@misc{SchowarteRiedelSafdaretal., author = {Schowarte, Julia and Riedel, Ramona and Safdar, Muddasar and Helle, Sven and Fischer, Thomas and Arellano-Garc{\´i}a, Harvey}, title = {Photocatalytic degradation of PFOA with porous lanthanoid perovskites nano catalyst}, series = {Chemie - Ingenieur - Technik : CIT}, journal = {Chemie - Ingenieur - Technik : CIT}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH GmbH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1522-2640}, doi = {10.1002/cite.70027}, pages = {1 -- 11}, abstract = {Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a persistent environmental pollutant, poses significant health and ecological risks. This study investigates for the first time the photocatalytic degradation of PFOA using novel doped perovskite catalysts under polychromatic UV-VIS irradiation with a peak emission at 366 nm. A series of nickel- and lanthanide-doped perovskites (NiMn2O4, LaMnO3, NdMnO3, and their nickel-doped variants) were synthesized via a facile co-precipitation technique and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-VIS diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-VIS-DRS), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), N2-physisorption, and microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES). Photocatalytic experiments revealed that Ni/NdMnO3 exhibited the highest degradation efficiency toward PFOA, likely due to its small band gap energy of 1.5 eV, facilitating efficient C-C bond cleavage.}, language = {en} } @misc{ShafieeJafariSchowarteetal., author = {Shafiee, Parisa and Jafari, Mitra and Schowarte, Julia and Dorneanu, Bogdan and Arellano-Garcia, Harvey}, title = {Streamlining catalyst development through machine learning : insights from heterogeneous catalysis and photocatalysis}, series = {Systems and control transactions}, volume = {4}, journal = {Systems and control transactions}, publisher = {PSE Press}, address = {Notre Dame, IN}, isbn = {978-1-7779403-3-1}, issn = {2818-4734}, doi = {10.69997/sct.135551}, pages = {1866 -- 1871}, abstract = {Catalysis design and reaction condition optimization are considered the heart of many chemical and petrochemical processes and industries; however, there are still significant challenges in these fields. Advances in machine learning (ML) have provided researchers with new tools to address some of these obstacles, offering the ability to predict catalyst behaviour, optimal reaction conditions, and product distributions without the need for extensive laboratory experimentation. In this contribution, the potential applications of ML in heterogeneous catalysis and photocatalysis are explored by analysing datasets from different reactions, including Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and photocatalytic pollutant degradation. First, datasets were collected from literature. After cleaning and preparing the datasets, they were employed to train and test several models. The best model for each dataset was selected and applied for optimization.}, language = {en} } @misc{SafdarSchowarteArellanoGarcia, author = {Safdar, Muddasar and Schowarte, Julia and Arellano-Garcia, Harvey}, title = {Sustainable production of synthetic natural gas : CO2 methanation on 3D-printed structured Ni-based perovskite catalysts}, series = {Annual Meeting on Reaction Engineering 2025}, journal = {Annual Meeting on Reaction Engineering 2025}, address = {W{\"u}rzburg}, pages = {1 -- 4}, abstract = {This study explores the thermo-catalytic conversion of captured CO₂ with renewable H₂ to produce synthetic natural gas (SNG) using Ni-based perovskite-type oxides (Ni-PTOs) as cost-effective and thermally stable catalysts in Power-to-Gas (PtG) applications. Structured monoliths improved the catalytic performance under reaction conditions. Use of 3D-printed geometries enhanced thermal/mechanical stability and process efficiency. Structured designs outperformed conventional powder-based configurations, indicating promise for scalable and sustainable SNG production.}, language = {en} } @misc{RiedelSchowarteSemischetal., author = {Riedel, Ramona and Schowarte, Julia and Semisch, Laura and Gonzalez Castano, Miriam and Ivanova, Svetlana and Martienssen, Marion and Arellano-Garcia, Harvey}, title = {Improving the photocatalytic degradation of EDTMP : effect of doped NPs (Na, Y, and K) into the lattice of modified Au/TiO2 nano-catalysts}, series = {Chemical engineering journal}, volume = {506}, journal = {Chemical engineering journal}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2025.160109}, pages = {14}, abstract = {This study presents the photocatalytic degradation of the aminophosphonate ethylenediaminetetra(methylenephosphonic acid) (EDTMP) with a range of different doped nanoparticles (NP). The photocatalysts were based on TiO2 benchmark P25 and gold (Au) doped either with sodium (Na), potassium (K) or yttrium (Y). The synthesized photocatalysts were characterized via TEM, XRF, XRD, UV-DRS (band gap estimation) and N2-physisorption. Photocatalytic pre-screening at pH values of 3, 7 and 10 indicated highest o-PO4 release of EDTMP at pH 7 and 10 for NP either doped with K or Y. The results of LC/MS analysis showed that the NPs doped with 5 \% Y (Au2/Y5/P25) resulted in the fastest degradation of EDTMP. The target compound was completely degraded within 60 min, 4 times faster than photochemical treatment of unadulterated EDTMP. Importantly, also the transformation products were accelerated by the photocatalytic treatment with Au2/P25 either doped with 5 \% Y or 10 \% K. The results of scavenger experiments indicated that the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of EDTMP is primarily attributable to the presence of hydroxyl radicals in the bulk and to a lesser extent to •O2- and electron-holes (h+) at the surface of the catalysts. The study demonstrates that the catalytic efficiency of TiO2 nanocomposites is significantly influenced by the choice of dopants, which affect particle size, band gap, and photocatalytic activity. Yttrium at low concentrations (i.e., 5 wt\% Y) doping emerged as particularly effective, enhancing both the visible light absorption and h+ separation, leading to superior photocatalytic performance in the degradation of EDTMP. The Au content also plays a crucial role in enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency. However, the combination of Au and Na doping was found to be less effective for this photocatalysis in aqueous media, potentially due to larger particle sizes and insufficient dopant contents. In conclusion, the findings emphasise the necessity of optimising both the selection of dopants and the design of catalysts in order to enhance photocatalytic applications.}, language = {en} }