| Jun 29, 2012 |
Highly efficient nanocomposite removes organic pollutants
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(Nanowerk News) Polyoxometalate and zirconium oxide nanocomposites were synthesized by Iranian researchers in order to increase the catalytic and photocatalytic activities of the nanocomposite used to remove organic pollutants (see paper in Ultrasonic Sonochemistry: "Preparation and characterization of polyphosphotungstate/ZrO2 nanocomposite and their sonocatalytic and photocatalytic activity under UV light illumination").
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Being used as photocatalysts, polyoxometalates have less efficiency due to their low specific area and the difficulties in the separation of such catalysts from the reaction media. By carrying out studies on various parameters in order to overcome the disadvantages of polyoxometalates (POM), the researchers succeeded in the synthesis of polyoxometalate / zirconium oxide nanocomposite.
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Among the other advantages of such nanocomposites, mention can be made of their insolubility that allows them to be easily separated from the reaction media. The use of nanocomposites is cost-effective because they are able to be recycled.
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The nanocomposites were synthesized in order to remove organic pollutants from the environment and to improve their catalytic activity. Taking into consideration the known properties of the synthesized polyoxometalate/zirconium oxide nanocomposites and their high catalytic activity, such nanomaterials can be used in the elimination of unsaturated organic pollutants and in the conversion of the pollutants into useful materials in environmental sciences (green chemistry) and in medical sciences. The synthesised nanoparticles also have applications in pharmaceutics industry, medicine, catalysts, optics, etc.
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