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Rational design and facile preparation of low-cost and efficient catalysts for the selective converting of biomass-derived monosaccharides into high value-added chemicals is highly demanded, yet challenging. Herein, we first demonstrate a N doped defect-rich carbon (NC-800-5) as metal-free catalyst for the selective oxidation of d -xylose into d -xylonic acid in alkaline aqueous solution at 100 °C for 30 min, with 57.4% yield. The doped graphitic N is found to be the active site and hydroxyl ion participating in the oxidation of d -xylose. Hydroxyl ion and d -xylose first adsorb on NC-800-5 surface, and the aldehyde group of d -xylose is catalyzed to form germinal diols ion. Then, C–H bond break to yield carboxylic group. Furthermore, NC-800-5 catalyst shows high stability in recycled test.

Electrochemical oxidation is a promising and effective method for lignin depolymerization owing to its selective oxidation capacity and environmental friendliness. Herein, the electrooxidation of non-phenolic alkyl aryl ether monomers and β-O-4 dimers was experimentally (by cyclic voltammetry, in situ spectroelectrochemistry, and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy) and theoretically (by DFT calculations) explored in detail. Compared to the reported literature (T. Shiraishi, T. Takano, H. Kamitakahara and F. Nakatsubo, Holzforschung, 2012, 66(3), 303–309), 1-(4-ethoxyphenyl)ethanol showed a distinguishable oxidation pathway, where the resulting carbonyl product surprisingly underwent a bond cleavage on alkyl–aryl ether to ultimately produce a quinoid like compound. In contrast, β-O-4 dimers, like 2-phenoxy-1-phenethanol and 2-phenoxyacetophenone also demonstrated electrochemical oxidation induced by Cβ–O and Cα–Cβ bond cleavages. For the oxidation products, the presence of the Cα-hydroxyl group in dimers was the key to selectively generate aldehyde-containing species under mild electrochemical conditions, otherwise it produces alcohol-containing products following a different mechanism compared to the CαO containing dimers.

Bulk chemicals produced from renewable resources are receiving considerable attention due to the increase in sustainable practices. In this study, a novel, efficient, and sustainable strategy has b...

The isomerization of glucose to fructose is a crucial step in the formation of high-value biochemicals from renewable cellulosic biomass. In this work, we have demonstrated a novel and efficient st...

The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of obtaining extended release of tacrolimus by a novel combination of lipid-based solid dispersion and matrix-type extended release tablet techniques. Tacrolimus solid dispersion was prepared using glycerylbehenate (Compritol® ATO888) and Pluronic F127 as the carrier materials with hot-melt method, which was then blended with hydrogel matrix materials, such as HPMC and lactose, the powders were directly compressed into tablets. In vitro drug release tests were carried out to evaluate the performance of the solid dispersions and the tablets. The dissolution rate of tacrolimus was significantly improved by the lipid-based solid dispersion, and the incorporation of HPC into the solid dispersion obviously improved its stability after storage. Extended release tablets loaded with tacrolimus solid dispersion showed prolonged drug release patterns over 24 h, the release patterns of the tablets can be tailored by the compositions of the matrix materials, including the types and content of HPMCs. A modified processing method that directly mixed the melted solid dispersion with HPMC powders improved the uniformity of the solid dispersion inside the tablet matrix and release profile. The release data of the extended release tablet fitted well to the Korsmeyer–Peppas model with n value of 0.85, which suggested diffusion- and erosion-controlled release mechanism. The combination of lipid-based solid dispersion and HPMC hydrogel matrix may find wide applications in the extended release dosage forms of high potent, water-insoluble drugs., Graphical abstract Image, graphical abstractLipid-based solid dispersion and HPMC hydrogel matrix for extended tacrolimus release.

We have mapped a new downy mildew resistance gene, Pl35, derived from wild Helianthus argophyllus to sunflower linkage group 1. New germplasms incorporating the Pl35 gene were developed for both oilseed and confection sunflower Sunflower downy mildew (DM), caused by the oomycete pathogen Plasmopara halstedii, is an economically important and widespread sunflower disease worldwide. Non-race-specific resistance is not available in sunflower, and breeding for DM resistance relies on race-specific resistance to control this disease. The discovery of the novel DM resistance genes is a long-term task due to the highly virulent and aggressive nature of the P. halstedii pathogen, which reduces the effectiveness of resistance genes. The objectives of this study were to: (1) transfer DM resistance from a wild sunflower species Helianthus argophyllus (PI 494576) into cultivated sunflowers; (2) map the resistance gene; and (3) develop diagnostic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for efficient targeting of the gene in breeding programs. The H. argophyllus accession PI 494576 previously identified with resistance to the most virulent P. halstedii race 777 was crossed with oilseed and confection sunflower in 2012. Molecular mapping using the BC2F2 and BC2F3 populations derived from the cross CONFSCLB1/PI 494576 located a new resistance gene Pl35 on linkage group 1 of the sunflower genome. The new gene Pl35 was successfully transferred from PI 494576 into cultivated sunflowers. SNP markers flanking Pl35 were surveyed in a validation panel of 548 diversified sunflower lines collected globally. Eleven SNP markers were found to be diagnostic for Pl35 SNP alleles, with four co-segregating with Pl35. The developed oilseed and confection germplasms with diagnostic SNP markers for Pl35 will be very useful resources for breeding of DM resistance in sunflower.

The development of multiresponsive photochromic materials is of increasing interest for their potential application in the complicated chemical and biological environment. Here, a novel D-A type dithienylethene derivative NDM, in which dimethylamino group acted as both electron donor (D) and recognition moiety for H+, and the dicyanovinyl group functioned as electron acceptor (A) and responsed to cyanide anion, has been designed and synthesized. And its structure was confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS (ESI). As expected, dithienylethene NDM exhibited distinctive multi-modulated photochromic properties by solvent, acid and cyanide anion stimulation. Moreover, NDM can be acted as a potential fluorescent turn-on pH-sensor and colorimetric sensor for CN− in biological field.

The regular distribution of micro-droplets splitting from thin ferrofluid layer is systematic experimentally investigated, as the layer is placed in a vertical magnetic field. In this work, the field is applied in an instant manner and a slow manner, respectively; the field strength is linear increased. With instantly raising the field, it is observed that the ferrofluid layer is split into several regularly distributed micro-droplets, and that the number of micro-droplets is linear to the magnetic field strength and the thickness of the liquid layers. When the field is slowly increased, a liquid ring together with several micro-droplets appears from the ferrofluid layer splitting. A spatial drift of the micro-droplets is also observed in the process of increasing the magnetic field. Our results are useful for manipulating the splitting regularities of ferrofluid layers by magnetic field, which may be used in non-contact segmentation, and magnetically manipulated drug carriers for targeting the therapy, etc.

Single-atom catalysts are emerging as primary catalysts for many reactions due to their 100% utilization of active metal centers leading to high catalytic efficiencies. Herein, we report the use of a single-atom Co catalyst for the oxidative cleavage of the β-O-4 bonds of lignin model compounds at a low oxygen pressure. Under the optimized reaction conditions, the conversion of 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-phenylethanol up to 95% with high selectivities was achieved with a variety of substrates investigated. The reusability of the Co catalyst with a high catalytic efficiency indicates its potential application in the oxidative cleavage of C–O bonds.

Lignocellulosic materials were conventionally treated as wastes for disposal, but have now become very important in modern life due to their great roles in the supply of renewable resources. Recently, significant attention has been paid to the dissolution of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, and the production of chemicals and fuels from these feedstocks. It has been demonstrated that lignocellulose has great potential from a sustainable economy perspective and this field has been developing rapidly. Thus, it is critical to review the recent progress in studies on the utilization of lignocellulosic materials. In particular, this work was designed to highlight recent computation-based studies on the chemistry of lignocellulosic materials, from the structural and energetic properties of individual lignocellulose components to their reaction mechanisms in various systems. Importantly, this review summarizes some major simulation studies on the utilization of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin via dissolution, catalytic conversion, and pyrolysis by using density functional theory, first-principles calculation, molecular dynamics simulation, and conductor-like screening models. It has been shown that the theoretical and computational investigations play a key role in the understanding of the efficient utilization of lignocellulose.

Lignin selective depolymerization is a crucial step in high-value utilization of this natural aromatic polymer. In this study, we provide a novel and efficient hydrogenolysis process for organosolv lignin selective decomposition and char elimination over non-noble metallic nickel supported on zirconium phosphate (Ni/ZrP). With the optimized catalyst of 15%Ni/ZrP-2.0, 87.3% lignin conversion could be obtained with less than 5.2% char formation under mild condition of 260 °C for 4 h. Product analysis demonstrates that 15.1 wt% phenolic monomer yield is given at the relatively low hydrogen pressure of 2.0 MPa. In particular, 40.4% of these volatile products were identified to be para ethyl phenol (a yield of 6.1 wt%), a versatile compound which is currently originating from the petrochemical industry. Further comparative structure characterization of the original and regenerated lignin shows that the efficient cleavage of carbon bonds between C8 and C9 in the p-coumarate moiety of H-lignin (pCA8 unit) is mainly responsible for this excellent yield of para ethyl phenol. In addition, this process yields 48 wt% nonvolatile products, which mainly consist of phenolic dimers and trimers, indicating its great potential to be a good starting material for high quality aromatic fuel production via simple upgradation techniques.

Barley is an important cereal crop worldwide because of its use in the brewing and distilling industry. However, adequate supplies of quality malting barley are threatened by global climate change due to drought in some regions and excess precipitation in others, which facilitates epidemics caused by fungal pathogens. The disease net form net blotch caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Pyrenophora teres f. teres (Ptt) has emerged as a global threat to barley production and diverse populations of Ptt have shown a capacity to overcome deployed genetic resistances. The barley line CI5791 exhibits remarkably effective resistance to diverse Ptt isolates from around the world that maps to two major QTL on chromosomes 3H and 6H. To identify genes involved in this effective resistance, CI5791 seed were γ-irradiated and two mutants, designated CI5791-γ3 and CI5791-γ8, with compromised Ptt resistance were identified from an M2 population. Phenotyping of CI5791-γ3 and -γ8 × Heartland F2 populations showed three resistant to one susceptible segregation ratios and CI5791-γ3 × -γ8 F1 individuals were susceptible, thus these independent mutants are in a single allelic gene. Thirty-four homozygous mutant (susceptible) CI5791-γ3 × Heartland F2 individuals, representing 68 recombinant gametes, were genotyped via PCR genotype by sequencing. The data were used for single marker regression mapping placing the mutation on chromosome 3H within an approximate 75 cM interval encompassing the 3H CI5791 resistance QTL. Sequencing of the mutants and wild-type (WT) CI5791 genomic DNA following exome capture identified independent mutations of the HvWRKY6 transcription factor located on chromosome 3H at ∼50.7 cM, within the genetically delimited region. Post transcriptional gene silencing of HvWRKY6 in barley line CI5791 resulted in Ptt susceptibility, confirming that it functions in NFNB resistance, validating it as the gene underlying the mutant phenotypes. Allele analysis and transcript regulation of HvWRKY6 from resistant and susceptible lines revealed sequence identity and upregulation upon pathogen challenge in all genotypes analyzed, suggesting a conserved transcription factor is involved in the defense against the necrotrophic pathogen. We hypothesize that HvWRKY6 functions as a conserved signaling component of defense mechanisms that restricts Ptt growth in barley.

Downy mildew (DM) is one of the severe biotic threats to sunflower production worldwide. The inciting pathogen, Plasmopara halstedii, could overwinter in the field for years, creating a persistent threat to sunflower. The dominant genes Pl18 and Pl20 conferring resistance to known DM races have been previously mapped to 1.5 and 1.8 cM intervals on sunflower chromosomes 2 and 8, respectively. Utilizing a whole-genome resequencing strategy combined with reference sequence-based chromosome walking and high-density mapping in the present study, Pl18 was placed in a 0.7 cM interval on chromosome 2. A candidate gene HanXRQChr02g0048181 for Pl18 was identified from the XRQ reference genome and predicted to encode a protein with typical NLR domains for disease resistance. The Pl20 gene was placed in a 0.2 cM interval on chromosome 8. The putative gene with the NLR domain for Pl20, HanXRQChr08g0210051, was identified within the Pl20 interval. SNP markers closely linked to Pl18 and Pl20 were evaluated with 96 diverse sunflower lines, and a total of 13 diagnostic markers for Pl18 and four for Pl20 were identified. These markers will facilitate to transfer these new genes to elite sunflower lines and to pyramid these genes with broad-spectrum DM resistance in sunflower breeding.

Mapping short reads to a reference genome is an essential step in many next-generation sequencing (NGS) analyses. In plants with large genomes, a large fraction of the reads can align to multiple locations of the genome with equally good alignment scores. How to map these ambiguous reads to the genome is a challenging problem with big impacts on the downstream analysis. Traditionally, the default method is to assign an ambiguous read randomly to one of the many potential locations. In this study, we explore two alternative methods that are based on the hypothesis that the possibility of an ambiguous read being generated by a location is proportional to the total number of reads produced by that location: (1) the enrichment method that assigns an ambiguous read to the location that has produced the most reads among all the potential locations, (2) the probability method that assigns an ambiguous read to a location based on a probability proportional to the number of reads the location produces. We systematically compared the performance of the proposed methods with that of the default random method. Our results showed that the enrichment method produced better results than the default random method and the probability method in the discovery of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Not only did it produce more SNP markers, but it also produced SNP markers with better quality, which was demonstrated using multiple mainstay genomic analyses, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS), minor allele distribution, population structure, and genomic prediction.

Two novel donor–π–acceptor-type dithienylethene derivatives, in which the triphenylamine group acts as electron donor and the formyl group functions as electron acceptor, have been developed. Their structures were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS (ESI). Investigation of their photochromic properties indicated that they had good photochromic behaviour and excellent fatigue resistance on irradiation with UV or visible light. DFT calculations further validated these experimental results for photochromic behaviour. Moreover, these compounds can be utilised as versatile building blocks to construct novel near-infrared photochromic materials.

The outdoor ARID raceway was established for optimizing the cultivation of microalgae for biofuel production. During the summers of 2014 and 2015, discoloration was observed in cultures of Chlorella sorokiniana (DOE1412), which shifted from a vibrant green color to yellow, followed by cell clumping, decline in density, and rapid death, resulting in 40–60% reduced biomass production. Total DNA was purified from the raceway samples and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using degenerate primers that amplify the 16S rRNA gene of eubacteria. BLASTn analysis of the cloned amplicon sequences revealed the presence of the Gram-negative, predatory bacterium, Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus. Scanning electron microscopic examination showed an abundance of coccoid cells, 0.3–0.6 μm in diameter, some of which were attached to C. sorokiniana cells. PCR amplification indicated the presence of V. chlorellavorus in raceway vessels, water lines, connective tubing, and in early, scaled-up DOE1412 cultures used to inoculate the raceway. Based on PCR detection, the decontamination of the equipment and water line with “Wal-Clean” more effectively eliminated V. chlorellavorus and delayed the onset of attack, compared to the chlorine disinfectant, trichloromelamine (TCM). Total DNA was isolated from soil samples collected monthly from the nearby Rillito River during 2014–2015 and subjected to PCR amplification using primers designed to amplify the 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene of V. chlorellavorus and C. sorokiniana, respectively. Results indicated that V. chlorellavorus and Chlorella spp. were present in most of the riverbed samples nearly year round, suggesting a possible naturally occurring reservoir of the predatory bacterium.

BACKGROUND Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common but underestimated cause of heart failure in patients with diabetes. This study investigated the myocardial-protective effects of nicorandil (Nic) on rats with DCM. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of forty-seven 180-220 g male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: a control group (control, n=8), a DCM group (DCM, n=13), a nicorandil-pretreated DCM group (Nic1, n=13), and a nicorandil-treated DCM group (Nic2, n=13). A rat model of type 2 diabetes was induced by high-fat and high-sugar diet and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Nicorandil (3 mg/kg/d) was orally administrated to rats in the Nic1 group starting at week 4. Nicorandil (3 mg/kg/d) was orally administrated only after the induction of diabetes in the Nic2 group. The serum lipoids, plasma glucose, insulin levels, heart weight index, serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) were analyzed in all groups. RESULTS The DCM group showed increased heart weight index, serum LDH, CK, and MDA content and decreased serum SOD activity, as compared with the control group (P0.05). The DCM-induced increases in heart weight index, serum LDH, CK, and MDA content and decrease in serum SOD activity were attenuated in both Nic1 and Nic2 groups (P0.05). However, there was no significant difference between Nic1 and Nic2 groups (P0.05). CONCLUSIONS Nicorandil has protective effects on cardiac hypertrophy in DCM rats through increased SOD activity and decreased MDA content. Therefore, nicorandil may be a therapeutic method for diabetic patients with DCM.

Electrocatalysts with a high efficiency and durability for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) hold tremendous promise for next-generation energy conversion. Among the state-of-art catalysts for HER, organic-inorganic hybrid nanosheets exhibit a great potential with the merits of high activity, good durability, and low cost. Nevertheless, there is no general method for the synthesis of binary metal phosphide hybrid nanosheet HER catalysts with a tunable morphology and composition. Herein, we report a facile approach for the synthesis of nanosheets consisting of a binary cobalt nickel phosphide hybrid with a hierarchically porous nanostructures using an oxidation- phosphorization process. The as-optimized hybrid nanosheets annealed at 350 °C yield the highest pH-universal activity with overpotentials of 148, 111, and 173 mV in acidic, alkaline, and neutral media, respectively. Besides the promoted mass diffusion in the hierarchically porous structure, the extraordinary performance can be also attributed to the weakened adsorption of hydrogen as a result of the tunable composition of Co and Ni, which was revealed by first-principles calculations.

Global warming arising from the influx of excessive greenhouse gases, has highlighted the importance of reducing them from the atmosphere. Intensive efforts were made to uncover biomass-based materials that can catalyze the synthesis of cyclic carbonate from CO2 and epoxides. In this work, a biomass based catalyst system consisting of 1, 8-Diazabicyclo (5.4.0) undec-7-ene (DBU) and xylan was developed for efficient fixation of CO2 with epoxides to synthesize cyclic carbonates. The results showed that the catalyst composition, reaction time, temperature and pressure had remarkable influences on the catalytic activity of DBU/xylan. A high yield of 85% propylene carbonate (PC) was achieved under the optimal reaction conditions (DBU: xylan = 5:1, 3.0 MPa, 4 h, and 120 °C). In addition, the catalytic system could be suitable for the cycloaddition between CO2 and other epoxides or aziridines. Compared with other biomass-based catalysis system, the DBU/xylan exhibited a better catalytic activity, owing to the exceptional synergistic effect between DBU and xylan.

Selective oxidation of biomass-based monosaccharides into value-added sugar acids is highly desired, but limited success of producing D-xylonic acid has been achieved. Herein, we report an efficient catalyst system, viz., Au nanoparticles anchored on the inner walls of hollow Al2O3 nanospheres (Au@h-Al2O3), which could catalyze the selective oxidation of D-xylose into D-xylonic acid under base-free conditions. The mesoporous Al2O3 shell as the adsorbent first adsorbed D-xylose. Then, the interface of Au nanoparticles and Al2O3 as active sites spontaneously dissociated O2, and the exposed Au nanoparticle surface as the catalytic site drove the transformation. With this catalyst system, the valuable D-xylonic acid was produced with excellent yields in the aerobic oxidation of D-xylose. Extensive investigation showed that Au@h-Al2O3 is an efficient catalyst with high stability and recyclability.

Selective valorization of lignin to achieve high value and commodity chemicals is attracting increasing attention. In this work, an efficient and reusable metal-based ionic liquid (MBIL) was developed for the selective tailoring of p-coumaric acid ester (pCA), a typical p-hydroxyphenyl (H) unit, into methyl p-hydroxycinnamate (MPC). Under optimized conditions and in the presence of catalyst [Bmim][FeCl4], a volatile aromatic product of 10.5 wt% was obtained, of which, 70.5% separated as pure MPC with an isolated yield of 71.1 mg g−1. FT-IR, 13C NMR, ANO and 2D HSQC demonstrated that the H unit was preferentially tailored from lignin, of which, 86.0 wt% of the H structure unit is cut off from lignin, with 70.6% being selectively converted to MPC. Further investigation demonstrated that MBIL prefers to tailor ester bonds compared to ether bonds using model compounds, and the superior catalytic ester bond cleavage performance exhibited by [Bmim][FeCl4] can be ascribed to the relatively narrow energy gap between the lignin ester bond and [FeCl4]− anion and to the comparatively low absolute binding energy between the cation and anion through DFT calculations.

A series of 1,3-bispropyltriethoxysilane-imidazolium chloride (FILs)-modified SBA-15 adsorbents have been prepared, characterized, and applied in SO2 capture for the first time. At low FILs loadings, significant levels of grafting were observed, while higher loading levels resulted in retention of a greater fraction of FILs precursors, as evidenced by FTIR spectroscopy. Textural properties gradually declined as FILs content increased, in conjunction with an apparent change in the regular nature of the SBA-15 pore structure and bulk particle morphology, as demonstrated by XRD, TEM, and SEM. SO2 adsorption breakthrough curves indicated that all materials possessed rapid and facile adsorption properties, with t0.9 values 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than those obtained over comparable materials under more favorable conditions. The largest total SO2 adsorption was achieved over 10%FILs@SBA-15, which exhibited a maximized FILs adsorption contribution that remained constant at higher loadings. Corrections agai...

Lignin has been considered as a promising sustainable feedstock for high value-added aromatic chemical production. Here, we propose a novel and efficient process for lignin depolymerization in the presence of cooperative ionic liquid pair, which affords excellent catalytic activity and char inhibition capability. Under the optimized reaction condition, 66.7% lignin conversion is achieved, yielding 14.5 wt.% phenolic monomer, numerous volatile products (identified by GC–MS) and negligible char formation. The structural evolution of the sugarcane lignin was intensively investigated via comparative characterization of raw and regenerated lignin using HSQC, 1H NMR, FT-IR, GPC and elemental analysis. All three structural lignin units are degraded in this process, where, H-lignin is found to be the most susceptible. Satisfactory lignin depolymerization performance was found for the cooperative ionic liquid system, even after the fifth run, demonstrating a reasonable reusability.

The efficient production of γ-valerolactone (GVL) from renewable resources is attracting increasing attention in view of its wide application in fuel and synthetic chemistry. In this study, a series of novel and efficient zirconium phosphate catalysts were developed for the transfer hydrogenation of levulinate esters to GVL using isopropanol as the hydrogen donor. Experimental results show that 98.1% butyl levulinate conversion and 95.7% GVL yield can be achieved with ZrPO-1.00 at 483 K after 2.0 h. Intensive characterization of the synthesized catalysts using N 2 adsorption-desorption, FT-IR, ICP-AES, XPS, NH 3 -TPD, Py-FTIR and XRD demonstrates that the physicochemical properties, particularly hydrophobicity, Lewis to Bronsted acid site ratio and Lewis acid site strength were subtly tuned via adjustment of the molar proportion of phosphorus to zirconium, which is responsible for excellent transfer hydrogenation activity. Furthermore, this optimized catalyst exhibits high stability and recyclability for at least ten reaction cycles. In addition, a plausible reaction pathway and catalytic mechanism are proposed.

Low-temperature NH 3 -SCR is an environmentally important reaction for the abatement of NO x from stationary sources. In recent years FeMnO x has attracted significant attention as a potential catalyst for this process, however its catalytic activity and SO 2 resistance require further improvement. In this contribution FeMnO x has been modified to examine the effect of ceria on catalytic activity and SO 2 resistance in the low temperature region. Preparation of catalysts via the citric acid method generate modified materials that exhibit enhanced NO turnover compared to FeMnO x . A reduction in NH 3 adsorption (NH 3 -TPD) and a suitable ratio between NO sites (NO-TPD) and chemisorbed surface oxygen (XPS) are beneficial for the promotion of fast-SCR. A comparative SO 2 resistance study of FeMnO x and Ce(12.5) showed that the latter exhibited improved stability in the presence of SO 2 , as indicated by the retention of pore volume (N 2 adsorption) and surface composition (XPS). In-situ DRIFTS demonstrated that chemisorbed N-containing species on Ce(12.5) were much more stable in the presence of SO 2 compared to FeMnO x , which resulted in the formation of significantly less metal sulphates and NH 4 HSO 4 .

The condensation of the dilute platform biochemical from the renewable lignocellulosic cellulose depolymerization for high quality energy production has attracted increasing attention currently. In this study, we propose an efficient process for biogasoline precursor production from the furfural and ethyl levulinate through the Aldol reaction at the ambient temperature. The results show that the furfural and ethyl levulinate can be efficiently condensed with the catalyst of commercial alkalis. Under the optimized condition, 78% of the product isolated yield can be obtained in the presence of KOH. Furthermore, the final product analysis using FT-IR, GPC, 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR and elemental analysis demonstrates that it mainly composes of 3-(furan-2-yl(hydroxy)methyl)-4-oxopentanoate acid, an excellent precursor for C9 branched hydrocarbon of gasoline. Moreover, the investigation shows that the product distribution of this Aldol process is high temperature dependent, higher temperature resulting in the recondensation of the product, hence decreasing the C9 gasoline precursor selectivity.

Preparation of highly-active hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts draws increasing attention due to environmental concerns. Now the effects of various NiMo phases on the HDS activities are investigated. Calcinations of a series of PVP-assisted synthesized NiMo oxides led to NiMo precursors with various phases. The NiMo precursors and sulfided catalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 isotherm, FT-IR, SEM, and TPR, and the activities of the NiMo catalysts were obtained in the HDS reactions of dibenzothiophene (DBT). Results revealed that the phases of α-, β-NiMoO4, and ammonium nickel molybdate were detected on the NiMo precursors. A NiMo-0.5 precursor with a H2-type hysteresis loop had very high BET surface area (144 m2 g−1), which was higher than traditional metal oxides. Phases of MoS2 and Ni3S2 nanoparticles were detected on the sulfided NiMo catalysts. Catalytic results reveal that the sulfided NiMo catalysts deriving from β-NiMoO4 phase were more active than those from the α-NiMoO4 phase. A NiMo-0.1 catalyst had higher HDS activities towards DBT than the other NiMo catalysts, due to the phase of β-NiMoO4 and easy reductions of nickel oxide and molybdate, which might be beneficial for the formation of ‘NiMoS’ active phase. These findings show that for the preparations of highly-active unsupported and supported NiMo catalysts, the β-NiMoO4 phase is preferred, which provides more useful information in the development of HDS catalysts.

This paper studies the impacts of five key synthesis parameters of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) in an aqueous solution, namely zinc resource, pH value, temperature, reaction time, and the concentration of water in the ligand (H2O/Hmim). It was found that the crystallization of ZIF-8 samples is strongly impacted by these synthesis parameters. ZIF-8 synthesized at a temperature of 85 °C, reaction time of 5 min, and pH value of 11.4 had a large special surface area and pore volume, and thus had a high CO2adsorption capacity of 3.04 mmol g-1. The CO2capture capacity remained constant after eleven consecutive adsorption-desorption experiments. Further applications of the hydrothermal synthesis method are promising considering the remarkable CO2adsorption capacity and cyclic regeneration ability. © 2017 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Four ring-closed analogs of natural prenylated chalcone desmethylxanthohumol (1) and their dimers were synthesized from the commercially available 1-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)ethan-1-one in five and six linear steps, respectively. The structures of the eight new derivatives were confirmed using1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS. The antioxidant activity of the new chalcone derivatives were evaluated in a PC12 cell model of H2O2-induced oxidative damage. The SAR studies suggested that the catechol motif was essential for the antioxidant activity. Moreover, the dimers showed better antioxidant activity than their corresponding monomers did. Among them, compound 14d was the most potent and increased PC12 cell viability from 25% to 85%. Flow cytometric analysis showed that compound 14d, the most potent compound, decreased the apoptotic PC12 cell percentage and significantly reduced the LDH release and 8-OHdG generation but increased the GSH levels in H2O2-treated PC12 cells. Furthermore, compound 14d had a higher FRAP value than that of gallic acid. It also reduced the stable ABTS+ free radical with a lower EC50 than that of gallic acid.

Many strategies, such as doping metal, designing low-dimensional nanostructures, and enhancing the utilization of active sites based on a conductive support, have been intensively pursued to improve the intrinsic activity of transition metal chalcogenides for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, integrating all the above-mentioned merits into one electrocatalyst is still a significant challenge. Herein, we have successfully prepared uniform CoMoS/CoMoO4 (CMS) shell–core nanorods, with a diameter of 60 nm and a length of 800 nm, supported on N-doped reduced graphene oxide (NRGO). The obtained CMS/NRGO can combine many advantages, including transition metal doping, one-dimensional nanorods, and the superior conductivity of NRGO, resulting in very promising HER properties and excellent stability. The optimum sulfurization temperature for unsupported CMS nanorods has been explored using uniform CoMoO4 nanorods as a precursor. Although CMS-3 prepared with a sulfurization temperature of 300 °C has been found to possess the optimum activity for the HER, when adopting NRGO as a support, CMS-3/NRGO exhibits an impressive enhancement in HER performances with a low overpotential of 80 mV, a small Tafel slope of 58 mV dec−1, and a large exchange current density of 428 μA cm−2. In addition, the electrocatalytic activity of CMS-3/NRGO shows a negligible delay after 1000 cycles, indicating its robust electrochemical stability in acid electrolyte solution. Therefore, adopting low-temperature sulfurization of one-dimensional metal oxide precursors supported on NRGO may be a promising strategy for obtaining excellent electrocatalysts for the HER.

Ordered mesoporous NiMo-Al2O3 catalysts with 20.0 wt.% MoO3 and various NiO contents were synthesized by a facile one-pot evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method, using P123 as structure-directing agent and anhydrous ethanol as solvent. The hydrophilic Al-, Ni-, and Mo-containing compounds surrounded the P123 micelles to form a hexagonal mesoporous structure. The NiMo-Al2O3 catalysts were characterized by a series of techniques, including N2 adsorption, XRD, XRF, TEM, SEM, FT-IR, TG-DSC (for the as-synthesized NiMo-Al2O3 precursors), and TPR. The catalytic activities were tested in hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT). Results show that calcination at 500 °C can fully remove the surfactant and solvent to form amorphous walls. Molybdenum and nickel atoms were incorporated into the channels of the ordered mesoporous alumina and highly dispersed, maintaining the hexagonal symmetry mesostructures. Incorporations of Ni promoted a transformation of molybdate from tetrahedral to octahedral sites and changed the relative intensities of the TPR peaks. Catalytic results reveal that the ordered mesoporous NiMo-Al2O3 catalysts had high activities towards DBT. Biphenyl was the abundant product in HDS reactions, and direct desulfurization was the dominant route. A high HDS activity was observed with a Ni/Mo molar ratio of 1:1, which was attributed to more easily reducible molybdate and better dispersion of the MoS2 nanoparticles. The ordered mesoporous NiMo-Al2O3 catalysts, synthesized by this facile one-pot EISA method, provide a new alternative for industrial HDS process.

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) production is challenged by different biotic and abiotic stresses, among which downy mildew (DM) is a severe biotic stress that is detrimental to sunflower yield and quality in many sunflower-growing regions worldwide. Resistance against its infestation in sunflower is commonly regulated by single dominant genes. Pl17 and Pl19 are two broad-spectrum DM resistance genes that have been previously mapped to a gene cluster spanning a 3.2 Mb region at the upper end of sunflower chromosome 4. Using a whole-genome resequencing approach combined with a reference sequence-based chromosome walking strategy and high-density mapping populations, we narrowed down Pl17 to a 15-kb region flanked by SNP markers C4_5711524 and SPB0001. A prospective candidate gene HanXRQChr04g0095641 for Pl17 was identified, encoding a typical TNL resistance gene protein. Pl19 was delimited to a 35-kb region and was approximately 1 Mb away from Pl17, flanked by SNP markers C4_6676629 and C4_6711381. The only gene present within the delineated Pl19 locus in the reference genome, HanXRQChr04g0095951, was predicted to encode an RNA methyltransferase family protein. Six and eight SNP markers diagnostic for Pl17 and Pl19, respectively, were identified upon evaluation of 96 diverse sunflower lines, providing a very useful tool for marker-assisted selection in sunflower breeding programs.

Spot blotch (SB) caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana and powdery mildew (PM) caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei are two important diseases of barley. To map genetic loci controlling susceptibility and resistance to these diseases, a mapping population consisting of 138 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was developed from the cross between Bowman and ND5883. A genetic map was constructed for the population with 852 unique single nucleotide polymorphism markers generated by sequencing-based genotyping. Bowman and ND5883 showed distinct infection responses at the seedling stage to two isolates (ND90Pr and ND85F) of Bipolaris sorokiniana and one isolate (Race I) of Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei. Genetic analysis of the RILs revealed that one major gene (Scs6) controls susceptibility to Bipolaris sorokiniana isolate ND90Pr, and another major gene (Mla8) confers resistance to Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei isolate Race I, respectively. Scs6 was mapped on chromosome 1H of Bowman, as previously reported. Mla8 was also mapped to the short arm of 1H, which was tightly linked but not allelic to the Rcs6/Scs6 locus. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis identified two QTLs, QSbs-1H-P1 and QSbs-7H-P1, responsible for susceptibility to spot blotch caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana isolate ND85F in ND5883, which are located on chromosome 1H and 7H, respectively. QSbs-7H-P1 was mapped to the same region as Rcs5, whereas QSbs-1H-P1 may represent a novel allele conferring seedling stage susceptibility to isolate ND85F. Identification and molecular mapping of the loci for SB susceptibility and PM resistance will facilitate development of barley cultivars with resistance to the diseases.

A total of 12 QTL conferring resistance to tan spot induced by a race 2 isolate, 86-124, were identified in three tetraploid wheat mapping populations. Durum is a tetraploid species of wheat and an important food crop. Tan spot, caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr), is a major foliar disease of both tetraploid durum wheat and hexaploid bread wheat. Understanding the Ptr-wheat interaction and identifying major QTL can facilitate the development of resistant cultivars and effectively mitigate the negative effect of this disease. Over 100 QTL have already been discovered in hexaploid bread wheat, whereas few mapping studies have been conducted in durum wheat. Utilizing resistant resources and identifying novel resistant loci in tetraploid wheat will be beneficial for the development of tan spot-resistant durum varieties. In this study, we evaluated four interconnected tetraploid wheat populations for their reactions to the race 2 isolate 86-124, which produces Ptr ToxA. Tsn1, the wheat gene that confers sensitivity to Ptr ToxA, was not associated with tan spot severity in any of the four populations. We found a total of 12 tan spot-resistant QTL among the three mapping populations. The QTL located on chromosomes 3A and 5A were detected in multiple populations and co-localized with race-nonspecific QTL identified in other mapping studies. Together, these QTL can confer high levels of resistance and can be used for the improvement in tan spot resistance in both hexaploid bread and durum wheat breeding. Two QTL on chromosomes 1B and 7A, respectively, were found in one population when inoculated with a ToxA knockout strain 86-124ΔToxA only, indicating that their association with tan spot was induced by other unidentified necrotrophic effectors, but under the absence of Ptr ToxA. In addition to removal of the known dominant susceptibility genes, integrating major race-nonspecific resistance loci like the QTL identified on chromosome 3A and 5A in this study could confer high and stable tan spot resistance in durum wheat.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most destructive diseases in wheat worldwide. Breeding for FHB resistance is hampered by its complex genetic architecture, large genotype by environment interaction, and high cost of phenotype screening. Genomic selection (GS) is a powerful tool to enhance improvement of complex traits such as FHB resistance. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the genetic architecture of FHB resistance in a North Dakota State University (NDSU) hard red spring wheat breeding population, (2) test if the major QTL Fhb1 and Fhb5 play an important role in this breeding population; and (3) assess the potential of GS to enhance breeding efficiency of FHB resistance. A total of 439 elite spring wheat breeding lines from six breeding cycles were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and 102,147 SNP markers were obtained. Evaluation of FHB severity was conducted in 10 unbalanced field trials across multiple years and locations. One QTL for FHB resistance was identified and located on chromosome arm 1AL, explaining 5.3% of total phenotypic variation. The major type II resistance QTL Fhb1 only explained 3.1% of total phenotypic variation and the QTL Fhb5 was not significantly associated with FHB resistance in this breeding population. Our results suggest that integration of many genes with medium/minor effects in this breeding population should provide stable FHB resistance. Genomic prediction accuracies of 0.22–0.44 were obtained when predicting over breeding cycles in this study, indicating the potential of GS to enhance the improvement of FHB resistance.

Summary Green production of bulk chemicals traditionally obtained from fossil resources is of great importance. One potential route toward realizing this goal is through the utilization of renewable lignin; however, current techniques generally lead to low product specificity because of the structural diversity of this recalcitrant biopolymer. Herein, we devised a new catalytic system to promote selectively oxidative lignin in air, and diethyl maleate was formed at impressively high yield of 404.8 mg g−1 and selectivity of 72.7% over the polyoxometalate ionic liquid of [BSmim]CuPW12O40. This high catalytic activity is ascribed to a five-coordinated Cu+ species, which, through the formation of end-on dioxygen species in vacant orbitals, facilitates the selective oxidation of basic lignin aromatic units (phenylpropane C9 units). Therefore, these results represent significant progress toward the realization of an industrially applicable and highly selective lignin oxidation process for the generation of value-added and bulk chemicals.

Catalytic lignosulfonate valorization is hampered by the in situ liberation of sulfur that ultimately poisons the catalyst. To overcome this limitation, metal sulfide catalysts were developed that are able to cleave the C-O bonds of lignosulfonate and are resistant to sulfur poisoning. The catalysts were prepared by using the lignosulfonate substrate as a precursor to form well-dispersed carbon-supported metal (Co, Ni, Mo, CoMo, NiMo) sulfide catalysts. Following optimization of the reaction conditions employing a model substrate, the catalysts were used to generate guaiacyl monomers from lignosulfonate. The Co catalyst was able to produce 23.7 mg of 4-propylguaiacol per gram of lignosulfonate with a selectivity of 84 %. The catalysts operated in water and could be recycled and reused multiple times. Thus, it was demonstrated that an inexpensive, sulfur-tolerant catalyst based on an earth-abundant metal and lignosulfonate efficiently catalyzed the selective hydrogenolysis of lignosulfonate in water in the absence of additives.

Environmental issues, especially air pollution, have attracted much attention with the development of economy in China. In order to provide a new idea for how to perfect the mechanism of regional joint prevention and control of air pollution, this paper empirically estimates the spatial spillover effect of industrial agglomeration on haze pollution. The results show that the haze pollution has a significant positive correlation with the industrial agglomeration levels in local and neighboring regions. Direct and indirect effects of the industrial agglomeration are all significantly positive, and the latter are much higher than the former. It indicates that the haze pollution is not only affected by the industrial agglomeration in the local region, but also neighboring regions. Furthermore, we find that the direct and indirect effects in central and western China exceed those in eastern China. In addition, the direct and indirect effects of industrial agglomeration in heavily polluting industry are higher compared with non-heavily polluting industry.

The catalytic depolymerization process for lignin to produce value added chemicals is often challenged by the limited mass transfer over heterogeneous catalysts, the complex aromatic biopolymer structures, and the high recalcitrance of C C bonds. Herein, a series of hierarchical MFI nanosheets (MFI-ns) supported metal oxide catalysts have been designed and used for the selectively oxidative cleavage of organosolv lignin. As expected, 81.6 % conversion of lignin can be achieved over 15Ce-5Cu/MFI-ns with 294.0 mg g−1 yield of volatile products, including 180.9 mg g−1 of diethyl maleate. Quantum chemistry calculation coupled with static adsorption measurements shows that the superior catalytic activities of these catalysts are ascribed to the favorable mass transport of lignin to the active sites by the unique layer structure, and the hierarchical pore sizes distribution, as well as the electronic effect between Cu and Ce components. In addition, the catalytic mechanism for the cleavage of C C bonds in β-O-4 model probes has been studied via the controlled oxidative degree of model compounds and the isotope-labeling experiments. Therefore, this work provides a new insight into the efficient utilization of lignin via the rational design of catalysts.

Based on the micro-data from the 2013 Chinese Household Income Project (CHIP) Survey, the authors use a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) model to simulate and measure the impacts on the welfare of urban and rural households with different incomes after a carbon tax at 50[Formula: see text]RMB/ton was levied in China. The results show that the collection of carbon tax will increase households’ consumer spending to varying degrees. In urban areas, the carbon tax exerts the greatest impact on low-income households, followed by high-income households; while in rural areas, it has the most significant effects on high-income households and the least on low-income households. On the whole, carbon tax’s impact on urban households is greater than that on rural households. To a certain extent, it can help the household income inequality change for the better and narrow the urban–rural income gap. Since the carbon tax does not act on the distribution of Chinese household income in a simply regressive or progressive way, the authors believe that China should implement supporting policies such as tax subsidies or tax refund as supplements to carbon taxation in an effort to establish a mechanism for cyclic utilization of carbon tax revenue.

An efficient one-pot approach for the production of levulinate ester from renewable carbohydrates is demonstrated over heteropolyanion-based ionic liquid (IL-POM) catalysts with alcohols as the promoters and solvents. The relationships between the structure, acidic strength, and solubility of the IL-POM in methanol and the catalytic performance were studied intensively. A cellulose conversion of 100 % could be achieved with a 71.4 % yield of methyl levulinate over the catalyst [PyPS]3PW12O40 [PyPS=1-(3-sulfopropyl)pyridinium] at 150 °C for 5 h. This high efficiency is ascribed to the reasonably high activity of the ionic liquid (IL) catalyst and reaction coupling with rapid in situ esterification of the generated levulinic acid with the alcohol promoter, which allows the insolubility of cellulose encountered in biomass conversion to be overcome. Furthermore, the present process exhibits high feedstock adaptability for typical carbohydrates and handy catalyst recovery by a simple self-separation procedure through temperature control.

Hydrogenation of naphthalene to decalin at low temperatures (140–240 °C) was studied over highly-loaded sulfided NiMo, NiW, and NiMoW catalysts with a supported NiMo/γ-Al2O3 catalyst as comparison. The NiMo, NiW, and NiMoW catalyst precursors were synthesized by hydrothermal reactions, and the corresponding highly-loaded catalysts were made by mixing the precursors with an alumina gel. The catalyst precursors, oxide and sulfided highly-loaded catalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, SEM, and TPR techniques. A highly crystalline phase of ammonium nickel molybdate was detected on the NiMo precursor, and the NiW precursor exhibited sharp XRD peaks attributed to a phase of hydrated tungsten oxide. Typical Ni3S2 and MoS2/WS2 nanoparticles were observed over the sulfided highly-loaded catalysts, and a main reduction peak was detected due to nickel sulfide as revealed by TPR. Catalytic results showed that more than 99.0% of naphthalene was hydrogenated over the sulfided highly-loaded catalysts at 200 °C or higher temperatures, with a very high selectivity to decalin (more than 99.9%) during the same temperature regions over the NiMo and NiMoW catalysts. As a comparison, the reference NiMo/γ-Al2O3 catalyst showed a moderate hydrogenation activity with a naphthalene conversion of 49.6% and a decalin selectivity of 40.1% at 300 °C. The ratios of trans- to cis-decalin on the highly-loaded catalysts and on the NiMo/γ-Al2O3 catalysts varied.

Recent progress in nanotechnology has provided high-performance nanomaterials for enzyme immobilization. Nanobiocatalysts combining enzymes and nanocarriers are drawing increasing attention because of their high catalytic performance, enhanced stabilities, improved enzyme–substrate affinities, and reusabilities. Many studies have been performed to investigate the efficient use of cellulose nanocrystals, polydopamine-based nanomaterials, and synthetic polymer nanogels for enzyme immobilization. Various nanobiocatalysts are highlighted in this review, with the emphasis on the design, preparation, properties, and potential applications of nanoscale enzyme carriers and nanobiocatalysts.

The nano-/microscale UiO-66-NH2 metal–organic framework (MOF) materials were successfully prepared with a uniform size of about 350–400 nm and structurally characterized. Soybean epoxide hydrolase (SEH), a useful hydrolase for synthesis of valuable vicinal diols, was for the first time efficiently immobilized onto the prepared UiO-66-NH2 MOF. The resulting novel nano-/microbiocatalyst SEH@UiO-66-NH2 manifested high SEH loading (87.3 mg/g) and enzyme activity recovery (88.0%). The novel SEH@UiO-66-NH2 greatly surpassed the free SEH with resepct to pH stability, thermostability, and tolerance to organic solvents. SEH@UiO-66-NH2 retained more than 17.6 U activity after 2 h of incubation at 45 °C, whereas free SEH maintained around 10.1 U activity under the same conditions. After storage at 4 °C for 4 weeks, the prepared SEH@UiO-66-NH2 still retained around 97.5% of its initial activity. The significant enhancements resulted from the increase of structural rigidity of SEH@UiO-66-NH2, which was demonstrated by...

The Medicago sativa–falcata complex includes the economically important forage legume alfalfa and its primary gene pool. The complex includes both diploid and tetraploid taxa, which are usually designated as distinct subspecies. The relationships among wild diploid members of the complex have been clarified using molecular markers, but the relationship among unimproved tetraploid germplasm is poorly understood. Our aim was to investigate the population genetic structure of the tetraploid Medicago sativa–falcata complex to deduce the amount and pattern of genetic diversity using genome-wide simple-sequence repeat (SSR) markers. We used 70 tetraploid accessions (280 genotypes) from the USDA National Plant Germplasm Collection that were collected from throughout the entire natural distribution range of the species and that represented putative wild populations. Population genetic analyses were conducted to determine the patterns of demarcation among accessions and germplasm groups. Model-based cluster analysis indicated that tetraploid alfalfa has two main groups corresponding to the subspecies sativa and falcata. Medicago sativa subsp. ×varia produced a hybrid pattern in between M. sativa subsp. sativa and M. sativa subsp. falcata. The studies also revealed that there is a spatial genetic structure among subsp. falcata accessions, implying that extensive sampling from different localities for curation of alfalfa genetic resources is important.

Catalytic conversion of sustainable cellulose to the value-added chemicals and high quality biofuel has been recognized as a perfect approach for the alleviation of the dependence on the non-renewable fossil resources. Previously, we successfully designed and explored novel and efficient cooperative ionic liquid pairs for this renewable material, which has advantages of high reactor efficiency than current technologies because of the dissolution and in situ catalytic decomposition mechanism. Here, the determinant of this process is further studied by the intensive investigation on the relationship between the cellulose conversion and the properties of ionic liquid catalyst and solvent. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and elemental analysis were used for the comparative characterization of raw cellulose and the residues. The results demonstrate that this consecutive dissolution and in situ catalysis process is much more dependent on the dissolution capability of ionic liquid solvent, while comparatively, the effect of in situ acid catalysis is relatively insignificant.

Studies on kinetic analysis and process modeling are important and necessary for the development of novel and efficient technology for cellulose utilization. In this study, a kinetic model for the batch reactor was described for catalytic cellulose degradation in cooperative ionic liquid pairs based on an intensive analysis of the experimental parameters. Our fitting results show that the proposed model agrees well with the experimental data. The kinetic parameters obtained from the above model were subsequently applied to the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) by constructing a mathematical process model for the continuous operation of cellulose degradation combined with product separation. The effects of reaction temperature, retention time, extract flow rate and distribution coefficients were intensively investigated. The numerical results demonstrate that relatively high temperature and larger retention time are favorable in cellulose conversion, whereas the product distribution coefficient and extract flow rate mainly affect the concentration of the hexane-soluble fraction (volatile chemicals). The findings presented in this work will serve as a beneficial reference for further biomass transformation of industrial purpose.

A biphasic system, consisting of methyl isobutyl ketone and H2O, has been achieved for a highly integrated one-pot catalytic transformation and delignification process of lignocellulosic biomass. Using SO3H-functionalized ionic liquids as catalysts, 85.8% of bagasse can be fractionated into 71.4% water-soluble chemicals at 76.3% lignin extraction ratio, under the optimized conditions. The practicability of this biphasic system for other typical biomass sources has also been tested with high efficiency, viz., 79.6 to 91.9% lignin extraction ratio of corncob, corn stalk, rice husk, and rice straw with 56.6 to 72.8% water-soluble chemicals yield at 64.8 to 81.3% feed conversion.

Large-scale production of isobutene from isobutane requires high-performance and cost-effective catalysts. Carbon-based nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes have attracted great attention as substrates for decorating with functional groups or doping with heteroatoms. In this paper, oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes were modified with nitrogen at 900 °C and applied in direct dehydrogenation of isobutane. Upon surface oxidization and high temperature annealing, the 1.93 atom% nitrogen-doped oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes are found to be an effective dehydrogenation catalyst, which exhibits an isobutane conversion of 51.8% (17.4 mmol g−1 h−1), isobutene selectivity and yield of 45.9% and 23.8% (8.0 mmol g−1 h−1) respectively. The increased catalytic performance is well-correlated with enhanced adsorption strength of isobutane and reduced adsorption strength of isobutene, which relates to the presence of nitrogen species, as revealed by XPS and TPD measurements. Minimal deactivation of the catalyst, as indicated by time on stream studies, may be caused by the loss of nitrogen heteroatoms and the change in ID/IG.

Catalytic process is the key process for many chemical industries. In this study, a novel heterogeneous Pd (CMH–Pd(0)) has been prepared by the deposition of palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) onto the surface of carboxymethyl functionalized hemicelluloses using ethanol as solvent and in situ reducing agent. The as prepared catalyst was characterized by TEM, HR-TEM, XRD, FT-IR, TGA and XPS. The loading level of Pd in the CMH–Pd(0) catalyst was 0.38 mmol g−1. The catalyst showed high catalytic activity and versatility towards Heck coupling reactions under aerobic conditions and could be readily recovered and reused in at least five successive cycles without obvious loss in activity. The catalyst is promising for its renewability, environmental benefits, efficient catalytic activity, mild reaction conditions, simple product work-up and easy catalyst recovery.