This project aims to develop a novel method for transforming natural polymers (e.g. cellulose and chitosan) into valuable porous carriers for the incorporation of plasmonic nanophotocatalysts with a photocatalytic piezoelectric element (common ZnO) in order to enhance the overall physicochemical properties of these hybrids.
The aim is to prepare metal-containing porous carbon-based piezophotocatalytic materials through the physicochemical effects of low/high frequency sonication (e.g., efficient mass transfer, micro-streaming, cross-linked radical polymerization, etc., effects often unavailable by conventional methods) as a promising approach for breakthrough performance improvement conventional methods (e.g. hydro(solvo)thermal method, sol-gel method).
This research will allow us to understand and optimize [a] the synergistic effect of combining ultrasound with conventional methods and thus [b] predict piezophotocatalyst performance mastered by full control of ultrasonic effects during selective C‑C/C‑O redox coupling of aromatic and furan compounds, which will result in [c] improving the selectivity/stability activity of promising multidimensional porous hybrid carbon-based piezophotocatalysts operating through the use of light and sonication, which open up opportunities for better management and valorization of organic waste related to natural polymers.
The goal of this project is the synthesis of multicomponent/multidimensionalmetal-containing carbon-supported piezophotocatalysts, the study of their activity/selectivity in the selective coupling reactions of aromatics and furanics model molecules derived from lignocellulosic biomass, and the correlation of their performances with the composition, surface/interface physicochemicalproperties, and distribution of the active sites.
Supervisor: prof. dr hab. inż. Juan Carlos Colmenares Quintero / dr inż. Dariusz Łomot, dr Hanggara Sudrajat
Institute: Physical Chemistry PAS
Research group: No. 28. Catalysis for sustainable energy production and environmental protection — dr hab. inż. Juan Carlos Colmenares Quintero
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