Qisheng Ma

Improved Processes to Remove Naphthenic Acids

In the second year of this project, we continued our effort to develop low temperature decarboxylation catalysts and investigate the behavior of these catalysts at different reaction conditions. We conducted a large number of dynamic measurements with crude oil and model compounds to obtain the information at different reaction stages, which was scheduled as the Task2 in our work plan. We developed a novel adsorption method to remove naphthenic acid from crude oil using naturally occurring materials such as clays. Our results show promise as an industrial application. The theoretical modeling proposed several possible reaction pathways and predicted the reactivity depending on the catalysts employed. From all of these studies, we obtained more comprehensive understanding about catalytic decarboxylation and oil upgrading based on the naphthenic acid removal concept.

IMPROVED PROCESSES TO REMOVE NAPHTHENIC ACIDS

In the first year of this project, we have established our experimental and theoretical methodologies for studies of the catalytic decarboxylation process. We have developed both glass and stainless steel micro batch type reactors for the fast screening of various catalysts with reaction substrates of model carboxylic acid compounds and crude oil samples. We also developed novel product analysis methods such as GC analyses for organic acids and gaseous products; and TAN measurements for crude oil. Our research revealed the effectiveness of several solid catalysts such as NA-Cat-1 and NA-Cat-2 for the catalytic decarboxylation of model compounds; and NA-Cat-5{approx}NA-Cat-9 for the acid removal from crude oil. Our theoretical calculations propose a three-step concerted oxidative decarboxylation mechanism for the NA-Cat-1 catalyst.

Chemical and thermal stability of N-heterocyclic ionic liquids in catalytic C-H activation reactions.

1H‐NMR spectrum analyses are applied to study the chemical and thermal stability of selected N‐heterocyclic ionic liquids within the reaction system that can highly efficiently activate a C–H bond of methane and convert it into the C–O bond in methanol. Our results indicate that under such reaction conditions involving using a powerful Pt‐based catalyst and strong acidic solvent, the aromatic ring of an imidazolium cation becomes unstable generating an ammonium ion (NH4+). Our results also suggest that the instability of the imidazolium ring is more chemically (participation in reactions) than thermally based. Modifications of the aromatic ring structure such as pyrazolium and triazolium cations can increase the chemical/thermal stability of ionic liquids under these reaction conditions. Copyright

High-temperature Shilov-type methane conversion reaction: Mechanistic and kinetic studies

Abstract Traditional Shilov reactions (performed in aqueous solution with a PtCl2 catalyst) for methane conversion suffer from catalyst deactivation at high temperatures (> 100 °C), therefore only very low conversion rates have been achieved. In this paper, we show that Shilov-type C–H activations are achievable at much higher temperatures (∼200 °C) by addition of concentrated aqueous solutions of Cl− to inhibit Pt catalyst precipitation. Various chloride-based ionic liquids also stabilized the Pt catalyst at mild reaction temperatures (∼140 °C). Under high-pressure conditions (> 25.5 MPa), achieved using a specially designed sealed gold-tube reactor, very high methane conversion rates (> 90%) were obtained; this is attributed to the improved methane solubility in aqueous solution. Deuterium isotope (H/D) exchange between methane and water was used to examine the reaction reactivity and selectivity. Multiply D-substituted products were observed, indicating that multiple C–H activations occurred. A comprehensive network reaction that included all the chain reactions was set up to clarify the reactivities and product selectivities of the methane activation reactions. The reaction network consisted of a series of parallel first-order reactions, which can be described by the Arrhenius equation. The kinetic parameters such as the frequency factor, activation energies, and stoichiometric coefficients were obtained by fitting the experimental data. Because all four C–H bonds in a methane molecule are equivalent, multiple substitutions during methane conversion cannot be avoided. Our studies indicate that mono-substituted and di-substituted methane isotopologue generations have similar activation energies, suggesting that the highest mono-substitution selectivity cannot be greater than 50%.

Using Ionic Liquids in Selective Hydrocarbon Conversion Processes

This is the Final Report of the five-year project Using Ionic Liquids in Selective Hydrocarbon Conversion Processes (DE-FC36-04GO14276, July 1, 2004- June 30, 2009), in which we present our major accomplishments with detailed descriptions of our experimental and theoretical efforts. Upon the successful conduction of this project, we have followed our proposed breakdown work structure completing most of the technical tasks. Finally, we have developed and demonstrated several optimized homogenously catalytic methane conversion systems involving applications of novel ionic liquids, which present much more superior performance than the Catalytica system (the best-to-date system) in terms of three times higher reaction rates and longer catalysts lifetime and much stronger resistance to water deactivation. We have developed in-depth mechanistic understandings on the complicated chemistry involved in homogenously catalytic methane oxidation as well as developed the unique yet effective experimental protocols (reactors, analytical tools and screening methodologies) for achieving a highly efficient yet economically feasible and environmentally friendly catalytic methane conversion system. The most important findings have been published, patented as well as reported to DOE in this Final Report and our 20 Quarterly Reports.