An Environmentally Benign Catalytic Polyoxometalate Technology for Transforming Wood Pulp into Paper

摘要

An environmentally benign technology, based on a solution of equilibrated polyoxometalate (POM) salts and oxygen, is being developed to bleach wood pulps for use in the manufacture of paper. Unlike conventional chlorine-based technologies, this biomimetic chemistry uses only oxygen and water and produces no liquid waste. This research constitutes a new general approach to the design of soluble transition metal catalysts for aerobic oxidation in water. The POM-based catalyst is thermodynamically stable under the operating conditions and is the first catalyst designed to act as its own buffer.