Formaldehyde: Catalytic Oxidation as a Promising Soft Way of Elimination

International audience; Compared to other molecules such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and chlorinated compounds, the catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde has been studied rarely. However, standards for the emission level of this pollutant will become more restrictive because of its extreme toxicity even at very low concentrations in air. As a consequence, the development of a highly efficient process for its selective elimination is needed. Complete catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde into CO2 and H2O using noble-metal-based catalysts is a promising method to convert this pollutant at room temperature, making this process energetically attractive from an industrial point of view. However, th…

Inside Back Cover: Mesoporous Silica-Confined Manganese Oxide Nanoparticles as Highly Efficient Catalysts for the Low-Temperature Elimination of Formaldehyde (ChemCatChem 1/2014)

Phosphorylated micro- vs. nano-cellulose: a comparative study on their surface functionalisation, growth of titanium-oxo-phosphate clusters and removal of chemical pollutants

Controlled cellulose disassembly affords many variants including amorphous micro-sized cellulose crystals (MCC) and cellulose nano-sized crystals (CNC), which have emerged recently as green and sustainable nanomaterials. Unfortunately, their lower reactivity and thermal and chemical instability constitute an impediment for multifaceted nanoscience and nanotechnology usage. Herein, MCC and CNC are functionalised using two phosphorus derivatives (phosphoryl chloride and hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene), under acid-free, urea-free and corrosive-free, gentle experimental conditions. Notably, CNC can accommodate more phosphorus species compared to MCC, with the bulky phosphazene precursor being le…

Mesoporous Silica-Confined Manganese Oxide Nanoparticles as Highly Efficient Catalysts for the Low-Temperature Elimination of Formaldehyde