Catalytic steam gasification of shells (almond and walnut) was carried out in a flow-type double-bed microreactor. Temperature-programmed thermal steam gasification of shells was performed at 200–850 °C, followed by the catalytic gasification of volatiles (including tar) at different temperatures. The iron–ceria catalyst and red mud (as the iron oxide catalyst) were used as a catalytic bed material. Effects of the catalyst on tar decomposition and tar gasification were investigated. The iron–ceria catalyst enhanced both tar degradation and hydrogen production via the water–gas shift reaction. The tar conversions of 94% (for almond shell) and 100% (for walnut shell) were achieved at a very low temperature (600 °C). The red mud was found less active in tar decomposition because of the inhibition of sodium aluminum silicate hydrate to the activity of iron oxide.

. This is a new synthetic method for preparing Mo-O-Mo bridged oxo(imido) molybdenum(V) species by double deprotonation of the anilines. The complexes were characterized by IR and 1 H-NMR. spectroscopy, FAB mass spectrometry, elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography which revealed that the two chloro ligands are trans to each other in 1b and 2, whereas they are cis to each other in 1a. All compounds have Mo-O-Mo linkages and near linear arylimido moieties.

The reaction between [MoTp∗(O)Cl2], [Tp* = hydrotris(3,5-dimetylpyrazol-1-yl)borate] and 4-bromoaniline in refluxing toluene gave geometric isomers of [MoTp*(O)Cl](μ-O)[MoTp*(Cl) (≡NC6H4Br)] (1a, cis; 1b, trans), but a similar reaction between [MoTp*(O)Cl2] and 4-chloroaniline yielded only one product, [MoTp*(O)Cl](μ-O)[MoTp∗(Cl)(≡NC6H4Cl)] (2) as a red crystalline solid. The new compounds were characterized by microanalytical data, mass, IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The X-ray structure analysis of 1a and 1b revealed that the complexes are geometric isomers, the two chloro ligands being cis in 1a and trans in 1b. Both compounds have Mo-O-Mo linkages and nearly linear arylimido moieties.