The carbon dioxide reforming of methane has attracted attention from researchers owing to its possibility of both mitigating the hazards of reactants and producing useful chemical intermediates. In this framework, the activity of the nickel-based catalysts, supported by yttria-stabilized zirconia and promoted with holmium oxide (HoO), was assessed in carbon dioxide reforming of methane at 800 °C. The catalysts were characterized by N-physisorption, H temperature-programmed reduction, temperature-programmed desorption of CO, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) together with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe direct hydrogenation of CO into dimethyl-ether (DME) has been studied in the presence of ferrierite-based CuZnZr hybrid catalysts. The samples were synthetized with three different techniques and two oxides/zeolite mass ratios. All the samples (calcined and spent) were properly characterized with different physico-chemical techniques for determining the textural and morphological nature of the catalytic surface.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe influence of the semiconductor microstructure on the photocatalytic behavior of Pt-PtO/TiO catalysts was studied by comparing the methanol-reforming performance of systems based on commercial P25 or TiO from sol-gel synthesis calcined at different temperatures. The Pt co-catalyst was deposited by incipient wetness and formed either by calcination or high-temperature H treatment. Structural features of the photocatalysts were established by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), electron spin resonance (ESR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), optical absorption, Raman spectroscopy and TEM measurements.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCO₂ hydrogenation to dimethyl ether (DME) is a promising strategy to drive the current chemical industry towards a low-carbon scenario since DME can be used as an eco-friendly fuel as well as a platform molecule for chemical production. A Cu‒ZnO‒ZrO₂/ferrierite (CZZ/FER) hybrid grain was recently proposed as a catalyst for CO₂-to-DME one-pot conversion exhibiting high DME productivity thanks to the unique shape-selectivity offered by ferrierite zeolite. Nevertheless, such a catalyst deactivates but no direct evidence has been reported of activity loss over time.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, relationships between preparation conditions, structure, and activity of Pt-containing TiO₂ photocatalysts in photoinduced reforming of glycerol for H₂ production were explored. Commercial Aerolyst TiO₂ (P25) and homemade TiO₂ prepared by precipitation-aging method were used as semiconductors. Pt co-catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation from aqueous solution of Pt(NH₃)₄(NO₃)₂ and activated by calcination, high temperature hydrogen, or nitrogen treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis review reports recent achievements in dimethyl ether (DME) synthesis via CO₂ hydrogenation. This gas-phase process could be considered as a promising alternative for carbon dioxide recycling toward a (bio)fuel as DME. In this view, the production of DME from catalytic hydrogenation of CO₂ appears as a technology able to face also the ever-increasing demand for alternative, environmentally-friendly fuels and energy carriers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this work, a novel approach to obtain high yield to poly-tert-butylglycerolethers by glycerol etherification reaction with tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) is proposed. The limit of this reaction is the production of poly-ethers, which inhibits the formation of poly-ethers potentially usable in the blend with conventional diesel for transportation. The results herein reported demonstrate that the use of a water permselective membrane offers the possibility to shift the equilibrium toward the formation of poly-ethers since the water formed during reaction is continuously and selectively removed from the reaction medium by the recirculation of the gas phase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEtherification of glycerol (GLY) with isobutylene (IB) to produce biofuels was investigated in liquid phase using spherical silica supported Hyflon® catalysts (SSHC). As reference catalyst, Amberlyst® 15 (A-15) acid ion-exchange resin was used. Experiments were carried out in batch mode at a reaction temperature ranging from 323 to 343 K.
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