PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New catalyst for selective oxidation of methanol to dimethoxymethane under mild conditions

2015-07-17
(Press-News.org) This article describes the effect of the preparation method of binary oxide supports (TiO2-Al2O3) on catalytic performance of V2O5/TiO2-Al2O3 catalysts for methanol selective oxidation to dimethoxymethane (DMM). The optimized catalyst exhibits a methanol conversion of 48.9% and a high DMM selectivity of 89.9% at 393 K, superior to V2O5/TiO2 and V2O5/Al2O3 catalysts.

Reported by Prof. Gong Jinlong of Tianjin University, the research article titled "Selective Oxidation of Methanol to Dimethoxymethane over V2O5/TiO2-Al2O3 Catalysts" was published on Science Bulletin June 2015, Volume 60, Issue 11, pp 1009-1018, as the cover story.

DMM is an important intermediate in organic synthesis and an excellent solvent in perfume and pharmaceutical industries. It can also be used as an environmentally friendly fuel and a starting monomer in the synthesis of polyoxymethylene dimethylether. The traditional DMM synthesis method suffers from high reaction temperatures, complicated processes, severe equipment corrosion, and relatively low selectivity. Here, the authors demonstrate an alternative synthetic pathway with one-step selective oxidation of methanol to DMM under mild reaction conditions, where V2O5/TiO2-Al2O3 with binary oxide supports (TiO2-Al2O3) is proposed as the catalyst.

The V2O5/TiO2-Al2O3 samples have superior catalytic properties than the V2O5/TiO2 and V2O5/Al2O3 samples. The catalyst prepared by the sol-gel method has the best catalytic performance with a maximum conversion of 48.9% and a high DMM selectivity of 89.9% at 393 K. The catalyst with the ball-milling method has also relatively high methanol conversion (43%) and DMM selectivity (90.7%), which is surpassed only by the V2O5/TiO2-Al2O3-sol sample. The excellent catalytic performance of the V2O5/TiO2-Al2O3 samples for menthol oxidation to DMM is attributed to the effectively modified interaction between the active component and the support coupled with the appropriate acidic sites provided by the mixed TiO2-Al2O3 support. Optimized preparation methods can further improve the interaction between the catalytic V component and the mixed support as well as providing weaker acidic sites. The interaction between the V component and support changes the chemical states of supported active V components, producing more V4+ species. The V4+ could provide more oxygen vacancies to facilitate the electron transfer between the support and active component, enhancing the redox capability of the V2O5/TiO2-Al2O3 catalyst for increased methanol conversion. In addition, the resulted weaker acidic sites is favorable for improving the DMM selectivity.

This study emphasizes the role of the mixed support on the chemical properties of active vanadium oxide species and the acidic properties. The coordinated environment of the V chemical state and the mixed TiO2-Al2O3 support is significant for improving the catalytic efficiency on selective methanol oxidation to DMM.

INFORMATION:

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation of China (21006068, 21222604), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-10-0611), Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (20120032110024), the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars (MoE), and the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities (B06006).

See the article: Tuo Wang, Yali Meng, Liang Zeng, and Jinlong Gong*, "Selective Oxidation of Methanol to Dimethoxymethane over V2O5/TiO2-Al2O3 Catalysts," Sci. Bull. 2015, 60, 1009-1018. doi: 10.1007/s11434-015-0782-3

Science China Press http://www.scichina.com/



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

A new satellite time transfer method based on two-way common-view comparison

2015-07-17
Time synchronization between ground and satellites is a key technology for satellite navigation system. With dual-channel satellite, a method called Two-Way Common-View (TWCV) satellite time transfer for Compass system is proposed in recent study. The title of the paper related to the study is "The method and experiment analysis of two-way common-view satellite time transfer for compass system", which is written by LIU Li from Beijing Satellite Navigation Center and published in SCIENCE CHINA Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy 2015, 58. The researcher combines both characteristics ...

Physicians testified for tobacco companies against plaintiffs with cancer, Stanford study finds

2015-07-17
Despite scientific evidence to the contrary, a small group of otolaryngologists have repeatedly testified, on behalf of the tobacco industry, that heavy smoking did not cause the cancer in cases of dying patients suing for damages, according to a study by a Stanford University School of Medicine researcher. "I was shocked by the degree to which these physicians were willing to testify, in my opinion in an unscientific way, to deny a dying plaintiff -- suffering the aftermath of a lifetime of smoking -- of a fair trial," said Robert Jackler, MD, professor and chair of ...

Some like it sweet, others not so much: It's partly in the genes

2015-07-17
PHILADELPHIA (July 17, 2015) - A new study from the Monell Center and collaborating institutions suggests that a single set of genes affects a person's perception of sweet taste, regardless of whether the sweetener is a natural sugar or a non-caloric sugar substitute. "Eating too much sugar is often seen as a personal weakness. However, our work suggests that part of what determines our perception of sweetness is inborn in our genetic makeup," said study author Danielle Reed, PhD, a behavioral geneticist at Monell. "Just as people born with a poor sense of hearing may ...

Research shows how to reduce the cost of modern investment strategies

2015-07-17
New research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) shows how investors can significantly reduce the cost of implementing portfolio strategies - in some cases by more than 90 per cent. The study, published today in the journal Financial Review, shows that many modern investment strategies often lead to low returns or even lose money in practice, as they are prone to large trading costs. Such costs include bid-ask spreads, brokerage fees and capital gain taxes and can dramatically affect investment returns, turning an otherwise winning strategy into a losing one. Many ...

Carbon dioxide pools discovered in Aegean Sea

Carbon dioxide pools discovered in Aegean Sea
2015-07-16
The location of the second largest volcanic eruption in human history, the waters off Greece's Santorini are the site of newly discovered opalescent pools forming at 250 meters depth. The interconnected series of meandering, iridescent white pools contain high concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and may hold answers to questions related to deepsea carbon storage as well as provide a means of monitoring the volcano for future eruptions. "The volcanic eruption at Santorini in 1600 B.C. wiped out the Minoan civilization living along the Aegean Sea," said Woods Hole Oceanographic ...

Genetic markers linking risk for type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's identified

2015-07-16
Certain patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) may have specific genetic risk factors that put them at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published recently in Molecular Aspects of Medicine. Under the leadership of Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, Saunders Family Chair and Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Director of Biomedical Training in the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Centers at J.J. Peters Bronx VA Medical Center, ...

Personalized care for aortic aneurysms, based on gene testing, has arrived

2015-07-16
New Haven, Conn. -- Researchers at the Aortic Institute at Yale have tested the genomes of more than 100 patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms, a potentially lethal condition, and provided genetically personalized care. Their work will also lead to the development of a "dictionary" of genes specific to the disease, according to researchers. The study published early online in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Experts have known for more than a decade that thoracic aortic aneurysms -- abnormal enlargements of the aorta in the chest area --run in families and are caused ...

New family of chemical structures can effectively remove CO2 from gas mixtures

2015-07-16
A newly discovered family of chemical structures, published in Nature today, could increase the value of biogas and natural gas that contains carbon dioxide. The new chemical structures, known as zeolites, have been created by an international team of researchers including Professor Xiaodong Zou and co-workers from the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry at Stockholm University. The zeolites -- crystalline aluminosilicates with frameworks that contain windows and cavities the size of small molecules -- can separate out carbon dioxide more effectively ...

Long-sought phenomenon finally detected

2015-07-16
CAMBRIDGE, Mass--Part of a 1929 prediction by physicist Hermann Weyl -- of a kind of massless particle that features a singular point in its energy spectrum called the "Weyl point," -- has finally been confirmed by direct observation for the first time, says an international team of physicists led by researchers at MIT. The finding could lead to new kinds of high-power single-mode lasers and other optical devices, the team says. For decades, physicists thought that the subatomic particles called neutrinos were, in fact, the massless particles that Weyl had predicted -- ...

UAlberta scientists part of unprecedented worldwide biodiversity study

UAlberta scientists part of unprecedented worldwide biodiversity study
2015-07-16
EDMONTON (July 16, 2015)--Humans depend on high levels of ecosystem biodiversity, but due to climate change and changes in land use, biodiversity loss is now greater than at any time in human history. Five University of Alberta researchers, including students, participated in a leading global initiative to determine whether there are widespread and consistent patterns in plant biodiversity. Sixty-two scientists from 19 countries spanning six continents studied the relationships between plant biomass production and species diversity, culminating in a paper appearing in ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people

Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance

Pre-eclampsia is associated with earlier onset and higher incidence of cardiovascular risk factors

Warwick astronomers discover doomed pair of spiralling stars on our cosmic doorstep

Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots

NK cells complexed with bispecific antibody yield high response rates in patients with lymphoma

Planetary health diet and mediterranean diet associated with similar survival and sustainability benefits

Singapore launches national standard to validate antimicrobial disinfectant products

Molecular stool test could improve detection of tuberculosis in adults with HIV

Suspected fibrocartilaginous embolus in Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)

Enhancing heat transfer using the turbulent flow of viscoelastic fluids

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

[Press-News.org] New catalyst for selective oxidation of methanol to dimethoxymethane under mild conditions