Effect of gold electronic state on the catalytic performance of nano gold catalysts in n-octanol oxidation

UIDB/50006/2020 project VIU-RSCBMT-65/2019 project 18-29-24037 (Russia) MINECO project CTQ2017-86170-R (Spain)This study aims to identify the role of the various electronic states of gold in the catalytic behavior of Au/MxOy/TiO2 (where MxOy are Fe2O3 or MgO) for the liquid phase oxidation of n-octanol, under mild conditions. For this purpose, Au/MxOy/TiO2 catalysts were prepared by deposition-precipitation with urea, varying the gold content (0.5 or 4 wt.%) and pretreatment conditions (H2 or O2), and characterized by low temperature nitrogen adsorption-desorption, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), scanning transmission electron microscopy-high angle annular dark field (STEM HAADF), diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared (DRIFT) spectroscopy of CO adsorption, temperature-programmable desorption (TPD) of ammonia and carbon dioxide, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Three states of gold were identified on the surface of the catalysts, Au0, Au1+ and Au3+, and their ratio determined the catalysts performance. Based on a comparison of catalytic and spectroscopic results, it may be concluded that Au+ was the active site state, while Au0 had negative effect, due to a partial blocking of Au0 by solvent. Au3+ also inhibited the oxidation process, due to the strong adsorption of the solvent and/or water formed during the reaction. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations confirmed these suggestions. The dependence of selectivity on the ratio of Brønsted acid centers to Brønsted basic centers was revealed.publishersversionpublishe

Plant characterization of genetically modified maize hybrids MON-89Ø34-3 × MON-88Ø17-3, MON-89Ø34-3 × MON-ØØ6Ø3-6, and MON-ØØ6Ø3-6: alternatives for maize production in Mexico

Environmental risk assessment (ERA) of genetically modified (GM) crops is a process to evaluate whether the biotechnology trait(s) in a GM crop may result in increased pest potential or harm to the environment. In this analysis, two GM insect-resistant (IR) herbicide-tolerant maize hybrids (MON-89Ø34-3 9 MON-88Ø17-3 and MON-89Ø34-3 9 MON-ØØ6Ø3-6) and one herbicide-tolerant GM hybrid (MON-ØØ6Ø3-6) were compared with conventional maize hybrids of similar genetic backgrounds. Two sets of studies, Experimental Phase and Pilot Phase, were conducted across five ecological regions (ecoregions) in Mexico during 2009–2013, and data were subject to meta-analysis. Results from the Experimental Phase studies, which were used for ERA, indicated that the three GM hybrids were not different from conventional maize for early stand count, days-tosilking, days-to-anthesis, root lodging, stalk lodging, or final stand count. Statistically significant differences were observed for seedling vigor, ear height, plant height, grain moisture, and grain yield, particularly in the IR hybrids; however, none of these phenotypic differences are expected to contribute to a biological or ecological change that would result in an increased pest potential or ecological risk when cultivating these GM hybrids. Overall, results from the Experimental Phase studies are consistent with those from other world regions, confirming that there are no additional risks compared to conventional maize. Results from Pilot Phase studies indicated that, compared to conventional maize hybrids, no differences were detected for the agronomic and phenotypic characteristics measured on the three GM maize hybrids, with the exception of grain moisture and grain yield in the IR hybrids. Since MON-89Ø34- 3 9 MON-88Ø17-3 and MON-89Ø34-3 9 MONØØ6Ø3- 6 confer resistance to target insect pests, they are an alternative for farmers in Mexico to protect the crop from insect damage. Additionally, the herbicide tolerance conferred by all three GM hybrids enables more cost-effective weed management

Pollen-Mediated Gene Flow in Maize: Implications for Isolation Requirements and Coexistence in Mexico, the Center of Origin of Maize

Mexico, the center of origin of maize (Zea mays L.), has taken actions to preserve the identity and diversity of maize landraces and wild relatives. Historically, spatial isolation has been used in seed production to maintain seed purity. Spatial isolation can also be a key component for a strategy to minimize pollen-mediated gene flow in Mexico between transgenic maize and sexually compatible plants of maize conventional hybrids, landraces, and wild relatives. The objective of this research was to generate field maize-to-maize outcrossing data to help guide coexistence discussions in Mexico. In this study, outcrossing rates were determined and modeled from eight locations in six northern states, which represent the most economically important areas for the cultivation of hybrid maize in Mexico. At each site, pollen source plots were planted with a yellow-kernel maize hybrid and surrounded by plots with a white-kernel conventional maize hybrid (pollen recipient) of the same maturity. Outcrossing rates were then quantified by assessing the number of yellow kernels harvested from white-kernel hybrid plots. The highest outcrossing values were observed near the pollen source (12.9% at 1 m distance). The outcrossing levels declined sharply to 4.6, 2.7, 1.4, 1.0, 0.9, 0.5, and 0.5% as the distance from the pollen source increased to 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 25 m, respectively. At distances beyond 20 m outcrossing values at all locations were below 1%. These trends are consistent with studies conducted in other world regions. The results suggest that coexistence measures that have been implemented in other geographies, such as spatial isolation, would be successful in Mexico to minimize transgenic maize pollen flow to conventional maize hybrids, landraces and wild relatives

Análisis de EEA en la corrosión de cobre utilizado en la industria electrónica de ambientes áridos y marinos

El proceso de oxidación (PO) que ocurre en superficies de cobre (Cu), de conexiones y conectores eléctricos de equipos electrónicos, instalados en la industria electrónica del noroeste de México, es un factor importante para determinar la velocidad de corrosión (VC) de este metal. La VC obtenida de la instalación de probetas metálicas de cobre en empresas, una en Ensenada (ambiente marino) que manufactura videojuegos, y una en Mexicali (zona árida), que fabrica computadoras personales; indicaron el grado de deterioro del Cu. La VC en cada ciudad fue determinada por el método gravimétrico, y se incrementaba o mantenía conforme al tipo de películas delgadas formadas en los metales: películas porosas y no porosas. Se realizó una correlación de la VC con datos de sulfatos (SOX) y cloruros (Cl-), obtenidos con la técnica de platos de sulfatación (TPS) y el método de la vela húmeda (MVH). Los análisis de VC en ambas ciudades, mostro una representación casi lineal en Mexicali, indicando la VC aumentando rápidamente y en Ensenada una curva parabólica, con un incremento lento. Se caracterizaron productos de corrosión por microscopía electrónica de barrido (MBE) y las películas de Cu formados con la técnica de espectroscopía de electrones Auger (EEA), representando los agentes contaminantes que reaccionaron con la superficie de cobre en cada ciudad. Los perfiles de análisis de profundidad, muestran incrementos y decrementos de carbono, oxígeno, sulfatos, cloruros y cobre, respecto a un periodo de tiempo, indicando el grosor de cada película formada en la superficie de Cu, para el PO en las dos ciudades. El valor máximo de la VC en Ensenada fue 188 mg/m2.año, y en Mexicali de 299 mg/m2.año

Effect of redox treatments on activation and deactivation of gold nanospecies supported on mesoporous silica in CO oxidation

(Graph Presented) The influence of pretreatments with He, O2 and H2 on the physicochemical and catalytic properties of gold supported on hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS) has been studied by a variety of methods including: XPS, TPR, N2 sorption, UV-visible spectroscopy, FTIR and catalytic testing. The investigations show supported gold to form different states under redox treatments: Au3+ and Au+ ions, neutral and partly charged gold clusters and metal nanoparticles of different sizes. Reducing pretreatments increase the catalytic activity of the samples; while oxidative treatments deactivate the catalyst. Catalytic tests show several regions of the reduced samples with various catalytic behaviours: 20-200°C, 200-400°C and >400°C; this situation is explained by the co-existence of gold active sites of different types. A comparative analysis among spectroscopic and catalytic data allows suggesting Audn δ+ clusters to be responsible for the activity in the low-temperature region (<200°C); neutral Aun clusters are active in the range 200-400°C; and gold nanoparticles may catalyze high-temperature CO oxidation. Au3+ ions are inactive in this process. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Corrosión de dispositivos electrónicos por contaminantes atmosféricos en interiores de plantas industriales de ambientes áridos y marinos

La industria electrónica ha crecido en los últimos cincuenta años, sobre todo en los países desarrollados, contribuyendo a su progreso económico. Particularmente en el Estado de Baja California ubicada en el noroeste de México, estas empresas han prosperado en los parques industriales de Mexicali considerada como una zona árida y Ensenada, un puerto y ciudad en el Océano Pacífico, que es una región marina. En ambos ambientes, durante el invierno y el verano los principales factores climáticos en ambientes de interiores son la humedad y temperatura, que aunados a los contaminantes del aire generan corrosión en dispositivos y equipos electrónicos, disminuyendo su rendimiento operativo. El cambio de clima en interiores de plantas industriales se debe a la variación de humedad, temperatura, radiación solar, así como a la concentración de contaminantes atmosféricos como el CO, SO2, H2S, NOX, O3 y partículas sólidas PM2.5 y PM10 provenientes de exteriores de la industria electrónica. Los gases y partículas contaminantes del aire son detectados por Estaciones de Monitoreo Ambiental (EMA) en Mexicali, mientras, que el SOX y Cl- se determinaron en Ensenada por la técnica de platos de sulfatación (TPS) y el método de la vela húmeda (MVH). Las probetas metálicas en ambas ciudades fueron analizadas por microscopia de barrido por electrones (MBE) y espectroscopia de electrones Auger (EEA) para determinar los productos de corrosión. Los equipos electrónicos instalados en las plantas están constituidos por componentes de cobre, siendo un metal muy utilizado por su buena conductividad eléctrica y térmica. Debido a que están expuestos a una amplia gama de ambientes agresivos, se origina deterioro del cobre, generando fallas en los equipos y con ello pérdidas económicas. Los materiales metálicos utilizados en los dispositivos electrónicos son susceptibles a la corrosión en interiores de plantas industriales por la variaciones de humedad y temperatura que generan el tiempo de humectación (TH), originando formación de una película delgada de agua sobre la superficie metálica, además de la exposición principalmente de sulfuros en Mexicali y cloruros en Ensenada, generan el proceso de corrosión