i-SANEX is a process for separating actinides(III) from used nuclear fuels by solvent extraction: Actinides(III) and lanthanides(III) are co-extracted from a PUREX raffinate followed by selective back extraction of actinides(III) from the loaded organic phase. This step requires a complexing agent selective for actinides(III). A hydrophilic sulfonated bis triazinyl pyridine (SO₃-Ph-BTP) was synthesized and tested for selective complexation of actinides(III) in nitric acid solution. When co-extracting Am(III) and Eu(III) from nitric acid into TODGA, adding SO₃-Ph-BTP to the aqueous phase suppresses Am(III) extraction while Eu(III) is extracted. Separation factors in the range of 1000 are achieved. SO₃-Ph-BTP remains active in nitric acid up to 2 mol/L. As a result of this performance, buffering or salting-out agents are not needed in the aqueous phase; nitric acid is used to keep the lanthanides(III) in the TODGA solvent. These properties make SO₃-Ph-BTP a suitable candidate for i-SANEX process development.

We report the successful utilization of monometallic, ionic iron(II)– and iron(III)–N₂O₂–ligand-systems as highly active homogeneous catalysts for the conversion of CO₂ with different epoxides to cyclic carbonates. The catalytic tests were performed using propylene oxide (PO) and a range of nine substituted epoxides. Terminal monosubstituted oxides react quantitatively.

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a promising technology to convert wet biomass into carbon-rich materials. Until now, the chemical processes occurring and their influence on the product properties are not well understood. Therefore, a target-oriented production of materials with defined properties is difficult, if not impossible. Here, model compounds such as cellulose and lignin, as well as different definite biomasses such as straw and beech wood are converted by hydrothermal carbonization. Following this, thermogravimetic (TGA) and FTIR measurements are used to get information about chemical structure and thermal properties of the related hydrochars. Some of the isolated materials are thermally post-treated (490 °C and 700 °C) and analyzed. The results show that at “mild” HTC conversion, the cellulose part in a lignocellulose matrix is not completely carbonized and there is still cellulose present. Thermal post-treatment makes the properties of product materials more similar and shows complete carbonization with increase aromatic cross-linking, proven by TGA and FTIR results.

In this contribution, we report the successful utilization of several transition metal complexes based on substituted N₄-N,N-bis(2-pyridinecarboxamide)-1,2-benzene chelating ligands as catalysts in the coupling of epoxides with carbon dioxide. The complexes were tested towards cyclohexene oxide and propylene oxide. Additionally the recyclability of the catalytic system was evaluated and a broader catalytic screening involving several commercially available epoxides was carried out with selected catalysts.

Upgrading bio-oils for the production of transport fuel and chemicals is a challenge that has recently attracted a lot of attention. As one of the most prominent approaches, hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) was used in this work to upgrade the light phase of a pyrolysis oil produced from straw in the bioliq® pilot plant in Karlsruhe. A mild hydrotreatment was performed in a batch autoclave at 250 °C under hydrogen atmosphere (8.0 MPa at room temperature) in the presence of various nickel-based catalysts using different loadings and supports. Their catalytic performances, measured in term of hydrogen consumption, were similar but inferior to Ru/C (used as benchmark). The oxygen content was significantly decreased in the upgraded oils (20–26 wt%) as result of hydrodeoxygenation reactions and of the repartition of more apolar compounds in the upgraded oil. Using gas chromatography, the typical biomass platform molecules were detected and some reaction trends were identified. The conversion of phenol and the product selectivity was different whether this molecule was investigated in the pyrolytic mixture or as model compounds, indicating that the complex composition of the light phase or the probable deactivation of the catalyst plays a significant role. Quantitative 1H-NMR analysis was a useful method for gaining an overview about the reactivity of the different molecular functional groups present in the bio-oil