An in-situ modified sol-gel process for monolith catalyst preparation used in the partial oxidation of methane

An in-situ modified sol-gel method for the preparation of a Ni-based monolith-supported catalyst is reported. With the presence of a proper amount of plasticizer and binder, and at an optimized pH value, the stable boehmite sol was modified with metal ions (Ni, Li, La) successfully without distinct growth of the particle size. Monolith-supported Ni-based/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts were obtained using the modified sol as the coating medium with several cycles of dip-coating and calcination. Combined BET, SEM-EDS, XRD and H-2-TPR investigations demonstrated that the derived monolith catalysts had a high specific surface area, a relatively homogeneous surface composition, and a high extent of interaction between the active component and the support. These catalysts showed relatively stable catalytic activities for partial oxidation of methane (POM) to syngas under atmospheric pressure. The monolith catalysts prepared by this sol-gel method also demonstrated an improved resistance to sintering and loss of the active component during the reaction process.

Preparation and characterization of Pd-Ag alloy composite membrane with magnetron sputtering

A Pd-Ag (24 wt%) alloy composite membrane was prepared by the magnetron sputtering. A gamma-Al2O3 membrane was synthesized by the sol-gel method and used as substrate of the Pd-Ag alloy film. The process parameters of the magnetron sputtering were optimized as a function of the compactness of the Pd-Ag alloy film. The best membrane with a thickness of 1 mu m was produced with a sputtering pressure of 2.7 Pa and a substrate temperature of 400 degrees C. The membrane had an H-2/N-2 permselectivity of 51.5-1000 and an H-2 permeation rate of 0.036-1.17 x 10(-5)cm(3)/cm(2).s. Pa, depending on operating conditions.

Preparation and characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes supported PtRu catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

A series of PtRu nanocomposites supported on H2O2-oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized via two chemical reduction methods - one used aqueous formaldehyde (HCHO method) and the other used ethylene glycol (EG method) as the reducing agents. The effects of the solvents (water and ethylene glycol) and the surface composition of the MWCNTs on the deposition and the dispersion of the metal particles were investigated using N-2 adsorption. TEM. ICP-AES. FTIR and TPD. The wetting heats of the MWCNTs in corresponding solvents were also measured. The characterizations suggest that combination of the surface chemistry of the MWCNTs with the solvents decides the deposition and the dispersion of the metal nanoparticles. These nanocomposites were evaluated as proton exchange membrane fuel cell anode catalyts for oxidation of 50 ppm CO contaminated hydrogen and compared with a commercial PtRu/C catalyst. The data reveal superior performances for the nanocomposites prepared by the EG method to those by the HCHO method and even to that for tile Commercial analogue. Structure performance relationship of the nanocomposites was also studied. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved procedure for preparation of covalently bonded cellulose tris-phenylcarbamate chiral stationary phases

The classical method for preparation of covalently boned cellulose derivative chiral stationary phases (CSP) with diisocyanate as spacer was improved. Diisocyanate was firstly allowed to react with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, and the resulting product was then applied as the spacer reagent to immobilize cellulose derivatives onto silica gel. Influences of the amount and the length of the spacer on the optical resolution ability of the CSP were investigated. Comparing improved procedure to classical diisocyanate method, the cross-linking between the glucose units of the cellulose derivatives was avoided to the most extent. With the improved procedure, regio-nonselective ways could be adopted to prepare covalently bonded CSP, which showed an advantage for the rapid preparation.

Preparation and characterisation of ceria particles

Cerium dioxide (ceria) nanoparticles have been the subject of intense academic and industrial interest. Ceria has a host of applications but academic interest largely stems from their use in the modern automotive catalyst but it is also of interest because of many other application areas notably as the abrasive in chemical-mechanical planarisation of silicon substrates. Recently, ceria has been the focus of research investigating health effects of nanoparticles. Importantly, the role of non-stoichiometry in ceria nanoparticles is implicated in their biochemistry. Ceria has well understood non-stoichiometry based around the ease of formation of anion vacancies and these can form ordered superstructures based around the fluorite lattice structure exhibited by ceria. The anion vacancies are associated with localised or small polaron states formed by the electrons that remain after oxygen desorption. In simple terms these electrons combine with Ce4+ states to form Ce3+ states whose larger ionic radii is associated with a lattice expansion compared to stoichiometric CeO2. This is a very simplistic explanation and greater defect chemistry complexity is suggested by more recent work. Various authors have shown that vacancies are mobile and may result in vacancy clustering. Ceria nanoparticles are of particular interest because of the high activity and surface area of small particulates. The sensitivity of the cerium electronic band structure to environment would suggest that changes in the properties of ceria particles at nanoscale dimensions might be expected. Notably many authors report a lattice expansion with reducing particle size (largely confined to sub-10 nm particles). Most authors assign increased lattice dimensions to the presence of a surface stable Ce2O3 type layer at low nanoparticle dimensions. However, our understanding of oxide nanoparticles is limited and their full and quantitative characterisation offers serious challenges. In a series of chemical preparations by ourselves we see little evidence of a consistent model emerging to explain lattice parameter changes with nanoparticle size. Based on these results and a review of the literature it is worthwhile asking if a model of surface enhanced defect concentration is consistent with known cerium/cerium oxide chemistries, whether this is applicable to a range of different synthesis methods and if a more consistent description is possible. In Chapter one the science of cerium oxide is outlined including the crystal structure, defect chemistry and different oxidation states available. The uses and applications of cerium oxide are also discussed as well as modelling of the lattice parameter and the doping of the ceria lattice. Chapter two describes both the synthesis techniques and the analytical methods employed to execute this research. Chapter three focuses on high surface area ceria nano-particles and how these have been prepared using a citrate sol-gel precipitation method. Changes to the particle size have been made by calcining the ceria powders at different temperatures. X-ray diffraction methods were used to determine their lattice parameters. The particles sizes were also assessed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and BET, and, the lattice parameter was found to decrease with decreasing particle size. The results are discussed in light of the role played by surface tension effects. Chapter four describes the morphological and structural characterization of crystalline CeO2 nanoparticles prepared by forward and reverse precipitation techniques and compares these by powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD), nitrogen adsorption (BET) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis. The two routes give quite different materials although in both cases the products are essentially highly crystalline, dense particulates. It was found that the reverse precipitation technique gave the smallest crystallites with the narrowest size dispersion. This route also gave as-synthesised materials with higher surface areas. HRTEM confirmed the observations made from PXRD data and showed that the two methods resulted in quite different morphologies and surface chemistries. The forward route gives products with significantly greater densities of Ce3+ species compared to the reverse route. Data are explained using known precipitation chemistry and kinetic effects. Chapter five centres on the addition of terbia to ceria and has been investigated using XRD, XRF, XPS and TEM. Good solid solutions were formed across the entire composition range and there was no evidence for the formation of mixed phases or surface segregation over either the composition or temperature range investigated. Both Tb3+ and Tb4+ ions exist within the solution and the ratios of these cations are consistent with the addition of Tb8O15 to the fluorite ceria structure across a wide range of compositions. Local regions of anion vacancy ordering may be visible for small crystallites. There is no evidence of significant Ce3+ ion concentrations formed at the surface or in the bulk by the addition of terbia. The lattice parameter of these materials was seen to decrease with decreasing crystallite size. This is consistent with increased surface tension effects at small dimension. Chapter six reviews size related lattice parameter changes and surface defects in ceria nanocrystals. Ceria (CeO2) has many important applications, notably in catalysis. Many of its uses rely on generating nanodimensioned particles. Ceria has important redox chemistry where Ce4+ cations can be reversibly reduced to Ce3+ cations and associated anion vacancies. The significantly larger size of Ce3+ (compared with Ce4+) has been shown to result in lattice expansion. Many authors have observed lattice expansion in nanodimensioned crystals (nanocrystals), and these have been attributed to the presence of stabilized Ce3+ -anion vacancy combinations in these systems. Experimental results presented here show (i) that significant, but complex changes in the lattice parameter with size can occur in 2-500 nm crystallites, (ii) that there is a definitive relationship between defect chemistry and the lattice parameter in ceria nanocrystals, and (iii) that the stabilizing mechanism for the Ce3+ -anion vacancy defects at the surface of ceria nanocrystals is determined by the size, the surface status, and the analysis conditions. In this work, both lattice expansion and a more unusual lattice contraction in ultrafine nanocrystals are observed. The lattice deformations seen can be defined as a function of both the anion vacancy (hydroxyl) concentration in the nanocrystal and the intensity of the additional pressure imposed by the surface tension on the crystal. The expansion of lattice parameters in ceria nanocrystals is attributed to a number of factors, most notably, the presence of any hydroxyl moieties in the materials. Thus, a very careful understanding of the synthesis combined with characterization is required to understand the surface chemistry of ceria nanocrystals.

Enantiocomplementary preparation of (S)- and (R)-1-pyridylalkanols via ketone reduction and alkane hydroxylation using whole cells of Pseudomonas putida UV4

A previously unreported alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme in the mutant soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida UV4 catalyses the reduction of 2-, 3- and 4-acylpyridines to afford the corresponding (S)-1-pyridyl alkanols, with moderate to high e.e., whilst under the same conditions 2,6-diacetylpyridine is readily converted to the corresponding enantiopure C2-symmetric (S,S)-diol in one step. In contrast, the toluene dioxygenase enzyme in the same organism catalyses the hydroxylation of 2- and 3-alkylpyridines to (R)-1-(2-pyridyl) and (R)-1-(3-pyridyl)alkanols. This combination of oxidative and reductive biotransformations thus provides a method for preparing both enantiomers of chiral 1-pyridyl alkanols using one biocatalyst.

Development and validation of an HPLC method for the determination of spironolactone and its metabolites in paediatric plasma samples

Abstract An HPLC method has been developed and validated for the determination of spironolactone, 7a-thiomethylspirolactone and canrenone in paediatric plasma samples. The method utilises 200 µl of plasma and sample preparation involves protein precipitation followed by Solid Phase Extraction (SPE). Determination of standard curves of peak height ratio (PHR) against concentration was performed by weighted least squares linear regression using a weighting factor of 1/concentration2. The developed method was found to be linear over concentration ranges of 30–1000 ng/ml for spironolactone and 25–1000 ng/ml for 7a-thiomethylspirolactone and canrenone. The lower limit of quantification for spironolactone, 7a-thiomethylspirolactone and canrenone were calculated as 28, 20 and 25 ng/ml, respectively. The method was shown to be applicable to the determination of spironolactone, 7a-thiomethylspirolactone and canrenone in paediatric plasma samples and also plasma from healthy human volunteers.

Impact of sample preparation on mineralogical analysis of iron reactive barrier materials

Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) of zero-valent iron (Fe0) are increasingly being used to remediate contaminated ground water. Corrosion of Fe0 filings and the formation of precipitates can occur when the PRB material comes in contact with ground water and may reduce the lifespan and effectiveness of the barrier. At present, there are no routine procedures for preparing and analyzing the mineral precipitates from Fe0 PRB material. These procedures are needed because mineralogical composition of corrosion products used to interpret the barrier processes can change with iron oxidation and sample preparation. The objectives of this study were (i) to investigate a method of preparing Fe0 reactive barrier material for mineralogical analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and (ii) to identify Fe mineral phases and rates of transformations induced by different mineralogical preparation techniques. Materials from an in situ Fe0 PRB were collected by undisturbed coring and processed for XRD analysis after different times since sampling for three size fractions and by various drying treatments. We found that whole-sample preparation for analysis was necessary because mineral precipitates occurred within the PRB material in different size fractions of the samples. Green rusts quickly disappeared from acetone-dried samples and were not present in air-dried and oven-dried samples. Maghemite/magnetite content increased over time and in oven-dried samples, especially after heating to 105°C. We conclude that care must be taken during sample preparation of Fe0 PRB material, especially for detection of green rusts, to ensure accurate identification of minerals present within the barrier system.

Preparation of AgX (X = Cl, I) nanoparticles using ionic liquids

Nanoparticles of silver halides have been prepared by mixing silver halide powder with a single liquid phase consisting of an ionic liquid, isooctane, n-decanol and water. Much higher nanoparticle concentrations may be formed with ionic liquids using this new simple method than are found with conventionally applied surfactants. This method also emphasizes the applicability of ionic liquids as versatile components in microemulsions and as solvents for the synthesis of nanomaterials. The effect on the nanoparticles of changing the composition of the liquid mixtures and the nature of the ionic liquid is analysed. High nanoparticle concentrations were only found with chloride based ionic liquids, indicating the importance of the ionic liquid anion in the mechanism of the reaction.

A novel method for isolation of human lung T cells from lung resection tissue reveals increased expression of GAPDH and CXCR6

Lung T lymphocytes are important in pulmonary immunity and inflammation. it has been difficult to study these cells due to contamination with other cell types, mainly alveolar macrophages. We have developed a novel method for isolating lung T cells from lung resection tissue, using a combination of approaches. Firstly the lung tissue was finely chopped and filtered through a nylon mesh. Lymphocytic cells were enriched by Percoll density centrifugation and the T cells purified using human CD3 microbeads, resulting in 90.5% +/- 1.9% (n = 11) pure lymphocytes. The T cell yield from the crude cell preparation was 10.8 +/- 2.1% and viability, calculated using propidium iodide (PI) staining and trypan blue, was typically over 95%. The purification process did not affect expression of CD69 or CD103, nor was there a difference in the proportion of CD4 and CD8 cells between the starting population and the purified cells. Microarray analysis and real time RT-PCR revealed upregulation of GAPDH and CXCR6 of the lung T cells as compared to blood-derived T cells. This technique highly enriches lung T cells to allow detailed investigation of the biology of these cells. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation and characterization of Poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites made from cellulose nanofibers

A method using a combination of ball milling, acid hydrolysis, and ultrasound was developed to obtain a high yield of cellulose nanofibers from flax fibers and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposites were prepared with these additives by a solution-casting technique. The cellulose nanofibers and nanocomposite films that were produced were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, X- ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Nanofibers derived from MCC were on average approximately 8 nm in diameter and 111 nm in length. The diameter of the cellulose nanofibers produced from flax fibers was approximately 9 nm, and the length was 141 nm. A significant enhancement of the thermal and mechanical properties was achieved with a small addition of cellulose nanofibers to the polymer matrix. Interestingly, the flax nanofibers had the same reinforcing effects as MCC nanofibers in the matrix. Dynamic mechanical analysis results indicated that the use of cellulose nanofibers (acid hydrolysis) induced a mechanical percolation phenomenon leading to outstanding and unusual mechanical properties through the formation of a rigid filler network in the PVA matrix. X-ray diffraction showed that there was no significant change in the crystallinity of the PVA matrix with the incorporation of cellulose nanofibers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Rapid confirmatory method for the determination of sixteen synthetic growth promoters and bisphenol A in bovine milk using dispersive solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) multi-residue method for the simultaneous quantitation and identification of sixteen synthetic growth promoters and bisphenol A in bovine milk has been developed and validated. Sample preparation was straightforward, efficient and economically advantageous. Milk was extracted with acetonitrile followed by phase separation with NaCl. After centrifugation, the extract was purified by dispersive solid-phase extraction with C18 sorbent material. The compounds were analysed by reversed-phase LC-MS/MS using both positive and negative ionization and operated in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, acquiring two diagnostic product ions from each of the chosen precursor ions for unambiguous confirmation. Total chromatographic run time was less than 10 min for each sample. The method was validated at a level of 1 mu g L-1. A wide variety of deuterated internal standards were used to improve method performance. The accuracy and precision of the method were satisfactory for all analytes. The confirmative quantitative liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method was validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The decision limit (CC alpha) and the detection capability (CC beta) were found to be below the chosen validation level of 1 mu g L-1 for all compounds. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation, structural characterization, semiconductor and photoluminescent properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles in a phosphonium-based ionic liquid

A convenient microwave method in preparation of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using an ionic liquid, trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis{(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl}-imide, [P-66614][NTf2], as a green solvent is described in this paper. To the best of our knowledge, there is no report for synthesizing any nanoparticle using this ionic liquid. Trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis{(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl}-imide has low interface tension and thus it can enhance the nucleation rate, which is favorable to the formation of smaller ZnONPs. The fabricated ZnONPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The XRD pattern reveals that the ZnONPs have hexagonal wurtzite structure. The strong intensity and narrow width of ZnO diffraction peaks indicate that the resulting nanoparticles are of high crystallinity. The synthesized ZnONPs show direct band gap of 3.43 eV. The UV-vis absorption spectrum of ZnONPs dispersed in ethylene glycol at room temperature revealed a blue-shifted onset of absorption. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A simple method for assessing copper-mediated oxidation of very-low-density lipoprotein isolated by rapid ultracentrifugation

The association of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) with atherosclerosis remains controversial. However, studies have shown that oxidative modification of VLDL can promote foam cell formation, leading to the development of atherosclerosis. A rapid method is described which will allow the significance of VLDL oxidation to be assessed in clinical studies. VLDL was isolated from heparinized plasma by a 1-h, single spin ultracentrifugation. Total protein was standardized to 25 mg/L. Oxidation was promoted by the addition of copper ions (17.5 mu mol/L, final concentration) incubated at 37 degrees C. Conjugated diene production was followed at 234 nm. Total assay preparation time was 2 h. Urate greatly inhibited the oxidation of VLDL and was successfully removed by size exclusion chromatography. VLDL isolated from frozen plasma (-70 degrees C) was stable for 15 weeks. This simple, rapid method for the isolation of VLDL may be applied to assess the significance of VLDL oxidation in disease.