The Fe PNP 15 H2O catalyst reduction catalytic test and its valorisation as acid catalyst to the methylal synthesis

Pozzolana is a volcanic silico-aluminous material that is widely found in Madagascar, especially in the Vakinankaratra region. Black citric acid polymer (PN) is a material synthesized by polymerizing citric acid, a non-toxic, biodegradable, and eco-friendly raw material. Pure iron is a metal that is widely available in Madagascar, either in its natural form or as a product of recycling scrap iron and metal waste. The valorization of these three raw materials leads to the synthesis of the Fe-PNP-15%-H2O catalyst, on which 15% iron (Fe) is dispersed by using distilled water as a synthesis solvent. A catalytic test based on the aqueous phase reduction of hydrogen peroxide H2O2 to H2O with the formation of oxygen O2 was carried out to evaluate the reducing capacity of the Fe-PNP-15%-H2O catalyst. This method was established to try to bypass the catalytic test of reducing power with NO2 gas, a very harmful gaz which can disrupt ecosystems and air quality. Indeed, hydrogen peroxide H2O2 is a molecule naturally secreted by the body with disinfectant, antiseptic, and bleaching properties that are widely used in many chemical products, including cosmetics. The results of catalytic tests using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) not only enable the reducing power of catalysts to be determined, but also allow their subsequent ability to treat NOx gases to be compared. In addition, the eco-friendly Fe-PNP-15%-H2O acid catalyst was used in the synthesis of methylal, a chemical used in several areas of the chemical and automotive industries. The results of the experiments show that this Fe-PNP-15%-H2O heterogeneous acid catalyst is much more active than the H+/H2SO4 homogeneous protonic acid catalyst.