Kinetics of Chemical Processes details the concepts associated with the kinetic study of the chemical processes. The book is comprised of 10 chapters that present information relevant to applied research. The text first covers the elementary chemical kinetics of elementary steps, and then proceeds to discussing catalysis. The next chapter tackles simplified kinetics of sequences at the steady state. Chapter 5 deals with coupled sequences in reaction networks, while Chapter 6 talks about autocatalysis and inhibition. The seventh chapter describes the irreducible transport phenomena in chemical kinetics. The next two chapters discuss the correlations in homogenous kinetics and heterogeneous catalysis, respectively. The last chapter covers the analysis of reaction networks. The book will be of great use to students, researchers, and practitioners of scientific disciplines that deal with chemical reaction, particularly chemistry and chemical engineering.

Over the last several years it has become apparent to most researchers that interdisciplinary research is the key to success in the sciences’ future. The present book exemplifies such interdisciplinary work. Thus, some new derivatives have been prepared by chemists and consecutively analyzed by physicists in order to better understand their physical-chemical properties for future tests to be performed by pharmacists. The book consists of an introductory section and other eight chapters. First, the fundamentals of infrared, Raman and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and those of the theoretical methods employed for the vibrational prediction modes are highlighted. The SERS investigations illustrated in the following chapters are focused on different kinds of drugs: tranquilizers and sedatives, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins, drugs with anti-bacterial properties, etc. Since there is an increased interest in designing highly effective and controllable SERS-active substrates, a few newly developed substrates that could contribute to a deeper understanding and knowledge of the adsorption behavior of various types of molecules of pharmaceutical and medical interest are also presented.

Today, there is growing interest in aqueous-phase catalytic conversions for the valorization of renewable biomass-based feedstocks for biorefineries to produce, in a sustainable way, biofuels, chemicals, power, energy, materials, pharmaceuticals and food. This is because of the highly polar nature of water which makes it an ideal medium to convert polar biomass-based lignocellulose (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin), with high oxygen content, and their upgraded products such as hydrophilic carbohydrates, platform chemicals and their derivatives. Another reason which makes water the solvent of choice is that water itself is involved either as a reagent or as a byproduct even in large amounts in typical conversions for the valorization of biomass. The obtained intermediates further react in the aqueous medium, often without any separation and purification, to manufacture more valuable products. This results in substantial energy savings, lower emissions and economic benefits. Furthermore, water could act as a catalyst in conversions of biomass-based feedstocks such as in liquefaction reactions under subcritical conditions. Moreover, novel types of catalytic reactivity have been observed in the aqueous solvent, not only with water-soluble transition metal catalytic complexes, but also with conventional heterogeneous catalysts and catalytic nanoparticles in a broad spectrum of different reactions such as, inter alia, aldol condensations and hydrogenation reactions. For example, in the aqueous-phase hydrogenation of the biomass-based key platform chemical levulinic acid into γ-valerolactone and beyond, employing heterogeneous catalysts and nanoparticles the presence of water has a beneficial effect and accelerates the reaction rates, whereas in organic solvents much lower activities were observed. This promotional effect of water in the hydrogenation of levulinic acid was proved by many experimental and theoretical studies using a broad spectrum of different types of catalytic systems.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystalline polymers con­structed by metal sites and organic building blocks. Since the discovery of MOFs in the 1990s, they have received tremendous research attention for various applications due to their high surface area, controllable mor­phology, tunable chemical properties, and multifunctionalities, including MOFs as precursors and self-sacrificing templates for synthesizing metal oxides, heteroatom-doped carbons, metal-atoms encapsulated carbons, and others. Thus, awareness and knowledge about MOFs and their derived nanomaterials with conceptual understanding are essential for the advanced material community. This breakthrough new volume aims to explore down-to-earth applications in fields such as bio­medical, environmental, energy, and electronics. This book provides an overview of the structural and fundamental properties, synthesis strate­gies, and versatile applications of MOFs and their derived nanomaterials. It gives an updated and comprehensive account of the research in the field of MOFs and their derived nanomaterials. Whether as a reference for industry professionals and nanotechnologists or for use in the classroom for graduate and postgraduate students, faculty members, and research and development specialists working in the area of inorganic chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering, this is a must-have for any library.

This edited book provides knowledge about hemicelluloses biorefinery approaching production life cycle, circular economy, and valorization by obtaining value-added bioproducts and bioenergy. A special focus is dedicated to chemical and biochemical compounds produced from the hemicelluloses derivatives platform. Hemicelluloses are polysaccharides located into plant cell wall, with diverse chemical structures and properties. It is the second most spread organic polymer on nature and found in vast lignocellulosic materials from agro and industrial wastes, therefore, hemicelluloses are considered as abundant and renewable raw material/feedstock. Biorefinery concept contributes to hemicelluloses production associated with biomass industrial processes. Hemicelluloses are alternative sources of sugars for renewable fuels and as platform for chemicals production. This book reviews chemical processes for sugar production and degradation, obtaining of intermediate and final products, and challenges for pentose fermentation. Aspects of hemicelluloses chain chemical and enzymatic modifications are presented with focus on physicochemical properties improvement for bioplastic and biomaterial approaches. Hemicelluloses are presented as sources for advanced materials in biomedical and pharmaceutical uses, and as hydrogel for chemical and medicine deliveries. An interdisciplinary approach is needed to cover all the processes involving hemicelluloses, its conversion into final and intermediate value-added compounds, and bioenergy production. Covering this context, this book is of interest to teachers, students, researchers, and scientists dedicated to biomass valorization. This book is a knowledge source of basic aspects to advanced processing and application for graduate students, particularly. Besides, the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate students (from different courses) with a deep interest in biomass and waste conversion, valorization, and chemical products from hemicelluloses

A comprehensive reference to the use of innovative catalysts and processes to turn biomass into value-added chemicals Chemical Catalysts for Biomass Upgrading offers detailed descriptions of catalysts and catalytic processes employed in the synthesis of chemicals and fuels from the most abundant and important biomass types. The contributors?noted experts on the topic?focus on the application of catalysts to the pyrolysis of whole biomass and to the upgrading of bio-oils. The authors discuss catalytic approaches to the processing of biomass-derived oxygenates, as exemplified by sugars, via reactions such as reforming, hydrogenation, oxidation, and condensation reactions. Additionally, the book provides an overview of catalysts for lignin valorization via oxidative and reductive methods and considers the conversion of fats and oils to fuels and terminal olefins by means of esterification/transesterification, hydrodeoxygenation, and decarboxylation/decarbonylation processes. The authors also provide an overview of conversion processes based on terpenes and chitin, two emerging feedstocks with a rich chemistry, and summarize some of the emerging trends in the field. This important book: -Provides a comprehensive review of innovative catalysts, catalytic processes, and catalyst design -Offers a guide to one of the most promising ways to find useful alternatives for fossil fuel resources -Includes information on the most abundant and important types of biomass feedstocks -Examines fields such as catalytic cracking, pyrolysis, depolymerization, and many more Written for catalytic chemists, process engineers, environmental chemists, bioengineers, organic chemists, and polymer chemists, Chemical Catalysts for Biomass Upgrading presents deep insights on the most important aspects of biomass upgrading and their various types.

Many important industrial chemical processes rely heavily on catalysis and so researchers are always on the lookout for alternative catalytic materials that may improve existing processes or lead to new ones. Families of alternative catalytic materials currently being investigated include the carbides, nitrides and phosphides as well as amorphous boron catalysts. The addition of carbon, nitrogen or phosphorous to transition metals and the creation of boron-transition metal alloys leads to catalytic materials that have interesting properties, with applications in a range of different reactions, including electrocatalysis. This book provides a comprehensive account of the preparation, characterisation and application of these catalytic materials. It is an important reference for researchers and industrialists working in heterogeneous catalysis and materials chemistry.