Intensification of Photocatalytic Membrane Processes

随着能源和自然资源的迅速枯竭，有必要发展可持续的进程，以满足日益增加的消费者需求的挑战，同时保护环境和公共安全。光催化被认为是一种可持续发展的技术，为收集取之不尽、用之不竭的太阳能提供了机会。这些包括有毒污染物的降解、H2的生成、有机化合物的绿色合成，以及最近的乳液分离，这在处理被油水乳液污染的复杂废物流中非常有益。尽管有这些潜在的优势，但该技术的竞争性应用仍然受到催化剂活性、反应器效率和产品-催化剂分离的限制。******这项研究计划的主要目标是确定全球强化技术，以克服这些限制，并允许开发可行的成本有效的光催化技术，用于工业和环境应用。拟议的强化办法将以双管齐下的战略为基础。首先，通过与先进的膜分离耦合，强化反应器操作，实现同步反应和产物回收的协同作用。二是利用高效催化剂加强催化反应，提高可见光利用率，要么悬浮要么固定在膜上。******为了克服膜污染，提高产品和催化剂的回收率，将实施一种新型的混合振荡膜系统。振荡运动已被证明在强化许多过程中是有效的，它在光催化中的应用可以为减轻污染问题和提高过程效率提供一种新的途径。这一发展将包括探索使用压力和热驱动的膜分离，如渗透蒸发或膜蒸馏，这可以在绿色合成和乳液分离等应用中提供几个优势。它还将包括研究使用具有增强表面和分离性能的先进膜材料，以及使用高效催化剂和/或纳米颗粒功能化的膜。使用分析和实验技术的建模和优化研究将用于设计和扩大应用。最后，将测试所开发系统的优点，包括多种污染物的降解以及被油水乳液污染的复杂废物流的破乳和处理。实现上述目标将为开发新一代高效光催化膜反应器（PMR）提供所需的知识，并可能通过使PMR成为环境和工业应用中经济可行的选择，为该行业带来突破。*****

With rapid depletion of energy and natural resources, there is need for developing sustainable processes that meet the challenges of increased consumer demands while protecting the environment and public safety. Photocatalysis is considered a sustainable technology that offers opportunities for harvesting the inexhaustible solar energy for use in many applications. These include, degradation of toxic pollutants, generation of H2, green synthesis of organic compounds, and more recently, emulsion separation, which can be very beneficial in treatment of complex waste streams contaminated with oil-water emulsions. Despite such potential advantages, competitive application of the technology is still limited by catalyst activity, reactor efficiency and product-catalyst separation.******The main objective of this research program is to identify global intensification techniques to overcome these limitations and to allow for development of viable cost effective photocatalysis technologies for use in industrial and environmental applications. The proposed intensification approach will be based on a two pronged strategy. First, to intensify the reactor operation by coupling with advanced membrane separation, thus achieving synergy of simultaneous reaction and product recovery. The second is to intensify the catalytic reaction using efficient catalysts with enhanced visible light utilization, either suspended or immobilized on membranes.******To overcome membrane fouling and enhance product and catalyst recovery, a novel hybrid oscillatory membrane system will be implemented. Use of oscillatory motion has proven effective in intensifying many processes, and its application in photocatalysis could present a novel approach for mitigating fouling problems and enhancing process efficiency. The development will involve exploring use of both pressure and thermal driven membrane separation such as pervaporation or membrane distillation which can provide several advantages in applications such as green synthesis and emulsion separation. It will also include investigating use of advanced membrane materials with enhanced surface and separation properties as well as membranes functionalized with efficient catalysts and/or nanoparticles. Modeling and optimization studies using analytical and experimental techniques will be done for use in design and scale up applications. Finally, the advantages of the developed system will be tested for applications including multi-pollutants degradation as well as demulsification and treatment of complex waste streams contaminated with oil-water emulsions. Achieving the above will provide knowledge needed to develop new generation of efficient photocatalytic membrane reactors (PMR) and could present a breakthrough in the industry by making PMR an economically viable option for environmental and industrial applications.*****