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Research interest |
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Membership of Professional Societies:
- The Spanish Carbon Group (GEC), which is integrated in the European Carbon Association (ECA).
- The Spanish Catalysis Society (SECAT).
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Biography |
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| from 2010 |
Associate Professor at the Inorganic Chemistry Department of the University of Granada |
| 2005 - 2010 |
Ramón y Cajal Researcher at University of Granada, Department of Inorganic Chemistry (November '05 - July '10). |
| 2009 - 2010 |
Guest Researcher at Delft University of Technology, DelftChemTech, Catalysis Engineering, The Netherlands. CO2 electro-catalytic reduction to hydrocarbons (October '09 - February '10). |
| 2005 |
Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Granada, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Spain (September - October). |
| 2003 - 2005 |
Postdoctoral fellow at Delft University of Technology, DelftChemTech, Reactor and Catalysis Engineering Group, The Netherlands. High performance monolithic catalysts (July '03 - August '05). |
| 2003 |
Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Granada, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Spain (January - July). |
| 2000 |
Predoctoral fellow, Institute of Catalysis and Petroleochemistry, CSIC, Spain. X-Ray Photoelectron Espectroscopy (April - July). |
| 1999 - 2002 |
Ph. D., University of Granada, Inorganic Chemistry Department, Spain.
Predoctoral fellow,
Thesis: WO3 Catalysts Supported on Activated Carbons. Influence of the surface chemical properties of the support on the acid characteristics of the catalysts. |
| 1997 - 1999 |
Master thesis. University of Jaén, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry Department, Spain: Coordination Chemistry and Potentiometry. |
| 1992 - 1997 |
BSc in Chemistry, University of Jaén, Spain: Chemistry and Technology of Fats. |
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...Escañuela |
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| © 2005 Agustín F. Pérez Cadenas || diseño © 2005 M.B. van Roode |
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Low temperature catalytic elimination of VOC
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State of the art |
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 Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are major air pollutants, and catalytic combustion is one of the most important technologies for eliminating VOC present at low concentration in effluent streams. From an energetic point of view, and to avoid NOx formation, it is very important for this combustion to take place at low temperatures (below 200 ºC), however, in these conditions, the water molecules produced or present in ambient air, can be retained on the catalytic support with negative effects (inhibition) on the activity of the catalyst. For this reason, the hydrophobicity of carbon materials has led to recent proposals for their use as support for catalysts in the total VOC combustion.
Thus, the known advantages in catalysis of the ceramic monolithic-supports (low pressure drops, short diffusion distances and the lack of attrition by vibrational and thermal shock resistance) and of carbon materials (versatility in surface area, pore texture and surface chemistry) make a good combination for VOC applied catalytic combustion. |
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Aim |
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This research project develops preparation methods of monolithic catalysts (using honeycomb monoliths), by means of the use of advanced carbon materials, as much integral as coated ceramic-monoliths, and finally its application in the total catalytic combustion of volatile organic compounds (VOC) at low temperatures (below 200ºC). The proposed advanced carbon materials, carbon aerogels and carbon nanofibers, are prepared in different forms like powder, pellets, and mainly as coatings of ceramic monoliths in order to optimize physical-chemical and hydrodynamics properties in applied processes. Thus, the catalytic behaviour of ceramic coated monoliths with activated carbon and other catalytic supports, like sílica and aluminas, also are being studied for comparison.
 Regarding the metallic phases, in addition to the traditional Pt, the catalytic activities of other metals such as Pd and Ru are investigated. The presence of these metals, together with other transition metals used during the aerogel and nanofiber synthesis, can produce synergism effects in the combustion reaction. On the other hand, the influence of the carbon porosity on the catalytic performance of the monoliths is also an important topic.
Finally, taking in account the problem that supposes the generation of water vapour during this reaction at low temperature, there will be insisted on the obtaining of highly hydrophobic catalytic supports, searching in this way that the activity as much as the life of the catalyst will be maximum. |
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Current Works |
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Monolithic structures made from cordierite have been coated with different carbon materials (activated carbons, xerogels and nanofibers), and used as support of Pd and Pt nanoparticles.
The behaviour of the monolithic catalysts is being studied in the low-temperature catalytic combustion of benzene, toluene and m-xylene (BTX), and compared with the corresponding behaviour of Pd and Pt supported on alpha-Al2O3 coated monoliths. The performance of integral carbon monoliths as support of Pt and Pd has been also studied.
The main results obtained are the following:
Carbon coated monoliths with a thin, homogeneous, consistent and good adhering activated carbon, and carbon nanofiber layers were obtained.
Pt-catalysts supported on carbon-based monoliths showed always the best performance, and were already active at 110ºC in the benzene combustion. In all cases CO2 and H2O were always the only reaction products found.
The catalysts supported on carbon-based monoliths showed a preference to burn benzene better than toluene or m-xylene, which is ascribed to a better aromatic-support dispersive interaction.
The carbon-based monolith catalysts were the most active, independently of the metal or the type of the tested aromatic compound. This seems to be due to the fact that the carbon surface is more hydrophobic than that of alpha-Al2O3, and the release of water molecules produced during the combustion is favoured.
BTX combustion is catalyzed by Pt and Pd through different kinetic mechanisms, and accounts for the fact that Pt catalysts were always more active than the Pd ones on the same type of support. Pd catalyzed combustion of benzene is inhibited by oxygen. Water also is a strong inhibitor of the Pd catalyzed combustion of benzene
Finally it has been observed that there exists a strong interplay between the carbon porosity, macro- and mesopores, and its performance in the Pd catalyzed total combustion of m-xylene. These pores improve the contact between the Pd particles and the m-xylene molecules.
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© 2005 Agustín F. Pérez Cadenas || diseño © 2005 M.B. van Roode
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Development of advanced carbon materials |
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Carbon aerogels, xerogels and nanofibers. It is possible to obtain tailored micro and mesoporous carbon materials, different doped-carbon materials (metal doped- and N-doped-), carbon-based catalysts with very high dispersion and cheaper and shorter synthesis processes. Advanced carbon materials can be also obtained as coating of ceramic structures: honeycomb monoliths and foams.
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© 2005 Agustín F. Pérez Cadenas || diseño © 2005 M.B. van Roode
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Removing pollutants from water by Fenton like processes |
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The catalytic performance of metal-doped carbon aerogels and xerogeles is studied in the degradation of azo-dyes in aqueous solutions. (In collaboration with Dr. Luis M. Madeira, University of Porto, Portugal)
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© 2005 Agustín F. Pérez Cadenas || diseño © 2005 M.B. van Roode
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Selective hydrogenations |
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The type of porosity of carbon materials can strongly affect the activity and selectivity in selective hydrogenations if used as catalyst support. Carbon-coated monoliths have shown very good performance in the Pd catalyzed selective hydrogenation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) of sunflower oil.
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© 2005 Agustín F. Pérez Cadenas || diseño © 2005 M.B. van Roode
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