AgBiVMo oxide catalytic membrane for selective oxidation of propane to acrolein

A metal ions (Ag, Bi, V, Mo) modified sol-gel method was used to prepare a mesoporous Ag0.01Bi0.85V0.54Mo0.45O4 catalytic membrane which was used in the selective oxidation of propane to acrolein. By optimizing the preparation parameters, a thin and perfect catalytically active membrane was successfully prepared. SEM results showed that the membrane thickness is similar to5 mum. XRD results revealed that Ag0.01Bi0.85V0.54Mo0.45O4 with a Scheelite structure, which is catalytically active for the selective oxidation of propane to acrolein, was formed in the catalytic membrane only when AgBiVMoO concentrations were higher than 40%. Catalytic reaction results demonstrated that the selective oxidation of propane could be controlled to a certain degree, such as to acrolein, in the catalytic membrane reactor (CMR) compared to the fixed bed reactor (FBR). For example, a selectivity of 54.85% for acrolein in the liquid phase was obtained in the CMR, while only 8.31% was achieved in the FBR. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure and oxygen permeability of a dual-phase membrane

The dual-phase membrane of La0.15Sr0.85Ga0.3Fe0.7O3-delta-Ba0.5Sr0.5Fe0.2Co0.8O3-delta (LSGF-BSCF) was prepared successfully. This membrane was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). This membrane has a dense dual-phase structure: LSGF being the dense body of this membrane and BSCF as another phase running along the LSGF body. This structure is favorable for the oxygen permeation through the membrane. The oxygen permeation test shows that the oxygen permeation flux of LSGF-BSCF membrane (Jo(2) = 0.45 ml/min cm(2), at 915 degreesC) is much higher than that of LSGF membrane (Jo(2) = 0.05 ml/min cm(2)). Thickness dependence of oxygen permeation indicates that the oxygen permeation is controlled by the bulk diffusion. Compared to pure BSCF the dual-phase membrane of LSGF-BSCF is stable in reducing atmosphere. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane in a dense tubular membrane reactor

Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODP) to propylene was investigated in a dense tubular membrane reactor made of Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-delta (BSCF) at 700degreesC and 750degreesC. The propylene selectivity in the membrane reactor (44.2%) is much higher than that in the fixed-bed reactor (15%) at the similar propane conversion (23-27%). Higher propylene selectivity in the membrane reactor was attributed to the lattice oxygen (O2-) supplied through the membrane.

The study on a PVC membrane electrode for gemfibrozil

In this paper, a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane electrode is prepared for gemfibrozil, 2, 2-dimethyl-5(2,5-xylyloxy) valeric acid, based on its ion pair complexes with hexadecyltrioctyl ammonium iodide (HTOA). The membrane composition of the electrode was optimized by using the sequential level elimination method for orthogonal experimental design. The electrode has a Nernstian response range from 2.5 X 10(-5) to 0.1 mol/l with an average slope of 55.3 mV/decade. The limit of detection is 7.1 X 10(-6) mol/l. The electrode responses were not affected by pH in the range 10.0-12.3. A Na2B4O7-Na2CO3 buffer of pH = 11.0 was selected as the background electrolyte solution for potentiometric measurements. The electrode was used for determining gemfibrozil in pharmaceutical preparations with satisfactory results.

Towards manipulation of post-biosynthetic events in secondary metabolism of plant cell cultures

Plant cell cultures have been suggested as a feasible technology for the production of a myriad of plant-derived metabolites. However, commercial application of plant cell culture has met limited success with only a handful of metabolites produced at the pilot- and commercial-scales. To improve the production of secondary metabolites in plant cell cultures, efforts have been devoted predominantly to the optimization of biosynthetic pathways by both process and genetic engineering approaches. Given that secondary metabolism includes-the synthesis. metabolism and catabolism of endogenous compounds by the specialized proteins, this review intends to draw attention to the manipulation and optimization of post-biosynthetic events that follow the formation of core metabolite structures in biosynthetic pathways. These post-biosynthetic events-the chemical and enzymatic modifications, transport, storage/secretion and catabolism/degradation have been largely unexplored in the past. Potential areas are identified where further research is needed to answer fundamental questions that have implications for advanced bioprocess design. Anthocyanin production by plant cell cultures is used as a case study for this discussion, as it presents a good example of compounds for which there are extensive research publications but still no commercial bioprocess. It is perceived that research on post-biosynthetic processes may lead to future opportunities for significant advances in commercial plant cell cultures. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Separation of enantiomers by nanoliquid chromatography and capillary electrochromatography using a bonded cellulose trisphenylcarbamate stationary phase

A cellulose trisphenylcarbamate-bonded chiral stationary phase was applied to nano-liquid chromatography (nano-LC) and capillary electrochromatography (CEC) with nonaqueous and aqueous solutions as the mobile phases. Several chiral compounds were successfully resolved on the prepared phase by nano-LC. The applicability of nonaqueous CEC on a cellulose derivative stationary phase was investigated with the organic solvents methanol, hexane, 2-propanol, and tetrahydrofuran (THF) containing acetic acid, as well as triethylamine as the mobile phases. Enantiomers of warfarin and praziquantel were baseline-resolved with plate numbers of 82 300 and 38 800 plates/m, respectively, for the first eluting enantiomer. The influence of applied voltage, concentration of nonpolar solvent, apparent pH, and buffer concentration in the mobile phase on the electroosmotic flow (EOF) and the mobility of the enantiomers was evaluated. Enantioseparations of traps-stilbene oxide and praziquantel were also achieved in aqueous CEC with plate numbers of 111 100 and 107 400 plates/m, respectively, for the first eluting enantiomer. A comparison between nonaqueous CEC and aqueous CEC based on a cellulose trisphenylcarbamate stationary phase was discussed. Pressure-assisted CEC was examined for the chiral separation of praziquantel and faster analysis with high enantioselectivity was acquired with the proper pressurization of the inlet vial.

Preparation of uniform calcium alginate gel beads by membrane emulsification coupled with internal gelation

With the objective of making calcium alginate gel beads with small and uniform size, membrane emulsification coupled with internal gelation was proposed. Spherical gel beads with mean size of about 50 mum, and even smaller ones in water, and with narrow size distribution were successfully obtained. Experimental studies focusing mainly on the effect of process parameters on bead properties were performed. The size of the beads was mainly dependent on the diameter of the membrane pores. High transmembrane pressure made for large gel beads with wide size distribution. Low sodium alginate concentration produced nonspherical beads, whereas a high concentration was unsuitable for the production of small beads with narrow distribution. Thus 1.5% w/v was enough. A high surfactant concentration favored the formation of small beads, but the adverse effect on mass transfer should be considered in this novel process. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Capillary electrochromatographic separation of enantiomers on chemically bonded type of cellulose derivative chiral stationary phases with a positively charged spacer

Positively charged chiral stationary phases (CSPs) were prepared for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) separation of enantiomers by chemically immobilizing cellulose derivatives onto diethylenetriaminopropylated silica (DEAPS) with tolylene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) as a spacer reagent. Anodic electroosmotic mobility was observed in both nonaqueous and aqueous mobile phases due to the positively charged amines on the surface of the prepared CSPs. For comparison, the traditionally used 3-aminopropyl silica (APS) was also adopted as the base material instead of DEAPS to prepare CSP. It was observed that the EOF on the DEAPS-based CSP was 18%-60% higher than that on the APS-based CSP under nonaqueous mobile phase conditions. Separation of enantiomers in CEC was performed on the positively charged CSPs with the nonaqueous mobile phases of pure ethanol or mixture of hexane-alcohol and the aqueous phases of acetonitrile-water or 95% ethanol. Fast separation of enantiomers was achieved on the newly prepared CSPs.

Synthesis of covalently bonded cellulose derivative chiral stationary phases with a bifunctional reagent of 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl isocyanate

A bifunctional reagent of 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl isocyanate (TEPI) was initially adopted as a spacer reagent to prepare the bonded types of chiral stationary phases (CSPs) with cellulose derivatives. The silica-based CSPs were chemically prepared with non-regioselective and regioselective approaches and their chiral resolving capabilities were evaluated in terms of HPLC resolution of test enantiomers. It was observed that the chiral recognition capabilities of the non-regioselectively prepared CSPs were influenced by the amount of TEPI used. And also, the regioselectively prepared CSP generally showed a slightly higher resolution power than the non-regioselectively prepared CSP, while the non-regioselective procedures were highly advantageous to rapid preparation. In addition, chiral recognition of the prepared CSPs was affected by the properties of the used silica matrices. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and characteristics of composite chiral stationary phases based on cellulose derivatives

Composite chiral stationary phases (CSPs) were prepared on the basis of cellulose derivatives coated or bonded onto silica. "Molecular exterior" type CSPs were prepared by mixing together two different cellulose tris-derivatives before or after being coated or bonded onto silica, and the "molecular interior" type was obtained by synthesizing non-regioselectively heterosubstituted cellulose derivatives coated or bonded onto silica. For the sake of comparison, the individual phases were also prepared with corresponding cellulose derivatives by coating or bonding approaches, respectively. All of the prepared CSPs were characterized and their chiral recognition properties were evaluated by HPLC with several test racemates. The experimental results demonstrated that the "molecular exterior" CSPs generally exhibit chiral recognition capacities intermediate between those of the two individual phases. However, in the separation of some racemates higher enantioselectivity may be achieved on the "molecular interior" phases than on individual phases, thus broadening the application range of a single cellulose-based CSP.