Investigation of AFeO (A=Ba, Sr) Perovskites for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Light Alkanes under Chemical Looping Conditions.

Oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of light alkanes to produce C-C olefins is a promising alternative to conventional steam cracking. Perovskite oxides are emerging as efficient catalysts for this process due to their unique properties such as high oxygen storage capacity (OSC), reversible redox behavior, and tunability. Here, we explore AFeO (A=Ba, Sr) bulk perovskites for the ODH of ethane and propane under chemical looping conditions (CL-ODH).

Investigation of Sr Ca FeO Oxygen Carriers with Variable Cobalt B-Site Substitution.

A-site and B-site substitutions are effective methods towards improving well-studied oxygen carrier materials that are vital for emerging gasification technologies. Such materials include SrFeO , which greatly benefits from the inclusion of calcium and/or cobalt, and Sr Ca Fe Co O has been regarded as the best-performing composition. In this study, systems with higher calcium and lower cobalt contents are investigated with a view to lessening the societal and economic burdens of these dual-doped carriers.

Performance Loss of Activated Carbon Electrodes in Capacitive Deionization: Mechanisms and Material Property Predictors.

Understanding the material property origins of performance decay in carbon electrodes is critical to maximizing the longevity of capacitive deionization (CDI) systems. This study investigates the cycling stability of electrodes fabricated from six commercial and two post-processed activated carbons. We find that the capacity decay rate of electrodes in half cells is positively correlated with the specific surface area and total surface acidity of the activated carbons.

Shale pore alteration: Potential implications for hydrocarbon extraction and CO storage.

Shale unconventional reservoirs are currently and expected to remain substantial fossil fuel resources in the future. As CO is being considered to enhance oil recovery and for storage purposes in unconventional reservoirs, it is unclear how the shale matrix and fractures will react with CO and water during these efforts. Here, we examined the Utica Shale and its reactivity with CO and water using scanning electron microscopy, N and CO sorption isotherms, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and X-ray scattering methods.

Individual Nanoporous Carbon Spheres with High Nitrogen Content from Polyacrylonitrile Nanoparticles with Sacrificial Protective Layers.

Functional nanoporous carbon spheres (NPC-S) are important for applications ranging from adsorption, catalysis, separation to energy storage, and biomedicine. The development of effective NPC-S materials has been hindered by the fusion of particles during the pyrolytic process that results in agglomerated materials with reduced activity. Herein, we present a process that enables the scalable synthesis of dispersed NPC-S materials by coating sacrificial protective layers around polyacrylonitrile nanoparticles (PAN NPs) to prevent interparticle cross-linking during carbonization.

Visible light plasmonic heating of Au-ZnO for the catalytic reduction of CO2.

Plasmonic excitation of Au nanoparticles attached to the surface of ZnO catalysts using low power 532 nm laser illumination leads to significant heating of the catalyst and the conversion of CO2 and H2 reactants to CH4 and CO products. Temperature-calibrated Raman spectra of ZnO phonons show that intensity-dependent plasmonic excitation can controllably heat Au-ZnO from 30 to ~600 °C and simultaneously tune the CH4 : CO product ratio. The laser induced heating and resulting CH4 : CO product distribution agrees well with predictions from thermodynamic models and temperature-programmed reaction experiments indicating that the reaction is a thermally driven process resulting from the plasmonic heating of the Au-ZnO.

Copolymer-templated nitrogen-enriched porous nanocarbons for CO2 capture.

Nitrogen-enriched porous carbon materials made via the carbonization of polyacrylonitrile containing block copolymer act as efficient and highly selective CO(2) sorbents. Nitrogen content and surface area, which are both influenced by pyrolysis temperature and atmosphere, are crucial for CO(2) adsorption performance.