Project KP-06-H59/12: „Advanced catalytic systems for total oxidation of organic pollutants in water and air“
Base organization: Sofia University „St. Kliment Ohridski“, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
Partner organization: Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Project Manager: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Martin Tsvetkov
Scientific Supervisor from the Base Organization: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gloria Issa
Budget: 120,000 BGN
Implementation Period: 22.11.2021 – 22.11.2025
Summary
In recent years, one of the most serious problems facing humanity, and in particular the scientific community, is human health and environmental protection through the rational use and conservation of natural resources. In this context, water resources have attracted serious attention due to their pollution with organic pollutants such as dyes, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, hormonally active substances and pathogens. In turn, air pollution with volatile organic compounds leads to the accumulation of ground-level ozone, to the increase of NOx and peroxyacetyl nitrate, which in turn are also associated with an increased risk of lung problems such as emphysema, bronchitis and lung cancer.
The aim of the project is the synthesis and characterization of lanthanide perovskite oxides with the general formula LnМO3 (Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Gd; М = Ni, Mn, Fe, Co, Cr), deposited on carbon foam or carbon microspheres as new photothermocatalysts for the complete oxidation of organic pollutants in water and air. Among inorganic catalysts, perovskite oxides have received great attention in recent years due to the diversity of their composition, and hence their properties. Perovskite oxides are considered third-generation photocatalysts due to their high thermal and chemical stability, their excellent electronic conductivity and the ability to control their redox properties through appropriate changes in their composition. Their thermocatalytic properties are also of interest due to their excellent activity, comparable to that of catalysts containing noble metals. Their activity and selectivity towards various volatile organic compounds can be further tuned by appropriate substitution of some of the metal ions. In this light, rare-earth perovskites are of particular interest, since REEs are easily interchangeable with other elements of the group, which leads to modification of the catalyst properties. The main disadvantage of perovskites as catalysts is their low active surface area. The main drawback of perovskites as catalysts is their low active surface area. The current project attempts to overcome this drawback by depositing rare earth perovskite catalysts on carbon matrices with high specific surface area, which should lead to a significant increase in catalytic activity.