The effect of synthesis conditions and process parameters on aerogel properties.

Aerogels are remarkable nanoporous materials with unique properties such as low density, high porosity, high specific surface area, and interconnected pore networks. In addition, their ability to be synthesized from various precursors such as inorganics, organics, or hybrid, and the tunability of their properties make them very attractive for many applications such as adsorption, thermal insulation, catalysts, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. The physical and chemical properties and pore structure of aerogels are crucial in determining their application areas.

Investigation of performances of commercial diesel oxidation catalysts for CO, CH, and NO oxidation.

Four commercial monolithic diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) with two different platinum group metal (PGM) loadings and Pt:Pd ratios of 1:0, 2:1, 3:1 (w/w) were investigated systematically for CO, CH, and NO oxidation, CO-CH co-oxidation, and CO-CH-NO oxidation reactions via transient activity measurements in a simulated diesel engine exhaust environment. As PGM loading increased, light-off curves shifted to lower temperatures for individual and co-oxidation reactions of CO and CH. CO and CH were observed to inhibit theoxidation of themselves and each other.

Isothermal Cyclic Conversion of Methane into Methanol over Copper-Exchanged Zeolite at Low Temperature.

Direct partial oxidation of methane into methanol is a cornerstone of catalysis. The stepped conversion of methane into methanol currently involves activation at high temperature and reaction with methane at decreased temperature, which limits applicability of the technique. The first implementation of copper-containing zeolites in the production of methanol directly from methane is reported, using molecular oxygen under isothermal conditions at 200 °C.