Ni Catalysts Supported Over TiO2, SiO2 and ZrO2 for the Steam Reforming of Glycerol

A 72-year-old man was admitted with one blade of a huge pair of shears in his left thorax. His hemodynamics deteriorated due to life-threatening vascular lesions. An urgent thoracotomy revealed several injuries to the intercostal vessels and left apical inferior lung lobe. The blade tip was stuck in the posterior chest wall, 2 cm adjacent to the descending aorta. The blade was removed, the lung was sutured, and the patient made a good recovery

Ni Catalysts Supported Over TiO2, SiO2 and ZrO2 for the Steam Reforming of Glycerol

Ni-based catalysts supported on TiO2, ZrO2 and SiO2 (in the form of mesoporous Santa Barbara Amorphous 15 (SBA-15) and amorphous dense nanoparticles), were employed in the steam reforming of glycerol. Each sample was prepared by liquid phase synthesis of the support followed by impregnation with the active phase and calcination at 8008C or by direct synthesis through flame pyrolysis. Many techniques have been used to assess the physical chemical properties of both the fresh and spent catalysts, such as atomic absorption, N2 adsorption/desorption, XRD, SEM, TEM, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Micro-Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. The samples showed different textural, structural and morphological properties,as well as different reducibility and thermal resistance depending on the preparation method and support. Some of these properties were tightly bound to catalyst performance, in terms of H2 productivity and stability towards coking and sintering. A key parameter was the metal\u2013support interaction, which strongly depended on the preparation procedure. In particular, the stronger the interaction, the more stable the metallic Ni clusters, which in turn lead to a higher catalytic activity and stability. Surface acidity was also taken into account, in which the nature of the acid sites was differentiated (silanols, titanols or Lewis acid sites). The characterisation of the spent catalysts also allowed us to interpret the deactivation process. The formation of multi-walled nanotubes was observed for every sample, though it was only in some cases that this led to severe deactivatio

Nonlinear spin filter for nonmagnetic materials at zero magnetic field

The ability to convert spin accumulation to charge currents is essential for applications in spintronics. In semiconductors, spin-to-charge conversion is typically achieved using the inverse spin Hall effect or using a large magnetic field. Here we demonstrate a general method that exploits the nonlinear interactions between spin and charge currents to perform all-electrical, rapid, and noninvasive detection of spin accumulation without the need for a magnetic field. We demonstrate the operation of this technique with ballistic GaAs holes as a model system with strong spin-orbit coupling, in which a quantum point contact provides the nonlinear energy filter. This approach is generally applicable to electron and hole systems with strong spin-orbit coupling

“Silica and zirconia supported catalysts for the low-temperature ethanol steam reforming"

Ethanol steam reforming has been investigated in the low temperature range, focusing not only on H2pro-ductivity, but also on catalyst stability, very critical parameters under such conditions. Different supports(SiO2and ZrO2), active phases (Ni, Co, Cu) and reaction temperature (300–500◦C) have been employed.Ni confirmed the best performing active phase to promote ethanol decomposition and reforming alreadyat low reaction temperature. However, stability towards coking remains a key problem. The supportplays a key role from this point of view. Indeed, the stabilization of the active phase in very dispersedform allowed to reach stable catalyst performance with time-on-stream. SiO2, thanks to no Lewis acidityand sufficiently strong metal–support interaction, demonstrated an interesting support for Ni under theselected operating condition

Ni/TiO2 for ethanol steam reforming: which is the best synthetic approach?

The performance of Ni/TiO2 catalysts in ethanol steam reforming (SR) was considered in this study; in particular, the effects of both the methodology of Ni introduction and calcination temperature were deeply investigated. Activity strongly depends on the physico-chemical properties of the catalyst, that greatly change according to the synthetic approach. Introduction Ethanol SR for a cleaner hydrogen production is an attracting topic for researchers and the design of a highly active and selective catalyst is a key point for the fulfilment of this process on industrial scale. Nickel is known to be both active and selective in the SR reactions, but also the support plays an essential role. The aim of this work is the investigation of the effect of the synthetic parameters on the physico-chemical properties of the sample and on its catalytic performance. Experimental TiO2 support was prepared by a conventional precipitation method . Ni (10 wt%) was added to the support by means of incipient wetness impregnation with an aqueous solution of the metallic precursor, either before (NiC) or after (CNi) the calcination of the support. Samples were calcined at 500 \ub0C (NiC500 and CNiC500) or at 800 \ub0C (NiC800). The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and N2 physisorption. Activity tests were performed after reduction of the catalysts in H2 flow for 1h at 500 \ub0C for samples calcined at 500 \ub0C, at 800 \ub0C for NiC800. The activity tests were carried out at atmospheric pressure by feeding a 3:1 (mol/mol) H2O:CH3CH2OH mixture at 500 \ub0C. Results and discussion The characterization measurements we carried out reveal marked differences among the samples, in particular for what concerns the interactions between the active phase and the support and, as a consequence, Ni availability to the reaction. XRD pattern on NiC500 before the reduction reveals only nanocrystalline anatase. This suggests that all nickel species have been incorporated in the anatase lattice1, , thus making Ni unavailable for the reaction. In fact, this sample is almost completely inactive in ethanol SR. Ni incorporation in TiO2 is due to Ni impregnation before the calcination of the support. When Ni is added to the calcined support (CNiC500), no incorporation in the anatase lattice is detected. This sample is more active than NiC500 (EtOH conversion: 82%; H2 productivity: 0.21 mol min-1 kgcat-1), but it is not stable. The calcination treatment at high temperature (NiC800) stabilizes the active phase by strengthening the interactions of Ni species with the support (SMSI), with the formation of an ilmenite-type structure (NiTiO3) in which nickel is still reducible to Ni0. The catalytic performance of this catalyst is satisfactory, with an ethanol conversion of 99% and a H2 productivity of 0.84 mol min-1 kgcat-1. Conclusions The ability of the support to increase Ni availability to the reaction and to stabilize the active phase is of primary importance to achieve both high ethanol conversion and H2 productivity. The results indicate that TiO2-supported Ni systems are very sensitive to the synthetic procedure. The best catalytic performances are obtained by calcining at the highest temperature

“Ni/ZrO2 catalysts for ethanol steam reforming: effect of Ca-doping”

Ni/ZrO2 catalysts doped with various percentage of CaO were synthesized and used in the steam reforming of ethanol for hydrogen production. The addition of CaO to the support decreases the Lewis acidity of zirconia, which contributes to the side reactions that lead to coke deposition. Moreover, the replacement of the Zr4+ cation in the ZrO2 lattice with cations with lower positive charge, as Ca2+, generates oxygen vacancies which modify the interaction between the active phase and the support and activate CO2, thus favoring the gasification of coke. The sample doped with the maximum percentage of CaO presents an optimum carbon balance, which can enhance the catalyst durability

VR09 cell line : an EBV-positive lymphoblastoid cell line with in vivo characteristics of diffuse large B cell lymphoma of activated B-cell type

Background: small B-cell neoplasms can show plasmacytic differentiation and may potentially progress to aggressive lymphoma (DLBCL). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection may cause the transformation of malignant cells in vitro. Design and Method: we established VR09 cell line with plasmacytic differentiation, obtained from a case of atypical, non-CLL B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disease with plasmacytic features. We used flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction, cytogenetic analysis and florescence in situ hybridization in the attempt at thoroughly characterizing the cell line. We showed VR09 tumorigenic potential in vivo, leading to the development of activated DLBCL with plasmacytic features. Results: VR09 cells displayed plasmacytic appearance and grew as spherical tumors when inoculated subcutaneously into immunodeficient Rag2-/- \u3b3-chain-/- mice. VR09 cell line and tumors displayed the phenotype of activated stage of B cell maturation, with secretory differentiation (CD19+ CD20+ CD79a+ CD79b+/- CD138+ cyclin D1- Ki67 80% IgM+ IgD+ MUM1+ MNDA+ CD10- CD22+ CD23+ CD43+ K+, \u3bb- Bcl2+ Bcl6-) and they presented episomal EBV genome, chromosome 12 trisomy, lack of c-MYC rearrangement and Myd88 gene mutation, presence of somatic hypermutation in the VH region, and wild-type p53. Conclusion: This new EBV-positive cell line may be useful to further characterize in vivo activated DLBCL with plasmacytic features