Efficient Conversion of Glucose to Methyl Lactate with Sn-USY: Retro-aldol Activity Promotion by Controlled Ion Exchange.

Sn-USY materials have been prepared through an optimized post-synthetic catalytic metalation procedure. These zeolites displayed, upon ion exchange with alkaline metals, an outstanding activity in the direct transformation of glucose into methyl lactate, yielding more than 70% of the starting glucose as the target product, and an overall combined retro-aldol condensation product yield above 95% in a short reaction time (<4 h). This outstanding catalytic performance is ascribed to the neutralization of Brønsted acid sites, the consequent depression of side reactions, and a higher population of tin open sites in the ion-exchanged Sn-USY zeolites. Reusability tests evidenced some loss of catalytic activity, partially caused by the closing of tin sites, although the use of small amounts of water in the reaction media demonstrated that this deactivation mechanism can be, at least, partially alleviated.

Preparation and characterization of Mg-Zr mixed oxide aerogels and their application as aldol condensation catalysts.

A series of Mg-Zr mixed oxides with different nominal Mg/(Mg+Zr) atomic ratios, namely 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.85, and 1, is prepared by alcogel methodology and fundamental insights into the phases obtained and resulting active sites are studied. Characterization is performed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, N(2) adsorption-desorption isotherms, and thermal and chemical analysis. Cubic Mg(x)Zr(1-x)O(2-x) solid solution, which results from the dissolution of Mg(2+) cations within the cubic ZrO(2) structure, is the main phase detected for the solids with theoretical Mg/(Mg+Zr) atomic ratio ≤0.4. In contrast, the cubic periclase (c-MgO) phase derived from hydroxynitrates or hydroxy precursors predominates in the solid with Mg/(Mg+Zr)=0.85. c-MgO is also incipiently detected in samples with Mg/(Mg+Zr)=0.2 and 0.4, but in these solids the c-MgO phase mostly arises from the segregation of Mg atoms out of the alcogel-derived c-Mg(x)Zr(1-x)O(2-x) phase during the calcination process, and therefore the species c-MgO and c-Mg(x)Zr(1-x)O(2-x) are in close contact. Regarding the intrinsic activity in furfural-acetone aldol condensation in the aqueous phase, these Mg-O-Zr sites located at the interface between c-Mg(x)Zr(1-x)O(2-x) and segregated c-MgO display a much larger intrinsic activity than the other noninterface sites that are present in these catalysts: Mg-O-Mg sites on c-MgO and Mg-O-Zr sites on c-Mg(x)Zr(1-x)O(2-x). The very active Mg-O-Zr sites rapidly deactivate in the furfural-acetone condensation due to the leaching of active phases, deposition of heavy hydrocarbonaceous compounds, and hydration of the c-MgO phase. Nonetheless, these Mg-Zr materials with very high specific surface areas would be suitable solid catalysts for other relevant reactions catalyzed by strong basic sites in nonaqueous environments.

Selective conversion of furfural to maleic anhydride and furan with VO(x)/Al(2)O(3) catalysts.

Furfural can be converted into maleic anhydride (73 % yield) through selective gas phase oxidation at 593 K with O(2) by using VO(x)/Al(2)O(3) (10 at(V) nm(-2)) as solid catalysts. The use of lower temperatures and/or O(2) pressures result in the additional formation of furan (maximum 9 % yield). Mechanistically, furfural (C(5)H(4)O(2)) is oxidized stepwise to furan (C(4)H(4)O), 2-furanone (C(4)H(4)O(2)), and finally, maleic anhydride (C(4)H(2)O(3)). The specific structure of the supported vanadium oxides and reaction conditions (temperature and reactants pressures) all influence furfural oxidation catalysis. We have found that Al(2)O(3)-supported polyvanadates are intrinsically more active (2.70 mmol h(-1) g-at V(-1)) than monovanadates (VO(4)) and V(2)O(5) crystals (0.89 and 0.70 mmol h(-1) g-at V(-1), respectively) in maleic anhydride and furan formation rates (553 K, 1.6 kPa furfural, 2.5 kPa O(2)). Our alternative approach enables the use of biomass instead of petroleum to synthesize maleic anhydride and furan from furfural. The potential variety of industrial applications is of enormous interest for the development of future biorefineries.

Reactivation of a commercial diesel oxidation catalyst by acid washing.

The catalytic activity of samples taken from an oxidation catalyst mounted on diesel-driven automobiles and aged under road conditions was recovered to a significant extent by washing with a dilute solution of citric acid. The characterization of samples arising from a fresh, a vehicle-aged, and a regenerated catalyst was carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Relatively high levels of S and P, in the form of aluminum sulfate and phosphate, respectively, together with contaminant Si were detected in the used catalyst. Washing of the vehicle-aged catalytic oxidation converter revealed high efficiency in the extraction of the main contaminants detected (S and P) by this nondestructive methodology. The results of the experiments reported here should encourage the development of a technology based on this reactivation procedure for the rejuvenation of the catalytic device mounted on diesel exhaust pipes.