Description du projet
Des cadres organométalliques pour des engrais phosphorés durables
Pour nourrir la population croissante de la planète, les agriculteurs doivent utiliser des engrais efficaces généralement à base de phosphore afin d’augmenter le rendement de leurs cultures. La majeure partie du phosphore utilisé dans les engrais est issue du phosphate naturel, une ressource limitée. En raison de leur grande surface, leur stabilité hydrique et leur forte affinité avec le phosphate, les cadres organométalliques à base de zirconium (Zr-MOF) sont des matériaux qui conviennent à la récupération du phosphate à partir des eaux usées/eutrophisées dans le but de produire des engrais P. Le projet PSust-MOF, financé par l’UE, vise à améliorer l’utilisation circulaire des engrais phosphatés. Qui plus est, le projet utilisera l’eau comme milieu de réaction pour la synthèse de Zr-MOF, une approche compatible avec les exigences de la production industrielle.
Objectif
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.
Champ scientifique
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinateur
18071 Granada
Espagne