Wang Lefu

Kinetic model for an esterification process coupled by pervaporation

Abstract A basic kinetic model of an esterification process coupled by pervaporation and a new method for measuring the model parameter had been established. Various effects on the shift of chemical equilibrium of esterification were taken into consideration in this kinetic model. The simulation results of this model coincided well with the experimental results.

Ionic liquids: Efficient solvent and medium for the transformation of renewable lignocellulose

Carbon-enriched lignocelluloses are regarded as the perfect alternative for nonrenewable fossil fuel, and have a great potential to alleviate the increasing energy crisis and climate change. However, the tightly covalent structure and strong intra and inter-molecular hydrogen bonding in lignocellulose make it high recalcitrance to transformation due to the poor solubility in water or common organic solvents. Dissolution and transformation of lignocellulose and its constituents in ionic liquids have therefore attracted much attention recently due to the tunable physical-chemical properties. Here, ionic liquids with excellent dissolving capability for biomass and its ingredients were examined. The technologies for lignocellulose biorefining in the presence of ionic liquid solvents or catalysts were also summarized. Some pertinent suggestions for the future catalytic conversion and unitization of this sustained carbon-rich resource are proposed.

Composite electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) and binary ionic liquids for dye-sensitized solar cells

The sunlight is the largest single available source of clean and renewable energy to ensure human society’s sustainable development. Owing to their low production cost and high energy conversion efficiency, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been regarded as good alternatives to conventional photovoltaic devices. Herein, a series of composite electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and the binary ionic liquids 1-propyl-3-methy-imidazolium iodide ([PMIm]I) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate ([EMIm][SCN]) were prepared and then applied to fabricate six DSSCs. The composite electrolytes were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). It was shown that the addition of binary ionic liquids would reduce the degree of crystallinity of PEO, thus improving the ionic conductivities of the electrolytes by about 2 orders of magnitude. Investigation on the photovoltaic performances of these DSSCs showed that the fill factor (FF) could reach up to 0.67 and energy conversion efficiency (η) could reach up to 4.04% under AM 1.5 full sunlight (100 mW/cm2).

Catalytic Decomposition of Cellulose in Cooperative Ionic Liquids

Cellulose, the abundant and cost-ineffective resource, is considered to be a perfect alternative for the alleviation of energy crisis and environmental pollution. However, most processes for the treatment of cellulose are rigor currently as it is insoluble in water and conventional organic solvents due to its strong intra and inter-molecular hydrogen bonds, where the phase problem hampers its utilization widely. Here, we built a novel and efficient cooperative ionic liquid pairs system for the low temperature catalytic conversion of cellulose, which was constructed through the combination of an acidic ionic liquid catalyst and a cellulose soluble ionic liquid solvent. The catalytic decomposition behavior of microcrystal cellulose in this vigorous catalytic system was studied intensively by thermogravimetry (TG). Results show that the decomposition temperature of cellulose decreases greatly in all cooperative ionic liquid pairs, cellulose dissolved in ionic liquid solvents can be in situ catalytic decomposed by acidic ionic liquids. Furthermore, the decomposition temperature is dependent on the acidic strength of the ionic liquid catalysts, stronger acidity results in a lower decomposition temperature of the cellulose. Moreover, we found that cellulose can be decomposed at lower temperature when the ionic liquid with higher solubility of cellulose is used.