Toward rational design of amines for CO2 capture: Substituent effect on kinetic process for the reaction of monoethanolamine with CO2

Amines have been considered as promising candidates for post-combustion CO₂ capture. A mechanistic understanding for the chemical processes involved in the capture and release of CO₂ is important for the rational design of amines. In this study, the structural effects of amines on the kinetic competition among three typical products (carbamates, carbamic acids and bicarbonate) from amines + CO₂ were investigated, in contrast to previous thermodynamic studies to tune the reaction of amines with CO₂ based on desirable reaction enthalpy and reaction stoichiometry. We used a quantum chemical method to calculate the activation energies (E_a) for the reactions of a range of substituted monoethanolamines with CO₂ covering three pathways to the three products. The results indicate that the formation of carbamates is the most favorable, among the three considered products. In addition, we found that the E_a values for all pathways linearly correlate with pK_a of amines, and more importantly, the kinetic competition between carbamate and bicarbonate absorption pathways varies with pK_a of the amines, i.e. stronger basicity results in less difference in E_a. These results highlight the importance of the consideration of kinetic competition among different reaction pathways in amine design.     

Statistical evaluation of an analytical IC method for the determination of trace level perchlorate

Trace level perchlorate analysis in water initiated a new development in the Ion Chromatography (IC) technology. Maintenance of a low detection limit may be highly affected by the operating conditions of the IC system. In this paper the homoscedasticity of the IC system within the calibration concentration range, the effect of the system drift on the calibration curve and the effect of the self regeneration suppressor (SRS) current on the detection limit were investigated. The experimental results were evaluated by statistical methods such as the Cochran test and the lack of fit test. The detection limits were obtained by two ways. One through method detection limit (MDL) and the other through detection limit from the calibration curve (DTC). The Cochran test results revealed the homoscedasticity of the IC system. The effect of system drift on the calibration curve was noticed by the lack of fit test. MDL yielded a lower but less reliable detection limit than DTC. An acceptable detection limit can be achieved under the lower SRS current (100 mA).     

Effects of metsulfuron-methyl on the microbial population and enzyme activities in wheat rhizosphere soil

The effects of metsulfuron-methyl, a sulfonylurea herbicide, on the wheat soil microorganisms were evaluated by the methods of microbial inoculation culture, and the activities of three enzymes were measured using the colorimetric method. The tolerant microorganisms that can resist 500 microg x g(-1) metsulfuron-methyl in the counting culture medium were studied specially. Metsulfuron-methyl distinctly inhibited the common aerobic heterotriphic bacteria, but the effects on common fungi and common actinomycete were not evident. In the meantime, the number of tolerant fungi increased greatly in the rhizosphere after the application of metsulfuron-methyl in contrast to the significant decrease of the amount of tolerant actinomycete. It indicates that fungi might turn into the dominant microbial type and actinomycete is the sensitive factor in the soil polluted by sulfonylurea residues. The population of aromatic compounds-decomposing bacteria, aerobic azotobacter, and nitrite bacteria all increased in the earlier period, but the aerobic azotobacter decreased rapidly in number 30 days later, and the amount of nitrite bacteria also showed a temporary decrease with time 15 days later. However, the denitrifying bacteria just began to increase significantly after the crops had grown for 50 days. The amount of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria gradually decreased with the growth of crops, and so were the sulfate-reducing bacteria after metsulfuron-methyl application. To all types of microorganisms, there were more microbes in rhizosphere samples than those in nonrhizosphere except aerobic azotobacter. It means the growth of wheat root system can stimulate the growth of most microorganisms. The activities of hydrogen peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase in soil samples after metsulfuron-methyl application were notably lower than those in the control, and the difference of the activities between the samples of rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere was evident. On the contrary, the activity of dehydrogenase was not inhibited by the application of metsulfuron-methyl, and the rhizosphere effect was not obvious either.     

四川盆地丘陵区紫色土退化研究——Ⅱ.紫色土退化的微形态特征

采用比较研究法和辅以定点追踪观测,研究了四川盆地丘陵区几种主要紫色土退化的微形态特征。根据土壤退化的某些微形态诊断特征,将紫色土退化问题归纳为土壤物理性退化、土壤构造性退化和土壤营养性退化等类;在此基础上,评价了本区几种主要紫色土的退化状况,并提出应重点治理典型紫色土的退化和紫色土普遍存在的构造性退化问题。     

Novel synthetic approaches and TWC catalytic performance of flower-like Pt/CeO2

A novel Ultrasonic Assisted Membrane Reduction （UAMR）-hydrothermal method was used to prepare flower-like Pt/CeO2 catalysts. The texture, physical/chemical properties, and reducibility of the flower-like Pt/CeO2 catalysts were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction （XRD）, Scanning Electron Microscope （SEM）, Transmission Electron Microscope （TEM）, N2 adsorption, and hydrogen temperature programmed reduction （HE-TPR） techniques. The catalytic performance of the catalysts for treating automobile emission was studied relative to samples prepared by the conventional wetness impregnation method. The Pt/CeO2 catalysts fabricated by this novel method showed high specific surface area and metal dispersion, excellent three-way catalytic activity, and good thermal stability. The strong interaction between the Pt nanoparticles and CeO2 improved the thermal stability. The Ce4＋ ions were incorporated into the surfactant chains and the Pt nanoparticles were stabilized through an exchange reaction of the surface hydroxyl groups. The SEM results demonstrated that the Pt/CeO2 catalysts had a typical three-dimensional （3D） hierarchical porous struc- ture, which was favorable for surface reaction and enhanced the exposure degree of the Pt nanoparticles. In brief, the flower-like Pt/CeO2 catalysts prepared by UAMR-hydrothermal method exhibited a higher Pt metal dispersion, smaller particle size, better three-way catalytic activity, and improved thermal stability versus conven- tional materials.     

Lead contamination in tea garden soils and factors affecting its bioavailability

The consumption of heavy metals is detrimental to human health and most countries restrict the concentration of metals such as lead (Pb) in food and beverages. Recent tests have detected high Pb concentrations in certain commercial brands of tea leaves and this finding has raised concerns for both producers and consumers. To investigate what factors may be contributing to the increase in Pb accumulation in the tea leaves we collected tea leaves and soils from tea producing areas and analyzed them for Pb concentration, pH and organic matter content. The result showed the Pb concentration of 47% investigated tea leaves samples was beyond 2 mg kg(-1), the permissible levels given by China. The total Pb concentration in the surface and subsurface soil layers averaged 36.4 and 32.2 mg kg(-1), respectively which fall below of the 60 mg kg(-1) limit provided for organic tea gardens in China. The pH of the tea garden soils was severely acidic with the lowest pH of 3.37. Soils under older tea gardens tended to have a lower pH and a higher Pb bioavailability which was defined as the amount of lead extracted by CaCl2 solution than those under younger tea gardens. We found that the concentration of bioavailable Pb and the percentage of bioavailable Pb (bioavailable Pb relative to total Pb concentration) were positively correlated with soil H+ activity and soil organic matter content, and the organic matter accumulation contribute more effects on Pb bioavailability in these two factors. We conclude that soil acidification and organic matter accumulation could contribute to increasing Pb bioavailability in soil and that these could increase Pb uptake and accumulation in the tea leaves.     

Performance of three-phase three-dimensional electrode reactor for the reduction of COD in simulated wastewater-containing phenol

The removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from wastewater-containing phenol was investigated using three-phase three-dimensional electrode reactor. Special attention was paid to experimentally probe the performance of the reactor in COD removal in the process of repeated batch runs. The experimental results showed that the reactor could remove COD from phenol-containing wastewater much more efficiently than both granulated activated carbon (GAC) adsorption bed and conventional three-dimensional electrode. For 200th batch run, the three-phase three-dimensional electrode reactor with an airflow of 5 l min(-1) and a cell voltage of 30 V could remove 1350 ppm COD from the wastewater in 30 min while conventional three-dimensional electrode reactor with a same cell voltage and GAC adsorption bed with a same airflow only could remove 610 and 1000 ppm, respectively, at the same reaction duration. Although it was found that COD removal decreased with increasing repeated batch runs in our experimental range, due to adsorption saturation of GAC and electrode passivation, the extent of decrease for the three-phase three-dimensional electrode is much less than those for conventional three-dimensional electrodes and GAC adsorption beds. The passivated reactor could be partly re-activated by electrolysis in the presence of MnO2.     

气液混合脉冲放电等离子体再生活性炭系统优化研究

为了丰富活性炭再生方法,并拓宽脉冲放电等离子体技术的应用范围,研究建立了气液混合的脉冲放电等离子体体系,将其用于吸附酸性橙II (AO7)饱和活性炭的再生。通过实验,考察了气液混合方式、脉冲电压、脉冲频率和电极间距等关键参数对活性炭再生效果的影响规律,进而对该再生体系进行优化。研究结果表明,气液分离式的气液混合方式较利于该脉冲放电等离子体体系中活性炭的优化;在一定范围内提高脉冲电压,可以提高其中活性炭的再生效果;高的脉冲频率下活性炭再生效果好;气液混合脉冲放电等离子体体系中适宜于活性炭再生的电极间距为20 mm。     

地区发展差异与湖北省可持续发展战略

湖北省的经济发展水平与全国其它地区存在着较大的差异,从全国范围看,湖北省多年一直处在中等偏下的水平,而在长江流域,近年湖北省一下游省市的差距在迅速扩大;在中心地区各省中,湖北则相对领先。     

Does green finance improve the industrial eco-efficiency in China?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Improving industrial eco-efficiency is of great significance for building a beautiful China and achieving its carbon peak and neutrality targets....