PME SPECIAL SEMINAR: Oxidation catalysts for indoor air & water purification

Air and water pollutions represent an ever-growing threat for public health and are targeted as high priorities by the World Health Organization. In particular, indoor air pollution is categorized as one of the five most harmful environmental factors for human health. As a representative example, formaldehyde (HCHO), classified as carcinogenic to humans (group 1), is among the most significant indoor air pollutants. On the other hand, water pollution is a topic of increasing concern due to the improvement of detection techniques highlighting the presence of numerous organic pollutants in drinking waters including pesticides, pharmaceutical compounds, and more recently perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS). As water treatment plants are not capable of fully eliminating all these micropollutants, complementary solutions are required.

There are few approaches to reduce the concentration of pollutants including their capture within highly porous materials, or by transforming them to reduce their hazardousness, generally through oxidation reactions. To date, advanced oxidation processes (AOP) are preferred, including ozonation, UV irradiation, electrooxidation, or catalysis.

Perovskites are good candidates as catalysts owing to their versatile chemistry, good stability and redox properties. In this line, we have studied the chemical modification of a lanthanum manganite perovskite in order to improve the reactivity of the B-site element (Mn). Nowadays we are also exploring the use of other types of catalysts including borophene and transition metal oxides-supported zeolites, as well as unconventional activation techniques.

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