Investigating New Frontiers of Catalytic Ozonation for Air Pollution Control

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Air pollution control is one of the major challenges of the industrialized world. Traditionally, air pollution referred to outdoor air pollution. However, people now spend more time in enclosed environments such as residential/commercial buildings and business offices that exposes them to indoor air pollutants, causing sick building syndrome (SBS). The focus of this research is to mitigate indoor and outdoor air pollution using ozone. Ozone is a reactive molecule which enables the removal of a wide range of air pollutants. When activated by catalysts, ozone oxidizes hazardous air pollutants to harmless products. The proposed research will investigate novel catalytic systems for the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are the main contributors to indoor air pollution. It will also study innovative solutions for the removal of two outdoor air pollutants, NO and NH3, from industrial emissions. This research program will yield new materials and enhanced technological processes to reduce air pollution. The first objective of this research is to formulate stable catalysts that can oxidize indoor VOCs to CO2 without deactivation at room temperature. Currently, available catalysts deactivate due to the accumulation of reaction intermediates on their surface. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and core-shell structures are new families of materials that allow designing catalysts with tailored properties. Active and stable catalysts will be developed based on Mn, Ag, Pt, and Pd confined in silica shells and MOFs containing In, Fe, and Cr. These engineered materials will make it possible to achieve desired properties to hinder the deactivation of catalysts by efficiently contacting VOCs and ozone. The findings of this research will help develop indoor air purifying units, benefitting Canadians by eliminating health problems related to SBS. The second objective of this research is to develop catalysts for selective ozonation of NO to produce NO2 and N2O5, to enhance the efficiency of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reactors and wet scrubbers for the removal of NOx (mixture of NO and NO2) from flue gas. Catalysts based on manganese oxides will be tested for the oxidation of NO. The third objective of this research is to selectively decompose NH3 to produce N2 by catalytic ozonation near ambient temperatures. Pt, Ru, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Ag catalysts will be tested to identify the most active metals. NH3 and NOx emitting industries such as agriculture, power generation, transportation, and petroleum sectors will benefit significantly from this research program. This research will lead to the development of catalysts that are more efficient with optimized process conditions through increased reaction rates that will improve air quality. Highly qualified personnel will be trained in reaction engineering, catalysis, and surface science. The proposed research program will provide Canadians with improved air quality.