Selective Hydrogenation of Furfural in a Proton Exchange Membrane Reactor Using Hybrid Pd/Pd Black on Alumina

Invited for this month’s cover picture are the groups of Dr. Peter Pintauro (Vanderbilt University, Tennessee, USA), Dr. Levi Thompson (University of Delaware, Delaware, USA), and Dr. William Tarpeh (Stanford University, California, USA). The cover picture shows the controlled variation of furfural hydrogenation product speciation based on varying cathode formulations of hybrid Pd black and Pd on alumina support. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/celc.201901314.“The performance of different cathode compositions is evaluated at different current densities (which varies with hydrogen production) in terms of production rate, faradaic efficiency, and selectivity. To isolate the influences of the electrocatalyst in the hybrid catalyst, the performance of electrocatalyst Pd black is evaluated separately. These four variations of the hybrid cathode are investigated to test the hypothesis that the addition of the metal loaded on metal oxide to the electrocatalyst enhances the production rate for hydrogenated products compared to electrodes with only an electrocatalyst…“ Learn more about the story behind the research featured on the front cover in this issue’s Cover Profile. Read the corresponding Article at 10.1002/celc.201901314.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152714/1/celc201901737.pd

A Study of Cationic Effects, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Photolysis on Nitrate Through Raman Spectroscopy

Evaluating the interaction of hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals in the photolysis of nitrate is essential for understanding the photolysis of nitrate in snowpack, which is heavily influenced by chemicals released due to UV radiation. Using Raman spectroscopy, the interactions of hydrogen peroxide with nitrate during photolysis were studied. Samples of nitrate and hydrogen peroxide were photolyzed and Raman spectra were collected over the course of three hours for each sample. Samples were tested in which only the hydrogen peroxide or the potassium nitrate was photolyzed in addition to samples where both species were photolyzed. In another study the effect of the counter ion was tested by using samples of ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate, and sodium nitrate. This was done to analyze how the Raman spectra of each sample changed as a function of time. There was a distinct difference in the Raman spectra of the samples in which only the potassium nitrate or the hydrogen peroxide changed as a function of time. The change in the Raman spectra was believed to result from the hydroxyl radical generated from the hydrogen peroxide. The data collected enhances our understanding of the hydroxyl radical and its influence on the photolysis of nitrate

Front Cover: Selective Hydrogenation of Furfural in a Proton Exchange Membrane Reactor Using Hybrid Pd/Pd Black on Alumina (ChemElectroChem 22/2019)

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152753/1/celc201901738.pd