Volume 1, Issue 5

No abstract available.

Total, as well as most major energy players, faces a double challenge: plateauing production of hydrocarbons while the global demand for energy needs continues to grow, and global warming due to the greenhouse effect. In this context, novel approaches have to be developed in order to meet the energy demand while reducing CO 2 emissions. Based on reports published by energy agencies and analyses by our own strategists, the evolution of global energy demand and supply between 2010 and 2030 was estimated. Total has recently launched a series of strategic actions in the fields of energy diversification, energy conservation, and a reduction of the environmental footprint of its operations and products. Some examples of these developments are presented in detail in this paper: new products and new forms of energy, in addition to the traditional oil business: biofuels, dimethylether, photovoltaic, etc., as well as helping our customers to reduce their energy consumption through the use of eco-efficient products and services.

This article describes the development of a circulatory catalyst flow system for Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, such as the Mizoroki-Heck reaction and the Sonogashira reaction, in which low-viscosity ionic liquids such as [bmim]NTf 2 and [emim]NTf 2 were used as a recyclable reaction medium and a catalyst support. A benchtop production system consisting of a flow reactor (micromixer plus residence time unit), a dual extraction unit with two T-shaped micromixers, and a catalyst/solvent pumping back system has been designed and tested for a 100 g scale synthesis using the Mizoroki-Heck reaction, which indeed worked well. Using a similar continuous-flow equipment, 103 g of the key intermediate of the matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor was synthesized by Cu-free Sonogashira reaction with [emim]NTf 2 as a solvent, in which the system was run for 5.5 h. The attributes of facile separation and recycling of both the catalyst and the ionic liquid reaction medium impart certain characteristics of heterogeneous catalysis to this continuous-flow system.

A new application of agro-process intensification is described for nitrogen fixation by Azospirillum brasilense supported within the pores of sulphonated-neutralised polyHIPE polymers (PHPs) which are highly hydrophilic, elastic, crosslinked and ionic with nano-structured pore walls. These bioactive macroscopic polymer particles, when used as soil additives act as micro-bioreactors within the soil and facilitate the interactions between plant roots, root exudates, water, nutrients and bacteria (reactive components), because plant roots penetrate into these micro-bioreactors which simultaneously absorb water and nutrients while generating biofertiliser through the nitrogen fixing bacteria within them. Hence, these soil additives act as synthetic rhizosphere (SRS). In greenhouse experiments, it is shown that the presence of the bioactive SRS at 0.5 wt% level in the soil without any fertiliser addition increases the dry grass shoots by 9.6%, 9.5%, 40% and 145% after 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks of growth, respectively, compared to grass grown with no SRS or bacteria. Progressive yield enhancement with Azospirillum brasilense supported on PHPs is due to reduction of soil nutrients thus switching nitrogen fixing bacterium from consumption to production of nitrogen. The environmental impact and sustainability of SRS media are also considered and compared with other soil additives: super absorbent polymers and biochar.

The vapor phase nitration of propane was successfully investigated in a multi-step microstructured reactor. The concept integrates heating, evaporation of reactants, the reaction channel, and the quenching and cooling of the product mixture; all done in a reactor with one plate. The nitration of propane with evaporated nitric acid was carried out at 380°C–450°C. This radical chain reaction was subsequently quenched, in a fast manner due to the high surface-to-volume ratio of the reaction channel. Therefore, the conversion of propane was deliberately kept low (approx. 2%) but at favor of selectivity for 2-nitropropane which increases remarkably. The harsh reaction conditions require a sophisticated microreactor concept, the use of an exceptional construction material, that is, an uncommon stainless steel alloy, as well as a process design which avoids NO x release into the environment.

Biofuels as renewable resources are one of the options to meet the challenges of fossil fuel resource depletion and atmospheric pollution. Several studies have focused on the technical, economic, and environmental footprint of biofuels, particularly bioethanol production. However, there has been little effort to incorporate the environmental, health, and safety (EHS) hazards in an inclusive sustainability assessment of bioethanol production alternatives. This study focuses on these sustainability aspects for bioethanol production by employing the EHS and the inherent safety index (ISI) methods. The multicriteria assessment also includes the cumulative energy demand as a widely used lifecycle impact assessment indicator. Sugarcane, corn, and corn stover are considered as biomass resources, and the typical process conditions are used for the base case evaluation. Sensitivity analysis is used to investigate the impact of process conditions, composition of feed, and method settings on the final outcome. The results indicate that both the ISI and the EHS methods present similar overall rankings with sugarcane-derived and corn stover-derived processes as the most and the least hazardous, respectively. However, dissimilarities occur in the evaluation of the process sections, highlighting different hazardous aspects. Finally, including the lifecycle impact assessment in a bicriteria assessment indicates the sugarcane-derived process as clearly superior followed by the corn-derived and the corn stover-derived processes.

A series of polysubstituted 3-aryl-2,6-dicyanoaniline derivatives were synthesized by one-pot multicomponent heterogeneous domino reaction of aromatic aldehyde, malononitrile and cyclic ketone under combined microwave and ultrasound irradiation in water. This facile approach reduces the reaction time and energy consumption and increases the yield and selectivity of the product.

Operationally simple condensation of dl -alanine amino acid with substituted aromatic aldehydes/heterocyclic aldehyde occurs to afford Schiff bases in quantitative yield under organic solvent-free conditions efficiently in the presence of water as a green solvent. The operational simplicity, environmentally friendly conditions and high yield achieved are major benefits that meet the requirements of green production, including saving energy and high efficiency. Structural assignments are based on spectroscopic data. The compounds have also been screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities and most of the Schiff bases have shown potent antibac­terial and antifungal activity.