A method consisting in depositing coating of a semiconductor such as TiO.sub.2 on the surface of a substrate of activated carbon in the form of grain or powder that acts by an advanced oxidation-reduction mechanism in environmental decontamination processes, by way of a heterogeneous electrocatalysis system applying an electrical potential having a magnitude equal to or greater than that of the bandgap energy of the semiconductor, which is 3.2 eV in the case of anatase TiO.sub.2, such that an electron rises from the valence band to the conduction band, leaving in its place holes, h+, with enough oxidative capacity to be able to oxidise H.sub.2O and form OH radicals.

Disclosed herein are base metal catalyst devices for removing ozone, volatile organic compounds, and other pollutants from an air flow stream. A catalyst device includes a housing, a solid substrate disposed within the housing, and a catalyst layer disposed on the substrate. The catalyst layer includes a first base metal catalyst at a first mass percent, a second base metal catalyst at a second mass percent, and a support material impregnated with at least one of the first base metal catalyst or the second base metal catalyst. The preferred catalyst composition is a combination of manganese oxide and copper oxide.

A catalyst system comprising a combination of: 1) an activator; 2) one or more metallocene catalyst compounds; 3) a support comprising an organosilica material, which is a mesoporous organosilica material. The organosilica material is a polymer of at least one monomer of Formula [Z.sup.1OZ.sup.2 SiCh.sub.2].sub.3(i), where Z.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-C4 alkyl group, or a bond to a silic-on atom of another monomer and Z.sup.2 represents a hydroxyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4alkoxy group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 salkyl group, or an oxygen atom bonded to a silicon atom of another monomer. This invention further relates to processes to polymerize olefins comprising contacting one or more olefins with the above catalyst system.

A metal organic framework comprising zinc (II) ions and second metal ions, such as iron (II) ions, cobalt (II) ions, and copper (II) ions as nodes or clusters and coordinated 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid struts or linkers between them forming a porous coordination network in the form of polyhedral crystals that are isostructural to HKUST-1. Transmetallation processes for producing the metal organic frameworks, as well as methods for applications of the metal organic frameworks as catalysts, specifically catalysts for the oxidation of cyclic hydrocarbons, such as toluene, cyclohexane, and methylcyclohexane.

A photovoltaic module comprising: (a) a photovoltaic laminate including: two or more electrically conducting dements extending through the photovoltaic laminate so that power is moved from one photovoltaic module towards another photovoltaic module or towards an inverter; and (b) one or more connectors connected to each of the two or more electrically conducting elements by a connection joint, each of the one or more connectors include: two or more opposing terminals that each are connected to and extend from one of the two or more electrically conducing elements; wherein a dielectric space is located between the two or more opposing terminals and the dielectric space blocks material used to form a connection joint from passing from a first terminal to a second terminal, the material from the connection joint cools before the material passes from one terminal to a second terminal, the material fails to travel from the first terminal to the second terminal, or a combination thereof.

The present invention relates to cerium oxide particles that have excellent heat resistance under hydrothermal conditions at high temperature. The present invention also relates to a method for preparing such cerium oxide particles and to a catalytic composition comprising said cerium oxide.

A catalyst system comprising a combination of: 1) one or more catalyst compounds comprising at least one oxygen linkage, such as a phenoxide transition metal compound; 2) a support comprising an organosilica material, which may be a mesoporous organosilica material; and 3) an optional activator. Useful catalysts include biphenyl phenol catalysts (BPP). The organosilica material may be a polymer of at least one monomer of Formula [Z.sup.1OZ.sup.2SiCH.sub.2].sub.3 (I), where Z.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl group, or a bond to a silicon atom of another monomer and Z.sup.2 represents a hydroxyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkoxy group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl group, or an oxygen atom bonded to a silicon atom of another monomer. This invention further relates to processes to polymerize olefins comprising contacting one or more olefins with the above catalyst system.

The invention provides a method for the production of a supported nickel catalyst, in which an aqueous mixture comprising an alkali metal salt plus other metal salts is sintered to form a support material. A supported nickel catalyst comprising potassium β-alumina is also provided.

This invention relates to a Cu-BTC MOF which is water stable. The Cu-BTC MOF has been modified by substituting some of the BTC ligand (1,3,5, benzene tricarboxylic acid) with 5-aminoisophthalic acid (AIA). The resultant MOF retains at least 40% of its as synthesized surface area after exposure to liquid water at 60° C. for 6 hours. This is an unexpected result versus the MOF containing only the BTC ligand. This MOF can be used to abate contaminants such as ammonia in gas streams and especially air streams.

The present disclosure provides a method for synthesizing fibrous silica nanospheres, the method can include, in sequence, the steps of: a) providing a reaction mixture comprising a silica precursor, a hydrolyzing agent, a template molecule, a cosurfactant and one or more solvents; b) maintaining the reaction mixture under stirring for a length of time; c) heating the reaction mixture to a temperature for a length of time; d) cooling the reaction mixture to obtain a solid, and (e) calcinating the solid to pro duce fibrous silica nanospheres, wherein desirable product characteristics such as particle size, fiber density, surface area, pore volume and pore size can be obtained by controlling one or more parameters of the method. The present disclosure further provides a method for synthesizing fibrous silica nanospheres using conventional heating such as refluxing the reactants in an open reactor, thereby eliminating the need for microwave heating in a closed reactor or the need for any pressure reactors.