Abstract: A novel catalyst capable of selectively catalyzing conversion from glucose to fructose in water or in an aqueous solution is provided. The catalyst is a solid catalyst for a hydride isomerization reaction from glucose to fructose performed in water or in an aqueous solution, comprising a group 13 element oxide whose surface has been subjected to a phosphoric acid treatment.

Abstract: A catalyst is provided which is used for continuously synthesizing ammonia using a gas containing hydrogen and nitrogen as a raw material, wherein a transition metal which exhibits catalytic activity is supported by a support, and the support is a two-dimensional electride or a precursor thereof. The two-dimensional electride or the precursor thereof is a metal nitride represented by MxNyHz (M represents one or two or more of Group II metals selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba, and x, y and z are in ranges of 1?x?11, 1?y?8, and 0?z?4 respectively, in which x is an integer, and y and z are not limited to an integer) or M3N2 (M is the same as above), or a metal carbide selected from the group consisting of Y2C, Sc2C, Gd2C, Tb2C, Dy2C, Ho2C and Er2C.

Abstract: A metal-supporting catalyst for decomposing ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen. The catalyst shows a high performance with a low cost and being advantageous from the viewpoint of resources, and an efficient method for producing hydrogen using the catalyst. The catalyst catalytically decomposes ammonia gas to generate hydrogen. The hydrogen generation catalyst includes, as a support, a mayenite type compound having oxygen ions enclosed therein or a mayenite type compound having 1015 cm?3 or more of conduction electrons or hydrogen anions enclosed therein, and metal grains for decomposing ammonia are supported on the surface of the support. Hydrogen is produced by continuously supplying 0.1-100 vol % of ammonia gas to a catalyst layer that comprises the aforesaid catalyst, and reacting the same at a reaction pressure of 0.01-1.0 MPa, at a reaction temperature of 300-800° C. and at a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 500/mlg?1h?1 or higher.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel sterilization method capable of killing not only microorganisms in water, but also microorganisms in a gas. Specifically, the present invention provide a method for sterilizing a gas or liquid, comprising contacting a microorganism in a gas or liquid with a material containing an amorphous carbon having a sulfo group introduced therein.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst substance that is stable and performs well in the synthesis of ammonia, one of the most important chemical substances for fertilizer ingredients and the like. The catalyst substance exhibits catalytic activity under mild synthesis conditions not requiring high pressure, and is also advantageous from a resource perspective. Further provided is a method for producing the same. This catalyst comprises a supported metal catalyst that is supported on a mayenite type compound including conduction electrons of 1015 cm?3 or more and serving as a support for the ammonia synthesis catalyst. The mayenite type compound used as the support may take any form, including that of powder, a porous material, a sintered body, a thin-film, or a single crystal. Use of this catalyst makes it possible to increase the electron donating ability toward a transition metal.

Abstract: If a conductive mayenite compound having a large specific surface area is obtained, the usefulness thereof in respective applications is remarkably increased. A conductive mayenite compound powder having a conduction electron density of 1015 cm?3 or more and a specific surface area of 5 m2g?1 or more is produced by: (1) a step for forming a precursor powder by subjecting a mixture of a starting material powder and water to a hydrothermal treatment; (2) a step for forming a mayenite compound powder by heating and dehydrating the precursor powder; (3) a step for forming an activated mayenite compound powder by heating the compound powder in an inert gas atmosphere or in a vacuum; and (4) a step for injecting electrons into the mayenite compound through a reduction treatment by mixing the activated mayenite compound powder with a reducing agent.

Abstract: A metal-supporting catalyst for decomposing ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen. The catalyst shows a high performance with a low cost and being advantageous from the viewpoint of resources, and an efficient method for producing hydrogen using the catalyst. The catalyst catalytically decomposes ammonia gas to generate hydrogen. The hydrogen generation catalyst includes, as a support, a mayenite type compound having oxygen ions enclosed therein or a mayenite type compound having 1015 cm?3 or more of conduction electrons or hydrogen anions enclosed therein, and metal grains for decomposing ammonia are supported on the surface of the support. Hydrogen is produced by continuously supplying 0.1-100 vol % of ammonia gas to a catalyst layer that comprises the aforesaid catalyst, and reacting the same at a reaction pressure of 0.01-1.0 MPa, at a reaction temperature of 300-800° C. and at a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 500/mlg?1h?1 or higher.

Abstract: The object is to produce a polysaccharide and/or a monosaccharide efficiently by hydrolyzing a different polysaccharide efficiently. The hydrolysis of a polysaccharide is an important means for producing a monosaccharide that can be used as a starting material for the production of ethanol, the solubilization of a water-insoluble polysaccharide, and the production of a useful water-soluble low-polymeric saccharide or the like. For achieving the object, a polysaccharide to be hydrolyzed is reacted with water in the presence of a carbonaceous material having sulfonic acid group therein to cause the hydrolysis of the polysaccharide to be hydrolyzed, thereby producing a other polysaccharide and/or a monosaccharide.

Abstract: An amorphous carbon having sulfonate group introduced therein is provided which is characterized in that chemical shifts of a condensed aromatic carbon 6-membered ring and a condensed aromatic carbon 6-membered ring having sulfonate group bonded thereto are detected in a 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum and that at least a diffraction peak of carbon (002) face whose half-value width (2?) is in the range of 5 to 30° is detected in powder X-ray diffractometry, and which exhibits proton conductivity. This sulfonated amorphous carbon is very useful as a proton conductor material or solid acid catalyst because it excels in proton conductivity, acid catalytic activity, thermal stability and chemical stability and can be produced at low cost.

Abstract: A sulfonic acid group-containing carbonaceous material that is useful as a solid acid catalyst for various reactions such as hydration of olefins and acidolysis reaction of hydroperoxide and also useful as a proton conductor material having excellent proton conductivity is provided. In addition, an economical and environmentally friendly method for producing methyl ethyl ketone is provided. A sulfonic acid group-containing carbonaceous material having high catalytic activities for various acid catalyst reactions and also having high proton conductivity can be obtained by carbonization and sulfonation of a phenolic resin.

Abstract: A fermentation apparatus (A) of the present invention comprising: an enzymatic reactor (4) for degrading cellulose using a diastatic enzyme, and a first catalytic reactor (5) for degrading the degradation product produced by the enzymatic reactor (4) into glucose, using a solid acid catalyst (X). According to this fermentation apparatus (A), saccharification treatment of cellulose can be performed while reducing diastatic enzyme costs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst substance that is stable and performs well in the synthesis of ammonia, one of the most important chemical substances for fertilizer ingredients and the like. The catalyst substance exhibits catalytic activity under mild synthesis conditions not requiring high pressure, and is also advantageous from a resource perspective. Further provided is a method for producing the same. This catalyst comprises a supported metal catalyst that is supported on a mayenite type compound including conduction electrons of 1015 cm?3 or more and serving as a support for the ammonia synthesis catalyst. The mayenite type compound used as the support may take any form, including that of powder, a porous material, a sintered body, a thin-film, or a single crystal. Use of this catalyst makes it possible to increase the electron donating ability toward a transition metal.

Abstract: A solid acid catalyst represented by HTixNbyO5 wherein x is 1.1<x<1.2 and y is 0.9>y>0.8, having a Ti/Nb atomic ratio z of 1<z<1.5, and has been produced by subjecting a cation exchangable lamellar metal oxide composed of polyanion nano-sheets comprising lamellar metal oxide layers of titanium niobate being arranged regularly while sandwiching an alkali metal cation between them to the proton exchange of the alkali metal cation by the use of an inorganic acid or an organic acid prepared into a 0.0001M to 1M solution, and then inserting a cation selected from the group consisting of an organic amine and an organic ammonium between the resulting proton exchanged layers, to thereby delaminate the laminated layers temporarily and prepare an aqueous colloidal solution comprising metal oxide sheets having the organic amine or organic ammonium adsorbed thereon, and then adding an inorganic acid or an organic acid prepared into a 0.

Abstract: A biomass treatment device (A) includes a hot compressed water reaction device (1) that hydrolyzes a biomass by passing hot compressed water to the biomass to prepare polysaccharides, and a solid-acid catalytic reaction device (2 and 3) that generates monosaccharides from the polysaccharides using a solid-acid catalyst, and the device includes at least one of a first heat exchanger (1b and 1b?) for heating the hot compressed water by the heat of a monosaccharide solution including the monosaccharides delivered from the solid-acid-catalytic reaction device and a second heat exchanger (1c) for heating the hot compressed water by the heat of a polysaccharide solution including the polysaccharides introduced into the solid-acid-catalytic reaction device from the hot compressed water reaction device. According to the biomass treatment device, it is possible to improve the energy efficiency more than the related art.

Abstract: A solid-acid-catalyzed saccharification device (A) includes a catalytic reaction vessel (3) configured to contain a polysaccharide feedstock with water and a solid-acid catalyst (X2) as a liquid mixture (X3) to monosaccharify the polysaccharide using the solid-acid catalyst (X2), an agitation device (4) configured to agitate the liquid mixture (X3) in the catalytic reaction vessel (3), an oxidation-reduction electrometer (5) configured to measure the redox potential of the liquid mixture (X3) in the catalytic reaction vessel (3), and a pH meter (6) configured to measure the pH of the liquid mixture (X3) in the catalytic reaction vessel (3). According to the solid-acid-catalyzed saccharification device (A), it is possible to accurately follow the reaction state of a saccharification process of a feedstock using a solid acid catalyst.

Abstract: A biomass treatment apparatus (A) is constituted by a pressurized hot water reaction apparatus (1) in which pressurized hot water is used, biomass is hydrolyzed under first reaction conditions that provide for decomposition of hemicellulose so as to generate a first polysaccharide solution including xylooligosaccharides, and then the biomass is hydrolyzed under second reaction conditions that provide for decomposition of cellulose to generate a second polysaccharide solution including cellooligosaccharides, a first catalysis apparatus (2) in which the first polysaccharide solution that flows out from the pressurized hot water reaction apparatus (1) is hydrolyzed using a solid acid catalyst so as to generate a first monosaccharide solution including xylose, and a second catalysis apparatus (3) in which the second polysaccharide solution that flows out from the pressurized hot water reaction apparatus (1) is hydrolyzed using a solid acid catalyst so as to generate a second monosaccharide solution including gluc

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel sterilization method capable of killing not only microorganisms in water, but also microorganisms in a gas. Specifically, the present invention provide a method for sterilizing a gas or liquid, comprising contacting a microorganism in a gas or liquid with a material containing an amorphous carbon having a sulfo group introduced therein.

Abstract: As means for producing a biodiesel oil from a feed oil containing a free fatty acid at high efficiency, the following processes (1) to (3) are provided: (1) a process for producing a higher fatty acid ester, comprising reacting a lower alcohol with a higher fatty acid in the presence of an amorphous carbon having a sulfonate group introduced therein, thereby producing the higher fatty acid ester; (2) a process for producing a higher fatty acid ester, comprising reacting a lower alcohol with a higher fatty acid and a higher fatty acid triglyceride in the presence of an amorphous carbon having a sulfonate group introduced therein, thereby producing the higher fatty acid ester by both of the reaction between the lower alcohol and the higher fatty acid and the reaction between the lower alcohol and the higher fatty acid triglyceride; and (3) a process for producing a higher fatty acid ester, comprising: reacting a lower alcohol with a higher fatty acid and a higher fatty acid triglyceride in the presence of an am

Abstract: The method for producing a sulfonic acid group-containing carbonaceous material of the present invention comprises the step of carbonizing and sulfonating a polymer having a structural unit derived from resorcinol by heating in an inert gas atmosphere to obtain a sulfonic acid group-containing carbonaceous material. A catalyst comprising the resulting sulfonic acid group-containing carbonaceous material is useful for producing a target substance with high efficiency in various reactions in hydrophobic media such as alkylation reaction and polymerization reaction of olefins.

Abstract: A carbon-based solid acid which has high activity and high thermal stability and is useful as an acid catalyst for various reactions such as hydration of olefins. The carbon-based solid acid for use as a catalyst is obtained by carbonization and sulfonation of an organic substance, which has a reduction rate of 10 mol % or less of acid content as measured by immersing the solid acid in hot water at 120° C. for 2 hours, is used as the acid catalyst. The organic substance to be used as the raw material for preparing the solid acid is preferably a saccharide having ?1-4 glycosidic bond (e.g. cellulose) or lignin. Amylose is also suitable as the raw material. Examples of the reaction for which the solid catalyst can be used include hydration of olefins, etherification of olefins, and acid/alcohol esterification.