Mikrodalga reaktörde buharlı metanol reformlamadan hidrojen üretimi.

Today’s world is facing crucial environmental issues, such as climate change and greenhouse gas emission, mainly attributed to the overusing fossil fuels. An environmentally friendly and sustainable replacement is proton exchange membrane fuel cell system which is a promising technology fed by hydrogen. However, fuel cell’s anode catalyst is sensitive to amount of CO in the feed stream. Steam reforming of methanol is an appropriate method for hydrogen production. Nevertheless, endothermic nature of this reaction brings its economic feasibility into question. In this study, hydrogen was produced from methanol steam reforming (MSR) reaction. For this purpose, metal-loaded mesoporous carbon catalysts were synthesized and characterized. The catalyst activity was tested in the MSR reaction heated by a conventional heating method. Effect of catalyst calcination temperature, Cu/Zn ratio, total metal loading amount, and reaction temperature was investigated on the reaction product distribution, methanol conversion, and hydrogen yield. Furthermore, microwave was used as an alternative heat source which is more efficient than conventional heating method. CMK-3 with the surface area of 1120 m2/g, pore volume of 3.7 cm3/g, and pore size of 3.7 nm was synthesized as the support material. Both support material and metal loaded catalyst exhibited Type IV isotherm with H2 hysteresis. It was observed that the catalyst activity increases with increasing Cu/Zn ratio and total metal loading amount, while increasing the catalyst calcination temperature declines the catalyst activity. CO-free hydrogen was produced from the 18.75Cu6.25Zn/CMK-3/300 catalyst at 250oC in the conventionally-heated reactor system with methanol conversion of 93.0% and hydrogen yield of 94%. A higher methanol conversion was obtained in the microwave-focused heated reactor system compared to the conventionally-heated reactor system in addition to a higher energy efficiency. 97.5% methanol conversion and 95.6% hydrogen yield were achieved in this system at 300oC.M.S. - Master of Scienc

Atorvastatin-loaded SBA-16 nanostructures: Synthesis, physical characterization, and biochemical alterations in hyperlipidemic rats

Mesoporous Santa Barbara Amorphous-16 (SBA-16) silica was synthesized via facile sol-gel method and functionalized using a silanizing agent, 3-amino-propyl-triethoxysilane, cyanuric chloride and dopamine. SBA-16/dopamine was characterized for the structure and morphology by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Silica was amorphous in nature. Analysis of SBA-16 silica by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method indicated that the material exhibits type IV isotherm to support its mesoporous structure. Mesoporous SBA-16/dopamine was used as a nanocarrier and the physicochemical changes and release rate of the antifatal model drug, atorvastatin loaded into nano-porous cavities of silica via in vivo application was investigated. Adult rats received a high-fat diet (HFD) for eight weeks. During the last four weeks, the HFD groups received normal saline, atorvastatin (5 mg/kg bw), nanocomposite (10 mg/kg bw), and atorvastatin along with the nanocomposite. Body weight, lipid profile, catalase, superoxide dismutase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lipid peroxidation, and liver histology were assessed. Administration of nanocomposite, and atorvastatin, alone, improved the HFD induced dyslipidemia in HFD-rats. The nanocomposites, and atorvastatin, significantly lowered body weight and malondialdehyde content, and improved the antioxidant enzymes of rats. Histopathological studies confirmed the lipid-lowering efficacy of the nanocomposites. The group receiving SBA-16 silica nanoparticles alone showed more improvement in hyperlipidemia and oxidant status than the group treated with SBA-16 silica together with atorvastatin. Further studies will be necessary to investigate the interaction between SBA-16 silica nanoparticles with the statin and non-statin drugs