Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
5-1-2026
Disciplines
Chemistry
Advisor
Alicia Peterson
Abstract
Chlorinated ethylenes are common groundwater contaminants that persist in the environment and pose significant risks to human health such as damage to the nervous system, liver, kidneys, and even increased risk of cancer. Catalytic dehydrochlorination has emerged as a promising strategy for detoxifying compounds such as trichloroethylene (TCE). This study investigates whether rhodium on alumina (Rh/Al₂O₃) in the presence of hydrogen gas can completely degrade TCE to non-toxic products without the accumulation of harmful chlorinated intermediates. While palladium catalysts have been widely studied for dehydrochlorination, the activity and mechanism of rhodium supported on alumina in aqueous systems remains less characterized. To address this gap, aqueous-phase catalytic experiments are conducted under hydrogen, to evaluate reaction kinetics, product formation, and catalytic performance, as well as the production of hazardous intermediates, in natural water systems, using lake Sagatagan water as the water source. Additionally, the study considers how natural water matrix effects, including seasonal and year-to-year variations in dissolved organic matter, ionic strength, and competing species, may influence catalytic activity, reaction kinetics, and product distribution. Reactions are performed at controlled conditions (25 °C, 1 atm H₂, 780 rpm) using Rh/Al₂O₃ as the catalyst. Headspace GC-MS analysis is used to monitor substrate loss, product formation, and pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. The study aims to determine reaction rate constants, and product distributions to see whether the effects of running the reaction in natural water matrix effect's catalytic ability. Demonstrating efficient sequential dechlorination, in complex water matrix, non-toxic products would support the development of noble-metal catalytic systems for environmental remediation and water treatment.
Recommended Citation
Krueger, Amber and Mueller, Gage, "Rhodium on Alumina Catalyzed Hydrodechlorination of Trichlorethylene" (2026). Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-). 337.
https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/ur_cscday/337