Bis{μ-4,4′,6,6′-tetra­bromo-2,2′-[o-phenyl­enebis(nitrilo­methyl­idyne)]­diphenol­ato}­bis­[(dimethyl­formamide)cadmium(II)]

The Schiff base ligand derived from the condensation of 3,5-dibromo­salicylaldehyde and 1,2-phenyl­enediamine, in the presence of dimethyl­formamide, forms the centrosymmetric title neutral binuclear distorted complex, [Cd2(C20H10Br4N2O2)2(C3H7NO)2], with the two octa­hedral Cd atoms linked by two O atoms. All bond lengths and angles show normal values

Direct crude oil cracking for producing chemicals: Thermal cracking modeling

[EN] The direct cracking of crude oil is an interesting option for producing cheaply large amounts of petrochemicals. This may be carried out with catalyst and equipment similar to that of catalytic cracking, but at a temperature range between that of standard catalytic cracking and steam cracking. Thermal cracking will play a role in the conversion, but is rarely disclosed in experimental or modeling work. Thus, a crude oil and its fractions were thermally cracked and the products yields were modeled using a 9 lumps cracking scheme. It was found that heavy fraction cracks twice as fast as diesel fraction and ten times faster than gasoline fraction, with activation energies in the 140-200 kJ/mol range. Selectivity to ethylene, propylene and butenes were found similar in the operating range explored.The authors thank Saudi Aramco for its material and financial support. Financial support by the Spanish Government-MINECO through programs "Severo Ochoa" (SEV 2012-0267) and CTQ2015-70126-R and by the Generalitat Valenciana through the Prometeo program (PROMETEOII/2013/011) is also acknowledged.Corma Canós, A.; Sauvanaud, LL.; Mathieu, Y.; Al-Bogami, S.; Bourane, A.; Al-Ghrami, M. (2018). Direct crude oil cracking for producing chemicals: Thermal cracking modeling. Fuel. 211:726-736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2017.09.099S72673621

Multipore zeolites: synthesis and catalytic applications

[EN] In the last few years, important efforts have been made to synthesize so-called "multipore" zeolites, which contain channels of different dimensions within the same crystalline structure. This is a very attractive subject, since the presence of pores of different sizes would favor the preferential diffusion of reactants and products through those different channel systems, allowing unique catalytic activities for specific chemical processes. In this Review we describe the most attractive achievements in the rational synthesis of multipore zeolites, containing small to extra-large pores, and the improvements reported for relevant chemical processes when these multipore zeolites have been used as catalysts.Financial support by the Spanish Government-MINECO through “Severo Ochoa” (SEV 2012-0267), Consolider Ingenio 2010-Multicat, MAT2012-37160, MAT2012-31657 and Intramural-201480I015 is acknowledged.Moliner Marin, M.; Martínez, C.; Corma Canós, A. (2015). Multipore zeolites: synthesis and catalytic applications. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 54(12):3560-3579. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201406344S35603579541

Design of Novel PLA/OMMT Films with Improved Gas Barrier and Mechanical Properties by Intercalating OMMT Interlayer with High Gas Barrier Polymers

Polymer/clay composites are an innovative class of materials. In this study, we present a facile method for the preparation of biodegradable and robust PLA/organomodified montmorillonite (OMMT) composite films with excellent gas barrier performance. When the design of PLA/OMMT composite films, in addition to making OMMT have good intercalation effect in the matrix, the compatibility of intercalating polymer and matrix should also be considered. In this work, two polymers with high gas barrier properties, namely poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), were selected to intercalate OMMT. The morphology and microstructures of the prepared PLA/PVA/OMMT and PLA/EVOH/OMMT composites were characterized by the X-ray diffraction measurement, scanning electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. It was shown that the good dispersibility of PVA in the PLA matrix, rather than the intercalation effect, was responsible for the improved gas barrier and mechanical properties of PLA/PVA/OMMT composite. The elongation at break increases from 4.5% to 22.7% when 1 wt % PVA is added to PLA/OMMT. Moreover, gas barrier of PLA/PVA1/OMMT measured as O2 permeability is 52.8% higher than that of neat PLA. This work provides a route to intercalate OMMT interlayer with high gas barrier polymers and thus can be a useful reference to fabricate PLA/OMMT composites with improved gas barrier and mechanical properties. A comparison of oxygen permeabilities with existing commercial packaging films indicates that the biodegradable PLA/PVA/OMMT may serve as a viable substitute for packaging film applications

Catalytic Conversion of Model Oxygenates in X Oil from Caprolactam Manufacture

X oil, a byproduct from caprolactam manufacture, is a complex mixture of organic oxygenates. In order to transform X oil into hydrocarbon fuel, the catalytic cracking reaction pathway and product composition of model oxygenates in X oil were investigated. The model compounds included cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, bicyclic ketones, oxydicyclohexane, and cyclohexyl butyrate. The product distribution of mixed feedstock could be predicted, as the product compositions would not be influenced when the model compounds had a catalytic cracking reaction together. Oxygen balance during the catalytic conversion process was also studied. The main deoxygenation way of these five model compounds was dehydration, and the next was decarbonylation. The intent was to obtain a reaction pathway which could be used for modeling the catalytic cracking of X oil