N-doped P25 TiO2-amorphous Al2O3 composites: one-step solution combustion preparation and enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity.

Nitrogen-doped Degussa P25 TiO2-amorphous Al2O3 composites were prepared via facile solution combustion. The composites were characterised using X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis light-diffusion reflectance spectrometry (DRS), zeta-potential measurements, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The DRS results showed that TiO2 and amorphous Al2O3 exhibited absorption in the UV region. However, the Al2O3/TiO2 composite exhibited visible-light absorption, which was attributed to N-doping during high-temperature combustion and to alterations in the electronic structure of Ti species induced by the addition of Al. The optimal molar ratio of TiO2 to Al2O3 was 1.5:1, and this composite exhibited a large specific surface area of 152 m2/g, surface positive charges, and enhanced photocatalytic activity. These characteristics enhanced the degradation rate of anionic methylene orange, which was 43.6 times greater than that of pure P25 TiO2. The high visible-light photocatalytic activity was attributed to synthetic effects between amorphous Al2O3 and TiO2, low recombination efficiency of photo-excited electrons and holes, N-doping, and a large specific surface area. Experiments that involved radical scavengers indicated that OH and O2- were the main reactive species. A potential photocatalytic mechanism was also proposed.

Deep extractive and oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene with C5H9NO·SnCl2 coordinated ionic liquid.

A new C5H9NO·SnCl2 coordinated ionic liquid (IL) was prepared by reacting N-methyl-pyrrolidone with anhydrous SnCl2. Desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) via extraction and oxidation with C5H9NO·SnCl2 IL as extractant, H2O2 and equal mol of CH3COOH as oxidants was investigated. The Nernst partition coefficients k(N) of C5H9NO·SnCl2 IL for the DBT in n-octane was above 5.0, showing its excellent extraction ability. During the oxidative desulfurization process, the optimal molar ratio of H2O2/DBT was six. Sulfur removal of DBT in n-octane was 94.8% in 30 min at 30 °C under the conditions of H2O2/DBT molar ratio of six and V (IL):V (oil)=1:3. Moreover, the sulfur removal increased with increasing temperature because of the high reaction rate constant, low viscosity, and high solubility of dibenzothiophene-sulfone in the IL. The kinetics of oxidative desulfurization of DBT was also investigated, and the apparent activation energy was found to be 32.5 kJ/mol. The IL could be recycled six times without a significant decrease in activity.

Photochemical oxidation of thiophene by O2 in an oil/acetonitrile two-phase extraction system.

Photochemical oxidation of thiophene in an n-octane/acetonitrile extraction system using O(2) as oxidant was studied. Results obtained here can be used as a reference for desulfurization of gasoline, because thiophene is one of the main components containing sulfur in fluid catalytic cracking gasoline. A 500-W high-pressure mercury lamp was used as a light source for irradiation, and air was introduced by a gas pump to supply O(2). Thiophene dissolved in nopolar n-octane solvent was photodecomposed and removed into the polar acetonitrile phase. The desulfurization rate of thiophene in n-octane was 65.2% under photoirradiation for 5 h under the conditions of air flow at 150 mL min(-1), and V(n-octane):V(acetonitrile) = 1:1. This can be improved to 96.5% by adding 0.15 g Na-ZSM-5 zeolite into the 100-mL reaction system, which is the absorbent for O(2) and thiophene. Under such conditions, the photooxidation kinetics of thiophene with O(2) and Na-ZSM-5 zeolite is first-order with an apparent rate constant of 0.6297 h(-1) and half-time of 1.10 h. The sulfur content can be reduced from 800 microL L(-1) to 28 microL L(-1).

[Determination of trace copper and zinc in vegetable oils by derivative flame atomic absorption spectrometry combined with flow-injection technique].

A new method was proposed to determine trace copper and zinc in vegetable oils by derivative flame atomic absorption spectrometry combined with flow-injection technique. The flaw that sampling is large and matrix interference was serious in conventional Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS) was overcome by flow-injection sampling technique. The sensitivity and signal selectivity were enhanced when derivative technique was used in flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The results of determinations of copper and zinc in vegetable oils were satisfactory by derivative flame atomic absorption spectrometry combined with flow-injection, which were not done by conventional FAAS or flow-injection FAAS. The sensitivities were 0.004 0 and 0.001 2 microg x mL(-1) for copper and zinc, respectively, and the relative standard deviation was 1.1% -5.1%.