A novel method to synthesize amorphous silica-alumina materials with mesoporous distribution without using templates and pore-regulating agents

In this study, a novel sol-gel method is used to synthesize amorphous silica-alumina materials with a narrow mesoporous distribution and various Si/Al molar ratios without using any templates and pore-regulating agents. During the preparation procedure, only inexpensive inorganic salts were used as raw materials, instead of expensive and harmful alkoxides. The precursor sol was dried at room temperature in a vacuum box kept at 60 mmHg until it began to form the gel. The results of a nitrogen sorption experiment indicate that the synthesized materials with different Si/Al molar ratios have similar mesoporous distributions (within 2-12 nm). Moreover, it was found that the material's pore size distribution remains at a similar value during the heat treatment from room temperature to 550 degreesC. On the basis of the nitrogen sorption, TEM, and AFM characterization results, a formation mechanism of mesopores which accounts for the experimental data is also suggested. This suggested mechanism involves rearrangement of the primary particles during the drying process to form the precursors of the similarly sized mesopores. The synthesized materials were characterized by XRD, thermal analysis (TG/DTA), Al-27 and Si-29 MAS NMR spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, and AFM. The results of Al-27 and 29Si MAS NMR indicate that the distribution of silicon and aluminum in the synthesized materials is more uniform and homogeneous than that in the mixed oxides prepared via the traditional sol-gel method even at high alumina contents. The type and density of the acid sites were studied using pyridine adsorption-desorption FTIR spectroscopy. It was shown that the acidity of the synthesized materials is higher than that of the silica-alumina materials prepared by conventional methods.

A column method for determination of soil organic partition coefficients of eight pesticides

A column method was developed to conveniently and reliably determine the soil organic partition coefficients (K-oc) of three insecticides (methiocarb, azinphos-methyl, fenthion), four fungicides (triadimenol, fuberidazole, tebuconazole, pencycuron), and one herbicide (atrazine), in which real soil acted as a stationary phase and the water solution of pesticide as an eluent. The processes of sorption equilibrium were directly shown through a breakthrough curve(BTC). The log K-oc values are 1.69, 1.95, 2.25, 2.55, 2.69, 2.67, 3.10, and 3.33 for atrazine, triadimenol, methiocarb, fuberidazole, azinphos-methyl, tebuconazole, fenthion and pencycuron, respectively.

Soil column chromatography for correlation between capacity factors and soil organic partition coefficients for eight pesticides

A soil column chromatographic method was developed to measure the capacity factors (k') of pesticides, in which soil acted as a stationary phase and methanol-water mixture as an eluent. The k' values of eight pesticides, including three insecticides (methiocarb, azinphos-methyl, fenthion), four fungicides (triadimenol, fuberidazole, tebuconazole, pencycuron), and one herbicide (atrazine), were found to be well fitted to a retention equation, ln k'=ln k(w)'-S-phi. Due to similar interactions of solutes with soil and solvent in both sorption determination and retention experiment, log k' has a good linear correlation with log K-oc for the eight pesticides from different classes, in contrast with poor correlation between log k' from C-18 column and log K-oc. So the method provides a tool for rapid estimation of K-oc from experimental k'. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new method for determination of adsorption and desorption coefficients of pesticides with soil column liquid chromatography

The adsorption and desorption coefficients of atrazine, methiocarb and simazine on a sandy loam soil were measured in this study with soil column liquid chromatographic (SCLC) technique. The adsorption and desorption data of all the three pesticides followed Freundlich isotherms revealing the existence of hysteresis. In comparing with other methods, SCLC method showed some characteristics such as rapidity, online and accuracy.

Highly ordered periodic mesoporous ethanesilica synthesized under neutral conditions

Highly ordered mesoporous ethanesilica (MES) with 2D hexagonal structure was synthesized from 1,2-bis(trimethoxysilyl) ethane under neutral conditions for the first time. Divalent salts, such as NiCl2, MgCl2, ZnCl2, ZnSO4 and Zn(NO3)(2), were used to help the formation of the ordered mesostructure. The MES samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen sorption, transmission electron microscopy, FT-IR, C-13 and Si-29 solid-state NMR and thermal gravimetric analysis. A phase transition from a disordered wormhole-like structure to an ordered P6mm structure was observed upon the addition of inorganic salts. The pore size of the MES decreases from 4.7 to 3.9 nm with increasing content of the inorganic salts. Fluoride was also found to be important for the formation of ordered MES under neutral conditions.

Direct synthesis of highly ordered Fe-SBA-15 mesoporous materials under weak acidic conditions

Iron-substituted SBA-15 (Fe-SBA-15) materials have been synthesized via a simple direct hydrothermal method under weak acidic conditions. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), NZ sorption and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterizations show that the resultant materials have well-ordered hexagonal meso-structures. The diffused reflectance UV-vis and UV resonance Raman spectroscopy characterizations show that most of the iron ions exist as isolated framework species for calcined materials when the Fe/Si molar ratios are below 0.01 in the gel. The presence of iron species also has significant salt effects that can greatly improve the ordering of the mesoporous structure. Different iron species including isolated framework iron species, extraframework iron clusters and iron oxides are formed selectively by adjusting the pH values of the synthesis solutions and Fe/Si molar ratios. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structural relation properties of hydrothermally stable functionalized mesoporous organosilicas and catalysis

The surfactant assistant syntheses of sulfonic acid functionalized periodic mesoporous organosilicas with large pores are reported. A one-step condensation of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) with 1,2-bis(trimethoxysilyi)ethane (BTME) and 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) in highly acidic medium was performed in the presence of triblock copolymer Pluronic P123 and inorganic salt as additive. During the condensation process, thiol (-SH) group was in situ oxidized to sulfonic acid (-SO3H) by hydrogen peroxide (30 wt % H2O2). X-ray diffraction studies along with nitrogen and water sorption analyses reveal the formation of stable, highly hydrophobic, and well-ordered hexagonal mesoscopic structures in a wide range of -CH2CH2-concentrations in the mesoporous framework. The resultant materials were also investigated by Si-29 MAS and C-13 CP MAS NMR, thermogravimetric analyses, UV-Raman spectroscopy, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The role of the bridged organic group on the hydrothermal stability of the mesoporous materials was established, which revealed an enhancement in hydrothermal stability of the materials with incorporation of the bridged organic groups in the network. The catalytic performance of -SO3H functionalized mesoporous materials was investigated in the esterification of ethanol with acetic acid, and the results demonstrate that the ethane groups incorporated in the mesoporous framework have a positive influence on the catalytic behavior of the materials.

Uniformly carbon-covered alumina and its surface characteristics

Uniformly carbon-covered alumina (CCA) was prepared via the carbonization of sucrose highly dispersed on the alumina surface. The CCA samples were characterized by XRD, XPS, DTA-TG, UV Raman, nitrogen adsorption experiments at 77 K, and rhodamine B (RB) adsorption in aqueous media. UV Raman spectra indicated that the carbon species formed were probably conjugated olefinic or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which can be considered molecular subunits of a graphitic plane. The N(2) adsorption isotherms, pore size distributions, and XPS results indicated that carbon was uniformly dispersed on the alumina surface in the as-prepared CCA. The carbon coverage and number of carbon layers in CCA could be controlled by the tuning of the sucrose content in the precursor and impregnation times. RB adsorption isotherms suggested that the monolayer adsorption capacity of RB on alumina increased drastically for the sample with uniformly dispersed carbon. The as-prepared CCA possessed the texture of alumina and the surface properties of carbon or both carbon and alumina depending on the carbon coverage.

Post-grafting preparation of large-pore mesoporous materials with localized high content titanium doping

A new post-grafting process, consisting of two steps of substrate preparation and sol - gel post-grafting, has been developed to prepare titanium-doped mesoporous SBA-15 material with a double-layered structure and locally concentrated titanium content at the inner pore surface. With this novel technique, the single phased and originally ordered mesostructures can be well conserved; in the conventional direct synthesis they can be partially damaged when the frameworks are doped with high content heteroatoms. Titanium species exist in an isolated, tetrahedral structure and are localized at the pore surface; this is beneficial to both reactant access and product release. Characterization with XRD, N-2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, HREM/ EDS, ICP, UV - Vis, and the newly developed UV - Raman spectroscopy confirm these results. Preliminary catalytic tests with the selective epoxidation of cyclohexene show good catalytic activity. Among them, sample TiSBA-15-10 with a Si : Ti molar ratio of 10 shows a TON value of 75 and a highest product ( epoxide) yield of 55%.

Evaluation of nonlinear chromatographic performance by frontal analysis using a simple multi-plate mathematical model

A multi-plate (NIP) mathematical model was proposed by frontal analysis to evaluate nonlinear chromatographic performance. One of its advantages is that the parameters may be easily calculated from experimental data. Moreover, there is a good correlation between it and the equilibrium-dispersive (E-D) or Thomas models. This shows that it can well accommodate both types of band broadening that is comprised of either diffusion-dominated processes or kinetic sorption processes. The MP model can well describe experimental breakthrough curves that were obtained from membrane affinity chromatography and column reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Furthermore, the coefficients of mass transfer may be calculated according to the relationship between the MP model and the E-D or Thomas models. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.