Environmental remediation using catalytic ozonation with surface bonded bydrophobic heterogeneous catalysts

在水和废水处理过程中，通常使用化学品（如臭氧、氯及其衍生物）来破坏水中的有害污染物和微生物。臭氧是最强大的化学物质之一，它可以将任何有机水污染物转化为二氧化碳和水，并通过杀死微生物对水进行消毒。由于臭氧化处理污染物不会留下污泥残渣，对人体的危害最小，而且一步即可完成，所需空间最小；它是大量水和废水处理问题的首选方法。为了提高臭氧化过程的速度和降低成本，可以选用合适的催化剂。这种催化剂为污染物和臭氧在催化剂活性位点高浓度聚集并优先反应提供了理想的环境。从以前的工作中，我们了解到，与氧化铝支架结合的全氟碳基团长链为臭氧和碳氢化合物污染物提供了理想的介质。该催化剂能提高反应速度和臭氧的利用效率，从而获得更理想的反应条件，降低臭氧氧化过程的成本。本研究计划的长期目标是了解不同参数对臭氧化催化剂性能的影响，并利用这些发现开发更有效的工业用催化剂。本研究结果将增加我们对臭氧与水中污染物的吸附和非均相催化反应性质的认识。开发高反应速率、高臭氧利用效率的催化剂，将提高臭氧在水、废水处理过程中的技术和经济效益。紧凑、低成本的臭氧化系统在水和废水处理方面有许多应用，特别是在偏远地区和紧急救济营地。

In water and wastewater treatment processes, often chemicals (such as ozone, chlorine and its derivatives) are used to destroy harmful pollutants and microorganisms in water. Ozone is one of the most powerful chemicals that can potentially convert any organic water pollutant into CO2 and water and disinfect the water by killing microorganisms. Since ozonation of pollutants leaves no sludge residue, has minimum hazard to humans and is easily performed in one step with minimum space requirements; it is a method of choice for a large number of water and wastewater treatment problems. To increase the speed and reduce the cost of ozonation process it is possible to use suitable catalysts. Such a catalyst provides a desirable environment for both pollutants and ozone to come together on the catalyst active site at high concentration and to react preferentially. From the previous work, we have learned that long chains of perfluorocarbon groups bonded to an alumina support provide such a desirable medium for both ozone and hydrocarbon pollutants. The catalysts can increase speed of reaction and utilization efficiency of ozone leading to more desirable reaction conditions and lower cost of ozonation process. The long term goal of the proposed research program is understanding effect of different parameters on performance of ozonation catalyst and to use these findings to develop more effective catalysts for industrial use. The results of this study will increase our understanding of the nature of adsorption and heterogeneous catalytic reactions of ozone with pollutants in water. Development of a catalyst with high reaction rate and high ozone utilization efficiency will improve the technology and economics of using ozone in water and wastewater treatment processes. A compact, low cost ozonation system has many applications in water and wastewater treatment especially in remote areas and emergency relief camps.