Metal oxide-based compounds thermal stability

The early patent disclosures have claimed the application of a wide spectrum of gas-evolving ingredients and phosphorus-based organic molecules as flame retarding additives in the electrolytes. Pyrocarbonates and phosphate esters were typical examples of such compounds. The former have a strong tendency to release CO2, which hopefully could serve as both flame suppressant and SEI formation additive, while the latter represent the major candidates that have been well-known to the polymer material and fireproofing industries.The electrochemical properties of these flame retardants in lithium ion environments were not described in these disclosures, but a close correlation was established between the low flammability and low reactivity toward metallic lithium electrodes for some of these compounds. Further research published later confirmed that any reduction of flammability almost always leads to an improvement in thermal stability on a graphitic anode or metal oxide cathode. 

A few applications have employed conventional packed columns, although recent developments in new thermally stable stationary-phase materials have generated a renewed interest and the temperature stability of the different stationary-phase materials has been reviewed by Claessens and van Straten [43]. The new materials have included stable metal oxide materials, based on zirconia (Figures 18-4 and 18-5) and titania [44, 45] and hybrid phases combining silica and methylene or ethyl bridges [46]. These have been applied in a number of applications to pharmaceutical compounds (Table 18-1). 

POMs are promising catalysts for acid, redox and bifunctional catalysis. In many structures, the transition metal addenda atoms such as Mo or W exist in two oxidation states, which results in different redox properties as determined by polarog-raphy. The exceptional ability of heteropolyanions to act as electron reservoirs has been demonstrated by the preparation and characterization of numerous reduced derivatives [32]. They also exhibit high solubility in polar solvents, which means that they can be used in homogeneous catalysis. The wide range of applications of heteropoly compounds are based on their unique properties which include size, mass, electron and proton transfer (and hence storage) abilities, thermal stability. 

A robust matrix material can also be employed as a support to accommodate active metals, metal oxides, polymers, etc. Thus, three-dimensional graphene-based frameworks were used to support copper phthalocyanines and show improved thermal and chemical stability combined with a competitive overall cost and availability. This catalyst was successfully tested for the selective aerobic oxidation of alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds. The high catalytic activity of the material was related to n-n interactions between benzene moieties of reactants and graphene that favor the interaction of the reagents and catalytic sites. On the other hand, the presence of basic sites on the support also helps to improve the selectivity. 

Afterburning processes enable the removal of pollutants such as hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by treatment under thermal or catalytical conditions. Combinations of both techniques are also known. VOCs are emissions from various sources (e.g. solvents, reaction products etc. from the paint industry, enaml-ing operations, plywood manufacture, printing industry). They are mostly oxidized catalytically in the presence of Pt, Pd, Fe, Mn, Cu or Cr catalysts. The temperatures in catalytic afterburning processes are much lower than for thermal processes, so avoiding higher NOx levels. The catalysts involved are ceramic or metal honeycombs with washcoats based on cordierite, mullite or perovskites such as LaCoOs or Sr-doped LaCoOs. Conventional catalysts contain Ba-stabilized alumina plus Pt or Pd. 

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