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The creation of a catalytic method that possesses high activity and effective reusability for the oxidative cleavage of vegetable oils and their derivatives to prepare bio-based oxo-chemicals is a challenge. This work introduces a “release and capture” catalytic system consisting of H2O2, WO3 and mesoporous SnO2. This system was intended to promote catalyst reusability in the oxidative cleavage of methyl 9,10-epoxystearate (ME) to the corresponding aldehydes. No organic solvent was used in the reaction. The reaction temperature, molar ratio of ME/WO3/H2O2, and reaction time were optimized to 70 °C, 1/0.017/1.3, and 20 min, respectively. Under these conditions, complete ME conversion and 80% aldehyde yield were obtained. The hot filtration experiment and ICP-MS analysis confirmed the leaching of tungsten. Mesoporous SnO2 did not affect the ME conversion and aldehyde yield, but effectively adsorbed the leached tungsten. The catalyst in this system showed no significant decrease in activity after being reused ten times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the utilization of grease has attracted more and more attention. This article presents a simple method that efficiently cleaves methyl oleate‐derived methyl 9,10‐epoxystearate (a) to give high yields of methyl 9‐oxononanoate (d) with nonanal (c) as co‐product. A WO3/MCM‐41 catalyst is prepared via direct mixed‐gel synthesis. The catalyst is tested in the oxidative cleavage of a to produce d which can be used as a polymer precursor or an important feedstock. The effects of WO3 loading, temperature, time, H2O2/a molar ratio, catalyst/a weight ratio, and t‐BuOH/a weight ratio on the a conversion and d yield are examined using single‐factor experiments. The optimal reaction conditions are determined by orthogonal experiments. The optimal WO3 loading, temperature, time, H2O2/a molar ratio, catalyst/a weight ratio, and t‐BuOH/a weight ratio are 35%, 80 °C, 20 min, 1.3, 0.04, and 0.5, respectively. Under these conditions, the a conversion and d yield reach 99.4 and 78.4%, respectively. In addition, the catalyst shows no significant decrease in activity after being reused three times. Moreover, the reaction mechanism is studied based on the product distribution over time. Practical Applications: Few studies on methyl 9,10‐epoxystearate used as the raw material to give methyl 9‐oxononanoate and nonanal are found. Because the ethylene oxide bond is more unstable than the carbon–carbon double bond, the oxidative cleavage of methyl 9,10‐epoxystearate is easier than cleavage of methyl oleate that allows the oxidative cleavage to be done under milder conditions. Methyl 9‐oxononanoate can be converted to a monomer of high‐value polymers and is also an important feedstock in the production of chemicals. The co‐product nonanal is a natural spice which can be used in the fragrance industry. The results show that the reaction time is short and methyl 9‐oxononanoate yield is high under mild reaction conditions. The method in this study can also be widely used in other oxidative cleavage reactions of epoxides. Methyl 9,10‐epoxystearate is used as the raw material to produce methyl 9‐oxononanoate with nonanal as co‐product using WO3/MCM‐41 as catalyst and H2O2 as oxidant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubilities of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the renewable deep eutectic solvents (DESs) containing levulinic acid (or furfuryl alcohol) and choline chloride were determined at temperatures (303.15, 313.15, 323.15, and 333.15) K and pressures up to 600.0 kPa using an isochoric saturation method. The mole ratios of levulinic acid (or furfuryl alcohol) to choline chloride were fixed at 3:1, 4:1 and 5:1. Standard Gibbs free energy, dissolution enthalpy and dissolution entropy were calculated from Henry’s law constant of CO 2 in the DESs. Results indicated that levulinic acid based DESs are more effective to capture CO 2 than furfuryl alcohol based ones. The solubility of CO 2 in the DESs increased with increasing mole ratio of levulinic acid (or furfuryl alcohol) to choline chloride as well as pressure and decreased with increasing temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sweet sorghum is a high-yielding energy crop that leaves a large amount of lignocellulosic residues after the sugar fraction fermented to ethanol. Here, we developed a biphasic kinetic model for the dilute sulfuric acid-catalyzed hemicellulose hydrolysis of sweet sorghum bagasse at temperatures of 110–150°C, and we then calculated the kinetic parameters for xylose production and furfural decomposition. The results indicated that elevated reaction temperatures promote the hydrolysis of hemicellulose and the degradation of xylose. The xylose yield increased in proportion to reaction time in the initial stages and then declined due to the degradation of xylose to furfural. The pre-exponential factors for the ‘easy-to-hydrolyze’ fraction, the ‘hard-to-hydrolyze’ fraction of hemicellulose and xylose degradation were 3.53×106, 1.80×105 and 0.62min−1, respectively, and the activation energies were 60.7, 58.1 and 14.5kJ/mol, respectively. The ideal hydrolysis condition for xylose production was 140°C for 50min, under which the xylose yield reached 60% of hemicellulose weight. This xylose can be used to form bioethanol and produce further downstream products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The hydroisomerization of n-alkanes is an important step in the production of high-quality bio-aviation kerosene. A SAPO-11 molecular sieve was synthesized using the hydrothermal synthesis method, and a 0.5 wt% Pt/SAPO-11 catalyst was prepared using the impregnation method. The crystal phase, pore structure, acidity, and morphology of Pt/SAPO-11 were characterized via X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption, NH3 temperature-programmed desorption, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The hydroisomerization performance of the catalyst was evaluated with bio-n-hexadecane as the model compound. The results showed that temperature and space velocity had significant effects. Under the conditions of 340 °C, 1.5 MPa, WHSV = 1.0 h−1, V(H2): V(n-hexadecane) = 1000:1, the conversion of n-hexadecane and the selectivity of i-hexadecane were 81.8% and 86.5%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable oils and their derivatives are of great interest because of their abundance and renewability. This paper prepares nonanal (N) and methyl 9‐oxonanoate (M) from methyl epoxystearate (ME) with WO3∙0.33H2O, WO3∙H2O, and WO3∙2H2O as catalysts and H2O2 as the oxidant without the use of organic solvent. The reaction temperature, catalyst amount, H2O2 amount, and reaction time effects on ME conversion and N/M yield are investigated. The results show that WO3∙H2O has the best catalytic performance. The optimal reaction conditions are: reaction temperature 60 °C, reaction time 40 min, ME/H2O2/WO3∙H2O molar ratio 1/1.2/0.4, under which the ME conversion and N/M yield reach 95% and 70%, respectively. WO3∙nH2O reacts with H2O2 to form soluble tungsten anions, resulting in severe tungsten loss. Al‐MCM‐41 materials with different silicon to aluminum molar ratios are added to the reaction system as adsorbents to recover the catalyst by effective adsorption of tungsten anions. The adsorption performance improves as the Si/Al ratio decreases, however, the ME conversion and N/M yield decrease. Thus, 50 is the most suitable Si/Al ratio. The ME conversion and N/M yield can still reach 90% and 60% after four times of use. Practical applications: The nonanal has a natural fragrance and can be used in the cosmetic industry as well as in the preparation of bio‐based surfactants. The methyl 9‐oxonanoate can be converted into polymer monomers by hydrogenation or amination. The results show that WO3∙nH2O has good catalytic activity, and a satisfying yield of aldehyde products is obtained under mild reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the role of Brønsted acid for furfural production in biomass pyrolysis on supported sulfates catalysts was investigated. The introduction of Brønsted acid was shown to improve the degradation of polysaccharides to intermediates for furfural, which did not work well when only Lewis acids were used in the process. Experimental results showed that CuSO 4 /HZSM-5 catalyst exhibited the best performance for furfural (28% yield), which was much higher than individual HZSM-5 (5%) and CuSO 4 (6%). The optimum reaction conditions called for the mass ratio of CuSO 4 /HZSM-5 to be 0.4 and the catalyst/biomass mass ratio to be 0.5. The recycled catalyst exhibited low productivity (9%). Analysis of the catalysts by Py-IR revealed that the CuSO 4 /HZSM-5 owned a stronger Brønsted acid intensity than HZSM-5 or the recycled CuSO 4 /HZSM-5. Therefore, the existence of Brønsted acid is necessary to achieve a more productive degradation of biomass for furfural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desulfurization is important to the enhancement of biodiesel quality. In this study, the effects of reactant and catalyst addition and operations conducted on sulfur content at each stage during the biodiesel preparation process were examined. Based on the results of sulfide qualification and quantification, a high vacuum distillation method was developed to remove the sulfides in crude biodiesel. Biodiesel was separated into different fractions based on the boiling point and the sulfur content of each fraction was determined. Experimental results showed that most sulfides were distilled out with light and heavy fractions. Intermediate fraction was separated from the other fractions, resulting in high quality biodiesel with low sulfur content. The total yield of distillation fractions with sulfur content lower than 10 ppm reached 84.1%. A set of distillation facility with capacity of 10 m3/h was designed and developed accordingly for large-scale tests. The yield of low-sulfur biodiesel was around 83%, close to that obtained in the laboratory studies. In addition, economic analysis showed that the distillation facility can make revenue of more than $1.8 million per year, indicating that high vacuum distillation is economically feasible and promising for biodiesel desulfurization, especially in industrial application. Image 104946 • A high vacuum distillation method was proposed to remove sulfides in crude biodiesel. • Sulfides in crude biodiesel were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. • The total yield of biodiesel with sulfur content lower than 10 ppm was 84.1%. • Distillation facility with capacity of 10 m3/h was developed for large-scale tests. • The process is economically feasible for low-sulfur biodiesel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • A novel microwave-assisted system for glycerol dehydration to acrolein was developed. • A coated microwave absorbing catalyst WO 3 /ZrO 2 @SiC was prepared and used. • The acrolein selectivity could reach over 70% with complete glycerol conversion. • Much better catalyst stability was obtained by microwave heating than electric heating. • The microwave-heating system was effective for the in-situ catalyst regeneration. Abstract Uniform temperature distribution within solid catalyst particles is important to achieving low coke formation in a high-temperature reaction. However, the issue of uneven temperature distribution exists in most fixed-bed catalytic reaction systems. Here, we developed a microwave-assisted system and used it in catalytic dehydration of glycerol for sustainable production of acrolein. A coated microwave absorbing catalyst WO 3 /ZrO 2 @SiC was prepared and employed in the catalytic reactions. The effects of reaction temperature, ZrO 2 /SiC ratio, and weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) on glycerol conversion and arcolein selectivity were examined. Experimental results showed that the microwave heating proved to be more effective than the conventional electric heating for glycerol dehydration to acrolein at lower temperature. The acrolein selectivity reached over 70% with complete glycerol conversion at 250 ºC by microwave heating. The catalyst acidity was greatly influenced by ZrO 2 /SiC ratio, which in turn determined the acrolein selectivity. More importantly, much better catalyst stability was obtained in the microwave-heating process than the electric-heating process. In addition, the microwave-heating system was effective for the in-situ regeneration of deactivated catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The measurement of density, viscosity and vapor pressure for three typical fatty acid 2-ethylhexyl esters were carried out. • Correlation of the density and viscosity of fatty acid 2-ethylhexyl esters using empirical temperature dependent equations. • The experimental vapor pressures were well correlated with the Antoine and Wager equations. • The Clausius-Clapeyron equation was used to calculate the molar evaporation enthalpy. Abstract Fatty acid 2-ethylhexyl esters are used for the eco-friendly production of biolubricant. There are several reports on their synthesis, but thermodynamics and transport data of these compounds are lacking. Herein, density and viscosity of palmitic acid 2-ethylhexyl ester, stearic acid 2-ethylhexyl ester and soya oil 2-ethylhexyl esters in the temperature range of T = (298.18–368.15) K at atmospheric pressure were measured and the vapor pressure in the temperature range of T = (476.95–500.85, 477.05–498.05, 477.75–500.05) K was determined. The obtained experimental data were correlated using temperature-dependence correlation equations, and the correlation coefficients of all the equations were over 0.999. In order to examine the reliability of the data, the GCVOL group method was used to evaluate densities for these fatty acid 2-ethylhexyl esters with the maximum relative deviation of −1.34%. The experimental viscosity data of synthesized 2-ethylhexyl esters were compared with those of lauric acid 2-ethylhexyl ester, palmitic acid n-octyl ester and oleic acid 2-ethylhexyl ester from previous studies. In addition, the molar enthalpy of vaporization at the mean temperature of the experimental range was calculated for the first time using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In industry, mass transfer limitation is a major and widespread problem in most of vegetable oil epoxidation reactors. To improve the quality of products and the efficiency of production, it is essential to understand the law of mass transfer in the epoxidation reaction system. In present work, epoxidation of fatty acid methyl esters with performic acid generated in situ was studied in a stirred vessel at 50–80 °C. At first, the Sauter mean diameter (D 32 ) was determined and correlated, the correlation can predict the D 32 evolution of the reaction. Then, individual experiments were performed to separately determine the intrinsic kinetic parameters and the mass transfer parameters. Finally, a macroscopic kinetic model was developed, which can well describe the effect of droplet size on the reaction. Noteworthy, the mass transfer limitation was significantly increased when reaction temperature rises to 80 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubilities of sulfuryl fluoride (SO 2 F 2 ) in propylene carbonate (PC), tributyl phosphate (TBP) and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) was measured by isochoric saturation method at the pressure of up to 600 kPa and temperatures ranging from (293.15 to 313.15) K. Results showed that SO 2 F 2 solubility increased with increasing pressure and decreased with increasing temperature in the three solvents, and the dissolution of SO 2 F 2 in the solvents was a physical process. Moreover, Henry’s law constants and thermodynamic properties such as standard Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy changes of SO 2 F 2 solvation were further calculated according to the experimental solubility data. The solubility of SO 2 F 2 in these three solvents followed the order of TBP > PC > NMP. The results illustrated that TBP possessed the potentiality to capture SO 2 F 2 among the present absorbents due to the relatively large solubility and low absorption enthalpy for SO 2 F 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The effects of feed mode, reaction and preheating temperatures were studied. • Maximum selectivities of heptanal and undecylenic acid methyl ester were 91.4% and 76.6%. • The gas, liquid and solid products were analyzed. • The material balance was calculated to design the amplifying device. • Theoretical and actual heat was 1461 kJ/kg and 2629 kJ/kg at 500 °C, respectively. Abstract A stable high-temperature reaction site and the uniformity and speed of heating the feedstocks play a key role in pyrolysis processes. In this study, microwave-assisted heating coupled with atomization feeding was used to pyrolyze methyl ricinoleate (MR) for the efficient, continuous production of undecylenic acid methyl ester (UAME) and heptanal (HEP). The effects of feed mode, reaction temperature and preheating temperature on microwave-assisted pyrolysis (MAP) were examined. The maximum selectivities of HEP and UAME could reach 91.4 wt.% and 76.6 wt.%, respectively, at the reaction and preheating temperatures of 500 °C and 150 °C, respectively, using atomization feeding. The gas, liquid and solid products were determined by gas chromatography (GC), GC-mass spectrometry (MS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and the gas, liquid and solid yield reached 7.0 wt.%, 89.0 wt.% and 0.1% wt.%, respectively, with an error of 3.9 wt.% at 500 °C. The pyrolysis of MR via microwave-assisted heating coupled with atomization feeding was found to be more efficient than the conventional pyrolysis process. In addition, the theoretical and actual heat for MAP of MR was 1461 kJ/kg and 2629 kJ/kg at 500 °C, respectively. The material balance and heat analysis results can be used to guide the design of an amplifying device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia (NH 3 ) is a potential hydrogen carrier as alternative fuel and feedstock for hydrogen production. In this study, plasma synthesis of NH 3 was conducted in a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor using Al 2 O 3 as the catalyst. In order to explore the mechanism of hydrogenation of plasma-excited nitrogen for NH 3 synthesis, the whole NH 3 synthesis process was divided into three steps including N 2 activation, hydrogenation of plasma-excited N(a), and desorption of NH 3 (a) from catalyst. The effects of reaction conditions on the three steps and corresponding NH 3 production were examined. Results showed that more plasma-excited nitrogen species were formed through N 2 activation at higher N 2 flow rate, discharge time and discharge power for N 2 activation. Hydrogenation of plasma-excited N(a) to form NH 3 (a) was improved by more discharge time at the second step. Higher discharge temperature for N(a) hydrogenation favored NH 3 (a) desorption from catalyst and increased NH 3 production at the second step, with the total NH 3 yield slightly changed. In addition, one-step NH 3 synthesis in plasma was investigated and compared with the three-step process. The results will provide reference for catalyst and reactor design in plasma synthesis of ammonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the plasticizers used during poly (vinyl chloride) processing are typically toxic petroleum-based phthalates. Furthermore, large amount of edible oils become waste all over the world, fortunately, waste cooking oils have the potential to be an economic alternative for synthesizing different biomaterials. This study aimed to synthesis an improved properties and cost competitiveness cleaner bio-plasticizer using waste cooking oil methyl esters as staring raw materials. In this paper, waste cooking oil methyl esters were structurally modified i.e., transesterification and epoxidation reaction, to prepare epoxide waste cooking oil 2-ethylhexyl esters. The in-situ epoxidation was mainly studied by response surface methodology, with optimum conditions: reaction time was 7 h, molar ratio of C C bonds/FA/H 2 O 2 was 1.00/0.35/2.41, and reaction temperature was 65.84 °C with a maximum relative percentage conversion to oxirane of 92%. Also, the plasticizing effectiveness of epoxide waste cooking oil 2-ethylhexyl esters to substitute toxic plasticizer dioctyl phthalate were studied. Results showed that the mechanical and thermal performance of PVC samples was significantly improved with partial substitutions, while the migration resistance was slightly decreased. Comparison with conventional epoxy compound highlighted that epoxide waste cooking oil 2-ethylhexyl esters had superior low temperature property, oxidation stability, and remarkably reduced the glass transition temperature of PVC. In conclusion, the prepared epoxide via structural modification from waste cooking oil methyl esters proved to be an effective alternative to dioctyl phthalate, replacing about 40% of the total plasticizer. This may lead to the eco-development of waste cooking oil materials, and makes the plasticizing process more environmentally friendly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, amphoteric ion-exchange membranes (AIEMs) prepared from fluoro-methyl sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone- co -benzimidazole)s have been systematically evaluated for their potential usage in all vanadium redox battery (VRB). Our investigation has demonstrated that the compacted structure originated from the self-assembly ionic cross-linking and the positive charged benzimidazole moiety in AIEM matrix could synergistically reduce the vanadium species cross-contamination. The self-discharge time of a single cell assembled with AIEM of optimized chemical structure is over 3 times longer than that with Nafion117, and a desirable conductivity/permeability trade-off can be achieved by tuning the content of benzimidazole moiety. Single cell assembled with the optimized AIEM exhibit higher battery efficiencies and lower capacity loss than that with Nafion117 at current densities of 30, 50 or 70 mA cm −2 . Furthermore, the AIEMs are able to tolerate the strong oxidizing VO 2 + and remain intact for over 370 days, as revealed from ex -situ chemical stability tests. These findings strongly suggest that the as-prepared AIEM can be a good candidate for low-cost and high-performance separator in VRB application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubility of sulfuryl fluoride in water was experimentally measured over the pressure from P = (0 to 600) kPa and T = (283.15 to 308.15) K using isochoric saturation method. Results show that SO 2 F 2 solubility increases with increasing pressure and decreases with increasing temperature. Using the experimental solubility data, Henry’s law constants and the thermodynamic properties such as the standard Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy changes of SO 2 F 2 solvation were obtained. Henry’s law constant based on mole fraction and molality of SO 2 F 2 in water vary from (432.21 to 1052.96) MPa and (7.78 to 18.96) MPa at T = (283.15 to 308.15) K, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification mechanism of aqueous/organic phase reaction by the addition of magnetic polymer nanoparticles was investigated. To understand how nanoparticles intensify the liquid–liquid (L–L) reaction, three reaction enhancement strategies of mechanical agitation (MA), the addition of magnetic polymer nanoparticles (MPN) or phase transfer catalyst (PTC) were compared in Montanari oxidation system. A mass transfer mathematical model was established to describe the oxidation reaction process owing to its inherently fast characteristic of the oxidation of selected substrate (benzyl alcohol). Moreover, the influence of the nanoparticles concentration on the biphasic reaction was explored. The results indicate that the emulsification of nanoparticles is the main reason to intensify the L–L reaction, and the mass transfer specific surface area ( a ow ) is a crucial factor to accelerate the reaction rate. In addition, the emulsion type also plays a significant role to influence the overall mass transfer coefficient ( K ) of substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical absorption was employed for the harmless treatment of sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2) in the simulated residual fumigant. SO2F2 was absorbed by sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution in a packed column. Effects of spray density, gas flow rate, concentration of NaOH solution, and inlet SO2F2 volume concentration on SO2F2 removal efficiency were investigated at room temperature. It was found that SO2F2 could be removed completely when inlet SO2F2 volume concentration, spray density, gas flow rate, and NaOH concentration were 0.50%, 12 m3/(m2 · h), 0.12 m3/h, and 0.68 mol/L, respectively. According to the two-film theory, a mathematical model based on Onda correlations was developed to describe the removal efficiency of SO2F2. Comparison between the experimental data and the calculated data proved that the predictability of the proposed model was within the maximum deviation of 8.0%. Aqueous NaOH solution after absorption was analyzed. It was found that the SO2F2 was fixed and converted to NaF, NaSO3F, and Na2SO4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undecylenic acid methyl ester (UAME) was continuously produced from methyl ricinoleate using a microwave-assisted pyrolysis system with atomization feeding. The UAME yield of 77 wt.% was obtained at 500 °C using SiC as the microwave absorbent and heating medium. The methyl ricinoleate conversion and UAME yield from microwave-assisted pyrolysis process were higher than those from conventional pyrolysis. The effect of temperature on the pyrolysis process was also investigated. The methyl ricinoleate conversion increased but the cracking liquid yield decreased when the temperature increased from 460 °C to 560 °C. The maximum UAME yield was obtained at the temperature of 500 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work described a general strategy to enhance a typical organic-aqueous heterogeneous green oxidation reaction by introducing surface tunable magnetic nanoparticles into liquids to form a controllable Pickering emulsion. We synthesized cross-linked polystyrene (PS)-covered Fe3O4 nanoparticles grafted with different N-alkyl imidazoles and systematically discussed the effect of surface properties on the formation of emulsions. By loading such particles, the dichloromethane-water-based 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-mediated Montanari oxidation system was converted from the unstable millimeter-scale dispersion into a stable micrometer-scale emulsion, which significantly reduced the reactant transfer distance and resulted in a significantly high overall reaction rate. This reaction efficiency is elucidated in terms of unique properties inherent in an emulsion, including the self-assembly of Fe3O4/PS and Fe3O4/PS[im-C n]Cl ( n=1, 4, 6, and 10) nanoparticles, well ensuring a large specific surface area of the water-oil interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study demonstrated the use of a magnetic superhydrophobic polymer nanosphere cage derived from a Pickering emulsion as a framework for miceller catalysis in biphasic media. We designed this system through the covalent stabilisation of active site (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl)-grafted amphiphiles onto the magnetic hydrophobic core to form a micelle-like architecture and used it as a Pickering emulsifier to develop a new kind of micelle-catalysed biphasic system. The catalysis results reveal that these fixed micelle-tethered 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl catalysts demonstrate much higher activity than their soluble counterparts in the biphasic Montanari oxidation of alcohols, which could be due to the unique properties of Pickering emulsion and miceller catalysis. In addition, the excellent magnetic response ensures the efficient recycling of the catalyst by magnetic decantation. The catalyst can be recycled at least 10 times without significant loss of activity or degradation of magnetic susceptibility. Moreover, this study demonstrates that this new Pickering emulsion-based and micelle-catalysed biphasic system is technically simple and practically applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lignocellulose and other carbohydrates are being studied extensively as potential renewable carbon sources for liquid biofuels and other valuable chemicals. In the present study, a simple, sensitive, selective, and reliable HPLC method using a photodiode array (PDA) detector and an evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) was developed for the simultaneous determination of important sugars (d(+)-cellobiose, glucose, xylose, and arabinose), furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) in lignocellulose hydrolysate. The analysis was carried out on an Aminex HPX-87H column (250mm×4.6mm, 5μm particle size). Ultra-pure water with 0.00035M H2SO4 was used as the mobile phase with a flow rate of 0.6mL/min. The temperature of the ELSD drift tube was kept at 50°C, the carrier gas pressure was 350kPa, and the gain was set at 7. Furfural and 5-HMF were quantified on a PDA detector at 275nm and 284nm, respectively. The sugar concentrations were determined by ELSD. This method was validated for accuracy and precision. The regression equation revealed a good linear relationship (r 2 =0.9986±0.0012) within the test ranges. The method showed good reproducibility for the quantification of six analytes in corncob hydrolysate, with intra- and inter-day variations less than 1.12%. This method is also convenient because it allows the rapid analysis of the primary products of biomass hydrolysis and carbohydrate degradation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Sargassum horneri is utilized as catalyst for esterification reactions. • The successful grafting of –SO 3 H groups is confirmed by FT-IR and XPS. • The oleic acid conversion of >96% was obtained at optimal conditions. • The catalyst shows remarkable regenerability. A solid acid catalyst prepared by sulfonated Sargassum horneri carbon was utilized for the esterification reaction of oleic acid and methanol. The formed amorphous carbon layers during carbonization and the access of sulfonic acid groups during sulfonation can catalyze the esterification reaction for biodiesel preparation efficiently. The catalyst was characterized by various methods to investigate its physical and chemical properties. With carbonization at 300 °C for 2 h followed by sulfonation at 90 °C for 5 h, the catalyst reached acid density of 1.40 mmol/g. The catalyst dosage, methanol/oleic acid (molar ratio), reaction temperature, and reaction time were optimized to 10 wt%, 15:1, 70 °C, and 3 h, respectively. Under the optimal condition, the conversion of oleic acid reached 96.4%. Additionally, the catalyst was regenerated after four cycles, with the conversion of oleic acid still reaching 95.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover picture shows a general strategy to improve the reaction of a typical organic–aqueous heterogeneous green oxidation system, in which surface properties and tunable magnetic nanoparticles were introduced to form a controllable and well‐dispersed emulsion. In their Full Paper, L. Feng et al. reveal that the addition of nanoparticles with proper surface modification can result in improved Montanari reactions compared with the conventional reaction system. The article highlighted by this cover can be found on p. 616 ff. of Issue 4, 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]