Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Chemistry, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 208-222).

The objective of this work is the development of a method for the catalytic conversion of biomass into liquid products, which could be further treated for the production of bio-fuels. Rapeseed cake was used as a source of biomass, while H-ZSM-5 and H-Beta zeolites were used as catalysts. The process was carried out at 400 °C, in a batch reactor with two configurations. In the first configuration, produced vapors were condensed and collected. In the second configuration, a fixed bed catalytic vapor upgrading section was added into the reactor. The conversion of the rapeseed cake resulted in the formation of two liquid phases (an organic and an aqueous phase), gases and a solid residue. The highest organic liquid phase yield was attained on H-ZSM-5 zeolite at the use of the vapor upgrading section. The aqueous phases contained a mixture of water-soluble substances, mainly N-heterocyclic compounds. The catalyst regeneration studies showed that H-ZSM-5 zeolite in both the reactor and the vapor upgrading section was more stable than H-Beta.

No description available.

Methoden der Dichtefunktionaltheorie (DFT) sind beliebte quantenmechanische (QM) Verfahren. Einige Größen, wie z.B. Dispersionsenergien oder Reaktionsbarrieren, werden mit Standardfunktionalen jedoch schlecht beschrieben. Solche Probleme sind für kleine Systeme mit Elektronenkorrelationsmethoden lösbar. In dieser Arbeit wird ein Hybridansatz vorgestellt, der Vorzüge von DFT und Elektronenkorrelationsmethoden vereint. Dazu erfolgen DFT-Rechnungen für das Gesamtsystem und ein darin eingebettetes Modell des aktiven Zentrums. Dieses wird außerdem mit Moller–Plesset Störungstheorie zweiter Ordnung (MP2) zur Korrektur entsprechender DFT-Werte beschrieben. Die Zuverlässigkeit so erzielter Ergebnisse wird durch Extrapolation auf den Grenzfall einer vollständigen Orbitalbasis und eines unverkleinerten Modells erhöht. MP2-Korrekturen werden für eine Reihe unterschiedlich großer Modelle ermittelt. Daran wird ein C6-Paarpotential angepasst, das auch für das (periodische) Gesamtsystem die Ableitung von Werten in MP2-Qualität erlaubt. Zur Anwendung der Hybridmethode in der Katalyseforschung werden Protonensprünge im Zeolith Chabasit und Protonierungsreaktionen von Isobuten im Zeolith Ferrierit untersucht. Die MP2/DFT-Ergebnisse bestätigen, dass Aktivierungsbarrieren mit einfachen Dichtefunktionalen unterschätzt werden. Geschwindigkeitskonstanten sind nach Korrektur um ein bis zwei Größenordnungen kleiner. DFT-Adsorptions- und -Chemisorptionsenergien für Kohlenwasserstoffe in Zeolithen sind nicht verlässlich. Unterschiedlich große MP2-Korrekturen für die untersuchten Produkte liegen in einem Bereich von –29 bis –70 kJ/mol. Gegenüber dem wasserstoffgebundenen tert-Butylcarbeniumion profitieren Oberflächenalkoxide energetisch am meisten von der Erfassung der Dispersion. Die berechnete MP2-Adsorptionswärme des Isobutens im Zeolith Ferrierit (–74+–10 kJ/mol) entspricht experimentellen Anhaltspunkten und zeigt die Zuverlässigkeit des in dieser Arbeit vorgestellten Hybridansatzes. / Density functional theory (DFT) belongs to the most popular computational approaches in quantum mechanics (QM). For certain terms, e.g., dispersion energies or reaction barriers, widely used functionals do not yield reliable results. For small systems these problems can be overcome by using electron correlation methods. In this work a hybrid approach is presented combining advantages of both DFT and electron correlation methods. DFT calculations are performed for the full system and an embedded model representing the active site. The embedded model is also described by second-order Moller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) to obtain corrections to corresponding DFT values. The reliability of the results obtained with this hybrid method is further improved by extrapolation to the limiting case of a complete orbital basis set and an unreduced model system. MP2 corrections are obtained for a series of models of increasing size to fit a C6 pair potential. The fitted potential is applied to the full (periodic) system yielding results of MP2 quality. The hybrid method is applied in the field of catalysis research to investigate proton jump reactions in the zeolite chabazite and protonation reactions of isobutene in the zeolite ferrierite. The MP2/DFT results obtained confirm that with purely gradient corrected density functionals reaction barriers are clearly underestimated. Rate constants are corrected by one to two orders of magnitude. DFT reaction energies for adsorption and chemisorption of hydrocarbons in zeolites are not reliable. MP2 corrections obtained range between –29 and –70 kJ/mol and are not the same for different products. Compared to the hydrogen-bonded tert-butyl carbenium ion the surface alkoxides benefit most from treating dispersion explicitly. The calculated MP2 heat of adsorption of isobutene in ferrierite (–74+–10 kJ/mol) corresponds to experimental clues and underlines the reliability of the hybrid MP2/DFT approach presented in this work.

Abstract The aim of the thesis is to expand the knowledge of the catalytic properties of platinum-loaded zeolite catalysts in the reduction of NOx by hydrocarbons. The work is divided into three parts. First the recent literature of zeolite catalysts has been introduced, secondly the adsorption capacity, activity, and acidity of the catalysts have been studied by TPD and IR techniques, and thirdly the derived reaction mechanisms based on the obtained data are presented. Parent and 1 wt-% Pt-loaded ZSM-5, Beta, Y, and Ferrierite zeolite catalysts have been studied in the C3H6-assisted reduction of NO. The Pd/Al2O3-based catalyst was used as a reference material for the reaction mechanistic studies. Several experimental techniques (in situ DRIFT, activity measurements, CO chemisorption, N2 physisorption, TPD, and TEM) have been used for the characterisation of the catalysts properties. The IR technique was used as the main technique for the determination of activities, surface species, and the acidic properties of the zeolite-based catalysts. The activity studies carried out by the gaseous FTIR technique provide information on the desired reaction products as well as the undesired by-products. The detection and identification of the surface species as well as the reaction intermediates formed were done by the DRIFT method. The activity experiments indicate the effectiveness of the Pt-loaded zeolite catalysts. The reduction of NO was found to decrease in the order: Pt/Beta > Pt/Y > Pt/Ferrierite > Pt/ZSM-5 in the conditions with excess O2. Platinum can be concluded to have an effect on O2 and NO dissociation. Oxidation reactions of NO to NO2 and propene to CO2 were observed to be more intense over the platinum-loaded zeolites than over the parent zeolites. In this work the reaction mechanisms for the C3H6-SCR of NO were derived over the Pt-loaded zeolite as well as the Pd/alumina catalysts based on the data obtained by DRIFT and activity experiments. The kinetics for the NO reduction by CO over Pd/Al2O3 was also derived. With the methods employed, the mechanistic steps over the Pt-loaded zeolites and Pd/Al2O3-based catalysts could be derived quite precisely and easily for C3H6-SCR of NO. Reaction routes were determined to go via different formations of intermediates over the two catalysts, i.e. via organonitrogen and isocyanate routes, respectively. The IR techniques were discovered to be effective tools in applied engineering studies.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.