The Effect of Water Co-Feeding on the Catalytic Performance of Zn/HZSM-5 in Ethylene Aromatization Reactions.

During the methanol-to-aromatics (MTA) process, a large amount of water is generated, while the influence and mechanism of water on the activity and selectivity of the light olefin aromatization reaction are still unclear. Therefore, a study was conducted to systematically investigate the effects of water on the reactivity and the product distribution in ethylene aromatization using infrared spectroscopy (IR), intelligent gravitation analyzer (IGA), and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) characterizations. The results demonstrated that the presence of water reduced ethylene conversion and aromatic selectivity while increasing hydrogen selectivity at the same contact time. This indicated that water had an effect on the reaction pathway by promoting the dehydrogenation reaction and suppressing the hydrogen transfer reaction. A detailed analysis using linear combination fitting (LCF) of Zn K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) on Zn/HZSM-5 catalysts showed significant variations in the state of existence and the distribution of Zn species on the deactivated catalysts, depending on different reaction atmospheres and water contents. The presence of water strongly hindered the conversion of ZnOH+ species, which served as the active centers for the dehydrogenation reaction, to ZnO on the catalyst. As a result, the dehydrogenation activity remained high in the presence of water. This study using IR and IGA techniques revealed that water on the Zn/HZSM-5 catalyst inhibited the adsorption of ethylene on the zeolite, resulting in a noticeable decrease in ethylene conversion and a decrease in aromatic selectivity. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the aromatization reaction process and provide data support for the design of efficient aromatization catalysts.

A Fine Analysis of Zn Species Structure and Distribution in Zn/ZSM-5 Catalysts by Linear Combination Fitting Analysis of XANES Spectra.

Investigating the distribution of different Zn species on Zn-containing zeolite catalysts is crucial for identifying the active sites and establishing the relationship between the catalyst's structure and its activity in the process of ethylene aromatization. By utilizing X-ray absorption near edge spectra (XANES) of various reference samples, this study employed linear combination fitting (LCF) analysis on XANES spectra of real samples to accurately measure the changes in the distribution of Zn species in Zn-containing HZSM-5 zeolites under different Zn sources and loadings. The results showed that ZnOH+, ZnO clusters, and ZnO crystalline structures coexist in Zn/HZSM-5 catalysts prepared through physical mixing and incipient wet impregnation methods. A similar trend was observed for catalysts prepared using different methods, with an increase in Zn content resulting in a decrease in the proportion of ZnOH+ and a significant increase in the amount of larger ZnO crystals. Furthermore, ZnO clusters were confined within the zeolite pores. The findings of this study established a direct correlation between the amount of ZnOH+ determined through LCF analysis and both the rate of hydrogen production and the rate of aromatics formation, providing strong evidence for the catalytic role of ZnOH+ as an active center for dehydrogenation, which plays a key role in promoting the formation of aromatics. The method of LCF analysis on XANES spectra allows for the determination of the local structure of Zn species, facilitating a more precise analysis based on the distribution of these species. This method not only provides detailed information about the Zn species but also enhances the accuracy of the overall analysis.

Reaction Mechanism for Direct Cyclization of Linear C5 , C6 , and C7 Alkenes over H-ITQ-13 Zeolite Investigated Using Density Functional Theory.

Although dienes or trienes have been shown to be possible precursors for cyclization, direct cyclization of alkenes or alkoxides has not been systematically studied yet. Thus, the reaction mechanism of cyclization of linear alkenes over H-ITQ-13 was investigated here by density functional theory considering dispersive interactions (DFT-D). The similar free energy of different linear alkoxides of the same carbon number suggests that they can co-exist in the H-ITQ-13 intersection at 673.15 K during the methanol to olefins (MTO) process. The formation of linear alkenes by olefins methylation with methoxyl groups (ZOCH3 ), trimethyloxonium ions (TMO+ ), and methanol are kinetically more favorable than by dimerization of olefins. Linear alkoxides or alkenes prefer direct cyclization to cycloalkanes rather than hydride transfer to diene. This study provides new insight into the alkene cyclization and aromatization mechanisms in MTO process.

Surfactant Assembly within Pickering Emulsion Droplets for Fabrication of Interior-Structured Mesoporous Carbon Microspheres.

Large-sized carbon spheres with controllable interior architecture are highly desired, but there is no method to synthesize these materials. Here, we develop a novel method to synthesize interior-structured mesoporous carbon microspheres (MCMs), based on the surfactant assembly within water droplet-confined spaces. Our approach is shown to access a library of unprecedented MCMs such as hollow MCMs, multi-chambered MCMs, bijel-structured MCMs, multi-cored MCMs, "solid" MCMs, and honeycombed MCMs. These novel structures, unattainable for the conventional bulk synthesis even at the same conditions, suggest an intriguing effect arising from the droplet-confined spaces. This synthesis method and the hitherto unfound impact of the droplet-confined spaces on the microstructural evolution open up new horizons in exploring novel materials for innovative applications.

Mechanistic Insights into Ethylene Transformations on Ir(111) by Density Functional Calculations and Microkinetic Modeling.

Ethylidyne, ethane, and carbon monomer formations from ethylene over Ir(111) at different coverages are investigated using density functional theory methods. Two possible reaction mechanisms for ethylidyne formation are investigated. The calculations show that vinyl prefers the dehydrogenation to yield vinylidene (M2) over the hydrogenation to produce ethylidene (M1) kinetically and thermodynamically at 1/9 (1/3) ML. Ethylidyne formation could be a competitive side reaction of ethylene hydrogenation, however, the ethylidyne species does not directly participate in the ethylene hydrogenation mechanism. The mechanism for C monomer formation is also studied. Microkinetic modeling shows that the ethylene hydrogenation reactivity decreases in the sequence Ir(111)>Rh(111)>Pd(111)>Pt(111) under typical hydrogenation conditions. The catalytic activity of ethylene hydrogenation decreases with increased stability of ethylene adsorption and reaction barrier of the rate-limiting step.

A new molybdenum nitride catalyst with rhombohedral MoS2 structure for hydrogenation applications.

Nitrogen-rich transition-metal nitrides hold great promise to be the next-generation catalysts for clean and renewable energy applications. However, incorporation of nitrogen into the crystalline lattices of transition metals is thermodynamically unfavorable at atmospheric pressure; most of the known transition metal nitrides are nitrogen-deficient with molar ratios of N:metal less than a unity. In this work, we have formulated a high-pressure route for the synthesis of a nitrogen-rich molybdenum nitride through a solid-state ion-exchange reaction. The newly discovered nitride, 3R-MoN2, adopts a rhombohedral R3m structure, isotypic with MoS2. This new nitride exhibits catalytic activities that are three times more active than the traditional catalyst MoS2 for the hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene and more than twice as high in the selectivity to hydrogenation. The nitride is also catalytically active in sour methanation of syngas with >80% CO and H2 conversion at 723 K. Our formulated route for the synthesis of 3R-MoN2 is at a moderate pressure of 3.5 GPa and, thus, is feasible for industrial-scale catalyst production.

Glucosamine condensation catalyzed by 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate: mechanistic insight from NMR spectroscopy.

The basic ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2C1Im][OAc]) could efficiently catalyze the conversion of 2-amino-2-deoxy-d-glucose (GlcNH2) into deoxyfructosazine (DOF) and fructosazine (FZ). Mechanistic investigation by NMR studies disclosed that [C2C1Im][OAc], exhibiting strong hydrogen bonding basicity, could coordinate with the hydroxyl and amino groups of GlcNH2via the promotion of hydrogen bonding in bifunctional activation of substrates and further catalyzing product formation, based on which a plausible reaction pathway involved in this homogeneous base-catalyzed reaction was proposed. Hydrogen bonding as an activation force, therefore, is responsible for the remarkable selectivity and rate enhancement observed.

Theoretical insights into the mechanism of olefin elimination in the methanol-to-olefin process over HZSM-5, HMOR, HBEA, and HMCM-22 zeolites.

The mechanism of olefin elimination in the process of methanol-to-olefins (MTO) over a series of zeolites like HZSM-5, HMOR, HBEA, and HMCM-22 was investigated by DFT-D calculations, which is a crucial step that controls the MTO product distribution. The results demonstrate that the manners of olefin elimination are related to the pore structure of zeolite catalyst and the interaction between proton transfer reagent (water or methanol) and zeolite acidic framework. The indirect spiro mechanism is preferable to the direct mechanism over HMOR, HBEA, and HMCM-22 zeolites with large pores, as suggested by the energy barrier of rate-determining step and the potential energy surface (PES), but is unfavorable over HZSM-5 with medium-sized pores due to the steric hindrance of spiro intermediates. Over various zeolites, water and methanol perform differently in proton transfer to form the spiro intermediates; over HMOR and HBEA with strong acidity, water is superior to methanol in promoting propene elimination, whereas over HMCM-22 with relatively weaker acidity, methanol is more favorable as a proton transfer reagent.

Enhancement of the dimethyl ether carbonylation activation via regulating acid sites distribution in FER zeolite framework.

The carbonylation of dimethyl ether (DME) with CO is a key step for ethanol synthesis from syngas, but traditional mordenite (MOR) zeolite shows low catalytic stability. Herein, various FER zeolite nanosheets were prepared with four types of organic templates. The catalytic performance of FER in DME carbonylation is strongly dependent on the location of strong acid site in framework, which can be effectively regulated by altering organic template. FER-MORP sample synthesized with morpholine shows the highest DME conversion of 53%, thus, giving a methyl acetate space-time yield (STYMA) of 0.889 mmol g-1 h-1. DFT calculation, NH3-IR, 1H/27Al/29Si MAS NMR, and in situ DRIFTS results indicate that morpholine directs more Al species, or strong Brønsted acid sites (BAS), to locate in 8-membered ring (8-MR) channels, which not only enhances carbonylation activity but also suppresses formation of coke species. The catalytic performance is well maintained within 4 repeated recycles (∼460 h).

Selective conversion of CO2 to isobutane-enriched C4 alkanes over InZrOx-Beta composite catalyst.

Direct conversion of CO2 to a single specific hydrocarbon with high selectivity is extremely attractive but very challenging. Herein, by employing an InZrOx-Beta composite catalyst in the CO2 hydrogenation, a high selectivity of 53.4% to butane is achieved in hydrocarbons (CO free) under 315 °C and 3.0 MPa, at a CO2 conversion of 20.4%. Various characterizations and DFT calculation reveal that the generation of methanol-related intermediates by CO2 hydrogenation is closely related to the surface oxygen vacancies of InZrOx, which can be tuned through modulating the preparation methods. In contrast, the three-dimensional 12-ring channels of H-Beta conduces to forming higher methylbenzenes and methylnaphthalenes containing isopropyl side-chain, which favors the transformation of methanol-related intermediates to butane through alkyl side-chain elimination and subsequent methylation and hydrogenation. Moreover, the catalytic stability of InZrOx-Beta in the CO2 hydrogenation is considerably improved by a surface silica protection strategy which can effectively inhibit the indium migration.

Molecular dynamics simulation of benzene-propene-cumene mixtures in different phases.

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to study the microscopic configuration and dynamic behavior of mixtures of benzene, propene, and cumene for the cumene synthesis process. The comparisons have been made for the intermolecular radial distribution functions of the binary and ternary mixtures at the conditions that are near, below, and above their respective critical points. The results have shown that in both binary and ternary mixtures propene molecules have a small tendency to cluster in the liquid state, but at supercritical conditions they tend to be uniformly distributed. Contrary to propene, cumene molecules have a tendency to cluster in ternary mixtures. A moderate local density augmentation is also found in the benzene-propene binary supercritical fluid. The excess functions for benzene-propene binary mixtures have shown that there exists an enhancement of the potential energy when benzene mixes with propene. This enhancement provides a rational explanation for the experimental critical properties, which exhibit the behavior of the nonmonotonous dependence of critical pressure on compositions.

Effect of Pretreatment on the Adsorption Performance of Ni/ZnO Adsorbent for Dibenzothiophene Desulfurization.

Ni/ZnO was prepared by co-precipitation and used as adsorbent for reactive adsorption desulfurization (RADS) of dibenzothiophene. The effect of calcination temperature, precipitate washing solvent, and reduction temperature on the adsorption performance of Ni/ZnO was investigated. It is observed that Ni/ZnO adsorbent calcined at 350 °C, washed with ethanol, and unreduced or reduced at low temperature performed best. By the characterization of BET, XRD, TPR, FTIR, and in situ XAFS, the optimal calcination temperature leads to the small crystallite of NiO and ZnO species. Washing with ethanol enhances the surface area of adsorbent and decreases its particle size. The influence of reduction temperature on the RADS performance is stronger than that of calcination temperature, which is ascribed to high-temperature reduction that makes the adsorbent easier to sinter and form a Ni-Zn alloy. The high RADS activity is a result of the adsorbent pretreatment conditions, which can form small Ni and ZnO particles, and the synergism between precursors.

Synthesis of Chainlike ZSM-5 Zeolites: Determination of Synthesis Parameters, Mechanism of Chainlike Morphology Formation, and Their Performance in Selective Adsorption of Xylene Isomers.

Chainlike zeolites are advantageous to various applications as a catalyst or an adsorbent with specific selectivity; however, it is often very difficult to get desired morphology due to the complexity of zeolite synthesis process. In this work, appropriate parameters for the synthesis of perfect chainlike ZSM-5 zeolites were well determined, which illustrates that the chain length can be controlled by the composition of synthesis mixture, the amount of residual alcohol in the synthesis system, and the crystallization time. Moreover, the mechanism of chainlike crystal growth was investigated by analyzing the surface species during the synthesis process, with the help of density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The results indicate that the formation of disk crystals with proper dimension and flat surface having abundant hydroxyl groups is crucial to the growth of chainlike ZSM-5 crystals; the condensation of Si-OH groups on the (010) facet is energetically more favorable than that on other facets, leading to the growth of MFI crystals along the b-orientation. Through finely tuning the multifarious synthesis parameters, chainlike ZSM-5 zeolites with controllable length in b-orientation are obtained without using any other extra organic additives except the necessary template agent such as tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH). Owing to the increased tortuosity of pore channels in the chainlike ZSM-5, the difference between p-xylene and o/m-xylenes in their adsorption behavior and diffusivity is greatly enhanced. These results help to clarify the formation mechanism of zeolites with chainlike morphology and then bring forward an effective approach to get zeolite materials with specific properties in adsorption and catalysis.

Polyurethane Foam-Based Ultramicroporous Carbons for CO2 Capture.

A series of sustainable porous carbon materials were prepared from waste polyurethane foam and investigated for capture of CO2. The effects of preparation conditions, such as precarbonization, KOH to carbon precursor weight ratio, and activation temperature, on the porous structure and CO2 adsorption properties were studied for the purpose of controlling pore sizes and nitrogen content and developing high-performance materials for capture of CO2. The sample prepared at optimum conditions shows CO2 adsorption capacities of 6.67 and 4.33 mmol·g(-1) at 0 and 25 °C under 1 bar, respectively, which are comparable to those of the best reported porous carbons prepared from waste materials. The HCl treatment experiment reveals that about 80% of CO2 adsorption capacity arises from physical adsorption, while the other 20% is due to the chemical adsorption originated from the interaction of basic N groups and CO2 molecules. The relationship between CO2 uptake and pore size at different temperatures indicates that the micropores with pore size smaller than 0.86 and 0.70 nm play a dominant role in the CO2 adsorption at 0 and 25 °C, respectively. It was found that the obtained carbon materials exhibited high recyclability and high selectivity to adsorption of CO2 from the CO2 and N2 mixture.

Preparation of mesoporous carbon from commercial activated carbon with steam activation in the presence of cerium oxide.

Mesoporous carbon was prepared from the commercial activated carbon by steam activation with cerium oxide as catalyst. Steam activation with a catalyst loading of 0.5-2.0 wt% at 680-870 degrees C was examined. The surface area and pore size were evaluated by nitrogen adsorption at 77 K, and the structure of cerium oxide was characterized by XRD, XPS, and TEM. The results showed that the catalyst promoted the development of a mesopore at lower temperature (680-740 degrees C), and the mesopore was concentrated around 4-10 nm. The noncatalytic activation was advantageous in mesopore development and the catalyst would restrict the formation of mesopores at high temperature (800-870 degrees C). Higher loading of cerium oxide and higher activation temperature caused the aggregation of cerium oxide and then resulted in scattered pore size distribution.

Graphene-supported Au-Pd bimetallic nanoparticles with excellent catalytic performance in selective oxidation of methanol to methyl formate.

Graphene supported Au-Pd bimetallic nanoparticles exhibit high catalytic activity in methanol selective oxidation, with a methanol conversion of 90.2% and selectivity of 100%, to methyl formate at 70 °C, owing to the synergism of Au and Pd particles as well as the strong interaction between graphene and Au-Pd nanoparticles.

A comparative investigation of Co2+ and Mn2+ incorporation into aluminophosphates by in situ XAS and DFT computation.

The incorporation processes of Mn2+ and Co2+ into the framework of aluminophosphate molecular sieve AlPO4-5, at the onset of crystallization, were investigated by in situ synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and density functional theory (DFT) computation. The results indicated that the syntheses of MnAPO-5 and CoAPO-5 were different in the incorporation mechanism of metal ions. For the synthesis of CoAPO-5, Co2+ transferred from an octahedral into tetrahedral structure with crystal formation, while, for MnAPO-5, the Mn2+ transition to the tetrahedral structure was much more difficult and it occurred after the appearance of long-range ordered microporous structure. The DFT computations of model intermediates involved in the synthesis process suggested that much higher transformation energy of [Mn(OP(OH)3)4]2+ than that of [Co(OP(OH)3)4]2+ was responsible for the diversity of the incorporation behaviors.