Moses O. Adebajo

Porous materials for oil spill cleanup: A review of synthesis and absorbing properties

This paper reviews the synthesis and the absorbing properties of the wide variety of porous sorbent materials that have been studied for application in the removal of organics, particularly in the area of oil spill cleanup. The discussion is especially focused on hydrophobic silica aerogels, zeolites, organoclays and natural sorbents many of which have been demonstrated to exhibit (or show potential to exhibit) excellent oil absorption properties. The areas for further development of some of these materials are identified.

Enhancing Photoactivity of TiO2(B)/Anatase Core–Shell Nanofibers by Selectively Doping Cerium Ions into the TiO2(B) Core

Cerium ions (Ce(3+)) can be selectively doped into the TiO2(B) core of TiO2(B)/anatase core-shell nanofibers by means of a simple one-pot hydrothermal treatment of a starting material of hydrogen trititanate (H2Ti3O7) nanofibers. These Ce(3+) ions (≈0.202 nm) are located on the (110) lattice planes of the TiO2(B) core in tunnels (width≈0.297 nm). The introduction of Ce(3+) ions reduces the defects of the TiO2(B) core by inhibiting the faster growth of (110) lattice planes. More importantly, the redox potential of the Ce(3+)/Ce(4+) couple (E°(Ce(3+)/Ce(4+))=1.715 V versus the normal hydrogen electrode) is more negative than the valence band of TiO2(B). Therefore, once the Ce(3+)-doped nanofibers are irradiated by UV light, the doped Ce(3+) ions--in close vicinity to the interface between the TiO2(B) core and anatase nanoshell--can efficiently trap the photogenerated holes. This facilitates the migration of holes from the anatase shell and leaves more photogenerated electrons in the anatase nanoshell, which results in a highly efficient separation of photogenerated charges in the anatase nanoshell. Hence, this enhanced charge-separation mechanism accelerates dye degradation and alcohol oxidation processes. The one-pot treatment doping strategy is also used to selectively dope other metal ions with variable oxidation states such as Co(2+/3+) and Cu(+/2+) ions. The doping substantially improves the photocatalytic activity of the mixed-phase nanofibers. In contrast, the doping of ions with an invariable oxidation state, such as Zn(2+), Ca(2+), or Mg(2+), does not enhance the photoactivity of the mixed-phase nanofibers as the ions could not trap the photogenerated holes.

Infrared and 13C MAS nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic study of acetylation of cotton.

The acetylation of commercial cotton samples with acetic anhydride without solvents in the presence of about 5% 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) catalyst was followed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and 13C MAS NMR spectroscopy. This preliminary investigation was conducted in an effort to develop hydrophobic, biodegradable, cellulosic materials for subsequent application in oil spill cleanup. The FTIR results provide clear evidence for successful acetylation though the NMR results indicate that the level of acetylation is low. Nevertheless, the overall results indicate that cotton fibres are potential candidates suitable for further development via acetylation into hydrophobic sorbent materials for subsequent oil spill cleanup application. The results also indicate that de-acetylation, the reverse of the equilibrium acetylation reaction, occurred when the acetylation reaction was prolonged beyond 3 h.

The contribution of the Methanol-to-Aromatics Reaction to Benzene methylation over ZSM-5 Catalysts

The methanol to aromatics conversion is shown to contribute significantly to the benzene methylation with methanol at 400degreesC over acidic ZSM-5 catalysts but such contribution over all catalysts is negligible at 250degreesC. Benzene-only conversion shows only negligible contribution at both temperatures over the catalysts studied. However, it appears that the methanol-only conversion can be minimised, to enhance the benzene methylation with methanol (and indirectly the oxidative benzene methylation with methane), by using NaZSM-5 with highly reduced Bronsted acidity

A Raman spectroscopic study of thermally treated glushinskite—the natural magnesium oxalate dihydrate

Raman spectroscopy has been used to study the thermal transformations of natural magnesium oxalate dihydrate known in mineralogy as glushinskite. The data obtained by Raman spectroscopy was supplemented with that of infrared emission spectroscopy. The vibrational spectroscopic data was complimented with high resolution thermogravimetric analysis combined with evolved gas mass spectrometry. TG-MS identified two mass loss steps at 146 and 397 degrees C. In the first mass loss step water is evolved only, in the second step carbon dioxide is evolved. The combination of Raman microscopy and a thermal stage clearly identifies the changes in the molecular structure with thermal treatment. Glushinskite is the dihydrate phase in the temperature range up to the pre-dehydration temperature of 146 degrees C. Above 397 degrees C, magnesium oxide is formed. Infrared emission spectroscopy shows that this mineral decomposes at around 400 degrees C. Changes in the position and intensity of the CO and CC stretching vibrations in the Raman spectra indicate the temperature range at which these phase changes occur.

Methylation of benzene with methanol over zeolite catalysts in a low pressure flow reactor

Previous studies in this laboratory have shown oxygen to be a crucial requirement for the reaction of methane with benzene over zeolite catalysts at 400°C in a high pressure batch reactor. Thus, a two-step mechanism involving the intermediate formation of methanol by partial oxidation of methane followed by the methylation of benzene with methanol in the second step, was postulated. This paper now shows clearly that there is excellent correlation between the performance of the zeolite catalysts used for the methylation of benzene with methanol in a low pressure flow reactor and the methylation of benzene with methane in the presence of oxygen in a high pressure batch reactor. This finding therefore gives further support to the two-step mechanism for the oxidative methylation reaction at 400°C.

Spectroscopic and XRD characterisation of zeolite catalysts active for the oxidative methylation of benzene with methane

The benzene methylation with methane over zeolite catalysts was previously shown in our laboratory to require the presence of oxygen. Thus, a two-step mechanism involving the intermediate formation of methanol by partial oxidation of methane followed by the methylation of benzene with methanol in the second step, was postulated. This paper now reports the results of the characterisation of the zeolite catalysts used for the oxidative benzene methylation reaction in order to provide some information about their composition, structure, properties and their behaviour before and after the reaction. The catalysts were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), FT-IR and solid state NMR. XRD results indicate that the crystalline structures of all the ZSM-5 and H-beta catalysts remained unchanged after batch reaction of benzene with methane over the catalysts in agreement with the observation that the catalysts recovered from the reactor could be reused without loss of activity. Elemental analyses and FT-IR data show that as the level of metal ion exchange increases, the Brönsted acid concentration decreases but this metal ion exchange does not totally remove Brönsted acidity. FT-IR results further show that only a small amount of acid sites is actually necessary for a catalyst to be active since used catalysts containing highly reduced Brönsted acidity are found to be reusable without any loss of their activity. 29Si and 27Al magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR together with FT-IR spectra also show that all the active zeolites catalysts contain some extra-framework octahedral aluminium in addition to the normal tetrahedral framework aluminium. The presence of this extra-lattice aluminium does not, however, have any adverse effect on the crystallinity of the catalysts both before and after oxidative benzene methylation reaction. There appears also to be no significant dealumination of the zeolite catalysts during reaction since their catalytic performance was retained after use.

ESR study of alkyl radicals adsorbed on porous Vycor glass: I. Build-up of methyl and ethyl radicals

Methyl and ethyl radicals have been produced on the surface of porous Vycor glass (PVG) at 77 K by UV photolysis of adsorbed azomethane and azoethane, respectively. The build-up of the radicals as a function of irradiation time has been studied by using the technique of electron spin resonance (ESR). Ethyl radicals are found to be slightly more difficult to generate than methyl radicals and both radicals were observed not to approach saturation within the period of irradiation employed. The variation of the rate of formation of the radicals with surface coverage and their formation during re-irradiation after previous decay for several hours at 77 K are discussed.

Methane Activation Over Zeolite Catalysts: the Methylation of Benzene

The methylation of benzene with methane over ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts in a high pressure static reactor is shown to require oxygen as a reactant, implicating methanol as a key intermediate species. In the case of zeolite H-beta, methyl aromatics can be formed in the absence of oxygen, consistent with an earlier report that these products are formed from cracking of benzene over the acid zeolite.

Recent Advances in Catalytic/Biocatalytic Conversion of Greenhouse Methane and Carbon Dioxide to Methanol and Other Oxygenates

Methane gas has been identified as the most destructive greenhouse gas (Liu et al., 2004). It was reported that the global warming potential of methane per molecule relative to CO2 is approximately 23 on a 100-year timescale or 62 over a 20-year period (IPCC, 2001). Methane has high C-H bond energy of about 439 kJ/mol and other higher alkanes (or saturated hydrocarbons) also have a very strong C-C and C-H bonds, thus making their molecules to have no empty orbitals of low energy or filled orbitals of high energy that could readily participate in chemical reactions as is the case with unsaturated hydrocarbons such as olefins and alkynes (Crabtree, 1994; Labinger & Bercaw, 2002)...