Title: Catalytic microreactor with immobilised silver nanocluster for organic pollutant removal from water

Authors: Mehdi Habibi; Amine Barkallah; Stéphanie Ognier; Jafar Mostafavi-Amjad; Hamid R.M. Khalesifard; Michael Tatoulian; Noushine Shahidzadeh; Daniel Bonn

Addresses: Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Physics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan 45137-66731, Iran ' UPMC, Univ. Paris 06, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France ' UPMC, Univ. Paris 06, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France; Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris – ENSCP/CNRS, UMR 8247, 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France ' Department of Physics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan 45137-66731, Iran ' Department of Physics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan 45137-66731, Iran ' Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris – ENSCP/CNRS, UMR 8247, 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France ' Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands ' Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Abstract: The use of microchannels for catalytic reactions represents a considerable experimental opportunity, because of the high surface area to volume ratio these devices typically have. However, incorporating catalysts into microfluidic devices has proven technically challenging. We report the development of a new type of microfluidic device that has a catalytically active metal surface with a large active area built into one of the walls that constitute the microchannel. We test the catalytical activity on an important chemical reaction for drinking water purification: the catalytic ozonation of a typical organic pollutant that is otherwise difficult to remove from the water. pCBA was chosen as model pollutant since it is known to have slow reaction rates with molecular ozone and hence to pose problems in water purification. We find that the catalytic microreactor increases the overall reaction rate by a factor 350 compared to the bulk reaction, owing to both the catalytic activity and the confinement, and is thus highly efficient even for very short residence times.

Keywords: catalytic microreactors; silver nanoclusters; drinking water; water purification; immobilised catalysts; ion exchanged glass; nanotechnology; organic pollutants; pollutant removal; water pollution; microchannels; microfluidic devices.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2016.080354

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2016 Vol.13 No.10/11/12, pp.724 - 733

Published online: 16 Nov 2016 *

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