TOMSK, May 22 – RIA Tomsk. Scientists of Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) and their foreign colleagues develop catalysts on the basis of gold nanoparticles which will allow to obtain the chemical products demanded in medicine, agriculture, cosmetic industry from biofuel waste, in particular, glycerin, the press service of the university reported on Monday.
With reference to the head of the Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry TPU Alexey Pestryakov it is explained that biofuel is received from biomass, for example, of orange peels, banana peel, colza or corn. At their processing glycerin is formed – the product demanded in the cosmetic industry, but "not as much, as big its volumes when obtaining biofuel". The remained glycerin goes into waste.
"Now around the world many scientific groups are busy searching the solution of this problem: how to turn excess of glycerin into other useful products. Together with foreign colleagues we have offered our catalysts on the basis of gold nanoparticles", – said Pestryakov.
It is added that the use of gold as the catalyst – is one of the most effective methods for obtaining such useful products from glycerin as aldehydes, esters and carboxylic acids."These substances are the products of fine organic chemistry and are in demand today in a wide variety of industries - first of all in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In agriculture, these substances can be used in various feed additives, veterinary drugs, fertilizers, plant treatment products and so on", – Pestryakov is quted in the message.
As the press service specifies, today TPU scientists are not the only ones who are engaged in the development of such catalysts. The development of Polytechnic University will differ from analogs in higher stability. "Gold catalysts lose their activity very quickly, not only during the work, but even during the storage. And our task is – to ensure a longer period of their work", – Pestryakov emphasizes.