Phosphorus promotion and poisoning in zeolite-based materials: synthesis, characterisation and catalysis.

Phosphorus and microporous aluminosilicates, better known as zeolites, have a unique but poorly understood relationship. For example, phosphatation of the industrially important zeolite H-ZSM-5 is a well-known, relatively inexpensive and seemingly straightforward post-synthetic modification applied by the chemical industry not only to alter its hydrothermal stability and acidity, but also to increase its selectivity towards light olefins in hydrocarbon catalysis. On the other hand, phosphorus poisoning of zeolite-based catalysts, which are used for removing nitrogen oxides from exhaust fuels, poses a problem for their use in diesel engine catalysts. Despite the wide impact of phosphorus-zeolite chemistry, the exact physicochemical processes that take place require a more profound understanding. This review article provides the reader with a comprehensive and state-of-the-art overview of the academic literature, from the first reports in the late 1970s until the most recent studies. In the first part an in-depth analysis is undertaken, which will reveal universal physicochemical and structural effects of phosphorus-zeolite chemistry on the framework structure, accessibility, and strength of acid sites. The second part discusses the hydrothermal stability of zeolites and clarifies the promotional role that phosphorus plays. The third part of the review paper links the structural and physicochemical effects of phosphorus on zeolite materials with their catalytic performance in a variety of catalytic processes, including alkylation of aromatics, catalytic cracking, methanol-to-hydrocarbon processing, dehydration of bioalcohol, and ammonia selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx. Based on these insights, we discuss potential applications and important directions for further research.

High-throughput investigation of catalysts for JP-8 fuel cracking to liquefied petroleum gas.

Portable power technologies for military applications necessitate the production of fuels similar to LPG from existing feedstocks. Catalytic cracking of military jet fuel to form a mixture of C2-C4 hydrocarbons was investigated using high-throughput experimentation. Cracking experiments were performed in a gas-phase, 16-sample high-throughput reactor. Zeolite ZSM-5 catalysts with low Si/Al ratios (≤25) demonstrated the highest production of C2-C4 hydrocarbons at moderate reaction temperatures (623-823 K). ZSM-5 catalysts were optimized for JP-8 cracking activity to LPG through varying reaction temperature and framework Si/Al ratio. The reducing atmosphere required during catalytic cracking resulted in coking of the catalyst and a commensurate decrease in conversion rate. Rare earth metal promoters for ZSM-5 catalysts were screened to reduce coking deactivation rates, while noble metal promoters reduced onset temperatures for coke burnoff regeneration.

Co-deoxy-liquefaction of biomass and vegetable oil to hydrocarbon oil: Influence of temperature, residence time, and catalyst.

Co-deoxy-liquefaction of biomass and vegetable oil was investigated under the conditions of different temperatures (350-500 °C) and residence time as well as catalyst using HZSM-5. Results suggested low temperature was favorable for the formation of diesel-like products, while high temperature caused more gasoline-like products. By the addition of HZSM-5, at 450 °C alkanes content of the obtained oil with low oxygen content of 2.28%, reached a maximum of 56.27%, resulting in the highest HHV of 43.8 MJ kg(-1). High temperature favored cracking activity of HZSM-5 which reduced the char formation and contributed to the removal of carbonyl. Compared to temperature, the effect of residence time on products was relatively less; experiments indicated the optimum residence time was 15 min at which obtained oil with the highest yield of 17.78%, had better properties. Preliminary analysis of mechanisms showed biomass provided hydrogen for vegetable oil, facilitating hydrogenation of CC bonds of vegetable oil.

Production of hydrocarbon fuels from pyrolysis of soybean oils using a basic catalyst.

Triglycerides obtained from animals and plants have attracted great attention from researchers for developing an environmental friendly and high-quality fuel, free of nitrogen and sulfur. In the present work, the production of biofuel by catalytic cracking of soybean oil over a basic catalyst in a continuous pyrolysis reactor at atmospheric pressure has been studied. Experiments were designed to study the effect of different types of catalysts on the yield and acid value of the diesel and gasoline fractions from the pyrolytic oil. It was found that basic catalyst gave a product with relatively low acid number. These pyrolytic oils were also further reacted with alcohol in order to decrease their acid value. After esterification, the physico-chemical properties of these biofuels were characterized, and compared with Chinese specifications for conventional diesel fuels. The results showed that esterification of pyrolytic oil from triglycerides represents an alternative technique for producing biofuels from soybean oils with characteristics similar to those of petroleum fuels.

A facile route to diastereomeric phosphorus ylides. Chemoselective synthesis of dialkyl (E)-2-[1-(2-oxocyclopentylidene)ethyl]-2-butenedioates.

2-Acetylcyclopentanone undergoes a smooth reaction with triphenylphosphine and dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates to produce dialkyl 2-(1-acetyl-2-oxocyclopentyl)-3-(1,1,1-triphenyl-lambda(5)-phosphanylidene)succinates. These compounds undergo intramolecular Wittig reactions in boiling benzene to produce highly strained spirocyclobutene derivatives, which spontaneously undergo ring-opening reactions to produce dialkyl (E)-2-[1-(2-oxocyclopentyliden)ethyl]-2-butenedioates.

Evidence for organic synthesis in high temperature aqueous media--facts and prognosis.

Hydrothermal systems are common along the active tectonic areas of the earth. Potential sites being studied for organic matter alteration and possible organic synthesis are spreading ridges, off-axis systems, back-arc activity, hot spots, volcanism, and subduction. Organic matter alteration, primarily reductive and generally from immature organic detritus, occurs in these high temperature and rapid fluid flow hydrothermal regimes. Hot circulating water (temperature range - warm to >400 degrees C) is responsible for these molecular alterations, expulsion and migration. Compounds that are obviously synthesized are minor components because they are generally masked by the pyrolysis products formed from contemporary natural organic precursors. Heterocyclic sulfur compounds have been identified in high temperature zones and hydrothermal petroleums of the Guaymas Basin vent systems. They can be interpreted as being synthesized from formaldehyde and sulfur or HS kappa- in the hydrothermal fluids. Other products from potential synthesis reactions have not yet been found in the natural systems but are expected based on known industrial processes and inferences from experimental simulation data. Various industrial processes have been reviewed and are of relevance to hydrothermal synthesis of organic compounds. The reactivity of organic compounds in hot water (200-350 degrees C) has been studied in autoclaves, and supercritical water as a medium for chemistry has also been evaluated. This high temperature aqueous organic chemistry and the strong reducing conditions of the natural systems suggest this as an important route to produce organic compounds on the primitive earth. Thus a better understanding of the potential syntheses of organic compounds in hydrothermal systems will require investigations of the chemistry of condensation, autocatalysis, catalysis and hydrolysis reactions in aqueous mineral buffered systems over a range of temperatures from warm to >400 degrees C.

Role of minerals in thermal alteration of organic matter--II: a material balance.

Pyrolysis experiments were performed on Green River and Monterey Formation kerogens (Types I and II, respectively) with and without calcite, illite, or montmorillonite at 300 degrees C for 2 to 1,000 hours under dry and hydrous conditions. Pyrolysis products were identified and quantified, and a material balance of product and reactants resulted. Significant differences were found in the products generated by pyrolysis of kerogens with and without minerals. Both illite and montmorillonite adsorb a considerable portion (up to 80%) of the generated bitumen. The adsorbed bitumen is almost exclusively composed of polar compounds and asphaltenes that crack to yield low molecular weight compounds and insoluble pyrobitumen during prolonged heating. Montmorillonite shows the most pronounced adsorptive and catalytic effects. With calcite however, the pyrolysis products are similar to those from kerogen heated alone, and bitumen adsorption is negligible. Applying these results to maturation of organic matter in natural environments, we suggest that a given type of organic matter associated with different minerals in source rocks will yield different products. Furthermore, the different adsorption capacities of minerals exert a significant influence on the migration of polar and high molecular weight compounds generated from the breakdown of kerogen. Therefore, the overall accumulated products from carbonate source rocks are mainly heavy oils with some gas, whereas light oils and gases are the main products from source rocks that contain expandable clays with catalytic and adsorptive properties.