Water–active site interactions in zeolites and their relevance in catalysis

Zeolites are one of the most successful catalyst materials of the 20th century and are anticipated to be crucial in the coming decades to transition towards a more sustainable and circular society. Traditional zeolite-based catalytic processes, such as hydrocarbon cracking and transalkylation involving fossil-based resources, are usually performed in the absence of water. With the development of renewable processes based on agricultural and municipal waste, oxygen-rich molecules must be converted, which involves the presence of water. Hence, the impact of water on zeolite-based catalytic performance becomes crucial. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the role of water during zeolite catalysis and provide insights into mechanistic aspects of water–zeolite interactions. Special attention is paid to molecular modeling approaches. A synergy between experimental and theoretical approaches represents another major challenge in modern catalysis science as it provides routes towards the design of novel and more stable zeolite catalysts

The effects of Aluminum Oxide and Manganese Iron Oxide nanoparticles on the extraction of motor oil from Bucephala albeola feathers

As the industrial revolution increased demands and sales, petroleum has risen to be the largest import. There is an increase in the amount of oil and petroleum being spilled and they are proving to be hazardous to the wildlife, including a variety of bird species. The purpose of this experiment was to find a more effective way to extract oil from Bucephala albeola feathers than the current method, which is not efficient. It was hypothesised that if Aluminum Oxide and Manganese Iron Oxide nanoparticles were used to extract oil, then the Manganese Iron Oxide nanoparticles more effective than the Aluminum Oxide nanoparticles at removing oil from the Bucephala albeola feathers. Twenty feathers had motor oil applied to them, and half were treated with Aluminum Oxide nanoparticles and the others with Manganese Iron Oxide nanoparticles. They were then massed before and after the extraction process. A two sample t-test (t(9)=5.53,p\u3c0.001) determined that there was a significant difference between the two treatments. The Aluminum Oxide nanoparticles had an average difference of 0.220 grams after the extraction while the average difference for Manganese Iron Oxide was 0.0255 grams. In conclusion, the treatment consisting of the Aluminum Oxide nanoparticles was more efficient at removing the oil

Water–active site interactions in zeolites and their relevance in catalysis

Zeolites are one of the most successful catalyst materials of the 20th century and are anticipated to be crucial in the coming decades to transition towards a more sustainable and circular society. Traditional zeolite-based catalytic processes, such as hydrocarbon cracking and transalkylation involving fossil-based resources, are usually performed in the absence of water. With the development of renewable processes based on agricultural and municipal waste, oxygen-rich molecules must be converted, which involves the presence of water. Hence, the impact of water on zeolite-based catalytic performance becomes crucial. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the role of water during zeolite catalysis and provide insights into mechanistic aspects of water–zeolite interactions. Special attention is paid to molecular modeling approaches. A synergy between experimental and theoretical approaches represents another major challenge in modern catalysis science as it provides routes towards the design of novel and more stable zeolite catalysts