Descripción del proyecto
Marcos organometálicos para unos fertilizantes fosforados sostenibles
Para poder alimentar a la creciente población mundial, los agricultores deben aplicar fertilizantes eficientes, normalmente fosforados, para aumentar el rendimiento de los cultivos. La mayor parte del fósforo empleado en los fertilizantes procede la fosforita, un recurso limitado. Los marcos organometálicos a base de circonio (Zr-MOF, por sus siglas en inglés) permitirían la recuperación del fosfato tanto de residuos como de aguas eutrofizadas para producir fertilizantes con fósforo gracias a sus amplias superficies, su estabilidad en el agua y su fuerte afinidad con el fosfato. El proyecto PSust-MOF, financiado con fondos europeos, tiene por objetivo mejorar el uso circular de los fertilizantes basados en fosfatos. Además, empleará el agua como un medio de reacción para la síntesis de Zr-MOF compatible con los requisitos de la producción industrial.
Objetivo
The efficient use of chemical fertilizers is essential to face the Sustainable Development Goal-2: Zero Hunger. Specifically, phosphorous-fertilizers are mainly produced by mining the non-renewable phosphate rock (PR), with both inefficient production and application processes causing dramatic environmental damages.
A new European fertilizer regulation encourages the development of new strategies driving to a P-circular economy. Phosphate could be recovered from both waste/eutrophicated water to produce P-fertilizers. However, the prevailing recovery rates cannot satisfy the whole P-demand. Thus, novel methods for a more sustainable production of P-fertilizers are also urgently needed.
Zirconium-based Metal-Organic Frameworks (Zr-MOFs) are porous crystalline materials easy to functionalize showing large surface areas, water stability and a strong affinity to phosphate. Hence, they could act as promising P-recovery adsorbents. Besides, they have recently proved to promote the dissolution of highly stable minerals. Thus, they could enhance the dissolution of PR under milder condition, mitigating the environmental risks of PR-mining. Unfortunately, Zr-MOFs are usually prepared using toxic organic solvents, limiting their industrial progress.
The project entitled “Metal-Organic Frameworks as multifunctional materials toward P-sustainability” (PSust-MOF) addresses the greener production Zr-MOFs with controlled particle features by using water as solvent. The main features determining both P-recovery process and promotion of apatite dissolution (main component of PR), will be identified. This knowledge will enable the design of advanced Zr-MOF materials which will be tested, for P-recovery or PR-dissolution, under real conditions. It is expected that the results of the project will not only have a strong impact on P-sustainability. Given the wide-range of applications of MOFs, the greener design of Zr-MOFs will also favour their industrial progress in multiple fields.
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
18071 Granada
España