A novel process and a novel catalyst for the production of light olefins. 1-butene is cracked in the presence of an acid- or base-modified silicalite-1 catalyst bed, wherein the modified silicalite-1 has a Si/Al ratio of greater than 1000. The modification procedures described herein increase the selectivity of the silicalite-1 catalyst toward light olefins such as ethylene and propylene. The catalytic cracking of 1-butene may be carried out in a fixed bed reactor or a fluidized bed reactor.

A method of synthesizing manganese oxide nanocorals comprises the steps of a) heating a potassium permanganate solution; (b) providing manganese sulfate in a basic solution; (c) combining the manganese sulfate basic solution drop-wise with the heated potassium permanganate solution until a brown precipitate is formed; (d) stirring the brown precipitate for a period of about 12 hours at a temperature greater than 300 K; (e) isolating the precipitate; and (f) drying the precipitate inside an oven at a temperature greater than 300 K to provide manganese oxide nanocorals. The manganese oxide nanocorals include nanowires having a diameter typically ranging from about 20 nm to about 40 nm.

Carbon opals, a form of colloidal crystal, are composed of ordered two-dimensional or three-dimensional arrays of Monodispersed Starburst Carbon Spheres (MSCS). Methods for producing such carbon opals include oxidizing as-synthesized MSCS, for example by heating in air, to increase surface charge. Such oxidation is believed to decrease settling rates of a colloidal suspension, enabling formation of an ordered colloidal crystal. Inverse opals, composed of any of a wide variety of materials, and based on a carbon opal template, have a reciprocal structure to a carbon opal. Inverse opals are formed by methods including: forming a carbon opal as described, impregnating a desired material into pores in the carbon opal to produce a hybrid structure, and removing the carbon portion from the hybrid structure.

A composite photocatalyst, a manufacturing method thereof, the kits including the composite photocatalyst, and a bactericide photocatalyst. A composite photocatalyst includes photocatalyst nanocrystals and platinum nanocrystals. The photocatalyst nanocrystals include a compound represented by the following chemical formula (1):
A.sup.2+(B.sup.3+).sub.2X.sub.4chemical formula (1), wherein A.sup.2+ represents Zn.sup.2+, Cu.sup.2+, Fe.sup.2+, Mn.sup.2+, Ni.sup.2+, Co.sup.2+ or Ag.sub.2.sup.2+; B.sup.3+ represents Fe.sup.3+, Mn.sup.3+ or Cr.sup.3+; and X represents O.sup.2.

A new family of high charge density crystalline microporous silicometallophosphate designated SAPO-79 has been synthesized. These silicometallophosphate are represented by the empirical formula of:

R.sup.p+.sub.rM.sub.m.sup.+E.sub.xPSi.sub.yO.sub.z

where M is an alkali metal such as potassium, R is an organoammonium cation such as diethyldimethylammonium and E is a trivalent framework element such as aluminum or gallium. The SAPO-79 family of materials represent the first alkali-stabilized phosphate-based molecular sieves to have the ERI topology and have catalytic properties for carrying out various hydrocarbon conversion processes and separation properties for separating at least one component.

The present disclosure is directed to novel germanosilicate compositions and methods of producing the same. In particular, this disclosure describes an array of transformations originating from the extra-large-pore crystalline germanosilicate compositions, designated CIT-13, possessing 10- and 14-membered rings. Included among the new materials are the new phyllosilicate compositions, designated CIT-13P, new crystalline microporous germanosilicates including high silica versions of CIT-5 and CIT-13, with and without added metal oxides, and new germanosilicate compounds designated CIT-14 and CIT-15. The disclosure also describes methods of preparing these new germanosilicate compositions as well as the compositions themselves.

Fluidizable catalysts for oxygen-free oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes to corresponding olefins. The catalysts contain 10-20% (by weight per total catalyst weight) of one or more vanadium oxides as the catalytic material, which are mounted upon an alumina support that is modified with zirconia at alumina/zirconia ratios of 5:1 up to 1:2. Various methods of preparing and characterizing the fluidizable catalysts are also provided.

A novel process and a novel catalyst for the production of light olefins. 1-butene is cracked in the presence of an acid- or base-modified silicalite-1 catalyst bed, wherein the modified silicalite-1 has a SiAl ratio of greater than 1000. The modification procedures described herein increase the selectivity of the silicalite-1 catalyst toward light olefins such as ethylene and propylene. The catalytic cracking of 1-butene may be carried out in a fixed bed reactor or a fluidized bed reactor.

A methanation reaction catalyst for methanation by allowing carbon dioxide to react with hydrogen, wherein the methanation reaction catalyst includes a stabilized zirconia support having a tetragonal crystal structure and in which Ca and Ni are incorporated in the crystal structure, and Ni in the metal state supported on the stabilized zirconia support, includes the following in atomic % based on metals in the element state, A) Zr composing the stabilized zirconia support: 6 to 62 atomic %, B) Ca incorporated in the crystal structure: 1 to 20 atomic %, and C) a total of Ni incorporated in the crystal structure and Ni supported on the stabilized zirconia support: 30 to 90 atomic %, and the atomic ratio of Ca/(Zr+Ca) is 0.14 to 0.25.

A method for controllably producing a hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst by combining an iron nitrate solution with a precipitating agent solution at a precipitating temperature and over a precipitation time to form a precipitate comprising iron phases; holding the precipitate from at a hold temperature for a hold time to provide a hematite containing precipitate; and washing the hematite containing precipitate via contact with a wash solution and filtering, to provide a washed hematite containing catalyst. The method may further comprise promoting the washed hematite containing catalyst with a chemical promoter; spray drying the promoted hematite containing catalyst; and calcining the spray dried hematite containing catalyst to provide a calcined hematite-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalyst.