A method of making a hydrodesulfurization catalyst having nickel and molybdenum supported on activated carbon is specified. The hydrodesulfurization catalyst produced is mesoporous having an average pore diameter of 4-10 nm and a BET surface area of 250-500 m.sup.2/g. The utilization of the hydrodesulfurization catalyst in treating a hydrocarbon feedstock containing aromatic sulfur compounds (e.g. dibenzothiophene) to produce a desulfurized hydrocarbon stream is also provided.

Methods and manufacturing processes for photocatalyst extrusion, extrudate photocatalysts, and photoreactor utilizing extrudate photocatalysts as a photocatalyst packed bed. An example method includes co-precipitating solutions to form a photocatalyst slurry, centrifugating and drying the slurry to form a dried powder, mixing the dried powder with a binder and a porogen and combining with a solvent to form a dough, feeding the dough through an extruder to create extrudates having a predetermined shape and cross-section, drying the extrudate, and thermally treating the extrudate after drying.

There is disclosed a method of developing semiconductor photocatalysts by recycling Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) waste, the method comprising separating or removing a polymer layer of carbon-fibre waste via thermal decomposition; and coupling the resulting carbon-fibres as a cocatalyst with semiconductor materials; for photocatalytic water splitting results in producing hydrogen (H.sub.2). The semiconductor materials such as titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2), to be used as composite materials, and coupling the carbon-fibres as a cocatalyst with semiconductor materials is done via facile hydrothermal methods and ultrasonic/physical mixing approaches (CFs/TiO.sub.2-A). Further disclosed is a carbon fiber (CF)/TiO.sub.2 composite comprising well-distributed and uniformly sized TiO.sub.2 nanoparticles, wherein the TiO.sub.2 particles are uniformly attached to the CF surface, wherein the CF is synthesized by being separated from a polymer layer of CFRP waste.

Disclosed herein are modified zeolites and methods for making modified zeolites. In one or more embodiments disclosed herein, a modified zeolite includes a microporous framework including a plurality of micropores having diameters of less than or equal to 2 nm and organometallic moieties each bonded to bridging oxygen atoms. The microporous framework includes at least silicon atoms and oxygen atoms. The organometallic moieties include a metal atom and a ring structure including the metal atom, a nitrogen atom, and one or more carbon atoms. The metal atom may be bonded to a bridging oxygen atom, and wherein the bridging oxygen atom bridges the metal atom of the organometallic moiety and a silicon atom of the microporous framework.

Disclosed herein are modified zeolites and methods for making modified zeolites. In one or more embodiments disclosed herein, a zeolite may include a microporous framework comprising a plurality of micropores having diameters of less than or equal to 2 nm. The microporous framework may include at least silicon atoms and oxygen atoms. The modified zeolite may further include organometallic moieties each bonded to bridging oxygen atoms. The organometallic moieties may include a zirconium atom. The zirconium atom may be bonded to a bridging oxygen atom, and the bridging oxygen atom may bridge the zirconium atom of the organometallic moiety and a silicon atom of the microporous framework.

A method of making a hydrodesulfurization catalyst having nickel and molybdenum supported on activated carbon is specified. The hydrodesulfurization catalyst produced is mesoporous having an average pore diameter of 4-10 nm and a BET surface area of 250-500 m.sup.2/g. The utilization of the hydrodesulfurization catalyst in treating a hydrocarbon feedstock containing aromatic sulfur compounds (e.g. dibenzothiophene) to produce a desulfurized hydrocarbon stream is also provided.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising a non-zeolitic oxidic material comprising alumina; an 8-membered ring pore zeolitic material comprising one or more of copper and iron, wherein the framework structure of the zeolitic material comprises a tetravalent element Y, a trivalent element X and oxygen, wherein the molar ratio of Y:X, calculated as YO.sub.2X.sub.2O.sub.3, is in the range of from 2:1 to 40:1; wherein at least part of the outer surface of the zeolitic material is covered by a layer comprising the non-zeolitic oxidic material; wherein Y comprises one or more of Si, Sn, Ti, Zr and Ge and X comprises one or more of Al, B, In and Ga.

The present disclosure provides for metal nanoparticles, such as gold nanoparticles that have six pointed areas so that the metal nanoparticle resembles a six-pointed star. The distance from opposing points of the six-pointed star is about 400 to 480 nanometers. The present disclosure also provides for a method of making the nanoparticle, where in an aspect, the method is a light-driven synthesis.

The present invention discloses a metal-catalyzed process for hydration of nitrile under the influence of the ultrasonic cavitation effect. The present invention further discloses a catalyst of formula (I), wherein the catalyst is used for process for hydration of nitrile and process for preparation thereof.
A.sub.XB.sub.YC.sub.Z Formula (I)

Systems and methods for providing alternative fuel, in particular hydrogen photocatalytically generated by a system comprising photoactive nanoparticles and a nitrogenase cofactor are provided. In one aspect, the system includes a water soluble cadmium selenide nanoparticle (CdSe) surface capped with mercaptosuccinate (CdSe-MSA) and a NafY.FeMo-co complex comprising a NafY protein and an iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co), wherein the CdSe-MSA and NafY.Math.FeMo-co complex are present in about 1:2 to 1:10 molar ratio.