Advanced catalytic nanomaterials for environmental applications (CatEnA)

Research program: PNCDI IV, Program 5.8. European and International Cooperation, Subprogram 5.8.3. Bilateral/Multilateral, Mobility Projects Romania-France

RO: Universitatea Tehnică "Gheorghe Asachi" din Iași (TUIASI), Facultatea de Inginerie Chimică și Protecția Mediului "Cristofor Simionescu" (https://icpm.tuiasi.ro)

FR: Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale de Dunkerque (ULCO), Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant (https://uceiv.univ-littoral.fr)

Project code: PN-IV-P8-8.3-PM-RO-FR-2024-0152NR

Contract: 10BMFR⁄23.09.2024

Total Budget: 30.434 lei

Duration: 23.09.2024 - 31.12.2025

Funding agency: UEFISCDI

Project leader: Prof. dr. habil. eng. Adrian Ungureanu

Project description

The primary objective of this project is to support the mobility of both experienced and early-stage researchers, facilitating the exchange of ideas and expertise between Romania and France. At its core, the project aims to strengthen collaboration between the two institutions, create centres of excellence in research, and train a highly qualified human resource. This initiative contributes to increasing the visibility, competitiveness and attractiveness of higher education and research at European level. Within the project framework, our focus is on the development of novel, straightforward, and efficient methods for synthesizing advanced catalytic nanomaterials. Specifically, the research activities will encompass iron-based oxide nanoparticles confined/encapsulated in micro-mesoporous scaffolds. These nanomaterials have high potential to be successfully used in the advanced oxidation of persistent organic pollutants in wastewater by heterogeneous Fenton processes. The complementarity of expertise, resources and of research infrastructures of the two teams will facilitate comprehensive physico-chemical and catalytic investigations on the synthesized materials. This integrated approach anticipates the successful achievement of the scientific objectives of the project.

Project RO team

Prof. dr. habil. eng. Adrian Ungureanu, TUIASI – Project leader

Prof. dr. habil. eng. Cezar Catrinescu, TUIASI – Key expert

Eng. Mihaela Bectoraș, TUIASI, ULCO – PhD student

Eng. Ana Ursu, TUIASI – PhD student

Project FR team

Assoc. prof. dr. chem. Carmen Ciotonea, ULCO – Project coordinator

Prof. dr. habil. eng. Sébastien Royer, ULCO – Key expert

Prof. dr. habil. chem. Renaud Cousin, ULCO – Key expert

Prof. dr. habil. chem. Cédric Gennequin, ULCO – Key expert

Dr. chem. Vishal Dutta, ULCO – Postdoc

Chem. Mahdi Mohamad Ali, ULCO – PhD student

Reports

2024 scientific report

2025 scientific report

Main results

2024

2025

Presentations at international conferences

1. Cezar Catrinescu, Adrian Ungureanu, Mihaela Bectoras, Ana Ursu, Carmen Ciotonea, Sébastien Royer, Fenton-like oxidation of lindane over iron oxide nanocatalysts confined within the intra-wall pores of SBA-15, 7^th International Advanced Oxidation Processes, April 8-10, 2025, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

– Oral presentation, Section New Solutions for Catalytic Oxidation

2. Cezar Catrinescu, Adrian Ungureanu, Advanced Oxidation Processes: Catalysts for Water Reuse in the Circular Economy, 13^th International Conference on Environmental Engineering and Management, September 17-20, 2025, Iași, Romania

– Keynote lecture, Section Water and Wastewater Cycles in the Context of Circular (Bio)Economy

3. Adrian Ungureanu, Cezar Catrinescu, Mihaela Bectoras, Carmen Ciotonea, Cédric Gennequin, Sébastien Royer, Nanoparticules d’oxyde de fer confinées dans les pores de la silice mésoporeuse SBA-15 pour l’oxydation hétérogène de type Fenton du lindane, 4^e Symposium de la recherche scientifique francophone en Europe centrale et orientale, October 30-31, 2025, ”Alexandru Ioan-Cuza” University, Iași, Romania

– Oral presentation, Atelier PHC-Brâncuși 2024-2025

Papers published in journals indexed in Web of Science

1. Adrian Ungureanu, Mihaela Bectoras, Carmen Ciotonea, Cédric Gennequin, Sébastien Royer,^* Cezar Catrinescu,^* Iron oxide nanoparticles confined in SBA-15 via melt infiltration as efficient Fenton-like catalysts for lindane degradation, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 13 (2025) 120462, Q1, IF = 7,2.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2025.120462

Papers published in the conference proceedings

1. Adrian Ungureanu, Cezar Catrinescu, Mihaela Bectoras, Carmen Ciotonea, Cédric Gennequin, Sébastien Royer, Nanoparticules d’oxyde de fer confinées dans les pores de la silice mésoporeuse SBA-15 pour l’oxydation hétérogène de type Fenton du lindane, Les actes du Symposium de la recherche scientifique francophone en Europe centrale et orientale, accepted 21 november 2025, pp. xx-xx, ISSN print xxxx-xxxx, ISSN online xxxx-xxxx.