Vapor Phase Hydrogenation of Nitrobenzene to Aniline Over Carbon Supported Ruthenium Catalysts.

A series of Ru/Carbon catalysts (0.5-6.0 wt%) were prepared by impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), CO-chemisorption, surface area and pore-size distribution measurements. The catalytic activities were evaluated for the vapor phase hydrogenation of nitrobenzene. The dispersion measured by CO-uptake values suggests that a decrease of dispersion is observed with increasing Ru loading on carbon support. These findings are well supported by the crystallite size measured from XRD measurements. XPS study reveals the formation of Ru0 after reduction at 573 K for 3 h. The catalysts exhibit high conversion/selectivity at 4.5 wt% Ru loading during hydrogenation reaction. The particle size measured from CO-chemisorption and TEM analysis are related to the TOF during the hydrogenation reaction. Ru/C catalysts are found to show higher conversion/selectivities during hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to aniline.

In situ ATR and DRIFTS studies of the nature of adsorbed CO2 on tetraethylenepentamine films.

CO2 adsorption/desorption onto/from tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) films of 4, 10, and 20 µm thicknesses were studied by in situ attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) techniques under transient conditions. Molar absorption coefficients for adsorbed CO2 were used to determine the CO2 capture capacities and amine efficiencies (CO2/N) of the films in the DRIFTS system. Adsorption of CO2 onto surface and bulk NH2 groups of the 4 µm film produced weakly adsorbed CO2, which can be desorbed at 50 °C by reducing the CO2 partial pressure. These weakly adsorbed CO2 exhibit low ammonium ion intensities and could be in the form of ammonium-carbamate ion pairs and zwitterions. Increasing the film thickness enhanced the surface amine-amine interactions, resulting in strongly adsorbed ion pairs and zwitterions associated with NH and NH2 groups of neighboring amines. These adsorbed species may form an interconnected surface network, which slowed CO2 gas diffusion into and diminished access of the bulk amine groups (or amine efficiency) of the 20 µm film by a minimum of 65%. Desorption of strongly adsorbed CO2 comprising the surface network could occur via dissociation of NH3(+)/NH2(+)···NH2/NH ionic hydrogen bonds beginning from 60 to 80 °C, followed by decomposition of NHCOO(-)/NCOO(-) at 100 °C. These results suggest that faster CO2 diffusion and adsorption/desorption kinetics could be achieved by thinner layers of liquid or immobilized amines.

Vapour phase hydrogenolysis of glycerol over nano Ru/SBA-15 catalysts on the effect of preparatory routes and metal precursors.

The effect of preparation method and metal precursor of ruthenium employed during the preparation of Ru/SBA-15 catalysts were investigated. The catalytic functionalities are evaluated during the vapour phase hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-propyleneglycol, 1,3-propylene glycol and ethylene glycol. The catalysts exhibit high conversion/selectivity for 3 wt%Ru (3Ru/SBA-15) catalysts during glycerol hydrogenolysis. CO-chemisorption results suggest that the variation in the dispersion of Ru on SBA-15 support. These catalysts were characterized by XRD, TPR, TEM, BET surface area, pore size distribution and CO-chemisorption measurements. The Ru/SBA-15 catalysts synthesized from micro-emulsion method and polyol method have shown higher catalytic activity than the samples prepared by impregnation method and deposition-precipitation method. The catalytic behavior during glycerol hydrogenolysis is attributed to the formation of nano particles of ruthenium.

Spectroscopic investigation into oxidative degradation of silica-supported amine sorbents for CO(2) capture.

Oxidative degradation characteristics of silica-supported amine sorbents with varying amounts of tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG; P(200) or P(600) represents PEG with molecular weights of 200 or 600) have been studied by IR and NMR spectroscopy. Thermal treatment of the sorbents and liquid TEPA at 100 °C for 12 h changed their color from white to yellow. The CO(2) capture capacity of the TEPA/SiO(2) sorbents (i.e., SiO(2)-supported TEPA with a TEPA/SiO(2) ratio of 25:75) decreased by more than 60 %. IR and NMR spectroscopy studies showed that the yellow color of the degraded sorbents resulted from the formation of imide species. The imide species, consisting of NH associated with two C=O functional groups, were produced from the oxidation of methylene groups in TEPA. Imide species on the degraded sorbent are not capable of binding CO(2) due to its weak basicity. The addition of P(200) and P(600) to the supported amine sorbents improved both their CO(2) capture capacities and oxidative degradation resistance. IR spectroscopy results also showed that TEPA was immobilized on the SiO(2) surface through hydrogen bonding between amine groups and the silanol groups of SiO(2). The OH groups of PEG interact with NH(2) /NH of TEPA through hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonds disperse TEPA on SiO(2) and block O(2) from accessing TEPA for oxidation. Oxidative degradation resistance and CO(2) capture capacity of the supported amine sorbents can be optimized through adjusting the ratio of hydroxyl to amine groups in the TEPA/PEG mixture.

Dispersion and reactivity of copper catalysts supported on Al2O3-ZrO2.

A series of CuO/Al(2)O(3)-ZrO(2) catalysts with Cu loadings varying from 1.0 to 20 wt % were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of CO(2) and NH(3), electron spin resonance (ESR), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurements. The dispersion and metal area of copper were determined by the N(2)O decomposition method. XRD results suggest that the copper oxide is present in a highly dispersed amorphous state at copper loadings < 10 wt % and as a crystalline CuO phase at higher Cu loadings. ESR results suggest the presence of two types of copper species on the Al(2)O(3)-ZrO(2) support. TPR results suggest well-dispersed copper oxide species at low Cu loadings and crystalline copper oxide species at high Cu loadings. Well-dispersed copper oxide species were reduced more easily than large copper oxide species by H(2). The results of CO(2) TPD suggest that the basicity of the catalysts was found to increase with an increase of copper loading up to 5.0 wt % and decreases with a further increase of copper loading. The results of NH(3) TPD suggest that the acidity of the catalysts was found to decrease with an increase of copper loading up to 5.0 wt % and increases with a further increase of copper loading. The catalytic properties were evaluated for the vapor-phase dehydrogenation of cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone and correlated with the results of CO(2) TPD measurements and the dispersion of Cu on the Al(2)O(3)-ZrO(2) support.