Hydrogenation of Tricyclopentadiene Over Ru Supported on Ordered Nanoporous Silica.

Tetrahydrotricyclopentadine (THTCPD) has been used as a fuel with a high energy density. THTCPD is produced by the hydrogenation of tricyclopentadiene (TCPD). In this study, Ru/nanoporous silica catalysts are utilized as a catalyst for TCPD hydrogenation. Ru/KIT-6 and Ru/SBA-15 show significantly higher activity compared to outcomes over the Ru/kieselguhr catalyst during TCPD hydrogenation. The nanoporous structures of Ru/KIT-6 and Ru/SBA-15 help to overcome the diffusion limitations of reactants and products during the TCPD hydrogenation process. In addition to the diffusion factors, the distribution of Ru crystallites on the support plays an important role in the TCPD hydrogenation activity.

Exome sequencing and subsequent association studies identify five amino acid-altering variants influencing human height.

Height is a highly heritable trait that involves multiple genetic loci. To identify causal variants that influence stature, we sequenced whole exomes of four children with idiopathic short stature. Ninety-five nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) were selected as potential candidate variants. We performed association analysis in 740 cohort individuals and identified 11 nsSNPs in 10 loci (DIS3L2, ZBTB38, FAM154A, PTCH1, TSSC4, KIF18A, GPR133, ACAN, FAM59A, and NINL) associated with adult height (P < 0.05), including five novel loci. Of these, two nsSNPs (TSSC4 and KIF18A loci) were significant at P < 0.05 in the replication study (n = 1,000) and five (ZBTB38, FAM154A, TSSC4, KIF18A, and FAM59A loci) were significant at P < 0.01 in the combined analysis (n = 1,740). Together, the five nsSNPs accounted for approximately 2.5% of the height variation. This study demonstrated the utility of next-generation sequencing in identifying genetic variants and loci associated with complex traits.

Synthesis of Dicyclopentadiene Oligomer Over Nanoporous Al-MCM-41 Catalysts.

One step reaction composed of DCPD oligomerization and DCPD oligomer isomerization was investigated over nanoporous Al-MCM-41 catalysts. The effects of aluminum grafting over MCM-41 on the catalyst characteristics were studied with respect to the synthesis of TCPD isomer. Physical and chemical properties of the catalysts were analyzed by N2 adsorption, temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, and infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine. The overall number of acid sites as well as the number of Lewis acid sites increased with increasing of aluminum content over MCM-41. When utilizing MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41 as the catalyst, DCPD oligomerization reaction activity greatly increased compared to the thermal reaction. The highest TCPD isomer selectivity over the Al-MCM-41 catalyst with the highest aluminum content could be ascribed to the largest amount of acid sites. This study showed an increased level of TCPD isomer selectivity by an increasing level of Lewis acid sites through aluminum addition over MCM-41.