Thermogravimetric and reaction kinetic analysis of biomass samples from an energy plantation

The products of a Hungarian experimental plantation for energy crops were investigated. Young shoots of poplar clones (Populus x euramericana and Populus x interamericana), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), willow (Salix alba), and an herbaceous plant (Miscanthus sinensis) revealed unexpectedly similar thermal behavior in inert and oxidative atmospheres, as well. An 8-fold difference in the level of grinding did not result in substantial differences in the thermal decomposition. The effect of oxygen in the ambient gas was studied at low sample masses (0.2-0.4 mg) that excluded the overheating due to the high reaction heat of the combustion process. The presence of oxygen affects the decomposition from ca. 220 degreesC. Nevertheless, the extrapolated onset temperature of the hemicellulose decomposition is practically the same at 0, 5, and 21 V/V% oxygen. A group of 12 experiments, representing two grinding levels, three plant genera and four different heating programs were evaluated simultaneously by the method of least squares employing the model of independent pseudocomponents. All evaluated experiments were well described by the same set of kinetic parameters; only the parameters describing the peak area of the partial processes differed. A technique was recommended for the appropriate handling of the nonrandom errors in the simultaneous evaluation of experiment series

An easy synthetic approach to 1,2,3-triazole-fused heterocycles

A convenient synthesis of 1,2,3-triazole-fused isoindolines and dihydroisoquinolines in good to excellent yield is reported, starting from easily available terminal alkynes and (2-haloaryl)alkylazides. The method is based upon a cycloaddition reaction, via click chemistry, followed by a transition metal-catalyzed functionalization of a CeH bond

A Simple Protocol for Quantitative Analysis of Bio-Oils through Gas-Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

A new and simple protocol for quantitative analysis of bio-oils using gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry is suggested. Compounds were identified via their mass spectra, and then unavailable response factors were calculated with respect to diphenyl as the internal standard using a modified method previously suggested for gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. This new protocol was applied to the characterization of bio-oils obtained from the pyrolysis of woods of different sources or using different pyrolysis procedures. This protocol allowed evaluation of the yields of products from poplar pyrolysis (among 50% and 99%), while a reduced amounts of products were identified from the pyrolysis of cellulose (between 46% and 58%). The main product was always acetic acid, but it was formed in very large yields from poplar while lower yields were obtained from cellulose