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Cover Picture: Stable Hybrid Silica Nanosieve Membranes for the Dehydration of Lower Alcohols (ChemSusChem 2/2009)
Author(s) -
Kreiter Robert,
Rietkerk Mariëlle D. A.,
Castricum Hessel L.,
van Veen Henk M.,
ten Elshof Johan E.,
Vente Jaap F.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.200990004
Subject(s) - membrane , dehydration , silsesquioxane , methanol , chemistry , ethanol , chemical engineering , biomass (ecology) , acetic acid , lignocellulosic biomass , organic chemistry , materials science , polymer , lignin , engineering , biochemistry , oceanography , geology
The cover picture shows the membrane separation of water (blue arrow) from crude ethanol (red arrows) as a key enabling technology in the production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass. This technology is generally considered to be one of the more viable options for the transition to a sustainable transportation fuel supply. In their Communication on page 158, J. F. Vente and co‐workers describe the preparation and performance of an amorphous bridged silsesquioxane‐based membrane characterized by Si–CH 2 –Si building units. This new organic–inorganic hybrid silica membrane allows the dehydration of ethanol and, to some extent, methanol. Even the presence of 1.5 wt % acetic acid does not affect the separation performance of these membranes.