Periodic Reporting for period 1 - S-FOX (Smart Fenton OXidation: a catalytic membrane for water purification)
Reporting period: 2022-12-01 to 2024-11-30
The growth of the population has occurred alongside the increase of industrial, agricultural and, correspondingly, waste production. In addition, the intensification of industrial activities turns into an unrelenting development of new classes of potentially harmful chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals (e.g. oestradiol, antibiotics), artificial sweeteners (e.g. acesulfame K) or Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). If not properly treated, these substances may reach water resources through aqueous effluents, thus representing a risk for both aqueous ecosystems and human health.
This project aims to design and optimize an unprecedented organometallic catalytic surface, incorporating engineered active sites inspired by biological enzymes suitable for water purification. The properties of natural enzymes that I pursue are related to the ability to catalyse a fast oxidation of recalcitrant contaminants and create a more selective metal-based active species instead of relying on free radicals.
The objectives at the root of this project assert the possibility to: (i) create different water-robust and easily customizable catalysts toward contaminant degradation in water; (ii) synthesize or employ fully polymeric materials as a functionalizable surface; (iii) create reactive materials consisting of the most promising catalytic polymer with desired structural and chemical properties; (iv) use the material reactors for chemical transformation and water purification to obtain benign products with minimal waste production.
This project aims to design and optimize an unprecedented organometallic catalytic surface, incorporating engineered active sites inspired by biological enzymes suitable for water purification. The properties of natural enzymes that I pursue are related to the ability to catalyse a fast oxidation of recalcitrant contaminants and create a more selective metal-based active species instead of relying on free radicals.
The objectives at the root of this project assert the possibility to: (i) create different water-robust and easily customizable catalysts toward contaminant degradation in water; (ii) synthesize or employ fully polymeric materials as a functionalizable surface; (iii) create reactive materials consisting of the most promising catalytic polymer with desired structural and chemical properties; (iv) use the material reactors for chemical transformation and water purification to obtain benign products with minimal waste production.
**Project Achievements and Technical Innovations**
1. **Catalytic Process Development**: This project pioneered a catalytic approach for water treatment using cost-effective, matrix-bound organometallic catalysts to degrade toxic contaminants effectively. Key achievements include:
- **Development of Three Distinct Organometallic Catalysts**: These catalysts demonstrated robust performance, promoting advanced oxidation processes that target a range of emerging contaminants such as antibiotics, artificial sweeteners, estrogens, and others..
- **Efficient Contaminant Degradation**: Catalysts in solution achieved up to 90% contaminant degradation within 20 minutes. Notably, when anchored on a matrix, they reached 99.9% degradation in just 5 minutes.
2. **Control of Reaction Mechanisms**: We achieved an advanced understanding of the catalytic reaction mechanisms, enabling selective control between:
- **Radical Processes**: Offering a versatile, broad-spectrum oxidation pathway.
- **Non-Radical Processes**: Providing a more selective oxidation pathway.
3. **Material Testing for Enhanced Stability and Sustainability**:
- **Optimization of Catalytic Surfaces**: Various materials were tested and applied, focusing on stabilizing and extending catalyst life while reducing environmental impact.
- **Reduction in Chemical Consumption**: Chemicals dosage was optimized to reach a minimal input—approximately 13 mL of hydrogen peroxide per cubic meter of treated water—to achieve 90% degradation of target contaminants (e.g. phenols), representing a 70% reduction in chemical use compared to traditional advanced oxidation processes.
4. **Energy Efficiency**: The process is estimated to reduce energy requirements by at least 60% relative to conventional AOPs since only pumping is needed to activate the process.
5. **Environmental Impact and Circular Economy Approach**:
- **Reduced Toxicity**: This process utilizes eco-friendly materials derived from natural extracts (e.g. fruit and seafood) and safe, cheap and accessible metals as iron and manganese rather than heavy metals like Ti, Pb, Bi, or Ni, minimizing environmental and health risks.
- **Enhanced Process Flexibility**: The ability to toggle between versatile and selective catalytic processes without modifying the synthetic procedure of the catalyst significantly boosts efficiency, adapting effectively to various water streams.
- **Circular Resource Utilization**: Through innovative surface functionalization, starting materials can be recycled from readily available resources, such as commercial membranes, fruit peels, and seafood waste, contributing to a sustainable, circular economy.
In conclusion, this project has established a highly efficient, versatile, and sustainable method for degrading emerging contaminants in water, offering a model for future eco-friendly industrial applications.
1. **Catalytic Process Development**: This project pioneered a catalytic approach for water treatment using cost-effective, matrix-bound organometallic catalysts to degrade toxic contaminants effectively. Key achievements include:
- **Development of Three Distinct Organometallic Catalysts**: These catalysts demonstrated robust performance, promoting advanced oxidation processes that target a range of emerging contaminants such as antibiotics, artificial sweeteners, estrogens, and others..
- **Efficient Contaminant Degradation**: Catalysts in solution achieved up to 90% contaminant degradation within 20 minutes. Notably, when anchored on a matrix, they reached 99.9% degradation in just 5 minutes.
2. **Control of Reaction Mechanisms**: We achieved an advanced understanding of the catalytic reaction mechanisms, enabling selective control between:
- **Radical Processes**: Offering a versatile, broad-spectrum oxidation pathway.
- **Non-Radical Processes**: Providing a more selective oxidation pathway.
3. **Material Testing for Enhanced Stability and Sustainability**:
- **Optimization of Catalytic Surfaces**: Various materials were tested and applied, focusing on stabilizing and extending catalyst life while reducing environmental impact.
- **Reduction in Chemical Consumption**: Chemicals dosage was optimized to reach a minimal input—approximately 13 mL of hydrogen peroxide per cubic meter of treated water—to achieve 90% degradation of target contaminants (e.g. phenols), representing a 70% reduction in chemical use compared to traditional advanced oxidation processes.
4. **Energy Efficiency**: The process is estimated to reduce energy requirements by at least 60% relative to conventional AOPs since only pumping is needed to activate the process.
5. **Environmental Impact and Circular Economy Approach**:
- **Reduced Toxicity**: This process utilizes eco-friendly materials derived from natural extracts (e.g. fruit and seafood) and safe, cheap and accessible metals as iron and manganese rather than heavy metals like Ti, Pb, Bi, or Ni, minimizing environmental and health risks.
- **Enhanced Process Flexibility**: The ability to toggle between versatile and selective catalytic processes without modifying the synthetic procedure of the catalyst significantly boosts efficiency, adapting effectively to various water streams.
- **Circular Resource Utilization**: Through innovative surface functionalization, starting materials can be recycled from readily available resources, such as commercial membranes, fruit peels, and seafood waste, contributing to a sustainable, circular economy.
In conclusion, this project has established a highly efficient, versatile, and sustainable method for degrading emerging contaminants in water, offering a model for future eco-friendly industrial applications.
**Results Beyond the State of the Art**
1. **High-Efficiency Catalytic Degradation**:
- The developed organometallic catalysts demonstrated exceptional efficiency in contaminant degradation, achieving up to 90% removal in solution within 20 minutes—a significant improvement over typical rates observed in conventional advanced oxidation processes (AOPs).
- Matrix-fixed catalysts elevated performance even further, reaching 99.9% degradation within just 5 minutes. This rapid degradation rate marks a significant advance over existing AOPs, which often require longer times and higher energy input.
2. **Dual-Mechanism Reaction Control**:
- Unlike traditional methods, which often lack flexibility, this project enables precise control over the catalytic reaction pathway. We achieved the capability to toggle between a radical process, suitable for versatile, broad-spectrum applications, and a non-radical process, ideal for selective targeting of specific contaminants.
- This control feature allows users to optimize the process for different water treatment requirements without altering the catalyst structure, setting a new standard in process adaptability.
3. **Significant Reduction in Chemical Consumption**:
- Traditional AOPs require substantial quantities of chemicals, such as hydrogen peroxide, to maintain high efficiency. This project’s process, however, requires only 13 mL of hydrogen peroxide per cubic meter of treated water—a reduction of approximately 70%. This advance significantly lowers the operational and environmental costs associated with chemical consumption.
4. **Enhanced Energy Efficiency**:
- Our process achieves at least a 60% reduction in energy requirements when compared with conventional AOPs, since only pumping is needed to activate the process. This substantial decrease not only reduces operational costs but also aligns with global efforts to lower energy consumption in industrial and environmental applications.
5. **Environmentally Friendly Catalyst Composition**:
- We moved beyond conventional catalysts containing toxic heavy metals (e.g. Ti, Pb, Bi, Ni) by developing catalysts based on natural extracts from fruit and seafood, and safer metals as iron and manganese, reducing the environmental impact and health risks associated with catalyst disposal.
- This shift aligns with green chemistry principles, setting a new benchmark for sustainable catalyst development in water treatment.
6. **Circular Economy and Resource Recycling**:
- By utilizing materials like fruit peels, seafood extracts, and commercial membranes, the project integrates a circular economy approach, where these starting materials can be recycled or upcycled to create catalytic surfaces.
- This innovation in surface functionalization not only minimizes waste but also promotes sustainability, making the process adaptable to various waste sources and supporting broader environmental and economic goals.
These results collectively represent a leap forward in water treatment technology, achieving a level of efficiency, adaptability, and sustainability that significantly exceeds the current state of the art.
To further advance beyond the current state of the art, the next phase of this research will focus on investigating the long-term stability of the developed catalytic materials in real-world target environments.
1. **High-Efficiency Catalytic Degradation**:
- The developed organometallic catalysts demonstrated exceptional efficiency in contaminant degradation, achieving up to 90% removal in solution within 20 minutes—a significant improvement over typical rates observed in conventional advanced oxidation processes (AOPs).
- Matrix-fixed catalysts elevated performance even further, reaching 99.9% degradation within just 5 minutes. This rapid degradation rate marks a significant advance over existing AOPs, which often require longer times and higher energy input.
2. **Dual-Mechanism Reaction Control**:
- Unlike traditional methods, which often lack flexibility, this project enables precise control over the catalytic reaction pathway. We achieved the capability to toggle between a radical process, suitable for versatile, broad-spectrum applications, and a non-radical process, ideal for selective targeting of specific contaminants.
- This control feature allows users to optimize the process for different water treatment requirements without altering the catalyst structure, setting a new standard in process adaptability.
3. **Significant Reduction in Chemical Consumption**:
- Traditional AOPs require substantial quantities of chemicals, such as hydrogen peroxide, to maintain high efficiency. This project’s process, however, requires only 13 mL of hydrogen peroxide per cubic meter of treated water—a reduction of approximately 70%. This advance significantly lowers the operational and environmental costs associated with chemical consumption.
4. **Enhanced Energy Efficiency**:
- Our process achieves at least a 60% reduction in energy requirements when compared with conventional AOPs, since only pumping is needed to activate the process. This substantial decrease not only reduces operational costs but also aligns with global efforts to lower energy consumption in industrial and environmental applications.
5. **Environmentally Friendly Catalyst Composition**:
- We moved beyond conventional catalysts containing toxic heavy metals (e.g. Ti, Pb, Bi, Ni) by developing catalysts based on natural extracts from fruit and seafood, and safer metals as iron and manganese, reducing the environmental impact and health risks associated with catalyst disposal.
- This shift aligns with green chemistry principles, setting a new benchmark for sustainable catalyst development in water treatment.
6. **Circular Economy and Resource Recycling**:
- By utilizing materials like fruit peels, seafood extracts, and commercial membranes, the project integrates a circular economy approach, where these starting materials can be recycled or upcycled to create catalytic surfaces.
- This innovation in surface functionalization not only minimizes waste but also promotes sustainability, making the process adaptable to various waste sources and supporting broader environmental and economic goals.
These results collectively represent a leap forward in water treatment technology, achieving a level of efficiency, adaptability, and sustainability that significantly exceeds the current state of the art.
To further advance beyond the current state of the art, the next phase of this research will focus on investigating the long-term stability of the developed catalytic materials in real-world target environments.