Gino Baron

Influence of pH on the morphology ofTrichoderma reeseiqm 9414 in submerged culture.

The influence of pH on the germination characteristics and the microscopic morphology ofTrichoderma reesei QM 9414 has been investigated. The parameters of a kinetic model were estimated by fitting model simulations to morphological measurements during submerged cultures at different pH values. Both the tip extension rate and the branching frequency varied with the pH and had maximum values around pH 4.5. The time of spore germination was dependent on the pH, but within the used pH-range (2.2–7.6), no significant effect of pH on the fraction of viable spores was observed.

Catalyst design by

Hierarchical zeolites are a class of superior catalysts which couples the intrinsic zeolitic properties to enhanced accessibility and intracrystalline mass transport to and from the active sites. The design of hierarchical USY (Ultra-Stable Y) catalysts is achieved using a sustainable postsynthetic room temperature treatment with mildly alkaline NH4OH (0.02 m) solutions. Starting from a commercial dealuminated USY zeolite (Si/Al = 47), a hierarchical material is obtained by selective and tuneable creation of interconnected and accessible small mesopores (2–6 nm). In addition, the treatment immediately yields the NH4+ form without the need for additional ion exchange. After NH4OH modification, the crystal morphology is retained, whereas the microporosity and relative crystallinity are decreased. The gradual formation of dense amorphous phases throughout the crystal without significant framework atom leaching rationalizes the very high material yields (>90%). The superior catalytic performance of the developed hierarchical zeolites is demonstrated in the acid-catalyzed isomerization of α-pinene and the metal-catalyzed conjugation of safflower oil. Significant improvements in activity and selectivity are attained, as well as a lowered susceptibility to deactivation. The catalytic performance is intimately related to the introduced mesopores, hence enhanced mass transport capacity, and the retained intrinsic zeolitic properties.