Abstract: An environmentally beneficial method of producing methanol from varied sources of carbon dioxide including flue gases of fossil fuel burning powerplants, industrial exhaust gases or the atmosphere itself. Converting carbon dioxide by electrochemical reduction produces formic acid acid and some formaldehyde and methanol mixtures. The formic acid can be used as source of carbon as well as hydrogen to produce methanol, dimethyl ether and other products.

Abstract: An efficient and economic ternary flex-fuel mixture that includes at least 10% gasoline, at least 10% bioethanol and at least 45% methanol, with the amount of gasoline, bioethanol and methanol totaling 100%, wherein the flex-fuel mixture has an octane rating of at least 90 and remains homogeneous in the presence of up to 10% water therein. Preferred flex-fuel mixtures include 10-15 to 30% gasoline, 50 to 75-80% methanol, and 10 to 25% of bioethanol and having an octane rating of 90 to 98. Also, methods of making these flex-fuel mixtures and to improvements in methods for preparing a flex-fuel mixture of gasoline and bioethanol by adding methanol in an amount sufficient to enable the mixture to remain homogeneous in the presence of up to 10% water to thus allow handling, transportation, dispensing and use of the mixture in the same manner as conventional gasoline fuels.

Abstract: The invention provides for a method of forming dimethyl ether by bimolecular dehydration of methanol produced from a mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide obtained by reforming of methane, water and carbon dioxide in a ratio of about 3:2:1. Subsequent use of water produced in the dehydration of methanol in the bi-reforming process leads to an overall ratio of carbon dioxide to methane of about 1:3 to produce dimethyl ether.

Abstract: An environmentally beneficial method of producing methanol from varied sources of carbon dioxide including flue gases of fossil fuel burning power plants, industrial exhaust gases or the atmosphere itself. Converting carbon dioxide by an electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide in a divided electrochemical cell that includes an anode in one cell compartment and a metal cathode electrode in another cell compartment that also contains an aqueous solution comprising methanol and an electrolyte of one or more alkyl ammonium halides, alkali carbonates or combinations thereof to produce therein a reaction mixture containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen which can be subsequently used to produce methanol while also producing oxygen in the cell at the anode.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method of converting carbon dioxide to methanol and/or dimethyl ether using any methane source or natural gas consisting of a combination of steam and dry reforming, in a specific ratio to produce a 2:1 molar ratio of hydrogen and carbon monoxide with subsequent conversion of the CO and H2 mixture exclusively to methanol and/or dimethyl ether. This method is termed the BI-REFORMING™ process. Dehydrating formed methanol allows producing dimethyl ether (DME) using any suitable catalytic method, including use of solid acid catalysts.

Abstract: An embodiment lithium-ion battery comprising a lithium-ion electrolyte of ethylene carbonate; ethyl methyl carbonate; and at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of trifluoroethyl butyrate, ethyl trifluoroacetate, trifluoroethyl acetate, methyl pentafluoropropionate, and 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl propionate. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The invention relates to regenerative, supported amine sorbents that includes an amine or an amine/polyol composition deposited on a nano-structured support such as nanosilica. The sorbent provides structural integrity, as well as high selectivity and increased capacity for efficiently capturing carbon dioxide from gas mixtures, including the air. The sorbent is regenerative, and can be used through multiple operations of absorption-desorption cycles.

Abstract: A liquid organic, fuel cell is provided which employs a solid electrolyte membrane. An organic fuel, such as a methanol/water mixture, is circulated past an anode of a cell while oxygen or air is circulated past a cathode of the cell. The cell solid electrolyte membrane is preferably fabricated from Nafion™. Additionally, a method for improving the performance of carbon electrode structures for use in organic fuel cells is provided wherein a high surface-area carbon particle/Teflon™-binder structure is immersed within a Nafion™/methanol bath to impregnate the electrode with Nafion™. A method for fabricating an anode for use in a organic fuel cell is described wherein metal alloys are deposited onto the electrode in an electro-deposition solution containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. A fuel additive containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid for use with fuel cells employing a sulfuric acid electrolyte is also disclosed.

Abstract: (Benzenesulfonyl)difluoromethyl anion, in situ generated from difluoromethyl phenyl sulfone and a base, was found to easily undergo nucleophilic substitution reactions (SN2) with primary alkyl halides, elemental halogens, and perfluoroalkyl halides with good selectivity. The formed (benzenesufonyl)difluoromethylalkanes are useful intermediates for the facile preparation of 1,1-difluoro-1-alkenes and difluoromethylalkanes.

Abstract: A novel, convenient and efficient method for trifluoromethylation of substrate compounds is disclosed. Particularly, alkoxide and hydroxide induced nucleophilic trifluoromethylation of carbonyl compounds, disulfides and other electrophiles, using phenyl trifluoromethyl sulfone PhSO2CF3 (or sulfoxide PhSOCF3) is disclosed. A method of both symmetrical and unsymmetrical anti-2,2-difluoropropan-1,3-diols with high diastereoselectivity (up to 94% de) is disclosed using difluoromethyl phenyl sulfone. This unusual type of high diastereoselectivity was obtained via an intramolecular charge-charge repulsion effect rather than the traditional steric control (based on the Cram's rule). Thus, difluoromethyl phenyl sulfone can be used as a novel difluoromethylene dianion species (“?CF2?”), which can couple two electrophiles (such as diphenyl disulfide or non-enolizable aldehydes) to give new difluoromethylenated products.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a convenient method of synthesizing radiolabeled ?-trifluoromethyl ketones by a fluorination reaction. The present invention also relates to imaging agents and markers for identifying cell proliferation, or viral infection. The markers and imaging agents including the radiolabeled ?-trifluoromethyl ketones that are prepared by the present method.

Abstract: A pyrene based compound and its use in an organic light emitting device (OLED) according to the following formula: In the above formula, Z1 represents a hydrogen atom, deuterium atom, oxygen atom, silicon atom, selenium atom, substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, substituted or unsubstituted aryl amine or a combination thereof, and Z2 represents a hydrogen or deuterium atom. One of Y1 and Y2 represents a hydrogen atom, deuterium atom, oxygen atom, silicon atom, selenium atom, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, substituted or unsubstituted aryl amine or a combination thereof, and the other of Y1 and Y2 represents a hydrogen or deuterium atom. X1 through X6 independently represent hydrogen atoms, deuterium atoms, alkyl groups or aryl groups, and at least one of X1 through X6 represents a bulky alkyl group or bulky aryl group.

Abstract: A liquid organic, fuel cell is provided which employs a solid electrolyte membrane. An organic fuel, such as a methanol/water mixture, is circulated past an anode of a cell while oxygen or air is circulated past a cathode of the cell. The cell solid electrolyte membrane is preferably fabricated from Nafion™. Additionally, a method for improving the performance of carbon electrode structures for use in organic fuel cells is provided wherein a high surface-area carbon particle/Teflon™ binder structure is immersed within a Nafion™/methanol bath to impregnate the electrode with Nafion™. A method for fabricating an anode for use in a organic fuel cell is described wherein metal alloys are deposited onto the electrode in an electro-deposition solution containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. A fuel additive containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid for use with fuel cells employing a sulfuric acid electrolyte is also disclosed.

Abstract: A novel, convenient and efficient method for trifluoromethylation of substrate compounds is disclosed. Particularly, alkoxide and hydroxide induced nucleophilic trifluoromethylation of carbonyl compounds, disulfides and other electrophiles, using phenyl trifluoromethyl sulfone PhSO2CF3 (or sulfoxide PhSOCF3) is disclosed. A method of both symmetrical and unsymmetrical anti-2,2-difluoropropan-1,3-diols with high diastereoselectivity (up to 94% de) is disclosed using difluoromethyl phenyl sulfone. This unusual type of high diastereoselectivity was obtained via an intramolecular charge-charge repulsion effect rather than the traditional steric control (based on the Cram's rule). Thus, difluoromethyl phenyl sulfone can be used as a novel difluoromethylene dianion species (“−CF2−”), which can couple two electrophiles (such as diphenyl disulfide or non-enolizable aldehydes) to give new difluoromethylenated products.

Abstract: A liquid organic, fuel cell is provided which employs a solid electrolyte membrane. An organic fuel, such as a methanol/water mixture, is circulated past an anode of a cell while oxygen or air is circulated past a cathode of the cell. The cell solid electrolyte membrane is preferably fabricated from Nafion™. Additionally, a method for improving the performance of carbon electrode structures for use in organic fuel cells is provided wherein a high surface-area carbon particle/Teflon™-binder structure is immersed within a Nafion™/methanol bath to impregnate the electrode with Nafion™. A method for fabricating an anode for use in a organic fuel cell is described wherein metal alloys are deposited onto the electrode in an electro-deposition solution containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. A fuel additive containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid for use with fuel cells employing a sulfuric acid electrolyte is also disclosed.

Abstract: An efficient method is disclosed for the preparation of trifluoromethyl- and difluoromethylsilanes using magnesium metal mediated reductive tri- and difluoromethylation of chlorosilanes with tri- and difluoromethyl sulfides, sulfoxides, and sulfones. One byproduct of the process is diphenyl disulfide. Since phenyl trifluoromethyl sulfone, sulfoxide and sulfide are readily prepared from readily available trifluoromethane and diphenyl disulfide, the method can be considered “pseudo-catalytic” for the preparation of (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane from environmentally benign trifluoromethane.

Abstract: A liquid organic, fuel cell is provided which employs a solid electrolyte membrane. An organic fuel, such as a methanol/water mixture, is circulated past an anode of a cell while oxygen or air is circulated past a cathode of the cell. The cell solid electrolyte membrane is preferably fabricated from Nafion™. Additionally, a method for improving the performance of carbon electrode structures for use in organic fuel cells is provided wherein a high surface-area carbon particle/Teflon™-binder structure is immersed within a Nafion™/methanol bath to impregnate the electrode with Nafion™. A method for fabricating an anode for use in a organic fuel cell is described wherein metal alloys are deposited onto the electrode in an electro-deposition solution containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. A fuel additive containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid for use with fuel cells employing a sulfuric acid electrolyte is also disclosed.

Abstract: An efficient method is disclosed for the preparation of trifluoromethyl- and difluoromethylsilanes using magnesium metal mediated reductive tri- and difluoromethylation of chlorosilanes with tri- and difluoromethyl sulfides, sulfoxides, and sulfones. One byproduct of the process is diphenyl disulfide. Since phenyl trifluoromethyl sulfone, sulfoxide and sulfide are readily prepared from readily available trifluoromethane and diphenyl disulfide, the method can be considered “pseudo-catalytic” for the preparation of (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane from environmentally benign trifluoromethane.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane composed of polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) crosslinked within a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrix is provided. This membrane exhibits low methanol crossover which translates to higher fuel and fuel cell efficiencies. A fuel cell comprising a PSSA-PVDF membrane is also provided. Further, methods of decreasing the fuel crossover rate, enhancing fuel cell efficiency, and enhancing electrical performance of a fuel cell are provided.

Abstract: A liquid organic, fuel cell is provided which employs a solid electrolyte membrane. An organic fuel, such as a methanol/water mixture, is circulated past an anode of a cell while oxygen or air is circulated past a cathode of the cell. The cell solid electrolyte membrane is preferably fabricated from Nafion™. Additionally, a method for improving the performance of carbon electrode structures for use in organic fuel cells is provided wherein a high surface-area carbon particle/Teflon™-binder structure is immersed within a Nafion™/methanol bath to impregnate the electrode with Nafion™. A method for fabricating an anode for use in a organic fuel cell is described wherein metal alloys are deposited onto the electrode in an electro-deposition solution containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. A fuel additive containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid for use with fuel cells employing a sulfuric acid electrolyte is also disclosed.