Sample records for adding formic acid

  1. Formic Acid: Development of an Analytical Method and Use as Process Indicator in Anaerobic Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-03-01

    distilled to remove compounds such as cinnamic , glycolic and levulinic acids which can be oxidized to formic acid by ceric sulfate, thus interfering...I AD-A250 668 D0 ,I I I 111 Wl’i ill EDT|CS ELECTE MAY 27 1992 I C I FORMIC ACID : DEVELCPMENT OF AN ANALYTICAL METHOD AND USE AS A PROCESS INDICATOR...OF TECHNOLOGY A UNIT OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA SCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30332 iIi ii FORMIC ACID : DEVELOPMENT OF AN

  2. Evaluation of the addition of organic acids in the feed and/or water for broilers and the subsequent recovery of salmonella typhimurium from litter and ceca

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Broiler Salmonella challenge experiments were conducted evaluating efficacy of formic and propionic acid feed supplements to suppress environmental and cecal Salmonella prevalence. In experiment 1, treatments were: formic acid, propionic acid, or basal control with no added acids. Seeder chicks we...

  3. Catalytic production of levulinic acid and ethyl levulinate from uniconazole-induced duckweed (Lemna minor).

    PubMed

    Liu, Chunguang; Feng, Qingna; Yang, Jirui; Qi, Xinhua

    2018-05-01

    Duckweed (Lemna minor) with a high starch content of 50.4% was cultivated by uniconazole-induction method. The cultivated duckweed was used to produce value-added chemicals such as glucose, levulinic acid and formic acid in diluted HCl aqueous solution. A high glucose yield of 93.4% (471 g/kg based on loading duckweed mass) could be achieved at 180 °C in short reaction time, and the generated glucose was converted into levulinic acid and formic acid with yields of 52.0% and 34.1%, respectively, for 150 min, corresponding to 262 g/kg levulinic acid yield and 171 g/kg formic acid yield based on the mass of loading duckweed, respectively. Moreover, the duckweed was efficiently converted to ethyl levulinate with 55.2% yield (400.6 g/kg) at 200 °C in ethanol. This work provides a promising strategy for the production of value-added chemicals from phytoplankton that is able to purify the wastewater containing high content of P and N. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Process for treating alkaline wastes for vitrification

    DOEpatents

    Hsu, Chia-lin W.

    1994-01-01

    According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the present invention is a process for treating alkaline waste materials, including high level radioactive wastes, for vitrification. The process involves adjusting the pH of the wastes with nitric acid, adding formic acid (or a process stream containing formic acid) to reduce mercury compounds to elemental mercury and MnO{sub 2} to the Mn(II) ion, and mixing with class formers to produce a melter feed. The process minimizes production of hydrogen due to noble metal-catalyzed formic acid decomposition during, treatment, while producing a redox-balanced feed for effective melter operation and a quality glass product. An important feature of the present invention is the use of different acidifying and reducing, agents to treat the wastes. The nitric acid acidifies the wastes to improve yield stress and supplies acid for various reactions; then the formic acid reduces mercury compounds to elemental mercury and MnO{sub 2}) to the Mn(II) ion. When the pH of the waste is lower, reduction of mercury compounds and MnO{sub 2}) is faster and less formic acid is needed, and the production of hydrogen caused by catalytically-active noble metals is decreased.

  5. Energetics of formic acid conversion to adsorbed formates on Pt(111) by transient calorimetry.

    PubMed

    Silbaugh, Trent L; Karp, Eric M; Campbell, Charles T

    2014-03-12

    Carboxylates adsorbed on solid surfaces are important in many technological applications, ranging from heterogeneous catalysis and surface organo-functionalization to medical implants. We report here the first experimentally determined enthalpy of formation of any surface bound carboxylate on any surface, formate on Pt(111). This was accomplished by studying the dissociative adsorption of formic acid on oxygen-presaturated (O-sat) Pt(111) to make adsorbed monodentate and bidentate formates using single-crystal adsorption calorimetry. The integral heat of molecular adsorption of formic acid on clean Pt(111) at 100 K is 62.5 kJ/mol at 0.25 monolayer (ML). On O-sat Pt(111), the integral heat of the dissociative adsorption of formic acid to make monodentate formate (HCOOmon,ad) plus the water-hydroxyl complex ((H2O-OH)ad) was found to be 76 kJ/mol at 3/8 ML and 100-150 K. Similarly, its integral heat of dissociative adsorption to make bidentate formate (HCOObi,ad) plus (H2O-OH)ad was 106 kJ/mol at 3/8 ML and 150 K. These heats give the standard enthalpies of formation of adsorbed monodentate and bidentate formate on Pt(111) to be -354 ± 5 and -384 ± 5 kJ/mol, respectively, and their net bond enthalpies to the Pt(111) surface to be 224 ± 13 and 254 ± 13 kJ/mol, respectively. Coverage-dependent enthalpies of formation were used to estimate the enthalpy of the elementary reaction HCOOHad → HCOObi,ad + Had to be -4 kJ/mol at zero coverage and +24 kJ/mol at 3/8 ML.

  6. Preparation and Characterization of Gelatin Nanofibers Containing Silver Nanoparticles

    PubMed Central

    Jeong, Lim; Park, Won Ho

    2014-01-01

    Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in formic acid aqueous solutions through chemical reduction. Formic acid was used for a reducing agent of Ag precursor and solvent of gelatin. Silver acetate, silver tetrafluoroborate, silver nitrate, and silver phosphate were used as Ag precursors. Ag+ ions were reduced into Ag NPs by formic acid. The formation of Ag NPs was characterized by a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Ag NPs were quickly generated within a few minutes in silver nitrate (AgNO3)/formic acid solution. As the water content of formic acid aqueous solution increased, more Ag NPs were generated, at a higher rate and with greater size. When gelatin was added to the AgNO3/formic acid solution, the Ag NPs were stabilized, resulting in smaller particles. Moreover, gelatin limits further aggregation of Ag NPs, which were effectively dispersed in solution. The amount of Ag NPs formed increased with increasing concentration of AgNO3 and aging time. Gelatin nanofibers containing Ag NPs were fabricated by electrospinning. The average diameters of gelatin nanofibers were 166.52 ± 32.72 nm, but these decreased with the addition of AgNO3. The average diameters of the Ag NPs in gelatin nanofibers ranged between 13 and 25 nm, which was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). PMID:24758929

  7. Acid-catalysed xylose dehydration into furfural in the presence of kraft lignin.

    PubMed

    Lamminpää, Kaisa; Ahola, Juha; Tanskanen, Juha

    2015-02-01

    In this study, the effects of kraft lignin (Indulin AT) on acid-catalysed xylose dehydration into furfural were studied in formic and sulphuric acids. The study was done using D-optimal design. Three variables in both acids were included in the design: time (20-80 min), temperature (160-180°C) and initial lignin concentration (0-20 g/l). The dependent variables were xylose conversion, furfural yield, furfural selectivity and pH change. The results showed that the xylose conversion and furfural yield decreased in sulphuric acid, while in formic acid the changes were minor. Additionally, it was showed that lignin has an acid-neutralising capacity, and the added lignin increased the pH of reactant solutions in both acids. The pH rise was considerably lower in formic acid than in sulphuric acid. However, the higher pH did not explain all the changes in conversion and yield, and thus lignin evidently inhibits the formation of furfural. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Evaluation of the addition of organic acids in the feed and/or water for broilers and the subsequent recovery of Salmonella Typhimurium from litter and ceca.

    PubMed

    Bourassa, D V; Wilson, K M; Ritz, C R; Kiepper, B K; Buhr, R J

    2018-01-01

    Three separate broiler Salmonella Typhimurium challenge experiments were conducted evaluating efficacy of formic and propionic acid feed supplements to suppress environmental and cecal Salmonella Typhimurium prevalence. In experiment 1, broilers were provided feed with 1 kg/ton formic acid or 5 kg/ton propionic acid feed additives or a basal control diet. At the day of placement, half of the pens were inoculated with seeder chicks orally challenged with a marker strain of Salmonella Typhimurium and to yield challenged and adjacent nonchallenged pens. No differences in weekly litter samples or cecal Salmonella prevalence at 3 or 6 wk among feeding treatments were detected. In experiment 2, treatments were: 2 kg/ton propionic acid in feed, 1.0 mL/L formic acid in water, both propionic acid in feed and formic acid in water, and a basal control. Every pen was challenged with seeder chicks inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium. By 6 wk all pens maintained detectable litter Salmonella, and broilers provided both propionic acid in feed and formic acid in water had the lowest cecal recovery (35%), compared to the control (60%). In experiment 3, treatments were: formic acid at 4 or 6 kg/ton from wk 0 to 6 or for only the last wk, propionic acid at 5 or 10 kg/ton for only the last wk, and a basal control. Each pen was challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium inoculated seeder chicks. By 6 wk, broilers fed formic acid (4 kg/ton) for the entire growout had no Salmonella-positive ceca (0/30). All treatments that provided acid supplemented feed for only the last wk had 3-13% Salmonella-positive ceca. These experiments indicate that adding formic acid to broiler feed appears to prevent Salmonella colonization from challenge pens entering into the adjacent nonchallenge pens. Feeding formic acid (4 kg/ton) for 6 wk resulted in no recovery of Salmonella from ceca compared to the control prevalence of 17%. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association 2017. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

  9. The Genealogical Tree of Ethanol: Gas-phase Formation of Glycolaldehyde, Acetic Acid, and Formic Acid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Skouteris, Dimitrios; Balucani, Nadia; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Vazart, Fanny; Puzzarini, Cristina; Barone, Vincenzo; Codella, Claudio; Lefloch, Bertrand

    2018-02-01

    Despite the harsh conditions of the interstellar medium, chemistry thrives in it, especially in star-forming regions where several interstellar complex organic molecules (iCOMs) have been detected. Yet, how these species are synthesized is a mystery. The majority of current models claim that this happens on interstellar grain surfaces. Nevertheless, evidence is mounting that neutral gas-phase chemistry plays an important role. In this paper, we propose a new scheme for the gas-phase synthesis of glycolaldehyde, a species with a prebiotic potential and for which no gas-phase formation route was previously known. In the proposed scheme, the ancestor is ethanol and the glycolaldehyde sister species are acetic acid (another iCOM with unknown gas-phase formation routes) and formic acid. For the reactions of the new scheme with no available data, we have performed electronic structure and kinetics calculations deriving rate coefficients and branching ratios. Furthermore, after a careful review of the chemistry literature, we revised the available chemical networks, adding and correcting several reactions related to glycolaldehyde, acetic acid, and formic acid. The new chemical network has been used in an astrochemical model to predict the abundance of glycolaldehyde, acetic acid, and formic acid. The predicted abundance of glycolaldehyde depends on the ethanol abundance in the gas phase and is in excellent agreement with the measured one in hot corinos and shock sites. Our new model overpredicts the abundance of acetic acid and formic acid by about a factor of 10, which might imply a yet incomplete reaction network.

  10. Fe2P as a novel efficient catalyst promoter in Pd/C system for formic acid electro-oxidation in fuel cells reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Fulong; Xue, Huaiguo; Tian, Zhiqun; Xing, Wei; Feng, Ligang

    2018-01-01

    Developing catalyst promoter for Pd/C catalyst is significant for the catalytic ability improvement in energy transfer related electrochemical reactions. Herein, we demonstrate Fe2P as an efficient catalyst promoter in Pd/C catalyst system for formic acid electro-oxidation in fuel cells reactions. Adding Fe2P in the Pd/C catalyst system greatly increases the performances for formic acid oxidation by 3-4 times; the CO stripping technique displays two kinds of active sites formation in the Pd-Fe2P/C catalyst system coming from the interaction of Pd, Fe2P and Pd oxide species and both are more efficient for formic acid and CO-species electrooxidation. The smaller charge transfer resistance and Tafel slope for formic acid oxidation indicate the improvements in kinetics by Fe2P in the Pd-Fe2P/C system. The nanostructured hybrid units of Pd, Fe2P and carbon are evidently visible in the high resolution microscopy images and XPS technique confirmes the electronic effect in the catalyst system. The promotion effect of Fe2P in the catalyst system arising from the structure, composition and electronic effect changes is discussed with the help from multiple physical and electrochemical techniques. It is concluded that Fe2P as a significant catalyst promoter will have potential application in energy transfer related electrochemical reactions.

  11. High-Yield Production of Levulinic Acid from Pretreated Cow Dung in Dilute Acid Aqueous Solution.

    PubMed

    Su, Jialei; Shen, Feng; Qiu, Mo; Qi, Xinhua

    2017-02-14

    Agricultural waste cow dung was used as feedstock for the production of a high value-added chemical levulinic acid (LA) in dilute acid aqueous solutions. A high LA yield of 338.9 g/kg was obtained from the pretreated cow dung, which was much higher than that obtained from the crude cow dung (135 g/kg), mainly attributed to the breakage of the lignin fraction in the lignocellulose structure of the cow dung by potassium hydroxide (KOH) pretreatment, and thus enhanced the accessibility of cow dung to the acid sites in the catalytic reaction. Meanwhile, another value-added chemical formic acid could be obtained with a yield of ca. 160 g/kg in the process, implying a total production of ca. 500 g/kg yield for LA and formic acid from the pretreated cow dung with the proposed process. The developed process was shown to be tolerant to high initial substrate loading with a satisfied LA yield. This work provides a promising strategy for the value-increment utilization of liglocellulosic agricultural residues.

  12. Process for treating alkaline wastes for vitrification

    DOEpatents

    Hsu, Chia-lin W.

    1995-01-01

    A process for treating alkaline wastes for vitrification. The process involves acidifying the wastes with an oxidizing agent such as nitric acid, then adding formic acid as a reducing agent, and then mixing with glass formers to produce a melter feed. The nitric acid contributes nitrates that act as an oxidant to balance the redox of the melter feed, prevent reduction of certain species to produce conducting metals, and lower the pH of the wastes to a suitable level for melter operation. The formic acid reduces mercury compounds to elemental mercury for removal by steam stripping, and MnO.sub.2 to the Mn(II) ion to prevent foaming of the glass melt. The optimum amounts of nitric acid and formic acid are determined in relation to the composition of the wastes, including the concentrations of mercury (II) and MnO.sub.2, noble metal compounds, nitrates, formates and so forth. The process minimizes the amount of hydrogen generated during treatment, while producing a redox-balanced feed for effective melter operation and a quality glass product.

  13. Process for treating alkaline wastes for vitrification

    DOEpatents

    Hsu, C.L.W.

    1995-07-25

    A process is described for treating alkaline wastes for vitrification. The process involves acidifying the wastes with an oxidizing agent such as nitric acid, then adding formic acid as a reducing agent, and then mixing with glass formers to produce a melter feed. The nitric acid contributes nitrates that act as an oxidant to balance the redox of the melter feed, prevent reduction of certain species to produce conducting metals, and lower the pH of the wastes to a suitable level for melter operation. The formic acid reduces mercury compounds to elemental mercury for removal by steam stripping, and MnO{sub 2} to the Mn(II) ion to prevent foaming of the glass melt. The optimum amounts of nitric acid and formic acid are determined in relation to the composition of the wastes, including the concentrations of mercury (II) and MnO{sub 2}, noble metal compounds, nitrates, formates and so forth. The process minimizes the amount of hydrogen generated during treatment, while producing a redox-balanced feed for effective melter operation and a quality glass product. 4 figs.

  14. Impact of scaling on the nitric-glycolic acid flowsheet

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lambert, D.

    Savannah River Remediation (SRR) is considering using glycolic acid as a replacement for formic acid in Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) processing in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). Catalytic decomposition of formic acid is responsible for the generation of hydrogen, a potentially flammable gas, during processing. To prevent the formation of a flammable mixture in the offgas, an air purge is used to dilute the hydrogen concentration below the 60% of the Composite Lower Flammability Limit (CLFL). The offgas is continuously monitored for hydrogen using Gas Chromatographs (GCs). Since formic acid is much more volatile and toxic thanmore » glycolic acid, a formic acid spill would lead to the release of much larger quantities to the environment. Switching from formic acid to glycolic acid is expected to eliminate the hydrogen flammability hazard leading to lower air purges, thus downgrading of Safety Significant GCs to Process Support GCs, and minimizing the consequence of a glycolic acid tank leak in DWPF. Overall this leads to a reduction in process operation costs and an increase in safety margin. Experiments were completed at three different scales to demonstrate that the nitric-glycolic acid flowsheet scales from the 4-L lab scale to the 22-L bench scale and 220-L engineering scale. Ten process demonstrations of the sludge-only flowsheet for SRAT and Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) cycles were performed using Sludge Batch 8 (SB8)-Tank 40 simulant. No Actinide Removal Process (ARP) product or strip effluent was added during the runs. Six experiments were completed at the 4-L scale, two experiments were completed at the 22-L scale, and two experiments were completed at the 220-L scale. Experiments completed at the 4-L scale (100 and 110% acid stoichiometry) were repeated at the 22-L and 220-L scale for scale comparisons.« less

  15. Analysis of potassium formate in airport storm water runoff by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Fries, Elke; Klasmeier, Jörg

    2009-01-30

    Potassium formate was extracted from airport storm water runoff by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed by GC-MS. Formate was transformed to formic acid by adding phosphoric acid. Subsequently, formic acid was derivatized to methyl formate by adding methanol. Using sodium [(2)H]formate (formate-d) as an internal standard, the relative standard deviation of the peak area ratio of formate (m/z 60) and formate-d (m/z 61) was 0.6% at a concentration of 208.5 mg L(-1). Calibration was linear in the range of 0.5-208.5 mg L(-1). The detection limit calculated considering the blank value was 0.176 mg L(-1). The mean concentration of potassium formate in airport storm water runoff collected after surface de-icing operations was 86.9 mg L(-1) (n=11) with concentrations ranging from 15.1 mg L(-1) to 228.6 mg L(-1).

  16. Carbon Nanotube Formic Acid Sensors Using a Nickel Bis( ortho-diiminosemiquinonate) Selector.

    PubMed

    Lin, Sibo; Swager, Timothy M

    2018-03-23

    Formic acid is corrosive, and a sensitive and selective sensor could be useful in industrial, medical, and environmental settings. We present a chemiresistor for detection of formic acid composed of single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nickel bis( ortho-diiminosemiquinonate) (1), a planar metal complex that can act as a ditopic hydrogen-bonding selector. Formic acid is detected in concentrations as low as 83 ppb. The resistance of the material decreases on exposure to formic acid, but slightly increases on exposure to acetic acid. We propose that 1 assists in partial protonation of the CNT by formic acid, but the response toward acetic acid is dominated by inter-CNT swelling. This technology establishes CNT-based chemiresistive discrimination between formic and acetic acid vapors.

  17. Seasonality of Formic Acid (HCOOH) in London during the ClearfLo Campaign: Seasonality of Formic Acid in London

    DOE PAGES

    Bannan, Thomas J.; Murray Booth, A.; Le Breton, Michael; ...

    2017-11-09

    Following measurements in the winter of 2012, formic acid (HCOOH) and nitric acid (HNO 3) were measured using a chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) during the Summer Clean Air for London (ClearfLo) campaign in London, 2012. Consequently, the seasonal dependence of formic acid sources could be better understood. A mean formic acid concentration of 1.3 ppb and a maximum of 12.7 ppb was measured which is significantly greater than that measured during the winter campaign (0.63 ppb and 6.7 ppb, respectively). Daily calibrations of formic acid during the summer campaign gave sensitivities of 1.2 ion counts s -1 parts permore » trillion (ppt) by volume -1 and a limit of detection of 34 ppt. During the summer campaign, there was no correlation between formic acid and anthropogenic emissions such as NO x and CO or peaks associated with the rush hour as was identified in the winter. Rather, peaks in formic acid were observed that correlated with solar irradiance. Analysis using a photochemical trajectory model has been conducted to determine the source of this formic acid. The contribution of formic acid formation through ozonolysis of alkenes is important but the secondary production from biogenic VOCs could be the most dominant source of formic acid at this measurement site during the summer.« less

  18. Seasonality of Formic Acid (HCOOH) in London during the ClearfLo Campaign: Seasonality of Formic Acid in London

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bannan, Thomas J.; Murray Booth, A.; Le Breton, Michael

    Following measurements in the winter of 2012, formic acid (HCOOH) and nitric acid (HNO 3) were measured using a chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) during the Summer Clean Air for London (ClearfLo) campaign in London, 2012. Consequently, the seasonal dependence of formic acid sources could be better understood. A mean formic acid concentration of 1.3 ppb and a maximum of 12.7 ppb was measured which is significantly greater than that measured during the winter campaign (0.63 ppb and 6.7 ppb, respectively). Daily calibrations of formic acid during the summer campaign gave sensitivities of 1.2 ion counts s -1 parts permore » trillion (ppt) by volume -1 and a limit of detection of 34 ppt. During the summer campaign, there was no correlation between formic acid and anthropogenic emissions such as NO x and CO or peaks associated with the rush hour as was identified in the winter. Rather, peaks in formic acid were observed that correlated with solar irradiance. Analysis using a photochemical trajectory model has been conducted to determine the source of this formic acid. The contribution of formic acid formation through ozonolysis of alkenes is important but the secondary production from biogenic VOCs could be the most dominant source of formic acid at this measurement site during the summer.« less

  19. DWPF SIMULANT CPC STUDIES FOR SB7B

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Koopman, D.

    2011-11-01

    Lab-scale DWPF simulations of Sludge Batch 7b (SB7b) processing were performed. Testing was performed at the Savannah River National Laboratory - Aiken County Technology Laboratory (SRNL-ACTL). The primary goal of the simulations was to define a likely operating window for acid stoichiometry for the DWPF Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT). In addition, the testing established conditions for the SRNL Shielded Cells qualification simulation of SB7b-Tank 40 blend, supported validation of the current glass redox model, and validated the coupled process flowsheet at the nominal acid stoichiometry. An acid window of 105-140% by the Koopman minimum acid (KMA) equation (107-142%more » DWPF Hsu equation) worked for the sludge-only flowsheet. Nitrite was present in the SRAT product for the 105% KMA run at 366 mg/kg, while SME cycle hydrogen reached 94% of the DWPF Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) cycle limit in the 140% KMA run. The window was determined for sludge with added caustic (0.28M additional base, or roughly 12,000 gallons 50% NaOH to 820,000 gallons waste slurry). A suitable processing window appears to be 107-130% DWPF acid equation for sludge-only processing allowing some conservatism for the mapping of lab-scale simulant data to full-scale real waste processing including potentially non-conservative noble metal and mercury concentrations. This window should be usable with or without the addition of up to 7,000 gallons of caustic to the batch. The window could potentially be wider if caustic is not added to SB7b. It is recommended that DWPF begin processing SB7b at 115% stoichiometry using the current DWPF equation. The factor could be increased if necessary, but changes should be made with caution and in small increments. DWPF should not concentrate past 48 wt.% total solids in the SME cycle if moderate hydrogen generation is occurring simultaneously. The coupled flowsheet simulation made more hydrogen in the SRAT and SME cycles than the sludge-only run with the same acid stoichiometric factor. The slow acid addition in MCU seemed to alter the reactions that consumed the small excess acid present such that hydrogen generation was promoted relative to sludge-only processing. The coupled test reached higher wt.% total solids, and this likely contributed to the SME cycle hydrogen limit being exceeded at 110% KMA. It is clear from the trends in the SME processing GC data, however, that the frit slurry formic acid contributed to driving the hydrogen generation rate above the SME cycle limit. Hydrogen generation rates after the second frit addition generally exceeded those after the first frit addition. SRAT formate loss increased with increasing acid stoichiometry (15% to 35%). A substantial nitrate gain which was observed to have occurred after acid addition (and nitrite destruction) was reversed to a net nitrate loss in runs with higher acid stoichiometry (nitrate in SRAT product less than sum of sludge nitrate and added nitric acid). Increased ammonium ion formation was also indicated in the runs with nitrate loss. Oxalate loss on the order 20% was indicated in three of the four acid stoichiometry runs and in the coupled flowsheet run. The minimum acid stoichiometry run had no indicated loss. The losses were of the same order as the official analytical uncertainty of the oxalate concentration measurement, but were not randomly distributed about zero loss, so some actual loss was likely occurring. Based on the entire set of SB7b test data, it is recommended that DWPF avoid concentrating additional sludge solids in single SRAT batches to limit the concentrations of noble metals to SB7a processing levels (on a grams noble metal per SRAT batch basis). It is also recommended that DWPF drop the formic acid addition that accompanies the process frit 418 additions, since SME cycle data showed considerable catalytic activity for hydrogen generation from this additional acid (about 5% increase in stoichiometry occurred from the frit formic acid). Frit 418 also does not appear to need formic acid addition to prevent gel formation in the frit slurry. Simulant processing was successful using 100 ppm of 747 antifoam added prior to nitric acid instead of 200 ppm. This is a potential area for DWPF to cut antifoam usage in any future test program. An additional 100 ppm was added before formic acid addition. Foaming during formic acid addition was not observed. No build-up of oily or waxy material was observed in the off-gas equipment. Lab-scale mercury stripping behavior was similar to SB6 and SB7a. More mercury was unaccounted for as the acid stoichiometry increased.« less

  20. Mercury removal from contaminated water by ultrasound-promoted reduction/vaporization in a microscale reactor.

    PubMed

    Gil, Sandra; Lavilla, Isela; Bendicho, Carlos

    2008-03-01

    A new method is described for the removal of Hg(II) at trace level from waters using an ultrasound-promoted reduction/volatilization process. The method is accomplished in a sonoreactor (100 W power; 20 kHz frequency) by adding formic acid to induce the reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0). In contrast to other treatments, it does not introduce further foreign substances for water decontamination. A reduction mechanism is proposed, which relies on the sonolytic decomposition of formic acid to yield reducing gases such as H(2) and CO, which in turn, causes the reduction of Hg(II). After the formation of Hg(0), its removal is facilitated by the degassing effect caused by ultrasound irradiation. Hg at 100 ng/mL concentration can be removed within 30 min with a yield of 90% from a 10 mL water volume. The presence of stabilizing anions or oxidants in waters may preclude the Hg removal. Effects of experimental variables such as treatment time, amplitude of the ultrasonic probe vibration, formic acid concentration and sample volume were investigated.

  1. Formation of formic acid and organic peroxides in the ozonolysis of ethene with added water vapour

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horie, Osamu; Neeb, Peter; Limbach, Stefan; Moortgat, Geert K.

    1994-07-01

    Ozonolysis of C2H4 was carried out in a 580 l glass reaction vessel at 1-5 ppm reactant concentrations, with added water vapour. Under dry conditions ([H2O]0 = 0.5 ppm), HCHO, CO, CO2, (CHO)2O (formic acid anhydride), H2O2, and CH3OOH were identified as the reaction products. Under wet conditions ([H2O]0 = 2 × 104 ppm), HCOOH yields approaching ca. 20% of the converted C2H4, were observed, while no (CHO)2O was formed. Hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide, HOCH2OOH, was observed as the major peroxide, and found to be formed only in the presence of water vapour. Direct reactions of H2O vapour with the excited CH2OO* radicals and with stabilized CH2OO radicals are postulated to explain the formation of HCOOH and HOCH2OOH in the presence of water vapour, respectively.

  2. LABORATORY STUDIES ON THE FORMATION OF FORMIC ACID (HCOOH) IN INTERSTELLAR AND COMETARY ICES

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bennett, Chris J.; Kim, Yong Seol; Kaiser, Ralf I.

    2011-01-20

    Mixtures of water (H{sub 2}O) and carbon monoxide (CO) ices were irradiated at 10 K with energetic electrons to simulate the energy transfer processes that occur in the track of galactic cosmic-ray particles penetrating interstellar ices. We identified formic acid (HCOOH) through new absorption bands in the infrared spectra at 1690 and 1224 cm{sup -1} (5.92 and 8.17 {mu}m, respectively). During the subsequent warm-up of the irradiated samples, formic acid is evident from the mass spectrometer signal at the mass-to-charge ratio, m/z = 46 (HCOOH{sup +}) as the ice sublimates. The detection of formic acid was confirmed using isotopically labeledmore » water-d2 with carbon monoxide, leading to formic acid-d2 (DCOOD). The temporal fits of the reactants, reaction intermediates, and products elucidate two reaction pathways to formic acid in carbon monoxide-water ices. The reaction is induced by unimolecular decomposition of water forming atomic hydrogen (H) and the hydroxyl radical (OH). The dominating pathway to formic acid (HCOOH) was found to involve addition of suprathermal hydrogen atoms to carbon monoxide forming the formyl radical (HCO); the latter recombined with neighboring hydroxyl radicals to yield formic acid (HCOOH). To a lesser extent, hydroxyl radicals react with carbon monoxide to yield the hydroxyformyl radical (HOCO), which recombined with atomic hydrogen to produce formic acid. Similar processes are expected to produce formic acid within interstellar ices, cometary ices, and icy satellites, thus providing alternative processes for the generation of formic acid whose abundance in hot cores such as Sgr-B2 cannot be accounted for solely by gas-phase chemistry.« less

  3. Fuel cells and fuel cell catalysts

    DOEpatents

    Masel, Richard I.; Rice, Cynthia A.; Waszczuk, Piotr; Wieckowski, Andrzej

    2006-11-07

    A direct organic fuel cell includes a formic acid fuel solution having between about 10% and about 95% formic acid. The formic acid is oxidized at an anode. The anode may include a Pt/Pd catalyst that promotes the direct oxidation of the formic acid via a direct reaction path that does not include formation of a CO intermediate.

  4. Kinetics and toxic effects of repeated intravenous dosage of formic acid in rabbits.

    PubMed Central

    Liesivuori, J.; Kosma, V. M.; Naukkarinen, A.; Savolainen, H.

    1987-01-01

    Adult male rabbits were injected i.v. with 100 mg buffered formic acid per kg body weight daily for 5 days with 24 h between the doses. The fifth dose was labelled with 14C-formic acid. Rabbits were killed 1, 2 and 20 h after the last injection. The highest formic acid concentrations were found one hour after the fifth dose. Total formic acid concentrations were always higher than radiometrically measured. The maximum concentrations of formic acid in brain, heart, kidney and liver were roughly similar to the concentration which inhibits half of the cytochrome oxidase activity in vitro. Histological studies clearly demonstrated the histotoxic changes at cellular level. Calcium deposits were detected in all organs of the injected rabbits. They were absent in control animals. It seems that the formic acid metabolism is slow and that it may cause sufficient hypoxic acidosis to allow the calcium influx and cellular damage. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 PMID:3426949

  5. Formic acid excretion in rats exposed to trichloroethylene: a possible explanation for renal toxicity in long-term studies.

    PubMed

    Green, T; Dow, J; Foster, J R; Hext, P M

    1998-05-15

    Rats exposed to trichloroethylene, either by gavage or by inhalation, excreted large amounts of formic acid in urine which was accompanied by a change in urinary pH, increased excretion of ammonia, and slight increases in the excretion of calcium. Following a single 6-h exposure to 500 ppm trichloroethylene, the excretion of formic acid was comparable to that seen after a 500 mg/kg dose of formic acid itself, yet the half-life was markedly different. Formate excretion in trichloroethylene treated rats reached a maximum on day 2 and had a half-life of 4-5 days, whereas urinary excretion was complete within 24 h following a single dose of formic acid itself. Formic acid was shown not to be a metabolite of trichloroethylene. When rats were exposed to 250 or 500 ppm trichloroethylene, 6 h/day, for 28 days, the only significant effects were increased formic acid and ammonia excretion, and a change in urinary pH. There was no evidence of morphological liver or kidney damage. Long-term exposure to formic acid is known to cause kidney damage suggesting that excretion of this acid may contribute to the kidney damage seen in the long-term studies with trichloroethylene.

  6. Glycolic acid physical properties and impurities assessment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lambert, D. P.; Pickenheim, B. R.; Bibler, N. E.

    This document has been revised due to recent information that the glycolic acid used in Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) experiments contains both formaldehyde and methoxyacetic acid. These impurities were in the glycolic acid used in the testing included in this report and in subsequent testing using DuPont (now called Chemours) supplied Technical Grade 70 wt% glycolic acid. However, these impurities were not reported in earlier revisions. Additional data concerning the properties of glycolic acid have also been added to this report. The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is planning to implement a nitric-glycolic acid flowsheets to increase attainment tomore » meet closure commitment dates during Sludge Batch 9. In fiscal year 2009, SRNL was requested to determine the physical properties of formic and glycolic acid blends. Blends of formic acid in glycolic acid were prepared and their physical properties tested. Increasing amounts of glycolic acid led to increases in blend density, viscosity and surface tension as compared to the 90 wt% formic acid that is currently used at DWPF. These increases are small, however, and are not expected to present any difficulties in terms of processing. The effect of sulfur impurities in Technical Grade glycolic acid was studied for its impact on DWPF glass quality. While the glycolic acid specification allows for more sulfate than the current formic acid specification, the ultimate impact is expected to be on the order of 0.033 wt% sulfur in glass. Note that lower sulfur content glycolic acid could likely be procured at some increased cost if deemed necessary. A paper study on the effects of radiation on glycolic acid was performed. The analysis indicates that substitution of glycolic acid for formic acid would not increase the radiolytic production rate of H2 and cause an adverse effect in the Slurry Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) or Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) process. It has been cited that glycolic acid solutions that are depleted of O2 when subjected to large radiation doses produced considerable quantities of a non-diffusive polymeric material. Considering a constant air purge is maintained in the SRAT and the solution is continuously mixed, oxygen depletion seems unlikely, however, if this polymer is formed in the SRAT solution, the rheology of the solution may be affected and pumping of the solution may be hindered. However, an irradiation test with a simulated SRAT product supernate containing glycolic acid in an oxygen depleted atmosphere found no evidence of polymerization.« less

  7. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry of hydrophobic proteins in mixtures using formic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, and sorbitol.

    PubMed

    Loo, Rachel R Ogorzalek; Loo, Joseph A

    2007-02-01

    Three MALDI-MS sample/matrix preparation approaches were evaluated for their ability to enhance hydrophobic protein detection from complex mixtures: (1) formic acid-based formulations, (2) perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) surfactant addition, and (3) sorbitol addition. While MALDI-MS of Escherichia coli cells desorbed from a standard sinapinic acid matrix displayed 94 (M + H)+ ions, 119 were observed from a formic acid-based matrix with no more than 10 common to both. Formic acid matrix revealed many lipoproteins and an 8282 m/z ion proposed to be the abundant, water-insoluble ATPase proteolipid. Among the formic acid-based cocktails examined, the slowest rate of serine/threonine formylation was found for 50% H2O/33% 2-propanol/17% formic acid. Faster formylation was observed from cocktails containing more formic acid and from mixtures including CH3CN. Sinapinic, ferulic, DHB, 4-hydroxybenzylidene malononitrile, and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole matrixes performed well in formic acid formulations. Dramatic differences in mixture spectra were also observed from PFOA/sinapinic acid, at detergent concentrations exceeding the critical micelle concentration, although these matrix cocktails proved difficult to crystallize. E. coli ions observed from these matrix conditions are listed in Tables S-1 and S-3 (Supporting Information). Similar complementarity was observed for M. acetivorans whole-cell mixtures. Including sorbitol in the sinapinic acid matrix was found to promote homogeneous crystallization and to enhance medium and higher m/z ion detection from dilute E. coli cellular mixtures.

  8. Influence of sodium carbonate on decomposition of formic acid by pulsed discharge plasma inside bubble in water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iwabuchi, Masashi; Takahashi, Katsuyuki; Takaki, Koichi; Satta, Naoya

    2016-07-01

    The influence of sodium carbonate on the decomposition of formic acid by discharge inside bubbles in water was investigated experimentally. Oxygen or argon gases were injected into the water through a vertically positioned glass tube, in which the high-voltage wire electrode was placed to generate plasmas at low applied voltage. The concentration of formic acid was determined by ion chromatography. In the case of sodium carbonate additive, the pH increased owing to the decomposition of the formic acid. In the case of oxygen injection, the percentage of conversion of formic acid increased with increasing pH because the reaction rate of ozone with formic acid increased with increasing pH. In the case of argon injection, the percentage of conversion was not affected by the pH owing to the high rate loss of hydroxyl radicals.

  9. [Inhibition of Low Molecular Organic Acids on the Activity of Acidithiobacillus Species and Its Effect on the Removal of Heavy Metals from Contaminated Soil].

    PubMed

    Song, Yong-wei; Wang, He-rul; Cao, Yan-xiao; Li, Fei; Cui, Chun-hong; Zhou, Li

    2016-05-15

    Application of organic fertilizer can reduce the solubility and bioavailability of heavy metals in contaminated soil, but in the flooded anaerobic environment, organic fertilizer will be decomposed to produce a large number of low molecular organic acids, which can inhibit the biological activity of Acidithiobacillus species. Batch cultures studies showed that the monocarboxylic organic acids including formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid exhibited a marked toxicity to Acidithiobacillus species, as indicated by that 90% of inhibitory rate for Fe2 and So oxidation in 72 h were achieved at extremely low concentrations of 41.2 mg · L⁻¹, 78.3 mg · L⁻¹, 43.2 mg · L⁻¹, 123.4 mg · L⁻¹ and 81.9 mg 230. 4 mg · L⁻¹, 170.1 mg · L⁻¹, 123.4 mg · L⁻¹ respectively. Of these organic acids, formic acid was the most toxic one as indicated by that Fe2 and So oxidation was almost entirely inhibited at a low concentration. In addition, it was found that Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was more sensitive to low molecular organic acids than Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. What's more, there was little effect on biological acidification process of heavy metal contaminated soil when organic acids were added at initial stage (Oh), but it was completely inhibited when these acids were added after 12 h of conventional biological acidification, thus decreasing the efficiency of heavy metals dissolution from soil.

  10. The electrooxidation mechanism of formic acid on platinum and on lead ad-atoms modified platinum studied with the kinetic isotope effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bełtowska-Brzezinska, M.; Łuczak, T.; Stelmach, J.; Holze, R.

    2014-04-01

    Kinetics and mechanism of formic acid (FA) oxidation on platinum and upd-lead ad-atoms modified platinum electrodes have been studied using unlabelled and deuterated compounds. Poisoning of the electrode surface by CO-like species was prevented by suppression of dissociative chemisorption of FA due to a fast competitive underpotential deposition of lead ad-atoms on the Pt surface from an acidic solution containing Pb2+ cations. Modification of the Pt electrode with upd lead induced a catalytic effect in the direct electrooxidation of physisorbed FA to CO2. With increasing degree of H/D substitution, the rate of this reaction decreased in the order: HCOOH > DCOOH ≥ HCOOD > DCOOD. HCOOH was oxidized 8.5-times faster on a Pt/Pb electrode than DCOOD. This primary kinetic isotope effect proves that the C-H- and O-H-bonds are simultaneously cleaved in the rate determining step. A secondary kinetic isotope effect was found in the dissociative chemisorption of FA in the hydrogen adsorption-desorption range on a bare Pt electrode after H/D exchange in the C-H bond, wherein the influence of deuterium substitution in the O-H group was negligibly small. Thus the C-H bond cleavage is accompanied by the C-OH and not the O-H bond split in the FA decomposition, producing CO-like species on the Pt surface sites.

  11. Safety Assessment of Formic Acid and Sodium Formate as Used in Cosmetics.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Wilbur; Heldreth, Bart; Bergfeld, Wilma F; Belsito, Donald V; Hill, Ronald A; Klaassen, Curtis D; Liebler, Daniel C; Marks, James G; Shank, Ronald C; Slaga, Thomas J; Snyder, Paul W; Andersen, F Alan

    2016-11-01

    Formic acid functions as a fragrance ingredient, preservative, and pH adjuster in cosmetic products, whereas sodium formate functions as a preservative. Because of its acidic properties, formic acid is a dermal and ocular irritant. However, when used as a pH adjuster in cosmetic formulations, formic acid will be neutralized to yield formate salts, for example, sodium formate, thus minimizing safety concerns. Formic acid and sodium formate have been used at concentrations up to 0.2% and 0.34%, respectively, with hair care products accounting for the highest use concentrations of both ingredients. The low use concentrations of these ingredients in leave-on products and uses in rinse-off products minimize concerns relating to skin/ocular irritation or respiratory irritation potential. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel concluded that formic acid and sodium formate are safe in the present practices of use and concentration in cosmetics, when formulated to be nonirritating. © The Author(s) 2016.

  12. Evaluation of a Particulate Filtration System for an Alkaline Paint Stripper at Letterkenny Army Depot

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-08-01

    hydroxide 66.0 17.5 1 Mineral seal oil 1.00 0.26 1.00 Fluorochemical surfactant 0.02 0.005 0.02 Sodiun carbonate 1.62 0.43 5.00 Sulfunated oleic acid ...specified rejuvenating additive is currently not added to the solution at LEAD. d Sodium salt of N-hydroxyethylethylenediamine triacetic acid , dihydrate...methylene chloride) and formic acid or I abrasive blasting. Aluminum parts are not stripped in alkaline solutions because these solutions chemically attack

  13. A prolific catalyst for dehydrogenation of neat formic acid

    PubMed Central

    Celaje, Jeff Joseph A.; Lu, Zhiyao; Kedzie, Elyse A.; Terrile, Nicholas J.; Lo, Jonathan N.; Williams, Travis J.

    2016-01-01

    Formic acid is a promising energy carrier for on-demand hydrogen generation. Because the reverse reaction is also feasible, formic acid is a form of stored hydrogen. Here we present a robust, reusable iridium catalyst that enables hydrogen gas release from neat formic acid. This catalysis works under mild conditions in the presence of air, is highly selective and affords millions of turnovers. While many catalysts exist for both formic acid dehydrogenation and carbon dioxide reduction, solutions to date on hydrogen gas release rely on volatile components that reduce the weight content of stored hydrogen and/or introduce fuel cell poisons. These are avoided here. The catalyst utilizes an interesting chemical mechanism, which is described on the basis of kinetic and synthetic experiments. PMID:27076111

  14. DFT study of hydrogen production from formic acid decomposition on Pd-Au alloy nanoclusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, D.; Gao, Z. Y.; Wang, X. C.; Zeng, J.; Li, Y. M.

    2017-12-01

    Recently, it has been reported that the hydrogen production rate of formic acid decomposition can be significantly increased using Pd-Au binary alloy nano-catalysts [Wang et al. J. Mater. Chem. A 1 (2013) 12721-12725]. To explain the reaction mechanism of this alloy catalysis method, formic acid decomposition reactions on pure Pd and Pd-Au alloy nanoclusters are studied via density functional theory simulations. The simulation results indicate that the addition of inert element Au would not influence formic acid decomposition on Pd surface sites of Pd-Au alloy nanoclusters. On the other hand, the existence of Au surface sites brings relative weak hydrogen atom adsorption. On Pd-Au alloy nanoclusters, the dissociated hydrogen atoms from formic acid are easier to combine as hydrogen molecules than that on pure Pd clusters. Via the synergetic effect between Pd and Au, both formic acid decomposition and hydrogen production are events with large probability, which eventually results in high hydrogen production rate.

  15. Screening of Non- Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains for Tolerance to Formic Acid in Bioethanol Fermentation.

    PubMed

    Oshoma, Cyprian E; Greetham, Darren; Louis, Edward J; Smart, Katherine A; Phister, Trevor G; Powell, Chris; Du, Chenyu

    2015-01-01

    Formic acid is one of the major inhibitory compounds present in hydrolysates derived from lignocellulosic materials, the presence of which can significantly hamper the efficiency of converting available sugars into bioethanol. This study investigated the potential for screening formic acid tolerance in non-Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains, which could be used for the development of advanced generation bioethanol processes. Spot plate and phenotypic microarray methods were used to screen the formic acid tolerance of 7 non-Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts. S. kudriavzeii IFO1802 and S. arboricolus 2.3319 displayed a higher formic acid tolerance when compared to other strains in the study. Strain S. arboricolus 2.3319 was selected for further investigation due to its genetic variability among the Saccharomyces species as related to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and availability of two sibling strains: S. arboricolus 2.3317 and 2.3318 in the lab. The tolerance of S. arboricolus strains (2.3317, 2.3318 and 2.3319) to formic acid was further investigated by lab-scale fermentation analysis, and compared with S. cerevisiae NCYC2592. S. arboricolus 2.3319 demonstrated improved formic acid tolerance and a similar bioethanol synthesis capacity to S. cerevisiae NCYC2592, while S. arboricolus 2.3317 and 2.3318 exhibited an overall inferior performance. Metabolite analysis indicated that S. arboricolus strain 2.3319 accumulated comparatively high concentrations of glycerol and glycogen, which may have contributed to its ability to tolerate high levels of formic acid.

  16. Screening of Non- Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains for Tolerance to Formic Acid in Bioethanol Fermentation

    PubMed Central

    Oshoma, Cyprian E.; Greetham, Darren; Louis, Edward J.; Smart, Katherine A.; Phister, Trevor G.; Powell, Chris; Du, Chenyu

    2015-01-01

    Formic acid is one of the major inhibitory compounds present in hydrolysates derived from lignocellulosic materials, the presence of which can significantly hamper the efficiency of converting available sugars into bioethanol. This study investigated the potential for screening formic acid tolerance in non-Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains, which could be used for the development of advanced generation bioethanol processes. Spot plate and phenotypic microarray methods were used to screen the formic acid tolerance of 7 non-Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts. S. kudriavzeii IFO1802 and S. arboricolus 2.3319 displayed a higher formic acid tolerance when compared to other strains in the study. Strain S. arboricolus 2.3319 was selected for further investigation due to its genetic variability among the Saccharomyces species as related to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and availability of two sibling strains: S. arboricolus 2.3317 and 2.3318 in the lab. The tolerance of S. arboricolus strains (2.3317, 2.3318 and 2.3319) to formic acid was further investigated by lab-scale fermentation analysis, and compared with S. cerevisiae NCYC2592. S. arboricolus 2.3319 demonstrated improved formic acid tolerance and a similar bioethanol synthesis capacity to S. cerevisiae NCYC2592, while S. arboricolus 2.3317 and 2.3318 exhibited an overall inferior performance. Metabolite analysis indicated that S. arboricolus strain 2.3319 accumulated comparatively high concentrations of glycerol and glycogen, which may have contributed to its ability to tolerate high levels of formic acid. PMID:26284784

  17. Process for making a noble metal on tin oxide catalyst

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Upchurch, Billy T. (Inventor); Davis, Patricia (Inventor); Miller, Irvin M. (Inventor)

    1989-01-01

    A quantity of reagent grade tin metal or compound, chloride-free, and high-surface-area silica spheres are placed in deionized water, followed by deaerating the mixture by boiling and adding an oxidizing agent, such as nitric acid. The nitric acid oxidizes the tin to metastannic acid which coats the spheres because the acid is absorbed on the substrate. The metastannic acid becomes tin oxide upon drying and calcining. The tin-oxide coated silica spheres are then placed in water and boiled. A chloride-free precious metal compound in aqueous solution is then added to the mixture containing the spheres, and the precious metal compound is reduced to a precious metal by use of a suitable reducing agent such as formic acid. Very beneficial results were obtained using the precious metal compound tetraammine platinum(II) hydroxide.

  18. 21 CFR 573.480 - Formic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ..., FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FEED AND DRINKING WATER OF ANIMALS Food Additive Listing § 573.480 Formic acid. The food additive, formic acid, may be safely used in accordance with the... assure safe use of the additive, in addition to the other information required by the Federal Food, Drug...

  19. 21 CFR 573.480 - Formic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ..., FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FEED AND DRINKING WATER OF ANIMALS Food Additive Listing § 573.480 Formic acid. The food additive, formic acid, may be safely used in accordance with the... assure safe use of the additive, in addition to the other information required by the Federal Food, Drug...

  20. 21 CFR 573.480 - Formic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ..., FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FEED AND DRINKING WATER OF ANIMALS Food Additive Listing § 573.480 Formic acid. The food additive, formic acid, may be safely used in accordance with the... assure safe use of the additive, in addition to the other information required by the Federal Food, Drug...

  1. 21 CFR 573.480 - Formic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ..., FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FEED AND DRINKING WATER OF ANIMALS Food Additive Listing § 573.480 Formic acid. The food additive, formic acid, may be safely used in accordance with the... assure safe use of the additive, in addition to the other information required by the Federal Food, Drug...

  2. The reaction of formic acid with RaneyTM copper

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Callear, Samantha K.; Silverwood, Ian P.; Chutia, Arunabhiram; Catlow, C. Richard A.; Parker, Stewart F.

    2016-04-01

    The interaction of formic acid with RaneyTM Cu proves to be complex. Rather than the expected generation of a monolayer of bidentate formate, we find the formation of a Cu(II) compound. This process occurs by direct reaction of copper and formic acid; in contrast, previous methods are by solution reaction. This is a rare example of formic acid acting as an oxidant rather than, as more commonly found, a reductant. The combination of diffraction, spectroscopic and computational methods has allowed this unexpected process to be characterized.

  3. Effects of solvent on the solution properties, structural characteristics and properties of silk sericin.

    PubMed

    Jo, Yoon Nam; Um, In Chul

    2015-07-01

    Sericin films have attracted much attention from researchers in biomedical and cosmetic fields because of its unique properties, including good cytocompatibility and its promotion of wound healing. However, poor mechanical properties of sericin films have restricted its application in these fields. In this study, a new solvent, formic acid, was used to fabricate sericin solutions and films. The effects of formic acid on the structural characteristics and mechanical properties of the sericin solutions and films were examined and compared with water. The sericin/formic acid solution showed fewer aggregated sericin molecules, resulting in a lower turbidity than that of the sericin/water solution. In addition, the gelation of the sericin solution was retarded in formic acid compared to that of water. Sericin films cast from the formic acid solution exhibited a much higher crystallinity index than that produced from water. The tensile strength and elongation of the sericin films cast from the formic acid solution were more than double that of the sericin films cast from water. It is expected that the more stable sericin solution and high-crystallinity sericin films, which have significantly improved mechanical properties, produced by using formic acid as the solvent could be utilized in biomedical and cosmetic applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Uracil in formic acid hydrolysates of deoxyribonucleic acid

    PubMed Central

    Schein, Arnold H.

    1966-01-01

    1. When DNA is hydrolysed with formic acid for 30min. at 175° and the hydrolysate is chromatographed on paper with propan-2-ol–2n-hydrochloric acid, in addition to expected ultraviolet-absorbing spots corresponding to guanine, adenine, cytosine and thymine, an ultraviolet-absorbing region with RF similar to that of uracil can be detected. Uracil was separated from this region and identified by its spectra in acid and alkali, and by its RF in several solvent systems. 2. Cytosine, deoxyribocytidine and deoxyribocytidylic acid similarly treated with formic acid all yielded uracil, as did a mixture of deoxyribonucleotides. 3. Approx. 4% of deoxyribonucleotide cytosine was converted into uracil by the formic acid treatment. ImagesFig. 1. PMID:5949371

  5. Carbon Dioxide to Methanol: The Aqueous Catalytic Way at Room Temperature.

    PubMed

    Sordakis, Katerina; Tsurusaki, Akihiro; Iguchi, Masayuki; Kawanami, Hajime; Himeda, Yuichiro; Laurenczy, Gábor

    2016-10-24

    Carbon dioxide may constitute a source of chemicals and fuels if efficient and renewable processes are developed that directly utilize it as feedstock. Two of its reduction products are formic acid and methanol, which have also been proposed as liquid organic chemical carriers in sustainable hydrogen storage. Here we report that both the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to formic acid and the disproportionation of formic acid into methanol can be realized at ambient temperature and in aqueous, acidic solution, with an iridium catalyst. The formic acid yield is maximized in water without additives, while acidification results in complete (98 %) and selective (96 %) formic acid disproportionation into methanol. These promising features in combination with the low reaction temperatures and the absence of organic solvents and additives are relevant for a sustainable hydrogen/methanol economy. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Direct synthesis of formic acid from carbon dioxide by hydrogenation in acidic media

    PubMed Central

    Moret, Séverine; Dyson, Paul J.; Laurenczy, Gábor

    2014-01-01

    The chemical transformation of carbon dioxide into useful products becomes increasingly important as CO2 levels in the atmosphere continue to rise as a consequence of human activities. In this article we describe the direct hydrogenation of CO2 into formic acid using a homogeneous ruthenium catalyst, in aqueous solution and in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), without any additives. In water, at 40 °C, 0.2 M formic acid can be obtained under 200 bar, however, in DMSO the same catalyst affords 1.9 M formic acid. In both solvents the catalysts can be reused multiple times without a decrease in activity. Worldwide demand for formic acid continues to grow, especially in the context of a renewable energy hydrogen carrier, and its production from CO2 without base, via the direct catalytic carbon dioxide hydrogenation, is considerably more sustainable than the existing routes. PMID:24886955

  7. Direct synthesis of formic acid from carbon dioxide by hydrogenation in acidic media.

    PubMed

    Moret, Séverine; Dyson, Paul J; Laurenczy, Gábor

    2014-06-02

    The chemical transformation of carbon dioxide into useful products becomes increasingly important as CO2 levels in the atmosphere continue to rise as a consequence of human activities. In this article we describe the direct hydrogenation of CO2 into formic acid using a homogeneous ruthenium catalyst, in aqueous solution and in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), without any additives. In water, at 40 °C, 0.2 M formic acid can be obtained under 200 bar, however, in DMSO the same catalyst affords 1.9 M formic acid. In both solvents the catalysts can be reused multiple times without a decrease in activity. Worldwide demand for formic acid continues to grow, especially in the context of a renewable energy hydrogen carrier, and its production from CO2 without base, via the direct catalytic carbon dioxide hydrogenation, is considerably more sustainable than the existing routes.

  8. Toxicity of formic acid to red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jian; Rashid, Tahir; Feng, Guolei

    2012-10-01

    Ants often compete with other ants for resources. Although formic acid is a common defensive chemical of formicine ants, it does not occur in any other subfamilies in Formicidae. No information on toxicity of formic acid to red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta, is available. This study examined its contact and fumigation toxicity to S. invicta in the laboratory. In a contact toxicity bioassay, 24 h LD50 values of formic acid for workers ranged from 124.54 to 197.71 µg ant(-1) . Female alates and queens were much less sensitive to formic acid than workers. At a concentration of 271.72 µg ant(-1) , which killed 81.09 ± 16.04% of workers, the 24 h mortality was up to 39.64% for female alates and 38.89% for queens. In fumigation bioassays, 24 h LC50 values ranged from 0.26 to 0.50 µg mL(-1) for workers, 0.32 µg mL(-1) for male alates and 0.70 µg mL(-1) for female alates. Complete mortality (100%) in queens occurred 24 h after they had been exposed to 1.57 µg mL(-1) of formic acid. At a concentration of 2.09 µg mL(-1) , KT50 values ranged from 23.03 to 43.85 min for workers, from 37.84 to 58.37 min for male alates, from 86.06 to 121.05 min for female alates and from 68.00 to 85.92 min for queens. When applied topically, formic acid was significantly less toxic than bifenthrin to red imported fire ants. Although its fumigation toxicity was lower than that of dichlorvos, formic acid had about an order of magnitude higher toxicity to S. invicta than to other insects studied so far. It may be worth investigating the use of formic acid for managing imported fire ants. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  9. Pd and polyaniline nanocomposite on carbon fiber paper as an efficient direct formic acid fuel cell anode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandey, Rakesh K.

    2018-03-01

    Direct formic acid fuel cells are advantageous as portable power generating devices. In the present work, an anode catalyst for direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) is presented which has good catalytic activity for formic acid oxidation. The catalyst is composed of Pd and conducting polymer polyaniline (Pd-PANI) nanocomposite. The catalyst was prepared by using a single step galvanostatic electrochemical deposition method. The Pd-PANI catalyst was electrodeposited at different time durations and a comparison of the catalytic activity at each deposition time was carried out and optimized.

  10. CaCO3 supplementation alleviates the inhibition of formic acid on acetone/butanol/ethanol fermentation by Clostridium acetobutylicum.

    PubMed

    Qi, Gaoxiang; Xiong, Lian; Lin, Xiaoqing; Huang, Chao; Li, Hailong; Chen, Xuefang; Chen, Xinde

    2017-01-01

    To investigate the inhibiting effect of formic acid on acetone/butanol/ethanol (ABE) fermentation and explain the mechanism of the alleviation in the inhibiting effect under CaCO 3 supplementation condition. From the medium containing 50 g sugars l -1 and 0.5 g formic acid l -1 , only 0.75 g ABE l -1 was produced when pH was adjusted by KOH and fermentation ended prematurely before the transformation from acidogenesis to solventogenesis. In contrast, 11.4 g ABE l -1 was produced when pH was adjusted by 4 g CaCO 3 l -1 . The beneficial effect can be ascribed to the buffering capacity of CaCO 3 . Comparative analysis results showed that the undissociated formic acid concentration and acid production coupled with ATP and NADH was affected by the pH buffering capacity of CaCO 3 . Four millimole undissociated formic acid was the threshold at which the transformation to solventogenesis occurred. The inhibiting effect of formic acid on ABE fermentation can be alleviated by CaCO 3 supplementation due to its buffering capacity.

  11. Unraveling the Role of Formic Acid and the Type of Solvent in the Catalytic Conversion of Lignin: A Holistic Approach.

    PubMed

    Oregui-Bengoechea, Mikel; Gandarias, Inaki; Arias, Pedro L; Barth, Tanja

    2017-02-22

    The role of formic acid together with the effect of the solvent type and their synergic interactions with a NiMo catalyst were studied for the conversion of lignin into bio-oil in an alcohol/formic acid media. The replacement of formic acid with H 2 or isopropanol decreased the oil yield to a considerable degree, increased the solid yield, and altered the nature of the bio-oil. The differences induced by the presence of H 2 were comparable to those observed in the isopropanol system, which suggests similar lignin conversion mechanisms for both systems. Additional semi-batch experiments confirmed that formic acid does not act merely as an in situ hydrogen source or hydrogen donor molecule. Actually, is seems to react with lignin through a formylation-elimination-hydrogenolysis mechanism that leads to the depolymerization of the biopolymer. This reaction competes with formic acid decomposition, which gives mainly H 2 and CO 2 , and forms a complex reaction system. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the distinctive role/mechanism of formic acid has been observed in the conversion of real lignin feedstock. In addition, the solvent, especially ethanol, seems also to play a vital role in the stabilization of the depolymerized monomers and in the elimination/deformylation step. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Conformation-dependent chemical reaction of formic acid with an oxygen atom.

    PubMed

    Khriachtchev, Leonid; Domanskaya, Alexandra; Marushkevich, Kseniya; Räsänen, Markku; Grigorenko, Bella; Ermilov, Alexander; Andrijchenko, Natalya; Nemukhin, Alexander

    2009-07-23

    Conformation dictates many physical and chemical properties of molecules. The importance of conformation in the selectivity and function of biologically active molecules is widely accepted. However, clear examples of conformation-dependent bimolecular chemical reactions are lacking. Here we consider a case of formic acid (HCOOH) that is a valuable model system containing the -COOH carboxyl functional group, similar to many biomolecules including the standard amino acids. We have found a strong case of conformation-dependent reaction between formic acid and atomic oxygen obtained in cryogenic matrices. The reaction surprisingly leads to peroxyformic acid only from the ground-state trans conformer of formic acid, and it results in the hydrogen-bonded complex for the higher-energy cis conformer.

  13. Kinetics of gas phase formic acid decomposition on platinum single crystal and polycrystalline surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Detwiler, Michael D.; Milligan, Cory A.; Zemlyanov, Dmitry Y.; Delgass, W. Nicholas; Ribeiro, Fabio H.

    2016-06-01

    Formic acid dehydrogenation turnover rates (TORs) were measured on Pt(111), Pt(100), and polycrystalline Pt foil surfaces at a total pressure of 800 Torr between 413 and 513 K in a batch reactor connected to an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) system. The TORs, apparent activation energies, and reaction orders are not sensitive to the structure of the Pt surface, within the precision of the measurements. CO introduced into the batch reactor depressed the formic acid dehydrogenation TOR and increased the reaction's apparent activation energies on Pt(111) and Pt(100), consistent with behavior predicted by the Temkin equation. Two reaction mechanisms were explored which explain the formic acid decomposition mechanism on Pt, both of which include dissociative adsorption of formic acid, rate limiting formate decomposition, and quasi-equilibrated hydrogen recombination and CO adsorption. No evidence was found that catalytic supports used in previous studies altered the reaction kinetics or mechanism.

  14. Low contaminant formic acid fuel for direct liquid fuel cell

    DOEpatents

    Masel, Richard I [Champaign, IL; Zhu, Yimin [Urbana, IL; Kahn, Zakia [Palatine, IL; Man, Malcolm [Vancouver, CA

    2009-11-17

    A low contaminant formic acid fuel is especially suited toward use in a direct organic liquid fuel cell. A fuel of the invention provides high power output that is maintained for a substantial time and the fuel is substantially non-flammable. Specific contaminants and contaminant levels have been identified as being deleterious to the performance of a formic acid fuel in a fuel cell, and embodiments of the invention provide low contaminant fuels that have improved performance compared to known commercial bulk grade and commercial purified grade formic acid fuels. Preferred embodiment fuels (and fuel cells containing such fuels) including low levels of a combination of key contaminants, including acetic acid, methyl formate, and methanol.

  15. Aqueous-phase source of formic acid in clouds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chameides, W. L.; Davis, D. D.

    1983-01-01

    The coupled gas- and aqueous-phase cloud chemistry of HCOOH were examined for controlling factors in the acidity of cloud and rainwater. Attention was given to the aqueous OH/HO2 system that yields an OH species that is highly reactive with other species, notably SO2 and the formaldehyde/formic acid complex. A numerical model was developed to simulate the cloud chemistry in the remote troposphere, with considerations given to CH4-CO-NO(x)-O3-H(x)O(y) system. It was determined that aqueous phase OH radicals can produce and destroy formic acid droplets in daylight conditions, as well as control formic acid levels in rainwater. It is sugested that the same types of reactions may be involved in the control of acetic acid and other organic acids.

  16. Ru(II) -mediated hydrogen transfer from aqueous glycerol to CO2: from waste to value-added products.

    PubMed

    Dibenedetto, Angela; Stufano, Paolo; Nocito, Francesco; Aresta, Michele

    2011-09-19

    Aqueous glycerol was used as the hydrogen source for the reduction of CO(2) to the hydrogen carrier formic acid in the presence of the catalyst [RuCl(2)(PPh(3))(3)]. All intermediates were identified and characterized. Glycerol was converted into glycolic acid, HO-CH(2)-COOH, that was identified by using (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Evaluation of the effect of formic acid and sodium formate on hair reduction in rat

    PubMed Central

    Banihashemi, Mahnaz; Rad, Abolfazl Khajavi; Yazdi, Seyed Abbas Tabatabaee; Rakhshande, Hasan; Ghoyonlo, Vahid Mashayekhi; Zabihi, Zahra; Yousefzadeh, Hadis

    2011-01-01

    Hirsutism is a common problem in dermatology that imposes high socioeconomical costs on medical care. Consequently, researchers are actively searching for cheaper and safer methods for therapeutic treatment. The objective of the present study is to evaluate formic oil, enriched from formic acid, for the removal of unwanted hair. In this study, 32 female rats (150–200 g) were randomly divided into four groups and maintained with normal water and food availability. A patch of skin was shaved on each rat for application of test solutions. The control group was treated with local once-daily applications of normal saline. The formic acid, acetic acid, and sodium formate groups were treated with once-daily applications of formic acid (pH 5.5), acetic acid (pH 5.5), or sodium formate, respectively. After 2 weeks, horizontally cut sample biopsies were removed, and the numbers of hair follicles were counted under high field microscopy by a specialist blinded to the treatments. Kolmogorov–Smirnov test results indicated a nonparametric distribution for the rat groups. ANOVA analysis indicated no statistically significant differences between groups (P < 0.05). There weren’t any side effects or evidence for toxicity during the study period. However, hair follicle counts showed a descending order of control, acetic acid, formic acid, and sodium formate. Although the sodium formate group had the lowest hair follicle numbers, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Formic acid was not effective in reducing hair follicle numbers in rats. PMID:21760741

  18. Determination of formic acid tissue and fluid concentrations in three fatalities due to methanol poisoning.

    PubMed

    Hantson, P; Haufroid, V; Mahieu, P

    2000-12-01

    Three fatalities caused by methanol ingestion are reported. Admission blood methanol concentrations ranged from 0.28 to 4.6 g/L. Two patients had been admitted after a significant delay (>20 hours), and one patient was observed within 90 minutes following ingestion. Formic acid levels were determined in blood samples at admission and ranged from 302 to 680 mg/L. The patients died 44, 55, and 82 hours after poisoning. Formic acid determinations in postmortem tissues were performed by a gas chromatograph method. The authors found great variability in formic acid distribution among the patients and among organs.

  19. Pd/C Synthesized with Citric Acid: An Efficient Catalyst for Hydrogen Generation from Formic Acid/Sodium Formate

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Zhi-Li; Yan, Jun-Min; Wang, Hong-Li; Ping, Yun; Jiang, Qing

    2012-01-01

    A highly efficient hydrogen generation from formic acid/sodium formate aqueous solution catalyzed by in situ synthesized Pd/C with citric acid has been successfully achieved at room temperature. Interestingly, the presence of citric acid during the formation and growth of the Pd nanoparticles on carbon can drastically enhance the catalytic property of the resulted Pd/C, on which the conversion and turnover frequency for decomposition of formic acid/sodium formate system can reach the highest values ever reported of 85% within 160 min and 64 mol H2 mol−1 catalyst h−1, respectively, at room temperature. The present simple, low cost, but highly efficient CO-free hydrogen generation system at room temperature is believed to greatly promote the practical application of formic acid system on fuel cells. PMID:22953041

  20. Optimal design and experimental validation of a simulated moving bed chromatography for continuous recovery of formic acid in a model mixture of three organic acids from Actinobacillus bacteria fermentation.

    PubMed

    Park, Chanhun; Nam, Hee-Geun; Lee, Ki Bong; Mun, Sungyong

    2014-10-24

    The economically-efficient separation of formic acid from acetic acid and succinic acid has been a key issue in the production of formic acid with the Actinobacillus bacteria fermentation. To address this issue, an optimal three-zone simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography for continuous separation of formic acid from acetic acid and succinic acid was developed in this study. As a first step for this task, the adsorption isotherm and mass-transfer parameters of each organic acid on the qualified adsorbent (Amberchrom-CG300C) were determined through a series of multiple frontal experiments. The determined parameters were then used in optimizing the SMB process for the considered separation. During such optimization, the additional investigation for selecting a proper SMB port configuration, which could be more advantageous for attaining better process performances, was carried out between two possible configurations. It was found that if the properly selected port configuration was adopted in the SMB of interest, the throughout and the formic-acid product concentration could be increased by 82% and 181% respectively. Finally, the optimized SMB process based on the properly selected port configuration was tested experimentally using a self-assembled SMB unit with three zones. The SMB experimental results and the relevant computer simulation verified that the developed process in this study was successful in continuous recovery of formic acid from a ternary organic-acid mixture of interest with high throughput, high purity, high yield, and high product concentration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Interconversion of CO2 and formic acid by bio-inspired Ir complexes with pendent bases.

    PubMed

    Fujita, Etsuko; Muckerman, James T; Himeda, Yuichiro

    2013-01-01

    Recent investigations of the interconversion of CO2 and formic acid using Ru, Ir and Fe complexes are summarized in this review. During the past several years, both the reaction rates and catalyst stabilities have been significantly improved. Remarkably, the interconversion (i.e., reversibility) has also been achieved under mild conditions in environmentally benign water solvent by slightly changing the pH of the aqueous solution. Only a few catalysts seem to reflect a bio-inspired design such as the use of proton responsive ligands, ligands with pendent bases or acids for a second-coordination-sphere interaction, electroresponsive ligands, and/or ligands having a hydrogen bonding function with a solvent molecule or an added reagent. The most successful of these is an iridium dinuclear complex catalyst that at least has the first three of these characteristics associated with its bridging ligand. By utilizing an acid/base equilibrium for proton removal, the ligand becomes a strong electron donor, resulting in Ir(I) character with a vacant coordination site at each metal center in slightly basic solution. Complemented by DFT calculations, kinetic studies of the rates of formate production using a related family of Ir complexes with and without such functions on the ligand reveal that the rate-determining step for the CO2 hydrogenation is likely to be H2 addition through heterolytic cleavage involving a "proton relay" through the pendent base. The dehydrogenation of formic acid, owing to the proton responsive ligands changing character under slightly acidic pH conditions, is likely to occur by a mechanism with a different rate-determining step. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Metals in Bioenergetics and Biomimetics Systems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Rotational Investigation of the Adducts of Formic Acid with Alcohols, Ethers and Esters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evangelisti, Luca; Spada, Lorenzo; Li, Weixing; Caminati, Walther

    2016-06-01

    Mixtures of formic acid with methyl alcohol, with isopropyl alcohol, with tert-butyl alcohol, with dimethylether and with isopropylformiate have been supersonically expanded as pulsed jets. The obtained cool plumes have been analyzed by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. It has been possible to assign the rotational spectra of the 1:1 adducts of formic acid with tert-butyl alcohol, with dimethyl ether and with isopropylformiate. The conformational shapes and geometries of these adducts, as well as the topologies of their itermolecular hydrogen bonds will be presented. An explanation is given of the failure of the assignments of the rotational spectra of the adducts of formic acid with methyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol.

  3. Copper-catalyzed formic acid synthesis from CO2 with hydrosilanes and H2O.

    PubMed

    Motokura, Ken; Kashiwame, Daiki; Miyaji, Akimitsu; Baba, Toshihide

    2012-05-18

    A copper-catalyzed formic acid synthesis from CO2 with hydrosilanes has been accomplished. The Cu(OAc)2·H2O-1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene system is highly effective for the formic acid synthesis under 1 atm of CO2. The TON value approached 8100 in 6 h. The reaction pathway was revealed by in situ NMR analysis and isotopic experiments.

  4. [Discovery of the target genes inhibited by formic acid in Candida shehatae].

    PubMed

    Cai, Peng; Xiong, Xujie; Xu, Yong; Yong, Qiang; Zhu, Junjun; Shiyuan, Yu

    2014-01-04

    At transcriptional level, the inhibitory effects of formic acid was investigated on Candida shehatae, a model yeast strain capable of fermenting xylose to ethanol. Thereby, the target genes were regulated by formic acid and the transcript profiles were discovered. On the basis of the transcriptome data of C. shehatae metabolizing glucose and xylose, the genes responsible for ethanol fermentation were chosen as candidates by the combined method of yeast metabolic pathway analysis and manual gene BLAST search. These candidates were then quantitatively detected by RQ-PCR technique to find the regulating genes under gradient doses of formic acid. By quantitative analysis of 42 candidate genes, we finally identified 10 and 5 genes as markedly down-regulated and up-regulated targets by formic acid, respectively. With regard to gene transcripts regulated by formic acid in C. shehatae, the markedly down-regulated genes ranking declines as follows: xylitol dehydrogenase (XYL2), acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS), ribose-5-phosphate isomerase (RKI), transaldolase (TAL), phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (GND1), transketolase (TKL), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (ZWF1), xylose reductase (XYL1), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC); and a declining rank for up-regulated gens as follows: fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (ALD), glucokinase (GLK), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), 6-phosphofructokinase (PFK) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH).

  5. Atmospheric measurements of pyruvic and formic acid

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Andreae, Meinrat O.; Li, Shao-Meng; Talbot, Robert W.

    1987-01-01

    Pyruvic acid, a product of the atmospheric oxidation of cresols and probably of isoprene, has been determined together with formic acid in atmospheric aerosols and rain as well as in the vapor phase. Both acids are present predominantly as vapor; only about 10-20 percent of the total atmospheric pyruvate and 1-2 percent of the total formate are in the particulate phase. The concentrations of pyruvic and formic acid are highly correlated, with typical formic-to-pyruvic ratios of 10-30 in the gas phase, 20-30 in rain, and 2-10 in aerosols. The gas-phase and rain ratios are comparable to those predicted to result from isoprene oxidation. Pyruvic acid levels were similar in the eastern United States (during summer) and the Amazon Basin, suggesting that natural processes, particularly the photochemical oxidation of isoprene, could account for most of the pyruvic acid present in the atmosphere.

  6. Theoretical study on the mechanism of aqueous synthesis of formic acid catalyzed by [Ru3+]-EDTA complex.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zhe-Ning; Chan, Kwong-Yu; Pulleri, Jayasree K; Kong, Jing; Hu, Hao

    2015-02-16

    Because formic acid can be effectively decomposed by catalysis into very pure hydrogen gas, the synthesis of formic acid, especially using CO and H2O as an intermediate of the water gas shift reaction (WGSR), bears important application significance in industrial hydrogen gas production. Here we report a theoretical study on the mechanism of efficient preparation of formic acid using CO and H2O catalyzed by a water-soluble [Ru(3+)]-EDTA complex. To determine the feasibility of using the [Ru(3+)]-EDTA catalyst to produce CO-free hydrogen gas in WGSR, two probable reaction paths have been examined: one synthesizes formic acid, while the other converts the reactants directly into CO2 and H2, the final products of WGSR. Our calculation results provide a detailed mechanistic rationalization for the experimentally observed selective synthesis of HCOOH by the [Ru(3+)]-EDTA catalyst. The results support the applicability of using the [Ru(3+)]-EDTA catalyst to efficiently synthesize formic acid for hydrogen production. Careful analyses of the electronic structure and interactions of different reaction complexes suggest that the selectivity of the reaction processes is achieved through the proper charge/valence state of the metal center of the [Ru(3+)]-EDTA complex. With the catalytic roles of the ruthenium center and the EDTA ligand being carefully understood, the detailed mechanistic information obtained in this study will help to design more efficient catalysts for the preparation of formic acid and further to produce CO-free H2 at ambient temperature.

  7. Simple and rapid hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol with aqueous formic acid in catalytic flow reactors

    PubMed Central

    Kawasaki, Shin-ichiro; Suzuki, Akira

    2013-01-01

    Summary The inner surface of a metallic tube (i.d. 0.5 mm) was coated with a palladium (Pd)-based thin metallic layer by flow electroless plating. Simultaneous plating of Pd and silver (Ag) from their electroless-plating solution produced a mixed distributed bimetallic layer. Preferential acid leaching of Ag from the Pd–Ag layer produced a porous Pd surface. Hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol was examined in the presence of formic acid simply by passing the reaction solution through the catalytic tubular reactors. p-Aminophenol was the sole product of hydrogenation. No side reaction occurred. Reaction conversion with respect to p-nitrophenol was dependent on the catalyst layer type, the temperature, pH, amount of formic acid, and the residence time. A porous and oxidized Pd (PdO) surface gave the best reaction conversion among the catalytic reactors examined. p-Nitrophenol was converted quantitatively to p-aminophenol within 15 s of residence time in the porous PdO reactor at 40 °C. Evolution of carbon dioxide (CO2) was observed during the reaction, although hydrogen (H2) was not found in the gas phase. Dehydrogenation of formic acid did not occur to any practical degree in the absence of p-nitrophenol. Consequently, the nitro group was reduced via hydrogen transfer from formic acid to p-nitrophenol and not by hydrogen generated by dehydrogenation of formic acid. PMID:23843908

  8. Measurement of formic acid, acetic acid and hydroxyacetaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and methyl peroxide in air by chemical ionization mass spectrometry: airborne method development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Treadaway, Victoria; Heikes, Brian G.; McNeill, Ashley S.; Silwal, Indira K. C.; O'Sullivan, Daniel W.

    2018-04-01

    A chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) method utilizing a reagent gas mixture of O2, CO2, and CH3I in N2 is described and optimized for quantitative gas-phase measurements of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), methyl peroxide (CH3OOH), formic acid (HCOOH), and the sum of acetic acid (CH3COOH) and hydroxyacetaldehyde (HOCH2CHO; also known as glycolaldehyde). The instrumentation and methodology were designed for airborne in situ field measurements. The CIMS quantification of formic acid, acetic acid, and hydroxyacetaldehyde used I- cluster formation to produce and detect the ion clusters I-(HCOOH), I-(CH3COOH), and I-(HOCH2CHO), respectively. The CIMS also produced and detected I- clusters with hydrogen peroxide and methyl peroxide, I-(H2O2) and I-(CH3OOH), though the sensitivity was lower than with the O2- (CO2) and O2- ion clusters, respectively. For that reason, while the I- peroxide clusters are presented, the focus is on the organic acids. Acetic acid and hydroxyacetaldehyde were found to yield equivalent CIMS responses. They are exact isobaric compounds and indistinguishable in the CIMS used. Consequently, their combined signal is referred to as the acetic acid equivalent sum. Within the resolution of the quadrupole used in the CIMS (1 m/z), ethanol and 1- and 2-propanol were potential isobaric interferences to the measurement of formic acid and the acetic acid equivalent sum, respectively. The CIMS response to ethanol was 3.3 % that of formic acid and the response to either 1- or 2-propanol was 1 % of the acetic acid response; therefore, the alcohols were not considered to be significant interferences to formic acid or the acetic acid equivalent sum. The multi-reagent ion system was successfully deployed during the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Éxperiment (FRAPPÉ) in 2014. The combination of FRAPPÉ and laboratory calibrations allowed for the post-mission quantification of formic acid and the acetic acid equivalent sum observed during the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry Experiment in 2012.

  9. Base-free production of H2 by dehydrogenation of formic acid using an iridium-bisMETAMORPhos complex.

    PubMed

    Oldenhof, Sander; de Bruin, Bas; Lutz, Martin; Siegler, Maxime A; Patureau, Frederic W; van der Vlugt, Jarl Ivar; Reek, Joost N H

    2013-08-26

    Erase the base: An iridium complex based on a cooperative ligand that functions as an internal base is reported. This complex can rapidly and cleanly dehydrogenate formic acid in absence of external base, a reaction that is required if formic acid is to be exploited as an energy carrier (see scheme). Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Towards a practical setup for hydrogen production from formic acid.

    PubMed

    Sponholz, Peter; Mellmann, Dörthe; Junge, Henrik; Beller, Matthias

    2013-07-01

    Formic acid cracker: A mini plant that allows for continuous formic acid decomposition to hydrogen and carbon dioxide under ambient conditions is presented. By using an in situ-formed ruthenium catalyst, unprecedented turnover numbers over 1,000,000 are achieved. The active catalyst is formed in situ from commercially available [RuCl2 (benzene)]2 and 1,2-bisdiphenylphosphinoethane. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Detection of high concentrations of organic acids in fish emulsion and their role in pathogen or disease suppression.

    PubMed

    Abbasi, Pervaiz A; Lazarovits, George; Jabaji-Hare, Suha

    2009-03-01

    Fish emulsion (FE) added to a sandy-loam soil at 1 and 2% rates reduced the viability of Verticillium dahliae microsclerotia by 39 and 74% in 1 day, 87 and 98% in 3 days, and 95 and 99% in 6 days, respectively. The immediate kill of microsclerotia indicated that FE contains toxic substances. We found in FE high concentrations (400 mmol/liter) of organic acids, including some known toxicants. Glycolic, acetic, formic, n-butyric, and propionic acids were the major organic acids detected in FE at the proportions of 52.5, 26.9, 7.9, 7.2, and 4.7%, respectively. In solution assays, the viability of V. dahliae microsclerotia treated for 24 h in 1, 2, 5, and 10% FE (pH 3.6 to 3.0) or a mixture of organic acids (pH 4.1 to 3.9) equivalent to the proportions in FE was reduced by 74, 94, 97, and 99% or 81, 91, 98, and 99%, respectively. The viability of microsclerotia was increased when the treatment solutions were buffered to pH 6.0. The organic acids mixtures and formic (0.025%) and acetic (0.1%) acids were toxic to Pythium ultimum. A mixture of organic acids (1, 2, and 4%) provided immediate protection of cucumber seedlings from damping-off in P. ultimum-infested muck and sandy-loam soils but not in peat-based mix. FE (1 and 2%) provided immediate protection of cucumber seedlings from damping-off in an infested muck soil, and disease protection was consistent when planting was delayed for 7, 14, and 28 days after adding FE. FE (1, 2, and 4%) did not provide immediate protection of cucumber seedlings from damping-off in a P. ultimum-infested peat-based mix; however, disease suppression was evident when planting was delayed for 7, 14, and 21 days after adding FE. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses of the peat-based mix indicated that the P. ultimum populations in the FE-amended mix declined over time. This study suggests that these organic acids in FE played a major role in pathogen or disease suppression, depending on the soil and substrate.

  12. Method for the routine quantitative gas chromatographic analysis of major free fatty acids in butter and cream.

    PubMed

    Woo, A H; Lindsay, R C

    1980-07-01

    A rapid quantiative method was developed for routine analysis of the major, even carbon-numbered free fatty acids in butter and cream. Free fatty acids were isolated directly from intact samples by a modified silicic acid-potassium hydroxide arrestant column and were separated by gas chromatography with a 1.8 m x 2 mm inner diameter glass column packed with 10% neopentyl glycol adipate on 80/100 Chromosorb W. Purified, formic acid-saturated carrier gas was required for minimal peak tailing and extended column life. The accuracy and reproducibility of the mmethod was established through quantitative recovery studies of free fatty acid mixtures, free fatty acids added to butter, and replicate analysis of butter and cream samples.

  13. Sterilization of Bacillus pumilus spores using supercritical fluid carbon dioxide containing various modifier solutions.

    PubMed

    Shieh, Edison; Paszczynski, Andrzej; Wai, Chien M; Lang, Qingyong; Crawford, Ronald L

    2009-03-01

    Supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (SF-CO(2)) with small amounts of chemical modifier(s) provides a very effective sterilization technique that should be useful for destroying microorganism on heat-sensitive devices such as instruments flown on planetary-bound spacecraft. Under a moderate temperature (50 degrees C) and pressure (100 atm), spores of Bacillus pumilus strains ATCC 7061 and SAFR 032 can be effectively inactivated/eliminated from metal surfaces and small electronic devices in only 45 min using optimized modifier concentrations. Modifiers explored in this study included hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), tert-butyl hydroperoxide, formic acid, and Triton X-100. During sterilization procedure the modifiers were continuously added to SF-CO(2) in either methanol or water at controlled concentrations. The lowest effective concentrations were established for each modifier. Complete elimination of both types of B. pumilus endospores occurred with an optimal modifier addition of either or 10% methanol containing 12% H(2)O(2) or 12% tert-butyl hydroperoxide in SF-CO(2), or a mixture of 6% H(2)O(2) and 6% tert-butyl hydroperoxide. Using water as the carrier of SF-CO(2) modifier, the complete elimination of spores viability of both B. pumilus strains occurred with an addition of either 3.3% water containing 3% H(2)O(2), or 3.3% water containing 10% methanol and 0.5% formic acid, or 3.3% water containing 10% methanol, 1% formic acid and 2% H(2)O(2).

  14. Reactivity of formic acid (HCOOD and DCOOH) at uranium and UO 2.0 surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manner, William L.; Lloyd, Jane A.; Paffett, Mark T.

    1999-10-01

    Interactions of DCOOH and HCOOD with uranium and UO 2.0 surfaces have been examined using surface-specific techniques of thermal desorption mass spectroscopy (TDMS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and static secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SSIMS). On the clean uranium surface, formate is the predominant product following formic acid adsorption at 100 K. A wide range of products is observed after annealing to 200 K, including formate, hydroxyl, O ads, and H ads (D ads) groups. Adsorbed formate decomposes by 300 K increasing the concentration of the remaining surface products. Surface-adsorbed carbon following TDMS measurements remains as the carbide, as indicated from XPS and SSIMS measurements. The only gaseous species created in high yields from the clean surface upon annealing are H 2, HD, and D 2. On the oxide surface (UO 2.0), adsorbed formate groups are more stable toward dissociation in comparison with the clean uranium surface. Between 100 and 300 K the predominant species on the UO 2.0 surface are surface formate and hydroxyl groups. Hydroxyl groups react between 300 and 350 K to release water from the surface. Adsorbed formate groups decompose between 400 and 500 K to release CO and H 2CO (D 2CO) groups from the oxide surface. Carbon was not detected on the oxide surface by XPS or SSIMS after annealing to 500 K, indicating that all carbon-containing species either desorb in the form of CO-containing products or migrate into the surface.

  15. Formic acid interaction with the uranyl(VI) ion: structural and photochemical characterization.

    PubMed

    Lucks, Christian; Rossberg, André; Tsushima, Satoru; Foerstendorf, Harald; Fahmy, Karim; Bernhard, Gert

    2013-10-07

    Complex formation between the uranyl(VI) ion and formic acid was studied by infrared absorption (IR) and X-ray absorption (EXAFS) spectroscopy as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In contrast to the acetate ion which forms exclusively a bidentate complex with uranyl(VI), the formate ion binds to uranyl(VI) in a unidentate fashion. The photochemistry of the uranyl(VI)-formic acid system was explored by DFT calculations and photoreduction of uranyl(VI) in the presence of formic acid was found to occur via an intermolecular process, that is, hydrogen abstraction from hydrogenformate by the photo-excited uranyl(VI). There is no photo-induced decarboxylation of uranyl(VI) formate via an intramolecular process, presumably due to lack of a C=C double bond.

  16. Survival and reproduction of some nematodes as affected by muck and organic acids.

    PubMed

    Elmiligy, I A; Norton, D C

    1973-01-01

    Fulvic, humic, acetic, N-bulyric, formic, lactic, and propionic acids were inhibitory to the survival or reproduction of Aphelenchus avenae, Aphelenchoides goodeyi, Helicotylenchus pseudorobustus, Meloidogyne hapla or Xiphinema americanum. Reproduction of H. pseudorobustus and M. hapla significantly increased with increasing amounts of muck added to sand, and with the initial amount of nematode inoculum. All acids except humic and fulvic were lethal, in vitro, to all nematode species tested. When A. goodeyi was treated with fulvic acid, reproduction was reduced significantly when compared with sodium humate or water treatments. Treatment of H. pseudorobustus with fulvic acid (pH 3.5) resulted in a greater reduction in reproduction in soil than did treatment with humic acid (pH 3.5).

  17. Formic acid fuel cells and catalysts

    DOEpatents

    Masel, Richard I.; Larsen, Robert; Ha, Su Yun

    2010-06-22

    An exemplary fuel cell of the invention includes a formic acid fuel solution in communication with an anode (12, 134), an oxidizer in communication with a cathode (16, 135) electrically linked to the anode, and an anode catalyst that includes Pd. An exemplary formic acid fuel cell membrane electrode assembly (130) includes a proton-conducting membrane (131) having opposing first (132) and second surfaces (133), a cathode catalyst on the second membrane surface, and an anode catalyst including Pd on the first surface.

  18. Selective Hydrogen Generation from Formic Acid with Well-Defined Complexes of Ruthenium and Phosphorus-Nitrogen PN(3) -Pincer Ligand.

    PubMed

    Pan, Yupeng; Pan, Cheng-Ling; Zhang, Yufan; Li, Huaifeng; Min, Shixiong; Guo, Xunmun; Zheng, Bin; Chen, Hailong; Anders, Addison; Lai, Zhiping; Zheng, Junrong; Huang, Kuo-Wei

    2016-05-06

    An unsymmetrically protonated PN(3) -pincer complex in which ruthenium is coordinated by one nitrogen and two phosphorus atoms was employed for the selective generation of hydrogen from formic acid. Mechanistic studies suggest that the imine arm participates in the formic acid activation/deprotonation step. A long life time of 150 h with a turnover number over 1 million was achieved. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Catalytic Reduction of Hexavalent Uranium by Formic Acid; RIDUZIONE CATALITICA DELL'URANIO ESAVALENTE MEDIANTE ACIDO FORMICO

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cogliati, G.; Lanz, R.; Lepscky, C.

    1963-10-01

    S>The catalytic reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) by means of formic acid has been studied, considering particularly the uranyl nltrate solutions, This process will be applied in the urania--thoria mixed fuel reprocessing plant, (PCUT). Various catalysts have been tested and the influence of formic acid concentration, temperature and catalyst concentration on the reaction rate have been determined. A possible reduction mechanism coherent with Ihe experimental data is discussed. (auth)

  20. Nonequimolar Mixture of Organic Acids and Bases: An Exception to the Rule of Thumb for Salt or Cocrystal.

    PubMed

    Pratik, Saied Md; Datta, Ayan

    2016-08-04

    Formation of salt and/or cocrystal from organic acid-base mixtures has significant consequences in the pharmaceutical industry and its related intellectual property rights (IPR). On the basis of calculations using periodic dispersion corrected DFT (DFT-D2) on formic acid-pyridine adduct, we have demonstrated that an equimolar stoichiometric ratio (1:1) exists as a neutral cocrystal. On the other hand, the nonequimolar stoichiometry (4:1) readily forms an ionic salt. While the former result is in agreement with the ΔpKa rule between the base and the acid, the latter is not. Calculations reveal that, within the equimolar manifold (n:n; n = 1-4), the mixture exists as a hydrogen bonded complex in a cocrystal-like environment. However, the nonequimolar mixture in a ratio of 5:1 and above readily forms salt-like structures. Because of the cooperative nature of hydrogen bonding, the strength of the O-H···N hydrogen bond increases and eventually transforms into O(-)···H-N(+) (complete proton transfer) as the ratio of formic acid increases and forms salt as experimentally observed. Clearly, an enhanced polarization of formic acid on aggregation increases its acidity and, hence, facilitates its transfer to pyridine. Motion of the proton from formic acid to pyridine is shown to follow a relay mechanism wherein the proton that is far away from pyridine is ionized and is subsequently transferred to pyridine via hopping across the neutral formic acid molecules (Grotthuss type pathway). The dynamic nature of protons in the condensed phase is also evident for cocrystals as the barrier of intramolecular proton migration in formic acid (leading to tautomerism), ΔH(⧧)tautomer = 17.1 kcal/mol in the presence of pyridine is half of that in free formic acid (cf. ΔH(⧧)tautomer = 34.2 kcal/mol). We show that an acid-base reaction can be altered in the solid state to selectively form a cocrystal or salt depending on the strength and nature of aggregation.

  1. Trichloroethylene-induced formic aciduria in the male C57 Bl/6 mouse.

    PubMed

    Lock, Edward A; Keane, Paul; Rowe, Philip H; Foster, John R; Antoine, Daniel; Morris, Christopher M

    2017-03-01

    1, 1, 2-Trichloroethylene (TCE) is of environmental concern, due to evaporation while handling, chemical processing and leakage from chemical waste sites, leading to its contamination of ground water and air. For several decades there has been issues about possible long term health effects of TCE but recently the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the US Environmental Protection Agency classified TCE as a human carcinogen. Links having been established between occupational exposures and kidney cancer and possible links to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and liver cancer, but there is more still more to learn. In male rats, TCE produces a small increase in the incidence of renal tubule tumours but not in female rats or mice of either sex. However, chronic renal injury was seen in these bioassays in both sexes of rats and mice. The mechanism of kidney injury from TCE is thought to be due to reductive metabolism forming a cysteine conjugate that is converted to a reactive metabolite via the enzyme cysteine conjugate β-lyase. However, TCE also produces a marked and sustained formic aciduria in male rats and it has been suggested that long term exposure to formic acid could lead to renal tubule injury and regeneration. In this study we have determined if TCE produces formic aciduria in male mice following a single and repeat dosing. Male C 57 Bl/6OlaHsd mice were dosed with 1000mg/kg by ip injection and urine collected overnight 24, 48, 72 and 96h after dosing. Formic acid was present in urine 24h after dosing, peaked around 48h at 8mg formic acid excreted/mouse, and remained constant over the next 24h and was not back to normal 96h after dosing. This was associated with a marked acidification of the urine. Plasma creatinine and renal pathology was normal. Plasma kinetics of formic acid showed it was readily cleared with an initial half-life of 2.42h followed by a slower rate with a half-life of 239h. Male mice were then dosed twice/week at 1000mg/kg TCE for 56days, as anticipated there was a marked and sustained formic aciduria over the duration of the study. This was associated with acidification of the urine, mild diuresis and a marked fall in urinary ammonia. Six biomarkers of renal injury KIM-1, NGAL, NAG, Cystatin-c, Albumin and IL-18 were measured in urine over time and they all showed a small increase at the later time points indicative of early markers of renal injury. However, there was no histological evidence of renal damage or renal tubule cell proliferation after 8 weeks' exposure to TCE. The concentration of formic acid in plasma at the end of the study was 1.05±0.61mM compared to control, 0.39±0.17mM. In the liver, formic acid was present at a concentration of 1mM in both control and treated mice while in the kidney it was higher at 2mM in both treated and controls. We also report that trichloroacetic acid (TCA) a metabolite of TCE also causes formic aciduria, at doses likely to arise in vivo after 1000mg/kg TCE namely 16 and 32mg/kg. Urinary formic acid peaked 24h after dosing at 4mg formic acid excreted/mouse. Thus, as in male and female rats (Yaqoob et al., 2013) male mice show a marked formic aciduria following TCE which after 8 weeks' exposure did not produce renal injury, but the small rise in renal biomarkers suggest renal damage may occur following longer exposure. Thus, TCE-induced formic aciduria may be a contributor factor in the chronic renal injury seen in male and female rats and mice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Topical formic acid puncture technique for the treatment of common warts.

    PubMed

    Bhat, R M; Vidya, K; Kamath, G

    2001-06-01

    Warts are a common chronic skin disorder that can be cosmetically disfiguring and, depending on the location, cause inhibition of function. The presence of dozens of topical and systemic treatments for warts is a testament to the lack of a rapid, simple, uniformly effective, inexpensive, nonscarring, and painless treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of 85% formic acid application, an inexpensive therapy, for the treatment of warts. A placebo-controlled, nonrandomized, open trial was performed in 100 patients with common warts attending Father Muller's Medical College Hospital, Mangalore. Fifty patients received 85% formic acid application and 50 patients received placebo (water) using a topical application/needle puncture technique every other day. Ninety-two per cent of patients who received formic acid application showed complete disappearance of warts after a 3-4-week treatment period, compared to 6% in the placebo group. The results show that 85% formic acid application is a safe, economical, and effective alternative in the treatment of common warts with few side-effects and good compliance. A multicenter trial is needed to examine the efficacy and safety of this treatment.

  3. Bimetallic catalysts for CO.sub.2 hydrogenation and H.sub.2 generation from formic acid and/or salts thereof

    DOEpatents

    Hull, Jonathan F.; Himeda, Yuichiro; Fujita, Etsuko; Muckeman, James T.

    2015-08-04

    The invention relates to a ligand that may be used to create a catalyst including a coordination complex is formed by the addition of two metals; Cp, Cp* or an unsubstituted or substituted .pi.-arene; and two coordinating solvent species or solvent molecules. The bimetallic catalyst may be used in the hydrogenation of CO.sub.2 to form formic acid and/or salts thereof, and in the dehydrogenation of formic acid and/or salts thereof to form H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2.

  4. Modeling the partitioning of organic chemical species in cloud phases with CLEPS (1.1)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rose, Clémence; Chaumerliac, Nadine; Deguillaume, Laurent; Perroux, Hélène; Mouchel-Vallon, Camille; Leriche, Maud; Patryl, Luc; Armand, Patrick

    2018-02-01

    The new detailed aqueous-phase mechanism Cloud Explicit Physico-chemical Scheme (CLEPS 1.0), which describes the oxidation of isoprene-derived water-soluble organic compounds, is coupled with a warm microphysical module simulating the activation of aerosol particles into cloud droplets. CLEPS 1.0 was then extended to CLEPS 1.1 to include the chemistry of the newly added dicarboxylic acids dissolved from the particulate phase. The resulting coupled model allows the prediction of the aqueous-phase concentrations of chemical compounds originating from particle scavenging, mass transfer from the gas-phase and in-cloud aqueous chemical reactivity. The aim of the present study was more particularly to investigate the effect of particle scavenging on cloud chemistry. Several simulations were performed to assess the influence of various parameters on model predictions and to interpret long-term measurements conducted at the top of Puy de Dôme (PUY, France) in marine air masses. Specific attention was paid to carboxylic acids, whose predicted concentrations are on average in the lower range of the observations, with the exception of formic acid, which is rather overestimated in the model. The different sensitivity runs highlight the fact that formic and acetic acids mainly originate from the gas phase and have highly variable aqueous-phase reactivity depending on the cloud acidity, whereas C3-C4 carboxylic acids mainly originate from the particulate phase and are supersaturated in the cloud.

  5. Growth and survival kinetics of Yersinia enterocolitica IP 383 0:9 as affected by equimolar concentrations of undissociated short-chain organic acids.

    PubMed

    el-Ziney, M G; De Meyer, H; Debevere, J M

    1997-03-03

    The influence of different organic acids (lactic, acetic, formic and propionic acids) at equimolar concentrations of undissociated acid with pH range of 3.9, 5.8, on the aerobic and anaerobic growth and survival kinetics of the virulent strain of Y. enterocolitica IP 383 0:9, was determined in tryptone soy broth at 4 degrees C. Growth and survival data were analyzed and fitted by a modification of the Whiting and Cygnarowicz-Provost model, using the Minpack software library. Initial generation times, initial specific growth rates, lag time and dead rate were subsequently calculated from the model parameters. The results demonstrate that the inhibitory effects of the acids were divided into two categories dependent upon pH. At high pH (5.8) the order of inhibition was formic acid > acetic acid > propionic acid > lactic acid, whereas at lower pH it became formic acid > lactic acid > acetic acid > propionic acid. The inhibitory effect of lactic acid is enhanced under anaerobic condition. Nevertheless, when the organism was cultured anaerobically, it was shown to be more tolerant to formic and acetic acids. Moreover, these variables (type of organic acid, pH and atmosphere) did not lead to the loss of the virulence plasmid in growing and surviving cells. The mechanism of inhibitory effect for each of the acids are also discussed.

  6. Formic acid

    Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)

    Formic acid ; CASRN 64 - 18 - 6 Human health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in the IRIS database only after a comprehensive review of toxicity data , as outlined in the IRIS assessment development process . Sections I ( Health Hazard Assessments for Noncarcinogenic Effect

  7. Effects of Formic or Acetic Acid on the Storage Quality
 of Mixed Air-Dried Corn Stover and Cabbage Waste,
and Microbial Community Analysis.

    PubMed

    Ren, Haiwei; Wang, Cong; Fan, Wenguang; Zhang, Bingyun; Li, Zhizhong; Li, Dong

    2018-03-01

    A mixture of air-dried corn stover and cabbage waste was ensiled to preserve lignocellulosic biomass for use as biofuel. Furthermore, the effects of different fresh mass fractions (0.3 and 0.6%) of formic or acetic acid on the mixed silage quality were evaluated to guarantee its quality. The application of formic or acetic acid prior to mixing the silage led to higher water-soluble carbohydrate fractions than the negative control, indicating that both acids contributed to preservation of water-soluble carbohydrates during storage for 170 days. The dry matter content was also increased after storage from 90 to 170 days. It was found that the content of neutral and acid detergent fibre, cellulose and holocellulose (the sum of cellulose and hemicellulose) in mixed silage treated with formic or acetic acid was significantly lower than that obtained in the negative control. The pH and the ratio of ammoniacal nitrogen to total nitrogen in mixed silage treated with acetic acid also significantly decreased. Furthermore, the addition of formic or acetic acid significantly weakened the fermentation intensity of lactic acid, depending on the ratio of lactic to acetic acid, as well as the ratio of lactic acid to total organic acids. The number of bacterial species and their relative abundance shifted during silage mixing, wherein microbial communities at phylum level mainly consisted of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. The dominant bacteria were also observed to shift from Lactobacillus and Enterobacter in presilage biomass to Lactobacillus and Paralactobacillus . Specifically, Enterobacter disappeared after 130 days of storage. In conclusion, the addition of a low dose of acetic acid to fresh mass (0.3%) could effectively improve the fermentation quality and is conducive to the preservation of the organic components.

  8. 40 CFR 180.1178 - Formic acid; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... pesticide formic acid is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance in or on honey and honeycomb when used to control tracheal mites and suppress varroa mites in bee colonies, and applied in accordance with...

  9. 40 CFR 180.1178 - Formic acid; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... pesticide formic acid is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance in or on honey and honeycomb when used to control tracheal mites and suppress varroa mites in bee colonies, and applied in accordance with...

  10. 40 CFR 180.1178 - Formic acid; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... pesticide formic acid is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance in or on honey and honeycomb when used to control tracheal mites and suppress varroa mites in bee colonies, and applied in accordance with...

  11. 40 CFR 180.1178 - Formic acid; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... pesticide formic acid is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance in or on honey and honeycomb when used to control tracheal mites and suppress varroa mites in bee colonies, and applied in accordance with...

  12. 40 CFR 180.1178 - Formic acid; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... pesticide formic acid is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance in or on honey and honeycomb when used to control tracheal mites and suppress varroa mites in bee colonies, and applied in accordance with...

  13. Formic Acid-Based Direct, On-Plate Testing of Yeast and Corynebacterium Species by Bruker Biotyper Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

    PubMed Central

    Theel, Elitza S.; Schmitt, Bryan H.; Hall, Leslie; Cunningham, Scott A.; Walchak, Robert C.; Patel, Robin

    2012-01-01

    An on-plate testing method using formic acid was evaluated on the Bruker Biotyper matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry system using 90 yeast and 78 Corynebacterium species isolates, and 95.6 and 81.1% of yeast and 96.1 and 92.3% of Corynebacterium isolates were correctly identified to the genus and species levels, respectively. The on-plate method using formic acid yielded identification percentages similar to those for the conventional but more laborious tube-based extraction. PMID:22760034

  14. Formic acid-based direct, on-plate testing of yeast and Corynebacterium species by Bruker Biotyper matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Theel, Elitza S; Schmitt, Bryan H; Hall, Leslie; Cunningham, Scott A; Walchak, Robert C; Patel, Robin; Wengenack, Nancy L

    2012-09-01

    An on-plate testing method using formic acid was evaluated on the Bruker Biotyper matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry system using 90 yeast and 78 Corynebacterium species isolates, and 95.6 and 81.1% of yeast and 96.1 and 92.3% of Corynebacterium isolates were correctly identified to the genus and species levels, respectively. The on-plate method using formic acid yielded identification percentages similar to those for the conventional but more laborious tube-based extraction.

  15. Glycerol-plasticised silk membranes made using formic acid are ductile, transparent and degradation-resistant.

    PubMed

    Allardyce, Benjamin J; Rajkhowa, Rangam; Dilley, Rodney J; Redmond, Sharon L; Atlas, Marcus D; Wang, Xungai

    2017-11-01

    Regenerated silk fibroin membranes tend to be brittle when dry. The use of plasticisers such as glycerol improve membrane ductility, but, when combined with aqueous processing, can lead to a higher degradation rate than solvent-annealed membranes. This study investigated the use of formic acid as the solvent with glycerol to make deformable yet degradation-resistant silk membranes. Here we show that membranes cast using formic acid had low light scattering, with a diffuse transmittance of less than 5% over the visible wavelengths, significantly lower than the 20% transmittance of aqueous derived silk/glycerol membranes. They had 64% β-sheet content and lost just 30% of the initial silk weight over 6h when tested with an accelerated enzymatic degradation assay, in comparison the aqueous membranes completely degraded within this timeframe. The addition of glycerol also improved the maximum elongation of formic acid derived membranes from under 3% to over 100%. They also showed good cytocompatibility and supported the adhesion and migration of human tympanic membrane keratinocytes. Formic acid based, silk/glycerol membranes may be of great use in medical applications such as repair of tympanic membrane perforation or ocular applications where transparency and resistance to enzymatic degradation are important. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Photocatalytic CO2 reduction with high turnover frequency and selectivity of formic acid formation using Ru(II) multinuclear complexes.

    PubMed

    Tamaki, Yusuke; Morimoto, Tatsuki; Koike, Kazuhide; Ishitani, Osamu

    2012-09-25

    Previously undescribed supramolecules constructed with various ratios of two kinds of Ru(II) complexes-a photosensitizer and a catalyst-were synthesized. These complexes can photocatalyze the reduction of CO(2) to formic acid with high selectivity and durability using a wide range of wavelengths of visible light and NADH model compounds as electron donors in a mixed solution of dimethylformamide-triethanolamine. Using a higher ratio of the photosensitizer unit to the catalyst unit led to a higher yield of formic acid. In particular, of the reported photocatalysts, a trinuclear complex with two photosensitizer units and one catalyst unit photocatalyzed CO(2) reduction (Φ(HCOOH) = 0.061, TON(HCOOH) = 671) with the fastest reaction rate (TOF(HCOOH) = 11.6 min(-1)). On the other hand, photocatalyses of a mixed system containing two kinds of model mononuclear Ru(II) complexes, and supramolecules with a higher ratio of the catalyst unit were much less efficient, and black oligomers and polymers were produced from the Ru complexes during photocatalytic reactions, which reduced the yield of formic acid. The photocatalytic formation of formic acid using the supramolecules described herein proceeds via two sequential processes: the photochemical reduction of the photosensitizer unit by NADH model compounds and intramolecular electron transfer to the catalyst unit.

  17. Photocatalytic CO2 reduction with high turnover frequency and selectivity of formic acid formation using Ru(II) multinuclear complexes

    PubMed Central

    Tamaki, Yusuke; Morimoto, Tatsuki; Koike, Kazuhide; Ishitani, Osamu

    2012-01-01

    Previously undescribed supramolecules constructed with various ratios of two kinds of Ru(II) complexes—a photosensitizer and a catalyst—were synthesized. These complexes can photocatalyze the reduction of CO2 to formic acid with high selectivity and durability using a wide range of wavelengths of visible light and NADH model compounds as electron donors in a mixed solution of dimethylformamide–triethanolamine. Using a higher ratio of the photosensitizer unit to the catalyst unit led to a higher yield of formic acid. In particular, of the reported photocatalysts, a trinuclear complex with two photosensitizer units and one catalyst unit photocatalyzed CO2 reduction (ΦHCOOH = 0.061, TONHCOOH = 671) with the fastest reaction rate (TOFHCOOH = 11.6 min-1). On the other hand, photocatalyses of a mixed system containing two kinds of model mononuclear Ru(II) complexes, and supramolecules with a higher ratio of the catalyst unit were much less efficient, and black oligomers and polymers were produced from the Ru complexes during photocatalytic reactions, which reduced the yield of formic acid. The photocatalytic formation of formic acid using the supramolecules described herein proceeds via two sequential processes: the photochemical reduction of the photosensitizer unit by NADH model compounds and intramolecular electron transfer to the catalyst unit. PMID:22908243

  18. Lack of formic acid production in rat hepatocytes and human renal proximal tubule cells exposed to chloral hydrate or trichloroacetic acid

    PubMed Central

    Lock, Edward A; Reed, Celia J; McMillan, JoEllyn M; Oatis, John R; Schnellmann, Rick G

    2007-01-01

    The industrial solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) and its major metabolites have been shown to cause formic aciduria in male rats. We have examined whether chloral hydrate (CH) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA), known metabolites of TCE, produce an increase in formic acid in vitro in cultures of rat hepatocytes or human renal proximal tubule cells (HRPTC). The metabolism and cytotoxicity of CH was also examined to establish that the cells were metabolically active and not compromised by toxicity. Rat hepatocytes and HRPTC were cultured in serum-free medium and then treated with 0.3–3mM CH for 3 days or 0.03–3mM CH for 10 days respectively and formic acid production, metabolism to trichloroethanol (TCE-OH) and TCA and cytotoxicity determined. No increase in formic acid production in rat hepatocytes or HRPTC exposed to CH was observed over and above that due to chemical degradation, neither was formic acid production observed in rat hepatocytes exposed to TCA. HRPTC metabolised CH to TCE-OH and TCA with a 12-fold greater capacity to form TCE-OH versus TCA. Rat hepatocytes exhibited a 1.6-fold and 3-fold greater capacity than HRPTC to form TCE-OH and TCA respectively. CH and TCA were not cytotoxic to rat hepatocytes at concentrations up to 3mM/day for 3 days. With HRPTC, one sample showed no cytotoxicity to CH at concentrations up to 3mM/day for 10 days, while in another cytotoxicity was seen at 1mM/day for 3 days. In summary, increased formic acid production was not observed in rat hepatocytes or HRPTC exposed to TCE metabolites, suggesting that the in vivo response cannot be modelled in vitro. CH was toxic to HRPTC at millimolar concentrations/day over 10 days, while glutathione derived metabolites of TCE were toxic at micromolar concentrations/day over 10 days (Lock et al., 2006) supporting the view that glutathione derived metabolites are likely to be responsible for nephrotoxicity. PMID:17161896

  19. Intake, digestibility, and composition of orchardgrass and alfalfa silages treated with cellulase, inoculant, and formic acid fed to lambs.

    PubMed

    Nadeau, E M; Russell, J R; Buxton, D R

    2000-11-01

    The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of a cellulase (from Trichoderma longibrachiatum) alone or combined with a bacterial inoculant (Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus cerevisiae) or formic acid on composition, intake, and digestibility of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silages. Orchardgrass and alfalfa were harvested at the early heading stage and at the early bloom stage of maturity and wilted to approximately 22 and 32% DM, respectively. Forages were then ensiled in 100-L sealed barrels for at least 60 d before they were fed to lambs. Silage treated with cellulase had lower (P < .001) pH and lower (P < .001) acetic acid and NH3 N concentrations than untreated silage of both plant species and a higher (P = .004) lactic acid concentration than the control treatment of alfalfa silage. Fermentation characteristics of cellulase-treated silages, especially of alfalfa, were further enhanced by use of inoculant. Formic acid addition increased (P < .001), reducing sugar concentration of cellulase-treated orchardgrass and alfalfa silage by 90 and 154%, respectively, and decreased (P < .001) NH3 N concentration of cellulase-treated alfalfa silage by 19%. Averaged across plant species, cellulase, combined with inoculant or formic acid, resulted in 8 and 13% greater (P = .03) DMI, respectively, than the control silage. Extensive enzymatic cell-wall degradation during ensiling decreased (P = .003) NDF intake of cellulase-treated orchardgrass silage by 25% and decreased (P = .001) cellulose intake by 23%, when averaged across plant species. Addition of formic acid increased (P = .003) NDF intake of cellulase-treated orchardgrass silage by 19%. Averaged across species, cellulase application decreased (P < .05) silage NDF digestibility by 18%. Greater sugar and lower acetic acid, NH3 N, and NDF concentrations resulted in greater DMI of cellulase-treated silage than of control silage, when cellulase was combined with formic acid or inoculant.

  20. Surface-Bound Intermediates in Low-Temperature Methanol Synthesis on Copper. Participants and Spectators

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, Yong; Mei, Donghai; Peden, Charles H.F.

    The reactivity of surface adsorbed species present on copper catalysts during methanol synthesis at low temperatures was studied by simultaneous infrared spectroscopy (IR) and mass spectroscopy (MS) measurements during “titration” (transient surface reaction) experiments with isotopic tracing. The results show that adsorbed formate is a major bystander species present on the surface under steady-state methanol synthesis reaction conditions, but it cannot be converted to methanol by reaction with pure H 2, nor with H 2 plus added water. Formate-containing surface adlayers for these experiments were produced during steady state catalysis in (a) H 2:CO 2 (with substantial formate coverage) andmore » (b) moist H 2:CO (with no IR visible formate species). Both these reaction conditions produce methanol at steady state with relatively high rates. Adlayers containing formate were also produced by (c) formic acid adsorption. Various "titration" gases were used to probe these adlayers at modest temperatures (T = 410-450K) and 6 bar total pressure. Methanol gas (up to ~1% monolayer equivalent) was produced in "titration" from the H 2:CO 2 catalytic adlayers by H 2 plus water, but not by dry hydrogen. The decay in the formate IR features accelerated in the presence of added water vapor. The H 2:CO:H 2O catalytic adlayer produced similar methanol titration yields in H 2 plus water but showed no surface formate features in IR (less than 0.2% monolayer coverage). Finally, formate from formic acid chemisorption produced no methanol under any titration conditions. Even under (H 2:CO 2) catalytic reaction conditions, isotope tracing showed that pre-adsorbed formate from formic acid did not contribute to the methanol produced. Although non-formate intermediates exist during low temperature methanol synthesis on copper which can be converted to methanol gas by titration with pure H 2 plus water in sufficient quantities for that intermediate to be observable by IR, formate itself is only a "spectator" in this reaction and gives no observable methanol upon any titration we performed with H 2 or H 2 plus water.« less

  1. Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide Catalyzed by Ruthenium Trimethylphosphine Complexes: A Mechanistic Investigation using High-Pressure NMR Spectroscopy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Getty, April D.; Tai, Chih-Cheng; Linehan, John C.

    2009-08-26

    The previously reported complex, cis-(PMe3)4RuCl(OAc) (1) acts as a catalyst for CO2 hydrogenation into formic acid in the presence of a base and an alcohol co-catalyst. NMR spectroscopy has revealed that 1 exists in solution in equilibrium with fac-(PMe3)3RuCl(h2-OAc) (2), [(PMe3)4Ru(h2-OAc)]Cl (3a), and free PMe3. Complex 2 has been isolated and characterized by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. 2 has been tested as a CO2 hydrogenation catalyst, however, it performed poorly under the conditions of catalysis used for 1. Complex 3a can be prepared by adding certain alcohols, such as MeOH, EtOH, or o-C6H5OH, to a solution ofmore » 1 in CDCl3. The chloride ion of 3a has been exchanged for the non-coordinating anions BPh4 or B(ArF )4 (B(ArF)4 = tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)borate) to produce [(PMe3)4Ru(h2-OAc)]BPh4 (3b) and [(PMe3)4Ru(h2-OAc)]B(ArF)4 (3c). Both of these complexes have been isolated and characterized by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy, and in the case of 3b, X-ray crystallography. Complexes 3b and 3c perform just as well as 1 for CO2 hydrogenation to formic acid in the presence of an alcohol co-catalyst; however, 3b,c perform equally well without the added alcohol. High-pressure NMR has been used to investigate the mechanism of CO2 hydrogenation via 3a,b in the presence of base. Two of the intermediates involved have been identified as cis-(PMe3)4RuH2 (5) and cis-(PMe3)4Ru(H)O2CH (6), and the role of the base includes not only trapping of the formic acid product, but also initiation of the catalysis by aiding the conversion of 3b,c to 5.« less

  2. Hydrolysis of Ketene Catalyzed by Formic Acid: Modification of Reaction Mechanism, Energetics, and Kinetics with Organic Acid Catalysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Louie, Matthew K.; Francisco, Joseph S.; Verdicchio, Marco

    2015-05-14

    The hydrolysis of ketene (H2C=C=O) to form acetic acid involving two water molecules and also separately in the presence of one to two water molecules and formic acid (FA) was investigated. Our results show that, while the currently accepted indirect mechanism, involving addition of water across the carbonyl C=O bond of ketene to form an ene-diol followed by tautomerization of the ene-diol to form acetic acid, is the preferred pathway when water alone is present, with formic acid as catalyst, addition of water across the ketene C=C double bond to directly produce acetic acid becomes the kinetically favored pathway formore » temperatures below 400 K. We find not only that the overall barrier for ketene hydrolysis involving one water molecule and formic acid (H2C2O + H2O + FA) is significantly lower than that involving two water molecules (H2C2O + 2H(2)O) but also that FA is able to reduce the barrier height for the direct path, involving addition of water across the C=C double bond, so that it is essentially identical with (6.4 kcal/mol) that for the indirect ene-diol formation path involving addition of water across the C=O bond. For the case of ketene hydrolysis involving two water molecules and formic acid (H2C2O + 2H(2)O + FA), the barrier for the direct addition of water across the C=C double bond is reduced even further and is 2.5 kcal/mol lower relative to the ene-diol path involving addition of water across the C=O bond. In fact, the hydrolysis barrier for the H2C2O + 2H(2)O + FA reaction through the direct path is sufficiently low (2.5 kcal/mol) for it to be an energetically accessible pathway for acetic acid formation under atmospheric conditions. Given the structural similarity between acetic and formic acid, our results also have potential implications for aqueous-phase chemistry. Thus, in an aqueous environment, even in the absence of formic acid, though the initial mechanism for ketene hydrolysis is expected to involve addition of water across the carbonyl bond as is currently accepted, the production and accumulation of acetic acid will likely alter the preferred pathway to one involving addition of water across the ketene C=C double bond as the reaction proceeds.« less

  3. Implementation of flowsheet change to minimize hydrogen and ammonia generation during chemical processing of high level waste in the Defense Waste Processing Facility

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lambert, Dan P.; Woodham, Wesley H.; Williams, Matthew S.

    Testing was completed to develop a chemical processing flowsheet for the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), designed to vitrify and stabilize high level radioactive waste. DWPF processing uses a reducing acid (formic acid) and an oxidizing acid (nitric acid) to rheologically thin the slurry and complete the necessary acid base and reduction reactions (primarily mercury and manganese). Formic acid reduces mercuric oxide to elemental mercury, allowing the mercury to be removed during the boiling phase of processing through steam stripping. In runs with active catalysts, formic acid can decompose to hydrogen and nitrate can be reduced to ammonia, both flammablemore » gases, due to rhodium and ruthenium catalysis. Replacement of formic acid with glycolic acid eliminates the generation of rhodium- and ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen and ammonia. In addition, mercury reduction is still effective with glycolic acid. Hydrogen, ammonia and mercury are discussed in the body of the report. Ten abbreviated tests were completed to develop the operating window for implementation of the flowsheet and determine the impact of changes in acid stoichiometry and the blend of nitric and glycolic acid as it impacts various processing variables over a wide processing region. Three full-length 4-L lab-scale simulations demonstrated the viability of the flowsheet under planned operating conditions. The flowsheet is planned for implementation in early 2017.« less

  4. Structural characteristics and properties of the regenerated silk fibroin prepared from formic acid.

    PubMed

    Um, I C; Kweon, H Y; Park, Y H; Hudson, S

    2001-08-20

    Structural characteristics and thermal and solution properties of the regenerated silk fibroin (SF) prepared from formic acid (FU) were compared with those of SF from water (AU). According to the turbidity and shear viscosity measurement, SF formic acid solution was stable and transparent, no molecular aggregations occurred. The sample FU exhibited the beta-sheet structure, while AU random coil conformation using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry. The effects of methanol treatment on samples were also examined. According to the measurement of crystallinity (XRD) and crystallinity index (FTIR), the concept of long/short-range ordered structure formation was proposed. Long-range ordered crystallites are predominantly formed for methanol treated SF film while SF film cast from formic acid favors the formation of short-range ordered structure. The relaxation temperatures of SF films measured by dynamic thermomechanical analysis supported the above mechanism due to the sensitivity of relaxation temperature on the short-range order.

  5. Different catalytic effects of a single water molecule: the gas-phase reaction of formic acid with hydroxyl radical in water vapor.

    PubMed

    Anglada, Josep M; Gonzalez, Javier

    2009-12-07

    The effect of a single water molecule on the reaction mechanism of the gas-phase reaction between formic acid and the hydroxyl radical was investigated with high-level quantum mechanical calculations using DFT-B3LYP, MP2 and CCSD(T) theoretical approaches in concert with the 6-311+G(2df,2p) and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. The reaction between HCOOH and HO has a very complex mechanism involving a proton-coupled electron transfer process (pcet), two hydrogen-atom transfer reactions (hat) and a double proton transfer process (dpt). The hydroxyl radical predominantly abstracts the acidic hydrogen of formic acid through a pcet mechanism. A single water molecule affects each one of these reaction mechanisms in different ways, depending on the way the water interacts. Very interesting is also the fact that our calculations predict that the participation of a single water molecule results in the abstraction of the formyl hydrogen of formic acid through a hydrogen atom transfer process (hat).

  6. Kinetics of Maleic Acid and Aluminum Chloride Catalyzed Dehydration and Degradation of Glucose

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Ximing; Hewetson, Barron B.; Mosier, Nathan S.

    We report the positive effect of maleic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, on the selectivity of hexose dehydration to 5-hydroxymethyfurfural (HMF) and subsequent hydrolysis to levulinic and formic acids. We also describe the kinetic analysis of a Lewis acid (AlCl3) alone and in combination with HCl or maleic acid to catalyze the isomerization of glucose to fructose, dehydration of fructose to HMF, hydration of HMF to levulinic and formic acids, and degradation of these compounds to humins. The results show that AlCl3 significantly enhances the rate of glucose conversion to HMF and levulinic acid in the presence of both maleic acidmore » and HCl. In addition, the degradation of HMF to humins, rather than levulinic and formic acids, is reduced by 50% in the presence of maleic acid and AlCl3 compared to HCl combined with AlCl3. The results suggest different reaction mechanisms for the dehydration of glucose and rehydration of HMF between maleic acid and HCl.« less

  7. Oxidation mechanism of formic acid on the bismuth adatom-modified Pt(111) surface.

    PubMed

    Perales-Rondón, Juan Victor; Ferre-Vilaplana, Adolfo; Feliu, Juan M; Herrero, Enrique

    2014-09-24

    In order to improve catalytic processes, elucidation of reaction mechanisms is essential. Here, supported by a combination of experimental and computational results, the oxidation mechanism of formic acid on Pt(111) electrodes modified by the incorporation of bismuth adatoms is revealed. In the proposed model, formic acid is first physisorbed on bismuth and then deprotonated and chemisorbed in formate form, also on bismuth, from which configuration the C-H bond is cleaved, on a neighbor Pt site, yielding CO2. It was found computationally that the activation energy for the C-H bond cleavage step is negligible, which was also verified experimentally.

  8. Corrosion Prevention and Control Applications Guide

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-03-31

    to a corrosive environment such as: Chemical fumes, acids , activated solder fluxes, water or moisture intrusion, and, in many cases, moist air...boards, knobs, etc., can emit ammonia and formic acid if not properly baked out. The formic acid vapors react with the 8 lead in solder to form the grey...Moisture, hydrogen sulfide, and hydrochloric and organic acids are the most prevalent. Outgassing is dangerous during storage when the equipment is

  9. THE PRODUCTION OF VOLATILE FATTY ACIDS BY BACTERIA OF THE DYSENTERY GROUP

    PubMed Central

    Zoller, Harper F.; Clark, W. Mansfield

    1921-01-01

    These studies show: 1. A close agreement exists among all the organisms studied in the total quantity of volatile fatty acids produced and in the ratio of formic to acetic, under aerobic conditions, and in the presence of 1 per cent of glucose. 2. When grown upon peptone alone, with free access of air to the cultures, volatile fatty acids are produced in appreciable quantities, although the reaction of the solution has gone more alkaline as shown by colorimetric pH tests. Formic acid is not found, but in its place we obtain propionic acid. 3. Upon exhaustion of air from the non-sugar medium the bacteria again produce formic acid, and in addition some butyric. This is true for both Shiga and non-Shiga cultures. The reaction is distinctly more acid. 4. The presence of glucose in the medium from which the air has been pumped furnishes a condition which provokes about the same type and degree of fermentation that operates in the glucose medium bathed in air at atmospheric pressure. 5. The enormous quantity of formic acid produced by these bacteria may play a significant part in the digestive disturbances and toxic symptoms accompanying their infection of the human intestinal tract. PMID:19871867

  10. Hydrolysis of glyoxal in water-restricted environments: formation of organic aerosol precursors through formic acid catalysis.

    PubMed

    Hazra, Montu K; Francisco, Joseph S; Sinha, Amitabha

    2014-06-12

    The hydrolysis of glyoxal involving one to three water molecules and also in the presence of a water molecule and formic acid has been investigated. Our results show that glyoxal-diol is the major product of the hydrolysis and that formic acid, through its ability to facilitate intermolecular hydrogen atom transfer, is considerably more efficient than water as a catalyst in the hydrolysis process. Additionally, once the glyoxal-diol is formed, the barrier for further hydrolysis to form the glyoxal-tetrol is effectively reduced to zero in the presence of a single water and formic acid molecule. There are two important implications arising from these findings. First, the results suggest that under the catalytic influence of formic acid, glyoxal hydrolysis can impact the growth of atmospheric aerosols. As a result of enhanced hydrogen bonding, mediated through their polar OH functional groups, the diol and tetrol products are expected to have significantly lower vapor pressure than the parent glyoxal molecule; hence they can more readily partition into the particle phase and contribute to the growth of secondary organic aerosols. In addition, our findings provide insight into how glyoxal-diol and glyoxal-tetrol might be formed under atmospheric conditions associated with water-restricted environments and strongly suggest that the formation of these precursors for secondary organic aerosol growth is not likely restricted solely to the bulk aqueous phase as is currently assumed.

  11. Ultrafast synthesis of flower-like ordered Pd3Pb nanocrystals with superior electrocatalytic activities towards oxidation of formic acid and ethanol

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jana, Rajkumar; Subbarao, Udumula; Peter, Sebastian C.

    2016-01-01

    Ordered intermetallic nanocrystals with high surface area are highly promising as efficient catalysts for fuel cell applications because of their unique electrocatalytic properties. The present work discusses about the controlled synthesis of ordered intermetallic Pd3Pb nanocrystals in different morphologies at relatively low temperature for the first time by polyol and hydrothermal methods both in presence and absence of surfactant. Here for the first time we report surfactant free synthesis of ordered flower-like intermetallic Pd3Pb nanocrystals in 10 s. The structural characteristics of the nanocrystals are confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The as synthesized ordered Pd3Pb nanocrystals exhibit far superior electrocatalytic activity and durability towards formic acid and ethanol oxidation over commercially available Pd black (Pd/C). The morphological variation of nanocrystals plays a crucial role in the electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid and ethanol. Among the catalysts, the flower-like Pd3Pb shows enhanced activity and stability in electrocatalytic formic acid and ethanol oxidation. The current density and mass activity of flower-like Pd3Pb catalyst are higher by 2.5 and 2.4 times than that of Pd/C for the formic acid oxidation and 1.5 times each for ethanol oxidation.

  12. A study on lithium/air secondary batteries-Stability of NASICON-type glass ceramics in acid solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shimonishi, Y.; Zhang, T.; Johnson, P.; Imanishi, N.; Hirano, A.; Takeda, Y.; Yamamoto, O.; Sammes, N.

    The stability of a NASICON-type lithium ion conducting solid electrolyte, Li 1+ x+ yTi 2- xAl xP 3- ySi yO 12 (LTAP), in acetic acid and formic acid solutions was examined. XRD patterns of the LTAP powders immersed in 100% acetic acid and formic acid at 50 °C for 4 months showed no change as compared to the pristine LTAP. However, the electrical conductivity of LTAP drastically decreased. On the other hand, no significant electrical conductivity change of LTAP immersed in lithium formate saturated formic acid-water solution was observed, and the electrical conductivity of LTAP immersed in lithium acetate saturated acetic acid-water increased. Cyclic voltammogram tests suggested that acetic acid was stable up to a high potential, but formic acid decomposed under the decomposition potential of water. The acetic acid solution was considered to be a candidate for the active material in the air electrode of lithium-air rechargeable batteries. The cell reaction was considered as 2Li + 2 CH 3COOH + 1/2O 2 = 2CH 3COOLi + H 2O. The energy density of this lithium-air system is calculated to be 1477 Wh kg -1 from the weights of Li and CH 3COOH, and an observed open-circuit voltage of 3.69 V.

  13. Organic acids and thymol: unsuitable alternative control of Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    To explore alternative small hive beetle control strategies, established Varroa destructor and Galleria mellonella treatments with organic acids (formic, lactic, oxalic and acetic) and thymol were investigated in the laboratory against eggs, larvae and adult small hive beetle (SHB). As formic and ox...

  14. 21 CFR 186.1316 - Formic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... used for food packaging. (c) The ingredient is used at levels not to exceed good manufacturing practice... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Formic acid. 186.1316 Section 186.1316 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) INDIRECT FOOD...

  15. 21 CFR 573.480 - Formic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Formic acid. 573.480 Section 573.480 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FEED AND DRINKING WATER OF ANIMALS Food Additive...

  16. Dehydrogenation, disproportionation and transfer hydrogenation reactions of formic acid catalyzed by molybdenum hydride compounds.

    PubMed

    Neary, Michelle C; Parkin, Gerard

    2015-03-01

    The cyclopentadienyl molybdenum hydride compounds, Cp R Mo(PMe 3 ) 3- x (CO) x H (Cp R = Cp, Cp*; x = 0, 1, 2 or 3), are catalysts for the dehydrogenation of formic acid, with the most active catalysts having the composition Cp R Mo(PMe 3 ) 2 (CO)H. The mechanism of the catalytic cycle is proposed to involve (i) protonation of the molybdenum hydride complex, (ii) elimination of H 2 and coordination of formate, and (iii) decarboxylation of the formate ligand to regenerate the hydride species. NMR spectroscopy indicates that the nature of the resting state depends on the composition of the catalyst. For example, (i) the resting states for the CpMo(CO) 3 H and CpMo(PMe 3 )(CO) 2 H systems are the hydride complexes themselves, (ii) the resting state for the CpMo(PMe 3 ) 3 H system is the protonated species [CpMo(PMe 3 ) 3 H 2 ] + , and (iii) the resting state for the CpMo(PMe 3 ) 2 (CO)H system is the formate complex, CpMo(PMe 3 ) 2 (CO)(κ 1 -O 2 CH), in the presence of a high concentration of formic acid, but CpMo(PMe 3 ) 2 (CO)H when the concentration of acid is low. While CO 2 and H 2 are the principal products of the catalytic reaction induced by Cp R Mo(PMe 3 ) 3- x (CO) x H, methanol and methyl formate are also observed. The generation of methanol is a consequence of disproportionation of formic acid, while methyl formate is a product of subsequent esterification. The disproportionation of formic acid is a manifestation of a transfer hydrogenation reaction, which may also be applied to the reduction of aldehydes and ketones. Thus, CpMo(CO) 3 H also catalyzes the reduction of a variety of ketones and aldehydes to alcohols by formic acid, via a mechanism that involves ionic hydrogenation.

  17. Flow behavior of regenerated wool-keratin proteins in different mediums.

    PubMed

    Alemdar, Ayse; Iridag, Yesim; Kazanci, Murat

    2005-04-01

    Keratin is abundantly present in nature and the major component of hair, wool, feather, nail and horns. Dissolution of keratin is often required when non-textile applications are demanded. However, the low solubility of keratin in water is the major problem. It becomes unstable and precipitated when stored for a long time. Therefore, it is necessary to find a good solvent that provides high stability and easy processibility. In this research, we used formic acid and dimethylformamide (DMF) to dissolve regenerated keratin protein films. It is shown that formic acid is a good solvent for regenerated keratin proteins for the purpose of storage. Transparent and stable regenerated keratin solution is obtained in formic acid.

  18. Hydrogen production from formic acid in pH-stat fed-batch operation for direct supply to fuel cell.

    PubMed

    Shin, Jong-Hwan; Yoon, Jong Hyun; Lee, Seung Hoon; Park, Tai Hyun

    2010-01-01

    Enterobacter asburiae SNU-1 harvested after cultivation was used as a whole cell biocatalyst, for the production of hydrogen. Formic acid was efficiently converted to hydrogen using the harvested cells with an initial hydrogen production rate and total hydrogen production of 491 ml/l/h and 6668 ml/l, respectively, when 1 g/l of whole cell enzyme was used. Moreover, new pH-stat fed-batch operation was conducted, and total hydrogen production was 1.4 times higher than that of batch operation. For practical application, bio-hydrogen produced from formic acid using harvested cells was directly applied to PEMFC for power generation.

  19. 21 CFR 186.1316 - Formic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... paper and paperboard used for food packaging. (c) The ingredient is used at levels not to exceed good... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Formic acid. 186.1316 Section 186.1316 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN...

  20. 21 CFR 186.1316 - Formic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... paper and paperboard used for food packaging. (c) The ingredient is used at levels not to exceed good... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Formic acid. 186.1316 Section 186.1316 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN...

  1. A [NiFe]hydrogenase model that catalyses the release of hydrogen from formic acid.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Nga T; Mori, Yuki; Matsumoto, Takahiro; Yatabe, Takeshi; Kabe, Ryota; Nakai, Hidetaka; Yoon, Ki-Seok; Ogo, Seiji

    2014-11-11

    We report the decomposition of formic acid to hydrogen and carbon dioxide, catalysed by a NiRu complex originally developed as a [NiFe]hydrogenase model. This is the first example of H2 evolution, catalysed by a [NiFe]hydrogenase model, which does not require additional energy.

  2. 21 CFR 186.1316 - Formic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... paper and paperboard used for food packaging. (c) The ingredient is used at levels not to exceed good... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Formic acid. 186.1316 Section 186.1316 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN...

  3. 21 CFR 186.1316 - Formic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... paper and paperboard used for food packaging. (c) The ingredient is used at levels not to exceed good... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Formic acid. 186.1316 Section 186.1316 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN...

  4. Formic acid production using a microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell.

    PubMed

    Lu, Yaobin; Luo, Haiping; Yang, Kunpeng; Liu, Guangli; Zhang, Renduo; Li, Xiao; Ye, Bo

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and optimization of formic acid production in the microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell (MEDCC). The maximum current density in the MEDCC with 72cm of the anode fiber length (72-MEDCC) reached 24.0±2.0A/m 2 , which was much higher than previously reported. The maximum average formic acid production rate in the 72-MEDCC was 5.28 times higher than that in the MEDCC with 24cm of the anode fiber length (37.00±1.15vs. 7.00±0.25mg/h). High performance in the 72-MEDCC was attributed to small membrane spacing (1mm), high flow rate (1500μL/min) on the membrane surface and high anode biomass. The minimum electricity consumption of 0.34±0.04kWh/kg in the 72-MEDCC was only 3.1-18.8% of those in the EDBMs. The MEDCC should be a promising technology for the formic acid production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Effect of the ortho-Hydroxyl Groups on a Bipyridine Ligand of Iridium Complexes for the High-Pressure Gas Generation from the Catalytic Decomposition of Formic Acid.

    PubMed

    Iguchi, Masayuki; Zhong, Heng; Himeda, Yuichiro; Kawanami, Hajime

    2017-12-14

    The hydroxyl groups of a 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) ligand near the metal center activated the catalytic performance of the Ir complex for the dehydrogenation of formic acid at high pressure. The position of the hydroxyl groups on the ligand affected the catalytic durability for the high-pressure H 2 generation through the decomposition of formic acid. The Ir complex with a bipyridine ligand functionalized with para-hydroxyl groups shows a good durability with a constant catalytic activity during the reaction even under high-pressure conditions, whereas deactivation was observed for an Ir complex with a bipyridine ligand with ortho-hydroxyl groups (2). In the presence of high-pressure H 2 , complex 2 decomposed into the ligand and an Ir trihydride complex through the isomerization of the bpy ligand. This work provides the development of a durable catalyst for the high-pressure H 2 production from formic acid. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Formic acid electrooxidation on thallium-decorated shape-controlled platinum nanoparticles: an improvement in electrocatalytic activity.

    PubMed

    Busó-Rogero, Carlos; Perales-Rondón, Juan V; Farias, Manuel J S; Vidal-Iglesias, Francisco J; Solla-Gullon, Jose; Herrero, Enrique; Feliu, Juan M

    2014-07-21

    Thallium modified shape-controlled Pt nanoparticles were prepared and their electrocatalytic activity towards formic acid electrooxidation was evaluated in 0.5 M sulfuric acid. The electrochemical and in situ FTIR spectroscopic results show a remarkable improvement in the electrocatalytic activity, especially in the low potential region (around 0.1-0.2 V vs. RHE). Cubic Pt nanoparticles modified with Tl were found to be more active than the octahedral Pt ones in the entire range of Tl coverages and potential windows. In situ FTIR spectra indicate that the promotional effect produced by Tl results in the inhibition of the poisoning step leading to COads, thus improving the onset potential for the complete formic acid oxidation to CO2. Chronoamperometric experiments were also performed at 0.2 V to evaluate the stability of the electrocatalysts at constant potential. Finally, experiments with different concentrations of formic acid (0.05-1 M) were also carried out. In all cases, Tl-modified cubic Pt nanoparticles result to be the most active. All these facts reinforce the importance of controlling the surface structure of the electrocatalysts to optimize their electrocatalytic properties.

  7. Advanced Photon Source Activity Report 2003: Report of Work Conducted at the APS, January 2003-December 2003, Synchrotron x-ray diffraction at the APS, Sector 16 (HPCAT)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Goncharov, A F; Zaug, J M; Crowhurst, J C

    2005-01-27

    We present here the summary of the results of our studies using the APS synchrotron beamline IDB Sector 16 (HPCAT). Optical calibration of pressure sensors for high pressures and temperatures: The high-pressure ruby scale for static measurements is well established to at least 100 GPa (about 5% accuracy), however common use of this and other pressure scales at high temperature is clearly based upon unconfirmed assumptions. Namely that high temperature does not affect observed room temperature pressure derivatives. The establishment of a rigorous pressure scale along with the identification of appropriate pressure gauges (i.e. stable in the high P-T environmentmore » and easy to use) is important for securing the absolute accuracy of fundamental experimental science where results guide the development of our understanding of planetary sciences, geophysics, chemistry at extreme conditions, etc. X-ray diffraction in formic acid under high pressure: Formic acid (HCOOH) is common in the solar system; it is a potential component of the Galilean satellites. Despite this, formic acid has not been well-studied at high temperatures and pressures. A phase diagram of formic acid at planetary interior pressures and temperatures will add to the understanding of planetary formation and the potential for life on Europa. Formic acid (unlike most simple organic acids) forms low-temperature crystal structures characterized by infinite hydrogen-bonded chains of molecules. The behavior of these hydrogen bonds at high pressure is of great interest. Our current research fills this need.« less

  8. An Alternative Mechanism for the Dimerization of Formic Acid

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brinkman, Nicole R.; Tschumper, Gregory; Yan, Ge

    Gas-phase formic acid exists primarily as a cyclic dimer. The mechanism of dimerization has been traditionally considered to be a synchronous process; however, recent experimental findings suggest a possible alternative mechanism by which two formic acid monomers proceed through an acyclic dimer to the cyclic dimer in a stepwise process. To investigate this newly proposed process of dimerization in formic acid, density functional theory and second-order Moeller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) have been used to optimize cis and trans monomers of formic acid, the acyclic and cyclic dimers, and the acyclic and cyclic transition states between minima. Single-point energies of themore » trans monomer, dimer minima, and transition states at the MP2/TZ2P+diff optimized geometries were computed at the coupled-cluster level of theory including singles and doubles with perturbatively applied triple excitations [CCSD(T)] with an aug-cc-pVTZ basis set to obtain an accurate determination of energy barriers and dissociation energies. A counterpoise correction was performed to determine an estimate of the basis set superposition error in computing relative energies. The explicitly correlated MP2 method of Kutzelnigg and Klopper (MP2-R12) was used to provide an independent means for obtaining the MP2 one-particle limit. The cyclic minimum is predicted to be 6.3 kcal/mol more stable than the acyclic minimum, and the barrier to double proton transfer is 7.1 kcal/mol.« less

  9. Mitochondrial impacts of insecticidal formate esters in insecticide-resistant and insecticide-susceptible Drosophila melanogaster.

    PubMed

    Song, Cheol; Scharf, Michael E

    2009-06-01

    Previous research on insecticidal formate esters in flies and mosquitoes has documented toxicity profiles, metabolism characteristics and neurological impacts. The research presented here investigated mitochondrial impacts of insecticidal formate esters and their hydrolyzed metabolite formic acid in the model dipteran insect Drosophila melanogaster Meig. These studies compared two Drosophila strains: an insecticide-susceptible strain (Canton-S) and a strain resistant by cytochrome P450 overexpression (Hikone-R). In initial studies investigating inhibition of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase, two proven insecticidal materials (hydramethylnon and sodium cyanide) caused significant inhibition. However, for insecticidal formate esters and formic acid, no significant inhibition was identified in either fly strain. Mitochondrial impacts of formate esters were then investigated further by tracking toxicant-induced cytochrome c release from mitochondria into the cytoplasm, a biomarker of apoptosis and neurological dysfunction. Formic acid and three positive control treatments (rotenone, antimycin A and sodium cyanide) induced cytochrome c release, verifying that formic acid is capable of causing mitochondrial disruption. However, when comparing formate ester hydrolysis and cytochrome c release between Drosophila strains, formic acid liberation was only weakly correlated with cytochrome c release in the susceptible Canton-S strain (r(2) = 0.70). The resistant Hikone-R strain showed no correlation (r(2) < 0.0001) between formate ester hydrolysis and cytochrome c release. The findings of this study provide confirmation of mitochondrial impacts by insecticidal formate esters and suggest links between mitochondrial disruption, respiratory inhibition, apoptosis and formate-ester-induced neurotoxicity.

  10. Biodegradable materials based on silk fibroin and keratin.

    PubMed

    Vasconcelos, Andreia; Freddi, Giuliano; Cavaco-Paulo, Artur

    2008-04-01

    Wool and silk were dissolved and used for the preparation of blended films. Two systems are proposed: (1) blend films of silk fibroin and keratin aqueous solutions and (2) silk fibroin and keratin dissolved in formic acid. The FTIR spectra of pure films cast from aqueous solutions indicated that the keratin secondary structure mainly consists of alpha-helix and random coil conformations. The IR spectrum of pure SF is characteristic of films with prevalently amorphous structure (random coil conformation). Pure keratin film cast from formic acid shows an increase in the amount of beta-sheet and disordered keratin structures. The FTIR pattern of SF dissolved in formic acid is characteristic of films with prevalently beta-sheet conformations with beta-sheet crystallites embedded in an amorphous matrix. The thermal behavior of the blends confirmed the FTIR results. DSC curve of pure SF is typical of amorphous SF and the curve of pure keratin show the characteristic melting peak of alpha-helices for the aqueous system. These patterns are no longer observed in the films cast from formic acid due to the ability of formic acid to induce crystallization of SF and to increase the amount of beta-sheet structures on keratin. The nonlinear trend of the different parameters obtained from FTIR analysis and DSC curves of both SF/keratin systems indicate that when proteins are mixed they do not follow additives rules but are able to establish intermolecular interactions. Degradable polymeric biomaterials are preferred candidates for medical applications. It was investigated the degradation behavior of both SF/keratin systems by in vitro enzymatic incubation with trypsin. The SF/keratin films cast from water underwent a slower biological degradation than the films cast from formic acid. The weight loss obtained is a function of the amount of keratin in the blend. This study encourages the further investigation of the type of matrices presented here to be applied whether in scaffolds for tissue engineering or as controlled release drug delivery vehicles.

  11. Fractionation of lignocellulosic biopolymers from sugarcane bagasse using formic acid-catalyzed organosolv process.

    PubMed

    Suriyachai, Nopparat; Champreda, Verawat; Kraikul, Natthakorn; Techanan, Wikanda; Laosiripojana, Navadol

    2018-05-01

    A one-step formic acid-catalyzed organosolv process using a low-boiling point acid-solvent system was studied for fractionation of sugarcane bagasse. Compared to H 2 SO 4 , the use of formic acid as a promoter resulted in higher efficiency and selectivity on removals of hemicellulose and lignin with increased enzymatic digestibility of the cellulose-enriched solid fraction. The optimal condition from central composite design analysis was determined as 40 min residence time at 159 °C using water/ethanol/ethyl acetate/formic acid in the respective ratios of 43:20:16:21%v/v. Under this condition, a 94.6% recovery of cellulose was obtained in the solid with 80.2% cellulose content while 91.4 and 80.4% of hemicellulose and lignin were removed to the aqueous-alcohol-acid and ethyl acetate phases, respectively. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the solid yielded 84.5% glucose recovery compared to available glucan in the raw material. Physicochemical analysis revealed intact cellulose fibers with decreased crystallinity while the hemicellulose was partially recovered as mono- and oligomeric sugars. High-purity organosolv lignin with < 1% sugar cross-contamination was obtained with no major structural modification according to Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The work represents an alternative process for efficient fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass in biorefineries.

  12. 76 FR 7106 - Food Additives Permitted in Feed and Drinking Water of Animals; Formic Acid

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-09

    .... FDA-2009-F-0525] Food Additives Permitted in Feed and Drinking Water of Animals; Formic Acid AGENCY...) is amending the regulations for food additives permitted in feed and drinking water of animals to... to a food additive petition filed by Kemira Oyj of Finland. DATES: This rule is effective February 9...

  13. Direction to practical production of hydrogen by formic acid dehydrogenation with Cp*Ir complexes bearing imidazoline ligands

    DOE PAGES

    Onishi, Naoya; Ertem, Mehmed Z.; Xu, Shaoan; ...

    2016-11-10

    In a Cp*Ir complex with a bidentate pyridyl-imidazoline ligand achieved the evolution of 1.02 m 3 of H 2/CO 2 gases by formic acid dehydrogenation without any additives or adjustments in the solution system. Furthermore, the pyridyl-imidazoline moieties provided the optimum pH to be 1.7, resulting in high activity and stability even at very acidic conditions.

  14. Direction to practical production of hydrogen by formic acid dehydrogenation with Cp*Ir complexes bearing imidazoline ligands

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Onishi, Naoya; Ertem, Mehmed Z.; Xu, Shaoan

    In a Cp*Ir complex with a bidentate pyridyl-imidazoline ligand achieved the evolution of 1.02 m 3 of H 2/CO 2 gases by formic acid dehydrogenation without any additives or adjustments in the solution system. Furthermore, the pyridyl-imidazoline moieties provided the optimum pH to be 1.7, resulting in high activity and stability even at very acidic conditions.

  15. Cytochrome c oxidase inhibition in the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.) by formate, the toxic metabolite of volatile alkyl formates.

    PubMed

    Haritos, V S; Dojchinov, G

    2003-10-01

    Volatile alkyl formates are potential replacements for the ozone-depleting fumigant, methyl bromide, as postharvest insecticides and here we have investigated their mode of insecticidal action. Firstly, a range of alkyl esters, ethanol and formic acid were tested in mortality bioassays with adults of the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and the grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) to determine whether the intact ester or one of its components was the toxic moiety. Volatile alkyl formates and formic acid caused similar levels of mortality (LC(50) 131-165 micromol l(-1)) to S. oryzae and were more potent than non-formate containing alkyl esters and ethanol (LC(50)>275 micromol l(-1)). The order of potency was the same in R. dominica. Ethyl formate was rapidly metabolised in vitro to formic acid when incubated with insect homogenates, presumably through the action of esterases. S. oryzae and R. dominica fumigated with a lethal dose of ethyl formate had eight and 17-fold higher concentrations of formic acid, respectively, in their bodies than untreated controls. When tested against isolated mitochondria from S. oryzae, alkyl esters, alcohols, acetate and propionate salts were not inhibitory towards cytochrome c oxidase (EC 1.9.3.1), but sodium cyanide and sodium formate were inhibitory with IC(50) values of 0.0015 mM and 59 mM, respectively. Volatile formate esters were more toxic than other alkyl esters, and this was found to be due, at least in part, to their hydrolysis to formic acid and its inhibition of cytochrome c oxidase.

  16. Enhanced levels of atmospheric low-molecular weight monocarboxylic acids in gas and particulates over Mt. Tai, North China, during field burning of agricultural wastes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mochizuki, Tomoki; Kawamura, Kimitaka; Nakamura, Shinnosuke; Kanaya, Yugo; Wang, Zifa

    2017-12-01

    To understand the source and atmospheric behaviour of low molecular weight monocarboxylic acids (monoacids), gaseous (G) and particulate (P) organic acids were collected at the summit of Mt. Tai in the North China Plain (NCP) during field burning of agricultural waste (wheat straw). Particulate organic acids were collected with neutral quartz filter whereas gaseous organic acids were collected with KOH-impregnated quartz filter. Normal (C1-C10), branched (iC4-iC6), hydroxy (lactic and glycolic), and aromatic (benzoic) monoacids were determined with a capillary gas chromatography employing p-bromophenacyl esters. We found acetic acid as the most abundant gas-phase species whereas formic acid is the dominant particle-phase species. Concentrations of formic (G/P 1 570/1 410 ng m-3) and acetic (3 960/1 120 ng m-3) acids significantly increased during the enhanced field burning of agricultural wastes. Concentrations of formic and acetic acids in daytime were found to increase in both G and P phases with those of K+, a field-burning tracer (r = 0.32-0.64). Primary emission and secondary formation of acetic acid is linked with field burning of agricultural wastes. In addition, we found that particle-phase fractions (Fp = P/(G + P)) of formic (0.50) and acetic (0.31) acids are significantly high, indicating that semi-volatile organic acids largely exist as particles. Field burning of agricultural wastes may play an important role in the formation of particulate monoacids in the NCP. High levels (917 ng m-3) of particle-phase lactic acid, which is characteristic of microorganisms, suggest that microbial activity associated with terrestrial ecosystem significantly contributes to the formation of organic aerosols.

  17. Chemoselective Deprotection of Triethylsilyl Ethers

    PubMed Central

    Chandra, Tilak; Broderick, William E.; Broderick, Joan B.

    2009-01-01

    An efficient and selective method was developed for the deprotection of triethylsilyl (TES) ethers using formic acid in methanol (5–10%) or in methylene chloride 2–5%) with excellent yields. TES ethers are selectively deprotected to the corresponding alcohols in high yields using formic acid in methanol under mild reaction conditions. Other hydroxyl protecting groups like t-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) remain unaffected. PMID:20183570

  18. Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) satellite observations of ammonia, methanol, formic acid, and carbon monoxide over the Canadian oil sands: validation and model evaluation

    EPA Science Inventory

    The wealth of air quality information provided by satellite infrared observations of ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO), formic acid (HCOOH), and methanol (CH3OH) is currently being explored and used for a number of applications, especially at regional or global scales. These ap...

  19. Formic acid dimers in a nitrogen matrix

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lopes, Susy; Fausto, Rui; Khriachtchev, Leonid

    2018-01-01

    Formic acid (HCOOH) dimers are studied by infrared spectroscopy in a nitrogen matrix and by ab initio calculations. We benefit from the use of a nitrogen matrix where the lifetime of the higher-energy (cis) conformer is very long (˜11 h vs. 7 min in an argon matrix). As a result, in a nitrogen matrix, a large proportion of the cis conformer can be produced by vibrational excitation of the lower-energy (trans) conformer. Three trans-trans, four trans-cis, and three cis-cis dimers are found in the experiments. The spectroscopic information on most of these dimers is enriched compared to the previous studies in an argon matrix. The cis-cis dimers of ordinary formic acid (without deuteration) are reported here for the first time. Several conformational processes are obtained using selective excitation by infrared light, some of them also for the first time. In particular, we report on the formation of cis-cis dimers upon vibrational excitation of trans-cis dimers. Tunneling decays of several dimers have been detected in the dark. The tunneling decay of cis-cis dimers of formic acid as well as the stabilization of cis units in cis-cis dimers is also observed for the first time.

  20. Formic acid dimers in a nitrogen matrix.

    PubMed

    Lopes, Susy; Fausto, Rui; Khriachtchev, Leonid

    2018-01-21

    Formic acid (HCOOH) dimers are studied by infrared spectroscopy in a nitrogen matrix and by ab initio calculations. We benefit from the use of a nitrogen matrix where the lifetime of the higher-energy (cis) conformer is very long (∼11 h vs. 7 min in an argon matrix). As a result, in a nitrogen matrix, a large proportion of the cis conformer can be produced by vibrational excitation of the lower-energy (trans) conformer. Three trans-trans, four trans-cis, and three cis-cis dimers are found in the experiments. The spectroscopic information on most of these dimers is enriched compared to the previous studies in an argon matrix. The cis-cis dimers of ordinary formic acid (without deuteration) are reported here for the first time. Several conformational processes are obtained using selective excitation by infrared light, some of them also for the first time. In particular, we report on the formation of cis-cis dimers upon vibrational excitation of trans-cis dimers. Tunneling decays of several dimers have been detected in the dark. The tunneling decay of cis-cis dimers of formic acid as well as the stabilization of cis units in cis-cis dimers is also observed for the first time.

  1. Structural studies of Proteus mirabilis catalase in its ground state, oxidized state and in complex with formic acid.

    PubMed

    Andreoletti, Pierre; Pernoud, Anaïs; Sainz, Germaine; Gouet, Patrice; Jouve, Hélène Marie

    2003-12-01

    The structure of Proteus mirabilis catalase in complex with an inhibitor, formic acid, has been solved at 2.3 A resolution. Formic acid is a key ligand of catalase because of its ability to react with the ferric enzyme, giving a high-spin iron complex. Alternatively, it can react with two transient oxidized intermediates of the enzymatic mechanism, compounds I and II. In this work, the structures of native P. mirabilis catalase (PMC) and compound I have also been determined at high resolution (2.0 and 2.5 A, respectively) from frozen crystals. Comparisons between these three PMC structures show that a water molecule present at a distance of 3.5 A from the haem iron in the resting state is absent in the formic acid complex, but reappears in compound I. In addition, movements of solvent molecules are observed during formation of compound I in a cavity located away from the active site, in which a glycerol molecule is replaced by a sulfate. These results give structural insights into the movement of solvent molecules, which may be important in the enzymatic reaction.

  2. CO2 as a hydrogen vector - transition metal diamine catalysts for selective HCOOH dehydrogenation.

    PubMed

    Fink, Cornel; Laurenczy, Gábor

    2017-01-31

    The homogeneous catalytic dehydrogenation of formic acid in aqueous solution provides an efficient in situ method for hydrogen production, under mild conditions, and at an adjustable rate. We synthesized a series of catalysts with the chemical formula [(Cp*)M(N-N')Cl] (M = Ir, Rh; Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; N-N = bidentate chelating nitrogen donor ligands), which have been proven to be active in selective formic acid decomposition in aqueous media. The scope of the study was to examine the relationship between stability and activity of catalysts for formic acid dehydrogenation versus electronic and steric properties of selected ligands, following a bottom-up approach by increasing the complexity of the N,N'-ligands progressively. The highest turnover frequency, TOF = 3300 h -1 was observed with a Cp*Ir(iii) complex bearing 1,2-diaminocyclohexane as the N,N'-donor ligand. From the variable temperature studies, the activation energy of formic acid dehydrogenation has been determined, E a = 77.94 ± 3.2 kJ mol -1 . It was observed that the different steric and electronic properties of the bidentate nitrogen donor ligands alter the catalytic activity and stability of the Ir and Rh compounds profoundly.

  3. Identification and control of unspecified impurity in trimetazidine dihydrochloride tablet formulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jefri; Puspitasari, A. D.; Talpaneni, J. S. R.; Tjandrawinata, R. R.

    2018-04-01

    Trimetazidine dihydrochloride is an anti-ischemic metabolic agent which is used as drug for angina pectoris treatment. The drug substance monograph is available in European Pharmacopoeia and British Pharmacopoeia, while the drug product monograph is not available in any of the pharmacopoeias. During development of trimetazidine dihydrochloride tablet formulation, we found increase of an unspecified impurity during preliminary stability study. The unspecified impurity was identified by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and the molecular weight obtained was matching with the molecular weight of N-formyl trimetazidine (m/z 295). Further experiments were performed to confirm the suspected result by injecting the impurity standard and spiking formic acid into the drug substance. The retention time of N-formyl trimetazidine was similar to the unspecified impurity in drug product. Even spiking of formic acid into drug substance showed that the suspected impurity increased with increasing concentration of formic acid. The proposed mechanism of impurity formation is via amidation of piperazine moiety of trimetazidine by formic acid which present as residual solvent in tablet binder used in the formulation. Subsequently, the impurity in our product was controlled by choosing the primary packaging which could minimize the formation of impurity.

  4. Formic acid-assisted synthesis of palladium nanocrystals and their electrocatalytic properties.

    PubMed

    Wang, Qinchao; Wang, Yiqian; Guo, Peizhi; Li, Qun; Ding, Ruixue; Wang, Baoyan; Li, Hongliang; Liu, Jingquan; Zhao, X S

    2014-01-14

    Palladium (Pd) nanocrystals have been synthesized by using formic acid as the reducing agent at room temperature. When the concentration of formic acid was increased continuously, the size of Pd nanocrystals first decreased to a minimum and then increased slightly again. The products have been investigated by a series of techniques, including X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV-vis absorption, and electrochemical measurements. The formation of Pd nanocrystals is proposed to be closely related to the dynamical imbalance of the growth and dissolution rate of Pd nanocrystals associated with the adsorption of formate ions onto the surface of the intermediates. It is found that small Pd nanocrystals showed blue-shifted adsorption peaks compared with large ones. Pd nanocrystals with the smallest size display the highest electrocatalytic activity for the electrooxidation of formic acid and ethanol on the basis of cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometric data. It is suggested that both the electrochemical active surface area and the small size effect are the key roles in determining the electrocatalytic performances of Pd nanocrystals. A "dissolution-deposition-aggregation" process is proposed to explain the variation of the electrocatalytic activity during the electrocatalysis according to the HRTEM characterization.

  5. One-Pot Synthesis of Graphene-Supported Monodisperse Pd Nanoparticles as Catalyst for Formic Acid Electro-oxidation

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Sudong; Dong, Jing; Yao, Zhaohui; Shen, Chengmin; Shi, Xuezhao; Tian, Yuan; Lin, Shaoxiong; Zhang, Xiaogang

    2014-01-01

    To synthesize monodisperse palladium nanoparticles dispersed on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets, we have developed an easy and scalable solvothermal reduction method from an organic solution system. The RGO-supported palladium nanoparticles with a diameter of 3.8 nm are synthesized in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and in the presence of oleylamine and trioctylphosphine, which facilitates simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide and formation of Pd nanocrystals. So-produced Pd/RGO was tested for potential use as electrocatalyst for the electro-oxidation of formic acid. Pd/RGO catalyzes formic acid oxidation very well compared to Pd/Vulcan XC-72 catalyst. This synthesis method is a new way to prepare excellent electrocatalysts, which is of great significance in energy-related catalysis. PMID:24675779

  6. Method for the recovery of actinide elements from nuclear reactor waste

    DOEpatents

    Horwitz, E. Philip; Delphin, Walter H.; Mason, George W.

    1979-01-01

    A process for partitioning and recovering actinide values from acidic waste solutions resulting from reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuels by adding hydroxylammonium nitrate and hydrazine to the waste solution to adjust the valence of the neptunium and plutonium values in the solution to the +4 oxidation state, thus forming a feed solution and contacting the feed solution with an extractant of dihexoxyethyl phosphoric acid in an organic diluent whereby the actinide values, most of the rare earth values and some fission product values are taken up by the extractant. Separation is achieved by contacting the loaded extractant with two aqueous strip solutions, a nitric acid solution to selectively strip the americium, curium and rare earth values and an oxalate solution of tetramethylammonium hydrogen oxalate and oxalic acid or trimethylammonium hydrogen oxalate to selectively strip the neptunium, plutonium and fission product values. Uranium values remain in the extractant and may be recovered with a phosphoric acid strip. The neptunium and plutonium values are recovered from the oxalate by adding sufficient nitric acid to destroy the complexing ability of the oxalate, forming a second feed, and contacting the second feed with a second extractant of tricaprylmethylammonium nitrate in an inert diluent whereby the neptunium and plutonium values are selectively extracted. The values are recovered from the extractant with formic acid.

  7. A reassessment of the budget of formic and acetic acids in the boundary layer at Dumont d'Urville (coastal Antarctica): The role of penguin emissions on the budget of several oxygenated volatile organic compounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Legrand, Michel; Gros, ValéRie; Preunkert, Susanne; Sarda-EstèVe, Roland; Thierry, Anne-Mathilde; PéPy, Guillaume; Jourdain, B.

    2012-03-01

    Initiated in 1997, the year-round study of formic and acetic acids was maintained until 2011 at the coastal Antarctic site of Dumont d'Urville. The records show that formic and acetic acids are rather abundant in summer with typical mixing ratios of 200 pptv and 700 pptv, respectively. With the aim to constrain their budget, investigations of their potential marine precursors like short-chain alkenes and acetaldehyde were initiated in 2011. Acetic acid levels in December 2010 were four times higher than those observed over summers back to 1997. These unusually high levels were accompanied by unusually high levels of ammonia, and by an enrichment of oxalate in aerosols. These observations suggest that the guano decomposition in the large penguin colonies present at the site was particularly strong under weather conditions encountered in spring 2010 (important snow storms followed by sunny days with mild temperatures). Although being dependent on environmental conditions, this process greatly impacts the local atmospheric budget of acetic acid, acetaldehyde, and acetone during the entire summer season. Present at levels as high as 500 pptv, acetaldehyde may represent the major precursor of acetic acid, alkene-ozone reactions remaining insignificant sources. Far less influenced by penguin emissions, the budget of formic acid remains not fully understood even if alkene-ozone reactions contribute significantly.

  8. An investigation about the structures, thermodynamics and kinetics of the formic acid involved molecular clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Rui; Jiang, Shuai; Liu, Yi-Rong; Wen, Hui; Feng, Ya-Juan; Huang, Teng; Huang, Wei

    2018-05-01

    Despite the very important role of atmospheric aerosol nucleation in climate change and air quality, the detailed aerosol nucleation mechanism is still unclear. Here we investigated the formic acid (FA) involved multicomponent nucleation molecular clusters including sulfuric acid (SA), dimethylamine (DMA) and water (W) through a quantum chemical method. The thermodynamics and kinetics analysis was based on the global minima given by Basin-Hopping (BH) algorithm coupled with Density Functional Theory (DFT) and subsequent benchmarked calculations. Then the interaction analysis based on ElectroStatic Potential (ESP), Topological and Atomic Charges analysis was made to characterize the binding features of the clusters. The results show that FA binds weakly with the other molecules in the cluster while W binds more weakly. Further kinetic analysis about the time evolution of the clusters show that even though the formic acid's weak interaction with other nucleation precursors, its effect on sulfuric acid dimer steady state concentration cannot be neglected due to its high concentration in the atmosphere.

  9. Evaluation of genotoxicity in workers exposed to low levels of formaldehyde in a furniture manufacturing facility.

    PubMed

    Peteffi, Giovana Piva; da Silva, Luciano Basso; Antunes, Marina Venzon; Wilhelm, Camila; Valandro, Eduarda Trevizani; Glaeser, Jéssica; Kaefer, Djeine; Linden, Rafael

    2016-10-01

    Formaldehyde (FA) is a chemical widely used in the furniture industry and has been classified as a potential human carcinogen. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occupational exposure of workers to FA at a furniture manufacturing facility and the relationship between environmental concentrations of FA, formic acid concentration in urine, and DNA damage. The sample consisted of 46 workers exposed to FA and a control group of 45 individuals with no history of occupational exposure. Environmental concentrations of FA were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Urinary formic acid concentrations were determined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. DNA damage was evaluated by the micronucleus (MN) test performed in exfoliated buccal cells and comet assay with venous blood. The 8-h time-weighted average of FA environmental concentration ranged from 0.03 ppm to 0.09 ppm at the plant, and the control group was exposed to a mean concentration of 0.012 ppm. Workers exposed to higher environmental FA concentrations had urinary formic acid concentrations significantly different from those of controls (31.85 mg L(-1) vs. 19.35 mg L(-), p ≤ 0.01 Mann-Whitney test). Significant differences were found between control and exposed groups for the following parameters: damage frequency and damage index in the comet assay, frequency of binucleated cells in the MN test, and formic acid concentration in urine. The frequency of micronuclei, nuclear buds, and karyorrhexis did not differ between groups. There was a positive correlation between environmental concentrations of FA and damage frequency (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [r s] = 0.24), damage index (r s = 0.21), binucleated cells (r s = 0.34), and urinary formic acid concentration (r s = 0.63). The results indicate that, although workers in the furniture manufacturing facility were exposed to low environmental levels of FA, this agent contributes to the observed increase in cytogenetic damage. In addition, urinary formic acid concentrations correlated strongly with occupational exposure to FA. © The Author(s) 2015.

  10. Synthesizing Pt nanoparticles in the presence of methylamine: Impact of acetic acid treatment in the electrocatalytic activity of formic acid oxidation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ooi, M. D. Johan; Aziz, A. Abdul

    2017-05-01

    Surfactant removal from the surface of platinum nanoparticles prepared by solution based method is a prerequisite process to accomplish a high catalytic activity for electrochemical reactions. Here, we report a possible approach of combining acid acetic with thermal treatment for improving catalytic performance of formic acid oxidation. This strategy involves conversion of amine to amide in acetic acid followed by surfactant removal via subsequent thermal treatment at 85 °C. This combined activation technique produced monodisperse nanoparticle with the size of 3 to 5 nm with enhanced formic acid oxidation activity, particularly in perchloric acid solution. Pt treated in 1 h of acetic acid and heat treatment of 9 h shows high electrochemical surface area value (27.6 m2/g) compares to Pt without activation (16.6 m2/g). The treated samples also exhibit high current stability of 0.3 mA/cm2 compares to the as-prepared mA/cm2). Shorter duration of acid wash and longer duration of heating process result in high electrocatalytic activity. This work demonstrates a possible technique in improving catalytic activity of platinum nanoparticles synthesized using methylamine as surfactant.

  11. Formic Acid Dissociative Adsorption on NiO(111): Energetics and Structure of Adsorbed Formate

    DOE PAGES

    Zhao, Wei; Doyle, Andrew D.; Morgan, Sawyer E.; ...

    2017-11-21

    Here, the dissociative adsorption of carboxylic acids on oxide surfaces is important for understanding adsorbed carboxylates, which are important as intermediates in catalytic reactions, for the organo-functionalization of oxide surfaces, and in many other aspects of oxide surface chemistry. We present here the first direct experimental measurement of the heat of dissociative adsorption of any carboxylic acid on any single-crystal oxide surface. The enthalpy of the dissociative adsorption of formic acid, the simplest carboxylic acid, to produce adsorbed formate and hydrogen (as a surface hydroxyl) on a (2 × 2)-NiO(111) surface is measured by single crystal adsorption calorimetry. The differentialmore » heat of adsorption decreases with formic acid coverage from 202 to 99 kJ/mol at saturation (0.25 ML). The structure of the adsorbed products is clarified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which provide energies in reasonable agreement with the calorimetry. These calculations show that formic acid readily dissociates on both the oxygen and Ni terminations of the octapolar NiO(111) surfaces, donating its acid H to a surface lattice oxygen, while HCOO adsorbs preferentially with bridging-type geometry near the M-O 3/O-M 3 sites. The calculated energetics at low coverages agrees well with experimental data, while larger differences are observed at high coverage (0.25 ML). The large decrease in experimental heat of adsorption with coverage can be brought into agreement with the DFT energies if we assume that both types of octapolar surface terminations (O- and Ni-) are present on the starting surface.« less

  12. Formic Acid Dissociative Adsorption on NiO(111): Energetics and Structure of Adsorbed Formate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhao, Wei; Doyle, Andrew D.; Morgan, Sawyer E.

    Here, the dissociative adsorption of carboxylic acids on oxide surfaces is important for understanding adsorbed carboxylates, which are important as intermediates in catalytic reactions, for the organo-functionalization of oxide surfaces, and in many other aspects of oxide surface chemistry. We present here the first direct experimental measurement of the heat of dissociative adsorption of any carboxylic acid on any single-crystal oxide surface. The enthalpy of the dissociative adsorption of formic acid, the simplest carboxylic acid, to produce adsorbed formate and hydrogen (as a surface hydroxyl) on a (2 × 2)-NiO(111) surface is measured by single crystal adsorption calorimetry. The differentialmore » heat of adsorption decreases with formic acid coverage from 202 to 99 kJ/mol at saturation (0.25 ML). The structure of the adsorbed products is clarified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which provide energies in reasonable agreement with the calorimetry. These calculations show that formic acid readily dissociates on both the oxygen and Ni terminations of the octapolar NiO(111) surfaces, donating its acid H to a surface lattice oxygen, while HCOO adsorbs preferentially with bridging-type geometry near the M-O 3/O-M 3 sites. The calculated energetics at low coverages agrees well with experimental data, while larger differences are observed at high coverage (0.25 ML). The large decrease in experimental heat of adsorption with coverage can be brought into agreement with the DFT energies if we assume that both types of octapolar surface terminations (O- and Ni-) are present on the starting surface.« less

  13. Electrochemical synthesis of formic acid from CO2 catalyzed by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 whole-cell biocatalyst.

    PubMed

    Le, Quang Anh Tuan; Kim, Hee Gon; Kim, Yong Hwan

    2018-09-01

    The electro-biocatalytic conversion of CO 2 into formic acid using whole-cell and isolated biocatalysts is useful as an alternative route for CO 2 sequestration. In this study, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (S. oneidensis MR-1), a facultative aerobic bacterium that has been extensively studied for its utility as biofuel cells as well as for the detoxification of heavy metal oxides (i.e., MnO 2 , uranium), has been applied for the first time as a whole-cell biocatalyst for formic acid synthesis from gaseous CO 2 and electrons supplied from an electrode. S. oneidensis MR-1, when aerobically grown in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium, exhibited its ability as a whole-cell biocatalyst for the conversion of CO 2 into formic acid with moderate productivity of 0.59 mM h -1 for 24 h. In addition, an optimization of growth conditions of S. oneidensis MR-1 resulted in a remarkable increase in productivity. The CO 2 reduction reaction catalyzed by S. oneidensis MR-1, when anaerobically grown in newly optimized LB medium supplemented with fumarate and nitrate, exhibited 3.2-fold higher productivity (1.9 mM h -1 for 72 h) compared to that grown aerobically in only LB medium. Furthermore, the average conversion rate of formic acid synthesis catalyzed by S. oneidensis MR-1 when grown in the optimal medium over a period of 72 h was 3.8 mM h -1  g -1 wet-cell, which is 9.6-fold higher than that catalyzed by Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 whole-cells in our previous study. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Excessive S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine-Dependent Methylation Increases Levels of Methanol, Formaldehyde and Formic Acid in Rat Brain Striatal Homogenates: Possible role in S-adenosyl-L-methionine-induced Parkinson’s disease-like disorders

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Eun-Sook; Chen, Hongtao; Hardman, Chadwick; Simm, Anthony; Charlton, Clivel

    2009-01-01

    Aims Excessive methylation may be a precipitating factor for Parkinson’s disease (PD) since S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), the endogenous methyl donor, induces PD-like changes when injected into the rat brain. The hydrolysis of the methyl ester bond of the methylated proteins produces methanol. Since methanol is oxidized into formaldehyde, and formaldehyde into formic acid in the body, we investigated the effects of SAM on the production of methanol, formaldehyde and formic acid in rat brain striatal homogenates and the toxicity of these products in PC12 cells. Main methods radio-enzymatic and colorimetric assays, cell viability, Western blot. Key findings SAM increased the formation of methanol, formaldehyde and formic acid in a concentration and time-dependent manner. Concentrations of [3H-methyl]-SAM at 0.17, 0.33, 0.67 and 1.34 nM produced 3.8, 8.0, 18.3 and 34.4 fmol/mg protein/h of [3H] methanol in rat striatal homogenates, respectively. SAM also significantly generated formaldehyde and formic acid in striatal homogenates. Formaldehyde was the most toxic metabolite to differentiated PC12 pheochromocytoma cells in cell culture studies, indicating that formaldehyde formed endogenously may contribute to neuronal damage in excessive methylation conditions. Subtoxic concentration of formaldehyde decreased the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, the limiting factor in dopamine synthesis. Formaldehyde was more toxic to catecholaminergic PC12 cells than C6 glioma cells, indicating that neurons are more vulnerable to formaldehyde than glia cells. Significance We suggest that excessive carboxylmethylation of proteins might be involved in the SAM-induced PD-like changes and in the aging process via the toxic effects of formaldehyde. PMID:18930743

  15. Porous AgPt@Pt Nanooctahedra as an Efficient Catalyst toward Formic Acid Oxidation with Predominant Dehydrogenation Pathway.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Xian; Yan, Xiaoxiao; Ren, Wangyu; Jia, Yufeng; Chen, Jianian; Sun, Dongmei; Xu, Lin; Tang, Yawen

    2016-11-16

    For direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs), the dehydrogenation pathway is a desired reaction pathway, to boost the overall cell efficiency. Elaborate composition tuning and nanostructure engineering provide two promising strategies to design efficient electrocatalysts for DFAFCs. Herein, we present a facile synthesis of porous AgPt bimetallic nanooctahedra with enriched Pt surface (denoted as AgPt@Pt nanooctahedra) by a selective etching strategy. The smart integration of geometric and electronic effect confers a substantial enhancement of desired dehydrogenation pathway as well as electro-oxidation activity for the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). We anticipate that the obtained nanocatalyst may hold great promises in fuel cell devices, and furthermore, the facile synthetic strategy demonstrated here can be extendable for the fabrication of other multicomponent nanoalloys with desirable morphologies and enhanced electrocatalytic performances.

  16. Determination of Acid Herbicides Using Modified QuEChERS with Fast Switching ESI(+)/ESI(-) LC-MS/MS.

    PubMed

    Sack, Chris; Vonderbrink, John; Smoker, Michael; Smith, Robert E

    2015-11-04

    A method for the determination of 35 acid herbicides in food matrices was developed, validated, and implemented. It utilizes a modified QuEChERS extraction procedure coupled with quantitation by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The acid herbicides analyzed are all organic carboxylic acids, including the older chlorophenoxy acid herbicides such as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), dicamba, 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA), quinclorac, and many of the newer imidazolinone herbicides such as imazethapyr and imazaquin. In the procedure, 10 mL of water is added to 5 g of sample and then extracted with 1% formic acid in acetonitrile for 1 min. The acetonitrile phase is salted out of the extract by adding sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate, followed by centrifugation. The acetonitrile is diluted 1:1 with water to enable quantitation by LC-MS/MS using fast switching between positive and negative electrospray ionization modes. The average recoveries for all the compounds except aminocyclopyrachlor were 95% with a precision of 8%. The method detection limits for all residues were less than 10 ng/g, and the correlation coefficients for the calibration curves was greater than 0.99 for all but two compounds tested. The method was used successfully for the quantitation of acid herbicides in the FDA's total diet study. The procedure proved to be accurate, precise, linear, sensitive, and rugged.

  17. Simple and sensitive analysis of blonanserin and blonanserin C in human plasma by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and its application.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Yunliang; Hu, Xingjiang; Liu, Jian; Wu, Guolan; Zhou, Huili; Zhu, Meixiang; Zhai, You; Wu, Lihua; Shentu, Jianzhong

    2014-01-01

    A highly sensitive, simple, and rapid liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method to simultaneously determine blonanserin and blonanserin C in human plasma with AD-5332 as internal standard (IS) was established. A simple direct protein precipitation method was used for the sample pretreatment, and chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters XBridge C8 (4.6 × 150 mm, 3.5  μ m) column. The mobile phase consists of a mixture of 10 mM ammonium formate and 0.1% formic acid in water (A) and 0.1% formic acid in methanol (B). To quantify blonanserin, blonanserin C, and IS, multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was performed in positive ESI mode. The calibration curve was linear in the concentration range of 0.012-5.78 ng·mL(-1) for blonanserin and 0.023-11.57 ng·mL(-1) for blonanserin C (r (2) > 0.9990). The intra- and interday precision of three quality control (QC) levels in plasma were less than 7.5%. Finally, the current simple, sensitive, and accurate LC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to investigate the pharmacokinetics of blonanserin and blonanserin C in healthy Chinese volunteers.

  18. Simple and Sensitive Analysis of Blonanserin and Blonanserin C in Human Plasma by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Its Application

    PubMed Central

    Zheng, Yunliang; Hu, Xingjiang; Liu, Jian; Wu, Guolan; Zhou, Huili; Zhu, Meixiang; Zhai, You; Wu, Lihua; ShenTu, Jianzhong

    2014-01-01

    A highly sensitive, simple, and rapid liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method to simultaneously determine blonanserin and blonanserin C in human plasma with AD-5332 as internal standard (IS) was established. A simple direct protein precipitation method was used for the sample pretreatment, and chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters XBridge C8 (4.6 × 150 mm, 3.5 μm) column. The mobile phase consists of a mixture of 10 mM ammonium formate and 0.1% formic acid in water (A) and 0.1% formic acid in methanol (B). To quantify blonanserin, blonanserin C, and IS, multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was performed in positive ESI mode. The calibration curve was linear in the concentration range of 0.012–5.78 ng·mL−1 for blonanserin and 0.023–11.57 ng·mL−1 for blonanserin C (r 2 > 0.9990). The intra- and interday precision of three quality control (QC) levels in plasma were less than 7.5%. Finally, the current simple, sensitive, and accurate LC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to investigate the pharmacokinetics of blonanserin and blonanserin C in healthy Chinese volunteers. PMID:24678425

  19. Monodisperse gold-palladium alloy nanoparticles and their composition-controlled catalysis in formic acid dehydrogenation under mild conditions.

    PubMed

    Metin, Önder; Sun, Xiaolian; Sun, Shouheng

    2013-02-07

    Monodisperse 4 nm AuPd alloy nanoparticles with controlled composition were synthesized by co-reduction of hydrogen tetrachloroaurate(III) hydrate and palladium(II) acetylacetonate with a borane-morpholine complex in oleylamine. These NPs showed high activity (TOF = 230 h(-1)) and stability in catalyzing formic acid dehydrogenation and hydrogen production in water at 50 °C without any additives.

  20. Local vibrational modes of the formic acid dimer - the strength of the double hydrogen bond

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalescky, R.; Kraka, E.; Cremer, D.

    2013-07-01

    The 24 normal and 24 local vibrational modes of the formic acid dimer formed by two trans formic acid monomers to a ring (TT1) are analysed utilising preferentially experimental frequencies, but also CCSD(T)/CBS and ωB97X-D harmonic vibrational frequencies. The local hydrogen bond (HB) stretching frequencies are at 676 cm-1 and by this 482 and 412 cm-1 higher compared to the measured symmetric and asymmetric HB stretching frequencies at 264 and 194 cm-1. The adiabatic connection scheme between local and normal vibrational modes reveals that the lowering is due to the topology of dimer TT1, mass coupling, and avoided crossings involving the HṡṡṡOC bending modes. The HB local mode stretching force constant is related to the strength of the HB whereas the normal mode stretching force constant and frequency lead to an erroneous underestimation of the HB strength. The HB in TT1 is stabilised by electron delocalisation in the O=C-O units fostered by forming a ring via double HBs. This implies that the CO apart from the OH local stretching frequencies reflect the strength of the HB via their red or blue shifts relative to their corresponding values in trans formic acid.

  1. Conditions and chemometrics for the determination of heavy metals in natural and waste waters by stripping voltammetry with UV irradiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Volkova, V.N.; Zakharova, E.A.; Khustenko, L.A.

    The number of supporting electrolytes for stripping voltammetry with photochemical oxygen deactivation was broadened. The following agents are recommended: formic, lactic, tartaric, citric, and malonic acids at pH 2-4; salts of lactic, tartaric, and citric acids at pH 6-7; and salts of lactic, tartaric, citric, and glutaric acids at pH 12-14. A rapid method was developed for simultaneously determining Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu in a 0.5 M formic acid supporting electrolyte. The method is chemometrically sound and cost-effective.

  2. Process for improving the energy density of feedstocks using formate salts

    DOEpatents

    Wheeler, Marshall Clayton; van Heiningen, Adriaan R.P.; Case, Paige A.

    2015-09-01

    Methods of forming liquid hydrocarbons through thermal deoxygenation of cellulosic compounds are disclosed. Aspects cover methods including the steps of mixing a levulinic acid salt-containing feedstock with a formic acid salt, exposing the mixture to a high temperature condition to form hydrocarbon vapor, and condensing the hydrocarbon vapor to form liquid hydrocarbons, where both the formic acid salt and the levulinic acid salt-containing feedstock decompose at the high temperature condition and wherein one or more of the mixing, exposing, and condensing steps is carried out a pressure between about vacuum and about 10 bar.

  3. Inactivation of the transcription factor mig1 (YGL035C) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae improves tolerance towards monocarboxylic weak acids: acetic, formic and levulinic acid.

    PubMed

    Balderas-Hernández, Victor E; Correia, Kevin; Mahadevan, Radhakrishnan

    2018-06-06

    Toxic concentrations of monocarboxylic weak acids present in lignocellulosic hydrolyzates affect cell integrity and fermentative performance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this work, we report the deletion of the general catabolite repressor Mig1p as a strategy to improve the tolerance of S. cerevisiae towards inhibitory concentrations of acetic, formic or levulinic acid. In contrast with the wt yeast, where the growth and ethanol production were ceased in presence of acetic acid 5 g/L or formic acid 1.75 g/L (initial pH not adjusted), the m9 strain (Δmig1::kan) produced 4.06 ± 0.14 and 3.87 ± 0.06 g/L of ethanol, respectively. Also, m9 strain tolerated a higher concentration of 12.5 g/L acetic acid (initial pH adjusted to 4.5) without affecting its fermentative performance. Moreover, m9 strain produced 33% less acetic acid and 50-70% less glycerol in presence of weak acids, and consumed acetate and formate as carbon sources under aerobic conditions. Our results show that the deletion of Mig1p provides a single gene deletion target for improving the acid tolerance of yeast strains significantly.

  4. Fatal complication of intravesical formalin during control of intractable hemorrhage from radiation cystitis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rao, M.S.; Singhal, P.C.; Bapna, B.C.

    Fatal acute tubular necrosis occurred in 1 patient in whom intravesical formalin was used to control massive persistent hemorrhage from radiation cystitis. A suggestion is made to monitor blood formic acid levels and institute prompt dialysis whenever these exceed 80 mg per 100 ml to avert such a catastrophe. Intravenous sodium bicarbonate appears to be indicated prophylactically in combating the associated metabolic acidosis due to absorbed formic acid.

  5. Formic acid acting as an efficient oxygen scavenger in four-electron reduction of oxygen catalyzed by a heterodinuclear iridium-ruthenium complex in water.

    PubMed

    Fukuzumi, Shunichi; Kobayashi, Takeshi; Suenobu, Tomoyoshi

    2010-09-01

    A heterodinuclear iridium-ruthenium complex [Ir(III)(Cp*)(H(2)O)(bpm)Ru(II)(bpy)(2)](SO(4))(2) (Cp* = eta(5)-pentamethyl-cyclopentadienyl, bpm = 2,2'-bipyrimidine, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) acts as an effective catalyst for removal of dissolved O(2) by the four-electron reduction of O(2) with formic acid in water at an ambient temperature.

  6. Continuous-flow hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to pure formic acid using an integrated scCO2 process with immobilized catalyst and base.

    PubMed

    Wesselbaum, Sebastian; Hintermair, Ulrich; Leitner, Walter

    2012-08-20

    Dual role for CO(2): Pure formic acid can be obtained continuously by hydrogenation of CO(2) in a single processing unit. An immobilized ruthenium organometallic catalyst and a nonvolatile base in an ionic liquid (IL) are combined with supercritical CO(2) as both reactant and extractive phase. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Computational Study of Formic Acid Dehydrogenation Catalyzed by Al(III)-Bis(imino)pyridine.

    PubMed

    Lu, Qian-Qian; Yu, Hai-Zhu; Fu, Yao

    2016-03-18

    The mechanism of formic acid dehydrogenation catalyzed by the bis(imino)pyridine-ligated aluminum hydride complex (PDI(2-))Al(THF)H (PDI=bis(imino)pyridine) was studied by density functional theory calculations. The overall transformation is composed of two stages: catalyst activation and the catalytic cycle. The catalyst activation begins with O-H bond cleavage of HCOOH promoted by aluminum-ligand cooperation, followed by HCOOH-assisted Al-H bond cleavage, and protonation of the imine carbon atom of the bis(imino)pyridine ligand. The resultant doubly protonated complex ((H,H) PDI)Al(OOCH)3 is the active catalyst for formic acid dehydrogenation. Given this, the catalytic cycle includes β-hydride elimination of ((H,H) PDI)Al(OOCH)3 to produce CO2, and the formed ((H,H) PDI)Al(OOCH)2 H mediates HCOOH to release H2. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Optimization of furfural production from D-xylose with formic acid as catalyst in a reactive extraction system.

    PubMed

    Yang, Wandian; Li, Pingli; Bo, Dechen; Chang, Heying; Wang, Xiaowei; Zhu, Tao

    2013-04-01

    Furfural is one of the most promising platform chemicals derived from biomass. In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to determine four important parameters including reaction temperature (170-210°C), formic acid concentration (5-25 g/L), o-nitrotoluene volume percentage (20-80 vt.%), and residence time (40-200 min). The maximum furfural yield of 74% and selectivity of 86% were achieved at 190°C for 20 g/L formic acid concentration and 75 vt.% o-nitrotoluene by 75 min. The high boiling solvent, o-nitrotoluene, was recommended as extraction solvent in a reactive extraction system to obtain high furfural yield and reduce furfural-solvent separation costs. Although the addition of halides to the xylose solutions enhanced the furfural yield and selectivity, the concentration of halides was not an important factor on the furfural yield and selectivity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Simple interface of high-performance liquid chromatography-atomic fluorescence spectrometry hyphenated system for speciation of mercury based on photo-induced chemical vapour generation with formic acid in mobile phase as reaction reagent.

    PubMed

    Yin, Yongguang; Liu, Jingfu; He, Bin; Shi, Jianbo; Jiang, Guibin

    2008-02-15

    Photo-induced chemical vapour generation (CVG) with formic acid in mobile phase as reaction reagent was developed as interface to on-line couple HPLC with atomic fluorescence spectrometry for the separation and determination of inorganic mercury, methylmercury (MeHg), ethylmercury (EtHg) and phenylmercury (PhHg). In the developed procedure, formic acid in mobile phase was used to decompose organomercuries and reduce Hg(2+) to mercury cold vapour under UV irradiation. Therefore, no post-column reagent was used and the flow injection system in traditional procedure is omitted. A number of operating parameters including pH of mobile phase, concentration of formate, flow rate of mobile phase, length of PTFE reaction coil, flow rate of carrier gas and Na(2)S(2)O(3) in sample matrix were optimized. The limits of detection at the optimized conditions were 0.085, 0.033, 0.029 and 0.038 microg L(-1) for inorganic mercury, MeHg, EtHg and PhHg, respectively. The developed method was validated by determination of certified reference material DORM-2 and was further applied in analyses of seafood samples from Yantai port, China. The UV-CVG with formic acid simplifies the instrumentation and reduces the analytical cost significantly.

  10. Use of Activated Carbon in Packaging to Attenuate Formaldehyde-Induced and Formic Acid-Induced Degradation and Reduce Gelatin Cross-Linking in Solid Dosage Forms.

    PubMed

    Colgan, Stephen T; Zelesky, Todd C; Chen, Raymond; Likar, Michael D; MacDonald, Bruce C; Hawkins, Joel M; Carroll, Sophia C; Johnson, Gail M; Space, J Sean; Jensen, James F; DeMatteo, Vincent A

    2016-07-01

    Formaldehyde and formic acid are reactive impurities found in commonly used excipients and can be responsible for limiting drug product shelf-life. Described here is the use of activated carbon in drug product packaging to attenuate formaldehyde-induced and formic acid-induced drug degradation in tablets and cross-linking in hard gelatin capsules. Several pharmaceutical products with known or potential vulnerabilities to formaldehyde-induced or formic acid-induced degradation or gelatin cross-linking were subjected to accelerated stability challenges in the presence and absence of activated carbon. The effects of time and storage conditions were determined. For all of the products studied, activated carbon attenuated drug degradation or gelatin cross-linking. This novel use of activated carbon in pharmaceutical packaging may be useful for enhancing the chemical stability of drug products or the dissolution stability of gelatin-containing dosage forms and may allow for the 1) extension of a drug product's shelf-life when the limiting attribute is a degradation product induced by a reactive impurity, 2) marketing of a drug product in hotter and more humid climatic zones than currently supported without the use of activated carbon, and 3) enhanced dissolution stability of products that are vulnerable to gelatin cross-linking. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. The chemisorption and reactions of formic acid on Cu films on ZnO (000 overline1)-O

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ludviksson, A.; Zhang, R.; Campbell, Charles T.; Griffiths, K.

    1994-06-01

    The adsorption and reactions of formic acid (HCOOD : HCOOH = 3:1) on the oxygen-terminated ZnO(0001¯)-O surface and on thin Cu films deposited on the ZnO(0001¯)-O surface have been studied with temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and XPS. Small amounts of formic acid dissociate at defect sites on clean ZnO(0001¯)-O to yield surface formate (HCOO). The acid D(H) from this dissociation does not reappear in TPD, and is lost to the ZnO bulk, as confirmed by nuclear reaction analysis. The surface HCOO decomposes to yield nearly simultaneous CO 2 (37%), CO (63%) and H 2 TPD peaks at 560 K. Substantial amounts of D (˜ 20%) are incorporated in this hydrogen TPD peak resulting from formate decomposition at ZnO defects, indicating that bulk D is readily accessible. Submonolayer and multilayer Cu films that are deposited at 130 K and partially cover the ZnO surface as 2D and 3D islands adsorb formic acid and decompose it into formate and hydrogen much like the Cu(110) surface. The surface formate from the Cu film decomposes at 470-500 K to give primarily CO 2 and H 2, also much like Cu(110), although atom-thin Cu islands also give ˜ 40% CO. Annealed Cu films give formate decomposition peaks at 25-50 K lower in temperature, attributed to thickening and ordering of the Cu islands to form Cu(111)-like sites. The acid D(H) atom from the formic acid is partially lost by hydrogen spillover from the Cu islands into the ZnO substrate, especially for thin Cu films. This effect partially desorbs and is enhanced upon preannealing the Cu layers, due to increased H diffusion rates across the annealed Cu islands, and/or the decrease in island size. Bulk D(H) is slowly removed as D 2, HD and H 2 above 400 K in diffusion-limited desorption, catalyzed by Cu.

  12. In-depth investigation on quantitative characterization of pyrolysis oil by 31P NMR

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ben, Haoxi; Ferrell, III, Jack R.

    The characterization of different heteroatom functional groups by employing 31P NMR has been developed for almost 30 years. In this study, an in-depth investigation of this commonly used method has been accomplished for the analysis of pyrolysis oil. Several commonly used internal standards for 31P NMR have been examined by in situ monitoring. The results indicated that endo-N-hydroxy-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide (NHND) is not stable after a long period of storage or experiment (>12 hours), but both cyclohexanol and triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) can be used as internal standards if a long experiment or storage is required. The pyrolysis oil has also been investigatedmore » by both short time (16 hours) in situ monitoring and long time (14 days) ex situ monitoring. The results showed that aliphatic OH, carboxylic acids and water contents are not very stable after 2 hours, and thus a short time of preparation, storage, and experiment need to be considered to ensure a precise quantitative measurement. The decomposition products are still unclear, but some preliminary investigations for different acids, (e.g. formic acid) have been accomplished. The results indicated that the aromatic carboxylic acids (benzoic acid and vanillic acid) are more stable than formic acid and acetic acid. Interestingly, the formic acid will even decompose to some other compounds at the very beginning of the in situ monitoring test. Further characterization found that water is one of the major products for the decomposition of formic acid in the 31P NMR solution. Finally, as far as we know, this is the first report on such time-dependent changes when using 31P NMR to analyze the pyrolysis oil, and these results show that proper application of this method is essential to achieve reliable quantitative data.« less

  13. In-depth investigation on quantitative characterization of pyrolysis oil by 31P NMR

    DOE PAGES

    Ben, Haoxi; Ferrell, III, Jack R.

    2016-01-29

    The characterization of different heteroatom functional groups by employing 31P NMR has been developed for almost 30 years. In this study, an in-depth investigation of this commonly used method has been accomplished for the analysis of pyrolysis oil. Several commonly used internal standards for 31P NMR have been examined by in situ monitoring. The results indicated that endo-N-hydroxy-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide (NHND) is not stable after a long period of storage or experiment (>12 hours), but both cyclohexanol and triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) can be used as internal standards if a long experiment or storage is required. The pyrolysis oil has also been investigatedmore » by both short time (16 hours) in situ monitoring and long time (14 days) ex situ monitoring. The results showed that aliphatic OH, carboxylic acids and water contents are not very stable after 2 hours, and thus a short time of preparation, storage, and experiment need to be considered to ensure a precise quantitative measurement. The decomposition products are still unclear, but some preliminary investigations for different acids, (e.g. formic acid) have been accomplished. The results indicated that the aromatic carboxylic acids (benzoic acid and vanillic acid) are more stable than formic acid and acetic acid. Interestingly, the formic acid will even decompose to some other compounds at the very beginning of the in situ monitoring test. Further characterization found that water is one of the major products for the decomposition of formic acid in the 31P NMR solution. Finally, as far as we know, this is the first report on such time-dependent changes when using 31P NMR to analyze the pyrolysis oil, and these results show that proper application of this method is essential to achieve reliable quantitative data.« less

  14. Post-column mobile phase adjustment: a strategy to eliminate the contradiction between liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry in the determination of flavonoids in rat plasma.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Shirui; Ma, Zhiyuan; Han, Haixia; Ye, Jianfeng; Wang, Ruwei; Cai, Sheng; Zhou, Hui; Yu, Lushan; Zeng, Su; Jiang, Huidi

    2014-07-01

    Flavonoids are a group of important naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds with a wide range of biological effects. In this study, a sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to simultaneously determine multiple active flavonoids, including quercetin (Que), kaempferol (Kae), apigenin (Api), isorhamnetin (Iso), luteolin (Lut), and naringenin (Nar), in rat plasma. To achieve a satisfied peak shape and LC separation, formic acid with the concentration between 0.05 and 0.2%, or in some case 5%, was generally used to acidify the LC mobile phase in reported studies. Here we found that even 0.05% formic acid could lead to strong mass signal suppression, and the absence of formic acid could reverse the signal suppression but cause serious peak tailing. There is an irreconcilable contradiction between liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS). In order to simultaneously satisfy LC and MS, LC mobile phase with 0.00075% formic acid and post column mobile phase adjustment with 0.0677% ammonium solution in isopropanol were applied. Compared with the conventional method with mobile phase containing 0.05% formic acid, the mass signal response of Que, Kae, Api, Iso, Lut, Nar, and Oka increased 26.2, 18.6, 13.6, 23.5, 17.5, 15.6 and 15.4 fold, respectively. In addition, the post column mobile phase addition exhibited the better peak shape for the reduction of analytes longitudinal diffusion. The method has been fully validated according to FDA guidelines within the linear range between 0.328 ng mL⁻¹ and 168 ng mL⁻¹, and successfully applied to a pilot pharmacokinetic study of rats after administering 5.43 g kg⁻¹ Pollen of Brassica campestris. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Chemical transformations of glucose to value added products using Cu-based catalytic systems.

    PubMed

    Yepez, Alfonso; Pineda, Antonio; Garcia, Angel; Romero, Antonio A; Luque, Rafael

    2013-08-07

    Cu nanoparticles have been supported by two types of aluminosilicate materials with and without Zn in their composition in view of their application in the microwave-assisted conversion of glucose to valuable products via tandem formic acid-promoted dehydration (to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural--HMF) and further selective hydrogenation to 5-methylfurfuryl alcohol (MFA). Results show that interesting selectivities (up to 60% to MFA or HMF) could be achieved after short times of reaction (typically 2-30 min) using Cu-containing nanomaterials. Zn was found to play an interesting role in the selectivity to reduced products, even if present in very small quantities (0.2 wt%).

  16. Manganese(III) Formate: A Three-Dimensional Framework That Traps Carbon Dioxide Molecules.

    PubMed

    Cornia, Andrea; Caneschi, Andrea; Dapporto, Paolo; Fabretti, Antonio C; Gatteschi, Dante; Malavasi, Wanda; Sangregorio, Claudio; Sessoli, Roberta

    1999-06-14

    Carbon dioxide, formic acid, and water molecules are trapped in the crystal lattice of manganese(III) formate (see 1), which was obtained by reducing permanganate with formic acid. Each CO 2 guest molecule exhibits four C-H⋅⋅⋅O-C-O interactions with the three-dimensional host framework of Mn(HCOO) 3 units. Compound 1 undergoes an antiferromagnetic phase transition at 27 K. © 1999 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim, Fed. Rep. of Germany.

  17. Electronic effects on the catalytic disproportionation of formic acid to methanol by [Cp*Ir(III)(R-bpy)Cl]Cl complexes.

    PubMed

    Sasayama, A F; Moore, C E; Kubiak, C P

    2016-02-14

    A series of [Cp*Ir(III)(R-bpy)Cl]Cl (R-bpy = 4,4'-di-R-2,2'-bipyridine; R = CF3, H, Me, tBu, OMe) complexes was prepared and studied for catalytic formic acid disproportionation. The relationship between the electron donating strength of the bipyridine substituents and methanol production of the corresponding complexes was analyzed; the unsubstituted (R = H) complex was the most selective for methanol formation.

  18. Picolinamide-Based Iridium Catalysts for Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid in Water: Effect of Amide N Substituent on Activity and Stability

    DOE PAGES

    Kanega, Ryoichi; Onishi, Naoya; Wang, Lin; ...

    2018-03-01

    To develop highly efficient catalysts for dehydrogenation of formic acid in water, we investigated in this paper several Cp*Ir catalysts with various amide ligands. The catalyst with an N-phenylpicolinamide ligand exhibited a TOF of 118 000 h -1 at 60 °C. A constant rate (TOF>35 000 h -1) was maintained for six hours, and a TON of 1 000 000 was achieved at 50 °C.

  19. Picolinamide-Based Iridium Catalysts for Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid in Water: Effect of Amide N Substituent on Activity and Stability

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kanega, Ryoichi; Onishi, Naoya; Wang, Lin

    To develop highly efficient catalysts for dehydrogenation of formic acid in water, we investigated in this paper several Cp*Ir catalysts with various amide ligands. The catalyst with an N-phenylpicolinamide ligand exhibited a TOF of 118 000 h -1 at 60 °C. A constant rate (TOF>35 000 h -1) was maintained for six hours, and a TON of 1 000 000 was achieved at 50 °C.

  20. Evaluation of Methods for the Analysis of Small Molecular Weight End-Products of Wastewater Ozonation.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-04-01

    advantage over the benzyl bromide method, which easily detected acetic and formic acid levels as low as 0.25 mg/L. Recovery was quantitative, with a...inner diameter glass, packed with 10% OV-l on 80/100 mesh Chromosorb WHP ( Alltech Associates) Carrier: Nitrogen at 24 cc/minute Column temperature: 150°C...found to be effective for analysis of acetic and formic acids. There was no advantage to the use of pentafluorobenzyl bromide over benzyl bromide, even

  1. Evaluation of Adsorption Characteristics of a Fibrous Adsorbent Containing Zwitter-Ionic Functional Group, Targeting Organic Acids.

    PubMed

    Nakazawa, Akira; Tang, Ning; Inoue, Yoshinori; Kamichatani, Waka; Katoh, Toshifumi; Saito, Mitsuru; Obara, Kenji; Toriba, Akira; Hayakawa, Kazuichi

    2017-01-01

    Diallylamine-maleic acid copolymer (DAM)-nonwoven fabric (DAM-f), a fibrous adsorbent, contains DAM with zwitter-ionic functional groups and forms a hydration layer on the surface. The aim of this report was to evaluate the adsorption selectivity of DAM-f to semi-volatile organic acid (C1-C5). In the aqueous phase, formic acid dissolved in the hydration layer bound to the imino group of DAM-f due to anion exchange interaction. In the gas phase, the adsorption amounts of organic acids increased with the exposure time. Moreover, the adsorption rate constants correlated with the air/water partition coefficients (log K aw ) for formic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid and isovaleric acid, except for acetic acid. These results indicate that DAM-f is highly selective to hydrophilic compounds which easily move from the air to the hydration layer of DAM-f.

  2. Carbon Dioxide Utilization by the Five-Membered Ring Products of Cyclometalation Reactions

    PubMed Central

    Omae, Iwao

    2016-01-01

    In carbon dioxide utilization by cyclometalated five-membered ring products, the following compounds are used in four types of applications: 1. 2-Phenylpyrazole iridium compounds, pincer phosphine iridium compounds and 2-phenylimidazoline iridium compounds are used as catalysts for both formic acid production from CO2 and H2, and hydrogen production from the formic acid. This formic acid can be a useful agent for H2 production and storage for fuel cell electric vehicles. 2. Other chemicals, e.g., dimethyl carbonate, methane, methanol and CO, are produced with dimethylaminomethylphenyltin compounds, pincer phosphine iridium compounds, pincer phosphine nickel compound and ruthenium carbene compound or 2-phenylpyridine iridium compounds, and phenylbenzothiazole iridium compounds as the catalysts for the reactions with CO2. 3. The five-membered ring intermediates of cyclometalation reactions with the conventional substrates react with carbon dioxide to afford their many types of carboxylic acid derivatives. 4. Carbon dioxide is easily immobilized at room temperature with immobilizing agents such as pincer phosphine nickel compounds, pincer phosphine palladium compounds, pincer N,N-dimethylaminomethyltin compounds and tris(2-pyridylthio)methane zinc compounds. PMID:28503084

  3. Gas phase hydrolysis of formaldehyde to form methanediol: impact of formic acid catalysis.

    PubMed

    Hazra, Montu K; Francisco, Joseph S; Sinha, Amitabha

    2013-11-21

    We find that formic acid (FA) is very effective at facilitating diol formation through its ability to reduce the barrier for the formaldehyde (HCHO) hydrolysis reaction. The rate limiting step in the mechanism involves the isomerization of a prereactive collision complex formed through either the HCHO···H2O + FA and/or HCHO + FA···H2O pathways. The present study finds that the effective barrier height, defined as the difference between the zero-point vibrational energy (ZPE) corrected energy of the transition state (TS) and the HCHO···H2O + FA and HCHO + FA···H2O starting reagents, are respectively only ∼1 and ∼4 kcal/mol. These barriers are substantially lower than the ∼17 kcal/mol barrier associated with the corresponding step in the hydrolysis of HCHO catalyzed by a single water molecule (HCHO + H2O + H2O). The significantly lower barrier heights for the formic acid catalyzed pathway reveal a new important role that organic acids play in the gas phase hydrolysis of atmospheric carbonyl compounds.

  4. Carbon Dioxide Utilization by the Five-Membered Ring Products of Cyclometalation Reactions.

    PubMed

    Omae, Iwao

    2016-04-01

    In carbon dioxide utilization by cyclometalated five-membered ring products, the following compounds are used in four types of applications: 1. 2-Phenylpyrazole iridium compounds, pincer phosphine iridium compounds and 2-phenylimidazoline iridium compounds are used as catalysts for both formic acid production from CO 2 and H 2 , and hydrogen production from the formic acid. This formic acid can be a useful agent for H 2 production and storage for fuel cell electric vehicles. 2. Other chemicals, e.g. , dimethyl carbonate, methane, methanol and CO, are produced with dimethylaminomethylphenyltin compounds, pincer phosphine iridium compounds, pincer phosphine nickel compound and ruthenium carbene compound or 2-phenylpyridine iridium compounds, and phenylbenzothiazole iridium compounds as the catalysts for the reactions with CO 2 . 3. The five-membered ring intermediates of cyclometalation reactions with the conventional substrates react with carbon dioxide to afford their many types of carboxylic acid derivatives. 4. Carbon dioxide is easily immobilized at room temperature with immobilizing agents such as pincer phosphine nickel compounds, pincer phosphine palladium compounds, pincer N , N -dimethylaminomethyltin compounds and tris(2-pyridylthio)methane zinc compounds.

  5. Sources and sinks of formic, acetic, and pyruvic acids over central Amazonia. II - Wet season

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Talbot, R. W.; Andreae, M. O.; Berresheim, H.; Jacob, D. J.; Beecher, K. M.

    1990-01-01

    Potential sources and sinks of formic, acetic, and pyruvic acids over the Amazon forest were investigated using a photochemical model and data collected on gas phase concentrations of these acids in the forest canopy, boundary layer, and free troposphere over the central Amazon Basin during the 1987 wet season. It was found that the atmospheric reactions previously suggested in the literature as sources of carboxylic acids (i.e., the gas phase decomposition of isoprene, the reaction between CH3CO3 and a peroxide, and aqueous phase oxidation of CH2O) appear to be too slow to explain the observed concentrations, suggesting that other atmospheric reactions, so far unidentified, could make a major contribution to the carboxylic acid budgets.

  6. Depolymerization and hydrodeoxygenation of switchgrass lignin with formic acid.

    PubMed

    Xu, Weiyin; Miller, Stephen J; Agrawal, Pradeep K; Jones, Christopher W

    2012-04-01

    Organosolv switchgrass lignin is depolymerized and hydrodeoxygenated with a formic acid hydrogen source, 20 wt % Pt/C catalyst, and ethanol solvent. The combination of formic acid and Pt/C is found to promote production of higher fractions of lower molecular weight compounds in the liquid products. After 4 h of reaction, all of the switchgrass lignin is solubilized and 21 wt % of the biomass is shown to be converted into seven prominent molecular species that are identified and quantified. Reaction time is shown to be an important variable in affecting changes in product distributions and bulk liquid product properties. At 20 h of reaction, the lignin is significantly depolymerized to form liquid products with a 76 % reduction in the weighted average molecular weight. Elemental analysis also shows that the resultant liquid products have a 50 % reduction in O/C and 10 % increase in H/C molar ratios compared to the switchgrass lignin after 20 h. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Communication: Protonation process of formic acid from the ionization and fragmentation of dimers induced by synchrotron radiation in the valence region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arruda, Manuela S.; Medina, Aline; Sousa, Josenilton N.; Mendes, Luiz A. V.; Marinho, Ricardo R. T.; Prudente, Frederico V.

    2016-04-01

    The ionization and fragmentation of monomers of organic molecules have been extensively studied in the gas phase using mass spectroscopy. In the spectra of these molecules it is possible to identify the presence of protonated cations, which have a mass-to-charge ratio one unit larger than the parent ion. In this work, we investigate this protonation process as a result of dimers photofragmentation. Experimental photoionization and photofragmentation results of doubly deuterated formic acid (DCOOD) in the gas phase by photons in the vacuum ultraviolet region are presented. The experiment was performed by using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer installed at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory and spectra for different pressure values in the experimental chamber were obtained. The coupled cluster approach with single and double substitutions was employed to assist the experimental analysis. Results indicate that protonated formic acid ions are originated from dimer dissociation, and the threshold photoionization of (DCOOD)ṡD+ is also determined.

  8. Reaction of atomic hydrogen with formic acid.

    PubMed

    Cao, Qian; Berski, Slawomir; Latajka, Zdzislaw; Räsänen, Markku; Khriachtchev, Leonid

    2014-04-07

    We study the reaction of atomic hydrogen with formic acid and characterize the radical products using IR spectroscopy in a Kr matrix and quantum chemical calculations. The reaction first leads to the formation of an intermediate radical trans-H2COOH, which converts to the more stable radical trans-cis-HC(OH)2via hydrogen atom tunneling on a timescale of hours at 4.3 K. These open-shell species are observed for the first time as well as a reaction between atomic hydrogen and formic acid. The structural assignment is aided by extensive deuteration experiments and ab initio calculations at the UMP2 and UCCSD(T) levels of theory. The simplest geminal diol radical trans-cis-HC(OH)2 identified in the present work as the final product of the reaction should be very reactive, and further reaction channels are of particular interest. These reactions and species may constitute new channels for the initiation and propagation of more complex organic species in the interstellar clouds.

  9. The anionic (9-methyladenine)-(1-methylthymine) base pair solvated by formic acid. A computational and photoelectron spectroscopy study.

    PubMed

    Storoniak, Piotr; Mazurkiewicz, Kamil; Haranczyk, Maciej; Gutowski, Maciej; Rak, Janusz; Eustis, Soren N; Ko, Yeon Jae; Wang, Haopeng; Bowen, Kit H

    2010-09-02

    The photoelectron spectrum for (1-methylthymine)-(9-methyladenine)...(formic acid) (1MT-9MA...FA) anions with the maximum at ca. 1.87 eV was recorded with 2.54 eV photons and interpreted through the quantum-chemical modeling carried out at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level. The relative free energies of the anions and their calculated vertical detachment energies suggest that only seven anionic structures contribute to the observed PES signal. We demonstrate that electron binding to the (1MT-9MA...FA) complex can trigger intermolecular proton transfer from formic acid, leading to the strong stabilization of the resulting radical anion. The SOMO distribution indicates that an excess electron may localize not only on the pyrimidine but also on the purine moiety. The biological context of DNA-environment interactions concerning the formation of single-strand breaks induced by excess electrons has been briefly discussed.

  10. Photocatalytic dehydrogenation of formic acid on CdS nanorods through Ni and Co redox mediation under mild conditions.

    PubMed

    Khan, Muhammad Abdullah; Rehman, Zia-Ur-; Nasir, Jamal Abdul; Hafeez, Muhammad; Arshad, Muhammad; Ali, Naveed Zafar; Teixieira, Ivo F; McPherson, Ian

    2018-05-30

    Selective release of hydrogen from formic acid (FA) is deemed feasible to solve issues associated with the release and storage of hydrogen. Here, we present a new efficient photocatalytic system consisting of CdS nanorods (NR), Ni, and Co to liberate hydrogen from formic acid. The optimised noble metal free catalytic system employs Ni/Co as a redox mediator to relay electrons and holes from CdS-NR to the Ni and Co respectively, which also deters the oxidation of CdS-NR. As a result, a high hydrogen production activity of 32.6 mmolh-1g-1 from the decomposition of FA was noted. Furthermore, the photocatalytic system exhibit sustained H2 production rate for 12 hours with sequential turnover numbers surpassing 4×103, 3×103 and 2×103 for Co-Ni/CdS-NR, Ni-CdS-NR and CoCl2/CdS-NR respectively. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Hydrogenation of biofuels with formic acid over a palladium-based ternary catalyst with two types of active sites.

    PubMed

    Wang, Liang; Zhang, Bingsen; Meng, Xiangju; Su, Dang Sheng; Xiao, Feng-Shou

    2014-06-01

    A composite catalyst including palladium nanoparticles on titania (TiO2) and on nitrogen-modified porous carbon (Pd/TiO2@N-C) is synthesized from palladium salts, tetrabutyl titanate, and chitosan. N2 sorption isotherms show that the catalyst has a high BET surface area (229 m(2)  g(-1)) and large porosity. XPS and TEM characterization of the catalyst shows that palladium species with different chemical states are well dispersed across the TiO2 and nitrogen-modified porous carbon, respectively. The Pd/TiO2@N-C catalyst is very active and shows excellent stability towards hydrogenation of vanillin to 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol using formic acid as hydrogen source. This activity can be attributed to a synergistic effect between the Pd/TiO2 (a catalyst for dehydrogenation of formic acid) and Pd/N-C (a catalyst for hydrogenation of vanillin) sites. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Highly Stretchable and Conductive Silver Nanoparticle Embedded Graphene Flake Electrode Prepared by In situ Dual Reduction Reaction.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Yeoheung; Samanta, Khokan; Lee, Hanleem; Lee, Keunsik; Tiwari, Anand P; Lee, JiHun; Yang, Junghee; Lee, Hyoyoung

    2015-09-18

    The emergence of stretchable devices that combine with conductive properties offers new exciting opportunities for wearable applications. Here, a novel, convenient and inexpensive solution process was demonstrated to prepare in situ silver (Ag) or platinum (Pt) nanoparticles (NPs)-embedded rGO hybrid materials using formic acid duality in the presence of AgNO3 or H2PtCl6 at low temperature. The reduction duality of the formic acid can convert graphene oxide (GO) to rGO and simultaneously deposit the positively charged metal ion to metal NP on rGO while the formic acid itself is converted to a CO2 evolving gas that is eco-friendly. The AgNP-embedded rGO hybrid electrode on an elastomeric substrate exhibited superior stretchable properties including a maximum conductivity of 3012 S cm(-1) (at 0 % strain) and 322.8 S cm(-1) (at 35 % strain). Its fabrication process using a printing method is scalable. Surprisingly, the electrode can survive even in continuous stretching cycles.

  13. Novel Hybrid Catalyst for the Oxidation of Organic Acids: Pd Nanoparticles Supported on Mn-N-3D-Graphene Nanosheets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Perry, Albert; Kabir, Sadia; Matanovic, Ivana

    This paper reports the fabrication and electrochemical performance of a hybrid catalyst composed of Pd nanoparticles and atomically dispersed Mn active centers integrated into the nitrogen-doped three-dimensional graphene nanosheets (Pd/Mn-N-3D-GNS). Our results show that the synergistic integration of both Pd nanoparticles and atomically dispersed Mn can be used to enhance the activity toward the electrochemical oxidation of organic acids at biologically relevant pH values. The hybrid catalyst (Pd/Mn-N-3D-GNS) showed increased maximum currents toward the oxidation of oxalic acid when compared to its individual catalysts, namely, Pd/3D-GNS and Mn N-3D-GNS catalysts. The hybrid also showed a decreased onset potential for oxidationmore » of mesoxalic acid as compared to Mn-N-3D-GNS and decreased onset potentials for the oxidation of glyoxalic acid when compared to both of its constituent catalysts. Oxidation of formic acid was also tested and the hybrid was shown to catalyze both dehydration and dehydrogenation mechanisms of formic acid electro-oxidation. Using density functional theory calculations, it was elucidated that a two-site catalysis most likely promotes dehydrogenation reaction for formic acid oxidation, which can explain the selectivity of Pd nanoparticles and atomically dispersed Mn towards the dehydrogenation/ dehydration pathway.« less

  14. Novel Hybrid Catalyst for the Oxidation of Organic Acids: Pd Nanoparticles Supported on Mn-N-3D-Graphene Nanosheets

    DOE PAGES

    Perry, Albert; Kabir, Sadia; Matanovic, Ivana; ...

    2017-06-16

    This paper reports the fabrication and electrochemical performance of a hybrid catalyst composed of Pd nanoparticles and atomically dispersed Mn active centers integrated into the nitrogen-doped three-dimensional graphene nanosheets (Pd/Mn-N-3D-GNS). Our results show that the synergistic integration of both Pd nanoparticles and atomically dispersed Mn can be used to enhance the activity toward the electrochemical oxidation of organic acids at biologically relevant pH values. The hybrid catalyst (Pd/Mn-N-3D-GNS) showed increased maximum currents toward the oxidation of oxalic acid when compared to its individual catalysts, namely, Pd/3D-GNS and Mn N-3D-GNS catalysts. The hybrid also showed a decreased onset potential for oxidationmore » of mesoxalic acid as compared to Mn-N-3D-GNS and decreased onset potentials for the oxidation of glyoxalic acid when compared to both of its constituent catalysts. Oxidation of formic acid was also tested and the hybrid was shown to catalyze both dehydration and dehydrogenation mechanisms of formic acid electro-oxidation. Using density functional theory calculations, it was elucidated that a two-site catalysis most likely promotes dehydrogenation reaction for formic acid oxidation, which can explain the selectivity of Pd nanoparticles and atomically dispersed Mn towards the dehydrogenation/ dehydration pathway.« less

  15. Quantitative and pattern recognition analyses of magnoflorine, spinosin, 6'''-feruloyl spinosin and jujuboside A by HPLC in Zizyphi Semen.

    PubMed

    Kim, Won Il; Zhao, Bing Tian; Zhang, Hai Yan; Lee, Je Hyun; Son, Jong Keun; Woo, Mi Hee

    2014-01-01

    Two rapid and simple HPLC methods with UV detector to determine three main compounds (magnoflorine, spinosin and 6'''-feruloyl spinosin) and evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) to determine jujuboside A were developed for the chemical analyses of Zizyphi Semen. Magnoflorine, spinosin, and 6'''-feruloyl spinosin were separated with an YMC J'sphere ODS-H80 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 4 μm) by the gradient elution followed by the isocratic elution using methanol with 0.1 % formic acid and water with 0.1 % formic acid as the mobile phase. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min. Jujuboside A was separated by HPLC-ELSD with YoungJinBioChrom Aegispak C18-L column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column in a gradient elution using methanol with 0.1 % formic acid (A) and water with 0.1 % formic acid as the mobile phase. These two methods were fully validated with respect to linearity, precision, accuracy, stability, and robustness. These HPLC methods were applied successfully to quantify four compounds in a Zizyphi Semen extract. The HPLC analytical methods were validated for pattern recognition analysis by repeated analysis of 91 seed samples corresponding to 48 Zizyphus jujuba var. spinosa (J01-J48) and 43 Zizyphus mauritiana (M01-M43). The results indicate that these methods are suitable for a quality evaluation of Zizyphi Semen.

  16. [Catalytic stability in wet air oxidation of carboxylic acids over ZnFe0.25Al1.75 O4 catalyst].

    PubMed

    Xu, Ai-hua; Yang, Min; Du, Hong-zhang; Peng, Fu-yong; Sun, Cheng-lin

    2007-07-01

    Oxalic, formic and acetic acid are main intermediate products in catalytic wet air oxidation process (CWAO). The catalytic activity and stability in CWAO of the three short-chain organic acids over ZnFe0.25Al1.75O4 catalyst were studied. Oxalic acid is the only oxidizable intermediate and the largest amount of Fe leaching is 9.5 mg L(-1) at 160 degrees C during CWAO process. Formic and acetic acid have little influence on Fe leaching. Due to the strong reducible ability of oxalic acid, the amount of Fe leaching is larger in nitrogen atmosphere than that in oxygen atmosphere. Salicylic acid can be also degraded by ZnFe0.25Al1.75O4 catalyst with a high catalytic activity and stability.

  17. Quantification and Evidence for Mechanically Metered Release of Pygidial Secretions in Formic Acid-Producing Carabid Beetles

    PubMed Central

    Will, Kipling W.; Gill, Aman S.; Lee, Hyeunjoo; Attygalle, Athula B.

    2010-01-01

    This study is the first to measure the quantity of pygidial gland secretions released defensively by carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and to accurately measure the relative quantity of formic acid contained in their pygidial gland reservoirs and spray emissions. Individuals of three typical formic acid producing species were induced to repeatedly spray, ultimately exhausting their chemical compound reserves. Beetles were subjected to faux attacks using forceps and weighed before and after each ejection of chemicals. Platynus brunneomarginatus (Mannerheim) (Platynini), P. ovipennis (Mannerheim) (Platynini) and Calathus ruficollis Dejean (Sphodrini), sprayed average quantities with standard error of 0.313 ± 0.172 mg, 0.337 ± 0.230 mg, and 0.197 ± 0.117 mg per spray event, respectively. The quantity an individual beetle released when induced to spray tended to decrease with each subsequent spray event. The quantity emitted in a single spray was correlated to the quantity held in the reservoirs at the time of spraying for beetles whose reserves are greater than the average amount emitted in a spray event. For beetles with a quantity less than the average amount sprayed in reserve there was no significant correlation. For beetles comparable in terms of size, physiological condition and gland reservoir fullness, the shape of the gland reservoirs and musculature determined that a similar effort at each spray event would mechanically meter out the release so that a greater amount was emitted when more was available in the reservoir. The average percentage of formic acid was established for these species as 34.2%, 73.5% and 34.1% for for P. brunneomarginatus, P. ovipennis and C. ruficollis, respectively. The average quantities of formic acid released by individuals of these species was less than two-thirds the amount shown to be lethal to ants in previously published experiments. However, the total quantity from multiple spray events from a single individual could aggregate to quantities at or above the lethal level, and lesser quantities are known to act as ant alarm pheromones. Using a model, one directed spray of the formic acid and hydrocarbon mix could spread to an area of 5–8 cm diameter and persisted for 9–22 seconds at a threshold level known to induce alarm behaviors in ants. These results show that carabid defensive secretions may act as a potent and relatively prolonged defense against ants or similar predators even at a sub-lethal dose. PMID:20575743

  18. Effect of dietary formic acid and astaxanthin on the survival and growth of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and their resistance to Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

    PubMed

    Chuchird, Niti; Rorkwiree, Phitsanu; Rairat, Tirawat

    2015-01-01

    A 90-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of formic acid (FA) and astaxanthin (AX) on growth, survival, immune parameters, and tolerance to Vibrio infection in Pacific white shrimp. The study was divided into two experiments. In experiment 1, postlarvae-12 were randomly distributed into six groups and then fed four times daily with six experimental diets contained 0.3 % FA, 0.6 % FA, 50 ppm AX, 0.3 % FA + 50 ppm AX, 0.6 % FA + 50 ppm AX, or none of these supplements (control diet). After 60 days of the feeding trials, the body weight of all treatment groups was not significantly different from the control group, although shrimp fed formic acid had significantly lower body weight than shrimp fed 50 ppm AX. However, the 0.6 % FA + 50 ppm AX group had a significantly higher survival rate (82.33 ± 8.32 %) than the control group (64.33 ± 10.12 %). In experiment 2, Vibrio parahaemolyticus was added to each tank to obtain a final concentration of 10(4) colony-forming units/mL. Each treatment group received the aforementioned diets for another 30 days. At the end of this experiment, there was no difference in the weight gain among all experimental groups. However, the survival rate of shrimps whose diet included FA, AX, and their combination (in the range of 45.83-67.50 %) was significantly higher than the control group (20.00 ± 17.32 %). FA-fed shrimps also had significantly lower total intestinal bacteria and Vibrio spp. counts, while immune parameters [total hemocyte count (THC), phagocytosis activity, phenoloxidase (PO) activity, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity] of AX-fed groups were significantly improved compared with the other groups. In conclusion, FA, AX, and their combination are useful in shrimp aquaculture.

  19. Corrosion Testing of Monofrax K-3 Refractory in Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Alternate Reductant Feeds

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Williams, M.; Jantzen, C.; Burket, P.

    The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) uses a combination of reductants and oxidants while converting high level waste (HLW) to a borosilicate waste form. A reducing flowsheet is maintained to retain radionuclides in their reduced oxidation states which promotes their incorporation into borosilicate glass. For the last 20 years of processing, the DWPF has used formic acid as the main reductant and nitric acid as the main oxidant. During reaction in the Chemical Process Cell (CPC), formate and formic acid release measurably significant H 2 gas which requires monitoring of certain vessel’s vapor spaces.more » A switch to a nitric acid-glycolic acid (NG) flowsheet from the nitric-formic (NF) flowsheet is desired as the NG flowsheet releases considerably less H 2 gas upon decomposition. This would greatly simplify DWPF processing from a safety standpoint as close monitoring of the H 2 gas concentration could become less critical. In terms of the waste glass melter vapor space flammability, the switch from the NF flowsheet to the NG flowsheet showed a reduction of H 2 gas production from the vitrification process as well. Due to the positive impact of the switch to glycolic acid determined on the flammability issues, evaluation of the other impacts of glycolic acid on the facility must be examined.« less

  20. X-ray and neutron scattering studies of liquid formic acid DCOOD at various temperatures and under pressure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nasr, Salah; Bellissent-Funel, Marie-Claire; Cortès, Robert

    1999-06-01

    A structural investigation of fully deuterated liquid formic acid was performed by neutron scattering at pressure up to 3 kbar. The molecular pair correlation function was also deduced from x-ray study of DCOOD at ambient pressure and at 294 K. The results could be explained in terms of an open-chain structure with only two H bonds per molecule. The mean O⋯O distance is about 2.72 Å. The effect of both temperature and pressure on the hydrogen bond network is examined.

  1. The Methanol Economy Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Olah, George; Prakash, G. K.

    2014-02-01

    The Methanol Economy Project is based on the concept of replacing fossil fuels with methanol generated either from renewable resources or abundant natural (shale) gas. The full methanol cycle was investigated in this project, from production of methanol through bromination of methane, bireforming of methane to syngas, CO 2 capture using supported amines, co-electrolysis of CO 2 and water to formate and syngas, decomposition of formate to CO 2 and H 2, and use of formic acid in a direct formic acid fuel cell. Each of these projects achieved milestones and provided new insights into their respective fields.

  2. Photochemically engineering the metal-semiconductor interface for room-temperature transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes with formic acid.

    PubMed

    Li, Xin-Hao; Cai, Yi-Yu; Gong, Ling-Hong; Fu, Wei; Wang, Kai-Xue; Bao, Hong-Liang; Wei, Xiao; Chen, Jie-Sheng

    2014-12-08

    A mild photochemical approach was applied to construct highly coupled metal-semiconductor dyads, which were found to efficiently facilitate the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene. Aniline was produced in excellent yield (>99 %, TOF: 1183) using formic acid as hydrogen source and water as solvent at room temperature. This general and green catalytic process is applicable to a wide range of nitroarenes without the involvement of high-pressure gases or sacrificial additives. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Iodide-Photocatalyzed Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formic Acid with Thiols and Hydrogen Sulfide.

    PubMed

    Berton, Mateo; Mello, Rossella; González-Núñez, María Elena

    2016-12-20

    The photolysis of iodide anions promotes the reaction of carbon dioxide with hydrogen sulfide or thiols to quantitatively yield formic acid and sulfur or disulfides. The reaction proceeds in acetonitrile and aqueous solutions, at atmospheric pressure and room temperature by irradiation using a low-pressure mercury lamp. This transition-metal-free photocatalytic process for CO 2 capture coupled with H 2 S removal may have been relevant as a prebiotic carbon dioxide fixation. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Antimicrobial activity of secondary metabolites from Streptomyces sp. K15, an endophyte in Houttuynia cordata Thunb.

    PubMed

    Chen, Huabao; Yang, Chunping; Ke, Tao; Zhou, Miaomiao; Li, Zhaojun; Zhang, Min; Gong, Guoshu; Hou, Taiping

    2015-01-01

    We isolated Streptomyces sp. K15 from the root tissue of Houttuynia cordata Thunb and found that some of its secondary metabolites exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against Botrytis cinerea. Moreover, we separated, purified and identified the major active ingredient to be 2-pyrrol formic acid by using silica gel column chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography and NMR analysis of the spectral data. 2-Pyrrol formic acid critically inhibited the growth of some phytopathogenic bacteria. Therefore, it has potential value in agricultural applications.

  5. Characterization of the Pathological and Biochemical Markers that Correlate to the Clinical Features of Autism

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-10-01

    Iversen et al 1995, Selkoe 2001); and AβpE3 as a product of N-terminal truncation of full length Aβ peptide by aminopeptidase A and pyroglutamate ...formic acid for 20 min (Kitamoto et al 1987). The endogenous peroxidase in the sections was blocked with 0.2% hydrogen peroxide in methanol. The sections...70% formic acid for 20 minutes, washed in PBS 2x 10 min and double immunostained using mAb 4G8 and lysosomal marker cathepsin D (Calbiochem) or a

  6. Solar to Liquid Fuels Production: Light-Driven Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formic Acid

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-03-29

    molecular wire. The X-ray crystal structure for the E . coli FDH enzyme shows that a [4Fe-4S] cluster is located near the surface of the protein. The...CO2 to formic acid. E . coli FDH, encoded by fdhF, was chosen for this work because it is a single-subunit enzyme that has been studied in detail, and...mutagenesis was employed to change surface-located Cys11 to Gly to open a coordination site. The proteins were overproduced in E . coli and purified

  7. Extraction and electrospinning of gelatin from fish skin.

    PubMed

    Songchotikunpan, Panida; Tattiyakul, Jirarat; Supaphol, Pitt

    2008-04-01

    Ultra-fine gelatin fibers were successfully fabricated by electrospinning from the solutions of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) skin-extracted gelatin in either acetic acid or formic acid aqueous solutions. The extracted gelatin contained 7.3% moisture, 89.4% protein, 0.3% lipid, and 0.4% ash contents (on the basis of wet weight), while the bloom gel strength, the shear viscosity, and the pH values were 328 g, 17.8 mPa s, and 5.0, respectively. Both the acid concentration and the concentration of the gelatin solutions strongly influenced the properties of the as-prepared solutions and the obtained gelatin fibers. At low acid concentrations (i.e., 15% (w/v) extracted gelatin solutions in 10 and 20% (v/v) acetic acid solvents or 10-60% (v/v) formic acid solvents), a combination between smooth and beaded fibers was observed. At low concentrations of the gelatin solutions in either 40% (v/v) acetic acid solvent or 80% (v/v) formic acid solvent (i.e., 5-11%, w/v), either discrete beads or beaded fibers were obtained, while, at higher concentrations (i.e., 14-29%, w/v), only smooth or a combination of smooth and beaded fibers were obtained. The average diameters of the obtained fibers, regardless of the types of the acid solvents used, ranged between 109 and 761 nm. Lastly, cross-linking of the obtained gelatin fiber mats with glutaraldehyde vapor caused slight shrinkage from their original dimension, and the cross-linked gelatin fiber mats became stiffer.

  8. Interim glycol flowsheet reduction/oxidation (redox) model for the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jantzen, C. M.; Williams, M. S.; Zamecnik, J. R.

    Control of the REDuction/OXidation (REDOX) state of glasses containing high concentrations of transition metals, such as High Level Waste (HLW) glasses, is critical in order to eliminate processing difficulties caused by overly reduced or overly oxidized melts. Operation of a HLW melter at Fe +2/ΣFe ratios of between 0.09 and 0.33, a range which is not overly oxidizing or overly reducing, helps retain radionuclides in the melt, i.e. long-lived radioactive 99Tc species in the less volatile reduced Tc 4+ state, 104Ru in the melt as reduced Ru +4 state as insoluble RuO 2, and hazardous volatile Cr 6+ in themore » less soluble and less volatile Cr +3 state in the glass. The melter REDOX control balances the oxidants and reductants from the feed and from processing additives such as antifoam. Currently, the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is running a formic acid-nitric acid (FN) flowsheet where formic acid is the main reductant and nitric acid is the main oxidant. During decomposition formate and formic acid releases H 2 gas which requires close control of the melter vapor space flammability. A switch to a nitric acid-glycolic acid (GN) flowsheet is desired as the glycolic acid flowsheet releases considerably less H 2 gas upon decomposition. This would greatly simplify DWPF processing. Development of an EE term for glycolic acid in the GN flowsheet is documented in this study.« less

  9. Water molecule-enhanced CO{sub 2} insertion in lanthanide coordination polymers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Luo Liushan; Huang Xiaoyuan; Wang Ning

    2009-08-15

    Two new lanthanide coordination polymers H{sub 2}N(CH{sub 3}){sub 2}.[Eu{sup III}{sub 2}(L{sub 1}){sub 3}(L{sub 2})] (1, L{sub 1}=isophthalic acid dianion, L{sub 2}=formic acid anion) and [La{sup III}(2,5-PDC)(L{sub 2})](2, 2,5-PDC=2,5-pyridinedicarboxylate dianion) were synthesized under solvothermal conditions. It is of interest that the formic ligand (L{sub 2}) is not contained in the stating materials, but arises from the water molecule-enhanced CO{sub 2} insertion during the solvothermal process. Both of the two compounds exhibit complicated three dimensional sandwich-like frameworks. - Graphical abstract: Two new lanthanide coordination polymers involving water molecule-enhanced CO{sub 2} insertion resulting in the formation of formic anion and dimethylammonium cation weremore » synthesized under solvothermal conditions.« less

  10. Formic acid decomposition on Pt1/Cu (111) single platinum atom catalyst: Insights from DFT calculations and energetic span model analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ying-Fan; Li, Kun; Wang, Gui-Chang

    2018-04-01

    Inspired by the recent surface experimental results that the monatomic Pt catalysts has more excellent hydrogen production that Cu(111) surface, the mechanism of decomposition of formic acid on Cu(111) and single atom Pt1/Cu(111) surface was studied by periodic density functional theory calculations in the present work. The results show that the formic acid tends to undergo dehydrogenation on both surfaces to obtain the hydrogen product of the target product, and the selectivity and catalytic activity of Pt1/Cu (111) surface for formic acid dehydrogenation are better. The reason is that the single atom Pt1/Cu(111) catalyst reduces the reaction energy barrier (i.e., HCOO → CO2 + H) of the critical step of the dehydrogenation reaction due to the fact that the single atom Pt1/Cu(111) catalyst binds formate weakly compared to that of Cu (111) one. Moreover, it was found that the Pt1/Cu (111) binds CO more strongly than that of Cu (111) one and thus leading to the difficult for the formation of CO. These two factors would make the single Pt atom catalyst had the high selectivity for the H2 production. It is hoped that the present work may help people to design the efficient H2 production from HCOOH decomposition by reduce the surface binding strength of HCOO species, for example, using the low coordination number active site like single atom or other related catalytic system.

  11. Co-adsorption of oxygen and formic acid on rutile TiO2 (110) studied by infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mattsson, Andreas; Österlund, Lars

    2017-09-01

    Adsorption of formic acid and co-adsorption with oxygen have been investigated on the rutile TiO2(110) surface using p- and s-polarized infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) at O2 exposures between 45 L to 8100 L and at temperatures between 273 K and 343 K. On the clean surface formic acid dissociates into a formate ion (formate) and a proton. Formate binds to two five-fold coordinated Ti atoms in the troughs along the [001] direction, and the proton binds to neighboring bridging O atoms. Exposure of adsorbed formate to O2 leads to a decrease in the asymmetric νas(OCO) band at 1532 cm-1 and to the concomitant formation of a new vibration band at 1516 cm-1. From the s-and p-polarized IRRAS measurements performed at different O2 exposures, surface pre-treatments and substrate temperatures, and by comparisons with previous reports, we conclude that the new species is a bidentate surface hydrogen carbonate, which is formed by reaction between formate and oxygen adatoms on the surface. The σv reflection plane of the surface hydrogen carbonate molecule is oriented along the [001] direction, i.e. the same direction as the adsorbed formate molecule. On the clean TiO2(110) surface exposed to O2 prior to formic acid adsorption, similar results are obtained. The reaction rate to form surface hydrogen carbonate from formate is found to follow first-order kinetics, with an apparent activation energy of Er=0.25 eV.

  12. Bridge-bonded formate: active intermediate or spectator species in formic acid oxidation on a Pt film electrode?

    PubMed

    Chen, Y-X; Heinen, M; Jusys, Z; Behm, R J

    2006-12-05

    We present and discuss the results of an in situ IR study on the mechanism and kinetics of formic acid oxidation on a Pt film/Si electrode, performed in an attenuated total reflection (ATR) flow cell configuration under controlled mass transport conditions, which specifically aimed at elucidating the role of the adsorbed bridge-bonded formates in this reaction. Potentiodynamic measurements show a complex interplay between formation and desorption/oxidation of COad and formate species and the total Faradaic current. The notably faster increase of the Faradaic current compared to the coverage of bridge-bonded formate in transient measurements at constant potential, but with different formic acid concentrations, reveals that adsorbed formate decomposition is not rate-limiting in the dominant reaction pathway. If being reactive intermediate at all, the contribution of formate adsorption/decomposition to the reaction current decreases with increasing formic acid concentration, accounting for at most 15% for 0.2 M DCOOH at 0.7 VRHE. The rapid build-up/removal of the formate adlayer and its similarity with acetate or (bi-)sulfate adsorption/desorption indicate that the formate adlayer coverage is dominated by a fast dynamic adsorption-desorption equilibrium with the electrolyte, and that formate desorption is much faster than its decomposition. The results corroborate the proposal of a triple pathway reaction mechanism including an indirect pathway, a formate pathway, and a dominant direct pathway, as presented previously (Chen, Y. X.; et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 981), in which adsorbed formates act as a site-blocking spectator in the dominant pathway rather than as an active intermediate.

  13. Dehydrogenation of formic acid catalyzed by magnesium hydride anions, HMgL2- (L = Cl and HCO2)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khairallah, George N.; O'Hair, Richard A. J.

    2006-08-01

    A two step gas-phase catalytic cycle for the dehydrogenation of formic acid was established using a combination of experiments carried out on a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer and DFT calculations. The catalysts are the magnesium hydride anions HMgL2- (L = Cl and HCO2), which are formed from the formate complexes, HCO2MgL2-, via elimination of carbon dioxide under conditions of collision induced dissociation. This is followed by an ion-molecule reaction between HMgL2- and formic acid, which yields hydrogen and also reforms the formate complex, HCO2MgL2-. A kinetic isotope effect in the range 2.3-2.9 was estimated for the rate determining decarboxylation step by carrying out CID on the (HCO2)(DCO2)MgCl2- and subjecting the resultant mixture of (H)(DCO2)MgCl2- and (HCO2)(D)MgCl2- ions at m/z 106 to ion-molecule reactions. DFT calculations (at the B3LYP/6-31 + G* level of theory) were carried out on the HMgCl2- system and revealed that: (i) the decarboxylation of HCO2MgCl2- is endothermic by 47.8 kcal mol-1, consistent with the need to carry out CID to form the HMgCl2-; (ii) HMgCl2- can react with formic acid via either a four centred transition state or a six centred transition state. The former reaction is favoured by 7.8 kcal mol-1.

  14. Size effects in electronic and catalytic properties of unsupported palladium nanoparticles in electrooxidation of formic acid.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Wei Ping; Lewera, Adam; Larsen, Robert; Masel, Rich I; Bagus, Paul S; Wieckowski, Andrzej

    2006-07-13

    We report a combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and chronoamperometry (CA) study of formic acid electrooxidation on unsupported palladium nanoparticle catalysts in the particle size range from 9 to 40 nm. The CV and CA measurements show that the most active catalyst is made of the smallest (9 and 11 nm) Pd nanoparticles. Besides the high reactivity, XPS data show that such nanoparticles display the highest core-level binding energy (BE) shift and the highest valence band (VB) center downshift with respect to the Fermi level. We believe therefore that we found a correlation between formic acid oxidation current and BE and VB center shifts, which, in turn, can directly be related to the electronic structure of palladium nanoparticles of different particle sizes. Clearly, such a trend using unsupported catalysts has never been reported. According to the density functional theory of heterogeneous catalysis, and mechanistic considerations, the observed shifts are caused by a weakening of the bond strength of the COOH intermediate adsorption on the catalyst surface. This, in turn, results in the increase in the formic acid oxidation rate to CO2 (and in the associated oxidation current). Overall, our measurements demonstrate the particle size effect on the electronic properties of palladium that yields different catalytic activity in the HCOOH oxidation reaction. Our work highlights the significance of the core-level binding energy and center of the d-band shifts in electrocatalysis and underlines the value of the theory that connects the center of the d-band shifts to catalytic reactivity.

  15. Postmortem computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging facilitates forensic autopsy in a fatal case of poisoning with formic acid, diphenhydramine, and ethanol.

    PubMed

    Berger, Florian; Steuer, Andrea E; Rentsch, Katharina; Gascho, Dominic; Stamou, Stamatios; Schärli, Sarah; Thali, Michael J; Krämer, Thomas; Flach, Patricia M

    2016-09-01

    A case of fatal poisoning by ingesting formic acid, diphenhydramine, and ethanol by a 25-year-old woman who committed suicide is presented. Prior to autopsy, postmortem computed tomography and postmortem magnetic resonance tomography were performed and revealed severe damage to the stomach, the left thoracic wall, and parts of the liver. Imaging detected acid-induced fluid-fluid level within the thoracic cavity (fat-equivalent fluid and necrotic pleural effusion). This case report illustrates that postmortem cross-sectional imaging may facilitate dissection of severely damaged or complex regions, and may provide additional information compared to autopsy and toxicological examinations alone.

  16. Hydrogen Production and Storage on a Formic Acid/Bicarbonate Platform using Water-Soluble N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of Late Transition Metals.

    PubMed

    Jantke, Dominik; Pardatscher, Lorenz; Drees, Markus; Cokoja, Mirza; Herrmann, Wolfgang A; Kühn, Fritz E

    2016-10-06

    The synthesis and characterization of two water-soluble bis-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes of rhodium and iridium is presented. Both compounds are active in H 2 generation from formic acid and in hydrogenation of bicarbonate to formate. The rhodium derivative is most active in both reactions, reaching a TOF of 39 000 h -1 and a TON of 449 000 for H 2 production. The catalytic hydrogenation reactions were carried out in an autoclave system and analyzed using the integrated peak areas in the 1 H NMR spectra. Decomposition of formic acid was investigated using a Fisher-Porter bottle equipped with a pressure transducer. Long-term stability for hydrogen evolution was tested by surveillance of the gas flow rate. The procedure does not require any additives like amines or inert gas conditions. Density functional theory calculations in agreement with experimental results suggest a bicarbonate reduction mechanism involving a second catalyst molecule, which provides an external hydride acting as reducing agent. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Highly Stretchable and Conductive Silver Nanoparticle Embedded Graphene Flake Electrode Prepared by In situ Dual Reduction Reaction

    PubMed Central

    Yoon, Yeoheung; Samanta, Khokan; Lee, Hanleem; Lee, Keunsik; Tiwari, Anand P.; Lee, JiHun; Yang, Junghee; Lee, Hyoyoung

    2015-01-01

    The emergence of stretchable devices that combine with conductive properties offers new exciting opportunities for wearable applications. Here, a novel, convenient and inexpensive solution process was demonstrated to prepare in situ silver (Ag) or platinum (Pt) nanoparticles (NPs)-embedded rGO hybrid materials using formic acid duality in the presence of AgNO3 or H2PtCl6 at low temperature. The reduction duality of the formic acid can convert graphene oxide (GO) to rGO and simultaneously deposit the positively charged metal ion to metal NP on rGO while the formic acid itself is converted to a CO2 evolving gas that is eco-friendly. The AgNP-embedded rGO hybrid electrode on an elastomeric substrate exhibited superior stretchable properties including a maximum conductivity of 3012 S cm-1 (at 0 % strain) and 322.8 S cm-1 (at 35 % strain). Its fabrication process using a printing method is scalable. Surprisingly, the electrode can survive even in continuous stretching cycles. PMID:26383845

  18. Determination of Triazine Herbicides in Drinking Water by Dispersive Micro Solid Phase Extraction with Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometric Detection.

    PubMed

    Chen, Dawei; Zhang, Yiping; Miao, Hong; Zhao, Yunfeng; Wu, Yongning

    2015-11-11

    A novel dispersive micro solid phase extraction (DMSPE) method based on a polymer cation exchange material (PCX) was applied to the simultaneous determination of the 30 triazine herbicides in drinking water with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometric detection. Drinking water samples were acidified with formic acid, and then triazines were adsorbed by the PCX sorbent. Subsequently, the analytes were eluted with ammonium hydroxide/acetonitrile. The chromatographic separation was performed on an HSS T3 column using water (4 mM ammonium formate and 0.1% formic acid) and acetonitrile (0.1% formic acid) as the mobile phase. The method achieved LODs of 0.2-30.0 ng/L for the 30 triazines, with recoveries in the range of 70.5-112.1%, and the precision of the method was better than 12.7%. These results indicated that the proposed method had the advantages of convenience and high efficiency when applied to the analysis of the 30 triazines in drinking water.

  19. TiO2/SiO2 porous composite thin films: Role of TiO2 areal loading and modification with gold nanospheres on the photocatalytic activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levchuk, Irina; Sillanpää, Mika; Guillard, Chantal; Gregori, Damia; Chateau, Denis; Parola, Stephane

    2016-10-01

    The aim of the work was to study photocatalytic activity of composite TiO2/Au/SiO2 thin films. Coatings were prepared using sol-gel technique. Physicochemical parameters of coatings were characterized using UV-vis spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), ellipsometry, tactile measurements, goniometry and diffuse reflectance measurements. The photocatalytic activity of the films was tested in batch mode using aqueous solution of formic acid. Changes of formic acid concentration were determined by means of high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Increase of initial degradation rate of formic acid was detected for TiO2/Au/SiO2 films with gold nanoparticle's load 0.5 wt.% and 1.25 wt.%. However, deeper insights using more detailed characterization of these coatings demonstrated that the improvement of the photocatalytic activity is more probably attributed to an increase in the areal loading of TiO2.

  20. Life cycle, techno-economic and dynamic simulation assessment of bioelectrochemical systems: A case of formic acid synthesis.

    PubMed

    Shemfe, Mobolaji; Gadkari, Siddharth; Yu, Eileen; Rasul, Shahid; Scott, Keith; Head, Ian M; Gu, Sai; Sadhukhan, Jhuma

    2018-05-01

    A novel framework, integrating dynamic simulation (DS), life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic assessment (TEA) of a bioelectrochemical system (BES), has been developed to study for the first time wastewater treatment by removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) by oxidation in anode and thereby harvesting electron and proton for carbon dioxide reduction reaction or reuse to produce products in cathode. Increases in initial COD and applied potential increase COD removal and production (in this case formic acid) rates. DS correlations are used in LCA and TEA for holistic performance analyses. The cost of production of HCOOH is €0.015-0.005 g -1 for its production rate of 0.094-0.26 kg yr -1 and a COD removal rate of 0.038-0.106 kg yr -1 . The life cycle (LC) benefits by avoiding fossil-based formic acid production (93%) and electricity for wastewater treatment (12%) outweigh LC costs of operation and assemblage of BES (-5%), giving a net 61MJkg -1 HCOOH saving. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  1. Highly Stretchable and Conductive Silver Nanoparticle Embedded Graphene Flake Electrode Prepared by In situ Dual Reduction Reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, Yeoheung; Samanta, Khokan; Lee, Hanleem; Lee, Keunsik; Tiwari, Anand P.; Lee, Jihun; Yang, Junghee; Lee, Hyoyoung

    2015-09-01

    The emergence of stretchable devices that combine with conductive properties offers new exciting opportunities for wearable applications. Here, a novel, convenient and inexpensive solution process was demonstrated to prepare in situ silver (Ag) or platinum (Pt) nanoparticles (NPs)-embedded rGO hybrid materials using formic acid duality in the presence of AgNO3 or H2PtCl6 at low temperature. The reduction duality of the formic acid can convert graphene oxide (GO) to rGO and simultaneously deposit the positively charged metal ion to metal NP on rGO while the formic acid itself is converted to a CO2 evolving gas that is eco-friendly. The AgNP-embedded rGO hybrid electrode on an elastomeric substrate exhibited superior stretchable properties including a maximum conductivity of 3012 S cm-1 (at 0 % strain) and 322.8 S cm-1 (at 35 % strain). Its fabrication process using a printing method is scalable. Surprisingly, the electrode can survive even in continuous stretching cycles.

  2. ION-EXCLUSION CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF CARBOXYLIC ACIDS USED TO SUPPORT THE MICROBIALLY MEDIATED REDUCTIVE DECHLORINATION OF TETRACHLOROETHENE

    EPA Science Inventory

    An analytical method was developed for the determination of lactic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid in environmental microcosm samples using ion-exclusion chromatography. The chromatographic behavior of various eluents was studied to determine the ...

  3. HCOOH-induced Controlled-release Hydrolysis of Microalgae (Scenedesmus) to Lactic Acid over Sn-Beta Catalyst.

    PubMed

    Zan, Yifan; Sun, Yuanyuan; Kong, Lingzhao; Miao, Gai; Bao, Liwei; Wang, Hao; Li, Shenggang; Sun, Yuhan

    2018-06-12

    Formic acid induced controlled-release hydrolysis of sugar-rich microalgae (Scenedesmus) over the Sn-Beta catalyst was found to be a highly efficient process for producing lactic acid as a platform chemical. One-pot reaction with a very high lactic acid yield of 83.0% was realized in a batch reactor using water as the solvent. Under the attack of formic acid, the cell wall of Scenedesmus was disintegrated, and hydrolysis of the starch inside the cell was strengthened in a controlled-release mode, resulting in a stable and relatively low glucose concentration. Subsequently, the Sn-Beta catalyst was employed for the efficient conversion of glucose into lactic acid with stable catalytic performance through isomerization, retro-aldol and de-/rehydration reactions. Thus, the hydrolysis of polysaccharides and the catalytic conversion of the monosaccharide into lactic acid was realized by the synergy between an organic Brønsted acid and a heterogeneous Lewis acid catalyst. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Elements for optimizing a one-step enzymatic bio-refinery process of shrimp cuticles: Focus on enzymatic proteolysis screening.

    PubMed

    Baron, R; Socol, M; Kaas, R; Arhaliass, A; Rodriguez Del Pino, J; Le Roux, K; Donnay-Moreno, C; Bergé, J P

    2017-09-01

    This article complements an earlier work published in 2015 Baron et al. (2015) that showed the interest of a shrimp shells bio-refining process. We compare here the effect of eleven commercial proteases at pH 3.5 or 4.0 on a residual amount of shrimp shells proteins after 6 h at 50 °C. The two pH are obtained when respectively 40 and 25 mmol of formic acid are added to 5 g of mild dried shell. Deproteinisation yield above 95% are obtained. Residual amino acids profile in the solid phase was identical for the eleven proteases except for pepsin which was similar to the raw material profile. A significant relative increase in the proportion of Glycine is observed for the ten other cases. Likewise, shapes of size exclusion chromatograms of the dissolved phase are similar except with pepsin.

  5. CO2 Photoreduction by Formate Dehydrogenase and a Ru-Complex in a Nanoporous Glass Reactor.

    PubMed

    Noji, Tomoyasu; Jin, Tetsuro; Nango, Mamoru; Kamiya, Nobuo; Amao, Yutaka

    2017-02-01

    In this study, we demonstrated the conversion of CO 2 to formic acid under ambient conditions in a photoreduction nanoporous reactor using a photosensitizer, methyl viologen (MV 2+ ), and formate dehydrogenase (FDH). The overall efficiency of this reactor was 14 times higher than that of the equivalent solution. The accumulation rate of formic acid in the nanopores of 50 nm is 83 times faster than that in the equivalent solution. Thus, this CO 2 photoreduction nanoporous glass reactor will be useful as an artificial photosynthesis system that converts CO 2 to fuel.

  6. Mechanistic insights into iron catalyzed dehydrogenation of formic acid: β-hydride elimination vs. direct hydride transfer.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xinzheng

    2013-09-07

    Density functional theory calculations reveal a complete reaction mechanism with detailed energy profiles and transition state structures for the dehydrogenation of formic acid catalyzed by an iron complex, [P(CH2CH2PPh2)3FeH](+). In the cationic reaction pathway, a β-hydride elimination process is confirmed to be the rate-determining step in this catalytic reaction. A potential reaction pathway starting with a direct hydride transfer from HCOO(-) to Fe is found to be possible, but slightly less favorable than the catalytic cycle with a β-hydride elimination step.

  7. Picolinamide-Based Iridium Catalysts for Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid in Water: Effect of Amide N Substituent on Activity and Stability.

    PubMed

    Kanega, Ryoichi; Onishi, Naoya; Wang, Lin; Murata, Kazuhisa; Muckerman, James T; Fujita, Etsuko; Himeda, Yuichiro

    2018-03-01

    To develop highly efficient catalysts for dehydrogenation of formic acid in water, we investigated several Cp*Ir catalysts with various amide ligands. The catalyst with an N-phenylpicolinamide ligand exhibited a TOF of 118 000 h -1 at 60 °C. A constant rate (TOF>35 000 h -1 ) was maintained for six hours, and a TON of 1 000 000 was achieved at 50 °C. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Computational Design of Cobalt Catalysts for Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide and Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid.

    PubMed

    Ge, Hongyu; Jing, Yuanyuan; Yang, Xinzheng

    2016-12-05

    A series of cobalt complexes with acylmethylpyridinol and aliphatic PNP pincer ligands are proposed based on the active site structure of [Fe]-hydrogenase. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the total free energy barriers of the hydrogenation of CO 2 and dehydrogenation of formic acid catalyzed by these Co complexes are as low as 23.1 kcal/mol in water. The acylmethylpyridinol ligand plays a significant role in the cleavage of H 2 by forming a strong Co-H δ- ···H δ+ -O dihydrogen bond in a fashion of frustrated Lewis pairs.

  9. Simultaneous determination of C1-C4 carboxylic acids and aldehydes using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine-impregnated silica gel and high-performance liquid chromatography.

    PubMed

    Uchiyama, Shigehisa; Matsushima, Erika; Aoyagi, Shohei; Ando, Masanori

    2004-10-01

    A new method for the simultaneous determination of aliphatic carboxylic acids and aldehydes in air is described. In this work, carboxylic acids were allowed to react with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) to form the corresponding carboxylic 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazides. These derivatives have excellent thermal stability, with melting points higher than those of the corresponding hydrazones by 32-50 degrees C. C1-C4 carboxylic acid 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazides exhibited maximum absorption wavelengths of 331-334 nm and molar absorption coefficients of 1.4 x 10(4) L/mol/cm. They were completely separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an RP-Amide C16 column. Cartridges packed with DNPH-coated silica particles (DNPH cartridge) were used for sampling formic acid and aldehydes. Formic acid was physically adsorbed on the silica particles as the first step of the sampling mechanism. Gradual reaction with DNPH followed. Formic acid reacted very slowly with DNPH at room temperature (20 degrees C), but reacted completely at 80 degrees C over 4 h. In field measurements, the sample air was drawn through a DNPH cartridge. After sampling, the cartridges were heated at 80 degrees C for 5 h and extracted with acetonitrile for HPLC analysis. Under these optimized conditions, the LOD is 0.4 ug/m(3) for an air sample collected for 24 h at 100 mL/min (144 L).

  10. Electrochemical mineralization pathway of quinoline by boron-doped diamond anodes.

    PubMed

    Wang, Chunrong; Ma, Keke; Wu, Tingting; Ye, Min; Tan, Peng; Yan, Kecheng

    2016-04-01

    Boron-doped diamond anodes were selected for quinoline mineralization, and the resulting intermediates, phenylpropyl aldehyde, phenylpropionic acid, and nonanal were identified and followed during quinoline oxidation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. The evolutions of formic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, NO2(-), NO3(-), and NH4(+) were quantified. A new reaction pathway for quinoline mineralization by boron-doped diamond anodes has been proposed, where the pyridine ring in quinoline is cleaved by a hydroxyl radical giving phenylpropyl aldehyde and NH4(+). Phenylpropyl aldehyde is quickly oxidized into phenylpropionic acid, and the benzene ring is cleaved giving nonanal. This is further oxidized to formic acid, acetic acid, and oxalic acid. Finally, these organic intermediates are mineralized to CO2 and H2O. NH4(+) is also oxidized to NO2(-) and on to NO3(-). The results will help to gain basic reference for clearing intermediates and their toxicity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Identification of oxalic acid and tartaric acid as major persistent pain-inducing toxins in the stinging hairs of the nettle, Urtica thunbergiana.

    PubMed

    Fu, Han Yi; Chen, Shiang Jiuun; Chen, Ruei Feng; Ding, Wang Hsien; Kuo-Huang, Ling Long; Huang, Rong Nan

    2006-07-01

    Once human skin contacts stinging hairs of Urtica spp. (stinging nettles), the irritant is released and produces pain, wheals or a stinging sensation which may last for >12 h. However, the existence of pain-inducing toxins in the stinging hairs of Urtica thunbergiana has never been systematically demonstrated. Experiments were therefore conducted to identify the persistent pain-inducing agents in the stinging hairs of U. thunbergiana. The stinging hairs of U. thunbergiana were removed and immersed in deionized water. After centrifugation, the clear supernatants were then subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), enzymatic analysis and/or behavioural bioassays. The HPLC results showed that the major constituents in the stinging hairs of U. thunbergiana were histamine, oxalic acid and tartaric acid. However, the well-recognized pain-inducing agents, serotonin and formic acid, existed at a low concentration as estimated by HPLC and/or enzymatic analyses. The behavioural tests showed that 2% oxalic acid and 10% tartaric acid dramatically elicited persistent pain sensations in rats. In contrast, 10% formic acid and 2% serotonin only elicited moderate pain sensation in the first 10 min. Moreover, no significant pain-related behavioural response was observed after injecting 10% acetylcholine and histamine in rats. Oxalic acid and tartaric acid were identified, for the first time, as major long-lasting pain-inducing toxins in the stinging hairs of U. thunbergiana. The general view that formic acid, histamine and serotonin are the pain-inducing agents in the stinging hairs of U. dioica may require updating, since their concentrations in U. thunbergiana were too low to induce significant pain sensation in behavioural bioassays.

  12. SnO2 quantum dots decorated on RGO: a superior sensitive, selective and reproducible performance for a H2 and LPG sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mishra, R. K.; Upadhyay, S. B.; Kushwaha, Ajay; Kim, Tae-Hyung; Murali, G.; Verma, Ranjana; Srivastava, Manish; Singh, Jay; Sahay, P. P.; Hee Lee, Seung

    2015-07-01

    We report the H2 and LPG gas sensing behavior of RGO/SnO2 QDs synthesized by a surfactant assisted hydrothermal method. The RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor shows a high response of ~89.3% to H2 and ~92.4% to LPG for 500 ppm test gas concentration at operating temperatures of 200 °C and 250 °C, respectively. Further, the RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor shows good selectivity for H2 and LPG in the presence of other interfering gases such as ammonia, chloroform, toluene, benzene, acetone, n-butylacetate, acetic acid and formic acid. We observed that the gas response to H2 is 29.8 times higher than that to acetic acid whereas the gas response to LPG is 17.8 times higher than that to formic acid. Long-term analyses have also been performed to demonstrate the reproducible nature of the RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor over passing time which shows excellent reproducibility.We report the H2 and LPG gas sensing behavior of RGO/SnO2 QDs synthesized by a surfactant assisted hydrothermal method. The RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor shows a high response of ~89.3% to H2 and ~92.4% to LPG for 500 ppm test gas concentration at operating temperatures of 200 °C and 250 °C, respectively. Further, the RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor shows good selectivity for H2 and LPG in the presence of other interfering gases such as ammonia, chloroform, toluene, benzene, acetone, n-butylacetate, acetic acid and formic acid. We observed that the gas response to H2 is 29.8 times higher than that to acetic acid whereas the gas response to LPG is 17.8 times higher than that to formic acid. Long-term analyses have also been performed to demonstrate the reproducible nature of the RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor over passing time which shows excellent reproducibility. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr02837j

  13. High resolution FTIR spectrum of the nu1 band of DCOOD.

    PubMed

    Goh, K L; Ong, P P; Teo, H H; Tan, T L

    2000-04-01

    Accurate spectral information on formic acid has wide application to radioastronomy since it was the first organic acid found in interstellar space. In this work, the infrared absorption spectrum of the nu1 band of deuterated formic acid (DCOOD) has been measured on a Bomem DA3.002 Fourier transform spectrometer in the wavenumber region 2560-2690 cm(-1) with a resolution of 0.004 cm(-1). A total of 292 infrared transitions have been assigned in this hybrid type A and B band centred at 2631.8736 +/- 0.0004 cm(-1). The assigned transitions have been fitted to give a set of eight rovibrational constants for the nu1 = 1 state with a standard deviation of 0.00078 cm(-1).

  14. High resolution FTIR spectrum of the ν1 band of DCOOD

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goh, K. L.; Ong, P. P.; Teo, H. H.; Tan, T. L.

    2000-04-01

    Accurate spectral information on formic acid has wide application to radioastronomy since it was the first organic acid found in interstellar space. In this work, the infrared absorption spectrum of the ν1 band of deuterated formic acid (DCOOD) has been measured on a Bomem DA3.002 Fourier transform spectrometer in the wavenumber region 2560-2690 cm -1 with a resolution of 0.004 cm -1. A total of 292 infrared transitions have been assigned in this hybrid type A and B band centred at 2631.8736±0.0004 cm -1. The assigned transitions have been fitted to give a set of eight rovibrational constants for the v1=1 state with a standard deviation of 0.00078 cm -1.

  15. Evaluation of Pd Nanoparticle-Decorated CeO2-MWCNT Nanocomposite as an Electrocatalyst for Formic Acid Fuel Cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saleem, Junaid; Safdar Hossain, SK.; Al-Ahmed, Amir; Rahman, Ateequr; McKay, Gordon; Hossain, Mohammed M.

    2018-04-01

    In this work, CeO2-modified Pd/CeO2-carbon nanotube (CNT) electrocatalyst for the electro-oxidation of formic acid has been investigated. The support CNT was first modified with different amounts (5-30 wt.%) of CeO2 using a precipitation-deposition method. The electrocatalysts were developed by dispersing Pd on the CeO2-CNT supports using the borohydride reduction method. The synthesized electrocatalysts were analyzed for composition, morphology and electronic structure using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. The formation of Pd nanoparticles on the CeO2-CNT support was confirmed using TEM. The activity of Pd/CeO2-CNT and of Pd-CNT samples upon oxidation of formic acid was evaluated by using carbon monoxide stripping voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, and chronoamperometry. The addition of moderate amounts of cerium oxide (up to 10 wt.%) significantly improved the activity of Pd/CeO2-CNT compared to the unmodified Pd-CNT. Pd/10 wt.% CeO2-CNT showed a current density of 2 A mg-1, which is ten times higher than that of the unmodified Pd-CNT (0.2 A mg-1). Similarly, the power density obtained for Pd/10 wt.% CeO2-CNT in an air-breathing formic acid fuel cell was 6.8 mW/cm2 which is two times higher than Pd-CNT (3.2 mW/cm2), thus exhibiting the promotional effects of CeO2 to Pd/CeO2-CNT. A plausible justification for the improved catalytic performance and stability is provided in the light of the physical characterization results.

  16. Electron collisions with the HCOOH···(H2O)n complexes (n = 1, 2) in liquid phase: the influence of microsolvation on the π* resonance of formic acid.

    PubMed

    Freitas, T C; Coutinho, K; Varella, M T do N; Lima, M A P; Canuto, S; Bettega, M H F

    2013-05-07

    We report momentum transfer cross sections for elastic collisions of low-energy electrons with the HCOOH···(H2O)n complexes, with n = 1, 2, in liquid phase. The scattering cross sections were computed using the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials in the static-exchange and static-exchange plus polarization approximations, for energies ranging from 0.5 eV to 6 eV. We considered ten different structures of HCOOH···H2O and six structures of HCOOH···(H2O)2 which were generated using classical Monte Carlo simulations of formic acid in aqueous solution at normal conditions of temperature and pressure. The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of microsolvation on the π* shape resonance of formic acid. Previous theoretical and experimental studies reported a π* shape resonance for HCOOH at around 1.9 eV. This resonance can be either more stable or less stable in comparison to the isolated molecule depending on the complex structure and the water role played in the hydrogen bond interaction. This behavior is explained in terms of (i) the polarization of the formic acid molecule due to the water molecules and (ii) the net charge of the solute. The proton donor or acceptor character of the water molecules in the hydrogen bond is important for understanding the stabilization versus destabilization of the π* resonances in the complexes. Our results indicate that the surrounding water molecules may affect the lifetime of the π* resonance and hence the processes driven by this anion state, such as the dissociative electron attachment.

  17. PdCo supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes as an anode catalyst in a microfluidic formic acid fuel cell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morales-Acosta, D.; Morales-Acosta, M. D.; Godinez, L. A.; Álvarez-Contreras, L.; Duron-Torres, S. M.; Ledesma-García, J.; Arriaga, L. G.

    This work reports the synthesis of Pd-based alloys of Co and their evaluation as anode materials in a microfluidic formic acid fuel cell (μFAFC). The catalysts were prepared using the impregnation method followed by thermal treatment. The synthesized catalysts contain 22 wt.% Pd on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Pd/MWCNT) and its alloys with two Co atomic percent in the sample with 4 at.% Co (PdCo1/MWCNT) and 10 at.% Co (PdCo2/MWCNT). The role of the alloying element was determined by XRD and XPS techniques. Both catalysts were evaluated as anode materials in a μFAFC operating with different concentrations of HCOOH (0.1 and 0.5 M), and the results were compared to those obtained with Pd/MWCNT. A better performance was obtained for the cell using PdCo1/MWCNT (1.75 mW cm -2) compared to Pd/MWCNT (0.85 mW cm -2) in the presence of 0.5 M HCOOH. By means of external electrode measurements, it was also possible to observe shifts in the formic acid oxidation potential due to a fuel concentration increment (ca. 0.05 V for both PdCo1/MWCNT and PdCo2/MWCNT catalysts and 0.23 V for Pd/MWCNT) that was attributed to deactivation of the catalyst material. The maximum current densities obtained were 8 mA cm -2 and 5.2 mA cm -2 for PdCo2/MWCNT and Pd/MWCNT, respectively. In this way, the addition of Co to the Pd catalyst was shown to improve the tolerance of intermediates produced during formic acid oxidation that tend to poison Pd, thus improving the catalytic activity and stability of the cell.

  18. Efficient Hydrogen-Dependent Carbon Dioxide Reduction by Escherichia coli.

    PubMed

    Roger, Magali; Brown, Fraser; Gabrielli, William; Sargent, Frank

    2018-01-08

    Hydrogen-dependent reduction of carbon dioxide to formic acid offers a promising route to greenhouse gas sequestration, carbon abatement technologies, hydrogen transport and storage, and the sustainable generation of renewable chemical feedstocks [1]. The most common approach to performing direct hydrogenation of CO 2 to formate is to use chemical catalysts in homogeneous or heterogeneous reactions [2]. An alternative approach is to use the ability of living organisms to perform this reaction biologically. However, although CO 2 fixation pathways are widely distributed in nature, only a few enzymes have been described that have the ability to perform the direct hydrogenation of CO 2 [3-5]. The formate hydrogenlyase (FHL) enzyme from Escherichia coli normally oxidizes formic acid to carbon dioxide and couples that reaction directly to the reduction of protons to molecular hydrogen [6]. In this work, the reverse reaction of FHL is unlocked. It is established that FHL can operate as a highly efficient hydrogen-dependent carbon dioxide reductase when gaseous CO 2 and H 2 are placed under pressure (up to 10 bar). Using intact whole cells, the pressurized system was observed to rapidly convert 100% of gaseous CO 2 to formic acid, and >500 mM formate was observed to accumulate in solution. Harnessing the reverse reaction has the potential to allow the versatile E. coli system to be employed as an exciting new carbon capture technology or as a cell factory dedicated to formic acid production, which is a commodity in itself as well as a feedstock for the synthesis of other valued chemicals. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  19. Pd-catalysts for DFAFC prepared by magnetron sputtering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bieloshapka, I.; Jiricek, P.; Vorokhta, M.; Tomsik, E.; Rednyk, A.; Perekrestov, R.; Jurek, K.; Ukraintsev, E.; Hruska, K.; Romanyuk, O.; Lesiak, B.

    2017-10-01

    Samples of a palladium catalyst for direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) applications were prepared on the Elat® carbon cloth by magnetron sputtering. The quantity of Pd was equal to 3.6, 120 and 720 μg/cm2. The samples were tested in a fuel cell for electro-oxidation of formic acid, and were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS measurements revealed a high contribution of PdCx phase formed at the Pd/Elat® surface interface, with carbon concentration in PdCx from x = 9.9-14.6 at.%, resulting from the C substrate and CO residual gases. Oxygen groups, e.g. hydroxyl (-OH), carbonyl (Cdbnd O) and carboxyl (COOH), resulted from the synthesis conditions due to the presence of residual gases, electro-oxidation during the reaction and oxidation in the atmosphere. Because of the formation of CO and CO2 on the catalysts during the reaction, or because of poisoning by impurities containing the -CH3 group, together with the risk of Pd losses due to dissolution in formic acid, there was a negative effect of catalyst degradation on the active area surface. The effect of different loadings of Pd layers led to increasing catalyst efficiency. Current-voltage curves showed that different amounts of catalyst did not increase the DFAFC power to a great extent. One reason for this was the catalyst structure formed on the carbon cloth. AFM and SEM measurements showed a layer-by-layer growth with no significant variations in morphology. The results for electric power recalculated for the Pd loading per 1 mg of catalyst layers in comparison to carbon substrates decorated by Pd nanoparticles showed that there is potential for applying anodes for formic acid fuel cells prepared by magnetron sputtering.

  20. Microwave structure for the propiolic acid-formic acid complex.

    PubMed

    Kukolich, Stephen G; Mitchell, Erik G; Carey, Spencer J; Sun, Ming; Sargus, Bryan A

    2013-10-03

    New microwave spectra were measured to obtain rotational constants and centrifugal distortion constants for the DCCCOOH···HOOCH and HCCCOOD···DOOCH isotopologues. Rotational transitions were measured in the frequency range of 4.9-15.4 GHz, providing accurate rotational constants, which, combined with previous rotational constants, allowed an improved structural fit for the propiolic acid-formic acid complex. The new structural fit yields reasonably accurate orientations for both the propiolic and formic acid monomers in the complex and more accurate structural parameters describing the hydrogen bonding. The structure is planar, with a positive inertial defect of Δ = 1.33 amu Å(2). The experimental structure exhibits a greater asymmetry for the two hydrogen bond lengths than was obtained from the ab initio mp2 calculations. The best-fit hydrogen bond lengths have an r(O1-H1···O4) of 1.64 Å and an r(O3-H2···O2) of 1.87 Å. The average of the two hydrogen bond lengths is r(av)(exp) = 1.76 Å, in good agreement with r(av)(theory) = 1.72 Å. The center of mass separation of the monomers is R(CM) = 3.864 Å. Other structural parameters from the least-squares fit using the experimental rotational constants are compared with theoretical values. The spectra were obtained using two different pulsed beam Fourier transform microwave spectrometers.

  1. Needle trap extraction for GC analysis of formic and acetic acids in aqueous solution.

    PubMed

    Lee, Xinqing; Huang, Daikuan; Lou, Dawei; Pawliszyn, Janusz

    2012-07-01

    Formic and acetic acids are ubiquitous in the environment, food, and most of the natural products. Extraction of the acids from aqueous solution is required for their isotope analysis by the gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. To this objective, we have previously developed a purge-and-trap technique using the dynamic solid-phase microextraction technology, the NeedlEX. The extraction efficiency, however, remains unexamined. Here, we address this question using the flame ionization detector and isotope ratio mass spectrometer while comparing it with that of the CAR/PDMS fiber. The results show that the NeedlEX is applicable at a wide range of concentration through coordination of purge volume given the minimum amount 3.7 ng and 1.8 ng of formic and acetic, respectively, is extracted. The efficiency of NeedlEX was 6-7 times lower than the fiber at 1000 μg/mL depending on the analyte. It is, however, superior to the latter at 10 μg/mL or less owing to its lower detection limit. The extraction efficiency of both acids is equivalent in molar amount. This is, however, disguised by the different response of the flame ionization detector. The isotope ratio mass spectrometor overcomes this problem but is compromised by relatively large errors. These results are particularly useful for isotopic analysis of carboxylic acids. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Optimal Electrocatalytic Pd/MWNTs Nanocatalysts toward Formic Acid Oxidation

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yiran; He, Qingliang; Wei, Huige; Guo, Jiang; Ding, Keqiang; Wang, Qiang; Wang, Zhe; Wei, Suying; Guo, Zhanhu

    2017-01-01

    The operating conditions such as composition of electrolyte and temperature can greatly influence the formic acid (HCOOH) oxidation reaction (FAOR). Palladium decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Pd/MWNTs) were successfully synthesized and employed as nanocatalysts to explore the effects of formic acid, sulfuric acid (H2SO4) concentration and temperature on FAOR. Both the hydrogen adsorption in low potential range and the oxidation of poisoning species during the high potential range in cyclic voltammetry were demonstrated to contribute to the enhanced electroactivity of Pd/MWNTs. The as-synthesized Pd/MWNTs gave the best performance under a condition with balanced adsorptions of HCOOH and H2SO4 molecules. The dominant dehydrogenation pathway on Pd/MWNTs can be largely depressed by the increased dehydration pathway, leading to an increased charge transfer resistance (Rct). Increasing HCOOH concentration could directly increase the dehydration process proportion and cause the production of COads species. H2SO4 as donor of H+ greatly facilitated the onset oxidation of HCOOH in the beginning process but it largely depressed the HCOOH oxidation with excess amount of H+. Enhanced ion mobility with increasing the temperature was mainly responsible for the increased current densities, improved tolerance stabilities and reduced Rct values, while dehydration process was also increased simultaneously. PMID:29622817

  3. Electrocatalytic behavior of a nanocomposite of Ni/Pd supported by carbonized PVA nanofibers towards formic acid, ethanol and urea oxidation: A physicochemical and electro-analysis study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohamed, Ibrahim M. A.; Yasin, Ahmed S.; Barakat, Nasser A. M.; Song, Seung A.; Lee, Ha Eun; Kim, Seong Su

    2018-03-01

    A nanocomposite of Ni/Pd supported by carbonized poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers (NFs) was synthesized via electrospinning followed by calcination under an argon atmosphere. The as-synthesized NFs were studied using physicochemical analyses, such as field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTsbnd IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), to investigate the morphology, crystallinity, effect of carbonization and surface chemistry of the NFs, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) were utilized to study the performance of the NFs towards electrooxidation reactions. The designed NFs present superior electrocatalytic behavior in an acid medium towards formic acid oxidation, as well as urea and ethanol oxidation in an alkaline medium. The electrocatalytic performance of the bimetallic NFs appears to arise from the assembly of bimetallic Ni/Pd@NFs based on PVA, which has hydroxyl groups. These hydroxyl groups can decrease the negative processes that occur as a result of metal-metal interactions, such as the aggregation process. This study introduces a novel non-precious electrocatalyst to facilitate the commercialization of fuel cells based on formic acid, urea and ethanol.

  4. Glucose bioconversion profile in the syngas-metabolizing species Clostridium carboxidivorans.

    PubMed

    Fernández-Naveira, Ánxela; Veiga, María C; Kennes, Christian

    2017-11-01

    Some clostridia produce alcohols (ethanol, butanol, hexanol) from gases (CO, CO 2 , H 2 ) and others from carbohydrates (e.g., glucose). C. carboxidivorans can metabolize both gases as well as glucose. However, its bioconversion profile on glucose had not been reported. It was observed that C. carboxidivorans does not follow a typical solventogenic stage when grown on glucose. Indeed, at pH 6.2, it produced first a broad range of acids (acetic, butyric, hexanoic, formic, and lactic acids), several of which are generally not found, under similar conditions, during gas fermentation. Medium acidification did not allow the conversion of fatty acids into solvents. Production of some alcohols from glucose was observed in C. carboxidivorans but at high pH rather than under acidic conditions, and the total concentration of those solvents was low. At high pH, formic acid was produced first and later converted to acetic acid, but organic acids were not metabolized at low pH. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Facile regio- and stereoselective hydrometalation of alkynes with a combination of carboxylic acids and group 10 transition metal complexes: selective hydrogenation of alkynes with formic acid.

    PubMed

    Shen, Ruwei; Chen, Tieqiao; Zhao, Yalei; Qiu, Renhua; Zhou, Yongbo; Yin, Shuangfeng; Wang, Xiangbo; Goto, Midori; Han, Li-Biao

    2011-10-26

    A facile, highly stereo- and regioselective hydrometalation of alkynes generating alkenylmetal complex is disclosed for the first time from a reaction of alkyne, carboxylic acid, and a zerovalent group 10 transition metal complex M(PEt(3))(4) (M = Ni, Pd, Pt). A mechanistic study showed that the hydrometalation does not proceed via the reaction of alkyne with a hydridometal generated by the protonation of a carboxylic acid with Pt(PEt(3))(4), but proceeds via a reaction of an alkyne coordinate metal complex with the acid. This finding clarifies the long proposed reaction mechanism that operates via the generation of an alkenylpalladium intermediate and subsequent transformation of this complex in a variety of reactions catalyzed by a combination of Brϕnsted acid and Pd(0) complex. This finding also leads to the disclosure of an unprecedented reduction of alkynes with formic acid that can selectively produce cis-, trans-alkenes and alkanes by slightly tuning the conditions.

  6. Simple and Rapid Determination of Ferulic Acid Levels in Food and Cosmetic Samples Using Paper-Based Platforms

    PubMed Central

    Tee-ngam, Prinjaporn; Nunant, Namthip; Rattanarat, Poomrat; Siangproh, Weena; Chailapakul, Orawon

    2013-01-01

    Ferulic acid is an important phenolic antioxidant found in or added to diet supplements, beverages, and cosmetic creams. Two designs of paper-based platforms for the fast, simple and inexpensive evaluation of ferulic acid contents in food and pharmaceutical cosmetics were evaluated. The first, a paper-based electrochemical device, was developed for ferulic acid detection in uncomplicated matrix samples and was created by the photolithographic method. The second, a paper-based colorimetric device was preceded by thin layer chromatography (TLC) for the separation and detection of ferulic acid in complex samples using a silica plate stationary phase and an 85:15:1 (v/v/v) chloroform: methanol: formic acid mobile phase. After separation, ferulic acid containing section of the TLC plate was attached onto the patterned paper containing the colorimetric reagent and eluted with ethanol. The resulting color change was photographed and quantitatively converted to intensity. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detection of ferulic acid was found to be 1 ppm and 7 ppm (S/N = 3) for first and second designs, respectively, with good agreement with the standard HPLC-UV detection method. Therefore, these methods can be used for the simple, rapid, inexpensive and sensitive quantification of ferulic acid in a variety of samples. PMID:24077320

  7. Seasonal measurements of organic acid fluxes over a ponderosa pine forest

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fulgham, S. R.; Brophy, P.; Link, M.; Ortega, J. V.; Farmer, D.

    2016-12-01

    The biosphere acts as both a source and a sink of oxidized organic compounds. Ignoring dry deposition leads to overestimation of secondary organic aerosols by aerosol models, while ignoring emission sources underestimates the budget of organic acids. Developing parameterizations for oxidized organic dry deposition and emission requires observational constraints. Although biosphere parameters are impacted by seasonal variability, most reactive, trace-gas exchange measurements are made for only short periods of time in the main growing season. Here we make fast (5 - 10 Hz) and sensitive (e.g. 0.73 ppt mean limit of detection for formic acid with 10 s averaging) eddy covariance measurements of gas-phase organic acids and other oxidized organic species with a high resolution Time-of-Flight Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer with acetate and iodide reagent ions. Measurements were made in 4 - 6 week campaigns over five seasons from summer 2015 to fall 2016 as part of the Seasonal Particles in Forests Flux studY (SPIFFY) at the Manitou Experimental Forest Observatory near Woodland Park, Colorado. Permeation tubes were used for online calibration of carboxylic acids including formic (C1), propionic (C3), butyric (C4), methacrylic (CH2C(CH3)COOH), valeric (C5), and heptanoic (C7) acids. Average daytime mixing ratios for formic acid were 100 ± 100 ppt in winter and 1500 ± 1000 ppt in summer 2016. Upward fluxes of formic acid were observed throughout the experiment, daytime averages and standard deviations ranging from 1900 ± 1000 ppt cm s-1 in winter to 170 ± 130 ppt cm s-1 in spring. Propionic (22 ± 22 ppt cm s-1), butyric (17 ± 16 ppt cm s-1), and methacrylic (3.5 ± 6.1 ppt cm s-1) acids exhibit a mix of upward, near-zero, and downward fluxes. Fluxes were exponentially correlated to temperature, suggesting an ecosystem-scale source of these acids. We also measure exchange velocities of a broad suite of other oxidized organic compounds (31.99 m/z to 311.523 m/z in acetate and 31.99 m/z to 474.97 m/z in iodide) and investigate the role of elemental composition as a predictor of exchange velocity for these molecules.

  8. A search for formic acid in the upper troposphere - A tentative identification of the 1105-per cm nu-6 band Q branch in high-resolution balloon-borne solar absorption spectra

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goldman, A.; Murcray, F. H.; Murcray, D. G.; Rinsland, C. P.

    1984-01-01

    Infrared solar absorption spectra recorded at 0.02-per cm resolution during a balloon flight from Alamogordo, NM (33 deg N), on March 23, 1981, have been analyzed for the possible presence of absorption by formic acid (HCOOH). An absorption feature at 1105 per cm has been tentatively identified in upper tropospheric spectra as due to the nu-6 band Q branch. A preliminary analysis indicates a concentration of about 0.6 ppbv and 0.4 ppbv near 8 and 10 km, respectively.

  9. Boron Nitride-supported Sub-nanometer Pd 6 Clusters for Formic Acid Decomposition: A DFT Study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schimmenti, Roberto; Cortese, Remedios; Duca, Dario

    A periodic, self-consistent planewave DFT study was carried out to explore the potential use of Pd 6 clusters supported on a boron nitride sheet as a catalyst for the selective decomposition of formic acid (HCOOH) to CO 2 and H 2. The competition between formate (HCOO) and carboxyl (COOH) paths on catalytic sites, with different proximities to the support, was studied. Based on energetics alone, the reaction may mainly follow the HCOO route. Slightly lower activation energies were found at the lateral sites of the cluster as compared to top face sites. This is particularly true for the bidentate tomore » monodentate HCOO conversion. Through comparison of results with similar studies on HCOOH decomposition on extended Pd surfaces, it was demonstrated that the existence of undercoordinated sites in the sub-nanometer cluster could play a key role in preferentially stabilizing HCOO over COOH, which is a common CO precursor in this reaction. A hydrogen spillover mechanism was also investigated; migration toward the boron nitride support is not favorable, at least in the early stages of the reaction. However, hydrogen diffusion on the cluster has low barriers compared to those involved in formic acid decomposition.« less

  10. Boron Nitride-supported Sub-nanometer Pd 6 Clusters for Formic Acid Decomposition: A DFT Study

    DOE PAGES

    Schimmenti, Roberto; Cortese, Remedios; Duca, Dario; ...

    2017-04-25

    A periodic, self-consistent planewave DFT study was carried out to explore the potential use of Pd 6 clusters supported on a boron nitride sheet as a catalyst for the selective decomposition of formic acid (HCOOH) to CO 2 and H 2. The competition between formate (HCOO) and carboxyl (COOH) paths on catalytic sites, with different proximities to the support, was studied. Based on energetics alone, the reaction may mainly follow the HCOO route. Slightly lower activation energies were found at the lateral sites of the cluster as compared to top face sites. This is particularly true for the bidentate tomore » monodentate HCOO conversion. Through comparison of results with similar studies on HCOOH decomposition on extended Pd surfaces, it was demonstrated that the existence of undercoordinated sites in the sub-nanometer cluster could play a key role in preferentially stabilizing HCOO over COOH, which is a common CO precursor in this reaction. A hydrogen spillover mechanism was also investigated; migration toward the boron nitride support is not favorable, at least in the early stages of the reaction. However, hydrogen diffusion on the cluster has low barriers compared to those involved in formic acid decomposition.« less

  11. No catalyst addition and highly efficient dissociation of H2O for the reduction of CO2 to formic acid with Mn.

    PubMed

    Lyu, Lingyun; Zeng, Xu; Yun, Jun; Wei, Feng; Jin, Fangming

    2014-05-20

    The "greenhouse effect" caused by the increasing atmospheric CO2 level is becoming extremely serious, and thus, the reduction of CO2 emissions has become an extensive, urgent, and long-term task. The dissociation of water for CO2 reduction with solar energy is regarded as one of the most promising methods for the sustainable development of the environment and energy. However, a high solar-to-fuel efficiency keeps a great challenge. In this work, the first observation of a highly effective, highly selective, and robust system of dissociating water for the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) into formic acid with metallic manganese (Mn) is reported. A considerably high formic acid yield of more than 75% on a carbon basis from NaHCO3 was achieved with 98% selectivity in the presence of simple commercially available Mn powder without the addition of any catalyst, and the proposed process is exothermic. Thus, this study may provide a promising method for the highly efficient dissociation of water for CO2 reduction by combining solar-driven thermochemistry with the reduction of MnO into Mn.

  12. Double proton transfer behavior and one-electron oxidation effect in double H-bonded glycinamide-formic acid complex.

    PubMed

    Li, Ping; Bu, Yuxiang

    2004-11-22

    The behavior of double proton transfer occurring in a representative glycinamide-formic acid complex has been investigated at the B3LYP/6-311 + + G( * *) level of theory. Thermodynamic and, especially, kinetic parameters, such as tautomeric energy, equilibrium constant, and barrier heights have been discussed, respectively. The relevant quantities involved in the double proton transfer process, such as geometrical changes, interaction energies, and intrinsic reaction coordinate calculations have also been studied. Computational results show that the participation of a formic acid molecule favors the proceeding of the proton transfer for glycinamide compared with that without mediate-assisted case. The double proton transfer process proceeds with a concerted mechanism rather than a stepwise one since no ion-pair complexes have been located during the proton transfer process. The calculated barrier heights are 11.48 and 0.85 kcal/mol for the forward and reverse directions, respectively. However, both of them have been reduced by 2.95 and 2.61 kcal/mol to 8.53 and -1.76 kcal/mol if further inclusion of zero-point vibrational energy corrections, where the negative barrier height implies that the reverse reaction should proceed with barrierless spontaneously, analogous to that occurring between glycinamide and formamide. Furthermore, solvent effects on the thermodynamic and kinetic processes have also been predicted qualitatively employing the isodensity surface polarized continuum model within the framework of the self-consistent reaction field theory. Additionally, the oxidation process for the double H-bonded glycinamide-formic acid complex has also been investigated. Contrary to that neutral form possessing a pair of two parallel intermolecular H bonds, only a single H bond with a comparable strength has been found in its ionized form. The vertical and adiabatic ionization potentials for the neutral complex have been determined to be about 9.40 and 8.69 eV, respectively, where ionization is mainly localized on the glycinamide fragment. Like that ionized glycinamide-formamide complex, the proton transfer in the ionized complex is characterized by a single-well potential, implying that the proton initially attached to amide N4 in the glycinamide fragment cannot be transferred to carbonyl O13 in the formic acid fragment at the geometry of the optimized complex. Copyright 2004 American Institute of Physics.

  13. Quantitative determination of oxygen defects, surface lewis acidity, and catalytic properties of mesoporous MoO3/SBA-15 catalysts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    González, Julio; Wang, Jin An; Chen, Lifang; Manríquez, Maria; Salmones, José; Limas, Roberto; Arellano, Ulises

    2018-07-01

    A set of MoO3/SBA-15 mesoporous catalysts were characterized with a variety of spectroscopic techniques and their crystalline structures were refined with Rietveld method. Oxygen defect concentration, crystallite size, phase composition, surface acidity, mesoporous regularity, and textural properties were reported. Both α-MoO3 and β-MoO3 phases coexisted but α-MoO3 was predominated. Oxygen defects were created in the orthorhombic structure and its concentration decreased from 3.08% for the 20 wt%MoO3/SBA-15 to 0.55% for the 25 wt%MoO3/SBA-15. All the MoO3/SBA-15 catalysts chiefly contained a big number of Lewis acid sites originating from oxygen defects in MoO3 crystals. In the absence of formic acid, the oxidation of 4,6-dibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) in a model diesel was almost proportional to the number of Lewis acid sites. In the presence of formic acid, 4,6-DMDBT oxidation was significantly affected by the formation of surface peroxometallic complex and Lewis acidity. Formic acid addition could improve the ODS efficiency by promoting peroxometallic complex formation and enhancing oxidant stability. Under the optimal reaction condition using the best 15 and 20 wt%MoO3/SBA-15 catalysts, more than 99% 4,6-DMDBT could be removed at 70 °C within 30 min. This work confirmed that 4,6-DMDBT oxidation is a texture and particle size sensitive and Lewis acidity dependent reaction. This work also shows that crystalline structure refinement combination with experiments can gain new insights in the design of heterogeneous nanocatalysts and help to better understand the catalytic behavior in the oxidative desulfurization reactions.

  14. FY13 GLYCOLIC-NITRIC ACID FLOWSHEET DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE DWPF CHEMICAL PROCESS CELL WITH SIMULANTS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lambert, D.; Zamecnik, J.; Best, D.

    Savannah River Remediation is evaluating changes to its current Defense Waste Processing Facility flowsheet to replace formic acid with glycolic acid in order to improve processing cycle times and decrease by approximately 100x the production of hydrogen, a potentially flammable gas. Higher throughput is needed in the Chemical Processing Cell since the installation of the bubblers into the melter has increased melt rate. Due to the significant maintenance required for the safety significant gas chromatographs and the potential for production of flammable quantities of hydrogen, eliminating the use of formic acid is highly desirable. Previous testing at the Savannah Rivermore » National Laboratory has shown that replacing formic acid with glycolic acid allows the reduction and removal of mercury without significant catalytic hydrogen generation. Five back-to-back Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) cycles and four back-to-back Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) cycles were successful in demonstrating the viability of the nitric/glycolic acid flowsheet. The testing was completed in FY13 to determine the impact of process heels (approximately 25% of the material is left behind after transfers). In addition, back-to-back experiments might identify longer-term processing problems. The testing was designed to be prototypic by including sludge simulant, Actinide Removal Product simulant, nitric acid, glycolic acid, and Strip Effluent simulant containing Next Generation Solvent in the SRAT processing and SRAT product simulant, decontamination frit slurry, and process frit slurry in the SME processing. A heel was produced in the first cycle and each subsequent cycle utilized the remaining heel from the previous cycle. Lower SRAT purges were utilized due to the low hydrogen generation. Design basis addition rates and boilup rates were used so the processing time was shorter than current processing rates.« less

  15. Metabolic pathway engineering based on metabolomics confers acetic and formic acid tolerance to a recombinant xylose-fermenting strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background The development of novel yeast strains with increased tolerance toward inhibitors in lignocellulosic hydrolysates is highly desirable for the production of bio-ethanol. Weak organic acids such as acetic and formic acids are necessarily released during the pretreatment (i.e. solubilization and hydrolysis) of lignocelluloses, which negatively affect microbial growth and ethanol production. However, since the mode of toxicity is complicated, genetic engineering strategies addressing yeast tolerance to weak organic acids have been rare. Thus, enhanced basic research is expected to identify target genes for improved weak acid tolerance. Results In this study, the effect of acetic acid on xylose fermentation was analyzed by examining metabolite profiles in a recombinant xylose-fermenting strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Metabolome analysis revealed that metabolites involved in the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) [e.g. sedoheptulose-7-phosphate, ribulose-5-phosphate, ribose-5-phosphate and erythrose-4-phosphate] were significantly accumulated by the addition of acetate, indicating the possibility that acetic acid slows down the flux of the pathway. Accordingly, a gene encoding a PPP-related enzyme, transaldolase or transketolase, was overexpressed in the xylose-fermenting yeast, which successfully conferred increased ethanol productivity in the presence of acetic and formic acid. Conclusions Our metabolomic approach revealed one of the molecular events underlying the response to acetic acid and focuses attention on the non-oxidative PPP as a target for metabolic engineering. An important challenge for metabolic engineering is identification of gene targets that have material importance. This study has demonstrated that metabolomics is a powerful tool to develop rational strategies to confer tolerance to stress through genetic engineering. PMID:21219616

  16. Enhanced Antigen Retrieval of Amyloid β Immunohistochemistry

    PubMed Central

    Kai, Hideaki; Ogino, Koichi; Hatsuta, Hiroyuki; Murayama, Shigeo; Kitamoto, Tetsuyuki

    2012-01-01

    Senile plaques, extracellular deposits of amyloid β peptide (Aβ), are one of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease (AD). As the standard immunohistochemical detection method for Aβ deposits, anti-Aβ immunohistochemistry combined with antigen retrieval (AR) by formic acid (FA) has been generally used. Here, we present a more efficient AR for Aβ antigen. On brain sections of AD and its mouse model, a double combination of either autoclave heating in EDTA buffer or digestion with proteinase K plus FA treatment reinforced Aβ immunoreactivity. A further triple combination of digestion with proteinase K (P), autoclave heating in EDTA buffer (A), and FA treatment (F), when employed in this order, gave a more enhanced immunoreactivity. Our PAF method prominently visualized various forms of Aβ deposits in AD that have not been clearly detected previously and revealed numerous minute-sized plaques both in AD and the mouse model. Quantification of Aβ loads showed that the AR effect by the PAF method was 1.86-fold (in the aged human brain) and 4.64-fold (in the mouse brain) higher than that by the FA method. Thus, the PAF method could have the potential to be the most sensitive tool so far to study Aβ pathology in AD and its mouse model. PMID:22821668

  17. Highly efficient organosolv fractionation of cornstalk into cellulose and lignin in organic acids.

    PubMed

    Shui, Tao; Feng, Shanghuan; Yuan, Zhongshun; Kuboki, Takashi; Xu, Chunbao Charles

    2016-10-01

    In this study, effects of fractionation solvents, catalysts, temperatures and residence time on yields, purity and chemical composition of the products were investigated at the solid/solvent ratio of 1:5 (g/g). It was revealed that mixture of acetic acid/formic acid/water at the ratio of 3:6:1 (v/v/v) resulted in crude cellulose and lignin products of relatively high purity. The use of HCl catalyst contributed to a high crude cellulose yield, while H2SO4 showed an adverse effect on cellulose yield. However, both of these acidic catalysts contributed to much lower hemicellulose contents in the resulted crude cellulose products compared with those obtained without a catalyst. Fractionation at 90°C for 180min in mixed solvents of acetic acid/formic acid/water (3:6:1, v/v/v) with or without catalyst produced crude cellulose with very low residual lignin contents (<4%). Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Impact of inhibitors on commercial cellulases in lignocellulosic ethanol production.

    PubMed

    Li, Kai; Zhang, Jia-Wei; Liu, Chen-Guang; Bai, Feng-Wu

    2018-01-21

    The present study investigated the effects of formic acid, acetic acid, furfural, 5-HMF, and ethanol on activity of two commercial cellulases from Novozyme and Youtell. The carboxylic acid (formic acid and acetic acid) showed little impact on cellulose hydrolysis, but furan derivate (furfural, 5-HMF) performed higher inhibitory effects. The significant decrease of enzyme activity (Novozyme 84%, Youtell 75.8%) happened as addition of 6 g/L furfural. The synthetic solution containing four inhibitors with similar concentration as the acid-pretreated corn stover hydrolysate decreased enzyme activity by ~10%. But the real pretreatment liquid significantly decreased the enzyme activity by ~50% (Novozyme) and ~53% (Youtell). Ethanol (12%) also cut the enzyme activity down by 45%. These results suggested that the cellulase activity may be hindered by many potential inhibitors, which would determine the proper fermentation types between simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) and separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  19. Effect of fermentation inhibitors in the presence and absence of activated charcoal on the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sung-Koo; Park, Don-Hee; Song, Se Hee; Wee, Young-Jung; Jeong, Gwi-Taek

    2013-06-01

    The acidic hydrolysis of biomass generates numerous inhibitors of fermentation, which adversely affect cell growth and metabolism. The goal of the present study was to determine the effects of fermentation inhibitors on growth and glucose consumption by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We also conducted in situ adsorption during cell cultivation in synthetic broth containing fermentation inhibitors. In order to evaluate the effect of in situ adsorption on cell growth, five inhibitors, namely 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, levulinic acid, furfural, formic acid, and acetic acid, were introduced into synthetic broth. The existence of fermentation inhibitors during cell culture adversely affects cell growth and sugar consumption. Furfural, formic acid, and acetic acid were the most potent inhibitors in our culture system. The in situ adsorption of inhibitors by the addition of activated charcoal to the synthetic broth increased cell growth and sugar consumption. Our results indicate that detoxification of fermentation media by in situ adsorption may be useful for enhancing biofuel production.

  20. Novel Blend for Producing Porous Chitosan-Based Films Suitable for Biomedical Applications

    PubMed Central

    Nady, Norhan; Kandil, Sherif H.

    2018-01-01

    In this work, a chitosan–gelatin–ferulic acid blend was used in different ratios for preparing novel films that can be used in biomedical applications. Both acetic and formic acid were tested as solvents for the chitosan–gelatin–ferulic acid blend. Glycerol was tested as a plasticizer. The thickness, mechanical strength, static water contact angle and water uptake of the prepared films were determined. Also, the prepared films were characterized using different analysis techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Acetic acid produced continuous compact surfaces that are not recommended for testing in biomedical applications. The plasticized chitosan–gelatin–ferulic acid blend, using formic acid solvent, produced novel hexagonal porous films with a pore size of around 10–14 µm. This blend is recommended for preparing films (scaffolds) for testing in biomedical applications as it has the advantage of a decreased thickness. PMID:29301357

  1. Ambiphilic Frustrated Lewis Pair Exhibiting High Robustness and Reversible Water Activation: Towards the Metal-Free Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide.

    PubMed

    Rochette, Étienne; Courtemanche, Marc-André; Pulis, Alexander P; Bi, Wenhua; Fontaine, Frédéric-Georges

    2015-06-29

    The synthesis and structural characterization of a phenylene-bridged Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP) having a 2,2,6,6‑tetramethylpiperidine (TMP) as the Lewis base and a 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (BBN) as the Lewis acid is reported. This FLP exhibits unique robustness towards the products of carbon dioxide hydrogenation. The compound shows reversible splitting of water, formic acid and methanol while no reaction is observed in the presence of excess formaldehyde. The molecule is incredibly robust, showing little sign of degradation after heating at 80 °C in benzene with 10 equiv. of formic acid for 24 h. The robustness of the system could be exploited in the design of metal-free catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide.

  2. 46 CFR 153.1011 - Changing containment systems and hoses to and from alkylene oxide service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... reactive with alkylene oxides: (1) Non-oxidizing mineral acids (e.g. hydrochloric, phosphoric); (2) Sulfuric acid; (3) Nitric acid; (4) Organic acids (e.g. acetic, formic); (5) Halogenated organic acids (e.g... condition with no heavy rust accumulations or traces of previous cargoes; (2) No alkylene oxide is loaded...

  3. 46 CFR 153.1011 - Changing containment systems and hoses to and from alkylene oxide service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... reactive with alkylene oxides: (1) Non-oxidizing mineral acids (e.g. hydrochloric, phosphoric); (2) Sulfuric acid; (3) Nitric acid; (4) Organic acids (e.g. acetic, formic); (5) Halogenated organic acids (e.g... condition with no heavy rust accumulations or traces of previous cargoes; (2) No alkylene oxide is loaded...

  4. 46 CFR 153.1011 - Changing containment systems and hoses to and from alkylene oxide service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... reactive with alkylene oxides: (1) Non-oxidizing mineral acids (e.g. hydrochloric, phosphoric); (2) Sulfuric acid; (3) Nitric acid; (4) Organic acids (e.g. acetic, formic); (5) Halogenated organic acids (e.g... condition with no heavy rust accumulations or traces of previous cargoes; (2) No alkylene oxide is loaded...

  5. 46 CFR 153.1011 - Changing containment systems and hoses to and from alkylene oxide service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... reactive with alkylene oxides: (1) Non-oxidizing mineral acids (e.g. hydrochloric, phosphoric); (2) Sulfuric acid; (3) Nitric acid; (4) Organic acids (e.g. acetic, formic); (5) Halogenated organic acids (e.g... condition with no heavy rust accumulations or traces of previous cargoes; (2) No alkylene oxide is loaded...

  6. 46 CFR 153.1011 - Changing containment systems and hoses to and from alkylene oxide service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... reactive with alkylene oxides: (1) Non-oxidizing mineral acids (e.g. hydrochloric, phosphoric); (2) Sulfuric acid; (3) Nitric acid; (4) Organic acids (e.g. acetic, formic); (5) Halogenated organic acids (e.g... condition with no heavy rust accumulations or traces of previous cargoes; (2) No alkylene oxide is loaded...

  7. The effectiveness of selected feed and water additives for reducing Salmonella spp. of public health importance in broiler chickens: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression approach.

    PubMed

    Totton, Sarah C; Farrar, Ashley M; Wilkins, Wendy; Bucher, Oliver; Waddell, Lisa A; Wilhelm, Barbara J; McEwen, Scott A; Rajić, Andrijana

    2012-10-01

    Eating inappropriately prepared poultry meat is a major cause of foodborne salmonellosis. Our objectives were to determine the efficacy of feed and water additives (other than competitive exclusion and antimicrobials) on reducing Salmonella prevalence or concentration in broiler chickens using systematic review-meta-analysis and to explore sources of heterogeneity found in the meta-analysis through meta-regression. Six electronic databases were searched (Current Contents (1999-2009), Agricola (1924-2009), MEDLINE (1860-2009), Scopus (1960-2009), Centre for Agricultural Bioscience (CAB) (1913-2009), and CAB Global Health (1971-2009)), five topic experts were contacted, and the bibliographies of review articles and a topic-relevant textbook were manually searched to identify all relevant research. Study inclusion criteria comprised: English-language primary research investigating the effects of feed and water additives on the Salmonella prevalence or concentration in broiler chickens. Data extraction and study methodological assessment were conducted by two reviewers independently using pretested forms. Seventy challenge studies (n=910 unique treatment-control comparisons), seven controlled studies (n=154), and one quasi-experiment (n=1) met the inclusion criteria. Compared to an assumed control group prevalence of 44 of 1000 broilers, random-effects meta-analysis indicated that the Salmonella cecal colonization in groups with prebiotics (fructooligosaccharide, lactose, whey, dried milk, lactulose, lactosucrose, sucrose, maltose, mannanoligosaccharide) added to feed or water was 15 out of 1000 broilers; with lactose added to feed or water it was 10 out of 1000 broilers; with experimental chlorate product (ECP) added to feed or water it was 21 out of 1000. For ECP the concentration of Salmonella in the ceca was decreased by 0.61 log(10)cfu/g in the treated group compared to the control group. Significant heterogeneity (Cochran's Q-statistic p≤0.10) was observed among studies examining all organic acids (controlled or challenge experiments), butyric acid, formic acid, a formic/propionic acid mixture, fermented liquid feed, and D-mannose. Meta-regressions were conducted to examine the source of heterogeneity among studies. For prevalence outcomes, 36% and 60% of the total variance was within and between studies, respectively. For concentration outcomes, 39% and 33% of the total variance was within and between studies, respectively. Inadequate blinding and randomization was common, and no studies undergoing meta-analysis or meta-regression were conducted on a commercial farm. The strength of evidence of the effect of these additives was very low. Studies conducted under commercial conditions are needed to understand the potential benefit of these interventions for the poultry industry and to improve the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of these additives. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Generation of organic acids and monosaccharides by hydrolytic and oxidative transformation of food processing residues.

    PubMed

    Fischer, Klaus; Bipp, Hans-Peter

    2005-05-01

    Carbohydrate-rich biomass residues, i.e. sugar beet molasses, whey powder, wine yeast, potato peel sludge, spent hops, malt dust and apple marc, were tested as starting materials for the generation of marketable chemicals, e.g. aliphatic acids, sugar acids and mono-/disaccharides. Residues were oxidized or hydrolyzed under acidic or alkaline conditions applying conventional laboratory digestion methods and microwave assisted techniques. Yields and compositions of the oxidation products differed according to the oxidizing agent used. Main products of oxidation by 30% HNO(3) were acetic, glucaric, oxalic and glycolic acids. Applying H(2)O(2)/CuO in alkaline solution, the organic acid yields were remarkably lower with formic, acetic and threonic acids as main products. Gluconic acid was formed instead of glucaric acid throughout. Reaction of a 10% H(2)O(2) solution with sugar beet molasses generated formic and lactic acids mainly. Na(2)S(2)O(8) solutions were very inefficient at oxidizing the residues. Glucose, arabinose and galactose were formed during acidic hydrolysis of malt dust and apple marc. The glucose content reached 0.35 g per gram of residue. Important advantages of the microwave application were lower reaction times and reduced reagent demands.

  9. METHANOGENESIS AND SULFATE REDUCTION IN CHEMOSTATS: I. KINETIC STUDIES AND EXPERIMENTS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Six anaerobic chemostats containing mixed microbial cultures were used to investigate the interactions between sulfate reduction and methanogenesis for three substrates: acetic acid, methanol and formic acid. Sulfate reducers outcompeted methanogens in acetate-fed chemostats whil...

  10. A CHEMICAL METHOD OF TREATING FISSIONABLE MATERIAL

    DOEpatents

    Olson, C.M.

    1959-09-01

    One step of a process for separating plutonium from uranium and fission products is presented. A nitric acid solution containing these constituents is treated with formic acid to reduce simultaneously the plutonium to a valence state of not greater than +4 and destroy and eliminate the excess nitric acid.

  11. Liquid-phase chemical hydrogen storage: catalytic hydrogen generation under ambient conditions.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Hai-Long; Singh, Sanjay Kumar; Yan, Jun-Min; Zhang, Xin-Bo; Xu, Qiang

    2010-05-25

    There is a demand for a sufficient and sustainable energy supply. Hence, the search for applicable hydrogen storage materials is extremely important owing to the diversified merits of hydrogen energy. Lithium and sodium borohydride, ammonia borane, hydrazine, and formic acid have been extensively investigated as promising hydrogen storage materials based on their relatively high hydrogen content. Significant advances, such as hydrogen generation temperatures and reaction kinetics, have been made in the catalytic hydrolysis of aqueous lithium and sodium borohydride and ammonia borane as well as in the catalytic decomposition of hydrous hydrazine and formic acid. In this Minireview we briefly survey the research progresses in catalytic hydrogen generation from these liquid-phase chemical hydrogen storage materials.

  12. Fuel cell applied research: Electrocatalysis and materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srinivasan, S.; Isaacs, H.; McBreen, J.; Ogrady, W. E.; Olender, H.; Olmer, L. J.; Schouler, E. J. L.; Adzic, R. R.

    1980-03-01

    The effect of underpotential deposited metal layers on the electrocatalysis of fuel cell reactions is studied. The potential for developing organic compound/air fuel cells using underpotential deposited Pb adatoms to enhance the electrocatalysis of the fuel electrode is explored. The effects of adsorbed layers of Pb, Tl and Bi on formic acid and methanol oxidation on platinum in 85 percent H3PO4 were investigated. The effect of crystal orientation on formic acid oxidation on platinum in 1 M CHlO2 was investigated. The kinetics of the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions at the electrode (metal or oxide) solid electrolyte (yttria stabilized zirconia) interface were investigated using ac and dc techniques.

  13. Properties of nanocellulose isolated from corncob residue using sulfuric acid, formic acid, oxidative and mechanical methods.

    PubMed

    Liu, Chao; Li, Bin; Du, Haishun; Lv, Dong; Zhang, Yuedong; Yu, Guang; Mu, Xindong; Peng, Hui

    2016-10-20

    In this work, nanocellulose was extracted from bleached corncob residue (CCR), an underutilized lignocellulose waste from furfural industry, using four different methods (i.e. sulfuric acid hydrolysis, formic acid (FA) hydrolysis, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation, and pulp refining, respectively). The self-assembled structure, morphology, dimension, crystallinity, chemical structure and thermal stability of prepared nanocellulose were investigated. FA hydrolysis produced longer cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) than the one obtained by sulfuric acid hydrolysis, and resulted in high crystallinity and thermal stability due to its preferential degradation of amorphous cellulose and lignin. The cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) with fine and individualized structure could be isolated by TEMPO-mediated oxidation. In comparison with other nanocellulose products, the intensive pulp refining led to the CNFs with the longest length and the thickest diameter. This comparative study can help to provide an insight into the utilization of CCR as a potential source for nanocellulose production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Matrix-elimination with steam distillation for determination of short-chain fatty acids in hypersaline waters from pre-salt layer by ion-exclusion chromatography.

    PubMed

    Ferreira, Fernanda N; Carneiro, Manuel C; Vaitsman, Delmo S; Pontes, Fernanda V M; Monteiro, Maria Inês C; Silva, Lílian Irene D da; Neto, Arnaldo Alcover

    2012-02-03

    A method for determination of formic, acetic, propionic and butyric acids in hypersaline waters by ion-exclusion chromatography (IEC), using steam distillation to eliminate matrix-interference, was developed. The steam distillation variables such as type of solution to collect the distillate, distillation time and volume of the 50% v/v H₂SO₄ solution were optimized. The effect of the addition of NaCl different concentrations to the calibration standards on the carboxylic acid recovery was also investigated. Detection limits of 0.2, 0.5, 0.3 and 1.5 mg L⁻¹ were obtained for formic, acetic, propionic and butyric acids, respectively. Produced waters from petroleum reservoirs in the Brazilian pre-salt layer containing about 19% m/v of NaCl were analyzed. Good recoveries (99-108%) were obtained for all acids in spiked produced water samples. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Effects of dissolved low molecular weight organic acids on oxidation of ferrous iron by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.

    PubMed

    Ren, Wan-Xia; Li, Pei-Jun; Zheng, Le; Fan, Shu-Xiu; Verhozina, V A

    2009-02-15

    A few researchers have reported on work concerning bioleaching of heavy-metal-contaminated soil using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, since this acidophile is sensitive to dissolved low molecular weight (LMW) organic acids. Iron oxidation by A. ferrooxidans R2 as well as growth on ferrous iron was inhibited by a variety of dissolved LMW organic acids. Growth experiments with ferrous iron as an oxidant showed that the inhibition capability sequence was formic acid>acetic acid>propionic acid>oxalic acid>malic acid>citric acid. The concentrations that R2 might tolerate were formic acid 0.1mmolL(-1) (2mmolkg(-1)soil), acetic and propionic acids 0.4mmolL(-1) (8mmolkg(-1)soil), oxalic acid 2.0mmolL(-1) (40mmolkg(-1)soil), malic acid 20mmolL(-1) (400mmolkg(-1)soil), citric acid 40mmolL(-1) (800mmolkg(-1)soil), respectively. Although R2 was sensitive to organic acids, the concentrations of LMW organic acids in the contaminated soils were rather lower than the tolerable levels. Hence, it is feasible that R2 might be used for bioleaching of soils contaminated with metals or metals coupled with organic compounds because of the higher concentrations of LMW organic acids to which R2 is tolerant.

  16. Removal of lead by apatite and its stability in the presence of organic acids.

    PubMed

    Katoh, Masahiko; Makimura, Akihiko; Sato, Takeshi

    2016-12-01

    In this study, lead sorption and desorption tests were conducted with apatite and organic acids (i.e. citric, malic, and formic acids) to understand lead removal by apatite in the presence of an organic acid and lead dissolution from the lead- and organic-acid-sorbed apatite by such organic acid exposure. The lead sorption test showed that the amount of lead removed by apatite in the presence of organic acid varied depending on the type of acid used. The molar amounts of calcium dissolved from apatite in the presence and absence of organic acid were exactly the same as those of lead removed even under different pH conditions as well as different organic acid concentrations, indicating that the varying amount of lead removal in the presence of different organic acids resulted from the magnitude of the dissolution of apatite and the precipitation of lead phosphate minerals. The percentages of lead dissolved from the organic-acid-sorbed and non-organic-acid-sorbed apatite by all the organic acid extractions were equal and higher than those by water extraction. In particular, the highest extractions were observed in the non-organic-acid-sorbed apatite by citric and malic acids. These results suggest that to immobilize lead by the use of apatite in the presence of organic acids, much more apatite must be added than in the absence of organic acid, and that measures must be taken to ensure that the immobilized lead is not dissolved.

  17. Tunneling dynamics of double proton transfer in formic acid and benzoic acid dimers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smedarchina, Zorka; Fernández-Ramos, Antonio; Siebrand, Willem

    2005-04-01

    Direct dynamics calculations based on instanton techniques are reported of tunneling splittings due to double proton transfer in formic and benzoic acid dimers. The results are used to assign the observed splittings to levels for which the authors of the high-resolution spectra could not provide a definitive assignment. In both cases the splitting is shown to be due mainly to the zero-point level rather than to the vibrationally or electronically excited level whose spectrum was investigated. This leads to zero-point splittings of 375MHz for (DCOOH)2 and 1107MHz for the benzoic acid dimer. Thus, contrary to earlier calculations, it is found that the splitting is considerably larger in the benzoic than in the formic acid dimer. The calculations are extended to solid benzoic acid where the asymmetry of the proton-transfer potential induced by the crystal can be overcome by suitable doping. This has allowed direct measurement of the interactions responsible for double proton transfer, which were found to be much larger than those in the isolated dimer. To account for this observation both static and dynamic effects of the crystal forces on the intradimer hydrogen bonds are included in the calculations. The same methodology, extended to higher temperatures, is used to calculate rate constants for HH, HD, and DD transfers in neat benzoic acid crystals. The results are in good agreement with reported experimental rate constants measured by NMR relaxometry and, if allowance is made for small structural changes induced by doping, with the transfer matrix elements observed in doped crystals. Hence the method used allows a unified description of tunneling splittings in the gas phase and in doped crystals as well as of transfer rates in neat crystals.

  18. Nitric-glycolic flowsheet testing for maximum hydrogen generation rate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Martino, C. J.; Newell, J. D.; Williams, M. S.

    The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site is developing for implementation a flowsheet with a new reductant to replace formic acid. Glycolic acid has been tested over the past several years and found to effectively replace the function of formic acid in the DWPF chemical process. The nitric-glycolic flowsheet reduces mercury, significantly lowers the chemical generation of hydrogen and ammonia, allows purge reduction in the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT), stabilizes the pH and chemistry in the SRAT and the Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME), allows for effective adjustment of the SRAT/SME rheology, and is favorablemore » with respect to melter flammability. The objective of this work was to perform DWPF Chemical Process Cell (CPC) testing at conditions that would bound the catalytic hydrogen production for the nitric-glycolic flowsheet.« less

  19. Photochemical synthesis of simple organic free radicals on simulated planetary surfaces - An ESR study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tseng, S.-S.; Chang, S.

    1975-01-01

    Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy provided evidence for formation of hydroxyl radicals during ultraviolet photolysis (254 nm) at -170 C of H2O adsorbed on silica gel or of silica gel alone. The carboxyl radical was observed when CO or CO2 or a mixture of CO and CO2 adsorbed on silica gel at -170 C was irradiated. The ESR signals of these radicals slowly disappeared when the irradiated samples were warmed to room temperature. However, reirradiation of CO or CO2, or the mixture CO and CO2 on silica gel at room temperature then produced a new species, the carbon dioxide anion radical, which slowly decayed and was identical with that produced by direct photolysis of formic acid adsorbed on silica gel. The primary photochemical process may involve formation of hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals. Subsequent reactions of these radicals with adsorbed CO or CO2 or both yield carboxyl radicals, CO2H, the precursors of formic acid. These results confirm the formation of formic acid under simulated Martian conditions and provide a mechanistic basis for gauging the potential importance of gas-solid photochemistry for chemical evolution on other extraterrestrial bodies, on the primitive earth, and on dust grains in the interstellar medium.

  20. Composition of Lignin-to-Liquid Solvolysis Oils from Lignin Extracted in a Semi-Continuous Organosolv Process

    PubMed Central

    Løhre, Camilla; Vik Halleraker, Hilde; Barth, Tanja

    2017-01-01

    The interest and on-going research on utilisation of lignin as feedstock for production of renewable and sustainable aromatics is expanding and shows great potential. This study investigates the applicability of semi-continuously organosolv extracted lignin in Lignin-to-Liquid (LtL) solvolysis, using formic acid as hydrogen donor and water as solvent under high temperature–high pressure (HTHP) conditions. The high purity of the organosolv lignin provides high conversion yields at up to 94% based on lignin mass input. The formic acid input is a dominating parameter in lignin conversion. Carbon balance calculations of LtL-solvolysis experiments also indicate that formic acid can give a net carbon contribution to the bio-oils, in addition to its property as hydrogenation agent. Compound specific quantification of the ten most abundant components in the LtL-oils describe up to 10% of the bio-oil composition, and reaction temperature is shown to be the dominating parameter for the structures present. The structural and quantitative results from this study identify components of considerable value in the LtL-oil, and support the position of this oil as a potentially important source of building blocks for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. PMID:28124994

  1. Simple extraction method for quantification of phenothiazine residues in pork muscle using liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Dan; Park, Jin-A; Kim, Seong-Kwan; Cho, Sang-Hyun; Cho, Soo-Min; Shim, Jae-Han; Kim, Jin-Suk; Abd El-Aty, A M; Shin, Ho-Chul

    2017-06-01

    In this study, an analytical method was developed for quantification of residues of the anthelmintic drug phenothiazine (PTZ) in pork muscle using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Muscles were extracted using 0.2% formic acid and 10 mm ammonium formate in acetonitrile, defatted and purified using n-hexane. The drug was well separated on a Waters XBridge™ C 18 analytical column using a binary solvent system consisting of 0.2% formic acid and 10 mm ammonium formate in ultrapure water (A) and acetonitrile (B). Good linearity was achieved over a six-point concentration range in matrix-matched calibration with determination coefficient =0.9846. Fortified pork muscle having concentrations equivalent to and double the limit of quantification (1 ng/g) yielded recovery ranges between 100.82 and 104.03% and relative standard deviations <12%. Samples (n = 5) collected from large markets located in Seoul City tested negative for PTZ residue. In conclusion, 0.2% formic acid and ammonium formate in acetonitrile can effectively extract PTZ from pork muscle without solid-phase extraction, a step normally required for cleanup before analysis and the validated method can be used for routine analysis to ensure the quality of animal products. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. On the origin of red and blue shifts of X-H and C-H stretching vibrations in formic acid (formate ion) and proton donor complexes.

    PubMed

    Tâme Parreira, Renato Luis; Galembeck, Sérgio Emanuel; Hobza, Pavel

    2007-01-08

    Complexes between formic acid or formate anion and various proton donors (HF, H(2)O, NH(3), and CH(4)) are studied by the MP2 and B3LYP methods with the 6-311++G(3df,3pd) basis set. Formation of a complex is characterized by electron-density transfer from electron donor to ligands. This transfer is much larger with the formate anion, for which it exceeds 0.1 e. Electron-density transfer from electron lone pairs of the electron donor is directed into sigma* antibonding orbitals of X--H bonds of the electron acceptor and leads to elongation of the bond and a red shift of the X--H stretching frequency (standard H-bonding). However, pronounced electron-density transfer from electron lone pairs of the electron donor also leads to reorganization of the electron density in the electron donor, which results in changes in geometry and vibrational frequency. These changes are largest for the C--H bonds of formic acid and formate anion, which do not participate in H-bonding. The resulting blue shift of this stretching frequency is substantial and amounts to almost 35 and 170 cm(-1), respectively.

  3. Ultrasound-assisted vapor generation of mercury.

    PubMed

    Ribeiro, Anderson S; Vieira, Mariana A; Willie, Scott; Sturgeon, Ralph E

    2007-06-01

    Cold vapor generation arising from reduction of both Hg(2+) and CH(3)Hg(+) occurs using ultrasonic (US) fields of sufficient density to achieve both localized heating as well as radical-based attack in solutions of formic and acetic acids and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). A batch sonoreactor utilizing an ultrasonic probe as an energy source and a flow through system based on a US bath were optimized for this purpose. Reduction of CH(3)Hg(+) to Hg(0) occurs only at relatively high US field density (>10 W cm(-3) of sample solution) and is thus not observed when a conventional US bath is used for cold vapor generation. Speciation of mercury is thus possible by altering the power density during the measurement process. Thermal reduction of Hg(2+) is efficient in formic acid and TMAH at 70 degrees C and occurs in the absence of the US field. Room temperature studies with the batch sonoreactor reveal a slow reduction process, producing temporally broad signals having an efficiency of approximately 68% of that arising from use of a conventional SnCl(2) reduction system. Molecular species of mercury are generated at high concentrations of formic and acetic acid. Factors affecting the generation of Hg(0) were optimized and the batch sonoreactor used for the determination of total mercury in SLRS-4 river water reference material.

  4. Study and development of sulfated zirconia based proton exchange fuel cell membranes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kemp, Brittany Wilson

    With the increasing consumption of energy, fuel cells are among the most promising alternatives to fossil fuels, provided some technical challenges are overcome. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have been investigated and improvements have been made, but the problem with NafionRTM, the main membrane for PEMFCs, has not been solved. NafionRTM restricts the membranes from operating at higher temperatures, thus preventing them from working in small electronics. The problem is to develop a novel fuel cell membrane that performs comparably to NafionRTM in PEMFCs. The membranes were fabricated by applying sulfated zirconia, via template wetting, to porous alumina membranes. The fabricated membranes showed a proton conductivity of 0.016 S/cm in comparison to the proton conductivity of Nafion RTM (0.05 S/cm). Both formic acid and methanol had a lower crossover flux through the sulfated zirconia membranes (formic acid- 2.89x10 -7 mols/cm2s and methanol-1.78x10-9 mols/cm2s) than through NafionRTM (formic acid-2.03x10 -8 mols/cm2s methanol-2.42x10-6 mols/cm 2s), indicating that a sulfated zirconia PEMFC may serve as a replacement for NafionRTM.

  5. Pd/WO3/C nanocomposite with APTMS-functionalized tungsten oxide nanosheet for formic acid electrooxidation enhancement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yang; Li, Yun-Hua; Zhao, Ya-Fei; Li, Peng-Wei; Li, Qiao-Xia

    2018-01-01

    A Pd/WO3/C nanocomposite with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS)-functionalized tungsten oxide nanosheets (Pd/WO3/C-APTMS) was synthesized and applied as the efficient anode catalyst for direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs). The mechanism for synthesizing the nanocomposite is as follows: initially, [PdCl4]2- was assembled onto the tungsten oxide nanosheets modified with APTMS. Following this, Pd nanoparticles were reduced via traditional impregnation reduction of [PdCl4]2- with NaBH4. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) images revealed that the Pd nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on WO3 nanosheets and were approximately 2.7 nm in size. The electrochemical test results showed that enhanced electrocatalytic activity for the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR) was obtained on the Pd/WO3/C catalyst compared with Pd/C. The higher electrocatalytic activity might be attributed to the uniform distribution of Pd with smaller particles. Furthermore, it is likely that the improvement in catalytic stability for the Pd/WO3/C catalyst is due to the hydrogen spillover effect of WO3 particles. These results indicate that this novel Pd/WO3/C-APTMS nanocomposite exhibits promising potential for use as an anode electrocatalyst in DFAFCs.

  6. Chemical complexity induced by efficient ice evaporation in the Barnard 5 molecular cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taquet, V.; Wirström, E. S.; Charnley, S. B.; Faure, A.; López-Sepulcre, A.; Persson, C. M.

    2017-10-01

    Cold gas-phase water has recently been detected in a cold dark cloud, Barnard 5 located in the Perseus complex, by targeting methanol peaks as signposts for ice mantle evaporation. Observed morphology and abundances of methanol and water are consistent with a transient non-thermal evaporation process only affecting the outermost ice mantle layers, possibly triggering a more complex chemistry. Here we present the detection of the complex organic molecules (COMs) acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) and methyl formate (CH3OCHO), as well as formic acid (HCOOH) and ketene (CH2CO), and the tentative detection of di-methyl ether (CH3OCH3) towards the "methanol hotspot" of Barnard 5 located between two dense cores using the single dish OSO 20 m, IRAM 30 m, and NRO 45 m telescopes. The high energy cis-conformer of formic acid is detected, suggesting that formic acid is mostly formed at the surface of interstellar grains and then evaporated. The detection of multiple transitions for each species allows us to constrain their abundances through LTE and non-LTE methods. All the considered COMs show similar abundances between 1 and 10% relative to methanol depending on the assumed excitation temperature. The non-detection of glycolaldehyde, an isomer of methyl formate, with a [glycolaldehyde]/[methyl formate] abundance ratio lower than 6%, favours gas phase formation pathways triggered by methanol evaporation. According to their excitation temperatures derived in massive hot cores, formic acid, ketene, and acetaldehyde have been designated as "lukewarm" COMs whereas methyl formate and di-methyl ether were defined as "warm" species. Comparison with previous observations of other types of sources confirms that lukewarm and warm COMs show similar abundances in low-density cold gas whereas the warm COMs tend to be more abundant than the lukewarm species in warm protostellar cores. This abundance evolution suggests either that warm COMs are indeed mostly formed in protostellar environments and/or that lukewarm COMs are efficiently depleted by increased hydrogenation efficiency around protostars.

  7. Hydrogen storage and delivery: the carbon dioxide - formic acid couple.

    PubMed

    Laurenczy, Gábor

    2011-01-01

    Carbon dioxide and the carbonates, the available natural C1 sources, can be easily hydrogenated into formic acid and formates in water; the rate of this reduction strongly depends on the pH of the solution. This reaction is catalysed by ruthenium(II) pre-catalyst complexes with a large variety of water-soluble phosphine ligands; high conversions and turnover numbers have been realised. Although ruthenium(II) is predominant in these reactions, the iron(II) - tris[(2-diphenylphosphino)-ethyl]phosphine (PP3) complex is also active, showing a new perspective to use abundant and inexpensive iron-based compounds in the CO2 reduction. In the catalytic hydrogenation cycles the in situ formed metal hydride complexes play a key role, their structures with several other intermediates have been proven by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. In the other hand safe and convenient hydrogen storage and supply is the fundamental question for the further development of the hydrogen economy; and carbon dioxide has been recognised to be a viable H2 vector. Formic acid--containing 4.4 weight % of H2, that is 53 g hydrogen per litre--is suitable for H2 storage; we have shown that in aqueous solutions it can be selectively decomposed into CO-free (CO < 10 ppm) CO2 and H2. The reaction takes place under mild experimental conditions and it is able to generate high pressure H2 (up to 600 bar). The cleavage of HCOOH is catalysed by several hydrophilic Ru(II) phosphine complexes (meta-trisulfonated triphenylphosphine, mTPPTS, being the most efficient one), either in homogeneous systems or as immobilised catalysts. We have also shown that the iron(II)--hydrido tris[(2-diphenylphosphino)ethyl]phosphine complex catalyses with an exceptionally high rate and efficiency (turnover frequency, TOF = 9425 h(-1)mol(-1); turnover number, TON = 92400) the formic acid cleavage, in environmentally friendly propylene carbonate solution, opening the way to use cheap, non-noble metal based catalysts for this reaction, too.

  8. Surface reaction modification: The effect of structured overlayers of sulfur on the kinetics and mechanism of the decomposition of formic acid on Pt(111)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abbas, N.; Madix, R. J.

    The reaction of formic acid (DCOOH) on Pt(111), Pt(111)-(2×2)S and Pt(111)-(√3×√3)R30°S surfaces was examined by temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy. On the clean surface formic acid decomposed to yield primarily carbon dioxide and the hydrogenic species (H 2, HD and D 2) at low coverages. Although the formation of water and carbon monoxide via a dehydration reaction was observed at these coverages, the yield of these products was small when compared to the other products of reaction. The evolution of CO 2 at low temperature was ascribed to the decomposition of the formate intermediate. In the presence of sulfur the amount of molecularly adsorbed formic acid decreased up to a factor of three on the (√3×√3)R30°S surface, and a decline in the reactivity of over an order of magnitude was also observed. The only products formed were the hydrogenic species and carbon dioxide. The absence of carbon monoxide indicated that the dehydration pathway was blocked by sulfur. In addition to the low temperature CO 2 peak a high temperature CO 2-producing path was also evident. It was inferred from both the stoichiometry and the coincident evolution of D 2 and CO 2 in the high temperature states that these products also evolved due to the decomposition of the formate intermediate. On increasing the sulfur coverage to one-third monolayer this intermediate was further stabilized, and a predominance of the decomposition via the high temperature path was observed. Stability of the formate intermediate was attributed to inhibition of the decomposition reaction by sulfur atoms. The activation energy for formate decomposition increased from 15 kcal/gmole on the clean surface to 24.3 kcal/gmol on the (√3×√3)R30°S overlayer.

  9. An in Situ NMR Study of the Mechanism for the Catalytic Conversion of Fructose to 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural and then to Levulinic Acid Using 13 C Labeled d -Fructose

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Jing; Weitz, Eric

    The pathways for the formation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) by dehydration of d-fructose and for the formation of levulinic acid and formic acid from HMF by rehydration were investigated by in situ13C and 1H NMR using both unlabeled and 13C-labeled fructose. Water or DMSO was used as the solvent with Amberlyst 70, PO43–/niobic acid, or sulfuric acid as catalysts. Only HMF is observed using NMR for fructose dehydration in DMSO with any of the three catalysts or without a catalyst. For each system, results with 13C-labeled fructose indicate that the first carbon (C-1) or sixth carbon (C-6) of fructose maps ontomore » the corresponding carbons of HMF. For fructose dehydration in H2O with a PO43–/niobic acid catalyst, in addition to HMF, furfural was observed as a product. However, we show that furfural is not a reaction product deriving from HMF under our conditions. Rather our data indicate that there is a parallel reaction pathway open to fructose when the reaction takes place in H2O with a PO43–/niobic acid catalyst. The corresponding 13C-labeled results show that the first carbon in fructose maps onto the first carbon (aldehyde carbon) in furfural. Using 13C-enriched HMF formed from dehydration of 13C-labeled fructose in DMSO or H2O, we investigated the pathway for HMF rehydration to levulinic and formic acid. The data in different solvents and with different catalysts are consistent with a common mechanism for HMF rehydration, which results in the C-1 and C-6 carbon of HMF being transformed to the carbon of formic acid and methyl carbon (C-5) of levulinic acid, respectively.« less

  10. Behaviors of glucose decomposition during acid-catalyzed hydrothermal hydrolysis of pretreated Gelidium amansii.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Tae Su; Choi, Chang Ho; Lee, Ji Ye; Oh, Kyeong Keun

    2012-07-01

    Acid-catalyzed hydrothermal hydrolysis is one path to cellulosic glucose and subsequently to its dehydration end products such as hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF), formic acid and levulinic acid. The effect of sugar decomposition not only lowers the yield of fermentable sugars but also forms decomposition products that inhibit subsequent fermentation. The present experiments were conducted with four different acid catalysts (H(2)SO(4), HNO(3), HCl, and H(3)PO(4)) at various acid normalities (0.5-2.1N) in batch reactors at 180-210 °C. From the results, H(2)SO(4) was the most suitable catalyst for glucose production, but glucose decomposition occurred during the hydrolysis. The glucose production was maximized at 160.7 °C, 2.0% (w/v) H(2)SO(4), and 40 min, but resulted in a low glucan yield of 33.05% due to the decomposition reactions, which generated formic acid and levulinic acid. The highest concentration of levulinic acid, 7.82 g/L, was obtained at 181.2 °C, 2.0% (w/v) H(2)SO(4), and 40 min. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Sortilin Fragments Deposit at Senile Plaques in Human Cerebrum

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Xia; Hu, Zhao-Lan; Li, Zheng; Ruan, Chun-Sheng; Qiu, Wen-Ying; Pan, Aihua; Li, Chang-Qi; Cai, Yan; Shen, Lu; Chu, Yaping; Tang, Bei-Sha; Cai, Huaibin; Zhou, Xin-Fu; Ma, Chao; Yan, Xiao-Xin

    2017-01-01

    Genetic variations in the vacuolar protein sorting 10 protein (Vps10p) family have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here we demonstrate deposition of fragments from the Vps10p member sortilin at senile plaques (SPs) in aged and AD human cerebrum. Sortilin changes were characterized in postmortem brains with antibodies against the extracellular and intracellular C-terminal domains. The two antibodies exhibited identical labeling in normal human cerebrum, occurring in the somata and dendrites of cortical and hippocampal neurons. The C-terminal antibody also marked extracellular lesions in some aged and all AD cases, appearing as isolated fibrils, mini-plaques, dense-packing or circular mature-looking plaques. Sortilin and β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition were correlated overtly in a region/lamina- and case-dependent manner as analyzed in the temporal lobe structures, with co-localized immunofluorescence seen at individual SPs. However, sortilin deposition rarely occurred around the pia, at vascular wall or in areas with typical diffuse Aβ deposition, with the labeling not enhanced by section pretreatment with heating or formic acid. Levels of a major sortilin fragment ~15 kDa, predicted to derive from the C-terminal region, were dramatically elevated in AD relative to control cortical lysates. Thus, sortilin fragments are a prominent constituent of the extracellularly deposited protein products at SPs in human cerebrum. PMID:28638323

  12. Influence of carbon source and inoculum type on anaerobic biomass adhesion on polyurethane foam in reactors fed with acid mine drainage.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, Renata P; Zaiat, Marcelo

    2011-04-01

    This paper analyzes the influence of carbon source and inoculum origin on the dynamics of biomass adhesion to an inert support in anaerobic reactors fed with acid mine drainage. Formic acid, lactic acid and ethanol were used as carbon sources. Two different inocula were evaluated: one taken from an UASB reactor and other from the sediment of a uranium mine. The values of average colonization rates and the maximum biomass concentration (C(max)) were inversely proportional to the number of carbon atoms in each substrate. The highest C(max) value (0.35 g TVS g(-1) foam) was observed with formic acid and anaerobic sludge as inoculum. Maximum colonization rates (v(max)) were strongly influenced by the type of inoculum when ethanol and lactic acid were used. For both carbon sources, the use of mine sediment as inoculum resulted in a v(max) of 0.013 g TVS g(-1) foam day(-1), whereas 0.024 g TVS g(-1) foam day(-1) was achieved with anaerobic sludge. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Formic Acid Formation by Clostridium ljungdahlii at Elevated Pressures of Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen

    PubMed Central

    Oswald, Florian; Stoll, I. Katharina; Zwick, Michaela; Herbig, Sophia; Sauer, Jörg; Boukis, Nikolaos; Neumann, Anke

    2018-01-01

    Low productivities of bioprocesses using gaseous carbon and energy sources are usually caused by the low solubility of those gases (e.g., H2 and CO). It has been suggested that increasing the partial pressure of those gases will result in higher dissolved concentrations and should, therefore, be helpful to overcome this obstacle. Investigations of the late 1980s with mixtures of hydrogen and carbon monoxide showed inhibitory effects of carbon monoxide partial pressures above 0.8 bar. Avoiding any effects of carbon monoxide, we investigate growth and product formation of Clostridium ljungdahlii at absolute process pressures of 1, 4, and 7 bar in batch stirred tank reactor cultivations with carbon dioxide and hydrogen as sole gaseous carbon and energy source. With increasing process pressure, the product spectrum shifts from mainly acetic acid and ethanol to almost only formic acid at a total system pressure of 7 bar. On the other hand, no significant changes in overall product yield can be observed. By keeping the amount of substance flow rate constant instead of the volumetric gas feed rate when increasing the process pressure, we increased the overall product yield of 7.5 times of what has been previously reported in the literature. After 90 h of cultivation at a total pressure of 7 bar a total of 4 g L−1 of products is produced consisting of 82.7 % formic acid, 15.6 % acetic acid, and 1.7 % ethanol. PMID:29484294

  14. Manufacturing Chemical Equipment from Titanium - USSR

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1960-05-25

    hydrochloric, sulfuric and orthophosphoric, oxalic, trichlor- and tri-flour- acetic acids , and of boiling solutions of formic and citric acids . Nor...sulfofrezon and oleinic acid . Titanium dust is explosive , therefore only wet grinding is being used. The cooling is done either by a ten percent solution of...pumping ore of various organic acids , solutions of chlorides, and of moderately concentrated hydrochloric acid.are made of titanium. Such apparatus

  15. Formic acid catalyzed hydrolysis of SO3 in the gas phase: a barrierless mechanism for sulfuric acid production of potential atmospheric importance.

    PubMed

    Hazra, Montu K; Sinha, Amitabha

    2011-11-02

    Computational studies at the B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,3pd) and MP2/6-311++G(3df,3pd) levels are performed to explore the changes in reaction barrier height for the gas phase hydrolysis of SO(3) to form H(2)SO(4) in the presence of a single formic acid (FA) molecule. For comparison, we have also performed calculations for the reference reaction involving water assisted hydrolysis of SO(3) at the same level. Our results show that the FA assisted hydrolysis of SO(3) to form H(2)SO(4) is effectively a barrierless process. The barrier heights for the isomerization of the SO(3)···H(2)O···FA prereactive collision complex, which is the rate limiting step in the FA assisted hydrolysis, are found to be respectively 0.59 and 0.08 kcal/mol at the B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,3pd) and MP2/6-311++G(3df,3pd) levels. This is substantially lower than the ~7 kcal/mol barrier for the corresponding step in the hydrolysis of SO(3) by two water molecules--which is currently the accepted mechanism for atmospheric sulfuric acid production. Simple kinetic analysis of the relative rates suggests that the reduction in barrier height facilitated by FA, combined with the greater stability of the prereactive SO(3)···H(2)O···FA collision complex compared to SO(3)···H(2)O···H(2)O and the rather plentiful atmospheric abundance of FA, makes the formic acid mediated hydrolysis reaction a potentially important pathway for atmospheric sulfuric acid production.

  16. The muscle protein dysferlin accumulates in the Alzheimer brain

    PubMed Central

    Palamand, Divya; Strider, Jeff; Milone, Margherita; Pestronk, Alan

    2006-01-01

    Dysferlin is a transmembrane protein that is highly expressed in muscle. Dysferlin mutations cause limb-girdle dystrophy type 2B, Miyoshi myopathy and distal anterior compartment myopathy. Dysferlin has also been described in neural tissue. We studied dysferlin distribution in the brains of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and controls. Twelve brains, staged using the Clinical Dementia Rating were examined: 9 AD cases (mean age: 85.9 years and mean disease duration: 8.9 years), and 3 age-matched controls (mean age: 87.5 years). Dysferlin is a cytoplasmic protein in the pyramidal neurons of normal and AD brains. In addition, there were dysferlin-positive dystrophic neurites within Aβ plaques in the AD brain, distinct from tau-positive neurites. Western blots of total brain protein (RIPA) and sequential extraction buffers (high salt, high salt/Triton X-100, SDS and formic acid) of increasing protein extraction strength were performed to examine solubility state. In RIPA fractions, dysferlin was seen as 230–272 kDa bands in normal and AD brains. In serial extractions, there was a shift of dysferlin from soluble phase in high salt/Triton X-100 to the more insoluble SDS fraction in AD. Dysferlin is a new protein described in the AD brain that accumulates in association with neuritic plaques. In muscle, dysferlin plays a role in the repair of muscle membrane damage. The accumulation of dysferlin in the AD brain may be related to the inability of neurons to repair damage due to Aβ deposits accumulating in the AD brain. PMID:17024495

  17. Inhibitor tolerance of a recombinant flocculating industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain during glucose and xylose co-fermentation.

    PubMed

    Li, Yun-Cheng; Gou, Zi-Xi; Zhang, Ying; Xia, Zi-Yuan; Tang, Yue-Qin; Kida, Kenji

    Lignocellulose-derived inhibitors have negative effects on the ethanol fermentation capacity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, the effects of eight typical inhibitors, including weak acids, furans, and phenols, on glucose and xylose co-fermentation of the recombinant xylose-fermenting flocculating industrial S. cerevisiae strain NAPX37 were evaluated by batch fermentation. Inhibition on glucose fermentation, not that on xylose fermentation, correlated with delayed cell growth. The weak acids and the phenols showed additive effects. The effect of inhibitors on glucose fermentation was as follows (from strongest to weakest): vanillin>phenol>syringaldehyde>5-HMF>furfural>levulinic acid>acetic acid>formic acid. The effect of inhibitors on xylose fermentation was as follows (from strongest to weakest): phenol>vanillin>syringaldehyde>furfural>5-HMF>formic acid>levulinic acid>acetic acid. The NAPX37 strain showed substantial tolerance to typical inhibitors and showed good fermentation characteristics, when a medium with inhibitor cocktail or rape straw hydrolysate was used. This research provides important clues for inhibitors tolerance of recombinant industrial xylose-fermenting S. cerevisiae. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  18. Cirrus cloud mimic surfaces in the laboratory: organic acids, bases and NOx heterogeneous reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sodeau, J.; Oriordan, B.

    2003-04-01

    CIRRUS CLOUD MIMIC SURFACES IN THE LABORATORY:ORGANIC ACIDS, BASES AND NOX HETEROGENEOUS REACTIONS. B. ORiordan, J. Sodeau Department of Chemistry and Environment Research Institute, University College Cork, Ireland j.sodeau@ucc.ie /Fax: +353-21-4902680 There are a variety of biogenic and anthropogenic sources for the simple carboxylic acids to be found in the troposphere giving rise to levels as high as 45 ppb in certain urban areas. In this regard it is of note that ants of genus Formica produce some 10Tg of formic acid each year; some ten times that produced by industry. The expected sinks are those generally associated with tropospheric chemistry: the major routes studied, to date, being wet and dry deposition. No studies have been carried out hitherto on the role of water-ice surfaces in the atmospheric chemistry of carboxylic acids and the purpose of this paper is to indicate their potential function in the heterogeneous release of atmospheric species such as HONO. The deposition of formic acid on a water-ice surface was studied using FT-RAIR spectroscopy over a range of temperatures between 100 and 165K. In all cases ionization to the formate (and oxonium) ions was observed. The results were confirmed by TPD (Temperature Programmed Desorption) measurements, which indicated that two distinct surface species adsorb to the ice. Potential reactions between the formic acid/formate ion surface and nitrogen dioxide were subsequently investigated by FT-RAIRS. Co-deposition experiments showed that N2O3 and the NO+ ion (associated with water) were formed as products. A mechanism is proposed to explain these results, which involves direct reaction between the organic acid and nitrogen dioxide. Similar experiments involving acetic acid also indicate ionization on a water-ice surface. The results are put into the context of atmospheric chemistry potentially occuring on cirrus cloud surfaces.

  19. Regeneration of high-quality silk fibroin fiber by wet spinning from CaCl2-formic acid solvent.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Feng; Lu, Qiang; Yue, Xiaoxiao; Zuo, Baoqi; Qin, Mingde; Li, Fang; Kaplan, David L; Zhang, Xueguang

    2015-01-01

    Silks spun by silkworms and spiders feature outstanding mechanical properties despite being spun under benign conditions. The superior physical properties of silk are closely related to its complicated hierarchical structures constructed from nanoscale building blocks, such as nanocrystals and nanofibrils. Here, we report a novel silk dissolution behavior, which preserved nanofibrils in CaCl2-formic acid solution, that enables spinning of high-quality fibers with a hierarchical structure. This process is characterized by simplicity, high efficiency, low cost, environmental compatibility and large-scale industrialization potential, as well as having utility and potential for the recycling of silk waste and the production of silk-based functional materials. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Jet-cooled infrared absorption spectrum of the v4 fundamental band of HCOOH and HCOOD

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Wei; Zhang, Yulan; Li, Wenguang; Duan, Chuanxi

    2017-04-01

    The jet-cooled absorption spectrum of the v4 fundamental band of normal formic acid (HCOOH) and deuterated formic acid (HCOOD) was recorded in the frequency range of 1370-1392 cm-1 with distributed-feedback quantum cascade lasers (DFB-QCLs) as the tunable infrared radiations. A segmented rapid-scan data acquisition scheme was developed for pulsed supersonic jet infrared laser absorption spectroscopy based on DFB-QCLs with a moderate vacuum pumping capacity. The unperturbed band-origin and rotational constants in the excited vibrational state were determined for both HCOOH and HCOOD. The unperturbed band-origin locates at 1379.05447(11) cm-1 for HCOOH, and 1366.48430(39) cm-1 for HCOOD, respectively.

  1. A photocatalyst-enzyme coupled artificial photosynthesis system for solar energy in production of formic acid from CO2.

    PubMed

    Yadav, Rajesh K; Baeg, Jin-Ook; Oh, Gyu Hwan; Park, No-Joong; Kong, Ki-jeong; Kim, Jinheung; Hwang, Dong Won; Biswas, Soumya K

    2012-07-18

    The photocatalyst-enzyme coupled system for artificial photosynthesis process is one of the most promising methods of solar energy conversion for the synthesis of organic chemicals or fuel. Here we report the synthesis of a novel graphene-based visible light active photocatalyst which covalently bonded the chromophore, such as multianthraquinone substituted porphyrin with the chemically converted graphene as a photocatalyst of the artificial photosynthesis system for an efficient photosynthetic production of formic acid from CO(2). The results not only show a benchmark example of the graphene-based material used as a photocatalyst in general artificial photosynthesis but also the benchmark example of the selective production system of solar chemicals/solar fuel directly from CO(2).

  2. Synthesis of silver-platinum nanoferns substrates used in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy sensors to detect creatinine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adliha Abdullah, Nur; Abu Bakar, Norhayati; Shapter, Joseph G.; Mat Salleh, Muhamad; Umar, Akrajas Ali

    2017-06-01

    Creatinine is one of the most commonly used bio markers of renal function. This paper reports a study on detection of creatinine using silver-platinum (AgPt) nanoferns substrates to fabricate a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensor. The AgPt nanoferns were synthesized by liquid phase deposition (LPD) where the morphology structures and thickness of the AgPt nanoferns were controlled by varying the concentration of formic acid which was acting as the reducing agent. We have obtained four different nanoferns structures and thicknesses. This study showed that the AgPt nanoferns structure synthesized with 40 mM formic acid give the highest Raman peak intensity for a 0.05 M creatinine sample.

  3. Weak hydrogen bonds in complexes pairing monohalomethanes with neutral formic acid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Solimannejad, Mohammad; Scheiner, Steve

    2006-06-01

    Ab initio calculations are used to analyze the interaction between formic acid and CH 3X, for X equal to each of F, Cl, and Br. All minima are cyclic in that they contain more than one H-bond. The most strongly bound contain a OH⋯X bond, along with CH⋯O, and the others contain CH⋯X and CH⋯O interactions. Alterations of the covalent bond lengths within each subunit, and vibrational frequency shifts, coupled with electronic charge shifts, reveal fundamental features of these complexes, and the nature of the interactions. The OH⋯X bond is the strongest of those examined here, followed by CH⋯X and CH⋯O.

  4. Vibration-Rotation Spectrum of Formic Acid Dimer in the 7.3μm Region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duan, Chuanxi

    2016-06-01

    The vibration-rotation-tunneling spectrum of formic acid dimer, (HCOOH)2, in the spectral region 1369-1375 wn has been measured by a multi-step rapid-can method in a slit jet expansion using a distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser. The observed spectrum is assigned to the O-C-H bending fundamental band. The tunneling splitting in the vibrational excited state is determined to be about 0.005 wn, which is much smaller than that in the ground state, 0.0165 wn (Goroya et al.,J. Chem. Phys. 140, 164311 (2014)). Strong local perturbations involving transitions with J > 9, K = 0 and 1 are identified in the observed spectrum. The deperturbation analysis will be presented.

  5. Hydrogen generation at ambient conditions: application in fuel cells.

    PubMed

    Boddien, Albert; Loges, Björn; Junge, Henrik; Beller, Matthias

    2008-01-01

    The efficient generation of hydrogen from formic acid/amine adducts at ambient temperature is demonstrated. The highest catalytic activity (TOF up to 3630 h(-1) after 20 min) was observed in the presence of in situ generated ruthenium phosphine catalysts. Compared to the previously known methods to generate hydrogen from liquid feedstocks, the systems presented here can be operated at room temperature without the need for any high-temperature reforming processes, and the hydrogen produced can then be directly used in fuel cells. A variety of Ru precursors and phosphine ligands were investigated for the decomposition of formic acid/amine adducts. These catalytic systems are particularly interesting for the generation of H2 for new applications in portable electric devices.

  6. Gas-phase ozonolysis of ethene in the presence of carbonyl-oxide scavengers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolff, Silke; Boddenberg, Axel; Thamm, Jürgen; Turner, Walter V.; Gäb, Siegmar

    Potential carbonyl-oxide scavengers are included in gas-phase ozonolysis experiments in an attempt to determine the extent to which the Criegee mechanism is involved. The scavengers selected are those whose reaction mechanism in the liquid phase is understood; water, hydrogen peroxide, alcohols and carboxylic acids have thus far been examined. The products of the ozonolysis of ethene in the gas phase depend on whether carbonyl-oxide scavengers are present. In the absence of scavengers, formaldehyde and formic acid are the major products, and only minor amounts of H 2O 2 and hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide are found. In the presence of a scavenger, certain products observed in addition to these can be regarded as arising from addition of the scavenger to the carbonyl oxide. Thus, H 2O 2 leads to the formation of hydroperoxymethyl hydroperoxide, while alcohols and formic acid give alkoxymethyl hydroperoxides and hydroperoxymethyl formate, respectively.

  7. A Simple Demonstration of a Gas Evolution Oscillator.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaushik, S. M.; And Others

    1986-01-01

    The best-characterized gas evolution oscillator is the dehydration of formic acid in concentrated sulfuric acid. Reports on an improved demonstration which exhibits at least as dramatic behavior, although for a shorter time. Includes background information, principles illustrated, procedures used, and typical results obtained. (JN)

  8. Measurement of citrate in urine using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry: comparison with an enzymatic method.

    PubMed

    Keevil, B G; Owen, L; Thornton, S; Kavanagh, J

    2005-09-01

    Measurement of urine citrate is used to assess the risk of further urinary stone formation and to assess the benefit of treatment in affected individuals. We wanted to develop a simple and rapid liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the analysis of urinary citrate and to compare it with our current enzymatic assay. For the LC-MS/MS assay, samples were prepared in a deep-well block by adding 10 microL of urine and 20 microL of internal standard to 400 microL of water. After mixing, 3 microL of the diluted sample was injected into the LC-MS/MS system. An LC system was used to isocratically elute a C18 column (50 x 2.1 mm) with 0.4 mL/min water containing 2 mmol/L ammonium acetate and 0.1% (v/v) formic acid. A step gradient of 100% methanol containing 2 mmol/L ammonium acetate and 0.1% (v/v) formic acid was used to wash the column. The retention times were 1.4 min for citrate and 1.4 min for d4-citrate. Cycle time was 4.0 min, injection to injection. The analytes were monitored using a tandem mass spectrometer operated in multiple reaction monitoring mode using the following transitions, citrate m/z 191.0>111.0 and d4-citrate m/z 195.0>113.0. Within and between-batch coefficients of variation were <3% over the range 480-3800 micromol/L. The lower limit of quantification was 24.0 micromol/L. Regression analysis showed LC-MS/MS = 0.8781 (enzymatic assay) + 102.5, r = 0.964, n = 73. We have developed a simple LC-MS/MS method for urinary citrate measurement that shows acceptable performance.

  9. Simplifying sample pretreatment: application of dried blood spot (DBS) method to blood samples, including postmortem, for UHPLC-MS/MS analysis of drugs of abuse.

    PubMed

    Odoardi, Sara; Anzillotti, Luca; Strano-Rossi, Sabina

    2014-10-01

    The complexity of biological matrices, such as blood, requires the development of suitably selective and reliable sample pretreatment procedures prior to their instrumental analysis. A method has been developed for the analysis of drugs of abuse and their metabolites from different chemical classes (opiates, methadone, fentanyl and analogues, cocaine, amphetamines and amphetamine-like substances, ketamine, LSD) in human blood using dried blood spot (DBS) and subsequent UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. DBS extraction required only 100μL of sample, added with the internal standards and then three droplets (30μL each) of this solution were spotted on the card, let dry for 1h, punched and extracted with methanol with 0.1% of formic acid. The supernatant was evaporated and the residue was then reconstituted in 100μL of water with 0.1% of formic acid and injected in the UHPLC-MS/MS system. The method was validated considering the following parameters: LOD and LOQ, linearity, precision, accuracy, matrix effect and dilution integrity. LODs were 0.05-1ng/mL and LOQs were 0.2-2ng/mL. The method showed satisfactory linearity for all substances, with determination coefficients always higher than 0.99. Intra and inter day precision, accuracy, matrix effect and dilution integrity were acceptable for all the studied substances. The addition of internal standards before DBS extraction and the deposition of a fixed volume of blood on the filter cards ensured the accurate quantification of the analytes. The validated method was then applied to authentic postmortem blood samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Facile isolation of α-ribazole from vitamin B12 hydrolysates using boronate affinity chromatography.

    PubMed

    Mattes, Theodoric A; Escalante-Semerena, Jorge C

    2018-05-16

    Alpha-ribazole (α-R) is a unique riboside found in the nucleotide loop of coenzyme B 12 (CoB 12 ). α-R is not an intermediate of the de novo biosynthetic pathway of coenzyme B 12 , but some bacteria of the phylum Firmicutes have evolved a two-protein system (transporter, kinase) that scavenges α-R from the environment and converts it to the pathway intermediate α-RP. Since α-R is not commercially available, one must either synthesize α-R, or isolate it from hydrolysates of vitamin B 12 (cyano-B 12 , CNB 12 ), so the function of the above-mentioned proteins can be studied. Here we report a facile protocol for the isolation of α-R from CNB 12 hydrolysates. CNB 12 dissolved in NaOH (5 M) was heated to 85 °C for 75 min, then cooled to 4 °C for 30 min. The solution was neutralized with HCl (5 M), and the hydrolysate was diluted with an equal volume of ammonium acetate (0.3 M, pH 8.8). Alkaline phosphatase was added and the mixture was incubated at 37 °C for 16 h. After incubation, the sample was loaded onto a boronate affinity resin column, washed with ammonium sulfate (0.3 M, pH 8.8), water (to remove residual corrinoids) and finally with formic acid (0.1 M) to release (α-R). Formic acid was removed by lyophilization, and the final yield of α-R was 85% from the theoretically recoverable amount. Methods for quantifying the concentration of α-R are reported. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Integrated varroa control in honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera carnica) with or without brood

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Studies were conducted in two apiaries in order to assess the comparative efficacy of oxalic acid (OA), formic acid (FA) and Thymovar against varroa mites in honey bee colonies. Treatments were performed using 85% FA and OA consisted of 2.9% oxalic acid dihydrate and 31.9% sugar in water. Consecutiv...

  12. Effect of Feed Additives on Productivity and Campylobacter spp. Loads in Broilers Reared under Free Range Conditions.

    PubMed

    Guyard-Nicodème, Muriel; Huneau-Salaün, Adeline; Tatone, Fabrizio A; Skiba, Fabien; Quentin, Maxime; Quesne, Ségolène; Poezevara, Typhaine; Chemaly, Marianne

    2017-01-01

    The poultry reservoir, especially broiler meat, is generally recognized as one of the most-important sources for human Campylobacteriosis. The measures to control Campylobacter targeted essentially the primary production level. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments against natural Campylobacter colonization in a French experimental farm of free-range broilers during the whole rearing period. Five commercial products and a combination of two of them were tested and all the products were added to feed or to water at the dose recommended by the suppliers. Campylobacter loads in caeca and on carcasses of broilers at the slaughter were determined by culture methods. Natural contamination of the flock occurred at the end of the indoor rearing period between day 35 and day 42. At day 42, the multispecies probiotic added to the feed reduced the contamination of 0.55 log 10 CFU/g ( p = 0.02) but was not significant ( p > 0.05) at the end of rearing at day 78. However, another treatment, a combination of a cation exchange clay-based product in feed and an organic acid mixture (formic acid, sodium formate, lactic acid, propionic acid) in water, led to a slight but significant reduction of 0.82 ± 0.25 log 10 CFU/g ( p = 0.02) compared to the control group at day 78. Testing this combination in field conditions in several flocks is needed to determine if it is biologically relevant and if it could be a valuable measure to reduce Campylobacter in broiler flocks.

  13. Measurement of Organic and Inorganic Acids in the Uintah Basin, Utah during UBWOS 2012 and 2013

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, B.; Roberts, J. M.; Warneke, C.; Gilman, J.; Li, S.; Edwards, P. M.; Wild, R.; Min, K.; Brown, S. S.; Johnson, J. E.; Bates, T. S.; Quinn, P.; Koss, A.; Veres, P. R.; De Gouw, J. A.

    2013-12-01

    Recently, high concentrations of ozone in winter have occurred in the winter in the Uintah Basin in Utah, a region with intensive oil and gas extraction activities. Two field campaigns (Uintah Basin Winter Ozone Study, UBWOS 2012 and 2013) aiming to understand the formation mechanisms of winter ozone were conducted in Jan.-Feb. in the two years. Snow cover and temperature were the main difference between the two campaigns: the winter in 2013 had a snow cover and several cold-pool conditions, whereas the winter of 2012 did not. As a result, only the winter of 2013 saw extensive ozone build-up during several episodes. A chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) using acetate as reagent ion was deployed to measure organic and inorganic acids. Concentrations of formic acid in 2013 were much higher (a factor of 4.0) than those in 2012, consistent with higher concentrations of other VOCs species and ozone in 2013. Enhancement ratios of formic acid to acetone in Uintah Basin are comparable to those measured in Los Angeles (LA), even though Uintah Basin has much higher alkanes and lower alkenes mixing ratios compared to those in LA. The results are in contrast with the dominant role of alkenes in secondary formation of formic acid in state-of-art chemical mechanisms. The comparisons of these datasets can provide insight into missing secondary sources of formic acid. HONO concentrations measured with the CIMS were also significantly elevated in 2013, especially during daytime. The high daytime HONO measured by CIMS could be caused by three reasons: (1) photolysis of nitrate in snow and aerosol that generates HONO photochemically; (2) evolution of HONO from snow due to acidification and warming during the daytime; (3) potential interferences of other reactive nitrogen species to form NO2- (m/z 46), the ion for quantification of HONO in CIMS. The potential interferences will be explored through laboratory experiments and from the results of box model calculations. The HONO source from nitrate photolysis will be compared to current understanding of this process. The continuous increase of nitrate and nitrite in snow during the episodes of high ozone concentration indicates that air-snow exchange may have contributed to the budget of reactive nitrogen species during UBWOS 2013.

  14. Novel silk fibroin films prepared by formic acid/hydroxyapatite dissolution method.

    PubMed

    Ming, Jinfa; Liu, Zhi; Bie, Shiyu; Zhang, Feng; Zuo, Baoqi

    2014-04-01

    Bombyx mori silk fibroin from the silkworm was firstly found to be soluble in formic acid/hydroxyapatite system. The rheological behavior of silk fibroin solution was significantly influenced by HAp contents in dissolved solution. At the same time, silk fibroin nanofibers were observed in dissolved solution with 103.6±20.4nm in diameter. Moreover, the structure behavior of SF films prepared by formic acid/hydroxyapatite dissolution method was examined. The secondary structure of silk fibroin films was attributed to silk II structure (β-sheet), indicating that the hydroxyapatite contents in dissolved solution were not significantly affected by the structure of silk fibroin. The X-ray diffraction results exhibited obviously hydroxyapatite crystalline nature existing in silk fibroin films; however, when the hydroxyapatite content was 5.0wt.% in dissolved solution, some hydroxyapatite crystals were converted to calcium hydrogen phosphate dehydrate in silk fibroin dissolution process. This result was also confirmed by Fourier transform infrared analysis and DSC measurement. In addition, silk fibroin films prepared by this dissolution method had higher breaking strength and extension at break. Based on these analyses, an understanding of novel SF dissolution method may provide an additional tool for designing and synthesizing advanced materials with more complex structures, which should be helpful in different fields, including biomaterial applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Lithium Carbonate Recovery from Cathode Scrap of Spent Lithium-Ion Battery: A Closed-Loop Process.

    PubMed

    Gao, Wenfang; Zhang, Xihua; Zheng, Xiaohong; Lin, Xiao; Cao, Hongbin; Zhang, Yi; Sun, Zhi

    2017-02-07

    A closed-loop process to recover lithium carbonate from cathode scrap of lithium-ion battery (LIB) is developed. Lithium could be selectively leached into solution using formic acid while aluminum remained as the metallic form, and most of the other metals from the cathode scrap could be precipitated out. This phenomenon clearly demonstrates that formic acid can be used for lithium recovery from cathode scrap, as both leaching and separation reagent. By investigating the effects of different parameters including temperature, formic acid concentration, H 2 O 2 amount, and solid to liquid ratio, the leaching rate of Li can reach 99.93% with minor Al loss into the solution. Subsequently, the leaching kinetics was evaluated and the controlling step as well as the apparent activation energy could be determined. After further separation of the remaining Ni, Co, and Mn from the leachate, Li 2 CO 3 with the purity of 99.90% could be obtained. The final solution after lithium carbonate extraction can be further processed for sodium formate preparation, and Ni, Co, and Mn precipitates are ready for precursor preparation for cathode materials. As a result, the global recovery rates of Al, Li, Ni, Co, and Mn in this process were found to be 95.46%, 98.22%, 99.96%, 99.96%, and 99.95% respectively, achieving effective resources recycling from cathode scrap of spent LIB.

  16. Commandant’s International Technical Series. Volume 9. International Regulations on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships Carrying Hazardous Chemicals in Bulk.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-12-01

    Styrene monomer 2055 B Sulphuric acid 1830 C " Sulphuric acid, spent 1832 C - Sulphurous acid 1633 (C) Sunflover oil D...anhydrides (e.g. formic, acetic); .3 halogenated carboxylic acids (e.g. chloracetic); .4 sulpnonic acids (e.g. benzene sulphonic); .5 caustic alkalis...acetic); (iii) halogenated carboxylic acids (e.g. cbloracetic); (iv) sulphonic acids (e.g. benzene sulphonic);II (v) caustic alkalis (e.g. sodium

  17. Kinetic Studies of Imidazoles in Tropospheric Aqueous-Phase Chemistry: Photochemistry of Imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde and Oxidation Reaction with Hydroxyl Radicals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Felber, T.; Otto, T.; Herrmann, H.

    2017-12-01

    The formation of imidazoles via the reaction of dicarbonyls with nitrogen containing compounds in the atmosphere and their potential to act as photosensitizers possibly initiating secondary organic aerosol (SOA) growth is a field of increasing activity. A recent field study quantified and qualified imidazoles in ambient aerosol samples from Europe and China. However, kinetic data and mechanisms of particle-phase reactions involving imidazoles are still scarce. In this study, kinetic measurements were investigated using laser flash photolysis-laser long path absorption (LFP-LLPA). Quenching rate constants for the reactions of the excited triplet state of imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde (IC) with bromide anion (kq = (1.6 ± 0.3) × 107 L mol-1 s-1), oxygen (kq = (2.5 ± 0.07) × 109 L mol-1 s-1), and formic acid (kq = (8.8 ± 0.5) × 109 L mol-1 s-1) are determined. IC is efficiently quenched by oxygen and formic acid. Furthermore, the quenching reaction of IC with isopropanol is investigated and compared to the reaction with formic acid to propose a preliminary mechanism of photosensitized reactions of IC with organic compounds. It is suggested that an electron transfer occurs, as it is the case for inorganics. Furthermore, rate constants of hydroxyl (OH) radical oxidation reactions with different imidazoles were determined. Following rate constants are obtained at a temperature of 298 K: k(imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde) = (3.3 ± 1.3) × 109 L mol-1 s-1, k(1-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate) = (2.7 ± 0.2) × 109 L mol-1 s-1, k(2-methylimidazole) = (5.4 ± 0.2) × 109 L mol-1 s-1, k(4(5)-methylimidazole) = (5.1 ± 0.3) × 109 L mol-1 s-1, k(1-ethylimidazole) = (3.0 ± 0.3) × 109 L mol-1 s-1, k(2-ethylimidazole) = (5.0 ± 0.2) × 109 L mol-1 s-1. The OH radical reaction rate constants of imidazoles are in the same range as for non-heteroaromatic compounds. Therefore, imidazoles can be expected to exist just for a limited time in the atmosphere (τ = 16 - 29 hours) after their formation. The received kinetic data will be added into model studies to evaluate the importance of aqueous-phase chemistry of imidazoles for atmospheric processes as well as the impact of photosensitized reactions on atmospheric particles possibly contributing to SOA formation.

  18. Real World of Industrial Chemistry: Organic Chemicals from Carbon Monoxide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kolb, Kenneth E.; Kolb, Doris

    1983-01-01

    Carbon Monoxide obtained from coal may serve as the source for a wide variety of organic compounds. Several of these compounds are discussed, including phosgene, benzaldehyde, methanol, formic acid and its derivatives, oxo aldehydes, acrylic acids, and others. Commercial reactions of carbon monoxide are highlighted in a table. (JN)

  19. A rechargeable hydrogen battery based on Ru catalysis.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Shih-Fan; Rommel, Susanne; Eversfield, Philipp; Muller, Keven; Klemm, Elias; Thiel, Werner R; Plietker, Bernd

    2014-07-01

    Apart from energy generation, the storage and liberation of energy are among the major problems in establishing a sustainable energy supply chain. Herein we report the development of a rechargeable H2 battery which is based on the principle of the Ru-catalyzed hydrogenation of CO2 to formic acid (charging process) and the Ru-catalyzed decomposition of formic acid to CO2 and H2 (discharging process). Both processes are driven by the same catalyst at elevated temperature either under pressure (charging process) or pressure-free conditions (discharging process). Up to five charging-discharging cycles were performed without decrease of storage capacity. The resulting CO2/H2 mixture is free of CO and can be employed directly in fuel-cell technology. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Simultaneous assay of multiple antibiotics in human plasma by LC-MS/MS: importance of optimizing formic acid concentration.

    PubMed

    Chen, Feng; Hu, Zhe-Yi; Laizure, S Casey; Hudson, Joanna Q

    2017-03-01

    Optimal dosing of antibiotics in critically ill patients is complicated by the development of resistant organisms requiring treatment with multiple antibiotics and alterations in systemic exposure due to diseases and extracorporeal drug removal. Developing guidelines for optimal antibiotic dosing is an important therapeutic goal requiring robust analytical methods to simultaneously measure multiple antibiotics. An LC-MS/MS assay using protein precipitation for cleanup followed by a 6-min gradient separation was developed to simultaneously determine five antibiotics in human plasma. The precision and accuracy were within the 15% acceptance range. The formic acid concentration was an important determinant of signal intensity, peak shape and matrix effects. The method was designed to be simple and successfully applied to a clinical pharmacokinetic study.

  1. Efficient dehydrogenation of formic acid using Al12N12 nanocage: A DFT study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Esrafili, Mehdi D.; Nurazar, Roghaye

    2014-11-01

    We have studied the adsorption and decomposition of formic acid (HCOOH) on the surface of Al12N12 fullerene-like nanocage using density functional theory. Different adsorption modes were found for HCOOH on the Al12N12, i.e. molecular and dissociative monodentate or bidentate adsorption. Three reaction pathways were proposed to understand gas-phase HCOOH decomposition on the Al12N12 nanocage. Our results reveal that for the decomposition of HCOOH into CO2 and H2, the most favorable pathway should be the Csbnd H bond activation reaction. The reaction energies and the activation barriers obtained here suggest that for the dissociative adsorption configuration on the Al12N12 surface, the rate-determining step is the Csbnd H bond breaking.

  2. Satellite Monitoring Over the Canadian Oil Sands: Highlights from Aura OMI and TES

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shephard, Mark W.; McLinden, Chris; Fioletov, Vitali; Cady-Pereira, Karen E.; Krotkov, Nick A.; Boersma, Folkert; Li, Can; Luo, Ming; Bhartia, P. K.; Joiner, Joanna

    2014-01-01

    Satellite remote sensing provides a unique perspective for air quality monitoring in and around the Canadian Oil Sands as a result of its spatial and temporal coverage. Presented are Aura satellite observations of key pollutants including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ammonia (NH3), methanol (CH3OH), and formic acid (HCOOH) over the Canadian Oil Sands. Some of the highlights include: (i) the evolution of NO2 and SO2 from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), including comparisons with other nearby sources, (ii) two years of ammonia, carbon monoxide, methanol, and formic acid observations from 240 km North-South Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) transects through the oils sands, and (iii) preliminary insights into emissions derived from these observations.

  3. 46 CFR Table I to Part 150 - Alphabetical List of Cargoes

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... (C17+) alkanoic acid 34 CUS CFT Corn syrup 43 CSY Cottonseed oil, fatty acid 34 CFY Creosote 21 2 CCT... tar 33 COR OCT Coal tar distillate 33 CDL Coal tar, high temperature 33 CHH Coal tar pitch 33 CTP... MTM Formaldehyde solution 19 2 FMS Formamide 10 FAM Formic acid 4 2 FMA Fructose solution 43 Fumaric...

  4. 46 CFR Table I to Part 150 - Alphabetical List of Cargoes

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... (C17+) alkanoic acid 34 CUS CFT Corn syrup 43 CSY Cottonseed oil, fatty acid 34 CFY Creosote 21 2 CCT... tar 33 COR OCT Coal tar distillate 33 CDL Coal tar, high temperature 33 CHH Coal tar pitch 33 CTP... MTM Formaldehyde solution 19 2 FMS Formamide 10 FAM Formic acid 4 2 FMA Fructose solution 43 Fumaric...

  5. 46 CFR Table I to Part 150 - Alphabetical List of Cargoes

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... (C17+) alkanoic acid 34 CUS CFT Corn syrup 43 CSY Cottonseed oil, fatty acid 34 CFY Creosote 21 2 CCT... tar 33 COR OCT Coal tar distillate 33 CDL Coal tar, high temperature 33 CHH Coal tar pitch 33 CTP... MTM Formaldehyde solution 19 2 FMS Formamide 10 FAM Formic acid 4 2 FMA Fructose solution 43 Fumaric...

  6. 46 CFR Table I to Part 150 - Alphabetical List of Cargoes

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... (C17+) alkanoic acid 34 CUS CFT Corn syrup 43 CSY Cottonseed oil, fatty acid 34 CFY Creosote 21 2 CCT... tar 33 COR OCT Coal tar distillate 33 CDL Coal tar, high temperature 33 CHH Coal tar pitch 33 CTP... MTM Formaldehyde solution 19 2 FMS Formamide 10 FAM Formic acid 4 2 FMA Fructose solution 43 Fumaric...

  7. 46 CFR Table I to Part 150 - Alphabetical List of Cargoes

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... (C17+) alkanoic acid 34 CUS CFT Corn syrup 43 CSY Cottonseed oil, fatty acid 34 CFY Creosote 21 2 CCT... tar 33 COR OCT Coal tar distillate 33 CDL Coal tar, high temperature 33 CHH Coal tar pitch 33 CTP... MTM Formaldehyde solution 19 2 FMS Formamide 10 FAM Formic acid 4 2 FMA Fructose solution 43 Fumaric...

  8. Microwave Spectroscopy and Proton Transfer Dynamics in the Formic Acid-Acetic Acid Dimer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howard, B. J.; Steer, E.; Page, F.; Tayler, M.; Ouyang, B.; Leung, H. O.; Marshall, M. D.; Muenter, J. S.

    2012-06-01

    The rotational spectrum of the doubly hydrogen-bonded {hetero} dimer formed between formic acid and acetic acid has been recorded between 4 and 18 GHz using a pulsed-nozzle Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. Each rigid-molecule rotational transition is split into four as a result of two concurrent tunnelling motions, one being proton transfer between the two acid molecules, and the other the torsion/rotation of the methyl group within the acetic acid. We present a full assignment of the spectrum for {J} = 1 to {J} = 7 for these four torsion/tunnelling states. Spectra have been observed for the main isotopic species, with deuterium substitution at the C of the formic acid and all 13C species in natural abundance, The observed transitions are fitted to within a few kilohertz using a molecule-fixed effective rotational Hamiltonian for the separate {A} and {E} vibrational species of the G12 permutation-inversion group which is applicable to this complex. To reduce the effects of internal angular momentum, a non-principal axis system is used throughout. Interpretation of the internal motion uses an internal-vibration and overall rotation scheme, and full sets of rotational and centrifugal distortion constants are determined. The proton tunnelling rates and the internal angular momentum of the methyl group in the {E} states is interpreted in terms of a dynamical model which involves coupled proton transfer and internal rotation. The resulting potential energy surface not only describes these internal motions, but can also explain the observed shifts in rotational constants between {A} and {E} species, and the deviations of the tunnelling frequencies from the expected 2:1 ratio. It also permits the determination of spectral constants free from the contamination effects of the internal dynamics. M.C.D. Tayler, B. Ouyang and B.J. Howard, J. Chem. Phys., {134}, 054316 (2011).

  9. Separation analysis of macrolide antibiotics with good performance on a positively charged C18HCE column.

    PubMed

    Wei, Jie; Shen, Aijin; Yan, Jingyu; Jin, Gaowa; Yang, Bingcheng; Guo, Zhimou; Zhang, Feifang; Liang, Xinmiao

    2016-03-01

    The separation of basic macrolide antibiotics suffers from peak tailing and poor efficiency on traditional silica-based reversed-phase liquid chromatography columns. In this work, a C18HCE column with positively charged surface was applied to the separation of macrolides. Compared with an Acquity BEH C18 column, the C18HCE column exhibited superior performance in the aspect of peak shape and separation efficiency. The screening of mobile phase additives including formic acid, acetic acid and ammonium formate indicated that formic acid was preferable for providing symmetrical peak shapes. Moreover, the influence of formic acid content was investigated. Analysis speed and mass spectrometry compatibility were also taken into account when optimizing the separation conditions for liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The developed method was successfully utilized for the determination of macrolide residues in a honey sample. Azithromycin was chosen as the internal standard for the quantitation of spiramycin and tilmicosin, while roxithromycin was used for erythromycin, tylosin, clarithromycin, josamycin and acetylisovaleryltylosin. Good correlation coefficients (r(2) > 0.9938) for all macrolides were obtained. The intra-day and inter-day recoveries were 73.7-134.7% and 80.7-119.7% with relative standard deviations of 2.5-8.0% and 3.9-16.1%, respectively. Outstanding sensitivity with limits of quantitation (S/N ≥ 10) of 0.02-1 μg/kg and limits of detection (S/N ≥ 3) of 0.01-0.5 μg/kg were achieved. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Electro-fenton and photoelectro-fenton degradation of sulfanilic acid using a boron-doped diamond anode and an air diffusion cathode.

    PubMed

    El-Ghenymy, Abdellatif; Garrido, José Antonio; Centellas, Francesc; Arias, Conchita; Cabot, Pere Lluís; Rodríguez, Rosa María; Brillas, Enric

    2012-04-05

    The mineralization of sulfanilic acid has been studied by electro-Fenton (EF) and photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) reaction with UVA light using an undivided electrochemical cell with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and an air diffusion cathode able to generate H(2)O(2). Organics were then oxidized by hydroxyl radicals formed at the anode surface from water oxidation and in the bulk from Fenton's reaction between generated H(2)O(2) and added Fe(2+). The UVA irradiation in PEF enhanced the production of hydroxyl radicals in the bulk, accelerating the removal of organics and photodecomposed intermediates like Fe(III)-carboxylate complexes. Partial decontamination of 1.39 mM sulfanilic acid solutions was achieved by EF until 100 mA cm(-2) at optimum conditions of 0.4 mM Fe(2+) and pH 3.0. The increase in current density and substrate content led to an almost total mineralization. In contrast, the PEF process was more powerful, yielding almost complete mineralization in less electrolysis time under comparable conditions. The kinetics for sulfanilic acid decay always followed a pseudo-first-order reaction. Hydroquinone and p-benzoquinone were detected as aromatic intermediates, whereas acetic, maleic, formic, oxalic, and oxamic acids were identified as generated carboxylic acids. NH(4)(+) ion was preferentially released in both treatments, along with NO(3)(-) ion in smaller proportion.

  11. Gas-liquid hybrid discharge-induced degradation of diuron in aqueous solution.

    PubMed

    Feng, Jingwei; Zheng, Zheng; Luan, Jingfei; Li, Kunquan; Wang, Lianhong; Feng, Jianfang

    2009-05-30

    Degradation of diuron in aqueous solution by gas-liquid hybrid discharge was investigated for the first time. The effect of output power intensity, pH value, Fe(2+) concentration, Cu(2+) concentration, initial conductivity and air flow rate on the degradation efficiency of diuron was examined. The results showed that the degradation efficiency of diuron increased with increasing output power intensity and increased with decreasing pH values. In the presence of Fe(2+), the degradation efficiency of diuron increased with increasing Fe(2+) concentration. The degradation efficiency of diuron was decreased during the first 4 min and increased during the last 10 min with adding of Cu(2+). Decreasing the initial conductivity and increasing the air flow rate were favorable for the degradation of diuron. Degradation of diuron by gas-liquid hybrid discharge fitted first-order kinetics. The pH value of the solution decreased during the reaction process. Total organic carbon removal rate increased in the presence of Fe(2+) or Cu(2+). The generated Cl(-1), NH(4)(+), NO(3)(-), oxalic acid, acetic acid and formic acid during the degradation process were also detected. Based on the detected Cl(-1) and other intermediates, a possible degradation pathway of diuron was proposed.

  12. 3-Dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Using Different Fuels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    major types of fuel cells in practice are listed below: Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell ( PEMFC ) Alkaline Fuel cell (AFC) Phosphoric Acid...Material Operating Temperature (oC) Efficiency (%) PEMFC H2, Methanol, Formic Acid Hydrated Organic Polymer < 90 40-50 AFC Pure H2 Aqueous

  13. Field measurement evidence for an atmospheric chemical source of formic and acetic acids in the tropic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanhueza, Eugenio; Santana, Magaly; Trapp, Dorothea; de Serves, Claes; Figueroa, Luis; Romero, Rodrigo; Rondón, Alberto; Donoso, Loreto

    The simultaneous measurements of atmospheric HCOOH, CH3COOH H2O2, organic peroxides, HCHO, CH3CHO and isoprene made in the Venezuelan savannah region, in the wet season (September, 1993) and during the period of high solar irradiation is reported. The average concentrations (in ppbv) between 10:00 and 16:00 were: HCOOH 0.75±0.32, CH3COOH 0.56±0.28, H2O2 1.37±0.48, the total peroxides 1.83±0.60, HCHO 1.38± .43, CH3CHO 0.35±0.15, and isoprene 2.18±0.78. A good correlation was observed between the concentrations (15 min averages) of both acids. The acids also correlate with isoprene (the most abundant olefin in the savannah atmosphere), H2O2 and the total peroxides. HCOOH also correlates well with HCHO and CH3CHO. These results support the hypothesis that significant amount of formic and acetic acids are produced in the tropical atmosphere as a result of the oxidation of reactive hydrocarbons.

  14. Effective depolymerization of concentrated acid hydrolysis lignin using a carbon-supported ruthenium catalyst in ethanol/formic acid media.

    PubMed

    Kristianto, Ivan; Limarta, Susan Olivia; Lee, Hyunjoo; Ha, Jeong-Myeong; Suh, Dong Jin; Jae, Jungho

    2017-06-01

    Lignin isolated by two-step concentrated acid hydrolysis of empty fruit bunch (EFB) was effectively depolymerized into a high-quality bio-oil using formic acid (FA) as an in-situ hydrogen source and Ru/C as a catalyst in supercritical ethanol. A bio-oil yield of 66.3wt% with an average molecular weight of 822g/mol and an aromatic monomer content of 6.1wt% was achieved at 350°C and a FA-to-lignin mass ratio of 3 after a reaction time of 60min. The combination of Ru/C and FA also resulted in a significant reduction in the oxygen content of the bio-oil by ∼60% and a corresponding increase in the higher heating value (HHV) to 32.7MJ/kg due to the enhanced hydrodeoxygenation activity. An examination of the FA decomposition characteristics revealed that Ru/C provides a greater increase in the rate of hydrogen production from FA, explaining the efficient depolymerization of lignin in a combined system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. SnO2 quantum dots decorated on RGO: a superior sensitive, selective and reproducible performance for a H2 and LPG sensor.

    PubMed

    Mishra, R K; Upadhyay, S B; Kushwaha, Ajay; Kim, Tae-Hyung; Murali, G; Verma, Ranjana; Srivastava, Manish; Singh, Jay; Sahay, P P; Lee, Seung Hee

    2015-07-28

    We report the H2 and LPG gas sensing behavior of RGO/SnO2 QDs synthesized by a surfactant assisted hydrothermal method. The RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor shows a high response of ∼89.3% to H2 and ∼92.4% to LPG for 500 ppm test gas concentration at operating temperatures of 200 °C and 250 °C, respectively. Further, the RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor shows good selectivity for H2 and LPG in the presence of other interfering gases such as ammonia, chloroform, toluene, benzene, acetone, n-butylacetate, acetic acid and formic acid. We observed that the gas response to H2 is 29.8 times higher than that to acetic acid whereas the gas response to LPG is 17.8 times higher than that to formic acid. Long-term analyses have also been performed to demonstrate the reproducible nature of the RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor over passing time which shows excellent reproducibility.

  16. Synthesis of Hydrophobic, Crosslinkable Resins.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-12-01

    insoluble products, in reactions analogous to the preparation of polyimides from polyamic acids . Examples fron7 the recent literature are provided by the...Vilsmeyer formylation,using a secondary amine with formic acid and phosphorous oxychloride [471. d. Probably the most convenient method utilises...such as styrene react with Lewis acids and so the scope for Friedel Crafts reactions is limited. Stilbene and its derivatives may be employed in such

  17. Biorefining of wheat straw using an acetic and formic acid based organosolv fractionation process.

    PubMed

    Snelders, Jeroen; Dornez, Emmie; Benjelloun-Mlayah, Bouchra; Huijgen, Wouter J J; de Wild, Paul J; Gosselink, Richard J A; Gerritsma, Jort; Courtin, Christophe M

    2014-03-01

    To assess the potential of acetic and formic acid organosolv fractionation of wheat straw as basis of an integral biorefinery concept, detailed knowledge on yield, composition and purity of the obtained streams is needed. Therefore, the process was performed, all fractions extensively characterized and the mass balance studied. Cellulose pulp yield was 48% of straw dry matter, while it was 21% and 27% for the lignin and hemicellulose-rich fractions. Composition analysis showed that 67% of wheat straw xylan and 96% of lignin were solubilized during the process, resulting in cellulose pulp of 63% purity, containing 93% of wheat straw cellulose. The isolated lignin fraction contained 84% of initial lignin and had a purity of 78%. A good part of wheat straw xylan (58%) ended up in the hemicellulose-rich fraction, half of it as monomeric xylose, together with proteins (44%), minerals (69%) and noticeable amounts of acids used during processing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Enhancing cellulose accessibility of corn stover by deep eutectic solvent pretreatment for butanol fermentation.

    PubMed

    Xu, Guo-Chao; Ding, Ji-Cai; Han, Rui-Zhi; Dong, Jin-Jun; Ni, Ye

    2016-03-01

    In this study, an effective corn stover (CS) pretreatment method was developed for biobutanol fermentation. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs), consisted of quaternary ammonium salts and hydrogen donors, display similar properties to room temperature ionic liquid. Seven DESs with different hydrogen donors were facilely synthesized. Choline chloride:formic acid (ChCl:formic acid), an acidic DES, displayed excellent performance in the pretreatment of corn stover by removal of hemicellulose and lignin as confirmed by SEM, FTIR and XRD analysis. After optimization, glucose released from pretreated CS reached 17.0 g L(-1) and yield of 99%. The CS hydrolysate was successfully utilized in butanol fermentation by Clostridium saccharobutylicum DSM 13864, achieving butanol titer of 5.63 g L(-1) with a yield of 0.17 g g(-1) total sugar and productivity of 0.12 g L(-1)h(-1). This study demonstrates DES could be used as a promising and biocompatible pretreatment method for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuel. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Exploring the pH-Dependent Substrate Transport Mechanism of FocA Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation

    PubMed Central

    Lv, Xiaoying; Liu, Huihui; Ke, Meng; Gong, Haipeng

    2013-01-01

    FocA belongs to the formate-nitrate transporter family and plays an essential role in the export and uptake of formate in organisms. According to the available crystal structures, the N-terminal residues of FocA are structurally featureless at physiological conditions but at reduced pH form helices to harbor the cytoplasmic entrance of the substrate permeation pathway, which apparently explains the cessation of electrical signal observed in electrophysiological experiments. In this work, we found by structural analysis and molecular dynamics simulations that those N-terminal helices cannot effectively preclude the substrate permeation. Equilibrium simulations and thermodynamic calculations suggest that FocA is permeable to both formate and formic acid, the latter of which is transparent to electrophysiological studies as an electrically neutral species. Hence, the cease of electrical current at acidic pH may be caused by the change of the transported substrate from formate to formic acid. In addition, the mechanism of formate export at physiological pH is discussed. PMID:24359743

  20. Challenges in the Greener Production of Formates/Formic Acid, Methanol, and DME by Heterogeneously Catalyzed CO2 Hydrogenation Processes

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    The recent advances in the development of heterogeneous catalysts and processes for the direct hydrogenation of CO2 to formate/formic acid, methanol, and dimethyl ether are thoroughly reviewed, with special emphasis on thermodynamics and catalyst design considerations. After introducing the main motivation for the development of such processes, we first summarize the most important aspects of CO2 capture and green routes to produce H2. Once the scene in terms of feedstocks is introduced, we carefully summarize the state of the art in the development of heterogeneous catalysts for these important hydrogenation reactions. Finally, in an attempt to give an order of magnitude regarding CO2 valorization, we critically assess economical aspects of the production of methanol and DME and outline future research and development directions. PMID:28656757

  1. Reversible hydrogen storage using CO2 and a proton-switchable iridium catalyst in aqueous media under mild temperatures and pressures.

    PubMed

    Hull, Jonathan F; Himeda, Yuichiro; Wang, Wan-Hui; Hashiguchi, Brian; Periana, Roy; Szalda, David J; Muckerman, James T; Fujita, Etsuko

    2012-03-18

    Green plants convert CO(2) to sugar for energy storage via photosynthesis. We report a novel catalyst that uses CO(2) and hydrogen to store energy in formic acid. Using a homogeneous iridium catalyst with a proton-responsive ligand, we show the first reversible and recyclable hydrogen storage system that operates under mild conditions using CO(2), formate and formic acid. This system is energy-efficient and green because it operates near ambient conditions, uses water as a solvent, produces high-pressure CO-free hydrogen, and uses pH to control hydrogen production or consumption. The extraordinary and switchable catalytic activity is attributed to the multifunctional ligand, which acts as a proton-relay and strong π-donor, and is rationalized by theoretical and experimental studies.

  2. Homogeneous Palladium-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenolysis of Benzylic Alcohols Using Formic Acid as Reductant.

    PubMed

    Ciszek, Benjamin; Fleischer, Ivana

    2018-04-12

    Herein we report the first homogeneous palladium-based transfer hydrogenolysis of benzylic alcohols using an in situ formed palladium-phosphine complex and formic acid as reducing agent. The reaction requires a catalyst loading as low as only 1 mol% of palladium and just a slight excess of reductant to obtain the deoxygenated alkylarenes in good to excellent yields. Besides demonstrating the broad applicability for primary, secondary and tertiary benzylic alcohols, a reaction intermediate could be identified. Additionally, it could be shown that partial oxidation of the applied phosphine ligand was beneficial for the course of the reaction, presumably by stabilizing the active catalyst. Reaction profiles and catalyst poisoning experiments were used to characterize the catalyst, the results indicate a homogeneous metal complex as active species. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Microwave spectrum and structural parameters for the formamide-formic acid dimer.

    PubMed

    Daly, Adam M; Sargus, Bryan A; Kukolich, Stephen G

    2010-11-07

    The rotational spectra for six isotopologues of the complex formed between formamide and formic acid have been measured using a pulsed-beam Fourier transform microwave spectrometer and analyzed to obtain rotational constants and quadrupole coupling parameters. The rotational constants and quadrupole coupling strengths obtained for H  (12)COOH-H(2)  (14)NCOH are A = 5889.465(2), B = 2148.7409(7), 1575.1234(6), eQq(aa) = 1.014(5), eQq(bb) = 1.99(1), and eQq(cc) = -3.00(1) MHz. Using the 15 rotational constants obtained for the H  (13)COOH, HCOOD, DCOOH, and H(2)  (15)NCHO isotopologues, key structural parameters were obtained from a least-squares structure fit. Hydrogen bond distances of 1.78 Å for R(O3⋯H1) and 1.79 Å for R(H4⋯O1) were obtained. The "best fit" value for the angle(C-O-H) of formic acid is significantly larger than the monomer value of 106.9° with an optimum value of 121.7(3)°. The complex is nearly planar with inertial defect Δ = -0.158 amu  Å(2). The formamide proton is moved out of the molecular plane by 15(3)° for the best fit structure. Density functional theory using B3PW91, HCTH407, and TPSS as well as MP2 and CCSD calculations were performed using 6-311++G(d,p) and the results were compared to experimentally determined parameters.

  4. Mixed fuel strategy for carbon deposition mitigation in solid oxide fuel cells at intermediate temperatures.

    PubMed

    Su, Chao; Chen, Yubo; Wang, Wei; Ran, Ran; Shao, Zongping; Diniz da Costa, João C; Liu, Shaomin

    2014-06-17

    In this study, we propose and experimentally verified that methane and formic acid mixed fuel can be employed to sustain solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) to deliver high power outputs at intermediate temperatures and simultaneously reduce the coke formation over the anode catalyst. In this SOFC system, methane itself was one part of the fuel, but it also played as the carrier gas to deliver the formic acid to reach the anode chamber. On the other hand, the products from the thermal decomposition of formic acid helped to reduce the carbon deposition from methane cracking. In order to clarify the reaction pathways for carbon formation and elimination occurring in the anode chamber during the SOFC operation, O2-TPO and SEM analysis were carried out together with the theoretical calculation. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that stable and high power output at an intermediate temperature range was well-maintained with a peak power density of 1061 mW cm(-2) at 750 °C. With the synergic functions provided by the mixed fuel, the SOFC was running for 3 days without any sign of cell performance decay. In sharp contrast, fuelled by pure methane and tested at similar conditions, the SOFC immediately failed after running for only 30 min due to significant carbon deposition. This work opens a new way for SOFC to conquer the annoying problem of carbon deposition just by properly selecting the fuel components to realize their synergic effects.

  5. Propitious Dendritic Cu2O-Pt Nanostructured Anodes for Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cells.

    PubMed

    El-Nagar, Gumaa A; Mohammad, Ahmad M; El-Deab, Mohamed S; El-Anadouli, Bahgat E

    2017-06-14

    This study introduces a novel competent dendritic copper oxide-platinum nanocatalyst (nano-Cu 2 O-Pt) immobilized onto a glassy carbon (GC) substrate for formic acid (FA) electro-oxidation (FAO); the prime reaction in the anodic compartment of direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs). Interestingly, the proposed catalyst exhibited an outstanding improvement for FAO compared to the traditional platinum nanoparticles (nano-Pt) modified GC (nano-Pt/GC) catalyst. This was evaluated from steering the reaction mechanism toward the desired direct route producing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ); consistently with mitigating the other undesired indirect pathway producing carbon monoxide (CO); the potential poison deteriorating the catalytic activity of typical Pt-based catalysts. Moreover, the developed catalyst showed a reasonable long-term catalytic stability along with a significant lowering in onset potential of direct FAO that ultimately reduces the polarization and amplifies the fuel cell's voltage. The observed catalytic enhancement was believed to originate bifunctionally; while nano-Pt represented the base for the FA adsorption, nanostructured copper oxide (nano-Cu 2 O) behaved as a catalytic mediator facilitating the charge transfer during FAO and providing the oxygen atmosphere inspiring the poison's (CO) oxidation at relatively lower potential. Surprisingly, moreover, nano-Cu 2 O induced a surface retrieval of nano-Pt active sites by capturing the poisoning CO via "a spillover mechanism" to renovate the Pt surface for the direct FAO. Finally, the catalytic tolerance of the developed catalyst toward halides' poisoning was discussed.

  6. The influence of reactive side products on the electrooxidation of methanol--a combined in situ infrared spectroscopy and online mass spectrometry study.

    PubMed

    Reichert, R; Schnaidt, J; Jusys, Z; Behm, R J

    2014-07-21

    Aiming at a better understanding of the impact of reaction intermediates and reactive side products on electrocatalytic reactions under conditions characteristic for technical applications, i.e., at high reactant conversions, we have investigated the electrooxidation of methanol on a Pt film electrode in mixtures containing defined concentrations of the reaction intermediates formaldehyde or formic acid. Employing simultaneous in situ infrared spectroscopy and online mass spectrometry in parallel to voltammetric measurements, we examined the effects of the latter molecules on the adlayer build-up and composition and on the formation of volatile reaction products CO2 and methylformate, as well as on the overall reaction rate. To assess the individual contributions of each component, we used isotope labeling techniques, where one of the two C1 components in the mixtures of methanol with either formaldehyde or formic acid was (13)C-labeled. The data reveal pronounced effects of the additional components formaldehyde and formic acid on the reaction, although their concentration was much lower (10%) than that of the main reactant methanol. Most important, the overall Faradaic current responses and the amounts of CO2 formed upon oxidation of the mixtures are always lower than the sums of the contributions from the individual components, indicative of a non-additive behavior of both Faradaic current and CO2 formation in the mixtures. Mechanistic reasons and consequences for reactions in a technical reactor, with high reactant conversion, are discussed.

  7. [Determination of 11 mycotoxins in baked foods and raw materials by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry].

    PubMed

    Li, Rong; He, Chunmei; Yang, Luqi; Wang, Yong; Zhang, Pengjie; Gao, Yongqing

    2017-08-08

    A method for the determination of 11 mycotoxins in baked foods and raw materials by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS) is reported in this paper. The samples were extracted with 20 mL 90% (v/v) acetonitrile aqueous solution containing 1% (v/v) formic acid, and the extracts were salted out by 2.0 g MgSO 4 and 0.5 g NaCl, cleaned up by 300 mg C18. The analytes were carried out on a CORTECS C18 column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.6 μ m) by gradient elution with 2 mmol/L ammonium acetate with 0.1% (v/v) formic acid aqueous solution and 2 mmol/L ammonium acetate methanol with 0.1% (v/v) formic acid. The results showed that the 11 mycotoxins had good linear relationships in their respective mass concentration ranges. The correlation coefficients were not less than 0.9960 and the limits of quantitation (LOQs) were from 0.15 to 20.00 μ g/kg. The recoveries of the 11 mycotoxins in bread ranged from 64.38% to 122.61% with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) from 1.52% to 12.99% at three spiked levels ( n =6). The method is demonstrated to be simple, fast, highly sensitive, reliable and it is effective to detect common mycotoxins in baked foods and raw materials.

  8. Anchoring and Upgrading Ultrafine NiPd on Room-Temperature-Synthesized Bifunctional NH2 -N-rGO toward Low-Cost and Highly Efficient Catalysts for Selective Formic Acid Dehydrogenation.

    PubMed

    Yan, Jun-Min; Li, Si-Jia; Yi, Sha-Sha; Wulan, Ba-Ri; Zheng, Wei-Tao; Jiang, Qing

    2018-03-01

    Hydrogen is widely considered to be a sustainable and clean energy alternative to the use of fossil fuels in the future. Its high hydrogen content, nontoxicity, and liquid state at room temperature make formic acid a promising hydrogen carrier. Designing highly efficient and low-cost heterogeneous catalysts is a major challenge for realizing the practical application of formic acid in the fuel-cell-based hydrogen economy. Herein, a simple but effective and rapid strategy is proposed, which demonstrates the synthesis of NiPd bimetallic ultrafine particles (UPs) supported on NH 2 -functionalized and N-doped reduced graphene oxide (NH 2 -N-rGO) at room temperature. The introduction of the NH 2 N group to rGO is the key reason for the formation of the ultrafine and well-dispersed Ni 0.4 Pd 0.6 UPs (1.8 nm) with relatively large surface area and more active sites. Surprisingly, the as-prepared low-cost NiPd/NH 2 -N-rGO dsiplays excellent hydrophilicity, 100% H 2 selectivity, 100% conversion, and remarkable catalytic activity (up to 954.3 mol H 2 (mol catalyst) -1 h -1 ) for FA decomposition at room temperature even with no additive, which is much higher than that of the best catalysts so far reported. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Sustainable Synthesis of Oxalic and Succinic Acid through Aerobic Oxidation of C6 Polyols Under Mild Conditions.

    PubMed

    Ventura, Maria; Williamson, David; Lobefaro, Francesco; Jones, Matthew D; Mattia, Davide; Nocito, Francesco; Aresta, Michele; Dibenedetto, Angela

    2018-03-22

    The sustainable chemical industry encompasses a shift from the use of fossil carbon to renewable carbon. The synthesis of chemicals from nonedible biomass (cellulosic or oil) represents one of the key steps for "greening" the chemical industry. In this paper, we report the aerobic oxidative cleavage of C6 polyols (5-HMF, glucose, fructose and sucrose) to oxalic acid (OA) and succinic acid (SA) in water under mild conditions using M@CNT and M@NCNT (M=Fe, V; CNT=carbon nanotubes; NCNT=N-doped CNT), which, under suitable conditions, were recoverable and reusable without any loss of efficiency. The influence of the temperature, O 2 pressure (PO2 ), reaction time and stirring rate are discussed and the best reaction conditions are determined for an almost complete conversion of the starting material and a good OA yield of 48 %. SA and formic acid were the only co-products. The former could be further converted into OA by oxidation in the presence of formic acid, resulting in an overall OA yield of >62 %. This process was clean and did not produce organic waste nor gas emissions. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. [[Chiral separation of five arylpropionic acid drugs and determination of their enantiomers in pharmaceutical preparations by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography with cellulose-tris-(4-methylbenzoate) stationary phase

    PubMed

    Luo, An; Wan, Qiang; Fan, Huajun; Chen, Zhi; Wu, Xuehao; Huang, Xiaowen; Zang, Linquan

    2014-09-01

    Chromatographic behaviors for enantiomeric separation of arylpropionic acid drugs were systematically developed by reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) using cellulose-tris-(4-methylbenzoate) (CTMB) as chiral stationary phase (CSP). The effects of the composition of the mobile phase, additives and temperature on chiral separation of flurbiprofen, pranoprofen, naproxen, ibuprofen and loxoprofen were further investigated. The enantiomers had been successfully separated on CSP of CTMB by the mobile phase of methanol-0.1% (v/v) formic acid except naproxen by acetonitrile-0.1% (v/v) formic acid at 25 °C. The mechanisms of the racemic resolution for the above mentioned five drugs are discussed thermodynamically and structurally. The resolutions between respective enantiomers for arylpropionic acid drugs on CTMB had significant differences due to their chromatographic behaviors. The order of resolutions ranked pranoprofen, loxoprofen, flurbiprofen, ibuprofen and naproxen. The method established has been successfully applied to the determination of the enantiomers of the five drugs in commercial preparations under the optimized conditions. It proved that the method is simple, reliable and accurate.

  11. Isotopomer enrichment assay for very short chain fatty acids and its metabolic applications.

    PubMed

    Tomcik, Kristyen; Ibarra, Rafael A; Sadhukhan, Sushabhan; Han, Yong; Tochtrop, Gregory P; Zhang, Guo-Fang

    2011-03-01

    The present work illustrated an accurate GC/MS measurement for the low isotopomer enrichment assay of formic acid, acetic acid, propionic aicd, butyric acid, and pentanoic acid. The pentafluorobenzyl bromide derivatives of these very short chain fatty acids have high sensitivity of isotopoic enrichment due to their low natural isotopomer distribution in negative chemical ionization mass spectrometric mode. Pentafluorobenzyl bromide derivatization reaction was optimized in terms of pH, temperature, reaction time, and the amount of pentafluorobenzyl bromide versus sample. The precision, stability, and accuracy of this method for the isotopomer analysis were validated. This method was applied to measure the enrichments of formic acid, acetic acid, and propionic acid in the perfusate from rat liver exposed to Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer only, 0-1mM [3,4-(13)C(2)]-4-hydroxynonanoate, and 0-2mM [5,6,7-(13)C(3)]heptanoate. The enrichments of acetic acid and propionic acid in the perfusate are comparable to the labeling pattern of acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA in the rat liver tissues. The enrichment of the acetic acid assay is much more sensitive and precise than the enrichment of acetyl-CoA by LC-MS/MS. The reversibility of propionyl-CoA from succinyl-CoA was confirmed by the low labeling of M1 and M2 of propionic acid from [5,6,7-(13)C(3)]heptanoate perfusates. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Synergism between hydrogen peroxide and seventeen acids against five agri-food-borne fungi and one yeast strain.

    PubMed

    Martin, H; Maris, P

    2012-12-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate fungicidal efficacy of hydrogen peroxide administered in combination with 17 mineral and organic acids authorized for use in the food industry. The assays were performed on a 96-well microplate using a microdilution technique based on the checkerboard titration method. The six selected strains (one yeast and five fungi) were reference strains and strains representative of contaminating fungi found in the food industry. Each synergistic hydrogen peroxide/acid combination found after fifteen minutes contact time at 20 °C in distilled water was then tested in conditions simulating four different use conditions. Twelve combinations were synergistic in distilled water, eleven of these remained synergistic with one or more of the four mineral and organic interfering substances selected. Hydrogen peroxide/formic acid combination remained effective against four strains and was never antagonistic against the other two fungi. Combinations with propionic acid and acetic acid stayed synergistic against two strains. Those with oxalic acid and lactic acid kept their synergism only against Candida albicans. No synergism was detected against Penicillium cyclopium. Synergistic combinations of disinfectants were revealed, among them the promising hydrogen peroxide/formic acid combination. A rapid screening method developed in our laboratory for bacteria was adapted to fungi and used to reveal the synergistic potential of disinfectants and/or sanitizers combinations. © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  13. Amyloid fibers provide structural integrity to Bacillus subtilis biofilms.

    PubMed

    Romero, Diego; Aguilar, Claudio; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

    2010-02-02

    Bacillus subtilis forms biofilms whose constituent cells are held together by an extracellular matrix. Previous studies have shown that the protein TasA and an exopolysaccharide are the main components of the matrix. Given the importance of TasA in biofilm formation, we characterized the physicochemical properties of this protein. We report that purified TasA forms fibers of variable length and 10-15 nm in width. Biochemical analyses, in combination with the use of specific dyes and microscopic analyses, indicate that TasA forms amyloid fibers. Consistent with this hypothesis, TasA fibers required harsh treatments (e.g., formic acid) to be depolymerized. When added to a culture of a tasA mutant, purified TasA restored wild-type biofilm morphology, indicating that the purified protein retained biological activity. We propose that TasA forms amyloid fibers that bind cells together in the biofilm.

  14. LC-MS/MS methods for the determination of edaravone and/or taurine in rat plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

    PubMed

    Tang, Dao-quan; Bian, Ting-ting; Zheng, Xiao-xiao; Li, Ying; Wu, Xiao-wen; Li, Yin-jie; Du, Qian; Jiang, Shui-shi

    2014-09-01

    Three liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods were respectively developed and validated for the simultaneous or independent determination of taurine and edaravone in rat plasma using 3-methyl-1-p-tolyl-5-pyrazolone and sulfanilic acid as the internal standards (IS). Chromatographic separations were achieved on an Agilent Zorbax SB-Aq (100 × 2.1 mm, 3.5 µm) column. Gradient 0.03% formic acid-methanol, isocratic 0.1% formic acid-methanol (90:10) and 0.02% formic acid-methanol (40:60) were respectively selected as the mobile phase for the simultaneous determination of two analytes, taurine or edaravone alone. The MS acquisition was performed in multiple reaction monitoring mode with a positive and negative electrospray ionization source. The mass transitions monitored were m/z [M + H](+) 175.1 → 133.0 and [M + H](+) 189.2 → 147.0 for edaravone and its IS, m/z [M - H](-) 124.1 → 80.0 and [M - H](-) 172.0 → 80.0 for taurine and its IS, respectively. The validated methods were successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetic interaction of taurine and edaravone in rats after independent intravenous administration and co-administration with a single dose. Our collective results showed that there were no significant alterations on the main pharmacokinetic parameters (area under concentration-time curve, mean residence time, half-life and clearance) of taurine and edaravone, implying that the proposed combination therapy was pharmacologically feasible. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Lipid synthesis under hydrothermal conditions by Fischer-Tropsch-type reactions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McCollom, T. M.; Ritter, G.; Simoneit, B. R.

    1999-01-01

    Ever since their discovery in the late 1970's, mid-ocean-ridge hydrothermal systems have received a great deal of attention as a possible site for the origin of life on Earth (and environments analogous to mid-ocean-ridge hydrothermal systems are postulated to have been sites where life could have originated or Mars and elsewhere as well). Because no modern-day terrestrial hydrothermal systems are free from the influence of organic compounds derived from biologic processes, laboratory experiments provide the best opportunity for confirmation of the potential for organic synthesis in hydrothermal systems. Here we report on the formation of lipid compounds during Fischer-Tropsch-type synthesis from aqueous solutions of formic acid or oxalic acid. Optimum synthesis occurs in stainless steel vessels by heating at 175 degrees C for 2-3 days and produces lipid compounds ranging from C2 to > C35 which consist of n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkenes, n-alkanes and alkanones. The precursor carbon sources used are either formic acid or oxalic acid, which disproportionate to H2, CO2 and probably CO. Both carbon sources yield the same lipid classes with essentially the same ranges of compounds. The synthesis reactions were confirmed by using 13C labeled precursor acids.

  16. Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to Organic Acids by a Pd-MWNTs Gas-Diffusion Electrode in Aqueous Medium

    PubMed Central

    Lu, Guang; Bian, Zhaoyong; Liu, Xin

    2013-01-01

    Pd-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Pd-MWNTs) catalysts for the conversion of CO2 to organic acids were prepared by the ethylene glycol reduction and fully characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) technologies. The amorphous Pd particles with an average size of 5.7 nm were highly dispersed on the surface of carbon nanotubes. Functional groups of the MWNTs played a key role in the palladium deposition. The results indicated that Pd-MWNTs could transform CO2 into organic acid with high catalytic activity and CO2 could take part in the reduction reaction directly. Additionally, the electrochemical reduction of CO2 was investigated by a diaphragm electrolysis device, using a Pd-MWNTs gas-diffusion electrode as a cathode and a Ti/RuO2 net as an anode. The main products in present system were formic acid and acetic acid identified by ion chromatograph. The selectivity of the products could be achieved by reaction conditions changing. The optimum faraday efficiencies of formic and acetic acids formed on the Pd-MWNTs gas-diffusion electrode at 4 V electrode voltages under 1 atm CO2 were 34.5% and 52.3%, respectively. PMID:24453849

  17. Lipid Synthesis Under Hydrothermal Conditions by Fischer- Tropsch-Type Reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCollom, Thomas M.; Ritter, Gilles; Simoneit, Bernd R. T.

    1999-03-01

    Ever since their discovery in the late 1970's, mid-ocean-ridge hydrothermal systems have received a great deal of attention as a possible site for the origin of life on Earth (and environments analogous to mid-ocean-ridge hydrothermal systems are postulated to have been sites where life could have originated on Mars and elsewhere as well). Because no modern-day terrestrial hydrothermal systems are free from the influence of organic compounds derived from biologic processes, laboratory experiments provide the best opportunity for confirmation of the potential for organic synthesis in hydrothermal systems. Here we report on the formation of lipid compounds during Fischer-Tropsch-type synthesis from aqueous solutions of formic acid or oxalic acid. Optimum synthesis occurs in stainless steel vessels by heating at 175 °C for 2-3 days and produces lipid compounds ranging from C2 to >C35 which consist of n-alkanols, n- alkanoic acids, n-alkenes, n-alkanes and alkanones. The precursor carbon sources used are either formic acid or oxalic acid, which disproportionate to H2, CO2 and probably CO. Both carbon sources yield the same lipid classes with essentially the same ranges of compounds. The synthesis reactions were confirmed by using 13C labeled precursor acids.

  18. Lipid synthesis under hydrothermal conditions by Fischer-Tropsch-type reactions.

    PubMed

    McCollom, T M; Ritter, G; Simoneit, B R

    1999-03-01

    Ever since their discovery in the late 1970's, mid-ocean-ridge hydrothermal systems have received a great deal of attention as a possible site for the origin of life on Earth (and environments analogous to mid-ocean-ridge hydrothermal systems are postulated to have been sites where life could have originated or Mars and elsewhere as well). Because no modern-day terrestrial hydrothermal systems are free from the influence of organic compounds derived from biologic processes, laboratory experiments provide the best opportunity for confirmation of the potential for organic synthesis in hydrothermal systems. Here we report on the formation of lipid compounds during Fischer-Tropsch-type synthesis from aqueous solutions of formic acid or oxalic acid. Optimum synthesis occurs in stainless steel vessels by heating at 175 degrees C for 2-3 days and produces lipid compounds ranging from C2 to > C35 which consist of n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkenes, n-alkanes and alkanones. The precursor carbon sources used are either formic acid or oxalic acid, which disproportionate to H2, CO2 and probably CO. Both carbon sources yield the same lipid classes with essentially the same ranges of compounds. The synthesis reactions were confirmed by using 13C labeled precursor acids.

  19. Oxidation Chemistry and Kinetics of Model Compounds in Supercritical Water: Glucose, Acetic Acid, and Methylene Chloride

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-06-01

    adsorption may be needed. I The underground SCWO process is not discussed in detail here. For a more in- i depth discussion see Gloyna (1989). One noteworthy... furfural were also detected. Xylose hydrolysis produced furfural . Other products identified included formic acid, lactic acid, U levulinic acid...noted, and the liquid products consisted namely of furans and furfurals (Amin et al., I 1975; Modell, 1985b). Woerner (1976) corroborates the results

  20. HETEROGENOUS PHOTOREACTION OF FORMALDEHYDE WITH HYDROXYL RADICALS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Atmospheric heterogeneous photoreactions occur between formaldehyde and hydroxyl radicals to produce formic acid. hese photoreactions not only occur in clouds, but also in other tropospheric hydrometeors such as precipitation and dew droplets. xperiments were performed by irradia...

  1. Synergetic interaction between neighbouring platinum monomers in CO2 hydrogenation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Hongliang; Wang, Liangbing; Dai, Yizhou; Pu, Zhengtian; Lao, Zhuohan; Chen, Yawei; Wang, Menglin; Zheng, Xusheng; Zhu, Junfa; Zhang, Wenhua; Si, Rui; Ma, Chao; Zeng, Jie

    2018-05-01

    Exploring the interaction between two neighbouring monomers has great potential to significantly raise the performance and deepen the mechanistic understanding of heterogeneous catalysis. Herein, we demonstrate that the synergetic interaction between neighbouring Pt monomers on MoS2 greatly enhanced the CO2 hydrogenation catalytic activity and reduced the activation energy relative to isolated monomers. Neighbouring Pt monomers were achieved by increasing the Pt mass loading up to 7.5% while maintaining the atomic dispersion of Pt. Mechanistic studies reveal that neighbouring Pt monomers not only worked in synergy to vary the reaction barrier, but also underwent distinct reaction paths compared with isolated monomers. Isolated Pt monomers favour the conversion of CO2 into methanol without the formation of formic acid, whereas CO2 is hydrogenated stepwise into formic acid and methanol for neighbouring Pt monomers. The discovery of the synergetic interaction between neighbouring monomers may create a new path for manipulating catalytic properties.

  2. Fuel cell membranes and crossover prevention

    DOEpatents

    Masel, Richard I [Champaign, IL; York, Cynthia A [Newington, CT; Waszczuk, Piotr [White Bear Lake, MN; Wieckowski, Andrzej [Champaign, IL

    2009-08-04

    A membrane electrode assembly for use with a direct organic fuel cell containing a formic acid fuel includes a solid polymer electrolyte having first and second surfaces, an anode on the first surface and a cathode on the second surface and electrically linked to the anode. The solid polymer electrolyte has a thickness t:.gtoreq..times..times..times..times. ##EQU00001## where C.sub.f is the formic acid fuel concentration over the anode, D.sub.f is the effective diffusivity of the fuel in the solid polymer electrolyte, K.sub.f is the equilibrium constant for partition coefficient for the fuel into the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, I is Faraday's constant n.sub.f is the number of electrons released when 1 molecule of the fuel is oxidized, and j.sub.f.sup.c is an empirically determined crossover rate of fuel above which the fuel cell does not operate.

  3. Electrochemical processing of carbon dioxide.

    PubMed

    Oloman, Colin; Li, Hui

    2008-01-01

    With respect to the negative role of carbon dioxide on our climate, it is clear that the time is ripe for the development of processes that convert CO(2) into useful products. The electroreduction of CO(2) is a prime candidate here, as the reaction at near-ambient conditions can yield organics such as formic acid, methanol, and methane. Recent laboratory work on the 100 A scale has shown that reduction of CO(2) to formate (HCO(2)(-)) may be carried out in a trickle-bed continuous electrochemical reactor under industrially viable conditions. Presuming the problems of cathode stability and formate crossover can be overcome, this type of reactor is proposed as the basis for a commercial operation. The viability of corresponding processes for electrosynthesis of formate salts and/or formic acid from CO(2) is examined here through conceptual flowsheets for two process options, each converting CO(2) at the rate of 100 tonnes per day.

  4. High Upward Fluxes of Formic Acid from a Boreal Forest Canopy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schobesberger, Siegfried; Lopez-Hilifiker, Felipe D.; Taipale, Ditte; Millet, Dylan B.; D'Ambro, Emma L.; Rantala, Pekka; Mammarella, Ivan; Zhou, Putian; Wolfe, Glenn M.; Lee, Ben H.; hide

    2016-01-01

    Eddy covariance fluxes of formic acid, HCOOH, were measured over a boreal forest canopy in spring/summer 2014. The HCOOH fluxes were bidirectional but mostly upward during daytime, in contrast to studies elsewhere that reported mostly downward fluxes. Downward flux episodes were explained well by modeled dry deposition rates. The sum of net observed flux and modeled dry deposition yields an upward gross flux of HCOOH, which could not be quantitatively explained by literature estimates of direct vegetative soil emissions nor by efficient chemical production from other volatile organic compounds, suggesting missing or greatly underestimated HCOOH sources in the boreal ecosystem. We implemented a vegetative HCOOH source into the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model to match our derived gross flux and evaluated the updated model against airborne and spaceborne observations. Model biases in the boundary layer were substantially reduced based on this revised treatment, but biases in the free troposphere remain unexplained.

  5. Pretreatment of Eucalyptus in biphasic system for furfural production and accelerated enzymatic hydrolysis.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiudong; Bai, Yuanyuan; Cao, Xuefei; Sun, Runcang

    2017-08-01

    Herein, an efficient biphasic pretreatment process was developed to improve the production of furfural (FF) and glucose from Eucalyptus. The influence of formic acid and NaCl on FF production from xylose in water and various biphasic systems was investigated. Results showed that the addition of formic acid and NaCl significantly promoted the FF yield, and the biphasic system of MIBK (methyl isobutyl ketone)/water exhibited the best performance for FF production. Then the Eucalyptus was pretreated in the MIBK/water system, and a maximum FF yield of 82.0% was achieved at 180°C for 60min. Surface of the pretreated Eucalyptus became relatively rough and loose, and its crystallinity index increased obviously due to the removal of hemicelluloses and lignin. The pretreated Eucalyptus samples showed much higher enzymatic hydrolysis rates (26.2-70.7%) than the raw Eucalyptus (14.5%). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Identification of anaerobic bacteria by Bruker Biotyper matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry with on-plate formic acid preparation.

    PubMed

    Schmitt, Bryan H; Cunningham, Scott A; Dailey, Aaron L; Gustafson, Daniel R; Patel, Robin

    2013-03-01

    Identification of anaerobic bacteria using phenotypic methods is often time-consuming; methods such as 16S rRNA gene sequencing are costly and may not be readily available. We evaluated 253 clinical isolates of anaerobic bacteria using the Bruker MALDI Biotyper (Bruker Daltonics, Billerica, MA) matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) system with a user-supplemented database and an on-plate formic acid-based preparation method and compared results to those of conventional identification using biochemical testing or 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A total of 179 (70.8%) and 232 (91.7%) isolates were correctly identified to the species and genus levels, respectively, using manufacturer-recommended score cutoffs. MALDI-TOF MS offers a rapid, inexpensive method for identification of anaerobic bacteria.

  7. Structural and electrochemical characterization of carbon supported Pt-Pr catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells prepared using a modified formic acid method in a CO atmosphere.

    PubMed

    Corradini, Patricia Gon; Antolini, Ermete; Perez, Joelma

    2013-07-28

    Pt-Pr/C electrocatalysts were prepared using a modified formic acid method, and their activity for carbon monoxide and ethanol oxidation was compared to Pt/C. No appreciable alloy formation was detected by XRD analysis. By TEM measurements it was found that Pt particle size increases with an increasing Pr content in the catalysts and with decreasing metal precursor addition time. XPS measurements indicated Pt segregation on the catalyst surface and the presence of Pr2O3 and PrO2 oxides. The addition of Pr increased the electro-catalytic activity of Pt for both CO and CH3CH2OH oxidation. The enhanced activity of Pt-Pr/C catalysts was ascribed to both an electronic effect, caused by the presence of Pr2O3, and the bi-functional mechanism, caused by the presence of PrO2.

  8. Single-Atom Catalyst of Platinum Supported on Titanium Nitride for Selective Electrochemical Reactions.

    PubMed

    Yang, Sungeun; Kim, Jiwhan; Tak, Young Joo; Soon, Aloysius; Lee, Hyunjoo

    2016-02-05

    As a catalyst, single-atom platinum may provide an ideal structure for platinum minimization. Herein, a single-atom catalyst of platinum supported on titanium nitride nanoparticles were successfully prepared with the aid of chlorine ligands. Unlike platinum nanoparticles, the single-atom active sites predominantly produced hydrogen peroxide in the electrochemical oxygen reduction with the highest mass activity reported so far. The electrocatalytic oxidation of small organic molecules, such as formic acid and methanol, also exhibited unique selectivity on the single-atom platinum catalyst. A lack of platinum ensemble sites changed the reaction pathway for the oxygen-reduction reaction toward a two-electron pathway and formic acid oxidation toward direct dehydrogenation, and also induced no activity for the methanol oxidation. This work demonstrates that single-atom platinum can be an efficient electrocatalyst with high mass activity and unique selectivity. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Molten salt medium synthesis of wormlike platinum silver nanotubes without any organic surfactant or solvent for methanol and formic acid oxidation.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Haidong; Liu, Rui; Guo, Yong; Yang, Shengchun

    2015-12-14

    In the current research, the PtxAgy (x/y = 86/14, 79/21, 52/48, 21/79, 11/89) nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized in the KNO3-LiNO3 molten salts without using any organic surfactant or solvent. The SEM results suggest that when the content of Ag is higher than 48%, the wormlike PtxAgy nanotubes (NTs) can be synthesized. The diameter of the PtxAgyNTs shows a slow decrease with the increase of Ag content. The TEM and HRTEM results indicate that the growth of hollow PtxAgy NTs undergoes an oriented attachment process and a Kirkendall effect approach. The results of cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurement indicate that the Pt52Ag48 catalyst presents a remarkable enhancement for methanol electrooxidation, while the Pt86Ag14 catalyst prefers electrochemically oxidizing formic acid compared with that of the commercially available Pt black.

  10. Pd Nanoparticles Coupled to WO 2.72 Nanorods for Enhanced Electrochemical Oxidation of Formic Acid

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Xi, Zheng; Erdosy, Daniel P.; Mendoza-Garcia, Adriana

    We synthesize a new type of hybrid Pd/WO2.72 structure with 5 nm Pd nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on 50 × 5 nm WO2.72 nanorods. The strong Pd/WO2.72 coupling results in the lattice expansion of Pd from 0.23 to 0.27 nm and the decrease of Pd surface electron density. As a result, the Pd/WO2.72 shows much enhanced catalysis toward electrochemical oxidation of formic acid in 0.1 M HClO4; it has a mass activity of ~1600 mA/mgPd in a broad potential range of 0.4–0.85 V (vs RHE) and shows no obvious activity loss after a 12 h chronoamperometry test at 0.4 V. Ourmore » work demonstrates an important strategy to enhance Pd NP catalyst efficiency for energy conversion reactions.« less

  11. The High-Resolution Infrared Spectrum of the ν 5Band of Deuterated Formic Acid (DCOOH)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goh, K. L.; Ong, P. P.; Tan, T. L.; Wang, W. F.; Teo, H. H.

    1998-07-01

    The Fourier transform infrared spectrum of the ν5band of deuterated formic acid (DCOOH) has been measured with a resolution of 0.004 cm-1in the frequency range of 1090-1180 cm-1. Using a Watson'sA-reduced Hamiltonian in theIrrepresentation, a total of 1731 assigned unperturbed transitions have been analyzed to provide rovibrational constants for the upper state (v5= 1) with a standard deviation of 0.000363 cm-1. The band isAtype with an unperturbed band center at 1142.31075 ± 0.00002 cm-1. The band is expected to be perturbed by a nearby ν4band through a Fermi resonance term and possibly a Coriolis term. The resonance is particularly noticeable forKa= 10, and 11, at highJvalues. About 215 perturbed lines were identified but they were not included in the final fit.

  12. Characterization nano crystalline cellulose from sugarcane baggase for reinforcement in polymer composites: Effect of formic acid concentrations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aprilia, N. A. S.; Mulyati, S.; Alam, P. N.; Karmila; Ambarita, A. C.

    2018-04-01

    Nanocellulose from sugarcane bagasse for reinforcement in polymer composites has isolated from formic acid (FA) with different concentration. This research was conducted with three level concentration of FA ei. 15, 30 and 50%. The nanocellulose were successfully prepared with variations of total yields of 66.66, 67.33 and 69.33% respectively with increase of FA concentrations at 6 hours of hidrolysis time. The obtained nanocellulose were characterized by fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed the introduction of carboxyl goups on the surface of cellulose. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra proved the existence of cellulose, with a highly crystalline of 62.466, 71.033, and 76.296% with increase of FA concentrations. The size of crystallinity of nanocellulose were decreased with increased of FA concentration. The result investigated that size of crystallinity of nano cellulose reduced from 4.37, 4.15 and 3.94 nm.

  13. Infrared spectra of SF6-.HCOOH.Arn (n=0-2): Infrared triggered reaction and Ar-induced reactive inhibition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneider, Holger; Takahashi, Kaito; Skodje, Rex T.; Weber, J. Mathias

    2009-05-01

    We present the infrared spectra of SF6-ṡHCOOHṡArm (m =0-2) complexes. We find that the binding motif involves a single hydrogen bond between the SF6- anion and the OH group of the formic acid, with the CH group weakly tethered to a neighboring F atom. Similar to the case of hydrated SF6-, the SF bond involved in the (OH-F) bond is significantly stretched and weakened by the attachment of the HCOOH ligand. The bare complex undergoes reaction upon infrared absorption in the CH/OH stretching region of the formic acid moiety, leading predominantly to the formation of SF4-+2HF+CO2. The reaction can be inhibited by attachment of two Ar atoms. We discuss a likely reaction mechanism in the framework of ab initio calculations, suggesting that reaction proceeds via tunneling through the potential barrier.

  14. Chemistry of OH in remote clouds and its role in the production of formic acid and peroxymonosulfate

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jacob, D. J.

    1986-01-01

    The chemistry of OH in nonprecipitating tropospheric clouds was studied using a coupled gas phase/aqueous phase chemical model. The simulation takes into account the radial dependence of the concentrations of short lived aqueous phase species, in particular, O3(aq) OH(aq). Formic acid is shown to be rapidly produced by the aqueous phase reaction between H2C(OH)2 and OH, but HCOO(-) and OH, but HCOO(-) is in turn rapidly oxidized by OH(aq). The HCOOH concentration in cloud is shown to be strongly dependent on the pH of the cloud water; clouds with pH greater than 5 are not efficient HCOOH sources. A novel mechanism is proposed for the oxidation of S(IV) by OH(aq), with the main product predicted to be peroxymonosulfate, HSO5(-). The latter could contribute significantly to total cloud water sulfur.

  15. Pt/Ni(OH)2–NiOOH/Pd multi-walled hollow nanorod arrays as superior electrocatalysts for formic acid electrooxidation† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5sc02544c Click here for additional data file.

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Han; Ding, Liang-Xin; Feng, Jin-Xian

    2015-01-01

    The catalytic activity and durability are crucial for the development of high-performance electrocatalysts. To design electrocatalysts with excellent electroactivity and durability, the structure and composition are two important guiding principles. In this work, novel Pt/Ni(OH)2–NiOOH/Pd multi-walled hollow nanorod arrays (MHNRAs) are successfully synthesized. The unique MHNRAs provide fast transport and short diffusion paths for electroactive species and high utilization rate of catalysts. Because of the special surface and synergistic effects, the Pt/Ni(OH)2–NiOOH/Pd MHNRA electrocatalysts exhibit high catalytic activity, high durability and superior CO poisoning tolerance for the electrooxidation of formic acid in comparison with Pt@Pd MHNRAs, commercial Pt/C, Pd/C and PtRu/C catalysts. PMID:28757980

  16. Tandem Nitrogen Functionalization of Porous Carbon: Toward Immobilizing Highly Active Palladium Nanoclusters for Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Zhangpeng; Yang, Xinchun; Tsumori, Nobuko

    2017-03-10

    Highly dispersed palladium nanoclusters (Pd NCs) immobilized by a nitrogen (N)-functionalized porous carbon support (N-MSC-30) are synthesized by a wet chemical reduction method, wherein the N-MSC-30 prepared by a tandem low temperature heat-treatment approach proved to be a distinct support for stabilizing the Pd NCs. The prepared Pd/N-MSC-30 shows extremely high catalytic activity and recyclability for the dehydrogenation of formic acid (FA), affording the highest turnover frequency (TOF = 8414 h -1) at 333 K, which is much higher than that of the Pd catalyst supported on the N-MSC-30 prepared via a one-step process. This tandem heat treatment strategy providesmore » a facile and effective synthetic methodology to immobilize ultrafine metal NPs on N-functionalized carbon materials, which have tremendous application prospects in various catalytic fields.« less

  17. A convenient synthesis of 1,1-disubstituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines via Pictet-Spengler reaction using titanium(IV) isopropoxide and acetic-formic anhydride.

    PubMed

    Horiguchi, Yoshie; Kodama, Hirokazu; Nakamura, Masayoshi; Yoshimura, Tsuyoshi; Hanezi, Kaori; Hamada, Hiroko; Saitoh, Toshiaki; Sano, Takehiro

    2002-02-01

    A synthesis of 1,1-disubstituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines (6) was achieved in a highly efficient manner via Pictet-Spengler reaction of arylethylamines (1) and acyclic and cyclic ketones (2) using titanium (IV) isopropoxide and acetic-formic anhydride. The cyclization of the in situ formed acyliminium ion (4) to N-formyl 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (5) was greatly facilitated by using trifluoroacetic acid as an additional reagent. The Pictet-Spengler reaction was carried out by one pot procedure, providing a convenient and effective method for preparing various 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines.

  18. Homogeneous Catalysis for Sustainable Hydrogen Storage in Formic Acid and Alcohols.

    PubMed

    Sordakis, Katerina; Tang, Conghui; Vogt, Lydia K; Junge, Henrik; Dyson, Paul J; Beller, Matthias; Laurenczy, Gábor

    2018-01-24

    Hydrogen gas is a storable form of chemical energy that could complement intermittent renewable energy conversion. One of the main disadvantages of hydrogen gas arises from its low density, and therefore, efficient handling and storage methods are key factors that need to be addressed to realize a hydrogen-based economy. Storage systems based on liquids, in particular, formic acid and alcohols, are highly attractive hydrogen carriers as they can be made from CO 2 or other renewable materials, they can be used in stationary power storage units such as hydrogen filling stations, and they can be used directly as transportation fuels. However, to bring about a paradigm change in our energy infrastructure, efficient catalytic processes that release the hydrogen from these molecules, as well as catalysts that regenerate these molecules from CO 2 and hydrogen, are required. In this review, we describe the considerable progress that has been made in homogeneous catalysis for these critical reactions, namely, the hydrogenation of CO 2 to formic acid and methanol and the reverse dehydrogenation reactions. The dehydrogenation of higher alcohols available from renewable feedstocks is also described. Key structural features of the catalysts are analyzed, as is the role of additives, which are required in many systems. Particular attention is paid to advances in sustainable catalytic processes, especially to additive-free processes and catalysts based on Earth-abundant metal ions. Mechanistic information is also presented, and it is hoped that this review not only provides an account of the state of the art in the field but also offers insights into how superior catalytic systems can be obtained in the future.

  19. Highly biocompatible yogurt-derived carbon dots as multipurpose sensors for detection of formic acid vapor and metal ions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moonrinta, Sasaluck; Kwon, Binhee; In, Insik; Kladsomboon, Sumana; Sajomsang, Warayuth; Paoprasert, Peerasak

    2018-07-01

    Carbon dots are fascinating nanomaterials given their straightforward synthesis, unique optical properties, sensing capabilities, and biocompatibility. In this work, biocompatible carbon dots were prepared from yogurt using a two-step pyrolysis/hydrothermal method. The dots were spherical in shape with an average size of 4.7 nm. They showed blue emission under UV illumination with a quantum yield of 1.5%. Their photoluminescence was stable over three months and in both strong buffer solutions and highly concentrated salt solutions. The optical absorption and photoluminescence properties of the dots were employed for vapor and metal ion sensing, respectively. For the first time, the carbon dots were integrated into an optical electronic nose, and used for the detection of formic acid vapor at room temperature. Sensing was based on monitoring the optical transmission through a carbon dot film upon exposure to vapor, and the results were confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy. The carbon dot-integrated electronic nose was able to distinguish vapor from formic acid/water solutions at different concentrations, with a detection limit of 7.3% v/v. The sensitivity of the dots to metal ions was tested by measuring the photoluminescence emission intensity at different excitation wavelengths. Principal component analysis was used to differentiate between the ions. The results suggested that interactions between carbon dots and metals ions occurred at a range of binding sites. The biocompability of the dots was demonstrated to be excellent. The study identified carbon dots produced from yogurt as multipurpose fluorescent nanomaterials with potential sensing and biomedical applications.

  20. A Comprehensive Study of Formic Acid Oxidation on Palladium Nanocrystals with Different Types of Facets and Twin Defects

    DOE PAGES

    Choi, Sang-Il; Herron, Jeffrey A.; Scaranto, Jessica; ...

    2015-04-13

    Palladium has been recognized as the best anodic, monometallic electrocatalyst for the formic acid oxidation (FAO) reaction in a direct formic acid fuel cell. Here we report a systematic study of FAO on a variety of Pd nanocrystals, including cubes, right bipyramids, octahedra, tetrahedra, decahedra, and icosahedra. These nanocrystals were synthesized with approximately the same size, but different types of facets and twin defects on their surfaces. Our measurements indicate that the Pd nanocrystals enclosed by {100} facets have higher specific activities than those enclosed by {111} facets, in agreement with prior observations for Pd single-crystal substrates. If comparing nanocrystalsmore » predominantly enclosed by a specific type of facet, {100} or {111}, those with twin defects displayed greatly enhanced FAO activities compared to their single-crystal counterparts. To rationalize these experimental results, we performed periodic, self-consistent DFT calculations on model single-crystal substrates of Pd, representing the active sites present in the nanocrystals used in the experiments. The calculation results suggest that the enhancement of FAO activity on defect regions, represented by Pd(211) sites, compared to the activity of both Pd(100) and Pd(111) surfaces, could be attributed to an increased flux through the HCOO-mediated pathway rather than the COOH-mediated pathway on Pd(211). Since COOH has been identified as a precursor to CO, a site-poisoning species, a lower coverage of CO at the defect regions will lead to a higher activity for the corresponding nanocrystal catalysts, containing those defect regions.« less

  1. Tailoring the composition of ultrathin, ternary alloy PtRuFe nanowires for the methanol oxidation reaction and formic acid oxidation reaction

    DOE PAGES

    Scofield, Megan E.; Koenigsmann, Christopher; Wang, Lei; ...

    2014-11-25

    In the search for alternatives to conventional Pt electrocatalysts, we have synthesized ultrathin, ternary PtRuFe nanowires (NW), possessing different chemical compositions in order to probe their CO tolerance as well as electrochemical activity as a function of composition for both (i) the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and (ii) the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). As-prepared ‘multifunctional’ ternary NW catalysts exhibited both higher MOR and FAOR activity as compared with binary Pt₇Ru₃ NW, monometallic Pt NW, and commercial catalyst control samples. In terms of synthetic novelty, we utilized a sustainably mild, ambient wet-synthesis method never previously applied to the fabrication ofmore » crystalline, pure ternary systems in order to fabricate ultrathin, homogeneous alloy PtRuFe NWs with a range of controlled compositions. Thus, these NWs were subsequently characterized using a suite of techniques including XRD, TEM, SAED, and EDAX in order to verify not only the incorporation of Ru and Fe into the Pt lattice but also their chemical homogeneity, morphology, as well as physical structure and integrity. Lastly, these NWs were electrochemically tested in order to deduce the appropriateness of conventional explanations such as (i) the bi-functional mechanism as well as (ii) the ligand effect to account for our MOR and FAOR reaction data. Specifically, methanol oxidation appears to be predominantly influenced by the Ru content, whereas formic acid oxidation is primarily impacted by the corresponding Fe content within the ternary metal alloy catalyst itself.« less

  2. A Sensitive VLA Search for Small-Scale Glycine Emission Toward OMC-1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hollis, J. M.; Pedelty, J. A.; Snyder, L. E.; Jewell, P. R.; Lovas, F. J.; Palmer, Patrick; Liu, S.-Y.

    2002-01-01

    We have conducted a deep Q-band (lambda-7 mm) search with the Very Large Array (VLA) toward OMC-1 for the lowest energy conformation (conformer I) of glycine (NH2CH2COOH) in four rotational transitions: the 6(sub 15)- 5(sub 14), 6(sub 24)-5(sub 23), 7(sub 17- 6(sub 16), and 7(sub 07)-6(sub 06). Our VLA observations sample the smallest-scale structures to date in the search for glycine toward OMC-1. No glycine emission features were detected. Thus if glycine exists in OMC-1, either it is below our detection limit, or it is more spatially extended than other large molecules in this source, or it is primarily in its high energy form (conformer II). Our VLA glycine fractional abundance limits in OMC-1 are comparable to those determined from previous IRAM 30m measurements -- somewhat better or worse depending on the specific source model -- and the entire approximately 1 foot primary beam of the VLA was searched while sensitive to an areal spatial scale approximately 150 times smaller than the 24 inch beam of the IRAM single-element telescope. In the course of this work, we detected and imaged the 4(sub 14)-3(sub 13) A and E transitions of methyl formate (HCOOCH3) and also the 2(sub 02) - 1(sub 01) transition of formic acid (HCOOH). Since formic acid is a possible precursor to glycine, our glycine limits and formic acid results provide a constraint on this potential formation chemistry route for glycine in OMC-1.

  3. The stereospecific removal of a C-19 hydrogen atom in oestrogen biosynthesis

    PubMed Central

    Skinner, S. J. M.; Akhtar, M.

    1969-01-01

    1. The synthesis of a number of 19-substituted androgens is described. 2. A method for the partially stereospecific introduction of a tritium label at C-19 in 19-hydroxyandrost-5-ene-3β,17β-diol was developed. The 19-3H-labelled triol produced by reduction of 19-oxoandrost-5-ene-3β,17β-diol with tritiated sodium borohydride is tentatively formulated as 19-hydroxy[(19-R)-19-3H]androst-5-ene-3β,17β-diol and the 19-3H-labelled triol produced by reduction of 19-oxo[19-3H]-androst-5-ene-3β,17β-diol with sodium borohydride as 19-hydroxy[(19-S)-19-3H]-androst-5-ene-3β,17β-diol. 3. In the conversion of the (19-R)-19-3H-labelled compound into oestrogen by a microsomal preparation from human term placenta more radioactivity was liberated in formic acid (61·6%) than in water (38·4%). In a parallel experiment with the (19-S)-19-3H-labelled compound the order of radioactivity was reversed: formic acid (23·4%), water (76·2%). 4. These observations are interpreted in terms of the removal of the 19-S-hydrogen atom in the conversion of a 19-hydroxy androgen into a 19-oxo androgen during oestrogen biosynthesis. 5. It is suggested that the removal of C-19 in oestrogen biosynthesis occurs compulsorily at the oxidation state of a 19-aldehyde with the liberation of formic acid. PMID:5810071

  4. Decomposition mechanism of formic acid on Cu (111) surface: A theoretical study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Zhao; Qin, Pei; Fang, Tao

    2017-02-01

    The study of formic acid decomposition on transition metal surfaces is important to obtain useful information for vapor phase catalysis involving HCOOH and for the development of direct formic acid fuel cells. In this study, periodic density functional theory calculations have been employed to investigate the dissociation pathways of HCOOH on Cu (111) surface. About adsorption, it is found that the adsorption of HCOO, COOH, HCO, CO, OH and H on Cu (111) are considered chemisorption, whereas HCOOH, CO2, H2O and H2 have the weak interaction with Cu (111) surface. Furthermore, the minimum energy pathways are analyzed for the decomposition of HCOOH to CO2 and CO through the scission of Hsbnd O, Csbnd H and Csbnd O bonds. It is found that HCOOH, HCOO and COOH prefer to dissociate in the related reactions rather than desorb. For the decomposition, it is indicated that HCO and COOH are the main dissociated intermediates of trans-HCOOH, CO2 is the main dissociated intermediates of bidentate-HCOO, and CO is the main dissociated product of cis-COOH. The co-adsorbed H atom is beneficial for the formation of CO2 from cis-COOH. Besides, it is found that the most favorable path for HCOOH decomposition on Cu (111) surface is HCOOH-HCO-CO (Path 5), where the step of CO formation from HCO dehydrogenation is considered to be the rate-determining step. The results also show that CO is preferentially formed as the dominant product of HCOOH on Cu (111) surface.

  5. Oxidation of formic acid by oxyanions of chlorine and its implications to the Viking Labeled Release experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinez, P.; Navarro-gonzalez, R.

    2013-05-01

    The Viking Landers that arrived on Mars in 1976 carried out three biological experiments designed to investigate if there was microbial life. These were the Gas-Exchange, Pyrolitic Release and Labeled Release experiments. The three experiments yielded positive responses but the Labeled Release experiment had a kinetic response indicative of microbial activity. The experiment consisted of adding a broth of nutrients (formic acid, glycolic acid, glycine, D- and L-alanine and D- and L-lactic acid uniformly marked with 14C) to martian soil samples. The results were surprising; the nutrients were consumed releasing radioactive gases in a manner that is compatible by terrestrial microorganisms. The existence of Martian life was contradicted by soil chemical analysis that indicated the absence of organic compounds above the detection limits of parts per billion (ppb). Instead the positive response of the Labeled Release Experiment was attributed to the existence of peroxides and/or superoxides in the Martian soils that destroyed the nutrients upon contact. Recently, the Phoenix mission that landed in the Martian Arctic in 2008 revealed the presence of a highly oxidized form of the element chlorine in the soil: perchlorate. Perchlorate is thought to have formed in the Martian atmosphere by the oxidation of chloride from volcanic sources with ozone. Therefore perchlorate is formed by the stepwise oxidation of hypochlorite, chlorite and chlorate. These oxyanions of chlorine are powerful oxidizers that may exist in the Martian soil and may have reacted with the nutrients of the Labeled Release Experiment. This paper aims to better understand these results by designing experiments to determine the kinetics of decomposition of formic acid to carbon dioxide with different oxidized forms of chlorine by headspace technique in gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC / MS). Previous studies done in the laboratory showed that only hypochlorite quantitatively reacted with the formate, this is why we conducted experiments at 20 ° C, 30 ° C and 40 ° C at times 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 3 , 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 min. The resulting kinetics were similar to those obtained by the LR experiment, however the speeds at which reacted in the laboratory were very rapid, almost instantaneous, a comparison of the acquired by the Viking was kinetics days. This may be because in the laboratory we do not used soil samples, Viking used Mars regolith Martian, like a complex matrix that may affect the reaction rate. We conclude that the response obtained by the LR experiment is possibly due to the presence of oxyanions of chlorine, hypochlorite specific which is increased by the dismutations chlorine species in solution, all in combination with other components very likely soil nutrients reacted with isotopically labeled. This project is still ongoing, open a new hypothesis of whether there is microbial life on Mars, since, if the Labeled Release experiment found no biological activity, may have been a chemical oxidation of organic nutrients for sodium hypochlorite .

  6. Photocatalytic oxidation of organic compounds via waveguide-supported titanium dioxide films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Lawrence W.

    A photochemical reactor based on titanium dioxide (TiO2)-coated silica optical fibers was constructed to explore the use of waveguide-supported TiO2 films for photocatalytic oxidation of organic compounds. The reactor was used for the photocatalytic oxidation of 4-chlorophenol in water. It was confirmed that TiO2 films could be securely attached to silica optical fibers. The 4-chlorophenol (100 mumol/L in water) was successfully oxidized on the TiO2 surface when UV light (310 nm--380 nm) was propagated through the fibers to the films. Rates of 4-chlorophenol oxidation and UV light flux to the fibers were measured. The quantum efficiency of 4-chlorophenol oxidation [defined as the change in 4-chlorophenol concentration divided by the UV light absorbed by the catalyst] was determined as a function of TiO2 catalyst film thickness and internal incident angle of propagating UV light. A maximum quantum efficiency of 2.8% was measured when TiO2 film thickness was ca. 80 nm and the maximum internal incident angle of propagating light was 84°. Quantum efficiency increased with increasing internal angle of incidence of propagating light and decreased with TiO2 film thickness. UV-Visible internal reflection spectroscopy was used to determine whether UV light propagated through TiO2-coated silica waveguides in an ATR mode. Propagation of UV light in an ATR mode was confirmed by the similarities between internal reflection spectra of phenolphthalein obtained with uncoated and TiO2-coated silica crystals. Planar silica waveguides coated with TiO2 were employed in a photocatalytic reactor for the oxidation of formic acid (833 mumol/L in water). It was shown that the quantum yield of formic acid oxidation [defined as the moles of formic acid oxidized divided by the moles of UV photons absorbed by the catalyst] on the waveguide-supported TiO2 surface is enhanced when UV light propagates through the waveguides in an ATR mode. A maximum quantum yield of 3.9% was found for formic acid oxidation on silica waveguides. The waveguides were coated with 150 nm of TiO2 and activated with UV light (lambdamax = 360 nm) propagating through the waveguides at an internal incident angle of 68°.

  7. Quantitation of anacetrapib, stable-isotope labeled-anacetrapib (microdose), and four metabolites in human plasma using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Chavez-Eng, C M; Lutz, R W; Li, H; Goykhman, D; Bateman, K P; Woolf, E

    2016-02-01

    An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of (4S,5R)-5-[3,5-bis (trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-{[4'-fluoro-5'-isopropyl-2'-methoxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)biphenyl-2-yl] methyl}-4-methyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-one (anacetrapib, I) and [(13)C5(15)N]-anacetrapib, II in human plasma has been developed to support a clinical study to determine the absolute bioavailability of I. The analytes and the stable-isotope labeled internal standard ([(13)C7(15)N(2)H7]-anacetrapib, III) were extracted from 100μL of human plasma by liquid-liquid extraction using 20/80 isopropyl alcohol/hexane (v/v). The chromatographic separation of the analytes was achieved using Waters BEH Shield RP 18 (50×2.1mm×1.7μm) column and mobile phase gradient of 0.1% formic acid in water (Solvent A) and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile (Solvent B) at 0.6mL/min flow rate. The MS/MS detection was performed on AB Sciex 5000 or AB 5500 in positive electrospray ionization mode, operated in selected reaction monitoring mode. The assay was validated in the concentration range 1-2000ng/mL for I; and a lower curve range, 0.025-50ng/mL for II. In addition to the absolute bioavailability determination, it was desired to better elucidate the pharmacokinetic behavior of several hydroxylated metabolites of I. Toward this end, two exploratory assays for the hydroxy metabolites of I were qualified in the concentration range 0.5-500ng/mL. All metabolites were separated on a Supelco Ascentis Express Phenyl-Hexyl (50×2.1mm, 2.7μm) column. Metabolite M4 was analyzed in the negative mode with a mobile phase consisting of a gradient mixture of water (A) and acetonitrile (B). The other three metabolites, M1-M3 were analyzed in the positive mode using a mobile phase gradient of water with 0.1% formic acid (A) and acetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid (B). The assays were utilized to support a clinical study in which a microdosing approach was used to determine the pharmacokinetics of anacetrapib and its metabolites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Determination of thymopentin in beagle dog blood by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and its application to a preclinical pharmacokinetic study.

    PubMed

    Shi, Meiyun; Yang, Yan; Zhou, Xiaotong; Cai, Lanlan; Fang, Chunxue; Wang, Can; Sun, Heping; Sun, Yantong; Gao, Yin; Gu, Jingkai; Fawcett, J Paul

    2015-05-01

    The pentapeptide thymopentin (Arg-Lys-Asp-Val-Tyr, RKDVY) corresponds to amino acids 32-36 of the 49 amino acid immunomodulatory polypeptide, thymopoietin, whose biological activity is partially reproduced. Thymopentin is widely used in the clinic and represents a promising target for drug design but bioanalytical and pharmacokinetic data are limited due to its enzymatic instability. This paper reports a rapid and sensitive method based on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of thymopentin in beagle dog blood. To inactivate peptidases and stabilize thymopentin, acetonitrile was added to blood samples immediately after collection followed by addition of stable isotope-labeled thymopentin as internal standard and washing with dichloromethane. Chromatography was carried out on an Ascentis Express Peptide ES-C18 column using gradient elution with methanol and aqueous 0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. Positive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry with selected reaction monitoring achieved linearity in the range of 1.5-800 ng/mL with good accuracy/precision and minimal matrix effects. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in beagle dogs after intravenous administration of 0.2 mg/kg thymopentin. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Effect of commercial mineral-based additives on composting and compost quality.

    PubMed

    Himanen, M; Hänninen, K

    2009-08-01

    The effectiveness of two commercial additives meant to improve the composting process was studied in a laboratory-scale experiment. Improver A (sulphates and oxides of iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc mixed with clay) and B (mixture of calcium hydroxide, peroxide, and oxide) were added to source-separated biowaste:peat mixture (1:1, v/v) in proportions recommended by the producers. The composting process (T, emissions of CO(2), NH(3), and CH(4)) and the quality of the compost (pH, conductivity, C/N ratio, water-soluble NH(4)-N and NO(3)-N, water- and NaOH-soluble low-weight carboxylic acids, nutrients, heavy metals and phytotoxicity to Lepidium sarivum) were monitored during one year. Compared with the control, the addition of improver B increased pH by two units, led to an earlier elimination of water-soluble ammonia, an increase in nitrates, a 10-fold increase in concentrations of acetic acid, and shortened phytotoxicity period by half; as negative aspect it led to volatilization of ammonia. The addition of improver A led to a longer thermophilic stage by one week and lower concentrations of low-weight carboxylic acids (both water- and NaOH-extractable) with formic and acetic of similar amounts, however, most of the aspects claimed by the improver's producer were not confirmed in this trial.

  10. Material compatibility evaluation for DWPF nitric-glycolic acid-literature review

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mickalonis, J.; Skidmore, E.

    2013-06-01

    Glycolic acid is being evaluated as an alternative for formic and nitric acid in the DWPF flowsheet. Demonstration testing and modeling for this new flowsheet has shown that glycolic acid and glycolate has a potential to remain in certain streams generated during the production of the nuclear waste glass. A literature review was conducted to assess the impact of glycolic acid on the corrosion of the materials of construction for the DWPF facility as well as facilities downstream which may have residual glycolic acid and glycolates present. The literature data was limited to solutions containing principally glycolic acid.

  11. Protic NNN and NCN Pincer-Type Ruthenium Complexes Featuring (Trifluoromethyl)pyrazole Arms: Synthesis and Application to Catalytic Hydrogen Evolution from Formic Acid.

    PubMed

    Nakahara, Yoshiko; Toda, Tatsuro; Matsunami, Asuka; Kayaki, Yoshihito; Kuwata, Shigeki

    2018-01-04

    NNN and NCN pincer-type ruthenium(II) complexes featuring two protic pyrazol-3-yl arms with a trifluoromethyl (CF 3 ) group at the 5-position were synthesized and structurally characterized to evaluate the impact of the substitution on the properties and catalysis. The increased Brønsted acidity by the highly electron-withdrawing CF 3 pendants was demonstrated by protonation-deprotonation experiments. By contrast, the IR spectra of the carbonyl derivatives as well as the cyclic voltammogram indicated that the electron density of the ruthenium atom is negligibly influenced by the CF 3 group. Catalysis of these complexes in the decomposition of formic acid to dihydrogen and carbon dioxide was also examined. The NNN pincer-type complex 1 a with the CF 3 group exhibited a higher catalytic activity than the tBu-substituted analogue 1 b. In addition, the bis(CF 3 -pyrazolato) ammine derivative 4 catalyzed the reaction even in the absence of base additives. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Lignocellulosic hydrolysate inhibitors selectively inhibit/deactivate cellulase performance.

    PubMed

    Mhlongo, Sizwe I; den Haan, Riaan; Viljoen-Bloom, Marinda; van Zyl, Willem H

    2015-12-01

    In this study, we monitored the inhibition and deactivation effects of various compounds associated with lignocellulosic hydrolysates on individual and combinations of cellulases. Tannic acid representing polymeric lignin residues strongly inhibited cellobiohydrolase 1 (CBH1) and β-glucosidase 1 (BGL1), but had a moderate inhibitory effect on endoglucanase 2 (EG2). Individual monomeric lignin residues had little or no inhibitory effect on hydrolytic enzymes. However, coniferyl aldehyde and syringaldehyde substantially decreased the activity of CBH1 and deactivated BGL1. Acetic and formic acids also showed strong inhibition of BGL1 but not CBH1 and EG2, whereas tannic, acetic and formic acid strongly inhibited a combination of CBH1 and EG2 during Avicel hydrolysis. Diminishing enzymatic hydrolysis is largely a function of inhibitor concentration and the enzyme-inhibitor relationship, rather than contact time during the hydrolysis process (i.e. deactivation). This suggests that decreased rates of hydrolysis during the enzymatic depolymerisation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates may be imparted by other factors related to substrate crystallinity and accessibility. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. A micromethod for the enzymatic estimation of the degree of glycogen ramification.

    PubMed

    Serafini, M T; Alemany, M

    1987-10-01

    A comparison of methods for the evaluation of glycogen content in liver tissue of rats has been carried out by determining the recoveries in the differential ethanol precipitation of glycogen from alkaline tissue digests as well as the actual quantitative equivalence between glycogen content and actual glucose measured. Hydrolytic/enzymatic methods gave lower results than non-specific chemical methods such as anthrone. These lower values, combined with the losses in the purification process resulted in much lower glycogen estimations than the actual estimated tissue content. A method has been devised for the measurement of glycogen ramification in small liver tissue samples, using neutral periodate oxidation of the molecule, followed by determination of the formic acid evolved from the branch ends with formic acid dehydrogenase. The method gave results very similar to the classical methods in which the acid formed is measured titrimetrically. Rat liver tissue contained a mean 323 +/- 69 mmol of glucose equivalents of glycogen per gram of tissue; this glycogen had a mean chain length of 11.4 +/- 0.8 units.

  14. Determination of multicomponent contents in Calculus bovis by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detection and its application for quality control.

    PubMed

    Kong, Weijun; Jin, Cheng; Xiao, Xiaohe; Zhao, Yanling; Liu, Wei; Li, Zulun; Zhang, Ping

    2010-06-01

    A fast ultra-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detection (UPLC-ELSD) method was established for simultaneous quantification of seven components in natural Calculus bovis (C. bovis) and its substitutes or spurious breeds. On a Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C(18) column, seven analytes were efficiently separated using 0.2% aqueous formic acid-acetonitrile as the mobile phase in a gradient program. The evaporator tube temperature of ELSD was set at 100 degrees C with the nebulizing gas flow-rate of 1.9 L/min. The results showed that this established UPLC-ELSD method was validated to be sensitive, precise and accurate with the LODs of seven analytes at 2-11 ng, and the overall intra-day and inter-day variations less than 3.0%. The recovery of the method was in the range of 97.8-101.6%, with RSD less than 3.0%. Further results of PCA on the contents of seven investigated analytes suggested that compounds of cholic acid, deoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid or cholesterol should be added as chemical markers to UPLC analysis of C. bovis samples for quality control and to discriminate natural C. bovis sample and its substitutes or some spurious breeds, then normalize the use of natural C. bovis and ensure its clinical efficacy.

  15. Influence of chain ordering on the selectivity of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer membranes for permeant size and shape.

    PubMed Central

    Xiang, T X; Anderson, B D

    1998-01-01

    The effects of lipid chain packing and permeant size and shape on permeability across lipid bilayers have been investigated in gel and liquid crystalline dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayers by a combined NMR line-broadening/dynamic light scattering method using seven short-chain monocarboxylic acids (formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, isovaleric acid, and trimethylacetic acid) as permeants. The experimental permeability coefficients are compared with the predictions of a bulk solubility diffusion model in which the bilayer membrane is represented as a slab of bulk hexadecane. Deviations of the observed permeability coefficients (Pm) from the values predicted from solubility diffusion theory (Po) lead to the determination of a correction factor, the permeability decrement f (= Pm/Po), to account for the effects of chain ordering. The natural logarithm of f has been found to correlate linearly with the inverse of the bilayer free surface area with slopes of 25 +/- 2, 36 +/- 3, 45 +/- 8, 32 +/- 12, 33 +/- 4, 49 +/- 12, and 75 +/- 6 A2 for formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, isovaleric acid, and trimethylacetic acid, respectively. The slope, which measures the sensitivity of the permeability coefficient of a given permeant to bilayer chain packing, exhibits an excellent linear correlation (r = 0.94) with the minimum cross-sectional area of the permeant and a poor correlation (r = 0.59) with molecular volume, suggesting that in the bilayer interior the permeants prefer to move with their long principal axis along the bilayer normal. Based on these studies, a permeability model combining the effects of bilayer chain packing and permeant size and shape on permeability across lipid membranes is developed. PMID:9826590

  16. A Large Underestimate of Formic Acid from Tropical Fires: Constraints from Space-Borne Measurements.

    PubMed

    Chaliyakunnel, S; Millet, D B; Wells, K C; Cady-Pereira, K E; Shephard, M W

    2016-06-07

    Formic acid (HCOOH) is one of the most abundant carboxylic acids and a dominant source of atmospheric acidity. Recent work indicates a major gap in the HCOOH budget, with atmospheric concentrations much larger than expected from known sources. Here, we employ recent space-based observations from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer with the GEOS-Chem atmospheric model to better quantify the HCOOH source from biomass burning, and assess whether fire emissions can help close the large budget gap for this species. The space-based data reveal a severe model HCOOH underestimate most prominent over tropical burning regions, suggesting a major missing source of organic acids from fires. We develop an approach for inferring the fractional fire contribution to ambient HCOOH and find, based on measurements over Africa, that pyrogenic HCOOH:CO enhancement ratios are much higher than expected from direct emissions alone, revealing substantial secondary organic acid production in fire plumes. Current models strongly underestimate (by 10 ± 5 times) the total primary and secondary HCOOH source from African fires. If a 10-fold bias were to extend to fires in other regions, biomass burning could produce 14 Tg/a of HCOOH in the tropics or 16 Tg/a worldwide. However, even such an increase would only represent 15-20% of the total required HCOOH source, implying the existence of other larger missing sources.

  17. New data on electron-beam purification of wastewater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pikaev, A. K.

    2002-11-01

    Recent environmental applications of radiation technology, developed in the author's laboratory, are presented in this paper. They are electron-beam and coagulation purification of molasses distillery slops from distillery-produced ethyl alcohol by fermentation of plant materials, electron-beam purification of wastewater from carboxylic acids (for example, formic acid) and removal of petroleum products (diesel fuel, motor oil and residual fuel oil) from water by γ-irradiation.

  18. Effects of some inhibitors on the growth and lipid accumulation of oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides and preparation of biodiesel by enzymatic transesterification of the lipid.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xuebing; Peng, Feng; Du, Wei; Liu, Canming; Liu, Dehua

    2012-08-01

    Microbial lipid produced using yeast fermentation with inexpensive carbon sources such as lignocellulosic hydrolyzate can be an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. Several inhibitors that can be generated during acid hydrolysis of lignocellulose were added solely or together into the culture medium to study their individual inhibitory actions and their synergistic effects on the growth and lipid accumulation of oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides. When the inhibitors were present in isolation in the medium, to obtain a high cell biomass accumulation, the concentrations of formic acid, acetic acid, furfural and vanillin should be lower than 2, 5, 0.5 and 1.5 g/L, respectively. However, the synergistic effects of these compounds could dramatically decrease the minimum critical inhibitory concentrations leading to significant growth and lipid production inhibitions. Unlike the above-cited inhibitors, sodium lignosulphonate had no negative influence on biomass accumulation when its concentration was in the range of 0.5-2.0 g/L; in effect, it was found to facilitate cell growth and sugar-to-lipid conversion. The fatty acid compositional profile of the yeast lipid was in the compositional range of various plant oils and animal tallow. Finally, the crude yeast lipid from bagasse hydrolyzate could be well converted into fatty acid methyl ester (FAME, biodiesel) by enzymatic transesterification in a tert-butanol system with biodiesel yield of 67.2% and lipid-to-biodiesel conversion of 88.4%.

  19. Simultaneous determination of seven β-lactam antibiotics in human plasma for therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies.

    PubMed

    Sime, Fekade Bruck; Roberts, Michael S; Roberts, Jason A; Robertson, Thomas A

    2014-06-01

    There is strong evidence in literature supporting the benefit of monitoring plasma concentrations of β-lactam antibiotics in the critically ill to ensure appropriateness of dosing. The objective of this work was to develop a method for the simultaneous determination of total concentrations piperacillin, benzylpenicillin, flucloxacillin, meropenem, ertapenem, cephazolin and ceftazidime in human plasma. Sample preparation involved protein precipitation with acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid and subsequent dilution of supernatant with 0.1% formic acid in water. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a reversed phase column (C18, 2.6 μm, 2.1 × 50 mm) via gradient elution using water and acetonitrile, each containing 0.1% formic acid, as mobile phase. Tandem mass spectrometry (MSMS) analysis was performed, after electrospray ionization in the positive mode, with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The method is accurate with the inter-day and intra-day accuracies of quality control samples (QCs) ranging from 95 to 107% and 95 to 108%, respectively. It is also precise with intra-day and inter-day coefficient of variations ranging from 4 to 12% and 5 to 14%, respectively. The lower limit of quantification was 0.1 μg/mL for each antibiotic except flucloxacillin (0.25 μg/mL). Recovery was greater than 96% for all analytes except for ertapenem (78%). Coefficients of variation for the matrix effect were less than 10% over the six batches of plasma. Analytes were stable over three freeze-thaw cycles, and for reasonable hours on the bench top as well as post-preparation. This novel liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method proved accurate, precise and applicable for therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies of the selected β-lactam antibiotics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Synthesis of ferromagnetic nanoparticles, formic acid oxidation catalyst nanocomposites, and late-transition metal-boride intermetallics by unique synthetic methods and single-source precursors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wellons, Matthew S.

    The design, synthesis, and characterization of magnetic alloy nanoparticles, supported formic acid oxidation catalysts, and superhard intermetallic composites are presented. Ferromagnetic equatomic alloy nanoparticles of FePt, FePd, and CoPt were synthesized utilizing single-source heteronuclear organometallic precursors supported on an inert water-soluble matrix. Direct conversion of the precursor-support composite to supported ferromagnetic nanoparticles occurs under elevated temperatures and reducing conditions with metal-ion reduction and minimal nanoparticle coalescence. Nanoparticles were easily extracted from the support by addition of water and characterized in structure and magnetic properties. Palladium and platinum based nanoparticles were synthesized with microwave-based and chemical metal-ion reduction strategies, respectively, and tested for catalytic performance in a direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC). A study of palladium carbide nanocomposites with various carbonaceous supports was conducted and demonstrated strong activity comparable to commercially available palladium black, but poor catalytic longevity. Platinum-lead alloy nanocomposites synthesized with chemical reduction and supported on Vulcan carbon demonstrated strong activity, excellent catalytic longevity, and were subsequently incorporated into a prototype DFAFC. A new method for the synthesis of superhard ceramics on polymer substrates called Confined Plasma Chemical Deposition (CPCD) was developed. The CPCD method utilizes a tuned Free Electron Laser to selectively decompose the single-source precursor, Re(CO)4(B3H8), in a plasma-like state resulting in the superhard intermetallic ReB2 deposited on polymer substrates. Extension of this method to the synthesis of other hard of superhard ceramics; WB4, RuB2, and B4C was demonstrated. These three areas of research show new synthetic methods and novel materials of technological importance, resulting in a substantial advance in their respective fields.

  1. Effects of Formaldehyde on Lymphocyte Subsets and Cytokines in the Peripheral Blood of Exposed Workers

    PubMed Central

    Gao, Weimin; Zhang, Xianan; Niu, Yong; Meng, Tao; Feng, Bin; Duan, Huawei; Ye, Meng; Dai, Yufei; Jia, Zhongwei; Zheng, Yuxin

    2014-01-01

    Formaldehyde (FA) is a well-known irritant, and it is suggested to increase the risk of immune diseases and cancer. The present study aimed to evaluate the distribution of major lymphocyte subsets and cytokine expression profiles in the peripheral blood of FA-exposed workers. A total of 118 FA-exposed workers and 79 controls were enrolled in the study. High performance liquid chromatography, flow cytometry, and cytometric bead array were used to analyze FA in air sample and formic acid in urine, blood lymphocyte subpopulations, and serum cytokines, respectively. The FA-exposed workers were divided into low and high exposure groups according to their exposure levels. The results showed that both the low and high FA-exposed groups had a significant increase of formic acid in urine when compared to the controls. Both the low and high exposure groups had a significant increase in the percentage of B cells (CD19+) compared to the control group (p<0.01). A significant increase in the percentage of the natural killer (NK) cells (CD56+) was observed in the low exposure group compared to the control (p = 0.013). Moreover, the FA-exposed workers in both exposure groups showed a significant higher level of IL-10 but lower level of IL-8 than the control (p<0.01). Subjects in the high exposure group had a higher level of IL-4 but a lower level of IFN-γ than the control (p<0.05). Finally, there is a significant correlation between the levels of IL-10, IL-4, and IL-8 and formic acid (p<0.05). The findings from the present study may explain, at least in part, the association between FA exposure and immune diseases and cancer. PMID:25157974

  2. Coupled Metal/Oxide Catalysts with Tunable Product Selectivity for Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

    PubMed

    Huo, Shengjuan; Weng, Zhe; Wu, Zishan; Zhong, Yiren; Wu, Yueshen; Fang, Jianhui; Wang, Hailiang

    2017-08-30

    One major challenge to the electrochemical conversion of CO 2 to useful fuels and chemical products is the lack of efficient catalysts that can selectively direct the reaction to one desirable product and avoid the other possible side products. Making use of strong metal/oxide interactions has recently been demonstrated to be effective in enhancing electrocatalysis in the liquid phase. Here, we report one of the first systematic studies on composition-dependent influences of metal/oxide interactions on electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction, utilizing Cu/SnO x heterostructured nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a model catalyst system. By adjusting the Cu/Sn ratio in the catalyst material structure, we can tune the products of the CO 2 electrocatalytic reduction reaction from hydrocarbon-favorable to CO-selective to formic acid-dominant. In the Cu-rich regime, SnO x dramatically alters the catalytic behavior of Cu. The Cu/SnO x -CNT catalyst containing 6.2% of SnO x converts CO 2 to CO with a high faradaic efficiency (FE) of 89% and a j CO of 11.3 mA·cm -2 at -0.99 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, in stark contrast to the Cu-CNT catalyst on which ethylene and methane are the main products for CO 2 reduction. In the Sn-rich regime, Cu modifies the catalytic properties of SnO x . The Cu/SnO x -CNT catalyst containing 30.2% of SnO x reduces CO 2 to formic acid with an FE of 77% and a j HCOOH of 4.0 mA·cm -2 at -0.99 V, outperforming the SnO x -CNT catalyst which only converts CO 2 to formic acid in an FE of 48%.

  3. Ultra-high Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass-Spectrometry for Simple and Simultaneous Quantification of Cannabinoids

    PubMed Central

    Jamwal, Rohitash; Topletz, Ariel R.; Ramratnam, Bharat; Akhlaghi, Fatemeh

    2017-01-01

    Cannabis is used widely in the United States, both recreationally and for medical purposes. Current methods for analysis of cannabinoids in human biological specimens rely on complex extraction process and lengthy analysis time. We established a rapid and simple assay for quantification of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), 11-hydroxy Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH THC) and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannbinol (THC-COOH) in human plasma by U-HPLC-MS/MS using Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-D3 as the internal standard. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Acquity BEH C18 column using a gradient comprising of water (0.1% formic acid) and methanol (0.1% formic acid) over a 6 min run-time. Analytes from 200 µL plasma were extracted using acetonitrile (containing 1% formic acid and THC-D3). Mass spectrometry was performed in positive ionization mode, and total ion chromatogram was used for quantification of analytes. The assay was validated according to guidelines set forth by Food and Drug Administration of United States. An eight-point calibration curve was fitted with quadratic regression (r2>0.99) from 1.56 to 100 ng mL−1 and a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 1.56 ng mL−1 was achieved. Accuracy and precision calculated from six calibration curves was between 85 to 115% while the mean extraction recovery was >90% for all the analytes. Several plasma phospholipids eluted after the analytes thus did not interfere with the assay. Bench-top, freeze-thaw, auto-sampler and short-term stability ranged from 92.7 to 106.8% of nominal values. Application of the method was evaluated by quantification of analytes in human plasma from six subjects. PMID:28192758

  4. Rapid separation and identification of anthocyanins from flowers of Viola yedoensis and V. prionantha by high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jie; Wang, Liang-Sheng; Gao, Jin-Ming; Xu, Yan-Jun; Li, Lian-Fang; Li, Chong-Hui

    2012-01-01

    Anthocyanins are important plant secondary metabolites. They show strong antioxidant activities and have potential as anti-cancer agents. Viola yedoensis and V. prionantha are traditional Chinese medicines and ornamental plants. However, the anthocyanin compositions of these two species are still unresolved. To develop a rapid and reliable high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the separation and identification of anthocyanins from V. yedoensis and V. prionantha. Samples were extracted in methanol-water-formic acid-TFA (70:27:2:1, v/v). HPLC analysis was done on a C(18) column (TSK-GEL ODS-80Ts: 150 × 4.6 mm i.d.). Four solvent systems were tested to optimise the separation of anthocyanins using different gradient separation systems. HPLC-photodiode array detection (DAD) coupled to electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was used to carry out the comprehensive characterisation of anthocyanins. Fourteen anthocyanins were characterised within 40 min with satisfactory peak resolution by a gradient composed of 10% aqueous formic acid and formic acid-acetonitrile-water (10:40:50, v/v). The calibration curve showed an excellent linear regression (r(2)  = 0.9995) and low intra- and inter-day variations (RSD < 3.67%). The detected anthocyanins derived from Dp, Cy, Pt, Mv and Pn, could be divided into three groups: non-acylated glycosides, acetylglycosides and coumaroylglycosides. Anthocyanins distribution exhibited remarkable differences in aglycone levels and acylation patterns. The optimised method was successfully applied for the analysis of 14 anthocyanins from V. yedoensis and V. prionantha. The identification of anthocyanin constitutions is valuable for breeding and will open up new prospects for their medicinal application. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. A Comprehensive Study of Formic Acid Oxidation on Palladium Nanocrystals with Different Types of Facets and Twin Defects

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Choi, Sang; Herron, Jeffrey A.; Scaranto, Jessica

    2015-07-13

    Palladium has been recognized as the best anodic, monometallic electrocatalyst for the formic acid oxidation (FAO) reaction in a direct formic acid fuel cell. Here we report a systematic study of FAO on a variety of Pd nanocrystals, including cubes, right bipyramids, octahedra, tetrahedra, decahedra, and icosahedra. These nanocrystals were synthesized with approximately the same size, but different types of facets and twin defects on their surfaces. Our measurements indicate that the Pd nanocrystals enclosed by {1 0 0} facets have higher specific activities than those enclosed by {1 1 1} facets, in agreement with prior observations for Pd single-crystalmore » substrates. If comparing nanocrystals predominantly enclosed by a specific type of facet, {1 0 0} or {1 1 1}, those with twin defects displayed greatly enhanced FAO activities compared to their single-crystal counterparts. To rationalize these experimental results, we performed periodic, self-consistent DFT calculations on model single-crystal substrates of Pd, representing the active sites present in the nanocrystals used in the experiments. The calculation results suggest that the enhancement of FAO activity on defect regions, represented by Pd(2 1 1) sites, compared to the activity of both Pd(1 0 0) and Pd(1 1 1) surfaces, could be attributed to an increased flux through the HCOO-mediated pathway rather than the COOH-mediated pathway on Pd(2 1 1). Since COOH has been identified as a precursor to CO, a site-poisoning species, a lower coverage of CO at the defect regions will lead to a higher activity for the corresponding nanocrystal catalysts, containing those defect regions.« less

  6. Hydrous pyrolysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and implications for the origin of PAH in hydrothermal petroleum

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McCollom, T. M.; Simoneit, B. R.; Shock, E. L.

    1999-01-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are found at high concentrations in thermally altered organic matter and hydrothermally generated petroleum from sediment-covered seafloor hydro-thermal systems. To better understand the factors controlling the occurrence of PAH in thermally altered environments, the reactivities of two PAH, phenanthrene and anthracene, were investigated in hydrothermal experiments. The compounds were heated with water at 330 degrees C in sealed reaction vessels for durations ranging from 1 to 17 days. Iron oxide and sulfide minerals, formic acid, or sodium for-mate were included in some experiments to vary conditions within the reaction vessel. Phenanthrene was unreactive both in water alone and in the presence of minerals for up to 17 days, while anthracene was partially hydrogenated (5-10%) to di- and tetrahydroanthracene. In the presence of 6-21 vol % formic acid, both phenanthrene and anthracene reacted extensively to form hydrogenated and minor methylated derivatives, with the degree of hydrogenation and methylation increasing with the amount of formic acid. Phenanthrene was slightly hydrogenated in sodium formate solutions. The hydrogenation reactions could be readily reversed; heating a mixture of polysaturated phenanthrenes resulted in extensive dehydrogenation (aromatization) after 3 days at 330 degrees C. While the experiments demonstrate that reaction pathways for the hydrogenation of PAH under hydrothermal conditions exist, the reactions apparently require higher concentrations of H2 than are typical of geologic settings. The experiments provide additional evidence that PAH may be generated in hydrothermal systems from progressive aromatization and dealkylation of biologically derived polycyclic precursors such as steroids and terpenoids. Furthermore, the results indicate that PAH initially present in sediments or formed within hydrothermal systems are resistant to further thermal degradation during hydrothermal alteration.

  7. Proceedings of the Molecular Electronic Devices Workshop Held at Washington, DC on 23-24 March 1981.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-10-22

    carboxylic acid (COOK) group at one end: R3 C-(ai 2 ) 1 6 -COOH. STEM - Scanning Transmission Ilectron Microscope. Synthetic DNA - DNA of a desired...semiempirical calculations of similar systems have been performed. ( 1 ) Ady and Brickmann (3) investigated the formic acid dimer, and found a barrier of 59...seeking propensity of acids into a single molecule. The material we have used is stearic acid (Cl8H35OOH). As illustrated in the inset of Fig. 1 , the

  8. Selection of anion exchangers for detoxification of dilute-acid hydrolysates from spruce.

    PubMed

    Horváth, Ilona Sárvári; Sjöde, Anders; Nilvebrant, Nils-Olof; Zagorodni, Andrei; Jönsson, Leif J

    2004-01-01

    Six anion-exchange resins with different properties were compared with respect to detoxification of a dilute-acid hydrolysate of spruce prior to ethanolic fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The six resins encompassed strong and weak functional groups as well as styrene-, phenol-, and acrylic-based matrices. In an analytical experimental series, fractions from columns packed with the different resins were analyzed regarding pH, glucose, furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural, phenolic compounds, levulinic acid, acetic acid, formic acid, and sulfate. An initial adsorption of glucose occurred in the strong alkaline environment and led to glucose accumulation at a later stage. Acetic and levulinic acid passed through the column before formic acid, whereas sulfate had the strongest affinity. In a preparative experimental series, one fraction from each of six columns packed with the different resins was collected for assay of the fermentability and analysis of glucose, mannose, and fermentation inhibitors. The fractions collected from strong anion-exchange resins with styrene-based matrices displayed the best fermentability: a sevenfold enhancement of ethanol productivity compared with untreated hydrolysate. Fractions from a strong anion exchanger with acrylic-based matrix and a weak exchanger with phenol-based resin displayed an intermediate improvement in fermentability, a four- to fivefold increase in ethanol productivity. The fractions from two weak exchangers with styrene- and acrylic-based matrices displayed a twofold increase in ethanol productivity. Phenolic compounds were more efficiently removed by resins with styrene- and phenol-based matrices than by resins with acrylic-based matrices.

  9. Determination of water-soluble forms of oxalic and formic acids in soils by ion chromatography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karicheva, E.; Guseva, N.; Kambalina, M.

    2016-03-01

    Carboxylic acids (CA) play an important role in the chemical composition origin of soils and migration of elements. The content of these acids and their salts is one of the important characteristics for agrochemical, ecological, ameliorative and hygienic assessment of soils. The aim of the article is to determine water-soluble forms of same carboxylic acids — (oxalic and formic acids) in soils by ion chromatography with gradient elution. For the separation and determination of water-soluble carboxylic acids we used reagent-free gradient elution ion-exchange chromatography ICS-2000 (Dionex, USA), the model solutions of oxalate and formate ions, and leachates from soils of the Kola Peninsula. The optimal gradient program was established for separation and detection of oxalate and formate ions in water solutions by ion chromatography. A stability indicating method was developed for the simultaneous determination of water-soluble organic acids in soils. The method has shown high detection limits such as 0.03 mg/L for oxalate ion and 0.02 mg/L for formate ion. High signal reproducibility was achieved in wide range of intensities which correspond to the following ion concentrations: from 0.04 mg/g to 10 mg/L (formate), from 0.1 mg/g to 25 mg/L (oxalate). The concentration of formate and oxalate ions in soil samples is from 0.04 to 0.9 mg/L and 0.45 to 17 mg/L respectively.

  10. Decarboxylation of Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol: Kinetics and molecular modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perrotin-Brunel, Helene; Buijs, Wim; van Spronsen, Jaap; van Roosmalen, Maaike J. E.; Peters, Cor J.; Verpoorte, Rob; Witkamp, Geert-Jan

    2011-02-01

    Efficient tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ 9-THC) production from cannabis is important for its medical application and as basis for the development of production routes of other drugs from plants. This work presents one of the steps of Δ 9-THC production from cannabis plant material, the decarboxylation reaction, transforming the Δ 9-THC-acid naturally present in the plant into the psychoactive Δ 9-THC. Results of experiments showed pseudo-first order reaction kinetics, with an activation barrier of 85 kJ mol -1 and a pre-exponential factor of 3.7 × 10 8 s -1. Using molecular modeling, two options were identified for an acid catalyzed β-keto acid type mechanism for the decarboxylation of Δ 9-THC-acid. Each of these mechanisms might play a role, depending on the actual process conditions. Formic acid proved to be a good model for a catalyst of such a reaction. Also, the computational idea of catalysis by water to catalysis by an acid, put forward by Li and Brill, and Churchev and Belbruno was extended, and a new direct keto-enol route was found. A direct keto-enol mechanism catalyzed by formic acid seems to be the best explanation for the observed activation barrier and the pre-exponential factor of the decarboxylation of Δ 9-THC-acid. Evidence for this was found by performing an extraction experiment with Cannabis Flos. It revealed the presence of short chain carboxylic acids supporting this hypothesis. The presented approach is important for the development of a sustainable production of Δ 9-THC from the plant.

  11. Process for making structure for a MCFC

    DOEpatents

    Pasco, Wayne D.; Arendt, Ronald H.

    1986-01-01

    A process of making a porous carbonate-containing structure for use in a molten carbonate fuel cell, wherein a suitable porous structure is prepared having disposed therein a metal salt selected from the alkali metals and the alkaline earth metals or mixtures thereof with at least a portion of the salt being a monobasic organic acid salt. The monobasic acid salt is converted to the carbonate in situ by heating in the presence of oxygen. Both electrode and electrolyte structures can be prepared. Formic acid is preferred.

  12. Efficient Hydrogen Storage and Production Using a Catalyst with an Imidazoline-Based, Proton-Responsive Ligand.

    PubMed

    Wang, Lin; Onishi, Naoya; Murata, Kazuhisa; Hirose, Takuji; Muckerman, James T; Fujita, Etsuko; Himeda, Yuichiro

    2017-03-22

    A series of new imidazoline-based iridium complexes has been developed for hydrogenation of CO 2 and dehydrogenation of formic acid. One of the proton-responsive complexes bearing two -OH groups at ortho and para positions on a coordinating pyridine ring (3 b) can catalyze efficiently the chemical fixation of CO 2 and release H 2 under mild conditions in aqueous media without using organic additives/solvents. Notably, hydrogenation of CO 2 can be efficiently carried out under CO 2 and H 2 at atmospheric pressure in basic water by 3 b, achieving a turnover frequency of 106 h -1 and a turnover number of 7280 at 25 °C, which are higher than ever reported. Moreover, highly efficient CO-free hydrogen production from formic acid in aqueous solution employing the same catalyst under mild conditions has been achieved, thus providing a promising potential H 2 -storage system in water. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Structurally ordered Pt–Zn/C series nanoparticles as efficient anode catalysts for formic acid electrooxidation

    DOE PAGES

    Zhu, Jing; Zheng, Xin; Wang, Jie; ...

    2015-09-15

    Controlling the size, composition, and structure of bimetallic nanoparticles is of particular interest in the field of electrocatalysts for fuel cells. In the present work, structurally ordered nanoparticles with intermetallic phases of Pt 3Zn and PtZn have been successfully synthesized via an impregnation reduction method, followed by post heat-treatment. The Pt 3Zn and PtZn ordered intermetallic nanoparticles are well dispersed on a carbon support with ultrasmall mean particle sizes of ~5 nm and ~3 nm in diameter, respectively, which are credited to the evaporation of the zinc element at high temperature. These catalysts are less susceptible to CO poisoning relativemore » to Pt/C and exhibited enhanced catalytic activity and stability toward formic acid electrooxidation. The mass activities of the as-prepared catalysts were approximately 2 to 3 times that of commercial Pt at 0.5 V (vs. RHE). As a result, this facile synthetic strategy is scalable for mass production of catalytic materials.« less

  14. Photo-electrochemical Oxidation of Organic C1 Molecules over WO3 Films in Aqueous Electrolyte: Competition Between Water Oxidation and C1 Oxidation.

    PubMed

    Reichert, Robert; Zambrzycki, Christian; Jusys, Zenonas; Behm, R Jürgen

    2015-11-01

    To better understand organic-molecule-assisted photo-electrochemical water splitting, photo-electrochemistry and on-line mass spectrometry measurements are used to investigate the photo-electrochemical oxidation of the C1 molecules methanol, formaldehyde, and formic acid over WO3 film anodes in aqueous solution and its competition with O2 evolution from water oxidation O2 (+) and CO2 (+) ion currents show that water oxidation is strongly suppressed by the organic species. Photo-electro-oxidation of formic acid is dominated by formation of CO2 , whereas incomplete oxidation of formaldehyde and methanol prevails, with the selectivity for CO2 formation increasing with increasing potential and light intensity. The mechanistic implications for the photo-electro-oxidation of the organic molecules and its competition with water oxidation, which could be derived from this novel approach, are discussed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. FEL-FTIR spectroscopy of matrix-isolated formic acid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henderson, Don O.; Mu, Richard; Silberman, Enrique; Berryman, Kenneth W.; Rella, Chris W.

    1994-07-01

    Infrared spectral hole burning studies have provided a wealth of information concerning site reorientation of defects in solids and vibrational relaxation dynamics. The most investigated systems appear to be impurities trapped in alkali halides. Limited studies on molecules trapped in noble gas matrices have demonstrated that these systems are good candidates for investigating persistent spectral holes. However, most infrared spectral hole burning studies have been limited by the tunability of commercially available infrared lasers which in turn restricts the spectral feature which can be burned. On the other hand, the tunability of Infrared Free Electron Lasers (IR-FELs) allows for targeting radiation into vibrational of the molecular system under study. We have used the Free Electron Laser-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to investigate infrared hole burning of formic acid (HCOOD) isolated in an Ar matrix at a matrix/sample ratio of 4000/1. The results of the FEL radiation tuned to v2 mode of HCOOD are discussed together with matrix induced frequency shifts and matrix induced band splittings.

  16. High upward fluxes of formic acid from a boreal forest canopy

    DOE PAGES

    Schobesberger, Siegfried; Lopez-Hilfiker, Felipe D.; Taipale, Ditte; ...

    2016-08-14

    Eddy covariance fluxes of formic acid, HCOOH, were measured over a boreal forest canopy in spring/summer 2014. The HCOOH fluxes were bidirectional but mostly upward during daytime, in contrast to studies elsewhere that reported mostly downward fluxes. Downward flux episodes were explained well by modeled dry deposition rates. The sum of net observed flux and modeled dry deposition yields an upward “gross flux” of HCOOH, which could not be quantitatively explained by literature estimates of direct vegetative/soil emissions nor by efficient chemical production from other volatile organic compounds, suggesting missing or greatly underestimated HCOOH sources in the boreal ecosystem. Here,more » we implemented a vegetative HCOOH source into the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model to match our derived gross flux and evaluated the updated model against airborne and spaceborne observations. Model biases in the boundary layer were substantially reduced based on this revised treatment, but biases in the free troposphere remain unexplained.« less

  17. Carbon nanotubes based methanol sensor for fuel cells application.

    PubMed

    Kim, D W; Lee, J S; Lee, G S; Overzet, L; Kozlov, M; Aliev, A E; Park, Y W; Yang, D J

    2006-11-01

    An electrochemical sensor is built using vertically grown multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) micro-array to detect methanol concentration in water. This study is done for the potential use of the array as methanol sensor for portable units of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Platinum (Pt) nanoparticles electro-deposited CNTs (Pt/CNTs) electrode shows high sensitivity in the measurement of methanol concentration in water with cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurement at room temperature. Further investigation has also been undertaken to measure the concentration by changing the amount of the mixture of methanol and formic acid in water. We compared the performance of our micro array sensor built with Pt/CNTs electrodes versus that of Pt wire electrode using CV measurement. We found that our Pt/CNTs array sensor shows high sensitivity and detects methanol concentrations in the range of 0.04 M to 0.10 M. In addition, we found that co-use of formic acid as electrolyte enables us to measure up to 1.0 M methanol concentration.

  18. Sequential lignin depolymerization by combination of biocatalytic and formic acid/formate treatment steps.

    PubMed

    Gasser, Christoph A; Čvančarová, Monika; Ammann, Erik M; Schäffer, Andreas; Shahgaldian, Patrick; Corvini, Philippe F-X

    2017-03-01

    Lignin, a complex three-dimensional amorphous polymer, is considered to be a potential natural renewable resource for the production of low-molecular-weight aromatic compounds. In the present study, a novel sequential lignin treatment method consisting of a biocatalytic oxidation step followed by a formic acid-induced lignin depolymerization step was developed and optimized using response surface methodology. The biocatalytic step employed a laccase mediator system using the redox mediator 1-hydroxybenzotriazole. Laccases were immobilized on superparamagnetic nanoparticles using a sorption-assisted surface conjugation method allowing easy separation and reuse of the biocatalysts after treatment. Under optimized conditions, as much as 45 wt% of lignin could be solubilized either in aqueous solution after the first treatment or in ethyl acetate after the second (chemical) treatment. The solubilized products were found to be mainly low-molecular-weight aromatic monomers and oligomers. The process might be used for the production of low-molecular-weight soluble aromatic products that can be purified and/or upgraded applying further downstream processes.

  19. Enantiomeric determination of DOPA in dietary supplements containing Mucuna pruriens by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Hasegawa, Takashi; Takahashi, Kazunaga; Fukiwake, Tomohide; Saijo, Masaaki; Motoki, Yuji

    2013-01-01

    We developed a simple and rapid liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method for the enantiomeric determination of DOPA in dietary supplements containing Mucuna pruriens. L- and D-DOPA were ultrasonically extracted with 1% formic acid aqueous solution. The isolated extracts were analyzed by LC/MS using a Crownpak CR (-) column at 30℃. The mass spectrometer was operated in the positive mode of electrospray ionization, and the mobile phase was aqueous formic acid (pH 2.0). L-DOPA-ring-d3 was used as an internal standard. The method was validated for a dietary supplement spiked with L- and D-DOPA at 50 and 500 μg/g, respectively, and the recoveries of the DOPA enantiomers were between 97.5% and 101.3%. Relative standard deviation values of repeatability and intermediate precision were less than 7%. The method was applied to 14 dietary supplements. L-DOPA was detected in these supplements in the range of 0.88-12.8 mg/unit. D-DOPA was not detected.

  20. Hierarchical concave layered triangular PtCu alloy nanostructures: rational integration of dendritic nanostructures for efficient formic acid electrooxidation.

    PubMed

    Wu, Fengxia; Lai, Jianping; Zhang, Ling; Niu, Wenxin; Lou, Baohua; Luque, Rafael; Xu, Guobao

    2018-05-08

    The rational construction of multi-dimensional layered noble metal nanostructures is a great challenge since noble metals are not layer-structured materials. Herein, we report a one-pot hydrothermal synthetic method for PtCu hierarchical concave layered triangular (HCLT) nanostructures using dl-carnitine, KI, poly(vinylpyrrolidone), CuCl2, and H2PtCl6. The PtCu HCLT nanostructure is comprised of multilayered triangular dendrites. Its layer number is tunable by changing dl-carnitine concentrations, and the concavity/convexity of the PtCu triangle nanostructures is tunable by changing the H2PtCl6/CuCl2 ratio or KI concentrations. Hierarchical trigonal bipyramid nanoframes are also obtained under certain conditions. Because of its advantageous nanostructure and bimetallic synergetic effect, the obtained PtCu HCLT nanostructure exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic activity and prolonged stability to formic acid oxidation compared to commercial Pt black, Pd/C and some other nanostructures.

  1. Determination of three steroidal saponins from Ophiopogon japonicus (Liliaceae) via high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yongyi; Xu, Jinzhong; Qu, Haibin

    2013-01-01

    A simple and accurate analytical method was developed for simultaneous quantification of three steroidal saponins in the roots of Ophiopogon japonicus via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with mass spectrometry (MS) in this study. Separation was performed on a Tigerkin C(18) column and detection was performed by mass spectrometry. A mobile phase consisted of 0.02% formic acid in water (v/v) and 0.02% formic acid in acetonitrile (v/v) was used with a flow rate of 0.5 mL min(-1). The quantitative HPLC-MS method was validated for linearity, precision, repeatability, stability, recovery, limits of detection and quantification. This developed method provides good linearity (r >0.9993), intra- and inter-day precisions (RSD <4.18%), repeatability (RSD <5.05%), stability (RSD <2.08%) and recovery (93.82-102.84%) for three steroidal saponins. It could be considered as a suitable quality control method for O. japonicus.

  2. Efficient hydrogen storage and production using a catalyst with an imidazoline-based, proton-responsive ligand

    DOE PAGES

    Wang, Lin; Onishi, Naoya; Murata, Kazuhisa; ...

    2016-12-28

    A series of new imidazoline-based iridium complexes has been developed for hydrogenation of CO 2 and dehydrogenation of formic acid. One of the proton-responsive complexes bearing two –OH groups at ortho and para positions on a coordinating pyridine ring (3 b) can catalyze efficiently the chemical fixation of CO 2 and release H 2 under mild conditions in aqueous media without using organic additives/solvents. Notably, hydrogenation of CO 2 can be efficiently carried out under CO 2 and H 2 at atmospheric pressure in basic water by 3 b, achieving a turnover frequency of 106 h –1 and a turnovermore » number of 7280 at 25 °C, which are higher than ever reported. Furthermore, highly efficient CO-free hydrogen production from formic acid in aqueous solution employing the same catalyst under mild conditions has been achieved, thus providing a promising potential H 2-storage system in water.« less

  3. Reductive de-polymerization of kraft lignin for chemicals and fuels using formic acid as an in-situ hydrogen source.

    PubMed

    Huang, Shanhua; Mahmood, Nubla; Tymchyshyn, Matthew; Yuan, Zhongshun; Xu, Chunbao Charles

    2014-11-01

    In this study, formic acid (FA) was employed as an in-situ hydrogen donor for the reductive de-polymerization of kraft lignin (KL). Under the optimum operating conditions, i.e., 300 °C, 1 h, 18.6 wt.% substrate concentration, 50/50 (v/v) water-ethanol medium with FA at a FA-to-lignin mass ratio of 0.7, KL (Mw∼10,000 g/mol) was effectively de-polymerized, producing de-polymerized lignin (DL, Mw 1270 g/mol) at a yield of ∼90 wt.% and <1 wt.% yield of solid residue (SR). The MW of the DL products decreased with increasing reaction temperature, time and FA-to-lignin mass ratio. The sulfur contents of all DL products were remarkably lower than that in the original KL. It was also demonstrated that FA is a more reactive hydrogen source than external hydrogen for reductive de-polymerization of KL. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Reactions of Criegee Intermediates with Non-Water Greenhouse Gases: Implications for Metal Free Chemical Fixation of Carbon Dioxide.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Manoj; Francisco, Joseph S

    2017-09-07

    High-level theoretical calculations suggest that a Criegee intermediate preferably interacts with carbon dioxide compared to two other greenhouse gases, nitrous oxide and methane. The results also suggest that the interaction between Criegee intermediates and carbon dioxide involves a cycloaddition reaction, which results in the formation of a cyclic carbonate-type adduct with a barrier of 6.0-14.0 kcal/mol. These results are in contrast to a previous assumption that the reaction occurs barrierlessly. The subsequent decomposition of the cyclic adduct into formic acid and carbon dioxide follows both concerted and stepwise mechanisms. The latter mechanism has been overlooked previously. Under formic acid catalysis, the concerted decomposition of the cyclic carbonate may be favored under tropospheric conditions. Considering that there is a strong nexus between carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and global warming, the high reactivity of Criegee intermediates could be utilized for designing efficient carbon capture technologies.

  5. Comparative chemical and biochemical analysis of extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa.

    PubMed

    Sindi, Heba A; Marshall, Lisa J; Morgan, Michael R A

    2014-12-01

    Hibiscus sabdariffa extracts have attracted attention because of potentially useful bioactivity. However, there have been no systematic studies of extraction efficiencies of H. sabdariffa. The nature of extracts used in different studies has varied considerably, making comparisons difficult. Therefore, a systematic study of extracts of H. sabdariffa made with different solvents was carried out using water, methanol, ethyl acetate and hexane in the presence/absence of formic acid, using different extraction times and temperatures. The extracts were analysed for total polyphenol content, antioxidant capacity using DPPH, FRAP and TEAC assays, and specific anthocyanins were determined using HPLC and LC-MS. The results showed the highest antioxidant capacities were obtained by extracting using water, with or without formic acid, for 10 min at 100°C. These extracts provided the highest concentrations of cyanidin 3-sambubioside and delphinidin 3-sambubioside. It will be important to use extraction conditions giving optimal extraction efficiencies for subsequent bioactivity experiments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. A method for measuring low-weight carboxylic acids from biosolid compost.

    PubMed

    Himanen, Marina; Latva-Kala, Kyösti; Itävaara, Merja; Hänninen, Kari

    2006-01-01

    Concentration of low-weight carboxylic acids (LWCA) is one of the important parameters that should be taken into consideration when compost is applied as soil improver for plant cultivation, because high amounts of LWCA can be toxic to plants. The present work describes a method for analysis of LWCA in compost as a useful tool for monitoring compost quality and safety. The method was tested on compost samples of two different ages: 3 (immature) and 6 (mature) months old. Acids from compost samples were extracted at high pH, filtered, and freeze-dried. The dried sodium salts were derivatized with a sulfuric acid-methanol mixture and concentrations of 11 low-weight fatty acids (C1-C10) were analyzed using headspace gas chromatography. The material was analyzed with two analytical techniques: the external calibration method (tested on 11 LWCA) and the standard addition method (tested only on formic, acetic, propionic, butyric, and iso-butyric acids). The two techniques were compared for efficiency of acids quantification. The method allowed good separation and quantification of a wide range of individual acids with high sensitivity at low concentrations. Detection limit for propionic, butyric, caproic, caprylic, and capric acids was 1 mg kg(-1) compost; for formic, acetic, valeric, enanthoic and pelargonic acids it was 5 mg kg(-1) compost; and for iso-butyric acid it was 10 mg kg(-1) compost. Recovery rates of LWCA were higher in 3-mo-old compost (57-99%) than in 6-mo-old compost (29-45%). In comparison with the external calibration technique the standard addition technique proved to be three to four times more precise for older compost and two times for younger compost. Disadvantages of the standard addition technique are that it is more time demanding and laborious.

  7. Organic acids in cloud water and rainwater at a mountain site in acid rain areas of South China.

    PubMed

    Sun, Xiao; Wang, Yan; Li, Haiyan; Yang, Xueqiao; Sun, Lei; Wang, Xinfeng; Wang, Tao; Wang, Wenxing

    2016-05-01

    To investigate the chemical characteristics of organic acids and to identify their source, cloud water and rainwater samples were collected at Mount Lu, a mountain site located in the acid rain-affected area of south China, from August to September of 2011 and March to May of 2012. The volume-weighted mean (VWM) concentration of organic acids in cloud water was 38.42 μeq/L, ranging from 7.45 to 111.46 μeq/L, contributing to 2.50 % of acidity. In rainwater samples, organic acid concentrations varied from 12.39 to 68.97 μeq/L (VWM of 33.39 μeq/L). Organic acids contributed significant acidity to rainwater, with a value of 17.66 %. Formic acid, acetic acid, and oxalic acid were the most common organic acids in both cloud water and rainwater. Organic acids had an obviously higher concentration in summer than in spring in cloud water, whereas there was much less discrimination in rainwater between the two seasons. The contribution of organic acids to acidity was lower during summer than during spring in both cloud water (2.20 % in summer vs 2.83 % in spring) and rainwater (12.24 % in summer vs 19.89 % in spring). The formic-to-acetic acid ratio (F/A) showed that organic acids were dominated by primary emissions in 71.31 % of the cloud water samples and whole rainwater samples. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis determined four factors as the sources of organic acids in cloud water, including biogenic emissions (61.8 %), anthropogenic emissions (15.28 %), marine emissions (15.07 %) and soil emissions (7.85 %). The findings from this study imply an indispensable role of organic acids in wet deposition, but organic acids may have a limited capacity to increase ecological risks in local environments.

  8. Simultaneous separation of three isomeric sennosides from senna leaf (Cassia acutifolia) using counter-current chromatography.

    PubMed

    Park, Sait Byul; Kim, Yeong Shik

    2015-10-01

    Senna leaf is widely consumed as tea to treat constipation or to aid in weight loss. Sennoside A, A1 , and B are dirheinanthrone glucosides that are abundant and the bioactive constituents in the plant. They are isomers that refer to the (R*R*), (S*S*), and (R*S*) forms of protons on C-10 and C-10' centers and it is difficult to refine them individually due to their structural similarities. The new separation method using counter-current chromatography successfully purified sennoside A, A1 , and B from senna leaf (Cassia acutifolia) while reversed-phase medium-pressure liquid chromatography yielded sennoside A only. n-Butanol/isopropanol/water (5:1:6, v/v/v) was selected as the solvent system for counter-current chromatography operation, and the partition coefficients were carefully determined by adding different concentrations of formic acid. High-resolution mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy were performed to verify the chemical properties of the compounds. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Homogeneous Reduction of Carbon Dioxide with Hydrogen.

    PubMed

    Dong, Kaiwu; Razzaq, Rauf; Hu, Yuya; Ding, Kuiling

    2017-04-01

    Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), a key greenhouse gas produced from both anthropogenic and natural sources, has been recently considered to be an important C1 building-block for the synthesis of many industrial fuels and chemicals. Catalytic hydrogenation of CO 2 using a homogeneous system is regarded as an efficient process for CO 2 valorization. This approach leads to the direct products including formic acid (HCOOH), carbon monoxide (CO), methanol (MeOH), and methane (CH 4 ). The hydrogenation of CO 2 to CO followed by alkene carbonylation provides value-added compounds, which also avoids the tedious separation and transportation of toxic CO. Moreover, the reduction of CO 2 with H 2 in the presence of amines is of significance to attain fine chemicals through catalytic formylation and methylation reactions. The synthesis of higher alcohols and dialkoxymethane from CO 2 and H 2 has been demonstrated recently, which opens access to new molecular structures using CO 2 as an important C1 source.

  10. A double-labeling immunohistochemical study of tau exon 10 in Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy and Pick's disease.

    PubMed

    Ishizawa, K; Ksiezak-Reding, H; Davies, P; Delacourte, A; Tiseo, P; Yen, S H; Dickson, D W

    2000-09-01

    Neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), one of the histopathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and Pick bodies in Pick's disease (PiD) are composed of microtubule-associated protein tau, which is the product of alternative splicing of a gene on chromosome 17. Alternative expression of exon 10 leads to formation of three- or four-repeat tau isoforms. To study the differential expression of exon 10, we performed double-labeling immunohistochemistry of the hippocampal formation in nine AD, four PSP and three PiD cases. Cryostat sections were processed with and without formic acid (FA) treatment, and double-stained with anti-tau (Alz-50 or PHF-1) or anti-amyloid P component antibodies and one of two specific anti-exon 10 antibodies (E-10). The effect of proteinase-K treatment was also evaluated. The results suggest the following. First, in AD, E-10 immunoreactivity is present in most intracellular NFT, but not in most dystrophic neurites and neuropil threads, suggesting differential expression of tau isoforms in specific cellular domains. Second, in AD, E-10 immunoreactivity is lost or blocked in most extracellular NFT, possibly due to proteolysis. Third, in PSP, E-10 immunoreactivity is hidden or blocked in NFT and tau-positive glial inclusions, but FA treatment exposes the epitope consistent with the hypothesis that PSP inclusions contain four-repeat tau. Fourth, E-10 immunoreactivity is present in dentate fascia NFT in AD and PSP, but not in Pick bodies in the dentate fascia or other areas. The results suggest that expression of exon 10 in tau is specific for cellular domains in a disease-specific manner.

  11. Low to middle tropospheric profiles and biosphere/troposphere fluxes of acidic gases in the summertime Canadian taiga

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klemm, O.; Talbot, R. W.; Fitzgerald, D. R.; Klemm, K. I.; Lefer, B. L.

    1994-01-01

    We report features of acidic gases in the troposphere from 9 to 5000 m altitude above ground over the Canadian taiga in the summer of 1990. The measurements were conducted at a 30-m meteorological tower and from the NASA Wallops Electra aircraft as part of the joint U.S.-Canadian Arctic Boundary Layer Expedition (ABLE) 3B Northern Wetland Studies (NOWES). We sampled air for acidic gases using the mist chamber collector coupled with subsequent analysis using ion chromatography. At the tower we collected samples at two heights during a 13-day period, including diurnal studies. Using eddy flux and profile data, we estimated the biosphere/troposphere fluxes of nitric, formic, and acetic acids and sulfur dioxide. For the organic acids, emissions from the taiga in the afternoon hours and deposition during the predawn morning hours were observed. The flux intensities alone were however not high enough to explain the observed changes in mixing ratios. The measured deposition fluxes of nitric acid were high enough to have a significant influence on its mixing ratio in the boundary layer. On three days we measured vertical profiles of nitric, formic, and acetic acids through the lower to midtroposphere. We found that the chemical composition of the troposphere was extremely heterogenous. Pronounced layers of polluted air were readily apparent from our measurements. Local photochemical production and episodic long-range transport of trace components, originating from biomass burning and possibly industrial emissions, appear to have a strong influence on the composition of the troposphere and biosphere/troposphere fluxes of acidic gases at this site.

  12. Evaluation of modeled cloud chemistry mechanism against laboratory irradiation experiments: The HxOy/iron/carboxylic acid chemical system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Long, Yoann; Charbouillot, Tiffany; Brigante, Marcello; Mailhot, Gilles; Delort, Anne-Marie; Chaumerliac, Nadine; Deguillaume, Laurent

    2013-10-01

    Currently, cloud chemistry models are including more detailed and explicit multiphase mechanisms based on laboratory experiments that determine such values as kinetic constants, stability constants of complexes and hydration constants. However, these models are still subject to many uncertainties related to the aqueous chemical mechanism they used. Particularly, the role of oxidants such as iron and hydrogen peroxide in the oxidative capacity of the cloud aqueous phase has typically never been validated against laboratory experimental data. To fill this gap, we adapted the M2C2 model (Model of Multiphase Cloud Chemistry) to simulate irradiation experiments on synthetic aqueous solutions under controlled conditions (e.g., pH, temperature, light intensity) and for actual cloud water samples. Various chemical compounds that purportedly contribute to the oxidative budget in cloud water (i.e., iron, oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide: H2O2) were considered. Organic compounds (oxalic, formic and acetic acids) were taken into account as target species because they have the potential to form iron complexes and are good indicators of the oxidative capacity of the cloud aqueous phase via their oxidation in this medium. The range of concentrations for all of the chemical compounds evaluated was representative of in situ measurements. Numerical outputs were compared with experimental data that consisted of a time evolution of the concentrations of the target species. The chemical mechanism in the model describing the “oxidative engine” of the HxOy/iron (HxOy = H2O2, HO2rad /O2rad - and HOrad ) chemical system was consistent with laboratory measurements. Thus, the degradation of the carboxylic acids evaluated was closely reproduced by the model. However, photolysis of the Fe(C2O4)+ complex needs to be considered in cloud chemistry models for polluted conditions (i.e., acidic pH) to correctly reproduce oxalic acid degradation. We also show that iron and formic acid lead to a stable complex whose photoreactivity has currently not been investigated. The updated aqueous chemical mechanism was compared with data from irradiation experiments using natural cloud water. The new reactions considered in the model (i.e., iron complex formation with oxalic and formic acids) correctly reproduced the experimental observations.

  13. Synthesis and characterization of estolides containing epoxy and cyclic carbonate groups

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The unsaturated sites in 2-ethylhexyl estolides were converted into 5-membered cyclic carbonate groups utilizing a two-step process. First, epoxidation of the alkene bonds was accomplished using formic acid and hydrogen peroxide. The epoxidized estolide material was then reacted with supercritical c...

  14. Property Relationship in Organosilanes and Nanotubes Filled Polypropylene Hybrid Composites

    PubMed Central

    Monsiváis-Barrón, Alejandra J.; Bonilla-Rios, Jaime; Sánchez-Fernández, Antonio

    2014-01-01

    Polypropylene composites with different filler contents were prepared by creating a masterbatch containing 3 wt%. filler. A variety of silanol groups were used to synthetized three compounds in different media trough a sol-gel process with acetic acid, formic acid and ammonium hydroxide as catalysts. Besides, four different nanotubular fillers were also used to analyze their behavior and compare it with the effect caused by the silanol groups. These tubular structures comprise: unmodified halloysite, carbon nanotubes and functionalized halloysite and carbon nanotubes. Morphological characterization in SEM and STEM/TEM showed dispersion in the polypropylene matrix. According to TGA and DSC measurements thermal behavior remain similar for all the composites. Mechanical test in tension demonstrate that modulus of the composites increases for all samples with a major impact for materials containing silanol groups synthetized in formic acid. Rheological measurements show a significantly increment in viscosity for samples containing unmodified and modified carbon nanotubes. No difference was found for samples containing silanol groups and halloysite when compared to neat polypropylene. Finally, the oxygen transmission rate increased for all samples showing high barrier properties only for samples containing natural and functionalized halloysite nanotubes. PMID:28788233

  15. Property Relationship in Organosilanes and Nanotubes Filled Polypropylene Hybrid Composites.

    PubMed

    Monsiváis-Barrón, Alejandra J; Bonilla-Rios, Jaime; Sánchez-Fernández, Antonio

    2014-10-20

    Polypropylene composites with different filler contents were prepared by creating a masterbatch containing 3 wt%. filler. A variety of silanol groups were used to synthetized three compounds in different media trough a sol-gel process with acetic acid, formic acid and ammonium hydroxide as catalysts. Besides, four different nanotubular fillers were also used to analyze their behavior and compare it with the effect caused by the silanol groups. These tubular structures comprise: unmodified halloysite, carbon nanotubes and functionalized halloysite and carbon nanotubes. Morphological characterization in SEM and STEM/TEM showed dispersion in the polypropylene matrix. According to TGA and DSC measurements thermal behavior remain similar for all the composites. Mechanical test in tension demonstrate that modulus of the composites increases for all samples with a major impact for materials containing silanol groups synthetized in formic acid. Rheological measurements show a significantly increment in viscosity for samples containing unmodified and modified carbon nanotubes. No difference was found for samples containing silanol groups and halloysite when compared to neat polypropylene. Finally, the oxygen transmission rate increased for all samples showing high barrier properties only for samples containing natural and functionalized halloysite nanotubes.

  16. Year-round records of gas and particulate carboxylic acids (formate and acetate) in the boundary layer at Dumont d'Urville (coastal Antarctica): Production of carboxylic acids from biogenic NMHC emissions from the Antarctic ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Legrand, M.; Preunkert, S.; Jourdain, B.

    2003-04-01

    Multiple year-round concentrations of acetic and formic acids were measured both in gas and aerosol phases at Dumont d'Urville (DDU, a coastal Antarctic site: 66^o40'S, 140^o01'E) by using mist chamber and aerosol filter sampling. Aerosol levels of the 2 carboxylates range from less than one ng m-3 in winter to 5--10 ng m-3 in summer. Comparison with gas phase concentrations shows that almost 99% of the 2 carboxylic acids are present in the gas phase. Concentrations of formic acid in the gas phase are minima in June--July (70 ng m-3) and increase regularly towards summer months when levels reach ˜400 ng m-3. Concentrations of acetic acid in the gas phase exhibit a more well-marked seasonal cycle with values remaining close to 50 ng m-3 from April to October and strongly increase during summer months (mean value of 800 ng m-3). Such a strong seasonal cycle of carboxylic acids in the high southern latitude marine boundary layer displays with observations made at numerous continental sites where a more weak seasonality is generally observed. It is suggested that carboxylic acids present at DDU mainly originate from biogenic emissions from the Antarctic ocean which are expected to closely follow annual cycle of the sea ice extent and solar radiation, affecting in particular photochemical production of alkenes from dissolved organic carbon released from phytoplancton. Summer levels of carboxylic acids are discussed in terms of air-sea fluxes of NMHCs and photochemical production of carboxylic acids from ozone-alkene reactions and HO_2 reaction with peroxyacetal radical in these poor NOx environments.

  17. Adaptation and Transcriptome Analysis of Aureobasidium pullulans in Corncob Hydrolysate for Increased Inhibitor Tolerance to Malic Acid Production

    PubMed Central

    Zou, Xiang; Wang, Yongkang; Tu, Guangwei; Zan, Zhanquan; Wu, Xiaoyan

    2015-01-01

    Malic acid is a dicarboxylic acid widely used in the food industry, and is also a potential C4 platform chemical. Corncob is a low-cost renewable feedstock from agricultural industry. However, side-reaction products (furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), formic acid, and acetic acid) that severely hinder fermentation are formed during corncob pretreatment. The process for producing malic acid from a hydrolysate of corncob was investigated with a polymalic acid (PMA)-producing Aureobasidium pullulans strain. Under the optimal hydrolysate sugar concentration 110 g/L, A. pullulans was further adapted in an aerobic fibrous bed bioreactor (AFBB) by gradually increasing the sugar concentration of hydrolysate. After nine batches of fermentation, the production and productivity of malic acid reached 38.6 g/L and 0.4 g/L h, respectively, which was higher than that in the first batch (27.6 g/L and 0.29 g/L h, respectively). The adapted strain could grow under the stress of 0.5 g/L furfural, 3 g/L HMF, 2g/L acetic acid, and 0.5 g/L formic acid, whereas the wild type did not. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were related to carbohydrate transport and metabolism, lipid transport and metabolism, signal transduction mechanism, redox metabolism, and energy production and conversion under 0.5 g/L furfural and 3 g/L HMF stress conditions. In total, 42 genes in the adapted strain were upregulated by 15-fold or more, and qRT-PCR also confirmed that the expression levels of key genes (i.e. SIR, GSS, CYS, and GSR) involved in sulfur assimilation pathway were upregulated by over 10-fold in adapted strain for cellular protection against oxidative stress. PMID:25793624

  18. Incorporation of Catalytic Modalities for Forming of a Catalytic Cascade

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perry, Albert, III

    As climate change progresses, the temperature on Earth is continuing to rise. According to the International Panel on Climate Change, the average temperature on Earth will increase by several degrees Celsius by the end of this century, which can lead to inhospitable temperature, decline in oceanic environments as well as increasingly severe weather. This increase is mainly anthropogenic due to our continual, exponential release of CO 2 by the utilization of traditional fuels. Thus, there is an ever-pressing need to develop alternative energy sources. While there is significant attention on large-scale energy production, small-scale energy sources also need to be considered. To address this, we need to further develop techniques that efficiently and completely extract energy through oxidation of given substrate by harvesting electrons at each step of the process. Efficient oxidation of a substrate has been demonstrated by nature through metabolons, such as those found in the TCA cycle. By observing these metabolons, it has been shown that intermediates are guided from one catalytic site to another in what has been termed substrate channeling. Building on this, there is an interest in replicating metabolons and substrate channeling utilizing different catalyst types, such as inorganic, enzymatic, and molecular catalysts. Each of these catalysts offers their own benefits, such as the ability to function in extreme conditions, selectively targeting a substrate, or having predictable redox mechanisms. To further research the incorporation of these modalities into a cascade reaction, this dissertation explores several inorganic catalysts for the sequential oxidation of organic substrates. Specifically, exploring how a biomimetic catalyst (Mn-aminoantipyrene), Pt and Pt alloys, as well as Pd combined with a Mn-N-C catalyst oxidize intermediates in the glycerol oxidation cascade. The MnAAPyr catalyst, designed to mimic the reactive centers of oxalate decarboxylase (OxDC) and oxalate oxidase (OxOx) showed high activity towards the oxidation of oxalic acid with onset potentials of 0.714 +/- 0.002 V vs. SHE at pH = 4. OxOx and OxDC are Mn containing enzymes, in which Mn is surrounded by nitrogen atoms in the form of histidines. As such, MnAAPyr was synthesized utilizing the Sacrificial Support Method developed at the University of New Mexico and is shown to be a nano-structured material in which Mn is atomically dispersed on a nitrogendoped graphene matrix. Pt, PtSn (1:1), PtSn (19:1), PtRu (1:4), PtRuSn (5:4:1), and PtRhSn (3:1:4), were also synthetized using the Sacrificial Support Method and tested for oxidation of oxalic acid at pH 4. PtSn (1:1) and PtRu (1:4) showed higher mass activity than Pt and the other alloys. These two, along with one of the worst performing catalysts, PtSn (19:1), were further analyzed for oxidation of oxalic acid at different pHs and concentrations. The results of these measurements showed the same increase in catalytic activity with decreased pH and a decrease in onset potential at more alkaline conditions. PtSn (19:1), PtSn (1:1), and PtRu (1:4) also showed a positive linear dependence of the generated current as a function of the concentration of oxalic acid. Literature has shown that Pt is very susceptible to CO poisoning when oxidizing formic acid. As such, other more resistant, inorganic catalysts must be considered. A Pd and Mn-N-C hybrid catalyst (Pd/Mn-N-3D-GNS) were tested for the oxidation of glycerol intermediates: glyoxalic acid, mesoxalic acid, oxalic acid, and formic acid. The measurements show that when compared to Pd and Mn-N-C separately, Pd/Mn-N-3D-GNS showed a decreased onset potential towards the oxidation of mesoxalic acid. The hybrid catalyst also showed increased maximum currents from the oxidation of oxalic acid when compared to Pd and Mn-N-C. It is also shown that Pd and Mn-N-C oxidize formic acid differently. Pd oxidizes formic acid via dehydrogenation pathway, while Mn-N-C oxidizes via the less desired dehydration pathway. Developing from the knowledge we have gained through the study of inorganic catalysts, Pd was selected to be incorporated with an enzymatic catalyst (OxDC) for a two-step cascade. Within this cascade, OxDC oxidizes oxalic acid to formic acid, which is then oxidized to carbon dioxide by Pd. To ensure co-localization, OxDC is immobilized onto a macro-porous graphene support by 1-pyrenebutanoic acid succinimidyl ester (PBSE). A novel deposition technique was developed to co-localize these catalysts and tested utilizing UV-VIS and electrochemical measurements.

  19. Hg speciation by differential photochemical vapor generation at UV-B and UV-C wavelengths

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Mercury speciation was accomplished by differential photochemical reduction at two UV wavelengths; the resulting Hg(O) vapor was quantified by atomic fluorescence spectrometry. After microwave digestion and centrifugation, analyte solutions were mixed with 20% (v/v) formic acid in a reactor coil, an...

  20. A polymeric-semiconductor-metal-complex hybrid photocatalyst for visible-light CO(2) reduction.

    PubMed

    Maeda, Kazuhiko; Sekizawa, Keita; Ishitani, Osamu

    2013-10-03

    A polymeric carbon nitride semiconductor is demonstrated to photocatalyse CO2 reduction to formic acid under visible light (λ > 400 nm) with a high turnover number (>200 for 20 hours) and selectivity (>80%), when coupled with a molecular ruthenium complex as a catalyst.

  1. A phagostimulant blend for the Asian citrus psyllid

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Chemical cues that condition orientation by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), are of great interest because it is the primary vector of the causal pathogen of citrus greening disease. Previous work in our lab identified a blend of formic and acetic acids as s...

  2. Formic Acid Investigation for the Prediction of High Explosive Detonation Properties and Performance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-07-01

    determine constants of the Jones-Wilkins-Lee ( JWL ) and Jones-Wilkins-Lee- Baker (JWLB) thermodynamic equations of state for hydrocode calculations by the...empirical JWL relationships for a number of explosives. Similarly, calculated cylinder velocities at 7 area expansions were within 1% of

  3. Phagostimulants for the Asian citrus psyllid also elicit volatile release from citrus leaves

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Chemical cues that elicit orientation by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), are of great interest because it is the primary vector of the causal pathogen of citrus greening disease. We identified an optimal blend ratio of formic and acetic acids that stimulate...

  4. Organics Characterization Of DWPF Alternative Reductant Simulants, Glycolic Acid, And Antifoam 747

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    White, T. L.; Wiedenman, B. J.; Lambert, D. P.

    The present study examines the fate of glycolic acid and other organics added in the Chemical Processing Cell (CPC) of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) as part of the glycolic alternate flowsheet. Adoption of this flowsheet is expected to provide certain benefits in terms of a reduction in the processing time, a decrease in hydrogen generation, simplification of chemical storage and handling issues, and an improvement in the processing characteristics of the waste stream including an increase in the amount of nitrate allowed in the CPC process. Understanding the fate of organics in this flowsheet is imperative because tankmore » farm waste processed in the CPC is eventually immobilized by vitrification; thus, the type and amount of organics present in the melter feed may affect optimal melt processing and the quality of the final glass product as well as alter flammability calculations on the DWPF melter off gas. To evaluate the fate of the organic compounds added as the part of the glycolic flowsheet, mainly glycolic acid and antifoam 747, samples of simulated waste that was processed using the DWPF CPC protocol for tank farm sludge feed were generated and analyzed for organic compounds using a variety of analytical techniques at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). These techniques included Ion Chromatography (IC), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy. A set of samples were also sent to the Catholic University of America Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) for analysis by NMR Spectroscopy at the University of Maryland, College Park. Analytical methods developed and executed at SRNL collectively showed that glycolic acid was the most prevalent organic compound in the supernatants of Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) products examined. Furthermore, the studies suggested that commercially available glycolic acid contained minor amounts of impurities such as formic and diglycolic acid that were then carried over in the SME products. Oxalic acid present in the simulated tank farm waste was also detected. Finally, numerous other compounds, at low concentrations, were observed present in etheric extracts of aqueous supernate solutions of the SME samples and are thought to be breakdown products of antifoam 747. The data collectively suggest that although addition of glycolic acid and antifoam 747 will introduce a number of impurities and breakdown products into the melter feed, the concentrations of these organics is expected to remain low and may not significantly impact REDOX or off-gas flammability predictions. In the SME products examined presently, which contained variant amounts of glycolic acid and antifoam 747, no unexpected organic degradation product was found at concentrations above 500 mg/kg, a reasonable threshold concentration for an organic compound to be taken into account in the REDOX modeling. This statement does not include oxalic or formic acid that were sometimes observed above 500 mg/kg and acetic acid that has an analytical detection limit of 1250 mg/kg due to high glycolate concentration in the SME products tested. Once a finalized REDOX equation has been developed and implemented, REDOX properties of known organic species will be determined and their impact assessed. Although no immediate concerns arose during the study in terms of a negative impact of organics present in SME products of the glycolic flowsheet, evidence of antifoam degradation suggest that an alternative antifoam to antifoam 747 is worth considering. The determination and implementation of an antifoam that is more hydrolysis resistant would have benefits such as increasing its effectiveness over time and reducing the generation of degradation products.« less

  5. Process of making structure for a MCFC

    DOEpatents

    Pasco, W.D.; Arendt, R.H.

    1985-04-03

    A process of making a porous carbonate-containing structure for use in a molten carbonate fuel cell is disclosed, wherein a suitable porous structure is prepared having disposed therein a metal salt selected from the alkali metals and the alkaline earth metals or mixtures thereof with at least a portion of the salt being a monobasic organic acid salt. The monobasic acid salt is converted to the carbonate in situ by heating in the presence of oxygen. Both electrode and electrolyte structures can be prepared. Formic acid is preferred.

  6. Immunogenic Characterization of the Dengue Virus Specified Nonstructural Glycoprotein GP48 (NV3, Soluble Complement Fixing Antigen)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-09-09

    Biochemlcals,.Gsnrbridge, UK), we synthesized all 404 possible over- lapping hexapeptideS of 17D YF NSI as well as a 98 amino acid segment of DEN 2 NS1, shown... acids from the NS1 amino terminus. In contrast, rabbit serum that we prepared to authentic YF NS1 was cytolytic and competed with the protective lytic Mab...precipitated. The method was modified y exposing NS1-containing acrylamide gel slices to CnBr vapors (10) in an effort to minimize formic acid -induced

  7. Biomarkers to Assess Possible Biological Effects on Reproductive Potential, Immune Function, and Energetic Fitness of Bottlenose Dolphins Exposed to Sounds Consistent with Naval Sonars

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-09-30

    creatinine, calcium, ALK.phos, AST(SGOT), ALT(SGPT), total bilirubin, total protein and albumin); iron, LDH; phosphate; and uric acid . For liver function...assays AST, ALT, total bilirubin, and uric acid are most relevant, whereas for kidney function, BUN and creatinine are of particular interest. For...formic acid (for analysis in the positive ion mode) and in methanol:water 4:1 with 10 mM ammonium acetate (for the negative ion mode). FT-ICR mass

  8. Indoor organic and inorganic pollutants: In-situ formation and dry deposition in Southeastern Brazil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allen, Andrew G.; Miguel, Antonio H.

    We have measured indoor and outdoor levels of particle- and gas-phase pollutants, collected in offices, restaurants and a hotel at six different sites in and around the cities of São Paulo and Campinas, Brazil, during summer 1993. Gas-phase species included acetic acid, formic acid, nitrous acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, nitric acid, oxalic acid, and pyruvic acid. Fine mode (< 3 μm dp) and coarse mode (> 3 μm dp) species measured included chloride, potassium, acetate, nitrate, magnesium, formate, sodium, pyruvate, nitrite, calcium, sulfate, oxalate, and ammonium. One sample (˜ 6 h) was simultaneously collected indoors and outdoors at each site during regular working hours. Indoor samplers were located ca. 1.5 m from the floor, and the outdoors immediately outside the window. Indoor/outdoor concentration ratios suggest that fine potassium chloride was produced indoors in appreciable amounts at both restaurants studied and, to a lesser extent, in the three offices as well. Indoor fine nitrate particles found in restaurants appear to have been produced by fuel combustion; a small fraction may have resulted from dry deposition of nitric acid onto existing fine particles. Indoor and outdoor concentrations of fine- and coarse-mode acetate suggest their production at all sites. The average concentration of gas-phase acetic acid was 42 μg m -3 indoors compared to 9.0 μg m -3 outdoors. In-situ formation of nitrous acid and acetic acid appears to have occurred at all indoor sites. High levels of formic and acetic acids were produced indoors at a pizzeria that used wood for cooking. Nitrous acid average concentrations for all sites were 8.4 μm m -3 indoors and 3.2 μm m -3 outdoors. Indoor/outdoor ratios at all sites suggest that dry deposition indoors may have occurred for hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and sulfur dioxide and that fine-mode sulfate infiltrate buildings from outside at most sites.

  9. Transformation efficiency and formation of transformation products during photochemical degradation of TCE and PCE at micromolar concentrations

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene are the most common pollutants in groundwater and two of the priority pollutants listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In previous studies on TCE and PCE photolysis and photochemical degradation, concentration ranges exceeding environmental levels by far with millimolar concentrations of TCE and PCE have been used, and it is not clear if the obtained results can be used to explain the degradation of these contaminants at more realistic environmental concentration levels. Methods Experiments with micromolar concentrations of TCE and PCE in aqueous solution using direct photolysis and UV/H2O2 have been conducted and product formation as well as transformation efficiency have been investigated. SPME/GC/MS, HPLC/UV and ion chromatography with conductivity detection have been used to determine intermediates of degradation. Results The results showed that chloride was a major end product in both TCE and PCE photodegradation. Several intermediates such as formic acid, dichloroacetic acid, dichloroacetaldehyede, chloroform, formaldehyde and glyoxylic acid were formed during both, UV and UV/H2O2 treatment of TCE. However chloroacetaldehyde and chloroacetic acid were only detected during direct UV photolysis of TCE and oxalic acid was only formed during the UV/H2O2 process. For PCE photodegradation, formic acid, di- and trichloroacetic acids were detected in both UV and UV/H2O2 systems, but formaldehyde and glyoxylic acid were only detected during direct UV photolysis. Conclusions For water treatment UV/H2O2 seems to be favorable over direct UV photolysis because of its higher degradation efficiency and lower risk for the formation of harmful intermediates. PMID:24401763

  10. Transformation efficiency and formation of transformation products during photochemical degradation of TCE and PCE at micromolar concentrations.

    PubMed

    Dobaradaran, Sina; Lutze, Holger; Mahvi, Amir Hossein; Schmidt, Torsten C

    2014-01-08

    Trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene are the most common pollutants in groundwater and two of the priority pollutants listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In previous studies on TCE and PCE photolysis and photochemical degradation, concentration ranges exceeding environmental levels by far with millimolar concentrations of TCE and PCE have been used, and it is not clear if the obtained results can be used to explain the degradation of these contaminants at more realistic environmental concentration levels. Experiments with micromolar concentrations of TCE and PCE in aqueous solution using direct photolysis and UV/H2O2 have been conducted and product formation as well as transformation efficiency have been investigated. SPME/GC/MS, HPLC/UV and ion chromatography with conductivity detection have been used to determine intermediates of degradation. The results showed that chloride was a major end product in both TCE and PCE photodegradation. Several intermediates such as formic acid, dichloroacetic acid, dichloroacetaldehyede, chloroform, formaldehyde and glyoxylic acid were formed during both, UV and UV/H2O2 treatment of TCE. However chloroacetaldehyde and chloroacetic acid were only detected during direct UV photolysis of TCE and oxalic acid was only formed during the UV/H2O2 process. For PCE photodegradation, formic acid, di- and trichloroacetic acids were detected in both UV and UV/H2O2 systems, but formaldehyde and glyoxylic acid were only detected during direct UV photolysis. For water treatment UV/H2O2 seems to be favorable over direct UV photolysis because of its higher degradation efficiency and lower risk for the formation of harmful intermediates.

  11. Processing and characterization of powdered silk micro- and nanofibers by ultrasonication.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hai-Yan; Chen, Yun-Yun; Zhang, Yu-Qing

    2015-03-01

    Silk derived from Bombyx mori silkworm cocoons was degummed in an aqueous sodium carbonate solution, and the resulting silk fibroin fibers were placed in an acidic aqueous solution and were treated with ultrasonication to obtain powdered micro- and nanofibers. The morphologies and spectral characteristics of these powdered silk fibers were investigated in detail. The shape, surface and structural features of the powdered fibers were affected by the ultrasonic power and media. Increasing the acidity of the ultrasonic solution and increasing the ultrasonic power increased the fiber breakage speed, resulting in shorter fiber lengths. Powdered microfibers could not be obtained in a formic acid solution, while powdered nanofibers whose diameter below 1μm were obtained in a combined formic acid and hydrochloric acid ultrasonication solution. Observation via SEM and optical microscopy revealed that the microfiber diameters were approximately 5-10μm, and those of the nanofibers were approximately 30-120nm. The analysis of laser sizer showed that the microfiber sizes ranged mainly from 20 to 100μm. FT-IR and XRD spectra demonstrated that the relative amount of β-sheets increased after the ultrasonic treatment. The ε-amino group content on the surface of the micro- and nanofibers increased significantly. These studies provide reliable methods for the preparation of nano-scale silk fibroin fibers by ultrasonication and open new avenues for the development of powdered silk fibers as advanced functional biomaterials. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Simultaneous determination of eight bioactive components of Qishen Yiqi dripping pills in rat plasma using UFLC-MS/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

    PubMed

    Shao, Yaping; Zhang, Wen; Tong, Ling; Huang, Jingyi; Li, Dongxiang; Nie, Wei; Zhu, Yan; Li, Yunfei; Lu, Tao

    2017-08-01

    In this study, a rapid and reliable ultra-fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of eight active ingredients, including astragaloside IV, ononin, tanshinol, protocatechualdehyde, protocatechuic acid, salvianolic acid D, rosmarinic acid and ginsenoside Rg 1 , in rat plasma. The plasma samples were pretreated by protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters Acquity UPLC® BEH C 18 column (1.7 μm particles, 2.1 × 100 mm). The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% aqueous formic acid (A)-acetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid (B) at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Quantification was performed on a triple quadruple tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization by multiple reaction monitoring both in the negative and in the positive ion mode. The lower limit of quantification of tanshinol was 2.0 ng/mL and the others were 5.0 ng/mL. The extraction recoveries, matrix effects, intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy of eight tested components were all within acceptable limits. The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of the eight active constituents after intragastric administration of three doses (1.0, 3.0, 6.0 g/kg body weight) of Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pills to rats. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. Phytochemical analysis of Pinus eldarica bark

    PubMed Central

    Iravani, S.; Zolfaghari, B.

    2014-01-01

    Bark extract of Pinus pinaster contains numerous phenolic compounds such as catechins, taxifolin, and phenolic acids. These compounds have received considerable attentions because of their anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, antimetastatic and high antioxidant activities. Although P. pinaster bark has been intensely investigated in the past; there is comparably less information available in the literature in regard to P. eldarica bark. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of P. eldarica commonly found in Iran. A reversed-phase high pressure liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for the determination of catechin, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and taxifolin in P. pinaster and P. eldarica was developed. A mixture of 0.1% formic acid in deionized water and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile was used as the mobile phase, and chromatographic separation was achieved on a Nova pack C18 at 280 nm. The two studied Pinus species contained high amounts of polyphenolic compounds. Among four marker compounds, the main substances identified in P. pinaster and P. eldarica were taxifolin and catechin, respectively. Furthermore, the composition of the bark oil of P. eldarica obtained by hydrodistillation was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). Thirty-three compounds accounting for 95.1 % of the oil were identified. The oils consisted mainly of mono- and sesquiterpenoid fractions, especially α-pinene (24.6%), caryophyllene oxide (14.0%), δ-3-carene (10.7%), (E)-β-caryophyllene (7.9%), and myrtenal (3.1%). PMID:25657795

  14. Adsorption of the compounds encountered in monosaccharide dehydration in zeolite beta.

    PubMed

    León, Marta; Swift, T Dallas; Nikolakis, Vladimiros; Vlachos, Dionisios G

    2013-06-04

    A comprehensive study of the adsorption of the compounds involved in the reaction of dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) on the zeolite H-BEA with SiO2/Al2O3 = 18 has been carried out. Furthermore, a method for the estimation of the real adsorption loading from the experimentally measured excess adsorption is developed and applied to calculate the adsorption isotherms both in the case of single-solute and multisolute mixtures. It was found that zeolite H-BEA adsorbs HMF and levulinic acid from water mixtures to greater extent than sugars and formic acid, which prefer to partition in the aqueous phase. HMF and levulinic acid adsorption isotherms could be fitted in a Redlich-Peterson isotherm model, while the adsorption of formic acid is better fitted using the Freundlich model and sugars via the Henry model. Adsorption loadings decreased with increasing temperature (0, 25, and 40 °C), which is characteristic of an exothermic process. From the temperature dependence of the isotherms, the limiting heat of adsorption at zero coverage was determined using van't Hoff equation. Given the importance and the complexity of multicomponent systems, several experiments of adsorption of multisolute solutions have been carried out. In most of the cases, the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) has been proven to satisfactorily predict adsorption from multisolute mixtures using as input the single-solute isotherms.

  15. Transport and retention of zinc oxide nanoparticles in porous media: effects of natural organic matter versus natural organic ligands at circumneutral pH.

    PubMed

    Jones, Edward H; Su, Chunming

    2014-06-30

    The potential toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) has received considerable attention, but there is little knowledge relating to the fate and transport of engineered ZnO NPs in the environment. Column experiments were performed at pH 7.3-7.6 to generate effluent concentrations and retention profiles for assessing the fate and transport of ZnO NPs (PZC=9.3, nominal size 20 nm) in saturated quartz sands (256 μm) in the presence of low natural organic matter (NOM) concentrations (1 mg/L humic and fulvic acids) and millimolar natural organic ligands (NOL) levels (formic, oxalic, and citric acids). At circumneutral pHs, ZnO NPs were positively charged and immobile in sand. The presence of NOM decreased the attachment efficiency facilitating ZnO transport through sand columns. Conversely, ZnO transport in the presence of formic and oxalic acids was only slightly improved when compared to ZnO in DI water; whereas, citric acid showed no improvement. The distinct difference between NOM and NOL may have important implications with regard to ZnO transport in the subsurface environment. Experimental results suggested the presence of both favorable and unfavorable nanoparticle interactions causes significant deviations from classical colloid filtration theory (CFT). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. IMPACT OF NOBLE METALS AND MERCURY ON HYDROGEN GENERATION DURING HIGH LEVEL WASTE PRETREATMENT AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stone, M; Tommy Edwards, T; David Koopman, D

    2009-03-03

    The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site vitrifies radioactive High Level Waste (HLW) for repository internment. The process consists of three major steps: waste pretreatment, vitrification, and canister decontamination/sealing. HLW consists of insoluble metal hydroxides (primarily iron, aluminum, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and uranium) and soluble sodium salts (carbonate, hydroxide, nitrite, nitrate, and sulfate). The pretreatment process in the Chemical Processing Cell (CPC) consists of two process tanks, the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) and the Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) as well as a melter feed tank. During SRAT processing, nitric and formic acids are addedmore » to the sludge to lower pH, destroy nitrite and carbonate ions, and reduce mercury and manganese. During the SME cycle, glass formers are added, and the batch is concentrated to the final solids target prior to vitrification. During these processes, hydrogen can be produced by catalytic decomposition of excess formic acid. The waste contains silver, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, and mercury, but silver and palladium have been shown to be insignificant factors in catalytic hydrogen generation during the DWPF process. A full factorial experimental design was developed to ensure that the existence of statistically significant two-way interactions could be determined without confounding of the main effects with the two-way interaction effects. Rh ranged from 0.0026-0.013% and Ru ranged from 0.010-0.050% in the dried sludge solids, while initial Hg ranged from 0.5-2.5 wt%, as shown in Table 1. The nominal matrix design consisted of twelve SRAT cycles. Testing included: a three factor (Rh, Ru, and Hg) study at two levels per factor (eight runs), three duplicate midpoint runs, and one additional replicate run to assess reproducibility away from the midpoint. Midpoint testing was used to identify potential quadratic effects from the three factors. A single sludge simulant was used for all tests and was spiked with the required amount of noble metals immediately prior to performing the test. Acid addition was kept effectively constant except to compensate for variations in the starting mercury concentration. SME cycles were also performed during six of the tests.« less

  17. Observation of the side chain O-methylation of glutamic acid or aspartic acid containing model peptides by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Atik, A Emin; Guray, Melda Z; Yalcin, Talat

    2017-03-15

    O-methylation of the side chains of glutamic acid (E) and aspartic acid (D) residues is generally observed modification when an acidified methanol/water (MeOH/dH 2 O) mixture is used as a solvent system during sample preparation for proteomic research. This chemical modification may result misidentification with endogenous protein methylation; therefore, a special care should be taken during sample handling prior to mass spectrometric analysis. In the current study, we systematically examined the extent of E/D methylation and C-terminus carboxyl group of synthetic model peptides in terms of different incubation temperatures, storage times, and added acid types as well as its percentages. To monitor these effects, C-terminus amidated and free acid forms of synthetic model peptides comprised of E or D residue(s) have been analyzed by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Additionally, LC-MS/MS experiments were performed to confirm the formation of methylated peptide product. The results showed that the rate of methylation was increased as the temperature increases along with prolong incubation times. Moreover, the extent of methylation was remarkably high when formic acid (FA) used as a protonation agent instead of acetic acid (AA). In addition, it was found that the degree of methylation was significantly decreased by lowering acid percentages in ESI solution. More than one acidic residue containing model peptides have been also used to explore the extent of multiple methylation reaction. Lastly, the ethanol (EtOH) and isopropanol (iPrOH) have been substituted separately with MeOH in sample preparation step to investigate the extent of esterification reaction under the same experimental conditions. However, in the positive perspective of view, this method can be used as a simple, rapid and cheap method for methylation of acidic residues under normal laboratory conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Mechanistic investigation of the formation of H2 from HCOOH with a dinuclear Ru model complex for formate hydrogen lyase.

    PubMed

    Tokunaga, Taisuke; Yatabe, Takeshi; Matsumoto, Takahiro; Ando, Tatsuya; Yoon, Ki-Seok; Ogo, Seiji

    2017-01-01

    We report the mechanistic investigation of catalytic H 2 evolution from formic acid in water using a formate-bridged dinuclear Ru complex as a formate hydrogen lyase model. The mechanistic study is based on isotope-labeling experiments involving hydrogen isotope exchange reaction.

  19. Lactobacillus plantarum effects on silage fermentation and in vitro microbial yield

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Four alfalfa trials, one corn, and one bmr corn were treated with no inoculant (Control), Lactobacillus plantarum (MTD/1) and formic acid (FA), ensiled in 1-L mini-silos, and fermented for 60 d at room temperature (22 C). Mini-silos were opened and analyzed for fermentation characteristics and solub...

  20. Formic and acetic acids in degradation products of plant volatiles elicit olfactory and behavorial responses from an insect vector

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) vectors the bacterial pathogen presumed to be the etiological agent of citrus greening disease, Huanglongbing (HLB), a major threat to citrus industry worldwide. We studied antennal and behavioral responses of Diaphorina citri...

  1. Quantitative Determination of Δ9-THC, CBG, CBD, Their Acid Precursors and Five Other Neutral Cannabinoids by UHPLC-UV-MS.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yan-Hong; Avula, Bharathi; ElSohly, Mahmoud A; Radwan, Mohamed M; Wang, Mei; Wanas, Amira S; Mehmedic, Zlatko; Khan, Ikhlas A

    2018-03-01

    Cannabinoids are a group of terpenophenolic compounds in the medicinal plant Cannabis sativa (Cannabaceae family). Cannabigerolic acid, Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A, cannabidiolic acid, Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabigerol, cannabidiol, cannabichromene, and tetrahydrocannabivarin are major metabolites in the classification of different strains of C. sativa . Degradation or artifact cannabinoids cannabinol, cannabicyclol, and Δ 8 -tetrahydrocannabinol are formed under the influence of heat and light during processing and storage of the plant sample. An ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatographic method coupled with photodiode array and single quadruple mass spectrometry detectors was developed and validated for quantitative determination of 11 cannabinoids in different C. sativa samples. Compounds 1:  - 11: were baseline separated with an acetonitrile (with 0.05% formic acid) and water (with 0.05% formic acid) gradient at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min on a Waters Cortec UPLC C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm I. D., 1.6 µm). The limits of detection and limits of quantitation of the 11 cannabinoids were below 0.2 and 0.5 µg/mL, respectively. The relative standard deviation for the precision test was below 2.4%. A mixture of acetonitrile and methanol (80 : 20, v / v ) was proven to be the best solvent system for the sample preparation. The recovery of all analytes was in the range of 97 - 105%. A total of 32 Cannabis samples including hashish, leaves, and flower buds were analyzed. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  2. Mechanism of Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis of Glucose to Furfural Revealed by Isotopic Tracer and Quantum Chemical Calculations.

    PubMed

    Bao, Liwei; Shi, Lei; Luo, Hu; Kong, Lingzhao; Li, Shenggang; Wei, Wei; Sun, Yuhan

    2017-08-10

    Glucose labeled with 13 C or 18 O was used to investigate the mechanism of its conversion into furfural by microwaveassisted pyrolysis. The isotopic content and location in furfural were determined from GC-MS and 13 C NMR spectroscopic measurements and data analysis. The results suggest that the carbon skeleton in furfural is mainly derived from C1 to C5 of glucose, whereas the C of the aldehyde group and the O of the furan ring in furfural primarily originate from C1 and O5 of glucose, respectively. For the first time, the source of O in the furan ring of furfural was elucidated directly by experiment, providing results that are consistent with predictions from recent quantum chemical calculations. Moreover, further theoretical calculations indicate substantially lower energy barriers than previous predictions by considering the potential catalytic effect of formic acid, which is one of the pyrolysis products. The catalytic role of formic acid is further confirmed by experimental evidence. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Microwave measurements of the tropolone–formic acid doubly hydrogen bonded dimer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pejlovas, Aaron M.; Kukolich, Stephen G.; Serrato, Agapito

    2016-01-28

    The microwave spectrum was measured for the doubly hydrogen bonded dimer formed between tropolone and formic acid. The predicted symmetry of this dimer was C{sub 2v}(M), and it was expected that the concerted proton tunneling motion would be observed. After measuring 25 a- and b-type rotational transitions, no splittings which could be associated with a concerted double proton tunneling motion were observed. The calculated barrier to the proton tunneling motion is near 15 000 cm{sup −1}, which would likely make the tunneling frequencies too small to observe in the microwave spectra. The rotational and centrifugal distortion constants determined from the measuredmore » transitions were A = 2180.7186(98) MHz, B = 470.873 90(25) MHz, C = 387.689 84(22) MHz, D{sub J} = 0.0100(14) kHz, D{sub JK} = 0.102(28) kHz, and D{sub K} = 13.2(81) kHz. The B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ calculated rotational constants were within 1% of the experimentally determined values.« less

  4. Preparation of Pd-Co-based nanocatalysts and their superior applications in formic acid decomposition and methanol oxidation.

    PubMed

    Qin, Yu-ling; Liu, Ya-cheng; Liang, Fei; Wang, Li-min

    2015-01-01

    Formic acid (FA) and methanol, as convenient hydrogen-containing materials, are most widely used for fuel cells. However, using suitable and low-cost catalysts to further improve their energy performance still is a matter of great significance. Herein, PdCo and PdCo@Pd nanocatalysts (NCs) are successfully prepared by the facile method. Pd 3d binding energy decreases due to the presence of Co. Consequently, PdCo@Pd NCs exhibit high catalytic activity and selectivity toward FA dehydrogenation at room temperature. The gas-generation rate at 30 min is 65.4 L h(-1)  g(-1) . PdCo/C has the worst catalytic performance in this reaction, despite the fact that it has a high gas-generation rate in the initial 30 min. Furthermore, both PdCo and PdCo@Pd NCs have enhanced electrocatalytic performance toward methanol oxidation. Their maximum currents are 966 and 1205 mA mg(-1) , respectively, which is much higher than monometallic Pd/C. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Quantitative analysis of desorption and decomposition kinetics of formic acid on Cu(111): The importance of hydrogen bonding between adsorbed species

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shiozawa, Yuichiro; Koitaya, Takanori; Mukai, Kozo

    2015-12-21

    Quantitative analysis of desorption and decomposition kinetics of formic acid (HCOOH) on Cu(111) was performed by temperature programmed desorption (TPD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and time-resolved infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy. The activation energy for desorption is estimated to be 53–75 kJ/mol by the threshold TPD method as a function of coverage. Vibrational spectra of the first layer HCOOH at 155.3 K show that adsorbed molecules form a polymeric structure via the hydrogen bonding network. Adsorbed HCOOH molecules are dissociated gradually into monodentate formate species. The activation energy for the dissociation into monodentate formate species is estimated to be 65.0 kJ/mol atmore » a submonolayer coverage (0.26 molecules/surface Cu atom). The hydrogen bonding between adsorbed HCOOH species plays an important role in the stabilization of HCOOH on Cu(111). The monodentate formate species are stabilized at higher coverages, because of the lack of vacant sites for the bidentate formation.« less

  6. Fabrication of Nitrogen-Doped Mesoporous-Carbon-Coated Palladium Nanoparticles: An Intriguing Electrocatalyst for Methanol and Formic Acid Oxidation.

    PubMed

    Ray, Chaiti; Dutta, Soumen; Sahoo, Ramkrishna; Roy, Anindita; Negishi, Yuichi; Pal, Tarasankar

    2016-05-20

    Inspired by the attractive catalytic properties of palladium and the inert nature of carbon supports in catalysis, a concise and simple methodology for in situ nitrogen-doped mesoporous-carbon-supported palladium nanoparticles (Pd/N-C) has been developed by carbonizing a palladium dimethylglyoximate complex. The as-synthesized Pd/N-C has been exfoliated as a fuel cell catalyst by studying the electro-oxidation of methanol and formic acid. The material synthesized at 400 °C,namely, Pd/N-C-400,exhibitssuperior mass activity and stability among catalysts synthesized under different carbonization temperaturesbetween300 and 500 °C. The unique 1D porous structure in Pd/N-C-400 helps better electron transport at the electrode surface, which eventually leads to about five times better catalytic activity and about two times higher stability than that of commercial Pd/C. Thus, our designed sacrificial metal-organic templatedirected pathway becomes a promising technique for Pd/N-C synthesis with superior catalytic performances. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Interaction of formic acid with nitrogen: stabilization of the higher-energy conformer.

    PubMed

    Marushkevich, Kseniya; Räsänen, Markku; Khriachtchev, Leonid

    2010-10-07

    Conformational change is an important concept in chemistry and physics. In the present work, we study conformations of formic acid (HCOOH, FA) and report the preparation and identification of the complex of the higher-energy conformer cis-FA with N(2) in an argon matrix. The cis-FA···N(2) complex was synthesized by combining annealing and vibrational excitation of the ground-state trans-FA in a FA/N(2)/Ar matrix. The assignment is based on IR spectroscopic measurements and ab initio calculations. The cis-FA···N(2) complex decay in an argon matrix is much slower compared with the cis-FA monomer. In agreement with the experimental observations, the calculations predict a substantial increase in the stabilization barrier for the cis-FA···N(2) complex compared with the uncomplexed cis-FA monomer. A number of solvation effects in an argon matrix are computationally estimated and discussed. The present results on the cis-FA···N(2) complex show that intermolecular interaction can stabilize intrinsically unstable conformers, as previously found for some other cis-FA complexes.

  8. Efficient catalytic decomposition of formic acid for the selective generation of H2 and H/D exchange with a water-soluble rhodium complex in aqueous solution.

    PubMed

    Fukuzumi, Shunichi; Kobayashi, Takeshi; Suenobu, Tomoyoshi

    2008-01-01

    Formic acid (HCOOH) decomposes efficiently to afford H2 and CO2 selectively in the presence of a catalytic amount of a water-soluble rhodium aqua complex, [Rh(III)(Cp*)(bpy)(H2O)]2+ (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, bpy=2,2'-bipyridine) in aqueous solution at 298 K. No CO was produced in this catalytic decomposition of HCOOH. The decomposition rate reached a maximum value at pH 3.8. No deterioration of the catalyst was observed during the catalytic decomposition of HCOOH, and the catalytic activity remained the same for the repeated addition of HCOOH. The rhodium-hydride complex was detected as the catalytic active species that undergoes efficient H/D exchange with water. When the catalytic decomposition of HCOOH was performed in D2O, D2 was produced selectively. Such an efficient H/D exchange and the observation of a deuterium kinetic isotope effect in the catalytic decomposition of DCOOH in H2O provide valuable mechanistic insight into this efficient and selective decomposition process.

  9. Highly efficient and autocatalytic H2₂ dissociation for CO₂ reduction into formic acid with zinc.

    PubMed

    Jin, Fangming; Zeng, Xu; Liu, Jianke; Jin, Yujia; Wang, Lunying; Zhong, Heng; Yao, Guodong; Huo, Zhibao

    2014-03-28

    Artificial photosynthesis, specifically H2O dissociation for CO2 reduction with solar energy, is regarded as one of the most promising methods for sustainable energy and utilisation of environmental resources. However, a highly efficient conversion still remains extremely challenging. The hydrogenation of CO2 is regarded as the most commercially feasible method, but this method requires either exotic catalysts or high-purity hydrogen and hydrogen storage, which are regarded as an energy-intensive process. Here we report a highly efficient method of H2O dissociation for reducing CO2 into chemicals with Zn powder that produces formic acid with a high yield of approximately 80%, and this reaction is revealed for the first time as an autocatalytic process in which an active intermediate, ZnH(-) complex, serves as the active hydrogen. The proposed process can assist in developing a new concept for improving artificial photosynthetic efficiency by coupling geochemistry, specifically the metal-based reduction of H2O and CO2, with solar-driven thermochemistry for reducing metal oxide into metal.

  10. [Serum pharmacochemistry of Qinbai Qingfei concentrated pellets based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS].

    PubMed

    Liu, Ye; Wei, Wen-Feng; Huo, Jin-Hai; Wang, Wei-Ming

    2017-02-01

    To analyze the main components of Qinbai Qingfei concentrated pellets in rat serum with UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology and serum pharmacochemistry theory. After gavage administration with Qinbai Qingfei concentrated pellets, blood was collected from hepatic portal vein. ACQUITY UPLC BEH C₁₈(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm) was used, with 0.1% formic acid agueous solution(A)-0.1%formic acid and acetonitrile(B) as the mobile phase for gradient elution. The flow rate was 0.3 mL•min⁻¹, the column temperature was maintained at 35 ℃. Through the comparative analysis fingerprints of Qinbai Qingfei concentrated pellets, drug containing-serum and blank serum, and with the help Peakview and Metabolitepilot software, components in serum were defined. A total of 28 compounds were identified, including 18 prototypes and 10 metabolites. As a result, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology and serum pharmacochemistry theory were applied to comprehensively expound Qinbai Qingfei concentrated pellets'constituents migrating to rat serum, and provide scientific basis for further studies for in vivo metabolic process and effective material base. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  11. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the quantification of flurbiprofen in human plasma and its application in a study of bioequivalence.

    PubMed

    Mei, Chenghan; Li, Bin; Yin, Qiangfeng; Jin, Jing; Xiong, Ting; He, Wenjuan; Gao, Xiujuan; Xu, Rong; Zhou, Piqi; Zheng, Heng; Chen, Hui

    2015-07-01

    A simple, quick and accurate LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of flurbiprofen in human plasma with indomethacin as internal standard (IS) was developed and validated. Samples were treated with methanol to precipitate proteins, then separated on a Ultimate C18 column (5μm, 2.1×50mm) with a gradient elusion process. Mobile phase A was comprised of water and formic acid, mobile phase B was comprised of acetonitrile and formic acid. Multi reaction monitoring (MRM) signals were saved on a negative ionization electrospray mass spectrometer. The calibration curve showed good linearity in the range of 40.00-10000.00μg/L (r(2)=0.998). Intra-day RE was 0.2-2.2%. Inter-day RE was 0.5-3.4%. The samples showed good stability under the study conditions. No significant matrix effect was observed. The established method was then applied to a bioequivalence study of a flurbiprofen axetil formulation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Highly efficient and autocatalytic H2O dissociation for CO2 reduction into formic acid with zinc

    PubMed Central

    Jin, Fangming; Zeng, Xu; Liu, Jianke; Jin, Yujia; Wang, Lunying; Zhong, Heng; Yao, Guodong; Huo, Zhibao

    2014-01-01

    Artificial photosynthesis, specifically H2O dissociation for CO2 reduction with solar energy, is regarded as one of the most promising methods for sustainable energy and utilisation of environmental resources. However, a highly efficient conversion still remains extremely challenging. The hydrogenation of CO2 is regarded as the most commercially feasible method, but this method requires either exotic catalysts or high-purity hydrogen and hydrogen storage, which are regarded as an energy-intensive process. Here we report a highly efficient method of H2O dissociation for reducing CO2 into chemicals with Zn powder that produces formic acid with a high yield of approximately 80%, and this reaction is revealed for the first time as an autocatalytic process in which an active intermediate, ZnH− complex, serves as the active hydrogen. The proposed process can assist in developing a new concept for improving artificial photosynthetic efficiency by coupling geochemistry, specifically the metal-based reduction of H2O and CO2, with solar-driven thermochemistry for reducing metal oxide into metal. PMID:24675820

  13. [Quality evaluation of American ginseng using UPLC coupled with multivariate analysis].

    PubMed

    Tang, Yan; Yan, Shu-Mo; Wang, Jing-Jing; Yuan, Yuan; Yang, Bin

    2016-05-01

    An ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)method combined with multivariate data analysis was developed to evaluate the quality of American ginseng by simultaneously determining the concentrations of six ginsenosides (Rg₁, Re, Rb₁, Rc, Ro and Rd)in the samples. For UPLC, acetonitrile with 0.01% formic acid and water with 0.01% formic acid were used as the mobile phase with gradient elution. Under the established chromatographic conditions, the six ginsenosides could be well separated and the results of linearity, stability, precision, repeatability, and recovery rate all reached the requirement of quantification analysis, respectively. The total contents of Rg₁, Re, and Rb₁ in 57 samples all reached the requirement of the 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. At the same time, the experimental data were analyzed by principle component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The crude drugs and the decoction pieces can be discriminated by a PCA method and the samples with different age can be distinguished by a PLS-DA method. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  14. Highly efficient hydrogen release from formic acid using a graphitic carbon nitride-supported AgPd nanoparticle catalyst

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Fang; Li, Xiao; Wan, Chao; Xu, Lixin; An, Yue; Ye, Mingfu; Lei, Zhao

    2017-12-01

    Bimetallic AgPd nanoparticles with various molar ratios immobilized on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) were successfully synthesized via a facile co-reduction approach. The powder XRD, XPS, TEM, EDX, ICP-AES and BET were employed to characterize the structure, size, composition and loading metal electronic states of the AgPd/g-C3N4 catalysts. The catalytic property of as-prepared catalysts for the dehydrogenation of formic acid (FA) with sodium formate (SF) as the additive was investigated. The performance of these catalysts, as indicated by the turnover frequency (TOF), depended on the composition of the prepared catalysts. Among all the AgPd/g-C3N4 catalysts tested, Ag9Pd91/g-C3N4 was found to be an exceedingly high activity for decomposing FA into H2 with TOF up to 480 h-1 at 323 K. The prepared catalyst is thus a potential candidate for triggering the widespread use of FA for H2 storage.

  15. Safety and Accuracy of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry for Identification of Highly Pathogenic Organisms.

    PubMed

    Rudrik, James T; Soehnlen, Marty K; Perry, Michael J; Sullivan, Maureen M; Reiter-Kintz, Wanda; Lee, Philip A; Pettit, Denise; Tran, Anthony; Swaney, Erin

    2017-12-01

    Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) sample preparation methods, including the direct, on-plate formic acid, and ethanol/formic acid tube extraction methods, were evaluated for their ability to render highly pathogenic organisms nonviable and safe for handling in a biosafety level 2 laboratory. Of these, the tube extraction procedure was the most successful, with none of the tested strains surviving this sample preparation method. Tube extracts from several agents of bioterrorism and their near neighbors were analyzed in an eight-laboratory study to examine the utility of the Bruker Biotyper and Vitek MS MALDI-TOF MS systems and their in vitro diagnostic (IVD), research-use-only, and Security-Relevant databases, as applicable, to accurately identify these agents. Forty-six distinct strains of Bacillus anthracis , Yersinia pestis , Francisella tularensis , Burkholderia mallei , Burkholderia pseudomallei , Clostridium botulinum , Brucella melitensis , Brucella abortus , Brucella suis , and Brucella canis were extracted and distributed to participating laboratories for analysis. A total of 35 near-neighbor isolates were also analyzed. Copyright © 2017 Rudrik et al.

  16. High-yield UV-photochemical vapor generation of iron for sample introduction with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Chengbin; Sturgeon, Ralph E; Brophy, Christine S; He, Shaopan; Hou, Xiandeng

    2010-04-01

    A novel approach to the generation of volatile iron compounds (likely the pentacarbonyl) with high efficiency is described, wherein solutions containing either Fe(2+) or Fe(3+) and low molecular weight organic acids such as formic, acetic or propionic are exposed to a UV source. An optimum generation efficiency of 60 +/- 2% was achieved in 50% formic acid at pH 2.5 with an irradiation time of 250 s by use of a 17 W low-pressure mercury grid lamp. Compared to conventional solution nebulization, sensitivity and limit of detection were improved 80- and 100-fold, respectively, at the 238.204 nm Fe II emission line. A precision of 0.75% RSD was achieved at a concentration of 100 ng/mL. Photochemical vapor generation sample introduction was used for the determination of trace iron in several environmental Certified Reference Materials, including National Research Council Canada DORM-3 fish muscle tissue, DOLT-3 and DOLT-4 fish liver tissues, and SLRS-5 river water, providing analytical results in excellent agreement with certified values based on a simple external calibration.

  17. Saccharification of microalgae biomass obtained from wastewater treatment by enzymatic hydrolysis. Effect of alkaline-peroxide pretreatment.

    PubMed

    Martín Juárez, Judit; Lorenzo Hernando, Ana; Muñoz Torre, Raúl; Blanco Lanza, Saúl; Bolado Rodríguez, Silvia

    2016-10-01

    An enzymatic method for the carbohydrate hydrolysis of different microalgae biomass cultivated in domestic (DWB) and pig manure (PMWB) wastewaters, at different storage conditions (fresh, freeze-dried and reconstituted), was evaluated. The DWB provided sugars yields between 40 and 63%, although low xylose yields (< 23.5%). Approximately 2% of this biomass was converted to byproducts as succinic, acetic and formic acids. For PMWB, a high fraction of the sugars (up to 87%) was extracted, but mainly converted into acetic, butyric and formic acids, which was attributed to the bacterial action. In addition, the performance of an alkaline-peroxide pretreatment, conducted for 1h, 50°C and H2O2 concentrations from 1 to 7.5% (w/w), was essayed. The hydrolysis of pretreated microalgae supported a wide range of sugars extraction for DWB (55-90%), and 100% for PMWB. Nevertheless, a large fraction of these sugars (∼30% for DWB and 100% for PMWB) was transformed to byproducts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Material Compatibility Evaluation for DWPF Nitric-Glycolic Acid - Literature Review

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mickalonis, J. I.; Skidmore, T. E.

    Glycolic acid is being evaluated as an alternative for formic and nitric acid in the DWPF flowsheet. Demonstration testing and modeling for this new flowsheet has shown that glycolic acid and glycolate has a potential to remain in certain streams generated during the production of the nuclear waste glass. A literature review was conducted to assess the impact of glycolic acid on the corrosion of the materials of construction for the DWPF facility as well as facilities downstream which may have residual glycolic acid and glycolates present. The literature data was limited to solutions containing principally glycolic acid. The reportedmore » corrosion rates and degradation characteristics have shown the following for the materials of construction.« less

  19. Degradation of pyridine and quinoline in aqueous solution by gamma radiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Libing; Yu, Shaoqing; Wang, Jianlong

    2018-03-01

    In present work, the degradation of two N-heteroaromatic pollutants, i.e., pyridine and quinoline was investigated by gamma irradiation in the presence of TiO2 nanoparticle. The experimental results showed that quinoline has a higher degradation rate than pyridine. The removal efficiency of the pollutants, TOC and TN reached 93.0%, 11.9% and 12.0% for quinoline, 71.0%, 10.6% and 4.4% for pyridine, respectively at 7.0 kGy and initial concentration of 50 mg/L. Ammonium was detected for both pyridine and quinoline within the absorbed doses, suggesting that the organic nitrogen was transformed into ammonium. The degradation rate constant of pyridine and quinoline was increased by 1.1-1.5 times with addition of TiO2. TiO2 nanoparticles were especially effective to enhance the mineralization. The removal efficiency of TOC and TN was increased by 15-12% for pyridine and 23-25% for quinoline, respectively in the presence of 2.0 g/L TiO2. Following gamma irradiation, 2-hydroxypyridine, 3-hydroxypyridine, oxalic acid and formic acid were identified for pyridine and the hydroxyl quinoline and formic acid were detected for quinoline. Accordingly, the degradation mechanism of pyridine and quinoline by gamma irradiation was tentatively proposed.

  20. 3D-nanoarchitectured Pd/Ni catalysts prepared by atomic layer deposition for the electrooxidation of formic acid

    PubMed Central

    Assaud, Loïc; Monyoncho, Evans; Pitzschel, Kristina; Allagui, Anis; Petit, Matthieu; Hanbücken, Margrit

    2014-01-01

    Summary Three-dimensionally (3D) nanoarchitectured palladium/nickel (Pd/Ni) catalysts, which were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on high-aspect-ratio nanoporous alumina templates are investigated with regard to the electrooxidation of formic acid in an acidic medium (0.5 M H2SO4). Both deposition processes, Ni and Pd, with various mass content ratios have been continuously monitored by using a quartz crystal microbalance. The morphology of the Pd/Ni systems has been studied by electron microscopy and shows a homogeneous deposition of granularly structured Pd onto the Ni substrate. X-ray diffraction analysis performed on Ni and NiO substrates revealed an amorphous structure, while the Pd coating crystallized into a fcc lattice with a preferential orientation along the [220]-direction. Surface chemistry analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed both metallic and oxide contributions for the Ni and Pd deposits. Cyclic voltammetry of the Pd/Ni nanocatalysts revealed that the electrooxidation of HCOOH proceeds through the direct dehydrogenation mechanism with the formation of active intermediates. High catalytic activities are measured for low masses of Pd coatings that were generated by a low number of ALD cycles, probably because of the cluster size effect, electronic interactions between Pd and Ni, or diffusion effects. PMID:24605281

  1. Formic acid enhanced effective degradation of methyl orange dye in aqueous solutions under UV-Vis irradiation.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jingjing; Bai, Renbi

    2016-09-15

    Developing efficient technologies to treat recalcitrant organic dye wastewater has long been of great research and practical interest. In this study, a small molecule, formic acid (FA), was applied as a process enhancer for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye as a model recalcitrant organic pollutant in aqueous solutions under the condition of UV-Vis light irradiation and air aeration at the ambient temperature of 25 °C. It was found that the decolouration of the dye solutions can be rapidly achieved, reducing the time, for example, from around 17.6 h without FA to mostly about less than 2 h with the presence of FA. The mineralization rate of MO dye reached as high as 81.8% in 1.5 h in the case of initial MO dye concentration at 25 mg L(-1), which is in contrast to nearly no mineralization of the MO dye for a similar system without the FA added. The study revealed that the generation of the H2O2 species in the system was enhanced and the produced OH radicals effectively contributed to the degradation of the MO dye. Process parameters such as the initial concentration of MO dye, FA dosage and solution pH were all found to have some effect on the degradation efficiency under the same condition of UV-Vis light irradiation and air aeration. The MO dye degradation performance was found to follow a first-order reaction rate to the MO dye concentration in most cases and there existed a positive correlation between the reaction rate constant and the initial FA concentration. Compared to the traditional H2O2/UV-Vis oxidation system, the use of FA as a process-enhancing agent can have the advantages of low cost, easy availability, and safe to use. The study hence demonstrates a promising approach to use a readily available small molecule of FA to enhance the degradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants, such as MO dye, especially for their pre-treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Quantification of Neurotransmitters in Mouse Brain Tissue by Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Tae-Hyun; Choi, Juhee

    2014-01-01

    A simple and rapid liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed for the determination of BH4, DA, 5-HT, NE, EP, Glu, and GABA in mouse brain using epsilon-acetamidocaproic acid and isotopically labeled neurotransmitters as internal standards. Proteins in the samples were precipitated by adding acetonitrile, and then the supernatants were separated by a Sepax Polar-Imidazole (2.1 mm × 100 mm, i.d., 3 μm) column by adding a mixture of 10 mM ammonium formate in acetonitrile/water (75 : 25, v/v, 300 μl/min) for BH4 and DA. To assay 5-HT, NE, EP, Glu, and GABA; a Luna 3 μ C18 (3.0 mm × 150 mm, i.d., 3 μm) column was used by adding a mixture of 1% formic acid in acetonitrile/water (20 : 80, v/v, 350 μl/min). The total chromatographic run time was 5.5 min. The method was validated for the analysis of samples. The calibration curve was linear between 10 and 2000 ng/g for BH4 (r2 = 0.995) , 10 and 5000 ng/g for DA (r2 = 0.997) , 20 and 10000 ng/g for 5-HT (r2 = 0.994) , NE (r2 = 0.993) , and EP (r2 = 0.993) , and 0.2 and 200 μg/g for Glu (r2 = 0.996) and GABA (r2 = 0.999) in the mouse brain tissues. As stated above, LC-MS/MS results were obtained and established to be a useful tool for the quantitative analysis of BH4, DA, 5-HT, NE, EP, Glu, and GABA in the experimental rodent brain. PMID:25258696

  3. Iridium and Ruthenium Complexes of N-Heterocyclic Carbene- and Pyridinol-Derived Chelates as Catalysts for Aqueous Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation and Formic Acid Dehydrogenation: The Role of the Alkali Metal

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Hydrogenation reactions can be used to store energy in chemical bonds, and if these reactions are reversible, that energy can be released on demand. Some of the most effective transition metal catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation have featured pyridin-2-ol-based ligands (e.g., 6,6′-dihydroxybipyridine (6,6′-dhbp)) for both their proton-responsive features and for metal–ligand bifunctional catalysis. We aimed to compare bidentate pyridin-2-ol based ligands with a new scaffold featuring an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) bound to pyridin-2-ol. Toward this aim, we have synthesized a series of [Cp*Ir(NHC-pyOR)Cl]OTf complexes where R = tBu (1), H (2), or Me (3). For comparison, we tested analogous bipy-derived iridium complexes as catalysts, specifically [Cp*Ir(6,6′-dxbp)Cl]OTf, where x = hydroxy (4Ir) or methoxy (5Ir); 4Ir was reported previously, but 5Ir is new. The analogous ruthenium complexes were also tested using [(η6-cymene)Ru(6,6′-dxbp)Cl]OTf, where x = hydroxy (4Ru) or methoxy (5Ru); 4Ru and 5Ru were both reported previously. All new complexes were fully characterized by spectroscopic and analytical methods and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction for 1, 2, 3, 5Ir, and for two [Ag(NHC-pyOR)2]OTf complexes 6 (R = tBu) and 7 (R = Me). The aqueous catalytic studies of both CO2 hydrogenation and formic acid dehydrogenation were performed with catalysts 1–5. In general, NHC-pyOR complexes 1–3 were modest precatalysts for both reactions. NHC complexes 1–3 all underwent transformations under basic CO2 hydrogenation conditions, and for 3, we trapped a product of its transformation, 3SP, which we characterized crystallographically. For CO2 hydrogenation with base and dxbp-based catalysts, we observed that x = hydroxy (4Ir) is 5–8 times more active than x = methoxy (5Ir). Notably, ruthenium complex 4Ru showed 95% of the activity of 4Ir. For formic acid dehydrogenation, the trends were quite different with catalytic activity showing 4Ir ≫ 4Ru and 4Ir ≈ 5Ir. Secondary coordination sphere effects are important under basic hydrogenation conditions where the OH groups of 6,6′-dhbp are deprotonated and alkali metals can bind and help to activate CO2. Computational DFT studies have confirmed these trends and have been used to study the mechanisms of both CO2 hydrogenation and formic acid dehydrogenation. PMID:29540958

  4. Iridium and Ruthenium Complexes of N-Heterocyclic Carbene- and Pyridinol-Derived Chelates as Catalysts for Aqueous Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation and Formic Acid Dehydrogenation: The Role of the Alkali Metal.

    PubMed

    Siek, Sopheavy; Burks, Dalton B; Gerlach, Deidra L; Liang, Guangchao; Tesh, Jamie M; Thompson, Courtney R; Qu, Fengrui; Shankwitz, Jennifer E; Vasquez, Robert M; Chambers, Nicole; Szulczewski, Gregory J; Grotjahn, Douglas B; Webster, Charles Edwin; Papish, Elizabeth T

    2017-03-27

    Hydrogenation reactions can be used to store energy in chemical bonds, and if these reactions are reversible, that energy can be released on demand. Some of the most effective transition metal catalysts for CO 2 hydrogenation have featured pyridin-2-ol-based ligands (e.g., 6,6'-dihydroxybipyridine (6,6'-dhbp)) for both their proton-responsive features and for metal-ligand bifunctional catalysis. We aimed to compare bidentate pyridin-2-ol based ligands with a new scaffold featuring an N -heterocyclic carbene (NHC) bound to pyridin-2-ol. Toward this aim, we have synthesized a series of [Cp*Ir(NHC-py OR )Cl]OTf complexes where R = t Bu ( 1 ), H ( 2 ), or Me ( 3 ). For comparison, we tested analogous bipy-derived iridium complexes as catalysts, specifically [Cp*Ir(6,6'-dxbp)Cl]OTf, where x = hydroxy ( 4 Ir ) or methoxy ( 5 Ir ); 4 Ir was reported previously, but 5 Ir is new. The analogous ruthenium complexes were also tested using [(η 6 -cymene)Ru(6,6'-dxbp)Cl]OTf, where x = hydroxy ( 4 Ru ) or methoxy ( 5 Ru ); 4 Ru and 5 Ru were both reported previously. All new complexes were fully characterized by spectroscopic and analytical methods and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction for 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 Ir , and for two [Ag(NHC-py OR ) 2 ]OTf complexes 6 (R = t Bu) and 7 (R = Me). The aqueous catalytic studies of both CO 2 hydrogenation and formic acid dehydrogenation were performed with catalysts 1 - 5 . In general, NHC-py OR complexes 1 - 3 were modest precatalysts for both reactions. NHC complexes 1 - 3 all underwent transformations under basic CO 2 hydrogenation conditions, and for 3 , we trapped a product of its transformation, 3 SP , which we characterized crystallographically. For CO 2 hydrogenation with base and dxbp-based catalysts, we observed that x = hydroxy ( 4 Ir ) is 5-8 times more active than x = methoxy ( 5 Ir ). Notably, ruthenium complex 4 Ru showed 95% of the activity of 4 Ir . For formic acid dehydrogenation, the trends were quite different with catalytic activity showing 4 Ir ≫ 4 Ru and 4 Ir ≈ 5 Ir . Secondary coordination sphere effects are important under basic hydrogenation conditions where the OH groups of 6,6'-dhbp are deprotonated and alkali metals can bind and help to activate CO 2 . Computational DFT studies have confirmed these trends and have been used to study the mechanisms of both CO 2 hydrogenation and formic acid dehydrogenation.

  5. Solventless sol-gel chemistry through ring-opening polymerization of bridged disilaoxacyclopentanes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    RAHIMIAN,KAMYAR; LOY,DOUGLAS A.

    2000-05-01

    Ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of disilaoxacyclopentanes has proven to be an excellent approach to sol-gel type hybrid organic-inorganic materials. These materials have shown promise as precursors for encapsulation and microelectronics applications. The polymers are highly crosslinked and are structurally similar to traditional sol-gels, but unlike typical sol-gels they are prepared by an organic base or Bronsted acid (formic or triflic acid), without the use of solvents and water, they have low VOC's and show little shrinkage during processing.

  6. Oxalate-Metabolising Genes of the White-Rot Fungus Dichomitus squalens Are Differentially Induced on Wood and at High Proton Concentration

    PubMed Central

    de Vries, Ronald P.; Timonen, Sari; Hildén, Kristiina

    2014-01-01

    Oxalic acid is a prevalent fungal metabolite with versatile roles in growth and nutrition, including degradation of plant biomass. However, the toxicity of oxalic acid makes regulation of its intra- and extracellular concentration crucial. To increase the knowledge of fungal oxalate metabolism, a transcriptional level study on oxalate-catabolising genes was performed with an effective lignin-degrading white-rot fungus Dichomitus squalens, which has demonstrated particular abilities in production and degradation of oxalic acid. The expression of oxalic-acid decomposing oxalate decarboxylase (ODC) and formic-acid decomposing formate dehydrogenase (FDH) encoding genes was followed during the growth of D. squalens on its natural spruce wood substrate. The effect of high proton concentration on the regulation of the oxalate-catabolising genes was determined after addition of organic acid (oxalic acid) and inorganic acid (hydrochloric acid) to the liquid cultures of D. squalens. In order to evaluate the co-expression of oxalate-catabolising and manganese peroxidase (MnP) encoding genes, the expression of one MnP encoding gene, mnp1, of D. squalens was also surveyed in the solid state and liquid cultures. Sequential action of ODC and FDH encoding genes was detected in the studied cultivations. The odc1, fdh2 and fdh3 genes of D. squalens showed constitutive expression, whereas ODC2 and FHD1 most likely are the main responsible enzymes for detoxification of high concentrations of oxalic and formic acids. The results also confirmed the central role of ODC1 when D. squalens grows on coniferous wood. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that fungal ODCs have evolved from at least two gene copies whereas FDHs have a single ancestral gene. As a conclusion, the multiplicity of oxalate-catabolising genes and their differential regulation on wood and in acid-amended cultures of D. squalens point to divergent physiological roles for the corresponding enzymes. PMID:24505339

  7. Novel Serum Proteomic Signatures in a Non-Human Primate Model of Retinal Injury

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    2 SV=1 DB=tr 5 8 2 4 1.703409 0.496987 Q3YAK0 Phosphatidic acid phosphatase type 2 domain containing 1 (Fragment) OS=Macaca mulatta GN=PPAPDC1 PE=2...wash steps, as follows. In brief, gel pieces were incubated with 40% methanol + 7% acetic acid for 30 min, washed four times in water for 30 min under...from the gel pieces using 70% acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid and then dried. Extracts were resuspended in 20 µl of 6 M guanidine-HCl, 5 mM potassium

  8. Experimental verification of concrete resistance against effect of low pH

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dobias, D.; Rehacek, S.; Pokorny, P.; Citek, D.; Kolisko, J.

    2018-03-01

    In the introductory part of this article, the principles of a concrete degradation by organic acids are mentioned, these acids occur, particularly in silage and haylage troughs, biogas stations, on concrete floors and grates in the vicinity of drinking basins with an addition of formic acid and also in fermenters and slurry reservoirs. In the experimental part, the first results of monitoring resistance of a concrete with a sealing admixture on the basis of styrene-acrylate against an effect of a low pH are presented. Additional accompanying tests are stated in the tested concretes.

  9. Bio-inspired computational design of iron catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xinzheng

    2015-08-25

    Inspired by the active site structure of monoiron hydrogenase, a series of iron complexes are built using experimentally ready-made acylmethylpyridinol and aliphatic PNP pincer ligands. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the newly designed iron complexes are very promising to catalyze the formation of formic acid from H2 and CO2.

  10. 21 CFR 186.1756 - Sodium formate.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Sodium formate. 186.1756 Section 186.1756 Food and....1756 Sodium formate. (a) Sodium formate (CHNaO2, CAS Reg. No. 141-53-7) is the sodium salt of formic acid. It is produced by the reaction of carbon monoxide with sodium hydroxide. (b) The ingredient is...

  11. 21 CFR 186.1756 - Sodium formate.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Sodium formate. 186.1756 Section 186.1756 Food and... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 186.1756 Sodium formate. (a) Sodium formate (CHNaO2, CAS Reg. No. 141-53-7) is the sodium salt of formic acid. It is produced by the reaction of carbon monoxide with sodium...

  12. 21 CFR 186.1756 - Sodium formate.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Sodium formate. 186.1756 Section 186.1756 Food and... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 186.1756 Sodium formate. (a) Sodium formate (CHNaO2, CAS Reg. No. 141-53-7) is the sodium salt of formic acid. It is produced by the reaction of carbon monoxide with sodium...

  13. 21 CFR 186.1756 - Sodium formate.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Sodium formate. 186.1756 Section 186.1756 Food and... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 186.1756 Sodium formate. (a) Sodium formate (CHNaO2, CAS Reg. No. 141-53-7) is the sodium salt of formic acid. It is produced by the reaction of carbon monoxide with sodium...

  14. 21 CFR 186.1756 - Sodium formate.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Sodium formate. 186.1756 Section 186.1756 Food and... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 186.1756 Sodium formate. (a) Sodium formate (CHNaO2, CAS Reg. No. 141-53-7) is the sodium salt of formic acid. It is produced by the reaction of carbon monoxide with sodium...

  15. Bio-inspired CO2 conversion by iron sulfide catalysts under sustainable conditions.

    PubMed

    Roldan, A; Hollingsworth, N; Roffey, A; Islam, H-U; Goodall, J B M; Catlow, C R A; Darr, J A; Bras, W; Sankar, G; Holt, K B; Hogarth, G; de Leeuw, N H

    2015-05-01

    The mineral greigite presents similar surface structures to the active sites found in many modern-day enzymes. We show that particles of greigite can reduce CO2 under ambient conditions into chemicals such as methanol, formic, acetic and pyruvic acid. Our results also lend support to the Origin of Life theory on alkaline hydrothermal vents.

  16. Actual Waste Demonstration of the Nitric-Glycolic Flowsheet for Sludge Batch 9 Qualification

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. D. Newell; Pareizs, J. M.; Martino, C. J.

    For each sludge batch that is processed in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performs qualification testing to demonstrate that the sludge batch is processable. Testing performed by the Savannah River National Laboratory has shown glycolic acid to be effective in replacing the function of formic acid in the DWPF chemical process. The nitric-glycolic flowsheet reduces mercury, significantly lowers the catalytic generation of hydrogen and ammonia which could allow purge reduction in the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT), stabilizes the pH and chemistry in the SRAT and the Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME), allowsmore » for effective rheology adjustment, and is favorable with respect to melter flammability. In order to implement the new flowsheet, SRAT and SME cycles, designated SC-18, were performed using a Sludge Batch (SB) 9 slurry blended from SB8 Tank 40H and Tank 51H samples. The SRAT cycle involved adding nitric and glycolic acids to the sludge, refluxing to steam strip mercury, and dewatering to a targeted solids concentration. Data collected during the SRAT cycle included offgas analyses, process temperatures, heat transfer, and pH measurements. The SME cycle demonstrated the addition of glass frit and the replication of six canister decontamination additions. The demonstration concluded with dewatering to a targeted solids concentration. Data collected during the SME cycle included offgas analyses, process temperatures, heat transfer, and pH measurements. Slurry and condensate samples were collected for subsequent analysis« less

  17. Colorimetric determination of selenium in mineral premixes .

    PubMed

    Hurlbut, J A; Burkepile, R G; Geisler, C A; Kijak, P J; Rummel, N G

    1997-01-01

    A method is described for determination of sodium selenite or sodium selenate in mineral-based premixes. It is based on the formation of intense-yellow piazselenol by Se(IV) and 3,3'-diaminobenzidine. Mineral premixes typically contain calcium carbonate as a base material and magnesium carbonate, silicon dioxide, and iron(III) oxide as minor components or additives. In this method, the premix is digested briefly in nitric acid, diluted with water, and filtered to remove any Iron(III) oxide. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and HCl are added to the filtrate, which is heated to near boiling for 1 h to convert any selenate to selenite. After heating, the solution is buffered between pH 2 and 3 with NaOH and formic acid and treated with NH2OH and EDTA; any Se present forms a complex with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine at 60 degrees C. The solution is made basic with NH4OH, and the piazselenol is extracted into toluene. The absorbance of the complex in dried toluene is measured at 420 nm. The method was validated independently by 2 laboratories. Samples analyzed included calcium carbonate fortified with 100, 200, and 300 micrograms Se in the form of sodium selenite or sodium selenate, a calcium carbonate premix containing sodium selenite, a calcium carbonate premix containing sodium selenate, and a commercial premix; 5 replicates of each sample type were analyzed by each laboratory. Average recoveries ranged from 89 to 109% with coefficients of variation from 1.2 to 13.6%.

  18. Soluble inhibitors/deactivators of cellulase enzymes from lignocellulosic biomass.

    PubMed

    Kim, Youngmi; Ximenes, Eduardo; Mosier, Nathan S; Ladisch, Michael R

    2011-04-07

    Liquid hot water, steam explosion, and dilute acid pretreatments of lignocellulose generate soluble inhibitors which hamper enzymatic hydrolysis as well as fermentation of sugars to ethanol. Toxic and inhibitory compounds will vary with pretreatment and include soluble sugars, furan derivatives (hydroxymethyl fulfural, furfural), organic acids (acetic, formic and, levulinic acid), and phenolic compounds. Their effect is seen when an increase in the concentration of pretreated biomass in a hydrolysis slurry results in decreased cellulose conversion, even though the ratio of enzyme to cellulose is kept constant. We used lignin-free cellulose, Solka Floc, combined with mixtures of soluble components released during pretreatment of wood, to prove that the decrease in the rate and extent of cellulose hydrolysis is due to a combination of enzyme inhibition and deactivation. The causative agents were extracted from wood pretreatment liquid using PEG surfactant, activated charcoal or ethyl acetate and then desorbed, recovered, and added back to a mixture of enzyme and cellulose. At enzyme loadings of either 1 or 25mg protein/g glucan, the most inhibitory components, later identified as phenolics, decreased the rate and extent of cellulose hydrolysis by half due to both inhibition and precipitation of the enzymes. Full enzyme activity occurred when the phenols were removed. Hence detoxification of pretreated woods through phenol removal is expected to reduce enzyme loadings, and therefore reduce enzyme costs, for a given level of cellulose conversion. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. In vitro determination of the mechanical and chemical properties of a fibre orthodontic retainer.

    PubMed

    Silvestrini-Biavati, Armando; Angiero, Francesca; Gibelli, Francesca; Signore, Antonio; Benedicenti, Stefano

    2012-12-01

    The aim of this study was to analyse, in vitro, the chemical and mechanical properties of a new fibre retainer, Everstick, comparing its characteristics with the requirements for an orthodontic retainer. Chemical analysis was used to examine seven fibre bundles exposed to a photocuring lamp and then to different acids and resistance to corrosion by artificial saliva fortified with plaque acids. The mechanical properties examined were tensile strength and resistance to flexural force. Ten fibre samples were tested for each mechanical analysis and the mean value and standard deviation were calculated. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to evaluate change in weight after treatment in each group. To determine changes over time between the groups for each acid considered separately, both repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) on original data and on rank transformed data were used. If the results were different, ANOVA on rank-transformed data was considered. Acetic acid was found to be the most corrosive and caused the most substance loss: both pure and at the salivary pH value. Hydrofluoric acid was the most damaging. For all acids analysed in both groups (lactic, formic, acetic, propionic), changes after treatment were statistically different between two groups (P < 0.001 for lactic, acetic, propionic; P = 0.004 for formic acid).The mean Young's modulus value was 68 510 MPa. Deformation before the fibre separated into its constituent elements (glass fibre and composite) was 3.9 per cent, stress to rupture was 1546 MPa, and resistance to bending was 534 MPa. The deflection produced over a length of 12 mm was 1.4 mm. The fibre bundle was attacked by acids potentially present in the oral cavity; the degree of aggressiveness depending on the acid concentration. To preserve fibre bundles long term, careful plaque control is necessary, especially in the interproximal spaces, to avoid acid formation. The tested product was found to be sufficiently strong to oppose flexural and occlusal forces.

  20. Formic and Acetic Acid Observations over Colorado by Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Organic Acids' Role in Air Quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Treadaway, V.; O'Sullivan, D. W.; Heikes, B.; Silwal, I.; McNeill, A.

    2015-12-01

    Formic acid (HFo) and acetic acid (HAc) have both natural and anthropogenic sources and a role in the atmospheric processing of carbon. These organic acids also have an increasing importance in setting the acidity of rain and snow as precipitation nitrate and sulfate concentrations have decreased. Primary emissions for both organic acids include biomass burning, agriculture, and motor vehicle emissions. Secondary production is also a substantial source for both acids especially from biogenic precursors, secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), and photochemical production from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs). Chemical transport models underestimate organic acid concentrations and recent research has sought to develop additional production mechanisms. Here we report HFo and HAc measurements during two campaigns over Colorado using the peroxide chemical ionization mass spectrometer (PCIMS). Iodide clusters of both HFo and HAc were recorded at mass-to-charge ratios of 173 and 187, respectively. The PCIMS was flown aboard the NCAR Gulfstream-V platform during the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry Experiment (DC3) and aboard the NCAR C-130 during the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPE). The DC3 observations were made in May and June 2012 extending from the surface to 13 km over the central and eastern United States. FRAPPE observations were made in July and August 2014 from the surface to 7 km over Colorado. DC3 measurements reported here are focused over the Colorado Front Range and complement the FRAPPE observations. DC3 HFo altitude profiles are characterized by a decrease up to 6 km followed by an increase either back to boundary layer mixing ratio values or higher (a "C" shape). Organic acid measurements from both campaigns are interpreted with an emphasis on emission sources (both natural and anthropogenic) over Colorado and in situ photochemical production especially ozone precursors.

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