- Email: [email protected]
Perovskite catalysts and supports
F O C U S environmentally friendly. The new technology is low energy and permits bleaching at neutral pH values and low temperatures, which means a reduction in the use of rinse water and neutralization chemicals. Genencor believes the technology will allow textile producers to cut their heating energy for denim bleaching by up to 90%. Net Posten, 16 Feb 2009 (Website: http://www.netposten.dk/) (in Danish)
Novozymes on track with new enzymes for cellulosic ethanol Novozymes has cut cellulosic ethanol enzyme costs by more than half and is on track to deliver the first commercially viable enzymes by 2010, an important step on the way to enabling the commercial success of cellulosic ethanol. At the National Ethanol Conference in San Antonio in Texas, Executive Vice President Peder Holk Nielsen presented the progress achieved by Novozymes’ latest second-generation enzyme products. This new enzyme family is the highest performing and most costeffective enzyme solution available today. Second-generation cellulosic ethanol uses enzymes to break down cellulosic waste materials such as corn stover, sugarcane bagasse, and wood chips into sugars that can be fermented into ethanol. Novozymes’ newest enzyme product family has been proven to work on many different feedstock types. Press release from: Novozymes A/S, Krogshojvej 36, 2880 Bagsvaerd, Denmark. Tel: +45 4446 0000. Fax: +45 4446 9999. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.novozymes.com (24 Feb 2009)
Nisshinbo’s carbon-based fuel cell catalyst drawing closer to launch Japanese firm Nisshinbo Industries aims to begin supplying samples of carbon-alloy catalyst in 2009 as an affordable alternative to platinumbased catalysts in hydrogen fuel cells. The catalyst has an oxidation-reduction potential of 0.85 V compared with 1.05 V in platinum-based catalyst. The company plans to develop a range of materials, components, and systems for applications in hydrogen production machinery, hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen-storage equipment. Nisshinbo Industries has already
APRIL 2009
O N
C ATA LY S T S
begun marketing electric double-layer capacitors for use in storing electricity produced by fuel cells as well as carbon-based separators for stationary fuel cell applications. Japan Chemical Week, 19 Feb 2009, 50 (2503), 4
ENVIRONMENT NOx removed from road tunnel exhaust The German company Ecovac has developed a system for removing NOx from the air exhausted from road tunnels. Particles are removed with fibrous filters, and the NO is catalytically oxidised to NO2 over activated alumina doped with a permanganate. The NOx remains fixed as nitrate. The spent absorbent is proposed for use as a fertiliser. AECC Newsletter, Jan-Feb 2009, 12
Morphic Technology uses enzymes to capture and convert CO2 The Swedish engineering firm Morphic Technology has been awarded a patent for a new method for collecting and extracting carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere which involves treating the surface of wind turbine blades with special enzymes. The process is the same as that occurring in the removal of CO2 from blood in human physiology. The method also involves the conversion of CO2 to methanol, which requires just water and electricity. The method works in the laboratory but Morphic has yet to build a prototype which can demonstrate that the principle can be applied in practice with normal wind turbines operations. Net Posten, 11 Feb 2009 (Website: http://www.netposten.dk/) (in Danish)
PATENTS New catalyst for direct hydrogen peroxide production The synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen, in solution, catalysed by a supported noble metal, has been known for over 20 years. The preferred catalyst is a gold/palladium alloy, on an inorganic
support such as titania or titanium silicalite. This patent teaches that the yield of hydrogen peroxide is increased if the catalyst contains a thiol or a thiolate. This is an unexpected observation because sulfur compounds usually deactivate noble metals. The resulting peroxide solution may be used directly for organic oxidation reactions. US 7,501,532, Lyondell Chemical Technology, Greenville, DE, USA, 10 Mar 2009
Apparatus for grinding catalyst samples for combinatorial assessment Combinatorial methods for scanning large numbers of small laboratory samples for a variety of properties, including catalytic activity, are well established. Heterogeneous catalysts need to be presented to the equipment in the form in which they are ultimately to be used – usually as powders or formed particles. A machine in which four solid samples can be crushed, ground, or otherwise treated automatically before testing is described here. US 7,503,515, Symyx Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA, 17 Mar 2009
Conversion of alkylene oxides to glycols The hydration of alkylene oxides is catalysed by carbon dioxide plus an organic base immobilised on a solid support It is hypothesised that an alkylene carbonate is formed as an intermediate. US 7,504,545, Shell Oil Co, Houston, TX, USA, 17 Mar 2009
Mixed oxide catalysts for fluorine exchange Mixed chromium/nickel oxides, optionally containing cobalt, are good catalysts for making organic fluorine compounds by halogen exchange. US 7,504,358, EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co, Wilmington, DE, USA, 17 Mar 2009
Perovskite catalysts and supports Perovskites such as lanthanum aluminate, made by heating aluminas with a lanthanum nitrate solution, combine high surface areas with stability at high temperatures. They
7
F O C U S make useful catalysts and catalyst supports.
C ATA LY S T S
BOOKSHELF
US 7,504,085, BASF Catalysts LLC, Florham Park, NJ, USA, 17 Mar 2009
Magnetic photochemical nanoparticles The preparation of composite nanoparticles having a magnetic core and a photochemically active coating is described. The core is a nickel ferrite and the surface is of anatase. Such particles could be used in wound treatment because they could easily be removed with a magnet after use. US 7,504,130, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, LA, USA, 17 Mar 2009
EVENTS
O N
Zeolites and related materials – trends, targets and challenges. 2 vols The proceedings of the 4th Conference of the Federation of European Zeolite Associations, held in Paris in Sep 2008. Includes papers on metal organic frameworks. A Gedeon, P Massiani, and F Babonneau (eds), 2008, Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, ISBN 978-0444-53297-8 (part A); -53298-5 (part B), 754 pp (part A), 1369 pp (part B), £250
Carbon materials for catalysis A multi-authored international
monograph from industrial and academic laboratories. Includes an introductory chapter on the structures, properties, and reactions of carbons. Covers carbons as catalysts as well as supports. Evonik Degussa contributed a chapter on carbonsupported catalysts for the chemical industry. P Serp and JL Figueiredo (eds), 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, USA. ISBN 978-0-470-17885-0, 579 pp, £100
Organic synthesis with enzymes in non-aqueous media There were 26 international authors. G Carrea and S Riva (eds), 2008, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany, ISBN 978-3-527-31846-9, £130
5-10 July 2009
6th World Congress on Oxidation Catalysis – 6WCOC Lille, France Website: http://www.6wcoc.org
16-20 August 2009
5th International Symposium on Hydrotreating/Hydrocracking Technologies Washington, DC, USA Website: http://www.acs.org/meetings
3-4 September 2009
Italian Meeting on Lignocellulosic Chemistry (ITALIC 5) Como, Italy Website: http://www.michem.disat.unimib.it/italic5
Focus on Catalysts (ISSN 1351-4180) is published monthly by Elsevier Ltd, Block 6, Westbrook Centre, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 1YG, UK. 2009 annual subscription rate: US$1137/€1011 (in Europe)/¥134,400 (in Japan) Material published in Focus on Catalysts includes abstracts sourced from Chemical Business NewsBase (CBNB) (E-mail: [email protected]) CBNB is available as part of a subscription to Ei’s EngineeringVillage discovery platform. Visit our website for more details: http://www.ei.org/databases/cbnb.html Orders and enquiries Elsevier Ltd, Block 6, Westbrook Centre, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 1YG, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1223 463160. Fax: +44 (0) 1223 463169. E-mail: [email protected] For US orders Elsevier Journals Customer Service, 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887-4800, USA. US Customers Tel: +1 (877) 839 7126. Fax: +1 (407) 363 1354. Customers outside US Tel: +1 (407) 345 4020. Fax: +1 (407) 363 1354 Other Locations Elsevier Customer Support Department, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 20 4853757. Fax: +31 20 4853432. E-mail: [email protected]
Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier Global Rights Department, PO Box 800, Oxford OX5 1DX, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1865 843830. Fax: +44 (0) 1865 853333. E-mail: [email protected]. You may also contact Global Rights directly through Elsevier’s home page (http://www.elsevier.com), by selecting ‘Support and Contact’, then ‘Copyright and Permission’. Derivative Works Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their institutions. Permission of the publisher is required for resale or distribution outside the institution. Permission of the publisher is required for all other derivative works, including compilations and translations. Electronic Storage or Usage Permission of the publisher is required to store or use electronically any material contained in this journal, including any article or part of an article. Contact the publisher at the address indicated. Except as outlined above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. Notice No responsibility is assumed by the Publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. Typeset by Chat Noir Design, France Printed by Mayfield Press (Oxford) © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Novozymes on track with new enzymes for cellulosic ethanol Novozymes has cut cellulosic ethanol enzyme costs by more than half and is on track to deliver the first commercially viable enzymes by 2010, an important step on the way to enabling the commercial success of cellulosic ethanol. At the National Ethanol Conference in San Antonio in Texas, Executive Vice President Peder Holk Nielsen presented the progress achieved by Novozymes’ latest second-generation enzyme products. This new enzyme family is the highest performing and most costeffective enzyme solution available today. Second-generation cellulosic ethanol uses enzymes to break down cellulosic waste materials such as corn stover, sugarcane bagasse, and wood chips into sugars that can be fermented into ethanol. Novozymes’ newest enzyme product family has been proven to work on many different feedstock types. Press release from: Novozymes A/S, Krogshojvej 36, 2880 Bagsvaerd, Denmark. Tel: +45 4446 0000. Fax: +45 4446 9999. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.novozymes.com (24 Feb 2009)
Nisshinbo’s carbon-based fuel cell catalyst drawing closer to launch Japanese firm Nisshinbo Industries aims to begin supplying samples of carbon-alloy catalyst in 2009 as an affordable alternative to platinumbased catalysts in hydrogen fuel cells. The catalyst has an oxidation-reduction potential of 0.85 V compared with 1.05 V in platinum-based catalyst. The company plans to develop a range of materials, components, and systems for applications in hydrogen production machinery, hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen-storage equipment. Nisshinbo Industries has already
APRIL 2009
O N
C ATA LY S T S
begun marketing electric double-layer capacitors for use in storing electricity produced by fuel cells as well as carbon-based separators for stationary fuel cell applications. Japan Chemical Week, 19 Feb 2009, 50 (2503), 4
ENVIRONMENT NOx removed from road tunnel exhaust The German company Ecovac has developed a system for removing NOx from the air exhausted from road tunnels. Particles are removed with fibrous filters, and the NO is catalytically oxidised to NO2 over activated alumina doped with a permanganate. The NOx remains fixed as nitrate. The spent absorbent is proposed for use as a fertiliser. AECC Newsletter, Jan-Feb 2009, 12
Morphic Technology uses enzymes to capture and convert CO2 The Swedish engineering firm Morphic Technology has been awarded a patent for a new method for collecting and extracting carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere which involves treating the surface of wind turbine blades with special enzymes. The process is the same as that occurring in the removal of CO2 from blood in human physiology. The method also involves the conversion of CO2 to methanol, which requires just water and electricity. The method works in the laboratory but Morphic has yet to build a prototype which can demonstrate that the principle can be applied in practice with normal wind turbines operations. Net Posten, 11 Feb 2009 (Website: http://www.netposten.dk/) (in Danish)
PATENTS New catalyst for direct hydrogen peroxide production The synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen, in solution, catalysed by a supported noble metal, has been known for over 20 years. The preferred catalyst is a gold/palladium alloy, on an inorganic
support such as titania or titanium silicalite. This patent teaches that the yield of hydrogen peroxide is increased if the catalyst contains a thiol or a thiolate. This is an unexpected observation because sulfur compounds usually deactivate noble metals. The resulting peroxide solution may be used directly for organic oxidation reactions. US 7,501,532, Lyondell Chemical Technology, Greenville, DE, USA, 10 Mar 2009
Apparatus for grinding catalyst samples for combinatorial assessment Combinatorial methods for scanning large numbers of small laboratory samples for a variety of properties, including catalytic activity, are well established. Heterogeneous catalysts need to be presented to the equipment in the form in which they are ultimately to be used – usually as powders or formed particles. A machine in which four solid samples can be crushed, ground, or otherwise treated automatically before testing is described here. US 7,503,515, Symyx Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA, 17 Mar 2009
Conversion of alkylene oxides to glycols The hydration of alkylene oxides is catalysed by carbon dioxide plus an organic base immobilised on a solid support It is hypothesised that an alkylene carbonate is formed as an intermediate. US 7,504,545, Shell Oil Co, Houston, TX, USA, 17 Mar 2009
Mixed oxide catalysts for fluorine exchange Mixed chromium/nickel oxides, optionally containing cobalt, are good catalysts for making organic fluorine compounds by halogen exchange. US 7,504,358, EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co, Wilmington, DE, USA, 17 Mar 2009
Perovskite catalysts and supports Perovskites such as lanthanum aluminate, made by heating aluminas with a lanthanum nitrate solution, combine high surface areas with stability at high temperatures. They
7
F O C U S make useful catalysts and catalyst supports.
C ATA LY S T S
BOOKSHELF
US 7,504,085, BASF Catalysts LLC, Florham Park, NJ, USA, 17 Mar 2009
Magnetic photochemical nanoparticles The preparation of composite nanoparticles having a magnetic core and a photochemically active coating is described. The core is a nickel ferrite and the surface is of anatase. Such particles could be used in wound treatment because they could easily be removed with a magnet after use. US 7,504,130, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, LA, USA, 17 Mar 2009
EVENTS
O N
Zeolites and related materials – trends, targets and challenges. 2 vols The proceedings of the 4th Conference of the Federation of European Zeolite Associations, held in Paris in Sep 2008. Includes papers on metal organic frameworks. A Gedeon, P Massiani, and F Babonneau (eds), 2008, Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, ISBN 978-0444-53297-8 (part A); -53298-5 (part B), 754 pp (part A), 1369 pp (part B), £250
Carbon materials for catalysis A multi-authored international
monograph from industrial and academic laboratories. Includes an introductory chapter on the structures, properties, and reactions of carbons. Covers carbons as catalysts as well as supports. Evonik Degussa contributed a chapter on carbonsupported catalysts for the chemical industry. P Serp and JL Figueiredo (eds), 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, USA. ISBN 978-0-470-17885-0, 579 pp, £100
Organic synthesis with enzymes in non-aqueous media There were 26 international authors. G Carrea and S Riva (eds), 2008, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany, ISBN 978-3-527-31846-9, £130
5-10 July 2009
6th World Congress on Oxidation Catalysis – 6WCOC Lille, France Website: http://www.6wcoc.org
16-20 August 2009
5th International Symposium on Hydrotreating/Hydrocracking Technologies Washington, DC, USA Website: http://www.acs.org/meetings
3-4 September 2009
Italian Meeting on Lignocellulosic Chemistry (ITALIC 5) Como, Italy Website: http://www.michem.disat.unimib.it/italic5
Focus on Catalysts (ISSN 1351-4180) is published monthly by Elsevier Ltd, Block 6, Westbrook Centre, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 1YG, UK. 2009 annual subscription rate: US$1137/€1011 (in Europe)/¥134,400 (in Japan) Material published in Focus on Catalysts includes abstracts sourced from Chemical Business NewsBase (CBNB) (E-mail: [email protected]) CBNB is available as part of a subscription to Ei’s EngineeringVillage discovery platform. Visit our website for more details: http://www.ei.org/databases/cbnb.html Orders and enquiries Elsevier Ltd, Block 6, Westbrook Centre, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 1YG, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1223 463160. Fax: +44 (0) 1223 463169. E-mail: [email protected] For US orders Elsevier Journals Customer Service, 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887-4800, USA. US Customers Tel: +1 (877) 839 7126. Fax: +1 (407) 363 1354. Customers outside US Tel: +1 (407) 345 4020. Fax: +1 (407) 363 1354 Other Locations Elsevier Customer Support Department, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 20 4853757. Fax: +31 20 4853432. E-mail: [email protected]
Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier Global Rights Department, PO Box 800, Oxford OX5 1DX, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1865 843830. Fax: +44 (0) 1865 853333. E-mail: [email protected]. You may also contact Global Rights directly through Elsevier’s home page (http://www.elsevier.com), by selecting ‘Support and Contact’, then ‘Copyright and Permission’. Derivative Works Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their institutions. Permission of the publisher is required for resale or distribution outside the institution. Permission of the publisher is required for all other derivative works, including compilations and translations. Electronic Storage or Usage Permission of the publisher is required to store or use electronically any material contained in this journal, including any article or part of an article. Contact the publisher at the address indicated. Except as outlined above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. Notice No responsibility is assumed by the Publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. Typeset by Chat Noir Design, France Printed by Mayfield Press (Oxford) © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved