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

Engineers seek ways to convert methane into useful chemicals

2012-12-21
(Press-News.org) Little more than a decade ago, the United States imported much of its natural gas. Today, the nation is tapping into its own natural gas reserves and producing enough to support most of its current needs for heating and power generation, and is beginning to export natural gas to other countries. The trend is expected to continue, as new methods are developed to extract natural gas from vast unrecovered reserves embedded in shale. Natural gas can be used to generate electricity, and it burns cleaner than coal. "With petroleum reserves in decline, natural gas production is destined to increase to help meet worldwide energy demands," said Matthew Neurock, a chemical engineering professor in the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Science. "But petroleum – in addition to being used to make fuels – is also used to make ethylene, propylene and other building blocks used in the production of a wide range of other chemicals. We need to develop innovative processes that can readily make these chemical intermediates from natural gas." The problem is, there currently are no cost-effective ways to do this. Methane, the principal component of natural gas, is rather inert and requires high temperatures to activate its strong chemical bonds; therefore the practical and successful conversion of methane to useful chemical intermediates has thus far eluded chemists and engineers. Neurock is working with colleagues at Northwestern University to invent novel ways and catalytic materials to activate methane to produce ethylene. This week the collaborators published a paper in the online edition of the journal Nature Chemistry detailing the use of sulfur as a possible "soft" oxidant for catalytically converting methane into ethylene, a key "intermediate" for making chemicals, polymers, fuels and, ultimately, products such as films, surfactants, detergents, antifreeze, textiles and others. "We show, through both theory – using quantum mechanical calculations – and laboratory experiments, that sulfur can be used together with novel sulfide catalysts to convert methane to ethylene, an important intermediate in the production of a wide range of materials," Neurock said. Chemists and engineers have attempted to develop catalysts and catalytic processes that use oxygen to make ethylene, methanol and other intermediates, but have had little success as oxygen is too reactive and tends to over-oxidize methane to common carbon dioxide. Neurock said that sulfur or other "softer" oxidants that have weaker affinities for hydrogen may be the answer, in that they can help to limit the over-reaction of methane to carbon disulfide. In the team's process, methane is reacted with sulfur over sulfide catalysts used in petroleum processes. Sulfur is used to remove hydrogen from the methane to form hydrocarbon fragments, which subsequently react together on the catalyst to form ethylene. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that the conversion of methane and the selectivity to produce ethylene are controlled by how strong the sulfur bonds to the catalyst. Using these concepts, the team explored different metal sulfide catalysts to ultimately tune the metal-sulfur bond strength in order to control the conversion of methane to ethylene. Chemical companies consider methane a particularly attractive raw material because of the large reserves of natural gas in the U.S. and other parts of the world. In 2007, Dow issued a "Methane Challenge," seeking revolutionary chemical processes to facilitate the conversion of methane to ethylene and other useful chemicals. The company received about 100 proposals from universities, institutes and companies around the world. In 2008, the company awarded major research grants to Cardiff University and Northwestern University to advance the quest. Neurock is a member of the Northwestern University team. He is using theoretical methods and high-performance computing to understand the processes that control catalysis and to guide the experimental research at Northwestern. "The abundance of natural gas, along with the development of new methods to extract it from hidden reserves, offers unique opportunities for the development of catalytic processes that can convert methane to chemicals," Neurock said. "Our finding – of using sulfur to catalyze the conversion of methane to ethylene – shows initial promise for the development of new catalytic processes that can potentially take full advantage of these reserves. The research, however, is really just in its infancy" ### Neurock's co-investigators on the Nature Chemistry paper are Qingjun Zhu, Staci Wegener, Chao Xie and Tobin Marks of Northwestern University, and U.Va. colleague Obioma Uche. END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Clays on Mars: More plentiful than expected

2012-12-21
A new study co-authored by the Georgia Institute of Technology indicates that clay minerals, rocks that usually form when water is present for long periods of time, cover a larger portion of Mars than previously thought. In fact, Assistant Professor James Wray and the research team say clays were in some of the rocks studied by Opportunity when it landed at Eagle crater in 2004. The rover only detected acidic sulfates and has since driven about 22 miles to Endeavour Crater, an area of the planet Wray pinpointed for clays in 2009. The study is published online in the ...

Lifestyle changes linked to better outcomes after peripheral intervention

2012-12-21
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Patients who quit smoking and took an aspirin and statin before undergoing treatment for blocked leg arteries were less likely to suffer a complication six months later, according to new research led by the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center. But few patients made the lifestyle changes and were on recommended medical therapy that can relieve leg pain and cramping associated with peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. The registry findings were published online ahead of print in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions and reveal a dramatic ...

Study shows heart calcium scan predictive of diabetes-related death from cardiovascular disease

2012-12-21
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Dec. 20, 2012 – People with Type 2 diabetes have two to four times the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to people without the disease. The best way for doctors to predict which diabetes patients are at the greatest risk for heart disease is to use a coronary artery calcium (CAC) test in addition to the most commonly used assessment tool, according to researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Current medical guidelines recommend treating all diabetes patients as high risk, but the Wake Forest Baptist study found that CAC can identify ...

Scripps Florida scientists create new approach to destroy disease-associated RNAs in cells

Scripps Florida scientists create new approach to destroy disease-associated RNAs in cells
2012-12-21
JUPITER, FL, December 20, 2012 – Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed a new approach to alter the function of RNA in living cells by designing molecules that recognize and disable RNA targets. As a proof of principle, in the new study the team designed a molecule that disabled the RNA causing myotonic dystrophy. The study, published online ahead of print on December 20, 2012 by the journal Angewandte Chemie, reports the creation of small molecules that recognize disease-associated RNAs, targeting them for destruction. ...

WCS applauds Dept. of Interior plan balancing conservation and energy development in NPR-A

WCS applauds Dept. of Interior plan balancing conservation and energy development in NPR-A
2012-12-21
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) lauded U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazars announcement of a final management plan for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) that balances wildlife conservation and energy development in the biggest public landscape in the country. The Integrated Activity Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final IAP/EIS) issued today by the Bureau of Land Management is the first comprehensive land management plan ever developed for the NPR-A. By protecting extensive coastal plain habitat around Teshekpuk Lake, and the ...

Black piranha, megapiranha have most powerful bites of fish living or extinct, finds GW researcher

Black piranha, megapiranha have most powerful bites of fish living or extinct, finds GW researcher
2012-12-21
WASHINGTON— The black piranha and the extinct giant piranha, or megapiranha, have the most powerful bites of carnivorous fishes, living or extinct, once body size is taken into account, finds researchers in a paper recently published in Scientific Reports. The research paper, Mega-Bites: Extreme jaw forces of living and extinct piranhas, highlights the piranhas' specialized jaw morphology, which allows them to attack and bite chunks out of much larger prey. Guillermo Ortí, the George Washington University Louis Weintraub Professor of Biology in the Columbian College of ...

Transplanted genetically-modified adipose cells offer potential therapy for liver diseases

2012-12-21
Putnam Valley, NY. (Dec. 20, 2012) – Using mesenchymal stromal cells derived from adipose (fat) tissues, genetically modified to express a bioluminescent marker, researchers in Italy have tracked cells after transplantation. The cells were followed from their injection into the spleen of mice modeling liver disease, to their characterization as "hepatic precursors," and to their subsequent migration through the spleen before engrafting at regenerating sites in the liver by bioluminescent imaging. Their study is described in a recent issue of Cell Transplantation (21:9), ...

Cell Transplantation study investigates fate and function of cells transplanted to the CNS

2012-12-21
Putnam Valley, NY. (Dec. 20, 2012) – When different types of cells are transplanted with the intent of having them aid in repairing central nervous system (CNS) trauma, what is the fate and function of those cells? A Belgian research team carried out research aimed at answering this question by determining how five varieties of cells - neural stem cells, mouse embryonic fibroblasts, dendritic cells, bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) and splenocytes - functioned and survived after transplantation in the CNS. Their study is published in a recent issue of Cell Transplantation ...

Study reports iron oxide nanoparticles effective for labeling human endothelial cells

2012-12-21
Putnam Valley, NY. (Dec. 20, 2012) – A team of researchers from three medical institutions in Guangzhou, China, have found that iron oxide nanoparticles (INOPS) are a useful contrast agent for in vivo magnetic resonance tracking of transplanted human endothelial cells. However, the impact of INOPS on the cells varies with a number of factors including the INOPS load. They found that the percentage of iron-labeled cells was significantly lower after 48 hours post-transplantation than at 24 hours post-transplantation. They also found that high INOPS concentration can affect ...

Doing the math for how songbirds learn to sing

2012-12-21
Scientists studying how songbirds stay on key have developed a statistical explanation for why some things are harder for the brain to learn than others. "We've built the first mathematical model that uses a bird's previous sensorimotor experience to predict its ability to learn," says Emory biologist Samuel Sober. "We hope it will help us understand the math of learning in other species, including humans." Sober conducted the research with physiologist Michael Brainard of the University of California, San Francisco. Their results, showing that adult birds correct ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Study shows making hydrogen with soda cans and seawater is scalable and sustainable

Could dietary changes -- even after obesity -- help prevent pancreatic cancer?

From rubble to rockets: Turning scrap metal into essential equipment

Museum specimens offer new lens on pollution history

Studying the 12C+12C fusion reaction at astrophysical energies using HOPG target

Bacteria hitch a ride on yeast puddles to zoom around

New non-invasive method discovered to enhance brain waste clearance

A summer like no other: inside 2023’s record-smashing North Atlantic marine heatwave

Many possible futures: How dopamine in the brain might inform AI that adapts quickly to change

Research shows rivers release ancient carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, uncovering a greater role for plants and soil in the carbon cycle

Hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol awareness among US adults

Longitudinal outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth physical fitness

Study shows loss of Y in blood cells hinders immune response to cancer

Loss of Y chromosome leads to poor cancer outcomes

The atmosphere’s growing thirst is making droughts worse, even where it rains

Colorectal cancer leaves lasting toll on women’s sexual health

New technology developed at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University promises faster, earlier diagnosis of deadly form of heart failure

PolyU scholar honored with the Hong Kong Engineering Science and Technology Award for contributions to Web3 and digital economy

Nationwide study finds that leaks in natural gas pipelines contribute to hazardous particulate air pollution

‘Eye’ on health: AI detects dizziness and balance disorders remotely

EyeCare4Kids™ names Maggie Cline as new CEO

Moderate exercise slows brain aging: U-shaped association revealed by accelerometry

Bat viruses similar to MERS have potential to jump to humans

New 3D-printing method makes two materials from one resin

A better understanding of how gene editing tools work

Tool for protecting soldiers’ brain health earns $3.2 million grant

Virginia Tech researcher earns American Heart Association fellowship to explore how obesity increases the risk for heart disease

Study identifies personality traits associated with bedtime procrastination

How late college students go to sleep is influenced by the need to belong

Discovery of giant planet orbiting tiny star challenges theories on planet formation

[Press-News.org] Engineers seek ways to convert methane into useful chemicals