CATALYSIS AND PHOTOCATALYSIS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: Salvatore SCIRE'Expected Learning Outcomes
The course aims to provide the fundamental knowledge of catalysis and photocatalysis, with special attention to the application of (photo)catalysts in the fields of energy production and environmental protection.
To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory measures, based on the educational objectives and specific needs. In this case, it is advisable to contact the CInAP (Centre for Active and Participated Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or SLD) responsible of the Department.
Course Structure
Classroom lessons with numerical exercises
Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.
Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it
Required Prerequisites
Detailed Course Content
- Hystory and importance of catalysis
- Basic principles of catalysis. Heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis. Classification of catalysts.
- Heterogeneous catalysis and adsorption: physisorption and chemisorption. Adsorption isotherms. Surface area determination and poresize distribution. Metallic dispersion.
- Kinetics of catalysed reactions and main reaction mechanisms: Langmuir-Hinshelwood, Eley-Rideal, Mars-van Krevelen.
- Preparation methods and characterization techniques of heterogeneous catalysts.
- Measurements of catalytic activity. Deactivation mechanisms of catalysts
- Principles and objectives of Green Chemistry. Solid acids and bases in catalysis. Catalytic processes with low environmental impact.
- Catalysis for environmental protection. Catalysis for gasoline and diesel cars. DeNOx e deSOX catalysts. Catalytic combustion of VOC.
- Production and storage of hydrogen. Fuel cells technologies. Hydrogen economy.
- Catalytic processes for fuel production and improvement.
- Principles and applications of photocatalysis. Main heterogeneous photocatalysts.
- Applications of photocatalysis: removal of pollutants from water and air, selective oxidations, watersplitting, CO2 reduction
Textbook Information
1. J. Hagen – Industrial Catalysis: a practical approach. Wiley-VCH
2. C.H Bartholomew, R.J. Farrauto, Fundamentals of industrial catalytic processes, 2nd ed. Wiley-Interscience
3. G. Ertl, H. Knozinger, J. Weitkamp - Preparation of Solid Catalysts – Wiley-VCH
4. Visible-light-active photocatalysis: nanostructured catalyst design, mechanisms and applications, S.Ghosh ed., Wiley-VCH
5. Photocatalysis and Water Purification, P. Pichat Ed., Wiley-VCH
6. H. Kisch, Semiconductor Photocatalysis, Wiley
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalisi: importanza e storia | Appunti delle lezioni |
| 2 | Principi di base di catalisi. Classificazione dei catalizzatori: catalisi eterogenea ed omogenea | Appunti delle lezioni - Testo 2: capitolo 1 - Testo 3: capitolo 1 |
| 3 | Catalisi eterogenea ed adsorbimento: fisisorbimento e chemisorbimento, isoterme di adsorbimento. Area superficiale e distribuzione diametro dei pori, dispersione metallica | Appunti delle lezioni - Testo 3: capitolo 4 |
| 4 | Cinetica delle reazioni catalizzate | Appunti delle lezioni - Testo 2: capitolo 5 |
| 5 | Metodi di preparazione e tecniche di caratterizzazione di catalizzatori eterogenei | Appunti delle lezioni - Testo 4: capitoli 3 e 4 |
| 6 | Catalisi e green chemistry. Acidi e basi solide in catalisi | Appunti delle lezioni - Testo 3: capitolo 6 |
| 7 | Catalisi per il controllo dell’inquinamento da sorgenti mobili e stazionarie. Sistemi catalitici per motori a benzina e diesel. Catalizzatori per deNOx e deSOX | Appunti delle lezioni |
| 8 | Catalizzatori per produzione e storage di idrogeno. Fuel cells. Hydrogen economy | Appunti delle lezioni |
| 9 | Catalizzatori per la produzione e l’upgrading di combustibili liquidi | Appunti delle lezioni |
| 10 | Principi ed applicazioni della fotocatalisi | Appunti delle lezioni |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
- Hystory and importance of catalysis
- Basic principles of catalysis. Heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis. Classification of catalysts.
- Heterogeneous catalysis and adsorption: physisorption and chemisorption. Adsorption isotherms. Surface area determination and poresize distribution. Metallic dispersion.
- Kinetics of catalysed reactions and main reaction mechanisms: Langmuir-Hinshelwood, Eley-Rideal, Mars-van Krevelen.
- Preparation methods and characterization techniques of heterogeneous catalysts.
- Measurements of catalytic activity. Deactivation mechanisms of catalysts
- Principles and objectives of Green Chemistry. Solid acids and bases in catalysis. Catalytic processes with low environmental impact.
- Catalysis for environmental protection. Catalysis for gasoline and diesel cars. DeNOx e deSOX catalysts. Catalytic combustion of VOC.
- Production and storage of hydrogen. Fuel cells technologies. Hydrogen economy.
- Catalytic processes for fuel production and improvement.
- Principles and applications of photocatalysis. Main heterogeneous photocatalysts.
- Applications of photocatalysis: removal of pollutants from water and air, selective oxidations, watersplitting, CO2 reduction