The one-dimensional channel pore system and the moderately strong acid centers inherent in aluminophosphate (AlPO₄-11) and silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO-11) molecular sieves make them promising catalyst for hydroisomerization of higher n-paraffins. However, the mechanism of crystallization of these materials is not well understood as yet. XRD, ²⁷Al and ³¹P MAS NMR, lowtemperature adsorption-desorption of nitrogen, and SEM techniques were used for the first time for studying the stage crystallization of aluminophosphate AlPO₄-11 for commercial boehmite based aluminium source. AlPO₄-11 was shown to form via an intermediate phase based on layered crystalline aluminophosphate. It was established that highly crystalline and phase-pure AlPO₄-11 was formed at 200 °C during 6 to 24 hours. When the crystallization at 200 °C lasted for more than two days, AlPO₄-11 turned into non-porous cristobalite. The results obtained will be used for developing methods for deliberate control of the phase composition and crystallinity of industrially important silicoaluminophosphate sieves SAPO-11 with required properties to develop promising catalysts based thereon for large-scale processes of hydroisomerization of n-paraffins.

Catalytic activity of FeCrNiWMoCoCB metallic glass (MG) coatings deposited on steel 1035 was studied in decomposition of the model solution of methylene blue. Five samples with different compositions and predominantly amorphous structure were synthesized by depositing MG coatings using the electrospark treatment in the crystalline alloy granule medium. The Ra criterion characterizing the coatings roughness was 9 to 14 mm that indicated the considerable area of interaction between MG and methylene blue. The presence of nickel and cobalt but not tungsten and molybdenum in the metallic glass favored an increase in the catalytic activity of the coatings. The best catalytic properties were inherent in the coatings consisted of Fe₃₃Cr₈Ni₈W₈Mo₈Co₈C₁₆B₁₁ which provided a decrease in the activation energy of self-decomposition of methylene blue to one eighth in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. It was shown that the efficiency of this catalytic system could be increased by a factor of 3 upon etching in 30 % HNO₃ for 380 s due to an increase in the porosity and in the specific surface area of the coating. The suggested approach makes it possible to decrease considerably the prime cost of the catalytic units of the reactor owing to application of one-stage supporting of MG coating on the metals.

Various methods for improving the catalyst selectivity to conversion of oxygenates to liquid hydrocarbons are discussed. Literature analysis reveals that the key factors determining the selectivity of zeolite-containing catalysts are the structure type and acid properties of the zeolite. The strength and distribution of the acid sites are shown to depend on the structure type and chemical composition of the zeolite framework, as well as on the chemical nature of exchange cations. Methods for changing acid properties of zeolites are considered, among which are modifying with various cations, post-synthetic acid, alkali or steam treatment.

Triethanolamine (TEA) is a high-demand chemical product used in numerous sectors of industry (textile and cement industries, production of lubricating fluids, cosmetics, household chemicals, pharmaceutics, etc.). The product quality and consumer properties depend on the preparation technology. In the review paper, various, including catalytic, methods for TEA preparation are discussed with regard to the product purity and the target applications. Additional methods for improving the consumer properties of the synthesized TEA also are considered.

Liquid-phase catalytic hydrogenation of furfural to industrially important furfuryl alcohol was studied at 30 and 50 °C and 2 to 24 atm hydrogen pressure in the presence of Ru-containing catalysts based on new zeolite-like materials such as nickel-phosphate molecular sieves (VSB-5 and Fe-VSB-5) and zirconium-containing organometallic frameworks (UiO-66(Zr)-R, R = H and NH₂), as well as materials based on carbon support Sibunit (for comparison). The yield of furfural was shown to depend on the support nature and to increase in the series: Ru/UiO-66(Zr)-NH2 < Ru/UiO-66(Zr) < Ru/Fe-VSB-5 < Ru/VSB-5. The influence of the hydrogen pressure and temperature on selectivity to furfural alcohol was studied.

The studies were focused on the influence of key parameters (temperature, pressure, dilution of the reaction medium with an inert gas) of catalytic processes (cracking of vacuum gasoil, hydrogen-free upgrading and cracking of gasoline fractions) on the ratio of selectivities to cracking and intermolecular hydrogen transfer. Controlling the ratio of these reactions allows the required products to be obtained on the feedstock processing. Lengthening of the feedstock-catalyst contact time, a decrease in the proportion of the diluting inert gas, and the pressure rise provides an increase in the selectivity to hydrogen transfer. Fixed and circulating catalyst bed setups were used for the experiments. Transformations of the feedstock containing deuterated compounds were studied.

A mathematical model of the process of dehydrogenation of methylbutenes to isoprene was used for comparative analysis of energetic efficiency of two versions of modernization: (1) a system of consecutively connected two axial reactors with a fixed catalyst beds, and (2) adiabatic radial reactor with fixed catalyst bed. The purpose was to determine the dependence of yield (Y) and selectivity (S) to the target product on the heat energy Q supplied with vapor. In the two-reactor system, the best parameters (Y = 53.1 % and S = 82.9 %) were achieved at Q = 9.0 MJ/kg and contact time t = 0.8 s. At the same time, in the radial reactor the best performance (Y = 42.0 % and S = 86.1 %) was observed at Q = 7.8 MJ/kg and t = 0.8 s. Hence, the radial reactor consumes less heat energy (by 13.0 %) than the radial reactor for methylbutene dehydrogenation.

In the review paper, the modern investigations on the application of thermostable lipolytic bacterial enzymes for biotechnology are discussed, the properties of these enzymes discussed including their activity and functional stability at various temperatures, pH in organic solvents, as well as the substrate specificity and activity in the presence of various chemical compounds. The paper contains data on the development of recombinant producers of lipolytic bacterial enzymes and on approaches to improving their productivity. The application of the bacterial lipases for biotechnological processes of synthesis of biofuel, various chemicals and detergents, for food industry and wastewater treatment is considered.