by Amit Ahlawat  , Tarun Kumar Dhiman  , Pratima R. Solanki  and Pawan S. Rana

Received: 24 July 2022;  Published: 03 November 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2204039

Organic compounds are one of the most severe pollutants occurring in the environment. Hence, it is important to remove these compounds from the environment through remediation processes such as photocatalysis. The present study investigated the photocatalytic degradation of p-nitrophenol (NP) and phenol red (PR) using a cerium oxide-titanium oxide nanocomposite (CeO2-TiO2nc) under UV light. CeO2-TiO2nc was synthesized using the co-precipitation method. An X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the phase purity [...]

by Mateus Carvalho  , Ana Paula Oliveira  , Francieli Mayer  , Cesário Virgens  and Maria do Carmo Rangel

Received: 31 August 2022;  Published: 02 November 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2204038

Catalytic pyrolysis is an attractive alternative for converting biomass into energy and chemicals to replace fossil sources. This has encouraged the search for efficient catalysts that can directly remove oxygenated products during pyrolysis, since they are the main problem in the processing and use of the products obtained. The catalytic and non-catalytic pyrolysis of medium density fiber (MDF) over beta zeolite-supported nickel (3 and 5%) was performed using the biomass/catalyst of 1.0/0.2 ratio. The thermokineti [...]

by Elvira A. Guseinova  and Samira R. Safarova

Received: 28 July 2022;  Published: 26 October 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2204037

In this study, we found that adding catalytic cracking feedstock, vacuum gas oil, and naphthenic acids in the amount of 0.005–0.0075% vol. increased the liquid target fractions, i.e., gasoline and light gas oil. The decrease in the yield of hydrocarbon gas at a practically constant degree of conversion of the raw material indicated a small proportion of the reactions of re-cracking of the resulting products. This also indicated the resource-saving nature of the process, allowing a larger amount of gasoline fraction [...]

by Simona Bassoli  , Anett Schallmey  , Julie Oble  , Giovanni Poli  and Alexandre Pradal

Received: 22 July 2022;  Published: 26 October 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2204036

A two-step protocol for the synthesis of aryl-3-hydroxypropanones, which were regarded as lignin degradation products, was proposed herein. This protocol provided a more rapid and easier access to aryl-3-hydroxypropanones, and aryl-3-hydroxypropanones were expected to be ideal platform molecules for the synthesis of more complex value-added targets.

by Manal Al-Eid  , Lianhui Ding  , Donya Sewdan  , Emad N. AL-Shafei  , Rasha Al-Ghamdi  , Abdulaziz Alqarawi  and Essa Al naimi

Received: 13 August 2022;  Published: 17 October 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2204035

Parent ZSM-5 and Ga-modified ZSM-5 catalysts with different Si/Al ratios and particle sizes were prepared. The physicochemical properties of the prepared catalysts were investigated by performing X-ray powder diffraction analysis, BET surface area analysis, and NH3-TPD analysis. The performance of the aromatization reaction of the prepared catalysts was evaluated with 1-hexane as a model compound. The zeolite catalysts with a low SiO2/Al2O3 ratio possessed better activity than those with a high SiO2/Al2O3 ratio. Ga [...]

by Fabiano A.N. Fernandes

Received: 23 August 2022;  Published: 17 October 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2204034

Biodiesel is derived from renewable vegetable or animal sources and is either used as a standalone fuel or blended with oil-based diesel. The kinetic mechanism of the esterification of oleic acid was investigated in a conventional batch reactor and a batch reactor coupled to a water adsorption system. The esterification was performed with oleic acid and methanol at different temperatures (70 to 110 °C) and alcohol-to-oleic acid molar ratios (3:1 to 9:1), using sulfuric acid as a catalyst. A kinetic model was constr [...]

by Binita Boro  , Shivam Porwal  , Dinesh Kumar  , Snehangshu Mishra  , Subrata Ghosh  , Sakshi Kansal  , Amreesh Chandra  and Trilok Singh

Received: 14 August 2022;  Published: 14 October 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2204033

Solar cells based on organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites are popular in the photovoltaic community due to their high efficiency, low cost, and solution processability. Understanding the fundamentals of metal halide perovskite and its interfaces is extremely important for achieving high-quality materials and developing efficient devices using these materials with the necessary properties. Various methodologies have been used to evaluate the excellent optoelectronic properties, efficiency, and stability of PSCs [...]

by Anastasia Skonta  , Elena Gkantzou  , Konstantinos Spyrou  , Stamatia Spyrou  , Angeliki Polydera  , Dimitrios Gournis  and Haralambos Stamatis

Received: 31 July 2022;  Published: 08 October 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2204032

3D printed PLA has already been demonstrated for several biotechnological applications, including enzymes immobilization. The prerequisites for an efficient screening assay include using small volumes of reagents, low cost, and rapid screening of large numbers of compounds and extracts. Hence, assays based on microtiter plates are predominant. Thus, designing and fabricating scaffolds on a similar scale, which could serve as immobilization carriers, and their recruitment in inhibitors screening studies is of great [...]

by Despina Vamvuka  and Christia Loulashi

Received: 24 May 2022;  Published: 29 September 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203031

The present study investigated the co-gasification of two different lignites blended with the forest residue collected from the land restoration activity sites of open-pit mines located in the region of the Ptolemais basin in North Greece performed under the carbon dioxide stream. All samples were devolatilized in a fixed bed unit prior to the gasification evaluations. The gasification evaluations were performed using a thermal analysis system (TG/DTG) operated at temperatures of up to 1000 °C. The reactivity, [...]

by Pari Muradova

Received: 24 June 2022;  Published: 26 September 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203030

In this study, we prepared a fine-grained, aluminum-reinforced alumina support matrix of the active mass of catalysts, which showed activity in heterogeneous catalytic reactions stimulated by electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range. The support absorbed microwave radiation of 2.45 GHz. We compared the textural characteristics of samples of Al/Al2O3 supports obtained by conventional heat treatment to those synthesized by heat treatment in a microwave field. We found several advantages of heat treating poten [...]

by Kuldeep Saini  , Vinay Mohan Pathak  , Arpit Tyagi  and Rani Gupta

Received: 11 June 2022;  Published: 22 September 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203029

Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) is a multifunctional enzyme that hydrolyzes the α-glycosidic bond between two sugar molecules and synthesizes cyclodextrins (CDs) and other transglycosylation products. It is a ubiquitously present extracellular enzyme that offers the CGTase-producing organism the sole right onto starch substrates over other microbes. The present review provides a brief account of diversity among CGTase-producing microbes, CGTase production in different heterologous hosts (wherein ext [...]

by Le Thanh Mai Pham  , Kai Deng  , Trent R. Northen  , Steven W. Singer  , Paul D. Adams  , Blake A. Simmons  and Kenneth L. Sale

Received: 26 July 2022;  Published: 20 September 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203028

Lignin is the most abundant renewable source of aromatics on earth, and conversion of it to chemicals and fuels is needed to build an economically viable renewable biofuels industry. Biological routes to converting lignin to fuels and chemicals involve depolymerizing lignin using lignin-degrading enzymes that catalyze the breaking of ether and carbon-carbon bonds in the phenolic and non-phenolic subunits of lignin. Laccases are a crucial class of lignin-degrading enzymes and are copper-containing enzymes capable of [...]

by Mikhail Kipnis  , Elvira Volnina  , Igor Belostotsky  , Roman Galkin  , Natalya Zhilyaeva  , Ivan Levin  , Sergey Kottsov  and Alexander Ezhov

Received: 09 September 2021;  Published: 19 September 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203027

A precursor CuO/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst for methanol synthesis has been prepared at room temperature by introducing a ternary salt solution into the excess of sodium carbonate solution following the reverse co-precipitation method. The catalyst was tested for the synthesis of methanol from synthesis gas. The composition (vol. %) has been presented: CO, 22; CO2, 5.8; N2, 5.5; H2, balance. The methanol productivity was recorded to be 2.7 kg kgcat–1 h–1 at a temperature of 260 °С, a pressure of 3 MPa, and a [...]

by Gabriel Santos Viana  , Jorge Álef Estevam Lau Bomfim  , Gabriel Pereira da Silva  , José Faustino Souza de Carvalho Filho  , Miriam Sanae Tokumoto  , Fernando Cesário Rangel  and Rosenira Serpa da Cruz

Received: 30 June 2022;  Published: 13 September 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203026

Technological development made in the field of biomass application allows synthesizing several high-value products, such as furfuraldehyde. Furfural, produced through sequential hydrolysis and dehydration reactions from biomass, is considered a platform molecule and a precursor of several other chemicals and biofuels that are generated following reactions such as hydrogenation, hydrodeoxygenation, and decarboxylation. This review aims to reveal the environmental-friendly mechanisms followed for producing furfural d [...]

by Liang Jiang  , Lulu Xie  , Jiao He  , Juanxue Kang  , Wei Wang  and Jiaqiang Wang

Received: 16 July 2022;  Published: 09 September 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203025

TiO2 photocatalyst was prepared using cellulase as a biotemplate through a hydrothermal process. The as-prepared catalyst was characterized based on physicochemical techniques and was used to remove As(III) from contaminated water. The cellulase templated TiO2 photocatalyst (TiO2-cellulase) had a large specific surface area, which reached 166.6 m2·g–1. It also had a strong oxidation ability and, thus, behaved well in both photocatalytic oxidation of As(III) and dark adsorption. The pH of the solution h [...]

by Dafné Silva  , Laís Nerys  , Carlos Silva  , Elizabeth Borba  , Tonny Leite  , Teresinha Silva  and Amanda Sena

Received: 27 May 2022;  Published: 25 August 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203024

Macambira plant (Bromelia laciniosa Mart. Ex Shult. & Schult. f.) is a species belonging to the family Bromeliaceae, which is distributed widely in the hinterlands of northeastern Brazil, from Bahia to Piauí states. The plants of this species contain an enzyme complex named bromelain, which has great potential for therapeutic applications. In the present study, bromelain derived from Bromelia laciniosa leaves was assessed for its thermodynamic properties and in vitro cytotoxic and healing activities. Bro [...]

by Virginia M.R. Menezes  , Gustavo M. Paula  , Liliane A. Lima  , Meiry G.F. Rodrigues  and Fabiano A.N. Fernandes

Received: 05 May 2022;  Published: 16 August 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203023

In this study, we investigated the oligomerization mechanism of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyzed by a cobalt-based catalyst supported by SBA-15. The Co/SBA-15 catalyst contained 20% w/w of cobalt. It was prepared by the wet impregnation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and scanning electron microscopy coupled to X-ray energy dispersion spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The FT synthesis was conducted in a slurry bed reactor operating [...]

by Olushola S. Ayanda  , Cecilia C. Oforkansi  , Omolola H. Aremu  , Oluwakemi E. Ogunjemiluyi  , Ololade L. Olowoyeye  and Cecilia O. Akintayo

Received: 26 June 2022;  Published: 25 July 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203022

In this study, we investigated the degradation of amido black dye in an aqueous solution using ultra-violet (UV) light catalyzed by iron oxide nanoparticles (nano-Fe). The nano-Fe was synthesized by sodium borohydride reduction of ferric chloride solution and was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence spectrophotometry (XRF). The SEM of the nano-Fe showed regular spherical particles, the XRD examination showed a weak and broad peak at Fe (1 1 0), and the [...]

by Anilkumar Mettu  , Ninad Loke  , Vilas Patil  , Rahul Panday  and Sreenivasarao Gajula

Received: 10 January 2022;  Published: 19 July 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203021

In this study, we present selective hydrocracking of poly (di and tri) aromatic compounds to monoaromatics, such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX), over a mixture of Pt/Al2O3 and Y zeolites. The polyaromatic compounds feed is a combined simulated model feed, which is similar to light cycle oil (LCO) in composition. The feed is processed in a fixed bed reactor over a catalyst mixture: in the first step, selective hydrogenation of di and tri-aromatic compounds occurs in the presence of Pt/Al2O3 catalyst, followe [...]

by Luiz Felipe da M. Rocha  , Leonardo C. Ferreira  , Maria de Fatima V. Marques  , Rodrigo S. Bitzer  and Marco Antônio Chaer Nascimento

Received: 18 May 2022;  Published: 06 July 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203020

We synthesized and spectroscopically characterized a new heterotrimetallic {Ti2Ni} ethylene (co)polymerization precatalyst containing one (α-diimine)NiBr2 and two (phenoxy-imine)TiCl4 scaffolds. Its calculated structure was investigated at the DFT B3LYP/LACVP** level. Our calculations showed that the titanium(IV) centers were in a slightly distorted trigonal bipyramidal environment, and the average Ti···Ni distance was 8.76 Å. The precatalyst was used for synthesizing polyethylene a [...]

by Galina Huseynova  , Gulbeniz Muxtarova  , Nushaba Aliyeva  , Gular Gasimova  and Sanubar Rashidova

Received: 05 May 2022;  Published: 05 July 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203019

This article provides an overview of zeolite-containing catalysts used in the alkylation of benzene and toluene with olefins, isobutane with butenes and butane-butene fractions, gasoline and oil fractions with olefins, propane-propylene, and butane-butylene fractions of catalytic cracking. Zeolites have various types of structures, including BEA, MFI, MWW, FAU, etc., which differ in pore size and the number and location of the channels. High-silica zeolites have a large pore volume, high acidity, good hydrothermal [...]

by Jiarui Fang  , Ziheng Li  , Xiruo Bai  , Yichu Zhang  , Jiahui Liu  , Dan Wang  and Ye Yao

Received: 10 May 2022;  Published: 04 July 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203018

TiO2 (001) crystal plane exhibits molecular adsorption and photocatalytic activity. The loading capacity of reactive oxygen species present on crystal planes helps in the significant improvement of catalytic activity. The methods of synthesis and conditions of existence significantly affect the molecular adsorption properties of crystal planes, which in turn affects the ability of the system to load reactive oxygen species. Herein, we report the simulation of the molecular adsorption behavior on the TiO2 (001) usin [...]

by Sabira Sabir Ismayilova  and Sabir Qarsh Amirov

Received: 09 January 2022;  Published: 28 June 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2202017

The kinetics of dearomatization of a kerosene fraction processed using a zeolite catalyst (0.9 HZSM-5) at different temperatures (160-200°C), the molar ratio between the aromatic hydrocarbons present in the kerosene fraction and n-decene (1:(0.5-4)), and the reaction time (1-3 h) were studied. Based on the obtained data, a kinetic model for kerosene dearomatization is proposed. It is assumed that the single-center Riedel mechanism is followed. The stage associated with the interaction between n-decene adsorbed on t [...]

by Jia Yu  , Haiyan Jing  , Zongdeng Wu  , Boyuan Liu  , Wu Lei  and Qingli Hao

Received: 29 April 2022;  Published: 21 June 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2202016

The rational design of efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the key to developing fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Carbon-supported iron-based materials, as the most promising electrocatalysts for ORR, have drawn much attention as they are cost-effective and exhibit high activity. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) Fe3O4-decorated N-doped graphene aerogel (Fe3O4/NGA) catalyst was synthesized following a simple hydrothermal method which was followed by an annealing process. The co [...]

by Hiromi Matsuhashi

Received: 28 April 2022;  Published: 06 June 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2202015

Solid base catalysts consisting of MgO modified with 10 mol% ZnO (ZnO/MgO) were prepared by depositing zinc(II) acetylacetonate (Zn(acac)2) in polar and nonpolar organic solvents on the surface of MgO and Mg(OH)2. The process was followed by thermal decomposition in air at 773 K over a period of 3 h. The activity of MgO modified with Zn(acac)2 for base-catalyzed retroaldol reaction (the decomposition of diacetone alcohol (4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone) to acetone) at 299 K was higher than the activity of unmodifie [...]