revealed a lower decomposition temperature and activation energy upon thermogravimetric analysis. Heavy aliphatic hydrocarbons, which are the major products of non-catalytic pyrolysis, were cracked into small hydrocarbons and converted efficiently to aromatic hydrocarbons by catalytic pyrolysis over Al-MCM-41. The activity of catalytic conversion was enhanced by increasing the catalyst to reactant ratio.

Precipitation of Nickel Oxide on TiO2 Photocatalysts for Enhanced Visible Degradation Activity.

The liquid phase plasma (LPP) synthetic process has been exploited to synthesize nickel oxide nanoparticles doped TiO2 photocatalyst (NOTP) that can respond to visible light. The physicochemical properties of NOTPs were studied by several analysis instruments. The nickel oxide nanoparticles precipitated uniformly on the TiO2 powder are mostly NiO. The band gap energy of the NOTP measured was 2.99 eV, which was smaller than that of bare TiO2, 3.12 eV. The NOTP synthesized in this work showed high photoactivity under visible blue light.

Catalytic Pyrolysis of Korean Pine (Pinus koraiensis) Nut Shell Over Mesoporous Al2O3.

The catalytic pyrolysis of waste Korean pine nut shell (KPNS) over mesoporous Al2O3 was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and pyrolyzer-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). TGA results showed that the thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of KPNS over mesoporous Al2O3 has the same decomposition temperature. On the other hand, the maximum decomposition for the catalytic pyrolysis of KPNS over commercial-Al2O3 shifted to a higher temperature. The Py-GC/MS results indicated that large amounts of oxygen-containing pyrolyzates, such as acids, furans, levoglucosan, and phenols, were produced by the non-catalytic pyrolysis of KPNS. These oxygen-containing pyrolyzates were upgraded efficiently into aromatic hydrocarbons by applying Al2O3 catalysts. Between the two Al2O3 catalysts, mesoporous Al2O3 showed better performance on the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons via the catalytic pyrolysis of KPNS than commercial Al2O3 because of its uniform larger pores.

Characterization of Pt-Based Catalyst by Consecutive Experiments of Toluene Oxidation.

Catalytic oxidation of toluene was carried out to investigate the effect of consecutive run on the catalytic property and performance of 1 wt.% Pt/γ-Al2O3 and the reduced 1 wt.% Pt/γ-Al2O3. The properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), the Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) surface area, temperature programmed reduction (TPR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. In consecutive experiments the second catalytic run resulted in a significant increase of the toluene conversion compared to the first catalytic run, but the toluene conversion in the third catalytic run was similar to that of the second catalytic run. In addition, the reducing treatment of the catalyst led to an increase in the catalytic activity. The increasing catalytic activity in consecutive runs was dependent on the platinum particle size and the oxidation state of the platinum. The increase in platinum particle size during reaction and the reduction in the oxidation state of platinum by hydrogen pretreatment were responsible for the increase in the catalytic activity.

Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle on Activated Carbon Using Liquid Phase Plasma Method.

Zinc oxide/activated carbon nanocomposites were synthesized by impregnating zinc oxide nanoparticles onto activated carbon powder using liquid phase plasma (LPP) method. Zinc oxide nanoparticles on the surface of activated carbon were fabricated rapidly by the LPP method due to reducing the zinc ion in aqueous solution. The obtained zinc oxide/activated carbon nanocomposites were characterized by XPS, HRTEM, and EDS. The amount of zinc oxide nanoparticles impregnated increased with increasing initial precursor concentration. Approximately 150~300 nm sized spherical shaped nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the surface of activated carbon powder.

Hydrodeoxygenation of Pyrolysis Bio-Oil Over Ni Impregnated Mesoporous Materials.

The catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of bio-oil over Ni-supported mesoporous materials was performed using a high pressure autoclave reactor. The actual pyrolysis oil of cork oak wood was used as a sample, and Ni/Al-SBA-15 and Ni/Al-MSU-F were used as catalysts. In addition, supercritical ethanol was added as solvent. Both Ni-supported mesoporous catalysts showed efficient HDO reaction ability. A higher heating value and pH of bio-oil were achieved by the HDO reaction over both catalysts and upgraded bio-oil had a lower viscosity. Compared to Ni/Al-MSU-F, Ni/Al- SBA-15 produced more upgraded bio-oil with a lower oxygen content and higher heating value via a catalytic HDO process.

Catalytic Pyrolysis of Organosolv and Klason Lignin Over Al-SBA-15.

The catalytic pyrolysis of two types of lignin, organosolv and klason lignin, which were extracted from miscanthus, over Al-SBA-15 was carried out using a thermogravimetric (TG) analyzer and a pyroyzer-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Although Al-SBA-15 has weak acidity, the large molecular phenolic pyrolyzates of lignin were converted effectively into small molecular phenols and aromatic hydrocarbons due to the large pore size of Al-SBA-15. Compared to klason lignin, organosolv lignin produced larger amounts of valuable chemicals, such as mono-phenol, mono-aromatics, and furans, by catalytic pyrolysis over Al-SBA-15.

Removal of Food Waste Odor Using Nanoporous Carbon Adsorbents.

The removal of acetaldehyde, which is one of main components of food waste odor was investigated using biomass char as a nanoporous carbon absorbent. The biomass char adsorbent obtained from the pyrolysis of Geodae-Uksae was modified by the water and KOH treatment. The modified char absorbent had a higher acetaldehyde removal efficiency than nanoporous CMK-8 possibly due to its high oxygen and nitrogen functional groups.

Nanostructured Biomass Based Carbon Materials from Beer Lees for Hydrogen Storage.

The present work describes the preparation of carbon materials from beer lees and their hydrogen adsorption abilities. Activated carbons (ACs) from beer lees were prepared through chemical activation using potassium hydroxide as an activating agent. The low temperature nitrogen adsorption isotherm studies on prepared ACs were conducted at 77 K to determine their physical properties and adsorption energy distribution. The beer lees based carbons have energetically heterogeneous surfaces and high surface area ranging from 1927-2408 m2/g. ACs prepared in this study show the gravimetric hydrogen adsorption capacity of 2.43-2.92 wt% depending on their physical properties.

Effect of Stabilizing Agents on the Synthesis of Palladium Nanoparticles.

The effects of stabilizing agents and the reaction conditions on the synthesis of palladium nanoparticles were examined. Palladium nanoparticles were prepared using palladium (II) chloride (PdCl2) as a precursor and sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as the reducing agent. Polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide were used as the stabilizing agents. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the prepared palladium nanoparticles. The size of the palladium nanoparticles was dependent on the concentration of the precursor, reaction temperature, and stirring rate. The stabilizing agents had an effect on the morphology of the palladium nanoparticles.

Low Permeable Hydrocarbon Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for Vanadium Redox Flow Battery.

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) confirms the life span of vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). Products from Dupont, Nafion membrane, is mainly used for PEM in VRFB. However, permeation of vanadium ion occurs because of Nafion's high permeability. Therefore, the efficiency of VRFB decreases and the prices becomes higher, which hinders VRFB's commercialization. In order to solve this problem, poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) is sulfonated for the preparation of low-priced hydrocarbon polymer electrolyte membrane. sPPO membrane is characterized by fundamental properties and VRFB cell test.

The Effects of Pore Volume and Compressive Strength on the Nano-Sized Recycling Material Mixtures.

In this study, the effect on pore volume and compressive strength was investigated using nano-sized blast furnace slag (BFS), fly ash (FA), and desulfurized gypsum (DG). In the chemical compositions of BFS and FA, the sum of the four ingredients, CaO, SiO2, A12O3, and MgO were shown to account for 97% and 87%, respectively. Particles smaller than 50 nm were shown to be distributed in the range of 47.9% to 50.7%, particles larger than 50 nm but smaller than 100 nm were distributed in the range of 19.0% to 29.1%, and particles sized 100 nm or larger were shown to be distributed in the range of 21.3% to 23.2%. As a result of analysis carried out using an scanning electron microscope (SEM), it was found that BFS, FA, and DS are mixtures of smooth spherical particles and unevenly shaped materials. As to the dependence of pore volume, which depends on pore size and compressive strength, the volume of pores of sizes between 3 and 10 nm showed a proportional trend where volume increases and, as a result, compressive strength also increases as the material age increases. Moreover, the volume of pores sized between 10 and 100 nm showed an inversely proportional trend where volume decreases and, as a result, compressive strength also decreases as the material age increases.

Tin Oxide/Carbon Nanocomposites as the Electrode Material for Supercapacitors Using a Liquid Phase Plasma Method.

Tin oxide/carbon nanocomposite (TOCNC) was synthesized using a liquid phase plasma method, to be used as the electrode of supercapacitor. Spherical tin oxide amorphous nanoparticles with the size of 5 nm were dispersed uniformly on activated carbon powder (ACP) surface. The quantity of tin oxide nanoparticle precipitate increased with increasing LPP duration and the specific capacitance of TOCNC increased with increasing LPP duration. The TOCNC prepared through the LPP process showed smaller resistances and larger initial resistance slopes than bare ACP and this effect was intensified by increasing the LPP process duration.