• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.559-569
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• 2018

Catalytic supports made of carbon have many advantages, such as high coking resistance, tailorable pore and surface structures, and ease of recycling of waste catalysts. Moreover, they do not require pre-reduction. In this study, ash-free coal (AFC) was obtained by the thermal extraction of carbonaceous components from raw coal and its performance as a carbon catalytic support was compared with that of well-known activated carbon (AC). Nickel was dispersed on the carbon supports and the resulting catalysts were applied to the steam reforming of toluene (SRT), a model compound of biomass tar. Interestingly, nickel catalysts dispersed on AFC, which has a very small surface area (${\sim}0.13m^2/g$), showed higher activity than those dispersed on AC, which has a large surface area ($1,173A/cm^2$). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the particle size of nickel deposited on AFC was smaller than that deposited on AC, with the average values on AFC ${\approx}11nm$ and on AC ${\approx}23nm$. This proved that heteroatomic functional groups in AFC, such as carboxyls, can provide ion-exchange or adsorption sites for the nano-scale dispersion of nickel. In addition, the pore structure, surface morphology, chemical composition, and chemical state of the prepared catalysts were analyzed using Brunauer-Emmett-Taylor (BET) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR).

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.413-418
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• 2021

Nano-materials with high effective surface areas have been applied to functional materials, such as high sensitive gas sensors and biosensors and high-efficiency catalytic materials. In this study, titanate sheets with a 3D nano-wall-like structure, high effective surface area, were synthesized vertically to the substrate by a chemical bath deposition (CBD) process using a Ti sheet and urea. The synthesis temperature and synthesis duration time were controlled to the optimal conditions of a 3D nano-wall-like structure in the CBD process. The synthesized ammonium titanate sheets with a 3D nano-wall-like structure were annealed in air to transform to TiO2 with a 3D nano-wall-like structure for various applications. As a result, the optimal temperature in the CBD process for the synthesis of a uniform ammonium titanate sheet with a 3D nano-wall-like structure was 90 ℃. TiO2 with a 3D nano-wall-like structure was obtained from the ammonium titanate sheet with a 3D nano-wall-like structure by annealing above 550 ℃ for three hours. In particular, TiO2 with a 3D nano-wall-like structure with a dominant rutile phase was obtained by post-annealing at 700 ℃. On the other hand, damage to the 3D nano-wall edge was observed after 700 ℃ post-annealing.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.105-114
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• 2014

We established a high throughput screening system of African yam tuber lines which contain high contents of total carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds using ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy in combination with multivariate analysis. The total carotenoids contents from 62 African yam tubers varied from 0.01 to $0.91{\mu}g{\cdot}g^{-1}$ dry weight (wt). The total flavonoids and phenolic compounds also varied from 12.9 to $229{\mu}g{\cdot}g^{-1}$ and from 0.29 to $5.2mg{\cdot}g^{-1}$dry wt. FT-IR spectra confirmed typical spectral differences between the frequency regions of 1,700-1,500, 1,500-1,300 and $1,100-950cm^{-1}$, respectively. These spectral regions were reflecting the quantitative and qualitative variations of amide I, II from amino acids and proteins ($1,700-1,500cm^{-1}$), phosphodiester groups from nucleic acid and phospholipid ($1,500-1,300cm^{-1}$) and carbohydrate compounds ($1,100-950cm^{-1}$). Principal component analysis (PCA) and subsequent partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were able to discriminate the 62 African yam tuber lines into three separate clusters corresponding to their taxonomic relationship. The quantitative prediction modeling of total carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds from African yam tuber lines were established using partial least square regression algorithm from FT-IR spectra. The regression coefficients ($R^2$) between predicted values and estimated values of total carotenoids, flavonoids and phenolic compounds were 0.83, 0.86, and 0.72, respectively. These results showed that quantitative predictions of total carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds were possible from FT-IR spectra of African yam tuber lines with higher accuracy. Therefore we suggested that quantitative prediction system established in this study could be applied as a rapid selection tool for high yielding African yam lines.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.207-213
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• 1998

On the basis of the previous study[1], miscibility were investigated and intermolecular interaction strength for the miscibility were relatively compared for the blends poly{2,2-(m-phenylene)-5,5'-bibenzimidazole}(PBI) with two aromatic polyimides (PIs) synthesized by another dianhydride. Aromatic PAAs were prepared by the reaction of condensation of two diamines, 4,4'-methylene dianiline(4,4'-MDA) and 4,4'-oxydianiline(4,4'-ODA) with 3,3',4,4'-diphenylsulfone tetracarboxylic dianhydride(DSDA) using DMAc, and then converted into PIs after curing. PBI/PAA blends were prepared by solution blending. Cast films or precipitated powders of the PBI/PAA blends were cared at a high temperature to transform into PBI/PIs blends. Miscibility and specific intermolecular interaction for miscibility in the blends were investigated, and compared with previous polyimide structures of PBI/PIs blends [1]. Two blends, PBI/DSDA+4,4'-MDA(Blend-V) and PBI/DSDA+4,4'-ODA(Blend-VI), were found miscible : the evidences were optically clear films, synergistic single composition dependent $T_g{\prime}s$, and frequency shifts of N-H stretching band as much as $39{\sim}40cm^{-1}$, and of C=O stretching band near 1730 and $1780cm^{-1}$, 5~6 and $3{\sim}4cm^{-1}$, respectively. The specific intermolecular interactions existing between PBI and PIs were relatively analyzed with the area(A) formed between the $T_g{\prime}s$ of the measured and that of the calculated by the Fox equation at all compositions, the ${\kappa}$ values in Gordon-Taylor equation obtained from the measured $T_g{\prime}s$, and differences of the frequency shifts in the functional N-H and carbonyl stretching band. From the results, the area(A) and the ${\kappa}$ values for Blend-V and VI were smaller than those for Blend-III and IV used in previous study[1]. Differences of the frequency shifts in the functional groups(N-H and C=O) also showed similar tendency. Thus, specific intermolecular interaction strength in terms of hydrogen bonding of PBI/PI blends is dependent upon chemical structures of PIs, that is, PIs it seems that $SO_2$ group in dianhydride(DSDA) has weaker hydrogen bond strength than those of C=O in BTDA. In other words, it implies that the former occupied bulk space than the latter due to the sterric effect.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.609-614
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• 2013

This study investigated the spontaneous combustion behavior of solvent-treated low rank coals. Indonesian lignite (a KBB and SM coal) and sub-bituminous (a Roto coal) were mixed with non-polar 1-methyl naphthalene (1MN) either by mechanical agitation or ultrasonication. The property change associated with 1MN treatment was then analyzed using proximate analysis, calorific value analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and moisture re-adsorption test. Susceptibility to spontaneous combustion was evaluated using crossingpoint temperature (CPT) measurement along with gas analysis by GC. A FT-IR profile showed that oxygen functional groups and C-H bonding became weaker when treated by 1 MN. XPS results also indicated a decrease of the oxygen groups (C-O-, C=O and COO-). Increased hydrophobicity was found in the 1MN treated coals during moisture readsorption test. A CPT of the treated coals was ${\sim}20^{\circ}C$ higher than that of the corresponding raw coals and the ultrasonication was more effective way to enhance the stability against spontaneous combustion than the agitation. In the gas analysis less CO and $CO_2$ were emitted from 1MN treated coals, also indicating inhibition of pyrophoric behavior. The surface functional groups participating in the oxidation reaction seemed to be removed by the ultrasonication more effectively than by the simple mechanical agitation.