Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

In light of today's environmental challenges, chemical reaction engineering is gaining a renewed relevance, given that it can provide the tools to generate clean energy and to implement green chemical processes. Reaction engineering is called to develop unique solutions for (a) CO2 capture, (b) hydrogen production from alternative resources, and (c) air treatment for the photocatalytic conversion of organic pollutants and the inactivation of viruses such as COVID-19. The proposed research will take advantage of the prototypes available from the applicant's patented technologies such as (a) the CREC Riser Simulator-Mark II, (b) the Photo-CREC Photocatalytic reactors for water and air treatment and hydrogen production, and (c) the CREC-GS Optiprobes. These unique devices can be used to establish: (a) catalyst performance, (b) kinetic rate models, (c) gas-solid reactor fluid dynamics, and (d) photon utilization efficiency. Studies will be developed by using statistically based kinetics and parameter estimation. These studies will lead to rate equations by incorporating (a) intrinsic kinetics, (b) adsorption, and (c) intraparticle diffusion. The specific short term research objectives of this proposal can be summarized as (a) Theme 1: the establishment of nucleation and nuclei-based kinetics for chemical looping combustion, using highly efficient oxygen carriers, (b) Theme 2: the photocatalytic production of hydrogen integrated with eolic energy, (c) Theme 3 : the determination of thermodynamics and quantum efficiencies, for the photocatalytic conversion of organic pollutants and for virus inactivation, (d) Theme 4: the development of kinetics and reactor models, for the conversion of biomass waste into green fuels, by using environmentally friendly catalysts, and (e) Theme 5: the development of new photoreactors for microalgae culture and CO2 Capture. The long-term goal of this research is to create and apply innovative technologies, for the protection of the environment and the enhancement of the well-being of the Canadian and ultimately, the world population. These objectives are intrinsically gender and race inclusive and by achieving them, this research is aiming to have a beneficial global impact on nature and humankind. The applicant will be leading this program with a gender balanced, ethnic and culturally diverse HQP team, which will significantly contribute to the EDI ethos and the scope of the NDG.