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In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
The Cativa process is a method for the production of acetic acid by the carbonylation of methanol. The technology, which is similar to the Monsanto process, was developed by BP Chemicals and is under license by BP Plc.[1]: 293–307 The process is based on an iridium-containing catalyst, such as the anionic complex diiododicarbonyliridate(i) [Ir(CO)2I2]− (1).
The Cativa and Monsanto processes are sufficiently similar that they can use the same chemical plant. Initial studies by Monsanto had shown iridium to be less active than rhodium for the carbonylation of methanol.[2] Subsequent research, however, showed that the iridium catalyst could be promoted by ruthenium, and this combination leads to a catalyst that is superior to the rhodium-based systems. The switch from rhodium to iridium also allows the use of less water in the reaction mixture. This change reduces the number of drying columns necessary, decreases formation of by-products, such as propionic acid, and suppresses the water gas shift reaction.
The catalytic cycle for the Cativa process, shown above, begins with the reaction of methyl iodide with the square planar active catalyst species (1) to form the octahedral iridium(III) species (2), the fac-isomer of [Ir(CO)2(CH3)I3]−. This oxidative addition reaction involves the formal insertion of the iridium(I) centre into the carbon-iodine bond of methyl iodide. After ligand exchange (iodide for carbon monoxide), the migratory insertion of carbon monoxide into the iridium-carbon bond, step (3) to (4), results in the formation of a square pyramidal species with a bound acetyl ligand. The active catalyst species (1) is regenerated by the reductive elimination of acetyl iodide from (4), a de-insertion reaction.[1]: 94–105 The acetyl iodide is hydrolysed to produce the acetic acid product, in the process generating hydroiodic acid which is in turn used to convert the starting material (methanol) to the methyl iodide used in the first step.
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
The Cativa process is a method for the production of acetic acid by the carbonylation of methanol. The technology, which is similar to the Monsanto process, was developed by BP Chemicals and is under license by BP Plc. The process is based on an iridium-containing catalyst, such as the anionic complex diiododicarbonyliridate(i) [Ir(CO)2I2]− (1). The Cativa and Monsanto processes are sufficiently similar that they can use the same chemical plant. Initial studies by Monsanto had shown iridium to be less active than rhodium for the carbonylation of methanol. Subsequent research, however, showed that the iridium catalyst could be promoted by ruthenium, and this combination leads to a catalyst that is superior to the rhodium-based systems. The switch from rhodium to iridium also allows the use of less water in the reaction mixture. This change reduces the number of drying columns necessary, decreases formation of by-products, such as propionic acid, and suppresses the water gas shift reaction. The catalytic cycle for the Cativa process, shown above, begins with the reaction of methyl iodide with the square planar active catalyst species (1) to form the octahedral iridium(III) species (2), the fac-isomer of [Ir(CO)2(CH3)I3]−. This oxidative addition reaction involves the formal insertion of the iridium(I) centre into the carbon-iodine bond of methyl iodide. After ligand exchange (iodide for carbon monoxide), the migratory insertion of carbon monoxide into the iridium-carbon bond, step (3) to (4), results in the formation of a square pyramidal species with a bound acetyl ligand. The active catalyst species (1) is regenerated by the reductive elimination of acetyl iodide from (4), a de-insertion reaction. The acetyl iodide is hydrolysed to produce the acetic acid product, in the process generating hydroiodic acid which is in turn used to convert the starting material (methanol) to the methyl iodide used in the first step.
The Monsanto process is an industrial method for the manufacture of acetic acid by catalytic carbonylation of methanol. The Monsanto process has largely been supplanted by the Cativa process, a similar iridium-based process developed by BP Chemicals Ltd, which is more economical and environmentally friendly. This process operates at a pressure of 30–60 atm and a temperature of 150–200 °C and gives a selectivity greater than 99%. It was developed in 1960 by the German chemical company BASF and improved by the Monsanto Company in 1966, which introduced a new catalyst system.
Iridium is a chemical element; it has the symbol Ir and atomic number 77. This very hard, brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum group is considered the second-densest naturally occurring metal (after osmium), with a density of 22.56 g/cm3 (0.815 lb/cu in) as defined by experimental X-ray crystallography. 191Ir and 193Ir are the only two naturally occurring isotopes of iridium, as well as the only stable isotopes; the latter is the more abundant. It is one of the most corrosion-resistant metals, even at temperatures as high as 2,000 °C (3,600 °F). Iridium was discovered in 1803 in the acid-insoluble residues of platinum ores by the British chemist Smithson Tennant. The name iridium, derived from the Greek word iris (rainbow), refers to the various colors of its compounds. Iridium is one of the rarest elements in Earth's crust, with an estimated annual production of only 6,800 kilograms (15,000 lb) in 2023. The dominant uses of iridium and its alloys are in high-performance spark plugs, crucibles for recrystallization of semiconductors at high temperatures, and electrodes for the production of chlorine in the chloralkali process. Important compounds of iridium are chlorides and iodides in industrial catalysis. Iridium is a component of some OLEDs. Iridium is found in meteorites in much higher abundance than in the Earth's crust. For this reason, the unusually high abundance of iridium in the clay layer at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary gave rise to the Alvarez hypothesis that the impact of a massive extraterrestrial object caused the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs and many other species 66 million years ago, now known to be produced by the impact that formed the Chicxulub crater. Similarly, an iridium anomaly in core samples from the Pacific Ocean suggested the Eltanin impact of about 2.5 million years ago.
Alkylation is a chemical reaction that entails transfer of an alkyl group. The alkyl group may be transferred as an alkyl carbocation, a free radical, a carbanion, or a carbene (or their equivalents). Alkylating agents are reagents for effecting alkylation. Alkyl groups can also be removed in a process known as dealkylation. Alkylating agents are often classified according to their nucleophilic or electrophilic character. In oil refining contexts, alkylation refers to a particular alkylation of isobutane with olefins. For upgrading of petroleum, alkylation produces a premium blending stock for gasoline. In medicine, alkylation of DNA is used in chemotherapy to damage the DNA of cancer cells. Alkylation is accomplished with the class of drugs called alkylating antineoplastic agents.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →The Greenwood District.