Provided is a method of manufacturing an alkaline-earth-metal-sulfate-loaded support material, the method comprising: providing a first slurry comprising a support material, alkaline-earth-metal ions and an organic compound, wherein the organic compound comprises a functional group selected from a sulfo group (SO.sub.3H), a sulfonyl group (S(?O).sub.2) and a sulfinyl group (S(?O)); spray drying the first slurry to provide a spray-dried powder; and heating the spray-dried powder to form an alkaline-earth-metal-sulfate-loaded support material.

Provided is a method of manufacturing an alkaline-earth-metal-sulfate-loaded support material, the method comprising: providing a first slurry comprising a support material, alkaline-earth-metal ions and an organic compound, wherein the organic compound comprises a functional group selected from a sulfo group (SO.sub.3H), a sulfonyl group (S(?O).sub.2) and a sulfinyl group (S(?O)); spray drying the first slurry to provide a spray-dried powder; and heating the spray-dried powder to form an alkaline-earth-metal-sulfate-loaded support material.

Disclosed are methods for conversion of ?-hydroxy carbonyl species and preparation of amino alcohol precursor using bifunctional catalysts derived from layer double hydroxides. By the bifunctional catalyst, the abundant basic sites on HTO allow retro-aldol condensation to outpace direct hydrogenation, thus achieving an exceptional selectivity towards a desired product produced through retro-aldol condensation and then hydrogenation. Accordingly, this method exhibits particular utility in the renewable production of N-acetylethanolamine from biomass-derived N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) without using homogeneous base as a co-catalyst.

An internal gas heating system apparatus enables operation of a large diameter horizontal chemical vapor processing tube reactor in the manufacture of nanomaterials, such as silicon nanowires (SiNWs) or vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on at least one catalytically active substrate. Where the nanomaterials are SiNWs, they may have controlled length, dopant level incorporation, and lower and narrower diameter distribution that on average is not greater than 50% of the average catalytic Au nanoparticle size deposited on the catalytically active substrate(s) before the SiNW growth phase.

An internal gas heating system apparatus enables operation of a large diameter horizontal chemical vapor processing tube reactor in the manufacture of nanomaterials, such as silicon nanowires (SiNWs) or vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on at least one catalytically active substrate. Where the nanomaterials are SiNWs, they may have controlled length, dopant level incorporation, and lower and narrower diameter distribution that on average is not greater than 50% of the average catalytic Au nanoparticle size deposited on the catalytically active substrate(s) before the SiNW growth phase.

The invention concerns a process for the hydrotreatment of a heavy oil feed in at least one reactor containing a fixed bed catalyst, in which a solution containing a dispersed catalyst or a precursor of a dispersed catalyst is continuously introduced into said reactor, the particle size of said dispersed catalyst being in the range 1 nm to 100 ?m.

More particularly, the invention concerns the in situ formation of a catalyst for a hydrotreatment process starting from a fixed bed catalyst which captures a dispersed catalyst on its solid support.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to an efficient entirely man-made nanobio hybrid fabricated through cell-free expression of transmembrane proton pump followed by assembly of the synthetic protein architecture with semiconductor nanoparticles for photocatalytic H.sub.2 evolution. The system produces H.sub.2 at a turnover rate of 240 ?mol of H.sub.2 (?mol protein).sup.?1 h.sup.?1 under green and 17.74 mmol of H.sub.2 (?mol protein).sup.?1 h.sup.?1 under white light at ambient conditions, in water at neutral pH with methanol as a sacrificial electron donor. Robsutness and flexibility of this approach allows for systemic manipulation at nanoparticle-bio interface toward directed evolution of energy materials and devices.

Embodiments of the invention include apparatus and systems for hydrocarbon synthesis and methods regarding the same. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method for creating a hydrocarbon product stream comprising reacting a reaction mixture in the presence of a catalyst inside of a reaction vessel to form a product mixture, the reaction mixture comprising a carbon source and water. The temperature inside the reaction vessel can be between 450 degrees Celsius and 600 degrees Celsius and the pressure inside the reaction vessel can be above supercritical pressure for water. In an embodiment, the invention includes an extrusion reactor system for creating a hydrocarbon product stream. The temperature inside the extrusion reactor housing between 450 degrees Celsius and 600 degrees Celsius. Pressure inside the reaction vessel can be above supercritical pressure for water. Other embodiments are also included herein.

A catalyst system is disclosed for producing para-xylene from a C.sub.8 hydrocarbon mixture comprising ethylbenzene and at least one xylene isomer other than para-xylene. The catalyst system comprises a first catalyst bed and a second catalyst bed. The first catalyst bed comprises a first zeolite and a rhenium hydrogenation component. The first zeolite has a constraint index from 1 to 12, an average crystal size from 0.1 to 1 micron and has been selectivated to have an ortho-xylene sorption time of greater than 1200 minutes based on its capacity to sorb 30% of the equilibrium capacity of ortho-xylene at 120? C. and an ortho-xylene partial pressure of 4.5?0.8 mm of mercury. The second catalyst bed comprises a second zeolite and a rhenium hydrogenation component. The second zeolite has a constraint index ranging from 1 to 12 and an average crystal size of less than 0.1 micron.

The present invention concerns a method for the preparation of a catalyst onto a solid support of a (semi-)conductive material consisting in depositing said catalyst onto said support from a near-neutral aqueous solution containing at least one nickel or cobalt organic complex and at least one basic oxoanion, by a method selected in the group consisting of reductive electrodeposition, photochemical electrodeposition and photoelectrochemical deposition. The present invention also concerns said catalyst and uses thereof.