Biomass derived efficient conversion of levulinic acid for sustainable production of γ-valerolactone over cobalt based catalyst.

Biomass feedstocks offer very promising sustainable production of fuels and chemicals as fossil fuels generate greenhouse gases and are going to become scarce. Nevertheless, establishing value addition to biomass waste to produce commodity chemicals by combining economic and environmental performances is complex. In this context, hydrogenation of biomass based levulinic acid at normal atmospheric reaction conditions using robust cobalt supported on porous heterogeneous catalyst has been studied at 200 °C in a continuous process.

Ordered mesoporous ferrosilicate materials with highly dispersed iron oxide nanoparticles and investigation of their unique magnetic properties.

Ordered mesoporous ferrosilicate materials with highly dispersed iron oxide nanoparticles are directly synthesized through a hydrothermal approach under acidic conditions. The obtained samples possess a high surface area (up to 1236 m(2) g(-1)) and a large pore volume (up to 1.1 cm(3) g(-1)).

Polymeric micelle assembly for the direct synthesis of functionalized mesoporous silica with fully accessible Pt nanoparticles toward an improved CO oxidation reaction.

Pt-decorated mesoporous silica is directly prepared using a polymeric micelles assembly approach using an asymmetric triblock copolymer, poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine-b-ethylene oxide) as the structure directing agent. Strongly immobilized, fully accessible, and uniformly dispersed Pt nanoparticles on mesoporous silica wall exhibit superior catalytic activity toward CO oxidation.

Direct carbonization of Al-based porous coordination polymer for synthesis of nanoporous carbon.

Nanoporous carbon (NPC) is prepared by direct carbonization of Al-based porous coordination polymers (Al-PCP). By applying the appropriate carbonization temperature, both high surface area and large pore volume are realized for the first time. Our NPC shows much higher porosity than other carbon materials (such as activated carbons and mesoporous carbons).

Direct synthesis of nanoporous carbon nitride fibers using Al-based porous coordination polymers (Al-PCPs).

We report a new synthetic route for preparation of nanoporous carbon nitride fibers with graphitic carbon nitride polymers, by calcination of Al-based porous coordination polymers (Al-PCPs) with dicyandiamide (DCDA) under a nitrogen atmosphere.

Fabrication of mesoporous carbons with rod and winding road like morphology using NbSBA-15 templates.

Here we demonstrate for the first time the fabrication hexagonally ordered mesoporous carbon materials with different morphology and pore diameters using NbSBA-15 mesoporous silica template with different niobium content. The materials were characterized by several characterization techniques such as XRD, HRSEM, HRTEM, elemental mapping, ICP-AES, and EDS analysis. We also demonstrate that the morphology of the materials can be controlled by simply tuning the morphology of the parent NbSBA-15 template, whose morphology can be tuned by adjusting the loading of niobium in the framework wall structure of SBA-15.

A rapid method for the synthesis of nitrogen doped TiO2 nanoparticles for photocatalytic hydrogen generation.

A facile, fast, and economic method of doping TiO2, synthesized by conventional precipitation route with N has been developed. By this method, stable N doped TiO2 can be prepared within a short duration of time. The method adopted was to treat the TiO2 powder synthesized by simple precipitation with trioctyl amine (TOA) at 320 degrees C for 2 hours followed by calcination at 400 degrees C for 2 hours to obtain the N-doped TiO2.

Eu3+ and Dy3+ doped YPO4 nanoparticles: low temperature synthesis and luminescence studies.

Eu3+ and Dy3+ doped YPO4 nanoparticles dispersible in methanol/water were prepared by the reaction of Y3+ and Eu3+/Dy3+ ions with ammonium dihydrogen phosphate in ethylene glycol medium at 160 degrees C. Nature and extent of strain associated with lattice has been found to change with incorporation of Eu3+/Dy3+ ion in the nanoparticles as well as the heat treatment temperature. Based on the TEM studies, it has been established that particles are highly crystalline with an average particle size of around 5 nm.

Three-dimensional mesoporous gallosilicate with Pm3n symmetry and its unusual catalytic performances.

Three-dimensional, mesoporous-cage-type, GaSBA-1 materials with different n(Si)/n(Ga) ratios have been successfully prepared for the first time by using a low hydrochloric acid to silicon (n(HCl)/n(Si)) molar ratio in the synthesis gel by templating with cetyltriethylammonium bromide as the structure-directing agent in a highly acidic medium. The obtained materials have been unambiguously characterized in detail by several sophisticated techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), N(2) adsorption, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, elemental mapping, and (29)Si magic-angle-spinning NMR spectroscopy. XRD and nitrogen adsorption results reveal that the structures of the GaSBA-1 materials resemble that of SBA-1, which possesses a cubic, three-dimensional, cage-type structure with open windows.

Heteropoly acid encapsulated SBA-15/TiO2 nanocomposites and their unusual performance in acid-catalysed organic transformations.

The preparation of SBA-15/TiO(2) nanocomposites with different loadings of Keggin-type 12-tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) nanocrystals in their mesochannels through a simple and effective vacuum impregnation method is reported for the first time. The catalysts have been characterised by various sophisticated techniques, including XRD, HRSEM, and TEM. It has been found that the acidity and the textural parameters of the nanocomposites can be controlled by simply changing the loadings of TPA and TiO(2) or the calcination temperature.

Carboxyl group functionalization of mesoporous carbon nanocage through reaction with ammonium persulfate.

Carbon nanocage, a three dimensional cage type mesoporous carbon with very high surface area and pore volume, has been functionalized with carboxyl groups for the first time via a simple oxidation using ammonium persulfate solution (APS). The carboxyl groups functionalized carbon nanocage materials have been unambiguously characterized by various sophisticated instruments such as FT-IR, HRSEM-EDX, XRD, nitrogen adsorption, and HRTEM. The degree of carboxyl group functionalization has been controlled by the simple adjustment of the oxidation parameters such as oxidation time, APS concentration and oxidation temperature.

Novel microporous carbon material with flower like structure templated by MCM-22.

Novel flower like microporous carbons with very high surface area have been synthesized for the first time using MCM-22 zeolite as a template and sucrose as a carbon source. The textural parameters of the materials can easily be tuned by the simple adjustment of the sucrose to MCM-22 weight ratio. It has been also found that the specific surface area of the microporous carbon materials is much higher as compared with that of its parent zeolite template.

Characterization and catalytic performances of three-dimensional mesoporous FeSBA-1 catalysts.

Iron substituted cubic cage type mesoporous molecular sieves (FeSBA-1) were synthesized for the first time in a highly acidic media using cetyltriethylammonium bromide as a template. The amount of Fe incorporation in SBA-1 can easily be controlled by the simple adjustment of the molar hydrochloric acid-to-silicon ratio. All the materials were unambiguously characterized by AAS, XRD, N2 adsorption, UV-Vis DRS, XPS, and ESR spectroscopy.