The Main Cause of Air Pollution 'Nitrogen Oxides' Will Be Replaced with Expensive Chemical Raw Materials

Research Team Led by Professor Lee Yunho at Seoul National University Develops Nickel Catalyst Conversion Technology

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Domestic researchers have developed a technology that converts nitrogen oxides generated from heat production at thermal power plants, large-scale heating facilities, steel mills, and factories into high value-added chemicals.

According to the Korea Research Foundation on the 6th, Professor Lee Yun-ho's research team at Seoul National University developed a new nickel (Ni) catalytic reaction that converts nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the high value-added chemical 'oxime'.

Nitrogen oxides pose a threat to human safety comparable to the carbon cycle imbalance caused by industrialization. Nitrate (NO3-), one of the main raw materials for fertilizers, causes groundwater pollution and algal blooms in seawater. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NO), and nitrous oxide (N2O) gases not only cause air pollution but are also highly related to the generation of fine dust, which has recently become a serious issue. This is the result of irreversible nitrogen fixation (N2 fixation) and nitrification reactions over the past century. Accumulated nitrogen oxides accelerate the imbalance of the nitrogen cycle, but the regression processes of nitrogen oxides such as nitrate are insufficient.

The research team upgraded the existing denitrification reaction and studied new technology for nitrogen oxide conversion and utilization (NCU, NOx Conversion and Utilization). Inspired by natural denitrification reactions, they succeeded in developing a new catalytic reaction using nickel catalysts that achieve denitrification through carbon monoxide and form carbon-nitrogen (C-N) bonds as a core technology for NCU.

The developed catalytic reaction produces oxime as the final product through carbon-nitrogen bonding after the deoxidation reaction of nickel-NOx species. The research team synthesized more than ten types of oximes, which can be converted into various organic substances and are widely used in the chemical industry.

Professor Lee explained, "The nickel-based nitrogen oxide (NOx) conversion catalytic reaction transforms NOx species related to environmental pollution," adding, "It is significant in that it provides a new core technology to produce environmentally friendly and useful substances for the chemical industry."

The research results were published online on the 14th of last month in the international chemistry journal, the Journal of the American Chemical Society, and were selected as the cover paper of the official published issue.