Carine Julcour

Core–Shell Nanoreactors for Efficient Aqueous Biphasic Catalysis

Water-borne phosphine-functionalized core-cross-linked micelles (CCM) consisting of a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic shell were obtained as stable latexes by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) in water in a one-pot, three-step process. Initial homogeneous aqueous-phase copolymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) and poly(ethylene oxide) methyl ether methacrylate (PEOMA) is followed by copolymerization of styrene (S) and 4-diphenylphosphinostyrene (DPPS), yielding P(MAA-co-PEOMA)-b-P(S-co-DPPS) amphiphilic block copolymer micelles (M) by polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA), and final micellar cross-linking with a mixture of S and diethylene glycol dimethacrylate. The CCM were characterized by dynamic light scattering and NMR spectroscopy to evaluate size, dispersity, stability, and the swelling ability of various organic substrates. Coordination of [Rh(acac)(CO)2 ] (acac=acetylacetonate) to the core-confined phosphine groups was rapid and quantitative. The CCM and M latexes were then used, in combination with [Rh(acac)(CO)2 ], to catalyze the aqueous biphasic hydroformylation of 1-octene, in which they showed high activity, recyclability, protection of the activated Rh center by the polymer scaffold, and low Rh leaching. The CCM latex gave slightly lower catalytic activity but significantly less Rh leaching than the M latex. A control experiment conducted in the presence of the sulfoxantphos ligand pointed to the action of the CCM as catalytic nanoreactors with substrate and product transport into and out of the polymer core, rather than as a surfactant in interfacial catalysis.

Preparation of Polymer Supported Phosphine Ligands by Metal Catalyzed Living Radical Copolymerization and Their Application to Hydroformylation Catalysis

A series of well‐defined polystyrene‐supported tertiary phosphine ligands were prepared by copper‐catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), involving direct copolymerization of styrene and 4‐diphenylphosphinostyrene (or 4‐styryldiphenylphosphine, SDPP). Copolymerization of the two monomers at different molar ratios showed a decreasing level of control as the SDPP molar fraction (fSDPP) increased. A satisfactory level of control was achieved for fSDPP≤0.25 such that there was a constant concentration of growing “living chains”, and linear Mn growth with conversion and low dispersity. Copper‐free polymers with different chain lengths were prepared and tested as polymeric ligands in the rhodium‐catalyzed hydroformylation of 1‐octene. The polymeric ligands yielded higher linear/branched selectivity and lower activity relative to PPh3 at the same P/Rh ratio. The selectivity increased slightly as a function of the polymer chain length.

Sonolysis and sono-Fenton oxidation for removal of ibuprofen in (waste)water

Two sonochemical processes were compared for the removal of ibuprofen in different water matrixes (distilled water and effluent from wastewater treatment plant). The effect of various operating parameters, such as pH (2.6-8.0), ultrasound power density (25-100W/L), sonication frequency (12-862kHz), addition of radical promoters (H2O2 and Fentons reagent) or scavengers (n-butanol and acetic acid), was evaluated. Sono-degradation of ibuprofen followed a first-order kinetic trend, whose rate constant increased with ultrasound density and frequency. For this hydrophobic and low volatile molecule, a free-radical mechanism at the bubble interface was established. Coupling ultrasound with Fenton reaction showed a positive synergy, especially in terms of mineralization yield, while adding H2O2 alone had no significant beneficial effect. Dedicated experiments proved this synergy to be due to the enhanced regeneration of ferrous ions by ultrasound. Efficacy of the sonolysis process was hampered in wastewater matrix, mainly as the consequence of higher pH increasing the molecule solubility. However, after convenient acidification, sono-Fenton oxidation results remained almost unchanged, indicating no significant radical scavenging effects from the effluent compounds.

One-Pot RAFT Synthesis of Triphenylphosphine-Functionalized Amphiphilic Core-Shell Polymers and Application as Catalytic Nanoreactors in Aqueous Biphasic Hydroformylation

Controlled radical polymerization has recently been used to develop polymers engineered for applications as catalytic nanoreactors. In this contribution, we present the joint development, in our laboratories, of core-cross-linked micelles (CCM) for application under aqueous biphasic conditions through the micellar approach, using triphenylphosphine (TPP) as polymer-anchored ligand and rhodium as catalytic metal for the hydroformylation of 1-octene as a model α-olefin. The polymers were synthesized by a one-pot convergent approach using RAFT as controlling method in water, making use of the polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) principle. The article will also show the polymer properties in terms of size, polydispersity, swelling, metal coordination and exchange, and interpenetration. It will also illustrate our initial catalytic studies with focus on the effect of the polymer architecture (ligand nature, ligand density, core size, nature of cross-linking) and of the stirring rate on the catalytic performance (turnover frequency) and catalyst leaching.

Degradation of chlordecone and beta-hexachlorocyclohexane by photolysis, (photo-)fenton oxidation and ozonation

ABSTRACT Intensive use of chlorinated pesticides from the 1960s to the 1990s has resulted in a diffuse contamination of soils and surface waters in the banana-producing areas of the French West Indies. The purpose of this research was, for the first time, to examine the degradation of two of these persistent pollutants – chlordecone (CLD) and beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH) in 1 mg L−1 synthetic aqueous solutions by means of photolysis, (photo-) Fenton oxidation and ozonation processes. Fenton oxidation is not efficient for CLD and yields less than 15% reduction of β-HCH concentration in 5 h. Conversely, both molecules can be quantitatively converted under UV-Vis irradiation reaching 100% of degradation in 5 h, while combination with hydrogen peroxide and ferrous iron does not show any significant improvement except in high wavelength range (>280 nm). Ozonation exhibits comparable but lower degradation rates than UV processes. Preliminary identification of degradation products indicated that hydrochlordecone was formed during photo-Fenton oxidation of CLD, while for β-HCH the major product peak exhibited C3H3Cl2 as most abundant fragment.

Improvement of (transition metal-modified) activated carbon regeneration by H2O2-promoted catalytic wet air oxidation

ABSTRACT Oxidative regeneration of activated carbon (AC) exhausted with phenolic compounds is still a challenging issue due to the frequent porosity loss. Addition of low H2O2 amount is investigated as a way to promote catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of adsorbed pollutants and thereby to recover absorbent properties. Commercial AC and transition metal (iron or copper)-modified counterparts are tested in repeated adsorption/batch peroxide-promoted CWAO of phenol. Cycles are operated in both fixed bed and slurry reactors to vary the initial pollutant distribution in between the two phases. Influence of metal location is also studied by adding iron salt to the pollutant solution prior to perform peroxide-promoted oxidation on bare carbon. Regeneration results are analyzed through a detailed analysis of both the solid and the liquid phases during the oxidative treatment. It is proved that a convenient H2O2 dosage can increase the lifetime of adsorbent in adsorption–oxidation cycles, but coupling with (un)supported metal oxide does not provide significant gain. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Towards a New Oxidation Process Using Ozone to Regenerate Coked Catalysts

ABSTRACT This work focuses on the regeneration of a zeolite catalyst from industry deactivated by fouling with coke. To replace high temperature combustion, a common and energy intensive process, an oxidation process under milder conditions (50 °C–200 °C) has been investigated using ozone. Coked zeolite has been oxidized by an ozone stream in a fixed bed reactor, and regeneration kinetics was followed by analyzing carbon content of the particles and ozone concentration at the outlet. The effects of temperature, time on stream and ozone inlet concentration on carbon removal efficiency were studied. Moreover, elemental analysis showed that a maximum of 74.3% of carbon could be removed from the coked catalyst after 6.5 h. Moreover, the total specific surface area, the pore size distribution and the total pore volume (mainly mesopores) have been evaluated on coked and regenerated samples.

Core-Cross-Linked Micelles and Amphiphilic Nanogels as Unimolecular Nanoreactors for Micellar-Type, Metal-Based Aqueous Biphasic Catalysis

Biphasic homogeneous protocols are attractive for catalyzed transformations in industry, especially when conducted with water as the catalyst phase as exemplified by the large-scale Rhone-Poulenc/Ruhrchemie hydroformylation process, but can only be applied when the substrate is sufficiently soluble in the aqueous phase to sustain sufficiently fast mass transport . Different solutions to reduce mass transport limitations include the use of additives to increase the substrate solubility in water or increase the water/organic interface, anchoring the catalyst onto a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) polymer to implement thermomorphic behavior, and anchoring the catalyst to the hydrophobic part of surfactants or amphiphilic block copolymers that self-assemble in the form of micelles in water. The use of catalytic micelles appears as the most attractive approach but is limited by the potential formation of stable emulsions and by loss of free macromolecules during separation. These limitations are removed by cross-linking the macromolecules into a unimolecular nanoreactor. This chapter covers the emerging area of unimolecular catalytic nanoreactors, focusing on transition metal-based catalytic applications. It will also present the synthesis of new types of catalytic unimolecular nanoreactors developed in our laboratories, conceived to function on the basis of the micellar catalysis principle. These nanoreactors consist of either core-cross-linked micelle (CCM) or amphiphilic functionalized nanogels (NG). The proof of principle of their catalytic performance in the aqueous biphasic hydroformylation of 1-octene will also be presented. The catalyst confinement objective which is highlighted in this chapter is process optimization in terms of the catalyst phase recovery and recycling.