Catalytic reduction of water pollutants: knowledge gaps, lessons learned, and new opportunities

Highlights

● Advances, challenges, and opportunities for catalytic water pollutant reduction.

● Cases of Pd-based catalysts for nitrate, chlorate, and perchlorate reduction.

● New functionalities developed by screening and design of catalytic metal sites.

● Facile catalyst preparation approaches for convenient catalyst optimization.

● Rational design and non-decorative effort are essential for future work.

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the previous advances, current challenges, and future opportunities for the research of catalytic reduction of water pollutants. We present five case studies on the development of palladium-based catalysts for nitrate, chlorate, and perchlorate reduction with hydrogen gas under ambient conditions. We emphasize the realization of new functionalities through the screening and design of catalytic metal sites, including (i) platinum group metal (PGM) nanoparticles, (ii) the secondary metals for improving the reaction rate and product selectivity of nitrate reduction, (iii) oxygen-atom-transfer metal oxides for chlorate and perchlorate reduction, and (iv) ligand-enhanced coordination complexes for substantial activity enhancement. We also highlight the facile catalyst preparation approach that brought significant convenience to catalyst optimization. Based on our own studies, we then discuss directions of the catalyst research effort that are not immediately necessary or desirable, including (1) systematic study on the downstream aspects of under-developed catalysts, (2) random integration with hot concepts without a clear rationale, and (3) excessive and decorative experiments. We further address some general concerns regarding using H₂ and PGMs in the catalytic system. Finally, we recommend future catalyst development in both “fundamental” and “applied” aspects. The purpose of this perspective is to remove major misconceptions about reductive catalysis research and bring back significant innovations for both scientific advancements and engineering applications to benefit environmental protection.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Molybdenum / Rhenium / Rhodium / Ruthenium / Catalyst Support / Bromate

Dr. Jinyong Liu is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside (UCR), USA. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Master’s degree in Environmental Science & Engineering from Tsinghua University, China and his Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. After the postdoctoral training at Colorado School of Mines, he joined UCR in 2016. The ongoing research topics in his lab include (i) degradation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), (ii) catalytic reduction of oxyanions, and (iii) transition metal chemistry for environmental applications. Dr. Liu is the recipient of the Chinese-American Professors in Environmental Engineering and Science (CAPEES) Young Investigator Award (2022), the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Paul V. Roberts Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award for Advisor (2021), New Engineer to Watch by Water Environment Research (2021), Excellence in Review Award of Environmental Science & Technology Letters (2018), American Chemical Society (ACS) C. Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry Award (2014), and ACS Graduate Student Award in Environmental Chemistry (2013). His PhD students at UCR have received one AEESP Paul V. Roberts Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award (2021), four ACS C. Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry Awards (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022), three ACS Graduate Student Awards in Environmental Chemistry (2019, 2020, 2021), one ACS Undergraduate Award in Environmental Chemistry (2019), and two American Water Works Association (AWWA) Scholarships (2018, 2019). The undergraduate and high school students in Dr. Liu’s lab continued their higher education in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry majors at Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Liu is currently the member of Editorial Board for Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, Water Environment Research, and Environmental Research

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Acknowledgements

Financial support was provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation (CBET-1932942).

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