A family of oxidation catalysts known as TAML has been revamped to increase activity by several orders of magnitude, even at very dilute catalyst concentrations. Developed by Sudoc (Cambridge, Mass.; www.sudoc.com), these peroxidase-mimicking catalysts present a more environmentally sustainable option in challenging cleaning and treatment applications, such as mold treatment, where toxic chemicals are typically required, says Roger Berry, CEO of Sudoc. “Because of its oxidative characteristics, the catalyst acts as a ‘super-cleaner.’ Our team has formulated a very powerful mold cleaner that uses significantly less hypochlorite than other products on the market,” adds Berry.
The key to TAML catalysts’ performance alongside oxidants is an iron atom surrounded by a macrocyclic amide-containing ligand, which makes the catalyst extremely active in oxidation reactions, but also very resilient, especially compared to other transition-metal oxidation catalysts, explains Matt Mills, Sudoc’s director of research and development. The combination of activity and resilience comes after decades of iterations to pinpoint the weak points in the macrocycle and formulate a structure optimized to survive in conditions where other catalysts would quickly burn up, but also where the homogeneous catalyst macrocycle can disappear from the environment once its job is complete. “Earlier versions of the catalyst had a closer ratio of catalyst activity to its self-destructiveness, so you could see the potential, but the latest versions greatly extend the ratio. So that decoupling was a major breakthrough,” adds Berry.
Beyond resistance to oxidation and nucleophilic attack, the catalyst’s structure is highly tunable, so it can be optimized for many environmental-remediation tasks. Sudoc is launching its first commercial product, a mold cleaner, later this year, and several demonstration projects are underway to test large-scale treatment. “There have been a wide variety of bench-scale studies looking at destroying pharmaceuticals, explosives, hormones and other substances. We’re also treating wastewater with our technology and showing numerous different compounds that were present in the effluent that can get reduced, some almost to non-detectable levels,” says Mills.