Tetiana Kulik

Interactions between bioactive ferulic acid and fumed silica by UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, TPD MS investigation and quantum chemical methods.

The interactions of bioactive ferulic acid with fumed silica were studied by UV/vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, TPD MS techniques and quantum chemical methods. It was found that surface complexes may form through phenol or carboxyl group of ferulic acid depending on its coverage value. The structure of surface complexes and mechanisms of the ferulic acid chemosorption on the silica surface are discussed. The kinetic parameters of the chemical reactions on silica surface are calculated. The mechanisms of thermal transformations of the ferulic chemosorbed surface complexes are proposed.

Thermal transformation of bioactive caffeic acid on fumed silica seen by UV–Vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, temperature programmed desorption mass spectrometry and quantum chemical methods

Thermochemical studies of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and their surface complexes are important for the pharmaceutical industry, medicine and for the development of technologies of heterogeneous biomass pyrolysis. In this study, structural and thermal transformations of caffeic acid complexes on silica surfaces were studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, temperature programmed desorption mass spectrometry (TPD MS) and quantum chemical methods. Two types of caffeic acid surface complexes are found to form through phenolic or carboxyl groups. The kinetic parameters of the chemical reactions of caffeic acid on silica surface are calculated. The mechanisms of thermal transformations of the caffeic chemisorbed surface complexes are proposed. Thermal decomposition of caffeic acid complex chemisorbed through grafted ester group proceeds via three parallel reactions, producing ketene, vinyl and acetylene derivatives of 1,2-dihydroxybenzene. Immobilization of phenolic acids on the silica surface improves greatly their thermal stability.

Spectroscopic study of biogenic amine complexes formed at fumed silica surface.

The structure and stability of biogenic amine complexes formed at the fumed silica surface were studied by UV-, IR-spectroscopy and TPD MS techniques. It was found that surface complexes are formed due to electrostatic interactions between amine cations and ionized silanol groups. The mechanism of thermal transformations of surface complexes is proposed. Kinetic parameters of thermal reactions at the fumed silica surface have been calculated.

Kinetics of Valeric Acid Ketonization and Ketenization in Catalytic Pyrolysis on Nanosized SiO2, γ-Al2O3, CeO2/SiO2, Al2O3/SiO2 and TiO2/SiO2

Valeric acid is an important renewable platform chemical that can be produced efficiently from lignocellulosic biomass. Upgrading of valeric acid by catalytic pyrolysis has the potential to produce value added biofuels and chemicals on an industrial scale. Understanding the different mechanisms involved in the thermal transformations of valeric acid on the surface of nanometer-sized oxides is important for the development of efficient heterogeneously catalyzed pyrolytic conversion techniques. In this work, the thermal decomposition of valeric acid on the surface of nanoscale SiO2 , γ-Al2 O3 , CeO2 /SiO2 , Al2 O3 /SiO2 and TiO2 /SiO2 has been investigated by temperature-programmed desorption mass spectrometry (TPD MS). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has also been used to investigate the structure of valeric acid complexes on the oxide surfaces. Two main products of pyrolytic conversion were observed to be formed depending on the nano-catalyst used-dibutylketone and propylketene. Mechanisms of ketene and ketone formation from chemisorbed fragments of valeric acid are proposed and the kinetic parameters of the corresponding reactions were calculated. It was found that the activation energy of ketenization decreases in the order SiO2 >γ-Al2 O3 >TiO2 /SiO2 >Al2 O3 /SiO2 , and the activation energy of ketonization decreases in the order γ-Al2 O3 >CeO2 /SiO2 . Nano-oxide CeO2 /SiO2 was found to selectively catalyze the ketonization reaction.

Study of the Thermal Decomposition of Some Components of Biomass by Desorption Mass Spectrometry

The investigation of thermal transformations of lignin samples have been carried out using temperature programmed desorption mass spectrometry method (TPD-MS). Main stages and products of lignin pyrolysis have been identified. The first stages (Tmax = 230 °C and Tmax = 300 °C) are attributed to thermal transformations of lignin peripheral polysaccharide fragments such as hemicellulose and cellulose respectively. The second stage (Tmax = 335 °C) is associated with desorption of lignin structural elements in the molecular forms as a result of depolymerization processes of polymeric blocks of lignin. The third stage (Tmax = 370 °C) correspond to a deeper decomposition of lignin and characterized by desorption of smaller structural fragments in molecular forms (m/z = 110, pyrocatechol). Pressure–temperature curves of pyrolysis of lignin samples have been analyzed.