Lingrui Cui's research while affiliated with East China University of Science and Technology and other places

Due to the complex composition and similar structure, the extraction denitrification of aromatic rich oil is faced with the contradiction problem of denitrification efficiency and aromatic loss which cannot be efficiently solved by experiments. However, the complex interactions involved can be analyzed from the perspective of calculation, and the prediction criteria and methods are proposed. Based on rigorous density functional theory calculation data, Simple models based on electrostatic potential (ESP) and Van der Waals potential (VdWP)‐based calculations were established and validated. The twofold model provided the best prediction for interactions between extractants and nitrogen compounds and between extractants and aromatics, which determines denitrification efficiency and aromatic loss, respectively, due to the most complete description of both electrostatic and VdW force. This provides a powerful tool for evaluating the non‐covalent interactions and thence tuning the efficiency of the separation process. Thus, high denitrification efficiency (43.2~66.3 %) and moderate aromatic loss (1.7~4.4 %) were obtained using screened deep eutectic solvents (DESs). This ideal observation provided the potential for mild hydrodesulfurization and manufacture of high‐grade carbon materials.

With the rapid development of industrial society and humankind’s prosperity, the growing demands of global energy, mainly based on the combustion of hydrocarbon fossil fuels, has become one of the most severe challenges all over the world. It is estimated that fossil fuel consumption continues to grow with an annual increase rate of 1.3%, which has seriously affected the natural environment through the emission of greenhouse gases, most notably carbon dioxide (CO2). Given these recognized environmental concerns, it is imperative to develop clean technologies for converting captured CO2 to high-valued chemicals, one of which is value-added hydrocarbons. In this article, environmental effects due to CO2 emission are discussed and various routes for CO2 hydrogenation to hydrocarbons including light olefins, fuel oils (gasoline and jet fuel), and aromatics are comprehensively elaborated. Our emphasis is on catalyst development. In addition, we present an outlook that summarizes the research challenges and opportunities associated with the hydrogenation of CO2 to hydrocarbon products.

This study aimed to apply aquathermolysis technology to remove thiophene sulfur in vacuum residue to obtain qualified petroleum coke products based on a well-designed Fe-Zr-Al catalyst. A coprecipitation method was first developed to synthesize Fe-Zr-Al composite metal oxide catalyst. The thiophene model oil was selected as the reaction system to investigate the process conditions. By adding surfactants into the reaction system to strengthen the mass transfer process of oil–water two-phase, the desulfurization rate of aquathermolysis was improved. It was shown in this study that under the conditions of oil–water ratio of 3:7, temperature of 280°C, pressure of 4 MPa and reaction duration of 60 h, the desulfurization rate could reach 44.39%. The further introduction of 2.4% Sorbitan oleate into the above reaction system could significantly enhance the desulfurization rate to 60.20%. Under the action of Fe2O3 lattice oxygen, thiophene was oxidized and C-S bond was broken, so as to achieve the purpose of desulfurization. The decomposition of water generated active oxygen to continuously replenish lattice oxygen of Fe2O3. The current founding can provide a new way for the effective desulfurization of vacuum residue to produce qualified petroleum coke products.

Ethyl levulinate (EL), as a potential fuel additive and versatile biomass-based platform molecule, has been the focus in the field of sustainable chemistry. In this contribution, a series of economic and environmental friendly biomass-derived P doped carbon catalysts were developed in this study for synthesis of EL from renewable furfural alcohol (FAL) in a hot ethanol medium. The carbon catalyst, P-C-800, synthesized via carbonizing the phytic acid at 800 °C, exhibited a good catalytic activity in alcoholysis of FAL to EL. The highest yield of EL could be 79.7% with a complete conversion of FAL at 140 °C in 6 h. Moreover, P-C-800 could be recovered efficiently and reused multiple times with sustained catalytic activity. It was revealed further by the detailed catalyst characterization and systematic evaluation of catalytic performance that both the acid content and surface area of the P-C-800 were crucial for the alcoholysis of FAL to EL.

The micro-explosion phenomenon of emulsified fuel when heated is known to improve thermal efficiency of combustion and reduce pollutant emissions. In this study, a new methodology is developed to evaluate the intensity and atomization effect of micro-explosion on a model droplet volume. The micro-explosion phenomenon of water-in-oil emulsified fuels prepared with different surfactants was studied using a single droplet micro-explosion shadow-imaging apparatus, and the proposed evaluation methods were verified. The results show that this new method can accurately predict the intensity and atomization effect of a single droplet undergoing micro-explosion. In addition, the addition of water-soluble surfactants effectively improves the intensity and atomization effect of the micro-explosion phenomenon in heterogeneous nucleation.