The paper presents the process of cellulose extraction from rice straw using water–alkaline solution treatment and the subsequent process of carboxymethylation of the obtained product when activated by microwave radiation. After mercerization of rice straw, the obtained product contained 89.2% cellulose and 6.7% lignin. The X-ray diffraction pattern of the obtained lignocellulose shows three diffraction peaks in the region typical for the polymorphic modification of cellulose Iβ (2θ = 15.50(78), 21.70(145), 34.70(52)). The degree of crystallinity was 65%. The product was heat-stable up to 247 °C. The synthesis of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) based on the obtained product included successive processes of thermostating in alcohol–alkali solution and cellulose esterification reaction using monochloroacetic acid. To activate the carboxymethylation process, microwave radiation was used (350 W for 90 s), which made it possible to reduce the reaction time by more than 100 times. Functional group analysis of the carboxylated lignocellulose from rice straw was carried out using an FTIR spectrometer. In the IR spectra, a band with a maximum of 1742 cm⁻¹ was recorded, corresponding to stretching vibrations of >C(O)OH groups. The degree of polymerization was recorded by mass spectrometry.

The use of environmentally safe products of natural origin is a global trend today. A particular point of interest is the use of humic fertilizers. This is due to the growing awareness of the positive impact of humic substances on plant growth and development as well as on the quality of agricultural products and soil fertility. Humates are physiologically active substances. As a result, they regulate and intensify metabolic processes in plants and soil, and contribute to the bioavailability of nutrients to plants. EldORost is a new-generation humic product that contains humic substances with a high humification degree. In addition to humates, this product contains a complex of amino acids, macro-, and microelements in a bioavailable form for plants. The product is eco-friendly and completely soluble in water, which is a substantial advantage for drip irrigation systems. It can be used for all types of agricultural crops on a wide diversity of soils and climatic zones. It displays the properties of plant hormones while its optimum concentration is as low as 0.0001% (wt). The efficiency of this novel humic product was tested in laboratory and field tests conducted on potatoes and vegetable crops (tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, onions, beets). The obtained results showed high efficiency displayed in the significantly improved sowing quality of vegetable seeds, nominally increased the germination degree and seed germination energy, intensively stimulated the side root development in plants, accelerated the growth of biomass, increased the fruiting period, and reduced maturation on the yield of potatoes and vegetable crops. The obtained data allowed us to characterize this novel humic product from the perspective of an eco-friendly fertilizer and growth promoter.

Several types of catalyst systems were examined in the olefin hydroalkoxycarbonylation reaction. The systems contained Pd(PPh3)4, PdCl2(PPh3)2, or some other palladium compounds as a principal compone

This paper presents the results of detailed studies of the possibility of using Lewis acid AlCl3as a promoter of the catalytic three-component system PdCl2(PPh3)2–PPh3–AlCl3in the hydroethoxycarbonylation reaction of cyclohexene at low carbon monoxide pressures (2.5 MPa). As a result a high catalytic activity of the three-component system was established and the reaction proceeds regioselectively with the formation of ethyl ether of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid. The optimal conditions of the process have been elaborated (molar ratio of the starting reagents [Cyclohexene]:[Ethanol] = 1:1; molar ratio of the components of the catalytic system = =[PdCl2(PPh3)2]:[PPh3]:[AlCl3] = 1:6:9; carbon monoxide pressure PCO=2.5MPa; process temperature T=120°C and reaction time τ= 5 h) at which the target product yield reaches 80.7%. To identify the obtained ethyl ester of cyclohexane carboxylic acid gas chromatographic analysis and mass-and IR-spectra were carried out. Based on the data obtained, a possible mechanism of the reaction route of cyclohexene carbonylation with carbon monoxide and ethanol in the presence of the three-component system PdCl2(PPh3)2–PPh3–AlCl3is pro-posed and discussed.