Nanopartículas de poli-hidroxibutirato-co-valerato como suporte para a imobilização da lipase de Candida antarctica fração B

This work evaluates the immobilization of Candida antarctica lipase (Fraction B) using poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanoparticles as support. The effects of immobilization time (30-150 min) and pH (5-10) on lipase loading were evaluated. The stability of the immobilized enzyme towards temperature (40, 60, and 80 ºC), reuse and storage (at 4 ºC) were also determined. Furthermore, to assess its potential application in a system of interest, the immobilized lipase was used as a catalyst in the esterification of geraniol with oleic acid. The results indicated a time of 120 minutes and pH of 7 as optimal for immobilization. A 21 hour exposure of the PHBV-lipase derivative to 60 ºC showed a 33% reduction of the initial activity while storage at 4 ºC led to a residual activity (5% of the original activity). The derivative was used without significant loss of activity for 4 successive cycles. The use of the immobilized lipase as a catalyst in the production of geranyl oleate led to about 88% conversion of the initial reactants to products.

Advances in ethanol reforming for the production of hydrogen

Catalytic steam reforming of ethanol (SRE) is a promising route for the production of renewable hydrogen (H2). This article reviews the influence of doping supported-catalysts used in SRE on the conversion of ethanol, selectivity for H2, and stability during long reaction periods. In addition, promising new technologies such as membrane reactors and electrochemical reforming for performing SRE are presented.

An undergraduate level experiment on the synthesis of Au nanoparticles and their size-dependent optical and catalytic properties

The synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) 15, 26, and 34 nm in diameter, followed by the investigation of their size-dependent optical and catalytic properties, is described herein as an undergraduate level experiment. The proposed experiment covers concepts on the synthesis, stabilization, and characterization of Au NPs, their size-dependent optical and catalytic properties at the nanoscale, chemical kinetics, and the role of a catalyst. The experiment should be performed by groups of two or three students in three lab sessions of 3 h each and organized as follows: i) synthesis of Au NPs of different sizes and investigation of their optical properties; ii) evaluation of their catalytic activity; and iii) data analysis and discussion. We believe that this activity enables students to integrate these multidisciplinary concepts in a single experiment as well as to become introduced/familiarized with an active research field and current literature in the areas of nanoparticle synthesis and catalysis.

ESTERIFICAÇÃO E TRANSESTERIFICAÇÃO SIMULTÂNEAS DE ÓLEOS ÁCIDOS UTILIZANDO CARBOXILATOS LAMELARES DE ZINCO COMO CATALISADORES BIFUNCIONAIS

Palm oil containing 40% fatty acids was converted to methyl esters using zinc carboxylates as the esterification/transesterification catalyst. The reaction was optimized using a factorial design in which the effects of the alcohol:fatty acids molar ratio (MRAG) and the catalyst concentration (CAT) were assessed. The best conversion was achieved with CAT at 4 wt% and MRAG at 4:1. However, the solid catalyst presented significant structural changes after use. For instance, laurate anions were replaced by carboxylates of higher molecular mass, leading to the formation of a new catalytically active layered structure. Also, the glycerin obtained as a co-product contained 86 wt% glycerol.

A NEW HOMOGENEOUS ELECTROCATALYST FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL CARBONYLATION OF METHANOL TO DIMETHYL CARBONATE

Electrosynthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from methanol and carbon monoxide using an Cu(phen)Cl2 catalyst was achieved at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The catalytic activity of the ligand 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and the catalytic system were analyzed. The IR characterization results for the complex catalyst showed that copper ions were coordinated by nitrogen atoms of phen. In addition, the effects of the influencing factors, such as reaction time (t), reaction temperature (T) and the surface area of the working electrode (SWE) were studied.

APPLICATION OF SULFONIC ACID FUNCTIONALIZED NANOPOROUS SILICA (SBA-Pr-SO3H) FOR THE PREPARATION OF 4,6-DIARYLPYRIMIDIN-2(1H)-ONES

In this work, we report the Biginelli-type reaction between various aldehydes, acetophenones and urea systems in the presence of sulfonic acid functionalized silica (SBA-Pr-SO3H) under solvent-free conditions, which led to 4,6-diarylpyrimidin-2(1H)-ones derivatives. SBA-Pr-SO3H with a pore size of 6 nm was found to be an efficient heterogeneous solid acid catalyst for this reaction which led to high product yields, was environmentally benign with short reaction times and easy handling.

METHANE DRY REFORMING OVER Ni SUPPORTED ON PINE SAWDUST ACTIVATED CARBON: EFFECTS OF SUPPORT SURFACE PROPERTIES AND METAL LOADING

The influence of metal loading and support surface functional groups (SFG) on methane dry reforming (MDR) over Ni catalysts supported on pine-sawdust derived activated carbon were studied. Using pine sawdust as the catalyst support precursor, the smallest variety and lowest concentration of SFG led to best Ni dispersion and highest catalytic activity, which increased with Ni loading up to 3 Ni atoms nm-2. At higher Ni loading, the formation of large metal aggregates was observed, consistent with a lower "apparen" surface area and a decrease in catalytic activity. The H2/CO ratio rose with increasing reaction temperature, indicating that increasingly important side reactions were taking place in addition to MDR.

APROVEITAMENTO DE RESÍDUO DE BIODIESEL PARA PREPARAÇÃO DE CARVÕES ÁCIDOS COM ELEVADA ATIVIDADE CATALÍTICA NA REAÇÃO DE ETERIFICAÇÃO DO GLICEROL

Environmentally friendly acid carbon (CG) catalysts, containing a high amount of sulfonated and oxygenated groups, were prepared from glycerin, a biodiesel waste. CGs were produced by glycerin carbonization in the presence of H2SO4 at 1:3 m:m ratio in a closed autoclave at 180ºC for different times: 0.25; 1; 3 and 6 hours (CG-0.25h; CG-1h; CG-3h and CG-6h, respectively). The catalyst properties for all carbons were evaluated in the glycerol etherification reaction with tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). The yield for mono-tert-butyl glycerol (MTBG), di-tert-butyl glycerol (DTBG) and tri-tert-butyl-glycerol (TTBG) was high and very similar for all CGs, of about 43% and 20% for the MTBG and DTBG + TTBG, respectively. Furthermore, the activity of these catalysts were close to those obtained using a commercial resin, Amberlyst-15, of about 50% and 27% for MTBG and DTBG + TTBG, respectively.

REAÇÃO DE CONDENSAÇÃO DO GLICEROL COM COMPOSTOS CARBONÍLICOS. SÍNTESE, CARACTERIZAÇÃO E APLICAÇÃO EM CRISTAIS LÍQUIDOS

Condensation reactions of glycerol with aldehydes and ketones were performed under thermal heating and microwave irradiation regimes. Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts were tested in both conditions. A silica sulfated (SiO2-SO3H) heterogeneous catalyst demonstrated the best performance relative to a selectivity of >95% in favor of 5-membered ketals. For acetals, preference in favor of 5-membered or 6-membered functional groups depends on the nature of the catalyst. Homogenous catalysts favor the more stable 6-membered acetals, whereas heterogeneous catalysts favor the less stable 5-membered acetals. However, the isomer ratios in the acetalization reaction are too low, and hence the reaction cannot be used in a synthetic plan for functional materials. Ketalization processes mediated by SiO2-SO3H show a high selectivity in favor of a 5-membered ring (1,3-dioxolane). The scope of condensation was tested with different ketones. A mechanism for heterogeneous catalysis related to the selectivity in the cyclization process is presented herein. Solketal, a commercial product, was also obtained by a condensation reaction of glycerol and propanone, and showed a high selectivity in favor of 1,3-dioxolane. It was transformed to potential allylic and chiral intermediates. A mesogenic core was connected to the organic framework of glycerol to produce a monomer liquid crystal material with a stable smectic-C mesophase.

INFLUÊNCIA DO CATALISADOR EM SOLUÇÕES POLIMÉRICAS PARA O PREPARO DE GÉIS ORGÂNICOS DE RESORCINOL-FORMALDEÍDO

Resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) organic gels have been extensively used to produce carbon aerogels. The organic gel synthesis parameters greatly affect the structure of the resulting aerogel. In this study, the influence of the catalyst quantity on the polymeric solution sol-gel process was investigated. Sodium carbonate was used as a basic catalyst. RF gels were synthesized with a resorcinol to formaldehyde molar ratio of 0.5, a resorcinol to catalyst (R/C) molar ratio equal to 50 or 300, and a resorcinol to solvent ratio of 0.1 g mL-1. The sol-gel process was evaluated in situ by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy using a universal attenuated total reflectance sensor and measurements of the kinematic viscosity. The techniques showed the evolution of the sol-gel process, and the results showed that the lower catalyst quantity induced a higher gel point, with a lower viscosity at the gel point. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to investigate the thermal behavior of the RF dried gel, and results showed that the exothermic event related to the curing process was shifted to higher temperatures for solutions containing higher R/C ratios.

SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SPIRO[INDOLINE-3,4’-PYRANO[2,3-C:6,5-C’]DIPYRAZOL]- 2-ONES IN THE PRESENCE OF SBA-Pr-SO3H AS A NANOCATALYST

Sulfonic acid functionalized SBA-15 nanoporous material (SBA-Pr-SO3H) with a large pore size of 6 nm, a high surface area, high selectivity, and excellent chemical and thermal stability was applied as an efficient heterogeneous nanoporous acid catalyst in the reaction of isatin with pyrazolones under mild reaction conditions. A novel class of symmetrical spiro[indoline-3,4'-pyrano[2,3-c:6,5-c']dipyrazol]-2-one derivatives was successfully obtained in high yields. Comparison of these results with those reported in the literature shows that the current method is efficient, and results in better reaction times and yields of the desired products. Other advantages of this new method are its operational simplicity, easy work-up procedure, and the use of SBA-Pr-SO3H as a reusable and environmentally benign nanoreactor, such that the reaction proceeds easily in its nanopores. We also tested the antimicrobial activity of the prepared compounds using the disc diffusion method, and some of the synthesized compounds exhibited the best results against B. subtilis and S. aureus.

PRODUÇÃO DE BIODIESEL A PARTIR DE ÁCIDOS GRAXOS PROVENIENTES DO REFINO DE ÓLEOS VEGETAIS VIA CATÁLISE ÁCIDA HETEROGENEA E MICRO-ONDAS

This work presents the biofuel production results of the esterification of fatty acids (C12-C18) and high-acid-content waste vegetable oils from different soap stocks (soybean, palm, and coconut) with methanol, ethanol, and butanol by acid catalysis. We used Amberlyst-35 (A35) sulfonic resin as a heterogeneous acid catalyst and p-toluenesulfonic acid as a homogeneous catalyst for comparison. Both the heterogeneous (A35) and homogeneous (p-toluenesulfonic acid) reactions were performed with 5% w/w of catalyst. The final products were analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). The homogeneous catalyzed esterification of fatty acids with methanol, ethanol, and butanol produced esters with yields higher than 90%. In the reaction with fatty acids and methanol catalyzed by A35, the best results were achieved with lauric acid and methanol, with a yield of 97%. An increase in the hydrocarbon chain decreased the rate of conversion and yield for stearic acid with methanol, which was 90%. Maximum biodiesel production was achieved from coconut and soybean soap stocks and methanol (96%-98%), which showed conversions very close to those obtained from their respective fatty acids. Microwave irradiation reduced the reaction time from 6 to 1 h in the esterification reaction of fatty acids with butanol.

OTIMIZAÇÃO DO PROCESSO DE TRANSESTERIFICAÇÃO EM DUAS ETAPAS PARA PRODUÇÃO DE BIODIESEL ATRAVÉS DO PLANEJAMENTO EXPERIMENTAL DOEHLERT

In this work, Doehlert experimental design was used to optimize the Transesterification Double Step Process (TDSP) method of methyl soybean oil biodiesel production which starts with a basic catalysis followed by an acidic catalysis. The conversion values were calculated from NMR spectra. Response surface was used to show the results of the interactions between the variables. This experimental design evaluated variables like catalyst and alcohol amount for the basic catalysis and time and temperature for the acidic catalysis. According to results obtained after Doehlert design application the alcohol amount was the main factor that influenced on the basic catalysis but for the acidic catalysis both time and temperature are important and their effects are opposite. It resulted on excellent conversions for both steps obtaining for the basic catalysis about 100% when was used like optimal conditions catalyst amount equal to 0.40 g and volume of methanol equal to 60 mL and for the acidic catalysis about 99% when was used like optimal conditions temperature of 65 °C and 90 minutes for reaction time.

Evaluation of gas diffusion electrodes as detectors in amperometric hydrogen sensors

This work is directed to the study and evaluation of gas diffusion electrodes as detectors in hydrogen sensors. Electrochemical experiments were carried out with rotating disk electrodes with a thin porous coating of the catalyst as a previous step to select useful parameters for the sensor. An experimental arrangement made in the laboratory that simulates the sensor was found appropriate to detect volumetric hydrogen percentages above 0.25% in mixtures H2:N2. The system shows a linear response for volumetric percentages of hydrogen between 0.25 and 2 %.