THE bacterial decomposition of formic acid is a subject which, in spite of its apparent simplicity, still presents unsolved problems; it was in the hope of elucidating some of these that the present study was undertaken. The earliest observation on the subject was made by Hoppe-Seyler [1875]. Later Pakes and Jollyman [1901] studied the anaerobic decomposition ow formates by bacteria in a state ...

Background: Ingestion of formic acid, accidentally or with suicidal intention is a common problem among the workers in rubber plantations in Sullia. The diluted form of formic acid is used in coagulation of rubber latex. Sullia, a small town in South India, is well known for its rubber plantations. Easy accessibility to formic acid makes it susceptible to be used for committing suicide in this ...

Bioethanol derived from lignocellulosic biomass has the potential to replace gasoline. Cellulose is naturally recalcitrant to enzymatic attack, and it also surrounded by the matrix of xylan and lignin, which enhances the recalcitrance. Therefore, lignocellulosic materials must be pretreated to make the cellulose easily degraded into sugars and further fermented to ethanol. In this work, hydroth...

The interaction of formic acid with Ni( 1 lo), Ni( 1 lO)-carbide, Ni( 1 IO)-graphite, and Ni( 1 lO)sulfide surfaces was examined by molecular beam relaxation spectrometry. The apparent firstorder rate constants for the desorption of formic acid (T, < 300°K) were remarkably similar on all of the surfaces studied, suggesting that the low-temperature formic acid adsorption/desorption interactions ...

Formic acid is a promising energy carrier for on-demand hydrogen generation. Because the reverse reaction is also feasible, formic acid is a form of stored hydrogen. Here we present a robust, reusable iridium catalyst that enables hydrogen gas release from neat formic acid. This catalysis works under mild conditions in the presence of air, is highly selective and affords millions of turnovers. ...

The chemical transformation of carbon dioxide into useful products becomes increasingly important as CO2 levels in the atmosphere continue to rise as a consequence of human activities. In this article we describe the direct hydrogenation of CO2 into formic acid using a homogeneous ruthenium catalyst, in aqueous solution and in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), without any additives. In water, at 40 °...